Chapter 62 ☆ Lobster Fishing (Part 2)

Xie Zhao entered and saw Cheng Yaoyao sitting cross-legged on the bed, her hair loose, and wearing only a pink skirt.

Cheng Yaoyao called out, “Xie Zhao, come and see why I have so much money.”

Xie Zhao sat on the edge of the bed: “Why is there so much?”

“The money from recent sales isn’t this much,” Cheng Yaoyao insisted, becoming more confused as she counted.

Xie Zhao hid his smile, took the money from her purse, and said, “The extra money is from selling medicinal herbs.”

Cheng Yaoyao was even more puzzled: “That’s too much. Xie Zhao usually sells medicinal materials for only a few yuan each time. How could he have extra money?”

Xie Zhao helped her put on her coat: “Hurry up and eat dinner. Aren’t we going lobster fishing?”

“Yes!” Cheng Yaoyao put her hands into her sleeves, forgot about the money, and followed Xie Zhao to the yard for dinner.

Cheng Yaoyao made spicy lobster balls and sent a bottle to her father. The rest was eaten in one meal. The big rabbit was also made into cold rabbit cubes ^[1]which are chunks of rabbit meat prepared in a cold dish., and the remaining internal organs were used to catch lobsters.

Xie Fei was heading to the melon field that night. Cheng Yaoyao made a plate of mango glutinous rice rolls ^[2]refers to a type of sweet snack made with glutinous rice and mango. and brought a bottle of dried bayberries and a bag of melon seeds, as if they were going on a spring outing ^[3]which is an outdoor excursion usually in the spring.. Xie Fei was particularly excited and chattered nonstop with Cheng Yaoyao.

Grandma Xie told Xie Zhao with a smile: “Brother Zhao, you must keep an eye on them later. Even though the river isn’t deep, they might catch a cold if they fall in.”

Xie Zhao agreed: “Don’t worry.”

Cheng Yaoyao said to Grandma Xie sweetly, “Don’t you like drinking fish soup? I’ll catch a few more fish tonight.”

Grandma Xie interrupted: “Just come back in one piece!”

Some are happy, and some are sad.

In a two-story house made of blue bricks at the east end of the village, a hole was dug in the wall between the kitchen and the yard, and a kerosene lamp was hung on it. This provided light in the kitchen and allowed clothes to be washed in the yard. Lin Wuxing’s family knew how to live, so they split a lamp into two halves, making the light naturally dim.

The whole family was used to it, and they could still eat in the dark, using their chopsticks accurately and vigorously. There were eleven people in total, including Lin Wuxing and his wife, the second and third wives, and Cheng Nuonuo. The table was packed, and the dishes were gone as soon as they were served.

Cheng Nuonuo took a piece of mixed flour pancake, and in the dark, picked up a few pieces of fried sauerkraut ^[4]which is fermented cabbage that is fried. and braised Hulusi ^[5]refers to a type of dish made with vegetables or meat braised in sauce. in the bowl with chopsticks.

Lin Wang glared at her fiercely with her bat-like old eyes ^[6]which means her eyes are sharp and stern., but she said nothing. A cloud of sadness hung over the entire Lin family. The noisy children were silent, and in the dim light, there was only the buzzing of mosquitoes and the smacking of lips while eating.

Cheng Nuonuo stood up with the bowl in hand, saying that she would go back to the house to eat, but no one paid any attention to her. When she reached the kitchen door, she couldn’t see the road clearly and kicked over the chicken feed bowl. There was a series of clanging sounds, which seemed to break the last nerve of Lin Wangshi.

Lin Wang threw her chopsticks hard and said, “You are courting death!” ^[7]phrase used to express extreme anger or frustration.

Cheng Nuonuo raised an eyebrow lightly and said, “Fangfang, why did you knock over the chicken feed bowl?”

After saying this, Cheng Nuonuo walked away.

Fangfang, the second wife’s youngest daughter, was skinny and sallow, squatting by the door like a chick. When she heard Cheng Nuonuo’s words, she looked up stupidly, and the next second, she was kicked hard in the ribs by Lin Wang’s little feet, and she burst into tears.

Lin Wangshi’s cursing, the little girl’s shrill crying, and the second daughter-in-law Zhang Aihua’s loud voice trying to stop the quarrel all rang out at once, making the scene very lively.

Cheng Nuonuo sneered, locked the door tightly, and lit a candle . The multi-grain biscuits were too rough to swallow, so she threw them aside, took out the biscuits from the box, and ate them while reading the letter by candlelight.

The handwriting was crooked, and it was obviously written by her cousin Wei Tao. Wei Shujuan spoke in her usual complaining tone, and she talked about how Cheng’s father favored Cheng Yaoyao and treated their Wei family poorly. However, after taking a few of Cheng Yaoyao’s old clothes, Cheng’s father sent her back to her parents’ home. He also wanted Cheng Nuonuo to seize the opportunity to trap Shen Yan. There was another sentence that was blacked out. Cheng Nuonuo carefully identified it, and it was “Enclosed with this letter is twenty yuan in full.”

Cheng Nuonuo sneered, knowing without thinking that the money had been taken away by her cousin and aunt again. She rummaged through her bag and took out a few beautiful dresses. Needless to say, they were all Cheng Yaoyao’s old clothes. She was much taller than Cheng Nuonuo, and the clothes for fourteen or fifteen years old fit Cheng Nuonuo perfectly. But the girl’s dress was particularly fancy, and Cheng Nuonuo didn’t have Cheng Yaoyao’s beauty, so it looked funny on her.

