During the meal, Zhang Cuihua looked at the wild vegetable porridge and wild vegetable corn buns on the table before her and said with a displeased face, “Mother, has our family run out of grain?”
“Eat it or don’t. If you don’t, you’ll go hungry. From now on, you will all go dig for wild vegetables after work,” Grandma Gu said as she drank her porridge.
“Daya, Mengmeng, you two don’t need to go to work anymore either. Go up the mountain to dig for wild vegetables and bring them back to be dried,” Grandma Gu said, looking at them.
“Mother, they still need to work for work points, don’t they? Otherwise, what will we eat if we don’t get any grain at the end of the year?” Gu Dasao was not happy.
Grandma Gu didn’t respond to Gu Dasao. She looked at Daya and Gu Meng, and the two little girls said, “We understand, Grandma.”
“Grandma, Mother, I’m back.” Before anyone could see him, his voice was heard. Gu Dasao immediately stood up, ran to the door, and took Gu Hao’s hand. “Son, why are you back at this hour?”
Gu Hao was sixteen this year, already a young man. He was also 1.73 meters tall. Although his figure was thin and his face was dark and ruddy, the large eyes under his thick eyebrows were exceptionally bright.
“Mother, it’s summer vacation, so I came back,” Gu Hao said happily.
Grandma Gu also asked if his life at school was good, and Gu Hao said it was.
Now that he was home, Gu Hao also went to work with the adults.
Gu Yihan now went up the mountain every day with her older cousin and Gu Meng to dig for wild vegetables, and her days were quite fulfilling.
Today, Gu Yihan and Gu Meng went up the mountain together. Gu Meng, already eleven, didn’t like taking her along and ditched her on the way up.
She could only dig for wild vegetables by herself while looking around.
“Huh, a rabbit.” Gu Yihan saw a black rabbit not far away and ran in its direction. She herself didn’t lack meat to eat, but she didn’t dare take it out.
She ran with flying steps and pounced directly at it. It took several pounces before she finally pinned the rabbit with her stomach. She was overjoyed.
She laboriously picked up the rabbit with her hands and was just about to get up.
“Aidang, will you really marry me?” a delicate, affected voice drifted over.
Gu Yihan instantly froze in the tall grass, not daring to move. Was that her cheap old dad?
She couldn’t be sure, because after the founding of the country, many people in this village had changed their names. There were too many names with “Dang” or “Jianguo” in them.
She quietly perked up her ears to listen.
“As long as you give me a big, fat son, I’ll immediately divorce that old hag at home and marry you, you little vixen.” She recognized Gu Aidang’s voice.
“Oh, dear lord, it’s confirmed. It really is my cheap dad,” Gu Yihan thought to herself, wondering how she could get away.
Before long, she heard the sounds of heavy panting and moaning from a small slope.
Gu Yihan hunched over and slowly, carefully shuffled away, terrified of making a sound.
Gu Aidang’s hoarse voice drifted over: “Well? Between me and that short-lived husband of yours, who’s better?”
The woman panted coquettishly, “You devil, you’re better, alright? You have no shame.”
Gu Yihan now wanted to poke her own ears out. She quickly sped up, worried she might throw up last night’s dinner.
After coming down the mountain, before she even reached home, she started shouting, “Grandma, Grandma, look what I caught!”
Grandma Gu quickly took the small basket off her little granddaughter’s back and saw a big, fat rabbit inside. Her face bloomed into a smile like a chrysanthemum. “Such a big rabbit, did you go into the deep mountains?”
She worriedly checked her little granddaughter’s body, and after examining her and seeing that nothing was wrong, she relaxed.
Gu Yihan calmed her wildly beating heart. “No, I didn’t, Grandma. This rabbit was so stupid. I just pressed it with my stomach and it couldn’t run.”
She didn’t mention seeing her cheap dad on the mountain. In any case, it wouldn’t affect her own life. Perhaps others would think she was selfish and cold if they knew.
But in this era, it was too difficult for a girl to get out.
Her older cousin was thirteen this year, and the family had already started looking out for young men in the surrounding villages for her. This was not the life she wanted.
“Where’s your older sister? Didn’t she go out with you to dig for wild vegetables? How come you’re the only one who came back?” Grandma Gu looked behind me but didn’t see Gu Meng.
Gu Yihan didn’t hide it for Gu Meng. “Sister ditched me at the foot of the mountain. I didn’t see her when I was coming down.”
Grandma Gu was furious when she found out.
She cursed as she prepared the rabbit, “She’s just an ungrateful wolf, spoiled by that mother of hers. You’re still so young, yet she dared to leave you behind. Isn’t she afraid something might happen to you?”
Gu Yihan trotted over to Grandma Gu and said, “Grandma, don’t be angry. I’m fine, aren’t I? Don’t ruin your health over this, it’s not worth it.”
Grandma Gu especially loved hearing her little granddaughter speak; it warmed her heart. “Alright, Grandma won’t be angry.”
Grandma Gu didn’t stir-fry the whole rabbit. She only used half and hung the other half in the well.
At dinner, the whole family was present. Gu Meng had also returned home at some point.
Seeing the meat, Gu Aidang said, “Mother, where did the meat come from? It’s quite a feast today.”
“Hanyan was lucky and caught it on the mountain.”
“Amazing! Mengmeng, next time you go up the mountain, I’ll go with you and share some of your luck,” Gu Hao said as he ate.
Gu Yihan deliberately said she was just at the foot of the mountain and hadn’t gone up.
Everyone was busy eating the rabbit meat and didn’t say anything more.
After finishing his meal, Gu Hao said with satisfaction, “This is the best meal I’ve had all year.”