Chapter 22
When he heard this question, Han Shengyi turned his head away. He didn't know how to answer.
She should be a little angry, angry at her for being so obedient and not taking herself seriously. She should also be angry at herself for giving such bad advice to a little girl who had no power to fight back.
But if he analyzed it specifically, he felt that he was not angry, but rather a little scared.
I was so scared that I wanted to avoid Chu Jiujiu.
I don't want to collect her things anymore, I don't want to take her up the mountain anymore, I don't want to listen to her talk anymore, and I don't want to worry about her getting hurt anymore.
She was so fragile, so fragile that she wouldn't wake up if she fell, and so fragile that she couldn't resist if anyone wanted to abuse her.
Weak, naive, and pitiful.
And scary.
Extremely scary.
Han Shengyi turned his head back and lowered his eyes to look at Chu Jiujiu, who was looking up at him without blinking. She had a thin neck, soft limbs, and a body that would turn purple if bumped. This small figure that no one took seriously was more terrifying than a behemoth in Han Shengyi's eyes.
He opened his mouth and said, "How much are those things? I'll give you some."
Chu Jiujiu blinked and waved his hand in a friendly manner, "No need, Chu Shao and I bought it for you together. He said it was a thank you gift. Hehe, I'll tell you a secret, he actually wanted to spend the money as soon as possible so that no one would always be thinking about us."
"Don't thank me. It's only natural for me to help you. If I weren't there, someone else would have done it."
Chu Jiujiu laughed: "That's what I said, but you were the first one to rush over."
Han Shengyi frowned.
Chu Jiujiu looked back in the direction of her home and said, "Okay, it's time for me to go back. The rice harvest starts tomorrow. Do you want to go too? I can light a fire and make porridge now. Go back and try it. Chu Shao said it's delicious. I'll send you some tomorrow at noon. Only for you, not Chu Shao. He hasn't finished the lunch he exchanged for a turtle yet, haha."
Han Shengyi: "Don't come to see me again."
Chu Jiujiu still had a smile on her face. She was stunned for a moment, and the corners of her mouth that were still raised looked particularly silly.
"ah?"
Han Shengyi raised the corner of his mouth and smiled. "I'm sorry. I've been thinking about it these past two days, and I still feel that your family is too messy and complicated. You know the situation in my family, so it's not suitable for us to get too close to you. I'll accept the thank-you gift. Now we're even, okay?"
Chu Jiujiu looked at him. She didn't say anything, and Han Shengyi didn't say anything either. He had a gentle smile on his face, but the smile made him feel cold.
After a while, Chu Jiujiu's chest began to heave. She grabbed a small stone on the side of the road and threw it hard at Han Shengyi.
"Han Shengyi, I hate you!"
After shouting this, she turned and ran away. Han Shengyi stood there, his left arm scratched by a stone. Tiny beads of blood seeped out and soon formed a blood scab.
…
He returned to the cowshed. Grandpa Han was drinking the porridge that Chu Jiujiu had brought. Seeing his grandson come in, he said calmly, "What's the matter? Did you have a fight with the girl? You're the older brother, so be more considerate of her. Come and try this porridge. It's sweet. This child is as kind-hearted as her mother. Bring some of our pickled vegetables over tomorrow. It's a pity that we can't give her anything better."
Now that Chu Jiujiu has come out in the open, Grandma Han is neither enthusiastic nor opposed to her appearance, and even seems to be inclined to let her come and go. From now on, he won't have to secretly give things to Han Shengyi anymore.
I thought the underground work was over, but I didn't expect conflicts to arise within our team.
"No need to take it."
Han Shengyi sat down, but did not eat the delicious meat and dishes. He took a look at the porridge, but did not drink it.
Grandpa Han asked what had happened, but Han Shengyi refused to speak. That was just how he was. No one could get him to say anything he didn't want to. Grandma Han frowned, looked at him for a long time, then finally lowered her head and continued eating.
The atmosphere in the Han family became subtle, and the situation in the Chu family was not much better.
Chu Jiujiu ran all the way home and lay on the bed and refused to get up. Chu Shao only saw a shadow rushing into the house. He was confused for a while before he put down the vegetable cover he was about to finish weaving and walked into the room.
