Chapter 08: Starving in the Middle of the Night

So big

In Yang Yinghan's eyes, there were already tears shimmering, droplets gathering, yet they were somewhat bittersweet tears of happiness that came after enduring hardships

Feeling that the timing was about right, Zhang Zhun slowly raised the bamboo spear while simultaneously plunging his left hand into the water to scoop up the large fish

After leaving Yangjiatun, I went to the nearby bamboo forest, cut a bamboo pole with a knife, and sharpened one end to use as a spear. The spear I had during the day was left at the mouse's house, so I had to make a new one. After walking a few steps, I suddenly heard footsteps. Zhang Zhun hurriedly turned around and was astonished to find it was Yang Yinghan.

Yang Kaide was reminded by the mouse and suddenly recalled something. He said to Zhang Zhun: "Yulin, back then your father and I... the four of us brothers agreed... you and Xiaohan..."

Major Zhang swung the bamboo spear in his hand to the right, guiding the large fish swimming beneath the water, then traced an arc and returned to the original starting point. In this manner, he continuously dragged the large fish in circles, wearing down its strength.

Yang Yinghan asked in confusion: "Sashimi? What is that?"

Yang Yinghan cried out in a lost voice

Huang stated: "There is no reason; it is simply deserved."

Yang Yinghan obediently held the torch, following behind him

Rebellion, changing the course of history, father, wife, daughter

I clearly ate three pieces of braised fish and felt full at the time, but unexpectedly it didn't hold me over. I really don't know what happened. Could it be that my body, being somewhat foolish, has a particularly large appetite and digests food exceptionally quickly?

It is unclear what kind of dried vegetables are used in the dish, as the amount of dried vegetables exceeds that of the rice by more than three times. One can only see the dried vegetables, with the rice completely hidden. Additionally, there is no oil, making it taste somewhat astringent, reminiscent of dried grass. In contrast, the stewed fish pieces are entirely different, exuding a rich aroma that is enticing. Remarkably, the fish oil rendered from the stewed fish pieces is fragrant and quickly becomes a sought-after delicacy.

After running outside three times, Zhang Zhun felt his stomach growling.

Crackling!

Even a fool can sense her concern for him. Perhaps there is an implication that Yang Kaide intends to betroth her to himself, but the fact that she constantly pays attention to him and even prepares food in advance to satisfy his hunger is truly moving. She genuinely cares for him.

The rat called out in an exaggerated manner

Yang Ruifeng nodded and said, "It should be done."

Zhang Zhun also felt a slight sting in his nose, but he managed to hold back his tears and said in a low voice: "Everyone, please do not cry. The days of hardship are slowly coming to an end. In the future, our lives will gradually improve. Truly, our days ahead will get better and better. One day, we will be able to eat pork regularly, and we will no longer need to patch our clothes"

Gulu Gulu

Huang said with a smile: "You deserve it! Soon your sister will hit you too!"

Zhang Jun immediately thrust the javelin down

Zhang Zhun said a bit shyly: "I am hungry, let's get something to eat."

The house was bare, with nothing to satisfy his hunger. Throughout the night, he heard no sounds of mice, perhaps they had all starved to death. Unable to endure the hunger any longer, he quietly got up and found a rusty hatchet in the corner of the wall. He then stepped outside. Famished, he intended to go to the seaside to catch some fish to eat.

Yang Kaide could not help but shed tears of joy, saying with relief: "Yulin, you have grown up! And *Tushu*, you have grown up! Old Four, your son has grown up! Do you see? You can leave with peace of mind, Yulin has already grown up!"

Yang Yinghan held a torch in her hand, gracefully walking over. The flickering light illuminated her charming cheeks. She was still wearing the simple dress made of floral fabric from earlier in the day, appearing plain yet pure and captivating. This was the most primal form of beauty, requiring no adornment. She asked with concern: "Yulin... what are you doing?"

Zhang Zhun took the torch in his left hand, crouched down, and brought the torch close to the water's surface, gently swaying it from side to side. His right hand held a bamboo spear, and he focused intently on every subtle movement on the water's surface

Shaanxi, civil unrest, uprising

Goodness, it turns out it is not a large yellow croaker, but a genuine silver carp, weighing a full fifteen to sixteen pounds and measuring over half a meter in length, equivalent to three large yellow croakers. It seems that there is likely a freshwater spring flowing beneath the rocks, which can effectively dilute the salinity of the seawater; otherwise, silver carp would not appear here.

Under the condition of sleeplessness, the fish head soup quickly took effect

Yang Yinghan handed over the torch while crouching on the rock to observe what he intended to do

The rice balls are wrapped in banana leaves, looking very neat, and they should have been left over from dinner

Zhang Zhun extended his arm and gave him an elbow.

I am really hungry

I am hungry

Yang Yinghan's face instantly turned even redder, the area behind her ears flushed deeply, and her gaze was so charming that it seemed as if it might overflow with tears, yet she was reluctant to part with it

Zhang Zhun said: "I see you haven't eaten enough either, go ahead and eat!"

