Chapter 342: Rebirth in the Nineties: The Tyrant Flower Chapter 343 Repaying Money

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Protagonist:

Chai Mi

Chai Mi's side, however, was another scene entirely.

After getting up early in the morning, Chai Mi went to the storehouse to bring back the inverted donkey, and also brought along the chicken legs and such that she had cured last night. Returning home, she prepared to first try out the pot.

Actually, she should have tried it yesterday afternoon, but then the matter of losing the corn happened, and the calf had been having diarrhea and wasn't doing well, so Chai Mi wasn't in the mood.

Mainly, she hadn't bought that much oil either.

And it seemed... Chai Mi herself felt that she seemed to have used the wrong oil.

When frying chicken before, Chai Mi had always used soybean oil.

Although Chai Mi had eaten fried chicken and such in her previous life, and had seen people selling fried skewers, she really hadn't paid attention to what specific oil was used.

Here, fried dough sticks used soybean oil, so Chai Mi also used soybean oil. But this taste had always been a bit off.

Later, yesterday afternoon, Chai Mi brought back a barrel of rapeseed oil.

She used it when cooking dinner that night, and the fragrance was fresh and fragrant. She then knew that she seemed to have used the wrong oil.

Actually, using lard would also be passable, but the taste of soybean oil was indeed not ideal.

Since she now knew where she had gone wrong, Chai Mi wanted to try early in the morning using this rapeseed oil to fry a pot of chicken bone skewers and chicken legs, taste them herself, and just have them for breakfast.

And by the way, try out how this stainless steel frying pot was.

After all, this thing cost over three hundred yuan, enough to marry a wife.

Something this expensive definitely had to be tried out well.

Chai Mi poured the oil, lit the fire, and then began preparing to fry once the oil boiled.

Not to mention anything else, the design of this pot's base was quite good, with smoke and ash coming out from the side, so it wouldn't burn the top of the pot, which was very good.

And since it was stainless steel, it looked clean and bright, and this thing itself was also sturdy.

Truly, apart from being expensive, everything else was an advantage.

After lighting the pot and heating the oil, Chai Mi had Song Qiushui watch the fire, and she herself went to give the calf medicine.

The little calf's spirits were much better than yesterday. Although still listless, it could at least slightly lift its head, and its little tongue knew to lick the medicine water in the bowl.

"Mom, squeeze some milk for the calf to drink later," Chai Mi said.

These past couple of days, they had been squeezing milk into bottles and then feeding the calf.

After all, the calf couldn't even stand up and wouldn't drink milk on its own.

Su Wan made a sound of acknowledgment.

After a while, Chai Mi finished giving the medicine and patted the calf a few times. The calf could already barely lie down, no longer feeling like it was about to die.

On the other side, Su Wan held a baby bottle and was milking the cow for the calf.

After finishing milking, she scalded the baby bottle with boiling water to make the milk in the bottle warmer, then handed it to Chai Mi.

Chai Mi began feeding the calf milk. The calf already knew to swallow on its own and was much more spirited than the first two days.

As long as it could eat and drink, recovery wasn't far off.

And its little mouth sucked with strength, and the diarrhea was also much better than the first two days, no longer containing blood.

Chai Youqing was also watching nearby, helping to warm the baby bottle.

Chai Mi didn't lift her head, her tone carrying a bit of ease: "Dad, do you think it can swallow now?"

Chai Youqing hurriedly came over, with a somewhat ingratiating smile on his face: "Yes, yes, yes! It swallowed! Look at this little tongue, how nimble! It's still our daughter's new medicine that works!"

These past few days, he had been scolded enough by Chai Mi, feeding the cow with extra care, never leaving its side.

"Hmph, if it weren't for you blindly feeding it grass, would it have suffered this?" Song Qiushui didn't give him any face, pouting her lips: "Uncle Chai, you'd better remember this lesson this time! If you cause problems again, Chai Mi really can stew you and the calf together!"

Chai Youqing was choked until his old face turned red, and he foolishly dared not respond.

After finishing up on her side, Su Wan said: "After we finish tidying up the calf, we'll all come eat. By the way, that fried chicken... can it sell well now? I see the students seem to be on vacation. From far away yesterday I still saw Chai Min..."

As she spoke, Su Wan's face turned a bit red: "I even asked, Chai Min, you're on vacation... but as a result, Chai Min pretended not to see me?"

Su Wan sighed.

"It can." Chai Mi stood up, patted the dust off her hands, not really caring about this: "Students are on vacation, but workers are still around. We try the new pot, if the taste is good we won't worry about selling. Mom, our corn... lost is lost, don't keep thinking about it, just treat it as fed to wild dogs. And that Chai Min, with her petty mind, thinks the whole world revolves around her. She saw my Second Uncle's leg broken, definitely holds a grudge against us, just ignore her."

Su Wan sighed: "Sigh, don't think about it. It's just that Liu Xiaochun... Chai Mi, yesterday you made a scene bringing people... will he... will he hold a grudge and cause trouble in the dark?"

