Chapter 84: Mom, Jiaojiao Ate Chili!
Although she knew this was very likely a plot against herself, Yun Jiao wasn’t flustered at all.
A plot that’s already known isn’t a plot anymore~
She leisurely stood up from under the pumpkin leaves, her skin getting a bit itchy from the prickles on the pumpkin leaves.
She scratched her face.
“Let’s go, let’s go home.”
The young girl skipped with joyful steps, humming a song as she went to find her grandmother.
The furballs behind her were moving their little legs so fast they almost became blurs, just barely keeping up.
“Grandma, have you picked enough? Aren’t we going home?”
Her basket already had quite a few things picked.
Cucumbers, eggplants, and snap peas, packed to the brim.
But it didn’t feel very heavy when she lifted it.
After all, she was strong.
“Alright, alright.”
Granny Yun had also picked a full backpack of vegetables, and it looked especially difficult when she put it on. Yun Jiao anxiously circled her, stomping her feet.
“Why did you pick so much?”
“It’s heavy, Grandma, give me a pumpkin.”
“Can Grandma stand up?”
Her little face showed that she wished she could carry it for her.
However, her three-foot-tall body was uncooperative, and the backpack was as tall as she was.
Granny Yun struggled to stand up: “Heh, you look down on Grandma, don’t you? When I was young, I could carry manure back and forth several times a day. This is no problem at all. It’s only a bit difficult when standing up. See, I’m up now.”
This was also a stubborn old woman who refused to admit defeat.
Yun Jiao followed behind, helping to support it with one hand.
Her voice, still immature, said: “You said it yourself, it was when you were young.”
“Hey, even now your Grandma can do it!”
The two chatted as they walked home, one in front and one behind, with the fluffy furballs behind Yun Jiao wiggling their little bottoms as they followed at a leisurely pace.
They’d take a bite if they encountered a bug on the way; if not, they wouldn’t eat.
They were basically already full.
Yun Jiao didn’t tell her grandmother about the kidnapper; her grandmother was old and couldn’t handle that kind of shock, so she’d wait until she got back to tell her father and the others.
Upon returning home, Granny Yun immediately got busy.
Yun Jiao sat on a small stool, helping to snap the snap peas and clean the yellow leaves off the scallions.
She would occasionally turn her head to talk to the giant sea turtle beside her, which sat like an old monk in meditation.
“Old turtle, you need to be tough, don’t be afraid of orcas!”
She was counting on the orcas to take her out to play, so it wouldn’t do for the giant sea turtle to be so afraid all the time.
If sea turtles could roll their eyes, this giant sea turtle would definitely give Yun Jiao a few right now.
No matter how hard its shell was, being spun around by an orca made it dizzy!
Why don’t you go experience it yourself!
Yun Jiao said: “Next time we go to sea, I’m going to play with the orcas.”
The giant sea turtle lay there, not wanting to deal with this fickle child.
Just thinking about it was exhausting; it had taken people to deal with orcas before, but the orcas were fine, and it ended up with a rival for affection!
Yun Jiao was chattering away when Shen Yunlian and the others returned from tide pooling.
They had managed to catch two fish today, a black sea bream and a mackerel. Neither was too big, nor particularly valuable.
The family wasn’t short of money anymore, and with the workers at the new house, they’d keep these two fish for themselves.
The other seafood was also kept.
Yun Xiaowu brought over a few small mixed fish and shrimp.
“Turtle Grandpa, time to eat.”
The sea turtle opened its mouth and swallowed the food without any politeness.
Shen Yunlian stayed to help with cooking, and Wang Mei tidied up before going to the new house to help, taking Yun Xiaowu and the others with her.
“Xiaowu, Xiaoliu, Xiaoqi, Xiao Ba, come with me to pick up bricks.”
They were already half-grown children, so naturally, they had to help the family with some work.
“Understood.”
The children answered listlessly, their entire demeanor screaming their unwillingness to work.
Which child didn’t want to play?
