Font Size:
Lu Xinghe was stunned.
He wasn’t a stranger to this field. He had been cultivating it for several years, and he rarely saw even loaches or eels, let alone turtles. This little girl had stepped on two of them in just one day.
Although he didn’t believe in ghosts and spirits, this was definitely strange.
He hurried towards Chu Yue and dug out the turtle that she had already stepped into the mud. It was a little smaller than the first one, weighing about two pounds.
Chu Yue had a smile on her face, her big, round, bright eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Next time we go to town, we should sell these two turtles to Hua Yu Lou. We’ll be able to make a profit.”
Turtles had always been a sought-after ingredient in high-end restaurants, a nourishing food for wealthy families, and they were always valuable.
Lu Xinghe looked at her.
The little girl’s innocent and cheerful smile was deeply etched into his mind.
Chu Yue didn’t notice Lu Xinghe’s expression and urged, “It’s getting late. Let’s go back.”
After speaking, she turned and walked towards where she had left her shoes. Lu Xinghe looked deeply at Chu Yue’s back, then turned and walked towards where he had left his water bucket.
When he arrived at Chu Yue with the water bucket, he saw the little girl with her bare, white, slender feet, looking around for something.
“What’s wrong?”
Seeing Lu Xinghe, Chu Yue quickly squatted down and covered her feet.
“I remember taking off my shoes here. Why can’t I find them?”
Her eyes held a hint of annoyance.
Looking at the helpless little girl in front of him, Lu Xinghe’s heart softened, and he took off his shoes and placed them at her feet.
“The soles of your shoes are almost worn through. If they’re gone, they’re gone. I’ll ask Mother to make you a new pair later. Wear mine for now.”
Chu Yue looked at Lu Xinghe.
“What about you?” Chu Yue asked.
“I’m tough enough; I won’t get hurt walking barefoot. Your skin is delicate, and you can’t walk these mountain paths without shoes,” Lu Xinghe replied, picking up the water bucket again and stepping past Chu Yue. “Hurry up and keep up; otherwise, if you encounter a wolf in the mountains, it might carry you away.”
Chu Yue watched Lu Xinghe’s back, bit her lip with a smile, and quickly followed in his oversized shoes.
…
When they returned home, Lu Xingping and Lu Xing’an were in the courtyard drying the herbs they had collected that day.
Due to the depletion of wild vegetables on the mountain outskirts, the two brothers could only gather a few herbs that the villagers didn’t fully recognize.
Still, it counted as a bit of a harvest.
Seeing Lu Xinghe and Chu Yue approaching from afar, Lu Xingping quickly called out, “Elder Brother and Sister-in-law are back!”
Lu Xinghe hummed in response. “Where’s Mother?”
“Mother is in the house sewing a shoe sole,” Lu Xingping blurted out.
Lu Xing’an rolled his eyes and mumbled, “Mother said to keep it a secret. You have a big mouth.”
Lu Xingping raised his eyebrows, clamping his mouth shut. Close call! He almost let the secret slip.
“Sewing a shoe sole?” Lu Xinghe put down the water bucket.
Just then, Yun Cuihe came out of the house. “You’re back so early. Are you hungry? I’ll go make dinner.”
Lu Xinghe quickly said, “No rush, Mother. Yueyue went to pull weeds in the field today, and her shoes disappeared when she got up. Could you make her a pair of shoes?”
Yun Cuihe sighed.
“I thought it was something important. I was already thinking about making her a new pair of shoes since I’m making her new clothes. I’ve already started sewing the sole.”
Looking at the oversized shoes on Chu Yue’s feet, like she was walking on a boat, Yun Cuihe smiled and went into the house, bringing out a pair of shoes she had made for herself and handing them to Chu Yue. “I made these shoes for myself but haven’t worn them yet. They might not fit perfectly. You can wear them for now. I’ll make your shoes in a couple of days, and you can wear your own.”
Chu Yue refused to take them.
“Mother, I can’t take these. Just find any old pair of shoes for me to wear for a few days.”
But Yun Cuihe said, “Tomorrow will be your third day here. You have to go back to your parents’ home. If your mother sees you wearing worn-out shoes, she’ll feel heartbroken!”
Chu Yue lowered her head and mumbled, “They won’t care about me.”
Yun Cuihe felt a pang in her heart, but she didn’t know what to say to comfort her.
Chu Yue, however, acted like nothing was wrong and looked up, asking, “Mother, can I not go back?”
Looking at the little girl with a hint of stubbornness in her expression, Yun Cuihe patiently said, “How can that be? Going back to your parents’ home is a custom. Even if they don’t treat you well, they are still your parents. Didn’t you say you have a little sister? It’s good to go see her.”
Thinking about her younger sister, Xiao Tao, Chu Yue raised her eyebrows, a hint of reluctance in her heart, making her feel stifled.
Yun Cuihe shoved the shoes into Chu Yue’s hands, urging, “Go and change your shoes. Xinghe’s shoes are too big; you’ll trip over them.”
Chu Yue couldn’t resist Yun Cuihe, so she went to change her shoes.
Yun Cuihe’s shoes were a bit big, but the soles were very comfortable. Walking in them was soft and fluffy, like stepping on clouds.
“Mother, your shoes are so comfortable,” Chu Yue said with a smile.
Yun Cuihe, who was washing rice, laughed. “Good if they’re comfortable.”
Lu Xinghe took the two turtles out of the bucket and put them into the swill bucket. “Mother, keep these turtles in the bucket for now. Let the rice water cool down before pouring it in; don’t scald them to death.”
Yun Cuihe peered into the bucket. “They’re so big!”
Lu Xingping and Lu Xing’an also ran over to look.
“Elder Brother, did you catch these turtles?”
Lu Xinghe said calmly, “Your sister-in-law stepped on them while pulling weeds in the field.”
Yun Cuihe raised an eyebrow. “They say turtles bite people and won’t let go unless you chop their heads off. Yueyue is really brave. It’s a good thing she wasn’t bitten.”
Thinking about the first turtle with a mouthful of grass and the second turtle being stepped into the mud, Lu Xinghe couldn’t help but laugh and rub his nose.
“Yeah, she’s pretty brave.”
Lu Xingping leaned over the swill bucket and clicked his tongue.
“I say, Sister-in-law must be a fairy sent from heaven to save our family. She’s so lucky every time she goes out. I’m jealous! We’ve all been working in the fields, but why haven’t we stepped on a turtle once?”
Lu Xing’an rolled his eyes at him.
“With your thick-headedness, I’m afraid the only thing that will step on you is a turtle.”
Stung by Lu Xing’an’s words, Lu Xingping puffed out his cheeks and hummed as he looked at another bucket.
“Huh? Elder Brother, our pig is gone, why are you bringing back the grass?”
Lu Xinghe answered calmly, “Your sister-in-law told me to bring it back.”
Lu Xingping dragged out the sound of “oh” and didn’t say anything more.
Chu Yue, who had just come out of the house, heard Lu Xingping’s words and said, “This is called water bamboo leaves. People can eat it. I figured that our family is big, so we can bring it back as a dish. This bucket should be enough for two or three meals.”
Yun Cuihe smiled from the side.
“Yueyue is good at managing things. Nowadays, many people can’t even fill their stomachs. We shouldn’t be picky. If we can eat it, we eat it. It won’t hurt us, as long as it’s edible.”
Chu Yue nodded. “Mother is right.”