ESWHYMY 18

Chapter 18. Late night grilled fish


You Jin smilingly reached out and rubbed You Zhu's little head: "Okay. Once you grow up, Third Elder Sister will let you protect!"

It was precisely because of You Jin's words that You Zhu's determination to protect the big family of sisters harden even more. Later when she grow up, she make a fuss about not marrying to follow You Jin and caused Mrs. Su to have headaches.

Back to the current situation. Seeing that You Zhu was fine, You Jin asked Doctor Ma and his wife to take care of You Zhu. She went to the drying yard to check on You Luo's condition.

You Luo's calf was red and swollen from the stung. After rubbing the parasa consocia's vessel on it, You Jin gently patted You Luo's small head and praised: "Third Elder Sister heard from Granny Zhang that it was little Eighth who went to fetch Doctor Ma to rescue your Fifth Elder Sister. You didn't cry when are stung. Our little Eighth is awesome!"

Little Eighth originally wanted to cry because of the pain from the sting on her leg. Now she heard Third Elder Sister complimenting her, she instantly puffed her small chest with joy: "Little Eighth not hurt!"

You Bao looked at You Luo's slightly red eyes and hide her short chuckle behind her hand: "Who was crying just now that it hurts? Now it doesn't hurt anymore. Our little Eighth is really growing fast! "

"Sixth Elder Sister!" Little Eighth pouted at You Jin: "Third Elder Sister, Sixth Elder Sister is making fun of me!"

"Okay, okay. Let's not mess anymore. You Bao, you lead them in guarding here. I'll go see your Fifth Elder Sister. If it's all right, I'll go back to the field to work!" After instructing them, You Jin went to thank Granny Zhang again: "Thank you Granny Zhang for calling Xiao Ke to tell me. If you hadn't helped protect the sisters, maybe something would have happened."

Granny Zhang smiled kindly and waved her hand: "We're all from the same village. You Jin, don't be so polite to me. Is little Fifth okay?"
Granny Zhang were fond Yue Family's second branch's daughters very much All of them were very sensible and well-behaved. But thinking of the other children in Yue Family, Granny Zhang couldn't help frowning: "It's not that I want to talk too much. That Wen Wei from your Eldest Uncle's family is too insensible. He led outsiders to bully his own family!"

After listening, You Jin didn't speak too much. She just lowered her eyes slightly. The smile at the corner of her mouth faded by few degree: "Wen Wei is still young, so he's insensible. Speaking of this, I have something else to ask you, Granny Zhang. Only you saw what Wen Wei did today. I want to ask you to not speak of it. You know the situation in our family..."

Looking at You Jin's 'it's complicated' expression, Granny Zhang sighed lightly: "Oh, I understand. But I'm not the only one who saw it today. Elder Sister Zhou also saw it. It should be fine if I say a word to her. "

"Then I'll trouble Granny Zhang." You Jin nodded gratefully. After all, if old Mrs. Chen found out about this, she would probably be able to turn the black into the white. Or even hit back unfairly. On the surface, this matter passed. As for privately, how You Jin want to retaliate, that was her own business.

She went back to Doctor Ma to confirm You Zhu's situation, Doctor Ma had boiled the medicine and fed it You Zhu. Seeing that the redness and swelling on You Zhu's body had almost disappeared, You Jin breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank you, Doctor Ma. Can I owe you the money for this consultation first..."
Although she was very embarrassed, You Jin had no money. So she could put it on credit with him with shame.

Doctor Ma replied with a smile: "It's fine. It's just some herbs for clearing heat and detoxification. I picked them all up in the mountains by myself. Not worth a lot of money. Besides, you gave me such a good recipe and didn't take my money. It was me who benefitted!"

You Jin felt that Doctor Ma said this on purpose. Just to reassure her. She knew that she owed a lot to Doctor Ma and etched Doctor Ma's kindness to heart. In the future, when she has the ability, she must repay Doctor Ma's kindness.

When You Jin returned to the field at the west end of the village, You Yin, who was fretting to end's wits, hurried over to greet her "Third Elder Sister, how is little Fifth?"

She patted You Yin on the shoulder and jollily assured: "It's all fine. It's just children playing around. How can it be a big deal?"
You Jin knew You Yin's temperament. Once she tell her the truth, she will definitely overthink. Better to not say.

Hearing what Third Elder Sister said, You Yin believed it. She was greatly relieved: "It's good that nothing happened. When Xiao Ke rushed to call you, I thought something big had happened!"
Even though You Yin was attentive, she deeply believed in You Jin. When she heard her explanation, she believed it and finally let her raised heart settle down.

On the other hand, Yue Da Fu didn't ask a word since You Jin return. As if this had never happened.

***

The harvest rush basically from the time the rooster crow until the lights were turned on late at night. After pulling the last truckload of grain back to the drying yard, Yue Family members dragged their tired bodies and stepped on the moonlight back home.

After returning home, You Jin and her sisters couldn't even take a hot bath, because Old Chen was guarding by the door of the kitchen. Only a bucket of hot water was prepared for Yue Da Fu and Yue Chang Lu. You Jin braved herself to ask for some hot water and received a big eye roll: "Doesn't hot water need firewood? What hot water? Are you a young lady in the city? To actually want hot water to wash up! How about I prepare two more bars of soap for you to wash your head and feet!"

