Free Web NovelChapter 434: Chapter 434: A Bountiful Harvest
The unusual eyes of Baozi always made Yi Roujing somewhat worried, especially since he was still young; no matter how mature his nature, at heart he was still a child.
Yi Roujing looked into Baozi’s eyes with surprise and delight, but Baozi noticed the fleeting worry and fear under his mother’s eyes, understanding that the previous emotions were meant for others to see.
"Mom, I wasn’t out there alone." Baozi stood up and walked into Yi Roujing’s embrace, looking up at her with an adorable expression.
"Sister-in-law, don’t worry, Anguo and I took the kids to a safe place to enjoy the scenery. We even caught grasshoppers and crickets, and we didn’t go far." Jiang Bomeng assured her.
"That place was hidden by bushes, so we didn’t pay attention, but Baozi is short and squeezed through. That’s how he discovered the lake nearby. It’s not big, and it seems like no one has been there before, which is why there are so many fish, and they are quite large." Jiang Bomeng explained.
"As long as he wasn’t running around by himself." Yi Roujing patted Baozi’s head, feeling relieved inside. Her son was clever—even if it was due to his eyes, there was a convincing reason.
"C-Can we go fishing?" Huang asked, feeling a bit embarrassed. As intellectuals, they couldn’t work as well as the villagers, and their labor points barely filled their bellies. Although they occasionally received some support from home, some had no such support. If they could catch wild animals, it would not only supplement their nutrition but also secretly bring in some money.
"Of course, you can. It’s naturally there; it doesn’t belong to anyone." Jiang Bomeng replied, looking somewhat puzzled.
Upon hearing this, Huang’s eyes lit up instantly. "Th-Thank you, it’s so great to have met you all."
Little He and Rong’s eyes also brightened upon hearing Jiang Bomeng’s words.
Rong had already eaten two large bowls of noodles and a considerable amount of meat and fish. He hadn’t eaten so well, even during previous New Years. "I-I’ve had enough. Can I go see it now? I’m from Hei Province, with lots of rivers back home, so I’m good at fishing."
Rong’s words piqued Jiang Bomeng’s interest. "Sure, sure, let’s go together. Anguo, Xiaobao, let’s go."
A group of men went off together.
"Dad, I still want to see it; can I go?" Mantou was at a restless age, clinging to Huang Xiaobao’s leg like an accessory.
"No..."
"I want to go too." Baozi looked at Yi Roujing.
"Alright, let’s go. I’m full too." Yi Roujing stood up. "A walk will be good for digestion."
"Let’s go together." Xu Ancheng lifted Baozi happily, and Baozi immediately wrapped his arms around Xu Ancheng’s neck, grinning at Yi Roujing.
In the end, except for Feng Lishu, Ding Anmin, and a few others who stayed to look after the children or cook, along with Ni Yanqing guarding the place, everyone else went out in full force, bringing backpacks, fishing nets, rakes—anything they felt might come in handy.
The lake wasn’t far from the farm, and they arrived after a fifteen-minute walk. Ni Yan’an was amazed, saying, "We’ve been here too, who would have thought there was a lake behind this dense thicket."
Having heard the lake was small, Yi Roujing thought it would have some scale to call it a lake, but upon arrival, she discovered it was just a small pond, a mere ten meters in diameter, even smaller than typical pond sizes.
"Did we bring too many people?" Zhou Zeyuan looked at the pond with a wry smile. "Jiang Bomeng, this tiny place, you should have said something. With all of us fishing, this pond will be empty by the end of the day."
"Just fish for now. Before we leave, we’ll put some fish fry in it." Jiang Bomeng said nonchalantly.
Jiang Bomeng was skilled at swimming. Watching over the kids this morning kept him from diving in, but now without hesitation, he threw himself into the pond fully clothed.
As they watched Jiang Bomeng sink, everyone understood why it was referred to as a lake—it was quite deep.
"Wow, it’s full of fish." Jiang Bomeng exclaimed upon resurfacing, and shortly after, plenty of men joined him in the water, including Rong.
In no time, the Damu Basin they brought along was filled with black fish, each weighing at least five or six pounds.
Huang and Little He watched the fish with shining eyes, so excited their mouths couldn’t close and their faces were filled with smiles.
By the end of the afternoon, they had filled every container they could use and returned with their spoils fully loaded.
"There are still fish surfacing." Xu Ancheng’s family of three was the rear guard. Seeing no one around, Baozi spoke softly to Xu Ancheng and Yi Roujing.
"Surfacing?" Xu Ancheng and Yi Roujing looked at the now calm water surface. They didn’t see any fish poking their heads out.
"Under the water, there’s an opening. Fish come out from there occasionally." Baozi explained, pointing below. "This morning, there were so many fish in the water that I didn’t see it."
Even when they first arrived, although the water wasn’t murky, they couldn’t see the bottom; visibility wasn’t deep.
"Son, you can see that too?" Xu Ancheng asked quietly.
"Yes." Baozi nodded and then turned his head, pointing toward the distant mountain. "There’s a black bear over there; I saw it too."
As if feeling Baozi’s gaze, a black bear in the deep forest let out a restless low growl and returned to its den after seeing no other animals around.
"I’ll only tell Mom and Dad this, and no one else." Baozi looked at Xu Ancheng and Yi Roujing, whose faces were marked with deep thought and slight solemnity, and said quietly, feeling a bit uneasy with his lowered brows.
Yi Roujing couldn’t bear to see her son like this and hurriedly picked him up. "Our Baozi is truly blessed by the heavens to have such an incredible ability."
"Is it really impressive?" Baozi lifted his head again with a hint of longing in his eyes.
"Of course, otherwise, it wouldn’t be special if just anyone had it." Yi Roujing smiled, kissing Baozi’s cheek. "But because it’s so rare, others might covet it, and your dad and I worry about you."
"So our Baozi should keep his ability secret and use it to help others, just like you helped Mr. Yang before." Yi Roujing gave an example, making Baozi’s eyes shine brighter.
"But remember, any assistance should be under the premise of ensuring your own safety." Yi Roujing said seriously, speaking solemnly. "Don’t forget, you’re Mom and Dad’s treasure, as well as your grandparents’. If you get hurt, we’d worry and be sad."
Baozi understood, nodding firmly.
"You did the right thing this time too." Yi Roujing praised. "You found this lake in a reasonable way, bringing everyone so many fish. Well done."
Baozi’s cheeks flushed slightly, his eyes glowing brightly enough to light up everything. He hugged Yi Roujing’s neck and said coyly, "I’ll keep helping others in the future, within my ability."
"Our son is so smart, using such profound expressions at such a young age." Xu Ancheng smiled, chiming in, as the family of three reveled in their happiness.
