Reborn in the 1980s: Nine Stunning Beauties Get Pregnant Before Marriage

Just then, a cry of surprise came from not far away: "A fish! Quick, grab it!"

Chen Yongqiang looked over at the sound and saw three or four villagers rolling up their trouser legs.

The fish splashed around in a shallow puddle formed by rainwater, with water flying everywhere, as several people frantically tried to catch them.

After several days of rain, the reservoir water level rose, and the sluice gates were opened to release water to regulate the flow.

It's perfectly normal for water to gush out of the sluice gate, and for a few fish to slip out along with it.

Chen Yongqiang looked at the excited villagers but didn't move.

He carefully examined the puddle and the reservoir sluice gate further away, but what he was thinking was something else entirely: "Those that have escaped are just small fry; the real big fish are still deep in the reservoir."

"I'll make a fishing rod sometime and go to the reservoir to catch a few fish for a treat."

After a while, Sun Jianlin was gripping a writhing carp tightly with both hands. The fish was quite large, weighing at least two or three pounds.

"Hahaha! Got it!" Sun Jianlin said triumphantly, holding the fish high as if showing off his trophy.

He announced in a booming voice, "Don't try to take it from me! My wife just gave birth to a big, healthy baby boy, and I need this fish to help her produce milk and nourish her body!"

Upon hearing this, the few people who had originally wanted to join in and discuss getting a share of the profits immediately gave up on the idea.

In rural areas, childbirth and breastfeeding are extremely important matters, and no one would dare to compete for such a thing.

Everyone laughed and said, "You're lucky, kid."

After saying polite things like, "Take it back quickly and make soup for Wang Juan," they dispersed and went about their own business.

Sun Jianlin threaded a straw rope through the fish's gills, lifted it up, and ran home.

As noon approached, the laborers who were repairing the canal put down their tools and gathered near the makeshift thatched shed.

He Jun and two assistant cooks had already set up three large iron pots and were cooking a large pot of rice.

The villagers lined up spontaneously, each holding a different kind of enamel bowl or aluminum lunchbox.

He Jun stood behind the pot, holding an iron ladle, and distributed food to everyone's bowls.

He could scoop an extra half spoonful of soup for someone, or pick out a piece of fatty meat for someone, all depending on the precise movement of his wrist.

"Don't push! There's plenty of cornbread!" He Jun shouted, his eyes searching through the crowd.

When he saw Chen Yongqiang walking over with a bowl, he deliberately flicked his wrist, and the potato that should have fallen into the bowl rolled back into the pot.

Chen Yongqiang didn't say anything, took the two hard cornbreads, and squatted down on the nearby earthen slope.

He took a bite of his cornbread, his gaze sweeping over He Jun, who was ladling an extra half-spoon of soup into other people's bowls. He cursed inwardly, "That He Jun, he's such a damn stingy guy."

He assumed that He Jun was still holding a grudge about the previous dispute over work points, and that was why he was deliberately making things difficult for him when getting food.

Little did He Jun know that he was staring at Chen Yongqiang's figure squatting on the earthen slope, his mind churning with something else entirely.

That night, the image of Chen Yongqiang emerging from Ding Wanru's room pierced his heart like a thorn.

Chen Yongqiang was engrossed in eating his cornbread when the widow Liang Meie, holding a bowl, naturally squatted down next to him on the earthen slope.

She poked at the bland rice and vegetables in her bowl with her chopsticks, casually remarking, "Brother Yongqiang, it's been a while since I've seen you bring home any wild game."

"The wild boar meat you gave me the other day was really satisfying; my son is still talking about it."

Chen Yongqiang swallowed the cornbread in his mouth: "It's been raining non-stop lately, and the roads on the mountain are difficult to travel, so we didn't go in."

Liang Meie was clearly not satisfied with this answer: "If you ask me, with your skills, you can't just rely on the weather for a living. Once the irrigation canal is finished, there will always be sunny days..." Her words implied that she was still thinking about the next meat meal.

Chen Yongqiang knew perfectly well that this woman was trying to find another way to get some benefits.

He gave a mumbled reply and stuffed the rest of the cornbread into his mouth in a few bites: "If I catch a wild boar next time, I'll bring you some more."

Liang Meie coveted Chen Yongqiang's prey, while Chen Yongqiang coveted her body; each had their own needs.

After a busy day repairing the irrigation canal, the sun set and the whistle blew to signal the end of the workday.

The villagers dispersed along the newly dug ditch, with Chen Yongqiang walking at the very back.

Just as he reached a shallow puddle, a notification sounded in his mind:

[Ding! Mountain God's Blessing Triggered!]

[Prey marker: A wild turtle is hiding in a shallow cement hole at the 3 o'clock position ahead.]

Chen Yongqiang's gaze immediately locked onto a mud hole half-hidden by weeds at the edge of the puddle.

If the system hadn't clearly marked it, he would never have noticed this inconspicuous corner.

He quickly looked around to make sure the villagers were far away.

He gently probed the tip of the shovel into the mud hole and pried it open with force!

The mud was pried open, and a turtle the size of a plate was turned upside down. Just as it was about to be turned over...

Chen Yongqiang reacted quickly, grabbing the back edge of the turtle's carapace and pinching the indentation at the base of its hind legs with his thumb and forefinger. This is the standard way to catch a turtle, preventing it from turning around and biting.

The turtle struggled to kick its limbs with great force, and swung its tail vigorously, but all its efforts were in vain in Chen Yongqiang's hands.

Harvest successful! Blessing +3.

Chen Yongqiang's face showed a satisfied smile of accomplishment: such a large, purely wild turtle could fetch a good price in town.

The system's prey marking made him truly feel the tangible benefits brought by the mountain god's protection.

Chen Yongqiang returned to his courtyard and said, "Xiulian, bring me a wooden bucket."

Lin Xiulian responded, and although she was a little puzzled, she still took out a wooden bucket from the kitchen.

With a flick of his wrist, Chen Yongqiang sent the turtle into the wooden bucket.

Lin Xiulian recoiled in shock, and when she saw the giant turtle in the bucket, bigger than a large bowl, she exclaimed, "My God! Where did you get this? This is the first time I've ever seen such a big turtle! It must weigh two or three pounds!"

The turtle was clumsily rummaging around at the bottom of the bucket. Chen Yongqiang wiped his hands and estimated, "Hmm, about right."

Lin Xiulian squatted down, both curious and hesitant to reach out, circling the wooden bucket again and again, asking, "How much can this sell for?"

Chen Yongqiang had already made up his mind. Wild turtles like this are rare on the market, especially those that are this big.

"I reckon it can sell for five or six yuan."

This is roughly equivalent to the wages of a strong laborer in the village who would work hard for several days.

Looking at the restless turtle in the wooden tub, Lin Xiulian worriedly reminded her, "This thing looks quite fierce. What if it crawls out and runs away in the middle of the night?"

"You can't escape. Go and get the pot lid." Chen Yongqiang walked to the courtyard wall, picked up a flat bluestone slab, which looked to weigh at least twenty or thirty pounds.

He placed the stone slab on the pot lid, saying, "That's safe now. We'll deal with it tomorrow."

Selling the turtle to He Jun would be the easiest thing to do, but Chen Yongqiang felt that He Jun was a bit ungrateful and didn't want to sell any more prey to him.