Chapter 36: Gratitude Beyond Words
Hearing Yu Luo’s excited shout, Ye Jiamai couldn’t bother with her exhaustion anymore. Propping herself up with one hand, she crawled over, grabbed Yu Luo’s basket, and craned her neck to take a look!
“There really are fish! And they’re so big! Hurry, Haojie, hold onto Xiao Luo and keep catching them. Later, let Xiao Luo store them in the system. I heard the frontier is a place with scarce water and definitely no fish. When the time comes, we can dig a pond and raise these fish ourselves. Year after year, we’ll have an endless supply!”
Hearing this, Yu Luo, who had been excited, suddenly looked puzzled.
The frontier covered in snow during winter would lack water? Could it be scorching hot in summer? Just the thought of such a desolate heat made Yu Luo’s excitement about catching fish fade by half.
But if the frontier was truly so arid, how would they even dig a pond to raise fish?
“There really are fish? Xiao Luo, don’t stay by the riverbank—it’s too dangerous. Let your uncle do it.”
Wang Ying and a few others, seeing them by the river and curious about what they were doing, walked over. When they saw a two-pound grass carp in the basket, their eyes lit up.
But recalling Yu Xiaogang falling into the water earlier, Wang Ying hurriedly pulled Yu Luo behind her in fear.
Recalling the system’s task, Yu Luo grabbed the fish from the basket and handed it to Wang Ying.
“Fine, then this fish is yours. Auntie, your kids got sick today, so take it to nourish them.”
Seeing Yu Luo fearlessly grab the wriggling fish and thrust it towards her, Wang Ying was so shocked she stepped back, the iron chain on her feet clinking. Panicked, she waved her hands to refuse.
“No, no! You worked so hard to catch this fish—how can we take it? I’ll let your uncle catch some later.”
“There’s no guarantee he’ll catch any, and we have enough food. This fish is for your children—they’re still young and can’t afford to fall ill.”
With that, Yu Luo shoved the fish into Wang Ying’s hands.
Holding the cold, slippery fish, Wang Ying was so touched she was at a loss for words.
Yu Luo was right—adults could endure, but the children were either sick or injured, and there were two elderly people to care for. They needed good food to regain their strength.
“This…”
“Take it. If you refuse, don’t count on us for help in the future.”
Seeing Wang Ying’s hesitation, Ye Jiamai spoke firmly.
Since even Ye Jiamai had spoken, Wang Ying no longer hesitated. Nodding gratefully, she accepted the fish.
“Alright then, thank you, Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law, and Xiao Luo. I… I’ll accept it!”
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the task. You have been awarded 100 points. Current system points: 500.]
“Huh? Why can’t I catch any fish? How did they do it?”
Seeing Yu Luo and her family catch a fish so quickly, Yu Shanhai, who had thrown the basket into the river several times without success, was starting to get frustrated.
“Try stuffing some grass into the basket. Maybe a grass carp will bite.”
The river was vast, and there was no shortage of fish. Seeing Yu Shanhai’s futile efforts, Yu Haojie couldn’t help but offer a suggestion.
Hearing this, Yu Shanhai glanced at Yu Haojie with a grateful smile. “Thanks a lot.”
“No problem.”
It was the first time Yu Haojie had directly interacted with the second branch. Though not as warm as with the third branch, it was a start.
Now that the system task was complete, Yu Luo no longer needed to risk fishing. With Yu Yongcai and Yu Yongjun’s help, even Yu Haojie didn’t need to lift a finger. The two brothers handled all the fishing.
Who would have thought that within half an hour, the brothers had caught over a hundred fish of various sizes!
The smallest ones, the size of a pinky, were kept by Yu Luo in the system’s water tank. The larger ones were divided between their family and the third branch, despite the latter’s attempts to split them evenly.
“You don’t have anything. You’re surviving on two black buns a day from the officers. You should clean the fish tonight, salt them for a couple of days, and then smoke them for a night. That way, they’ll keep for a long time.
“The further north we go, the more barren it will be. Soon, you won’t even find roots to eat. You need to stockpile food. When you come across a river, fish. When you find mountains, gather wild produce. You’re not like us—we at least have some money and provisions.
“Oh, and don’t throw away the fish guts—they can be used as bait to catch more fish. I’ll give you a sack later to store what you catch.”
Rather than handing them money, Ye Jiamai believed it was better to teach them how to prepare for the difficult journey ahead.
Though conditions were harsh, she believed that as long as they stayed alive, there would eventually be a way out.
The third branch was hardworking, amicable, and had good character. As long as they kept at it, they wouldn’t starve.
“Thank you, Second Sister-in-law, for your consideration. That’s a really good idea. It’s just that…”
“You don’t have salt?”
Seeing the troubled look in Wang Ying’s eyes, Ye Jiamai saw right through her dilemma.
Wang Ying nodded sheepishly. “But it’s alright. I can try smoking the fish directly—it probably won’t spoil.”
“Wait here.”
Ye Jiamai dragged Yu Luo back to where they had stashed their supplies. Shortly after, she returned with a clay jar and a packet of salt wrapped in oil paper, handing them to Wang Ying.
“This clay jar can be used to cook food—much better than using hollowed-out logs every day. As for the salt, use it sparingly. It should last you a while.”
Staring at the items in her hands, Wang Ying was stunned and overwhelmed with gratitude.
“We’ll take the jar, but the salt is too precious, Second Sister-in-law. We really can’t accept any more from you.”
“What do you mean ‘any more’? Xiao Luo gave you a fish, and your men brought us plenty in return. Consider it a fair trade. Don’t worry, we’ve kept enough salt for ourselves—enough to last a year.
“Oh, and one more thing—tell your men to be diligent and catch more fish later. Send a few big ones to Wu Dahai and the other officers. Once they’ve eaten your food, they’ll probably go easier on you during the journey.”
Seeing how thoughtfully Ye Jiamai had planned for them, Wang Ying’s eyes reddened. She was so moved that she almost fell to her knees.
“Get up. Everyone’s having a hard time. The only way we’re getting through this is by helping each other. I believe that if we run into trouble in the future, you’ll do the same for us.”
Wang Ying nodded tearfully. “Of course! Of course! Your kindness is beyond words. We’re so fortunate to have met people like you on this journey.”