Yun Xiao Jiu stayed behind because he was too young, sitting side-by-side with Yun Jiao and listening to her talk.
Of course, his own words were even more frequent, and he was talking about gossip that Yun Jiao loved to hear.
Yun Xiao Jiu said: “Little Sister, Aunt Song （ Widow Song ） hit Uncle Dana, Aunt Jinhua made a fuss about going to settle accounts with Aunt Song, and the two of them got into a fight. Uncle Dana tried to break it up, and they grabbed him so hard his clothes were torn. Aunt Song said she was going to sue Uncle Dana for indecency.”
Yun Jiao responded with a surprised “Wow!” cooperatively, not expecting there to be a follow-up. Why hadn’t she been there to see it herself? It must have been wonderful.
Human fights were very entertaining to her. Pulling hair, scratching faces, tearing clothes – but without any real physical damage. To Yun Jiao, it looked like child’s play.
Of course, it might not have been very damaging, but it was extremely insulting, and the people who were hit seemed to find it unbearable.
Yun Xiao Jiu continued: “Granny Ma’s grandson stole a chicken.”
“I know this one, I heard it from Aunt Chun.”
Yun Xiao Jiu said indignantly: “That old woman is unreasonable and scolded you.”
Yun Jiao: She didn’t know about this.
She was unhappy now too.
“Why!”
Even more upset.
Yun Xiao Jiu nodded: “Exactly. That bad old woman, it’s her own fault for not managing her grandson properly. Stealing and cheating, and she blamed Jiao Jiao for leading the chicks to the tidal flats.”
Yun Jiao: “Shameless!”
So angry.
Yun Xiao Jiu said: “Mhm, I told Fifth Brother and the others that after we finish eating, we’ll go throw poop at Granny Ma’s house.”
Yun Jiao: “…No, it’ll be smelly.”
She was a clean little merfolk.
“You’re not going.”
Yun Jiao: “No, I have to go.”
Why shouldn’t she get revenge?
“Then you won’t pick up the poop.”
Yun Jiao’s little face wrinkled: “But, you’ll smell like poop and I’ll dislike you.”
“We’ll wrap it in something, and we’ll wash our hands and bodies when we get back.”
Fine.
Then she definitely had to go and see.
Yun Jiao was chatting with Yun Xiao Jiu while snapping vegetables, and without paying attention, she put the item in her hand into her mouth. By the time she reacted, a piece of the chili’s tail had already been bitten off by her little mouth.
Yun Jiao: This damn muscle memory.
Yun Xiao Jiu exclaimed in horror: “Sister, you put a chili in your mouth!”
It was still red, small, and especially spicy.
Yun Jiao: QAQ
“Go drink some water quickly.”
“Grandma, Mom, Jiao Jiao ate a chili!”
Yun Xiao Jiu grabbed Yun Jiao’s hand and ran towards the kitchen.
Granny Yun slapped her thigh: “You worry-making little girl, why are you eating things randomly again, and you ate a chili!”
Yun Jiao’s eyes were teary from the spiciness as she spoke between gasps.
“Wuwu… my mouth felt a bit bland, I wanted to eat something.”
And then without paying attention, she stuffed it into her mouth.
Shen Yunlian amusingly poured water for her: “Now it’s good, your mouth isn’t bland anymore, right?”
It wasn’t bland; it was a stinging, sharp pain from the spice.
Yun Jiao’s already rosy lips were even redder from the spice, and her teary eyes looked pitiful.
But Shen Yunlian and the others genuinely felt heartache and laughed at the same time.
After a series of rescue efforts, drinking water and gnawing on cucumbers, she finally felt much better.
Yun Jiao used to be curious about everything, and chili was one of them.
When she had just turned two, before she had experienced the power of chili, she seized an opportunity when the adults weren’t paying attention and put one in her mouth.
It made her cry inconsolably on the spot.
Since then, she hadn’t eaten chili raw like that again.
Unexpectedly, today, she accidentally ate one again.
