The Sweet Litte Fulang (SLF)

Chapter 16 - Snake

Not only Lu Gu but even Shen Yan quickly took a few steps back when they realized what was going on, not daring to get too close.

Still, the two of them couldn't help but be a little curious since they hadn't seen what was in the cloth bag. They kept their distance, standing far enough away not to interfere.

When Shen Yaoqing made a move to open the cloth bag to take a look, Shen Xuanqing stopped him, saying, "It's a five-step snake. The snake gall is the most valuable part. Whether or not we should take it out depends on if we're going to sell it fresh or preserved."

Some time ago, Shen Xuanqing had passed by the medical hall in town and overheard that snake gall from venomous snakes was bought at a high price. But he'd only caught one snake this time, and preserving it properly would require soaking it in strong spirits, which wasn't worth it for just one.

Though he'd eaten snake meat before, he didn't particularly like it, so he hadn't killed snakes many times just to get their gall. The two he'd harvested previously weren't venomous, so their gall wasn't worth much. Those had been more for practice than profit.

Besides, handling snakes felt greasy and cold to him, and he didn't enjoy touching them. Wei Lanxiang was especially afraid of snakes, so he usually kept his distance.

Shen Yaoqing's eyes lit up when he heard it was a five-step snake. "Snake gall is a good thing—it's valuable," he said excitedly.

Then, with a grin, he asked Shen Xuanqing, "Didn't it try to bite you?"

The five-step snake was highly venomous, and Shen Xuanqing wasn't a professional snake catcher. Tackling a poisonous snake was always a risky endeavor.

Shen Xuanqing finished scooping water, squatted down, and began washing his hands, saying, "No, I saw snake tracks near the front of the house and grabbed a wooden fork to check. Found it slithering at the back. Next time, I think I'll buy some snake-repellent powder to carry with me."

"That's a good idea," Shen Yaoqing agreed, nodding. Since there were women and children at home, and the snake was highly poisonous, he decided not to open the bag, instead tying it tightly for safety.

When they finished talking, Lu Gu squatted beside Shen Xuanqing as he washed his hands and quietly asked, "Are you hungry? I'll go make a hot meal."

At that, Shen Xuanqing paused from scrubbing the wild soap beads in his hands. Turning around, he saw Lu Gu crouched beside him, thin and small, looking up at him with hesitant, timid eyes.

After five days away, Shen Xuanqing noticed Lu Gu looked even fairer in his indigo blue clothes, his face seeming softer and a bit more refined than before.

Realizing he'd been staring too long, he quickly turned his gaze away and said in a low voice, "Scramble an egg."

"Okay," Lu Gu nodded quickly and went into the kitchen.

Just then, Ji Qiuyue came out from the backyard after feeding the chickens. Noticing that Shen Xuanqing had returned, she greeted him and then headed toward the kitchen. When she saw Lu Gu busy inside, she smiled, thinking that the young couple were finally finding their rhythm together.

Lu Gu wasn't sure how many eggs to fry for Shen Xuanqing. After a moment's hesitation, Ji Qiuyue walked in and took four eggs from the basket for him.

"Er Qing loves eggs—fried or boiled, he'll eat them any way. Four should be enough for one person, and there are other dishes, too," Ji Qiuyue said. Without thinking, she took over the knife from Lu Gu and started chopping the vegetables, her hands moving automatically.

After filling the pot with water, Lu Gu placed six steamed buns made of mixed grain on the steamer rack. Hearing Ji Qiuyue's words, he noted Shen Xuanqing's preferences and nodded in agreement. "Alright, that should be enough."

The vegetables were already chopped, and the eggs were beaten, but the steamed buns hadn't been heated yet, so they had to wait before cooking.

Ji Qiuyue said, "I heard people mention a 'yuzhong ladle'—it's smaller than our iron pot, with a long handle on the side. It can be used on the medicine stove for cooking."

Lu Gu had also heard of it. "Yes, that kind of horse spoon is also called a stir-frying spoon. It's convenient for cooking small dishes or making soup without using the big iron pot."

"It's made of iron, naturally," Ji Qiuyue replied, then added, "When we're doing well, we'll have your elder brother take a look at the iron shop in town to see if they have one."

Everyone hoped for better days, and Lu Gu couldn't help but feel a quiet yearning for a good life as well. His timid eyes held a spark of hope, though he carefully restrained and hid his emotions.

The fire was strong, and as soon as the water started boiling, the steamed buns were heated. It wasn't particularly cold since winter hadn't arrived yet, so the wait wasn't long.

When he saw Lu Gu bringing the dishes and the basket of steamed buns to the table, Shen Xuanqing's feelings were different from before.

"Are you going to eat?" he asked Lu Gu.

Lu Gu, who had just set down the basket, shook his head and replied, "I've eaten already; you go ahead."

After several days of eating plain rice without oil while in the mountains, Shen Xuanqing was more than satisfied to have scrambled eggs now that he was back. He could cook for himself, but his skills were limited—he often burned the pot when the fire was too high, and the food didn't always taste good. Sometimes, when he was busy and starving, he wouldn't even bother frying the vegetables. Instead, he'd just boil them, sprinkle a bit of salt, and eat them that way.

In the past two years, the family's finances had been tight, and they rarely had oil to cook with. They ate boiled vegetables most of the time, and only occasionally managed to have an egg. Now that things were better, he appreciated the taste of eggs scrambled in oil.

Lu Gu felt it wasn't proper to watch others eat, so he went to Wei Lanxiang's room to work on some needlework. Shen Yan's shoes still weren't finished, and he wanted to help speed up the progress.

—

Shen Xuanqing always kept track of the days to ensure he'd be back in time to take Lu Gu for his follow-up visit to the doctor.

At Doctor Wang's house, Lu Gu was still having his pulse checked when, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed someone entering through the door. He looked up instinctively—and it was Lu Wen.