Chapter 28
Chu Shaoxin was very tired.
It was obviously he who was frightened, he was the one who was so angry that his heart exploded, and now he is the one who is comforting others.
After a lot of effort, the little ancestor stopped crying, and Chu Shao still had to prepare dinner. While eating, he even spoke in a low voice, for fear of stimulating Chu Jiujiu's tear glands again.
"So, you two made up?"
Chu Shao pushed the dishes towards Chu Jiujiu so that she wouldn't have to stretch her arms to pick up the dishes.
Chu Jiujiu sat on the bench, swinging her legs as she answered, "Well, he apologized to me."
Chu Jiujiu's tone was very reserved, but Chu Shao could still see at a glance the little pride she was trying hard to hide.
childish.
While making disdainful comments in his mind, Chu Shao unconsciously raised the corners of his mouth, obviously feeling a little proud.
Chu Jiujiu's personality was clear to everyone, but wasn't he? She was quick to act, seemingly powerful but easily moved by her own will. This, combined with various other factors, had escalated her tolerance for Han Shengyi to a level no one else could match. Chu Shao had initially worried she would be the first to surrender, but he hadn't expected his granddaughter to be so determined, refusing to compromise on principles or bottom lines.
This is the character of the descendants of the Chu family.
No need to ask, it must have been inherited from him.
…
Pride aside, there were some things he still had to tell Chu Jiujiu. "Since we've reconciled, let's forget about it this time. But if it happens again, no matter how much he apologizes to you, you're not allowed to say a word to him again. If he comes looking for me, I'll beat him up. If you dare to look for him, I'll punish you."
Chu Shao's words were firm and decisive, leaving no room for negotiation. He put down his chopsticks, raised his eyelids, and looked at Chu Jiujiu seriously. "No one in our Chu family is easy to bully. Do you understand?"
Every word of this sentence is heavy. It is an invisible inheritance. Chu Shao's grandfather told Chu Shao's father, and Chu Shao's father told Chu Shao. Although there are no fancy words and it does not seem to have a profound meaning, this is the spirit passed down from generation to generation in the Chu family, that is, no matter what time it is, we must remember to respect ourselves and protect ourselves.
When Chu Shao said this, he was very excited because he could finally pass this sentence on. He looked calm on the surface but actually looked at Chu Jiujiu expectantly, wanting to see her solemnly agree to it. Unexpectedly, Chu Jiujiu blinked, then clapped her hands in sudden realization.
"My dad used to say that all the time. Did he learn it from you, Grandpa?"
After saying that, Chu Jiujiu chuckled twice, "This is my father's catchphrase, I'm tired of hearing it."
Tired of listening to it.
Tired of listening...
Tired of it.
…
Chu Jiujiu buried her head in her food, while Chu Shaoze swallowed the blood in his throat and pretended nothing had happened. He silently picked up the chopsticks again, but his hand holding the chopsticks was shaking a little, as if he wanted to hit someone.
After taking two bites of food without any taste, Chu Shao glanced at Chu Jiujiu who was enjoying her meal and suddenly said, "You seem to have not told me where you went this afternoon."
Chu Jiujiu: “…”
Now she couldn't enjoy her meal anymore.
I thought the matter was over, but I didn't expect Chu Shao to bring it up again.
Seeing her cry so miserably before, Chu Shao really didn't want to mention it anymore. Now he brought it up just to scare her. As a grandfather, Chu Shao always put his granddaughter first, but as a twelve-year-old boy about to enter puberty, he still had a strong desire for revenge.
Chu Jiujiu didn't dare to lie anymore, so she had to tell the truth, "I saw Zhao Shiliu this afternoon when I was fishing by the river."
Upon hearing the name, Chu Shao's expression of anticipation for the excitement changed. His voice dropped instantly, and as he stared intently into Chu Jiujiu's eyes, he asked, "What did you do?"
Chu Jiujiu quickly explained, "No, I didn't do anything. I just felt something was a little strange. I saw her yesterday afternoon and again today. She was walking very fast and stealthily. I wanted to know where she was going, and then... then I followed her for a while."
Seeing Chu Shao about to lose his temper, Chu Jiujiu immediately sat up straight and raised her right hand. "I only followed her for a short while, just a short while. When I saw her about to leave the village, I went back! I swear!"
