It's What You Think

At first, it was just a faint smell, but then the smell became stronger and stronger. Everyone in the Li family, including the sleeping grandson Goudan, opened their eyes. Their stomachs rumbled after eating not long ago. They sat up from their mother's arms, rubbing their eyes. They almost broke free from her hand and ran towards the place where the smell came from, but were caught by their father.

Li Da stretched his head and looked at the side room opposite. Through the door, he could clearly see a pottery jar on the red fire, and the smell came from there.

For a while, the Li family was silent again. They were all very curious about where the fish came from. It smelled very fresh, especially Goudan, whose saliva was already flowing down. Even the adults couldn't help swallowing.

Here, it was almost time, Gulan grabbed two handfuls of dry grass and took down the pottery jar. The smelly little bun couldn't help it and stared at the pottery jar. But his mother didn't move, so he didn't dare to move. He looked at the pottery jar and drooled.

After the fish soup was served, Gulan took out pepper from the space, pinched a pinch and sprinkled it into the fish soup. It would be more perfect if there was coriander, but it was a pity.

Resisting the urge to take sesame oil, Gulan stood up and told the little bun to stay honestly, and walked towards the house opposite where the Li family was temporarily staying. When the fish soup was boiling, she had already thought about sending a bowl to the Li family.

Strictly speaking, they were just acquaintances and had no relationship at all, but they showed kindness more than once. It would be a lie for Gulan to say that she was not moved. After all, this was the first kindness she felt since she came here.

The reason for walking to the Li family empty-handed was to borrow a bowl. After all, she couldn't always pick up a bowl.

AnAn: "..."

Mother, you keep picking up, AnAn doesn't know anything.

"Li... Uncle Li, can you lend me a big bowl?" In fact, Gulan subconsciously wanted to call Aunt Li, but thinking that she was a man now, she quickly changed her words.

"Bowl, oh, yes, his mother will get a big bowl for Gulan."

"Thank you, Uncle Li."

"It just a bowl."

"Brother Gu, what are you cooking? It smells so good." Li Laosan finally couldn't help asking.

"Just call me Gulan, I'm cooking fish soup." Gulan replied, taking the big bowl handed over by Aunt Li.

Aunt Li: "Is it enough? If not I'll get you another one."

"Enough, enough," Gulan nodded hurriedly.

"Okay, borrow from me if you need anything else. I can't say for sure about other household necessities, but i do have some."

"Okay, Aunt Li, I won't be polite."

She smiled at Aunt Li with the bowl and turned back to the opposite side.

Then, under AnAn's surprised eyes, she poured a bowl of fish soup and a fish, and went to the opposite side again.

"Uncle Li, I cooked more fish soup, you can share this bowl." Gulan said, and put the fish soup in the hand of Li Da, who was closest to her.

Li Da, who was suddenly stuffed with a bowl of fish soup, didn't dare to move immediately. He wanted to push it back but was afraid of spilling the fish soup. This thing is rare at ordinary times, let alone in this period, it is too precious, he can't bear to spill it.

"This... this" Li Da didn't know what to say, and the others stared at the fish soup in Li Da's hand with wide eyes, especially the children who couldn't help swallowing their saliva.

Old man Li looked at the useless family and wanted to glare at him, but he finally sighed. The taste of the fish soup was too delicious, not to mention the children, he couldn't help it. He also understood why Gu Xiaozi (Gulan) came to borrow a bowl from them just now, it turned out to be here.

"No, fish soup is such a good thing, you and the children should keep it for yourselves." Old man Li hurriedly declined.

"I still have it, this bowl is specially for you, Uncle Li was polite to me, I wasn't polite when borrowed the bowl just now, I won't say anything, AnAn is in the room by herself, I'll go first."

Gulan nodded slightly and left here quickly, mainly because she was afraid of wasting words, whether it was before or now, she is not a talkative person.   

"Hey... Gu Xiao..." Looking at Gulan who had returned to the opposite house, he was so fast that Old man Li didn't have time to finish his words.

"What should we do, old man?" Aunt Li asked, pointing at the big bowl of fish soup in her son's hand.

"Let's share it," Old man Li couldn't ignore the eyes of his children and grandchildren, and said, as if he owed a favor again.

In this way, each family member took a turn to eat two mouthfuls, and the bowl of soup was soon finished. At the same time, they also found a fish slightly larger than a palm at the bottom of the bowl.

They didn't dare to think about the fish. They were very happy to drink fresh fish soup. This was one of the few opportunities for them to eat meat since they fled from famine.

In the end, the fish was divided among the younger grandchildren. The youngest grandson got a little more. After eating it, Goudan was still licking the bottom of the bowl.

Gu Lan and his son ate the remaining soup and a fish, took the fish bone out and threw it outside and buried it with soil. The fish bone was too sharp to be given to Dahei. If it cut his intestines, he would have to wait for death. Then she rinsed the pottery jar with clean water and poured it to Dahei. The fishy water was drunk by Dahei. Then she packed up and put the things in the backpack. She didn't stop for a moment and pulled her son to come to Li Laohan again.

"Sit down and talk if you have something to say." Gulan came over. Li Laohan signaled his eldest son to move a wooden stool.

Gulan didn't hesitate to pull her son to sit down. AnAn leaned against his mother's legs obediently.

Li Laohan: "Gu kid, what was it that you couldn't say just now?"

"It's not that I can't say it, I was afraid that you would be anxious, so I waited for a while."

"Afraid that we would be anxious?" Li Da took over the words, a little confused. Looking at the family members, they were all there, what was there to be anxious about. The other members of the Li family were also confused by this sentence, and everyone looked at Gulan in confusion.

Li Laohan: "Gu kid, don't keep us in suspense"

"Is the fish soup delicious? It's fresh, right?"

"Fish soup" Li Laohan and his sons frowned at the same time. Why did they turn to fish soup again. Fish soup, fish... soup... Suddenly, Old man Li mind seemed to remember something? His eyes lit up, could it be that... Li Da and the others had obviously thought of this too. The fish soup was indeed very fresh. Only fish that had just been killed could make such a fresh soup, which meant that the fish was caught by Brother Gu.

Immediately, the brothers looked at Gulan excitedly, and they were so anxious that they almost scratched their heads.

"Gu kid, it's not what I thought." Old Man Li couldn't believe it. This kid was too lucky. He actually found water and caught fish. No wonder he came back so late. It turned out that he went to find water. Old Man Li immediately understood the truth.

Gu Lan nodded and picked up his son who was leaning against him. The boy finally couldn't stand it anymore and wanted to sleep. Now the Li brothers couldn't keep calm anymore. They finally figured out why Brother Gu had to eat before telling them. If they knew at that time, they would never have waited for Brother Gu to finish his meal. Now they can't wait for Brother Gu to take them to a place with water.

The buckets in the cart were all dry, and only the water in the water bag still had water. If they couldn't find any more water, they wouldn't be able to hold on for long.

It was because Aunt Li had taken her daughter-in-law and grandchildren to bed, otherwise there would be more people excited in the room. Li Da and the others were so excited that they stood still. Just when they were about to ask Gulan where the water source was, they made eye contact with the son in Gulan's arms and stopped talking.