Chapter 19: Aunt’s Arrival (Part 1)

The two of them instinctively rubbed their ears before bending down and reaching back into the water.

Right now, nothing was more important than catching fish.

The water that had just rushed down from the main canal was murky, making it impossible to see where the fish were. They could only judge by the movement of the water grass and the ripples in the current.

Not long after, Mu Mian suddenly heard Liu Guizhi’s surprised voice behind her. “How did you three little girls get here so fast? Where did you come from? I didn’t see anyone on the way.”

Xu Lele looked smug. “Shi Xiaolian took us through a shortcut. Mom, look! I caught two! Can we fry them?”

Liu Guizhi casually coaxed her, “If we have oil, I’ll fry them for you.”

Liu Shuangcui was curious. “What shortcut did you take?”

Mu Mian pointed behind her. “We crawled out from that bush.”

In truth, it wasn’t really a path. Adults wouldn’t be able to get through. The gaps in the bushes were so narrow that only children could squeeze past. She had even lost a few strands of hair on the way.

Liu Shuangcui muttered, “No wonder.”

Liu Guizhi and Liu Shuangcui were among the early arrivals. Not long after they got there, the shallow part of the river became crowded.

People who caught fish excitedly held them up, laughing out loud. Others even started fighting over a particularly big fish, while bystanders had to step in and break it up.

The whole scene was lively and chaotic.

Mu Mian bent over, dragging her bag while concentrating on catching fish. Before long, she had quietly gathered more than ten. Among them, three or four were quite large, while the rest were medium-sized.

Liu Shuangcui, thinking her daughter hadn’t caught much since she had been so quiet, moved closer for a look. Seeing the bag full of fish, she was shocked. “Did you find a fish nest?!”

Mu Mian grinned. “Just lucky. Mom, how many did you catch?”

Liu Shuangcui sighed. “Only four or five average-sized ones. I doubt there’s much left. Let’s head back.”

Saying that, she picked up the bag in Mu Mian’s hands. The combined weight of the fish and water was around thirty pounds.

Mu Mian could actually carry it just fine. She hadn’t felt the slightest bit of strain while dragging it earlier, but since her mother had already taken it, she was happy to be free of the burden.

While Mu Mian felt relieved, Shi Xiaolian tried lifting her own bag.

One attempt. No movement.

Another attempt. Still no movement.

A third attempt. The bag remained firmly in the water.

Instead, the fish inside flapped a few times, as if protesting being disturbed.

Shi Xiaolian: “………………”

Mu Mian had just stepped out of the water when she saw this scene.

After hesitating for a second, she walked over silently. “I’ll help you carry it.”

Then, with one hand, she lifted the bag effortlessly, as if it weighed nothing.

Shi Xiaolian: “………………”

She quietly followed Mu Mian ashore, holding onto one corner of the bag. “Thank you.”

Mu Mian smiled. “No problem. You led us through the shortcut, after all.”

Xu Lele suddenly appeared out of nowhere and squeezed in beside Shi Xiaolian. “My brother took my bag, so I’ll help you guys carry this one.”

Mu Mian, who didn’t find the bag heavy at all, paused for two seconds before tactfully saying, “It’s actually really light.”

The main issue was that with three people walking side by side, the road was too narrow. She had almost tripped just now.

Realizing they were only making things harder, Shi Xiaolian and Xu Lele quietly let go.

Xu Lele, however, remained as chatty as ever. “Sister Mianmian, how can you carry it so easily? Why can’t I lift it? Can you pick me up too?”

Mu Mian walked at the front without looking back and said, “You can try it next time.”

Xu Lele immediately let out an excited “wow” to show her anticipation.

The little girl bounced along, and before long, she turned to pester Shi Xiaolian again. “Teacher Shi and the others didn’t come? Oh, right, you just said they went to Old Li’s place.”

“Is your mom sick again? Is it serious? Last time I had a fever, my mom gave me some really bitter medicine. It was so awful!”

“But my mom said that if I didn’t take it, she would take me to the commune for an injection. Injections are even scarier! The needle is so long, and they jab it right into my butt. It’s terrifying for kids!”

