Gasp! She's a Time Traveler Using Modern Tech to Improve Ancient Life-Chapter 411 - 408: A Favor to Ask

After finishing dinner, Lin Wanwan was instructed one-on-one by Heng Wu on plucking the konghou to aid digestion when Sun Chuyao hurried over from the corridor amidst the rain, followed by Lin Mengbo and Lin Mengjin, the two brothers.

Both were soaked from head to toe, each holding a wooden bucket filled with seafood.

Lin Wanwan quickly ushered them inside, Yun Shang and Hong Yan retreated and brought cloth towels to wipe the water from their bodies.

"Why did the two elder cousins brave the rain to bring me seafood? Is there anything else?" Lin Wanwan asked.

Lin Mengbo and Lin Mengjin exchanged a glance, the latter coughing awkwardly, "There’s a little matter we need trouble Wanwan with."

At this point, Yun Shang and Hong Yan gave them the gauze towels.

"No need, no need, a little wet doesn’t matter." The two repeatedly declined, unable to bring themselves to use such good gauze towels for wiping.

"Don’t be polite, brothers. These gauze towels are prepared for guests. Wipe the rain off carefully to avoid catching cold. Summer colds are hard to treat." Lin Wanwan explained.

"Then... we won’t be polite."

Lin Mengbo and Lin Mengjin finally each took a gauze towel and started wiping the water off, the latter kicked the wooden bucket just placed, saying, "These are conchs and a few green crabs I picked up from the beach this afternoon. Wanwan, you can enjoy them fresh these next couple of days."

"So the ones scavenging the beach this afternoon were you? Brothers are quite bold. What if you were swept away by the waves?"

Lin Mengbo shook his head, "I didn’t go. It was Big Brother and Uncle scavenging the sea, I just helped carry them over."

Lin Mengjin scratched the back of his head, slightly embarrassed, "Well, the wind and rain today are too much. They’ve blown off a piece of our house’s roof, and the rain is leaking right onto my bed. The bed can’t be slept on. My mother’s and father’s room leaks badly too, and the buckets, basins, and bowls used to catch the water are everywhere. Tonight I’m going to stay home mopping, and the family will have to squeeze into Mengbo’s house... just the kids have no place."

Lin Wanwan understood, and without waiting for them to speak, she smiled, "Then have the kids come over to my place. I have plenty of empty rooms. Cousin Mengjin, you also don’t need to squeeze, come stay over too."

Lin Mengjin promptly waved his hand, "No need, there’s space at Mengbo’s. I have to watch the house tonight anyway. As long as my mother’s arrangements are settled, I’m fine."

Lin Wanwan coaxed a few more times, but he still politely declined, and she gave up, "Have you eaten dinner? If not, eat some here, there is still food in the pot."

"Great, my family can’t make dinner today. I won’t be polite then, I’ll have a big family meal."

As long as the Lin Clan Leader doesn’t keep an eye on things, everyone loves snacking at Lin Wanwan’s place, who can resist such deliciousness!

"Welcome!" Lin Wanwan said with a smile, then instructed Sun Chuyao to invite the children and two sisters-in-law over as well.

"No need, they’ll make their own food."

"That’s not right; since we’re eating at my place, we should gather." Lin Wanwan smiled and winked at Sun Chuyao, who wisely retreated.

He had been standing with a straw raincoat under the porch without entering the house, leaving conveniently.

After a while, the children were brought over, but Lin Wanwan’s two sisters-in-law naturally didn’t follow. Unlike their husbands, they weren’t thick-skinned enough to dine at others’ homes, preferring to eat simple steamed buns at home.

Lin Mengbo and Lin Mengjin’s families are direct cousins, but their relationship with Lin Wanwan is distant. Having the children inconvenience her is already enough, the adults certainly can’t follow.

Although Lin Wanwan always treats them more kindly than other clan members, it’s also because they are very considerate.

If they were the kinds who loved taking advantage of others, Lin Wanwan might not have as good a relationship with them as she does now.

After Lin Mengbo and Lin Mengjin each finished a bowl of rice at Lin Wanwan’s place, the latter pushed away the seafood money Lin Wanwan tried to give him, jokingly suggesting it was the children’s rental and food fee.

Seeing him insisting on not accepting, Lin Wanwan also gave up.

Having scavenged the coast today, Lin Mengjin likely collected many other gains besides the two buckets of hard-shell seafood for Lin Wanwan. Otherwise, with the house leaking too badly to live in, he wouldn’t be smiling like this.

The fish, shrimp, and crab scavenged from the sea are personal property. They can go into private purses without splitting, unlike going fishing at sea, which is done collectively and split equally.

After the two cousin brothers, Lin Mengjin and Lin Mengbo, left, Lin Wanwan looked at the children happily playing inside and sighed quietly.

Even the stone and oyster shell house of Lin Mengjin suffered, other families probably didn’t fare well either, this typhoon is indeed fierce.

As night fell, the storm was indeed much more savage, making the daytime wind and rain seem a mere shadow.

The children were completely unafraid of the storm outside, playing delightedly in the main room lit by several palace lamps at Lin Wanwan’s place.

Little Qingyu had been cooped up at home for two days due to the typhoon. Now having playmates, he was naturally delighted.

These clan buddies were nothing like Rongrong and Attendant Student, who are cautious with Qingyu, making playtime all the more enjoyable.

Lin Mengjin’s family has two daughters and a son, namely Lin Taohua as the eldest, Lin Tiezhu second, and Lin Hehua third; while Lin Mengbo’s family has two children, Little Crab the eldest and Big Ya second, with Lin Qinshi pregnant again, just two months.

Lin Wanwan originally wanted Lin Mengbo to send the expectant mother over to her place, but now their home is crowded with his uncle’s family, making it inconvenient. Yet Lin Mengbo declined her offer, saying a little difficulty is nothing; the unruly kids were already sent to Lin Wanwan, so adults had no inconvenience.

At home, the rowdy children dare not act overly unruly at Lin Wanwan’s, after all, there are two Teachers, Lin Wanwan and Heng Wu, keeping things grounded. Only the naughtiest boy of the clan, Lin Tiezhu, isn’t afraid of the Teachers, often sweetly flattering Lin Wanwan.

Compared to other children who become meek as quails before Lin Wanwan, she actually quite likes the emotionally intelligent Lin Tiezhu. If it weren’t for his antagonism with "Zhi Hu Zhe Ye," Lin Wanwan would certainly groom him for the exams, to join the landed gentry.

Even now, there remains hope as Lin Tiezhu excels in arithmetic.

At just eight years old now, Lin Wanwan plans to send him to Wang Family Private School in Xiaoxi Town for formal Great Tang arithmetic education, hoping he might later attempt the Ming Arithmetic Exam. Even if he doesn’t pass, after gaining experience in Chang’an, returning to Mao County he should manage to find a minor government position.