Juhua helped Little Shitou wash his hands and gave him some scorched rice. "Don't eat too much!" she cautioned. "My mother went to the market for meat. We're having meat and eels for lunch, and you won't have room for it if you fill up now."
Little Shitou's eyes widened. "I get it," he said quickly. "I'll just have two pieces and put the rest away for later." He was very much looking forward to lunch and was determined to save room.
Juhua smiled and nodded. She hurried to hang the laundry out to dry, fed the pigs and chickens, and then went to the small vegetable patch. She picked some chives, crown daisy, and cilantro, filling a whole basket, then took a small stool and sat down to clean the vegetables.
Zhao San laughed heartily. "Juhua, make sure you cook those eels up right for lunch! If they taste good, I'll be sure to catch more for you from now on!"
Juhua looked up and smiled at him without a word.
She quickly finished cleaning the vegetables. She found a wooden board in the firewood pile, sharpened a long, thin bamboo skewer, and then stuck the skewer into the ground, placing the board beside it.
She took a pair of scissors, grabbed an eel, and slammed it hard onto the ground. She then picked up the stunned creature, impaled its head on the bamboo skewer so that its body hung down over the board, and cut open its neck. With a single slice down its belly, she gutted it. First, she pulled out the insides. Then, using her scissors, she hooked the spine and sliced downwards again, removing the bone.
Holding up the thin spine, she felt immensely satisfied with her own skill.
Little Shitou watched from the side, completely dumbfounded. "Juhua, you're amazing!" he shouted.
The workers all ran over to watch. Li Changxing clicked his tongue in amazement, remarking again and again what a great method it was. Eels prepared this way would be much less of a hassle to eat. He was incredibly curious about this "ugly" girl and kept sizing her up. 'She really is smart!'
Zhao San chuckled. "We're in for a real treat this afternoon."
Big Mouth Zhao was also grinning from ear to ear. He had missed out on the soft-shelled turtle yesterday, but he was here for the eels.
Zhang Huai watched Juhua's slender, blood-stained fingers deftly gutting and deboning the eels before cutting them into segments. Her movements were swift and incomparably skilled. He quickly turned away, but the images of her unattractive face and her delicate, gentle figure flashed through his mind, one after the other.
Qingmu shot him a look, snorted under his breath, and went back to hauling dirt. A moment later, he jumped down into the well to take over for Zheng Changhe.
By the time Juhua returned from washing the vegetables at the river, Yang Family was home. She had bought a couple of pounds of pork belly and some large bones for a soup—Juhua loved bone broth.
The mother-daughter pair set to work together, and the aroma from the kitchen soon filled the entire courtyard, making the well-diggers' mouths water. The thought of the sumptuous meal ahead spurred them to work with renewed vigor. Little Shitou, meanwhile, buzzed around Juhua, chattering away about the funny antics of the other village children.
Yang Family looked from Zhang Huai's figure to Juhua. She seemed to want to say something but held her tongue. In the end, she just sighed and didn't ask Juhua anything at all.
Juhua just smiled faintly, offering no explanation. 'It wasn't a big deal, but it had caused the whole family so much worry. Now that we're interacting again, everything will be fine. Give it some time, and the village gossips will lose interest.'
During a break, Juhua poured everyone a bowl of freshly brewed chrysanthemum tea. The bright yellow liquid swirled in the coarse porcelain bowls, releasing a fragrant, refreshing aroma that rose with the wisps of steam.
Hearing Zhao San's endless praise, she simply smiled without replying.
When she came to Zhang Huai, he took the opportunity while she was pouring to sneak a glance up at her. The instant his eyes met hers, which were as clear as Jing Lake, his heart skipped a beat. His hand trembled, and he nearly dropped the bowl.