Chapter 6

Chapter 6 Borrowing Food

After arriving home, facing the eager eyes of the little kids, Lu Qing didn’t waste any time and immediately started to distribute the fish.

He plucked two banana leaves from the back of the yard and cut them into several pieces.

He gave each little kid a handful of fish, not much, probably less than half a pound each.

Although the fish were not many, the little kids were very excited.

After getting the fish, they all ran home happily, as if they had found some treasure.

After seeing Lu Qing distribute the fish, a villager came forward.

“Lu Qing, how did you catch all these fish? How did you catch so many at once?”

“Just luck.” Lu Qing smiled, “Maybe it’s because the bait I use is more attractive to fish.”

“Then what bait did you use?”

“It’s the very common earthworms in the fields.”

Lu Qing didn’t hide anything and told the truth.

Anyway, even if he didn’t say it, the villagers would know it soon.

After all, when he was fishing, there were a group of little kids watching him.

In this case, he might as well say it out loud, lest others say he is stingy.

“Earthworms, can this thing be used for fishing?” The villagers were surprised.

“Of course it can, and the fish like it very much.”

Lu Qing was not surprised that the villagers did not know that earthworms can be used for fishing.

From the original owner’s memory, he roughly guessed that he was now living in a world similar to the ancient China.

In this ancient and feudal era, transportation was inconvenient and information was blocked.

People were cautious and conservative about new things and would not try them easily.

It is very likely that common sense that everyone knows in one place will become a rarity in another place.

No one in the village is good at fishing, so it is normal that everyone does not know that fish like to eat earthworms.

“I didn’t expect that fish actually like to eat earthworms. No wonder everyone didn’t get anything when fishing before. It turns out that the bait was used wrong.” A villager sighed.

“Lu Qing, your father told you this method, didn’t he?”

Lu Qing hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “I heard my father mention it before, and I just happened to note it down. Today, Xiaoyan kept complaining of hunger, and there was nothing to eat at home, so I remembered this method and decided to give it a try. I didn’t expect to actually catch a fish.”

The villager paused at his words and looked at Xiaoyan.

The little girl was squatting by the bucket, watching the fish. Feeling the villager’s gaze, she looked up and immediately gave him a big smile.

The villager’s heart suddenly sank. He looked at the frail Lu Qing again, and a feeling of pity surged in his heart.

“So what are you going to do next? You can’t just eat fish, how can you stomach it?”

“I was just about to discuss this with my uncles,” Lu Qing said earnestly. “Uncles, you know my family’s situation right now. We’re practically broke. So I’d like to borrow some food, oil, and salt from you. When I find work in a few days, I’ll definitely pay you back double.”

“What are you talking about? Are you the kind of people who take advantage of others’ misfortunes? We’re all from the same village, so it’s only natural for us to support each other. It’s just a little food. Shanbo will get it for you

later!” The villager exclaimed, overwhelmed with emotion. Since

he’d said that, the other villagers couldn’t help but express their gratitude.

“Yes, it’s just a little food. I’ll get it for you right away!”

“My family bought too much salt at the market earlier this month, so I can give you some.”

“It’s just oil. We still have plenty left. I’ll go dig it up for you later!”

The villagers patted their chests, their faces filled with generosity.

Lu Qing was overjoyed: “Thank you so much, uncles!”

“Lu Qing, wait a moment, I will go home to get you some food.”

Shanbo went out immediately, and several other villagers also went home.

Before long, they all arrived at Lu Qing’s yard again.

“Here, you and Xiaoyan can eat this half bag of rice first. When you’re done, ask Shanbo for more!”

“Lu Qing, this half jar of lard should be enough for you for a while, right?”

“Here’s half a bamboo tube of salt. You can use it first.”

“I have a few flatbreads your aunt made this morning. They’ll last for a while. One piece will keep you hungry for a long time. Is that enough?”

Looking at the things the villagers brought, Lu Qing was filled with gratitude.

He bowed repeatedly and said, “That’s enough, that’s enough. Thank you, uncles!”

Then he took out a few handfuls of small fish from the bucket and distributed them to the people.

In this way, most of the fish in the wooden barrel were gone in an instant.

“Uncles, take this little bit of fish home and try it.”

Shanbo and the others waved their hands. “How can that be? You just worked so hard to catch these fish. Keep them for you and Xiaoyan.”

“Xiaoyan and I can’t eat so much. It’s hot now, and fish won’t keep long. We don’t have chickens or ducks at home, so they’ll go bad if we keep them. Uncles, just consider it a way to share the burden so we don’t waste it.”

Lu Qing pressed several bags of leaf-wrapped fish into the hands of the villagers without hesitation.

“Well… fine, we won’t be polite.”

The villagers had just shared a lot of their surplus food, and they were a little distressed at first, but after receiving the fish, they felt relieved.

After sending the uncles away, Lu Qing breathed a sigh of relief.

He felt a sense of relief.

Fortunately, the villagers were relatively simple-minded; otherwise, he wouldn’t have dared to ask for food.

Now, with this little bit of food, he and Xiaoyan wouldn’t have to worry too much about food for ten days or half a month.

With this respite, he could carefully explore how to survive in this world.

“Brother, this pancake smells so good!”

Lu Qing was lost in thought when he heard Xiaoyan’s words.

Looking down, he saw the little girl squatting on the ground, drooling over the pancake one of the villagers had just brought.

He walked over, tore off a small piece of pancake, and placed it in Xiaoyan’s hand.

“Xiaoyan, be good, eat this pancake first. I’ll go make dinner now.”

“Okay, Xiaoyan!”

Xiaoyan nodded obediently, took the pancake, and happily began to nibble on it.

After comforting the little girl, Lu Qing set to work in the kitchen.

First, he washed the rice and steamed it. Then he caught a small fish weighing half a pound, gutted it, and cleaned it.

Once he was finished cleaning the fish and preparing to fry it, Lu Qing realized something.

There was no pot in the kitchen for cooking.

Lu Qing thought about it and remembered that

there used to be an iron pot at home, but the original owner had sold it some time ago to buy food.

So now the family only had a clay pot for steaming rice, but no pot for cooking.

Sighing, Lu Qing could only settle for the next best thing. He found a relatively flat, thin stone slab outside the yard, cleaned it, and slowly roasted it over the fire.

Once the stone slab was boiling hot, Lu Qing carefully scooped out a small spoonful of solidified lard from a clay pot brought by a villager.

As the lard hit the stone slab, there was a crackling sound, and the fat quickly melted, instantly filling the air with a fragrant aroma.

(End of this chapter)