Chapter 263: Reborn in the Nineties: The Tyrant Flower Chapter 264 — The Great Filial Son Chai Xiu

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Protagonist:

Chai Mi

The dumplings cooked quickly; after Chai Mi fished them out, she placed them on a small slotted lid, then started stir-frying dishes.

Eating dumplings still requires stir-fried dishes — Song Qiushui really is something else.

Right now it's dinner time; the aroma of stir-fried dishes wafts through the house, while the old house in the front courtyard seems not to have lit a fire yet…

Chai Mi tilted her head and watched for a while, then suddenly said: "Xiu'er, go fetch a bowl. Send three dumplings to Old Man and Old Lady."

Chai Xiu was baffled: "Eldest Sister… I'm both coaxing the child and tending the fire, and you still want me to deliver dumplings? You…"

Can you act like a human being!

Don't make me do every single chore!

But a moment later, Chai Xiu frowned and asked Chai Mi: "Sister, are you stirring up trouble out of nothing? Are you afraid I won't get beaten? If you don't like me, just say so — you want me to send three dumplings to the old house? Aren't three dumplings what you use for grave-sweeping?"

Local custom in this era: generally during New Year festivals they eat dumplings. They set out three sets of bowls and chopsticks, put three dumplings in one bowl, offer them before the Kitchen God; before people eat dumplings, they first pay respects to the gods.

Of course, for grave-sweeping they also use small bowls, also three dumplings per bowl.

Anyway, by local custom, odd numbers are generally inauspicious. If the odd number is small, it's even more inauspicious.

Sending three dumplings to Chai Zhongxiao and Wang Huirong is pretty much the same as directly cursing them — no real difference.

Chai Xiu may be young, but she's not stupid; naturally she doesn't want to go.

"I tell you to go, you go — what's with all the talk? Would they dare hit you?"

"They dare." Chai Xiu replied weakly, turning back, little fingers clutching her hem, looking utterly wronged.

Chai Mi rolled her eyes at Chai Xiu: "Then run… just say I made you send them."

Chai Xiu looked at her mother Su Wan with a lifeless expression: "Mom, look at my sister. Whenever there's work that's easy to get beaten for, she always makes me go…"

Su Wan also felt letting Chai Xiu go wasn't right: "Chai Mi, why not stop picking fights? Let's just eat our dumplings in peace. Why go provoke them for no reason?"

Chai Mi gave a sly laugh, because her hearing was sharp — she'd long heard the muttering from the old house; no need to guess, they were definitely cursing her.

Since they're cursing her unprovoked, Chai Mi can't pretend she doesn't know.

But right now Chai Mi can't just go over and fight them — after all, Chai Zhongxiao and Wang Huirong are in their own home, cursing in their own house.

It's not a crime.

Even if Chai Mi confronted them, it'd be useless.

But Chai Mi doesn't want to swallow this silent loss: "Xiu'er, go to their door. Just put the dumplings on their windowsill, then come back. As for what to say, you think of it yourself. *Cough cough*… be a bit more filial, don't give Old Man and Old Lady any excuse to pick on you."

Chai Xiu's face was full of unwillingness, a look of 'I don't want to live anymore'; she handed the third child back to her mother, let her mother continue coaxing the child, and herself took a small bowl, used chopsticks to pick up three raw dumplings, then added a bit of dumpling soup…

Then she shuffled out the door step by step.

At the door she ran into Father Chai Youqing, just back from working the fields.

Chai Youqing asked: "Xiu'er, what are you taking dumplings for? Going to the crossroads to feed those hungry ghosts? But you didn't bring paper money…"

Chai Youqing naturally didn't know what Chai Xiu was up to; he just thought taking three dumplings out the door…

That naturally means going to burn paper, then throwing the dumplings into the burning paper money to "offer" to passing hungry ghosts.

The locality indeed has this custom.

Even when sweeping ancestors' graves, they first send off those "hungry ghosts."

As the saying goes: King Yama is easy to fool, little ghosts are hard to shake off.

First "offering" to those hungry ghosts became local custom. Of course, Chai Youqing certainly didn't know Chai Xiu was going to "offer" to Chai Zhongxiao and Wang Huirong.

Chai Xiu didn't speak, just ran in quick little steps.

Chai Youqing frowned and went back inside.

"Hey hey hey… wash your hands, wash your face. Then, Dad, you go feed the cow and sheep; once they're fed, eat…"

Chai Mi directed, then carried on stir-frying on her own.

Over there Chai Xiu moved like a thief, ran a few steps, then walked carefully.

She even deliberately bent low and tied her shoelaces tight, afraid that if she had to run later it would delay things.

And right now at the old house, under the dim yellow lamplight, Chai Zhongxiao smoked, wearing a lifeless expression as he cursed Wang Huirong: "What are you listening through the wall for? All day you do nothing but press your ear to the wall listening — what's there to hear…"

Wang Huirong was cursed till blood sprayed, but she didn't dare talk back, afraid that one retort would get her beaten black and blue.

