Chapter 362

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Protagonist:

Chai Mi

The sky grew darker and darker, leaden clouds pressing low over the distant mountain peaks, the wind carrying a damp, cold earthy smell. On the threshing ground, the atmosphere was tenser than the sky.

Chai Mi glanced at Sun Baihe; the latter was gritting her teeth, her movements in the work clearly fierce, the separation of grain and chaff much cleaner than before. Chai Mi said nothing more, turning to Second Uncle Chai Youlu and Dongzi: "Second Uncle, Dongzi, hurry up! Before the raindrops fall, we must finish threshing this grain, winnow it clean, and pile it up! You've worked hard today; once we're done, I'll add another five yuan for each person."

"Ai!" Chai Youlu answered crisply, the wooden winnowing fork in his hand flipping, tossing the freshly crushed grain back into the air. Dongzi was young and strong, silently using a large broom to sweep the broken straw stalks at the edges aside, his movements much faster too.

Chai Youqing hunched his waist, one hand pressing hard on the injury at his lower back, his face looking gray and defeated from pain and anxiety. He watched the busy crowd, his lips moving: "I... I'll help sweep the edges..."

"Dad!" Chai Mi whipped her head around, her voice carrying an unquestionable severity, "Go lie back in the house! We don't need you making trouble here! Second Uncle, help my father back to rest!"

Chai Youlu had just put down the wooden fork and was about to come over, but Chai Youqing was like he'd had his tail stepped on, craning his neck: "I'm not useless yet! What can sweeping the ground do..." But as he tried to bend down to reach the broom on the ground, a heart-piercing stab of pain shot through his waist, making him suck in a cold breath, and cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead.

Chai Mi was about to speak again when Su Wan came running from home; she had clearly seen that the sky was wrong, her face full of worry. She spotted her man's stubborn act at a glance, her heart clenched, and she quickly stepped forward to support Chai Youqing's arm: "Old man! Why did you run out again? Come back with me quickly! Mi'er is right; with you here, our daughter is even more uneasy!"

"I... I saw it was going to rain..." Chai Youqing still wanted to argue, but his confidence was clearly lacking.

"Look look look! You look like you can see flowers? Chai Mi has ideas, Youlu and Baihe are here, do we need you, this injured number, to worry? Hurry back with me to lie on the kang! If you don't listen again, I'll set up that coffin board for you!" Su Wan, rarely speaking harshly, pulled hard, almost half-dragging, half-pulling Chai Youqing back. Her last "coffin board" obviously struck Chai Youqing's sore spot; his body stiffened, his lips trembled twice, and finally he stopped resisting, letting Su Wan support him, leaving the chaotic threshing ground step by slow step.

Watching her parents walk away, the tense string in Chai Mi's heart loosened a little. She immediately turned to Song Qiushui: "Qiu Shui, there are enough hands here; the rain is coming soon. You hurry and ride the inverted donkey to Ganzhu'er Primary School to pick up Xiu'er! Don't let her get rained on walking back; the road is slippery."

Song Qiushui had been helping push the stone roller; hearing this, he immediately put it down, wiped his sweat: "Alright! I'm going now!" Without another word, he trotted home.

"Second Aunt! Faster! The grain pile needs to be packed tight!" Chai Mi's voice sounded especially clear in the increasingly urgent wind. Sun Baihe dared not slack off anymore, working with her head down. She knew Chai Mi was the type to say what she'd do; the threat of withholding half a day's wages to make her leave was no scare tactic.

Being driven away at this critical moment, not only would she not get her full wages, but if word spread in the village that she'd been chased off by the employer for laziness, she'd lose all face.

Besides, Chai Mi had just added a bit of wages; that made the money somewhat reasonable.

Time flew by in the tense labor. The wind blew dust and bits of straw onto everyone's faces and bodies, and bean-sized raindrops finally began to fall sporadically, striking the dry earth and leaving small dark pits.

