Chapter 299

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Protagonist:

Chai Mi

"Your mom said, whether to keep it or not is up to you." Su Hui complained that her younger sister had no opinion of her own: "For such a small matter she still has to ask you? I would've just agreed for her."

Chai Mi was speechless for a moment; it seemed this dog really couldn't not be kept.

This Second Aunt had a dog with nowhere to send it, so she forced it on them.

Su Hui went on: "I'll get you a cardboard box, put the puppy inside. I even put in some biscuits; when you get home just feed it some biscuits."

In that small cardboard box were some of those biscuits sold at the market — not very tasty anyway, but the dog should eat them fine — and Su Hui had also put in half a rabbit.

That half rabbit had no fur; it looked like it had been cut with a single knife stroke, but the rabbit's origin was obviously unclear.

But before Chai Mi could say anything, Chai Xiu muttered: "Second Aunt, you really have a lot of business. My mom's busy coaxing the kid, not feeding dogs. You've got nothing better to do than make work for me……"

Theoretically speaking, Su Wan could actually do work and such recently; the coaxing-the-kid work was mostly done by Chai Xiu.

However, because Chai Mi was comparatively busy — besides setting up a stall she just went to the fields to work — basically all the little household matters fell to Chai Xiu.

Chai Xiu felt: in this family, I'm the only one working, doing everything, it's so hard……

"You little scoundrel. Your family doesn't work? Besides, feeding a dog counts as work?" Su Hui said, pursing her lips.

"That's right…… anyway my sister's not free, my mom's not free. The work falls on me." Chai Xiu had a rather helpless feeling: "Second Aunt, why don't you keep one yourself, and we'll keep one. Raising two dogs, what's the use……"

As she spoke Chai Xiu also squatted down to take a good look: hiss…… two little female dogs.

From now on they'd just keep having litter after litter endlessly; when the time came there'd be no one to give them away to even as gifts.

Moreover, Chai Xiu actually didn't like the puppies' color much — black, with a bit of yellow mixed in. And one of them looked like it had a problem; its legs and feet didn't seem too agile.

Generally speaking, black dogs are just the family's native dogs crossed with those wolfdogs; they're not too docile, and their aggression is stronger. If they're native dogs it's fine; native dogs are comparatively more docile.

Anyway Chai Xiu didn't like them much, and then felt they'd add to her workload, so she muttered: "Second Aunt, this one's legs and feet have a bit of a problem. The front leg's a bit turned in, a lame leg. You keep it."

Su Hui didn't want to keep it: "It's meant for your family; I'm not keeping it."

"Then Second Aunt your family doesn't have a dog either; raise one."

"Don't want it. Dongzi brought back three, kept one himself. These two are both for your family." Su Hui just didn't want to raise them anyway.

Originally it was Su Hui's nephew called Dongzi who sent them over. Dongzi was actually Yao Shoucai's own nephew, which made him Su Hui's nephew too; he had just returned from outside, brought back three dogs, then kept a big one himself and gave the remaining two small ones to Su Hui.

However, this matter was actually something Su Hui had deliberately mentioned before — getting two dogs for Su Wan.

Although, this was three years ago.

But, she hadn't forgotten.

So, Su Hui didn't care whether Chai Mi's family currently wanted dogs or not; since Su Wan had said so three years ago, the dogs had to go to Chai Mi's family: "Put them there for now; Chai Mi, when you leave, don't forget to take them."

Chai Mi could only helplessly agree.

Seeing Chai Mi agree, Chai Xiu also helplessly muttered in a low voice: "Sister, our mom has even more business than our Second Aunt."

"You quiet down a bit, your business is even more." Chai Mi said crossly: "Wasn't it because when you were little that dog always stuck by you, watched you, and afterward Mom thought to get a dog to coax the kid? Now that the third one's coming, Mom probably thinks she needs another dog to coax the kid again."

Chai Xiu let out an "oh"; she didn't remember this clearly — three years ago she was only four or five, not much she could remember.

But back then the family dog was always at home anyway; Chai Mi was studying, and after school? Could coax the kid. Su Wan and Chai Youqing were busy messing about, which resulted in actually during the daytime Chai Xiu had no one to coax her.

When Chai Mi was little, most of the time she grew up at her Maternal Aunt's home. This point was mentioned earlier too.

But by the time Chai Xiu was little, Maternal Aunt Su Jin's health was no longer what it used to be. Plus Liu San had married a wife, so it was even less likely he'd help Su Wan coax the kid.

The kid had no one to coax her, and they were afraid she'd get lost.

Fortunately there was a dog at home; as long as they put Chai Xiu in the house, the dog would stay in the house too, and would even get on the kang and lie next to Chai Xiu.

