“Zhao Chunhua, you’re taking this too far! Even if I, Qian Yuemei, like to nitpick and stir up gossip, I would never harm a small child!”
Having said that, Qian Yuemei stomped off in a huff.
However, she didn’t forget to stuff the rattle drum into Little Tangbao’s hands before leaving.
Little Tangbao turned her tiny head in surprise, watching Qian Yuemei’s retreating back.
So her second sister-in-law actually possessed quite a bit of self-awareness after all.
Little Tangbao shook her small arm.
“Thump, thump, thump…”
The rattle drum immediately began to rattle.
Seeing the small rattle drum, Zhao Chunhua was instantly taken aback.
Could it be… her sister-in-law bought this for Little Sister?
Was that even possible?
Zhao Chunhua found it a bit hard to believe.
Just then, Old Lady Su lifted the door curtain and walked in.
“Mother, did you ask Sister-in-law to buy this for Little Sister?”
Zhao Chunhua pointed at the rattle drum and asked Old Lady Su.
Old Lady Su shook her head. “No.”
Immediately after, looking at the rattle drum, she asked in surprise and doubt, “This… Second Brother’s wife brought this?”
Zhao Chunhua nodded.
Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law looked at each other in mutual astonishment.
Did Second Brother’s wife lose her mind?
Autumn passed and spring returned; flowers withered and bloomed again.
In the blink of an eye, Little Tangbao was already toddling around on her own feet.
The Old Su family shed their title as the poorest household in Daliushu Village, and their days took a massive turn for the better.
Every day, the members of the Su family were beaming with joy.
Yet, despite all that, Little Tangbao wrinkled her tiny nose, feeling thoroughly gloomy and depressed.
For no other reason than the following:
“Aiyo, is this our family’s little Lucky Girl? Quick, let Grandma hold you so I can catch a bit of good luck!”
An exaggerated voice erupted from the mouth of a heavily wrinkled old woman.
Immediately after, Little Tangbao was snatched right over.
A burst of sour, stale odor rushed straight up her nose, nearly rendering Little Tangbao unconscious from the stench.
See, see? Here it came again.
Every day whenever her mother carried her outside to play, she would be aggressively fought over by a crowd of old women.
All in the name of “catching a bit of good luck.”
They even gave her a nickname: “Lucky Girl (Fu Ya)!”
She clearly had a proper name, alright?!
Old Lady Su noticed her little daughter’s displeasure.
On top of that, having smelled the foul odor emanating from Granny Li herself, she hurriedly snatched the child back into her arms.
“Sister Li, you’ve got the generational seniority all wrong—my Tangbao is of the same generation as your Ergou,” Old Lady Su said.
Though her precious daughter was young in age, her family rank was by no means small.
Granny Li looked a bit sheepish. “I just saw that Lucky Girl is even smaller than my grandson, so I didn’t wrap my head around it in time…”
Escaping Granny Li’s clutches, Little Tangbao accidentally had her tiny cheek pinched by someone else again.
“Tangbao, what’s your name? Tell Grandma?”
The corner of Little Tangbao’s mouth twitched as she used a look meant for an idiot to stare at the woman extending her grabbing hands toward her.
She was clearly calling out her name, yet asking what her name was?
Are you stupid, or is this baby stupid?
“Tangbaobao,” a milky, baby voice spilled from Tangbao’s tiny mouth.
“Aiyo, so clever!” The woman marveled, as though Tangbao had uttered something earth-shattering.
Immediately after, she gave Tangbao’s little cheek another squeeze.
It felt so good—pinching it once made her want to pinch it again.
“Third Aunt, you shouldn’t pinch a young child’s cheeks, it makes them drool easily,” Old Lady Su said helplessly.
Since Third Aunt had a good relationship with her family, Old Lady Su couldn’t bring herself to harshly scold her despite her dissatisfaction.
Really not wanting to keep being gawked at like a monkey, Little Tangbao squirmed.
“Mother, put me down.”
Seeing this, Old Lady Su set Little Tangbao down to let her play on her own.
At any rate, they were right at the entrance of the village, so nothing bad could possibly happen.
Paddling her short little legs, Little Tangbao chased a butterfly around to practice running for a while.
Then, she squatted by the roadside, putting on a gloomy, melancholic posture.
