Jiang's mother listened to Er Ya singing excitedly and was speechless: "You child, what is that humming? What's with all that 'banban' and 'shanshan'? Where did you learn so much from?" But the tune did sound quite nice.
Er Ya stuck out her tongue and pretended to be confused, saying, "I don't know where I heard it, but I just remembered it." She was a little too happy and sang this brainwashing song from the 21st century.
Jiang's mother thought that the child was so big that he probably heard someone hum it somewhere, but he was forgetful and only remembered the tune.
The mother and daughter chatted and laughed as they picked mushrooms, filling a large basket with them in no time. They picked some more and filled Er Ya's little basket before heading home.
On the way back, Er Ya suddenly grabbed Jiang's mother and asked in confusion, "Mom, what's that?"
Following the direction Er Ya pointed, Jiang's mother slowly walked forward. Oh my goodness, how come there's a dead pheasant? Turning it over, she saw that the bloodstains were still fresh. Jiang's mother looked around. If it was prey, why didn't anyone take it?
In the mountains, whatever you see first belongs to you. Jiang's mother looked around and, seeing no one else, picked up the pheasant and put it in the basket.
That's great! These days, meat is more precious than anything else. This pheasant looks very plump, probably weighing three or four pounds. That's enough for two meals for our family.
Er Ya danced with joy: "Mom, is this a pheasant? That's great! We'll have something delicious to eat tonight!"
Jiang's mother smiled and nodded, then took Er Ya's hand and went down the mountain; they had to leave this place quickly.
On the way back, they ran into Han Shi again. Han Shi, who was worrying about what to eat for dinner, saw the baskets full of mushrooms that Jiang's mother and Er Ya had filled. Her eyes lit up, and she rushed over and asked, "Oh my, you two are really amazing! Where did you find so many mushrooms? Wow, and what a huge pheasant!" As she spoke, she grabbed the pheasant and wouldn't let go of it.
Jiang's mother had never liked Han Shi, who spent all her time gossiping about others and spreading rumors. She was happy to watch other families fight.
Smiling, he said to Han, "Aunt Han, you're going into the mountains too? Let me tell you, there are lots of mushrooms not far ahead. You'd better hurry, or they'll all be gone."
While saying to Er Ya, "Er Ya, didn't you just say you were hungry? I'll take you home and stew some chicken. Look how thin my daughter has become," she reached out and snatched the pheasant, smiled apologetically at Han Shi, and led Er Ya away without looking back.
Looking at her empty hands, Han turned to Jiang's mother and spat, "Pah, who cares about your stuff? Be careful you don't eat it and your mouth will rot."
After vomiting, she hurriedly headed in the direction Jiang's mother had come from. She wanted to pick all the mushrooms and bring them home so that those good-for-nothings wouldn't be able to pick any. She searched for a long time in the mountains but couldn't find the place Jiang's mother had mentioned. Han was so angry that she cursed Jiang's mother for a long time.
When Jiang's mother got home, she was plucking the chicken feathers when she suddenly sneezed loudly, rubbed her nose, and said, "Who's talking about me?"
After plucking the chicken feathers, I chopped it into small pieces with a cleaver and put them in a bowl. I called Er Ya to help start the fire, then washed the pot again, poured in some oil, and once the oil was hot, I added some wild onions and chili peppers and stir-fried them until fragrant. Then I added the chicken pieces, stir-fried them for a while, and added some water.
Pick out some mushrooms from the mountain, wash them clean, and then put them in the boiling water and start stewing them over high heat.
About an hour later, the pheasant stew with mushrooms was ready. Er Ya took a deep breath. The chicken stewed over a wood fire smelled so good. She picked up the bowl and couldn't wait to eat. Jiang's mother laughed at her, "You little glutton, call your father over."
Lin Jianguo was weaving baskets in the yard. Now that the family has separated, he has to do his own work. He needs to make the most of his spare time to weave a few more so he can take them to the market to sell tomorrow.
Er Ya came over and called to him, "Dad, Mom is calling you, you should go quickly."
Lin Jianguo put down the unfinished basket, pinched Er Ya's little face, and carried her to the kitchen.
In the kitchen, Jiang's mother was sprinkling scallions. Looking up, she saw Lin Jianguo approaching, carrying a large bowl filled to the brim with chicken. She handed it to him, saying, "Take this to Mom and Dad. Don't say I didn't think of them when I had something good. Come back quickly after you've delivered it; we're waiting for you to eat."
Lin Jianguo glanced gratefully at Jiang's mother, took the bowl, and walked towards the old house.
At this time, the old house was having a meal. Niu was talking to Shen Laotai: "Mother, the whole village is talking about how that bitch Jiang caught a fat pheasant, but she didn't even bring it to us so we could all eat together. Even if she doesn't think of us, she should at least bring a bowl for you two."
Upon hearing this, Old Mrs. Shen was so angry that she went to find Lin Jianguo: "What's the use of supporting them? They don't even think of their own mother when they have good things. I've raised them for nothing."
Old Man Lin shouted, "Alright, we've all separated now. Why should they bring the chicken here to eat? Hurry up and eat your meal."
At this moment, Lin Jianguo came over with a chicken and called out, "Father, Mother, this is chicken that my wife asked me to bring for you. Please eat it while it's hot."
Niu took the bowl and rummaged through it a few times: "This little bit of meat is hardly enough for anyone. Who are you trying to disgust with?"
Grandma Shen also pulled her second son aside and said, "Go and call your wife over, bring the chicken over here to eat. You don't think of your mother and nephew when there's good food. What kind of uncle are you?"
Lin Jianguo felt uncomfortable. His family had made chicken, and Er Ya was craving it. She hadn't even taken a bite yet. He brought it over to his parents first, but his mother was still not satisfied. Did his family have to be so generous to make his mother happy?
Seeing that Lin Jianguo didn't move, Old Lady Shen started hitting him: "Why did I support you? You've forgotten your parents after you got married."
Seeing that Lin Jianguo's face was not good, Old Man Lin said, "Alright, I brought this over because I was thinking of you. What else do you want? Second son, have you eaten? If not, have a bite here."
Lin Jianguo shook his head and said, "No, Dad, they're all waiting for me. I won't eat here."
Old Man Lin nodded: "Then you should hurry back and eat. Don't listen to your mother's nonsense; she's getting senile."
Lin Jianguo picked up the empty bowl and ran away as if fleeing.
After returning home, hearing bursts of laughter and his daughter's sweet voice coming from inside, Lin Jianguo breathed a sigh of relief and pretended to go inside as if nothing had happened.
"Dad, you're finally back! Er Ya is starving!"
To be continued!
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