Chapter 1: Jinx?
"Our Zhang family is so unlucky to have raised a jinx like you! If I had known, I would have drowned you in the piss bucket!"
"I worked so hard to feed you and clothe you, but you did such a shame that my son's hand was broken by you and he missed the exam. Otherwise, he would have passed the exam and become a scholar. Now you caused your brother to fall into the water!"
"You evil-minded person, you just want to kill your whole family! If I were you, I would have killed myself a long time ago. How dare you still live!"
Qingshui Village, Guang'an County.
Cai Po, the head of the Zhang family, stood in the yard early in the morning, holding a sick four-year-old boy and cursing at the woodshed.
The person who was insulted by her was not some unscrupulous villain, but just a five-year-old girl named Niuniu.
At this time, the little girl was lying on a pile of hay in the woodshed, her whole body was hot and her face was flushed. She closed her eyes and was unconscious.
A group of villagers gathered outside the Zhang family's door to watch the fun, chattering and pointing at the Zhang family.
"I heard from Niuniu's mother that this child is very strange. Two years ago, Niuniu was slapped by her father, and the next day her father broke his hand and missed the examination for the title of scholar. Her son Jinbao scratched Niuniu, and then Jinbao got a rash all over his face. It hurt and itched, and he cried miserably."
"Her mother said that it was Niuniu who caused Jinbao to fall into the water. That place is usually very safe, but the rocks collapsed when Jinbao stepped on them."
"Is it really that weird? But think about it carefully. The place where Jinbao fell into the water is where I used to wash clothes every day. It was usually very stable. How come it collapsed when Jinbao stepped on it?"
"Yesterday, the Zhang family sent Jinbao to the town clinic for treatment. They didn't care about Niuniu who had a high fever at all. They hoped that Niuniu would burn to death. Mrs. Cai said that this would get rid of the unlucky star."
Aunt Liu, who had always been at odds with Mrs. Cai, sneered when she heard this: "Just listen to the Zhang family's nonsense. If Niuniu is really a jinx, then the Zhang family wouldn't have the good life they have now."
"In the early years, Zhang Laosan was so focused on the imperial examination that he sold all the land in his family but still failed to pass the exam. The couple had been married for five years but had no children."
"Since bringing Niuniu home, Zhang Laosan picked up a ginseng in the mountains and had enough money to build a house. He also passed the imperial examination and became a student. His wife also got pregnant and gave birth to a big fat boy. In my opinion, this child is blessed and will bring prosperity to the Zhang family!"
We all lived in the same village. Thinking back carefully, it seemed that the Zhang family's fortunes suddenly improved when Niu Niu had just come to the family and Jinbao was not yet born.
They couldn't help but think that according to this statement, the Zhang family's long-awaited grandson Jinbao was more of a jinx than Niuniu. It was only after Jinbao was born that the Zhang family encountered all these messes...
Some people were even tempted and said, "If Niuniu is really blessed, then whoever raises her will be prosperous. Then I..."
But she was interrupted by Aunt Gu San who was standing beside her: "Come on, the person is about to die and you are saying this. Can you take him back and get a doctor?"
The man hurriedly shook his head and said, "Call a doctor? My family has no money, forget it!"
Aunt Gu said proudly, "Yes, if the money for hiring a doctor is spent and the person is still dead, isn't that unlucky? If you were really lucky, you wouldn't be dying now. In my opinion, Niu Niu's mother is right. Niu Niu is a jinx!"
Just at this moment, Zhang Yunniang squeezed in from the crowd. She had just received the news that her niece Niuniu had fallen into the water and had a high fever, so she rushed over with two eggs in her pocket.
After entering the house, Mrs. Cai stopped swearing, but her nephew Jinbao was throwing a tantrum in a sickly manner.
"Why don't you let Niuniu get up? I want her to get up and bark like a dog! I won't let her lie there pretending to be dead!"
Mrs. Cai hurriedly coaxed him, "Jin Bao, Niuniu is dying. You are sick now, don't touch her, it's unlucky! Can grandma teach you how to bark like a dog? Woof woof woof?"
Jin Bao was not happy and said, "I don't want an old woman like you, it's so ugly! I want Niuniu! Mother said that Niuniu will be my concubine from now on, and she has to sleep in the same bed with me! I'm going to find her right now!"
When Mrs. Cai heard this, she cried out in anger and stopped her precious grandson, saying, "Grandma's sweetheart, you really can't look for her. You haven't recovered from the drowning yesterday. Don't touch that unlucky ghost! If you really want a concubine, grandma will save money to buy you another one later!"
Zhang Yunniang was furious when she heard this. She rushed in and said, "Mother, Jinbao is only four years old. How can he not know the rules? Even if Niuniu is an adopted child, she is still his sister! How can we country folk always mention the maidservant?"
