As expected, Su Qianqian really didn’t make any more fuss, probably being kept in line by Mr. Su and Mrs. Su.
Lin Xiaoguai, however, had no mind to pay attention to that, as she was staring agape at the snake moving in her son’s palm...
"Where, where did this come from!?" Lin Xiaoguai considered herself brave, but she still felt queasy at the sight of snakes and insects.
"I saw it in a pet store, how is it, isn’t it cute?" Shen Yinian had just returned home, his face full of excitement, and was teasing the little snake’s tongue with his finger. Consequently, he had not noticed his mother’s expression.
"I don’t care how, but make it disappear from my sight immediately, and never appear again!" Lin Xiaoguai gritted her teeth and enunciated each word.
Shen Yinian froze. His mother had always treated him with tenderness, and her tone now was heavy enough to be considered severe. He blinked, feeling a little aggrieved – after all, he had brought the little snake back especially to show his mother.
Seeing that his grandson’s expression was off and fearing he would talk back to his daughter-in-law, Shen Mincheng hastily pulled him away.
"Little Niangao, quickly throw this snake out." Once outside, Shen Mincheng urged him.
"Why?" Seeing that even his doting grandpa was acting this way, Shen Yinian felt even more aggrieved.
Shen Mincheng, unaware of his grandson’s thoughts, replied, "What else could it be? Most women are afraid of crawlers, and when your great-grandma comes back she’ll definitely be scared too. You better hurry, or it would be terrible if the shock hurt the old lady."
Shen Yinian’s eyes lit up, "So mom is also scared, and that’s why she wants me to throw the little snake out?"
"What else did you think?" Shen Mincheng was somewhat baffled.
Shen Yinian suddenly cheered up – so, his mother wasn’t fond of his younger brothers and sisters instead of him.
He looked down at the little snake, feeling a bit reluctant, but of course, his mother was the most important. Anyway, Zeng Yi also liked this little snake very much; he might as well take it to him.
Meanwhile, Lin Xiaoguai, after her son had left, realized that her tone had indeed been too harsh. Her son had just come back...
After some thought, she went into the kitchen, planning to make a big meal for her son.
When Shen Chi came home and saw that his oldest son had returned, he immediately brightened up, patting his head, "When did you get back?"
"Noon, I’ve been back half the day," Shen Yinian said with a grin.
"How was the trip? Did you have fun?" Shen Chi pulled him down to sit on the couch.
"It was okay, J province has a lot of scenery that we don’t have here. Uncle Zeng even took us to climb Changbai Mountain, and I dug up some ginseng. The guide said it was ten-year-old ginseng, so I’m planning to soak it in alcohol for great-grandpa and the others to drink."
Watching his son full of energy, Shen Chi laughed, "That’s good, your great-grandpa and the others will definitely benefit."
Boys really need to get out and about.
"Also, I saw leopards and sika deer. Uncle Zeng injured a sika deer, but unfortunately, we were seen by local forest rangers, and he was fined thirty yuan." Shen Yinian stuck out his tongue, "Uncle Zeng was so angry, he said he’d secretly catch a sable to sell. But the rangers kept an eye on him, and wherever he went, there was a ranger watching him, frustrating him to no end."
He paused, then leaned in close and whispered in Shen Chi’s ear, "I caught a gazelle using the martial arts dad taught me and knocked it out. But there were people guarding the exit, and I couldn’t bring it back."
He looked disappointed.
Shen Chi, however, was surprised. Gazelles are not fierce beasts, but they are adept at jumping and climbing. Back when he was on a mission and hid in the forest, he had come across a group of gazelles and nearly got into trouble.
For his son to have caught one was no small feat.
After all, gazelles are social animals.
"You’re not hurt, are you?" he asked with a frown of concern.
"No." Shen Yinian said somewhat proudly, "I caught it while it was alone, drinking water. I snuck up behind it and subdued it, pressing its mouth and nose into the water. Its strength gradually lessened until it couldn’t struggle anymore, and I knocked it out with one punch."
Shen Chi listened with admiring eyes – truly his son, decisive and efficient even at a young age.
"I wanted to bring it back because I’ve never eaten gazelle meat," he lamented.
Shen Chi was speechless, tapping his head, "All you think about is eating."
The protection level for gazelles had been in effect since 1989, and there was no awareness of animal conservation in that era. The existence of forest ranger teams was also organized by local villagers to prevent poaching by outsiders.
—In the eyes of the locals of Changbai Mountain, the mountain’s offerings were as precious as their field’s yield.