Chapter 135

As the weather gradually warms up, the snow melts, and the meltwater flows into the river. The wide river that flows through Mujia Village has risen considerably.

The water flowed into the village before crossing the riverbank, and the fish jumped into every household along with the overflowing water.

A few days ago, as the snow melted faster and faster, Zhou Lin realized that the village was likely to be flooded.

They had prepared a high threshold, half a person tall, thick, dense, and waterproof, and buried it at the front and back gates.

When the river flows, those who live close to the mountains and the river, like the Zhou family, are the first to suffer.

Fortunately, we took precautions in advance, and no water flowed into the house.

Holding the increasingly fair and tender little peach, Mu Jin stood by the door, her eyes crinkling as she looked at Zhou Lin, Mu Zhaoye, and Bai Qiqiu, pulling on a fishing net and fishing in the water that was half a calf high at the doorway.

Fish swim in the shallow water, and the river view is right at the entrance of the courtyard.

I caught a few, and they were all clearly visible in the water.

The villagers of Mujia Village all find joy in hardship; some poke at the fish with sharpened sticks, while others simply scoop it up with their bare hands.

The most fun is for the innocent children. They don't understand how heartbroken the adults are when a crop fails to yield a harvest. They only know that when the water comes, the fish come too, and it's so much fun.

"Big brother, are you tired of carrying me? How about I carry you for a while?"

Wen Zhaoran's eyes were full of "Hurry up and give me the little peach," and as she spoke, her hand reached for the little peach's swaddling clothes.

It looked like they were about to snatch it from Mu Jin's arms.

Mu Jin chuckled and shoved the little peach, whose dark, bright eyes were darting towards Zhou Lin, into Wen Zhaoran's arms.

Let him and Mu Bai go.

"How many nets were caught this time?"

Hibiscus rubbed her hands together, eager to step over the threshold and join them in catching fish.

Seeing this, Zhou Lin quickly said, "The water is cold, don't put it in."

Bai Qiqiu, holding a corner of the fishing net, chimed in, "That's right, brother, you've just recovered, don't catch a cold."

Mu Jin lowered her half-raised leg, pouted, and said, "After having a child, I feel like I've become a glass doll."

Despite complaining, he didn't argue with them and obediently threw their second net of fish into the wooden bucket beside them.

Mu Jin has this good quality: she listens to advice and isn't a stubborn mule who won't budge even when led away.

Seeing that it was getting late, and with Wen Zhaoran and Mu Bai watching over Xiao Taozi, Mu Jin caught one of the largest fish in the bucket and quickly returned to the kitchen.

Despite the melting snow, it was still quite cold.

Mu Jin cooked a spicy and fragrant fish. Speaking of which, the Sichuan peppercorns at home were picked by Wang Li and Lin Nuo from the mountains last autumn.

The aroma of pepper is irresistible. When used to cook fish, the numbing sensation combined with the spiciness of dried chili peppers makes it a perfect accompaniment to rice.

Hibiscus was busy in the kitchen, and Little Peach, tired from watching, slept soundly in Wen Zhaoran's arms.

Wen Zhaoran and Bai Qiqiu liked it more and more as they looked at it. Together with Wang Li, they carried the wooden cradle down from upstairs and gently placed Xiao Taozi into the incredibly soft cradle.

Little Peach frowned slightly and let out a soft hum.

Wen Zhaoran gently rocked the rocking car until Xiao Taozi's furrowed brows relaxed and she fell into a deep sleep again, only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.

Gently cover him with the blanket, and let the sun warm his little hands.

Wang Li placed the "grass" peaches and "grass" rabbits that he and Mu Bai had made next to the little peach, saying, "Little brother is cute."

Wen Zhaoran laughed and said, "Brother Li, you're calling Little Peach Brother, but that's a different generation."

Wang Li stared blankly at Wen Zhaoran, her eyes clear but filled with confusion, clearly indicating that she didn't understand anything about seniority.

Wen Zhaoran gently rocked the cradle, like an elder teaching a younger one.

“Speaking of which, according to seniority, you are still the eldest brother’s uncle. However, since you have left the Wang family, you don’t have to follow their rules. It’s fine to call him eldest brother, but don’t call him Uncle Fengnian anymore. Call him Uncle Nian like we do. But, little Peach is your proper little nephew.”

"My little nephew?"

Wen Zhaoran nodded with a smile, while Mu Bai chuckled and said, "He's also my little nephew."

"My little nephew Tao Tao is so cute."

Wen Zhaoran and Mu Bai nodded in unison. When Xiao Taozi was first born, she was all wrinkled, and they both loved her so much that they thought she was incredibly cute.

Now that it's grown up, it's like a snowball, white and tender. When it grins at you, you feel like you could give it everything you have.

While Mu Jin was chopping cabbage, she glanced out the kitchen window and saw the three boys chattering away, seemingly talking about something.

With smiles in his eyes, having them at home to help take care of Xiao Taozi really saved him a lot of trouble.

The three of them had almost caught all the fish, including those near the courtyard gate and Mu Zhaoye's place, so they put away their nets.

Mu Zhaoye was thrown back home in a ball, and then came to Zhou Lin's place with Bai Qiqiu, where they enjoyed a delicious and visually appealing lunch.

He didn't show it on his face, but he was secretly extremely envious of Zhou Lin's family having Xiao Taozi.

She worked much harder than usual that night, but Bai Qiqiu's belly still showed no signs of pregnancy.

Suppressing a slight regret in her heart, she picked up a piece of fish belly and put it in Bai Qiqiu's bowl.

Chong Zhoulin said, "In a few days, the water will recede and the roads in town will be open again. We need to hurry up and send the furniture that was made before the New Year to town."

