章節 4: Picked up wild chicken eggs
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"If I were to marry a city girl, it would bring honor to the whole family.
Besides, I'm about to be officially employed as a worker. What about Lin Tang?
She's just a naive country girl, a little village maiden, she's not good enough for me. I deserve so much better!
Even my mother agrees with breaking off the engagement. I have nothing to do with Lin Tang anymore, and I will find someone a thousand times better than her!"
Muttering discontentedly, Liu Guohui took advantage of Liu Dazhu's distraction and whooshed out of the house.
Liu Dazhu was so angry that his chest hurt. He sat on the stool, head slightly lowered, his expression indecipherable.
Seeing her husband looking as if he had been struck, Yang Chunfang guiltily poured a cup of water.
Yet her mouth showed no mercy, "What's wrong? Do you want to beat me up too? If Guohui doesn't like Lin Tang, what can you do about it?"
"Besides, it's a new era now. What's wrong with the young people wanting to choose their own partners?"
"That Lin Tang girl is so dim-witted. I've been dissatisfied with her for a long time. It's quite good that I've put up with her until now. What else do you want?"
Her son was about to become a worker, and then he would find a worker's wife.
Her family would then have two stable iron rice bowls.
Liu Dazhu glanced at his wife and shook his head.
Women, long hair but short on insight.
Even if they were to break off the engagement, it should be done personally by the parents visiting the other family, not quietly behind closed doors.
Is it good to make a scene out of this?
"I can't reason with you. Don't meddle in this matter, I will go talk to Old Lin tomorrow."
Even if the relationship couldn't be mended, it shouldn't turn sour.
The Lin family was, after all, one of the well-off households in the village!
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Lin Tang's head was injured, and she had been ordered by her family to rest at home, with no chance to step out of the house.
After dinner, it soon reached midnight.
She signed in excitedly.
"Ding, sign-in successful. Congratulations to the host for obtaining the good luck buff, duration twenty-four hours."
Good luck buff?
Could it be a human-shaped koi luck charm?
If it weren't so late now, she'd be dying to go out and try her luck.
She fell asleep with excitement in her heart.
When she woke up, it was already broad daylight.
Days were getting longer early in the year.
Lin Tang didn't know what time it was.
Since she was awake, she had no desire to sleep, so she simply got up.
She washed her face by memory.
Looking at the tattered towel and the worn toothbrush that was almost bristleless, Lin Tang was silently speechless.
"It seems I have a long way to go!"
At this time, even mice would disdain to visit her home.
Lin Tang didn't care about breakfast anymore and went straight out to try her luck.
She still remembered the good luck buff she got last night.
The Shuangshan Brigade wasn't small, and the population was not sparse.
Lin was a big surname, and each household was related to others.
Not many people were wandering around the brigade at this time because the villagers had all gone to work.
Passing through low adobe houses, Lin Tang wandered from the brigade down to the foot of the mountain.
"Tangtang, why are you here? Is your head injury alright? Why aren't you resting at home?" a thin woman saw her and asked with concern.
This woman was Zhao Honghua, who grew up with Li Xiuli.
Both had married into the Shuangshan Brigade.
Lin Tang smiled and replied, "Aunt Honghua! I'm just out for a stroll, I'll go back in a while."
Zhao Honghua moved her lips, her voice soft and gentle.
"Alright then, just be careful and don't stay out for too long."
She felt that the Lin Tang before her seemed like a different person.
Lin Tang, the young lady, was actually looking people in the eye when speaking to them now.
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Moreover, nowadays everyone is struggling to get enough to eat, preferring to lie down than stand if they could...
And yet she actually ventured out?
Perhaps hunger had driven her out in search of food, Zhao Honghua thought helplessly.
Alas! In these times, when will we ever have our fill?
After a brief exchange, Zhao Honghua quickly hurried back to her home.
Lin Tang watched her leave, looking so thin as if a gust of wind could blow her away, and sighed inwardly.
Her mother and brothers were also just skin and bones; probably everyone else in the village was the same.
Life was tough for everyone these days!
As these thoughts flashed through her mind, Lin Tang decided to take a walk up the mountain.
She had barely taken a few steps when she heard a 'crunch', as if something... had broken.
"Huh?" She voiced her surprise.
Curious, Lin Tang crouched down and turned over the leaves and branches covering the ground.
Round, grain-patterned wild chicken eggs came into view.
"They're wild chicken eggs!" What good fortune.
A flash of joy appeared in her eyes, and the corners of her mouth turned up in a smile.
Carefully counting, she found nearly a dozen wild chicken eggs, apart from the one she had accidentally crushed.
Thinking of fried eggs, egg custard, egg dumplings...
Lin Tang's stomach, chronically short of nutrition, rumbled hungrily as she swallowed hard.
She took off her jacket and wrapped up the wild chicken eggs.
She was about to continue her search when she heard the voices of several local ruffians from the village.
To avoid unnecessary conflict, Lin Tang turned and went straight back home.
Upon reaching the entrance, she encountered the three Lin brothers returning from work.
"Tangtang, why did you go out? Is your head still hurting?" Lin Qingmu saw Lin Tang and asked with a face full of concern.
"It's fine now." Lin Tang's eyes curved into crescents, and she said happily, "Third brother, I found some wild chicken eggs."
The three Lin brothers looked bewildered, clearly not believing her.
Where in the village could one find chicken eggs?
If there were any, they would have long been collected by others.
Lin Qingmu thought his sister was delirious with hunger and looked at Lin Tang with heartache.
It seemed he'd have to head back to the mountains later, even if only to pick some sour fruits.
Unaware of her brothers' thoughts, Lin Tang handed the jacket wrapped with eggs to Third Brother Lin.
Lin Qingmu looked at the lumpy garment, his pupils constricting, hardly daring to believe.
Could it be real?
Upon opening it, his eyes emitted an extremely bright light.
"Hisss~~ So many wild chicken eggs!! Tangtang, you're really lucky." Lin Qingmu praised sincerely.
Not like him, who had never even found a bird's egg.
Lin Qingshan and Lin Qingshui, the other two brothers, were also shocked, looking at the round wild chicken eggs and swallowing reflexively.
They had been busy in the fields since early morning, not even stopping to drink a sip of water.
And now, weren't they just craving it?
Not to mention, in an era where it was hard even to eat one's fill, chicken eggs were a treasure.
The last time the three brothers had tasted an egg was months ago.
It wasn't that there were no eggs at home.
It's just that there were many kids at home.
And they needed to be traded for money and other necessities.
How could they, strong men, compete for them?
"Qingmu is right, sister, you are indeed lucky to have found so many at once when others would be overjoyed just to find one or two," Elder Brother Lin said with vicarious pride.
Lin Qingshui's face was filled with anticipation as he swallowed hard, saying, "Having found so many for nothing, I wonder if Mother will be generous enough to fry a couple for us. My stomach is so empty, I'm dying for a taste!"
"Sure!" Lin Tang nodded, "I'll go talk to Mother."
Li Xiuli heard voices but saw no one enter and called out directly.
"What are you talking about at the door? If you have something to say, come inside and say it."
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