Chapter 43

Chapter 43

A boy?

Following them?

Alarmed, Xiao Yu asked in a low voice, "Where is he?"

"Over there..."

Sensing Danzi about to turn and point, Xiao Yu held him tight and whispered, "Don't point, or he'll know we've seen him."

Danzi asked, "What should we do?"

Xiao Yu instructed, "Just tell me with your mouth where he is."

Danzi paused, then said, "He's right behind us... behind... looks like a rat."

Minghe had overcome his fear of dogs, but Danzi was still afraid of rats. Xiao Yu hadn't seen anyone resembling a rat, suspecting the person might have blended into the crowd when they stopped to buy vegetables. He didn't want to startle the suspect, so he comforted Danzi, "Don't be afraid, Uncle is here."

"Right, brother, don't be afraid. If the rat dares to show up, I'll hit it!" Minghe, having only heard the word 'rat', thought it was a rat running around in the market and brandished his little fists with a determination to defeat the enemy.

Yu Tongtong patted her chest and said, "Danzi, I'm not afraid of rats either, I'll protect you."

"Listen, listen, brother and sister will protect you," Xiao Yu said.

"Mm," Danzi felt less scared.

"Not scared anymore?" Xiao Yu asked.

"Still a little," Danzi admitted honestly.

Xiao Yu asked, "Can you overcome it?"

Danzi looked at his uncle, then at his brother and Tongtong nearby, and nodded, "I can."

"Our Danzi is really great!" Xiao Yu kissed Danzi's smooth little cheek and then placed the little guy back in the cart.

Minghe hugged Danzi, "Brother will protect you!"

Yu Tongtong also joined the hug.

The three children huddled together, creating a warm scene. Xiao Yu smiled and resumed shopping, but his gaze was constantly searching for the "rat." Finally, he caught a glimpse of a sneaky figure always following him and the children.

When he tried to take a closer look, the figure quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Unable to do much and not wanting to risk the safety of the three children, Xiao Yu pushed the cart with vegetables and the kids back into Shuiqing Lane as usual. He had thought about confronting the figure alone, but suddenly the person stopped following them.

What's going on?

For the next two days, every time he left Shuiqing Lane, that person would sneakily appear, elusive and impossible to catch, making Xiao Yu furrow his brows in thought about their intentions.

"Xiao Yu!" a voice called out.

Xiao Yu looked up to see Old Master Yuan, followed by the maid Xiaofang, the young servant Agui, Jin Dabao, and Tian Liu. He stepped forward to greet them, "Old Master Yuan."

"Grandpa," Minghe, Danzi, and Yu Tongtong came out to greet.

Old Master Yuan, who frequented Shuiqing Lane for meals, was very familiar with everyone there and affectionately patted the heads of the three children, "Hello, Minghe, Danzi, Tongtong."

After greeting, the three children called out to Jin Dabao and Tian Liu to play.

Jin Dabao and Tian Liu seemed rather downcast.

"Dabao, what's wrong?" Minghe asked, tilting his head, observing Jin Dabao's expression.

"My grandpa's leaving," Jin Dabao mumbled.

Xiao Yu then noticed Xiaofang and Agui carrying bundles and was surprised to look at Old Master Yuan, "Old Master Yuan, are you leaving Qingshi Town?"

"I've been here for over half a year, it's time to go," Old Master Yuan, who was not a native of Qingshi Town, had come by boat with his maid and servant to visit his daughter and grandson. He hadn't expected to meet Xiao Yu and others, to stay this long, and to find it so hard to leave.

Xiao Yu knew Old Master Yuan would leave someday, but now that the time had come, he was caught off guard.

Minghe was also stunned.

Danzi asked, "Grandpa, are you leaving right now?"

Old Master Yuan nodded.

Minghe pleaded, "Can't you leave tomorrow?" Tomorrow seemed like a very long time for a child.

To adults, however, it's just a blink of an eye. Old Master Yuan smiled and said, "I have to leave eventually."

Indeed.

"Eventually, everyone must leave."

Xiao Yu said, "I'll accompany you."

"My daughter and her family will see me off at the small dock. You all stay busy," Old Master Yuan replied.

"We have enough staff at the restaurant now; I can leave for a while," Xiao Yu insisted on accompanying him.

Old Master Yuan then agreed.

The group arrived at the small dock.

Suddenly, Xiao Yu remembered the first time he and Minghe came here to sell buns. No one bought any until almost everyone had left the dock, and then Old Master Yuan appeared, cheerfully buying two buns, which instantly attracted more customers... Xiao Yu couldn’t help but share these memories.

Old Master Yuan smiled, "I remember, your buns were truly impressive."

Xiao Yu continued, "And later, you took me to your mansion to work as a pastry chef."

Old Master Yuan nodded, "Hmm."

