Chapter Fifty-Three: Moving House

“Grandfather, you’re awake!” Fubao exclaimed, splashing in the water. She kept one eye on the duck’s ongoing battle and the other on her troublesome grandfather.

“Bao’er, why am I still here?” Old Meng muttered. He had just dreamt of being home, strolling in the garden with his wife. Everything had been peaceful—until a black fish suddenly opened its mouth and spat water at him, even flashing him a smug grin. Furious, he watched as a sharp-beaked duck snatched the fish away. The fat duck even shot him a disdainful look before waddling off, its tail wiggling. Come to think of it, that duck looked awfully familiar… Then, startled, he had woken up.

Old Meng wiped the water from his face and turned, only to see that monstrous fish. He froze. Good heavens—was this a demon?

Without hesitation, Old Meng scooped Fubao up with one arm and drew a small dagger from his pocket with the other—a keepsake he’d conveniently “borrowed” from his daughter’s house for self-defense.

At that moment, though the duck’s flapping was somewhat clumsy, its movements were agile and swift. The fish monster twisted and turned, unable to catch even a glimpse of the duck. Furious, the fish let out a roar, rolled its eyes, and plunged headfirst into the water, spewing a few bubbles before floating belly-up—dead.

Fubao cheered, marveling at the duck’s prowess.

Old Meng was utterly bewildered.

The duck, triumphant, leaped onto the fish’s belly and bounced a few times, as if to say, “Pathetic!”

The dead fish seemed to lament, “Can’t you just let me rest in peace?”

Once Old Meng recovered from his daze, he quickly set Fubao down, grabbed the oar, and hurried them away. As they passed the lifeless fish, he scooped up the fat duck as well.

On the misty riverbank, Bai Zhanshuang and the others were anxious. The thick fog blocked their view of the grandfather and granddaughter, so they decided to make a bamboo raft and head out to search. Han Hua insisted on going himself, and the two argued on the shore.

Then, sharp-eyed Village Chief Jia spotted a familiar old man rowing furiously towards them, Fubao in his arms. “Look, they’re back!” he shouted.

Everyone looked up, relieved to see that it really was them. Bai Zhanshuang and Han Hua both breathed sighs of relief.

Old Meng said nothing.

In the end, the monstrous fish’s corpse was dragged back to shore. Though it was rather unsightly, it certainly couldn’t be left to pollute the river. The villagers were entrusted to deal with it, and Old Meng, Fubao, and their companions returned home.

As for the duck, after pecking at Bai Zhanshuang a few times, it allowed him to take the prayer beads.

Back home, the Lin family showered Fubao with kisses, each member checking her over to make sure she had all her limbs intact. Only then did they finally relax.

From that day on, the evil lurking in the Cang River was eradicated.

It turned out the so-called monster was nothing more than a loach that had lived on the riverbed since it was small. Over countless years, it had devoured the corpses of those who drowned in the Cang River, gradually gaining intelligence and eventually causing trouble. When spotted at night—its body pitch black and eyes glowing red—it became the stuff of wild legends, even being immortalized in paintings. As for the deranged old woman who fainted at the sight of Old Meng, perhaps she was simply exhausted from her madness.

The poor fish monster never imagined its end would come at the hands of a fat duck—a pitiful fate indeed.

After this incident, peace returned to the Cang River for a long time.

For half a month, the village remained tranquil, but recently a sense of unrest had begun to stir. Word spread that Tian Silang had returned—having escaped from prison, no less. He would have been released after a few years, but now the county yamen was determined to capture and execute him.

This, for the moment, was left aside.

Meng Yun had been preoccupied with another matter these past few days: whether to move to the city as Lady Meng had suggested. They had lived here for three years, and life was good. Though Lin Sanlang sometimes annoyed her, things were comfortable.

Lin Sanlang protested, “No, I didn’t!”

Just as she was pondering this, Old Madam Lin announced a family meeting in the old house.

Meng Yun found it odd—what was her mother-in-law planning now? Glancing at her two sisters-in-law, whose faces showed barely contained excitement, Meng Yun guessed it must have something to do with dividing the family assets.

“Recently, Erlang wrote to say he wants to bring Ceng Hai’s mother and the two children to the county town for a better life. Eldest also found some work in town and has saved enough to open a shop. He hasn’t made up his mind yet, but it’s more or less settled. I called you all here today to ask about your plans,” Old Madam Lin said.

“Mother…” Madam Wu hesitated, unsure how to begin.

“Speak your mind!” Old Madam Lin urged.

After a moment’s pause, Madam Wu blurted out, “Eldest wrote in his letter that Gou Dan and Xiao Lang are both in school. We can’t keep relying on the family. After discussing with Erlang, they decided the two brothers should open a shop together. At least this way, there’s a future!”

Old Madam Lin took a sip of water, her throat a little dry.