Chapter 24: I'll bury you completely.
An old woman stood in front of the car, hands on her hips, yelling, "You brat! I finally caught you! Where did you get all this stuff? Take it home right now! Get out of there! Do I have to pay you?!"
Zhou Mujiao jumped off the oxcart, and somehow a small knife appeared in her hand. She moved the knife from her left hand to her right hand, then from her right hand to her left hand, and then back to her right hand, playing with it.
She walked step by step toward the old woman, a smile on her lips: "It's been a long time since I last saw you, Grandma. You look much younger. It seems my new grandfather, Butcher Zhang, deserves a lot of credit!"
The person who stopped the car was none other than Zhou Da Niang, the original owner of the body, Zhou Liuya's own grandmother!
Upon hearing the name Zhang the Butcher, Aunt Zhou's face suddenly changed. She pointed at Zhou Mujiao and yelled, "Sixth Sister, don't—"
A flash of cold light appeared before her eyes, and Zhou Mujiao suddenly threw the knife in her hand at her. Zhou Da Niang was so frightened that she sat down on the ground with a thud: "Six, Six, I, I am your own grandmother! If you, if you disrespect me, if God finds out, you will be struck by lightning!"
"If God truly had eyes, He would strike down on you first, you wicked old woman who buried her own grandson! But God is blind, so I'm the only one left to settle this score with you!"
The knife grazed the top of Aunt Zhou's head, cutting off half of her hair.
"This is just a warning. Next time, I'll chop off your head." Zhou Mujiao's expression was cold. "Don't try to pressure me with blood ties and filial piety. If Xiao Wu and I don't survive, you'll all be buried with us! Brother Zhao, let's go!"
Zhao Yunjing did not immediately drive the car. Instead, he walked up to Aunt Zhou, squatted down, and helped her up.
Aunt Zhou breathed a sigh of relief. Zhao Yunjing spoke up: "Ajiao and Xiao Wu are now members of my Zhao family. If you ever really don't want to live anymore, I'll help you. Aunt Zhou, my skill in digging pits and setting traps is unmatched within a ten-mile radius. I guarantee I'll bury you completely, and even a god couldn't save you."
Aunt Zhou was filled with regret. Why did she rush forward on her own? She should have called for a few more people!
"No need to thank me. You are Ajiao's grandmother, so you are also my grandmother. It is only right that I show you respect." Zhao Yunjing cupped his hands in greeting. "Well then, Ajiao and I will take our leave now. See you next time."
Aunt Zhou turned and ran away, only daring to mutter curses after running more than ten feet.
The oxcart swayed and rattled towards the end of the village. Zhou Mujiao asked Zhao Yunjing, "Brother Zhao, what did you just say to her?"
"nothing."
Zhao Yunjing was very tight-lipped, and Zhou Mujiao couldn't get him to talk no matter how hard she tried, so she gave up.
Chen Xiuxiu's house is just ahead, and Zhao Yunjing straightened his back again.
After turning the corner, I saw Chen Xiuxiu standing by the roadside, her eyes glazed over.
Zhou Mujiao peeked out from behind Zhao Yunjing and greeted him, "Hello, Miss Xiuxiu!"
Chen Xiuxiu's face changed: "You little bitch! Shameless!"
"With such a foul mouth, did Miss Xiuxiu just eat shit?"
"You're the one who eats shit, your whole family—"
No sooner had she finished speaking than Chen Xiuxiu tripped and fell flat on her face. There was a pile of dog poop on the ground, and when she fell, her face landed right on it!
She got up, opened her mouth and spat out a mouthful of feces. Feeling disgusted and aggrieved, she burst into tears.
Zhou Mujiao closed her mouth: "So Miss Xiuxiu really did eat dog poop! Ugh, what a perfectly good girl, how could she suddenly lose her mind and refuse to eat food instead of dog poop?"
Chen Xiuxiu cried even harder, covering her mouth, staring at Zhao Yunjing, and pointing at Zhou Mujiao: "Brother Zhao, waaaah..."
Zhao Yunjing said expressionlessly, "You'd better leave, or you'll fall again."
"No way—ah!"
Chen Xiuxiu tripped and fell flat on her face again, in the same position and at the same angle, landing in that pile of dog poop once more.
