Chapter 356

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Protagonist:

Chai Mi

Back home, Song Qiushui busied herself again, boiling Choose Shen. Once done, she dampened a dry towel with it and applied it to Meng Shi's waist, then had Meng Shi hold a piece of raw Choose Shen in her mouth.

Choose Shen itself possesses the function of clearing heat and detoxifying, plus the efficacy of dispelling blood stasis and blockages, so after Meng Shi used it, by afternoon there was some relief.

Although it still hurt a lot, at least she didn't have to lie prone unable to get up anymore.

Chai Mi told Song Qiushui: "Painkillers need to be taken too. This Choose Shen has to be done for at least ten days or so before the waist can ease up a bit. From now on you've got to make your ma pay attention. At her age, don't get internal heat or anything. Don't overwork or catch cold either. When you're old it's all like that — a slight mishap turns into a major illness."

Song Qiushui sighed: "Ai, how can I make her listen? She lost two hundred yuan, I said it was fine, but she took it to heart herself. All that worrying brought on internal fire, then she caught cold, and working she forgot to pace herself. That's how it ended up……"

Speaking, Song Qiushui still smiled mysteriously: "Hehehe, my Second Aunt is even worse. Now her mouth is crooked and eyes slanted, half her face is swollen, it's been over a week and the swelling hasn't gone down. Looking at her face, it's ruined."

Song Qiushui pursed her lips, mimicking Second Aunt's crooked mouth, lowering her voice: "Wang Pozi is still over there chewing maggots, saying my Second Aunt's face is 'greedy snake swallowing elephant', slapped crooked by Heaven! Tsk, that mouth of hers is more annoying than Second Aunt's crooked face."

Chai Mi understood Song Qiushui's Second Aunt too — some people are kind when they have money.

But once their days don't go so smoothly, they're not so decent anymore.

Recently Chai Mi often heard villagers talking about being swindled, and it involved Chai Mi's affairs too.

Everyone said the swindling was because of Liu San and Sun Guoyou, and they're Chai Mi's relatives, so naturally it was because they trusted that point that they got swindled.

And Song Qiushui's Second Aunt, as well as Song Qiuping being swindled, word spread that it was precisely because they trusted Chai Mi that they invested so much money.

Just speechless.

"Mouth crooked, heart still crooked. She minds my family's bit of business more diligently than her own stove pit." Chai Mi shook her head: "I didn't let Xiu'er go to our village primary school, Second Uncle definitely has ideas. The news of Xiu'er going to Ganzhu'er Primary School has probably reached her ears by now. Just wait, maybe by afternoon she'll have cooked up a whole set of stories."

"Afraid of that broken mouth of hers?" Song Qiushui's eyes widened, then she hehe'd with a laugh, "But Chai Mi, you really hit the mark. You didn't see Chai You Fu's face today, like he'd just been raked out of a stove pit, pitch black! I reckon, Xiu'er not going to his broken village school, he's about to explode with anger. Wang Pozi and them, they'll definitely use this as an excuse to stir the fire."

The village always has long-tongued women; the speed they spread nonsense rivals Shenzhou-22, howling fast.

Only Chai Mi doesn't go out much, so she doesn't hear much.

Earlier Song Qiushui was busy going out to set up stalls, so no time either.

But Village East, that's like the village's broadcast station, all kinds of news come out every day.

The Host Family's days are bad, the West Family's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law fight.....

Anyway, everything gets said.

Some even say Wang Huirong hasn't gone out recently because she ran off with Song Qiushui's second maternal great-uncle.....

Chai Mi doesn't care what Second Uncle says anyway; his mouth can't be stopped. Her tone was flat as if talking about someone else's business: "Let him fume. My little sister studies if she should study. That village primary's level — Director An's one sentence tops his three years of teaching. Xiu'er is material for studying, can't be delayed in that kind of place. Wang Pozi and them can say whatever; spit can't drown people." She paused, looked at Song Qiushui, "Your ma's medicine, apply once more tonight. Choose Shen is enough, don't let it run out. Ten days or so at least to get better. Take care of it more afterwards, don't mess around. Waist pain recurs too easily. Old Zhou's wife in the front village, didn't she not watch the road, fell, then went to work thinking nothing of it, ended up high-level paraplegic, thirties, can only crawl now."

The two spoke a few more idle words, saw Meng Shi sleeping peacefully, then went out and headed home.

But because of the time returning home, it was actually already a bit late.

Primary school lets out around 4:20. Chai Youqing went to pick up Chai Xiu at 3:30.

Since Chai Youqing went, Chai Mi also started going out to busy herself with some work, preparing for tomorrow's stall.

Here Chai Youqing rode his bicycle, carefully pedaling toward Ganzhu'er Primary School.

