Chapter 9

Soon, Ye Qingshui got her hands on a sturdy net.

In the dead of night, she carried a flashlight and a wooden bucket, feeling her way in the dark toward the pond to catch crabs. She walked quietly; the fields were completely silent. Occasionally, a few dogs barked from nearby farmhouses, but they quieted down once they caught her scent.

Ye Qingshui reached the edge of the pond. Crabs came out to forage at night. She focused and listened carefully. When she heard faint bubbling sounds, she knew it was the sound of crabs blowing bubbles. With a quick shine of her flashlight, she could catch one barehanded. Weighing it in her hand, it was medium-sized—not particularly big, but not small either. Catching them one by one was too tiring, so she planned to set the net.

She scanned the area for bait—any kind of meat would work. Once placed in the net, it would lure the crabs to nibble.

After a long search, she managed to catch three field frogs.

Suddenly, a voice cried out: “Oh my god, there’s a snake—!”

Crouched by the pond, just about to set her net, Ye Qingshui froze for a moment when she heard the shout.

She shined her flashlight in the direction of the sound and saw two male educated youths in the rice paddies—not far away. One of them was Shen Weimin. The other young man looked completely pale. Seeing the light, he ran over, panting.

Shen Weimin’s expression was a bit strange upon seeing Ye Qingshui in the middle of the night. But she could tell he was trying hard to stay calm.

She saw a fat snake coiled nearby, its eyes cold and fixed on Shen Weimin.

Shen Weimin said, “Why are you running? What if the snake chases you?”

Ye Qingshui held up her lantern and chuckled. “I’ll shine the light for you. Just run—snakes get disoriented in the light.”

Shen Weimin glared at her irritably.

The younger man quickly ran to her side and stammered, “I… I was just… really hungry and couldn’t sleep… so I came out here…”

Before he could finish, he caught the gleam in Ye Qingshui’s eyes.

She stared at the snake by Shen Weimin’s leg and suddenly felt incredibly hungry.

Seventeen or eighteen was the age of growing bodies. One meal wasn’t enough to feel full, and you’d already be thinking about the next. Especially since she came from an era where food was never a concern—where she’d grown used to big meals, rich with meat. Now that she’d suddenly been thrown back into this pre-liberation time, she was constantly starving.

To her, that snake was no different from a few pounds of prime meat.

The younger man’s legs went soft, and he stammered even worse, “Brother Shen… d-don’t move.”

Just as he finished speaking, Ye Qingshui moved swiftly—her hands fast as lightning. With practiced ease, she grabbed the snake’s head and body and pinched hard just behind its head.

“Come help me hold it,” she whispered, handing the snake over to Shen Weimin.

He hesitated but eventually gripped the snake, even though his face had turned completely pale. She took out a small knife and skillfully killed and skinned the snake in a matter of moments.

Only then did Shen Weimin and the younger man finally breathe a sigh of relief. Their backs were soaked with sweat. In contrast, Ye Qingshui was smiling as she worked, like she’d just gotten a great deal—completely unfazed by the situation.

Shen Weimin’s impression of her deepened once again: This woman is seriously fierce.

The younger man hesitated and asked, “Are we… still going to eat the frogs?”

His stomach rumbled thunderously in embarrassment.

Ye Qingshui couldn’t help but stifle a laugh. So not all educated youths from the capital were as well-off as Xie Tingyu. Getting so hungry you snuck out at night to catch frogs wasn’t unusual.

She weighed the snake in her hand—it was almost two jin (a kilogram). Following the principle of “whoever’s present shares the bounty,” Ye Qingshui generously offered, “Want to try some snake meat?”

“It’s really delicious.”

The younger man shivered and shook his head, but in the end, Shen Weimin pressed him into nodding.

“Eat it!”

Before they left, Ye Qingshui also tugged up the net she’d set. Crabs love meat, and with the fragrant frog meat as bait, the net was heavy when she lifted it. Inside were seven or eight large green crabs.

All the way back, the younger man couldn’t stop singing Ye Qingshui’s praises. Compliments flowed like a waterfall, as if they cost nothing:

“I had no idea you were this amazing. You look so delicate, but you actually dared to catch such a big snake barehanded!”

“Fearless in the face of danger—your skills are incredible!”

“How did you get so brave? Even as a man, I admire you!”

Since he was being polite, Ye Qingshui smiled cheerfully and said, “People in the countryside aren’t afraid of snakes. Grass snakes aren’t venomous. You can catch them without worry. So, do you want it grilled or stewed?”

Moonlight spilled over her calm face. Though her cheeks were heavily tanned and flushed, making her not conventionally pretty, the gentle and sweet tone of her voice was like sugarcane juice—soft and refreshing. The younger man touched his nose, starting to feel like maybe the rumors weren’t so true after all.

She’s actually kind of cute!

Then, as he processed the second half of Ye Qingshui’s question, he suddenly shivered again.

