Miao He woke up unusually early the next day. He must have kept a mental memory of what had happened the day before because he felt energized as soon as he heard the second phase of cock-crowing in the distance. Although the time he woke up could be considered astonishingly early for him, he still couldn’t beat Yang Dalang, who was already working earlier than him. When he wiped away the traces of sleep from his face, he noticed that there was already a pot of hot water waiting for him to wash.
Miao He didn’t dare use it lavishly as he pondered. ‘If I want to establish a smooth-sailing relationship with Yang Dalang, I need to give him more food cooked from the vegetables I will grow. By doing so, he can counteract any diseases attacking his body and treat them naturally as if they did not exist. Consuming vegetables grown in the living soil will benefit the body greatly.’
But, even if the future appeared to be bright, he still had to wait. There were a lot of things to do to prepare the soil. After breakfast, Miao He was told off to stay in the backyard, watching Yang Dalang loosen the soil. Yang Dalang would let the ger move because of his injured foot, so the latter took over the work and set up a low stool for Miao He to sit on and watch.
Yang Dalang had a lot of free time when he wasn’t hunting. This was because the Yang family possessed no land. Due to previous foreign migrations, the village had established a rule since ancient times that foreigners must spend twice as much silver to buy farmland in Miaojia Village, even if it was a wasteland. Thus, he thought, I’m afraid I’ll have to entrust this piece of land tightly in Miao He’s hands.
As a result, despite the fact that the old Yang family had been establishing roots in the village for several generations, the old family refused to purchase farmland due to this ridiculous rule.
The previous Lao Yang also indicated that it wasn’t that much of a necessity. Because, for one thing, you could rely on your hunting skills to make a living rather than relying on laborious field cultivation. The second was that it would be a shame to spend more silver than others just to patch up a property that didn’t have good-conditioned soil; thus, he concluded that it was more practical to save the silvers and use them to improve the quality of their life.
With the above convictions, Lao Yang’s life had gone well. Although every food they served on their table was purchased and traded with silvers, the meat the Yang family obtained from hunting cost more than the vegetables and fruits the villagers exchanged for. As a result, it appeared as if they earned and spent more than the average, and from the outside, they seemed to have great luck, blessing them with better days than most villagers, without having to think about ominous days ahead.
Not until Yang Dalang’s father’s fatal crash happened that shattered the family’s auspicious reputation, frightening everyone! After all, encountering a carnivorous and territorial animal like a tiger was not a common occurrence. Although the three men had encountered such a perilous experience, it was still by a fluke that two of them made it back successfully to their families, albeit having one of their feet at death’s door.
Since then, the villagers who revered the Yang family had realized that going to the mountains for hunting was always riskier than laborious farming. No matter how good your life is, you must still prioritize the state of your well-being. Going from small wealth to miserable poverty in the blink of an eye, on the other hand, would have an immense impact on your whole life, causing it to quickly crumble due to sudden change. To the point that younger generations, including Yang Dalang, were finding it difficult to marry.
It was not far-fetched to say that marriage in their family was a blessing. Dalang’s younger patrilineal cousin and Yang Er Shen’s eldest son, Yang Datong, was lucky to marry a young woman and to be endowed with two children. Aside from that, he no longer had to rely on mountain hunting for a living. Yang Er Shen was afraid as a result of the terrible catastrophe, so when Yang Datong was small, he was obliged to learn carpentry or woodworking with Grandpa Li, the village’s carpenter, whether it was furniture or farming tools. That was why he married earlier than Yang Dalang.
Meanwhile, Yang Dalang had made significant progress in rapidly plowing the soil and would be finished in a short time, with the entire backyard plowed. It’s only natural that there was a section of the farmland where the soil was remarkably soft. Miao He wished silently that Yang Dalang wouldn’t notice, because he was afraid that the man would know that he had walked around and dug a hole, even though he made sure to fill it properly the day before. Meanwhile, as Yang Dalang just sort of sensed something was wrong and felt that he hadn’t paid close attention to what was going on, a sudden noise of palladium being smashed down rang out. He couldn’t help but look at Miao He with more suspicion in his eyes.
