Village Belle Chapter 121
Translated by Digitalian (ko-fi)
Chapter 121: If You Don’t Grow Tall, You Won’t Get A Wife
Qin Xu didn't tolerate Qin Yu’s temper and admonished him slightly, "That's Cousin Yuntang's school supplies. You have no use for it!"
Qin Yu cried even harder. "Waaah... I want it."
Mrs Qin-Jin looked at him with heartache and gave Qin Xu a reproachful look. "Why are you yelling at him? What does a child know? Yuntang, let your cousin play with the horse for a while. He'll give it back to you later."
Xie Yuntang was somewhat reluctant. His cousins had taken his things and never returned them. Even if they did, the things were always damaged.
But not wanting to put his mother in a difficult spot, he obediently nodded. "Okay."
Mrs. Xie-Qin glanced at him, but didn't say anything more. Xie Qing frowned slightly.
Xie Gongyou, feeling sorry for his grandson, patted his head and coaxed him in a low voice, "Yuntang, I’ll buy you a few more in a few days, even better than this."
"Thank you, Grandpa." Xie Yuntang smiled affectionately.
The horse-shaped inkstone hadn't been played with for long before it fell to the ground and broke in two.
Su Tao was utterly speechless. The inkstone was so heavy; a little kid couldn't possibly hold it steady. How could he play with that? No wonder Milksop didn't like his maternal grandparents.
She looked at Milksop staring at the inkstone on the ground, patted his back, and gently coaxed, "Come on, let's go out and play."
Xie Yuntang didn't want to stay at home either, so he took the wooden bucket and went out with her, but still obediently told the elders at home.
After they were some distance from home, Su Tao suddenly flicked his forehead. "Milksop, why did you give it to him? If you didn't want to give it to him, then you shouldn’t have. You're only causing yourself grievance."
"Mom will be in a difficult position," Xie Yuntang said, touching his forehead.
Su Tao said earnestly, "If you don't refuse, your mother will be in a difficult position instead. You're a child. If you don't want to give it to him, you don't have to. Why should you give it to him just because he wants it?"
"I've encountered children like that before. He came to my house asking for this and that. I smashed everything in front of him, making him cry. After that, he never dared to come to my house again."
"You're just too soft-hearted, and easily bullied. Milksop, don't do that again in the future. If you don't like something, don't force yourself. Keeping it bottled up will make you sick." She patted his head as she spoke.
"You won't grow tall, and if you don't grow tall, you won't be able to get a wife."
Xie Yuntang seemed to understand, but not quite. He thought for a while and said, "Then I won't give anything to them next time."
"That's more like it."
Su Tao saw that there were butterflies on the dam. She glanced at Xie Yuntang and thought, ‘Oh well, I'll coax him.’ “I'll go catch a butterfly for you, Milksop."
There weren't as many butterflies as before, making them a bit harder to catch. Su Tao almost fell over, but she managed to catch one.
She proudly handed it to Xie Yuntang, saying, "Here you go, Milksop."
Xie Yuntang took it, and all his unhappiness vanished, replaced by the joy of Sister Taozi catching a butterfly for him.
"Sister Taozi, you're so amazing!"
"I'll catch you a few more in a few days when there are more butterflies." Seeing him happy, Su Tao felt happy too.
Xie Yuntang held it in his hands for a while, then said in a soft voice with a tone of negotiation, "Sister Taozi, I want to let it go, otherwise it’ll end up dead if I raise it."
"Do whatever you want, Milksop. It's your stuff, you decide, understand?" Su Tao took the opportunity to counsel him.
Xie Yuntang released the butterfly, watching it fly away. His eyes crinkled up into crescents as he softly said, "Sister Taozi, I'm so happy on my birthday this year. Celebrate with me from now on, and I'll buy you lots and lots of delicious food."
In the past, without Sister Taozi on his birthday, he would read in the attic after lunch.
His older and younger cousins were playing happily in the yard, but he didn't want to go down and play with them at all.
They cried easily, and crying would cause trouble for his mother.
