Chapter 21:
Luo Zhi’er saw that some pine nuts were vaguely falling out from the small pile of pine cones that Miaomiao had picked up…
The mature season for pine nuts is in September and October, and the nuts inside the pine cones on this tree were still a bit green.
But on the ground, there were piles from last year that had fallen, and some had been eaten by little squirrels.
She leaned in close, crushed one with the sole of her foot, and pine nuts fell out. She picked them up, smelled them, and they were still good.
So she squatted on the ground and began collecting the scattered pine cones on the ground, throwing them into the bamboo basket…
She stood up and picked some full-grained ones from the tree.
“Wife! What are you picking these pine cones for?”
“To roast pine nuts to eat.”
She didn’t even lift her head.
“Oh.”
Li Sanmao thought that they had previously used a sickle to crack open these pine cones and eat the pine nuts inside.
The taste lingered endlessly, quite fragrant, but it was laborious, taking half a day…
The shells were hard, so they were fine as snacks.
But to use them specifically to fill the stomach, no way—they weren’t squirrels!
For others, eating this stuff was not as good as plowing two more mu of land.
For him, it was not as good as catching a few more wild game!
However, since his wife liked to eat them, he would naturally help her pick them.
Speaking of which, he hadn’t done much for her anyway, so he picked some, climbed the tree to pick fruit-full fruits and threw them down…
Miaomiao was especially active, quickly helping her pick them into the bamboo basket.
In a moment, the group filled the bamboo basket full, returned the same way, found the snake skin bag on the road, stacked it on the bamboo basket, and tied it with vines!
Li Sanmao used a branch to carry those few wild game, took the bamboo basket from his wife’s hands and carried it on his back…
Miaomiao pulled her fat mother down the mountain.
On the easy downhill mountain path, Luo Zhi’er carried Miaomiao and trotted all the way, Miaomiao’s giggling laughter like an oriole bird threading through the tree-lined path…
“Oh, carrying our little stinker home!”
“Mother, run faster! Yay! Miaomiao is flying!”
Li Sanmao followed closely behind, looking worried, and shouted loudly: “Wife, slow down, oh no, Miaomiao’s shoe fell off!”
“Wife, run slower…”
His wife was fat, Miaomiao was small, and this hillside was steep— what if they fell?
The three returned home fully loaded, Miaomiao’s eyes curved like crescent moons…
Before going home, they first went to help Old Lady Zhao fill her water jar…
Then they went back. By the time they got home, it was late, and as they walked to the corner under the gatehouse on the road, after two steps they met Zhao Er’s Wife.
She craned her neck, listening to something with great interest.
Hearing the noise, she turned back awkwardly and said, “San Mao, you just got back? What is your mother nagging about this time?”
“Aunt Huaihua, we just got back too, not sure?”
“Oh, I thought she was nagging at you two again, but it seems not!”
“This is the first time! By the way, where did you go?”
Her eyes darted around, glancing into his bamboo basket…
The bamboo basket was covered with a snake skin bag, so she couldn’t see what was underneath.
She only saw the few prey dangling from the branch sticking up.
“Yo! Tsk tsk, San Mao, you went hunting again? Looks like a good haul!”
“This wild chicken meat must be pretty tasty, right? Looks nice and fat, lots of oil!” She stared at the wild game on his branch, drooling.
This Li Sanmao let the family eat meat every day—if she had a son like that, what would she have to complain about?
“Uh…”
How to respond to that?
Li Sanmao honestly scratched the root of his ear.
Should he give her one?
Luo Zhi’er narrowed her eyes and stood in front of Li Sanmao, saying in a fierce tone:
“Aunt Huaihua, this wild game is naturally delicious. If you want to eat it, have Uncle Zhao Er hunt one for you!”
“Heh heh, if my Zhao Er knew how to hunt, what would I have to worry about?”
Aunt Huaihua said awkwardly.
“Oh, I see. Our home has a lot of people, and this bit of stuff isn’t even enough for me to have a snack before it’s gone!”
“Hehe! That’s true!” She sized up her figure with contempt.
“Right! What are you doing outside our home’s yard?”
“Uh… I was just picking pea shoots earlier. Isn’t it time to make dinner? I planned to make some soup!”
“Is that so?”
A half-smile…
“What else!”
Her heart was uneasy, as if she had seen right through her…
“Our home can’t compare to your home’s daily meat and fish. Look, the wild game in these mountains is all going to be hunted out by your home’s San Mao!”
She mocked him.
“Aunt Huaihua, our home has meat and fish every day because my man San Mao is diligent in hunting!”
“If you want meat and fish, your home can have it too! You say it’s all hunted out, but I won’t stand for that. There’s plenty of game in the mountains! Besides, there’s no owner of this mountain forest, so anyone can hunt!”
“If you go hunting, I naturally won’t stop you or say a word against you. Isn’t that right…”
“Hehe! Look at you, young but with such a sharp tongue.”
