Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Lin Chunyan collected all the small crabs. Sanlang and Silang didn't rush to leave; they peeked into the kitchen and saw her cooking vegetables. The kitchen was filled with a rich aroma of mushroom soup.

The two of them, not knowing what she was cooking, swallowed their saliva eagerly.

Sanlang managed to hold back somewhat, but Silang couldn't resist the temptation. The idea of becoming Mrs. Zhang's son resurfaced again, and he stood on tiptoes, watching intently, much like Little Hei wagging his tail.

Seeing their eagerness, Lin Chunyan chuckled and invited them to stay for dinner.

After some hesitation, they agreed.

The mushroom soup had been simmering for a long time, turning a deep brown color. The vegetables in it were incredibly fragrant, and the addition of Szechuan pepper gave it a slight spiciness upon tasting.

Initially, everyone found it hard to get used to, but after a few bites, they discovered the benefits of the Szechuan pepper and started picking up the vegetables faster.

The fish slices were so thin they melted in the mouth, incredibly delicious. Silang ate until his belly was round and still couldn't help but criticize Li's cooking.

He was unaware of the discord between the households and simply recounted it as a joke.

"My mother thought cooking was easy and tried to make that stir-fried vegetable dish like Yan Niang did, but everything ended up burnt and overly salty. Even Uncle Huaizi wouldn't eat it."

Silang spoke in a way that kept people interested, and Lin Chunyan listened attentively.

"Everything was burnt, the green peppers weren't cooked through, and the beans were half-raw. It tasted greasy, and we couldn't figure out where she went wrong."

Mrs. Zhang burst out laughing, "Your mother isn't very skilled in the kitchen. She thinks adding more oil will fix everything. If only it were that simple."

Feeling a sense of victory, Mrs. Zhang couldn't help but laugh at the thought of Li's frustrated face.

The two boys hadn't gone home for dinner and hadn't told anyone. Their parents didn't bother looking for them, as the children usually returned home at mealtime, drawn by the smell of food.

The air was fresh after the rain, and being close to the mountains, there was a faint mist. After eating the hot pot, Lin Chunyan felt comfortable all over.

Looking into the distance, the scenery was picturesque, with birds singing and flowers blooming, as if cleansing one's body inside and out.

Turning her gaze, she saw smoke rising from the village, indicating that every household had lit their fires. Occasionally, she could hear calls for children to come home for dinner.

From their distance, the sounds were not clear. After finishing their meal, Sanlang and Silang didn't rush to leave. They asked how to raise the small crabs.

Sanlang knew they couldn't rely solely on catching crabs from outside; they needed to learn how to raise them, just like Lin Cuixiang.

As she was explaining, they suddenly heard hurried footsteps, many people heading towards the small pond.

Lin Taohong couldn't sit still and climbed onto the roof to see what was happening. Mrs. Zhang followed her, and the evening breeze blew their clothes, bringing a chill.

Mrs. Zhao from next door also climbed onto the roof and was startled by the large crowd.

"What's going on? Are they already draining the fish pond?"

Mrs. Zhang snorted and didn't respond to Mrs. Zhao.

"Why is someone crying?"

Lin Taohong tugged on Mrs. Zhang's sleeve, pointing to a spot.

Mrs. Zhang's eyesight wasn't as good as Lin Taohong's, and it took her a while to see, "It looks like Goudan's Mother."

Last time, she visited Goudan's house twice in one day, and Goudan's Mother had become annoyed, avoiding her whenever she saw her.

"That woman," Mrs. Zhao agreed.

"Let's go see what's happening at the pond."

Sanlang and Silang wanted to go too, and Lin Taohong pulled Lin Chunyan along, urging her to join.

Many villagers had gathered, and when Lin Chunyan and the others arrived, a large crowd had already formed.

"Oh, how pitiful."

Lin Chunyan stood on tiptoe, hearing faint sobs from within the crowd. Sanlang and Silang, who had lost their earlier excitement, looked pale with fear.

Suddenly, someone rushed out, relieved to see Sanlang and Silang standing safely by the riverbank.

"Oh, you scared us! Where did you two run off to?"

Sanlang felt uncomfortable being hugged by Aunt Lin from House Two and quickly broke free, glancing at Silang.

Li wasn't any better than Aunt Lin; she looked terrified, tears streaming down her face, her movements weak.

"We were playing at Mrs. Zhang's house." The two children quickly explained, then turned to look at the crowd.

Lin Chunyan had already heard from the crowd that someone had fallen into the water while trying to catch fish.

The Village Headman was visibly upset, frowning sternly, "I've told you countless times not to come to this pond."

"Who fell into the water?" Mrs. Zhang pushed forward, eager to see.

"It seems to be Goudan," someone replied.

Goudan's mother was still young, like Lin Chunyan's aunt Ma, and had only one son, whom she doted on.

Goudan's mother cried heartbreakingly, making it hard for anyone to listen without feeling sympathy.

"Ah."

Someone sighed, and Goudan's mother cried even louder, clutching Goudan's clothes tightly.