Xiao Yu said reflectively, "Back then, Minghe and I were really poor, not even knowing how to get through the winter. Fortunately, we met you, or we would have been freezing and starving."

Old Master Yuan disagreed, "You can't say that; it was your own strength that got you through."

"No, you were a benefactor in my life," Xiao Yu always remained grateful to Old Master Yuan.

Old Master Yuan, always a magnanimous and wise man, said, "Nonsense, you are your own benefactor. If it weren’t for your skills, I wouldn’t have given you a second glance. I’m just someone who loves to eat."

"No, you are the benefactor," Xiao Yu insisted.

"Look at you, child. You must have been spending too much time with Minghe and Danzi, becoming childish yourself!" Initially, Old Master Yuan appreciated Xiao Yu for his culinary skills, but gradually he came to admire his character, talent, and various qualities, naturally becoming friends with him. Given the significant age difference, he often treated Xiao Yu like a son.

Xiao Yu knew Old Master Yuan was trying to alleviate the sadness of parting, but he still felt very emotional.

"Alright, Qingshi Town isn't far from Guangyuan County. I’ll visit again, and whenever you miss me, you can visit me. No need for such sadness. Let's be happy, everyone, and look forward to our next meeting," Old Master Yuan said, his gaze sweeping over everyone, his face beaming with joy.

The people from the Jin household managed a forced smile.

After giving a few more instructions, Old Master Yuan, along with Xiaofang and Agui, boarded the boat.

The boat slowly started to move.

Mrs. Jin, with tears in her eyes, nestled into her husband’s embrace.

Yuan Sanniang was also upset.

Xiao Yu felt melancholy.

Suddenly, Jin Dabao burst into tears, crying loudly, "Grandpa, what will I do if my mother hits me after you're gone? Who will protect me? Please don't go, what if my mother hits me?"

The somber atmosphere was instantly lightened by Jin Dabao's words, causing everyone to laugh.

Old Master Yuan, laughing heartily, waved his hand, "Go back."

The boat gradually disappeared into the mist of the Zitang Canal.

The people from the Jin household and Yuan Sanniang prepared to head back.

Jin Dabao, heartbroken, was reluctant to leave.

Everyone tried to persuade him.

Jin Dabao, being stubborn, grabbed Minghe and ran off.

"Dabao!" Mrs. Jin called out.

"I'm not going home, I'm going to sleep at Minghe's house tonight! I brought money, I’ll give them money!" Jin Dabao said as he ran.

"I’m coming too!" Tian Liu chased after Jin Dabao.

"Brother!" Danzi also joined the chase.

"Minghe!" Yu Tongtong followed suit.

Mrs. Jin, unable to stop them, sent a house servant to protect the children, deciding to let Dabao calm down before returning home, as he could cause unrest in the entire household. She apologized to Xiao Yu, "Mr. Xiao, I’m sorry for dragging your child into this."

"It's fine, they are good friends. It's right for them to play together," Xiao Yu replied.

Mrs. Jin, aware of her father’s relationship with Xiao Yu and knowing her father, Dabao, and Tian Liu's fondness for Xiao Yu's family, smiled and said, "Mr. Xiao is right."

"Well, I’ll leave you to your business; I’m going to check on the children."

"Alright."

Unsure of where the children were headed, Xiao Yu hurriedly followed, soon spotting them running towards Jinxiu Village. Suddenly, they turned and headed up a nearby hill.

"Minghe, Danzi, Tongtong!" Xiao Yu called out loudly.

The children, usually confined to playing in Shuiqing Lane, were thrilled to be outside amidst the lush greenery of spring, laughing joyously and completely oblivious to anyone calling them.

Xiao Yu suddenly didn’t feel like calling them back to Shuiqing Lane anymore. He slowed his pace, taking in the hill's verdant beauty, blooming flowers, chirping birds, and the occasional wafts of floral fragrance that uplifted his spirits. He strolled leisurely to the foot of the hill.

The children, excited by the sight of numerous birds, ran halfway up the hill before stopping. Minghe, looking up, pointed to the trees and exclaimed, "Uncle, there are so many birds here!"

"So many, so pretty!" Danzi observed, delighted.

Xiao Yu looked up and saw various birds - some entirely black, others multicolored, some plump, and some slender. He knew little about birds and couldn’t name any but found them exceptionally beautiful. While gazing up, he walked up to the children.

After looking up for too long, his neck grew sore. Lowering his gaze, he noticed clusters of pale green plants on the ground. Crouching down, he exclaimed with delight, "It’s Glehnia root!"

Hearing him, the children turned to see what Xiao Yu had found and quickly gathered around, asking, "What is it? What’s that?"

"Glehnia root!" Xiao Yu looked around and saw it everywhere.