"Fast! Last time! Pile pile pile!"

Chai Youlu and Dongzi used all their strength, shoveling the last winnowed grain up with the wooden fork into a pointed pile. Sun Baihe didn't care about dirt or exhaustion, using large pieces of plastic sheeting to cover the grain pile with all her might. Chai Mi quickly fetched several large stones, pressing them on the edges of the plastic sheeting.

Just as the grain pile was barely covered, a downpour poured down with a "hualala" sound; dense rain lines instantly connected into a vast white water curtain, striking the ground and kicking up a mist of water.

Everyone—Chai Mi, Chai Youlu, Dongzi, Sun Baihe—stood in the rain, watching the grain pile protected by the plastic sheeting and stones, and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Everyone hurry home! Change clothes! Second Aunt, everyone come to my house for dinner tonight; I'll arrange it." Chai Mi wiped the rain from her face, her voice hoarse from exhaustion.

At the gate of Ganzhu'er Primary School.

The school bell had rung a while ago; most students had been picked up by their parents or left in groups. Chai Xiu carried her small schoolbag on her back, her tiny figure standing alone under the eaves of the school gate, trying to shrink her body to avoid the rain slanting in from the wind. She looked at the pouring rain outside and the dirt road pitted with holes by the rainwater, her small face showing some worry.

"Xiu'er!" A familiar voice came through the rain curtain.

Chai Xiu's eyes lit up; she stood on tiptoe and looked around, only to see Song Qiushui pushing the inverted donkey, holding a piece of torn plastic sheeting, splashing through the rain with uneven steps, mud splattered all over his trouser legs.

"Here!" Chai Xiu shouted happily.

Song Qiushui rushed under the eaves and shook the water off his head.

With rain this heavy, he definitely couldn't go back.

He could only wait until the rain lightened a bit.

"Damn it, it doesn't rain in summer. Autumn is really something else." Song Qiushui cursed.

The rain curtain covered the sky, pattering against the plastic roof of the inverted donkey. Chai Xiu huddled under the eaves, hugging her schoolbag, watching muddy water gather into murky streams in the pitted dirt road.

"Sister Qiu Shui, where's my sister?" Chai Xiu's voice sounded small in the rain.

"Your sister is still at the threshing ground rushing to harvest the grain! That rain, it comes as soon as it says it will, so strange!" Song Qiushui pouted: "Your sister was afraid you'd get rained on, so she told me to hurry and pick you up!"

Chai Xiu "oh"ed, feeling reassured, but also a bit worried: "Then the grain... didn't get rained on, right?"

"They should have covered it before the rain! Your sister is so capable!" Song Qiushui wiped the rain from his face and grinned.

She also admired Chai Mi in her heart; with so many things at home, a father who wasn't reassuring and a daughter who hadn't grown up, plus a sickly mother—anyone else would have collapsed long ago.

When the rain lightened, Song Qiushui then took Chai Xiu home.

The vehicle turned into the Chai family courtyard.

Su Wan held a broken umbrella and waited under the eaves, holding the tightly wrapped Chai Xin in her arms. "Hurry inside! Are you frozen? Change your clothes quickly!" She looked at Song Qiushui and Chai Xiu climbing out of the cart, feeling heartache.

Chai Xiu stomped her feet to shake off the mud on her shoes, ran into the house, and saw Chai Youqing lying on the kang at a glance, turning his face to look at her, his gaze complex, with a hint of caution. "Dad, I'm back," Chai Xiu said softly.

"Mm... good... as long as you didn't get rained on..." Chai Youqing's voice was muffled; his gaze swept over her trouser legs and shoes wet on one side, his lips moved, but in the end he said nothing more, turning his face back.

Chai Mi, Chai Youlu, Sun Baihe, and Dongzi almost one after another rushed into the house in the rain. Each looked like they'd been fished out of the water, hair and clothes plastered to their bodies, water dripping down. Chai Mi didn't care about herself; she first went to the stove to add firewood: "Mom, hurry and boil a pot of hot water, and simmer some ginger soup too! Everyone drive out the cold!"

