Gu Qiuning watched them leave with curiosity, as if she knew something. She found everything about the countryside very novel.
"We're going to pick vegetables in the fields and catch fish in the stream."
Li Xiaoxiao looked up at the older sister. She was very pretty, with fair and plump skin, and her bright, expressive eyes were really beautiful.
Seeing that her older brother didn't answer her, she responded softly.
"Me too, me too?" Gu Qiuning was very curious and suggested that she should go too.
Li Shuan, pulling Li Xiaoxiao along, said to Gu Qiuning, "Comrade, you're from the city, dressed so nicely, you shouldn't go. You might get your clothes and shoes dirty."
Their shoes were yellowed and rotten. The little girl's clothes were very fashionable, with overalls and two braids. Her shoes were new soft cloth shoes.
In the countryside, it's rare to see someone dressed like this; they're clearly from a wealthy family.
"It's okay, I want to go. Brother Li, will you take me?" Gu Qiuning likes to record her life. She was influenced by her parents and Aunt Hai since she was a child and loves to draw.
She wanted to see places she couldn't see before, hoping it would give her more inspiration.
Li Shuan was in a bit of a dilemma!
Gu Qiuning then set her sights on Lin Qiyue.
"Sister, please let Brother Li take me there?" Gu Qiuning asked as soon as Lin Qiyue started chatting with them.
Lin Qiyue saw that Gu Qiuning was not shy at all and was still as affectionate as ever towards her.
Then she looked at Li Shuan, who looked troubled.
“Brother Li, why don’t you take Qiu Ning with you? I love nature and have never seen the scenery of our countryside. She’s not some delicate young lady, don’t worry.” Gu Qiu Ning impressed her with her good temper and enthusiasm.
Seeing that he couldn't refuse, Li Shuan could only agree: "Then let's go, or we'll miss dinner."
"Thank you, sister, Aunt Hai, Uncle Duan. I'll be going now."
"Be careful, don't fall!" Haider warned her worriedly.
"Okay!"
Gu Qiuning disappeared in a flash.
Haider looked at Gu Qiuning with a doting smile, then turned to Lin Qiyue and said, "Mom and Qiuning's mother are good friends. They've known each other since they were little. She takes after her mother in personality; she's lively and active."
"Qiu Ning seems to be well protected!" In this era, the fact that Gu Qiu Ning can be protected so well indicates that their family background is quite impressive.
Haider nodded, not saying it outright, but tacitly agreeing with Lin Qiyue's thoughts.
Li Shuan walked ahead, unsure how to chat with the girls in the city, carrying his bucket and walking alone.
Gu Qiuning started chatting with Li Xiaoxiao.
"Little sister, is your older brother married yet?"
"No! Everyone looks down on our family because we're poor, and no one wants to marry into our family." Li Xiaoxiao didn't care about her brother and said whatever came to mind.
Gu Qiuning looked at Li Shuan limping and seemed to understand.
He quickly changed the subject, asking, "Xiaoxiao, what kinds of things can we catch and eat in these mountains?"
"There's so much! Last night, my brothers went to catch wild boar, and we had rabbit and wild boar meat for lunch. We still have the dried fish we caught yesterday; they're so delicious!"
"Shall we go catch rabbits now?"
Gu Qiuning's eyes lit up instantly; she also wanted to see how they caught their prey.
"No, we're going to catch fish in the stream. We can only catch rabbits at night."
"Oh, is that so?" Gu Qiuning was instantly disappointed; she thought they were going to catch rabbits.
The two, one big and one small, chatted happily on the way, their voices filled with laughter.
Li Shuan remained silent, which made Gu Qiuning very curious about him.
Li Xiaoxiao told Gu Qiuning many interesting stories about the countryside, which made her very happy.
While catching fish in the stream, Li Shuan took off his shoes and went into the water. He picked up a stone and observed it for a while. When he saw the fish swimming into the stone, he hit it hard, and soon the fish floated out.
"Wow, that's amazing! They caught a fish already!" Gu Qiuning thought it was incredible, but then she saw something long swimming in the water: "Brother Li, that's a snake! Run!"
Li Shuan was not in a hurry at all and reached out to grab it.
Gu Qiuning stared in shock, her eyes wide.
“That’s an eel. My brother said it’s very nourishing to make porridge with it. Didn’t Sister Qiyue’s mother just say she was weak and didn’t have anything to replenish her qi and blood?” Li Xiaoxiao explained earnestly.
Gu Qiuning snapped out of her shock after hearing this, pinched Li Xiaoxiao's cheek and said, "Xiaoxiao knows so much?"
Li Xiaoxiao was praised and scratched her head shyly, saying, "Brother used to come and catch things for Mom all the time."
How could she not know that her mother had survived for a long time on just a little nutrition?
"Oh, I see! Then why didn't I see your mother?" Gu Qiuning asked. Li Xiaoxiao's expression was terrible. She lowered her head, fidgeted with her fingertips, and pouted as she answered softly, "They all say that my mother died from postpartum hemorrhage after giving birth to me."
Hearing Li Xiaoxiao's choked voice, Gu Qiuning tenderly patted Li Xiaoxiao's head.
She shed only one tear, then wiped it away and smiled.
"Sister, I'm fine."
Li Shuan could hear their conversation, but he remained silent and didn't say a word.
Once we've caught enough, we'll take them all back with us.
While we're at it, let's go pick some vegetables from the field. The lush green vegetables are a sight to behold.
Xiao Xiao and Gu Qiuning squatted by the roadside, watching Li Shuan bend over and pick vegetables by himself. Then, seeing that he was holding a lot in his hands, she couldn't help but ask, "Brother Li, this much should be enough, right?"
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