Miao He smiled, dodging, “What’s the matter? Are you thirsty? I’ll get you water!”
As soon as he stood up, Yang Dalang’s voice thundered toward him, “No. Sit down.”
Miao He didn’t dare to twist the tiger’s whiskers. He was very obedient, placed his hands on his thighs, patted them, and sat down obediently. He shifted the subject immediately and put on an earnest facade. “By the way, I need you to dig another hole outside after loosening the ground. The diameter equals the length of one arm. After you’ve completed digging, gather some fallen leaves and trash to bury in the hole and cover it with wooden planks. It will eventually be decomposed and turned into a good fertilizer.”
After trying out the living soil in his previous life, Miao He gradually became interested in home gardening and cooking. He was eager to learn the former so that he could better plant new seeds, but the gods were not on his side because the only space available for planting was in the flower pots on his house’s balcony. Aside from that, he dedicated himself and time to learn to cook because he had such a magnificent assortment of ingredients at his disposal that he wanted to complement them with matching cooking artistry. But by no means did he squander any food.
Back then, Miao He had experimented with simple composting techniques. Because he lived in the city, he couldn’t utilize it if it was too difficult. At most, he might experiment with this form of compost because it was appropriate for the environment in which he had resided. The excavated pits were replaced with wooden boxes, and the vegetables produced with the soil combined with the curated compost fertilizer from the wooden boxes, to his disappointment, didn’t taste particularly nice. He rummaged through his mind for it, and though there appeared to be animal excrement fertilizer, he had no memory of a fertilizer that used dried leaves. He had no intention of doing it, but he wanted to utilize it instead because it would be an excellent way to conceal the actual source of his soon-to-be beautifully produced vegetables. So once the villagers queried about gardening techniques and secrets, he would have an excuse to expound on why his vegetables were superior to ordinary counterparts.
“Since the pit will be quite large, it must have two empty spaces, and the wooden lid must fit perfectly on the surface of the hole, else it will not work!” Miao He continued seriously, “This is my unique method of vegetable cultivation. Can you hide this from other people for it to work?”
Yang Dalang wiped away the sweat trickling into his eyes, a sound of agreement reverberated with his mouth closed, and continued digging the soil. As Miao He removed his gaze away from Dalang’s face, he noticed that the latter’s entire back was drenched in sweat, causing his shirt to become see-through and stuck to his back. Miao He’s guilt rose back again, and without thinking, blurted, “It’s better to drink some water first. So sweaty, go and replenish your energy.”
Yang Dalang glanced back at him and saw the anxious yet warm gaze had reappeared in Miao He’s eyes once more, causing him to pause for a second. Although he felt it was unnecessary, he dropped the shovel and obediently went to find water to drink. When he returned, he carried a glass of water with him.
After a brief pause, Yang Dalang grabbed the abandoned shovel and began plowing where he stopped. Miao He directed him to plant a row of vegetables along the side of the loosened ground as soon as he finished overturning the courtyard soil. This type of planting approach, Miao He said to Yang Dalang, was based on his personal experience. The vegetables would grow better if the old ones were planted on the outer sides, followed by the fresh ones placed in the center. This methodology, without a doubt, should not be followed by others, as it served merely to disguise the mystery cultivation.
It was a good thing Yang Dalang didn’t ask for much. The former dutifully obeyed the latter’s instructions, preventing Miao He from making things up further. Yang Dalang was just halfway through when he heard a knock on the door.
“Is there anyone inside? Brother He?”
Yang Dalang stood up, patting his soiled and dusty hands off of any residue, and headed to answer the door, leaving Miao He sitting gracefully in the rear yard. Not long enough, Yang Dalang appeared leading a delicate and pretty young ger in the backyard. The small ger had a tanned complexion that complemented his slender body, as well as his slightly droopy eyes that seemed to emit an atmosphere of innocence surrounding him. He followed slowly behind Yang Dalang’s powerful physique, and Miao He wasn’t sure if the former was afraid or something else, but this intriguing young ger kept stealing glance after glance at Yang Dalang like a rat.