Shi Xiaolian replied, “She just caught a chill. She keeps coughing and can’t stop.”

Xu Lele frowned. “That must be really uncomfortable.”

They chatted as they walked, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the foot of the brigade mountain.

Following the principle of seeing things through to the end, Mu Mian helped Shi Xiaolian carry her things all the way home.

Just as they reached the doorstep, they ran into Shi Xiaozhu and Tian Hongjuan, who had just returned from Old Li’s place.

Tian Hongjuan looked at the big bag of fish in surprise. “Xiaolian, you went too?”

When they left earlier, the little girl was still at home.

Her gaze swept over her daughter’s damp clothes and pants, and her eyes instantly turned red.

She held back her emotions and turned to Mu Mian and Xu Lele. “Thank you so much for helping. Come in, I’ll pour you some hot water to drink.”

Seeing Tian Hongjuan’s red eyes, Mu Mian felt a little overwhelmed. She didn’t need to ask to know that the woman must be blaming herself for not being able to help and instead becoming a burden.

Mu Mian shook her head. “My grandma must have boiled water at home already. Aunt, you must be busy, so we’ll head back first.”

With that, she grabbed Xu Lele’s hand and ran off.

By the time Mu Mian got home, a basin of hot water was already prepared. Zhao Meihua pulled her granddaughter over. “Come, soak your hands and feet with your mom.”

Mu Mian obediently walked over. “The water wasn’t that cold, actually.”

The older generation had their own health beliefs. Zhao Meihua added another ladle of hot water. “Even if it’s not cold, soaking for too long isn’t good. You girls, especially, need to be careful.”

Mu Mian nodded earnestly. “Got it, Grandma! I’ll be careful!”

She glanced at the bucket of fish beside her and chuckled, repeating something similar to what Xu Lele had said earlier. “If we could catch this many fish every day, getting soaked in the water would be totally worth it!”

Liu Shuangcui laughed. “This little girl sure knows how to dream big.”

Mu Mian eyed the two biggest fish, then turned to her mother. “Let’s send these two to Aunt and Sister Taozi.”

Liu Shuangcui smiled again. “How thoughtful. You still remember your aunt and cousin.”

Mu Mian puffed up her cheeks. “Of course! Aunt treats me really well!”

Liu Shuangcui patted her daughter’s head. “Don’t worry about it. Your dad will take them over later.”

Zhao Meihua brought out some warm food. “You really have great luck. I saw that Old Four and Old Five only caught a few fish.”

Now that she was reminded of it, Mu Mian suddenly felt hungry. She wiped her feet and said, “That’s because we went early. The big ones hadn’t been taken yet.”

Hearing this, Liu Shuangcui sighed. “That Xiaolian girl is impressive. She seems much more mature now. She even knew a shortcut for such a long distance.”

Zhao Meihua nodded in agreement. “She’s bound to have a good future. The Shi family’s second household is in a mess, but without Shi Chuncao stirring up trouble, as long as they can stand on their own, they won’t have a bad life.”

Mu Mian silently nodded in her heart. They would definitely manage. After all, she had been given a second chance at life.

—

Thanks to that heavy rain, the brigade had been lively for the past couple of days. The smell of fish wafted from every household’s window from time to time.

By Sunday, Mu Mian’s house was bound to be even livelier.

The rain had cleared, and the sky had been unbelievably blue these past few days.

Mu Mian woke up earlier than usual. Without even combing her hair, she took a small package and went up to Zhao Meihua. “Grandma, this is my birthday gift for you! I wish you a long life, good health, and delicious meals every day!”

Zhao Meihua’s face lit up with a smile, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes deepening. “Alright! Since you said so, Grandma will definitely live a long life!”

Mu Fugui leaned in curiously. “What did you sew for your grandma?”

Mu Mian said, “A little pouch for Grandma to keep money in.”

She had long noticed that the women in the brigade liked to wrap their money in handkerchiefs. Her little pouch was essentially the same thing, just more convenient.

Zhao Meihua examined it carefully. “It’s quite big. But Grandma doesn’t have that much money to put inside.”

Mu Mian declared confidently, “You will in the future! I’ll earn money for you Grandma, and fill it up until it’s nice and full!”

