Chapter 174

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Protagonist:

Chai Mi

Chai Mi had read plenty of materials about vegetable cellars before, but actually encountering one was quite different from what she'd read.

Some said vegetable cellars were for storing cabbage, potatoes, and other vegetables in winter, but in fact this thing was used more in summer, and most of the time it was for storing fruit.

Because the moisture inside a vegetable cellar was usually exceptionally high, terribly damp. If you put cabbage and potatoes in there, they were very likely to sprout roots. Potatoes generally had to be dried and kept in a dry place, while cabbage, once winter arrived, would start being pickled into sauerkraut.

So in Chai Mi's memory, vegetable cellars held apples and plows in winter, and watermelons and melons in summer.

Perhaps in more ancient times people stored cabbage and such, but in this era it was already rarely used.

First, times were changing; southern vegetables—such as Shandong's autumn cabbage—had already begun being shipped north to the Northeast. Though the markets weren't as developed as in later generations, they had clearly improved greatly, so there was no particular need to store so many vegetables.

Second, the vast majority of Northeasterners liked eating sauerkraut, not cabbage.

Well, cabbage was very hard to eat...

Cabbage was very astringent, sauerkraut was very fragrant. Many famous Northeastern dishes were based on sauerkraut, which spoke for itself.

Still, no matter what, putting melons and fruits like peaches and pears in this vegetable cellar in summer was especially good.

And in fact, vegetable cellars were for summer use.

Anyway, that was what Chai Mi thought: vegetable cellars were for storing fruit in summer.

Of course, if you threw the watermelon into the river, it would taste even better, even sweeter.

"Um... Qiu Shui, I suggest we each take two watermelons, go to the riverside, and throw them in the river. Then they'll be cooler and sweeter when we eat them."

"Right..." Song Qiushui suddenly discovered a new world: "How did I not think of throwing watermelons into the river to chill them?"

A flicker of awkwardness crossed Song Qiushui's mother's face: It was because there was no river near our village...

You could dig a pit...

But you couldn't dig out a river!

"With your father's useless good-for-nothing self, the village doesn't even have a decent river, and he doesn't know to petition the higher-ups to dig an irrigation ditch for the common folk—it would be convenient for both irrigation and water use, and most importantly you could chill watermelons in summer. That bear of a good-for-nothing is nothing at all; letting him be an accountant is redundant. He can't even fulfill my daughter's small request to chill watermelons... They say an official who doesn't do right by the people might as well go home and grow sweet potatoes. Your father, this complete good-for-nothing, can't even meet his own daughter's request—how can he serve the common folk? Just let him go home and farm, stop occupying a latrine without taking a shit..."

Chai Mi's face twitched, and she didn't dare interject.

Song Qiushui also put her hands on her hips and pouted: "That's right, my father is nothing at all."

After a while Song Qiushui puzzled it out: "Oh no, Chai Mi, that's not right, our village doesn't have a river... just that bit of water at Xiaohe Tao, not enough to chill watermelons... This year there's a drought, just that bit of water, not even enough for me..."

Chai Mi coughed twice: "Stop!"

Don't ever say that latter half out loud—it would really damage Song Qiushui's image as a young lady!

"I was thinking, since there's nothing to do, let's both go to the big river to chill watermelons, and by the way catch some fish."

"Mm, agreed!" Song Qiushui agreed directly.

"I agree too!" Song Qiushui's mother hurriedly said: "Catching fish is good, catching fish exercises the body. Qiushui's body has always been sickly; catching fish can give her some exercise..."

Chai Mi wanted to give Song Qiushui's mother a big red flower—this awareness of indulging Song Qiushui at every turn was truly as high as eighteen stories.

Chai Mi had actually forgotten what Song Qiushui's mother was named, and even forgot her surname, vaguely remembering that Song Qiushui's mother was either surnamed Wang or Meng. She'd ask Chai Youqing later; it had been so many years, she couldn't remember clearly.

Song Qiushui agreed to go catch fish, and her mother immediately went to prepare equipment.

In a short while, she brought out a bikini...

Song Qiushui's face was full of awkwardness: Er...

Chai Mi silently gave Song Qiushui a thumbs-up in praise: The Spiritual Little Sister even has a bikini, awesome!!!

"Mom, I'm going to catch fish, not go swimming, what are you thinking?" Song Qiushui said somewhat annoyed.

Song Qiushui's old mother immediately slapped her forehead: "Look at my head, I'm getting muddled in my old age."

In a short while, she brought out a set of leather clothes and leather pants again...

Song Qiushui was still dissatisfied, feeling it was too hot.

