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Chapter 321: Coming and Going

“This is my dad!” Yan Yu introduced to Gouzhu.

Gouzhu tilted its head to glance at Yan Lao’er, then shifted its gaze back to her. Its ears flopped down and perked up again under her petting.

This one was a genuine native dog, a Chinese rural breed¹.

It was a bit smaller than Gouzhu No. 1 and Gouzhu No. 2, with a shorter snout and a flatter forehead, looking somewhat wolf-like.

Its tail wagged with exceptional liveliness, a stark contrast to its face, which held little expression.

Yan Lao’er also patted it a couple of times and casually tossed out a piece of wood.

“Go fetch.”

Gouzhu looked at him and ignored him.

Yan Lao’er: “…”

Yan Yu repeated the command.

Gouzhu shot out like an arrow, bit the wood, and brought it back, placing it at Yan Yu’s feet.

It panted with its tongue out, looking dopey and silly.

Yan Yu laughed until her eyes disappeared into slits. “Dad! This dog is just like the donkey, it only listens to me!”

Yan Lao’er stepped forward and pried open its mouth for a closer look.

The dog let him handle it.

“These teeth are something else. It could take a chunk out of anyone. You really need to train it properly,” he said.

As soon as he let go, Gouzhu shook its fur.

“A smart dog like this still needs training? Just make sure it can tell people apart,” Yan Yu said, giving it a few more strokes before turning to look at the exchanged goods. “Dad, Brother Qin Huai said he got me a knife. Have you seen it?”

“I heard you shouting about it for a while. That kid from the zombie world, right?”

“Yeah, him.”

“Alright, let me look for it. See what it’s like.”

Yan Lao’er decided to search on the boats.

The two wooden boats were stacked on top of each other, not the most stable setup. Fortunately, there was plenty of weight on top, causing only a slight wobble.

A black leather-sheathed knife was dug out.

Yan Lao’er only pulled it out partway before sensing its sharpness.

After a moment’s thought, he handed it to his daughter.

“Be careful with this. It looks very sharp. Don’t hurt yourself.”

Yan Yu walked a short distance away from her dad before fully drawing the blade.

Whoa!

She had always thought descriptions of a blade’s “killing intent” or “chilling aura” in books were exaggerations. But as soon as this knife was revealed, it genuinely felt a bit cold.

She sheathed the knife and set it aside for now.

Father and daughter began taking stock of the other items.

The wooden shelters on the two boats had been violently dismantled. Putting them back on later might not be very stable, but that wasn’t a major concern.

Besides the knife, the boats were stuffed with various other things.

There were wooden beams of different lengths, already cut. Two extremely heavy iron anchors. Several wooden barrels, large and small.

Opening the large barrels revealed paint inside, similar in color and texture to the boats. It was probably the waterproof and anti-corrosion paint used by the shipyard.

The small barrels were opened, filled to the brim with neatly sorted snacks.

Yan Lao’er was stunned seeing this.

This Qin Huai guy really was treating his daughter like a kid to spoil.

“Take all the food back. Leave the rest here for now,” Yan Yu said after sorting through things for a bit.

“This mold for making iron nails is pretty good. If you’re not too fussy about looks, it’d be handy for knocking together some simple furniture,” Yan Lao’er said, using the wooden beams at hand to outline a frame. He imagined that with nails and pre-cut wood, he could probably moonlight as a carpenter.

Yan Yu looked at the two iron anchors.

“We could melt one of these anchors down. It could make a lot of nails, enough for us to use for a while.”

“How do we melt it?” Yan Lao’er asked her.

Yan Yu blinked. She knew the principle, but not the practical steps.

Yan Lao’er grinned. “Let’s leave it for now. We’ll figure it out later.”

…

Early on the sixteenth, Li Xuemei was greeted by a familiar, tantalizing smell.

Sour and spicy noodles!

She glanced at Yan Lao’er and Yan Yu, who were still sleeping soundly.

She didn’t wake them and slowly got out of bed.

In the kitchen, Granny Rong was busy.

Daya had also gotten up early. After feeding all the livestock, she stood by the stove watching Granny Rong work, discreetly swallowing her saliva.

She didn’t mean to, but that smell was truly irresistible.

By the time the sour and spicy noodles were served, Yan Huaiwen and Yan Xiangheng had finished washing up and sat down fresh and clean.

“Sister-in-law, is Tianyou still asleep?” Yan Huaiwen asked.

