Chapter 6, The Frog Savior

When dawn breaks, it is yet another repetitive day. The life in the village appears dull and tedious to Feng Bingwen. However, the little ones he plays with are filled with novelty every day, and a small pond can keep them captivated for hours.

I will go home to get the pot

I cannot say for certain about this matter, but I heard from your grandfather that the headmaster of the county school is quite a decent person. If Xiao Niu truly wishes to pursue his studies, he might just accept him. When I return, I will speak to that old fellow, so you need not worry.

I am going to get the jar

As dusk falls and the sky is painted with a myriad of red clouds, accompanied by shouts, the children bid each other farewell with cheerful smiles as they head home, marking the end of a joyful day

At this moment, a little fellow came over, holding a flapping bird, with an expression of defiance.

When the excitement and novelty wear off, what remains is emptiness. Feng Bingwen looked at the heavenly book, which had merely increased in numerical value without any essential change, and found it uninteresting. He calmed his mind and continued to sleep

As for catching fish and shrimp or trapping eels for meat, he does not intervene at all. The sparrow that was released yesterday was simply too small to bother with; after spending half a day on it, there was only a mouthful of meat. With that effort, it would be better to go to the fish pond and catch a fish instead

Brother Wenzi, I have caught another fish!

In this monotonous life, Feng Bingwen can only strive to seek out the joys of nature; he would never go to the large lake behind the village, as reaching the lake requires traversing through wasteland

With a call from Feng Bingwen, all the children stopped their antics, holding the porcelain bowls they had brought from home, and began to serve the soup. In that moment, the only sounds were the gentle blowing and the slurping of soup.

Good deeds: Ninety-nine (99)

After finishing dinner, one goes to sleep. At this time, the entertainment options for people are extremely scarce, unlike in dreams where one can play with a small square block for most of the night. In a small village like Fengjia Village, as night falls, every household closes its doors tightly, and the village becomes as quiet as if it were completely deserted.

Grandma, where is my grandpa? Has he not come back?

When he is dealing with these little creatures such as toads, dragonflies, and bees, he will intervene occasionally, and this is the origin of the good deeds mentioned in the heavenly scriptures. Primarily, it involves the release of frogs, and occasionally toads as well. These creatures are best caught, but they are also quite disgusting. He does not understand how those individuals have the courage to directly reach out and catch them

The sturdy little fellow scratched his head and broke into a proud smile

Your grandfather is probably not coming back today, as it seems there is something going on at the academy

However, upon regaining his senses, Feng Bingwen could not help but let out a sigh as he recalled that purple-tailed sparrow. Aside from its few vibrant tail feathers, there was nothing particularly special about it. Oh, if one were to say anything, it would be that it was full of spirit, and its pair of eyes was quite beautiful

Although he does not want to go to school too early, he knows that reading more books is always a good thing

The consumption of meat out of necessity and the enjoyment of torturing and killing for amusement are two different matters. Feng Bingwen would never stop these little creatures from eating the small game they catch; he would even join them in the feast.

Grandma, do you think this matter can be resolved

I will also go back to get some salt

Er Gou, you are impressive. We don't even need to go home for lunch; the fish you caught is enough for us to have a meal!

The unprecedented increase in good deeds made Feng Bingwen realize that the purple-tailed sparrow given to him by the village children during the day seemed to be no ordinary creature

After finishing the meal, washing the cooking utensils and dishes, and engaging in some playful antics, the day would pass just like that. For the children in the village who had not yet grown up and did not have to share in the family farm work, time was exceedingly joyful. Unfortunately, such moments are ultimately fleeting

Feng Bingwen inquired with considerable concern.

This good deed originates from a group of little frogs he rescued. Spring is the season of reproduction for all living things, and nowadays, the fields are filled with hopping little frogs.

Feng Bingwen let out a long breath, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his face

This matter truly needs to wait for your grandfather's return, but I estimate that your grandfather will not be able to make the decision either; we still need to wait for the dean to speak personally.

Wow, great, we will stew dove soup later

The elderly person, who was cooking by the stove amidst the smoke and flames, replied

Hehe

No, it is not seemingly so; it is certainly not an ordinary matter. Over the years, he has rescued at least eighty little frogs and little sparrows from those companions, yet he has never experienced such a significant increase in virtuous deeds.

What matters do you need to discuss with him

Three days later, just before going to sleep, Feng Bingwen unexpectedly noticed that his good deeds had increased once again, reaching one hundred (100)

In the village, a group of children cheerfully dug a pit in the ground to start a fire and cook fish soup, stewing doves. The adults did not intervene, and even welcomed this activity. Even if there was food at home, they would still let the children go and have a taste of the meat soup—those few fish ponds in the village were communal property

After Feng Bingwen wandered around the room for a while and felt that the contents of his stomach had mostly dissipated, he returned to his room, climbed onto the bed, and went to sleep. However, just before falling asleep, he habitually focused his gaze on the celestial book, and in an instant, he was jolted awake, completely losing his drowsiness, and his mind became fully alert.

As the sun sets behind the western mountains and wisps of smoke rise gently, the clean wind bids farewell to those little companions, covered in dust yet still reluctant to part. Upon returning home, one finds only the grandmother who is busy cooking.

It is not me, but Xiao Niu. His father wants him to attend the county school, but the tuition fees are insufficient, so he is inquiring whether it is possible to use grain as payment.

Release of living sparrows, good deeds, twenty (20)

Preventing farm children who primarily consume a vegetarian diet from eating meat is an atrocious act. Such deeds warrant punishment in the eighteen layers of hell, enduring tortures such as boiling, frying, and being cut in half for thousands of years

What have I put down?

Alright, let's eat

But what use is there?

As for the fish and doves that were eaten, tsk, is it easy for the children in the countryside to have a meat meal?

Brother Wenzi, I have also caught a turtle dove

After all this commotion, it had been two hours. The children were playing and making noise, while Feng Bingwen stood guard by the fire, watching closely. For him, the taste was secondary; his primary concern was to ensure that the fish soup and the dove soup were thoroughly cooked

So weak

Seeing the little friends bustling home with their meals, Feng Bingwen also got up and walked towards his home. Most of the adults in the village were busy with farming, so even children as young as eight or nine years old could cook meals.

This is fine

The only places he can go to play are the few ponds in the village, but these ponds also contain fish that the villagers have specially raised, some of which are as long as half a person. However, these large fish are not something that these little kids can catch; at most, they can only scoop up some small fish and shrimp

For the young children in the village, these bouncy little creatures are highly entertaining; however, for these young frogs, the interest of human children poses a grave danger.

A little fellow, sturdier than Feng Bingwen and taller by more than half a head, walked over with a grass carp in hand, beaming with pride and showing off.