The relieved sign hadn’t even finished when Yang Dalang returned in such a strange mood; despite the lack of subtle differences, his face appeared more solemn and stern. Miao He wasn’t sure why, but Yang Dalang seemed grimmer than he had been when he was loosening the soil.
‘Could it be that the words Miao Min said in a low voice were heard by Yang Dalang?’ Miao He guessed in the most obvious direction.
Miao He finally came to terms with Yang Dalang’s worldview after several attempts of analyzing it. He suddenly thought that whether the former heard it or not, wasn’t this still a good opportunity to further “strengthen and express his points”? He mustn’t let this opportunity pass by!
Miao He carefully approached Yang Dalang’s side, deliberately avoiding looking into the other party’s eyes, and said, “Don’t dislike Brother Min that much ah. He was only trying to help me.”
This referred to the first and most likely be the final time Miao Min took him to see Miao Yuan. Patiently, Miao He explained to him, confident that Yang Dalang would listen and comprehend what he was saying.
“Everyone else claimed that I was the cause of the entanglement. But all I wanted to do was demand justice and be fair to myself. Everyone in the village told me I shouldn’t be doing it, but would Miao Yuan dare to swear to the heavens that he hadn’t betrayed me right in my face? I only went looking for him to see what he could say in front of me!”
After spitting out how wrong he felt, he no longer made any noise. Miao He lifted his food, one step at a time, and headed towards the house without turning his head back.
He hadn’t walked that far when Miao He’s entire body was unexpectedly enveloped by a tight embrace. The body that was pressed tightly against his back emitted a strong manly scent mixed with the smell of sweat. Miao He resisted this time, flinging off the hands that were holding him. He turned his head back to say something, with his face resembling that of a child throwing a fit.
But before he could say anything in response, Yang Dalang’s deep voice reverberated against his ears, “Go and wash when you are done.”
Miao He didn’t utter a word.
Without them noticing, their positions had been reversed. This time, the one who lost his temper was Miao He.
Yang Dalang, on the other hand, didn’t clarify or explain what he meant. He simply sat the little ger on the stool he was holding inside the house’s central hall and walked to the courtyard without making a sound.
Miao heaved a heavy sigh as he watched him walk away. He pretended to be angry out of embarrassment and tried his best not to hurt Yang Dalang with his words, all to help the original host wash white.
Those words just now were partly true and false.
The original host was unwilling to put his betrayal into question; however, he still wanted to confirm it with Miao Yuan. That’s why he’d tried to find Miao Yuan so many times in the past. But what happened in the time between their conversations was unknown.
The original Miao He mustn’t have confronted Miao Yuan in the past, as he couldn’t find any memory of it at all. Hence, Miao He weaved another tale, but this time in his own version, to emphasize his intention of drawing a clear line between himself and Miao Yuan in the future.
In this approach, if Yang Dalang was still unwilling to understand him, Miao He would more or less disperse from his life. Just thinking about it like this, Miao He’s attitude towards Yang Dalang was without a doubt, earnest.
Yang Dalang, a man with a green hat, should have been furious at the original host for coming out of the wall just to see Miao Yuan. However, following the original host’s memories, it appeared that no matter how shady, or even indifferent, the original Miao He was, Yang Dalang acted as if he hadn’t seen it all, nor did he respond like he was a part of it; but instead, merely did what he was supposed to do.
Dalang hastily married the original host to fulfill his mother’s final request before she died- to see her son married. The main reason for this was because Miao He’s family was also going through a difficult period and didn’t want to accept any betrothal gifts. Making the Yang family sigh in relief, who had been burdened by the enormous debt incurred for the treatment of Yang Dalang’s mother’s illness. Even so, the person should have been enraged, but Yang Dalang did otherwise, just basing it on how things appeared in the previous few days.
With those little doubts, Miao He couldn’t help thinking about it further.
It seemed like Yang Dalang was the only one who was forced to marry by his mother on her deathbed as his older brother was never even forced to do so. After he got married, Yang Dalang took good care of Miao He. And as the night befell upon them sleeping together, Miao He didn’t notice any sort of odd behavior. Moreover, the original host had imagined if he and Miao Yuan might still have a good relationship with Yang Dalang.
‘Wait, isn’t this development a little too familiar?‘
‘Could it be that Yang Dalang also has a Bai Yueguang and a cinnabar mole in his heart just like the original host? And because he couldn’t ask for it during those times, he just went along and married someone else?’
Then, with this theory, no matter how many times the original went out of the wall, Yang Dalang’s indifferent response was clearly sorted out.
And if the thoughts were true, wouldn’t everyone be happy? At the very least, there would be no mishaps and problems staying at the Yang household for a short while!