He rode slowly, heart pounding. Picking up the kid made him more nervous than tending a calf.

Chai Mi's instructions were clear: arrive on time, don't talk to strangers, less idle chatter, pick up Xiu'er and go straight home.

Near the village entrance, sure enough sat a few women soling shoes and picking beans. Leading them was Wang Pozi, yelling and chatting. Beside her were Li Dajiao and Zhao Kuai Zui, both famous "long-tongued women" in the village.

Chai Youqing wanted to lower his head and pedal hard past, but Wang Pozi's words already chased after him: "Yo! Big Brother Youqing! This big afternoon, pushing your foreign cart where on official business?" She deliberately bit the two words "official business" in a weird tone.

Chai Youqing was named, had to brake and stop, one foot propping the ground, squeezing out a dry laugh: "Ah... no, not going anywhere, just... just going out a trip."

"Going out a trip?" Li Dajiao threw the beans in her hand, little eyes flashing with "caught you" light, "Going to pick up your family's golden lump Xiu'er girl from school, right? Tsk tsk, I heard, sent to Ganzhu'er! Impressive, Big Brother Youqing, that school, heard the threshold is high, tuition expensive too?"

Chai Youqing's scalp tingled, he mumbled: "Still... alright... child... child studying......"

"Studying is good!" Zhao Kuai Zui seized the conversation, face full of "thinking for you", "But I say Big Brother Youqing, isn't this choosing far over near? Our village primary is right under your eyelids? Teacher Chai is Xiu'er's own Second Uncle, own family's kid, however you say it you can look after a bit more. Running all the way to Ganzhu'er, wind and sun, how the child suffers? Besides, that road has cars coming and going, how unsafe!" As she spoke, she elbowed Wang Pozi beside her.

Wang Pozi immediately caught on, dragging a long tone, words with hidden meaning: "Aiyo, Kuai Zui little sister, your words sound like our village primary's threshold is low! Our village primary is a proper school too! Besides," she deliberately lowered her voice a bit, yet ensured Chai Youqing could hear clearly, "I seem to vaguely hear Teacher Chai mention a bit? Saying... cough cough, not just anyone who wants to go can go, it also depends on whether the kid is that material, whether the school accepts......"

Li Dajiao immediately chimed in, voice not loud not soft, just drifting into Chai Youqing's ears: "Ah? Still this matter? Can't be? Xiu'er that girl looks quite clever? Teacher Chai really said that?"

Chai Youqing's face "teng" flushed red.

Wang Pozi's vague words made Chai Youqing extremely embarrassed.

Chai You Fu really said village primary doesn't want Xiu'er? No wonder Chai Mi refused to let Xiu'er go to village primary at all costs! A surge of grievance mixed with anger rushed to his forehead, but facing these women, his mouth seemed stuffed with cotton. He wanted to say something in rebuttal, but held it in for half a day, only squeezing out a few words: "No... no such thing... Xiu'er... Xiu'er can study......"

Chai Youqing only felt buzzing in his ears, those words circling him like flies.

He wanted to rebut, say Xiu'er is smart, say Chai Mi is capable, say Ganzhu'er School personally tested Xiu'er... but words at his mouth, looking at those women's faces mixed with "concern" and "watching a show", his throat felt blocked, sweat beaded on his forehead, palms gripping the handlebars wet and slick.

Chai Mi originally wanted to see if Chai Xiu should be out of school, nearly home, so went out to look.

Result: from afar she saw her own father Chai Youqing surrounded by Wang Pozi, Li Dajiao, Zhao Kuai Zui and them.

"Yo, Big Brother Youqing, this Ganzhu'er foreign ink smell, smells more fragrant than our village's Tu Tu, huh?" Wang Pozi pinched her throat, shoe sole in hand slapping pa-pa, "Xiu girl flies out like this, in future definitely university student, office worker material! Just don't know if our village's small temple can't contain which Bodhisattva?"

Li Dajiao immediately followed, pinching beans flying fast: "Exactly! I heard Teacher Chai, that's your family's second son, a few days ago still muttering to people, saying studying also needs 'root bone', not whoever wants to study can study well. Tsk tsk, the implication in those words... hey, Big Brother Youqing, you say right?" She deliberately bit the two words "root bone" heavier, eyes glancing at Chai Youqing's face.

Zhao Kuai Zui seized the conversation, face full of "I understand you", "Big Brother Youqing, don't take it to heart. Teacher Chai that person you still don't know? Taught a lifetime, most serious! He's definitely for the kid's good, afraid Xiu'er goes and can't keep up, wastes effort and suffers. Look how good now, went to Ganzhu'er, spending more money is small, kid's face has glory!" Her words sound like comfort, but every sentence pulls toward "Chai Xiu no good, so rejected by village primary".