Zhou Mujiao covered her nose with a pitying expression, while Zhao Yunjing lashed the ox with his whip: "Giddy up!"
Behind him came Chen Xiuxiu's cries and her mother's furious curses. Zhao Yunjing turned around and glanced at her, muttering to himself, "For the first time, I feel like my bad luck is actually useful."
Zhou Mujiao laughed heartily: "It can even send messages precisely, it's so useful, hahaha..."
Zhao Yunjing couldn't help but laugh out loud.
His voice is rather deep, and he deliberately lowers it now. When he laughs, his laughter is like that of a grand piano—deep yet melodious, captivating the heart.
Zhou Mujiao clutched her chest, her heart skipping a beat.
Since she was able to work in the fields, Aunt Zhao has been keeping herself busy. She keeps the area in front of and behind her house spotless, and even took the children to clean up the entire open space in front of the house and sow vegetable seeds.
Having just finished her work, Shiba came over mysteriously: "Mother, come quickly."
"What's wrong?"
"Come here quickly, come with Eighteen."
Following Shiba to the chicken coop at the back, Aunt Zhao was completely confused: "What's wrong, Shiba? Do you want some eggs?"
"Mother, look, so many eggs!"
Shiba pointed to the chicken coop: "Our chickens lay so many eggs every day! Shiba, Chuliu, Chujiu, and Xiaowu, they can't even finish two eggs every morning!"
Although Aunt Zhao's health has improved a lot, she still wakes up after dawn every morning, so she didn't know about the eggs. Now, judging from Shiba's tone, her elderly mother, who had been raised for several years and had never laid a single egg, is now laying more than a dozen eggs every day.
"Mother, Sister and Xiao Wu are our family's lucky stars! As soon as they come, Shiba gets to eat eggs! Mother, let's not let Sister and Xiao Wu leave, okay? Shiba wants to stay with Sister forever and ever!"
Before Aunt Zhao could speak, a "moo" sound rang out from outside. Shiba stopped collecting eggs and ran to the front yard, calling out, "Sister! Sister! You're back! Shiba missed you so much!"
Aunt Zhao took half of the eggs out of the henhouse and hurried out. Yun Jing and A Jiao had been gone all morning. They were both good kids. Although they had money, they probably wouldn't want to eat alone outside. She had to fry eggs for them!
As soon as I arrived at the front yard, I smelled the aroma of meat buns. Several children each had a large bun in one hand and candy or other items in the other. Xiao Wu had a small knife.
Zhou Mujiao then handed over a paper package: "Auntie, these are meat buns from Qingfengtang. They're delicious. You should try some."
Zhao Yunjing took the oil paper package: "Mother, it was given to us by Manager Su from Haoyunlou. We didn't pay for it."
Aunt Zhao smiled and said, "I don't like it. You guys eat it. I'll go fry another plate of eggs. You can all rest for a while."
"No need, Auntie, please sit down! Manager Su is a kind person; he even gave us several dishes!" Zhou Mujiao pulled Aunt Zhao down to sit, smiling broadly. "Auntie, please eat. I just got a batch of fabric from the garment workshop; I'll be busy later..."
After listening to Zhou Mujiao's plan, Aunt Zhao nodded repeatedly, saying that when she was young, she had also tried to consign her clothes for sale. Although she didn't sell many, it was still a source of income that could help support her family.
After eating, Aunt Zhao got busy with the fabric. Shiba and Chuliu helped her twist the threads. Zhou Mujiao drew three clothing designs for her: "Auntie, can you make clothes of these styles?"
Aunt Zhao looked at it for a while and nodded: "It can be made, but I'm not sure if anyone will buy it. Ah Jiao, this is not the style of clothing in this dynasty."
"Yes, it's from another country. I made some slight modifications. As long as it can be made, that's fine. How about making three sets of each design? It should take half a month. Can you finish them?"
"Can."
After settling the clothes matter with Aunt Zhao, Zhou Mujiao couldn't find Xiao Wu. She searched around and finally found Xiao Wu outside the house.
The little guy stared blankly down the slope, looking lost in thought.
Zhou Mujiao sat down next to him: "What are you thinking about, little brother? Tell your older sister."
Xiao Wu hesitated for a long time before speaking.
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