Little Miss Fortune: I Will Bring Prosperity to My Tang Family!-Chapter 76: Exploring the Rice Fields

Chapter 70

Exploring the Rice Fields

On the way back, Xiaolin and Xiao Jin each carried a large bag of snacks from the shop. When they returned to the hill, Xiao Jin was scooped up by his father and taken for a nap, while Xiaolin was invited by the twins to visit the rice fields of the Huan family. They also brought along buckets because they wanted to catch some red prawns for the cook to prepare.

"How many mu of rice fields do you have?" Xiaolin asked as they walked down the hill towards the village.

"Right now, we have a total of forty mu. Half belong to our mother, and the other half to our uncle," Ching Long replied, looking back at the chubby little sister trailing behind due to her shorter legs.

"Wowww! That means you have a lot of rice to eat!" Xiaolin’s eyes widened in amazement. Even if they sold half of the forty mu of rice, they would still have plenty left.

"Yes, we never have to buy rice," Ching Long said with a broad smile, puffing out his chest at the sparkling eyes of his chubby little sister.

"I want to grow rice too, but no one in my village grows any,"

"You can come and buy rice from us. I’ll tell my uncle to sell it to you at a cheap price," Ching Lang offered. His face turned slightly red as he had never spoken like this to anyone before, not even to his younger brother.

Ching Long and Xiaolin turned to stare at him, their eyes nearly popping out. Ching Lang cleared his throat and quickly walked ahead.

"Big brother must be possessed," Ching Long muttered to himself.

"What did you eat?" Xiaolin frowned in confusion.

The twins stopped by their uncle’s house first. This house used to belong to the two elders of the Huan family, but after their daughter got married and moved to the hill, they followed her. The house was then passed down to their eldest son. The old house had been rebuilt to be larger because Huan Chang now had three sons.

"Uncle, are you home?" Ching Long called out as they reached the front of the house. A woman appeared at the door.

"Oh, it’s the twins," she said, hurrying to open the gate for them. A small boy toddled along behind her.

"Auntie, we came to ask Uncle if we can go to the rice fields. We brought buckets to catch prawns,"

"Your uncle isn’t home,"

"Aah!" The small boy, seeing his familiar brothers, rushed over to them.

"Xiao Zhi!" Ching Lang squatted down to pick up the little boy into his arms.

"Yang, Yang," the boy called out, trying to say his brother’s name, though not very clearly due to his young age.

"Xiao Zhi, are you walking now, hm?" Ching Lang asked his little brother, who was laughing so hard that a drool was running down his chin.

"He’s starting to walk without holding onto tables or walls, but only for a few steps at a time. He seems to be walking more today, maybe because he’s excited to see his brothers," the Huan daughter-in-law chuckled softly, observing her youngest son’s enthusiasm.

"If you have time, Auntie, you should bring him to play on the hill. Grandfather and Grandmother would love to spend time with their grandson. They’ve been complaining about knee pain, so they haven’t been able to come down to the village." said Ching Long.

"Your uncle has been busy diverting water into the fields, so I’ve been staying home. But I’ll take him up there when I get the chance."

Ching Lang nodded and turned to play with his younger brother, who alternated between babbling and calling his name. Xiaolin stood quietly, watching them, her lips pouting slightly as she wished for her own sibling to be born already.

Huan’s daughter-in-law glanced curiously at the chubby little girl. Xiaolin, feeling the gaze, turned and bowed to the elder woman, who responded with a kind smile. The little girl was adorable, too bad she only had three sons and her sister-in-law also had two more. Sigh.

"Oh, this is Tang Xiaolin, the daughter of Father’s friend. Xiaolin, this is my aunt-in-law, Fang Yue, and the little one is Huan Luzhi," Ching Lang introduced the two to each other when he noticed his aunt’s interest in the girl standing behind him.

"Hello, Auntie,"

"Hello, dear," Fang Yue replied, looking at the chubby little girl with her round cheeks and fair skin, feeling an urge to pinch those plump cheeks.

"Does Xiao Zhi not love his brother anymore?" Ching Lang pretended to be sad, causing his little brother to wobble over to him. Ching Lang squatted down and held his brother to keep him from falling.

"There, there," the little one patted his brother’s cheek gently.

"Hm, you chubby-cheeked little rascal," Ching Lang couldn’t resist and gave his little brother several kisses on the cheek. Xiao Zhi laughed loudly from the ticklish sensation, then quickly turned and ran to bury his face in his mother’s legs.

"Ahh! Yong!" Xiao Zhi looked up at his mother, complaining about his brother’s teasing. Fang Yue laughed softly and picked up her son.

"Your uncle is out in the fields. Be careful and stay away from the pond,"

"Yes, Auntie,"

Ching Lang led the way to the rice fields on the other side of the village, with Xiaolin following behind and Ching Lang bringing up the rear. The three children walked in a line along the paddy dikes, their voices carried by the wind. Not far away was a small hut surrounded by lush green fields.