Miao He’s eyes glowed, and he hurriedly searched in the memories of the previous host. It’s a shame there weren’t any hints. Except for Miao Yuan, the original host really paid little attention to others.
As the thought came to an end, Yang Dalang finished the vegetable plot in the backyard. He appeared in the doorway, announced that he was going to dig a hole right away, and asked Miao He where he should dig. Miao He then responded by pointing to the ground outside the mud wall, to prevent the odor from entering the house.
Seeing Yang Dalang preoccupied with his affairs, Miao He mentally calculated the time and realized that it should be lunchtime by now.
It was a local custom to eat two meals a day, and Yang Dalang followed suit. However, Miao He felt hungry as soon as the time came, and he wasn’t sure if it was because his psychology was interfering with his physiology. He also wanted to make a treat for Dalang as compensation for his hard work, as well as get some food to fill their stomachs.
So he returned to the room and took out a small pouch of wheat flour, a bag of millet noodles, a can of salt, and a small can of oil. The oil didn’t smell like lard; Yang Dalang seemed to have gotten it from his prey. There were also dried meat strips, pickled choy sum, shriveled ginger and garlic, and an apparent shortage of fresh veggies. Obviously, he didn’t cook very often. And the food Yang Dalang brought home in the last few days was either purchased or exchanged with Aunt Yang.
Consequently, Miao He could only work with the materials he had on hand. In a bowl, he combined a small amount of wheat flour with half of the millet noodles. He kneaded it with water to form a dough, then added some oil and salt to taste, shaped it into a ball, and beat it several times on the table. The kitchen stove was lit with a flint he used- he always washed his face with warm water first thing in the morning, so he was skilled at it- and the iron pan was placed on the stove.
While waiting for the pan to heat up, the dough was divided into small lumps. Because there was no rolling pin available, the balls were flattened by hand. When the pot was hot enough, an ample amount of oil was brushed over the entire surface of the pan, and a flattened dough was placed inside. To make the cooking process quicker, Miao He cut the dough into small pieces, flipped the flatbreads on both sides, and the bings were ready in no time.
As the bings were a little charred, a distinct aroma of starch emanated from them. Miao He couldn’t stop his stomach from gurgling, so he succumbed to temptation and took a bite. The pair of eyes immediately narrowed in delight. After all, the bings were made with oil and wheat flour, so they were softer and more fragrant than Second Aunt Yang’s hard pancake. And it’s far more delicious when served straight from the pot.
Miao He was quite satisfied with the results of his first cooking. The original host never tried building a good relationship with the Yang family, and Miao He who was married for a certain reason, could only bite the bullet and eat the pancakes made by Second Aunt Yang.
He managed to eat three bings in one breath. When he no longer felt hungry, he went to find a bamboo basket, then placed the still hot bings in a bowl, and put it inside the basket, followed by a wet towel on top. Miao He dragged his feet and lingered outside, searching for a certain person.
Outside, Yang Dalang was making fast progress, and he had dug half a person deep by this point. Seeing Miao He approached with a basket in his hand, he put down his hoe, and frowned, “What’s the matter?” It meant that it was okay, just don’t walk too much around.
Miao He raised the basket he was holding, “I made bing. I was feeling hungry just now, so I made some food. Come on in and eat some.”
Yang Dalang was speechless; he simply dropped the hoe he was holding and nimbly jumped out of the half-dug pit. Before going to help Miao He with the basket, he wiped his hands clean on his body.
A large stone happened to be beneath the tree a few steps away. After being pointed at by Yang Dalang and sitting down as they reached it, Miao He finally had the chance to open the basket.
He took out some things and passed over a wet towelette, “Wipe your hands first.”
Yang Dalang paused briefly before taking it and wiping his hands clean on it. Miao He then passed the bowl of flatbread to Yang Dalang, and when Yang Dalang took one, he also took one. Yang Dalang’s chewing speed increased almost instantly after he took a bite. Miao He also ate his flatbread happily, his eyes curved, and said, “I used some wheat flour and some oil.”
‘Although it will be more difficult, I will undoubtedly profit from selling vegetables in the future.’
Miao He became more daring as the prospect of economic freedom looked promising.
Concerning the cooking aspect, the small ger had to enter the kitchen with the assistance of Yang Dalang, and no matter how Miao He tossed in the kitchen, it was unlikely that his secret would be revealed. The original host had never done it before, but that didn’t mean he didn’t know how, just that he was unwilling to.
Yang Dalang had already finished gobbling up the food he had in his hands when he took another bing from the basket. And his “Use it if you need it,” attitude indicated his obvious support for this type of luxury.
Miao He witnessed the other party’s contagious eating enthusiasm, and he became infected with the desire to be in a good mood. “The pit is about the height of a grown man, but how will you get out if you keep digging until it’s finished?”
