When Tao Wanniang and her companions set off again, they had a bountiful harvest: two fat rabbits and a pheasant, enough to satisfy her cravings for a long time.
As evening approached, Tao Wan's mother heard the sound of water, so she told her son to stop and sent another person to check.
"Mother, there's a river! Why don't we rest here tonight?" Ling Dapeng returned quickly, excitedly shouting, "We can kill a rabbit, and the water will make it easier to wash it. Mother, I'll go kill it!"
"Yes, yes, Mom, there's water nearby, let's find a flat spot to spend the night!"
Ling Dahu immediately chimed in, saying that he was so excited to be able to taste his mother's cooking soon!
Seeing her two sons so excited, Tao Wan's mother agreed, "If there's a river... are there any fish?"
They settled in the woods by the river. Tao Wan's mother sent one of her sons to kill a rabbit and the other to start a fire and set up a pot, while her daughter-in-law went to gather firewood.
"Remember this, no matter who you meet, don't bring them here. Are you all stupid? We only have so much food. Who cares if they're related or even the Emperor himself? Don't you understand the importance of protecting your food?"
Tao Wanniang said with a disdainful tone, "I don't want to run into those people from Lingjia Village again!"
"Come on, little Qiao'er, Sister Yu Mei, let's go to the river and see if we can catch a fish or a crab. We'll be in for a treat tonight!"
"Sister Tao, you really are a glutton!" Bai Yumei teased.
"Isn't life all about eating, drinking, and having fun?" Tao Wanniang said with a light laugh. She wasn't here to undergo tribulation; she was here to enjoy life. So, she would do whatever made her comfortable!
Bai Yumei admired Tao Wanniang's attitude towards life. She looked back at Tao Wanniang's son and daughter-in-law and couldn't help but nod in agreement.
"Sister Tao is so lucky, she has both children and grandchildren!"
"So-so." Tao Wan's mother didn't care much about it. Her son was already grown up, and her grandson was too young. As for her daughter-in-law, she wouldn't comment.
While Ling Dahu was killing a rabbit, Tao Wanniang, along with Bai Yumei and Xiao Qiao'er, walked a few steps upstream. The river water was clear, and they could see river crabs crawling among the stones at the bottom. Tao Wanniang simply took off her shoes and socks and went into the river to catch crabs.
Bai Yumei couldn't be as carefree as Tao Wanniang, but Xiao Qiao'er got the urge to play in the water and went in just like Tao Wanniang.
"Grandma Tao, I want to take a bath. Can I bathe in the river?" Little Qiao'er asked excitedly, wading through the water.
"Taking a bath is fine, but you need to take precautions. Here's what we'll do: after Grandma has finished catching the crabs, and then have your Uncle Da Hu leave, you can go in and take a bath."
Tao Wanniang looked around but didn't see any signs of life. Xiao Qiao'er was already a ten-year-old girl, so naturally she couldn't be seen by anyone.
"Okay, Grandma Tao!" Little Qiao'er said happily, washed her face, and played happily with the water.
Seeing this, Tao Wan's mother naturally didn't disturb her; it was a good thing that Xiao Qiao'er was happy. However, watching Xiao Qiao'er playing in the water made her a little envious; she had been traveling for many days and hadn't even had a bath!
"Sister Yumei, go get a big bowl, we want to add a plate of river crabs," Tao Wanniang called out to Bai Yumei.
Spicy river crabs, braised rabbit meat, and a steamed egg custard—the aroma of food filled everyone's noses in the grove. It smelled so good!
"Mom, I feel like I could eat a whole pot of rice! Your cooking is so delicious!" Ling Dahu said, swallowing hard as he looked at the laid-out dishes.
The dishes were all cooked, and rice was still cooking in the pot. Tao Wan's mother said to her son and daughter-in-law, "I'm going to the river with Xiao Qiao'er to wash up. You two stay here and watch over them."
"I'll go too, Sister Tao. I'll keep watch for you from the shore," Bai Yumei said, as she also wanted to take a shower.
With a change of clothes, Tao Wan's mother went to the river with Xiao Qiao'er.
Near the upper reaches of the river, a small group of people looked excited as they watched the smoke rising from the woods.
"General, look! Smoke means there are people. Could it be the Crown Prince?"
The middle-aged man had a handsome face, with sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, and a high nose. He shook his head as he listened to his subordinate's words.
"The young master is trying to avoid attention and wouldn't be so ostentatious. However, we can go and find out what's going on over there."
"General, I am willing to go and investigate!"
"Go, be careful. If they are ordinary people, don't disturb them," the man instructed. "If they are from the Mountain and Sea Prefecture, don't alert them!"
"Your subordinate obeys!" Qian Feng accepted the order and quickly headed towards the direction from which the smoke was rising.
Tao Wan's mother and Xiao Qiao'er went into the water first and washed themselves. Then Tao Wan's mother suggested that Bai Yumei also go and wash herself.
"Everyone is covered in sweat from the journey, and with no one around, Sister Yumei doesn't need to worry about being spied on!"
"Sister Tao, I'm not worried about that. I'm worried that people will have nightmares if they see my face!"
Tao Wanniang dried her wet hair by the river. "It's getting dark, you can't see clearly. Go on, Qiao'er and I will keep watch for you on the bank."
The river water was cool and refreshing. Bai Yumei nodded and quickly took off her clothes to bathe in the water.
At that moment, in the forest, Qian Feng, who had come to investigate, was ravenously hungry because of the enticing aroma. From a distance, he could tell that they were ordinary people, but what kind of food had they made that smelled so good?
Driven by the aroma, Qian Feng still came out.
"Everyone, I'm just passing through this area and I got a little lost. I apologize for disturbing you!" Qian Feng said apologetically.
Upon seeing the approaching figures, the Ling brothers immediately assumed a defensive stance and instructed their wives and children to stay behind them.
"Who are you, and what do you want?" Ling Dahu asked cautiously.
"I was just passing by and was attracted by the aroma of your food. I'm so sorry for rudeness, so sorry for rudeness. It's just... what are you making? It smells so good!" In the middle of nowhere, this family, who looked like a family, with such a small child, seemed a bit strange!
"Mother, Mother, someone's coming!" Ling Dapeng shouted loudly towards the riverbank.
Qian Feng was shocked by the way Ling Dapeng, a grown man, was calling out for his mother. How could someone so old still call for his mother?
Bai Yumei had just gotten ashore and dressed, her hair still dripping wet, when she heard Ling Dapeng shout.
"Sister Tao, you'd better go back and check, someone's here!"
"Fool, if it's a bad guy, we'll have caught them all!" Tao Wanniang couldn't help but whisper. "Yu Mei, you and Xiao Qiao wait here for a bit, I'll go see who it is."
"I really don't mean any harm, it's just... I'm a little hungry, could I have a bite to eat?" Qian Feng was embarrassed to ask, but he was thinking to himself: General, what can I do? I'm such a glutton! The food smells so good, I can't resist it!
"No, my mother made all of this. You have to wait for her to come back!" Ling Dahu said seriously, making Tao Wan's mother, who had rushed over, feel extremely embarrassed. Was her son still a mama's boy?
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