When they went out the inner door, the mysterious ger gently lifted his semi-bowed head, and as soon as his eyes caught the sight of Miao He’s form, he quickly scurried over. “Are you all right, Brother He? I was very concerned when I learned you had been harmed. I’d always wanted to pay you a visit, but A-niang refused to let me, but when she went to town today, I couldn’t miss such an opportunity, so I sneaked out.”
Miao He offered a smile at him.
This younger ger’s name was Miao Min, and he lived close to Miao He’s family residence. The two were about the same age, and the original host considered him as a close childhood friend because they used to play together all the time when they were younger. It’s just that Miao Min’s family’s socioeconomic circumstances were slightly worse than Miao He’s. The latter had a prosperous family, so whenever he had a snack, he would constantly divide it in half to share with Miao Min, gradually earning Miao Min’s loyalty and gravely becoming a lifelong follower of Miao He.
To be honest, Miao He didn’t know what to evaluate him as.
The original host and Miao Min regarded each other as brothers in arms because they were both gers, and when they were together, the former naturally listened to Miao Min’s words. Apart from Miao Yuan, this Miao Min frequently confused him through the eyes and ears of the original host, who saw and listened to everything Miao Min did, such as when Miao He politely offered a greeting to them, Miao Min would make unusual fun of it. This was something to be concerned about. As to why Miao Min kept doing that, he knew that Miao He loved listening to it when he made fun of his greeting. To the point where, no matter what Miao Yuan thought of it, Miao Yuan would make Miao He believed it was eight, even if it was only six.
Miao He had to stop criticizing his memories of them at this point. After all, he would only become burdened by his personal feelings if he kept dwelling on them. He also couldn’t push the blame onto others. However, after the original host was forced by his own family to marry into the old Yang’s family, Miao Min was actually the one who threaded needles for Miao Yuan and the original host.
‘Was it not mentioned that the original host had still entangled himself with Miao Yuan after marriage?’
It was the thread pulled up by Miao Min. At that time, he said that he would shop in the town with Miao He, to help Miao He choose some things that Miao He’s husband would wear in their future days together. But it was all part of a plot to bring the original host to the private school in the town where Miao Yuan was studying. That day, when Miao He waited until Miao Yuan finished his class and rushed up to the man to inquire about his day, a person who also lived in the same village as them had witnessed that particular scene and was the reason why the entanglement had spread.
So was Miao Min a genuine friend who looked out for the original host? Or was it simply to swindle benefits from the original Miao He, regardless of whether it pleased him or not? From Miao He’s perspective, he feared it was more of the latter.
In any case, he still should fulfill Miao Min’s trusted friend with his current role. “I merely twisted my leg, and it’s not that serious. I was just resting when you came by. Thanks for worrying, though. Hm, you were always trying to look for me. By the way, is there something you need to discuss with me?”
Before Miao Min answered him, his eyes sneakily glanced over at Yang Dalang’s direction, who was kept occupied as he diligently continued to work on the soil. Miao Min leaned over to Miao He and whispered, “If you don’t mind, Brother He, there are some things I have to say to you, alone. So, how about we change the place first.”
Miao He slowly blinked, inwardly expressing his skepticism about this person because he felt that this person obviously lacked character. He had brazenly helped the original host in seeing Miao Yuan in town when he wanted to flee the marriage, yet now he had the nerve to hesitate in front of Yang Dalang.
‘What kind of bullshit is this? This gave me the impression that the original host’s injustice had gone unaddressed.’
“I’m sorry, but my foot isn’t fully healed yet, so I can’t walk that much. You can just say what you need to say here,” Miao He responded, making it clear that he didn’t want any part of it.
Miao Min’s delicate face twitched in surprise, and he quickly shook his head, and said, “Oh, right, never mind that. Actually, I’ve made up my mind about getting married. And as a courtesy of our friendship, I felt that I should share it with you first.”
The ladies in this village weren’t like the ones in the town that married at such a young age. Some illnesses and incidents could frequently occur in the village, so if they were to tie down the knot at such a young age, who knows what kind of incident would befall in the future. And when it comes, there will be no turning back. Plus, you would need to spend time-saving for the marriage dowry. So, until it comes to the age of marriage, there is still a lot of time.