There was still no oil lamp at home, but the weather was clear tonight, and one could clearly see layers of clouds floating across the moon. The window was opened, and moonlight poured into the room. Chu Shao saw that Chu Jiujiu's shoulders were twitching. He frowned and sat down, holding Chu Jiujiu's shoulders and asking her to get up.
"What happened? Who bullied you?"
Chu Jiujiu didn't want to get up. She just lay on the bed, refusing to look up. After a few seconds, a muffled voice came from under her arm, "I'm fine."
It's okay, I'm crying.
Chu Shao became even more anxious. He asked, "Did anyone in the village bully you? Who did it happen to you? Tell me."
He couldn't think of Han Shengyi at all, but instead thought of those people who usually looked down on the bullpen, him and his mother.
Unable to get any results from Chu Jiujiu, Chu Shao suddenly stood up and said, "I'm going to find Han Shengyi."
Being bullied is a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. If you don't resist right away, you'll be in trouble later. Chu Shao used to be afraid of being kicked out of the village, so he rarely put up a fight. Now, he'd rather wander than let Chu Jiujiu go through the same thing he had. Rage simmered in his chest, and Chu Shao strode out. Suddenly, Chu Jiujiu sat up.
"You're not allowed to go!"
"I'm done with him! You're not allowed to talk to him anymore, no!"
Chu Shao: “…”
One of his feet remained in mid-air. After a second of silence, he turned around and asked, "...breaking up?"
Chu Jiujiu had tears on her face, but the saddest time had passed. Now she was more angry than sad. She sat on the bed, pounding the bed with her fists in anger. "Yes! I will never pay attention to him again. I will avoid him when I see him in the future. You are not allowed to pay attention to him either. If you pay attention to him, I will break up with you!"
Chu Shao looked at her numbly.
Seeing that she was in such good spirits, Chu Shao knew that she was fine.
Although it is normal for children to quarrel, Chu Shao found it unbelievable that Chu Jiujiu quarreled with the gentle and steady Han Shengyi.
Also, can the words "breaking off friendship" really be associated with Han Shengyi?
Phew, so childish.
…
In fact, if Chu Jiujiu hadn't said these things, Chu Shao and Han Shengyi would have no intersection. They had lived in the same village for two years, but they had never said a word to each other. It can be seen how little chemistry they had.
However, facing his angry granddaughter, he still made a perfunctory gesture, saying, "Okay, I'll ignore him. It's fine if we break up, but I didn't approve of you two playing together in the first place. How can you, a little girl, always follow him around? Now that you two have broken up, don't go looking for him anymore. There are so many little girls in the village. Wouldn't it be better for you to play with them?"
Chu Jiujiu listened in silence, anger written all over her face, clearly not taking his words in. Chu Shao was silent for a moment, then thought of something. He asked, "Did the food get delivered to his house?"
Chu Jiujiu hummed angrily.
"Did they say this was a thank-you gift from our family?"
Chu Jiujiu hummed angrily again.
Chu Shao was relieved. "That's good. He helped you. Let's send something over to repay the favor. From now on, you won't owe him anything, and he won't owe you anything either."
Chu Jiujiu moved her ears, and a sentence she had just heard more than ten minutes ago instantly replayed in her mind.
——I accept the thank-you gift, so we’re even now, okay?
Chu Jiujiu's breathing stagnated for a moment. Half a second later, she jumped up and stood on the bed. She glared at Chu Shao, "You are all bad guys. I will never talk to you again! We are done!"
Chu Shao: “……???”
Did he say anything wrong?
——
Children are hot-tempered and forgetful. When she woke up the next day, Chu Jiujiu had forgotten about breaking up with Chu Shao. She got up early in the morning and made a pot of candied date porridge for Chu Shao. When she sent him out, she acted like a little wife and reminded him to come back early after work.
She selectively forgot about her breaking up with Chu Shao, but she remembered her breaking up with Han Shengyi deeply. When she ran out of firewood at home and went out to collect some, she happened to meet Han Shengyi. Her originally distracted gaze immediately fixed, and then she coldly retracted it and walked past Han Shengyi without looking away.
