Back to 1980: Farming the Sea and Expanding the Island

"Brother Chuanzi, promise me first, then I'll talk."

"Let go first, then we'll talk." Lin Chuan was being pulled along helplessly.

"Promise me first." Li Jiaye now sees Lin Chuan as his lifeline. He is usually afraid of whatever the teacher says in class.

His parents also greatly respect the school's teachers. If Lin Chuan were to go home and talk to them about it, he believes his parents would definitely listen.

Lin Chuan looked at the stubborn Li Jiaye speechlessly. How did he get so caught up in the excitement?

"Li Lao Er, let go of Brother Chuan first. If Brother Chuan has a way, he will definitely help you," Water Monkey also advised from the side.

"Yes, Jia Ye, relax first and tell me what happened so I can help you," Lin Chuan said.

"Really! Brother Chuanzi, you have to keep your word." After hesitating for a moment, Li Jiaye released Lin Chuan's arm and began to recount what had happened that day.

"This morning, while driving on the river, Wen Dong pulled out several large yellow eels, they were really thick. He originally planned to take them to the dock to sell."

Renfu looked at the eel and said he had a cookbook at home with a dish made with eel called "Dragon and Phoenix Bringing Auspiciousness," complete with a picture; it looked really good.

As he spoke, Li Jiaye swallowed hard, his eyes sparkling, clearly still savoring the delicious taste of the dish.

"The three of us were talking when our stomachs started growling, and Wen Dong suggested we stew the eel. Ren Fu said that this dish should be stewed with chicken."

"Then, you went home and stole a chicken. Renfu gave you the recipe, and the three of you stewed a pot of 'Dragon and Phoenix Bringing Auspiciousness'," Lin Chuan continued.

"Renfu also provided the medicinal herbs, which he also prepared," Li Jiaye added.

"You three really have a clear division of labor, huh?" Lin Chuan chuckled. "Wen Dong provides the eels, Ren Fu provides the seasonings and cooking skills, and you provide the chicken. Who else would your mother beat if not you!"

Li Jiaye muttered indignantly, "The three of us ate, and their mother didn't hit them, but my mother hit me." As he spoke, his voice gradually lowered.

"Alright, alright, you're acting all wronged now."

"Brother Chuanzi, my mother was really ruthless. It hurt so much," Li Jiaye said, tears welling up in his eyes.

Lin Chuan looked at Li Jiaye, who was in tears, and couldn't help but laugh again.

"Let your mother calm down first. This afternoon, come with me, and I'll explain it to you."

"Okay, Brother Chuanzi, I'll listen to you." Li Jiaye wiped away his tears and followed behind, limping.

"Let me analyze the family business for you first, listen to what I have to say. Look at where Wen Dong got the eels?"

"He caught it while he was out fishing in the river. He's very good at it; he always manages to catch it. This time, it was the biggest one he caught," Li Jiaye replied.

"Hmm, very good. So who made the dragon and phoenix soup you were eating?"

"Renfu made it."

"Hmm, where did the chicken come from?"

"I caught it, Brother Chuanzi, didn't I just tell you?" Li Jiaye asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Jiaye, this dish was a collaborative effort between you two, right?"

Li Jiaye nodded.

"Then, think carefully about what the differences are. Once you understand it..."

From now on, if you eat "Dragon and Phoenix" again, I promise your mother won't hit you anymore; she'll even praise you.

"What's the difference?" Li Jiaye frowned, deep in thought.

The water monkey was also pondering along.

When they arrived at the doorstep, the water monkey's eyes suddenly lit up.

She quickly said to Lin Chuan, "Brother Chuan, I understand, I know why, it's..."

"Shh! Just keep it to yourself, don't say anything, let the family business figure it out itself." Lin Chuan interrupted Shui Houzi with a smile, gesturing towards the family business.

The water monkey nodded excitedly, but looked at Li Jiaye with a hint of disdain.

In the afternoon, the scorching sun shone on the bluestone pavement of Jiangxin Village, and the alleys returned to silence.

Only the occasional chirping of cicadas and the sounds of children playing could be heard; the adults were still resting.

Lin Chuan and Shui Houzi led Xiao Man and Li Jiaye, walking slowly along the narrow alley.

The earthen walls on both sides were covered with mottled moss, and unknown wildflowers on the walls swayed gently in the breeze.

However, along the way, Lin Chuan, Shui Houzi, and Xiao Man chatted and laughed, while Li Jiaye stood behind them barefoot, his brow furrowed as he pondered his troubles.

Lin Chuan turned to Xiao Man and said, "Xiao Man, do you know how I know how to make animal feed?"

Xiaoman replied crisply, "I read it in a book."

"That's right, so you should study hard and try to get a college degree for our family," Lin Chuan said with a smile.

"Yeah! Bro, I'm a great student, all my teachers praise me."

The water monkey chimed in, laughing, "Did you get a hundred points? Old Li Er got a hundred points."

"One hundred points? Brother Jiaye got one hundred points?" Xiaoman looked at Li Jiaye suspiciously.

The look in his eyes made Li Jiaye a little uneasy; he was still trying to figure out how to avoid a beating from his family.

I vaguely heard their conversation, which was fragmented and disjointed.

"What's wrong, Xiaoman? Is something the matter?"

"Brother Jiaye, Brother Xiaopu said you got a perfect score. Is that true?"

Upon hearing this, Li Jiaye glared at the water monkey, knowing that this kid was just spouting nonsense.

The water monkey grinned wickedly and said, "Li Lao Er, am I wrong?"

Li Jiaye blushed and nodded without hesitation, "Yes, it's a hundred points."

"Oh, then I want to get 100 points on my tests in the future, just like Jiaye."

Lin Chuan coughed lightly, "Getting a perfect score is fine, but forget about learning from your brother Jia Ye."

Li Jiaye's face turned even redder, while only the water monkey laughed happily.

"Brother, why is that?"

"You'll find out later," Lin Chuan said vaguely.

"Oh, I see, brother." Xiaoman had a good attitude, so she didn't ask any more questions after Lin Chuan said that.

Only Li Jiaye glared hatefully at the water monkey, temporarily escaping the mindset that he would be beaten if he went home.

The group soon arrived at the field of sweet sorghum.

The sweet sorghum swayed gently in the breeze, its slender leaves rustling softly.

"Brother Chuan, the sweet stalks in the mudflats are all stalks that sprouted from seeds that were left behind in the past. They don't grow well and they're not sweet."

The water monkey spat out a mouthful of crumbs, making two "pui pui" sounds, its face full of disgust.

"The sweet stalks we distributed two weeks ago were truly sweet and flavorful. Nobody even glances at this place. What do you need them for?"

The water monkey was somewhat puzzled by Lin Chuan's idea of ​​taking this patch of wild thorns back with him.

"Make duck feed!" Xiaoman replied cheerfully, spitting out two "pui pui" sounds.

Lin Chuan also chewed a few mouthfuls and spat out the crumbs. It really was not sweet and had no moisture.

"I promised Xiaoman that I would make sure her ducks could lay eggs steadily. For ducks to lay eggs, they need good feed."

Sweet sorghum residue makes excellent animal feed, and there's quite a bit of it in this area; it should be enough for your family.

"Yes, yes, my brother said that with the new duck feed, the ducks will lay more eggs."

The water monkey didn't doubt what Lin Chuan said, and was delighted to hear it, saying, "That's great, Brother Chuan! My family raises four mallard ducks and four chickens."

My sister sold all the eggs we had before. If we could lay a couple more, we could keep them.