Zhou Lin removed the chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns from the fish skin and handed them to Mu Jin, saying, "Dr. Mu said you should eat less spicy food."

She then said, "Zhaoye, I was just about to tell you this. Little Peach was just born, and Ajin is so busy taking care of him that she can't take care of all the big and small things at home. I'm afraid I won't be able to go to town later, so I have to take good care of the family."

Zhou Lin was actually a very family-oriented man who cared deeply about his family. If it weren't for the need to earn money to support his family, he would never have been willing to leave home to work in town.

In his heart, he felt that farming, occasionally making a few pieces of furniture to earn some money, or finding some work in the village to ensure that Mulan and Xiaotaozi could live a life free from worries about food and clothing was already a very good life.

If it were the previous Mu Jin, she would definitely think that Zhou Lin was not ambitious enough and had no future.

But now, he didn't say anything. Instead of going to the carpenter's shop in town, he stayed home to work. Although his husband earned less, he had a new plan in mind: the family would earn just as much as Zhou Lin did working in town.

This time, Mu Jin quietly ate the skinless fish meat in her bowl without saying a word.

Mu Zhaoye put down his chopsticks and sighed, "You and Uncle Heng are truly master and apprentice. He came to see me a few days ago, saying that he is getting old and can't keep up with the hustle and bustle anymore. He wants to stay at home and enjoy his grandchildren, and doesn't want to go to town anymore."

Zhou Lin gave him an apologetic smile.

Mu Zhaoye smiled and said, "I've been thinking about this at home for two or three days. Your and Uncle Heng's skills are well-known to the regular customers in town. Many of them come specifically for you and Uncle Heng. Just like in winter, you and Uncle Heng can work at home. Anyway, most of the people who come to the shop to order furniture, except for the very wealthy, will still bring the furniture home from the shop. It doesn't matter where they bring it."

"Isn't this a bit too much trouble?"

Mu Zhaoye waved his hand, "Our village isn't far from the town, so it's not a big deal. If you and Uncle Heng really leave the shop, we'll probably lose a lot of regular customers."

"Thank you so much, Brother Zhaoye. To be honest, I'm finding it really difficult to manage the household all by myself these days."

Although Xiao Taozi, Wen Zhaoran, Mu Bai, and Wang Li could help keep an eye on things, it was only for a short time.

The little guy had just woken up and only wanted to be held by him. When he was hungry or uncomfortable, he had to be held by him. He couldn't be too far away or for too long.

"We're all family, so let's not be formal. Brother Lin has helped me earn a lot, it's a mutually beneficial thing."

Mu Jin smiled and said nothing more. In the blink of an eye, she saw that Bai Qiqiu had finished one steamed bun and was about to eat half of the other one.

"Qi Qiu, why are you so hungry?"

Bai Qiqiu had previously told him that he was in charge of the family's finances, and judging from Mu Zhaoye's appearance, he didn't seem like he would let him go hungry.

Bai Qiqiu swallowed the steamed bun in his mouth. "Brother, the fish you made is so delicious."

Mu Zhaoye sighed, “I don’t know what’s wrong with him lately, he’s been eating more than usual.”

Bai Qiqiu glared at him, "What's wrong? Feeling sorry for your rice?"

"My fish is yours, but be careful. River fish have a lot of bones, so don't get a bone stuck in your throat."

Helpless, Mu Zhaoye helped him remove the fish bones and took good care of him, afraid that he might choke on a fish bone.

There was a man in the village who ate fish too quickly and got a fishbone stuck in his throat. He drank a lot of vinegar, ate a lot of steamed buns, and suffered a lot before he recovered.

From then on, I would hide whenever I saw a fish, and no matter how much I craved fish, I never ate any.

Mu Jin looked closely at Bai Qiqiu and asked, "Qiqiu, why do you look a little chubby?"

Bai Qiqiu nodded, "I have gained weight, but I'm always hungry and can't control my eating. If I don't gain weight, who will?"

That's what they said, but the chopsticks kept picking up the meat.

Mu Jin glanced at Bai Qiqiu's belly, which was slightly protruding. After thinking it over, she still asked a question.

"Qi Qiu, were you feeling unwell a few days ago, like feeling nauseous or something?"

Bai Qiqiu shook his head. "Big brother, do you suspect I'm pregnant? That's nonsense. I saw you clearly when you were pregnant with Xiaotaozi. We don't look alike at all. I'm just craving it."

Hibiscus: "…………"

They have a pretty good understanding of themselves.

Mu Zhaoye, who was picking out fish bones, took it to heart, thinking about how Bai Qiqiu's stomach felt last night.

"We'll have Dr. Mu come and take a look later. If you're not pregnant, it's really worrying that you're eating so much all of a sudden."

Bai Qiqiu was startled and said weakly, "I can jump and leap, I'll be alright, won't I?"

Mu Zhaoye remained noncommittal. After Bai Qiqiu finished eating, he became anxious and hurriedly went out to invite Doctor Mu over.

Bai Qiqiu was a little scared and didn't want to go back. There were more people and it was more lively here in Mujin, so she felt more at ease.

Wen Zhaoran comforted him, "Brother Qi Qiu, don't worry too much. Maybe you're pregnant? That's good news."

Mu Bai nodded in agreement, "I think, Brother Qi Qiu, you are pregnant."

Amid Bai Qiqiu's trepidation, Mu Zhaoye carried Doctor Mu back on his back.

For a moment, the courtyard was silent as everyone held their breath.

Doctor Mu withdrew his hand, and Mu Zhaoye and Bai Qiqiu stared intently at him, their hearts beating faster and faster.