Han Shengyi lowered his eyes, looking as if nothing had happened, as if he didn't know her at all. His acting skills were much better than Chu Jiujiu's.
One was picking firewood at the foot of the mountain, and the other was daydreaming in the vegetable field. After a while, the sound of a loudspeaker came from a distance. The team leader shouted at the top of his lungs into the loudspeaker, trying to mobilize the enthusiasm of every villager.
Chu Jiujiu squatted on the ground and listened for a while, but when she found that she couldn't hear clearly, she gave up and walked back holding some firewood she had picked up.
The carpenters are coming soon, so she has to go back quickly.
Chu Jiujiu was very busy and soon forgot about Han Shengyi. However, Han Shengyi was extremely idle. When people have free time, they have a lot of time to think.
The work in the vegetable garden was done, and Han Shengyi sat here, catching insects and daydreaming. He earned no work points for his labor, and since his name wasn't on the official list of cattle shed personnel, the team leader felt embarrassed to let him join the backbreaking work of harvesting rice, so while everyone else was busy, he stayed here.
If he had more time, Han Shengyi would have gone up the mountain to find a way to improve the food for himself and his grandparents, but today he was listless and unwilling to move.
He didn't sleep well yesterday and was awakened by nightmares three times in the middle of the night. Each time, it was the same nightmare.
His father lay in a dark, windowless room, covered in blood, his eyes tightly shut. In his dreams, he could always smell a fragrance, a sweet, familiar aroma. Then, the fragrance changed, becoming increasingly foul, so foul that his stomach cramped and his eyes stung. He began to retch frequently, but nothing came out.
When he was feeling so uncomfortable that he didn't know what to do, he woke up.
Grandpa and grandma were sleeping in the small bed next to him. Outside the window came the strange bird calls that only appeared in the middle of the night. Han Shengyi looked at the darkness above his head, blinked a few times, and then closed his eyelids.
For Han Shengyi, having nightmares is a very common thing. He already has experience in dealing with it, which is to not think about anything, close his eyes, and continue to sleep. Once he falls asleep, he will no longer remember what the nightmare is.
However, the methods that worked in the past didn't work last night. After being awakened for the third time, Han Shengyi suddenly felt aversion to sleeping. He sat up, leaned against the damp and moldy wall, and waited for dawn.
Han Shengyi didn't understand why he suddenly had frequent nightmares. After thinking about this problem, he didn't understand why he used the word "suddenly" to describe the nightmares he was already accustomed to.
It was not until he saw Chu Jiujiu walking and jumping in the early morning sunshine that Han Shengyi remembered that he had not had a nightmare for a while.
It seems... it started when Chu Jiujiu went to see him every day at noon.
He had hope for the next day. Before going to bed, he would always vaguely think that he had to water the vegetables early tomorrow. If he waited until Chu Jiujiu came, the vegetable garden would be destroyed by her again.
Han Shengyi sat under a big tree next to the vegetable field. He didn't know how long it had passed. The sun rose higher and higher until it would no longer rise. Suddenly, he stretched out his legs, leaned back, pressed his arms, and closed his eyes.
I'm sleepy, let me take a nap.
——
The masters worked quickly and efficiently, and the table Chu Shao wanted was finished in just one morning. Chu Jiujiu volunteered to paint it, as it was not a difficult job, and the masters were happy to give it to her.
After painting, they had to leave it in the yard to dry for a few days. At noon, as the weather was getting hotter, the two masters moved their work to the main room. After all, the room was empty, so they didn't have to worry about getting sawdust all over the floor.
Chu Jiujiu took the opportunity to pick a few large cucumbers. She was not strong enough to make smashed cucumbers, so she settled for the next best thing and made mixed cucumber shreds. The chefs brought their own dry food, so Chu Jiujiu gave most of the cucumber shreds to the chefs, and ate the small dish of it herself with the leftover candied date porridge from the morning.
Drinking porridge every day is not a good idea. I guess I have to find a way to do something else in the future.
Chu Jiujiu recalled the complicated recipes, wondering if they could be simplified. Meanwhile, the chefs on the other side tasted her shredded cucumbers and praised them highly.
