Chapter 9: Su Ersha Is So Furious Her Liver Hurts

Old Su suppressed the excitement trembling on his face and struck a dignified pose, playing the role of the family patriarch.

“Son, speak seriously now!”

He said it with authority—but deep down, he couldn’t help but believe his son’s words. After all, just moments ago, he’d witnessed something utterly unbelievable: fish leaping straight into people’s arms like they were auditioning for a circus act.

“Pa, I’m not lying,” Su Dahu insisted, eyes wide with earnestness. “I was just walking around the foot of the mountain, thinking how nice it would be if I could catch a wild chicken—then Mama could have some chicken soup. And right then, I heard rustling in the bushes nearby. Out flew a big wild chicken, flapping its wings straight at me…”

No effort at all—just one quick grab, and the bird was in his hand.

After that, he peeked back into the brush… and another chicken burst out!

Then came the real shock: a whole nest full of wild chicken eggs.

As Su Dahu spoke, the crowd of villagers who’d gathered to gawk let out a collective groan.

*So damn envious.*

It hurt their teeth just *thinking* about it.

How the hell did someone else get this kind of luck?

Others had spent hours with knives, spears, and sticks—still couldn’t catch a single chicken.

And here was this kid, hands empty, snatching two birds out of thin air like it was nothing.

Some grumbled. Others cheered.

“Su brother, your family’s truly blessed with abundance!” Old Wang chuckled warmly.

“Thanks, Brother Wang—may your good wishes come true,” Old Su beamed, flashing a wide grin that showed off his yellowed teeth.

“And your little daughter? She’s a real lucky star. She’s brought fortune straight to your doorstep,” Old Wang added.

“Hahahaha! Of course she is! My girl’s got luck written all over her!”

Just mentioning Xiao Tangbao sent Old Su into a dreamy daze—he practically floated off the ground.

Old Wang shook his head, smiling. “Look at you, glowing like a firefly.”

A few neighbors jumped in with playful jabs.

“Old Su, your tail’s about to touch the sky!”

“Why don’t you just fly up there yourself?”

Laughter rippled through the yard. Old Su didn’t mind. He kept grinning, proud as a peacock.

The atmosphere buzzed with warmth and joy. Especially the older men who’d known each other for decades—joking, teasing, trading barbs like old friends do.

Finally, Old Su clapped his hands together and invited them to stay.

“Gentlemen, no need to rush off. Stay for lunch! We’ve got fish and chicken—plenty of both. Eat till you’re stuffed!”

“Sounds good—I’ll go home and bring my homemade sorghum wine.”

“I’ll just tell my wife I’m staying.”

They all nodded eagerly. No one refused.

Whether they actually went home or just said they would, none came back empty-handed.

They knew well enough what life was like in the Su household. How could they just show up and eat for free?

So they brought rice, flour, oil, eggs, greens—simple things, but honest gifts from their own homes.

And Old Su wasn’t letting them leave empty-handed either.

He’d already discussed it with his wife. Each guest would receive a fish.

As he put it: “When rich families have babies, they throw feasts for days—showing how much they love their child. Now that we’ve finally got our daughter after all these years, we should celebrate too. Even if we can’t afford a full banquet, giving a fish is good luck. It’s like laying down blessings for our little girl.”

With that, Old Su happily began handing out fish.

“Dahu, take this one to Uncle Wang.”

“Erhu, pick the biggest one for Uncle Li.”

“Xiaoliu, give this one to Uncle Ba.”

One by one, the fish were passed out.

Every man who received a fish grinned so wide his cheeks nearly split.

These weren’t just any fish—each carp and grass carp weighed several pounds. Even the smallest crucian carp were nearly a palm long; the big ones probably weighed two or three pounds.

And best of all? They weren’t sending out the small fish. Only big, fat carp—because everyone knew: *carp means prosperity*.

Money Yue Mei watched the fish being handed out, her heart twisting with every one.

*That’s money!* she thought, her stomach tightening.

“Honey,” she whispered, tugging on Su Erhu’s sleeve, “these fish could sell for a fortune. Why give them away for free?”

Su Erhu shot her a sharp glare. “Dad said give it—what’s it to you?”

Yue Mei froze, stung.

Normally, she’d have backed down. The house still ran on her in-laws’ say-so.

But now, she placed a hand on her belly—and felt the tiny life within.

That little kick gave her courage.

“No, I *can* speak up,” she snapped. “These fish are mine too—my baby’s share!”

She deliberately puffed out her stomach, standing tall before him.

Su Erhu’s gaze dropped to her belly. His expression twisted.

“You’re carrying a girl? Impossible. Your mother gave birth to six sons before she had a daughter. You? You don’t have that kind of luck.”

Yue Mei stared at him, stunned.

*My liver hurts.*
Not just pain—*rage*.
First it was guilt. Now it was fury.

Thankfully, Su Erhu wasn’t completely unreasonable.

After a long look at her belly, he sighed and explained.

“We’re neighbors. They’ve helped us more times than I can count. Now that we’ve got all this fish, it’s only fair to return the kindness.”

He paused, then added, “Besides, today’s a big day—our family has a new member. We *have* to celebrate.”

Yue Mei knew there was no point arguing. She turned sharply and walked inside, pretending not to care.

Cooking? Cleaning? None of that was her problem now.

She carried the future of the Su family in her womb—a daughter. That alone made her royalty.

She’d seen her mother-in-law work herself raw during pregnancy—washing, cooking, feeding pigs and chickens. As a daughter-in-law, she’d never dared to sit idle.

Now that her mother-in-law had given birth, *she* was entitled to rest.

In truth, in a family as poor as the Sus, women didn’t get to be delicate. There was barely enough food to feed the mouths, let alone pamper a pregnant belly.

They still washed clothes, cooked meals, fed animals—some even worked in the fields right up until delivery.

Poor families didn’t have the luxury of “resting” during pregnancy.

But the Sus were different. They treated their daughters-in-law with respect. Never harsh, never cruel.

Mao Chunhua didn’t expect anything from Yue Mei. She moved around the kitchen like a whirlwind, busy as ever.

“Da Pan, help me stoke the fire.”

“Got it, Mom.”

Da Pan was young, but obedient.

Chunhua looked at her son with soft eyes, then turned to Su Liuhu.

“Sixth brother, help your sister-in-law pluck the feathers.”

“On it, sister-in-law!” Su Xiaoliu lit up with excitement.

Plucking feathers? That was the best job in the world.

Feathers meant souvenirs—something to show off to friends later.