Chapter 92: Being Competitive
“Sis, didn’t we bring back all the grain that was divided to our family? Where did these come from?” Shi Tou took the bag of grain from Lu Chengjing’s lap, weighed it, and found it quite heavy.
Shang Wan said, “These are thank-you gifts for your brother-in-law helping settle accounts.”
Shi Tou said “oh,” then picked up the cloth bag to head to the wooden shed. Shang Wan called out to him, “Wait, let me ask you, why is your brother-in-law so proficient at settling accounts?”
Shi Tou scratched his head and glanced toward Lu Chengjing, puzzled. “Sis, why don’t you just ask brother-in-law directly?”
Shang Wan thought to herself, wasn’t this just teasing until she annoyed him?
“Just tell me when I ask you.”
Shi Tou then said, “There’s a Master Ouyang at the county school who’s extremely skilled at arithmetic. Brother-in-law often consults Master Ouyang, and Master Ouyang praised brother-in-law for having quite a talent in arithmetic. After Qiao Yu’an found out, he always got lazy and had brother-in-law check the shop’s accounts for him. Over time, with brother-in-law’s intelligence, he naturally became proficient.”
Shang Wan: “…”
Qiao Yu’an was really so carefree. Settling accounts was such an important matter, yet he let an outsider like Lu Chengjing help with it.
“Sis,” Shi Tou leaned close to Shang Wan, his voice so low it was almost just a breath, “don’t tell brother-in-law it was me who told you, okay? You know our situation at the Lu Residence before—Third House was the poorest. Qiao Yu’an asking brother-in-law to help settle accounts was half to be lazy, half to find an excuse to help us out.”
“If brother-in-law didn’t agree, he’d throw tantrums and roll on the ground, forcing brother-in-law to help.”
Shi Tou winked, speaking up for Qiao Yu’an. “Qiao Yu’an sometimes speaks harshly, but he’s not a bad person. Sis, if he ever provokes you, for brother-in-law’s sake, go easy on him.”
Shang Wan: “…”
Was she such a violent person?
She waved her hand. “Got it, I know my limits.”
Shi Tou then hugged the cloth bag and left.
He Sizhi and his disciple were packing luggage in the shed, while Liang Liang sat on the small bench outside the shed, head hanging low, staring blankly at the shadow on the ground.
Yuan Yuan had come over at some point, her two small hands holding the little turtle that was lying on her little head. She looked at her own shadow for a bit, then turned to look at Liang Liang’s shadow.
Her big eyes blinked, and the little one quickly got bored. She freed up one small hand to pat the little brother beside her and handed over the little turtle.
Seeing the turtle retract its head into its shell, Liang Liang pushed the turtle back with his hand, turned his body, faced another direction, and continued staring blankly at the shadow.
Yuan Yuan glanced at the little turtle, plopped it on top of her head, nimbly climbed to the direction Liang Liang was facing, then held the little turtle out to him.
Her little baby voice was soft and glutinous. “Turtle turtle, play!”
Liang Liang glanced at her, hugged his legs, turned to another direction, and continued to daze.
Yuan Yuan: ???
Why was this little brother so stubborn?
The little one puffed her cheeks and got competitive with Liang Liang. When he turned, she chased after; when he turned again, she chased again, and again, and again…
Liang Liang spun faster and faster like a top, and Yuan Yuan chased faster and faster too. Her little head started to feel dizzy, and her small hand accidentally pressed on the smooth turtle shell, slipping out with a whoosh. She was about to face-plant.
Two rough-skinned small hands quickly reached out and picked Yuan Yuan up.
Liang Liang’s little face was stern as he placed the flailing short-armed, short-legged meatball to the side, turned direction, and continued to daze.
Yuan Yuan furrowed her little brows. This time she didn’t chase. She pouted her pink little mouth, grabbed Liang Liang’s clothes hem, and yanked hard toward herself.
An ordinary one-year-old baby wouldn’t have much strength, but Yuan Yuan was an ability user. Liang Liang was caught off guard and nearly got yanked off the stool by her.
This time he stopped looking at the shadow. His eyes stared unblinkingly at Yuan Yuan, as if seeing something rare.
Seeing the little brother finally paying attention to her, Yuan Yuan pointed with her small hand at the little turtle on the ground. “Turtle turtle.”
Liang Liang looked over and nodded.
Yuan Yuan happily set out small stones and small wooden sticks to create obstacles on the little turtle’s path forward. Every time the little turtle crawled over one, she clapped her small hands happily, as if the little turtle had accomplished something amazing.
Liang Liang, even with his tendency toward autism, was still just a ten-year-old child and didn’t think the little turtle crawling over obstacles was anything worth clapping and celebrating.
Yuan Yuan puffed her cheeks, staring at him with her black, bright, clear big eyes—or more precisely, at his unmoving hand.
She glanced once, raised her own small hand and waved it in front of the little brother; glanced again, waved both small hands; glanced yet again, and started clapping both small hands.
Liang Liang still didn’t move, just kept staring at the little turtle.
Yuan Yuan unhappily puffed her cheeks, crossed her arms, and stared fixedly at Liang Liang’s hands with her big eyes.
Liang Liang’s eyeballs shifted a bit. For some reason, he felt a chill on his back. Under Yuan Yuan’s stare, he slowly raised his hand and clapped twice.
Yuan Yuan was delighted now and started clapping her little palms again. Somehow, Liang Liang followed her rhythm and clapped along.
Under the encouragement of the two, the little turtle crawled faster and faster, ignoring the obstacles on the path entirely.
When the little turtle turned back, Yuan Yuan hurriedly reset a small stone. After placing just one, she turned her little head to look at Liang Liang, her big eyes brighter than stars in the night.
Liang Liang involuntarily joined the team setting obstacles for the little turtle.
The big and little one grew more and more in sync. Yuan Yuan giggled, and Liang Liang couldn’t help but laugh along.
He Sizhi heard the laughter and came out. Seeing this scene, for some reason, his eye sockets felt a bit sore.
He didn’t make a sound to disturb them and quietly sat down cross-legged, watching the two children play.
Gao Yan and Ma Jieyong saw this too and didn’t make a sound, sitting cross-legged to watch as well.
The three big men looked on with affectionate faces, quietly accompanying the two children to watch the little turtle obstacle race. Under the moonlight, the scene had a somewhat indescribably weird vibe.
Shang Wan’s footsteps paused, and she deliberately made some movement.
“Mom!” Yuan Yuan was the first to look over, her eyes instantly curving into crescent moons.
Shang Wan smiled and picked her up, saying to He Sizhi and the others, “The table is set up. Everyone come eat.”
The master and two disciples responded. He Sizhi went forward and took Liang Liang’s hand. Seeing Liang Liang staring at the little baby girl ahead, he couldn’t help but pat his little head, thinking that bringing his son along might have been a good decision.
In front of the wooden shed, two torches were inserted into grooves in the round pillars, illuminating the dining table below.
Two meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, and one soup were on the table. The dishes looked appetizing, all served in large bowls with generous portions.
The aroma of the meal wafted out, stirring up appetites.
Seeing the large chunks of meat in the dishes, the master and two disciples were slightly stunned.
They hadn’t worked today—were they eating this well?
The three suspected this was the host family’s own meal and didn’t dare sit for a moment.
Ma Jieyong was straightforward and turned to ask Shi Tou where their meal was.
Shi Tou was baffled by the question and countered, “Isn’t it all right here? Where do you want to eat?”
Ma Jieyong blurted out, “We can eat this meat too?”
