Chapter 77: Hu Yaozu Falls into the Water

It was the end of the Shen hour.

Except for the meat and large bones kept for themselves, the rest of the meat had been sold.

The three Ji brothers cleaned off the long wooden table and brought it inside, then washed their hands and sat down to eat.

When Hu Zhaodi brought the braised pork offal to the table, the rich fragrance of the braising sauce made everyone’s mouth water.

There wasn’t a hint of bad odor at all.

Hu Zhaodi picked up her chopsticks and served a piece of braised pork belly and large intestine to Old Scholar and Uncle Ji.

“Grandpa Ji, Uncle Ji, please try it and tell me how it tastes.”

The Old Scholar eagerly picked up a piece of pig stomach and put it in his mouth. After chewing a few times, he repeatedly praised it.

“Wonderful! The flavor is rich, and the texture is chewy. It’s delicious!”

Uncle Ji picked up a piece of fatty large intestine and popped it into his mouth, also unable to stop himself from praising, “Delicious! This is the best pig intestine I’ve ever had, with no strange taste at all.”

Hu Zhaodi smiled and said, “It’s all thanks to Sister Chunhua for cleaning it so well, and the flavor of the braising spices that makes it taste so good.”

The meal was very hearty, and Hu Zhaodi had specifically asked that Chunhua’s two children eat more pig liver and ribs, and that they each drink a bowl of soup afterward.

The two children ate with greasy mouths, their little bellies swelling.

After the meal, the family chatted until it got dark before washing up and resting.

Hu Zhaodi practiced internal energy for two hours before finally falling into bed and falling asleep.

—

The next day.

Before dawn, Grandma Ji and Chunhua woke up to prepare breakfast.

The breakfast consisted of minced meat and vegetable porridge, pickles, and steamed buns.

The three Ji brothers arrived at Uncle Ji’s house before daylight, each carrying a sickle.

After breakfast, Uncle Ji readied the ox cart and the cart for hauling goods. The whole family went to the rice fields together to harvest the rice.

This was the first time Hu Zhaodi went into the rice fields, but with the help of the original owner’s memories, she managed to do it fairly well, though a little slower than the others.

The Ji family’s rice fields were almost all connected, so when they started harvesting, the work moved forward in a large, continuous push.

Hu Zhaodi grabbed the rice seedlings with her left hand and swung the sickle with her right.

She heard the “swish, swish” sound as the rice stalks were cut down.

Once she found her rhythm, her speed picked up, though she was still a bit slower compared to the experienced Ji family members.

From a distance, the rice field was filled with villagers frantically harvesting the rice.

Hu Zhaodi’s family’s rice field wasn’t far off, and she could see her own family of four.

Yang, Hu Dashan, and Zhang were busy harvesting the rice, while Hu Yaozu was sitting by the water channel, playing.

Hu Dashan’s family’s pace was slow, and they seemed to be lagging behind.

This was the first time Hu Yaozu had come out to the fields. Before, when Hu Zhaodi was still living at the Hu family home, Yang would have him stay at home and cook.

By the time Hu Zhaodi came home after working in the fields, any food that had been prepared was already eaten by Hu Yaozu.

When Hu Yaozu was in a good mood, he might leave a little for his parents, but he never saved any for Hu Zhaodi.

Thinking of the original owner’s past, Hu Zhaodi almost wanted to run over and beat Hu Yaozu to vent her frustration, but it wasn’t the right time.

Suddenly—

“Aah!”

A sharp scream broke the peace of the fields.

Everyone turned toward the sound, seeing Hu Dashan’s family running frantically through the fields, while Hu Yaozu was nowhere to be seen.

“Yaozu!”

“Yaozu!”

Yang and the others shouted and ran toward the water channel.

The water cannal was about one meter wide, one meter deep, with about 60 centimeters of water. The current was somewhat swift.

Though Hu Yaozu was as round as a ball, he was short and couldn’t swim. When he fell into the water, frightened, he couldn’t even stand up.

By the time Hu Dashan and the others reached the water’s edge, Hu Yaozu had already been swept about three zhang (approximately 10 meters) downstream by the current.

“Dashan, hurry! Go save Yaozu!” Yang’s face turned as pale as a sheet, her heart in her throat.

Hu Dashan dropped his sickle and ran along the water’s edge, hoping to reach Hu Yaozu as quickly as possible.

Zhang, as Hu Yaozu’s mother, was also worried about her only son. She threw down her sickle and ran after him along the water’s edge.

However, Zhang had only run a short distance when she stepped wrong and cried out as she fell into the water.

Hu Dashan glanced back but didn’t stop for Zhang. He kept running toward Hu Yaozu, desperate to catch up.

Yang, behind them, jumped and yelled angrily, “Zhang, you shameless woman! What are you doing making things worse? If you can’t save my grandson, I’ll have your life!”

Although Zhang was taller than Hu Yaozu, she was too thin. It took her a while to cling to the edge, coughing and sputtering after swallowing a lot of water.

Hu Dashan ignored her and continued after the boy, finally catching up to Hu Yaozu after running for quite a distance. He jumped into the water and pulled him out.

By the time Hu Yaozu was rescued, he had fallen unconscious. His already bloated stomach was now even more distended, looking like it might burst at any moment.

Hu Dashan climbed out of the water, holding Hu Yaozu in his arms, shaking him and calling, “Yaozu, Yaozu, wake up!”

Yang, seeing that Hu Yaozu had been rescued, jogged along the water’s edge, carefully making her way over.

When she passed Zhang, she didn’t even glance at her. Her eyes were filled only with concern for her grandson.

But no matter how much Hu Dashan shook him, there was still no sign of Hu Yaozu waking up.

Hu Dashan looked around, his gaze stopping on Hu Zhaodi, who was bent over, cutting rice.

The next moment, he rushed toward Hu Zhaodi, holding Hu Yaozu in his arms without a second thought, not caring about Zhang still clinging to the water’s edge.

In fact, because he was holding Hu Yaozu, he didn’t see the ground beneath him and accidentally stepped on Zhang’s hand.

Zhang’s face twisted in pain, but seeing her unconscious son, she held back the scream.

However, as Yang passed by, too focused on Hu Yaozu, she failed to watch her step and ended up stepping on Zhang’s hand as well.

“Aah!”

This time, Zhang couldn’t hold back and cried out in pain, causing Yang to stumble and fall into the water with a splash.

Zhang, quick as lightning, grabbed Yang’s hand.

After Yang managed to regain her balance, she immediately began shouting angrily, “What are you screaming for? It was just a step on your hand! Can’t you endure it? You made me fall in too, so hurry up and get me out!”

“Mother, I can’t do anything! I can’t even stand, how am I supposed to get you out? You hold onto the edge of the water, and I’ll think of a way. If we can’t get out, we’ll just have to wait for Dashan to pull us out.”

“Slap!”

Yang slapped Zhang across the face with a resounding smack. “Can’t you see that Yaozu’s life is hanging by a thread? What do you think you’re doing, relying on Dashan for everything? How could our family have married someone like you, a harbinger of death?”

“If anything happens to Yaozu, I’ll make sure you pay for it!”

Zhang screamed in desperation, “Mother, did I push Yaozu into the water? I’m worried too, but you saw how high the water is and how slippery the edge is. How do you expect me to get out?”

Yang forcefully pressed down on Zhang’s head. “You better squat down. I’ll climb up using your back. Seriously, what good are you? You can’t even climb up from such a small height.”