Li Xuemei covered for them. “They were busy with Xiao Er until quite late last night.”

Yan Huaiwen nodded. “They were indeed hard at work yesterday. Let them sleep a bit longer.”

While they were talking, Granny Rong slapped several flatbreads against the side of the wok.

Yan Xiangheng scooped up a mouthful of the springy, soft noodles. Instantly, his mouth was flooded with the sour, salty, numbing, and spicy flavors, a full-on assault on his taste buds.

Yan Huaiwen raised an eyebrow slightly. He waited calmly for his flatbread to cool a little, then ate it with the noodles.

They complemented each other perfectly. Just right.

Yan Yu, drawn by the smell, crawled out of bed, got dressed, washed her face, and brushed her teeth.

Sitting at the table, she ate while marveling. Granny Rong worked fast; she’d already prepared the sour and spicy noodles.

Then again, thinking about it, without proper packaging, the noodles and seasonings were all mixed together. They really had to eat it quickly.

Just as the Yan family finished breakfast, visitors arrived.

It was a family named Zhang who lived at the west end of the village.

Madam Zhang came with her two sons to deliver vegetables.

Li Xuemei went out to receive them. After much urging, they finally entered the courtyard but absolutely refused to go inside, insisting on talking in the yard.

“…Our family has always remembered the Scholar’s kindness. We don’t have anything good, and every household grows vegetables, but it’s a token of our gratitude. Please don’t disdain it, Madam Yan, just accept it,” Madam Zhang said.

She had her two sons carry the vegetables to the kitchen.

Pointing at their backs, she continued, “These two rascals got up early to pick them from the field. Playing with your Xiao Er, they got their own little baskets, hoes, sickles…

They’ve become much more capable and diligent, learning a great deal. They even got things for the Mid-Autumn Festival—some meat, salted eggs, and even copper coins.

Adding it all up, our family has received far too much. We truly don’t know how to thank you enough.”

Only then did Li Xuemei learn that Yan Yu had given Mid-Autumn Festival gifts to her Young Scout friends.

“It’s what the children deserve. They’ve gathered plenty of herbs from the mountains. The money they earned is pooled together. They said everyone should get the same things, so people can tell at a glance they’re a group. Childish thoughts, childish words. The villagers don’t mind; everyone is very understanding.”

Madam Zhang smiled. “We know what’s good. Our two boys have improved so much, all from learning with your Xiao Er. They can even write their own names now! It’s just that we, as parents, didn’t give them good names. To be blunt, the two brats complained about it for days…”

Li Xuemei curiously asked about it.

When she heard names like “Shagen²” and “Shagun³,” she fell silent.

After seeing off the Zhang family’s wife, as if by prior arrangement, villagers began delivering things to their house one after another.

At the busiest times, Li Xuemei had to entertain over ten families simultaneously.

Familiar ones would stay a bit longer to chat a few words, while unfamiliar ones would almost just announce their family name, let her see their face, and then leave.

It made her dizzy, and she could hardly remember which family had sent what.

She hurriedly called Granny Rong over to help.

Yan Lao’er was awakened by waves of noise from the courtyard. Rubbing his sleepy eyes, he walked out, saw what was happening, quickly washed his face to refresh himself, and without bothering to eat, ran to help his wife.

The three Yan children naturally heard it too.

Not only heard, they saw it clearly through the window.

The three of them had long wanted to go over, but with Yan Huaiwen holding court in the study, they didn’t dare move a muscle.

Arthor Note:

About Delivering Vegetables

Because my hometown is in the countryside, I really have deep personal experience with this. Even though every household grows vegetables, once harvest time comes, relatives and neighbors always deliver a huge pile~

My family tried our best to eat them all, but in the end, our own vegetables ended up growing old in the garden o(╥﹏╥)o

(End of Chapter)

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Translator’s Notes

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1. Chinese rural breed: Refers to the ‘Tugou’ (literally ‘native dog’), the indigenous landrace dogs of China. They are known for being hardy, intelligent, and loyal, though they lack a formal pedigree. ↩
2. Shagen: Literally ‘Tree Root’. A typical ‘earthy’ nickname given to children in rural areas, believed to make the child as easy to raise and as sturdy as a plant. ↩
3. Shagun: Literally ‘Tree Branch’ or ‘Wooden Stick’. Similar to Shagen, it is a humble name used to protect a child from being noticed by malevolent spirits who might take away a ‘precious’ child. ↩