"Sister!"

"Oh, the labor force is back! We just got home and heard that you all went to plant rice seedlings!"

Brother Nan's younger brother, Li Dong, had already returned, and so had Brother Nan's Second Uncle. Her parents, however, had not come back; presumably, they had had enough of their old home during the New Year's celebrations.

Brother Nan's Second Uncle was quite tall. His large belly protruded, a floral shirt was tucked into his trousers, and his belt buckle shone brightly. Although he wasn't wearing any gold necklaces or rings, he revealed a mouthful of tobacco-stained teeth when he smiled. Seeing the basket Brother Nan was carrying, he asked, "How many fish and shrimp did you catch while planting rice seedlings? It must have been hard to catch them just after the rain, right?"

"Half a basket," Brother Nan said.

"Not bad," her Second Uncle feigned surprise.

"I'll fry them up in a bit," Brother Nan chuckled. As she got closer, she pointed to her classmates behind her and introduced, "These are my classmates, some of whom you've met before. This is my Second Uncle."

"Hello, Second Uncle."

"Hello, hello..."

Her Second Uncle smiled broadly, looking very much like a wealthy man.

Li Dong, however, hid behind Second Uncle, quietly sizing up Zhou Li.

He had met Zhou Li several times. Zhou Li often visited Brother Nan's family's noodle shop, and sometimes Li Dong would be there playing or doing homework, but they had never spoken. Clearly, Li Dong was much more reserved than his older sister had been at his age.

But Second Uncle had never met Zhou Li.

Zhou Li could clearly feel Second Uncle's gaze shifting between him and Huai Xu. He had probably heard from Brother Nan about "a classmate with the surname Zhou" but wasn't sure which one it was.

As for why he overlooked Zhang Hao... It was likely because he had met Zhang Hao before. Or maybe it was because Zhang Hao and Kang Xue'er were walking so closely together, suggesting intimacy. It could also be that Brother Nan's grandparents had told him that "the classmate with the surname Zhou" was incredibly handsome, a standard Zhang Hao clearly didn't meet.

Suddenly, Huai Xu spoke up, "Zhou Li, does your foot hurt where it got pricked? There were so many small stones on the road; it really hurt my foot."

Zhou Li turned to look.

The Old Monster had a sinister smile on his face.

Turning back, Zhou Li met Second Uncle's gaze, which still held a hint of an 'Oh, so it's this one' expression, leaving Zhou Li speechless.

Huai Xu feigned confusion. "Why are you looking at me?"

Black lines began to appear on Zhou Li's forehead.

Realizing he had given himself away, Huai Xu quickly ducked his head, covered his mouth, and scurried to the side like a thief, letting out a series of KUKUKU laughs.

Brother Nan called over her Second Uncle and grandfather to help clean the loaches and crayfish. She knew her classmates had never cooked before. While gutting fish was technically easy, she figured it might be psychologically challenging for them, so she didn't ask for their help.

Once everything was prepared, Zhou Li started the fire.

Brother Nan then coated the small fish, loaches, and a few crayfish in a thin layer of starch and dropped them into the hot oil.

The sizzling sound began.

The aroma of oil and meat rose with the blue-grey smoke.

The young people crowded around the stove, nearly blocking all the light. Only Zhou Li diligently tended the fire.

Brother Nan's Second Uncle initially stood by, watching the excitement. Later, perhaps feeling it was inappropriate for him, an "aged piece of cured meat," to linger in a room full of young people, all under twenty, he also left. Before going, he didn't forget to quip, "Don't blow up the kitchen!"

Only after he left did Huai Xu ask, "Brother Nan, your Second Uncle seems a bit...?"

"Like an old gangster, right?" Brother Nan asked.

"...Not that old, though," Huai Xu said.

"He basically is an old gangster," Brother Nan laughed. "He used to run with some bad crowds when he was younger and even spent a few years locked up. After he got out, my grandfather gave him a good thrashing and then found him a wife. Hey, you wouldn't believe it, but that trick actually worked. Once he got married, the guy immediately settled down. At least, much more than before."

"Is it okay to talk about your Second Uncle like that?" Zhang Hao asked timidly.

"It's perfectly fine!" Brother Nan declared.

"It's burning," Huai Xu sniffed, pointing at a small fish in the pot. "You can take that one out for me to eat."

"Then you try it," Brother Nan said, giving the fish to Huai Xu.

One of the advantages of crowding around the stove was getting to eat the food fresh from the pot. This was especially true if you were a beloved younger member of the family and the person cooking happened to be an older relative who doted on you; you could be half-full before the dishes even made it to the table.

But Brother Nan was fair to everyone.

She let everyone have a taste. After everything was fried, she placed it in a woven bamboo basket and told them to help themselves. Even Zhou Li, who was engrossed in tending the fire, was fed a small crayfish by her.