You Jin sighed deeply. After an exhausting day, she really didn't have the strength to handle her. So she could only drop it. She took the few younger sisters to the lower part of Cuifeng River that flow through the village. Even if they couldn't take a bath, they still had to use water and wipe their body.

The night wind was cold. Standing by the slow-flowing river, You Jin warned the group that they weren't allowed to go into the water: "In this darkness, don't go down. If you get pulled away the water, Third Elder Sister won't be able to save you."
Then she instructed You Yin picked up some dry wood to build a fire by the river. While she pulled off her outer clothes and plunged into the water with a plop.

"Third Elder Sister, be careful!" You Zhu and You Bao shouted in unison. The two sisters soaked a shabby handkerchief by the river with water. They first washed little Seventh and little Eighth's face and took some cold water to wash the two's hands and feet. Then two sisters hurriedly moved the two youngest to the side where You Yin built the fire to heat up.

You Ling and You Luo were young, so they didn't think it was a bitter experience. On the contrary, they thought it was a very interesting and fun thing. The two little toddlers were sitting and giggling by the fire. No fuss from them at all.

Unlike the other girls in Yue family who were not terrible at swimming, You Jin was very good in the water. After she plunged into the water and suddenly stood up within a quarter of an hour. The water here wasn't deep. Only reach to You Jin's shoulders. In You Jin's raised hands was a big carp that was twisting hard!

The scales of the big carp shone a little from the firelight. The few sisters' attention were attracted: "Wow! A big fish!"

You Jin vigorously threw the fish to the shore: "You Yin, grill the fish on a stick!"
After that, she turned around and plunged into the water. When You Yin received Third Elder Sister's words, she quickly found a clean wooden stick, pierce through it and directly roasted it.

This fish wasn't cooked yet when You Jin caught three fish one after another and threw them ashore. Only then, she crawled out of the water.

"Third Elder Sister, come and warm up by the fire! It won't be cold anymore!" You Bao beckoned to her and urged her to come over. You Jin smiled and nodded. She went to fetch clean clothes and changed into them behind the tree. Once she came out wearing dry and warm clothes, she hugged little Seventh and little Eighth in her arms to block the cold night wind for the two of them. Looking at the slightly golden fish, she merrily remarked, "It's so fragrant!"

The few sisters subconsciously bobbed their head in suit and then quietly swallowed their drool. The grilled fish was really delicious!

The fishes that You Jin caught in the water were all about a jin and a half. Tonight, apart from little Ninth, who had already slept, the rest of the sisters came. Four fishes were enough for seven people to eat. Under the eager eyes of the younger sisters, You Jin took off a piece of fish and tasted it herself first. Afterward, she announced, "It's cooked. You can eat it."
Then sisters started to eat the fish together.

You Jin was the oldest and had bigger appetite than the few younger sisters. So she chose the smallest one to eat by herself. The remaining three were divided among the five younger sisters. The younger sisters stretched out their hands, pulled off a piece of fish, and put it in their mouths. Like this, they gobbled it in big gulps: "It's delicious!"

You Jin grinningly watched the few younger sisters eating in content and felt a lot more relaxed. She also munched with big gulps. In fact, this fish's belly hadn't been open.  Nor were there seasoning. It wasn't delicious in the true sense. But in the eyes of Yue Family's little girls who can't get enough to eat all year round, this was simply most delicious on earth!

After taking a few bites, You Bao stopped her hand. Her eyes stared at You Jin: "Third Elder Sister, can I leave mine to Mother and little Ninth?"

After hearing to younger sister's sensible words, You Jin couldn't help feeling a little moved. She reached out and rubbed You Bao's little head: "You Bao, eat your fill first, okay? Father is at home tonight. If Father finds out, there might be trouble. After the autumn harvest, I'll try to find something for Mother and little Ninth to eat, okay?"

When they thought of their father who often beat them, the little girls couldn't help but shiver. Everyone was afraid of Father who would beat others when he came home all day and have sudden outburst. So they all nodded obediently: "En! We'll listen to Third Elder Sister. ."

"Okay! Hurry up and eat. We have to go home and sleep in a while! We've been out for a long time. Mother is probably getting anxious!" You Jin smilingly urged the few people to finish the grilled fish. After finishing, the remaining fish bones were thrown into the Cuifeng River and the fire was extinguish with soil. Only then they went home hand in hand.

The moon glisten in the quiet autumn night. Although You Jin and others didn't bring lanterns, there was the cold as frost moonlight. The way home was easy. It took only a quarter of an hour to get home from the place where everyone was grilling fish. The sound of opening the door was "squeaky" and particularly loud in the already sleeping village.

Mrs. Su, who was coaxing little Ninth to sleep on the outer kang of the west wing, knew that the children had returned when the courtyard door rang: "Why did it take you so long to come back? If you don't come back, it will scary!"

The few little girls climbed onto the kang as quiet as possible, snuggled up beside Mrs. Su, and whispered: "Third Elder Sister caught a lot of fish in the river. We grilled the fishes and ate it!" Their gaze toward Mrs. Su carried guilt: "We ate it all and didn't bring it back to Mother..."

Mrs. Su grinningly comforted the little girls: "It's okay. Mother knows that you have me in your heart. Mother is happy that you are full. You have to get up early for work tomorrow. Go to bed early."

The few little girls nodded happily. Shortly after, they fell asleep.

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