"Of course not." Sanhu tapped Gu Nian's nose, "Alright, I'm going to help Mom with the fire, you go wash your hands quickly, it's almost time to eat."
Gu Nian just smiled.
Don't be fooled by Little Hu's boisterous nature; Sanhu looks so honest.
In reality, she had figured it out over time, it's usually Sanhu who comes up with ideas from behind the scenes, while Little Hu takes the blame when things go wrong.
However, that doesn't mean there's anything wrong between the brothers. On the contrary, they have a great relationship—one comes up with ideas, and the other fearlessly executes them.
"Why did you gather so many snails? These things have such hard shells, even cracking them to feed chickens is a hassle."
Lin Sanshui's voice suddenly came from the courtyard, and Gu Nian quickly responded, "Dad, these are all gathered by me. They're not for the chickens; I want them for myself."
"What's so good about them, they're fishy and lack meat!" Lin Sanshui picked Gu Nian up, "Is our little Niannian craving something tasty? Tomorrow, I'll have your Third Brother and Little Brother take you to the woods to find some bird eggs to eat."
Mrs. Jiang asked while cooking, "Didn't you just say you'd have the kids catch bugs in the field tomorrow? Now you're changing the plan?"
"What can you expect from a few kids doing much work?" Lin Sanshui started to complain to Mrs. Jiang, "It's all your fault, according to me, planting grains would save so much trouble. But you insisted on planting those two acres of cotton, and the cotton hasn't even formed yet—it's nearly eaten up by bugs!"
"Now you're blaming me? The eldest child is already so grown up, if we don't prepare quilts in advance, what will we use for the wedding?"
As for dowries, that's something rich families have.
In poor families, if the bride's family gave a bed and made a couple of boxes, that would already be considered excellent; there are even those who, not caring for the details, send their daughters off empty-handed after receiving the wedding gifts.
Lin Sanshui couldn't argue with Mrs. Jiang and closed his mouth awkwardly.
"Dad, help me with something. Can you cut off the tails of the snails for me? I can't manage it myself." Gu Nian seized the opportunity to pull Lin Sanshui to the bucket holding the snails, pleadingly.
Lin Sanshui squatted down, "Alright, but if they don't taste good when cooked, you'll be responsible for picking out all the meat to feed the chickens."
"Okay, thank you, Dad." Gu Nian sweetly called, her eyes big and bright, her radiant smile dazzling.
Some people's smiles naturally have a healing effect.
Lin Sanshui instantly felt energized, the fatigue from working in the fields all day faded.
At dinner, looking at the bowl of clear soup with two fish in it, the smile on Gu Nian's face gradually disappeared.
She thought she would finally get a taste of meat to satisfy her craving, but she overestimated Mrs. Jiang's cooking skills.
In her past life, her family ran a restaurant, and she was forced by her father to acquire good cooking skills from a young age.
This fish soup had specific techniques that mattered.
When cooked well, the milky-white broth entices the appetite.
When not, it's like the current slightly cloudy soup.
Luckily, they caught quite a few fish today, and more than half are still kept in the bucket.
Gu Nian decided in her heart that she would showcase her skills tomorrow, pay tribute to her own "temple of organs," and show them what real fish soup is!
Full of confidence, Gu Nian forced herself to drink the slightly fishy soup and ate half a corn bun, feeling just about eighty percent full.
Although Mrs. Jiang had always wanted a daughter to help share household chores, she never actually expected Gu Nian, a young child, to do much. Instead, she quickly washed the bowls.
Lin Sanshui continued to sort out the snails and vigorously washed them several times. Gu Nian and her three siblings squatted beside him watching, not finding it boring at all.