“Knock a foot on the ground, use it as the pedal, and then I’ll be able to come out ah.”
“I see. Then the medicine on my foot can be removed tomorrow, right? I want to go with you to the mountain to pick up fallen leaves for the pit. Is that okay?” Besides this, he also wanted to see if there were any fruits in the mountain that could be planted in the living soil in the future.
Yang Dalang replied, shaking his head to the sides, “the day after tomorrow.”
‘Uncle Lin approximated that the resting recuperation period would last three to four days, with four days required to ensure that everything was healed,’ Dalang thought.
“But my foot really doesn’t hurt as much anymore,” Miao He remarked, determined to win him over this time.
“Four days. If you go out and get injured again, it’ll cost us more money unless you stay put until the four-day mark.”
Miao He was rendered speechless by the reasoning behind it. Yang Dalang didn’t have many expressions, but he was good at reading people’s minds. In any case, Miao He immediately came up with another reason to follow, “Okay, I’ll rest some more for another day. But, I’ll accompany you to the mountains in the future. Tomorrow, I will have to ask you to pick up some dead leaves on your way.”
Yang Dalang agreed, making Miao He happy. When Yang Dalang entered the mountain tomorrow, he would pretend he wasn’t at home, so then he could plant the vegetable seeds secretly after a while!
‘When Yang Dalang leaves the house tomorrow, the vegetable seeds should still be seedlings, not too eye-catching, but by the afternoon, they will be almost ready to harvest.’
“I’m full. You eat the rest,” Miao He beamed. He made eight pieces of flatbread, ate four by himself, and gave the rest to Yang Dalang. The latter also consumed all of them, and Miao He was quite cheering.
Yang Dalang then returned to the pit and resumed digging. After finishing the pit, he pulled over a slab of wood he obtained from his er di’s house and placed it on top of the compost’s surface, as Miao He had instructed. During this time, Miao He took advantage of it by going to the backyard with a bag of vegetable seeds that Yang Dalang had brought back the day before. However, as he was about to choose a seed, he remembered that Yang Dalang hadn’t provided any sort of introduction to these and he also didn’t know which type of seeds these were.
Miao He reasoned, ‘Anyway, it’s still the same. I’ll just pick a vegetable seed and bury it in the soil in a particular place.’ With bliss, he thought, ‘I don’t know what kind of vegetable I will harvest tomorrow.’
He realized there was nothing else he could do after turning around the room, so he quickly fell into contemplation and made another batch of flatbreads.
‘I’m not going to stay up all night eating flatbread, but I’d like to give these flatbreads to Yang Dalang in exchange for some eggs from Second Aunt Yang. In the evening, I could use the eggs to stir fry with the remaining bings for another filling meal.’
As Miao He was occupied with his internal affairs, the courtyard rang quietly. It should have been Yang Dalang who had returned from the pit. Miao He took a towel and wiped his hands off of any dirt before going out to meet him. At this precise moment, he caught sight of a window that showed a specific area in the backyard in his peripheral vision. There appeared to be bare, freshly loosened ground in the said location, with a verdant green onion in the center, whose long leaves were swaying merrily in the wind!!
‘Lying Cao! How come it has grown already!?’
Miao He was so startled that he accidentally hit the bowl in his hand, creating a pit for himself ah!! As he cursed himself, the sounds of Yang Dalang’s large strides reverberated as he walked towards the back room.
Miao He felt that his legs were turning jelly, ma ah, how should he explain to Yang Dalang if the latter saw that swaying green onion!? Circling in the backroom in panic, Miao He lost all hope when he found that his mind was blank and couldn’t think of a way out!
At this time, when Yang Dalang had already stepped into the back room, a frantic Miao He immediately pounced on him, pointing decisively in the direction of the main room!
“I-I think I see something. From the side of my foot, it dashed into the main room! Isn’t that something like a mouse?” Miao He clutched Yang Dalang tightly, forcing him to go in the direction of the main room. “No, I’m afraid of mice; you, you help me find it in the main room, and in the bedroom; don’t let it hide in the house! Otherwise, I won’t be able to sleep at night!”
Yang Dalang frowned. He’d never seen a mouse in the house, and he didn’t notice any movement when he walked in through the doorway. The little ger could be seen to be extremely nervous, but he didn’t appear to be faking it, so he calmly said, “That’s all right. I’ll look for it; it’s okay.”
Miao He smiled quickly and softly said, “I’ll wait for you here.”
Seeing that Yang Dalang began searching for this mysterious mouse by opening the cupboards in the main room one by one, Miao He turned around to pack the flatbreads he had just made into the bamboo basket. Then he blocked the door connecting the main room and the backyard, waiting anxiously.