“Really?! Then congratulations, which man is it?” Miao He asked sincerely.
Miao Min blushed and pursed his lips, mumbling, “Yes, it’s Brother A-liang from Grandpa Jue’s house.”
‘Wait, isn’t that Miao Jue’s third brother’s second grandson, as well as Miao Yuan’s distant tang di?!’
Miao Yuan and A-liang were still living in Miao Jue’s house as there hadn’t been any separation of the family members. Simply because the family relied on laborious farming and there were only a few brothers who actually helped with farming. They could rely on Miao Jue to continue providing for their school expenses as they study for the imperial exam.
And this particular relative, to be known by the original host in such an absurd manner, Miao He had no idea what kind of impression he should make. Miao Liang had previously stood by Miao Yuan’s side and was surprised to learn that the former host was unaware of how they had become so close. Nowadays, it has become the norm for a one’s lover to become involved with his best friend, but the original Miao He wasn’t human, because even after learning about it, he still refused to admit how painful and sour it was.
Apparently, Miao Min didn’t seem to worry about those things and continued to share his detailed story, with his head bowed in a bashful manner, “I thought I really had to marry the person next door, Wangjiacun. Even though I am a ger, and my family is poor, my dad insists on a grand wedding ceremony and extravagant gifts that a normal person would not even care about. Unexpectedly, who would have imagined that Brother A-liang indeed came and begged his father, and got beaten in return.”
Miao He thought about the mentioned set of characters and smiled weakly, “It’s not very good. But I will definitely go for a drink.”
“Well, you must come ah! The marriage will undoubtedly include liquor, and Yuan-ge will be there too.” Miao Min said, deliberately whispering the final words.
Miao He had a dark thought in his heart. ‘Is this Miao Min a CP fan of the former Miao He and Miao Yuan?’ He’s definitely a black fan. Otherwise, why would he be so enthusiastic about letting Miao He go out off the wall?
Miao He dryly replied, “So what? Yang Dalang would be with me anyway,” trying his best not to act out of character.
Miao Min’s gaze was drawn back to Yang Dalang, who was working not far away. “Leave it to me; I’ll find an opportunity for you.”
“Let’s talk about it later, okay?” Miao He said and rolled his eyes inwardly. Then he stood up, signaling that it was time to say goodbye to the guests!
In the vegetable field, Yang Dalang noticed the movement of a certain person. He wiped the sweat trickling down his face, walked over, and asked, “What?”
Miao He shook his head, “Send Brother Min off for me, I’ll just stay here.”
“Well,” Yang Dalang turned around, waiting for Miao Min to move.
Miao Min was taken aback by how things ended. He intentionally came here to inform Brother He of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He had assumed that the person would be overjoyed to hear the news and that, as a token of gratitude, Miao He would give him some pieces of cloth he could use to make a new purse for Brother A-liang.
But he hadn’t expected that Brother He would react so coldly. Miao Min stared at Miao He with slight suspicion in his eyes. As for the receiver, Miao He was nervous about being exposed and hastily pulled up a blank expression. Only then did Miao Min woke up from his stupor and blinked as he finally understood.
En, he thought that when Brother He heard about his marriage Miao He would be reminded of his dreadful marriage experiences and would feel dispirited about it.
Thinking about it: atop all conditions, Brother He was worse than himself. The state of their family was clearly at its pinnacle, and his appearance was unrivaled, but the only drawback was that he couldn’t be with his beloved person, Brother A-yuan. Miao Min thought Miao He wasn’t as good as himself in the end. Yes, it was truly pitiful.
Inadvertently having tasted a sense of superiority that he had never felt before, Miao Min didn’t have any self-awareness of what he should do to conceal it. He just instinctively felt that he should probably come over to comfort brother He in the future, so he said, “Then Brother He, I’ll be going now. I’ll come to see you again the other day.”
Miao He waved his hand goodbye as a sign of farewell. He then let out a sigh of relief after sending the person away.