The result was that the original family dog replaced Su Wan's job of coaxing the kid……

This might also be the main reason Su Wan was thinking of getting another dog.

"Since Mom said she wants them, and you were coaxed by a dog plenty when you were little, these two dogs are yours."

Hearing Chai Mi put it that way, Chai Xiu was a bit dumbfounded: "No, Sister……"

"Less nonsense." Chai Mi directly cut off Chai Xiu's thought of resisting.

After all, where there's resistance there's oppression.

As the legitimate eldest daughter of a great household like in ancient times, Chai Mi's authority still carried some weight.

Chai Xiu could only "swallow her anger" and accept it: fine, raise them then; anyway I live worse than a dog……

Chai Xiu squatted in place, looking at the two puppies in the cardboard box whimpering with black-and-yellow mixed fur, especially the one whose front legs were clearly turned inward and walked all crooked; her heart felt even more irritated. She reached out and poked the nose of the puppy with the more agile legs; that pup immediately whimpered and shrank back, while the other "lame leg" blankly raised its head and licked her fingers.

"Tsk," Chai Xiu withdrew her hand in disgust, wiping it on her lapel, "Lick what lick, it's all saliva." She raised her head to look at Chai Mi; Chai Mi was already planning to go inside with Second Aunt.

"Sister, look at this one with the bad leg; it looks listless, even raised it won't run fast, won't be much use guarding the house, right?" Chai Xiu tried one last struggle, pointing at the "lame leg."

Chai Mi didn't even turn her head, saying crisply: "Mom said she wants them, so we raise them. So what if the legs are bad? When we were little the family's old dog didn't also shed fur and limp, yet it coaxed you just fine? Besides, a guard dog doesn't rely entirely on running; being sharp enough to bark is enough. And besides, when people are little they aren't even as agile as a puppy's legs; when they grow up they still learn to talk back, don't they?"

Chai Xiu: "Uh……"

No need to doubt it; Chai Mi was insinuating that Chai Xiu talks back.

Su Hui listened from the side, curling her lip indifferently: "Exactly, Xiu'er you're just spoiled. How many mouthfuls of rice can two little puppies eat? Leftovers and leftover soup will feed them alive." Finished speaking, she really went inside and fetched a worn-out cardboard box with some wear on the edges, and without a word shoved the box containing the puppies, biscuits, and rabbit meat into Chai Xiu's hands.

"These puppies are yours now. Not my problem anymore."

Chai Xiu nodded resignedly: alright then, the big fellows bully me because I'm young.

Chai Mi went inside first; inside Su Wan and Maternal Aunt were still chatting.

As for Yao Shoucai, supposedly he went to the mountain peak to see if there were any mushrooms or such, planning to pick some mushrooms for a dish in the evening.

A few people chatted on; anyway it was just household trivialities, basically all complaining.

Indeed it was Su Wan and her two sisters all complaining.

Su Wan complained that her father-in-law and mother-in-law were not good, and Chai Youqing was not good either. Su Jin complained that her son was not good, her daughter-in-law was not good, and her man was even worse. Su Hui complained that the whole family was not good...

Chai Mi laughed listening to this, but it was also fine; rather than suffering anger herself, it was better to shift responsibility.

Anyway, to sum it up in one sentence, every family has its own hardships.

At night, Chai Mi and the others were invited by Yao Lianhua to eat.

To be honest, the food was not bad. The staple food was naturally the leftover dumplings wrapped at noon; anyway, too many were wrapped at noon, so they continued eating them at night.

When relatives come, eating dumplings is definitely right.

The food at night was much better than at noon. Although the dumplings were still those dumplings and the staple food had not changed, the dishes had changed quite a lot.

Yao Lianhua stir-fried a rabbit meat dish, and also made a dish of Four Joy Meatballs herself, stewed spare ribs with daylilies, and stewed a native chicken with potatoes.

In addition, there were four cold dishes, which could be considered quite good food.

First, this was originally Yao Lianhua's family matter; although Su Wan and the others came for their own Second Sister, Yao Lianhua, as the party concerned, naturally had to prepare some better food. Second, Yao Lianhua's family conditions were better, and she cared more about face, so this was far better than the food Su Hui made.

Of course, Su Hui also wanted to eat and drink heartily, but her son had not married a wife yet, and what she made at noon was already extremely good, so she could not ask for too much.

Everyone gathered around the table and began to eat.

"What is this? Rabbit?" Chai Xiu stared at the cold rabbit meat, lost in thought: "Rabbits are so cute, how can they be eaten?"

Chai Mi had not eaten rabbit for many, many years, and almost forgot what rabbit tasted like.

But anyway, it was meat, so it should be okay.

