Chapter 325: Developing Functions is Yan Yu’s Specialty

Yan Huaiwen and a few constables chose to travel by water, going downstream to Gufeng for a faster journey.

The wooden rafts from Xiao’an Village came in handy, not only for carrying people but also for hauling more supplies.

Yan Lao’er slept deeply that night, dreamless, and woke up early in the morning full of energy.

According to Yan Huaiwen’s idea, they should travel light.

But when it came to Yan Lao’er, how could that be possible!

He packed plenty of food and drink, bundled up the cotton quilts to bring along, and the dual-purpose charcoal-burning clay pot for both heating and cooking was an absolute must.

Yan Lao’er also secretly tucked in a few pieces of jerky.

He repeatedly instructed that these pieces of jerky were only for Yan Huaiwen himself to eat and not to be given to anyone else.

This made Yan Huaiwen quite amused, and unable to withstand his nagging, he could only agree patiently and gently.

Yan Lao’er was anxious inside but couldn’t say anything.

This was spirit snake jerky, and for now, every piece eaten was one less.

Gufeng was a dangerous place right now. This Old Yan really made one worry endlessly!

The raft drifted farther away with the current, and the villagers seeing them off gradually left.

Yan Lao’er was still gazing into the distance until that small black dot could no longer be seen.

“At home, I wish Uncle would leave; once Uncle leaves, I start missing him…” Yan Yu wrinkled her little face and sighed: “So conflicted!”

Yan Lao’er deeply agreed.

“Let’s go, head to the countryside with your Uncle Liang. Want to come, girl?” He quickly perked up.

Attending to business was important.

“Yes!” Yan Yu shook her father’s sleeve, smiling sweetly: “Daddy, take me with you.”

“I’ve been thinking, if we want to buy grain, we need to bring enough silver, and we should also take a few carts of vegetables over.” Yan Lao’er had been mulling this over for days. “Keep enough vegetables for winter, it’s best to trade out the rest.”

“The weather in Guanzhou has been good this year. We should clear the land quickly so we can plant the next batch.”

Yan Yu thought about the vegetables at home; it didn’t seem like there were enough for several carts’ worth.

“Girl, look at your strength, it’d be a waste not to use it. How about this: you go harvest vegetables from our field first, and I’ll bring Sanbao over later to haul them.”

Yan Lao’er had everything planned out clearly for his daughter.

There was a Yan family plot right by the river, just a few steps away.

Yan Yu stood at the edge of the field, looking at the lush green vegetables, and resigned herself to work.

What else could she do? Like her dad said, it’d be a waste not to use this strength of hers. Right now, among the people at home who could harvest vegetables, besides Granny Rong, no one was a match for her.

Yan Yu specifically targeted the spinach. This one didn’t need a knife; she could just yank it out with force.

Before she could finish pulling one row, Yan Lao’er returned with the cart.

He brought Yan Yu’s special little basket.

She found her small sickle. This time, not only spinach, but cabbage, cilantro, and rapeseed all fell victim to her harvesting hands.

Yan Lao’er wasn’t idle either, bending over and harvesting vegetables too.

“Dad, how did you get back so fast? Did you sort out the vegetables at home?”

She was referring to the vegetables sent over by the villagers. Each family gave some, and there was quite a lot; gathered together, they could fill several baskets.

Yan Lao’er: “Don’t even mention it. Granny Rong’s hands are so fast. I don’t even know when she organized everything. What needed pickling was pickled, what needed drying was dried. In the cellar and on our roof, everything is stacked neatly. Those shouldn’t be moved. I thought, forget it, let’s just harvest one basket of each type. Show people samples, make verbal agreements first, then use the cart to haul theirs over later.”

“I asked Manshan. He has to return to the Crouching Tiger Government Office first and set out from there. We definitely have enough time. Cut carefully. Since they’re samples, they need to look good.”

Yan Yu glanced at the spinach she had pulled up by the roots.

Calmly, she gave it a casual knock.

Clumps of soil fell off with a rustle, revealing the faint red of the roots.

Since they were for display, the baskets didn’t need to be packed too full. The key was to arrange them in a staggered, pleasing manner, looking fresh and tender.