"Does he dare?" Song Qiushui glared her eyes: "If he causes trouble again, Chai Mi will really tear down his house! Liu Yeye said, that broken courtyard was originally Old Chai Family's land! Chai Mi, isn't that right?"

Chai Mi didn't answer directly, washed her hands, walked to the new frying pot to check the fire: "Hold a grudge? He'd better be honest. I, Chai Mi, am not afraid of trouble, but I'm also too lazy to waste time with this kind of person every day. If he doesn't open his eyes again... then it won't be settled with just two hundred yuan."

The oil in the pot gradually heated up, emitting faint sizzling sounds.

Chai Xiu muttered softly: "Sister, do you think Liu Xiaochun can pay back the money today?"

"Who cares if he pays or not." Chai Mi tested the oil temperature with chopsticks: "Give him some time, don't look for him before the date. If after tomorrow he really dares not to pay..." She looked at the small oil bubbles starting to rise in the pot, "Then let him know, I do what I say."

"Alright, the oil temperature is about right!" Song Qiushui shouted at the oil pot, using a strainer to skim the oil foam: "Chai Mi, quickly put in the chicken bone skewers to try!"

Chai Mi nimbly slid the battered chicken bone skewers and several chicken legs into the oil pot.

Sizzle—!

"Ouch, this smell!" Chai Xiu inhaled hard with her nose, "Different from before, fragrant! It's fragrant!"

Chai Youqing also came over: "This new pot... looks like it's powerful, the heat is even."

"Hmph, over three hundred yuan, could it not be powerful?" Song Qiushui gave Chai Youqing a white look. "Good things also cost good money. You go feed the cow, why come here to join the fun, or should I fry some for you?"

Chai Youqing's face flushed, and he no longer interjected.

Just as they were speaking, a timid footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate.

Liu Xiaochun's wife Che Lianying, hunching her neck, clutched a bundle wrapped in a tattered handkerchief tightly in her hand, shuffling in slowly.

Tear tracks still hung on her face, her eyes were red and swollen, and her hair was a mess.

"Chai... Chai Mi..." Che Lianying's voice was as tiny as a mosquito's hum, her gaze evasive, not daring to look at anyone.

Everyone in the courtyard stopped what they were doing, their gazes swiveling toward her in unison.

Chai Mi was holding a slotted spoon, ready to fish out chicken pieces, not even lifting her head: "Something the matter?"

Che Lianying shuffled forward two steps, thrust the handkerchief bundle forward, her voice choked with tears: "Money... money... one hundred twenty... counted out..." Her hands were shaking badly; that tattered handkerchief bundle looked wrinkled and worn, but felt heavy enough.

Only then did Chai Mi raise her eyes, glance at the handkerchief bundle, then look at Che Lianying's wretched state: "So fast? Wouldn't be stolen from someone else's house again, would it? If it's stolen money, I dare not take it."

Che Lianying's face went pale in a flash, her lips trembling, tears welling up again in her eyes: "Chai Mi... you... we... we know we were wrong... truly won't dare again... this money... we scraped it together..."

She set the handkerchief bundle down on the low wooden stool usually sat on beside her, a solid "pa" sound — it sounded substantial.

Chai Xiu ran over curiously, wanting to open it and look.

Chai Mi barked: "Xiu'er! Don't move!"

Chai Xiu froze, hand jerking back.

Chai Mi used the slotted spoon to fish out the chicken bone skewers and chicken legs, draining the oil, and said unhurriedly: "Leave the money there. I'll have Xiu'er bring you the IOU in a bit." Her tone was flat, revealing no joy or anger.

Che Lianying acted as if granted amnesty, nodding repeatedly: "Yes! Yes! Thank you Chai Mi! Thank you... then... then I wait a moment?" She asked tentatively, wishing she could flee this place immediately.

"Mm." Chai Mi acknowledged, her attention seemingly entirely on the fried chicken.

She picked up a piece of chicken bone skewer with chopsticks, blew on it, and handed it to Song Qiushui beside her: "Taste it, see if the flavor's right."

Song Qiushui had been unable to wait, took it, didn't even mind the heat, opened her mouth and took a bite: "Crunch!" The crisp sound was especially enticing. "Hiss... hot hot hot... mm! Fragrant! So fragrant! Soybean oil can't fry out this flavor! A hint of sweetness, and not greasy at all!"

Chai Mi tasted a piece herself, savoring carefully: "Heat control's alright, just this oil temperature... seems still a bit high, outside a bit scorched, inside still a bit tender. Should be the fire was a bit too strong."

Su Wan also came over, broke off a small piece of chicken meat to taste: "Mm, tastier than before, flavor's proper."

Chai Youqing stood on the periphery, smelling the fragrance, yet not daring to open his mouth to ask for some.

Chai Mi glanced at him, used chopsticks to pick up a chicken leg, and handed it over: "Dad, taste it, see how the heat control is."

Chai Youqing blanked for a moment, hurriedly received it with flattered surprise, carefully took a bite, blowing air from the heat: "Mm... mm... delicious! Crispy outside tender inside... heat control... heat control's pretty good..." he mumbled.