However, this was a wild hare caught by Yao Lianhua's family themselves, so it was not fat and had little meat, just barely scraping together some meat. Anyway, it was much leaner than artificially raised rabbits in later generations.

But the taste should still be okay.

Chai Mi picked up a rabbit leg and put it into Chai Xiu's bowl: "Xiu'er, eat more. Eat your fill, then you can anger people well."

Chai Xiu laughed hehehe.

This rabbit meat was served cold, but Yao Lianhua made it quite meticulously; the rabbit was first boiled, then fried once in oil, and finally tossed with some green onions.

And those green onions were actually wild small mountain onions, with a relatively special taste, having a faint fresh fragrance, so paired with rabbit meat, it was still very good.

Finally, some chili oil was added; the chili oil was stir-fried at home, using dried chilies stored for winter, stir-fried in oil with some salt and such.

Tossed like this, the taste immediately became delicious.

Chai Xiu originally thought this little rabbit was quite cute and felt a bit resistant, but afraid of being scolded by Chai Mi, she ate a few bites.

Unexpectedly, rabbit meat was really delicious.

She immediately forgot about the rabbit being cute, only remembering that rabbit was delicious.

"Sister, you eat a piece too, the taste is quite good."

Chai Mi glanced at Chai Xiu: "Someone just said, rabbits are so cute, what to eat?"

Su Wan also tried a bite, feeling the taste was sweet and not greasy, and also said it was delicious.

Chai Mi tasted it, then asked Yao Lianhua: "Eldest Sister, did you put honey in this?"

Chai Mi could tell when eating; although she did not cook, generally after rabbit meat is steamed and then braised, to make it taste this good and look good, honey should have been added.

Otherwise, rabbit meat should be white, not looking this good now.

"Aiya, it's still Chai Mi with sharp eyes... one look and you saw it." Yao Lianhua said she was actually very surprised; after all, Chai Mi was not by her side when cooking.

"Our old man raised some bees, our own family honey." Since honey was mentioned, Yao Lianhua then said: "That... when you leave, give some to Second Aunt and my Third Aunt."

"How can I be so embarrassed..."

"Take more..." Chai Xiu liked sweet things, ignoring Chai Mi's glaring eyes and said.

Chai Mi ate a few bites of the dishes and felt Yao Lianhua's cooking indeed tasted very good, having the ability to be a cook.

"But Eldest Sister, your stir-fried dishes are indeed delicious."

"Putting more seasonings makes it delicious." Yao Lianhua said with a smile: "Before, it was all clear soup and little water; sometimes adding some oil and meat, just some salt and stewed. Now with pepper, chili, thirteen spices, and chicken essence and such, once put in the dishes, they become delicious."

That was also true.

Chai Mi was too lazy to put those in when cooking, especially chicken essence. She felt that chicken essence for enhancing freshness was somewhat not good, and she preferred the original flavor.

While a few people were eating, Su Jin asked Yao Lianhua: "Then can you keep bees in your mountains? What to do in winter?"

"In winter, feed them white sugar; honey can be collected in spring, summer, and autumn." Yao Lianhua was quite familiar with this: "Our family's harvest mostly relies on this honey. My father-in-law and mother-in-law raised over twenty boxes of bees; usually we eat some, but most are sold in the city."

However, honey production is relatively low and has great limitations, so it cannot be scaled up. Twenty boxes of bees is already the limit.

The mountain is only so big; bees cannot fly too far.

People cannot leave with the bees either.

Of course, if only fed some sugar, it would also produce honey, but that would be a loss and cost money. So once this limitation exists, it can only be used to improve life, not as a main business.

Su Wan asked Chai Mi while eating: "Chai Mi, can't our place keep bees?"

"Our place doesn't have that many trees and flowers, so that really won't work."

Su Wan had to give up.

Dinner did not involve drinking, and it soon ended.

After clearing the table, Su Wan and Su Jin went to stay at Su Hui's house; Chai Mi and Chai Xiu followed to chat for a while, then Yao Lianhua had them taken to her own home.

This was also more reasonable.

One night passed without a word.

After staying until the next day and attending that full moon banquet, Chai Mi and the others left in the afternoon.

Actually, it was mainly about eating.

The food was not bad.

When leaving, Second Aunt gave Chai Mi two small puppies, Yao Lianhua took a bucket of honey, two large boxes of pickled vegetables, and also secretly stuffed two rabbits and a mutton leg.

This made Chai Mi feel a bit embarrassed.

Second Aunt also stuffed a lot of mountain goods, such as mushrooms, wood ear, and so on.

Chai Mi: So it turns out we've come to eat poor relatives...

Although the things Second Aunt brought back were many, in this era they weren't very valuable, but that sentiment of kinship was still overflowing beyond words.