Zhang Yunniang has been living under the care of her stepmother since she was twelve years old. Perhaps because she felt sympathy for her stepmother, she always felt particularly sorry for her daughter Niuniu, who was adopted by her younger brother from her natal family.
When Mrs. Cai heard this, she immediately frowned and said, "How can you talk like that? Your brother is going to take the imperial examination and become a high-ranking official. Your nephew can even have a houseful of maids. You..."
Mrs. Cai had more dirty words to say, but when she saw the eggs in her unpleasant stepdaughter's hand, she swallowed her dirty words, changed her face in front of her, and said in a softer tone: "Yunniang, you came back to visit Jinbao, so why did you bring eggs?"
Although she said no, Mrs. Cai had already stretched out her hand to catch the egg.
Zhang Yunniang's face turned cold, she pulled back the hand holding the egg and said, "I want to see Niuniu first."
Mrs. Cai curled her lips and said, "People are about to die, what's there to see? There's no bad luck. Come, give me the eggs. It's just right. I want to make frangipani for Jinbao."
Zhang Yunniang was extremely persistent about this matter. She held the egg tightly in her hand and refused to give it to her stepmother, Mrs. Cai.
Seeing that she couldn't get the two eggs for a long time, Mrs. Cai couldn't pretend anymore and pointed at her nose and scolded: "You black-hearted thing, you think your adopted niece is more important than your biological nephew. How could I raise such a bastard like you!"
Zhang Yunniang had heard these insults since she was a child. She had long been accustomed to them and it was as if she hadn't heard them at this moment.
But Jin Bao, who was only four years old, didn't understand the tug of war between adults. His greedy eyes stared at the eggs in Zhang Yuniang's hand, and he grabbed the corner of Cai Po's clothes and made a fuss: "I want to eat frangipani! Frangipani!"
Mrs. Cai not only did not stop her grandson from making a fuss, but instead said in a sarcastic tone, "Jin Bao, be good, grandma can't do anything. Your aunt doesn't love you and is reluctant to give you eggs. She only thinks about that short-lived ghost!"
Zhang Yuniang ignored Mrs. Cai, put the eggs in her arms, and rushed directly to the woodshed where Niu Niu lived.
Mrs. Cai tried to stop them, but her beloved grandson Jinbao grabbed her and wouldn't let go, rolling on the ground and shouting for eggs.
Mrs. Cai cursed her bad luck in her heart and blamed Zhang Yunniang for being stingy. She brought back the eggs but was reluctant to give them away, which instead aroused Jinbao's greed.
Jinbao's yelling was so loud that it hurt people's ears. Mrs. Cai loved this grandson so much that she could only say, "Okay, okay, I'll make you some egg flowers right away. Just eat one to satisfy your craving. We still have to sell the eggs at home."
Mrs. Cai carried her grandson into the kitchen, took out an egg from the cupboard, cracked it into a bowl, sprinkled some salt on it with reluctance, and then poured the boiled water over the bowl. Jinbao's eyes rolled around, looking at the cupboard and then at the kettle on the stove.
As soon as Mrs. Cai finished making a bowl of simple frangipani, Jinbao pounced on it like a hungry tiger.
At this time, in the dark corner of the woodshed, a five-year-old girl, Niu Niu, was lying on a bed made of rags. Her cheeks were red from the fever. When she heard someone coming in, she used all her strength to pry open her eyelids. Seeing a familiar figure, the little girl called out vaguely, "Auntie...Auntie..."
When Zhang Yunniang saw this, she could no longer hold back her tears and they burst out.
"Niuniu, are you feeling uncomfortable? Auntie will take you to see a doctor, just bear with it." Zhang Yunniang said as she picked up the person and walked out.
After making the frangipani, Mrs. Cai hurried to the woodshed without noticing Jinbao who was eating the frangipani behind her. While her grandmother was not paying attention, she took out another egg from the cupboard, her eyes fell on the boiling kettle beside her, waiting to make another bowl for herself.
"Where are you taking him?" Mrs. Cai asked sharply.
Zhang Yunniang said without even turning her head: "You guys are reluctant to hire a doctor for your child, so I will hire one for her!"
Mrs. Cai was so anxious that she jumped up and down and said, "What right does this unlucky loser deserve to die? Why should he see a doctor? I won't allow him to!"
Zhang Yunniang ignored her and walked out with the person in her arms.
Mrs. Cai, who was behind him, was chasing in such a hurry that she tripped when she stepped over the threshold and fell headfirst to the ground, hitting her head. She let out a shrill scream in pain.
Before she had wiped the blood off her face, she heard a child's sharp cry coming from the kitchen.
Jinbao, who was eating secretly, accidentally knocked over the boiling kettle on the stove, and the hot water spilled all over himself. He rolled on the ground in pain: "It's hot! It hurts!"
New author, please collect it~
(End of this chapter)
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