Chapter 4: The Old Scalper
The moon rises above the willows.
Chen Yao and his cousin sent the Huang Mei family out the door, "Uncle, aunt, A Yao has caused you trouble again."
"We are all family, why are you talking nonsense? Your uncle can make the four wooden boxes of tofu you want for you tomorrow, and ask your cousins to deliver them to us after dark." Tanaka Masaru's face was full of smiles.
He was so happy to see the children discussing things enthusiastically together tonight. He felt that there was finally a hope for these hard days.
"Then please help me, cousins, by making an extra trip." Chen Yao leaned over to Tian Baolai and Tian Baozhu and said in a low voice, "This year, my cousin Dongsheng and I will take the lead. Next year, with the four of us working together, we will surely be able to expand the stall."
"Ayao is right, we can definitely do it!" Tian Baolai agreed with his cousin and was beaten by his mother again.
Because he attracted the inquiries of the neighbors, these bullies who bullied the weak and feared the strong took advantage of the darkness and asked A Yao Huang if she was dying!
"I think you're the one seeking death. Baolai and I will go tear his mouth apart!" Huang Mei rolled up her sleeves and was about to go to the next door fenced yard to beat someone up to support Chen Yao.
"I thought someone was barking outside, but it turns out it's Shanghe Village coming to help Huang—"
Before he could even utter the word "sorrow", Chen Yao poured a bucket of sewage on him, and the sound of vomiting could be heard in the next yard.
"If any of you dare to curse my mother and talk shit again, don't blame me for dumping shit in your house every day." Chen Yao held the slop bucket in her hand, her eyebrows raised, she was not joking.
Chen Yao's attitude of doing what she said scared the onlookers so much that they hurried back to their houses, fearing that if they were a step late, the pot of shit would really be spilled in their own yard.
Amidst the praise from her aunt's family, Chen Yao pulled her cousin Dongsheng back into the house.
"Ayao, you gave me a fright, but you're really amazing. Those gossipers deserve a good lesson." Miao brought her a half-basin of water to wash her hands. "If anyone bothers you in the future, come find your aunt. We live in the same village."
After washing her hands, Chen Yao looked at Miao and said, "Aunt, I will go borrow the official ox tomorrow morning to plow the land at home. Please ask my cousin to come to my house to find me at noon the day after tomorrow so that he can also help you plow the land at home."
Huang Dongsheng opened his mouth and wanted to say that he would come tomorrow, but after hearing what his cousin said, he swallowed his words back and looked evasive, not daring to look his mother in the eye.
No one knows a son better than his mother. Miao pulled her son over to her and said, "Okay, don't be so stubborn. You still need to grind beans. I'll ask Dongsheng to come and help you the next morning."
After the two parties agreed on a date, Miao took her son back home under the moonlight.
Although everyone has left, I am destined to have a sleepless night.
Chen Yao brought out the mud-covered sand table, and in the moonlight outside, called Yang Wenying to teach her how to read.
After drying, river sand still has a fishy smell. Although the smell is unpleasant, it is very suitable for beginners to practice calligraphy.
Chen Yao watched Yang Wenying write three big "人之初" (The Beginning of a Man) on the sand table with a dry branch that looked like a brush, and the corners of her mouth gradually rose.
Tola, she is not illiterate here in the Daduo Dynasty.
"I'll start teaching you from the Three Character Classic. The first character is '人' (people). It's a stroke on the left and a stroke on the right, so write it down."
Chen Yao copied the same pattern three times, and after tracing it three times, to Yang Wenying's amazement, she finally learned the three words.
Yang Wenying had no suspicion of Chen Yao's talent for literacy.
She and her brother both learned to read at the age of three and could recite entire books at the age of five. However, this was her first time as a teacher, and when she met such a smart student, she naturally wanted to help him achieve success in one go.
Chen Yao watched the little girl getting more and more excited as she taught him. She wiped the sand table, put down the dead branches, stood up and stretched her limbs, "That's it."
"You've only learned so much, you can't give up halfway!" Yang Wenying was obviously addicted to playing the role of teacher tonight.
