Chapter 33 – Grinding teeth
Yan Xiaosi did have something in her hand when she went out to bathe, but Yan Shuqin couldn’t see clearly what it was. With her explanation, Yan Shuqin, Ms. Zhong, Yan Shuxue, and Yan Shuyun all believed her.
Ms. Zhong sighed and scolded, “This time, you were lucky to escape. You’re not allowed to do this kind of thing again. Today, the Chen brothers didn’t find that piece of dog skin, otherwise the Village Chief wouldn’t have let you off so easily.”
“I know, mother.”
To stop Ms. Zhong from nagging in her ear, Yan Xiaosi quickly bowed her head to admit her mistake.
“Mother, sisters, now that the Village Chief and his party have left, I’ll go and fetch that piece of dog skin.”
Ms. Zhong immediately stopped her, “Why would you want to retrieve it?”
Tonight, Liu Qianhe and his daughter, along with the Chen brothers, came to the broken temple to look for the dog, which had already scared her half to death.
Yan Xiaosi said, “Mother, don’t worry. The Village Chief and his party have already searched our house and won’t come back to search again. We can sell that dog skin for a few copper coins. Anyway, the day after tomorrow is the market day in Daxing Town. We can take it there and sell it.”
She couldn’t sell the items from the portable space, but was in urgent need of money. Besides, it was the Liu family’s dog that started the trouble, so it deserved to be killed, have its meat eaten, and its skin sold.
“Mother, our Xiaosi is quite clever.” Yan Shuqin added. Ms. Zhong finally accepted her request.
“The sky is already dark, Xiaosi, let me accompany you to get the dog skin.”
Yan Shuqin was prepared to go with her, but Yan Xiaosi pushed her back.
She was going to enter the portable space to get the dog skin, and she couldn’t let Yan Shuqin follow her, “Big sister, I’m familiar with all the paths in our village. Even in the dark, I can find my way back with my eyes closed. Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon.”
Yan Xiaosi didn’t let Yan Shuqin follow her. Long Hao stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the mud wall, looking at Yan Xiaosi leaving with a suspicious gaze.
Feeling Long Hao’s doubtful gaze, Yan Xiaosi’s heart tightened, and she quickened her pace.
Was this man as cunning as a fox? He was smart to be suspicious of her.
When she reached a deserted area, Yan Xiaosi hurriedly entered the space.
Outside, the dusk was settling, and the sky was so dark that she couldn’t see her hand in front of her face. Inside the space, however, it was still daytime, with the light seemingly unchanged.
Yan Xiaosi then realized that there seemed to be no alternation of day and night in her space.
She didn’t have time to think about it. She quickly went to the bathroom on the third floor of the small western-style building, turned on the shower, and washed the bloodstains on the dog skin. Then, she grabbed the wet dog skin, exited the space, and returned to the broken temple in the dark.
Long Hao saw the wet dog skin in her hand, which dispelled his doubts, and he went back to Yan Xiaosi’s room to sleep.
Ms. Zhong, Yan Shuqin, Yan Shuxue, and Yan Shuyun were very exhausted from the day’s work. Ms. Zhong stretched the dog skin out with a stick and hung it to dry in front of the window. She bolted the door, and the three of them went to bed.
Yan Xiaosi curled up alone on the floor. Tonight, she finally ate meat and was full. She felt satisfied and didn’t feel the discomfort of the dry thatch beneath her. In her heart, she counted round and fat sheep, and she fell asleep while counting.
Yet, the sound of grinding teeth made her feel especially uncomfortable.
