Chapter 227 Gong Shu and Zhen Yi Arrive
"Don't overthink it, just go with the flow. If worst comes to worst, we can hide in the mountains where no one can find us."
Ye Ma looked at her daughter, who was becoming more and more unconventional, with helplessness. Her quiet and gentle daughter had vanished.
When Mo Lin returned, Ye Shengge realized it was already late. The crayfish caught yesterday had to be eaten. She took out a brush and a copied recipe from the space and handed them directly to Mo Lin.
"This difficult task is yours. I can provide verbal guidance from the side."
Mo Lin really didn't understand why his sister wanted to eat hard-shelled insects. The family didn't seem to lack food. However, Mo Lin never refused his sister's orders.
Little Tiantian squatted nearby, watching and occasionally poking the crayfish's large claws with a twig.
Mo Lin's hands were fast. A bucket of crayfish was cleaned in less than half an hour.
Ye Ma started the fire. As soon as the oil in the pot was hot, Mo Lin threw in a lot of spices. The crayfish were quickly thrown into the pot and turned red.
Mo Lin made garlic crayfish, and a strong garlic aroma filled the entire courtyard. Even Little Tiantian peeked from the kitchen door, constantly looking inside.
A basin full of crayfish was served. Ye Shengge couldn't resist and picked one to try. The shrimp meat was chewy and springy. Since the crayfish were butterflied, the seasoning had fully permeated the meat.
"You all try it, it's really delicious."
Ye Ma had eaten it before and was very supportive, eating two. Although it wasn't as good as in her past life, it was remarkable for a ten-year-old child to make it this well.
Mo Lin imitated his sister's peeling method and peeled one. He first put it into Little Tiantian's mouth, then tasted one himself. As the shrimp meat entered his mouth, Mo Lin's eyebrows shot up.
"I'll call some brothers tonight to catch more. It's really delicious, and there's plenty of meat."
"I'll take half to your grandmother's house first. Once they try it, they'll definitely want to go catch some themselves."
Ye Ma took a basin and packed away half the crayfish. Ye Shengge stopped eating and let the family try the rest that evening.
When people returned from work in the evening, Ah Can heard about the crayfish and brought a basin, taking away another half. As a result, each member of the Ye family only got to eat two or three.
After dinner, the Ye family, Bai family, and Ah Can's group all went to the paddy fields to catch crayfish. This even led some villagers who were cooling off outside to believe that the new family was so poor they even ate insects from the fields.
Ye Shengge, however, sat by the river with Zi Yisheng, fishing and watching the stars. Hearing the laughter nearby, she felt a sense of deep contentment.
"Shengge, why don't we get engaged first? Give me a proper status and an open path."
Ye Shengge found the slightly wronged tone in his voice amusing. She didn't mind getting engaged early either.
"Okay, but that hurdle of my parents is up to you. As long as they agree, I won't have any objections."
Zi Yisheng happily hugged the little girl into his arms.
"Thank you, Shengge. I'll take care of the rest."
Bai Rong Brigade welcomed two more people: Uncle Gong, Gong Wentao, who hadn't been home for many years, and Aunt Zhen, who rushed over from Mingcheng.
The two met on the public bus heading to Bai Rong Township. Although both were working for Zi Yisheng, they had never met each other.
Aunt Zhen was startled by the face of the man sitting next to her. Half of his face was disfigured and unrecognizable, while the other half was exceptionally handsome. She imagined he must have been quite striking before his disfigurement.
They traveled in silence until they got off the bus. Aunt Zhen's inquiries about Bai Rong Brigade caught Gong Wentao's attention.
"Are you going to Bai Rong Brigade?"
Aunt Zhen stopped scrutinizing the man's face and replied politely.
"Yes, to Bai Rong Brigade. Comrade, do you know the way?"
Gong Wentao noticed Aunt Zhen's demeanor, which didn't seem like that of a villager. He suddenly thought of Young Master Zi and asked.
"Are you going to Bai Rong Brigade to visit relatives?"
"Yes, to visit my maternal nephew."
This was what Young Master Zi and Aunt Zhen had agreed upon beforehand, to address each other as aunt and nephew.
"I'm from Bai Rong Brigade. May I ask who you're looking for?"
Upon hearing that the other person was from Bai Rong Brigade, Aunt Zhen's eyes lit up.
"Oh, that's great! I'm looking for a family surnamed Zi. They're new residents."
Gong Wentao confirmed the person Aunt Zhen was looking for. He decided he couldn't let her go alone; he had to accompany her to ensure her identity before feeling at ease.
"Then come with me. Let's see if we can find an ox cart on the way, otherwise, we'll have to walk for over an hour."
Gong Wentao also proactively helped Aunt Zhen with some of her luggage, which made things much easier for her. After all, Aunt Zhen was carrying her life's entire possessions, and the amount was considerable.
They didn't encounter any returning ox carts. The two walked for over an hour before reaching Bai Rong Brigade. Although Aunt Zhen was a servant, she rarely walked such a long distance, feeling as if her soles had blistered.
As soon as Gong Wentao entered the village, he was noticed. His face was quite striking, and even small children were scared and cried.
However, Gong Wentao paid no mind. He had seen too many such frightened gazes over the years, and countless children he had scared. Moreover, he never concealed his injured face; it was a mark to remind him of his hatred.
Aunt Zhen was actually very curious about the man before her, who could remain unfazed despite his scarred face. His mental fortitude was remarkable.
"Let's go. I'll take you to the Zi family's place first."
"You know the Zi family?"
"Yes, I know Zi Yisheng."
Aunt Zhen didn't ask further. She couldn't inquire too much about Young Master Zi's affairs.
As the two walked towards the end of the village, passing by the foot of the mountain, Aunt Zhen's sharp eyes spotted Ye Ma, who was herding sheep.
"Wife Ye, uh, Comrade Bai, Comrade Bai."
Ye Ma heard the voice and looked over, only to see Aunt Zhen. She felt like she had seen a savior. Her family wouldn't have to exploit child labor anymore.
"Sister Zhen, you're finally here."
Ye Ma quickly called her daughter over to watch the sheep. She wanted to whisk Sister Zhen away to her home first.
Ye Shengge stood not far away and waved at Aunt Zhen. Aunt Zhen's arrival meant her family had abandoned her. She wondered how disappointed Aunt Zhen must have been to give up on her family and come here.
"Aunt Zhen, I'll go home to see you after I finish herding the sheep."
"Oh, Shengge, don't rush. I'll be staying here from now on."
Aunt Zhen was very happy. She liked the delicate and soft Ye Shengge very much. She had never had a daughter in her life and felt an urge to get close to Ye Shengge.
Ye Ma ran forward and put her arm around Aunt Zhen's.
"Sister Zhen, come and stay at our house. Young Master Zi lives alone, it's not lively at all."
"Hahahaha, okay. It doesn't matter where I stay, Zi Yisheng will surely eat at your house every day."
"You're right, that boy Zi wishes he could live at our house."
It was then that Ye Ma noticed the man standing beside them. His disfigured face was truly a pity, but his presence clearly indicated he was no ordinary person.
"Who is this comrade?"
"Oh, I've forgotten. Comrade, thank you so much for leading the way. Please come over for a meal at our house sometime. Don't you also know Zi Yisheng?"