Song Qiushui's mother went searching again, and after a while she finally brought out a pair of black tight pants, the kind you wear on your feet.

Tight black long sleeves, plus a pair of especially tight green sneakers... and swimming goggles, a swim cap... and a whole pile of miscellaneous things.

Chai Mi was dumbfounded: "Qiu Shui, your gear is complete enough. Why don't you just get a submersible?"

"That one really doesn't exist; there's no river that deep near us." Song Qiushui said while speaking, asking her mother to put these things aside first, and while turning her back to change clothes she said: "Mom, catch fish, catch fish, I'll catch them with my hands! Can't you find me a fish spear and a fishing net?"

"We have a fish spear... the same fork you usually use to stab hedgehogs. But we don't have a fishing net..." Song Qiushui's mother said somewhat helplessly.

There were basically no fish around the house; having just that equipment was already impressive, and as for a fishing net, there really wasn't one.

"So I have to make a fishing net first to catch fish... Mom, do I look like a fishing net?" Song Qiushui pouted, dissatisfied.

"Oh dear... my daughter wants to catch fish and doesn't even have a fishing net. Your father really is nothing at all... Wait for him to come back, I'll tear him apart and use him as a fishing net. How did I end up with such a good-for-nothing old man... Qiu Shui, why don't you see if there's anything at home that looks like a fishing net? Mom will sew and patch it, and we can make do with one." Song Qiushui's mother said with her head down, afraid that not having a fishing net at home would make Song Qiushui unhappy.

Song Qiushui smacked her lips and felt that the window screen at home could be made into a fishing net.

But...

Song Qiushui couldn't bear to!

After all, there were many mosquitoes in summer; the window could have no glass, but without the screen, she'd be bitten all over with big bumps.

"The screen..."

As soon as Song Qiushui finished speaking, her mother immediately wanted to tear down the screen, afraid that waiting even a second would make Song Qiushui dissatisfied.

That astonishing efficiency moved even Chai Mi.

Fortunately Song Qiushui immediately stopped her mother: "Mom, our screen has been up for a year, it's dirty. I won't use it."

Then Song Qiushui changed the subject: "My Second Uncle's family had their screen burned with holes by cigarette butts when they invited people to eat yesterday morning. He replaced it with a new one last night. I'll go take down their screen to make a fishing net."

"Right right right... tear down your Second Uncle's screen. He and your Second Aunt are so old, yet they're so wasteful as to use a whole white screen—really vain. Besides, he doesn't know how to manage a household; if the screen is torn, just mend it? He pretends to have money and replaces it with a new one. This kind of wasteful way of managing a household is not acceptable; he must be corrected." Song Qiushui's mother said indignantly.

She almost made installing a new screen window at Song Qingshu's house sound like a capital crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations!

"Your Second Uncle has been a wastrel since childhood! He's just like your father—the two brothers, not a decent one among them! Besides, your Second Uncle replaced the windows in his own room with screen windows, but your grandmother's room wasn't done. This is intolerable! Qiu Shui, wait, I'm going right now to take down your Second Uncle's screen windows..."

Saying this, she went out...

Chai Mi poked Song Qiushui: "Hey... you go instead, I feel your mom and your Second Aunt are about to start fighting!"

After all, this was just picking a fight for no reason, wanting to take down Old Song's screen windows to make fishing nets...

Even if Old Song was easy to bully, he was also easy to anger.

Besides, this wasn't stealing a few melons to eat—his melon field was full of melons, taking a few didn't matter. But they only had one new screen window, and having it torn down... was a bit too much!

Song Qiushui shook her head and waggled her brain, acting completely indifferent: "It's fine. If my Second Uncle refuses... my mom will cry to him about it."

Although Song Qiushui was spirited, she knew exactly what was going on with this matter.

Although Song Qiushui was usually very affected, her affectation was based on her parents' willingness. And her extortion of her Second Uncle, and all the traps, were based on her knowing that her Second Uncle owed her father far too much.

Song Qiushui's Second Uncle Song Qingshu, when he was young, his father had already died, leaving only a bedridden old mother; back then Song Qingshu was nothing like he is now living well, back then he was basically destined to remain a bachelor.

It was Song Qiushui's old father Song Qingshan and mother Meng Shi who saved money together to get his uncle a wife, and on an unwanted spot at the east of the village, carved out a piece of land and built a house; Song Qingshu being able to start a family was all thanks to Song Qiushui's father.

And his wife was also matched by Song Qiushui's mother back then...