“Forget it! I have things to do. You’re still young, so I won’t argue with you. Otherwise, if word gets out, people will say I’m bullying a young wife despite my age!”
“That’s true, but compared to Aunt Huaihua, I’m still nothing!”
“San Mao, you all go ahead with your business. I’ll head back first!”
She spoke hurriedly, running off like something was chasing her from behind.
Her figure disappeared around the bend at the road junction.
Luo Zhi’er snorted coldly!
Instead of picking vegetables from her own fields to make soup, she came snooping around near her home.
Did she think she couldn’t tell she was trying to take advantage of her home’s San Mao?
Did she think she couldn’t see through her?
San Mao was honest, but she was not to be trifled with!
Zhao Er’s Wife left, muttering on the road. This Luo Fatty had a face full of fierce flesh, that cold sidelong glance and smile made one shiver—it was formidable!
Just like she was about to eat someone!
Who said she was a fool?
“Wife, was it not good to treat Aunt Huaihua like that just now?”
Li Sanmao saw his wife puffed up with anger, hands on hips. He touched his nose, muttering hesitantly.
Luo Zhi’er rolled her eyes: “Husband, why don’t you give her one?”
“This…”
Seeing his face turn from green to red, Luo Zhi’er called to him: “Come on! Such a big fool!”
“Oh!”
“Hehe, I know I was wrong, wife!”
Li Sanmao scratched the back of his head. This little fat wife was a tigress! His heart felt a bit sweet—she was protecting him!
“Hmph! Good that you know!”
Her big butt swaying as she pulled Miaomiao ahead. Li Sanmao quickly caught up. Of course, Luo Zhi’er heard Zhou Shi cursing from the door.
By this time, Zhou Shi, Old Man Li, and Li Lei had already returned.
As they slightly ascended the yard’s slope, they saw
Old Man Li sitting on a big stone, his face dark and sullen, tapping his pipe on the ground one knock at a time…
Not in high spirits, after tapping for a bit he shook out the ash inside…
He rolled up some fresh tobacco leaves, lit it, as if pondering something. His brows tightly furrowed as he exhaled a puff of white smoke…
Luo Zhi’er and the other two returned late, so Zhou Shi was naturally unhappy. Hearing the noise, she glared fiercely at her.
Pointing at mulberry trees but cursing the locust, “Little hussy, running around all day with the whole family, slacking off and being sneaky. I’ll settle accounts with you later!”
“Mom, I just went hunting with San Mao! Thinking of improving everyone’s meals!”
“Ha! You sure know how to make excuses! San Mao went hunting, what did you go for? One look and it’s obvious you were being lazy! Just you wait!”
She glanced at the few small wild game hanging on the branches behind Li Sanmao, swinging back and forth.
She wrinkled her brows in disdain!
Wasting a whole day for these few small wild game—what use were they?
“Fussing about for nothing!”
However, she currently couldn’t pay attention to Luo Zhi’er and the others yet.
Zhou Shi turned her head and continued scolding, finishing with this one and then that one…
It wasn’t clear exactly who she was scolding, but anyway, Xiao Zhou Shi and Chen Shi were both included.
Luo Zhi’er was speechless. She had no idea what was wrong with this old lady. At the slightest disagreement, she would always roll on the ground or sit on the doorstep stool and curse people!
Her dark eyes rolled around. While putting down the bamboo basket, she also figured it out…
Zhou Shi was scolding Xiao Zhou Shi, calling her an ungrateful wolf, a gossip, “Little hussy, who do you think you are?”
“All the grain in our home has been fed to the dogs. Everyone knows your Sima’s intention. How dare you speak ill of Zhenzhu? How dare you give Fifth Brother the cold shoulder?”
Luo Zhi’er found the hammer, the sieve, and the wooden bucket, and got to work.
She shook the pine cones, removed the husks cleanly, found a knife, and split the bamboo shells!
She wasn’t getting involved in this matter! Li Sanmao and Miaomiao were also working with her.
“If it weren’t for me, just the matter of you climbing into Oldest Brother’s bed—that would mean drowning in a pig cage!”
“You’ve grown bold wings. Our Old Li Family can’t afford a Buddha like you anymore. Watch me get the Old Zhou Family to come pick you up…”
Uh… there’s also this matter?
She gave Li Sanmao a puzzled look.
“Wife, you… what’s wrong?”
“Nothing!”
Li Sanmao felt a bit uneasy inside. His wife had just hammered down and smashed the pine nuts to bits, and glared fiercely at him.
Could he have done something wrong again?
Seeing that she had been scolding for a long time with no movement from Oldest Brother’s room, Zhou Shi started shrilly cursing Xiao Chen Shi.
“Vixen! All day long you’re bewitching and seductive, dressed up all flashy. I’ve wanted to tell you off for a long time!”
“You even dare blow pillow talk to Lei Wa, dare to set your sights on the wheat our Old Li Family just harvested.”