The other children who had come with Goudan were also frightened, standing wet and motionless beside the adults.

Goudan's Mother, her eyes swollen from crying, looked at the children and grabbed the nearest one to start tearing at them.

"Who told you to come here? I've said it countless times, this pond is deep!"

The children were frightened by Goudan's Mother's appearance and backed away. One of them, trembling, pointed at Sanlang and Silang.

"They came first and said we could exchange for fried fish. That's why we came to catch crabs."

Upon hearing this, Goudan's Mother's gaze shifted to Sanlang and Silang. If not for Lin Er's quick reaction, she would have run over to tear at them.

Although Sanlang and Silang weren't hit, their expressions were uneasy, showing signs of fear.

They were clearly scared.

Lin Chunyan didn't expect this incident to involve her. Seeing Goudan's Mother looking at her angrily, she felt like she had been caught in an undeserved disaster.

But thinking that Goudan's Mother was also pitiful, she spoke up, "Auntie, don't cry anymore. I think Goudan still has some breath left. Why don't we try something?"

Hearing this, Goudan's Mother cried even louder, "Didn't you hear what the doctor said? The child is taking more air in than out, and with water in his lungs, how can he be saved?"

The doctor stood nearby. Though called a doctor, he had only learned a few years from his master and could only treat minor ailments.

Lin Chunyan looked at the Village Headman and asked if he had a cow. "I heard that placing a drowning child on a cow's back and jolting it a few times might help expel the water from their stomach."

The Village Headman, having some knowledge, feared Goudan's Mother might cause more trouble. Even though Goudan was mischievous, he was still a life. Without hesitation, he had someone bring a cow and placed Goudan on it.

Lin Taohong tugged at Lin Chunyan's sleeve and whispered, "Sister, why bother with this? Their family is unreasonable. It wasn't us who brought them here to catch snails. Let's go home."

Mrs. Zhang, fearing Goudan's Mother might cause a scene, stood in front of Lin Chunyan. Although Mrs. Zhang was usually unreliable, she knew to protect her now.

Hearing Lin Taohong's words, Mrs. Zhang turned around and gave them a look, signaling them to leave quickly.

Lin Chunyan thought for a moment but didn't leave immediately. Instead, she stayed with the others.

Mrs. Zhang was displeased and pushed Lin Chunyan gently, "Child, you don't know what's good for you. I'm afraid Goudan won't survive, and when his mother goes crazy, she might hit you. What then?"

Just as she was speaking, there was a sudden commotion where the cow carrying Goudan was. It turned out that after being carried for a while, Goudan spat out some water and regained consciousness briefly.

Seeing that the method worked, Goudan's Mother made the cow carry Goudan for several more laps.

The onlookers watched like it was a novelty, but those with children repeatedly warned them never to come near the pond in the village east.

The children who played with Goudan were already terrified and some had started to develop fevers, causing their parents great distress.

Seeing that Goudan was fine, Lin Chunyan didn't linger and returned to her tasks.

She needed to wash and dry the chrysanthemums again and prepare the wild boar meat bought from Uncle Huaizi into sausages.

Making smoked meat isn't difficult, but to make it tasty, it needs to be well-seasoned.

Lin Chunyan asked Lin Taohong to fetch some juniper branches. She sliced the pork into thin strips, threaded them with cotton string, and rubbed them with salt and sugar.

When Lin Taohong brought the juniper branches, she didn't know what they were for and just stood watching. She saw Lin Chunyan hang the seasoned meat and light the juniper branches below.

Once lit, the juniper branches emitted a unique fragrance, and the meat needed to be smoked for several days.

When Goudan's Mother arrived and saw the juniper branches in their courtyard, she was startled.

"What are these for?"

"Yan Niang is making smoked meat. She always comes up with ideas, and surprisingly, it turns out delicious," Mrs. Zhang said, then looked at Goudan's Mother, asking if she had any business.

Goudan's Mother hadn't come empty-handed; she brought many eggs and a chicken, freshly slaughtered.

Mrs. Zhang remembered her earlier remarks about Lin Chunyan and couldn't help but sneer, knowing Goudan was fine.

"Our temple is small, yet you've blown in here!"

Whenever Mrs. Zhang spoke sarcastically, Lin Chunyan wanted to laugh, knowing Mrs. Zhang was upset on her behalf and didn't blame her for lacking manners.

Goudan's Mother blushed, but fortunately, it was getting dark, so it wasn't very noticeable. "I was rash earlier. If not for Yan Niang's reminder, my Goudan wouldn't have..."

Lin Chunyan felt the gifts were too generous. "I merely mentioned a few things; we're all neighbors."

Goudan's Mother shook her head. "This wasn't just a casual mention. If not for Goudan's condition, I would have insisted on thanking you personally."

Hearing that Goudan was fine, Lin Chunyan was relieved and accepted the eggs.

After much reluctance, Goudan's Mother hesitantly asked, "Do you still have those fried fish?"

It turned out that when Goudan woke up, he wasn't scared at all and still craved the fried fish, which infuriated his parents.

But seeing the child's state, Goudan's Mother gathered her courage and came over.