Miao He woke up unusually early the next day. He must have kept a mental memory of what had happened the day before because he felt energized as soon as he heard the second phase of cock-crowing in the distance. Although the time he woke up could be considered astonishingly early for him, he still couldn’t beat Yang Dalang, who was already working earlier than him. When he wiped away the traces of sleep from his face, he noticed that there was already a pot of hot water waiting for him to wash.
Miao He didn’t dare use it lavishly as he pondered. ‘If I want to establish a smooth-sailing relationship with Yang Dalang, I need to give him more food cooked from the vegetables I will grow. By doing so, he can counteract any diseases attacking his body and treat them naturally as if they did not exist. Consuming vegetables grown in the living soil will benefit the body greatly.’
But, even if the future appeared to be bright, he still had to wait. There were a lot of things to do to prepare the soil. After breakfast, Miao He was told off to stay in the backyard, watching Yang Dalang loosen the soil. Yang Dalang would let the ger move because of his injured foot, so the latter took over the work and set up a low stool for Miao He to sit on and watch.
Yang Dalang had a lot of free time when he wasn’t hunting. This was because the Yang family possessed no land. Due to previous foreign migrations, the village had established a rule since ancient times that foreigners must spend twice as much silver to buy farmland in Miaojia Village, even if it was a wasteland. Thus, he thought, I’m afraid I’ll have to entrust this piece of land tightly in Miao He’s hands.
As a result, despite the fact that the old Yang family had been establishing roots in the village for several generations, the old family refused to purchase farmland due to this ridiculous rule.
The previous Lao Yang also indicated that it wasn’t that much of a necessity. Because, for one thing, you could rely on your hunting skills to make a living rather than relying on laborious field cultivation. The second was that it would be a shame to spend more silver than others just to patch up a property that didn’t have good-conditioned soil; thus, he concluded that it was more practical to save the silvers and use them to improve the quality of their life.
With the above convictions, Lao Yang’s life had gone well. Although every food they served on their table was purchased and traded with silvers, the meat the Yang family obtained from hunting cost more than the vegetables and fruits the villagers exchanged for. As a result, it appeared as if they earned and spent more than the average, and from the outside, they seemed to have great luck, blessing them with better days than most villagers, without having to think about ominous days ahead.
Not until Yang Dalang’s father’s fatal crash happened that shattered the family’s auspicious reputation, frightening everyone! After all, encountering a carnivorous and territorial animal like a tiger was not a common occurrence. Although the three men had encountered such a perilous experience, it was still by a fluke that two of them made it back successfully to their families, albeit having one of their feet at death’s door.
Since then, the villagers who revered the Yang family had realized that going to the mountains for hunting was always riskier than laborious farming. No matter how good your life is, you must still prioritize the state of your well-being. Going from small wealth to miserable poverty in the blink of an eye, on the other hand, would have an immense impact on your whole life, causing it to quickly crumble due to sudden change. To the point that younger generations, including Yang Dalang, were finding it difficult to marry.
It was not far-fetched to say that marriage in their family was a blessing. Dalang’s younger patrilineal cousin and Yang Er Shen’s eldest son, Yang Datong, was lucky to marry a young woman and to be endowed with two children. Aside from that, he no longer had to rely on mountain hunting for a living. Yang Er Shen was afraid as a result of the terrible catastrophe, so when Yang Datong was small, he was obliged to learn carpentry or woodworking with Grandpa Li, the village’s carpenter, whether it was furniture or farming tools. That was why he married earlier than Yang Dalang.
Meanwhile, Yang Dalang had made significant progress in rapidly plowing the soil and would be finished in a short time, with the entire backyard plowed. It’s only natural that there was a section of the farmland where the soil was remarkably soft. Miao He wished silently that Yang Dalang wouldn’t notice, because he was afraid that the man would know that he had walked around and dug a hole, even though he made sure to fill it properly the day before. Meanwhile, as Yang Dalang just sort of sensed something was wrong and felt that he hadn’t paid close attention to what was going on, a sudden noise of palladium being smashed down rang out. He couldn’t help but look at Miao He with more suspicion in his eyes.