The father-daughter pair picked the biggest and best-looking ones, filling several baskets.

Yan Lao’er had prepared thoroughly. The cart carried bamboo tubes of water, large flatbreads made in the morning, and a jar of sauce made by Granny Rong.

Seeing this setup, Yan Yu pulled a few scallions from the field and harvested a basket of leafy greens, then went to wash them by the nearby river.

She climbed onto the ox cart and first prepared a large flatbread roll with a scallion, drizzled some sauce on it, wrapping it bigger than her own mouth.

She couldn’t take a bite of it all, so she had to nibble from the left, then the right.

Her mouth was full of sauce.

Even eating couldn’t shut her up. She muttered, “This flatbread is too big. Eating one fills my stomach. It’s not as good as dried tofu rolls; I could eat several of those.”

“If you want to eat it, we’ll buy some tofu later and make it ourselves.” Yan Lao’er wasn’t hungry originally, but watching his daughter eat so deliciously made him crave some too.

He rolled one up for himself, sat cross-legged on the ox cart, holding the reins symbolically, letting Sanbao walk on its own.

The scallions just pulled from the field were really pungent, rushing straight to the head!

“Mmm… Dad, let’s go to Granny Rong’s house first. I want to ride my beloved little donkey.” Yan Yu swallowed the flatbread in her mouth, her eyes sparkling.

That’s what it was! After Uncle left, it seemed like she had forgotten something.

Her donkey, her dog, haha! They could both make an appearance now!

“If you want to ride, then ride.” This father of hers doted on his daughter just like that.

As long as it was safe, she could do whatever she wanted.

Soon, the villagers saw Yan Lao’er driving the ox cart in front, with his Xiao Er riding a donkey trotting along behind.

That child was smiling so hard her eyes disappeared.

Who knows what’s so great about riding a mangy donkey.

“Dad, this saddle isn’t comfortable. Can you make it softer for me later?”

“Sure!”

“These stirrups aren’t good either. I can’t reach them.”

“I’ll adjust them!”

“Dad, look at these reins. Aren’t they a bit old and ugly? Get me a new set, okay?”

“I’ll change them!”

“Dad, we’re pretty far from the village now. Can we let Gouzhu out for some air?”

The dog hiding in the empty basket let out a “Woof!”

“Alright, let it out for a run.” Yan Lao’er agreed. It wasn’t tired anyway.

It could come out to feel the sunlight and recharge a bit.

“Oh right, later you should have your donkey and dog recognize all the family members. When your mom came to see me before, every time she came, the donkey brayed. So loud.”

“Hahaha! That really happened?” Yan Yu was delighted: “When we get home, I’ll point them out for recognition.”

Suddenly, Yan Yu’s sharp eyes spotted a tuft of something furry.

“Gouzhu, over there, a rabbit! Quick!”

Yan Yu hurriedly dismounted from the donkey, intending to flank it from another direction.

Gouzhu was on a life-or-death sprint—the sprint was his own, but the life he was after was the rabbit’s.

The rabbit hopped and dodged, but alas, what it faced was no ordinary dog.

But a dog that could calculate trajectories.

Gouzhu charged forward in an almost straight line.

It was more like the rabbit jumped right into his waiting jaws.

With a swift tilt of his head, Gouzhu clamped down on the rabbit’s hind leg, capturing it whole and bringing it back.

Yan Yu grinned from ear to eye.

“Haha! Gouzhu is so capable!”

Dogs don’t have the exploration functions of cats; they can’t actively seek out prey.

But what does that matter?

Is the joy of hunting in the anticipation?

No, it’s in the moment of the encounter.

Keep it. Extra dish for the pot.

“Gouzhu, try climbing that tree.”

Obediently, Gouzhu jumped up, his four paws finding solid purchase on the trunk, and he scrambled up the tree.

“Gouzhu, jump. Let me see how high you can go.”

Gouzhu jumped from one side of the ox cart to the other, then back again.

“Gouzhu, run faster! Let’s see if the donkey is faster or you are. Let’s have a race!”

Gouzhu looked at the donkey. The donkey looked at the dog.

Neither bionic machine needed a starting signal. They shot off simultaneously…

(End of Chapter)