Chapter 67 – Scared of Yan Xiaosi Getting Angry
Afraid of his strangeness being seen by Yan Xiaosi, Tian Dazhuang snatched the wooden bowl from Yan Xiaosi’s hand. He held the ox with one hand and the bowl with the other, as he turned around in a fluster. Yan Xiaosi stood at the doorway, watching his flustered retreating figure, licking the pig fat at the corner of her mouth, and shouted loudly, “Brother Dazhuang, when you finish eating, remember to return the wooden bowl to me. We only have a few bowls at home. If you don’t return it, I won’t have a bowl to eat from.”
“I… I know, Xiaosi. You… go back first.”
Tian Dazhuang answered hesitantly, not daring to look back at Yan Xiaosi.
Wang Sanniang was setting the steaming hot meal on the table when she saw him walk in with a flustered expression and a red face.
“Dazhuang, why is your face so red?”
Tian Dazhuang stood at the kitchen door, his face twisted with embarrassment.
His red face and flustered expression were all because of Yan Xiaosi.
Ever since last night, when Yan Xiaosi displayed her skills and healed Wang Sanniang’s arm, he had a strange feeling towards Yan Xiaosi.
He couldn’t tell his mom any of this.
“…Mom, I’m fine. It’s probably because I was squatting in front of the stove just now.”
Seeing that he was really fine, Wang Sanniang felt relieved, “Why are you still standing there? Hurry up and come to eat.”
Tian Dazhuang carried the bowl of potatoes and braised pig intestines to the wooden table.
Wang Sanniang immediately smelled the aroma of meat and saw the golden-brown pig intestines and potato chunks in the wooden bowl. Her mouth watered.
“Dazhuang, where did you get this bowl of potatoes and braised pig intestines?” Wang Sanniang didn’t cook any meat dishes tonight.
Tian Dazhuang put the wooden bowl in the center of the table and answered, “This is from Aunt Yan, given by Xiaosi. Mother, be more polite to Aunt Yan when you see her in the future. Uncle Yan died early, and Aunt Yan raised Ah Qin, Ah Xue, Ah Yun, and Xiaosi all by herself. It’s not easy, so be kinder to them in the future.”
Tian Dazhuang’s words shocked Wang Sanniang.
Just now at the entrance of the village, Yan Xiaosi had given her a tender and juicy cabbage. She couldn’t imagine that Ms. Zhong would have Yan Xiaosi send over potatoes and braised pig intestines.
She picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of pig intestine and chewed it in her mouth. It tasted quite good.
“I didn’t expect your Auntie Yan to be so generous.”
Tian Dazhuang often hung out with Yan Xiaosi and already knew what kind of person Ms. Zhong was.
“Mother, Aunt Yan is a good person by nature. Uncle Yan’s death has nothing to do with her. We shouldn’t join others in bullying Aunt Yan’s family. Their family of five is quite pitiful.”
A soft mouth when eating from others, and a soft hand when taking from others, Ms. Wang had eaten the potato and braised pig intestines cooked by Ms. Zhong, and Tian Dazhuang was persuading her on the side. She thought for a moment, both being women and widows, she shouldn’t follow others in bullying Ms. Zhong.
“Dazhuang, I’ll listen to you and be more polite to your Aunt Yan San in the future,” said Ms. Wang.
Her words made Tian Dazhuang’s heart rejoice. He hesitated for a moment and said, “…Mom, please be more polite to Yan Xiaosi in the future as well.”
“That kid has a slippery tongue, and he threatened me last night,” said Ms. Wang.
Mentioning Yan Xiaosi, Ms. Wang’s face was full of anger, and she slapped the bamboo chopsticks in her hand on the table. “There’s no way I’ll be polite to him.”
Tian Dazhuang felt a bit helpless. “Mom, although Yan Xiaosi is slick, he has a good character. Don’t you remember at the entrance of the village, he gave our family a big cabbage? What did you promise him?”