When Wang Huirong was young, she was beaten by Chai Zhongxiao plenty.

In the past, whenever the family got poor, Chai Zhongxiao started beating Wang Huirong.

So Wang Huirong is terrified of Chai Zhongxiao.

Although both are old now, Wang Huirong is still afraid.

After all, even now Wang Huirong can't beat Chai Zhongxiao.

Wang Huirong pottered on the ground for half a day, then started making dinner.

But dinner was only cornmeal cakes. She'd made cornmeal cakes for over ten days straight; now the sight of them made her nauseous.

But there's really nothing else to eat.

No money in the pouch, can't go to market, can't buy chicken, duck, fish, or meat; she's a bit lazy, the family doesn't grow vegetables, can't even eat greens.

【56】 Only two pickled vegetable lumps, gnawed on for this half month.

There were only two Pickled Vegetables, and they had been gnawing on them for Half a month.

"Buying cornmeal dry rations again? You only know how to stick to this, don't know how to make something else to eat? You bastard thing." Chai Zhongxiao cursed from the kang head.

"There's nothing else at home…"

Wang Huirong replied meekly.

The house indeed had nothing left; although Chai Youde's room was normal enough, Wang Huirong's room had already reached a dead end.

Never mind staple rice and white flour — the two of them hadn't seen a drop of oil or meat in a long time.

"You rice bucket, don't you know to switch to sorghum flour? Good-for-nothing, all you know is eat eat eat, why don't you eat yourself to death. Right, go stew a dish to eat."

"Ah... where would there be vegetables? Even if there were vegetables, there's no oil either." Wang Huirong said helplessly.

"Are you dead? No vegetables, you won't go steal some? See whose house has no one, just go to the vegetable garden and steal a bit, wouldn't that do it." Chai Zhongxiao scolded: "That Shang Yuan neighbor's vegetable garden is right outside; it's dark now, you go steal two heads of Chinese cabbage."

Wang Huirong obediently went to steal vegetables.

Before long, she really came back hugging two heads of Chinese cabbage.

She couldn't help but admire Chai Zhongxiao's cleverness.

How had she not thought of stealing vegetables?!

Wang Huirong hurriedly washed the vegetables, just hearing ding-dang chopping sounds of dumpling filling from the back courtyard.

It was precisely Chai Mi's family making dumplings.

Wang Huirong was so angry — she had to steal just to eat a vegetable, while Chai Mi's family was making dumplings!

This comparison made Wang Huirong curse at the top of her lungs: "What are you showing off for! Whose family doesn't eat a meal of dumplings at New Year? And chopping dumpling filling so hard it clatters — who are you performing for?!"

Chai Zhongxiao smoked, too lazy to bother with Wang Huirong, merely urging her to cook.

"Husband, Chai Mi's family is eating dumplings. You listen — that chopping of dumpling filling makes the cutting board clang; those turtle-grandsons are definitely eating meat. In the past, the eldest would definitely have brought us two bowls of dumplings; now Chai Mi is in charge... she won't even let us smell the aroma."

"You chop too..." Chai Zhongxiao cursed angrily: "You don't eat dumplings, won't you chop filling?"

"Ah, right."

Wang Huirong instantly saw the light.

She picked up the kitchen knife, faced the two stolen large Chinese cabbages, and gave them a fierce chopping.

Strength extremely great, as if she wanted to chop the cutting board to bits too.

But ultimately there was no meat...

And there was no white flour either...

But in the end Wang Huirong used cornmeal and started wrapping dumplings.

"We'll eat dumplings tonight too."

Cornmeal can actually wrap dumplings too.

However, because this cornmeal's viscosity is relatively low, plus the dumpling filling's water content is too high, the cornmeal dumplings Wang Huirong made couldn't be boiled, only steamed.

Wang Huirong moved very fast; before long, she had these cornmeal dumplings steamed cooked.

Even serving them onto the table a step ahead of Chai Mi's family.

"Eat dumplings."

Chai Zhongxiao tasted one bite and nearly spat it out: "What thing is this... this damn watery slop, not a bit of flavor, and the Chinese cabbage is still crunchy hard — how did you make it?"

As Chai Zhongxiao spoke, he took the half-eaten dumpling in his mouth, together with the teacup, and smashed it onto Wang Huirong's face.

Why use a teacup to smash?

Because Chai Zhongxiao's house now doesn't even have bowls for eating — they've all been smashed. No teacups or tea bowls either; the whole family eating, only one teacup remains.

As for Wang Huirong eating, she's started using a teapot lid...

Fortunately that teapot lid is copper, otherwise it would've shattered long ago.

"Can that be blamed on me? There's no oil... no oil, whatever you eat isn't watery slop?"

"You damn still talk back?!" Chai Zhongxiao stood up, a big slap struck over.

Pa — a sound.

That teapot lid also flew off from the fall.

Wang Huirong's mouth corner bled... face swollen too.