Although this kindness was decades ago, Song Qiushui's grandmother was still alive, she hadn't forgotten. She constantly told Song Qingshu, don't put on shoes and forget your elder brother...

With the old matriarch backing him above, and Song Qingshan as the elder brother who was always like a father to him below...

So, in a short while, Song Qiushui's mother successfully took down the screen windows from her Second Uncle Song Qingshu's house.

"Qiu Shui, I've brought back the screen window. Wait a bit, I'll patch it up for you," Meng Shi said.

Then she complained to Song Qiushui: "I'm telling you, your Second Uncle is just stingy; I said I wanted a screen window, he said: Sister-in-law, my family has a new one. I spit on that..."

Meng Shi gestured: "I don't want a new one, I want to take down the one on your window... if I wanted a new one, wouldn't I buy it myself? Right... I told him, I said my daughter Qiu Shui has taken a fancy to your screen window, today you must take it down to make a fishing net... your Second Aunt, that shrew, tried to stop me, saying not to let me, so I just picked her up and carried her out. I said: Second Aunt, if you keep stopping me and won't give it to me, if my Qiu Shui doesn't have a fishing net to use and cries herself to sleep tonight, tonight I'll have her father hang himself at your doorstep on the big willow tree. Only then did she let me..."

After hearing this, Chai Mi turned her back, covered her mouth, and held back hard so she wouldn't laugh out loud.

Then Chai Mi poked Song Qiushui's waist, saying in a low voice: "Your dad is really unlucky! He didn't do anything, and almost got sent away by your mom..."

Song Qiushui was used to it: "What do you know, who made him be the father? This father, I call him for nothing?"

Then Song Qiushui said to her mother: "Mom, you too. Next time don't say that; you say that big willow tree I still want to sit under to cool off, what if my dad hangs himself on it, won't I have a psychological shadow? Next time just say you won't give it to me, I'll have Song Qingshan kowtow to you and recognize you as my mom... see if your Second Aunt is afraid."

Meng Shi clapped her hands: "Right. My daughter is the best, this head is so smart."

Meng Shi was happy and then took out several dozen yuan and handed it to Song Qiushui: "Daughter, you go out in a bit... in case it gets dark it won't be good, buy something to eat, eat on the way. I'll first make this fishing net for you, estimated to take more than half a day... by the way, call your dad back, this dead thing, does nothing all day, just knows to wander around aimlessly, wander around what. I know how to weave fishing nets, in a bit I still need to tie a stick to it, you have him come back."

"Okay." Song Qiushui happily agreed.

Then she took the money, pulled Chai Mi, and swaggered out.

After walking a few steps, she saw Song Qingshan pacing back and forth beside the courtyard.

Song Qiushui walked over, frowned, then let out a cry: "Old Song!"

Song Qingshan was startled, looked back and saw it was his own daughter, then immediately smiled and said: "You two are going out already? How about I have someone ride a motorcycle to take you two to play?"

Song Qiushui directly shook her head, there was no need for that!

And absolutely no need!

In terms of skill, Chai Mi is invincible in Sanjiacun; in terms of trash talk, she, Song Qiushui, is invincible under heaven!

A doubly invincible combo, just going out to catch a fish, and still need someone to send them?

Losing face!!!

"My mom said to have you go home and tie a stick to the fishing net, so it's more effective when scooping fish. You hurry back, also... don't make it too heavy, can't carry it. Also, if I don't come home tonight, you don't need to look for me, I won't get lost. And... tomorrow morning you go write out a menu for me to learn, I want to cook personally and treat Chai Mi to a whole fish feast."

Song Qingshan hurriedly nodded, indicating he remembered everything, not a single punctuation mark would be wrong.

"You know everything, aren't you going back yet? You're waiting for me to send you home..."

Hearing this, Song Qingshan hurriedly took small quick steps and ran home, completing the spiritual little sister's work arrangement.

Chai Mi couldn't help but nod repeatedly: "Your dad is really obedient. If my dad were that obedient, why would I need to worry and put in effort dealing with my grandparents."

"I'm telling you, you're just not ruthless enough. If I were you, I'd just take a big cleaver and chop both of them, wouldn't that be the end of it?"

Chai Mi: "Uh..."

The end?

"Then what about my Xiu'er and Old Third?"

Song Qiushui suddenly thought of this question, and said quite dissatisfied: "I'm just saying, having too many children is a burden. Why have children for no reason? Your mom is really too idle... having one would be enough, why have two or three, look at me, I eat well and drink well, do whatever I want..."

Chai Mi stretched out a finger and gestured: "Makes sense! Makes sense! I'll tell my mom later, I'll have her strangle my two younger sisters."