Chapter 53, leave it all to me.

When Luo Qinqin ran back, panting, to find her clothes, the riverbank was already deserted.

She glanced at the familiar washroom area, and her face immediately turned ashen.

Her basin was gone, along with the clothes that hadn't been dried yet.

Her eyes widened, she looked left and right, even crouching down to peer into the cracks in the rocks along the riverbank, muttering to herself, "Impossible... I clearly put it here..."

Fan Erni had already finished washing all the clothes. Carrying two bulging bamboo baskets, she hummed a little tune as she returned home.

The stove is lit, and the aroma of food fills the air.

She was busy serving rice to her son and didn't mention a word about what happened by the river.

When the other women working by the river saw Luo Qinqin arrive, they all lowered their heads and pretended to be busy.

"Which scoundrel stole my basin and clothes?!"

Luo Qinqin stood with her hands on her hips, her face flushed red, veins bulging on her forehead, and shouted loudly.

However, all that answered her was the sound of rushing water and a few distant barks of dogs.

"Shen Cuifen! You vicious woman! You're treacherous and cruel, always trying to harm people!"

She cursed under her breath, her teeth grinding together.

"When Wei Dong comes tonight, I'll make him divorce you! I'll show him what kind of wicked woman you are!"

She then turned around abruptly and stormed off.

Little did she know that her "Brother Weidong" was lying in a secluded hut outside Shenjia Village, his buttocks red and swollen from being beaten. He had to sit on a thick straw mat, and he walked with a limp, his body crooked, gasping for breath in pain.

He can't even get up without help, let alone come to see her.

Holding her two daughters' hands and carrying a tattered cloth bundle on her back, Shen Cuifen walked slowly along the country road.

The spring sunshine shines on the ridges of the fields, and a gentle breeze caresses your face.

The mother and her two daughters walked and stopped frequently, and in less than an hour, they could see the familiar outline of Shenjia Village in the distance.

Looking at this familiar little village, with wisps of smoke rising from chimneys and houses scattered about.

That's where she grew up.

She hesitated for a moment, her eyes glistening with tears.

Until she pushed open the mottled wooden gate of the Shen family's courtyard.

The door hinges creaked softly, startling me awake.

Immediately afterwards, the father, Shen Xuewen, hurried out of the house to greet them, while the mother, Zhang Xiulan, stood at the door with tears in her eyes and her lips trembling slightly.

"I'm finally back..."

The yard was still the same as before, the ground was swept clean, firewood was neatly piled in the corner, and the vines on the fence had just sprouted tender buds.

The large plum tree in the middle grew more and more lush, with thick branches and a canopy like a canopy.

When spring arrives, it is covered with pure white flowers.

It's simply because she loved eating plums when she was little.

My parents specially asked someone to find a good sapling in town and planted it in the yard themselves.

The fruit in the orchards outside is often picked by passersby or stolen by naughty children before it is fully ripe.

But no one dares to touch the one in the house.

Shen Xuewen often said, "This is our daughter's tree, why don't you try touching it?"

It is springtime now, and the plum trees are covered with white blossoms, each one as white as snow, layer upon layer adorning the branches.

A gentle breeze blows, and the petals flutter down.

The fragrance filled the entire courtyard, refreshing and delightful.

In the past, some superstitious elderly people in the village said that white flowers blooming in the yard were unlucky and would easily bring bad luck, so they advised them to cut down the trees.

But Shen Cuifen has loved this tree since she was a child, and she is overjoyed every time it blooms.

Upon hearing this, the elderly couple resolutely refused to cut the branch without saying a word.

They even built a bamboo frame, fertilized and watered it regularly, and took great care of the tree as if it were a precious treasure, finally allowing it to grow into what it is today.

Under the tree, Shen Xuelin was squatting on the ground, his legs tightly clamping the front half of a pig.

He held a gleaming castration knife in his hand, his expression focused.

The little pig probably sensed the pain that was about to come and struggled even more fiercely.

The shout drew everyone's attention.

Shen Xuewen peeked out, and Zhang Xiulan also put down her needlework and looked in their direction.

No one noticed that three people had quietly arrived at the courtyard gate.

The pig was pinned to the ground by Shen Xuelin's foot, its hind leg firmly planted, making it unable to move at all.

He picked up a clean wad of cotton and dipped it in a little strong liquor.

The alcohol seeped into the skin, emitting a pungent odor.

Then, the castration knife in his hand gleamed coldly as he treated the wound.

Lu Xiuye ​​and Lu Xiuwei stood aside, their eyes fixed on the bloody scene, their teeth aching.

Their brows were furrowed tightly, and their faces were pale.

Finally unable to resist, the two turned around almost simultaneously and hurriedly hid behind Shen Cuifen.

Luo Yaya reacted quickly, immediately taking out the needle and thread she had prepared in advance from the cloth bag next to her.

Those are specially made thick thread and curved needles, specifically for suturing wounds on these small animals.

She held the needle, one needle, two needles, three needles...

In just a few breaths, the bleeding stopped and the wound was carefully stitched up.

It looked like an extremely thin red thread, quietly adhering to the skin.

"Old Shen! You're so efficient! Look at this little pig, it's only been a short time, his legs have stopped shaking, and he can run right away."

This pig is kept to be slaughtered and eaten at the end of the year; every household follows this custom.

No matter how many spices you add, it won't mask the odor; eating it will only spoil the experience.

So this job, though seemingly crude, is a prerequisite for the fragrant cured meat on the New Year's table in the countryside.

Grandma Xu next door nodded repeatedly as she pulled a few crumpled banknotes from her pocket.

As she paid, she kept praising, "Master Chen, you're truly exceptional! Your hands are steady and your mind is meticulous. My little piglet suffered very little and recovered quickly. You really have excellent skills!"

The piglet, its legs untied, shook its head on the ground, kicked its four hooves, flipped over, and sprang forward with a "whoosh."

Shen Xuelin grinned, revealing a set of neat, yellowed teeth.

He casually took the money from Granny Xu, didn't even look at it, and stuffed it into his pocket, patting it and saying, "Hey! I've been learning from my dad for so many years, this is nothing! I could do this job with my eyes closed."

The Shen family has been skilled for generations.

Everyone in the surrounding villages knows the name "Shen Family Pig".

They're not just good at handling pigs, they can also take good care of sheep, dogs, and even cats.

Not only that, they also helped cows with difficult births, set bones for sheep, and administered medicine and acupuncture to mules.

They all have a set of ancestral skills.

During holidays and festivals, people often bring their sick animals to our door seeking treatment.

The Shen family's courtyard was always bustling with activity.

Grandma Xu's house was nearby, only a short walk away, so for convenience, she simply herded the pig over and disposed of it in the Shen family's yard, saving herself the trouble of going back and forth.

"Dad! Mom!"