Sun Baihe, as soon as she entered the house, wrung out her soaked clothes and complained with filthy language: "This damn weather! Soaked to the bone! Really bad luck..." She glanced at Chai Youqing on the kang, her voice rising a bit: "Worked myself to death all day, didn't see any wages, but first lost a set of clothes! This job is so depressing!"

Chai Youlu squatted by the stove pit with his head down, warming himself by the fire, not making a sound. Dongzi was shivering from the cold and also went over.

Chai Mi ladled hot water, prepared a basin, and brought it to Sun Baihe, her tone giving nothing away: "Second Aunt, wipe yourself first. Wages, not a cent less; dinner is included. But the work must be worth it. The grain is saved; everyone put in effort, I know it in my heart."

Sun Baihe was choked by Chai Mi's calm gaze, took the basin resentfully, and muttered: "As long as you know... just afraid it's all talk and no action..."

Dinner was steamed buns, a large basin of soft, stewed potatoes and eggplants, and a small dish of pickled vegetables. Chai Youlu and Dongzi, starving, buried themselves in eating. Sun Baihe ate while glancing at Chai Mi with her eyes, clearly still pondering the wage issue.

Chai Mi ignored her, picked some vegetables for Chai Xiu, and took a steamed bun for Chai Youqing.

"Dad, waiting for someone to feed you?"

Chai Youqing propped himself up with his arms to move, but a sharp stab of pain immediately shot through his waist; he "hissed" and sucked in a cold breath, then slumped back down. He looked at the bun his daughter brought over, then at his own immobile self, his gaze dimming; he shook his head: "No... not hungry, leave it there..."

Chai Mi didn't persuade him; she placed the bun on the edge of the kang.

Eat it or not, suit yourself.

After dinner, Chai Xiu leaned over the kang table doing her homework, her small brows furrowed, copying new characters stroke by stroke. Chai Mi came over to look; the characters were still crooked, but she had put in more effort than the previous two days.

"Did Teacher Cao praise you today for your handwriting improving?" Chai Mi asked.

"Mm!" Chai Xiu's eyes brightened, but then she made a bitter face: "But it's still so hard to write... Sister, I want to use a fountain pen..." she muttered softly, with a hint of envy and longing.

Chai Mi didn't agree immediately; she just patted her head: "First write your pencil characters neatly, then we'll talk. Fountain pens that absorb ink are troublesome; you'll get ink all over your hand."

Chai Youqing listened from the other end of the kang, feeling even worse inside. The child wanted a fountain pen… and he, as the father, lay here, unable to do anything.

But Chai Mi had no time to deal with Chai Youqing; she was so damn angry, let them do whatever they wanted.

Early the next morning, the rain lightened into a drizzle. Chai Mi and Song Qiushui set up their stall as usual. Before leaving, she said to Sun Baihe, who had just gotten up and still had sleep on her face: "Second Aunt, you still make lunch. It rained yesterday, and the fields are even muddier today. You cook at home and pick up Xiu'er, so you don't slip again. The wages will still be paid."

Sun Baihe, hearing she didn't have to go to the fields, though she still had to cook and pick up the child, felt much lighter anyway, and her face immediately relaxed, agreeing repeatedly: "Fine, fine, fine! Don't worry! I'll make sure everyone eats hot food!"

Arriving at County No. 1 Middle School, business was still booming. After being busy for a while, Chai Mi took a moment to go to the stationery counter next to No. 1 Middle School. Inside the glass counter were several kinds of fountain pens; the cheapest "Hero" brand iridium gold pen cost two and a half yuan. She hesitated for a moment, then still took out money to buy one, and also bought a bottle of blue-black ink.