Having said that, he truly took out two rice balls from his bosom

Yang Yinghan brought out the dried vegetable rice, followed by two large bowls of stewed fish pieces, and this constituted the formal dinner

Yang Yinghan's face turned red, and she hurriedly lowered her head to drink the soup. Unintentionally, a drop of glistening tear fell from the corner of her eye, landing precisely in the fish head soup

Liaodong, Dazi, Manchu

Two individuals arrived at the desolate Red Stone Beach, where naturally there was no one around, only the gentle sea breeze continuously blowing, causing the torch to flicker. As it was the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, the moonlight was still quite bright, softly cascading down and covering the beach with a layer of silver. A few twinkling stars mischievously blinked, as if peeking at the two individuals' movements. Gazing out at the sea, a silvery mist enveloped the expanse. The waves surged in succession, and the splashing foam, illuminated by the moonlight, appeared exceptionally white. A few twinkling stars mischievously blinked, as if peeking at the two individuals' movements. Gazing out at the sea, a silvery mist enveloped the expanse. The waves surged in succession, and the splashing foam, illuminated by the moonlight, appeared exceptionally white.

Zhang Jun sincerely said: "Uncle, you have treated me with great kindness, and I will follow all your arrangements, including matters of marriage. As long as you do not find me unworthy, that is enough."

The hunger that I had never felt in my past life is now a tangible experience. It feels as if there is a small metal file in my throat, rasping back and forth. That gritty sensation seems to want to scrape out my internal organs, chew them into pieces, and then swallow them back down again

Yang Yinghan said: "I am full... I have a small appetite. Your fish is very delicious, really, I had two pieces and I am quite full."

Yang Ruifeng is the eldest son of the Yang family. Over the years, he has deeply experienced the hardships. Typically taciturn, he held the bowl of fish head soup, completely unaware that his tears had already fallen into it. This is also the tear of someone who has endured suffering before enjoying the sweetness.

General Zhang sharpened a bamboo pole, swaying it left and right to gauge its balance. He felt it was quite suitable for a skilled artist, and then said: "Well... you hold the rice ball first, and I will take you to eat sashimi."

Yang Yinghan seemed to have anticipated this long ago, and gently said: "I brought you two rice balls, you can eat them first."

Yang Kaide's old face relaxed, and he said with satisfaction: "No disdain, no disdain. As for this matter, when the right day comes, I will discuss it with her mother again. There is no rush, no rush"

Zhang Zhun said, "You will know if you come with me"

Chongzhen, Huang Taiji, Li Zicheng, Zhang Xianzhong

Western, fleet, Taiwan

Chaotic thoughts surged into Zhang Zhun's mind, making it increasingly difficult for him to fall asleep

Throughout the night, Zhang Zhun went outside several times, each time to urinate in the stinking ditch. Everyone did the same; only women used the toilet. Men would urinate in front of and behind the house, and if it was a larger need, they would run a bit farther away. In any case, there was no land that belonged to anyone, and farmyard manure was of no use.

The little mouse has obediently fallen silent.

Hmph

The mouse said innocently and aggrieved: "I didn't call out wrong, so why should I be punished?"

Suddenly, a series of bubbles emerged on the water's surface

Zhang Zhun forcibly made himself eat two bowls of dry vegetable rice and three quite large pieces of stewed fish, finally feeling full. In the end, the two large bowls of stewed fish were not finished, as everyone had eaten their fill, after all, it was a large fish weighing over ten jin.

Zhang Zhun truly cannot get accustomed to such meals, but there is no choice; he must force himself to eat. Although the fish head soup provides nutritional benefits, it cannot fully satisfy the body's needs. Moreover, after a while, a few trips to the bathroom will leave him without the fish head soup, and going to bed on an empty stomach is quite uncomfortable. Furthermore, it is now the first month of the lunar calendar, and the weather is still very cold.

Yang Ying was caught off guard, instinctively standing up to avoid the splashes. She thought Zhang Zhun had hooked some great sea monster, given such a large reaction. In the end, she couldn't help but smile sweetly, continuing to crouch down to observe every move of Zhang Zhun.

The bamboo spear struck an unknown fish, and the surface of the water was immediately disturbed, splashing everywhere

Zhang Zhun made several round trips to Red Stone Beach today and has become quite familiar with the rocks there. The moonlight is very clear, and visibility is good. He quickly found a spot where there were fish, positioned himself well, and said softly, "Come, hand me the torch."

The rat called softly with a smile: "Brother-in-law?"

These words elicited even more tears

There were no entertainment activities in the evening, and everyone was accustomed to going to bed early. After finishing dinner and tidying up the dishes, each person would wash their feet and go to bed. Even the usually restless mouse went to sleep early. Zhang Zhun had no choice but to return to his own doghouse, wash his feet, and lie down, yet he simply could not fall asleep. After all, this was his first night since crossing over to the Ming Dynasty.

Zhang Zhun suddenly felt an indescribable emotion

Yang Yinghan hurriedly stood up to serve the rice

Zhang Zhun nodded and said, "Yes"

The rat once again showcased its talent for performance, and then, excitedly responding to Zhang Zhun's words, said: "Yes, Brother Yulin is right! Our days ahead will get better! We will be able to eat meat, and we will be able to wear good clothes! My brother will also marry a good wife! Little girl... little girl will also have a good home!"

The surface of the water gradually calmed down, and one could faintly see it turning a dark red color, which was the fresh blood sprayed from the wound of a large fish. Judging by the area and concentration of the blood, the large fish below must weigh no less than 10 pounds; this time, we truly caught a big one.