Chapter 30: A Bountiful Feast

Chapter 30: A Bountiful Feast

Zhou Ye, having let out a deep sigh of relief, resumed his work, answering Lin Shu's every question and no longer daring to ignore her.

Lin Shu alternated between squatting and standing, flitting around him until Lin Dashan's voice echoed from the courtyard. Soon after, He Guixiang's shout followed, "A Ye, A Shu, come eat!"

The vegetable patch was right behind the house, so even a slightly raised voice could be heard clearly, let alone He Guixiang's full-throated call.

Zhou Ye picked up the iron shovel, and with a light step and a push, emerged from the already considerably deep pit.

Lin Shu glanced over, exclaiming in admiration, "A Ye, you're incredible! In such a short time, you've dug such a massive pit!"

Though deeper in the middle and shallower at the sides, the deepest point was already nearly a meter down. At this rate, with another full day's work tomorrow, the fish pond would be complete!

"After dinner, I'll dig a bit more," Zhou Ye said.

Lin Shu quickly interjected, "No, no need. Get a good night's rest and recharge your energy. It should be finished by tomorrow."

Zhou Ye cast a glance at her.

Lin Shu: ??

"Don't you still need to haul sand and gravel from the river? Digging the pit is one thing, but filling it with sand and stones will require countless trips. And you still want to plant grass and flowers—all that needs to be factored in."

Lin Shu spoke with a touch of guilt, "...But there's no need to rush. The fish pond is for raising fish, to improve life for you and Dad, the pillars of our family. If you wear yourselves out for this pond, wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse?"

Zhou Ye looked at her and nodded, "Alright, I'll listen to you. No more work tonight."

By the time the two returned to the courtyard, the potent aroma of stir-fried pork intestines had completely enveloped the small yard, even overpowering the scent of the pork bone soup.

Lin Dashan had moved the dining table to the courtyard, and it was already laden with a lavish spread.

A large clay pot held pork bone and bamboo shoot soup, rich and thick, with a glistening layer of lard on top.

The sliced pork, coated in batter, had been slid directly into the simmering bone broth after it was cooked.

The stir-fried pork intestines were mixed with long-cut wild onions, which had been fried until fragrant, and sprinkled with delicate pink smartweed flowers.

A plate of vibrant green vegetables, clearly stir-fried with freshly rendered lard.

A small bowl of crispy pork cracklings, the golden essence extracted from rendered fat, glistening and utterly appetizing.

Dried bamboo shoots, rehydrated and cut into small pieces, were stir-fried with golden-edged pork belly, creating a dish of bamboo shoots with pork.

The piece of Guanyin Tofu Lin Shu had prepared earlier had been cubed by He Guixiang and tossed with simple seasonings.

"Wife, is it New Year's already?" Lin Dashan chuckled heartily.

On ordinary evenings, they rarely had meat, often just porridge and pickles to fill their stomachs. This table was truly a feast!

Lin Xiaopu was already drooling with anticipation, calling out, "Sister, A Ye, come quick!"

The two had already washed their hands with the mountain spring water behind the house before returning. They set down their belongings and took their seats.

He Guixiang had made steamed rice again for this meal, adding an extra handful of rice while steaming. Lin Dashan's and Zhou Ye's bowls were piled high.

Once Lin Dashan, as the head of the household, picked up his chopsticks, everyone else followed suit, eating with an unstoppable relish.

The wild boar slices were wonderfully chewy, the stir-fried intestines spicy and crisp, the bamboo shoot stir-fry fresh and savory, and the pork cracklings, a delightful snack, grew more delicious with every chew. A bite of greens, a spoonful of Guanyin Tofu—refreshing and palate-cleansing. Finally, a bowl of rich, flavorful pork bone soup to finish.

Ah, pure bliss!

The family shared the dishes, each taking turns with their chopsticks, and drank the pork bone soup down to the last drop.

Zhou Ye ate with lingering satisfaction. Having already had that large bowl of Guanyin Tofu earlier, he didn't devour his dinner ravenously as before, when he was too hungry to taste anything. For once, he felt a rare sense of contentment.