Looking at Chu Shao's gloomy expression, Chu Jiujiu's raised right fingertips trembled. After a while, she put her hand down and said dejectedly, "Grandpa, I was wrong."
Maybe it was because he had been angry too many times that day, Chu Shao's tolerance was raised a lot. Therefore, although he was unhappy now, he could still endure it. Seeing Chu Jiujiu not daring to look up, he sighed in his heart.
"Did she find out about you?"
Chu Jiujiu blinked and shook her head quickly, "No, I'm far away."
Chu Shao frowned, "What on earth are you thinking? You know she's not a good person, but you still dare to follow her. Do you know how dangerous this is?"
Chu Jiujiu listened attentively and said, "I understand now."
After two seconds of silence, Chu Shao spoke again: "From now on, no matter what the Zhang family does, you are not allowed to get close to them, especially Zhao Shiliu. Don't forget, she wanted to sell you off before. This woman is too vicious. If anything really happens, come home and tell me. No matter what, you can't be alone with her. Remember?"
Chu Jiujiu nodded vigorously, "I'll remember."
Chu Shao was in a bad mood when Zhao Shiliu was mentioned. At first, he and the other villagers thought Niu Ailing was the mastermind behind selling Chu Jiujiu. But after hearing what Niu Ailing said, he didn't really doubt it. But after moving, he thought about it and it brought up something else.
Niu Ailing is not smart. When she was at the Zhang family, she looked arrogant, but in fact she always suffered losses behind the scenes. Zhao Shiliu has tripped her up more than once. If she wanted to lure Niu Ailing into doing something, it would be too easy.
The most hateful thing is that even if he figured out the connection, he couldn't do anything to Zhao Shiliu because these were all his guesses and he had no evidence at all.
…
After dinner, Chu Shao went to wash the dishes. Before it got completely dark, he worked overtime and wove half a mat. Chu Jiujiu sat beside him obediently and tried to learn for a while, but she didn't know what part she missed. The mats she wove were always crooked. Finally, Chu Shao couldn't stand it anymore and sent her away to play.
After dark, the Chu family, without the oil lamp, fell silent. The main door was closed tightly, and a wooden bar was used to block the door from the inside to prevent anyone from breaking in at night. The door to the inner room was only half open, as were the windows, to keep the air flowing and the temperature in the room slightly lower.
Chu Jiujiu was already lying on the bed, but Chu Shao was sitting. He sat on the edge of the bed with one leg on the bed and one leg on the ground. His straight back was slightly bent. From time to time, he would raise his head and look around.
He was looking for mosquitoes.
Where there are many trees, there are more mosquitoes. Those who can afford it can buy mosquito coils, while those who don't can collect wormwood and mint and burn them before bed to repel mosquitoes. However, there are always a few that slip through the net, flying around people's ears in the middle of the night, making an annoying buzzing sound. Not only are they noisy, but they also often bite Chu Jiujiu.
Children's skin is naturally delicate, and Chu Jiujiu's is even more so. Every morning, she wakes up with new bumps on her body, itching so much that she wants to scratch them until they break. Chu Jiujiu never complains, but one day, Chu Shao notices. From then on, he sits like this for half an hour every night before bed, until all the mosquitoes are killed before going to bed.
Actually, this was no longer necessary. Chu Jiujiu had tried applying the water from the necklace to the mosquito bites. It didn't take long for the swelling to subside, and at most, it would just be a little uncomfortable at night. She wanted Chu Shao to stop doing this and go to bed early, but the bites were still raw every morning, so Chu Shao ignored her and continued to swatter mosquitoes for half an hour every day.
Chu Jiujiu lay there with her eyes closed. After an unknown amount of time, Chu Shao finally lay down as well. He lay with his back to Chu Jiujiu, at the edge. His back looked thin and reliable.
In the darkness, Chu Jiujiu turned over.
Five minutes later, Chu Jiujiu turned over again.
Ten minutes later, Chu Jiujiu turned over again.
Chu Shao closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep: "..."
He waited patiently, because he knew that if Chu Jiujiu had anything to say, she wouldn't be able to hold it in until the next day. Sure enough, after a while, Chu Jiujiu turned over and got tired. She spoke cautiously, "Grandpa."