Cheng Nuonuo picked up a puff-sleeved dress and ripped it with all her might. She tore it to pieces with a few hissing sounds. She did the same with the other pieces. She would not return the things in her hands to Cheng Yaoyao even if they were torn to pieces! When only the last piece of waist-hugging sky blue shirt dress was left, Cheng Nuonuo was stunned for a moment.

This was a birthday gift for Cheng Yaoyao when she was sixteen. The young girl, Cheng Yaoyao, had silky black hair, snow-white and plump cheeks, and lips the color of roses. Cheng’s father held a birthday party for her at Lao Mo, and many people of status came.

Cheng Yaoyao looked as charming as a newly opened rose in this dress. When Shen Yan came with his parents to celebrate Cheng Yaoyao’s birthday, he couldn’t take his eyes off her for a moment.

Cheng Nuonuo pinched the skirt and thought of Shen Yan, who had ignored her for a long time, and suddenly an idea came to her mind.

There was no moon tonight, only a sky full of stars, twinkling like diamonds sprinkled on black velvet. Countless fireflies were flying among the grass and tree shadows. The stars were reflected in the river, and Cheng Yaoyao dropped a fishing hook, shattering the starry sky.

Xie Fei said she was there to keep watch, but she fell asleep before 10 o’clock. Only Xie Zhao was left to accompany Cheng Yaoyao to fish for lobsters.

This stretch of river was gentle, and was a gathering place for fish and shrimp. Cheng Yaoyao was holding a rope, with a bent iron wire ^[8]refers to a thin metal wire that is shaped into a hook. tied to one end as a fishhook and a rabbit intestine as bait. Her movements were rough, and a splash of water was created.

Xie Zhao said from the side: “Sister, you scared the lobster away.”

“I didn’t.” Cheng Yaoyao denied. She looked at her basket, then at Xie Zhao’s basket, and was a little disappointed, “It must be that my position is not good. I want to go over there!”

Xie Zhao put the fish basket in place, walked over, held her hand, and gently lowered it: “Like this, go slowly, don’t move.”

The hook sank straight into the water, and Xie Zhao’s chest was just a thin line away from hers. The Yang Qi was endless, and Cheng Yaoyao couldn’t help but want to take a deep breath. She was distracted for a moment, and Xie Zhao said in a deep voice: “It’s hooked!”

Cheng Yaoyao felt the fish hook sink and hurriedly pulled it out of the water. A brown-red crayfish also flew out of the water!

Cheng Yaoyao jumped up: “He took the bait! He really took the bait!”

She turned around and smiled at Xie Zhao excitedly, with the stars reflected in her eyes. Xie Zhao looked deeply into her eyes and was reluctant to let go. Cheng Yaoyao urged him: “Pick up the lobster quickly!”

Xie Zhao paused and asked, “A lobster fishing competition?”

Cheng Yaoyao learned a lesson and looked at him warily: “…What’s the bet?”

Xie Zhao just smiled and said nothing. Cheng Yaoyao thought about what happened the night before and pushed him away angrily, saying that she rejected prostitution ^[9]refers to the practice of engaging in sexual activity for money., gambling, and drugs.

The villagers of Tianshui Village do not eat crayfish, so crayfish are very easy to catch. Cheng Yaoyao sat there for more than ten minutes, and the lobsters kept being caught. She was afraid of the crayfish’s claws, so as soon as she caught the crayfish, she would yell for Xie Zhao to pick the lobster.

Later, Xie Zhao simply sat behind her, and Cheng Yaoyao leaned lazily in Xie Zhao’s arms. Changing the bait and picking the lobsters were all Xie Zhao’s responsibilities, and she was only responsible for throwing the hook and dripping a few drops of spiritual spring water.

Xie Zhao was a little confused. There were so many lobsters tonight. Bubbles were coming out of Cheng Yaoyao’s hook, and it was full of lobsters, all vying to be caught. In the end, Xie Zhao simply took a basket and went into the water to scoop them up. He scooped up half a basket at a time.

There were so many lobsters that the two simply peeled them on the spot, breaking off the heads and gently twisting the tails to pull out the lobster threads leaving only the body of the lobster, which is called a lobster ball.

Xie Zhao started a small fire. Cheng Yaoyao brought some spicy crayfish sauce from home, poured it into an aluminum lunch box, and threw the lobster balls in. After a while, the sauce started to boil, and the aroma immediately wafted far away.

Cheng Yaoyao woke up Xie Fei, who was sleeping in the melon shed. She woke up immediately after smelling the fragrance: “What a nice smell!”

The three of them sat around the fire, savoring the meal. The lobster balls in the spicy sauce quickly curled up, and with a gentle suck, the meat separated easily from the shell. They picked out the lobster balls with chopsticks, blew on them, and enjoyed the sweet and spicy soup with the chewy shrimp meat, savoring every bite.

Cheng Yaoyao commented, “It would be nice to have a bottle of cold beer right now.”

Xie Fei, who was enjoying the meal, asked, “Sister Yaoyao, have you ever drunk beer?!”

“Of course,” Cheng Yaoyao replied with a nod. “I’ve tried all sorts of wines! The wild grape wine should be ready in a few days; you can try it then… Hmm!”

With a piece of lobster in her mouth, Cheng Yaoyao shot a glare at Xie Zhao. He remained unfazed as he continued peeling lobster. 

“Children can’t drink alcohol,” Xie Zhao said calmly.

“I’m not a child!” Cheng Yaoyao retorted, swallowing the shrimp.

Xie Zhao continued, “Do children eat shrimp?”

“I’ll eat!” Cheng Yaoyao said hurriedly.

Xie Fei watched the interaction between her brother and Cheng Yaoyao, her heart fluttering. Under the starlight, Cheng Yaoyao appeared almost dreamlike. The simple exchange between her and Xie Zhao filled Xie Fei with a sweet, indescribable feeling.