Chapter 47: Picking Up Eggs

The impact was indeed impressive.

Shen Zhuo’s extravagant praise for his fiancée successfully diverted a significant portion of the class’s attention away from him.

However, there were still some who couldn’t believe it and bravely approached him for clarification—like Lin Xiuwan. She stepped right up to Shen Zhuo and asked, “Are you really engaged?”

Shen Zhuo, who wasn’t fond of chatting in the first place, became even more curt after realizing her inquiries might stem from Li Guangyao’s earlier comments. “That’s correct,” he replied, adding, “My fiancée treats me exceptionally well.”

Lin Xiuwan’s expression turned complicated, and with all eyes on her, she felt her face flush. She quickly turned on her heel and left.

Xiao Tianbao, who had followed Lin Xiuwan, shot a frustrated look at Shen Zhuo. “Why didn’t you say you were engaged sooner?” If he had known earlier, it would have saved a lot of confusion!

Shen Zhuo looked at him, puzzled. “Why would I need to say it sooner?”

Xiao Tianbao was taken aback, muttering as he turned to follow Lin Xiuwan.

As Shen Zhuo watched his retreating figure, he frowned slightly. When he shifted his gaze, he noticed Li Guangyao also watching Xiao Tianbao, clearly suspicious of him as well. Shen Zhuo felt that Xiao Tianbao’s guilt was mounting, and he admired Li Guangyao’s perceptiveness about their classmates.

Meanwhile, Huang Zhihao, munching on his softened pancakes, had quietly observed the scene and finally asked Shen Zhuo, “So why did you decide to reveal it now?”

Shen Zhuo replied, pulling his gaze away, “Because it’s time to say it.”

Huang Zhihao, lacking the finer details, hadn’t overheard Li Guangyao’s earlier analysis and was oblivious to the underlying tension. He looked confused at Shen Zhuo’s response.

Seeing that Shen Zhuo had already returned to his meal—delicious-looking radish balls with rice—Huang Zhihao suddenly had a thought. “You didn’t have your fiancée make this food for you, did you?”

Shen Zhuo paused before nodding. “That’s right.”

Actually, that wasn’t entirely true. Besides the first day they had breakfast together, where Ye Xin helped him pack his meal and organize his bag, he had been the one getting up early to cook. He only called her to join him for breakfast after he had prepared the food himself. The subsequent meals were all packed by him.

However, the vegetables were grown by her, and the meat was purchased by her. She also decided what they would eat each day, ensuring a nutritious and varied diet. So, in a way, he could say she was involved in the preparation.

Huang Zhihao’s envy intensified. “She cooks for you every day? And delivers it to your house? With this cold weather, she must wake up so early! She’s incredible!”

Ignoring the first part of Huang Zhihao’s comment, Shen Zhuo simply added, “She lives at my house.”

Huang Zhihao’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Isn’t she your fiancée? She’s not married to you yet, so how can she live at your house?”

Others nearby overheard and found this puzzling, all ears for Shen Zhuo’s explanation.

After a moment of silence, he clarified, “She was promised to me by my father before he passed away. If it weren’t for our age, we would already be married. It was my father’s wish before he closed his eyes. After the engagement, she voluntarily moved in to take care of my father until he passed, and together, we handled everything afterward. We’re practically family now, and the team recognizes that.”

These events had only happened six months ago, but looking back, they felt like ages ago.

His memories of the lazy young woman who once came to the countryside faded, replaced by the image of Ye Xin—smiling, diligent, and always waiting for him to come home for dinner.

Ye Xin had become a wonderful person, completely overshadowing the negative aspects of her past, and he was willing to credit her for the positive changes.

The others listening began to understand. Given that she had taken care of an elderly person, it was indeed reasonable to consider them a family. This was a sentiment universally acknowledged.

In many rural areas, emotions often take precedence over the law, which explains the prevalence of common-law marriages without official certificates.

Since Shen Zhuo was already engaged and had built a bond by caring for his elderly father, living together with his fiancée didn’t seem particularly outrageous. It was a mutual choice, and when the time came, they would naturally become husband and wife.

As this realization sank in, the classmates finally understood the situation and returned to their own business—some focused on lunch, others on studying. The classroom atmosphere gradually returned to normal.

Meanwhile, Huang Zhihao, having finished his pancake, suddenly recalled what his brother had asked him the previous night. A light bulb went off in his head as he connected the dots. “So you don’t have a younger sister; it’s your fiancée living at home?” he quietly confirmed with Shen Zhuo.

Shen Zhuo nodded. “Correct. Who told you I had a sister?”

Huang Zhihao shook his head. “No one… So the girl receiving bricks and tiles at your house the other day was actually your fiancée?”

Shen Zhuo nodded, looking at him quizzically.

Huang Zhihao laughed awkwardly, finally asking, “You’re so good-looking; your fiancée must be beautiful too, right?”

Shen Zhuo thought of Ye Xin’s fair complexion and bright, dark eyes, and he nodded firmly. “Of course! She’s the most beautiful.”

