“Then keep it,” Old Huang compromised. “We can’t return it anyway, and selling it cheaply would be too much of a loss.”
At this point, the whole family reached a consensus, and Huang Xiaoliu became a new member of the Huang family.
As the saying goes, "You have to take care of your own cow," so Huang Laoda and a few of his brothers built a makeshift shed in the dark.
Then they brought over a pile of soft, warm straw from the kitchen and spread it on the ground. It was so warm when you rubbed it against the ground.
Old Man Jiang stood by and directed, hands on his hips, instructing, "Xiao Chuan, we need to set up a makeshift bed in the cowshed; I'm going to sleep there tonight."
These words shocked Jiang Nuan so much that her jaw almost dropped. "Dad, you're going to sleep in the cowshed?"
Old Huang nodded and said slowly, "There has to be someone sleeping in the cowshed."
“How can anyone sleep in a cowshed?” Jiang Nuan disagreed. “It’s a shed made of a few pillars, it’s not warm at all, and it will smell bad after the cows have finished their business. It’s too disgusting to sleep here.”
“Grandpa, I’ll sleep in the cowshed,” said Huang Laoda. “Young people are quick-witted and can react quickly when something happens.”
“I’ll go to sleep,” Huang Xiaosan said. “I’m a light sleeper; I wake up at the slightest noise.”
"No one needs to sleep," Jiang Nuan waved her hand. "With so many people in our family, who would dare to steal a cow?"
“Why wouldn’t we dare?” Old Mrs. Jiang immediately retorted. “The year before last or the year before last, we encountered this in Qianjia Village in the next town. They tore down the base of someone’s wall in the middle of the night, stole their cow, and then had to repair the wall. They made the homeowner sick with anger.”
"They even tore down the base of the wall?" Jiang Nuan asked in surprise. "How come the house didn't collapse?"
"Is that the point?" Old Mrs. Jiang looked at her daughter with exasperation. "A cow is worth more than a person. Many people are eyeing it. If you don't pay attention, you'll just have to suffer in silence if it gets stolen."
"It can't be that bad," Jiang Nuan rubbed her nose. "There shouldn't be such a person in Huangjiakou."
"Lai Zi!"
The Huang brothers exchanged a smile and then spoke in unison.
"Lai Zi?" Upon hearing this name, Jiang Nuan tentatively asked, "One of the Three Evils of Huangjiakou?"
“Yes,” Huang Xiaosi said indignantly, “Lai Zi is the worst kind of person. He grew up eating food from everyone’s homes, but he doesn’t know how to be good. He’s always taking a handful of rice from one neighbor or a piece of meat from another. He even hangs out with the town’s hooligans and collects protection money everywhere.”
"Has our house been burgled before?"
This question stemmed from pure curiosity; Jiang Nuan was particularly eager to know what kind of sparks would fly when the three evils clashed.
"No," Huang Xiaosi said awkwardly, touching his nose. "Lai Zi has never laid a hand on our family. He even comes to our house to pay New Year's respects during the Spring Festival."
These words startled Jiang Nuan.
Is this what they call mutual respect among those who bring disaster?
“Brother Lai even gave me candy,” Xiao Wu said softly. “He’s a good person.”
“What a terrible person,” Huang Xiaosi couldn’t help but tap his sister on the head. “In our Huangjiakou, so many families have suffered at his hands. The aunties all hate him to the core.”
“But he’s good to Xiao Wu,” Xiao Wu counted on her fingers, “Lai Zi Ge gives Xiao Wu candy, makes rabbits for Xiao Wu, and helps Xiao Wu fight off the bad kids who bully others.”
Finally, pursing her lips, she concluded earnestly, "Brother Lai is truly a good person."
"You brat, are you going to argue with me?" Huang Xiaosi said angrily. "If Lai Zi were a good person, why would the village aunties avoid him? Why would they get so angry just mentioning him?"
“Brother Lai is a good person,” Xiao Wu said stubbornly, looking at Huang Xiao Si with tears welling up in her eyes from time to time because of her grievances. “Brother Si is bad!”
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