A Bite of Douluo Continent

Peony remained as innocent and carefree as she had been three years ago. At the age of eighteen or nineteen, the young girl had blossomed into a graceful and elegant woman. Her figure had matured, making her even more slender and beautiful. She had become a well-known beauty in the surrounding villages, and matchmakers lined up from one end of the village to the other, and then had to go back and forth again to find her.

Her parents died when she was young, so she didn't have to worry about their wishes. Whenever a matchmaker came to propose marriage, she would just exchange pleasantries and say that she didn't want to get married yet. As time went on, the number of matchmakers came less and less, but the number of people gossiping in the village increased.

One version of the story is that she had an ambiguous relationship with that outsider surnamed Qin.

The second theory is that she was born with an alluring charm and talked to fish every day, so she might be a monster in disguise.

Yes, by observing this girl who spent every day with Qin Shi through Qin Shi's eyes, and whose name was closely related to peony fish slices, Qi Han quickly discovered that the girl was different from others.

Every time she went to Dongting Lake to wash clothes, she would sit by the lake with her knees drawn up to her chest after washing them, teasing and feeding the fish in the lake for a while, talking to them to herself.

Because of her great love for fish, although Mudan does not abstain from meat, she never eats fish.

From the perspective of a modern person and an observer, Qi Han can actually understand Mudan very well. After all, this girl lost her parents at a young age and had no other relatives. She could only be strong and work hard for her life. When she encountered bad things, she had no one to confide in. Over time, she took the fish as her confidant. Over time, this became a habit, and the fish in the lake became her tree hole.

But in those days when literacy was not widespread, the villagers were ignorant.

How can a human communicate with a fish?

With such thoughts, coupled with the jealousy of some petty people who were envious of Peony's pure and refined appearance, similar malicious slander gradually emerged, using rumors to hurt people and demonizing a kind and unfortunate girl.

The truth stays at home, but rumors travel a thousand miles.

Of course, Qi Han was just an observer of that era; he couldn't even control his own body, let alone help the girl.

...

"Peony, are you talking to the fish again?"

Qin Shi strolled over and sat down casually beside Mudan. He watched the fish occasionally surfacing in the lake to eat the bait Mudan fed them. He glanced at Mudan a few times without realizing it, then quickly turned his head back. "The rumors in the village are getting more and more annoying."

"It's alright, I won't hurt anyone, and the fish won't hurt anyone either. Let them talk." Peony's gaze lingered on a small fish that had been pushed aside by the other fish while fighting for bait. She smiled and threw some bait to it, then sighed softly, "You people from Sichuan don't eat fish. I suppose the fish born in Sichuan must be happier than the fish here."

Qin Shi coughed lightly, covering his slightly flushed cheek with one hand. "Yeah, the fish over there... they're all huge."

Qi Han laughed out loud, just like a pig.

Knowing that Mudan loved fish but never ate them, Qin Shi also stopped eating fish. He even stopped selling fish in the Sichuan restaurants he opened, claiming that Sichuan people never ate fish, so Sichuan cuisine had no fish.

Fortunately, the surrounding area consisted of remote villages, and there was no other person from Sichuan besides him during the Qin Dynasty, so he could say whatever he wanted.

He's definitely a sycophant.

As for the claim that Sichuan cuisine doesn't include fish...

I disagree with the idea of ​​boiled fish fillets.

They also expressed their opposition to dishes like tofu fish, stir-fried fish, and boiled fish.

"I would be content if I could visit Sichuan Province even once in my life," Peony murmured, her face filled with longing.

Qin Shi opened his mouth, about to say "I'll take you there," but suddenly felt a little guilty.

If Peony knew that people from Sichuan also love to eat fish, she would probably be angry with herself.

Turning his head to glance at Mudan, who was still intently watching the fish, Qin Shi coughed lightly, swallowing back the words that were about to slip out, "Um..."

"Ok?"

"What did the fish say to you?"

"Them..." Peony smiled faintly, glancing at the fish that kept surfacing and blowing bubbles in the lake, then looked at the sky, her eyes filled with a sense of loss.

"They told me... it's going to rain, a really heavy rain."

Chapter 441 Torrential Rain and Floods (Bonus Chapter 1/12 for the Loquat Boss's Donation)

"Splash..."

Sitting on the threshold of his own courtyard, watching the torrential rain pouring down like a torrential downpour, Qin Shi was momentarily lost in thought.

It really rained, and it was raining heavily...

"So peonies really can talk to fish," Qin Shi murmured softly.

In his mental world, Qi Han silently shook his head.

The large number of fish coming to the surface of the lake to breathe is a sign that a heavy rain is coming.

When a heavy rain is about to fall, the high water vapor content in the air causes oxygen deficiency in the lake, which is why the fish exhibit this behavior.

After sitting in the courtyard for a while, Qin Shi seemed to remember something. He got up and went back into the house, carefully looking through the window at the house of Mudan's family not far away.

He remembered that a section of the roof in the Peony House had broken a couple of days ago and hadn't been repaired yet.

It's raining so hard right now...

No, he has to go and check it out.

With that thought in mind, Qin Shi picked up a raincoat hanging nearby and put it on, then ran into the rain.