The three adults burst into laughter. Mu Fugui teased his daughter, “Only for your grandma? What about me and your mom?”

Mu Mian waved her little hand. “I’ll give money to all of you!”

Liu Shuangcui leaned in to take a closer look. “You did a great job. The stitches are really neat.”

Zhao Meihua also praised her. “Some girls are just naturally skilled with their hands. Our Mian girl is one of them.”

Mu Mian grinned, her eyes curving into crescents. “Grandma, why don’t you check inside?”

The real surprise was hidden inside the pouch.

Mu Fugui, who was about to head to the kitchen, stopped in his tracks. “What’s inside? Did you prepare a surprise for your grandma?”

Just as he spoke, Zhao Meihua turned the pouch inside out.

On one side, embroidered in red thread, were the words “Longevity and good health.”

Mu Fugui let out a loud “Whoa!” “Our daughter is amazing!”

The characters were neat and beautiful, and the meaning behind them was even better.

Plus, since they were embroidered on the inside, only the owner could see them—subtle yet heartfelt.

Zhao Meihua’s smile deepened. “Good, good, I love it.”

Mu Fugui couldn’t stop looking at it, his face full of admiration. “She’ll definitely become a tailor in the future!”

Being a tailor was a lucrative job. At the supply and marketing cooperative, ready-made clothes were several times more expensive than fabric.

Mu Mian shook her head and lifted her round little face. “I don’t want to be a tailor. I want to go to university in the future!”

Mu Fugui was stunned for a moment before laughing heartily. “Hahaha, good! That’s the spirit! I’ll be the father of a university student in the future!”

His laughter was so joyful, as if Mu Mian had already been admitted.

Zhao Meihua smiled as she took the small pouch from her eldest son’s hands and carefully put it away inside the house.

She liked it so much that she couldn’t bear to use it.

—

Even though there were only two tables of guests today, there was still plenty to do.

The old lady was the birthday star, so she didn’t have to do anything.

Mu Mian wanted to help, but the kitchen was too small, and there was no space for her. With just her fourth uncle, fourth aunt, little uncle, and little aunt, it was already crowded enough.

On top of that, Aunt Guizhi and a few others had also come over to help right after breakfast, generously bringing some items along.

So, Mu Mian followed her grandmother and helped arrange the two large tables and chairs that Mu Fugui had moved over.

Once everything was set up, Mu Mian glanced outside. “When will Second Aunt and Third Aunt arrive?”

Zhao Meihua replied, “It’ll be a while. They’re far away, so we’ll have to wait.”

Mu Mian thought for a moment and realized that was true.

Her second aunt, Mu Chunfen, and third aunt, Mu Dongxue, had both married far away. They didn’t even live in the same commune as their maiden home.

Both of them were married into Heping Commune, and their husbands were cousins.

Mu Chunfen’s husband, Su Maoshi, was a retired soldier. The two had a modern love story—falling for each other after catching a thief together in the county. Su Maoshi had been injured during his service and had to transfer out of the military, which led to their fateful meeting.

It was only after Mu Chunfen got married that she introduced her younger sister to Su Maoshi’s cousin, Zhong Zhimiao.

Since the sisters lived in the same commune, they could look after each other, but their maiden home was just too far away.

If they relied solely on walking, it would take them half a day just to get here—not even counting the journey back.

They must have set off early in the morning. Otherwise, they wouldn’t make it in time for lunch.

After finishing the table and chair arrangements, Mu Mian and Mu Wan helped their little aunt by holding the twin girls.

With these two little ones around, Zheng Xialan could hardly do anything at all.

Perhaps because the place was a little noisy, the twin sisters were just starting to doze off, but before half a minute had passed, they began to whimper again.

Mu Wan panicked. “Xiao Mian, Xiao Mian! Are they about to poop? What if they poop on me? I just washed my clothes!”

Mu Mian gently rocked the baby in her arms. “I don’t think so. Aunt just changed their diapers. Walking around with them should help.”

Mu Wan, who neither liked nor knew how to care for babies, copied Mu Mian and started walking while gently swaying the baby in her arms.