Chapter 191

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Chai Mi

Chai Chunfang walked straight out the door, strolling slowly from the front all the way to the back courtyard.

That is Chai Mi's home.

At this moment Chai Mi was sweeping the floor inside the room; just now she had seen smoke rising from the old house, and she felt quite happy inside, so she had no sleepiness at all — originally she was terribly drowsy, yet she perked up.

Moreover, she and Chai Xiu had already eaten lunch, so she did not eat.

As for her father Chai Youqing…

Chai Mi asked Chai Youqing: Dad, aren't you eating?

Chai Youqing said he wasn't hungry.

Chai Mi chuckled twice, couldn't be bothered to listen to Chai Youqing talk back, and went back to her room to sweep.

Just as she was sweeping, Chai Xiu climbed back in from the window sill and said to Chai Mi: "Sister, big trouble, Old Aunt is here."

Chai Mi frowned, only then raising her head to look over, only to see Chai Chunfang standing right at the doorway.

In terms of looks, Chai Chunfang takes after Chai Zhongxiao more; they both belong to that type of long melon-seed face, high forehead, slightly prominent cheekbones.

Very easy to recognize.

The main thing is Chai Chunfang's figure is somewhat bloated, very much like Wang Huirong's submissive, cringing state, so Chai Xiu recognized her at just a glance.

"What's she here for?" Chai Mi frowned in displeasure.

Chai Mi has three biological aunts, but each one is more bizarre than the last.

In Chai Mi's impression, Old Aunt Chai Chunfang is simply a busybody. All day long she meddles in everything, wants to control everything — if it's not causing friction with this person today, then tomorrow that person wants to bully her; anyway she's just someone who never acts properly.

Simply put, she loves meddling in other people's business, the kind of person who feels she loses out if she doesn't take advantage.

Second Aunt Chai Chunhua is relatively a tiny bit more normal, only relatively — more normal than the rest, but she's soft-eared, has no opinions of her own, no education, led around by the other aunts so she basically has no mind of her own; her main mode is believing whatever Old Aunt says.

As for Chai Mi's youngest aunt Chai Chunwei, Chai Mi never regarded her as human at all. Chai Mi's youngest aunt's vileness exceeds Chai You De's by far…

So under normal circumstances, Chai Mi simply ignores the youngest aunt.

Chai Mi's impression of Chai Chunfang isn't good either, in fact it's very bad.

In her previous life, Chai Mi's mother died early, and Chai Chunfang together with Chai Mi's other two aunts never came over — not only did they not go to the grave, they didn't even see the person.

Chai Mi's mother had a bitter life, but the dead are to be respected; even Chai You De, who had a deep grudge against her in life, showed up then, though Chai You De had no good intentions, was drunk out of his mind, which made Chai Mi even angrier…

But these three sisters Chai Chunfang — Chai Mi just scoffed.

The three of them, nothing good about them.

Therefore, Chai Mi not only feels no warmth toward Chai Chunfang coming to the house, she actually feels strong aversion.

"She doesn't honestly stay home and tend her few broken-down goats, what's she doing running back to her natal family when there's nothing wrong?" Chai Mi was very impatient. "As if anyone wants to deal with her!!!"

"Xiu'er, go tell your dad to go to town and buy a few bags of urea; last time the urea for plowing wasn't enough, should still be short three bags." Chai Mi said, fishing four hundred yuan from her pocket and handing it to Chai Xiu: "Make your dad go quickly, don't let him later be too embarrassed to refuse and get sweet-talked by Chai Chunfang into going to the old house to do work."

Chai Xiu obediently took the money and asked carefully: "Sister… what if Dad doesn't listen?"

Chai Mi frowned: "He dares? In a day or two he's going to pick up our mom; right now he doesn't dare disobey."

Chai Xiu then went out.

Chai Youqing was still in the garden carrying water to water the vegetables, when Chai Xiu came running over pitter-patter, handed him the money directly: "Dad, my sister told you to go buy urea."

Chai Youqing froze for a moment, then heard someone outside say: "Big Brother is home, huh…"

Then Chai Chunfang entered the courtyard and came to the vegetable garden.

"Oh my, these vegetables grow really well. Big Brother, not to mention anything else, you really have a knack for growing vegetables."

Facing Chai Chunfang's straight-man-like flattery, Chai Youqing grinned awkwardly.

"What's there to it, just water more. Whoever plants them gets the same result…"

"Big Brother, I wanted to ask you something, look at our family…" Chai Chunfang's words had only gone halfway.

Chai Xiu cleverly said: "Dad, you hurry up and go, in a bit my sister won't be happy."

Chai Youqing immediately understood what was going on — turns out Chai Mi saw Chai Chunfang arrive and arranged for him to go do work.