Chu Shao still had his back to her and only hummed lightly.
Chu Jiujiu was almost tormented to death. She felt that she shouldn't ask, but... but if she didn't ask, that one in ten thousand possibility would torment her for the rest of her life. It would linger in her mind every minute and every second, leaving her with no peace of mind forever.
"Grandpa..." Chu Jiujiu asked very carefully, "Is it possible that great-grandmother is still..."
Having said that, she stopped talking. Chu Shao maintained this posture and suddenly opened his eyes.
No wonder she said those words and cried so miserably during the day.
It turned out that I had heard about this matter.
No need to ask, it must have been Han Shengyi who told her.
Chu Shao's expression was very calm at this time. He did not blame Han Shengyi. After all, if it wasn't him, it would be someone else. Sooner or later, Chu Jiujiu would know about this and then run back to ask him this question.
Even he himself had thought about this question countless times, and every time, he had the same answer.
"impossible."
Chu Shao's voice came from the front, "My mother is very powerful and cares about me very much. If she were still alive, no matter what happened, she would come back to find me, but she didn't come back, so she is gone and will never come back."
Every child who has lost their mother fantasizes about her returning one day with delicious food, and returning home to its former self. Dreaming is a great way to escape reality, a way to protect oneself from life's cruel whippings. But Chu Shao doesn't like dreaming. He hates all things false. He would rather suffer in reality than wallow in fantasy.
When it comes to treating himself, Chu Shao is calm and rational to the point of almost self-abuse. Being too rational is not a good thing. Everything is excessive or insufficient. If Chu Shao always lives with this attitude, he will probably have no happiness in his life.
Fortunately, things are different now, because by his side, there is a Chu Jiujiu who is so sentimental that it’s outrageous.
Chu Jiujiu: “Woo…”
Chu Shao's head started to grow bigger when he heard this prelude. He sat up and scolded, "Don't cry!"
"You can only cry once a day. You've cried your share today. If you want to cry again, wait until tomorrow!"
Chu Jiujiu: “…”
Even fascists are not so excessive, even crying is limited!
Chu Jiujiu was furious but dared not speak. She glared at Chu Shao, who was exercising dictatorship, and turned over unhappily. This time she did not hesitate. After turning over, she did not turn back. Chu Shao breathed a sigh of relief, finally being able to have a good night's sleep.
This is a good trick. From now on, when Chu Jiujiu wants to cry, she must do it at a fixed time and in a fixed amount, so that she won’t use her tears against herself at every turn.
Feeling very clever, Chu Shao closed his eyes with satisfaction. As sleepiness came over him, they both fell asleep. The slight sadness lingering in their chests had long been washed away by this pair of grandfather and grandson who did not play by the rules.
——
The next morning, the roosters in the village took up their posts one by one, and the high-pitched rooster brand alarm clocks rang one after another, heralding the arrival of a new day.
There were no chickens in the cowshed, but they usually woke up to the crowing of the neighbors' chickens. When Grandma Han sat up, she found that Han Shengyi was not in the house. She got up and cleaned the house, then carefully scooped out two bowls of grain from a ceramic jar as big as a kimchi jar, with more dried sweet potatoes and less cornmeal, and poured the grain into a basin. She stood up again and took out the fresh vegetables she had been given two days ago from a bamboo basket hanging high on the wall.
Every time Han Shengyi harvests from his vegetable garden, his family gets two or three pounds of fresh, juicy green leafy vegetables. Although they are not very expensive, they are a rare good thing for them. Every time, Grandma Han will cook them in different ways. After cooking, she will share some with the neighbors living in the cowshed so that they can also have a taste.
When Grandma Han was picking vegetables, Han Shengyi pushed the door open and came in. He was holding a bunch of bananas in his left hand, and the basket in his right hand was filled with a lot of mushrooms and wild vegetables.
Seeing the dew on his hair, Grandma Han couldn't help but frown, "You went into the mountains so early in the morning?"
Han Shengyi smiled, "Well, there's no one on the mountain in the morning, there are a lot of mushrooms, and the air is especially good."
Han Shengyi often laughs, but each laugh is different. After all, he is her grandson. Grandma Han can tell at a glance that he is in a good mood today. Then she looks at the bunch of bananas Han Shengyi is holding, and Grandma Han immediately understands.
