I Can See Through All Things' Information Chapter 6 Borrowing Grain

Upon returning home, Lu Qing wasted no time and began distributing the catch, as the neighborhood children watched him with expectant eyes.

He retrieved two large banana leaves from the rear of the courtyard and tore them into smaller sections.

Each child received a portion of fish, weighing approximately half a pound.

Despite the modest amount, the youngsters were overjoyed.

Clutching their prizes, they dashed back to their homes as if they were carrying priceless treasures.

Once the children were gone, several local villagers approached Lu Qing.

“Lu Qing, how did you manage to catch these? How did you get so many at once?”

“It was mostly luck,” Lu Qing replied with a grin. “It might be that the bait I used is exceptionally tempting to the fish.”

“What kind of bait was it?”

“Just ordinary earthworms found in the soil.”

Lu Qing did not hide the truth and answered honestly.

He knew that even if he remained silent, the news would circulate through the village eventually.

A crowd of children had already witnessed his fishing session, after all.

It was better to be transparent now than to be labeled as a stingy person later.

“Earthworms? You can actually catch fish with those?” The villagers were stunned.

“Indeed, the fish seem to find them quite delicious.”

Lu Qing wasn't shocked by their ignorance regarding earthworm bait.

Based on the memories of the body's previous owner, he deduced he was in a realm resembling ancient China.

In this primitive and feudal era, travel was difficult and information traveled slowly.

The populace was generally wary and conservative, hesitant to experiment with the unknown.

A common fact in one region could be a profound secret in another.

Since no one in this village was an expert at fishing, it was natural they didn't know about the effectiveness of earthworms.

“I never realized fish enjoyed eating earthworms. No wonder we rarely caught anything before—we were using the wrong bait,” a villager remarked.

“Lu Qing, did your father teach you this trick?”

After a brief pause, Lu Qing nodded: “My father mentioned it once, and the memory just resurfaced. Today, Little Yan kept complaining about her hunger, and our pantry was empty. I decided to test the method out—I honestly didn’t expect such success.”

The villager went quiet for a moment, shifting his gaze toward Little Yan.

The young girl was crouching by the bucket, staring at the fish. Noticing the man's gaze, she looked up and offered him a radiant smile.

The villager’s heart melted, and he looked at the sickly Lu Qing with great sympathy.

“What will you do now? You can't survive on fish alone. Your stomach won't be able to take it.”

“I was actually hoping to speak with a few of my uncles,” Lu Qing said with a serious expression. “You all know the state of my family—we have no rice left. I was hoping to borrow some grain and basic supplies. Once I find work in a few days, I promise to pay you back double.”

“What nonsense are you saying? Do you take us for the kind of people who would abandon you in your time of need? We are neighbors—helping one another is only right. It’s just some grain. Uncle Shan will go get some for you right now!”

The villager spoke with booming enthusiasm, clearly moved.

Spurred by his words, the other villagers felt moved to contribute as well.

“Exactly, it’s just a bit of grain—I’ll head home and grab some for you too!”

“I picked up extra salt at the market recently; I can give you a portion.”

“We have plenty of oil at home—I’ll bring some over in a moment!”

The villagers puffed out their chests, making generous promises.

Lu Qing was filled with joy: “Thank you so much, uncles!”

“Lu Qing, wait here. I’m going home to fetch that grain.”

Uncle Shan departed immediately, followed by several others heading to their own houses.

Before long, the group reconvened in Lu Qing’s small courtyard.

“Here, take this half-bag of rice for you and Little Yan. If it runs out, just come find Uncle Shan!”

“Lu Qing, this half-jar of lard should keep you going for a while, right?”

“I’ve brought you half a bamboo tube of salt.”

“My wife made some flatbreads this morning. They stay fresh for a bit and are very filling. Will this be enough?”

Lu Qing felt a profound sense of gratitude as he looked at the supplies the villagers had brought.

He bowed repeatedly, saying, “It’s more than enough, thank you, uncles!”

He then reached into the bucket, scooping out several handfuls of small fish to divide among them.

In an instant, the majority of the fish in the barrel had been handed out.

“Please, uncles, take these fish home and enjoy them.”

Uncle Shan and the others tried to refuse, waving their hands. “We can't take those. You worked hard to catch them. Save them for yourself and the little one.”

“I can’t finish all of this myself. Besides, with this heat, the fish will spoil quickly. We don't have any livestock to feed the scraps to, so they would just go to waste. Please, consider it a favor to me so they aren't thrown away.”

Without waiting for another refusal, Lu Qing pressed the leaf-wrapped fish into their hands.

“Well... alright then, we won't be formal with you.”

Though the villagers had felt a slight sting at giving away their grain, the gift of fresh fish immediately lifted their spirits.

Lu Qing let out a long breath of relief once the men had departed.

He felt incredibly lucky.

He was fortunate that the villagers were such honest, simple people. Had they been different, he wouldn't have dared to ask for help so openly.

With these provisions, he and Little Yan were safe from hunger for the next ten days or so.

This window of time would allow him to figure out a permanent way to survive in this new world.

“Brother, that pancake smells amazing!”

Lu Qing was snapped out of his thoughts by Little Yan’s voice.

He looked down to see the little girl squatting on the dirt, staring hungrily at the flatbread the villager had donated.

He walked over, broke off a small piece of the bread, and handed it to her.

“Here, Little Yan, eat this for now. Your brother is going to cook some rice.”

“Okay! Little Yan will be good!”

She nodded obediently, taking the bread and nibbling on it with a happy expression.

Once the child was settled, Lu Qing headed into the kitchen to work.

He began by washing the rice for steaming, then selected about half a pound of small fish to clean and gut.

However, when it came time to cook the fish, he realized he had a problem.

There was no cooking pot in the kitchen.

Searching his memory, he realized what had happened.

The household used to own an iron pot, but the previous owner had sold it to buy food.

Currently, the house only possessed a clay pot suitable for rice, but nothing for frying or sautéing.

With a sigh, Lu Qing looked for a workaround. He found a flat, thin stone slab outside, scrubbed it clean, and placed it over the fire to heat.

Once the stone was glowing with heat, Lu Qing took a small spoonful of the solid lard from the jar provided by the villagers.

The fat sizzled the moment it hit the stone, melting instantly and filling the air with a rich, savory aroma.