Fishing

"Where's the big deal?" Mother is older than you, and she already knows several characters. Manbao believed that her eldest sister was bullied by her in-laws because she was not intelligent enough, prompting her eldest sister to strive for greater intelligence.

Unfortunately, she may have been born with low intelligence, so she could only improve her intelligence through learning.

Zhou Xi didn't know that Manbao considered her a "fool," so she nodded with a smile and said, "Alright, Manbao, will you sleep with your eldest sister tonight?" Her room is spacious.

"No," Manbao refused decisively, "I want to sleep in my own little bed." "I'm already an adult."

She didn't want to sleep with anyone else, not even with her parents.

Zhou Xi felt a little regretful but didn't force her. He sent her back to the main room before leaving.

The sky had already darkened completely, and all the rooms were ready for bedtime. Manbao's biological clock had also kicked in, so she yawned and walked straight into the house. She greeted her parents, who were sitting on the bed, bypassed the bamboo screen, entered her own small compartment, kicked off her shoes, climbed into bed, and fell asleep.

Lao Zhou followed her into the room and found her sound asleep on the bed. He shook his head. He turned her over and covered her with a blanket in the moonlight.

Manbao turned over in a daze and heard someone say, "She's asleep." "This child still sleeps so well, as soon as she touches the pillow."

Qian Shi chuckled softly, "Busy all day, spinning around like a top." When a person is tired, they naturally sleep well. She's just like him in this regard. "When he was a child, he would fall asleep as soon as he touched the pillow."

In a daze, Manbao yawned again and, turning over, mumbled, "Who is he, and why should I be like him?"

The next day, before dawn, Zhou Dalang woke up Zhou Silang and the others to help him dig ginger in the fields.

Zhou Xi also got up, and Zhou Dalang paused, "It's cold." "You should sleep a little longer." We brothers can go dig.

Zhou Xi shook her head and said, "I can't sleep anymore." "I'll go with you." Today, I have to go to the county town.

Zhou Dalang frowned and said, "You can leave the ginger selling to Silang and the others. Why do you have to go by yourself?"

Zhou Silang yawned and said, "Big brother, just let the eldest sister go." Our ginger will sell better, and Manbao has allowed the eldest sister to go out and see the world. Maybe she can find a husband for us.

Zhou Dalang hit him and said, "Watch your mouth." "What are you talking about?" Looking for a husband?

"What's wrong with saying that?" Didn't Mother find a matchmaker to propose to the eldest sister? "I think it's better to let the eldest sister find one herself; it's more considerate," Zhou Silang even asked Zhou Xi, "Right, eldest sister?"

Zhou Xi gave him a look and said, "Shut up, or your older brother will hit you."

Zhou Silang pouted. It was the truth, but no one admitted it. He wanted to find one himself, but it seemed impossible according to his mother's intentions. Alas...

Because of the fertile land, Zhou Silang often took his two younger brothers to cultivate the soil. Ginger was easy to dig, and with many brothers, each person dug a clump. Soon, three baskets were filled.

Zhou Erlang looked at Zhou Liulang and asked, "Lil' Six, aren't you going?"

Zhou Liulang was still young, and he wasn't fully awake yet. He shook his head. "I'm not going." The youngest sister didn't ask me to.

He had injured himself during the autumn harvest two months ago, and now his enthusiasm for earning money had decreased significantly. Currently, he just wanted to sleep, and he had enough money even if he stayed at home.

Thinking this, Zhou Liulang yawned again and looked around, "Second brother, are we done digging?" Let's go home; I want to take a nap.

Zhou Dalang and the others turned around and said, "Let's go."

Back at home, only Xiao Qianshi and the two sisters-in-law were awake. The rest were still sleeping, especially Manbao, who was sound asleep. As the voices outside grew louder, she turned over and settled back into bed.

Manbao thought she couldn't sleep, but she fell asleep again in a daze. When Xiao Qianshi woke her up from bed, she realized it was time to go to school.

Yawning, Manbao asked, "Sister-in-law, can I skip the egg water today and have boiled eggs instead?"

"No, boiled eggs do not contain the nutrients found in egg water."

"But egg water doesn't taste good," Manbao sighed like a little adult. She asked her sister-in-law to help her put on her coat, then she climbed out of bed and put on her shoes.

After having breakfast, Manbao went to school. As soon as she finished school, she ran outside because many people had gathered by the river. Unfortunately, her family didn't allow her to get close to the river, so she could only stand and watch from a distance, curiously asking, "What are they doing?"

Baishanbao wasn't afraid and ran directly past her to the river. In no time, he ran back excitedly, "They're fishing, they're catching fish!"

Manbao exclaimed and took a few steps, but then remembered Xiao Qianshi's warning, so she could only tiptoe to watch.

Baishanbao directly pulled her forward and said, "What are you afraid of? The adults aren't here."

He then pulled her to the river and happily watched.

Manbao felt he was right and squeezed into the crowd of children to try to see. Then, she met the eyes of Zhou Erlang.

Instinctively, Manbao shrank behind Baishanbao, and Zhou Erlang shouted from the water, "Manbao, don't get close to the river." Do you hear me?

The villagers on the shore turned back and waved to the children, saying, "Go away, don't play by the river." What if you fall in?

The children ran to the side but soon returned, laughing and having fun.

The adults on the shore didn't chase them away, as long as they didn't get too close to the river.

Manbao soon saw Dàtóu and the others, who had brought wooden barrels from home, looking excited.

Manbao pulled Baishanbao forward and asked curiously, "Why are they catching fish?"

Dàtóu was very happy. "Dad said the dam upstream broke, and a lot of fish came down, so we're catching fish."

Manbao exclaimed, "Wow, can we have fish soup tonight?"

Dàtóu nodded excitedly.

Baishanbao also swallowed and asked, "Can I also catch one?"

"Sure, it's for the whole village." "Everyone will take turns catching fish later."

"But no one from my family is here."

"Let Dàjí come."

Manbao suggested, "Let Dàjí come."

Baishanbao thought her suggestion was good and went to find Dàjí for help.

Mr. Zhuang, standing on the riverbank, looked a little unhappy. He walked up to a villager and asked, "Did the dam upstream break?"

"Mr. Zhuang," the villager hurriedly saluted, "Yes, I heard it broke early yesterday morning." Several villages upstream went down in the morning to catch fish and caught a lot.