Only then did Ms. Wang recall that she had promised to help promote Yan Xiaosi’s medical skills.
“I remember, I don’t need you to remind me.”
Ms. Wang was still angry at Yan Xiaosi, and Tian Dazhuang didn’t say anything more.
As long as his mother remembered to promote Yan Xiaosi’s medical skills, it would be enough.
Yan Xiaosi returned to the dilapidated temple, where Ms. Zhong and Yan Shuqin were setting up the meal.
“Xiaosi is back. Wash your hands and take the food to Young Master Long,” said Ms. Zhong as she dished out the rice.
Yan Shuqin noticed that Yan Xiaosi was still upset with Long Hao and she knew she wouldn’t be willing to bring food to Long Hao at this time.
“Mother, why don’t we invite Brother Long to join us for dinner in the kitchen?”
“I don’t want to share a table with that ungrateful man.”
Yan Xiaosi angrily picked up the wooden basin leaning against the wall, preparing to fetch water to wash his hands. “Mother, I’ll go wash my hands. After washing my hands, I’ll take the food to that ungrateful man.” In fact, he didn’t mind sitting at the same table with Long Hao, but he was worried that if Long Hao came out to eat and everyone sat together, it would ruin the reputation of Yan Shuqin, Yan Shuxue, and Yan Shuyun. The etiquette in the State of Chu was strict, and Yan Shuqin, Yan Shuxue, and Yan Shuyun were all unmarried girls. If someone with ulterior motives saw them, gossip would spread. This was also why Ms. Zhong always asked Yan Xiaosi to deliver meals to Long Hao instead of Yan Shuqin, Yan Shuxue, and Yan Shuyun. Because to outsiders, Yan Xiaosi was a boy, so delivering meals to Long Hao wouldn’t cause any gossip.
Long Hao, who was inside the room, heard Yan Xiaosi’s words clearly and couldn’t help but twitch the corners of his mouth, feeling wronged.
Ungrateful man? He didn’t know how he was ungrateful. He was kissed by that kid out of nowhere, almost disrupting his cultivation, and the one who was harmed was clearly him.
Yan Xiaosi quickly washed his hands, and Ms. Zhong handed him a bowl of rice with the top piled up.
Yan Xiaosi took a look at the bow. On top of the white rice was meat and potato braised pig intestines.
Seeing his unwilling expression, Ms. Zhong knew what he was thinking.
“You child, there’s still plenty on the table. Hurry up and take it to Young Master Long.”
Yan Xiaosi glanced at the broken wooden table and saw that there was enough food for their family of five. Only then did she carry the bowl and head towards the room where Long Hao was sleeping.
“It’s time to eat.”
Long Hao had just eaten five meat buns and wasn’t hungry. Seeing Yan Xiaosi’s reluctant face handing him the bowl, he didn’t reach out to take it.
“I just ate five meat buns, so I’m not hungry now. If you’re hungry, you can eat this bowl of rice.”
“Not hungry, that’s perfect.”
Without any hesitation, Yan Xiaosi held the bowl and turned around, preparing to return to the kitchen.
Her elder sisters were growing. Since Mr. Long didn’t eat, it was an excellent opportunity to give her sisters some extra nutrition.
Long Hao was sitting on the shabby wooden bed, watching her turn around and hesitate for a moment before saying, “Xiaosi, thank you for saving the buns for me, and thank you for trying so hard to save me just now.”
At this point, he paused for a moment.
“…I just felt my mouth was a bit numb, so I wiped it with my hand.”
After explaining to Yan Xiaosi, he wished he could bite off his own tongue.
He, a grown man, was kissed by this stinky kid for no reason, and fearing that the stinky kid would continue to be angry, he inexplicably explained to the stinky kid. Yan Xiaosi didn’t expect Long Hao to explain these things to him. She was a little surprised for a moment. She stopped in her tracks and, after a bit, turned around to look at Long Hao, who was still sitting on the wooden bed.
