W Chapter 18

Chapter 18 “I’ll go look for him.”…

Chapter 18 “I’ll go look for him.”…

Ling Xing strung the money in the money box with hemp rope, one hundred coins per string, a total of three strings and twelve loose copper coins.

He carefully stored the three whole strings in the large wooden box, and continued to keep the twelve loose coins in the money box.

They had bean rice for lunch, and Xu Youfang, to save firewood, cooked the bean rice but it wasn’t soft.

Ling Xing’s cheeks ached from chewing, and it took a long time to swallow each mouthful.

Eating was like torture. After finally finishing, Ling Xing wanted to help clean up, but Xu Youfang pushed him back into the room to rest.

“A person who goes out to work early in the morning can’t stay idle when they come back. Quickly go to sleep and catch up on sleep. There are only two bowls, why do you have to wash them?”

Ling Xing had no choice but to lie down and rest. Xu Youfang didn’t even let Shen Lai go into the room, for fear of disturbing Ling Xing’s sleep.

At first, Ling Xing couldn’t fall asleep, but after closing his eyes for a while, he became exhausted from getting up early and the physical exertion. The feeling of fatigue swept over him after he relaxed, and he finally fell asleep.

He woke up half an hour later. Ling Xing moved his feet and found that the fatigue had reduced by more than half. He smiled with satisfaction.

He stepped on the heels of his straw sandals to avoid rubbing his heels again.

In the main room outside the curtain, Shen Lai was sitting cross-legged on the ground. Facing him were two smaller children, Shen Xiaochun and Shen Xia Xia.

“When spring comes, my second brother will hunt mountain chickens for me to eat. As long as you help me get revenge, I’ll give you a chicken leg to eat.”

The lure of meat was powerful, especially a chicken leg.

Shen Xiaochun and her younger brother swallowed their saliva. They had never eaten a chicken leg before.

But they had seen chicken legs before. Their late father had eaten them in front of them, and they smelled so good.

“But Xiaochun and I are too thin and short. We can’t beat Bao Gen.”

Shen Xiaochun couldn’t help but shrink her neck at the thought of Fang Baogen, and her voice became much smaller. “He will beat Xiaochun and me to death.”

Shen Lai frowned, displeased. “You haven’t even faced each other yet, Xiaochun, why are you backing down?”

Seeing that both siblings were timid and afraid to breathe loudly, Shen Lai used his trump card. “Do you want to eat chicken legs?”

The two siblings swallowed their saliva again. Xia Xia looked at his older sister. He listened to everything she said.

Xiaochun bit her lip, her thin face full of hesitation, struggle, horror, and shrinking.

Ling Xing felt that Xiaochun was about to be forced to tears by the entanglement in her mind, so he lifted the curtain and went out.

When Shen Lai saw Ling Xing coming out, he quickly got up from the ground, patted the dust off his butt casually. “Brother-in-law, you’re awake!”

“Yeah.” Ling Xing raised his hand and touched Shen Lai’s head. “Did Xiao Wu get bullied outside?”

Shen Lai’s eyes widened slightly, his neck stiff, afraid to move. “Brother-in-law, touch me for a while longer. I’ve never been touched like this before.”

His nemesis, Fang Baogen, often bragged to him, saying how good and gentle his mother was to him, kissing him every day, touching his head, and calling him a good son.

Shen Lai felt uncomfortable after hearing it so many times, and ran home to ask his mother to kiss him, hug him, touch his head, and call him a good son.

Then he was dragged out of the door by his mother, who warned him that if he disturbed her embroidery work again, she would ask his second brother to deal with him.

Shen Lai still remembered crying at that time. He didn’t know if he was aggrieved that his mother wouldn’t call him a good son, or angry that he would always lose to Fang Baogen here, or afraid of being dealt with by his second brother.

But later Fang Baogen couldn’t brag in front of him anymore. He had a brother-in-law to touch his head and ask him if he was being bullied.

“It’s not considered being bullied. I can handle it. It’s just that there are many of them and I’m alone, so I wanted to ask Xiaochun and Xia Xia to support me.”

Shen Lai rubbed his head against Ling Xing’s palm. He didn’t hide anything and told the truth directly.

Ling Xing glanced at Xiaochun and Xia Xia, who were also standing up. Seeing that the two children had their heads lowered and dared not say anything, he sighed softly.

“Xiao Wu, tell brother-in-law what’s going on?”

Shen Lai only felt that his brother-in-law’s voice was too gentle and he always smiled at him. He couldn’t explain why, but when he saw such a brother-in-law, Shen Lai couldn’t help but want to get close.

He would miss him after he left, and couldn’t help but want to get close and stick to him when he saw him.

Completely unable to resist his brother-in-law, Shen Lai nodded without hesitation.

Ling Xing listened carefully. This matter could be big or small.

On a small scale, it was just childish mischief. On a larger scale, it was the children in the village being xenophobic and always targeting Shen Lai.

But now there was no word or concept of bullying. Shen Lai was also carefree and didn’t think that those people were bullying him.

