The sky had completely darkened, and from a distance, the surroundings seemed to be shrouded in a thin mist, hazy and indistinct. In the middle of this mist, a pile of flames was burning and leaping.

Bai Nuo squatted beside the fire, holding a wooden stick in her right hand and a plump rice paddy fish in her left. She moved nimbly, her fingers flying as she skewered the fish, brushed it with oil, salted it, squeezed out wild fruit juice, and grilled it.

"Miss, could you grill one for me too?" Hu Mingmei squatted down opposite Bai Nuo, pointed to the side of Bai Nuo's feet, where there was a huge lotus leaf, and on the lotus leaf lay several plump fish.

Hu Mingmei witnessed everything Bai Nuo did to catch the fat fish a quarter of an hour ago, and how he gutted them all.

She is quick and efficient, not spoiled, and clearly a hardworking person. Moreover, she guts fish in no time without even blinking, which shows that she is also very brave.

So it seems this girl does have some redeeming qualities.

My mother said that when choosing a wife, you need someone who is both bold and capable.

Hu Mingmei spoke, and Bai Nuo glanced at her feet before focusing on the fish in her hands. After being roasted over the fire, the fat fish had completely lost its moisture and become dry. Then, with a "sizzle," it burst open. Seeing this, Bai Nuo brushed a layer of oil onto the fat fish, and the oil dripped onto the fire, splashing up small sparks.

The air was filled with the enticing aroma of meat, but Hu Mingmei was not in a hurry and just stared blankly at it.

Throughout his nineteen years of life, patience was the one thing he never lacked.

"If you want to eat, why don't you go and catch it yourself?" Bai Nuo couldn't completely ignore being stared at. After a long while, she finally spoke seriously, "The fields are over there. If you want to eat, go and catch it yourself. Also, I don't want you to be my slave. I want money, I want money. You promised a thousand taels. Just give me the money, and then you can leave."

The promised thousand taels of silver ended up being replaced by this living person, which Bai Nuo really couldn't accept. What could a thousand taels of silver do? With a thousand taels, she would have capital, but what would she need a grown man for? Judging from his appearance at the time, Bai Nuo concluded that Hu Mingmei had asthma, making him difficult to raise and troublesome!

"You have it here, why should I go and catch it?" Hu Mingmei asked, puzzled. "I'll do anything for you, won't you feed me?" Anyway, Hu Mingmei was determined not to leave.

"I don't need you to be my slave!" Why does this person like being a slave so much? Is being a slave to others really that good?

“My jade pendant is with you!” Hu Mingmei pointed at her and said matter-of-factly, “This jade pendant is a family heirloom. Wherever the jade pendant is, that’s where I am.”

"Here, take it back!" Bai Nuo turned the fat fish over while taking the jade pendant out of her bosom and throwing it over. "My fish is my, my grandma's, and my brother's dinner. I can't give it to you!" They were waiting to eat. If she gave it to him, she would have to catch, kill, and grill the fish again, which would be too much of a waste of time.

"In that case, I apologize for disturbing you!" Hu Mingmei suddenly saw Bai Nuo toss the jade pendant over and instinctively caught it. The jade pendant was warm and still carried a faint body temperature. After a moment of surprise, Hu Mingmei did not insist. He stood up, politely apologized, and then walked towards the field.

He came today only for this jade pendant; once he has it, there's no need for him to keep it.

Seeing that Hu Mingmei had actually gone into the field, Bai Nuo looked at him strangely. His back was very straight, and even after squatting for so long, there was only a crease on his clothes at the knee, nothing else.

He looks like he has obsessive-compulsive disorder, and he speaks in a very formal, literary way.

Bai Nuo glanced at it and continued turning her fish; the first one was almost ready.

Hu Mingmei had never personally caught fish before. As a clean person, he could never bring himself to get his feet covered in mud like Bai Nuo. However, he had been following Bai Nuo all the way and hadn't had dinner yet, so he was very hungry.

Today is the full moon. The rice paddies are shimmering with light, and the clear water reveals the silt at the bottom, along with plump fish. Hu Mingmei wondered how Bai Nuo caught the fish, so he rolled up his trousers and went down into the water as well.

The water was stirred up, which naturally startled the fish. When Hu Mingmei stepped in, the rice paddy fish scattered. In his haste, he bent down and plunged his hand into the water to grab the fat fish, but the fish cleverly slipped through his fingers. Seeing this, Hu Mingmei lunged forward again.

Bai Nuo, on the shore, only heard the sound of splashing water, and then a splash, but she didn't pay attention to it. She just thought that with such a big commotion, it was impossible to catch any fish.

After finishing one fish and another, Hu Mingmei still hadn't come up. Bai Nuo decided to go check on him. Judging from his appearance, he clearly had no experience with manual labor. There was no more movement in the water, so it was best not to confront the fish.

Bai Nuo put down the fish, stood up, and looked into the field, but didn't see anyone.

"Young Master Hu?"

She was certain that Hu Mingmei hadn't left. Her location was the only way to get ashore, and anyone who wanted to leave would have to pass by her. Thinking that Hu Mingmei might have asthma, Bai Nuo's heart sank, and she quickly walked over.

Could it be that he's having a relapse?

Upon closer inspection, a large chunk of the rice stalks had been flattened, and a white figure was floating on top of them—back up, completely submerged in the water, with the back of the person's clothes billowing up, indicating that they had been soaking for a while.

"Hey!" Bai Nuo exclaimed in surprise and rushed down to lift Hu Mingmei's head up. How did he end up drowning while trying to catch a fish?

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!