Chen Yao pointed at the moon, which had disappeared without a trace, and said, "Mr. Wenying, you can't eat more than you can chew. We have to get up early tomorrow to plow the soil. Good night!"
Yang Wenying blushed at her calling him "sir" and glared at the closed door. "Humph, you didn't learn it from me!"
After the two children returned to their rooms, the fenced yard returned to its usual silence.
Shen Qingshan tucked the thin quilt for his wife who was lying on his side, then slowly lay down and closed his eyes.
There was no need to grind soy milk this morning, so everyone in the Shen family slept until dawn.
Yang Wenying moved a low stool and sat at the entrance of the stove. She lit the fire on her first try and was so happy that she looked up to show off.
But when she saw Chen Yao scoop half a bowl of brown rice mixed with a bowl of soybeans and poured them into the pot, she just asked, "Would you like some bean porridge today?"
Chen Yao tied the rice bag tightly and said, "You need to eat something thicker if you're doing heavy work. I'll roast some soybeans later. If you get hungry while working the fields, you can take some out and eat a few bites."
"Don't we have a government ox? We can lead it to plow the fields. How tired will it be?" Yang Wenying stuffed firewood into the stove. The firelight made her face look ignorant and fearless.
After the family had breakfast, Shen Qingshan knew that his daughter was going to borrow the official ox, so he signaled her to say some soft words to the head of the village, so that he would not let him use his family's ox last and delay her future arrangements.
Chen Yao finished the bean porridge in her bowl and cleared the dishes: "Don't worry, Dad, I know the seriousness of the matter."
After arranging the trivial matters at home, Chen Yao and Yang Wenying left half a bag of roasted soybeans for their parents, and each carried a basket on their backs and went to the headman's house.
The five tenant farmers whose turn it was to use the official oxen this year were waiting early in the courtyard of Village Head Zhao's house, some squatting and some standing, with their hands in their sleeves and their lower nostrils twitching from time to time.
"Ayao is here, how are your parents?"
Chen Yao greeted several uncles and aunts in the village. Seeing that there was no smoke coming out of the chimney of the Zhao family's kitchen, she took out a cloth bag from her backpack and grabbed a handful of soybeans for each person.
"You can't do that. Keep it for yourselves."
"A handful of soybeans is not worth much, uncles and aunts, just take it and have a snack." Chen Yao also took out a handful and squatted in the yard, chewing and asking people.
Accompanied by the creaking sounds, she actually found out that Village Chief Zhao and his son Zhao Xiaofu probably went to the government office in the first half of the night to lead the official ox for them!
Yang Wenying couldn't bear to watch Chen Yao's rude behavior. She lowered her head and pretended to be busy fiddling with the farm tools in the basket.
Chen Yao glanced at her and ordered, "Wenying, go to the kitchen and help Auntie light the fire and boil some hot water. The head of the village and Xiaofu brother left so early in the morning that they must not have even eaten."
She didn't care what Yang Wenying and everyone else thought of her. Today, her family had to be the first to use the official bull.
Moo—moo—
From a distance, everyone heard the cry of the old yellow ox outside the door. They had no time to chat and came forward to surround the returning father and son and the official ox.
"Chief Zhao, you are finally back. Let my family use this ox today."
"My family, let my family use it first." Another person squeezed forward and looked at the old ox more affectionately than he looked at his wife.
Zhao Liangshun looked at the old farmers who came over, frowned, and swung the whip in his hand: "Everyone, stand aside and wait."
When the whip was cracked, everyone moved out of the way.
Zhao Liangshun tied the old cow to the door, rubbed his face, and shouted to the courtyard: "Family, do you want to starve us to death?"
This roar woke up Xu, who was resting in the main room. She hurriedly put her hair into a bun, put on her clothes, and walked out in cloth shoes.
As soon as the father and son saw Xu, they knew she had gotten up late.
They had told her to prepare breakfast in the first half of the night, but the old woman became lazier as she got older, and she actually slept until they came back.
Zhao Liangshun was so hungry that his chest was sticking to his back. He was cold and hungry. He was so angry that he wanted to curse: "You, you..."
