“Wuwu, I don’t want to live anymore! This is driving us to death! Heavens, open your eyes and look! They’re going to drive my whole family to death for the sake of a fool!”
A young woman was rolling around on the ground. Her coarse cloth dress, which was already of an indistinguishable color, had become even filthier, and her face, turned blue-purple from the cold, was filled with despair.
She reached out to slap the snotty boy beside her, cursing even louder, “I’ll beat you to death, you blind brat! Didn’t you know their fool is a treasure?
“You’re just a fatherless bastard; it’s a miracle from the Heavens that you haven’t starved to death! What do you have to pay them with! You might as well just die—let’s die together, mother and son!”
Under the eaves sat an old man wearing a black cotton jacket. The fabric was somewhat faded from washing and covered in patches; this was the owner of the courtyard, Sixth Master Tai.
His hair was graying, his face sallow and thin, and his eye sockets were deeply sunken. However, his tall frame had not allowed his shoulders to slump despite old age and hardship; his back remained ramrod straight.
Listening to the woman’s shameless behavior, Sixth Master Tai slapped the table with a bang and scolded, “Xiao Jiu’s Wife, my girl may be simple-minded, but who was she bothering by playing quietly by herself?
“Your Gousheng pushed her down for no reason and she hit her head. That is a total lack of conscience!
“We didn’t ask for money or medicine fees; we just wanted two catties of grain to nourish the girl’s body. Are you planning to welsh on that too?
“If you can’t afford to pay, just say you can’t afford to pay. Are you acting like a shrew because you think my family is an easy target?!”
The woman wanted to argue further, but when she looked up and saw the old man’s murderous aura, she shrank her neck.
In the end, she didn’t dare to act out anymore and could only hold her son while crying incessantly.
“Wuwu, it was just children playing together; Gousheng didn’t do it on purpose! Pity me, my husband is dead and my mother-in-law is paralyzed on the kang.
“Wuwu, I have no other way. If there were any grain at home, Gousheng wouldn’t be crying from hunger every day…”
A widow and her orphan child did indeed evoke more pity.
The villagers watching the commotion from outside took this in and couldn’t help but chime in to persuade Old Man Tai.
“Sixth Uncle, Gousheng is so hungry his neck is thinner than a hemp stalk. There’s probably truly nothing left to eat in their house!”
“That’s right, Sixth Uncle. Life hasn’t been easy these past few years; so many people have starved to death. Your girl was born foolish, but your family has tightened your belts and gone hungry just to feed her until she’s white and plump; you’ve already done right by her. If she doesn’t wake up this time, the girl hasn’t lost out either. Don’t fuss anymore, it’s not worth it…”
Sixth Master Tai swept a cold gaze over his fellow clansmen and said with a dark face, “This is our family’s business; there is no need for you to trouble yourselves! Everyone disperse. I will seek out the Clan Leader to discuss this matter together.”
Having said that, he looked back at Gousheng’s mother. “Regardless of whether my girl can wake up this time, your family won’t be able to escape this!
“If you can’t pay in grain, then pay with labor. There must be an explanation for today’s matter! Otherwise, anyone will think they can bully my girl in the future. How would my girl survive then!”
Gousheng’s mother made a bitter face, not daring to make a sound, and pulled her son along as they scurried away trembling.
How to compensate later was a matter for later; she would dodge it day by day…
Seeing that Sixth Master Tai was truly enraged, the villagers felt a bit sheepish and quickly dispersed as well.
At this time, Third Master Tai, who had been sitting nearby and was also the Clan Leader of the Tai clan, finally spoke.
“Old Six, Xiao Jiu’s family really can’t seem to produce any grain. What do you plan to do?”
Sixth Master Tai did not hesitate in the slightest.
“Wait half a day. If Zhuzhu still doesn’t wake up, I’ll sell the land. Once I have the money, I’ll take her to see a doctor! Nothing is more important than the child. Zhuzhu must be saved.”
Standing behind him, his eldest son Tai Jizu, second son Tai Jizong, and grandsons Tai Yongan, Tai Yongning, Tai Yonglu, and Tai Yongyue all nodded in agreement. Not one of them felt it was a waste.
Third Master Tai sighed and used his sleeve to wipe away the snot brought on by the cold, disagreeing completely in his heart.
Although these past few years had brought either drought or floods and the fields had produced little, land was the very root of a farmer’s life.
This old brother of his was planning to sacrifice the lives of his entire family for the sake of a foolish girl!
He wanted to offer more advice, but someone inside the house suddenly shouted in surprise.
“Dad, come quick and look! Zhuzhu is awake!”
The courtyard fell silent for a moment before erupting into a frenzy.
Sixth Master Tai rushed in with a few strides, followed by a string of sons and grandsons, instantly filling the small west room to capacity.
On the large kang by the south window sat a woman in her thirties. She was thin with sunken eye sockets and a deathly pale complexion, made to look even more haggard by her patched jacket and trousers.
She was the eldest daughter-in-law of the Tai family, Yang Lihua.
At this moment, she held a little girl wrapped in a thin quilt in her arms.
The little girl looked to be two or three years old. Her jacket and trousers weren’t of high quality, but at least they had no patches. Her small face was white and tender, with a hint of baby fat.
However, a blue-purple swelling the size of a small steamed bun sat on the corner of her forehead, looking quite frightening.
Right now, the little girl was blinking her dark, obsidian eyes. Her long eyelashes fluttered like small fans as she lay in Yang Lihua’s arms, quietly observing everyone with the timidity of a small animal.
The whole family felt their hearts ache at the sight, hardly daring to breathe too loudly.
“Zhuzhu is awake. Does your head still hurt?”
Sixth Master Tai spoke to his little granddaughter in a soft, gentle voice, terrified of frightening the child.
Zhuzhu was startled by the old man leaning in close and instinctively burrowed further into the arms behind her.
As she moved, the swelling on her head throbbed with pain, prompting her to reach out a chubby little hand to gently touch it.
Her large eyes gradually lit up!
She poked her own fleshy little hands and then worked hard to push away the thin quilt to look at her fat little feet.
She couldn’t believe it. Clumsily, she lifted a pink and tender foot, brought it to her mouth, and took a large bite…
“Oh, Zhuzhu, you can’t bite that, it’ll hurt! Are you hungry? Mommy will make you something delicious right away!” Yang Lihua quickly stopped her daughter and turned to look at her sister-in-law at the door, Liu Dongniang—Tai Jizong’s wife—and pleaded, “Sister-in-law, the daughter-in-law of Third Aunt next door is in her postpartum month; they must have eggs.
“Help me borrow one to make steamed egg custard for Zhuzhu. Tell Third Aunt that I will definitely pay her back!”
Liu Dongniang quickly agreed and turned to leave.
Zhuzhu curled her small mouth in pain, withdrew her saliva-covered foot, and excitedly revealed two rows of tiny white teeth!
She had finally reached three hundred years old and successfully descended to the mortal world!
She had hands and feet! She was a human baby!
She was no longer a four-leaf clover that did nothing but sway in the wind and daze off every day!
Zhuzhu tilted up her white, chubby bun-like face and blinked her watery eyes as she looked at the family members before her, her little heart full of anticipation.
Suddenly, her smile turned into a look of sheer curiosity and surprise.
Why were the qi clusters above these people’s heads all a murky black color?