Chapter 29

Jiang Wan took a while to calm down and steady her nerves. She looked around the crack in the rocks but didn’t spot the little sea snake. It was probably still nearby.

She decisively moved to a different spot to continue collecting seafood—her life was more important.

The new tidal flat was bustling with villagers. She didn’t make a point to join the crowd, but the voices of the villagers naturally reached her ears.

“It was so lively last night, why didn’t you come out to watch the fun?”

“Ah? What happened? I had a headache and went to bed early.”

Jiang Wan’s ears perked up—she was curious to hear the village gossip.

“Yesterday evening, Dàshù’s mother was going to bring her grandchildren home to celebrate together, but that girl, Yínzhū, absolutely refused. The cries of the siblings were so loud, they could have shaken the sky.”

“Ah? Why wouldn’t she want to? There are only two little ones left in their family, they can’t fish, and no one wants to hire them. If they don’t stay with their grandparents, what will they do in the future?”

The older woman was very confused.

“Exactly! Many neighbors tried to persuade her, but Yínzhū refused to listen. She even had the village chief and elders witness her vow that she wouldn’t consider marriage until her younger brother was ten. When Jinbao turns ten, she’ll be almost nineteen, such a silly girl.”

“Ah? The village chief and the elders agreed to this?”

“Of course, they agreed! Yínzhū’s parents appeared in her dream and asked them to approve. If they didn’t, they said they would come to find the village chief and the elders that night.”

The older woman sighed, feeling sorry for Yínzhū.

“By the time Jinbao grows up, Yínzhū will be an old maid. What good marriage can she hope for then? I really don’t know what this girl is thinking.”

“Didn’t expect Yínzhū to be so devoted.”

She may not be able to do much, but she’s willing to delay her own future to raise her younger brother. Not just anyone can do that. Usually, people would just look out for themselves.

The two older women continued gossiping quietly about other village matters. Jiang Wan, completely engrossed in the conversation, had unknowingly wandered closer to their circle.

“Hey, this girl looks unfamiliar, must be from the capital, right?”

The older women looked Jiang Wan up and down, and she wasn’t shy about answering.

“Yes, I’m from the capital.”

“We’ll be settling down here in the village from now on, I hope you’ll take good care of us, Aunties.”

“That’s uncertain.”

The two older women exchanged a knowing look, which only someone from their own village could understand.

Over the years, quite a few people had been sent here, but only two or three families had actually stayed. The rest either died at the quarry or left the village for higher positions. It wasn’t easy to settle down here and live a stable life.

“Little girl, are you really from the capital?”

“What trouble did you get into to end up here?”

When Jiang Wan noticed they were asking more personal questions, she quickly made up an excuse, saying she had a stomachache and needed to leave.

The reason for her family’s exile hadn’t been revealed by the village chief, and of course, she wasn’t going to say anything. Even though it was her grandfather’s brother who was guilty of embezzling military funds, in this age where clan loyalty was so important, if someone from her family committed a crime, the whole family would be implicated. After all, why was her family exiled, while others weren’t?

She was sure that if she revealed the reason for her exile, within an hour, everyone in the village would know, and her family would be stared at whenever they went out.

Jiang Wan wiped the sweat from her brow. Gossip wasn’t always pleasant. It was better to focus on collecting seafood.

She walked a bit further down the beach, feeling much better as the sand and mud in her straw sandals washed away. While searching for small pits on the shore, she suddenly heard someone calling her name.

“Xiǎo Wǎn!”

Jiang Wan looked up and saw Lin Wànróng, holding a bucket and accompanied by two big boys, walking toward her.

“Aunt Lin!”

The two families had a good relationship, and Jiang Wan’s smile became more genuine. However, she didn’t have the original owner’s memories, so she didn’t know the names of the two boys from the Zhou family and wasn’t sure how to greet them.

Luckily, the boys knew she was the one who helped their family get a bigger house and took the initiative to introduce themselves.

“Sister Xiao Wan, I’m Zhou Lí.”

“Sister Xiao Wan, I’m Zhou Yuán.”

Zhou Lí and Zhou Yuán?