Xiaolin looked at the vast rice fields, the fresh atmosphere reminding her of her old home. Seeing the swaying rice plants brought back memories of her childhood.

She used to go fishing in the fields with her Grandpa Somsak, sometimes diving for fat golden apple snails clinging to the rice stalks or catching crabs that dug burrows in the dikes to make crab paste for her great-grandmother. She also loved gathering bitter mushrooms that grew around eucalyptus trees lining the canal.

She remembered that in primary school, she used to get up early to pick bitter mushrooms at six in the morning. She’d fill a small basket and sell it to wealthier villagers, earning twenty baht for snacks. On weekends, she’d collect bottles along the roadside to sell, never asking her parents for money unless necessary.

The more she thought about it, the more...

"I miss this so much," Xiaolin muttered as she stared into the distance, tears welling up in her eyes.

She regretted that she had died too early in her previous life. She hadn’t had the chance to take care of her parents and instead became a burden, leaving the elderly to cremate the young. If given a choice, she wished she could return to that place once more after her current life ended.

"Is something wrong?" Ching Lang asked with concern, noticing that the chubby little girl had been standing still for a while. When she turned to face him, he saw tears welling up in her eyes.

"I miss my mother," Xiaolin replied, wiping away her tears before smiling at him. She turned and continued walking toward Ching Long, who was already waiting at the small hut at the edge of the fields.

Ching Lang frowned slightly but followed closely behind, keeping an eye on the chubby girl, worried that something might be troubling her that she wasn’t sharing. However, as soon as they reached the rice fields, the little girl started laughing loudly, full of joy.

"There’s red shrimp everywhere!"

"Be careful! If they pinch your fingers, you’ll lose them for sure," Huan Chang warned the mischievous children. He intended to scare them so they wouldn’t dare to catch the shrimp, knowing that even adults could feel the pain from a pinch.

But instead, the kids all took off their shoes and jumped into the fields, including his eight-year-old son, Huan Luwen. Huan Chang shook his head at the mischievous lot, knowing they would be in for it if they got hurt.

"Why is its head so big?" Xiaolin asked, holding up a red shrimp. Its legs moved rapidly as if it wanted to fight the human.

"Hahaha, and there’s barely any meat," Ching Long laughed, his face speckled with mud.

"But it’s delicious! I love it when my mother cooks it with spicy herbs,"

"Wen, if the academy has a long break, would you like to visit Xiaolin’s house with us?" Ching Long asked his brother.

"Xiaolin’s house?" Huan Lu Wen looked at the chubby-cheeked girl running after the red shrimp, sending mud flying.

"Yes, Xiaolin’s house is near the sea. There are sea prawns to eat, and they’re much tastier than these red shrimps."

"What about the shrimp at the waterfall? Can they compare?" Ching Long thought for a moment before replying.

"Hmm, I’d say they’re on par. It’s hard to choose. But besides shrimp, there are squid, clams, and other seafood. They’re all very tasty."

"Then I want to go too!" Huan Luwen said excitedly. Since he was born, he had never traveled anywhere except to the city of Jingnan.

"Don’t forget to ask for your uncle and aunt’s permission. When the long holiday comes, we can go together," Ching Long said, equally excited. He was looking forward to eating the seafood cooked by his chubby little sister.

Xiaolin was having a great time catching the red shrimp. The water in the rice field was not deep, making it easy to see and catch them, especially in the flowing areas where the red shrimp liked to gather.

"Brother Lang, come over here quickly! There are so many red shrimps!" Xiaolin waved at Ching Lang, who was not far away, bent over catching shrimp.

When called, Ching Lang walked over and saw dozens of shrimps clinging to the grass in the flowing water.

"You’re right, there are so many. I’ll go get the bucket," he said, heading back to fetch the bucket they borrowed from their uncle. They planned to combine it with his brother’s bucket later.

"Oh, are you trying to fight me, little shrimp?" Xiaolin exclaimed in surprise as the small shrimp raised its claws in defense.

"Hehe, you can’t beat me," she said, taking advantage of the moment it lowered its claws to quickly grab it. The little shrimp wriggled its claws and legs in defiance.

But eventually, it ended up in the bucket with its companions.

By the time the children were satisfied with their shrimp catch, they were covered in mud from head to toe, with only their eyes and white teeth visible. Huan Chang laughed until his stomach hurt at the sight. He led the children back to the village in the evening. Fang Yue was shocked when she saw the muddy children, and she scolded her husband for letting them play until they were so filthy.

"Oh well, that’s how kids have fun. Take these shrimps and cook them. I’ll walk our nieces and nephews back," Huan Chang said, handing over a bucket of shrimp he had divided from his nephews’ catch because his son wanted to eat some.