"How is it?" she asked.

"Good," Zhou Li replied.

This was probably Zhou Li's first time eating deep-fried crayfish. The heads and innards had been removed, but the claws and legs were still attached. They had been fried until crispy and crunched with every bite. The taste was somewhat like shrimp-flavored potato chips, but harder and crunchier. The meat itself, however, had the usual texture of crayfish and no added spices.

Anyway, he thought it was delicious.

They had caught six crayfish in total, just enough for one each. Brother Nan didn't have one herself; she gave her share to her younger brother.

She continued to drop the last few small fish into the pot while saying to the others, "Now that the work is done, tomorrow I'll take you all to Datian to fish for crayfish. We'll see how many we can catch. My grandpa went and cut down two bamboo trees this afternoon and split them into dozens of thin strips. Tomorrow, we'll take them all there to use as fishing poles and take over a whole stretch of the field embankment!"

"Grandpa is so nice!" Huai Xu exclaimed.

"Grandpa does this every year," Jiang Han said quietly.

Hearing the Old Monster call Brother Nan's grandfather "Grandpa" too made Zhou Li feel awkward. After a moment's thought, he asked, "Can we take some crayfish back with us?"

"Of course, you can!"

The oil in the pot splattered, and Brother Nan instinctively blinked. After a brief pause, she continued, "It depends on how many we catch, but there should be plenty. If there's enough, I'll give each of you a bucket to take home. I'll drive you all straight to your homes. Of course, that's provided your families know how to cook crayfish. If not, then just eat more here."

"Okay," Zhou Li said, relieved.

After all, he had told Lord Dumpling he was going out to fight monsters, so he had to bring back some spoils of war. Yes, that was it. He would say they fought a Lobster Beast, and that he and Huai Xu had defeated it after enduring great hardships. It was a good thing Lord Dumpling hadn't come. After they defeated it, a whole bunch of crayfish had "dropped" as loot. He'd give two to Lord Dumpling to play with, and the rest could be handed over to Aunt Jiang for magical purification.

A smile touched Zhou Li's lips.

Zhang Hao asked, "Are we still going to use frogs as bait?"

"No, those poor things," Brother Nan said. She also found it strange. In her childhood, they always used frogs and marsh frogs to bait crayfish, catching them and killing them on the spot. It was an extremely cruel sight, but it hadn't bothered her back then. Now, however, she found she couldn't bear to do it.

"I asked Grandpa to prepare some intestines beforehand," she said. "That stuff is good. It has a strong smell and lasts a long time."

Zhang Hao asked, "So they can't just tear pieces off easily?"

"Exactly!" Brother Nan declared. "We won't even let them get a proper bite!"

"HA HA HA..." the group laughed.

After frying the small fish and shrimp, Brother Nan also took some out for her grandparents and Second Uncle to try. Because they had been eating while frying, what was left in the bamboo basket was just enough for them to have a taste.

They unanimously declared it delicious.

Second Uncle even suggested that when Brother Nan's father retired, she could take over his duties—specifically, cooking for festivals and holidays.

Brother Nan couldn't be bothered to respond to him.

「An hour later, it was time for dinner.」

Second Uncle took out two bottles of Moutai. Raising an eyebrow at Zhou Li, he asked, "How much can you drink, Xiao Zhou?"

"I don't drink alcohol," Zhou Li replied.

"Hm? Not at all?"

"No, I don't."

"Surely you can handle two liang, can't you?" Second Uncle pressed.

"I don't think I can," Zhou Li said.

"How can that be? Li Nan drinks alcohol like it's water. Everyone in our family can hold their liquor. You can't be like this."

"Ummm..." Zhou Li hesitated.

"Cut it out!" Brother Nan interrupted her Second Uncle. Then she said to Zhou Li, "Don't listen to him. Anyone who pressures people to drink has something wrong with them. Just pretend he's not at the table, and ignore anything he says!"

"So disrespectful," Second Uncle muttered, shaking his head.

"I think Li Nan is right!" Grandma chimed in, glaring at Second Uncle, her tone full of reproach. "Do you think everyone is like you? You drunkard! You bum! Don't go corrupting Xiao Zhou!"

"Exactly!" Grandpa also stood up for Zhou Li. "Alcohol is terrible for your health!"

Second Uncle fell silent, unable to retort.

Brother Nan immediately beamed, pushing her cup forward. "Pour me some. We two will drink."

Second Uncle smiled too as he poured her a drink. "Just don't drink me under the table," he said.

Huai Xu's eyes darted around. He also pushed his cup forward. "Second Uncle, pour me a drink too! A big one, so I don't have to bother with refills. How about we don't go home until we're drunk tonight?"

"Alright!" Second Uncle exclaimed, looking very pleased.

「Half an hour later, he wasn't smiling anymore.」

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