Chapter 007: The Crispy Crunch of the River Crab

“What’s wrong?” Liu Xing asked repeatedly.

“Fat Naughty bit my toe,” Gua Zi replied, pouting and almost in tears.

“Then why don’t you come ashore?” Liu Xing teased.

“I won’t!” Gua Zi bent down and grabbed the river crab under her feet, then, looking tense, threw it into the wooden bucket.

“Well done!” Liu Xing gave Gua Zi a thumbs-up.

He thought that with some praise, Gua Zi would keep catching river crabs, but unexpectedly, she suddenly burst into loud tears and ran toward the shore.

“What now?” Liu Xing asked again.

“There are leeches!” Gua Zi pointed in terror as she climbed ashore.

“What’s there to be afraid of with leeches?” Liu Xing shook his head. The sun was scorching overhead, and after a slight frown, he bent down and continued fishing for river crabs and picking river snails.

As for lotus roots, he had dug up several. Yet, being wild, they were small. But Liu Xing didn’t mind. Instead, he quickened his pace.

...

As noon approached, Liu Xing came ashore. He asked Gua Zi to guard the river crabs in the bucket, then carried a basket of river snails toward home. On the riverbank, there was still a pile of snails that couldn’t fit in the basket; together with those in the basket, it must be over a hundred pounds. As for the river crabs, there was a full bucket. The lotus roots, however, were less satisfactory—due to the difficulty in harvesting, there were only a dozen or so. Still, this was enough for Liu Xing. If he could sell them, he’d have enough money for his father’s treatment, and perhaps even trade for some pork to enjoy a special meal.

In the kitchen, Liu Dazhao was cooking. Seeing Liu Xing return with a basket of river snails, he was slightly surprised but didn’t ask much, continuing his cooking.

After placing the river crabs in the shady hall, Liu Xing greeted his father and went out again with the basket.

When he returned, the basket held not only river snails, but also a dozen lotus roots.

This time, Liu Dazhao was both surprised and delighted. “Kid, you’ve had good luck today! Where did you get these river snails and lotus roots?”

River snails could be sold at the market; with luck, they could fetch eighteen cents a pound, and even with poor luck, at least twelve. Liu Xing had gathered so many in the morning, perhaps earning ten or so yuan—a considerable sum, enough for plenty of meat.

“From the riverbank,” Liu Xing replied, putting away the lotus roots and river snails, then turned to leave.

“Where are you going?” Liu Dazhao couldn’t help but ask.

“I’m going to fetch Gua Zi. There’s still a bucket of river crabs by the river,” Liu Xing answered without looking back.

“What?”

“A whole bucket of river crabs?”

Dazhao thought he’d misheard. Only when Liu Xing returned with Gua Zi, carrying a bucket brimming with river crabs, did he realize Liu Xing hadn’t lied.

“Daddy, these ‘Fat Naughty’ crabs were all caught by me and brother. We should have a feast at lunch!” Gua Zi pointed at the struggling crabs in the bucket. “The biggest one is for you, to help your injured toe heal.”

“Good! Good!” Dazhao was so moved he didn’t know what to say. With a sigh of relief, he carried the bucket of crabs to the kitchen.

Liu Xing didn’t help; instead, he went to the backyard to bathe. Covered in mud, he had no choice—he couldn’t stand it without washing. After cleaning up and changing into fresh clothes, he came out of the backyard to find a large basin of cooked river crabs already set on the wooden table. Gua Zi, biting her finger, watched but didn’t indulge alone, which surprised Liu Xing. Smiling, he lifted Gua Zi onto the table. “Where’s Dad?”

“He’s rinsing the river snails. He said that cleaning them well would fetch much higher prices,” Gua Zi replied, tilting her little head.

“Oh.” Liu Xing didn’t ask further, instead picking out a crab for Gua Zi, blowing on it to cool it, and handing it to her.

“Brother, you eat too!” Gua Zi tried to hand a crab to Liu Xing, but ultimately didn’t, since the crabs in the basin were too hot to touch.

“Be careful.” Seeing his father hadn’t appeared, Liu Xing told Gua Zi, then filled a bowl with four river crabs and headed to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Dazhao was cleaning the snails. Because his foot hadn’t healed, squatting was a struggle. Seeing this, Liu Xing hurried forward to help him up. “Dad! You’re injured, you should rest. Let me handle these chores.”

“I can’t sit idle,” Dazhao said sheepishly. At home, he truly couldn’t stay still; sitting made him feel uneasy. Years of laboring in the fields had made him accustomed to finishing any task he saw.

Liu Xing, having lived a second life, understood his father’s feelings and the meaning behind his words. Shaking his head, he insisted, “Your foot is hurt; even if you can’t sit idle, you must. If it gets infected and festers, that’ll be serious trouble.”

He wasn’t exaggerating, nor was he trying to scare his father. The two sat in silence, facing each other on bamboo chairs, their eyes filled with helplessness and concealed worry.

After all, a small injury had escalated to this—it was not what either wished for.

“Hand me the river crab, I’m hungry,” Dazhao finally broke the silence.

“Alright!” Liu Xing handed his father the bowl of crabs. He was about to return to the hall to eat with Gua Zi, but his father, after eating a few bites, stopped him. “What time are you planning to go sell the river snails tomorrow?”

“The bicycle’s broken, so probably around three or four,” Liu Xing replied. There was no other way; whether at the market or the city’s vegetable market, it was a long way from Xiaoshi Village. If he didn’t set out early, the river snails and other produce might not sell.

Dazhao knew the reality behind this, and sighed, as if wanting to say more, but after holding back for a while, he only said, “Be careful. If anything seems off, drop the snails and run.”

Back in ’79, someone from the village went to the city to sell daily goods and was arrested, still not released to this day. Though this hadn’t affected Xiaoshi Village much, everyone was fearful—the authorities might pin a big label on them, and if arrested, it would ruin a lifetime. This was why the villagers of Xiaoshi, and other villages, didn’t dare venture out to do business; everyone feared an abrupt change, and being wrongfully taken away would be disastrous.

Liu Xing fully understood his father’s meaning and his worries. Smiling, he said, “I’m just selling river snails and lotus roots. Who could trouble me? Besides, it’s been years since the economic reforms started in ’78. That era of big labels is over.”

“Where did you hear these theories?” Dazhao asked, surprised.

“From teachers in middle school, and in the newspapers. Didn’t you know?” Liu Xing replied, amused.

“I really didn’t know,” Dazhao said with a sheepish smile.

Liu Xing knew his father wasn’t lying, so he shook his head and left the kitchen. Despite this, Dazhao was still uneasy, and called after him, “Kid, if anything happens tomorrow, just give them my name. I’m the group leader of Xiaoshi Village. That way, I can speak with the authorities.”

“Got it,” Liu Xing called back without turning. If in ’82 selling river snails could get you arrested, then the slogan of reform and opening up would be meaningless. So he wasn’t worried about his father’s warning at all. On the contrary, he was more concerned about whether the river snails would sell tomorrow, and whether he would get a good price. If no one had money to buy, he’d really be troubled.

At the wooden table, Gua Zi was eating river crabs with relish—even swallowing the shells, and not sparing the tough claws. Seeing this, Liu Xing quickly returned to his senses, and worriedly stopped her. “Silly girl, that’s not how you eat crabs. You’re supposed to eat the meat inside, not the shells.”

“It’s fine, brother, the shells are crunchy,” Gua Zi replied unconcerned.

Liu Xing held his head, momentarily at a loss for words. Seeing that Gua Zi was just talking, and no longer eating the shells, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Such behavior was born of poverty—otherwise, she wouldn’t act this way.