The rain lashed heavily against his cheeks, stinging slightly; Qin Shi had never seen such heavy rain before.

I wonder how long this heavy rain will last.

He rushed into Mudan's house, looked around and found no one there. "Mudan! Mudan, are you there?"

No one answered.

Why is the peony still outside?

He was anxious, gritted his teeth, and rushed back into the rain.

"peony!"

Where are you, Peony?

After wandering aimlessly around the village, Qin Shi still couldn't find any trace of Peony.

He seemed to have thought of something, and immediately turned and ran wildly in one direction.

"Peony! Peony..."

Qin Shi's voice paused. He had already arrived at the shore of Dongting Lake. In the pouring rain, he seemed to see a small figure.

Without hesitation, he waded through the rising lake water caused by the torrential rain and hurried over. Looking at the familiar figure wearing a raincoat and squatting in the lake, her delicate feet completely submerged, he felt a pang of heartache in his eyes. "Peony, why are you still here? The water level is going to rise. Go home quickly!"

"No, I can't go home yet." Peony looked at the fish that were still struggling to surface in the rain, and slowly stood up. "This rain may last a long time, and there is a high chance of flooding. I need to tell the villagers to leave and take shelter as soon as possible."

“This…” Looking at the determined expression on Mudan’s face, which was wet with rain, Qin Shi took a deep breath. “Then I’ll go with you. Two people… will be able to get the information out faster.”

"You're going too?" Peony's expression suddenly became complicated. She stared at the boy in front of her, whom she had known for three years, and after a long while, she smiled brightly. "Okay."

...

"Aunt Zhao, is Aunt Zhao home?" Qin Shi wiped the raindrops from his face and knocked on the door while calling out loudly.

"Squeak~"

The door was gently opened, and a middle-aged woman with some gray hair peeked out and glanced at Qin Shi. "Young Manager Qin, what brings you here?"

"You'd better pack your valuables and leave this village quickly!" Qin Shi said urgently. "The torrential rain isn't going to stop anytime soon, and the water level in Dongting Lake has already risen very high. It looks like a major flood is imminent. If you don't leave now, it will be too late!"

"Ah? But it's my home..."

"As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn. Once the floodwaters recede, we'll naturally be able to go home!"

"Okay... but where should I go?"

“The nearby Lijia Village is on higher ground and won’t be flooded so quickly. Auntie, you go to Lijia Village first. If the flood also floods Lijia Village, then head south. There’s a high mountain over there!”

Gu: "Okay, thank you so much, Manager Qin..."

"Auntie, hurry up and pack up, I still need to notify the next household!" Seeing that the auntie had no other questions, Qin Shi wiped his face again, turned around and rushed back into the downpour, heading towards the other household.

...

"Peony, I've already notified the seventy-odd households in the west of the village. How about yours?"

"I still need to go and inform Grandma Zhang and Uncle Song. These two households live on higher ground, and they probably don't know about the flood yet."

"No!" Qin Shi grabbed Mudan, who was about to turn and leave, and pointed to the water that had already risen to her thighs. "Are you crazy? The water is already this high. What will you do after you notify them?"

"It's alright." Peony forced a smile. "If I notify them quickly, there's still enough time."

"You!" Qin Shi gritted his teeth. "Then I'll go with you! We'll each go to our own household."

"No need, you go first..."

"Stop talking." Qin Shi looked at Mudan firmly. "Unless you come with me now, I'll go wherever you go!"

Peony gave Qin Shi a deep look, then fell silent and turned to walk toward one of the households that had not yet been notified.

Qin Shi stayed close to her side as they headed towards the next house.

After finally persuading Uncle Song to leave, Qin Shi turned around and saw that Mudan, who was still trying to persuade Grandma Zhang to leave, hadn't left yet.

Oh no! Grandma Zhang's legs aren't very good!

Qin Shi's heart skipped a beat, and he rushed over quickly, wading through the water.

"Peony, how are things on your end?"

Peony carried Grandma Zhang's valuables on her back and carefully helped her out of the house, a hint of helplessness on her face. "Grandma Zhang's legs aren't very good, she can't walk anymore..."

"I'll carry her." Qin Shi glanced at the water, which was almost waist-deep, gritted his teeth, bent slightly, and carried Grandma Zhang on his back. "Peony, stay close to me!"

"it is good."

Peony nodded blankly, then quickly followed Qin Shi away.

...

"what!"

With the old man on his back, Qin Shi rushed towards Lijia Village with his head down. Suddenly, Mudan beside him let out a cry of surprise. He stopped abruptly, turned around, and saw Mudan almost falling into the water because she had lost her balance. He quickly reached out a hand to grab her arm.

"peony!"

Already soaked with rainwater, Peony's slender arms became slippery. The hand that had been holding her forearm slowly slid down to her wrist. Just as it was about to slip away, Peony quickly grabbed Qin Shi's wrist with her fingers.

Qin Shi breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at Mudan, who was still staggering, he hurriedly said, "Mudan, stand up straight! We need to leave quickly."

Peony's face was pale. She tried to stand up in the water that had already reached her neck, but her feet seemed to be in a low-lying area, and she couldn't feel any ground at all. "I...I can't stand up."