Ye Qingshui already had a plan in mind—it was the middle of the night, so it wasn’t the time to be eating something as heavy and greasy as grilled meat. Besides, her face was still injured and oily, spicy food wasn’t suitable. She returned home, told the others to sit down, and went to the woodshed to carefully cut up the snake meat with a knife.

To Ye Qingshui, two catties of meat were already a fortune.

She made a mushroom broth as the base, scooped out a spoonful of lard, and stir-fried the snake meat with pepper, ginger shreds, and minced garlic until it released its aroma. Then she added it into the clear mushroom soup to stew. The firewood under the pot occasionally crackled with small sparks, and the bubbling broth made soft sounds. In the still night, the delicate fragrance became even more tempting.

This peaceful moment felt long and far-reaching, bringing a strange sense of tranquility. The cicadas rustled in the background, and the two men had a sort of post-crisis exhaustion mixed with the joy of waiting for food. By the time the aroma had thoroughly whetted their appetites, the soup was ready.

The younger man trembled as he picked up his bowl. He only dared to drink the soup and avoided the meat, picking out some mushrooms to eat. The snake oil rendered into the soup gave it a rich aroma. The broth, light but flavorful, was so delicious that the freshness lingered on his tongue. It tasted even better than chicken soup.

Since the last time Shen Weimin had eaten braised pork at the Ye family’s house, the more he tried to not care, the more he secretly craved it.

But he couldn’t bring himself to ask to eat at the Ye house again, even though Xie Tingyu had “kindly” invited him a few times, guessing his thoughts. How could he let a moment of appetite make him lower his pride?

Braised pork might not break his pride, but apparently, a bowl of snake soup could.

He picked out pieces of snake meat from the bowl. The meat was lean, tender, and more flavorful than frog meat, with fewer bones. The broth had a warmth that lingered even after finishing. When the bowl was empty, and Ye Qingshui didn’t offer seconds, his unsatisfied stomach pushed him to shamelessly ask for another.

It was simply a taste of heaven.

Shen Weimin’s family wasn’t lacking money. They received enough food and meat coupons every month. He occasionally went with Xie Tingyu to state-owned restaurants. He wasn’t as picky as Xie Tingyu, so he enjoyed food more intensely.

Seeing both men wolfing down the snake meat with such pleasure, the previously well-behaved younger man—who’d just been drinking soup and eating mushrooms—realized something was wrong. He picked up the last piece of snake meat in the pot and nearly cried from how good it was.

He trembled and said, “Brother Shen, that wasn’t very fair of you.”

Shen Weimin snapped back, “Didn’t you run faster than me just now?”

The younger man looked at the half-full basin of leftover snake meat and glanced at Ye Qingshui with hopeful eyes.

Ye Qingshui still wanted to make snake stew the next day to nourish her mother and grandmother, so she waved her hand and covered the basin with the lid.

“Don’t even think about it. You’re already eating from the bowl and still eyeing the pot—wishful thinking!”

The two men: “…”

Their eyes then drifted toward the crabs squirming in the fishing net.

Ye Qingshui quickly packed the crabs away and kicked them both out. “That’s it for tonight. Eat your fill, go home, and sleep.”

The younger man unwillingly glanced at the leftover soup, took out two taels worth of food coupons, and reluctantly left. Shen Weimin, however, kept staring at the dark, wriggling creatures in the net, lost in thought.

After the two men left, Ye Qingshui marinated the remaining snake meat and placed the river crabs in a bucket with a shallow layer of water. After brushing her teeth, washing her face, and bathing, she returned to the room—only to see Xie Tingyu rubbing his sleepy eyes, thick eyebrows furrowed, staring at her with displeasure.

“What were you doing out so late?”

His tone sounded oddly like a jealous husband catching his wife in the act.

But Ye Qingshui knew that wasn’t his intention. He just had a serious case of morning grumpiness and was cranky from being woken up.

Shen Weimin and young men like him from the courtyard had similar tempers and arrogance—carrying an air of superiority. But Xie Tingyu read more books, so he hid it better. Actually, his temper was worse! In her previous life, when she didn’t get along with him, he’d “teach” her with a smile on his face, taking every chance to mess with her while pretending it was for her own good.

Back then, seeing him happy made her happy too. He was the kind of person who had to be soothed, not confronted—the more you went against him, the more he’d hold a grudge.

It was late, and people naturally let their guard down at night. After a whole day of work, sleepiness overcame Ye Qingshui, and she instinctively fell back into her old habit of appeasing Xie Tingyu:

“Don’t be mad, okay? It was my fault. I promise it won’t happen again.”

As soon as she said it, her face was full of confusion— What did I just say???

Xie Tingyu, hearing her soft and sweet voice, felt comforted. He turned over and quickly fell asleep.

Author’s Note:

• Pingsheng-jun: “Brother Yu, don’t get used to it too fast.”

• You might get slapped in the face later.

• Xie Tingyu: “Oh :）”

• Pingsheng-jun: “…”

Mini-theater:

The next morning, Brother Yu wakes up…

…only to find his share of snake meat eaten by other random men.

He’s very unhappy.

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