Miao He smiled, dodging, “What’s the matter? Are you thirsty? I’ll get you water!”
As soon as he stood up, Yang Dalang’s voice thundered toward him, “No. Sit down.”
Miao He didn’t dare to twist the tiger’s whiskers. He was very obedient, placed his hands on his thighs, patted them, and sat down obediently. He shifted the subject immediately and put on an earnest facade. “By the way, I need you to dig another hole outside after loosening the ground. The diameter equals the length of one arm. After you’ve completed digging, gather some fallen leaves and trash to bury in the hole and cover it with wooden planks. It will eventually be decomposed and turned into a good fertilizer.”
After trying out the living soil in his previous life, Miao He gradually became interested in home gardening and cooking. He was eager to learn the former so that he could better plant new seeds, but the gods were not on his side because the only space available for planting was in the flower pots on his house’s balcony. Aside from that, he dedicated himself and time to learn to cook because he had such a magnificent assortment of ingredients at his disposal that he wanted to complement them with matching cooking artistry. But by no means did he squander any food.
Back then, Miao He had experimented with simple composting techniques. Because he lived in the city, he couldn’t utilize it if it was too difficult. At most, he might experiment with this form of compost because it was appropriate for the environment in which he had resided. The excavated pits were replaced with wooden boxes, and the vegetables produced with the soil combined with the curated compost fertilizer from the wooden boxes, to his disappointment, didn’t taste particularly nice. He rummaged through his mind for it, and though there appeared to be animal excrement fertilizer, he had no memory of a fertilizer that used dried leaves. He had no intention of doing it, but he wanted to utilize it instead because it would be an excellent way to conceal the actual source of his soon-to-be beautifully produced vegetables. So once the villagers queried about gardening techniques and secrets, he would have an excuse to expound on why his vegetables were superior to ordinary counterparts.
“Since the pit will be quite large, it must have two empty spaces, and the wooden lid must fit perfectly on the surface of the hole, else it will not work!” Miao He continued seriously, “This is my unique method of vegetable cultivation. Can you hide this from other people for it to work?”
Yang Dalang wiped away the sweat trickling into his eyes, a sound of agreement reverberated with his mouth closed, and continued digging the soil. As Miao He removed his gaze away from Dalang’s face, he noticed that the latter’s entire back was drenched in sweat, causing his shirt to become see-through and stuck to his back. Miao He’s guilt rose back again, and without thinking, blurted, “It’s better to drink some water first. So sweaty, go and replenish your energy.”
Yang Dalang glanced back at him and saw the anxious yet warm gaze had reappeared in Miao He’s eyes once more, causing him to pause for a second. Although he felt it was unnecessary, he dropped the shovel and obediently went to find water to drink. When he returned, he carried a glass of water with him.
After a brief pause, Yang Dalang grabbed the abandoned shovel and began plowing where he stopped. Miao He directed him to plant a row of vegetables along the side of the loosened ground as soon as he finished overturning the courtyard soil. This type of planting approach, Miao He said to Yang Dalang, was based on his personal experience. The vegetables would grow better if the old ones were planted on the outer sides, followed by the fresh ones placed in the center. This methodology, without a doubt, should not be followed by others, as it served merely to disguise the mystery cultivation.
It was a good thing Yang Dalang didn’t ask for much. The former dutifully obeyed the latter’s instructions, preventing Miao He from making things up further. Yang Dalang was just halfway through when he heard a knock on the door.
“Is there anyone inside? Brother He?”
Yang Dalang stood up, patting his soiled and dusty hands off of any residue, and headed to answer the door, leaving Miao He sitting gracefully in the rear yard. Not long enough, Yang Dalang appeared leading a delicate and pretty young ger in the backyard. The small ger had a tanned complexion that complemented his slender body, as well as his slightly droopy eyes that seemed to emit an atmosphere of innocence surrounding him. He followed slowly behind Yang Dalang’s powerful physique, and Miao He wasn’t sure if the former was afraid or something else, but this intriguing young ger kept stealing glance after glance at Yang Dalang like a rat.
