Chapter 393: Unusual Movements by the Sea
Lin Nuo and his family of three went next door to mooch a meal.
Oh no, Ruo’er wasn’t part of their family yet.
But in a sense, it seemed she sort of was.
When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back at you.
As Lin Nuo mooched a meal from the neighbor, the neighbor was also mooching off his family’s food.
Mooching means getting something for nothing, freeloading.
But actually, Lin Nuo had sent Ruo’er over to help out, plus she had brought beef and lamb in her spirit pouch, so they were paying quite a bit, it didn’t really count as mooching.
Lin Nuo rested for a bit under the tree in front of the house, but before long, he was awakened by his mother.
Everyone else was busy, and he was just sleeping. Not to mention that it was impolite.
Plus she said if he wanted to sleep, he should go back inside; it was getting windy outside, and he could catch a cold.
With that loud wake-up call, Lin Nuo was wide awake, so he had no choice but to head to the seaside.
Today the sea was calm, the waves lapping against the rocky shore, really soothing.
He liked coming to the beach alone, gazing into the boundless ocean.
What lay beyond the sea? On different shores, Lin Nuo had different answers.
On other coasts, he would say it was enemies.
But at the shore of Ru Yu Village, he would say it was paradise.
Just like the moon in China is rounder than the one abroad.
Near the coast, there were many fishermen; they set out in boats and returned with full loads, the sea fish fresh. But because this area produced seafood abundantly, the seafood wasn’t worth much.
Lin Nuo had looked at the map and analyzed the local environment with his vast knowledge; there had been quite a few storms in recent years, and cities nearby had suffered earthquakes and tidal waves, which could lead to disasters like tsunamis.
However, according to the locals, that wasn’t the case.
Here, it was rain and shine, the climate pleasant, not to mention any disasters like earthquakes or tsunamis.
Could it be true that this was a place of good fortune?
He had studied a bit of feng shui and felt that it wasn’t as livable as it seemed; logically speaking, it would be prone to disasters.
Perhaps he just didn’t have the skill to see through it.
Who knows, maybe it was a natural miracle.
Lin Nuo pulled out a Meat Floss Cake from his pocket, tossed it in his mouth, and began to chew lightly, washing it down with cold water—so refreshing!
Suddenly, dark clouds gathered, and the sky dimmed.
So sudden?
Lin Nuo thought, there were no signs of rain just a moment ago; where did these clouds come from?
What a downer, really a downer, just came out and now had to go back.
Just as he was about to get up and head back, he suddenly felt a tension in his nerves and stopped in his tracks.
“Hmm?”
He was the villain, very sensitive, sensing something hidden nearby.
But he couldn’t put it into words, as it was just a fleeting moment, with no prior signs.
Was it the enemy?
It didn’t feel like enemies, his instincts told him.
Overthinking?
Maybe, he decided to head back; with those dark clouds, it surely looked like rain was imminent, and he’d end up soaked like a drowned rat.
However, just as he reached the entrance of his ancestral home, the clouds dispersed, and the sky cleared up.
“Seriously, are you kidding me?”
Lin Nuo sighed, wondering if this cloud was sent by the Dragon King of the East Sea just to mess with him?
With no other choice, he turned back.
But he was called by Xia Hanmo:
“Nuo’er, dinner is almost ready; stop running around and wait inside so I don’t lose you!”
Xia Hanmo’s voice came from the neighbor’s house; she was there helping too, while Lin Nuo was slacking off.
Lin Nuo thought it over and decided, well, since dinner was about to come, he might as well stay inside.
As it turned out, he waited for half an hour.
This was what his mother called “almost dinner.”
Honestly, he could have played with the dog during that half hour. A few dogs at the village head used to bark at him and seemed even eager to bite him; he thought of surprising them, like banging a pot next to their ears while they were asleep.
Lin Nuo was played by Xia Hanmo and stayed in the house waiting for half an hour. Once the dishes were prepared, he finally dashed over to the neighbor’s house to mooch a meal.
The neighbor’s home was an old house, simple and not large, but it was quite tidy, showing that the residents valued cleanliness.
On the table, there were various dishes. Yu Fang had initially planned to kill a chicken for meat, but unexpectedly, Lin Nuo and the others had brought over various beef and lamb.
Her family wanted to refuse, but they couldn’t get past Xia Hanmo; when it came to persuading people to take gifts, Xia Hanmo had a knack for it, skillfully using reason to win them over.
“Oh dear, we were supposed to host you, but you’ve brought meat over! Next time, don’t do this—let us prepare whatever you want,” Yu Fang’s father said kindly.
“It’s nothing. We just saw the beef and lamb were good in the city and brought some over. It feels a bit rude to have you treat us,” Lin Nuo replied.
“Don’t be so polite; we’re neighbors. It’s a rare occasion that you come here; we should treat you well.”
Yu Fang’s father continued to smile, and both sides interacted harmoniously, with respect and courtesy.
Lin Nuo noticed a portrait in the house; it was a picture of their eldest son, Yu Long.
A few years ago, Yu Long went out fishing and never came back due to a storm; he was probably lost.
And Xia Hanmo also just noticed the portrait, her tone turning somber as she asked:
“Any news about Long?”
Yu Fang’s father shook his head:
“No, alas, after so many years… Look at me, I’m just deceiving myself, thinking he’s still out there.”
“Now no one can prove he’s perished; perhaps there’s still hope.”
“Forget it, after all these years, the sea is vast, hope is dim. It’s fate, really; everyone else who goes out to sea to fish comes back, only Ah Long hasn’t returned. We’re doing well now; Xiao Fang is understanding, and we can eat and drink well, it’s fine.”
“You have it tough too; healing takes money. We have a bit here…”
“Oh, don’t say that! Just having you come for a meal satisfies us. How could we take your money?”
“But…”
Xia Hanmo wanted to persuade Yu Fang’s father to accept the money, but Lin Nuo deliberately stopped her.
His hand rested on her shoulder, shaking his head.
Xia Hanmo listened to her son. Seeing Lin Nuo shake his head, she didn’t pursue the matter anymore.
Lin Nuo understood this principle; you could bring beef and lamb over, but if you just handed them cash, that would be disrespectful.
He knew the right way; just like with Ruo’er, toss the money for them to find, or deliberately find a buyer for their produce, or pay the doctor some money so they’d lower the medical fees to ease their burden.
There were many ways; just handing over cash was the dumbest approach. They had to be made to accept it comfortably.
Lin Nuo and the others enjoyed a hearty meal today, and because they arrived early, they could stay in Ru Yu Village for a few more days until the day of his grandmother’s death anniversary.
During those days, guests from outside also arrived in Ru Yu Village.
And Lin Nuo bumped into her at the village entrance.
It was an acquaintance.