In addition, this child couldn’t suffer losses. If someone hit him, he would immediately hit back. So in his opinion, it was mutual fighting, not that the other party was trying to bully him, but he fought back.

The children were also afraid of Shen Lai, who would get angry and beat people up, so they would always scold him from a distance.

Before, because of Shen Hai’s death, Shen Lai had been staying at home and hadn’t gone out much. This morning, because Ling Xing wasn’t around, he was bored and wanted to wait for Ling Xing at the big tree at the entrance of the village.

Who knew he would meet those children and be scolded by them again.

Shen Lai chased them but couldn’t hit them. He couldn’t scold more than a dozen people alone, so he was furious but there was nothing he could do.

He didn’t dare to say anything when he came back, mainly because he felt ashamed that he, Shen Lai, had been scolded back home!

After Ling Xing listened, he said to Shen Lai in a warm voice, “My legs and feet are not convenient today. I’ll accompany Xiao Wu to meet them in two days.”

It wasn’t to do anything. Ling Xing just felt that this matter couldn’t be allowed to continue.

Shen Lai was so happy that he almost jumped up. He had someone to support him!

After letting Shen Lai jump for a while, Ling Xing looked at Xiaochun and Xia Xia. The two siblings lowered their heads and didn’t say anything, standing there motionless.

“Xiaochun, Xia Xia, and Xiao Wu, come to the kitchen to help. We’ll steam buns for you to eat tonight.”

Shen Lai’s eyes lit up. “Brother-in-law, you’re the best!”

Hearing that there were buns to eat, Xiaochun and Xia Xia couldn’t help but swallow their saliva. Their voices were small, and they nodded obediently. “Thank you, uncle-in-law.”

After taking the old dough starter, Ling Xing began to knead the dough. Buns needed filling. Ling Xing counted out five copper coins and gave them to Shen Lai.

Knowing that Ling Xing wanted to make buns for the children to eat, Xu Youfang took the money from the west room and exchanged it for the money in Shen Lai’s hand.

“Your brother-in-law doesn’t have it easy either. Don’t always cling to him to get benefits. Aren’t you intentionally bullying his soft heart?”

Shen Lai felt a little aggrieved. His brother-in-law kindly wanted to make delicious food for him, but in his mother’s eyes, he was clinging to his brother-in-law and asking for it.

The previous joy disappeared all at once. Shen Lai was dejected and didn’t dare to retort, so he could only nod. “I know, Mom.”

On the way to buy tofu, Shen Lai walked with his head lowered, kicking stones on the road as he walked, feeling suffocated in his heart.

Finally, he arrived at Wang FLang’s house, but they were out of tofu, so he had to go to another house.

Shen Lai suddenly didn’t want to buy tofu, and didn’t want to eat buns anymore.

Wang Juan was putting away the wooden board. He felt that the child opposite him was not right, so he quickly put down the wooden board in his hand, walked closer, and squatted down. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

“Wuuu… wuuu…”

Shen Lai couldn’t speak. He could only make sobbing sounds. Actually, it wasn’t anything, but he didn’t know why he felt so uncomfortable.

He wasn’t like this before.

Seeing Shen Lai crying sadly, Wang Juan raised his hand to wipe away his tears, and gently patted Shen Lai’s back, coaxing him not to cry.

“Good child, if you want tofu, I have a piece left at my house. I’ll cut half of it for you, and I won’t take your money. Don’t cry, a young man won’t look good if he cries too much.”

Shen Lai also wanted to not cry, but the more Wang Juan coaxed him, the more he couldn’t control himself.

“Qingya, what’s going on?”

A man in a gray robe came out of the main room. He was very tall and thin. His face was haggard and pale, but it didn’t hide his refined and handsome appearance, and he exuded a scholarly air all over his body.

Wang Juan turned his head to look, his brows slightly furrowed, very helpless. “I can’t coax the child.”

“Qilang, you come over and watch the child for a while, I’ll go cut out half a piece of tofu.”

Wang Juan nodded and came over, listening to his husband’s words, standing next to Shen Lai, his eyes always on Shen Lai, not letting the child out of his sight.

Without the soft and gentle comfort, Shen Lai’s sense of grievance was not so strong, and his emotions gradually calmed down.

By the time Wang Juan came out carrying the tofu on a cut banana leaf, Shen Lai was no longer crying.

This also made Wang Juan breathe a sigh of relief. He was not good at coaxing children and couldn’t bear to see children cry.

Half a piece of tofu was stuffed into Shen Lai’s hands by Wang Juan. Shen Lai wanted to give money, but Wang Juan resolutely refused.

“I said I don’t want your money, I don’t want your money. Take it home and eat it.”

Shen Lai was straightforward and stubborn, and didn’t want to take advantage of others. If he said he didn’t want money, he wouldn’t want the tofu.

His voice, just after crying, had a bit of a crying tone, and he was still sobbing from time to time. Wang Juan was afraid that he would cry again, so he quickly said, “Then give me two coins.”

Shen Lai nodded, took out two copper coins and handed them to Wang Juan’s hand.

After going back, Shen Lai tried his best to not show any abnormalities.