Chai Youqing sighed: So my fate is just to be a workhorse?!

But Chai Youqing right now doesn't dare provoke Chai Mi; whether his wife Su Wan can come back still depends on Chai Mi's face.

If Chai Mi agrees, the whole family rejoices.

If Chai Mi refuses, this household will instantly turn into chaos.

Chai Youqing knows the stakes deeply.

Moreover, after all Chai Mi is doing it for his own good, Chai Youqing has no reason to refuse Chai Mi's request.

"Oh my, almost forgot." Chai Youqing said somewhat dejectedly: "I was halfway through plowing, Chai Mi told me to buy fertilizer, and I watering the garden made me forget this matter — look at my memory."

Chai Youqing spoke while tidying up to go inside and change clothes to buy fertilizer, not forgetting to ask Chai Chunfang before leaving: "Little sister, you stay inside for a bit? I'll go buy fertilizer, be back soon."

Chai Chunfang stared dumbfounded: "I…"

Chai Chunfang nearly forgot what she came for.

Clearly she had just opened her mouth, but Chai Youqing directly had something to do; what she wanted to ask him to help unclog the chimney, she didn't even get to say.

"Big Brother, my situation is like this, our old house's chimney…"

"Oh my, can't do it. I have to go, little sister whatever you have wait till I come back." Chai Youqing said, turning and walking away.

Chai Chunfang's face full of question marks:???

Walking to buy fertilizer?

"Carry it back..."

"Big Brother, you haven't hitched the cart yet..."

Chai Youqing, who had walked to the door, slapped his forehead: "Look at my memory. Getting old, memory's not good..."

Then Chai Youqing hitched the ox cart and left, his movements so practiced, his speed so fast it completely exceeded Chai Chunfang's imagination.

It was as if the ox itself had rubbed its way into the cart shafts in a flash, then took off running.

Not only did Old Qingniu run with rhythm, but that Xiaohua ox beside it also followed along, prancing.

Chai Mi, watching from the inner room, saw Xiaohua running too, and stomped her foot in anxiety, complaining to Chai Youqing: "My dad, this person... sigh... he really is something, good-for-nothing at everything, but number one at eating. You hitch the cart and go on your way, can't you see the calf following along running away..."

But Chai Youqing seemed to truly not have seen the calf following along running away, after all he was in a hurry to leave...

In the blink of an eye.

Chai Youqing was nowhere to be seen.

Chai Chunfang froze in place: Huh...

Then Chai Chunfang looked at Chai Xiu: "Oh my, Xiu'er has grown this tall?"

Chai Xiu's face was full of fear, she muttered in a low voice, thinking Chai Mi was unwilling to deal with Chai Chunfang, so she also had to draw a clear line with Chai Chunfang.

"Old Aunt, there's no one home. You go busy yourself, I have to go back and do homework."

Chai Chunfang, helpless, could only turn and leave.

After all, the main purpose of Chai Chunfang's trip was to have Chai Youqing help do some work at the old house; Chai Youqing left, Chai Chunfang couldn't very well make a seven-year-old Chai Xiu go do work, right?!

But Chai Chunfang, just halfway there, stopped: "Not right... I still need to pick some vegetables... forget it, forget it, not eating, anger-full."

Chai Chunfang was angered scorching by Chai Youqing's sudden departure.

Although Chai Youqing had a definite matter to do, and truly rushed the ox cart to town to buy fertilizer, Chai Chunfang still felt ill at ease in her heart.

Not buying fertilizer early, not buying fertilizer late, just as I arrive at their house, he goes to buy fertilizer?

Is there such a "coincidence"?

Even a fool could see it, Chai Youqing left on purpose.

Walked a few more steps, Chai Chunfang got even angrier.

Because just now Chai Xiu said she was going to do homework, Chai Chunfang didn't think much of it at the time, but only now did she realize the flavor of it, Chai Xiu hasn't even gone to school yet...

Do what homework?

Chai Chunfang gnashed her teeth in anger: Looks like Mother Wang Huirong wasn't wrong, Big Brother's whole family, they've all changed!

Changed into pressing aggressively!!!

Here Chai Mi watched Chai Chunfang leave, her mood immediately improved.

Some people, just seeing them makes one disgusted.

"Sister, too hot." Chai Xiu entered the room muttering: "Sun too big, go out for a bit and sweat soaks the back."

Chai Mi rolled her eyes at Chai Xiu: "Don't pull fancy words. Hot just say hot, it's just your brain-pan has a bit of sweat, where did you get sweat soaking the back?"

Chai Xiu came off worse, muttering: "Sister, you go shoot the sun down then, save the big sun every day no rain, crops all about to roast ripe."

Chai Mi spread her hands: "I don't have that ability. Among us women who can shoot down the sun, only An Enuna."

