Chapter 58

However, heaven really didn't let them make the trip for nothing; on the way back, they actually discovered a wild chicken in a trap, which made Yan Butgui even happier. To avoid others finding out, the two sped up their descent considerably.

By the time they returned to the Siheyuan, the sun was almost setting.

"Wife, quick look at what we brought back," Yan Butgui said excitedly.

"Yo, a big wild chicken, and mushrooms!" Third Aunt looked at what Yan Butgui brought back and was also very happy.

"Go clean the wild chicken; tonight we'll stew the chicken with mushrooms. Remember to stew half the chicken, and set the other half aside to dry. Add more mushrooms, and tomorrow we'll dry the remaining mushrooms," Yan Butgui instructed.

"Okay," Third Aunt readily agreed.

"From now on, I won't go fishing on Sundays; I'll go into the mountains to pick mushrooms—I might even have an unexpected gain," Yan Butgui said proudly.

"Okay, next time bring Dad, Jiecheng, and Jiefang," Third Aunt also thought Yan Butgui's idea was right, because although he often went fishing, he usually came back empty-handed, especially now it's a famine year, with even more people fishing, so with Yan Butgui's skill it's unlikely he'd catch anything.

"Add more water; chicken soup is very nutritious," Yan Butgui reminded after seeing Third Aunt had cleaned the wild chicken.

"I know."

That evening, the Yan family had a meat meal at noon; the family gathered around the table, Yan Butgui divided the chicken pieces among everyone by head, giving each a few pieces, and also gave each a few mushroom pieces. Finally, he had Third Aunt serve each person a bowl of chicken soup.

The Yan family had long grown accustomed to Yan Butgui's way; when eating at the Yan household, even pickled vegetables were divided by the root, the emphasis being on fairness and justice.

Yan Jiedi was the youngest and a girl, with the smallest appetite; she ate two pieces of chicken, two pieces of mushroom, and a cornmeal steamed bun, drinking half a bowl of soup before stopping, even though she wasn't full. She knew good food shouldn't be eaten all at once, so she saved some for tomorrow. Although there was still half a chicken left at home, given her father's temperament, she didn't know when they'd get to eat that half chicken again—maybe not until the Year of the Monkey and Horse Month.

(The so-called cornmeal is actually made by processing corn flour together with the corn cob; eating too much of it can cause internal heat and is hard to digest—many people who eat it can't go to the bathroom for several days—but in a famine year there's no choice; having something to eat is already good.)

"Mom, I'm full; please save what I didn't finish for me to eat tomorrow," Yan Jiedi said to Third Aunt.

"Okay, Mom will definitely save it for you," Third Aunt said with a smile.

"You all should learn from Jiedi; good food shouldn't be eaten all at once—she does this very well," Yan Butgui praised Yan Jiedi, feeling that she had learned his own thrifty, careful way of managing a household.

"I know," the third son said, but his actions didn't stop; normally, at the age when half-grown kids can eat, the bit of food Yan Butgui gave them would be eaten and they'd still be hungry—how could they save any for the next meal? Besides, how long has it been since their family last saw meat? They finally managed to have a meat dish, and yet they're thinking of saving some for later—what are they thinking?

At night, Yan Jiecheng was the first to wake up, feeling his intestines churning; he got up and hurried to the outside public toilet, and as soon as he stepped in he began vomiting and having diarrhea.

Then came Yan Jiefang and Yan Jiekuang, who also showed the same condition.

"Brother, the mushrooms you picked aren't poisonous, are they?" Yan Jiefang asked Yan Jiecheng.

"No, I was very careful—I didn't dare pick any mushrooms I didn't recognize," Yan Jiecheng answered firmly.

Then they heard movement outside as well; Yan Jiecheng came out and saw Yan Butgui and Third Aunt also rushing anxiously to the toilet.

After the first time came the second; aside from Yan Jiedi, the Yan family basically didn't sleep all night, they couldn't remember how many trips they'd made to the toilet, and in the end the whole family was nearly exhausted from diarrhea.

"Brother, I can't—I need to go to the toilet again," Yan Jiefang said, holding his stomach.

"Second brother, I want to go too," Yan Jiekuang also said.

The two brothers, holding their stomachs, ran outside; Yan Butgui inside wasn't much better—he had spent most of the day wandering the mountains with Yan Jiecheng, and now had been suffering diarrhea for most of the night, leaving him nearly exhausted, his head dizzy and vision blurred, even experiencing hallucinations.

"Head of the household, could the mushrooms you picked be poisonous?" Third Aunt asked weakly from her bed.

"Probably not; tomorrow you take those mushrooms out and examine them carefully," Yan Butgui said, now also beginning to suspect the mushrooms were the problem.

"Okay."

"No, I still need to go to the toilet," Yan Butgui said, holding his stomach as he ran outside.

It's unclear whether Yan Butgui was truly in a hurry or because his vision was blurred and he was hallucinating, but he actually ran into the women's toilet.

Yan Butgui was happily relieving himself in the squatting position when suddenly he heard an "ah" cry; he was startled, his already slightly weakened legs went soft, and from this sudden fright his legs gave way—with a "plop" he fell straight down.

In the past, the pit toilets were very deep, and Yan Butgui being small, the yellow and white waste came right up to his chin.

"Help!" Yan Butgui shouted weakly.

The person who had just shouted shone a flashlight into the pit toilet.

"Yan Laokou, you old lecher, how did you end up in the women's toilet?"

"Jia Zhangshi, don't spout bloody nonsense—hurry up and get someone to save me," Yan Butgui said, not expecting the person to be Jia Zhangshi.

"If you don't explain things clearly, I won't let anyone come save you—you must confess your wrongdoing. What are you doing running to the women's toilet in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?" Jia Zhangshi had just finished a fight with Yan Butgui two days ago, and had been worrying how to get revenge; now this was an opportunity, and she wasn't going to let someone rescue him so easily. She intended to let Yan Butgui stay in there a while longer, so she could vent her spite.

"Jia Zhangshi, I just rushed in and took the wrong toilet—hurry up and get someone to save me," Yan Butgui could only plead desperately; now he had to speak with his head tilted back, or else fecal matter might splash into his mouth.

"Burning paper at the grave—you're trying to fool ghosts," Jia Zhangshi said, deliberately stalling for time.

"Jiefang, did you hear any noise just now?" The sharp cry from Jia Zhangshi just now carried far; in the quiet night, it's normal for sound to travel far.

"I think I heard someone shout," Yan Jiefang said uncertainly.

"Elder brother, I think I heard it too," Yan Jiekuang also said.

"Come on, let's go out and see what's happening," Yan Jiecheng himself really didn't dare to go, given that spies were still rampant in that era—if he ran into one, it would be trouble.

"Brother, I don't dare go," Yan Jiekuang, being the youngest, also had the smallest courage.

"I don't dare go either," Yan Jiefang also said.

"Then let's wait a bit longer," Yan Jiecheng, who dared even less to go, said.