But Wang Huirong didn't dare get angry either; she silently picked up the teapot lid, begged: "Don't hit me anymore; even if you beat me to death it's no use. The house doesn't have a single cent; Chinese cabbage can be stolen, but oil — where would I go steal it?"

Chai Zhongxiao had no next move; instead he retreated a step back, sat on the kang head and continued smoking.

"Or... I'll thicken my face and go to Chai Mi's to beg you some dumplings to eat?" Wang Huirong tentatively asked: "However you say it, they're birth father birth mother. Our family can't eat; even if she doesn't lend money, giving a mouthful of food she should still give, right? Even those two sides of worldly people, passersby eating a meal, would still have to give."

Chai Zhongxiao made no sound.

"Then I'll go?"

"Is your brain flooded? Got a lump? Still think you haven't lost enough face? What if Chai Mi doesn't even give you dumplings?" Chai Zhongxiao scolded: "Besides, it's just dumplings — can't live without them, must eat?"

"Wasn't it you who disliked the food?"

"You've even learned to talk back?"

Wang Huirong hurriedly changed the subject: "This Chai Mi really isn't a thing. She's really wasteful enough — big fish big meat every day; recently I've been hearing it — this half month, she's eaten three or four meals of dumplings. Why doesn't she choke to death..."

What Wang Huirong understands even less is why Chai Mi has such good fate.

First Liu Zhanggui this blind-to-right-and-wrong took sides for her, later even sent her two pigs.

Then Song Qiushui this worthless wretch, actually jumped into the house and gave gift money of two thousand yuan.

And that watermelon thief, actually nominally gave twenty thousand.

Crazy.

Twenty thousand yuan, just casually given as gift money — how rich must his family be?

Why does no one send me two pigs? Why does no one give me two thousand yuan?

Wang Huirong, increasingly unbalanced in heart, ran to the West Room, prepared to borrow some oil from Che Lianyun...

Result: Che Lianyun directly ignored her.

Wang Huirong forced back to the East Room: "Raised three white-eyed wolves. Before, I fed the grandson delicacies; now I ask her for a bit of oil, she doesn't even acknowledge me."

"Eating can't stop your mouth." Chai Zhongxiao said impatiently. "Want to eat eat; don't want to eat, then scram."

Wang Huirong was both stifled with anger and seething with resentment.

She herself could no longer eat.

She had just put down her chopsticks when she discovered a small head poking out from the window sill: "Grandpa, Grandma. Sister said to let me bring you two dumplings."

Chai Zhongxiao froze for a moment, rose with a hint of doubting his own existence, and looked at Chai Xiu outside the window.

Wang Huirong at this moment felt a turmoil of emotions; she was just about to say: Our eldest son is still the best...

As a result, Chai Xiu produced a small bowl, inside which sat three dumplings.

The problem was, the damn dumplings were still raw.

Wang Huirong instantly flared up red-hot with rage and cursed: "How is this delivering dumplings? This damn well looks like you've come to see your grandpa and me off to our graves! Who the hell delivers three dumplings? Is this a grave-sweeping offering? Chai Mi is afraid we won't die fast enough, isn't she?!"

Chai Xiu looked at Wang Huirong and Chai Zhongxiao with a face full of sincerity; although she was scared inside, her mouth said: "Grandma, why get angry? If you ruin your health from anger, what to do? If anger brings illness, won't you have to spend money on treatment?"

Chai Xiu had read many books and began to fabricate a lie: "Sister said, in ancient times the great filial son Lu Ji, when he was six years old, accompanied his father to pay respects to Yuan Shu. Yuan Shu gave two oranges to Lu Ji. Lu Ji couldn't bear to eat them and brought them home to give to his mother. Thus came the allusion of Lu Ji hiding oranges in his sleeves. Now, the seven-year-old great filial son Chai Xiu, the family eats dumplings, I couldn't bear to eat my own share, and also took out the dumplings I was originally going to eat to give to Grandpa and Grandma. In the future the allusion of Chai Xiu hiding dumplings in her sleeves will be passed down..."

Chai Zhongxiao's face was full of astonishment: Er...

Wang Huirong's face, however, flushed completely red, so angry she didn't know what to curse: "Chai Xiu!!! You... you're really damn filial!!!"

"Many thanks for Grandma's praise. I just knew Grandma is well-read and versed in rites, knows all allusions. Then I'll go home..." Chai Xiu put that small bowl on the window sill, turned and bolted, saying as she ran: "Grandma, meat-filled dumplings, piping hot. Eat more, good for health."

"I'll eat damn..." Wang Huirong cursed with a mouthful of abuse in her rage.

But Chai Xiu had already run far away.

"Three dumplings, eat damn what eat! Isn't this purely coming to find fault?" Wang Huirong cursed.

But the next second, she nevertheless took the dumplings to boil them...

Meat-filled, throwing them away would be too much of a pity...

Anyway, the anger's been suffered, could the dumplings possibly not be eaten?!