"What’s Glehnia root?" Jin Dabao asked curiously.

Minghe and the others were puzzled.

Xiao Yu explained, "Glehnia root is also known as 'earth fern', 'ground ear', or 'heaven herb' in different places. It's a type of algae, used both medicinally and in cooking, highly nutritious."

In his previous life, he loved Glehnia root buns and stir-fried Glehnia root with eggs. Its texture was as crunchy as wood ear mushrooms but tenderer, smooth without being greasy, and uniquely moist. He hadn't expected to find it here.

It must have appeared in abundance due to the recent rain.

"Uncle, can we eat this?" Minghe asked.

"Yes!" Xiao Yu replied.

"Then let's pick them and take them home to eat!" Danzi suggested.

Xiao Yu said to the children, "Will you help Uncle pick them? This Glehnia root is really tasty. I want to pick them all and make a new dish. I believe the customers will like it."

"Uncle, are we picking all of them?" Yu Tongtong asked.

Xiao Yu nodded.

"Will they spoil if we can't eat them all?" Tian Liu inquired.

"No, they can be dried and stored for a long time. Pick as much as you can." Lacking baskets or similar containers, Xiao Yu took off his outer garment and fashioned it into a pouch, instructing the children, "Put them in here after picking."

The children agreed.

Seeing Xiao Yu and the children picking Glehnia root, the house servants also joined in to help.

"Wow, there's so much here!" Minghe exclaimed excitedly.

"Really a lot!" Danzi echoed.

"I’m going to pick a lot!" Jin Dabao declared.

"I’ll pick more than you!" Tian Liu challenged.

"I’ll pick the most!" Yu Tongtong claimed.

"I’ll pick the most of all!" Minghe asserted.

The children's competitive spirit kicked in, arguing loudly, but unable to determine a winner. They simply began picking Glehnia root with gusto, letting their efforts speak for themselves.

"Brother, if we find more Glehnia root, we can pick even more," Minghe suggested to Danzi.

"There's a lot over there!" Yu Tongtong pointed in a direction and hurried over.

Minghe and Danzi followed her.

"Don't go too far," Xiao Yu called out.

All five children responded.

Minghe, Danzi, and Tongtong didn’t stray far but climbed quite high up the hill.

Suddenly, Danzi heard something and looked up, startled, he clung to Minghe, "Brother!"

Minghe, not standing steady, fell to the ground, dropping all the Glehnia root he had gathered, and asked irritably, "Danzi, what are you doing? You made me drop all the Glehnia root."

"The big rat is back," Danzi whispered, too scared to speak loudly.

Minghe fell silent.

Yu Tongtong ran over and asked, "Danzi, where's the big rat?"

Danzi pointed to a nearby spot, "Over there."

Following Danzi's direction, Minghe and Yu Tongtong saw a gray hem of a garment under a large tree, mistaking it for a rat.

Yu Tongtong exclaimed in alarm, "The big rat is really big—"

Minghe quickly covered Yu Tongtong's mouth, "Quiet, quiet, don't scare the big rat."

Yu Tongtong nodded hastily.

Only then did Minghe release Yu Tongtong.

Yu Tongtong covered her mouth with her little hand.

Danzi still clung tightly to Minghe, very frightened, "Brother, brother."

"Don't be afraid, I'll go and kill it!" Minghe said bravely.

"You can't!" Yu Tongtong held Minghe back, "It's a big rat, bigger than you. We can't beat it."

"What should we do?" Danzi asked.

"We should go find Uncle," Yu Tongtong said softly. "Uncle said to tell him if we run into trouble."

Minghe also realized he couldn't defeat the big rat and agreed, "Let's go."

"We need to run quickly to find Uncle and not let the big rat get away," Yu Tongtong suggested.

In a crucial moment, the three children remembered to pick up the Glehnia root from the ground, put it in their pouches, stood up, held hands, and said "let's go," heading down the hill together.

At that moment, Danzi looked back and locked eyes with the person in grey.

Realizing he'd been spotted, the grey-clothed person wanted to turn back, but seeing two house servants approaching, he felt nervous and dared not confront them.

But the hill was full of traps set by locals, like animal snares and pits, and he feared falling into one.

Just then, he saw the three children heading towards a small path.

A path!

He could safely descend the hill using the path, so he followed the children's route. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his right foot as if something had clamped onto it.

Damn it!

It's an animal trap!

He stumbled forward, then felt the ground give way beneath him. Instinctively, he screamed as he plunged straight into a pit, creating a loud thump.

The three children paused, hearing the noise.

"What was that sound?" Minghe asked.

Danzi looked back and exclaimed, "There's a big pit over there!"

"How is there a big pit? We just walked over here and everything was fine," Yu Tongtong, peering curiously into the pit, exclaimed, "Ah, someone fell in!"