Chapter 18: Catching a Chicken

The women weaving nets nearby couldn’t help shaking their heads. These boys idled around all day like children who had never grown up, only knowing how to play. And now they even wanted to slaughter a chicken from home?

What spendthrifts. If they were from their families, they would have been beaten to death.

But over the years, everyone had seen them fool around plenty of times, so they were already used to it.

At least they weren’t bringing disaster to other people’s homes. That barely counted as their only good point.

Ye Yaodong rubbed his nose awkwardly. Seeing his wife’s angry expression, he really did feel a bit guilty.

Little Little said with a grin, “Dongzi, you even know how to feel sorry for your wife now? It’s fine. Just coax her properly when you come back tonight.”

“Exactly. Just coax her when you come back tonight. Hurry up. We still have to slaughter the chicken. It’s already past two now, and we still need to stew it for half the day. If it gets too late, we’ll starve to death.”

Ye Yaodong was dragged along by the two of them. Thinking it was already too late to turn back now, he decided he would just coax her properly when he returned at night. Tomorrow, he would go gather seafood with them again and perform well to try to win back her heart.

After figuring that out, he threw aside his worries and happily went with them.

Baisha Village wasn’t exactly large, but it wasn’t small either. Azheng’s house was closer to Dongqiao Village, and the back door of his house opened onto the fields.

Although he had spoken about catching a chicken with great confidence, when it actually came time to catch one, he felt a little guilty. Afraid his mother would see from the front door while weaving nets, he deliberately led them around by a different route, planning to cross through the fields behind the house and climb over the fence.

Who would have thought his mother was actually sitting at the back door weaving nets today!

And the moment she raised her eyes, she saw the three of them standing by the roadside…

“What are you boys up to now?”

Azheng gave an awkward laugh and rubbed his hands together as he stepped forward.

“Mom, I want to discuss something with you. See if it’s okay…”

“No!”

The three of them were speechless.

He hadn’t even said anything yet, and he had already been blocked!

Azheng’s mother lifted her eyelids, scratched her hair with the shuttle needle, then resumed weaving after easing the itch.

“When the few of you get together, nothing good ever happens. Don’t discuss anything with me. Even if you ask, I won’t agree!”

“Mom, hasn’t Dad been saying recently that his hands and feet feel weak…”

“What, are you planning to buy a mud crab to nourish your father?”

For people living by the sea, when their hands and feet felt weak and they needed nourishment, they usually chose to eat mud crabs.

“Not exactly…”

Standing at the side, Ye Yaodong found it a little funny. A moment ago at his own doorway, Azheng had sounded so righteous and confident, but the moment he ran into his mother, he immediately became timid.

How many years had it been since he had seen Azheng like this?

Azheng figured that stretching out his neck was a blade, and shrinking back was also a blade, so he might as well say it directly.

“This morning, Guang caught a cobra. I was thinking of killing a chicken and bringing it over to stew together. Then I’ll bring back a bowl for you and Dad to nourish yourselves. Dad has been saying his hands and feet feel weak lately, hasn’t he?”

His mother raised her brows. She had originally been about to start scolding him, but after hearing the latter half, she swallowed the words back down.

At least he had a bit of filial piety and remembered his father.

Seeing that his mother didn’t immediately curse, Azheng knew there was hope. He pressed on.

“Mom, look, I paid for the eggs myself and brought them back to be hatched. Usually, I’m the one who feeds them most of the time too. So if you give me one, you don’t really lose anything, right?”

“You think I’m stupid? You yourself still eat my food, wear my clothes, and live under my roof. How do you have the nerve to say the chickens are yours?”

“Hehe, yours, yours. Then if you’re not against it, I’ll catch one?”

Azheng’s mother widened her eyes and was just about to scold him when he had already excitedly called Ye Yaodong and Little Little to help catch a chicken.

Not objecting and not scolding—didn’t that mean she agreed?

“Get lost, get lost. Catch it and then get lost. You can only take a rooster.”