Chai Mi paid him no further mind; for Chai Youqing's kind of perfunctory talk, she wasn't very receptive — clearly several people had tasted it wasn't quite done, yet he still said delicious.

But Chai Youqing was just like that, Chai Mi had no way with him.

Chai Mi said to Song Qiushui: "Qiu Shui, get a piece of paper, have her write a receipt or something, noting receipt of one hundred twenty yuan even, corn money settled, no further dealings afterward."

Then said to Chai Xiu: "Told you to go fetch the IOU? What are you woolgathering about?"

"I was thinking about eating dinner..." Chai Xiu said softly.

Chai Mi frowned: "You look like a meal, hurry up and go."

Chai Xiu scurried into the house.

Song Qiushui also went to find paper and brush.

Che Lianying stood there, leaving wasn't right, staying wasn't right, whole body ill at ease, could only lower her head and stare at her own mud-caked shoe tips.

Chai Xiu soon came out holding that wrinkled IOU, handed it to Chai Mi. Chai Mi didn't even look, directly told Che Lianying: "Money you left there, IOU you take. Qiu Shui you write the receipt, seems Third Aunt is illiterate, when the time comes Third Aunt you just press a thumbprint."

From the relatives' angle, Chai Mi indeed should call Che Lianying Third Aunt.

Of course, this was still the first time calling her that; before, the two households had almost no dealings.

Song Qiushui came over with paper and brush, lay on the low wooden stool, wrote two lines swiftly, pushed it to Che Lianying: "Here, write 'Today received Liu Xiaochun's returned corn compensation one hundred twenty yuan even, afterward two households owe each other nothing...', sign your name, press thumbprint."

Che Lianying wouldn't know how to write, stared at the paper completely bewildered.

Song Qiushui impatiently grabbed her right thumb, pressed it hard into the ink pad she carried, then pressed it onto the paper: "Done! Thumbprint's enough! Name I'll write 'Che Lianying proxy', anyway the money was brought by you."

Che Lianying stared at that bright red thumbprint on the paper, as if she had completed an arduous task, let out a long breath.

She grabbed that IOU and that receipt, like clutching a hot potato, stammered: "Then... then Chai Mi... I... I... I'm leaving..."

Finished speaking, not waiting for Chai Mi to respond, turned and ran as if chased by a dog from behind, jogging out of the courtyard.

"Tch, runs fast alright." Song Qiushui curled her lip, picked up that tattered handkerchief bundle and weighed it, opened it to look, inside was a thick stack of bills of various denominations, and quite a few small change notes, stained with oil in a mess. "Ho, really scraped it together? Not easy. This money... what's that smell?"

Chai Mi watched Che Lianying's panicked back disappear at the doorway, withdrew her gaze, said blandly: "Never mind what smell, count it, put it away. Corn matter, turn the page."

"Turn the page? Let them off cheap!" Song Qiushui counted money while indignant, "Should've demanded more! Get beaten for nothing and just return principal? And that pig still made you send it to Lao Liutou..."

Simply a blood loss.

"Enough," Chai Mi cut her off, portioning the fried chicken pieces into several bowls, "Pig's at Liu Yeye's, if he wants to raise it for New Year let him raise it. This money covers cost. With this kind of person, endless entanglement wastes our own time. Hurry up, eat while hot, eat then set up stall. Today try this new pot new oil."

Chai Youqing finished gnawing the chicken leg, bones sucked clean, licked his lips, asked quietly: "Chai Mi... that... that calf... seems alright to me? I... I today can go to the fields and look? I'm thinking... other places... don't let people keep an eye on them again..."

He was truly afraid, also wanted to find some proper work to do, make amends a bit.

Su Wan also worried: "Right Chai Mi, He Tao piece is gone, other corn fields also need watching. This year's conditions, plenty of jealous eyes."

Chai Mi handed the last bowl of fried chicken to Su Wan: "Mom, you and Dad after eating, go turn around our corn field by the main road, that place is near the village, shouldn't have anyone dare move in daytime. He Tao piece... forget it, whatever's left let it be, just treat it as no that field. Calf I see is spirited now, feed medicine once more this afternoon, should pull through."

She paused, looked at Chai Youqing, tone still flat but less of the previous cold hardness: "Dad, you watch the field properly, don't just stand at the edge, go in and inspect. Lose again, truly inexcusable."

"Yes! Yes! Rest assured! This time I'll definitely go in, count every single stalk!" Chai Youqing hurriedly guaranteed, spine straightening a bit.

After eating, Chai Mi and Song Qiushui went to set up stall.

On the road Song Qiushui pouted and said to Chai Mi: "Chai Mi, my dad said, after I finish stall, go see that cousin-in-law of mine, that's your Second Uncle... my dad's got a screw loose, these two days he's been thinking back and forth, feels bad not going to see your Second Uncle, but he still can't bring himself to go, so had me go..."

"Ah... I'll go see too."