Uncle Liu and Aunt Liu arrived with the people who were working in the field on that side. Seeing that there was no danger, Aunt Liu noticed the big black snake and immediately got goosebumps. She looked away and hurriedly asked, "What happened, is everyone okay?" Chunxiang was still trembling.
She pushed her child to her mother-in-law and said, "N-nothing happened. Zhao Ce saved us..." Aunt Liu checked her grandson from head to toe and confirmed that neither of them was injured before finally breathing a sigh of relief.
But when she saw the dirt on her grandson's shoes, she asked, "How did you get so much mud on them?" As she tried to scrape it off with a nearby weed, she found that the mud was soft and had some kind of slime in it.
She looked closer and asked, "Did you step on a snake egg?" The child was still scared and didn't know how to answer. Aunt Liu quickly told her daughter-in-law to take the child home and give him some warm water to calm down.
Su Caier also stumbled over, saying, "Husband..." The little girl was so anxious that her eyes turned red. The snake head under the dustpan was still struggling, but Su Caier couldn't do anything about it. She hated herself a little at this moment. Why couldn't she walk in front of her husband? Why did she let him, a scholar, face this danger? Her eyes were red, and she still had tears in her eyes from before. She didn't care that they were outside in broad daylight, surrounded by many people. She limped over and hugged Zhao Ce directly, burying her small face in his chest.
Su Caier choked and said, "Husband, this is too dangerous." Zhao Ce patted her soft hair and said, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." The little girl said in a muffled voice, "Don't come to the field again in the future." The people around them came closer, and Zhao Ce pointed to the still-twisting snake's body and said, "Please help me clean up the body of this snake."
Uncle Liu said hesitantly, "Ah, okay..." He walked over and grabbed the still-writhing snake's body directly. The snake wrapped itself around his arm, but its head had already been chopped off, so it gradually lost its strength.
Uncle Afeng, who was standing nearby, looked at Zhao Ce with admiration and said, "You not only have great courage but also quick reflexes!" "As a scholar, aren't you afraid of a big snake like this, it might be venomous?" Afeng's child had received a piece of pork fat from Zhao Ce last time, and his opinion of him had changed considerably.
Seeing Zhao Ce's skill today, he was even more impressed. The struggling snake head under the dustpan was getting weaker. Zhao Ce didn't step on it anymore and directly put his foot down, saying, "This is a water snake. Although it's a bit big, it's generally not venomous. Even if it is, its toxicity is small. There's nothing to be afraid of."
Uncle Afeng gave Zhao Ce a thumbs up and said, "A scholar is a scholar." Then he turned to Uncle Liu and said, "You must handle this snake properly for Zhao Ce and give him some extra dishes for dinner tonight. This big snake can be eaten for several meals." As he spoke, he felt his mouth watering. Uncle Liu agreed, saying, "Sure, my wife knows how to make snake soup. I'll clean it up and send it to you after it's stewed."
In the midst of their discussion, they completely forgot that both families had just had a confrontation the night before. They were full of gratitude towards Zhao Ce. Zhao Ce raised his eyebrows and nodded, saying, "Okay." From such a dangerous situation, they ended up discussing how to cook snake soup.
Uncle Afeng dug a hole and buried the snake's head in the ground, while Uncle Liu took the snake's body home to clean and prepare it before sending it back to Zhao Ce. Aunt Liu helped fill Zhao Ce's dustpan with yellow mud and wanted to stay to help him dig more.
However, Zhao Ce waved his hand and refused, saying, "You're busy with your own fieldwork. We'll manage on our own. This dustpan is enough for me." Finally, Aunt Liu said, "Okay, if you need any help, remember to call us." "Forget it, tomorrow my son will come to help you dig the yellow mud," she said. After speaking, she hurried home to help Zhao Ce with the snake.
Zhao Ce looked at their retreating figures with a wry smile. Only then did the little girl in his arms raise her head. Zhao Ce lowered his head and stared into her eyes. "Are you not scared anymore?" Su Caier pursed her lips. "Let's go home, husband." Zhao Ce agreed and picked up the yellow mud and shovel.
This time, the little girl didn't rush to help. She just stubbornly pulled on his sleeve, her head hanging low. Occasionally, she looked up at him with misty, watery eyes. Zhao Ce spoke softly, "I won't disappear." "You look at the road, okay?" Just as he finished speaking, the little girl looked up at him but stepped on a small stone under her foot and stumbled.
Zhao Ce helped her up. Then he grabbed her small hand, which was pulling on his sleeve, and tightened his grip. "We can hold hands, so are you afraid anymore?" Her own hand was completely enveloped by a warm, large hand, feeling the body temperature of the person next to her. Su Caier's mind finally settled down a bit.
The two walked hand in hand back home. The little girl sat her husband down on a stool outside the kitchen, then fetched water for him to wash his hands and wiped his face. She then squatted down to help him gently pat the mud off his robe. When she reached his shoes, Su Caier whispered, "Husband, your shoes are broken." Running too fast had caused the old and burdened shoes to crack.
Zhao Ce looked down and couldn't help but laugh, "This shoe is of poor quality." Su Caier replied with an "Mm," "The shoes bought outside are really not good." "I'll make a new pair for my husband." "Even if we work, they won't break so easily." Zhao Ce pulled her up from the ground. The little girl stood slightly taller than him. However, their gazes were still level. Today, the little girl didn't avoid his gaze and looked at him affectionately.
Zhao Ce thought, "So it turns out there's someone who thinks about me wholeheartedly." It's this kind of feeling. How to put it? It's the feeling that your heart is always full and overflowing. There is no loneliness or emptiness at all.
He had only been with this little girl for a few short days, but he already felt a sense of satisfaction that he never experienced even in his wealthy past life. Zhao Ce touched her dry little face and said softly, "It would be great if you could make shoes for me, but we don't have the tools at home. Should I take you to the city to buy new ones?" Su Caier pursed her small mouth and whispered, "Husband, you can go buy them yourself. I've never been to the city, so I won't go." Zhao Ce smiled, "Don't be afraid, I'll take you with me."