Chapter 813 - 418: Encounter in the Wilderness

Chapter 813: Chapter 418: Encounter in the Wilderness

Heipi found a flat patch of grass. The riverbank here was refreshing and clear of thorny brambles, with only a few patches of thatch grass growing—making it easy to cast a net. He stopped and said to Huai Zi, "Young Master, let’s cast the net here. The current isn’t too fast in this section."

Huai Zi nodded. "Alright! Let’s rest a bit and wait for your father to get back. Otherwise, we’ll have nowhere to put the fish we catch."

Heipi smiled. "Then you rest first, Young Master. I’ll cast the net. If we’re lucky and catch a big one, I’ll string it up with a willow branch and we can take it home to cook."

He was itching to cast the net, but being young and lacking strength, he hadn’t managed to use either of the two nets they brought. Now, he wanted to take advantage of his father’s absence to satisfy his craving.

Understanding his intentions, Huai Zi smiled and nodded, teasing, "Go ahead and use it first. We’re counting on you for our lunch."

Aunt Liu and Juhua both laughed upon hearing this.

Pu Pao ran over excitedly and said, "Brother, just focus on casting the net. I’ll snap off a willow branch to help you string the fish."

Heipi looked a bit embarrassed. "I haven’t even caught a fish yet. What are you rushing for?" he said, excitedly shaking out the net and casting it into the water.

Juhua picked up Cong, found a clean patch of grass under a willow tree, and sat down. She placed her hands under the baby’s armpits, stood the little girl on her lap, and swayed her back and forth. "Is it fun outside, my little girl?" she teased with a smile.

Cong laughed crisply in delight. Sunlight filtering through the leaves dappled her little face, giving her skin a rosy, lustrous glow. Her dark eyes sparkled, and her tender red lips were as bright as flower petals. She had a small braid on each side of her head, twisted into little buns, with two Chinese roses pinned at the roots. Juhua had styled her hair this way specifically to distinguish her from her older brother, Banli, whose hair was simply tied into a single little braid pointing straight up.

Seeing his bright-eyed daughter, Huai Zi couldn’t resist coming over to join the fun. He sat down next to Juhua and placed Banli on his lap so the boy could play with his sister. Little Jing’er was even more impressive; with Aunt Liu supporting him by his hands, he was actually learning to walk on the grass.

Juhua and Huai Zi were entirely absorbed in teasing their son and daughter, with no time to watch Heipi cast his net. Suddenly, they heard a cry of surprise from Pu Pao—it sounded like they had caught a fish.

Sure enough, a moment later, Pu Pao walked over holding a willow branch strung with several crucian carp and a small grass carp barely half a foot long. She held it up for Juhua to see. "Young Madam, look! My brother is pretty good at fishing. He cast the net twice and didn’t come up empty either time. We had nowhere to put the tiny ones, so we let them go and just strung up the bigger ones."

Juhua looked at the small grass carp with a hint of regret. "This grass carp is a bit too small. If we had a bucket to keep it alive, taking it back to put in the fish pond would be perfect. We could catch it at the end of the year."

Huai Zi turned to Pu Pao. "Go tell your brother to put the shrimp net in the water and keep the caught fish inside it. As long as the shrimp net isn’t completely submerged, the fish won’t be able to escape."

Pu Pao’s eyes lit up. "That’s a great idea! I’ll go tell him." With that, she turned and sprinted toward the river.

By the time Liu Heizi returned, Heipi had actually managed to catch quite a few fish. Growing even more enthusiastic, the boy was increasingly reluctant to put the net down. He shouted to Huai Zi, "Young Master, play with Banli for a bit and chat with the Young Madam! I’ll cast the net a few more times."

Huai Zi replied with a cheerful affirmative. Coincidentally, he was also reluctant to get up.

Liu Heizi laughed and scolded his son, "Don’t push yourself too hard, and don’t come crying about sore shoulders tonight," as he got into a stance and cast his own net.

The spring sun shone brightly, and all the plants were brimming with vitality. The toddlers, having come out to the wilderness, were exceptionally lively. They laughed and played tirelessly, seemingly having abandoned their usual infant routine of sleeping immediately after eating.

But even if they didn’t want to sleep, their stomachs were getting hungry. Cong kept burying her little head into Juhua’s embrace, her tiny hands pawing around at her mother’s chest while she babbled non-stop. Banli also stretched out both hands, scrambling toward Juhua.

Juhua looked at Huai Zi awkwardly. "The babies are hungry. We need to hurry back. It’s really not proper to breastfeed outside."

Huai Zi glanced at the two figures by the river and nodded. "How about I escort you all home first?"

Hearing their conversation and noticing Juhua’s reluctance to leave, Aunt Liu smiled. "Young Madam, I’ll feed them. At my age, I have nothing to be embarrassed about. I’ll go over there to feed them, and you and Pu Pao can keep an eye out for me. No one’s coming anyway, so there’s nothing to worry about."

Juhua smiled in embarrassment. "That’s not right. If all three of them need you to feed them, they won’t get full."

Huai Zi also felt a bit awkward and didn’t think it was appropriate to interject.

Aunt Liu laughed. "Just let them eat until they’re half full, so they don’t cry from hunger. Cong is a girl, so let her eat a bit more. Once her father and Heipi fill that bucket, it’ll be time for us to head home anyway."

Juhua nodded. She called Pu Pao over to accompany Aunt Liu to a distant tree to feed the babies, and asked Huai Zi to keep watch and call out if anyone approached.

After having some milk, the babies regained their energy and began laughing and playing once more. Juhua leaned against Huai Zi, smiling leisurely as they watched their son and daughter.

Just then, a group of people approached from the side of the hill.

Huai Zi narrowed his eyes to get a closer look. It turned out to be Li Changyu and Wan’er, accompanied by maids, older female servants, and long-term followers. One of the older women was carrying a baby in her arms. He couldn’t help but smile at Juhua. "Look! We aren’t the only ones out enjoying the spring scenery; they’re out for a spring stroll too. Quite the procession, bringing so many people."

He then called out a loud, cheerful greeting to them.

Li Changyu looked at the woman smiling softly under the tree. Her complexion was as lustrous and rosy as the little girl in her arms, and her eyes were as deep and tranquil as ever. Even though he had already seen Juhua without her veil once before, he still couldn’t control the sudden, sharp ache in his heart. He hurriedly suppressed that sliver of affection and bitter regret, repeatedly reminding himself of what his grandfather had said. Every woman had her own unique merits and charms; they couldn’t be weighed on a scale like pork to produce equal measurements. His Wan’er was gentle, virtuous, and top-tier in both character and appearance. He truly shouldn’t be thinking about anyone else.

So, he held Wan’er’s hand, looking down at her with a gentle smile. "It’s Huai Zi and Juhua, leading their people to cast nets. What a refined interest. Let’s go over and see them!"

Wan’er said excitedly, "Yes! I haven’t seen Juhua in so long. I was just planning to go visit her, and we unexpectedly run into each other out here."