After a moment, he furrowed his brow, asking, “Why do you want to know?”

Huang Zhihao quickly laughed it off. “Oh, it’s nothing. I’m just envious of you for getting engaged so early! Plus, your fiancée is both pretty and caring. It’s truly admirable! Anyway, you should eat; I need to get back to studying.”

---

That evening, Huang Zhihao barely touched his dinner. Instead, he dragged his brother outside and declared, “You’re out of luck.”

Huang Zhi Gao looked puzzled. “What do you mean, out of luck?”

Huang Zhihao replied gleefully, “The girl at Shen Zhuo’s house accepting bricks and tiles wasn’t his sister at all; he doesn’t even have one! That was his fiancée!”

Huang Zhi Gao was shocked. “What?! That girl is engaged to him?”

Huang Zhihao nodded, relishing his brother’s dismay. “Yep! I confirmed it with Shen Zhuo today. So you can give up on her—stop thinking about her!”

With that, he dashed off to eat, leaving his brother alone in the cold night, reeling from the revelation.

It took Huang Zhi Gao some time to process and accept this news. He recalled the beautiful girl with the stunning smile, thinking he’d have to wait a few years for a chance with her—only to find out it was not needed at all.

A sense of loss washed over him.

---

Meanwhile, Shen Zhuo retrieved his bicycle from Dr. Xu and rode quickly, finally making it home before dark. As he gazed at the wisps of smoke rising from the kitchen, a wave of contentment and joy washed over him.

Ye Xin poked her head out from the kitchen, “Why are you just standing there? Hurry up and chop the vegetables!”

Shen Zhuo hurried to close the courtyard gate as he replied, “Coming!”

He set down his bike and bag, rolling up his sleeves as he walked toward the kitchen.

Ye Xin was tending the fire at the stove. Noticing his expression, she guessed, “Did you sort things out?”

Shen Zhuo nodded but hesitated slightly. “I guess so, but the troublemaker hasn’t been identified yet.”

Ye Xin felt his progress was satisfactory. “Take your time. You still need to study, and don’t expect to find the person in a single day.”

Shen Zhuo nodded again, then glanced at her expression. Although she didn’t seem angry, he felt compelled to apologize. “I’m really clueless. I didn’t realize that aspect… I should have mentioned my engagement sooner.”

Ye Xin wasn’t the type to make a fuss over nothing; she wouldn’t be upset about this. In fact, she thought his naivety in this matter wasn’t entirely bad. They were living together now, but they were still young.

Ye Xin smiled and said, “It’s nothing. You’re going to training to learn how to be a doctor, not to socialize. How could you have known to mention your engagement first? It’s not your fault; it’s those people who have the wrong mindset.”

Shen Zhuo finally relaxed, feeling grateful that she never flew off the handle for no reason.

After washing his hands, he noticed a jar of pickled cabbage on the table, realizing they would be having it for dinner. He grabbed a knife and began to slice it. As he worked, he chatted with her, “So, what did you do today?”

Ye Xin gleefully replied, “The chickens laid eggs today! I’ve been waiting and watching every day, and I finally got to see it! After you left this morning, I was feeding them corn, and there it was—a white egg in the nest. I was so excited!”

Shen Zhuo couldn’t help but smile. “I heard it usually takes four months for chickens to start laying eggs, but ours laid one in just three months! You must be doing a great job caring for them.”

Ye Xin beamed with pride. “Of course! You built the chicken coop, but I handle the feeding and watering!”

Shen Zhuo grinned, “Yes, it’s all thanks to you. We won’t have to buy eggs anymore, saving us a lot of money. You’re amazing!”

Flattered, Ye Xin felt her tail almost wagging, but she quickly regained her composure. “But since they just started laying, we shouldn’t collect the eggs right away. Let them lay a few more before we take them.”

Shen Zhuo nodded in agreement. “Right, I’ve heard that the first egg should be left for the hen to recognize its nest, so it will lay more there in the future.”

Ye Xin nodded but didn’t mention her plan to let the hen incubate the eggs to see if they could hatch into chicks. While they couldn’t keep too many chickens outside, she could always raise some in her space. The area and feed were all ready; she was just waiting to raise a flock of chickens to lay eggs and make some money!

This was something she could handle quietly, as she already fed the chickens daily. Collecting the eggs wouldn’t require Shen Zhuo’s involvement.

Shen Zhuo squeezed the moisture out of the pickled cabbage, chopped some green onions, and sliced ginger. He then asked, “Are we having smoked chicken or dried duck tonight?” Those were the only two dishes that used the onions and ginger.

But Ye Xin exclaimed, “Let’s have fish!”

The village was famous for its ponds, and in the rice fields at the front of the village, two large ponds were left specifically for fish farming. As the year came to a close, it was harvest time.

Today, the villagers drained the pond to catch fish. Team members worked together to catch the larger fish and send them to the buying station, contributing to the collective income. The remaining small fish were available for everyone to catch.

Anyone could grab fish; whoever caught them got to keep them!

