Chapter 59: Crayfish and a Bridal Sedan

Over the past few days, the kids had brought over several net bags of small fish and shrimp.

Lin Qinghuan brought out the scale, recorded their weight, and poured everything into a big wooden bucket. She kept them in river water so they wouldn’t die so quickly.

Da Bao and Xiao Bao had nothing to do, so they parked themselves by the bucket. Every so often, they’d reach in and poke at the fish.

“Mommy is amazing. These things smell so fishy, but she can turn them into something delicious.” Xiao Bao was already getting hungry just thinking about it. Da Bao stopped him with a serious look.

“Didn’t you eat some yesterday? Mommy’s going to sell these. They can’t go into your belly anymore. Xiao Bao, we have to be sensible.”

Da Bao and Xiao Bao had been born on the same day. But because Da Bao was the eldest, he had to be the mature, sensible one.

He knew the family was struggling. He knew his father’s leg injury was bad, and his mother was running the whole household on her own. They couldn’t just be spoiled kids who ate whatever they wanted.

Xiao Bao poked his fingers together in grievance and hung his head. “I know, brother. I won’t ask for anything unreasonable.”

He was so busy talking to Da Bao that his finger skimmed the water’s surface. A red-clawed crayfish latched right onto it, and he started howling.

“Waaah, it hurts!”

Da Bao grabbed the crayfish and yanked, but only the body came off. The claw was still clamped on Xiao Bao’s finger.

Lin Qinghuan heard the screams, set down her spatula, and hurried out.

“What’s wrong?”

“Boo hoo, Mommy, this ugly thing pinched me!” Xiao Bao tearfully showed her his hurt finger.

Lin Qinghuan realized a crayfish had pinched him, and the claw was holding on with a death grip. That was why it wouldn’t come off.

“Come here, let Mommy handle it.”

Lin Qingyu came out of his room to check on things too. He comforted Xiao Bao for a moment, then went back inside to practice his calligraphy.

Lin Qinghuan brought Xiao Bao into the kitchen and smacked the claw hard with the back of a knife. It shattered on the spot.

The pinch had left a little blood pooled under the skin. It would probably bruise by tomorrow.

“Be more careful next time. These things really hurt when they pinch you. Stay away from them when you’re playing.” Lin Qinghuan gave him a helpless reminder.

Then she pulled a band-aid from her space and wrapped up Xiao Bao’s finger tightly, so it would heal faster.

“Wow, Mommy, what is this? It sticks to my hand and won’t fall off.” Xiao Bao’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. He shook his finger, like he was testing it.

“It’s just something to help your wound heal faster. Once it’s wrapped, don’t get it wet, or it won’t work.”

“Okay.” Xiao Bao nodded happily. The novelty of the band-aid had already outweighed the pain of the crayfish pinch.

Lin Qinghuan hadn’t expected the band-aid she’d just redeemed to come in handy so quickly.

***

At the Lin household.

There was no banquet, no drums and gongs. A single bridal sedan showed up at the door and carried Lin Yanlan away. That was the whole of it.

Old Madam Lin had invited a few people over, including some who knew how to say auspicious words. They kept up the blessings from the moment Lin Yanlan stepped out of the house until she climbed into the sedan. It added a bit of wedding cheer to the occasion.

“Father, Mother, Grandpa, Grandma, I’m off. I’ll come back to see you in three days.” Lin Yanlan wasn’t all that reluctant. Her hands stayed clenched around her private savings and her dowry.

She had accepted her fate by now. At home, Lin Jiadong came first, and eggs and meat never made it to her plate.

Marrying Master Liu meant at least she wouldn’t have to worry about food and drink. With a family as big as his, meat at every meal wasn’t out of the question.

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