SFS Chapter 6 A Family on the Verge
Chapter 6 A Family on the Verge
Da Niu thought he had misheard. Was his dad telling him to go eat fish?
His heart was against it, but his body was telling the truth.
No matter how much his heart screamed, his legs just wouldn't obey him and he walked into the main room, and even started running.
He sat down at the table in the main room, really, he sat down in such a grand manner.
There was a plate of steamed fish in front of me, simple and unpretentious.
But the delicious aroma emanating from the steamed fish was like a robber, grabbing his nose and punching him twice, even pressing his head down and forcing him to sniff the grilled fish intensely.
Finally, it entered his body through his nostrils, squeezed his heart twice, causing his heart to beat faster and making him extremely excited.
Then they went into his skull, wishing they could tear it open.
This smells amazing!
Saliva involuntarily dribbled from the corner of his mouth, and he quickly sucked it back. Good heavens, even the saliva smelled of fish!
Lin Xi handed a pair of chopsticks to Da Niu, "Eat quickly, it'll get cold soon."
Da Niu mechanically took the chopsticks. Whether he would be beaten or scolded was not important. What mattered was that he couldn't wait to take a bite.
Even if we don't see the sunrise tomorrow, it'll be worth it!
He picked up a piece of fish and put it in his mouth. The freshness of the fish exploded in his mouth, and the delicate texture and rich aroma seemed to take him into a dreamlike world of food.
Da Niu's eyes were slightly closed, and a look of ecstasy appeared on his face. At that moment, time seemed to stand still, and everything around him became insignificant.
Lin Xi looked at Da Niu's expression and a smile crept onto his lips. He knew that his steamed fish was so delicious that no one could resist it.
He was somewhat dissatisfied, however, because he couldn't find soy sauce in the kitchen. Therefore, this steamed fish was a failure.
Da Niu kept eating, one bite after another, unable to stop. In no time, the fish on the plate was almost gone.
After finishing the last piece of fish, he finally got to suck on the fish head!
Lin Xi looked at the bones, which were even cleaner than his clothes, and felt somewhat ashamed.
This child's life is worse than theirs in the apocalypse.
Da Niu slurped up the fish head, lifted the plate of steamed fish, and drank the fish soup on top in one gulp.
He put down the plate, let out a satisfied burp, and then noticed Lin Xi staring straight at him.
Only then did he realize that his father hadn't eaten a single bite.
He shuddered, only now realizing he was afraid. He quickly tried to cover it up, "Dad, I didn't mean to, the fish was just too delicious..."
Feeling that words alone wouldn't be convincing enough, he quickly stood up and knelt down in front of Lin Xi with a thud. "Father, Father, I'm sorry, I was wrong. I shouldn't have eaten so many fish by myself. I will work hard. Please forgive me this time."
He was as excited as he was a moment ago, and now he was just as sad. Good heavens, could his father have chosen a different day to beat him? What if he got vomited from the beating? Wouldn't all his food have been for nothing?
Lin Xi looked at her son and rolled her eyes in exasperation.
He's not good at educating his son; he doesn't really like his personality.
But he didn't know where to begin with education, and he was at a loss for what to do.
"Get up. This was specially made for you. Your mother and I ate out today. By the way, now that you've finished eating, tidy up, wash yourself, and get some rest."
He stood up and went back to his bedroom to sleep; he was tired after a long day.
Da Niu knelt on the ground in a daze, unable to believe that his gambling father had let him off so easily and even cooked fish for him.
He felt his world had become magical, and his father had gone mad.
He got up from the ground, picked up the plate, and prepared to clean up. Smelling the lingering fishy aroma on the plate, he couldn't resist picking it up and licking it again.
This fish was the best he had ever eaten in his life! His father's cooking skills were terrifyingly good!
He took the plate back to the kitchen, washed it, and then boiled water to wash his face and feet.
Then he returned to the main room, and in the dark, he took out a dark straw mat from a corner of the room and laid it on the ground, then took out the stiffened thin cotton quilt and covered himself with it.
"I hope all of this isn't just a dream."
The next day, Da Niu got up early and started boiling water.
Then I swept the yard, wiped the tables and benches, and carried a basin of water to the backyard to water the scallions, ginger, garlic, chili peppers, and bok choy on the ground.
When he returned to the main room, he found that his parents had not yet gotten up.
He then closed the door and went to the old house.
As soon as he entered the door, he saw his grandmother, who told his second uncle, Lin Fei, to go to the village to inquire about something.
"Da Niu, come here, Grandma has something to ask you." Jiang Shi beckoned to Da Niu.
Da Niu quickly ran over, "Grandma, what's wrong?"
"Did your parents say where they caught the fish last night?" Jiang asked Da Niu with a frown. The fish her eldest daughter-in-law had given her was still untouched, and she was preparing to return it to the wronged party.
But after waiting all night, no one came to complain, so she had no idea what was going on. She also didn't know where the two men had gone all afternoon, stealing chickens and dogs.
"Oh, Grandma, you mean the fish? I don't know either. My parents didn't tell me, but last night my dad specially cooked a fish for me. It was so delicious!"
When fish was mentioned, Da Niu couldn't help but reminisce, smacking his lips as he spoke.
Upon hearing this, Madam Jiang frowned even more deeply. "You child, that fish came from an unknown source, and you still dared to eat it? What if it causes trouble?"
Da Niu scratched his head, but thinking about his parents' behavior, he felt that this was very likely, and he felt a sense of worry. "Grandma, what should we do now?"
Jiang sighed and shook her head helplessly: "You're just too greedy. When your parents get up, stay away and listen carefully to what they say. Who knows, they might accidentally let something slip. That way, we can deal with it."
After saying that, he nudged Uncle Lin Fei, the second brother, and said, "Second brother, go and ask around in the village to see if anyone has lost any fish."
"Yes, Mother," Lin Fei replied and quickly walked out.
The fish was still in a basin in the yard. Lin Fei's 8-year-old son Lin Fu, his 6-year-old daughter Lin Lu, and the 7-year-old daughter Lin Lin from the third family squatted next to the wooden tub, looking at the dead fish, their mouths watering.
But they knew they couldn't eat it because it was brought by their aunt.
Their grandmother said it was "dirty stuff".
Who knows, because of this fish, they might have to give up all their breakfasts for the month, even their cornbread.
They already eat two meals a day; if they have to lose money, they'll probably only have dinner left this month.
Suddenly the fish didn't taste so good anymore, and everyone's spirits were low.
Meanwhile, the two people in the next room were fast asleep.
Suddenly, Gao Mengli clutched her stomach and got up. When she got out of bed, she didn't even look where she was going and stepped on Lin Xi's stomach, who was sleeping on the floor.
"Ah, ah, it hurts!" Lin Xi cried out, clutching her aching stomach.
But Gao Mengli ran out without looking back.
"Damn it, where's the outhouse—"