"Uncle Village Chief and Brother Xiaofu are back. I felt a little unwell when I woke up this morning, so she asked us to help boil some ginger water. You can drink it while it's hot." Chen Yao came out of the kitchen and handed a bowl to each of the father and son. Yang Wenying hid behind her, not daring to show up.
Zhao Liangshun took off his melon-shaped hat, opened his drooping eyelids wide, saw the little girl standing in front of him clearly, took the bowl and drank, and his stomach immediately felt warm.
"You two take a rest first. I'll go prepare dinner." Mrs. Xu went to the kitchen and curled her lips towards Chen Yao, thanking her for helping her out in front of everyone.
As soon as she left, everyone came over again, but Zhao Liangshun raised his hand to stop them.
"You all want to be the first one, but there is only one cow. Tell me first, why should I give your family the first one?" In previous years, there were quarrels over the official cows. According to the order he arranged, people also secretly fabricated that he had accepted bribes.
Zhao Liangshun always had to deal with this matter every year, but it was a thankless task. He accepted gifts? What could these tenants in the village give him?
His family doesn't lack those eggs or those brown rice and soybeans!
This year I decided to follow my son's suggestion and let them say their own numbers first. If they can't, they can just line up at the back.
"My family has rented a lot of land. If we don't use it first, the old ox will be out of strength by the end. How can we finish plowing the land this year?" The one who spoke was Old Zheng who lived in the middle of the village. His eldest son also went to the eastern suburbs to serve.
"Old Zheng, it's because you have so much land that you have to take the last turn. Otherwise, the ox would be exhausted and how could we use it?"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone quickly agreed.
Zhao Liangshun rubbed his temples and winked at his son. "See, even if Dad does what you say, it still doesn't work. You still have to do it my way!"
"Sister Yao, what do you think? Don't you want to be the first to use the ox?" Zhao Xiaofu held the bowl at home and stared at Chen Yao who was standing beside him with her hair in a bun.
When Chen Yao's name was called, several eyes were instantly fixed on her.
"Brother Xiaofu, my family only has two acres of land. I can turn over all of it in a few days. I'm not in a hurry." Chen Yao didn't want to step forward at this time. She wanted to pick up some bargains.
"oh?"
Chen Yao heard his raised "oh" and laughed in anger: "Everyone wants to use the ox first because they are afraid that the old ox will be tired and unwilling to work later."
"But the government oxen can plow 35 mu of land every year after the autumn harvest. The five of us only have 30 mu in total. As long as the government oxen plow the land and take good care of it, how can they not work hard?"
"You are just an ignorant girl. You are just trying to make the cow do what you say." Old Zheng raised his head and scolded.
"Uncle Zheng, we have two acres of land. We can finish plowing it by the afternoon today. We can also feed the cows some fat grass and let them rest for the night. The farmers can continue to work for two days. If the cows are too tired on the first day, we will have to whip them to work later."
After Chen Yao finished speaking, the courtyard was silent for a moment.
This is a government-owned bull. Who dares to whip it? You're risking your life!
"Dad, the meal is ready. Let's eat first and then discuss it afterward. We have to argue about it every year, and in the end, the fields have to be plowed over every year." Mrs. Xu brought out two bowls of thick porridge and said.
Her words woke everyone up.
"Oh, you are busy, headman. I will go back first. My family is not in a hurry to use the cattle today."
"My family is not in a hurry. Old Zheng, I advise you not to use it first. Your family has the most land. If you tire the cows, we will never forgive you."
As soon as the three uncles left, Old Zheng and Shen Yao were furious and could only watch her use the cow first.
Before leaving, he also reminded: "Don't forget to feed the grass after use!"
"Don't worry, Uncle Zheng!" Chen Yao successfully picked up the porridge, waved goodbye to everyone, turned around and looked at Zhao Xiaofu holding the bowl and watching her drink porridge.
She's not a side dish, how can you think she can fill your stomach?
"Wenying, let's go!" Chen Yao picked up the backpack and successfully led the old yellow cow away at the door.
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