She led the whole village to prosperity by raising koi fish.

Chapter 47 Continuing the Trip

After leaving the seaside, Su Yuning and her elder brother and sister-in-law continued south. They were going to collect rice straw and, taking advantage of the golden autumn season, try the taste of rice paddy fish and rice paddy crabs.

After a long journey of three days and two nights, the three finally arrived at the land of fish and rice they had longed for, Jiangnan.

The scenery of this water town is breathtaking and captivating. Layer upon layer of terraced fields unfold like a golden scroll before your eyes. The terraces are planted with various crops, their colors changing with the seasons. Golden rice ears droop heavily, fish swim freely in the paddy fields, rice crabs nibble on the plants, and even snails and small shrimp roam the water.

Su Yuning asked the owner of the rice paddy, "Auntie, do you still need the rice straw by your field? Could you give me some?"

The rice paddy owner responded kindly, "I don't need the straw, but you can take it if you need it!"

"Okay, thank you, Auntie!" Su Yuning was overjoyed. She raised her hand to greet her elder brother and sister-in-law, and then the group divided the work. Su Yuning was responsible for collecting straw, her sister-in-law helped to tie the straw, and her elder brother carried the bundles of straw onto the cart.

Just then, an old woman catching insects in the rice paddy came out of the field, smiling, and asked them...

"Young men, what are you collecting straw for?"

Before Su Yuning could answer, the eldest son of the Su family explained for her.

"We plan to collect straw for crafts, thank you for your help. Thank you so much!"

"You're from the north, right? Do they not grow rice there?" The old woman could tell where they were from at a glance.

Su Yuning smiled and nodded, replying, "Yes, we came from the north. Aside from a small number of people growing upland rice, most of us grow wheat, soybeans, corn, and the like. But how did you know we were from the north, Auntie?"

The old woman replied kindly, "Because only people in the north need straw for handicrafts. We here use straw for cooking and burning."

“The old lady is right!” the three young people responded in unison.

Then, the old woman told them about her experience: "I used to be from the north. Once, due to a drought, food became scarce, so I came to the south with my parents to beg for food. Eventually, I settled down here with them, got married, had children, and started living here."

"I see." Su Yuning asked curiously, "Have you ever been back to your hometown in the north?"

"No, it's been decades since we last saw each other. I've long forgotten what my hometown looks like," the old woman replied sadly.

The tactful older sister-in-law quickly comforted her, "Auntie, things are getting better and better in the North. Every year the weather is favorable and the crops are plentiful. People live and work in peace and contentment. You can stay here with peace of mind."

Then, Su Yuning went to the carriage, took two coconuts, and gave them to the old lady, saying, "This is a small token of my appreciation, please don't find it offensive."

"No, no, no, this is not appropriate. You can keep it for the road," the old woman said, waving her hands repeatedly in refusal.

“We still have some in our car, please accept it. We also want to thank you for your kind help; it allowed us to successfully collect a lot of straw,” Su Yuning replied with a smile.

Unable to refuse their kind offer, the old lady had no choice but to accept the two heavy coconuts.

"You haven't had lunch yet, have you? Why don't you come over to my place for lunch?"

After discussing it, the three of them nodded in agreement. After all, they were far from home and unfamiliar with the area, so finding a place to eat wouldn't be easy.

"Alright then, thank you, Auntie," Su Yuning replied with a smile. Then the group followed the old woman to a farmhouse courtyard.

The old lady invited them to eat fruit, and then quickly went to the kitchen to cook. Before long, spicy stir-fried bullfrog, stir-fried snails, typhoon shelter hairy crabs, and stir-fried rice paddy shrimp were served on the table. But this was not the best dish. The final dish was the most popular. It was the fragrant and delicious lotus leaf rice.

"Everyone, come and try some Southern cuisine!" the old lady called out with a smile.

Several young people started eating, and the eldest son of the Su family tried the bullfrog. He commented, "The bullfrog is spicy and delicious, and the meat is tender and fresh. It's very tasty!"

Su Yuning loves eating snails, so she used a bamboo skewer to pick out a lot of snail meat and ate it, responding happily.

"It's absolutely delicious! I haven't had snails in ages, I'm going to eat my fill this time!"

The elderly woman standing nearby replied with a smile, "Being able to eat is a blessing. Eat as much as you like!"

Only the eldest sister-in-law barely touched her chopsticks, only eating some lotus leaf rice.

"Young lady, is the food not to your liking? Why don't you eat more?" the old woman asked, puzzled.

Yang Yuyan answered truthfully, "No, no. I just gave birth not long ago and I don't dare to eat spicy food, so I chose to eat rice wrapped in lotus leaves. The rice you made is different from what we eat back home, and I think the taste is quite unique."

The old lady nodded. "The local environment shapes the people. This is how we eat it in the south. We spread out lotus leaves, put glutinous rice, mushrooms, and slices of sausage on top, and then steam it in a pot. That's how you make delicious lotus leaf rice. If you have time to visit, I'll make lotus leaf rice for you again."

"Thank you, ma'am. Do you usually live alone? Where is your husband? Where are your children?" the eldest son of the Su family asked curiously.

The old woman smiled kindly and replied, "I usually live with my husband. But a theatrical troupe came from the city, and my husband went to listen to the opera, so I'm home alone. If you hadn't come, I would have been eating all by myself."

"Where are your children?" the eldest son of the Su family continued to ask.

"My daughter is very successful; she's the leading actress in our local opera troupe. My son isn't doing so well; he runs a small restaurant in the city and rarely comes back except for holidays like Chinese New Year." The old woman was an honest person; she said what she meant without beating around the bush.