"Isn't it Hou Yi?" Chai Xiu asked doubtfully.

Chai Mi sighed, patted Chai Xiu's head: "Looks like I very much need to teach you some common knowledge, save you going out later and getting your teeth knocked out by those old mong-gu."

"An Enuna is our Mongolian heroine. Our here is an ethnic minority autonomous county, inside half the population are Mongolian. Actually to be specific, our maternal grandmother is also Mongolian. So, I'll tell you a bit." Chai Mi said: "Ancient times had many mythological stories, later you'll learn them too, once you go to school, you'll have to learn Mongolian script."

Ke County here is like this, when students go to school, they can choose based on ethnicity, to choose whether they want to learn Mongolian script. Like when Chai Mi was little, she learned Mongolian script, she can speak it too.

But Chai Mi spoke many Mongolian words, just never said that sentence——bi, qi ma du, hai ri tai...

Meaning I love you.

Local elementary and middle schools all learn Mongolian script, high school also learns, even the college entrance exam has Mongolian script. This point is very different from other regions.

Elementary school time, teachers would teach some letters and syllables, but more is telling some Eastern Mongolia folk stories.

In Chai Mi's memory, previous Mongolian script teachers, about every one or two days would tell some Eastern Mongolia stories. And the local place itself is the birthplace of Eastern Mongolia, not only has "Hongshan Culture" ruins, "Niuheliang Culture Ruins", but also the local Da Ling He culture.

Da Ling He culture, translated into Mongolian is Aomulun culture.

Ke County's big bridge, is called Aomulun Bridge.

And Ke County's all sect numbers, shops are all Mongolian-Chinese bilingual.

Mongolian teachers would tell many Mongolian traditional culture and folk stories, many still on exams. As a one-quarter Mongolian bloodline Chai Mi, naturally also learned.

Chai Mi's most liked story is——An Enuna shoots the sun.

An Enuna shoots the sun differs from Central Plains culture's Hou Yi shoots the suns, An Enuna is a Mongolian person. Chai Mi likes An Enuna this story's main reason is also because it differs from traditional Han culture, it has Eastern Mongolia culture's inherent characteristics.

Hou Yi can shoot suns, An Enuna can too.

Although many also say it was An Enuna's older brother Wuen who shot the sun down, Chai Mi more leans toward it being An Enuna who shot it down.

"An Enuna shoots the sun this story you remember, the story goes very very long ago..."

"Very very long ago, when was that?" Chai Xiu asked doubtfully.

Chai Mi frowned: "Don't ask useless things. Anyway just very very long ago, our Mongolians had a household, never born a single boy or girl, later he prayed to Eternal Heaven, begged for a boy, called An Enuna. But, our teacher said An Enuna is a girl... because era too long ago, maybe also not remembered very clearly.

An Enuna when little, just like now this hot, hot so grassland grass all burned, river water also dried up, people also nearly thirsted to death. An Enuna strength very big, can eat a whole sheep in one meal, one slap knock a cow flying, now too hot, too many suns, sky above actually had thirteen suns, An Enuna climbed mountains and crossed ridges, finally found an old lama, begged old lama help her clansmen. Old lama gave An Enuna a bow and thirteen refined iron forged arrows. An Enuna holding bow and arrows, climbed to Holy Mountain top, drew bow shot arrows, shot down twelve suns, right at this time, a red giant dragon suddenly attacked An Enuna, An Enuna drew bow shot arrow shot dead giant dragon, at this time, no arrows left to shoot the last sun. Resulting in now sky still left this one sun."

"Ah... Sister, then you say An Enuna why not shoot this sun down too?"

Chai Mi looked at Chai Xiu like looking at a fool: "Be good, your questions too many. An Enuna shoot down all suns, how you go out look at road? Besides, no sun, Earth would freeze to death. Most key is, An Enuna at that time had no arrows left..."

"Also, later you go out someone asks you, you say sun was shot down by An Enuna, absolutely don't say shot down by Hou Yi, otherwise your Mongolian script teacher ability boundless will make you doubt life."

Chai Xiu obediently nodded.

Chai Mi looked at sky, sun scorching, uncomfortable to death, also angrily said: "If I were An Enuna, I'd shoot you down too. All day this hot, suffering to death."

Actually, this era, like many Eastern Mongolia stories, in Ke County still many people know. Here Han-Mongol fusion quite deep, so just from names alone, actually very hard to specifically discover who is Mongolian.

Normally, people didn't pay much attention to such things; actually, a special term like corn was a kind of cultural inheritance. Outside, it was called corn or baogu, but only around Ke County was it called bao.

And burning dried cow dung for fuel was also a special local culture.

Of course, something like Wang Huirong actually eating the cow dung she had picked up... that was not local culture.