Chapter 34: The Plan to Buy a Horse-Drawn Carriage

It was a bountiful day.

Several large buckets were filled to the brim with clams, piled up like a living, shifting mountain. Their shells, intricate in texture, shimmered with silver glints under the setting sun. Occasionally, a playful clam would nudge its shell open, ejecting a tiny spray of crystalline seawater. If one leaned in close, they could hear the soft, rustling "sashay" sound of the shells colliding.

At a rough estimate, these buckets held enough to feed the whole family for several meals. Whether boiled into a soup or stir-fried with chili, they were sure to delight the palate. However, they couldn't eat it all at once; some was meant for the mountain warden, and some would be shucked and dried for the winter.

The razor clams in the fishing traps were equally plentiful. Experienced foragers only needed to spot the "breathing holes" in the sand, thrust their shovels in with practiced ease, and pull out the clams buried deep within. In this era, the razor clams were large, plump, and truly impressive.

Lin Yu gently picked one up and smiled at his younger sister. "Look how plump this is! We’re in for a treat tonight."

The bamboo basket was filled with a significant haul, a testament to the family's hard work today.

Hearing this, Lin Yao shook her head firmly. "I don't want to eat razor clams. I want meat."

Lin Yu couldn't help but laugh. The poor little thing hadn't eaten meat in so long that her stomach had become sensitive, leading to several urgent trips to the latrine today, yet she still pined for the meat they had at home.

Back home, their mother, Wang Yufen, packed the oysters into a mesh bag and gathered the rest—the clams, crabs, sea worms, and whatever else they could carry—for Lin Yu to take.

These perishables couldn't be stored for long. Seeing that the day was still young, Lin Yu hurried to hitch the donkey cart, hoping to return before nightfall.

Worried about him going alone, Wang Yufen insisted on coming along. She packed the soft, squirming sea worms into a basin. They resembled long, slender rubber tubes, smooth and elastic, emitting the distinct, briny scent of the sea. Though strange in appearance, once stir-fried, their savory aroma would fill the entire house, making them a highly sought-after delicacy.

Lin Yao squatted by the basin, curiously poking the sea worms with her finger and giggling as they writhed.

Bundles of kelp were stacked together like lengths of green silk pulled from the deep sea. Long and wide, the blades were still beaded with crystalline water droplets, catching the sunset's glow. Their mother smiled and said, "Take these to him as well. He can dry them out for soups or salads; they’ll last him a good while."

They also packed two small buckets with other findings, such as octopus and starfish. These were rarer, usually washed up by the tide, and were something they rarely got to eat.

With everything loaded, the family carefully secured their harvest onto the cart and, guiding the donkey, set off along the winding coastal path toward the mountain warden’s home. The sea breeze brushed past, carrying the salt and moisture of the ocean, ruffling their hair.

Sitting on the edge of the cart, hand on the reins, Lin Yu began to ponder. He had been borrowing the village chief's cart for some time now. Although the chief hadn't said anything, Lin Yu felt increasingly uneasy, as if he were accumulating a debt of favor. After much thought, he began to consider buying a cart of his own.

At first, he thought of a bicycle. The idea of zipping along with the wind in his face was tempting. But upon reflection, while fast, a bicycle was impractical. When it came to selling their harvest, the limited carrying capacity meant far too many trips, wasting both time and energy.

Moving past the bicycle, Lin Yu turned his gaze toward a horse-drawn cart. A horse-drawn cart was a rare and expensive luxury. A standard cart—including the frame, wheels, and shafts—along with a sturdy horse, would cost at least a thousand yuan. For an ordinary fishing family, this was an astronomical sum; they wouldn't earn that much even if they worked without a single day of rest all year.

Moreover, they weren't easy to come by. There were almost no households in the village with a horse-drawn cart. To buy one, he would have to try his luck at the livestock market in town. On market days, the place was a bustling throng of people, where sellers of cattle, horses, and sheep gathered, and buyers picked through the crowds to inspect their wares. Only there could one hope to find a decent cart.

Though expensive and hard to find, the sheer convenience of a horse-drawn cart was captivating. It was spacious and could hold a massive amount of seafood, allowing him to transport everything to the market or the warden’s home in a single trip. Its speed and the sturdy build of the cart and horse would make navigating rough mountain trails a breeze, unlike a bicycle, which would bounce violently over every bump, risking a tumble.

When Lin Yu mentioned his plan, his mother, Wang Yufen, spoke up: "Xiao Yu, I know you have your own ideas, but a horse-drawn cart is far too expensive; we simply can't afford it. Besides, winter is coming. The sea will freeze, and we won't be out foraging or selling nearly as much. We won't need a cart that often. I say we wait until spring, save some money, and see how things go. There's no rush."

Lin Yu nodded slightly, though a hint of reluctance remained in his eyes. He looked out at the distant sea, silently calculating in his heart.

Along the way, the family chatted intermittently. As the donkey cart creaked along, Lin Yu’s good memory helped him find the warden’s home without issue.

The small stone courtyard sat at the foot of the mountain, surrounded by trees, quiet and serene.

"Uncle, I'm here!" Lin Yu called out as the cart came to a stop at the gate.

The warden soon emerged from the stone house. Seeing it was Lin Yu, he chuckled. "Oh, it's you, lad. And who are these two?" He glanced at Wang Yufen and paused for a second.

Lin Yu smiled. "This is my mother, and this is my sister. They insisted on coming along when they heard I was bringing you supplies. Look, this is our entire haul from today. We brought it all for you: clams, oysters, sea worms, crabs, razor clams, and kelp. These are just the common things from the shore; I'll have to head further out to sea for the better stuff later, and I'll bring that to you then."

Seeing the cart overflowing with fresh bounty—plump clams and razor clams, tender sea worms, large, meaty oysters, kelp, and a lively octopus—the warden’s eyes lit up. A wide, wrinkled smile broke across his face as he exclaimed, "My goodness, so much? I haven't even had most of these!"

He ushered them inside with great enthusiasm.

Lin Yu and the warden moved the harvest into the house, the older man muttering, "These are real rarities. We don't have these in the mountains. It would be a lifetime of regret to live in these mountains without ever tasting such seafood."

Lin Yu laughed, "Don't worry, Uncle. I'll make sure you get to try everything the sea has to offer."

Once the goods were inside, Wang Yufen rolled up her sleeves and began explaining how to prepare them. "Brother, these are the clams. You should keep them in fresh water for a while to let them spit out the sand, then boil them into a soup with a bit of green onion and ginger. It’s so fresh it’ll make your eyebrows jump! If you like things spicy, stir-fry them with chilies—it’s the perfect snack for a drink."

She pointed to the razor clams. "These are similar, but steaming them preserves the best flavor. Just dip them in a bit of vinegar—it's divine. Or, you can shuck them and stir-fry them with greens."

"These are the oysters. Just steam them directly. They say this stuff is good for a man’s... virility, though I don't know if that's true." She blushed slightly as she said this.

The warden listened intently, nodding along, his eyes filled with anticipation as if he could already see a grand seafood feast laid out before him.

Lin and his sister watched their mother, occasionally chiming in. Once the introductions were finished, Lin Yu got straight to the point. "Uncle, this is what we’ve brought this time. In return, we’d like some mountain goods—anything you have. Meat and furs would be best, but mushrooms and wild vegetables work too. We need things that can last through the winter; with the cold coming, we have to prepare."