I thought she had some exclusive secret recipe, but in fact, she was willing to add seasonings, and calculated them with a small bamboo spoon, pouring them into the plate strictly according to the proportions given in the recipe, which gave it an amazing taste.
It’s a pity that there is no oil at home. It would definitely taste better if I could add a few drops of sesame oil.
After dinner, the craftsmen inside were no longer afraid of the sun, and after a short break, they resumed their work. Putting aside the odds and ends, the large pieces of furniture Chu Shao wanted were two indoor tables, two benches, two wooden chairs, a bamboo open cabinet, and a bamboo low cabinet with doors.
The wardrobe has four layers, the top three are bare, and the bottom one has a door. It is used to store things that need to be protected from insects, while the top one is used to store salt shakers, vinegar bottles, kelp, dried shrimps, etc. The low cabinet is next to the wardrobe and is used to store some things that are not used on a daily basis.
It was the first time for Chu Jiujiu to see furniture made of bamboo. She found it interesting but didn’t know that this was a standard feature of poor families in the area.
Unable to afford wood, they can only use bamboo furniture, which has a short lifespan. It is not only prone to cracking, but also always gets moldy during the rainy season.
Bamboo can be split easily, unlike wood which needs to be sawed in batches. Therefore, bamboo furniture can be made quickly, while the carpenter outside is still grunting as he saws the pulley model.
The Chinese larch that Chu Shao bought was specifically for making a windlass, but the one he bought was bigger than the Chinese larch. In addition to being used as a windlass, it could also be used to make an outdoor table. The old craftsman originally wanted to glue several wooden boards together to make a whole tabletop, but Chu Jiujiu remembered the modern outdoor furniture she had seen, and told him to saw it into ten-centimeter strips, arrange them apart, and then nail two supports from the bottom.
The master tried it and it worked, but when he looked at the finished product, he felt it was not very practical.
There is such a big gap between the wooden strips. If you put small things on it, they will definitely fall off when the wind blows.
But this way of drying is more effective, and there is no need to worry about the wood being soaked by rain.
Alas, there are pros and cons.
Using Chu Jiujiu's method, the carpenter saved a few wooden boards, and made two benches for them. Chu Jiujiu happily painted the benches, and looked at them with such loving eyes, as if she was looking at her own children.
…
In the blink of an eye, it was evening and the wood was almost used up. Chu Shao came back and looked at the remaining scraps. He picked out the largest wooden block to use as a cooking block at home. He also picked out a piece of wood sawed from a Chinese larch tree and nailed two layers of broken wood underneath. Finally, he made a strong thick wooden board, tied a rope to it, and hung it on the big tree next to the utility room.
Chu Jiujiu's eyes started to become starry again.
"It's a swing!"
No child doesn't like a swing. She sat on it and swung for a long time. Chu Shao was cooking dinner in the house. Unexpectedly, he could actually steam steamed buns. After the buns were steamed, he cut the eggplants he had picked two days ago and put them on the edge of the pot which was still hot. After a while, the eggplants were softened and the edges were browned. Chu Shao poured a spoonful of soy sauce on them. The two of them used the bamboo chopsticks that the master had just sharpened today, and they ate them all up in no time.
Chu Jiujiu ate until her belly was round and she praised him: "Grandpa, your cooking skills are really good."
Chu Shao was unmoved. "In your mouth, is there anyone with bad skills?"
Chu Jiujiu laughed dryly, as if it really wasn't true.
She would say this as long as the food was not hard to swallow, and even if it was really hard to swallow, she would not say it for the sake of other people's face.
When Chu Shao was cleaning up the mess, Chu Jiujiu raised her eyelids and was immediately startled, "Grandpa, you're sunburned!"
There was a layer of skin on Chu Shao's back, near his neck. Chu Shao knew it, but he didn't care. "It's okay, just wipe it with salt water."
Chu Jiujiu quickly went to get the salt and soaked it according to the ratio of saline solution. Then she quickly ran into the house and took out the bag of handkerchiefs from her coat pocket. When she turned it over, the money inside fell out. Chu Jiujiu was stunned for a moment and quickly stuffed the money back.