Han Shengyi put the bananas he brought back last time in a corner for several days until they were almost rotten, then he took them out. In order not to waste the bananas, Grandpa Han ate so much that he had no appetite for dinner, and then had diarrhea for two days. It turned out to be not bad, as Grandpa Han now has a rosy complexion and is as light as a swallow. It seems that the bananas also have the effect of facilitating bowel movements and detoxifying.
…
That was all they exchanged. Grandma Han didn't ask, and Han Shengyi didn't elaborate. He squatted on the ground, picking through the basket of mushrooms, taking out all the wild vegetables and leaving half for himself. In the other half, there were a particularly large number of a certain type of mushroom that looked like a small, crooked ruyi. Han Shengyi arranged them neatly, leaving a gap between each one, fearing that the edges would be damaged and their appearance would be ruined.
Chu Jiujiu is a bit obsessed with looks and likes beautiful things. Han Shengyi discovered this only after spending some time with her.
Grandma Han took a look at her grandson's actions and said nothing. It was not until Han Shengyi finished dividing the mushrooms and was about to go out with the basket and banana leaves that she spoke: "Give them some more pickled vegetables. They only have two children and no adults in their family. They definitely don't get to eat these on a regular basis. Give them more."
Grandma Han lowered her head and didn't even look at Han Shengyi. After listening to what Han Shengyi said, he thought for a moment and suggested, "They took too much and have nowhere to put it. I'll bring a few over to them. If they like it, I'll bring them more in the future."
Grandpa Han didn't know when he woke up. He faced the wall with his ears perked up. In the quiet air, the only sound was the regular sound of Grandma Han breaking the vegetable stalks. The grandfather and grandson were waiting, and two seconds later, Grandma Han finally opened her mouth.
"If it's not too much trouble, it's up to you."
Hearing this, Han Shengyi pursed his lips and smiled softly, "Thank you, grandma."
After taking the pickles, Han Shengyi left. Grandpa Han thought for a while, then turned over and sat up, stretched, and looked around the room. He acted surprised and said, "Where's Shengyi? Where did this kid go so early in the morning?"
Grandma Han: "It's okay to pretend to be asleep, but it's boring to pretend to be stupid."
Grandpa Han immediately put away his expression and nodded deeply: "You are right."
…
On the other side, at the Chu family, Chu Shao finished his breakfast, went out and came to the yard. He first took a look at his own mini vegetable garden and found that the growth was good. Then he turned around, opened the lid of the water tank, scooped out a bucket of water, and drank half of it in one gulp.
After pouring away the remaining water, Chu Shao turned around to get a hoe from the utility room. However, as soon as he turned around, he fell silent.
Han Shengyi was standing outside his yard. When he saw him looking at him, he smiled at him good-naturedly.
Chu Shao: “…”
Immediately afterwards, without waiting for Chu Shao to respond, he walked into the yard with a familiar manner and said gently, "Grandma asked me to bring you some food. These are pickled vegetables and mushrooms picked today. Are you sober now?"
Chu Shao was looking at something in his hand. When he heard the word "Jiujiu", he immediately raised his head and asked, "What did you call her?"
Han Shengyi was stunned for a moment, looking very innocent, "Jiujiu, what's wrong?"
Chu Shao: “…”
It was fine for the team leader to call him that, it was fine for Third Aunt to call him that, it was fine for the whole village to call him that, Chu Shao thought it was fine, but when Han Shengyi called him that, Chu Shao felt uncomfortable all over.
In fact, Chu Shao didn't understand what was going on in his mind. He couldn't figure out the reason. Chu Shao felt awkward for a long time, and finally he could only vaguely pass on the topic, "Nothing."
At this time, Chu Jiujiu in the room heard the noise and ran out happily, "Brother Shengyi, you are here so early!"
Han Shengyi lowered his head and smiled at Chu Jiujiu, "Well, I brought you some food, and the mushrooms you asked for, all freshly picked today."
Chu Jiujiu took a look and said, "There are banana and Ruyi mushrooms. There's still water on these mushrooms. You picked them today. Didn't you get up very early?"
Han Shengyi smiled gently, "It's not too early."