When they went out the inner door, the mysterious ger gently lifted his semi-bowed head, and as soon as his eyes caught the sight of Miao He’s form, he quickly scurried over. “Are you all right, Brother He? I was very concerned when I learned you had been harmed. I’d always wanted to pay you a visit, but A-niang refused to let me, but when she went to town today, I couldn’t miss such an opportunity, so I sneaked out.”
Miao He offered a smile at him.
This younger ger’s name was Miao Min, and he lived close to Miao He’s family residence. The two were about the same age, and the original host considered him as a close childhood friend because they used to play together all the time when they were younger. It’s just that Miao Min’s family’s socioeconomic circumstances were slightly worse than Miao He’s. The latter had a prosperous family, so whenever he had a snack, he would constantly divide it in half to share with Miao Min, gradually earning Miao Min’s loyalty and gravely becoming a lifelong follower of Miao He.
To be honest, Miao He didn’t know what to evaluate him as.
The original host and Miao Min regarded each other as brothers in arms because they were both gers, and when they were together, the former naturally listened to Miao Min’s words. Apart from Miao Yuan, this Miao Min frequently confused him through the eyes and ears of the original host, who saw and listened to everything Miao Min did, such as when Miao He politely offered a greeting to them, Miao Min would make unusual fun of it. This was something to be concerned about. As to why Miao Min kept doing that, he knew that Miao He loved listening to it when he made fun of his greeting. To the point where, no matter what Miao Yuan thought of it, Miao Yuan would make Miao He believed it was eight, even if it was only six.
Miao He had to stop criticizing his memories of them at this point. After all, he would only become burdened by his personal feelings if he kept dwelling on them. He also couldn’t push the blame onto others. However, after the original host was forced by his own family to marry into the old Yang’s family, Miao Min was actually the one who threaded needles for Miao Yuan and the original host.
‘Was it not mentioned that the original host had still entangled himself with Miao Yuan after marriage?’
It was the thread pulled up by Miao Min. At that time, he said that he would shop in the town with Miao He, to help Miao He choose some things that Miao He’s husband would wear in their future days together. But it was all part of a plot to bring the original host to the private school in the town where Miao Yuan was studying. That day, when Miao He waited until Miao Yuan finished his class and rushed up to the man to inquire about his day, a person who also lived in the same village as them had witnessed that particular scene and was the reason why the entanglement had spread.
So was Miao Min a genuine friend who looked out for the original host? Or was it simply to swindle benefits from the original Miao He, regardless of whether it pleased him or not? From Miao He’s perspective, he feared it was more of the latter.
In any case, he still should fulfill Miao Min’s trusted friend with his current role. “I merely twisted my leg, and it’s not that serious. I was just resting when you came by. Thanks for worrying, though. Hm, you were always trying to look for me. By the way, is there something you need to discuss with me?”
Before Miao Min answered him, his eyes sneakily glanced over at Yang Dalang’s direction, who was kept occupied as he diligently continued to work on the soil. Miao Min leaned over to Miao He and whispered, “If you don’t mind, Brother He, there are some things I have to say to you, alone. So, how about we change the place first.”
Miao He slowly blinked, inwardly expressing his skepticism about this person because he felt that this person obviously lacked character. He had brazenly helped the original host in seeing Miao Yuan in town when he wanted to flee the marriage, yet now he had the nerve to hesitate in front of Yang Dalang.
‘What kind of bullshit is this? This gave me the impression that the original host’s injustice had gone unaddressed.’
“I’m sorry, but my foot isn’t fully healed yet, so I can’t walk that much. You can just say what you need to say here,” Miao He responded, making it clear that he didn’t want any part of it.
Miao Min’s delicate face twitched in surprise, and he quickly shook his head, and said, “Oh, right, never mind that. Actually, I’ve made up my mind about getting married. And as a courtesy of our friendship, I felt that I should share it with you first.”
The ladies in this village weren’t like the ones in the town that married at such a young age. Some illnesses and incidents could frequently occur in the village, so if they were to tie down the knot at such a young age, who knows what kind of incident would befall in the future. And when it comes, there will be no turning back. Plus, you would need to spend time-saving for the marriage dowry. So, until it comes to the age of marriage, there is still a lot of time.