“Is that wheat something you can covet?”
Xiao Zhou Shi’s room was quiet at first, but upon hearing this, something felt off, and she immediately wasn’t having it. How could that be allowed?
She was the first to rush out of her room, determined to question it…
Their family’s crops were mainly grown by her family’s Oldest Brother, wheat planted through half a year of hard labor—these black-hearted things! They were nowhere to be seen during the busy farming season…
Now that it was ripe, they all came back, turns out they had this idea in mind!
Li Gui, who had been studying in his room, followed right after, looking displeased.
“Mom…”
He wanted to say something, but Zhou Shi gave him a reassuring look!
Old Man Li had been frantically signaling Zhou Shi with his eyes earlier, but it was too late; he couldn’t stop her!
This old woman had no filter on her mouth! Why did she spew everything out?
The worst thing among brothers is disharmony. This rope in his Old Li Family couldn’t be broken!
Xiao Zhou Shi questioned, “Mom, when exactly are our Muqing and Yunliang going to school?”
“They’re also your Old Li Family’s seed. Why treat them differently? Don’t say there’s no silver. Just from Oldest Brother farming the land, it’s more than enough for two kids to go to school…”
At this point, Old Li Tou wished he could bury his head in his crotch…
Upon hearing this, Zhou Shi inwardly cursed to herself. This little hussy was sly as could be…
Her eyes flickered. “How much is that? With so many old and young in our home all year round, don’t we have expenses?”
“Expenses?”
“I have no idea what big expenses our home has…”
“What do you mean none? The food we eat, drink, use, gifts and favors—don’t we have interactions?”
“Is that so? I don’t think we’ve spent much. How about Mom, you show us the account book!”
“Acc… account book? We’re just a family of old peasants who can’t read a single character. What accounts would we keep? You’re deliberately humiliating your in-laws!”
“Oh dear, what evil did our Old Li Family commit in a past life to marry a jinx like you!”
She rolled on the ground and slapped her thigh!
“You have way too many schemes and they’re all wicked. The little uncle and little aunt haven’t even done anything yet, and you dare bully us!”
She beat around the bush, anyway, avoiding this topic!
“Dad, you say something. I want to hear you speak…”
The two elders naturally had bitterness they couldn’t voice…
Not to mention just now, the gossip they heard on the road.
Xiao Zhou Shi and Chen Shi, these two sisters-in-law, fought over cooking and snatching food—over such a trivial matter.
It spread all over the village, saying that his Old Li Family had poor family traditions, so poor that they only ate corn grits…
Who said that? That his oldest brother and second wife had something going on???
Seeing them return, she immediately shut her mouth…
That Zhao Xiaomei was at the roadside cracking sunflower seeds, covering her mouth, pointing at mulberry trees and cursing at locust trees,
“Pah! My Old Li Family doesn’t have such indecent things!”
That commotion was something else…
Li Lei’s face was clouded with gloom all the way, his face ashen as he went to Chen Shi’s room.
Seeing Chen Shi covering her head sleeping, he angrily burst into curses!
Before he could say a few words, Chen Shi suddenly threw off the quilt.
“Li Lei, you bully-who-only-dares-inside-the-home, go die!”
She let out a big howl and clawed at him…
The old couple Zhou Shi returned home, had just taken a sip of water, hadn’t even sat down, when they vaguely heard noises from the second son’s family!
“Her mother, is everything alright?”
Old Man Li asked worriedly.
Zhou Shi vented with satisfaction:
“Serves her right! She really should be taught a lesson, that little bitch! Who does she think she is? All day dressed up flashy, listening to pillow talk, does she think she can go to heaven?”
Old Li Tou nodded…
She really should be given some discipline…
They sat down to smoke and catch their breath, but before they could sit steadily, Li Gui and Zhenzhu came rushing over to complain…
Daughter Zhenzhu was crying her heart out.
She said her eldest sister-in-law wanted to drive her away, saying she was an eyesore at home, had eaten an extra mouthful of corn grits rice…
Zhou Shi flared up upon hearing this, “This suicidal little whore, quite bold!”
She ran to the doorway of the eldest son’s family’s yard, cursing at the top of her lungs,
“Pah! Shameless little whore! Counts for nothing.”
“My family’s Zhenzhu is the precious darling, she’s the real Old Li Family person!”
“That Xiao Zhou Shi is just an outsider, at most the mother of the Li family’s two kids…”
“You’re so capable! Don’t play tricks behind my back! If you’ve got the guts, come out here to face this old lady…”
Also, their things didn’t sell today.
They were venting their resentment.
As soon as second brother went, he took them to the shop in town that he had his eye on.
He talked about the business he planned to do.
Opening a shop requires silver, buying goods also requires silver…
Li Lei then took them to see the shop for that business.
It really was bustling with people, sure to make big money.
The termite mushroom oil was temporarily put aside.
By the time they remembered, it was already afternoon, and they hadn’t found a buyer.
