Although the whole family thought that Xu Mo was the smartest, Chang Yan repeatedly came up with some unexpected ideas.
Gradually, the brothers began to pay more attention to the fifth brother, who seemed taciturn and had no special skills.
“People like Pang Dashan seem bad, but they all have one thing in common: they’re opportunists.” Chang Yan didn’t disappoint everyone’s expectations and said slowly, “Gao Yabu is powerful, so he helps Gao Yabu against us. Conversely, if we can give him more, he will also become our ally.”
Even if Pang Dashan's overtures this time are Gao Yayi's new scheme.
Pangda Mountain will switch sides as long as they can bring more benefits to Pangda Mountain.
Chang Yan glanced at Jiang Sheng and, unusually, praised her, saying, "You did a great job delivering the candied hawthorns just now."
These are the little tricks that are always used to win people's hearts.
Jiang Sheng's mouth opened slightly. She hadn't actually thought that much about it; it was just a momentary feeling of pity.
"Then what should we do next?" Zheng Ruqian asked anxiously.
He clearly took it to heart.
Chang Yan smiled slightly and said only three words, "It's Chinese New Year."
It's Chinese New Year! Every household slaughters pigs and chickens, buys hair accessories and new clothes, and fries meatballs and stews crispy pork.
But the beggars had nothing.
Zheng Ruqian suddenly realized what he was doing and began to think about what he could give as a gift.
At the opportune moment, Chang Yan added, "One should not give things away unconditionally, lest it breed greed."
Well, it's not simple either.
The maneuvering was so subtle—using gifts to win over Pang Dashan, yet not making it too obvious. This kind of intrigue was difficult for anyone not accustomed to it to comprehend.
Xu Mo couldn't help but become curious about the background of his fifth brother.
Back to the dilapidated temple.
Everyone started working enthusiastically.
You need to shred the radish, mix it with batter, and fry it into balls. You also need to coat your favorite vegetables with batter and fry them. You also need to cook some porridge to use as a paste and stick the character "福" (fortune) on the door.
Although Xu Mo could cook, he didn't have much kitchen experience. The meatballs were fried into tiny pieces, and the vegetables were greasy.
Jiang Sheng comforted him, "Big brother, I like to eat oily food. Oily food is good. We don't usually get to eat oily food."
Xu Mo could only manage a bitter smile.
I've never found studying the classics difficult, but one day I was stumped by something as simple as cooking.
Fortunately, Zhang Qiquan delivered a large bag of vegetable meatballs in the afternoon and also gave them a piece of beef, which solved their predicament.
Even the crumbly meatballs and vegetables aren't wasted; they can be packed up and sent to Pang Dashan.
To make things seem more logical, Zheng Ruqian even broke off a broken tile from the dilapidated temple and then found Pang Dashan to help replace it with a new one.
Pang Dashan readily agreed.
He was already seventeen or eighteen years old, tall and strong. He could reach the roof tiles with ease, simply by standing on a stool.
Looking at the children in the dilapidated temple, even the tallest, Xu Mo, only reached his chin, and Pang Dashan felt a strange sense of pride and self-satisfaction.
"Wow, Brother Dashan is amazing."
Jiang Sheng's pride and arrogance reached their peak when he clapped his hands and cheered at the entrance of the dilapidated temple.
Pang Dashan jumped off the stool. "It's all a small matter."
Jiang Sheng smiled and took out some meatballs and vegetables, some of which were fried to a crisp, while others were still intact. "It's the New Year, and I don't have anything to give to Brother Dashan, so I'll just give you some vegetable meatballs."
Pang Dashan was taken aback.
He was a beggar, but unlike Jiang Sheng, who had been wandering since he was conscious, he was actually adopted by a kind family when he was a child. Back then, he had new clothes to wear and fried meatballs and vegetables to eat every New Year.
But later, his adoptive parents died unexpectedly, and he became an unwanted wild child again. He was bullied by his uncles and elders, and gradually developed a fierce temper.
To survive, stealing and robbing were ingrained in their very bones.
Jiang Sheng was the first person to give him something.
It started as three candied hawthorn skewers, now it's a bag of vegetable balls.
Pang Dashan stretched out his hand, which was covered in frostbite, and hesitantly accepted it.
Jiang Sheng still smiled innocently as she played around at the entrance of the dilapidated temple. Sometimes she would pull Wen Zhiyun or Chang Yan along to urge her two quiet brothers to move around more.
Xu Mo was cooking, Zheng Ruqian was chopping vegetables, and Fang Heng was practicing kung fu.
This dilapidated and small temple no longer seems shabby because of the lively people around it.
It inexplicably felt like home.
Pang Dashan left in a daze.
After making sure he was far away, Jiang Sheng stopped her affected laughter and moved closer to Chang Yan. "Fifth Brother, will this move Pang Dashan to switch sides with us?"
Chang Yan replied with a profound expression, "Yes."
The more destitute a beggar is, the more they crave warmth and the more reluctant they are to destroy it.
New Year's Eve.
Jiang Sheng and her brothers stayed up late around the small stove, where a steaming pot of bone broth was served. They could eat meat sandwiches, vegetables, or soup whenever they wanted.
Jiang Sheng, the beggar, never dreamed that she would live such a life. Several times she couldn't help but look up at Buddha, afraid that she would wake up to find that it was all for naught.
Even after the sound of fireworks exploding rang out, the scene before my eyes remained vivid and clear.
Zheng Ruqian pulled Jiang Sheng up, excitedly saying, "I heard that Master Niu in town spent a fortune to buy a batch of fireworks from Anshui County. Let's go take a look, they'll be gone soon."
Not only them, but most of the villagers in Shilipu Village stood at their doorways, either looking forward to it or admiring it. They were amazed by the fireworks they had never seen before, the strange sounds, and the magnificent and dazzling colors.
"I never imagined that fireworks, so commonplace in Fengjing, would become such a rare sight in this small town," Chang Yan murmured.
Fang Heng suddenly turned around, "Xiao Wu, what did you say?"
"It's nothing," Chang Yan smiled slightly. "Let's watch the fireworks."
Six children, dressed in new cotton-padded jackets, stood side by side at the entrance of the dilapidated temple, looking up at the view.
Unfortunately, Master Niu's wealth was limited, and the fireworks disappeared after only a few dozen breaths.
Zheng Ruqian clicked his tongue, "If I had money, I would definitely leave it for half an hour."
"Leave it for a day, from morning till night." Jiang Sheng clenched her fist.
Xu Mo kindly reminded him, "Daytime fireworks are invisible."
Jiang Sheng was stunned.
Zheng Ruqian laughed loudly without any politeness, and Xu Mo and Fang Heng couldn't help but laugh as well. Even Wen Zhiyun covered his mouth with one hand.
The entire dilapidated temple was filled with laughter and joy.
It's so beautiful that you can't bear to destroy it.
Pang Dashan hid behind a big tree for a long time, hesitated for a long time, and finally came out.
"Hey, Brother Dashan!" Jiang Sheng greeted him warmly. "What brings you here? Have you eaten? Would you like to have New Year's Eve dinner together?"
Pang Dashan was also unsure of his own thoughts at this moment. He nodded blankly, "Okay."
Chang Yan, sitting in the corner, pursed his lips and tugged at Xu Mo's sleeve.
Laughter and cheerful voices still filled the dilapidated temple, but those who should be on guard had already sounded the alarm.
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