“Really?! Then congratulations, which man is it?” Miao He asked sincerely.
Miao Min blushed and pursed his lips, mumbling, “Yes, it’s Brother A-liang from Grandpa Jue’s house.”
‘Wait, isn’t that Miao Jue’s third brother’s second grandson, as well as Miao Yuan’s distant tang di?!’
Miao Yuan and A-liang were still living in Miao Jue’s house as there hadn’t been any separation of the family members. Simply because the family relied on laborious farming and there were only a few brothers who actually helped with farming. They could rely on Miao Jue to continue providing for their school expenses as they study for the imperial exam.
And this particular relative, to be known by the original host in such an absurd manner, Miao He had no idea what kind of impression he should make. Miao Liang had previously stood by Miao Yuan’s side and was surprised to learn that the former host was unaware of how they had become so close. Nowadays, it has become the norm for a one’s lover to become involved with his best friend, but the original Miao He wasn’t human, because even after learning about it, he still refused to admit how painful and sour it was.
Apparently, Miao Min didn’t seem to worry about those things and continued to share his detailed story, with his head bowed in a bashful manner, “I thought I really had to marry the person next door, Wangjiacun. Even though I am a ger, and my family is poor, my dad insists on a grand wedding ceremony and extravagant gifts that a normal person would not even care about. Unexpectedly, who would have imagined that Brother A-liang indeed came and begged his father, and got beaten in return.”
Miao He thought about the mentioned set of characters and smiled weakly, “It’s not very good. But I will definitely go for a drink.”
“Well, you must come ah! The marriage will undoubtedly include liquor, and Yuan-ge will be there too.” Miao Min said, deliberately whispering the final words.
Miao He had a dark thought in his heart. ‘Is this Miao Min a CP fan of the former Miao He and Miao Yuan?’ He’s definitely a black fan. Otherwise, why would he be so enthusiastic about letting Miao He go out off the wall?
Miao He dryly replied, “So what? Yang Dalang would be with me anyway,” trying his best not to act out of character.
Miao Min’s gaze was drawn back to Yang Dalang, who was working not far away. “Leave it to me; I’ll find an opportunity for you.”
“Let’s talk about it later, okay?” Miao He said and rolled his eyes inwardly. Then he stood up, signaling that it was time to say goodbye to the guests!
In the vegetable field, Yang Dalang noticed the movement of a certain person. He wiped the sweat trickling down his face, walked over, and asked, “What?”
Miao He shook his head, “Send Brother Min off for me, I’ll just stay here.”
“Well,” Yang Dalang turned around, waiting for Miao Min to move.
Miao Min was taken aback by how things ended. He intentionally came here to inform Brother He of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He had assumed that the person would be overjoyed to hear the news and that, as a token of gratitude, Miao He would give him some pieces of cloth he could use to make a new purse for Brother A-liang.
But he hadn’t expected that Brother He would react so coldly. Miao Min stared at Miao He with slight suspicion in his eyes. As for the receiver, Miao He was nervous about being exposed and hastily pulled up a blank expression. Only then did Miao Min woke up from his stupor and blinked as he finally understood.
En, he thought that when Brother He heard about his marriage Miao He would be reminded of his dreadful marriage experiences and would feel dispirited about it.
Thinking about it: atop all conditions, Brother He was worse than himself. The state of their family was clearly at its pinnacle, and his appearance was unrivaled, but the only drawback was that he couldn’t be with his beloved person, Brother A-yuan. Miao Min thought Miao He wasn’t as good as himself in the end. Yes, it was truly pitiful.
Inadvertently having tasted a sense of superiority that he had never felt before, Miao Min didn’t have any self-awareness of what he should do to conceal it. He just instinctively felt that he should probably come over to comfort brother He in the future, so he said, “Then Brother He, I’ll be going now. I’ll come to see you again the other day.”
Miao He waved his hand goodbye as a sign of farewell. He then let out a sigh of relief after sending the person away.