As he said this, he wiped his wet hair. Chu Jiujiu naturally noticed it and said with emotion, "I just said that. I don't really want to eat it that much. Brother Shengyi, you are so kind."
"You haven't had breakfast yet, right? Come on, let's cook the Ruyi mushrooms and let you taste my cooking skills."
"By the way, you haven't been to my house yet. I'll show you around!"
After saying that, Chu Jiujiu pulled Han Shengyi and ran away. Before leaving, Han Shengyi stuffed everything in his hand to Chu Shao.
Chu Shao, holding the basket: "..."
awkward.
It's getting more and more uncomfortable.
…
After many days, they finally returned to the mountain. Chu Jiujiu ran like crazy and finally exhausted herself to death. She didn't even have the strength to go down the mountain, so she had to lie on the warm stones to rest.
Han Shengyi was not with her. After a while, he came out from a bush not far away and brought back a bunch of pink flowers.
He plucked off the petals, revealing the plump heart of the flower, motioned Chu Jiujiu to open her mouth, and then he squeezed the sweet nectar into Chu Jiujiu's mouth.
Chu Jiujiu smacked her lips and immediately came out of her half-dead state. She sat up with a somersault and stretched out her hand to Han Shengyi, "I want more."
Han Shengyi chuckled and gave her all the flowers he picked.
This nectar was not only sweet but also a little cool, making it perfect for eating at this time. Chu Jiujiu was enjoying herself while sucking the nectar. Han Shengyi sat beside her and watched her for a while. He suddenly asked, "Do you want to go to town?"
Chu Jiujiu blinked and quickly sucked up a piece of nectar. She nodded and said, "Yes, you want to go to town?"
"Well," Han Shengyi said, "I'm going to the pharmacy in town to get medicine for grandpa tomorrow."
Chu Jiujiu remembered that Han Shengyi's grandfather seemed to be in poor health. He had no serious illness, but was always suffering from minor ailments. He coughed every three days and wheezed every two days. If he changed his gender, he would be the elderly version of Lin Daiyu, or Han Daiyu.
…
By the way, I wonder if the water the necklace was soaked in can cure people? I think being sick is also a kind of injury, but it's hard to tell from the outside.
Chu Jiujiu's thoughts began to wander, and she didn't even hear what Han Shengyi said until Han Shengyi asked her again.
"Ah...ah? What did you say?" Chu Jiujiu asked blankly.
Han Shengyi repeated helplessly, "I said, then I will come to see you tomorrow morning. Let's go early so that it won't be too hot on the road."
Chu Jiujiu nodded. "Okay. So you can go to town. Last time Chu Shao and I went to town to buy something, I asked him if he could go, but he said no. If I had known, I would have gone with him."
Han Shengyi smiled harmlessly, as if he didn't mind the matter at all. "It's okay, as long as we can go together in the future."
Chu Jiujiu: "Yes! Let's go together from now on!"
…
On this particularly ordinary night, several people in Qingzhu Village suffered from insomnia.
Chu Jiujiu was too excited, just like an elementary school student on an outing, and couldn't sleep the night before; Chu Shao continued to feel uncomfortable in the morning and didn't feel sleepy even when lying in bed; and in the distant Zhang family, Zhang Qingshou and Zhao Shiliu, their insomnia was caused by their anxiety.
Zhang Qingshou: "How can there be no one? Today is the 28th. Isn't it always the 28th?"
Zhao Shiliu: "Maybe there's a delay, or maybe the people at the post office are just too slow. I'll go check again tomorrow."
Zhang Qingshou: "What if there is nothing tomorrow?"
The couple looked at each other and saw panic in each other's eyes. If the other party did not remit such a large amount of unexpected monthly income in the future, they would be heartbroken.
Zhao Shiliu gritted her teeth and said, "Impossible, there must be one. I'll go there early tomorrow and wait at the post office all day. I don't believe I won't be able to wait."
Zhang Qingshou thought about it and decided that this was the only way. The remitter only sent money and never wrote a letter. Even if they wanted to contact them, they couldn't. Naturally, even if they could, they didn't dare to contact them. They could only wait like an idiot.
If Zhao Shiliu doesn't come tomorrow, he will definitely have to go the day after tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow. If he doesn't come one day, they will have to suffer for a whole day.
Oh, it’s really depressing.
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