Grandma Chu was taken aback. She leaned over to look into the pigpen and saw the feeding trough was spotlessly clean. "The one you fed properly—how did you manage that?"
"That... that one was lying by the edge, so I could just reach its mouth with the ladle... The other was further inside. It wouldn't come when I called, and I couldn't reach it..."
Grandma Chu burst into laughter and couldn't resist patting Xiao Jin Yu's flushed cheek. "Oh, you silly child! Did you think Chu Chu was feeding you, bringing the food right to your lips?"
Xiao Jin Yu's face instantly turned crimson as if steaming.
Chuckling, Grandma Chu picked up the wooden ladle and the bucket of pig feed. She walked to the trough, tapped it a few times with the ladle—"clang, clang, clang"—and both pigs came trotting over. She dumped the feed all at once, and the two pigs buried their heads in the trough, bottoms in the air, munching noisily.
Before she could even set down the bucket, Grandpa Chu's voice sounded from behind. "You're such a high official, yet you can't even feed pigs properly!"
Xiao Jin Yu wished he could vanish into the ground. Bracing himself, he bowed his head and said, "This junior is foolish..."
Grandpa Chu walked around to face Xiao Jin Yu, tapping his cane on the ground. "If you don't know how common folks live, how can you govern them? Look at County Magistrate Zheng—he's digging a well for us in the yard right now!"
"You are right to admonish me..."
Grandma Chu hurried over, pulled Grandpa Chu aside, and shielded Xiao Jin Yu. Her face fell. "You old coot! The child was just trying to help, why must you make such a fuss... Weren't you supposed to be catching snakes on the back mountain to brew medicated wine for his rheumatism? Where are the snakes?"
Grandpa Chu petulantly hid a cloth bag behind his back. "Didn't catch any!"
"None? Then no wine for you at New Year's!"
Grandpa Chu glared, his mustache twitching with anger, but he obediently handed the cloth bag to Grandma Chu and stomped into the house, cane tapping loudly.
Grandma Chu smiled and patted the back of Xiao Jin Yu's head. "Your grandpa's just stubborn like that. Pay him no mind, alright..."
"It is my foolishness..." Xiao Jin Yu frowned slightly, looking at the cloth bag in Grandma Chu's hand. "Grandpa caught the snakes... on Phoenix Mountain behind the house?"
Grandma Chu nodded, glancing up at the mountain not far behind the house. "Yes... It's not tall or steep, but the woods are dense, full of snakes and insects. Most people don't dare go in... Back when we couldn't make ends meet, he'd go up there to catch snakes and trade them to the Doctor for some money. He's kept the skill till now..." She smiled at Xiao Jin Yu. "I'll clean these snakes and have him brew the medicated wine for you... Later, have Chu Chu massage you with it often. It won't hurt as much on damp or rainy days."
"Thank you, Grandma..."
Chu Chu and the two Chu elders returned late into the night. Zheng Youde and his crew had already finished digging the well and returned to the magistrate's office to report. After washing thoroughly from head to toe and changing into clean clothes, Chu Chu entered the room to find Xiao Jin Yu already asleep, propped against the headboard.
Chu Chu climbed onto the bed, leaned in to kiss his cheek, and Xiao Jin Yu jolted awake. Seeing Chu Chu grinning at him, he smiled softly and pulled her into his arms. "So late... You must be tired?"Chu Chu nuzzled against his chest. "I'm not tired at all."
"Have you finished examining all of them?"
"Not even close... Those bodies were all cut open, though not as thoroughly as Mrs. Ji—just separating the heads, arms, and legs. They didn't die at the same time either, so the decomposition varies, making it easier to match which parts belong together. But there are just too many! Even with my dad and brother helping, we haven't pieced together half of them yet!"
"Could you determine the cause of death?"
"Not even my dad could. He said these people died in a really strange way..."
Suddenly, Chu Chu lifted her head from Xiao Jin Yu's embrace. "Oh, right! I actually recognized one of the people I was piecing together."
☆、48 Four Happiness Meatballs (Seven)
Xiao Jin Yu was slightly startled and instinctively straightened his posture. "Who was it?"
"Black Stone."
Xiao Jin Yu froze. "...Stone?"
Chu Chu corrected him seriously, "Black Stone. His name is Black Stone. He's a blind beggar—I know him. He had a terrible temper."
Xiao Jin Yu furrowed his brow slightly. "A beggar?"
"Yeah... the kind dressed in rags, holding out a bowl on the street asking for money."
"I know..."
Xiao Jin Yu frowned lightly. He felt like he'd seen the combination of "Black Stone" somewhere before, and recently at that...
As he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard Chu Chu ask curiously, "Wang Ye, what's this?"
Xiao Jin Yu looked up to see Chu Chu holding the small booklet they'd found at Mr. Dong's residence. He had been flipping through it before falling asleep, and it had dropped onto the bed when his grip loosened in his drowsiness.
A thought suddenly struck him. "Chu Chu, take a look at this booklet... Can you read what's written inside? Do you recognize any of it?"
Chu Chu casually opened a page and, after just a glance, said, "These are all names!"
"Do you recognize any of these people?"
Chu Chu shook her head as she flipped through the pages, furrowing her brow. "Hard to say... People around here often have the same names. I know two people called 'Dirt Egg' and three called 'Dog's Tail Grass.' I can't tell which ones this is referring to."
"People here... all have names like these?"
"Yep!" Chu Chu smiled sweetly. "Humble names are easier to raise!"
Now he understood why she could so effortlessly call him "Little Goldfish" and "Donkey"...
Xiao Jin Yu took the booklet back and tucked it away, then looked at Chu Chu with a soft smile. "If that's the case, why don't your family members have names like that?"
Chu Chu lifted her chin proudly. "My grandpa said people from the Coroners Family have tough lives—any name will do to raise them well!"
"That makes sense..."
As soon as Xiao Jin Yu lay back down, Chu Chu burrowed into his arms and began wriggling restlessly.
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