Chapter 76 - 075 The Jins
In the evening, after returning home, Jin Duofu felt somewhat distracted. The Jin family in Jinkeng Village could be considered above average, and his father Jin Wangcai was an inherited bamboo craftsman. Since there was an abundance of bamboo in Jinkeng Village, there were many bamboo craftsmen in the village, but Jin Wangcai was the best among them. The cooling mats, bamboo baskets, and dustpans he made were not only beautiful, but also very durable.
That’s why when it was less busy with the farming work, Jin Wangcai would go to different villages and make house calls to weave cooling mats or other bamboo products. These items are necessities for the rural households, and Jin Wangcai was a famous bamboo craftsman in Wangjiazhen. His business was quite good, earning one yuan and five cents a day or trading for rice and other grain. The family was able to earn a decent sum over the course of a year. Therefore, the life of the Jin family was very good; at least they could eat to fullness, keep warm, and even had extra money to buy furniture.
Jin Duofu had three older sisters and one older brother, ranking fifth and being the youngest. Everyone in the family was very fond of this youngest child. When they saw that their youngest son was not his usual cheerful self during dinner but just bowed his head to eat, Jin Duofu’s mother Zhong Cuixu raised her hand to touch Jin Duofu’s forehead.
"It’s not hot, Xiao Wu, are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere?"
"No." Jin Duofu muttered gloomily. He was after all just an 11-year-old child. Although nothing bad had happened that afternoon, the more he thought about the potential consequences, the more frightened he became, and he also felt very guilty. If Tian Sisi hadn’t stopped him, his parents and grandparents would have had to suffer along with him. That’s why Jin Duofu decided to become a silent person in the future, not saying an extra word again.
"If nothing’s wrong, why are you so quiet?" Granny Jin was also anxious—this little grandson was her life. Now that he was acting so differently, how could she not be worried? Granny Jin didn’t bother with her meal anymore, and walked over to Jin Duofu’s side, constantly murmuring, "He wasn’t frightened, was he? Should I go to the riverside later and call his spirit back for him?"
Grandpa Jin agreed too; he also thought that his little grandson was acting really strange. Seeing his family so concerned about him, yet aware that he almost brought disaster upon them, made Jin Duofu, overwhelmed with guilt, suddenly burst into tears.
"Grandpa, Granny, Daddy, Mama, I almost killed you all today. Wuu, I won’t talk anymore. I want to be mute."