"Hearing you say that, it seems your children are all very successful!" The eldest son of the Su family praised. "In that case, you and Uncle can enjoy your retirement in peace. Anyway, your children all have ways to make a living. You are even more fortunate than my parents."

"Haha, I'm alright," the old lady replied with a smile.

After the meal, the three waved goodbye to the old woman and continued their sightseeing in the south.

In this water town, many small bridges span the rivers, connecting the villages and fields on both banks. These bridges vary in shape; some are simple and elegant, while others are delicate and exquisite, creating a sense of tranquility and harmony. Crystal-clear water flows beneath the bridges, where fish frolic and ripples spread across the surface.

Strolling along the riverbank, you can admire the quaint old houses on both sides, with their white walls and black tiles, arranged in a pleasing and orderly fashion. Residents wash clothes, rinse rice and vegetables by the river, creating a strong sense of daily life.

The scenery of the water towns is picturesque, allowing visitors to experience the charm of nature and the tranquility and beauty of the countryside. Here, time seems to stand still, and people can fully enjoy the leisure and comfort. Whether admiring the pastoral scenery or experiencing farm life, it's a place that brings joy and makes you want to stay longer.

In Xinghua Village, Zhou Xi and Yang Yuxuan returned with gifts, but no one was home, so they had to go to Yuxuan's sister's house.

However, Yang Yuyan, who always stayed at home and never left the house, went on a trip, along with her husband and sister. Only the elderly and children were left at home, which left Zhou Xi and Yang Yuxuan speechless.

Since they were already there, they had lunch with the two elderly people and a child.

"Auntie, hasn't my dad come back yet?" Zhou Xi asked anxiously. "And my brother, where did he go?"

The woman told her everything, “Your father sent word a few days ago that he’ll be back tomorrow or the day after. He’ll come have dinner with us then, and he’ll also be bringing a new friend along.”

"What new friend? Could it be that he has a new partner?" Zhou Xi asked with a puzzled look.

The woman smiled slightly, then replied awkwardly, "Probably so. You and your brother are both grown up now. Your father has had a hard time being both a father and a mother all these years. You two children must support the decision he made."

"I don't want a stepmother. Few stepmothers truly love their children," Zhou Xi retorted angrily.

At this moment, Old Su put down his wine glass and replied earnestly,

“Silly girl, whether it’s a stepmother or an aunt, it’s all about sincerity. If you treat her like your own mother, she will definitely love you like her own daughter. Besides, you’re not a child anymore. What can she do to you? She can’t beat you or scold you. You don’t need to worry about her treating you or your brother badly.”

“That’s true.” Zhou Xi nodded in agreement.

"By the way, where did Zhou Xi's brother go? I haven't seen him." Yang Yuxuan looked around and then asked.

The woman replied with a smile, "This child is lucky. Thanks to Jun Dong, he got a good job in the city. His monthly salary is equivalent to a year's salary from collecting crops in the village."

"Really?" Zhou Xi was overjoyed. "What kind of work does my brother do? How often does he come back?"

The woman answered truthfully, "He works as a bodyguard at the largest security escort agency in the city. His return time is not fixed. He doesn't come when he's busy, and he comes back to stay for a few days when he's not busy. You'll have to ask him when you see him to find out exactly when he'll be off duty."

Zhou Xi nodded in agreement, "Okay, thank you, Auntie."

A chilling atmosphere had begun to permeate every corner of the northern desert. A howling wind brought a biting cold. Snowflakes drifted down from the sky, fluttering and swirling across the earth, creating a pristine white world. The earth was covered in snow, and the rivers and lakes were frozen with a thin layer of ice, crystal clear and like mirrors.

The air was filled with the scent of ice and snow, both refreshing and chilly. The people of the northern desert donned thick clothing, hats, and gloves to ward off the biting cold. Their breath condensed into white mist, as if in response to the frigid weather. Winter had arrived in the northern desert, bringing both challenges and opportunities to this land.

Several days passed without a reply to the letter Ye Beichen sent to Su Yuning, so he simply put on his cloak and went hunting with the guards.

Although hunting in winter can yield a harvest, the cold weather is unbearable. As soon as they arrived in the forest, everyone was shivering. Ye Beichen scoffed, "Ha, these are all guards with a multitude of experts, yet they can't even withstand this weather. What use are they?"

A young and impetuous guard couldn't help but retort, "Young Alliance Leader, you may not know this, but the temperature has dropped too quickly lately. It's like everyone has gone from summer to winter all at once, so of course we're not used to it. Why don't you just distribute new cotton-padded clothes and trousers to everyone?"

Ye Beichen immediately became angry, "How dare you! I invited you to hunt, and you actually tried to bargain with me!"

The new guard realized he had misspoke and knelt down in fright, begging for forgiveness, "Young Alliance Leader, I'm sorry, I misspoke. Please calm down and don't hold it against me, okay?"

Ye Beichen didn't want to fight with a servant when he was in a good mood, so he responded coldly to him.

"Run three laps around the hunting grounds before you come see me."

"Yes, sir!" the new guard replied hastily, and then ran off quickly.

When they met again, the new guard was sweating profusely, while Ye Beichen had already caught two wild rabbits.

"How are you feeling? Are you still cold?" Ye Beichen raised an eyebrow and asked.

"Reporting to the young leader, I am no longer cold, and I feel much warmer now!"

Ye Beichen smiled smugly, "That's why we should exercise more in winter. This will not only strengthen our bodies but also keep us warm."

"Yes, thank you, Alliance Leader!" the new guard replied quickly.