Chapter 6
Blessing Child
Wang Chuanman was shocked for a moment before he quickly reacted. He jumped down and pulled Little Ah Yu and Wang Wulang up. Madam Liu also arrived and hurriedly hugged Little Ah Yu.
Old Madam Wang hurriedly said, “Carry the child in first.”
The weak ones at home all went to the kitchen to sit. The old lady asked her sons to burn the bamboo fence they had taken down. There was also a fire on the stove and hot water was boiling.
Coupled with the bright sun outside, the house was really a little warm.
The remaining Wang Family members looked at the python’s corpse in front of them in a daze.
Old man Wang was cautious. He was afraid that the python had only fainted, so he went to get another hoe and smashed the snake’s head until its brain was mush.
“Mother, we’ve never seen such a huge snake before…” Although they were leaning against a cliff and there was a mountain range behind them, they had never seen such a huge python in all these years.
This snake was as wide as half an adult’s arm. Because its body slid along the gutter, its length was easy to estimate. It was about 100 feet long.
The python was clearly hungry. Its stomach was flat, but its body was very thick. The thickest part was about the size of an adult’s waist.
“Good lord, this is probably a hundred feet long!” Wang Chuanfu gasped.
There was something else that no one mentioned. This python looked to be at least a thousand catties. Not to mention anything else, the python meat was edible.
This winter would probably be much easier to endure with it.
Old man Wang narrowed his eyes. “Pull it up first.”
Although the snow could be said to be melting, it was not so fast. The surroundings were still a world of ice and snow.
The weather was cold, and snakes were cold-blooded creatures to begin with. Before long, it would be completely frozen. That would be troublesome.
When the men went to fish out the python, the wives of the Wang Family were also looking around the kitchen.
Little Ah Yu took the little chamber pot and realized that the water inside was gone. Her mouth twitched slightly, and she was a little disappointed.
What she wanted to give away was gone.
Seeing the child’s movements, Liu Shi wrapped her tighter.
She had never been a mother before. Because she wanted children, she usually liked to carry children for the women in the village and had learned some experience. Now, she could carry them well.
As she hugged her, she hummed an unknown tune. Little Ah Yu rubbed her eyes and fell asleep after a while.
Madam Feng moved the fire basket to Little Ah Yu’s side and looked at her small arms and legs.
Realizing that she was not injured, she lifted her clothes and said, “I heard that the bigger the snake, the less poisonous it is. I think that this big snake can be eaten. This is all thanks to Ah Yu.”
Previously, Little Ah Yu had called herself that, so everyone followed her lead.
Ah Yu… didn’t that name mean that Ah Yu was obedient like a piece of jade?
Little Zhang was a glutton, but at this moment, he also said, “Who cares if it’s edible? It’s better to die with a full stomach than to starve to death! Looks like we picked up a blessing child!”
Madam Ma started the fire and also nodded and said, “If not for Ah Yu, I’m afraid something big would have happened today!”
Everyone nodded, even feeling a lingering fear in their hearts.
That’s right. If not for Ah Yu rolling and falling, the python might not have jumped up. At that time, the people in the courtyard would definitely not have ended up well.
Even a ten-foot-long python could kill a person, let alone such a huge one.
If it swept its tail over, one would either die or be crippled. How could it be as peaceful as it is now?
The only thing they did not understand was that when winter came, the wild animals in the mountains would usually go into hibernation. Snakes that were afraid of the cold would have hidden away early. Why did one suddenly run out now, and it was such a big one?
Could it be that it was too hungry?
Liu Shi only listened to them and did not interrupt.
She tapped her hands gently to the rhythm of her song and looked at the child in her arms lovingly.
After a few days, the child’s fever had subsided and her face was no longer red. Her thin appearance was even more conspicuous.
There was not much flesh on her originally round face, and her skin was a little pale.
Perhaps it was because of the fire, but it looked a little more rosy now.
If she gained weight, she would definitely look especially good.
“There are still a few sweet potatoes at home. Put them on the stove for the children,” Madam Feng said. Madam Ma had already thrown the few sweet potatoes she had hidden onto the stove and kept them in a place without an open fire.
The seasonal yield of sweet potatoes was slightly higher than ordinary grain, but they did not dare to eat too much. Not only would they feel bloated after eating too much, their stomachs would also feel acidic and they would become hungry again quickly.
Moreover, there was not much stock.
As they discussed in detail, the few of them had already dug out the python with great effort. Fortunately, the snake skin was very thick, and a portion of it was stuck to the side of the gutter without losing its skin.
“Father, how are we going to prepare this? We’ve never handled such a big snake before.” Usually, the snakes that everyone caught were only about a meter long and of the same thickness.
Old man Wang said, “Are you stupid? Do what you did in the past!”
His sons buried their heads in their work again. In the past, of course, they would skin the snake first. At that time, they would scald and skin the animal. The python was too big, so it could not be boiled. They could only use a knife to skin it bit by bit.
Third Aunt Hu was originally lying at home. Her house was the closest to Old man Wang’s house, but it was more than 100 to 200 feet on both sides. Usually, she could not hear small movements, but she could hear any loud movements.
Their family was lying in their room. They didn’t eat much in winter, so everyone wouldn’t move if they could. They simply lay on the bed to conserve their energy and keep warm.
“What are you doing, moving about?” Third Aunt’s husband, Hu San, frowned. “The moment you moved, all the heat dissipated. Do you want me to die of cold!”
Third Aunt rolled her eyes behind his back and said, “I’m just thinking about the Wang family. They have so many people and many grandchildren. It’s already very difficult for them in winter. How can they survive with another girl?”
“Why do you care about this? Do you think that old woman hasn’t beaten you enough!”
“…Didn’t our Thirdie say that he wouldn’t be coming back? The food at home can last us through the winter. We won’t starve to death.” Third Aunt Hu pouted and said, “That stubborn donkey definitely can’t bear to see anyone in the family starve to death. Who knows if she would end up starving herself to death first this time. The summer before last, Thirdie almost died. If not for her…”
Before Third Aunt could finish speaking, Hu San covered his head with the blanket. “Alright, alright. It’s so annoying. Aren’t the keys with you? If you want to send them some food, go ahead. Anyway, when our family goes hungry, we’ll starve you to death first!”
Third Aunt put on a set of clothes and got off the bed. She turned around and saw her husband lying on the bed. She also covered him with her dirty blanket. Then, she took the key and opened the cabinet door which stored the food.
She carried a small cloth bag from inside and weighed it in her hand. Then, she scooped out another spoonful before walking out.
When she arrived at Old man Wang’s house, she saw Old Madam Wang pulling at the roots of a tree from afar.
“Donkey Zhang?” Old Madam Wang’s surname was Zhang. Third Aunt Hu called her that from time to time.
When Old Madam Wang heard Third Aunt Hu’s voice, she stopped tugging at the tree roots. “Flower Jiang, is your skin itchy again? I’m free now. Come over!”
“I can’t be bothered to talk nonsense with you!” Third Aunt Hu threw the bag in her hand to the ground and walked back. After taking two steps, she turned around and said, “Remember to return the bag to me! Also, take this as a loan. You have to return it with interest at the beginning of spring!”
Old Madam Wang was suspicious. She walked over and picked up the bag to take a look. She saw that it was a bag of grains. It was not ground into rice and was about five kilograms in weight.