Sigh! Her damnable charm!
Carried out by her mother, she got fought over by old women.
Carried out by her father, she got fought over by old men.
Back at home, she got fought over by her brothers…
“Thump, thump, thump…”
A clatter of hooves rang out as a four-wheeled horse carriage approached from the distance.
Little Tangbao’s eyes lit up.
This could be considered an ancient Benz.
Mm-hmm, she definitely had to take a close look.
After all, Daliushu Village didn’t have any horse carriages.
Green cloth drapes hung around the four sides of the carriage, making it appear quite simple and elegant.
The big black horse pulling the carriage had swift, sturdy hooves, standing tall, mighty, and impressive.
At first glance, anyone could tell it was a fine horse.
Looking at the tuft of red fur on the big black horse’s forehead, Little Tangbao was filled with immense marvel inside.
To actually use a rare thousand-li steed to pull a carriage was a total waste of a precious talent.
Just as Little Tangbao was marveling at it, the big black horse suddenly broke into a wild gallop, charging straight toward Little Tangbao.
Little Tangbao: “…”
Whom had she provoked or offended?
Could her short little legs outrun a thousand-li horse?
No way!
Since she couldn’t outrun it, then—she wouldn’t run at all.
Thus, Little Tangbao stood by the roadside, remaining completely motionless.
In an instant, the big black horse was right in front of Little Tangbao.
Just as Little Tangbao was about to become a victim under its hooves, and as Old Lady Su let out a shrill, heart-wrenching cry, the big black horse suddenly came to slammed on a sudden brake and came to a stop.
CLANG!
“Aiyo!”
A crash sounded from inside the carriage, followed immediately by a cry of pain.
As for the driver steering the carriage, he slammed his head right into the horse’s butt, narrowly avoiding passing out on the spot.
Ignoring the chaos it had just caused, the big black horse lowered its noble head and gently nuzzled Little Tangbao.
Little Tangbao reached out a tiny hand to pat the tuft of red fur on the horse’s forehead, saying in a sweet, milky voice, “Good boy.”
As if rewarded, the big black horse grew even more tame and gentle.
“His… Young Master, are you alright?”
A panicked voice came from inside the carriage.
Immediately after, an impatient, light grumph sounded out.
Then, the carriage curtain was lifted from the inside, revealing an exquisitely beautiful little face with bright red lips and white teeth.
Except that on the forehead of that little face was a large red mark from the bump.
“Big Sister!” Little Tangbao, being a total lover of pretty faces, called out to the little beauty.
The little beauty’s face darkened; shooting Little Tangbao a fierce glare, he flung down the carriage curtain.
Little Tangbao: “…”
This “Big Sister” sure has quite a temper.
Old Lady Su had already staggered over, pulling Little Tangbao into a tight hug.
Her legs gave out, and she sank straight onto the ground.
“Tangbao… are you alright… You scared Mommy to death…”
Old Lady Su’s voice trembled like a sieve, her body shaking like a leaf in the wind.
Little Tangbao hurriedly tried to soothe her mother.
“Mommy, don’t be scared…”
Alright, she didn’t want to use baby talk either.
It’s just that her tongue didn’t seem to cooperate.
“Zhang Cheng, what happened?” An old uncle jumped down from the carriage.
The old man was beardless with a fair complexion, his voice somewhat sharp, though he appeared kindly and gentle.
At this moment, however, his face was cold and stern, his gaze toward the driver sharp as a knife.
Wiping his nose, which was bleeding from the collision with the horse’s butt, Zhang Cheng said miserably, “Uncle Wang, this horse suddenly went wild on its own and bolted, then came to a dead stop—I couldn’t hold it back at all…”
Speaking up to this point, Zhang Cheng looked over at Little Tangbao.
Why did he get the feeling that this horse ran over just to greet this little girl?
Could that… even be possible?
Zhang Cheng hurriedly shook his head.
Shaking away the weird feeling in his mind.
Following Zhang Cheng’s gaze, Wang Zhong looked over toward Little Tangbao.
“Aiyo, what a lovely and fair little girl.”
His stern face instantly transformed into a smiling tiger persona.
Yet a sharp gleam flashed through his eyes in a split second.
Little Tangbao: “…”
Feels like I’ve run into a weird uncle.