She dipped a little salt water, asked Chu Shao to lie down, and while wiping, Chu Jiujiu worriedly said, "It's too hard, Grandpa, you don't have to cook tomorrow, I will do it. I will make you something delicious."
Before she could finish the second half of the sentence, Chu Shao frowned and said, "You are not allowed to go up the mountain!"
Chu Jiujiu choked and curled her lips, "If you don't want to go, then don't go."
While wiping Chu Shao's wound, Chu Jiujiu's gaze drifted to the two newly made fish baskets in the main room.
It doesn’t matter if she is not allowed to go up the mountain, she can go down to the river.
…
Chu Jiujiu's movements were gentle, like tickling, a little awkward, yet a little comfortable. Chu Shao would never have thought that he could enjoy the care of his own granddaughter decades in advance.
Chu Shao almost fell asleep when he heard the voices of passers-by outside the house. Only then did he remember that he still had something to do.
He jumped up and said to Chu Jiujiu, "Don't wipe it yet. Bring some candy and come out with me."
Chu Jiujiu and Chu Shao don't like candy. Chu Shao bought those candies and intended to give them to those who had helped them in the brigade. Han Shengyi was originally one of them, but his family situation was special, so it was better to give him something practical instead of candy.
By this time, everyone had finished their meal. It was still light outside, but it was not too late to sleep. Chu Shaoxian took Chu Jiujiu to the captain's house. The captain saw them carrying things in and was reluctant to take them. But when he heard that it was not just him who had the things, but everyone who had helped their family had some, the captain's expression eased a little and he finally took them.
"Even if I don't become the team leader, as neighbors, I should help you and your sister. From now on, take care of your sister and live a good life. Don't go back to the way you were before."
The captain spoke earnestly, but Chu Jiujiu was confused. Chu Shao understood that he was saying that he was too radical and liked to go to extremes.
Chu Shao actually didn't think he had done anything wrong. After coming to Qingzhu Village, he had only lost control twice, once for his mother and once for Chu Jiujiu. If others hadn't insisted on bullying his family, how could he have gone to extremes?
Chu Shao just put on a reasonable attitude towards the captain.
"Uncle Chen, thank you. I remember everything you said."
Lin Danli was also sitting nearby, and both husband and wife looked relieved. Seeing the good atmosphere, Chu Shao brought up the issue of Chu Jiujiu's household registration. He had said that the letter of introduction had been lost, and the team leader had asked the villagers to keep an eye out for it for a few days, but it looked like the letter of introduction would be lost.
The team leader found it difficult. Nowadays, there are actually many children without household registration in rural areas. When parents take their children to register, they don’t need a letter of introduction and can just register directly. If Chu Shao is an adult, this matter will not be a problem. Chu Jiujiu can be registered on the first day he arrives in the village. But the problem is that Chu Shao is a child and he is not the head of the household.
The household owner, Zhang Fengjuan, had died, but her body had never been found and her household registration had not been cancelled, so Chu Shao was still registered under Zhang Fengjuan's household registration.
This matter wasn't a big deal, but it was also not a small one. It all depended on the captain's willingness to act. The moment he hesitated, Lin Danli understood what he was thinking. He simply felt it was against the rules; he didn't want to use his personal rights to register Chu Jiujiu under the name of a deceased person.
Lin Danli pursed her lips and whispered, "Old Chen, it's not easy to have a child. Just do it. Food distribution will start soon. If you don't do it now, the two of them will have to eat Chu Shao's food. How will they survive for the next six months?"
Lin Danli's words were gentle and sweet, and the captain just fell for them. He nodded and said, "Okay, I'll register Jiujiu tomorrow, and she'll still be registered under your mother's household registration. But, Chu Shao, when do you plan to cancel your mother's household registration?"
"Let's talk about it later."
After getting the promise and thanking the captain, Chu Shao left with Chu Jiujiu.
Chu Jiujiu looked at Chu Shao's profile and wanted to ask why Zhang Fengjuan's household registration had not been cancelled, but Chu Shao never told her about Zhang Fengjuan. Chu Jiujiu vaguely felt that this was a taboo topic.
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