She had given birth to four daughters and only this one son. How could she not dote on him?

“Which one should we catch?”

“That one! That big rooster is fat! Little Little, you go first!”

Ye Yaodong pointed at the brightly feathered rooster strolling leisurely in the corner and ordered the others to move first.

The ground was covered in chicken droppings, and he really didn’t want to step in.

After a short burst of clucking sounds from the rooster—

“Damn it, didn’t catch it!”

“Over there, over there… Dongzi…”

“I’ve got it… I’ve got it…”

The three of them ran wildly around the courtyard, and the chickens flew all over the place. After a chaotic mess of chickens flying and dogs jumping, they still failed to catch one.

“Damn it, how can it fly so well? You guys take that side, I’ll take this side. Let’s surround it!”

Ye Yaodong quickly stopped them.

“Wait, wait. Azheng, go grab a handful of rice bran. We’ll stand in the corner. It’ll be easier to catch them when they start eating.”

“Got it~”

Azheng’s mother felt her liver ache watching them. These stinking boys! Thankfully she had reacted quickly and moved the fishing net inside. Otherwise, it definitely would have become a mess.

After they scattered a handful of rice bran, the chickens remained very cautious. They circled nearby tentatively, not daring to approach.

Only after a while, when they felt there was no danger, did they step forward to peck at it.

“Go! Dongzi, you go.”

Fine, he would go.

Ye Yaodong crept forward lightly, locked onto the target, and pounced.

“Caught it!”

His face was full of joy as he gripped the rooster’s two wings tightly.

“Bring a straw rope. I’ll tie it up, or it’ll fly away again later.”

“Here. Tie it while we walk. Take it to Guang’s house to slaughter.”

This big rooster was full of energy. Even after being tied up, it kept struggling and stretching its neck as it cried out loudly.

Only after tying up the chicken did Ye Yaodong hand it to them to carry. Seeing that the toes and edges of his shoes were covered in chicken droppings, he casually grabbed a handful of straw and wiped them, then ground his feet against the ground a few times to clean the soles before happily following them to Guang’s house.

Guang’s mother was gone, and his father had gone out to sea on a large fishing boat. Once he left, it would be several months before he returned. There was no one at home to manage things for him, and no girl was willing to marry him, so he still wasn’t married. There were only him and his two younger sisters at home, so whenever they gathered, they always chose Guang’s house.

Everyone was gathered at his house playing cards, waiting for the three of them to arrive so they could start cooking.

“Holy crap, Guang, don’t you know what your own name means? You actually dare to sit down and play cards in the afternoon?”

“Hahaha, Pei Guang—lose everything!”

Ye Yaodong also remembered the bad luck Guang’s name brought him and slapped his thigh as he laughed loudly. He hadn’t seen Guang in many years either.

In his previous life, after Guang’s father saved enough money to buy a boat, he had taken the whole family and moved to Zhoushan to process dried shrimp. After that, they rarely came back.

Guang looked at them disdainfully.

“I actually haven’t lost today, alright?”

“Then who lost? Who won? Whoever won the most should go to the dock and buy a couple bowls of seafood. Azheng brought a chicken from home, and tonight we’re making dragon-phoenix soup. Let’s make it a proper feast!”

Guang flicked the small bills in his hand, looking proud and vindicated.

“I won from all three of them. First time ever. I’ll go to the dock and see what they have right now. You guys slaughter the chicken first!”

They often played cards casually and gambled a little. Since they were all friends, whoever won would usually use the money to buy some food so everyone could eat, drink, and brag together.

Although none of them had much promise, their relationship was very good. Ye Yaodong was especially excited and volunteered.

“You guys keep playing. Leave the chicken to me. I’ll clean it up.”

“Sure, then it’s yours. I’ll play cards for a while. Call me once it’s cleaned up, and I’ll cook!”

Little Little looked as though he had been granted amnesty. After handing the chicken to him, he immediately crowded around the table.

(End of Chapter)