Going home for the New Year during the winter break, I encountered a cool school girl on the high-sp

Chen Chen had barely put his hand inside when he swiftly grabbed a plump eel and pulled it out of the mud hole.

The eel struggled desperately in Chen Chen's hand, but it couldn't break free.

"Got it! Got it!"

Lin Muxi jumped up with joy, clapping her hands and cheering.

"Senior, you're amazing!"

Chen Chen smiled as he put the eels into the bamboo basket and wiped the mud off his hands:
"This is nothing. Once you've spent enough time in these fields, you'll learn the techniques and it will be easy to catch them."

Lin Muxi blinked, a playful smile appearing on her face, and said in a crisp voice:
"I think I'll stick to picking snails. I feel like this job suits me better, hehe."

Looking at her adorable appearance, Chen Chen couldn't help but smile slightly, nodded indulgently, and said with concern:

"Okay, then you have to be careful when you walk in the field, and don't fall. These paddy fields are not easy to walk in."

"Okay, don't worry."

Lin Muxi waved her hand dismissively, her tone light and cheerful, as if assuring Chen Chen that she was absolutely fine.

So the two of them tacitly divided the work and cooperated in this paddy field.

Lin Muxi bent over, carefully searching for snails in the mud.

Chen Chen, meanwhile, focused intently on the various mud holes, ready to seize any eels hiding within.

Before long, Lin Muxi had a good harvest; her small bamboo basket was already half full of snails.

The snails were of different sizes, clinging tightly to the mud or the water plants. Once she spotted them, she could easily pluck them and put them in her pocket.

As Lin Muxi picked them up, she hummed a cheerful tune, as if this simple task brought her great joy.

Meanwhile, Chen Chen, with his rich experience, also achieved numerous victories.

He has a keen eye and can always accurately pinpoint the mud burrows where eels hide.

He seized the opportunity, quickly reached into the mud, and with lightning speed, grabbed the eel firmly in his hand before it could even react.

One after another, plump eels were tossed into the bamboo basket, which occasionally emitted the sounds of the eels struggling.

As night deepened, the surrounding fields grew increasingly quiet, broken only by the occasional sounds of their conversation and work.

Suddenly, Lin Muxi let out a soft "Ouch!"

Chen Chen's heart tightened, and he immediately stopped what he was doing, turning to look at her: "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong with Xiaoxi?" Chen Jianwen's voice came from behind.

Lin Muxi straightened up and smiled sheepishly:
"I was so focused on picking snails that I didn't watch my step and slipped, but I didn't fall."

Chen Chen walked over, looked at her muddy feet, and said with a hint of helplessness:

"You still need to be careful." He said, taking a tissue out of his pocket and handing it to her so she could wipe her hands.

Lin Muxi took the tissue and stuck out her tongue: "I know, I'll definitely be more careful next time. I didn't realize that picking snails wasn't such an easy task."

"Chen Chen, you brat, how could you let Xiaoxi go into the water? She's never done this kind of work before, and she's bound to slip and fall in this slippery paddy field!"

As Chen Jianwen spoke, he strode closer, his tone full of reproach, launching into a barrage of criticism at Chen Chen.

Hearing this, Chen Chen touched his nose somewhat embarrassedly, understanding that Chen Jianwen was concerned about Lin Muxi, so he didn't refute it. Just then, Lin Muxi spoke first, beating Chen Chen to it.

Lin Muxi, with a sweet smile on her face, quickly waved her hand and explained:

"Uncle, please don't blame Chen Chen. I asked to come down myself."

Seeing everyone having so much fun in the fields made me really want to try it too, and Chen Chen was there to take care of me the whole time, so it was very safe.”

Chen Jianwen paused for a moment, looked at Lin Muxi, and the reproach in his eyes softened considerably:
"Xiaoxi, I'm worried that you, a city girl, won't be used to working in the countryside. What if you fall or get hurt?"

Lin Muxi blinked and said confidently:

"Uncle, don't worry! Look at me, I'm perfectly fine. Besides, I find picking snails very interesting, and I've learned a lot of new things."

Chen Jianwen smiled helplessly, "Alright, alright, since you're willing to do it yourself, you'd better be careful. You young people are so energetic."

Chen Chen then chimed in with a smile, "Dad, don't worry, I'll definitely take good care of Xiaoxi."

Chen Jianwen glared at Chen Chen, pretending to be angry. "You better keep your word. If Xiaoxi gets hurt, I won't let you off the hook."

After saying that, he turned around and went back to catching eels, leaving Chen Chen and Lin Muxi to look at each other and smile, and continue to devote themselves to their own interesting "work".

As time went by, their bamboo baskets gradually filled up.

The night sky was dotted with stars, as if they were also twinkling in celebration of their harvest.

Chen Chen checked the time and said, "It's about time. Let's go back. We've had a great night, so we can have a good meal tomorrow."

Lin Muxi nodded excitedly: "Great! I can't wait to taste the fruits of my labor."

So, a group of people, carrying bamboo baskets filled with snails and eels, slowly walked back along the ridge of the field.

When they returned home, it was already very late at night, past 1 a.m.

Liu Xiuying was still thinking about Chen Chen and the others and hadn't fallen asleep yet.

Hearing the commotion coming from the courtyard, Liu Xiuying immediately rushed out of the house.

Seeing Chen Chen, Lin Muxi, and the others, a relieved smile appeared on her face. Her gaze fell on the bamboo baskets filled with their harvest, and she said with delight:

"Wow, you've caught so many eels! And snails too. Looks like you've had a great haul tonight."

As Liu Xiuying spoke, she quickly stepped forward, her eyes full of concern:
"Come in quickly, you must be exhausted. Are you hungry since you're back so late?"

Chen Chen replied with a grin, "Not hungry yet. I was lucky tonight, so I caught quite a few."

Liu Xiuying turned to look at Lin Muxi, her eyes full of affection, and took her hand, saying:
"Little Creek, thank you for your hard work. How was your first time catching eels? Did you fall?"

Lin Muxi obediently shook her head, her face beaming with excitement:
"Auntie, I'm fine, it's so much fun! It's just that I'm not very good at catching eels, most of the time my seniors do it."

"Haha, it's okay, you'll get the hang of it after going a few more times."

Liu Xiuying said with a smile, then looked at them and said, "You should put your things away, wash your hands, and get some rest."

The three responded and went inside, placing the bamboo basket filled with eels and snails in the kitchen.

Chen Chen and Lin Muxi tidied up the tools and placed them in a corner. (End of Chapter)