Font Size:
The two brothers were left confused.
“Elder Brother, why did you move the desk into our room?”
Lu Xinghe replied calmly, “Just leave it there for now. Once I return from Canghe Town, I’ll move it back to my room. Don’t tell anyone about this.”
The two brothers nodded, still puzzled, but didn’t ask further.
Because of the trip to Canghe Town, Yun Cuihe got up early.
She took one pound of the remaining dates from home and added thirty pounds of rice from the rice bag, placing it in her backpack.
“Xinghe, about the rice we dried at home, should we go to the Daling family to thresh it sometime?”
Lu Xinghe nodded, “The harvest wasn’t good this year. Our rice will probably only yield about two hundred pounds. We’ll keep it for our own family to eat.”
Yun Cuihe nodded in agreement, “Alright, after threshing, we’ll just keep it at home for ourselves.”
After breakfast, Lu Xinghe put on his backpack and led the group out.
Chu Yue linked arms with Yun Cuihe and walked at the back. “Mother, we’re not in a hurry. If we’re late today, we can stay overnight. The foundation of the new house is being watched by Grandpa and Uncle.”
Yun Cuihe nodded, “Okay, no rush.”
Perhaps due to her eagerness to visit her parents’ home, her steps became quicker.
Chu Yue had no choice but to help her walk faster.
Half an hour later, the group of five finally arrived at the ferry. Fortunately, the weather was not too hot today. Otherwise, with the intense sun, Yun Cuihe definitely wouldn’t have been able to walk far.
Due to the prolonged dry weather, the water level in the riverbed had dropped significantly. To cross the river, they had to walk down the steep embankment toward the boat.
“Are you all taking the ferry?” The boatman shouted from the boat. “It’s only two coins per person today, and you can get on without waiting.”
Because of the drought, the river’s water level was not high, reaching just below an adult’s chest. Many people, not wanting to spend the two coins for the ferry, took off their clothes and waded across. Once they reached the opposite bank, they would find a secluded spot to change into dry clothes. This led to a decrease in the boatman’s business.
Yun Cuihe heard that the ferry was cheaper today, so she immediately said, “Alright, please take us across to Canghe Town.”
The boatman responded, and with a push of his bamboo pole, he brought the boat closer to the embankment to let the passengers board.
Lu Xinghe was the first to board the boat. After he got on, he turned around and helped Yun Cuihe aboard. Chu Yue and the two brothers, Lu Xingping and Lu Xing’an, followed.
“Please hold on tight, we’re setting off now,” the boatman said, and with a push of his pole, the boat started to move.
The ferry ride to Canghe Town took about fifteen minutes. Chu Yue helped Yun Cuihe into the boat’s canopy to shield her from the river wind, which could cause a headache. She even used bamboo strips from the canopy to block some of the wind.
Lu Xingping and Lu Xing’an leaned over the edge of the boat, curiously watching the boatman as he paddled the boat forward.
“Grandpa, how long have you been paddling this boat?” Lu Xingping asked.
The boatman chuckled. “I’ve been paddling boats here since I was twelve. It’s been about forty years now.”
Both boys were slightly surprised. Lu Xingping looked at the boatman. “Is paddling boats a profitable job?”
The old man sighed with a wry smile, his face full of deep wrinkles. “Profit? Not really. It’s just that I’ve been doing it so long that it’s all I know. It’s just to make a living.” He turned to look at the two boys. “Don’t think you’ll end up like me, stuck on a boat for life. There are far more interesting things in this world than paddling a boat.”
The boys didn’t fully understand the deeper meaning but nodded quietly.
Chu Yue sat at the edge of the canopy, dipping her hand into the water and gently swishing it.
Although the water level was low, the water was clear, and the water plants swayed gently with the current. Suddenly, something cold and slippery touched her hand.
She instinctively tried to pull her hand back, but when she looked down and saw it was a fish, she quickly grabbed it by its gills. The fish struggled vigorously, its tail flicking with great force. The struggle was so strong that Chu Yue couldn’t lift the fish, causing the boat to sway.
“Husband, come help!”
Lu Xinghe quickly moved forward and helped pull the fish onto the boat.
It was a large fish, likely weighing six or seven pounds.
The others on the boat watched in silence, stunned.
After a long pause, the boatman touched his face in disbelief. “How did we get so lucky? I’ve been paddling boats for forty years and have never seen anyone catch a fish on board.”
Yun Cuihe quickly smiled and deflected, “It’s rare to see such dry weather this year. Maybe it’s because the water is so low that my child had the chance.”
The boatman laughed and nodded, “Right, this dry weather is rare indeed.”
With that, he continued paddling the boat forward.
Lu Xingping and Lu Xing’an exchanged a glance, both smiling.
Catching a big fish just from playing in the water—truly remarkable for their big sister-in-law.
Fifteen minutes later, the boat arrived at the ferry terminal outside Canghe Town.
Yun Cuihe paid the boatman ten coins for the ferry ride, telling him that they would take the ferry back later, then, supported by Lu Xinghe and Chu Yue, stepped onto the shore.
Lu Xinghe, carrying the backpack and the fish, walked ahead, while Yun Cuihe, with Chu Yue’s help, walked behind.
Lu Xingping approached Chu Yue and whispered, “Big sister-in-law, how did you catch that fish just now?”
Chu Yue smiled, showing two shallow dimples on her cheeks. “It wasn’t me catching it…”
“I didn’t catch the fish on purpose. It just happened to bump into my hand. At first, I didn’t know what it was. When I realized it was a fish, I grabbed it by the gills,” Chu Yue explained with a smile.
Lu Xingping scratched his head, his brow furrowing. “I can’t believe something like that actually happened.”
Yun Cuihe looked at her two younger sons with a hint of helplessness. “Keep your mouths shut about this. Don’t let anyone outside hear, or they might think your sister-in-law is some kind of monster.”
Lu Xingping raised his chin slightly. “Big sister-in-law, even if she wasn’t great, she’d at least be a fairy, not a monster.”
…
Half an hour later, after walking and resting along the way, the group finally arrived at Qingjiu Village.
As they reached the village entrance, someone recognized Yun Cuihe.
“Hey! Cuihe’s back at her parents’ house?”
Yun Cuihe quickly smiled and replied, “Yes, Aunt.”
The woman, putting aside the piece of clothing she was mending, said, “Oh my, it’s been eight years since I’ve seen you! Your mother often talks about you. If she hadn’t been too ill to travel, she would’ve come to see you a long time ago.”
Yun Cuihe’s heart skipped a beat. “What’s wrong with my mother?”
Seeing that Yun Cuihe seemed unaware of the situation at home, the woman didn’t elaborate further and only said, “You should go back and take a look. Your mother is waiting for you inside.”
Yun Cuihe felt a sudden panic. She hurriedly quickened her pace toward her parents’ house, and although others greeted her along the way, she simply smiled and responded without stopping.