In the afternoon, Chai Mi deliberately closed her stall early and came back. Just as she entered the courtyard, she heard Sun Baihe chopping vegetables in the kitchen while loudly complaining to Su Wan: "... You say Chai Mi, this girl, her heart is too hard! Her father is lying there, and she acts like nothing happened! That coffin—saying to smash it, saying to carry it away—who is she trying to scare? In my opinion, she just has money to burn and doesn't respect her elders at all!"

Su Wan whispered in persuasion: "Second Aunt, say a few less words... Chai Mi is also desperate..."

Chai Mi didn't stop her steps and walked straight in. Sun Baihe saw her, the sound of chopping vegetables stopped abruptly, a flash of panic crossed her face, and then she forced herself to calm down.

"Second Aunt, how is the rice coming along?" Chai Mi said in her usual tone, sweeping a glance at the cutting board.

"Almost, almost! Stewed Chinese cabbage with vermicelli, it'll be ready right away!" Sun Baihe answered quickly, speeding up her hand movements.

Chai Mi said nothing more, quietly putting the fountain pen and ink she bought for Chai Xiu back into her own room. When she came out, Chai Youlu and Dongzi had also returned from work, their trouser legs covered in mud, exhausted to the point of being scorching. Chai Youlu saw Chai Mi and said dully: "The corn at the foot of the mountain, we've cut seven or eight mu by today. It's just that the ground is too muddy, very hard work."

"You've worked hard, Second Uncle." Chai Mi nodded, "Is Dongzi exhausted?"

Dongzi smiled honestly: "It's fine, Sister."

There wasn't much to do in the afternoon; Chai Mi was busy with other things, and since it was still drizzling, dinner was just managed.

At dinner, Sun Baihe was especially "enthusiastic," picking up a lot of vegetables into the bowls of Chai Youlu and Dongzi, muttering: "Eat more, working is tiring! Unlike some people, sitting at home, not blown by wind or rained on..." Her eyes, however, glanced at Chai Mi.

Chai Mi pretended not to hear, picking up a piece of soft, stewed cabbage stalk for Chai Xiu. Chai Xiu poked at her rice, then suddenly said softly: "Sister, this afternoon Second Aunt picked me up, and on the road we met Wang Pozi."

"Hmm? What did she say?" Chai Mi asked.

"Wang Pozi asked Second Aunt," Chai Xiu imitated Wang Pozi's yin-yang strange tone, "'Oh, Sister-in-law Baihe, acting as the old mother for Chai Mi's family? Cooking and picking up the child, you must be getting a lot of wages, right?'"

The atmosphere at the table froze instantly. Sun Baihe's face "peng" turned red, her chopsticks "pa" slapped on the table: "That old undying thing! How sharp her mouth is! I'm helping my niece's family, when is it her turn to chew maggots?"

Chai Xiu was startled and stopped speaking.

Chai Mi put down her bowl, looking at Sun Baihe: "Second Aunt, Wang Pozi's mouth has been cheap for more than a day or two; why get angry with her? Let her say what she wants; as long as we do our work clearly and take our money with a clear conscience, it's fine. Don't you think so?"

Sun Baihe was choked in the chest by Chai Mi's soft nail, wanted to flare up but had no reason, held it in for half a day, then angrily picked up her chopsticks again: "Eat, eat! Why mention that Star of Misfortune!"

At night, while Chai Xiu did her homework, Chai Mi took out the fountain pen and ink. "For you."

"Mm. Use it sparingly, don't lose it. Practice your handwriting well; if you write that ugly again, I'll confiscate it." Chai Mi put on a stern face, but there was a hint of a smile in her eyes.

"Mm mm mm! I'll definitely write well!" Chai Xiu nodded hard, impatiently unscrewed the ink bottle, imitating an adult, carefully sucking ink with the pen tip, but still smudged a bit on her finger; she didn't care at all, carefully wiped the pen clean like a treasure, and cautiously drew a stroke on the blank space of her homework book. A clear blue line appeared.

Chai Xiu looked at that line, grinned, and smiled.