"We plan to raise three more chicks, but we can't raise too many. Too many chickens are prone to getting sick, and they need to eat a lot, so it's not cost-effective. Once the new hens start laying eggs, we'll have some old hen soup to drink."
"Ah Mian, Ah Mian," Wangwang interrupted Ah Mian's endless "chicken-raising tips," lowering his voice to express his purpose, "Tell me the truth, does your husband ever..."
"Excuse me, it's hot!"
Wang Erdi came out of the kitchen with a kettle, carrying hot water to refill everyone's cups. "Our Brother Meng caught some 'river shrimp' by the river. Not many, just a small basket. He just made shrimp oil in the kitchen, and it smells so fresh!"
"You idiot," Wang Sandi muttered, stepping on his foot under the table.
At this moment, Meng Chijian brought out a plate of cooked shrimp and placed it on the table. This type of shrimp is a small crayfish, no longer than two finger joints, but with thick claws and firm meat.
These shrimp emerge from their burrows after hibernation, but they don't have much meat, making them a bit troublesome to eat. However, the ingredients are very fresh and delicious, and they taste good even without many seasonings.
He was also on the table, so Wangwang couldn't whisper to Amian anymore.
Wang Xiaomei was better at reading her elder sister's mood, and on a whim, she called Wangwang and the other two to pretend to go see Adou. When they got to the backyard, Wang Xiaomei said bluntly, "Sister, I think you've been worrying for nothing. That couple is very affectionate, not at all like what we thought."
Wang San Di also arrived, his body trembling. "My God, this is so cheesy, I'm getting goosebumps all over."
Just now, when A-Mian saw shrimp to eat, her eyes lit up. However, she didn't know how to peel them and, relying on her good teeth, ate them shell and all. Meng Chijian patted her hand and taught her how to peel them, explaining that she should first pull off the shrimp heads, etc. Then he took a small bowl and peeled some shrimp specifically for A-Mian to eat.
"Why didn't he just feed it to her?" asked Wang Sandi, a bachelor, with a hint of sourness in his voice.
That's fine, but as soon as Meng Chijian arrived, A-Mian naturally leaned against him, took all sorts of food from his hands, obediently let him wipe her hands, and chattered on and on about whether there was anything else to eat or catch in the river.
"I suspect there must be some misunderstanding here, and A-Mian didn't explain it clearly."
Wangwang realized that there seemed to be something wrong with his thinking, and as a guest, he couldn't just leave the table. He said hastily, "Maybe so. Let's go back and eat. Maybe I'm just overthinking it."
She took a few steps and suddenly thought: Could there be people in this world who always appear very good in front of outsiders, but only their closest relatives know the truth?
Could it be that Meng Chijian is nice to outsiders, but only bullies A-Mian behind closed doors?
She returned to the dining table with this last bit of worry and continued to chat with A-Mian about the academy.
"I heard that Zhao Fei will not be coming to the academy anymore. The teacher has spoken to his family about it. Apparently, Zhao Fei's aptitude is too poor, and it would be useless for him to continue studying."
Ah Mian, greedy as she ate the shrimp, let out an "Oh".
"Confucius always said to cultivate oneself, regulate one's family, govern the state, and bring peace to the world. How many people in the world can actually achieve even one or two of these things?" Wangwang sighed.
"What does this mean? Amian, have you studied this? Recite this passage for me. Since Wangwang, who came to the academy after you, already knows it, have you been studying diligently?" Meng Chijian suddenly interjected.
Amian paused, gave Wangwang a resentful look, and racked her brains: "...That passage is very long... um... 'Those who in ancient times wished to manifest their virtue to the world first ordered well their states; those who wished to order well their states first regulated their families'... family, family..."
She stayed at "home" for a long time, but nothing came out from behind.
"I'll memorize it tomorrow!" A-Mian hurriedly said, now trying to get Meng Chijian to leave. "Don't listen to us talking here, go rest and take a nap!"
To save face for her in front of her friends, Meng Chijian only asked her to write it down from memory for him the next day.
As soon as he left, A-Mian said, "You've really put me in a terrible situation."
Wangwang's heart tightened. "What will he do to you?"
"Similar to the teachers in the academy, they punished students by making them stand, copy texts, and slap their palms."
"But he's never been to school, how would he know if what you wrote or said is right or wrong?"
Ah Mian rested her chin on her hands. "If he doesn't know a word, he'll look it up in the book. And if there's something he has to memorize, he'll ask me to tell him what the corresponding words mean, as long as I can explain it. This time you were here, otherwise he would definitely have yelled at me."
"You guys... are really peculiar."
"Hmm, I haven't seen any stories like ours in books. They're all about scholars, young ladies, and nobles."
The group chatted and laughed, and more than an hour passed in the blink of an eye. It was time for Wangwang's family to say goodbye.
"Sister A-Mian, please come visit us next time!"
"A-Mian, you can go back now. We're already at the village entrance, no need to see me off any further."
Amian watched them leave and returned to the courtyard. She picked up the bowls and plates on the table one by one, crushed the remaining shrimp shells, mixed them with the bran, and fed them to the chickens; Xiaojing used wood ash to wash the pots and pans.
Just as everyone was busy, Wangwang reappeared at the door.
"What's wrong?"
Wangwang laughed and said, "It's all because of my greedy little brother. He insisted on asking me to ask your husband how to cook shrimp. We want to make some for ourselves too! Xiaojing, come with me. It will also make it easier for me to ask your third brother."
She winked at Xiao Jing, who knew that she had something to say to Meng San, but she wondered what it was that she had to tell her third brother.
Therefore, Meng Jing glanced at the door of Meng Chijian's room, but did not leave, and stood aside to listen.
Meng Chijian was also quite puzzled: "What's wrong?"
Wangwang said, "To make a long story short, I saw a mark on Amian's arm at the academy and thought she had been bullied at home. I was really worried about her, so I came to visit."
"However, from what I've seen today, you are not such a bad person, and you and A-Mian seem to have a very deep relationship. So I don't understand why A-Mian thinks you have another woman in your heart. In any case, I think I should tell her this thought."
Meng Chijian hurriedly asked, "Did she tell you that herself?"
"Yes. I think she... must really like you to not mind this at all."
This is a difference that anyone with eyes can see. At the academy, A-Mian always does her own thing and is not talkative. She often appears both hardworking and aloof. But in front of Meng Chijian, she is like a chick under a hen's wing, not only lively but also chirping.
"...I understand. Thank you."
"It's okay, I'll go now."
The Wang family was gone for good this time. Meng Chijian sat alone in the room, deep in thought. Finally, veins bulged on his forehead: "Lu, A, Mian, come here and explain yourself!"
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