Jiang Wan was momentarily stunned. The names reminded her of a line from the great poet Dù Fǔ’s “Five Hundred Words of Thoughts on the Way from Beijing to Fengxian County.”

“Year after year, I worry about the people’s livelihood, my heart aching with regret.”

It expressed his deep love for his country and people.

She wondered if this dynasty still had access to the works of the great poet. If so, it seemed that the Zhou family’s naming of their sons might reflect a similar sentiment.

But alas…

She couldn’t quite recall the exact reason for the Zhou family’s exile, but it seemed to be related to embezzling military funds as well. She didn’t know exactly who their relative was, but all the main culprits’ families had been exiled.

Sigh, “fellow exiles.”

These thoughts flashed through Jiang Wan’s mind, and just as she was about to smile at the boys, she noticed the contents of Lin Wànróng’s bucket. Her smile froze on her face.

“Aunt Lin, what’s this fish?”

Seeing Jiang Wan staring at the fish, Lin Wànróng thought she might want it, so she promptly dumped the fish into her bucket.

“This fish was given to me by a kind-hearted woman from the village. She said it’s great for health, especially good for the elderly and children. You should take it home and eat it.”

She had watched the two girls from the Yīn family grow up. They used to be so lively, but now they were thin and worn out—she hoped the fish would help them recover.

The two boys were reluctant to give up the fish. It was so much fun—when you touched it, it would puff up, and their younger siblings would definitely love it. They had no problem giving it to Sister Xiao Wan, but could they keep one for their younger brother and sister?

The two children tugged at their clothes, hesitating to speak.

Jiang Wan’s expression darkened.

The fish in the bucket was small, with a brownish-yellow back, and whenever you touched it, its belly would puff up.

The round fish puffed up like a balloon.

It was a highly poisonous pufferfish! Only 0.5 milligrams of its toxin could be lethal!

Actually, pufferfish meat itself is not poisonous and is considered quite delicious. However, its blood and internal organs contain deadly toxins, and it’s nearly impossible for an average person to completely remove all the poisonous parts of the fish.

Even with all the high-tech machines available today, few people dare to try pufferfish meat, let alone in ancient times. That kind-hearted woman must not have had good intentions.

The village people had lived by the sea for generations, and pufferfish were common in the shallow waters. Jiang Wan didn’t believe for a second that the woman was unaware of its toxicity.

“This fish is poisonous, you can’t eat it.”

Jiang Wan’s serious expression made it clear she wasn’t joking. Lin Wànróng immediately froze, instinctively pulling her two sons aside.

“Xiǎo Wǎn, is this… really true?! Quick, throw it away!”

Jiang Wan didn’t discard it. The fish was toxic, yes, but if ingested, it could kill. However, if given to a doctor, it could potentially be treated.

She had to take it back to her mother.

“Aunt Lin, do you remember what the person who gave you the fish looked like? Which family is she from?”

Lin Wànróng was stunned, but the two boys immediately spoke up, eager to answer.

“That auntie wore a cloth scarf, so we couldn’t see her face clearly.”

“She’s shorter than my mother, her hands were a bit pale, and her shoes were different from the ones people here usually wear.”

Zhou Yuán couldn’t quite explain what made the shoes different, as he hadn’t paid much attention to the details.

“Smart boy.”

Jiang Wan patted his head. For such a young age, it was already impressive that he had noticed so much.

“Aunt Lin, this fish is very toxic. If you cook it and give everyone a spoonful, it could be fatal. I suspect something is off here. The people in the fishing village should know it’s poisonous. You should really figure this out. As for the fish, I’ll take it. My mother’s a doctor, and its toxin might have another use.”

After taking the pufferfish, Jiang Wan gave Lin Wànróng the clams she had dug up and an octopus she had caught from a small pit.

The two boys, seeing the octopus with its wriggling tentacles, immediately forgot about the pufferfish and urged their mother to hurry and take it back to their younger siblings to play with.

Lin Wànróng, her mind racing, thanked Jiang Wan and bade her farewell. On her way home, she thought carefully about everything that had happened today, and her expression slowly turned cold.