"Right right," Wang Pozi slapped her thigh, voice raised a few degrees, "This day and age, girl studying so much for what? Recognize a few characters, write a letter, calculate small accounts, enough! Later finding a good husband's family is the real business! Chai Mi that girl too, earning money not easy, this tuition and travel expenses, tsk tsk, don't all smash into this and hit water splash... better save for your big nephew Chai Dajun to get a wife, how practical!"

Chai Youqing was mocked till he couldn't lift his head, only felt face burning hot. He wanted to say Chai Mi is capable, can afford it; wanted to say Ganzhu'er teachers all praised Xiu'er smart; but looking at those women's faces, he only felt aggrieved, sweat beads on forehead trickling down temples.

Right then, a clear voice carrying a hint of coldness cut in: "Yo, several aunties and big sisters, chatting what national affairs? So lively, heard from far away."

Chai Mi walked over from the road intersection. Her face had no expression, eyes swept a circle over Wang Pozi and them, finally landing on her own father's embarrassed face, heart clear as a mirror.

Wang Pozi and them saw the principal party arrive, smiles on faces stiffened a moment, then piled up again. Li Dajiao reacted fastest, immediately switching to "warm-hearted" face: "Aiyo, Chai Mi what are you doing? Just chatting with your dad about your family's Xiu'er going to Ganzhu'er to study! Really promising! Just... ai, this running back and forth every day, how hard on the child and your dad!"

She absolutely didn't mention the previous topic.

Chai Mi didn't pick up her topic, walked to Chai Youqing's side, casually pushed his bicycle to the side too, so it wouldn't block the way. She glanced at her dad, that cowardly look made her sigh inside, but more was anger — not at her dad, at these long-tongued women stirring trouble out of nothing.

"Hard work?" Chai Mi's mouth corner twitched. "Hard work what? My dad's willing to drop off and pick up his own daughter — that's family bliss. Besides, Ganzhu'er Primary School is the town's central primary school; the teachers are all proper normal-school graduates, teaching level's high, environment's good too. I, Chai Mi, smash pot sell iron supporting my sister to study there, just so she can learn more real stuff, have more roads to walk in the future. How about it, several aunties think I spent this money wrong? Or think my little sister isn't worth spending this money on?"

Wang Pozi and the others were made a bit uncomfortable by her gaze. Zhao Kuai Zui hurriedly smoothed things over: "Aiya, Chai Mi look at what you're saying! How could that be! Xiu'er girl's intelligent, everyone knows! It's just that... this village school doesn't have your Second Uncle in it, after all he's family, looking after her would be so much more convenient? This abandoning near seeking far..."

Chai Mi seemed to have heard some joke, let out a light hum. She deliberately paused, her gaze lingering on Wang Pozi's face for an instant. "I actually want to ask, Teacher Chai personally told which auntie or grandaunt that my family's Xiu'er 'root bone' is no good, village school doesn't want her?"

Once these words came out, the air instantly went quiet. Li Dajiao and Zhao Kuai Zui both subconsciously looked toward Wang Pozi. That bit of forced smile on Wang Pozi's face completely couldn't hold, her gaze somewhat evasive, she hemmed and hawed: "This... I also heard people... heard people say it so casually..."

"Oh? Heard who say it?" Chai Mi pressed, voice not high, yet carrying pressure. "Was it Teacher Chai personally told you? Or did you personally hear him evaluate his own niece like this?"

Wang Pozi was choked till her face went red then white. How would she dare say she spread it with embellishment? Even less dare name names saying it was Chai You Fu who said it. If Chai Mi really went to confront Chai You Fu, she wouldn't end up well either. Could only mumble: "Aiyo, isn't this also hearsay... doesn't count doesn't count! Teacher Chai that person... that person... is most upright!" She hurriedly put the "upright" hat on Chai You Fu first.

Chai Mi stopped while ahead, didn't press her further, but her words turned, tone several degrees colder: "Hearsay? Auntie, this talk can't be spread recklessly. My little sister Chai Xiu, didn't steal didn't rob, just wants to properly study. Ganzhu'er Primary School was Principal personally tested her, felt her foundation good, could keep up with third grade curriculum, then accepted her. How come in some people's mouths, it turned into village school didn't want her so sent her away?" She swept her gaze over the several people. "I, Chai Mi, today put words here. From now on whoever spreads this kind of baseless talk again, badmouths my little sister, let me know, don't blame me for turning hostile! My little sister studying is an open and aboveboard matter, not for others to chew tongue roots!"

With Chai Mi saying it like this, the several surrounding neighbors who were originally watching the excitement also all fell silent.

Chai Mi also had no time to idle chat with this group, gave Chai Youqing a white eye and said: "Still five or six minutes, Xiu'er will be out of school. Said don't let you drag idle talk, you still drag... hurry go pick up Xiu'er."