Huan Chang helped carry the heavy bucket of shrimp the children had caught. By the time they reached the hill, the mud on their bodies had almost dried. Huan Qingqing, who was watering plants and flowers in the front yard, saw them and cried out in surprise.

"What have you all been doing? You little rascals!" Huan Qingqing felt a headache coming on at the sight of the three muddy children. Their grinning faces, showing off their white teeth, only made her more exasperated.

"Big brother!" Huan Qingqing glared at her older brother, who was laughing so hard he was holding his stomach.

"What? How is this my fault?"

"Hmph! You kids, go take a bath right now! Are you children or mud balls? Wash your hair and scrub your skin thoroughly, multiple times! Alright?"

Xiaolin, overwhelmed by her mother’s authority, forced a weak smile. Compared to her own kind mother, this one was on another level. The chubby little girl quickly waddled back to their small house, feeling the dried mud starting to itch and sting. She hurried to bathe, scrubbing herself multiple times to rid herself of the muddy smell. She shampooed her hair so many times it felt stiff like wire.

"I heard you were playing in the mud, you little rascal," Tianrong said with a chuckle as he sat on the veranda waiting for his daughter. He took in her state and couldn’t help but laugh a bit.

"I was catching shrimp, Daddy," she corrected, waddling over to sit beside him. He had a towel ready to dry her hair.

"Did you have fun? Hmm? There’s no mud to play with at our house, so you came here to play," Tianrong gently dried her hair.

"Seeing the rice fields made me feel so refreshed, Daddy,"

"Is that so? When I drove past, I saw them too. The endless fields... Standing in the middle of them must feel wonderful," he mused.

Since Tianrong could remember, no one in his village had ever grown rice. He wasn’t sure if the soil couldn’t support rice cultivation or if there wasn’t enough water, but he thought it was likely the latter.

"The rice plants have a subtle fragrance too, Daddy. Big Brother Lang said that if we want to buy cheap rice, we should get it from his uncle,"

"Is that so? I’ll talk to Elder Huan during dinner. We might be able to buy fresh rice at a good price," Tianrong replied.

The father and daughter continued chatting for a while. Once Xiaolin’s hair was dry, Tianrong went to take a bath. After getting dressed, he carried his "little piglet" to the main house.

Tonight, there were various dishes to choose from, but the highlight was the spicy stir-fried red shrimp. Xiaolin wiggled in her seat, happily munching on the shrimp that her father peeled for her.

"Would it be possible for me to buy some rice from you after the harvest?" Tianrong asked during dinner.

"Of course. Just let Tan know how much you need, and we’ll arrange for it to be delivered," Huan Chong replied.

"I’d like to start with two thousand jin. If we need more, I’ll let you know,"

Cough "Two thousand jin?!" Huan Chong choked on his drink, surprised by the large quantity.

"The Tang family has recently opened a restaurant, Father, so we need quite a bit of rice," Huan Tan explained.

"Oh, I see. I thought you were buying it to feed a lot of servants. Two thousand jin of rice could feed dozens of people."

"There are no servants at my house, just workers at the restaurant,"

"Alright then, once the rice is harvested, I’ll have Tan contact you,"

"Thank you very much,"

He felt relieved. If the Huan family sold rice at a reasonable price, it would help lower his costs. The current price of rice was a burden, but at least he didn’t have to buy expensive seafood, or he’d surely be bleeding money.

Xiaolin looked up at her father, who was smiling as he ate. She understood that getting rice at a cheaper price meant more profit for their family. The villagers here primarily made a living from rice farming, so if they could buy rice from them, her family wouldn’t have to worry about paying high prices for rice anymore.

"You mentioned opening a restaurant. Is it big?"

"It’s not very big, but it has over twenty tables. During lunchtime, we get a lot of customers,"

"Oh, that means business is good. Will two thousand jin of rice be enough?" Huan Chong teased. Tianrong chuckled softly.

"I’m still figuring out the exact amount we need, so I decided to start with this much."

"Good idea. Buying too much at once could be risky if you can’t use it all."

"By the way, could you send me a hundred jin of dried squid when you get back?" Huan Tan asked, suddenly remembering.

"Of course. I didn’t bring any gifts when I came, and I apologize for that," Tianrong said, frowning at his oversight.

"Don’t worry about it. If you have mussels, send some too. I want to eat crispy squid with stir-fried basil and mussels."

"I want some too!" Ching Long chimed in with his mouth full of rice, earning a swat on the leg from Huan Qingqing.

"Heh heh, mother,"

"I’ll send it to you, but it might take some time because we don’t have many people drying squid. I’m thinking about hiring more workers,"

"That’s alright, I understand,"

"We have scallops too," Xiaolin whispered to her big friend sitting next to her.

"I’ll have some of those too!"

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