He could easily eat ten more bowls of rice; just the oily sauce from the intestines and the pork bone soup would be enough.

Recalling the large bowl of "snack" he'd eaten earlier, Zhou Ye stole a glance at Lin Shu.

Lin Shu's appetite was small now; she was full after just half a bowl of rice, so every day felt particularly satisfying to her.

After the meal, Lin Shu and Lin Xiaopu helped He Guixiang clear the table. Zhou Ye put away the shampoo Lin Shu had given him, planning to use it the next day.

Noticing this, Lin Shu asked why he wasn't using it.

Zhou Ye explained, "It's too late today. If I wash my hair now, it'll take forever to dry."

Lin Shu tilted her head. "Xiao Pu says you're very clean. Today you helped with the pig, sold pork, and dug the fish pond all afternoon. Won't you feel uncomfortable if you don't wash up?"

Zhou Ye replied, "I'll wash my hair tomorrow morning. I'll go to the river to bathe later."

Lin Shu thought of something and teased, "Should I keep watch for you? What if some girl happens to pass by and sees you?"

Zhou Ye looked almost speechless and finally replied after a pause, "No girl would be running to the river after dark."

Lin Shu smirked, deliberately contradicting him. "Who says? When I'm in a bad mood, I like to go to the river."

She meant it mostly as a joke, but Zhou Ye frowned, his expression turning serious.

"Don't go to the river alone. If you want to go, take someone with you, preferably someone who can swim."

Lin Shu understood his concern and explained, "The part of the river flowing through Sweetwater Village isn't deep."

Zhou Ye said gravely, "Even shallow water can drown people. There are more people by the river during the day. You can go then, but not after dark."

Lin Shu nodded and didn't tease him further, noticing Zhou Ye's expression had turned somber, as if recalling something unpleasant.

Zhou Ye, who had been busy all day, grew quiet all of a sudden. He went to his room and fetched a bundle.

The bundle was wrapped in a drab, old cloth, concealing its contents completely. But Lin Shu, with her sharp sense of smell, caught a faint scent of blood.

Her expression unchanged, she calmly asked, "A Ye, what's that in your hand?"

"The clothes I wore in the deep mountains a couple of days ago. They're very dirty. I'm going to soak them in the river overnight to make them easier to wash."

With that, Zhou Ye took the bundle and headed alone toward the river.

Lin Shu watched him leave, lost in thought.

"Mom, does A Ye always change into clean clothes every time he returns from the deep mountains?" she asked, realizing a bit late, that Zhou Ye wore different clothes when entering and leaving the mountains.

He Guixiang didn't think it was strange and explained, "Yes, your brother A Ye is very clean. He always brings a change of clothes when going into the deep mountains and changes when he comes out."

Lin Shu hesitated before asking, "Mom, there must be many wild beasts in the deep mountains, right? Has A Ye never encountered any?"

He Guixiang sighed at this. "There certainly are. Otherwise, why would villagers who went there never return? But whenever your dad and I ask A Ye, he brushes it off. He doesn't want to talk about it, so we don't push him. Still, we suspect A Ye has a way to avoid the beasts, or he wouldn't return safely every time. But we can't let him take chances just because he has that skill. It's better to avoid the deep mountains as much as possible and stick to farming—that's what puts my mind at ease."

Lin Shu fell silent after hearing this.

She thought of her own struggle for survival in the post-apocalyptic world.

There was no way to avoid wild beasts; it was likely blow-for-blow combat, a life-and-death struggle.

Zhou Ye, carrying the bundle, did not go to the river. Instead, he made his way into the mountains behind the village under the moonlight and starlight, found a sheltered spot, dug a pit, gathered a pile of firewood and lit it, then tossed the old clothes from the bundle into the flames.

The light gray coarse linen clothes were soaked with a large patch of blood, looking terrifyingly crimson, as if someone had splashed a whole basin of blood onto them. The flames quickly devoured the cloth, along with the bloodstains on the garments.

Zhou Ye watched the crackling fire quietly, making sure the clothes had turned to ashes. Only then did he extinguish the flames and bury everything with soil.

This trip to the deep mountains had been unlucky—he had encountered a pack of jackals. Shame about these clothes...