Catching a Chicken

The women weaving nets nearby couldn't help shaking their heads. These boys lazed around all day like children who had never grown up, thinking of nothing but having fun. And now they actually wanted to slaughter one of their families' chickens?

What a bunch of wastrels. If they were their sons, they'd beat them to death. Still, they had seen plenty of their antics over the years and were used to it by now!

As long as they didn't come wreak havoc in someone else's home. That barely counted as their one redeeming quality.

Ye Yaodong rubbed his nose awkwardly. Seeing how angry she was, he really did feel guilty.

Xiao Xiao grinned. "Dongzi, you've actually learned to care about your wife? It's fine. Just sweet-talk her when you get home tonight."

"Exactly. Just sweet-talk her tonight. Hurry up, we still have to kill the chicken. It's already past two, and it needs to stew for ages. If we leave it too late, we'll starve to death."

The two of them dragged Ye Yaodong along at a run. He figured it was already too late to turn back, so he might as well soothe her tonight. Tomorrow, he would go shore foraging with the women and put in a good effort, try to win her heart back a little.

With that settled, he cast aside his worries and happily went along with them.

Their White Sand Village was neither particularly large nor particularly small. A-Zheng's house was closer to East Bridge Village, with farmland right outside the back door.

Though he had sounded perfectly justified when talking about catching a chicken, he felt a little guilty when it came time to actually do it. Afraid his mother would spot them while weaving nets outside the house, he deliberately took them on a detour, planning to approach through the fields behind the house and climb over the fence.

Who knew his mother would be weaving nets by the back door today!

And the moment she looked up, she spotted the three of them by the road...

"What are you lot up to now?"

A-Zheng gave an awkward chuckle and approached, rubbing his hands together. "Mom, there's something I want to discuss with you. See if you're okay with it..."

"No!"

The three of them: "..."

She had shut him down before he could even say what it was!

A-Zheng's mother raised her eyes and scratched her scalp with her netting shuttle. Once she had relieved the itch, she went back to weaving. "Whenever you boys get together, nothing good comes of it. Don't bother discussing it with me. Whatever you ask, the answer is no!"

"Mom, hasn't Dad been saying his arms and legs feel weak lately..."

"What, you want to buy a mud crab to build him up?"

When people along the coast felt weak in their arms and legs and needed something nourishing, they usually chose mud crab.

"Not exactly..."

Standing beside him, Ye Yaodong found it rather funny. A-Zheng had been so confident outside his house, but the moment he faced his mother, he lost his nerve. How many years had it been since he had seen A-Zheng like this?

A-Zheng figured he would get it in the neck whether he went forward or backed down, so he simply came out with it. "A-Guang caught a cobra this morning. I thought I'd take a chicken over to stew with it, then bring a bowl back for you and Dad to build yourselves up. Hasn't Dad been complaining that his arms and legs feel weak lately?"

His mother arched a brow. She had been about to scold him, but swallowed the words when she heard the second half. At least he had some filial feeling and was thinking of his father.

Seeing that his mother hadn't immediately scolded him, A-Zheng knew he had a chance and pressed on. "Mom, look, I paid for the eggs we hatched these chickens from, and I'm usually the one who feeds them most. Giving me one doesn't really cost you anything, right?"

"Do you take me for a fool? You still eat my food, wear clothes I pay for, and live under my roof, and you have the nerve to say you raised the chickens?"

"Hehe, you raised them, you raised them. Then if you're not against it, I'll catch one?"

A-Zheng's mother glared, about to give him another scolding, but he was already excitedly calling Ye Yaodong and Xiao Xiao over to catch a chicken.

If she didn't object or scold him, didn't that mean she agreed?

"Get out, get out! Catch it and get out of here. A rooster only." After four daughters, she had only this one son. How could she not dote on him?

"Which one?"

"That one! That big rooster's nice and fat! Xiao Xiao, you go first!" Ye Yaodong pointed at the brightly feathered rooster strolling leisurely in the corner and told the others to go first.

With chicken droppings all over the ground, he wasn't very keen on stepping in.

A short burst of clucking rang out, followed by, "Shit, missed it!"

"Over there, over there... Dong..."

"I've got it... I've got it..."

The three of them ran all over the yard while chickens flew everywhere. After a flurry of utter chaos, they still hadn't caught the rooster.

"Damn it, how can it fly so well? You two take that side, I'll take this side. We'll surround it!"

Ye Yaodong hurriedly stopped them. "Wait, wait. A-Zheng, go get a handful of rice bran. We'll stand in the corner. They'll be easier to catch when they're eating."

"Sure thing!"

Watching them made A-Zheng's mother's liver ache. These little brats! Luckily, she had reacted quickly and moved the fishing net indoors, or it would have ended up in a tangled mess.

Even after they scattered a handful of rice bran, the chickens remained wary, circling tentatively without daring to come closer.

Only after a good while, once they sensed there was no danger, did they approach and start pecking.

"Go on, Dongzi. Your turn."

Fine, his turn it was. Ye Yaodong crept forward, picked his target, and lunged straight at it.

"Got it!"

His face lit up with delight as he gripped both wings. "Bring me some straw rope. I'll tie it up, or it'll fly off again."

"Here. Tie it as we walk. We'll take it to A-Guang's Home to kill it."

The big rooster was full of energy. Even tied up, it kept struggling, stretching its neck and crowing.

Only after tying the chicken securely did Ye Yaodong hand it over to them. Seeing chicken droppings all over the toes and edges of his shoes, he grabbed a handful of straw to wipe them off, then scraped his feet firmly against the ground a few times. Once his soles were clean, he happily followed them to A-Guang's Home.

A-Guang's mother had passed away, and his father went out to sea on a large boat, staying away for months at a time. With nobody at home to arrange a marriage for him, and no girl willing to marry him, he was still unmarried. Only he and his two younger sisters lived there, so they always chose A-Guang's Home for their get-togethers.

Everyone was gathered at his house playing cards, just waiting for the three of them to arrive before starting the cooking.

"Damn, A-Guang, don't you know what your own name is? You actually dared to join a card game this afternoon?"

"Hahaha, Pei Guang-lose it all!" Remembering the bad luck A-Guang's name brought him, Ye Yaodong slapped his thigh and laughed. It had been quite a few years since he had last seen A-Guang, too.

In his previous life, A-Guang's father had saved enough money to buy a boat and moved the whole family to Zhoushan to go into the dried tiny shrimp business. They rarely came back.

A-Guang gave them a disdainful look. "For once, I haven't lost today, all right?"

"Then who lost? Who won? Whoever won the most, go to the docks and buy a couple of bowls of whatever seafood you find. A-Zheng brought a chicken from home. We're making Dragon-and-Phoenix Soup tonight, so let's have a proper feast!"

A-Guang waved the small-denomination notes in his hand and declared triumphantly, "I beat all three of them! First time ever. I'll go see what they have at the docks. You guys kill the chicken first!"

They often played cards for small stakes. Since they were all friends, they always used the winnings to buy food so everyone could eat, drink, and shoot the breeze together.

Though none of them amounted to much, they were all close. Ye Yaodong was especially excited and volunteered, "You guys keep playing. Leave the chicken to me. I'll kill it and clean it."

"Sure, it's all yours. I'll play cards for a bit. Call me when you're done, and I'll cook!" As if granted a reprieve, Xiao Xiao handed him the chicken and went over to the table.