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In the courtyard, there were over a dozen women, some squatting, some sitting, and three or four of them gathered together to pick vegetables.
Shen Rong, Shen Ming, along with Zhang Mancang, crouched in a corner of the yard, slaughtering chickens and draining the blood.
Upon seeing Shen Yu’an returning with the others, Song Shi stood up and walked over to the baskets they had brought back.
She leaned forward and asked, “Did you catch any fish? If not, it’s fine; we can get some other vegetables.”
The eldest and second sons carried one basket, while the third and fourth sons also carried another. The veins on their hands were bulging from the weight.
Even the younger fifth and sixth sons, along with Hua Nan and Hua Ling, held small baskets with a few lively fish inside.
Hearing Song Shi’s words, the fifth son, who was trailing behind, slung his basket over his shoulder and ran up to her, proudly holding it up. He said, “Mother, what’s with that look? We caught a lot of fish.”
“You cheeky little rascal, still daring to call me your mother!”
Song Shi playfully smacked the fifth son, who then stuffed the basket into her arms and playfully dodged her blows.
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Song Shi glanced at the basket filled with fish and didn’t bother arguing.
She turned her attention to the baskets carried by Shen Dalang and the others, which were also brimming with fish.
Looking at the abundance in Shen Dalang’s baskets, she instantly felt delighted and said, “You’ve made quite a harvest this time. To think you caught so many fish from the river!”
“Tomorrow, we won’t be able to finish them all. Quickly, find a few large barrels to put this fish in. Later, we’ll slaughter them according to the quantity. If we can’t use them all, we can keep them for later to have fresh ones,” she advised.
Shen Dalang and the others placed the baskets on the ground and brought out two large barrels from the house, pouring the fish into them with a loud splash.
“Wow!”
The women who had been selecting vegetables together were astonished. How many fish had they caught?
Although fish cooked dishes tended to be pungent and bony, it was still meat, after all.
The villagers hadn’t hesitated to catch fish in the past. However, those fish were incredibly agile, darting through the water like rabbits. Moreover, the river wasn’t shallow, making fishing a somewhat dangerous endeavor. Over time, nobody had ventured out to catch them anymore.
“How did you catch so many fish?” they asked in amazement.
Shen Yu’an, standing nearby and lending a hand, smiled and replied, “There aren’t many people going to the river to catch fish nowadays, so the slower ones got scooped up. It’s also a stroke of luck on our part.”
Shen Yu’an didn’t mention that she had used bait from the future, obtained through a space, and sprinkled it into the river.
No one pressed for details, and they kept praising their good luck and abilities, continuing with their work.
Several people from the neighboring Zhang family also joined in, working together in Shen’s courtyard. The whole day passed in a lively and uninterrupted manner.
As for the women who had come to help early in the morning, they not only received their wages but also got a glimpse of how abundant the feast for tomorrow would be.
Oh my, the Shen and Zhang families were indeed generous; they had plenty of meat, and the women could see that.
The group worked until evening to prepare the chickens, ducks, fish, and various vegetables they had brought back. They sorted and combined the ingredients, making it more convenient for cooking the next day.
By nighttime, the women who had come to help had left, so the Shen family used the vegetables they had prepared earlier to make a large spread, celebrating on their own for the moment.
With readily available meat and vegetables, Song Shi and her sisters-in-law, along with Ding Hehua, worked in the kitchen for a while, and soon the meal was ready.
During the meal, the elders had a couple of extra drinks, and before they even finished, they began to sway and earnestly advised the people at the two large tables.
“Eldest Son, your scholarly talents surpass mine. If you ever become an official in the future, remember the hardships of our common people and be a good official.”
Top of Form”And you young ones, the same goes for you. No matter how far you go in life, always remember these words. Don’t let wealth or power turn you into oppressors of the common people,” Grandpa Shen continued.
“Even if you don’t succeed in the examinations later on, it’s okay. Our family has many scholars, and we can even establish a school in the town. In any case, we won’t let anyone starve.”
“Third Son, if you want to join the military, I won’t stop you. But remember, once you become a soldier, you’ll be tied to the battlefield, where swords have no eyes. You must be extremely careful.”
The younger generation, moved by their Grandfather’s words, were on the verge of standing up and making solemn vows.
Although everyone was in good spirits, they didn’t forget that they had to rise early the next day. After the meal, they retired early for some rest.
The following morning, right after breakfast, the women who had been invited to help with cooking and dishwashing arrived at the Shen household.
Chopping, cooking, and dishwashing duties were clearly assigned, and everyone got to work.
Several people from Song Shi’s maternal family were also invited to assist.
Grandpa Song, after a long period of recuperation, had regained some of his health, though he could never fully return to his former self. Nevertheless, he was in high spirits on this joyous occasion, dressed in respectable clothing and looking quite lively as he took his seat.Top of Form
Xiao Zhang’s two children were not shy at all. Everyone was busy with their respective tasks, and the elderly folks helped take care of the children, enjoying their retirement.
Grandpa Song was entertained by the two youngsters and began thinking about getting his own grandchildren married off soon. His health had improved significantly, and if his grandchildren married early, he might even be able to help raise their children for a couple of years.
The more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed, and he decided that after today’s festivities, he would start urging for the marriages.
In the Shen family’s courtyard, everyone was busy preparing the dishes for the lunchtime guests. On the other side, families from every corner of Longxian Village were bringing tables and chairs over.
Seeing them arrive, Shen Yu’an greeted them and directed them to place the tables and chairs in appropriate positions, leaving enough space for serving dishes. They couldn’t block the way.
The Shen family’s courtyard was small, and there was no way to accommodate the entire village, but the Shen family’s house was located at the edge of the village, with plenty of open space outside the courtyard.
As more and more people arrived, Shen Yu’an couldn’t handle it alone. When Zhang Wendong saw the situation, he stood up and went to help her.
Song Xiao Ni and Hua Ling also got up and went outside to help.
“Hey, be careful,” they called out as they assisted.
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Song Xiao Ni noticed a person carrying a large square table on their shoulder and approached to assist. The table was so big that it blocked their view, and as they moved towards the door, they stumbled on a stone, causing a momentary stumble. Song Xiao Ni was alarmed and hurriedly went forward to lend a hand.
However, there was a significant height difference between Song Xiao Ni and the person carrying the table. When she raised her hands to support it, she felt an odd sensation and realized she had placed her hands on the person’s rolled-up sleeve.
Looking up, she saw a familiar face. It was none other than Zhu Yushan, the grandson of Zhu Lizheng from Longxian Village. He had helped with construction work when they were building houses in the village.
Song Xiao Ni’s face turned bright red, and she quickly withdrew her hand as if she had been shocked.
Blushing, she explained, “I saw you almost stumble and was just trying to help you. I didn’t mean to touch you like that.”
By the end of her explanation, Song Xiao Ni’s voice had become as small as a fly’s.
Upon seeing that it was Song Xiao Ni, Zhu Yushan’s eyes brightened, and he chuckled as he placed the large square table on the ground with a loud thud.
He said, “Thank you, Miss Xiao Ni. It’s thanks to your help just now that I didn’t fall.”
Falling was unlikely, but he felt obliged to express his gratitude.
He had heard that if you liked a girl, you should compliment her to make her happy. However, he hadn’t had the opportunity to do so until now.