Fish were a rare treat, so naturally, every household was excited. Despite the cold winter water, villagers rushed to the ponds with their buckets. Most of the people going were young men and children, not minding the mud.

Ye Xin, youthful and unabashed, joined the fun with her own bucket.

It wasn’t that she particularly liked fish; she had never caught one before and thought it would be fun to participate.

The pond was huge, and as she rummaged through the muddy water, she managed to catch quite a few small fish, shrimp, and crabs. The nearby youth, who were hesitant to get muddy or found the dirt unappealing, started to feel tempted.

“Wow, there are a lot of small fish in there!”

“It’s not just small fish; I saw someone catch a big one earlier that looked like it weighed five or six pounds!”

“That’s for sure! With such a large pond, it’s only normal for some fish to slip through! We can’t just stand here and watch; if Ye Xin is diving in, I should too!”

In the end, Liu Hongxia, Sun Weiqiang, and Zhang Kangming couldn’t resist any longer. They went back to grab their buckets and joined the fish-catching frenzy. The first two were simply eager not to miss out, while even the usually composed Zhang Kangming wanted to catch something nice for the girl he liked, Jiang Jingyu.

Ye Xin focused solely on her own fishing. The pond was so big that they wouldn’t be in her way.

Regardless of what she caught, she put it all away, tossing the small fish and shrimp into her bucket while placing crabs in a bag to keep them from pinching the smaller fish to death.

Little fish need to be protected!

While Ye Xin was busy catching fish, a sudden idea struck her—what if she created a fish pond in her space? She could raise some fish and shrimp, maybe even plant some lotus flowers. They could either eat them or just enjoy having them around. After all, the land was just sitting there empty, and managing a fish pond wouldn’t be too much trouble. Plus, it wouldn’t cost anything since she could just catch the fish and shrimp fry from here.

With this exciting plan in mind, she became even more enthusiastic about catching fish. However, worried that the little fish might die, she filled half a basin with her catch and headed home. She poured them into the space’s spring water for safe keeping before returning with an empty basin to continue her fishing spree.

Seeing her in action, Zheng Wenwen, who had been watching from the sidelines, couldn’t help but tease, “You look like a little kid, so excited about catching fish! Look at you, all muddy!”

Ye Xin shrugged it off, saying, “It’s not every day you get to catch fish! They’re all mine, so I’m not afraid of getting dirty! If you’re worried about the mud, feel free to just watch!”

Zheng Wenwen gritted her teeth in envy, glancing at Ye Xin’s impressive haul while feeling hesitant about getting covered in dirt herself.

Wang Xiaowei, also observing the scene, laughed and chimed in, “Be careful! Don’t slip; the mud in the pond is pretty deep!”

Jiang Jingyu looked at Ye Xin and then at Zhang Kangming, hesitating for a moment before finally deciding to join in. She was graceful and slender, often appearing quiet and gentle. It was surprising to see her willing to get muddy, but when everyone saw her and Zhang Kangming fishing together, it all made sense.

Meanwhile, the more experienced Wang Youwei surveyed the lively scene around him and, with a shake of his head and a sigh, turned to leave.

Ye Xin spent a joyful afternoon fishing, and by around three or four in the afternoon, as she struggled to catch anything else and the kids began to disperse, she finally headed home with her bountiful haul.

Since her space fish pond hadn’t been dug out yet, she searched her wooden shed for any containers she could use to store water. After finding everything she could, she filled them with spring water, carefully separating the little fish, shrimp, and crabs to keep them alive for now. She decided to keep just two of the largest grass carp, weighing about a pound each, for dinner that night.

After a quick bath and some laundry, she took a moment to relax before starting dinner.

When she mentioned her catch to Shen Zhuo, she didn’t go into detail about the many small fish and shrimp she had caught; instead, she only said she had caught two big ones. She figured no one would bother telling him the details. Even if he did hear about it, knowing his nature, he wouldn’t press her about where the two basins of small fish had gone.

Although Shen Zhuo couldn’t join in the fun, he could picture the lively scene from her cheerful tone and share in her excitement.

After hearing about her day, he looked at the empty table and stove, asking, “Where’s the fish?”

“They’re outside in the yard. I found them a bit smelly, so I left them out there for now,” Ye Xin replied, pulling him outside to see the two fish lying on the stone edge of the well. “Look, they’re dead, but they haven’t been gutted yet. You can do that now and make braised fish.”

Though the fish were dead, the low winter temperatures meant they wouldn’t spoil. They had only been dead for a couple of hours, so they were still fresh enough.

Shen Zhuo nodded dutifully, “Okay, I’ll gut them now,” and turned to fetch a knife.

Ye Xin then spotted the chicken coop and said, “Wait a second! Look at that hen just sitting there—it’s hatching eggs! Who knows, maybe tomorrow there will be one or two more chicks. Don’t touch anything; I’m taking care of this!”

Shen Zhuo crouched down to get a closer look at the shiny-feathered hens inside and promised, “Alright, I won’t take your credit; I’ll let you collect the eggs.”

With that, Ye Xin finally let him go to handle the two fish.