Chapter 14: The first encounter of that year
"Ah, yes, I just got married," Lin Yue replied hastily, suddenly too nervous to look at the man.
"What are you doing, catching fish?" The man seemed to have no intention of leaving and continued to inquire.
Lin Yue nodded, "We're poor at home, and the children are weak. I'm catching some yellow eels to supplement their health."
"Yellow eels are not easy to catch. Do you want me to help you?"
Lin Yue shook her head vigorously. "No, no need."
As she spoke, she turned around, intending to walk away. Perhaps she panicked or something, but she ended up slipping and falling towards the river again involuntarily.
The man reached out and caught her arm again. "Be careful. It looks shallow here, but the mud is deep."
Lin Yue felt her face burning even more fiercely. "I-I'm fine."
The man frowned. "How about this? I'll help you catch them. If we catch any yellow eels, you can give me some as payment."
Lin Yue looked at him in surprise. "How can I accept such kindness?"
"Just watch and let me know when you spot one. I'll do the catching. Don't worry, I used to catch yellow eels and mudfish a lot when I was a kid. I'm very experienced."
The man grinned, his smile radiant and warm in the sunlight. Despite his slightly tanned complexion, he gave off an exceptional sense of reassurance and solidity.
For a moment, Lin Yue couldn't help but be slightly envious, thinking, ‘If only the man she married was like him.’
But the thought quickly passed, and Lin Yue hurriedly calmed herself, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves.
"Alright then, it's a deal. I'll help you find the yellow eels, and you help me catch them. If we catch any, we split them evenly," Lin Yue said once her mind had settled.
With her mind calmed, Lin Yue's brain began to function again. Catching yellow eels was indeed troublesome, precisely because they were so slippery and often burrowed deep into the mud.
If someone could help catch them, that would be the best.
Although she didn't want to have too much involvement with a stranger, she couldn't let her children's health suffer.
"There, under that clump of grass, at a fifteen-degree angle upward." Lin Yue looked and pointed to a precise spot.
The man hesitated slightly, then instinctively dug where she indicated. After a short while, he indeed pulled out a yellow eel as thick as a thumb.
"Caught one!" Lin Yue exclaimed happily.
The man was also surprised but pleased. He tossed the eel into the bucket, and they continued to work together.
Lin Yue directed, and the man not only caught several yellow eels but even pulled out a big turtle from the river, weighing about seven or eight ounces.
Lin Yue was thrilled. "This is great. Now, Xiu Er can really get some good nourishment."
"Is she your daughter?" the man asked with a smile.
Lin Yue responded with a thoughtful "Mm." She wasn’t sure if it was because the man gave off a feeling of comfort or if she wanted to find a topic to avoid awkwardness. She hesitated for a moment before adding, "She's my stepdaughter. I just got married, and I don't even know what my husband looks like. Suddenly, I have a son and a daughter. Isn't that lucky?"
The man looked slightly puzzled, a strange light flashing in his eyes. "Yes, that's very lucky."
"You're quite a good stepmother, knowing to catch yellow eels for the children to eat," he added after a moment of thought.
Lin Yue chuckled bitterly. "Far from it. I'm trying hard to be a wicked stepmother."
"A wicked stepmother? Most people would try to avoid being called wicked. Why do you try so hard to be one?" The man found it amusing.
T/L: They met!
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