Shocking! A three-year-old brings his aloof mother to their door.

Although these words did not name names, their implications were all too clear.

Although Tongtong couldn't fully understand, she sensed the hostility in the words. The smile on her little face faded a bit, and she looked at her grandmother with a puzzled expression.

Jiang Hui abruptly stopped, her smile vanishing instantly, replaced by a fierce, protective look.

She slammed the bucket down on the ground with a bang, turned and walked toward the half-open courtyard gate, her voice suddenly rising, filled with undisguised anger:

"Hey Wu! Is your mouth covered in filth or has some kind of sore? What are you spewing maggots for?! Believe me or not, I'll shove your ass right now!!"

If you're so bored you have nothing better to do, go and give someone a blowjob!

She was so aggressive that the people inside the courtyard were clearly frightened. They slammed the door shut with a loud bang and then fell silent.

Jiang Hui stood facing the tightly closed courtyard gate, her chest still heaving, clearly not completely calmed down.

She turned around and saw that her son and daughter-in-law had already walked up to her. Only then did she manage to swallow back the even harsher words that followed, and just let out a heavy "humph".

Mo Ye frowned and stepped forward: "Mom, what's going on? Who's talking nonsense?"

"Who else could it be? It's that Wu guy who used to slack off at the tea factory and got fired!"

She can't stand seeing others do well, and she's always gossiping! Let's not let her ruin our good mood!" Jiang Hui was still a little upset when she mentioned this.

Mo Ye nodded, didn't ask any more questions, and bent down to pick up the bucket on the ground: "Mom, let me carry this."

Jiang Hui didn't stand on ceremony and handed the bucket over directly, adding, "You should have been more perceptive a long time ago!"

Mo Ye: "..." Okay, it's my slow reaction time.

Tongtong, standing to the side, stared wide-eyed at Jiang Hui with an expression of adoration, her little mouth agape in an "O" shape: "Grandma...awesome!"

Jiang Hui was amused by her granddaughter's undisguised admiration and bent down to pinch her little cheek:

"That's right! Our Tongtong really understands Grandma! She's so good at supporting Grandma!"

He Wanqing watched from the side, her heart also slightly shaken.

My mother-in-law's fierce protectiveness just now, though a bit rough and direct, was full of strength and unreserved defense of her family. It was absolutely awesome.

This little incident was quickly forgotten.

After walking for another ten minutes or so, a lush bamboo forest came into view.

Jiang Hui's chickens roam freely in this clearing in the woods, which is enclosed by a bamboo fence.

Jiang Hui walked to the fence gate and called out, "Zhu~ Zhu~ Zhu~".

Suddenly, the bamboo forest erupted in chaos!

The clucking sounds came from all directions as chickens of all sizes and colors emerged from the depths of the bamboo forest and from under the grass, clucking and swarming towards Jiang Hui like a tide, creating a rather spectacular scene.

"Pour the leftovers into the big trough over there," Jiang Hui instructed her son, while she went into a simple shed next door and took out half a bag of mixed grain feed.

Mo Ye poured out the leftovers as instructed, watching her mother skillfully scatter feed, the chickens swarming around her, clucking and scrambling for food.

He turned to Tongtong and said, "Tongtong, follow Grandma and watch how she catches the chicks. Be careful not to get pecked by the big chickens."

Then, he looked at He Wanqing, a smile in his eyes, and handed her a small bamboo basket:

"Wanqing, would you like to try collecting eggs?"

"Collect eggs?" He Wanqing's eyes lit up, and she immediately nodded, "Okay!"

Tongtong excitedly replied, "Tongtong wants to catch the chicks!"

With clear division of labor, the operation began.

Ye carried a basket and led He Wanqing into a slightly deeper, quieter area of ​​the bamboo forest.

He Wanqing quickly got into the zone, her sharp eyes scanning every blade of grass, every ditch, and every bamboo root.

"Mo Ye! Look! There! There's a nest over there!" She lowered her voice, but couldn't contain her excitement, pointing to a pile of soft, dry grass not far away.

Mo Ye looked in the direction she pointed and indeed saw several brown eggs lying quietly in the grass nest.

He couldn't help but smile as he looked at He Wanqing's overjoyed expression, as if she had discovered a treasure.

Indeed, the joy of collecting eggs can only be understood by those who have done it themselves—it's a primal, delightful surprise of discovery and harvest.

He Wanqing walked over carefully and picked up an egg.

She was somewhat surprised to find that the egg's shell was a lighter color, almost bluish, quite different from the brown or white eggs she usually bought at the supermarket.

"Why is this eggshell this color?" she asked curiously.

"Different breeds of chickens and their diets will result in different eggshell colors."

Mo Ye explained, "Our free-range chickens eat a variety of foods and get a lot of exercise, so their eggs taste better."

He Wanqing nodded, gently placed the eggs into the basket as if they were precious treasures, and then continued her egg-hunting journey.

She found another cluster hidden under the bamboo roots, and a few more scattered among the fallen leaves.

Whenever she found a nest, she would turn back to Mo Ye with sparkling eyes, just like a little girl, silently sharing her joy.

Mo Ye didn't point it out, but simply followed behind her with a smile, watching her rarely reveal such pure, childlike joy.

In fact, he had played in this bamboo grove since he was a child, and he knew it almost like the back of his hand where the hens preferred to lay their eggs.

He simply and silently guided He Wanqing with his footsteps and gaze, leading her towards directions where she was more likely to find something worthwhile, allowing her to fully enjoy the pleasure of discovery.

---

On Tongtong's side, the chick-catching operation officially began.

The little guy rubbed his hands together, spotted a stray, fluffy chick, crouched down, held his breath, and pounced on it with his little paws outstretched.

But the little chick was very clever. With a "cluck," it flapped its little wings and darted into the nearby bushes, leaving Tongtong with only air in her hand and a few stray feathers.

"Ouch!" Tongtong missed her target and almost fell over. After regaining her balance, she looked at her empty little hands, her mouth immediately pouting, and she looked at her grandmother with a pitiful expression.

"Grandma... the chicks are running so fast! Tongtong can't catch them..."

Jiang Hui looked at her granddaughter's frustrated little face under the eaves, feeling both sorry for her and amused, before turning around and going inside.

When he came out again, he had a bent wire in his hand, the end of which was bent into an exquisite hook shape, like the character "阝".

"Look after Grandma." Jiang Hui winked at her little granddaughter and walked slowly towards the flock of chickens.

With a gentle flick of the wire, a hen that was pecking at its food squealed as its foot became tangled.

The whole set of movements was smooth and fluid, and the hen flapped her wings a couple of times before giving up.

"Grandma is awesome!" Tongtong's eyes lit up, and she clapped her little hands and jumped up and down.

Jiang Hui handed her the wire and patted her granddaughter's head with her palm:

"Tongtong, grab whichever one you like. Grandma will use it to make you clay pot chicken tonight."

Tongtong took the "magical weapon" that still carried the warmth of her grandmother's palm and felt like a real hunter for the first time.

She imitated her grandmother, crouching low and cautiously approaching her target—a rooster with glossy feathers...