He handed the remaining three copper coins to Xu Youfang, his head always lowered. “Wang Juan said he sold out of tofu, so he gave me half of what his family was eating, and only charged me two coins.”

Xu Youfang didn’t notice anything. She took the money and went to the west room to put the money back in its place.

Shen Lai held half a piece of tofu into the kitchen. As soon as he approached Ling Xing, Ling Xing noticed something was wrong.

“Why have you been crying?”

Ling Xing took the tofu, his palm touching Shen Lai’s face. “Do you want to tell brother-in-law the reason?”

Shen Lai’s eyes turned red again uncontrollably. Why hadn’t he realized that he was such a crybaby before?

If he told his brother-in-law, would his brother-in-law understand him?

In the end, Shen Lai still spoke.

His voice was small and he spoke quickly. It wasn’t a very complicated matter, just because of his mother’s words.

“Brother-in-law, do you think I’m a crybaby?”

Shen Lai asked a little cautiously.

Ling Xing realized at this time that Shen Lai, who usually looked carefree, straightforward and cheerful, was actually always careful and sensitive.

“No, our Xiao Wu is a great child. It’s normal for you to cry. If it were me, I would also feel wronged. But Mom didn’t intentionally say bad things about Xiao Wu. The family is having a hard time, and Mom is used to saving, just hoping that we won’t starve to death. Xiao Wu, don’t worry, our days will definitely get better and better in the future.”

Shen Lai nodded sharply. “I know, we will definitely get better and better in the future.”

The two spoke in low voices. Xiaochun and Xia Xia, who were watching the pottery pot not far away waiting for the dough to rise, didn’t hear clearly either. In addition, they were focused on the pottery pot, because it was something Ling Xing had instructed them to do, and they wanted to do it well, so they didn’t pay attention to other movements.

When the buns were ready, Xu Youfang picked out two and put them in a pottery bowl.

A total of thirteen buns were made at home. Xu Youfang prepared to give them to the three children and Ling Xing to eat, to replenish their bodies.

She wanted to send the two she took out to Wang Juan’s family. They gave her tofu and charged less money. That tofu weighed more than half a catty.

“Xiao Wu, take this to Wang Juan’s house. Go quickly and come back quickly, don’t stay too long.”

Shen Lai had recovered his spirits at this time. After telling Ling Xing to choose a particularly big bun and put it in a pottery bowl to cool, he ran off with the two big buns for Wang Juan’s family.

Ling Xing chose a big bun for Shen Lai in a pottery bowl, and also chose two big ones for Xiaochun and Xia Xia. As he moved, he asked, “Mom, how much oil paper do we have left at home?”

They didn’t spend money to buy oil paper for selling buns this time. It was the game money that the shopkeeper of the oil paper shop owed Shen Hui. That person was a gambler and gambled away his shop.

Seeing that it was impossible to get the money back, Shen Hui simply took oil paper from the shop before the shop changed hands.

Shen Hui couldn’t take the other things, they were all gambled away.

Xu Youfang was arranging embroidery threads in the yard, and raised her voice to answer him, “Based on today’s usage, it’s enough for two or three months. This thing is also expensive, we have to think of something to replace it in the future.”

Oil paper was actually much cheaper than writing paper.

But it was really not cost-effective to always use oil paper for the bun stall. These were used to wrap medicinal materials, snacks, and various roasted meats. Because these were already expensive, the cost of oil paper was also included, and people didn’t think the things were expensive.

If he calculated the cost of oil paper for his bun stall, he would have to raise the price by one coin, and he was afraid that the people in town wouldn’t be willing to buy it.

Ling Xing looked at the square-cut leaves not far away. Before, the family always took bowls and basins to buy tofu, and he didn’t know that there were banana leaves that could be used here.

“Mom, today I saw that Wang Juan used banana leaves to line the tofu. Why don’t we get some, wash them, and trim them?”

If he wanted to change, he had to change it as soon as possible. If he changed it after a long time, the diners would feel uncomfortable in their hearts.

Xu Youfang thought it was feasible. “That leaf is also fine. Tell Erlang to get it from the mountain. I’ll wash it and cut it for you then.”

“I can go by myself.”

Ling Xing felt that it was not good to ask people to help him with everything. Getting leaves was not heavy work, he could do it.

Xu Youfang chuckled. “The place with those leaves is in the deep mountains, and that place is hotter than other places, so there are more snakes. No one dares to go except Wang Juan and Erlang. Wang Juan has ancestral snake repellent medicine, and Erlang is good at martial arts. Xing Ge’er, are you sure you want to go by yourself?”

Ling Xing was speechless for a moment. He wasn’t sure…

Ling Xing, who was super afraid of snakes, said, “Then I’ll trouble second younger brother.”

After sorting out the embroidery threads, Xu Youfang prepared to make dinner. Batter was quick to make, and it would be ready as soon as the water boiled.

When adding firewood, Xu Youfang’s eyebrows jumped, feeling uneasy in her heart. “Why hasn’t Xiao Wu come back after being out for so long?”

Ling Xing had already started the dough for tomorrow and left the dough starter. With nothing to do, he said, “I’ll go look for him.”