Sister Taozi never cried.
"Sure, as long as there's something delicious, I'll come," Su Tao readily agreed.
Just then, Su Zhi caught up with them from somewhere and shouted, "Sister, wait for me. I want to join you!"
"Why are you going with us? If you fall, I won't help you up."
It wasn’t that Su Tao didn't want to play with him. It was just that every time she did, he would fall somehow.
Su Zhi pouted, then remembered something and rummaged in his clothes for a while before pulling out half a pastry. He said somewhat reluctantly, "Brother Yuntang, this is for your birthday."
"I haven't eaten it. I broke it in half."
"You’re willing to share the pastry?" Su Tao was incredulous that the glutton had actually shared the pastry.
It really was like the sun rising in the west.
Su Zhi was definitely unwilling, but it was Brother Yuntang's birthday today, and he usually gave him cakes to eat, so he couldn't be stingy. "I'll only give it to Brother Yuntang. I won't give any to you."
Su Tao, "..."
Xie Yuntang was also taken aback for a moment, then smiled sincerely and said, "No need..."
Before he could finish speaking, Su Tao took Su Zhi's pancake and stuffed it into Xie Yuntang's hand. "Eat it since he gave it to you."
Then she pulled Xie Yuntang forward and whispered, "If you’re too full to eat it, put it down and give it back to him tomorrow."
Xie Yuntang seemed to understand her meaning. He wrapped the pastry in a handkerchief and held it, then turned his head and said, "Thank you, Brother Su Zhi."
"You're welcome. From now on, Brother Yuntang, you can just give me cakes." Su Zhi raised his hand and wiped his nose with his sleeve.
Su Tao, "..."
She raised her hand and smacked him on the head. "You 're so thick-skinned."
"Not as thick-skinned as you, Sister. You even ate Brother Yuntang's egg," Su Zhi rubbed his head in pain and retorted angrily.
"... Su Zhi, if you say another word, I'll throw you into the field so you can't even crawl out."
"Sister, you're mean! You always bully me when you can't win an argument!"
"If I wasn't mean, I wouldn't be your sister. Shut up, or you'll scare the crabs away."
"No way, the crabs can't hear me!"
……
After playing for almost two hours, Su Tao and the others carried the bucket back to the Xie’s family’s house, where Xie Gongyou and the others were playing chess.
Mrs. Xie-Qin took a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from their brows. Then she carefully examined Xie Yuntang and, finding him to be perfectly normal, heaved a sigh of relief.
She knew perfectly well her mother favored her paternal grandson; she just didn't want to say it. After all, a maternal grandson couldn’t compare to a paternal grandson.
"We caught so many crabs! We'll clean them later and stir-fry them for dinner."
Just then, Xie Qing came in. Hearing this, he looked at the crabs in the bucket, rolled up his sleeves, and intentionally tried to coax Yuntang, "Since I’m free right now, I'll do it. Yuntang, help me."
Xie Yuntang nodded happily. "Mom, fry them in oil."
On the way back, Sister Taozi had said that fried crabs were delicious.
Mrs. Xie-Qin, of course, didn't refuse him and nodded. "Okay."
Mrs. Qin-Jin brought Qin Yu over to look, then frowned slightly. "Are these edible? If Yuntang likes crabs, I'll have someone send some over in a few days."
"Thank you, Grandma, but no need. These crabs are edible and delicious." Xie Yuntang obediently shook his head.
Mrs. Qin-Jin didn't say anything more. After a while, Qin Yu wanted to get down and play with the crabs. Xie Yuntang was about to speak, worried that he might get hurt, when Su Tao nudged him, signaling him not to speak.
Since that child liked to touch things, then let him touch them.
Sure enough, Qin Yu reached into the bucket, got pinched by a big crab, and immediately started crying.
Su Tao almost burst out laughing, but she quickly turned her head away to suppress it.
Served him right!
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Author’s Note: How hilarious. I completely forgot yesterday that those two had become bald. Thankfully, a lovely reader reminded me.