Until Yang Dalang finished inspecting the hall and said no, Miao He turned pale with fright and stopped the person from going into the yard for a look.
“No, no, no! No, it doesn’t matter if it goes into the yard, as you won’t be able to catch it, but it’ll be fine as long as it doesn’t scurry over in the house. Ah, I remember that I made flatbreads just now and originally wanted to give it to Second Aunt Yang in exchange for some eggs. The, ah, the flatbread hasn’t been eaten yet by the mouse, thankfully, so you, you, just send it over right away!”
Yang Dalang accordingly took the basket, but asked, “Aren’t you afraid?”
Miao He bit his lower lip and pretended, “I am afraid, so you must return soon.”
Yang Dalang frowned for a bit, then dropped a stress-inducing sentence to Miao He, “Then I’m not going.”
“But, but I’ve done so much, and it’d be a shame if it hadn’t been exchanged for some eggs, and I haven’t eaten eggs in a long time, ah.”
Yang Dalang remained silent, looking at the pleading little ger, and said, “Okay, I’ll be back soon.”
Miao He nodded vigorously, almost pushing him out of the room, and said, “Then go, hurry up.”
When he heard the sound of Yang Dalang closing the courtyard door, Miao He jumped up on the spot, dragging his injured foot. And he dashed to the plant’s side, reaching out and uprooting the green onion! Fortunately, it was a green onion that had sprouted, which was not obvious. If it had been lettuce instead, a distance away would not be enough for it to go unnoticed. Miao He thought, chuckling to himself.
“I was almost scared to death by you! Why did you grow so fast, doesn’t it usually take one day mah,” Miao He said bitterly. And felt that when he came here, he was frightened almost practically every day.
‘However, if you look closely at this onion, you can see that it has aged. Plants grown in this soil, in other words, mature quickly. If you want to get fruits or green leafy plants, you must stay nearby and wait for the right moment to pick them up decisively. Otherwise, the plant’s growth will continue, and the fruit may develop into seed, or something else.’
‘Back then, when the seedlings of the plants were planted in the flower pot, it took about a day for the entire crop to mature. I’m not sure if it’s due to the relationship of mixing the living soil in the ground or something else, but it’s very powerful, and the seeds planted would only take an hour to fully grow.’
‘There will be seeds if you look closely at this green onion.’
It far exceeded Miao He’s expectations. Miao He, too, didn’t want to waste anything, so he carefully collected the good seeds he received before digging a hole to bury the old green onion leaves in the ground, obliterating the traces.
After he took care of everything, Yang Dalang had also arrived and succeeded in exchanging eggs. But Miao He’s mind was far away, he absent-mindedly made dinner, with his thoughts entirely focused on the new changes in the living soil. Then, he realized it was more convenient for him to use Xirang.
In Yang Dalang’s eyes, the little ger was greatly frightened by the earlier incident that caused him to be disoriented.
Later that night, when they both went to bed, Yang Dalang said something to reassure the terrified ger.
“I have good ears, so it’s okay.”
“What?”
“If there is a movement, I will be able to hear it.”
Ah, do you mean the non-existent mouse? “…That’s great.”
Yang Dalang reached out and patted Miao He, almost enveloping him into a hug as his hand lifted the quilt over them. “Go to sleep.”
“En.”
The relieved sign hadn’t even finished when Yang Dalang returned in such a strange mood; despite the lack of subtle differences, his face appeared more solemn and stern. Miao He wasn’t sure why, but Yang Dalang seemed grimmer than he had been when he was loosening the soil.
‘Could it be that the words Miao Min said in a low voice were heard by Yang Dalang?’ Miao He guessed in the most obvious direction.
Miao He finally came to terms with Yang Dalang’s worldview after several attempts of analyzing it. He suddenly thought that whether the former heard it or not, wasn’t this still a good opportunity to further “strengthen and express his points”? He mustn’t let this opportunity pass by!
Miao He carefully approached Yang Dalang’s side, deliberately avoiding looking into the other party’s eyes, and said, “Don’t dislike Brother Min that much ah. He was only trying to help me.”
This referred to the first and most likely be the final time Miao Min took him to see Miao Yuan. Patiently, Miao He explained to him, confident that Yang Dalang would listen and comprehend what he was saying.
“Everyone else claimed that I was the cause of the entanglement. But all I wanted to do was demand justice and be fair to myself. Everyone in the village told me I shouldn’t be doing it, but would Miao Yuan dare to swear to the heavens that he hadn’t betrayed me right in my face? I only went looking for him to see what he could say in front of me!”
After spitting out how wrong he felt, he no longer made any noise. Miao He lifted his food, one step at a time, and headed towards the house without turning his head back.
He hadn’t walked that far when Miao He’s entire body was unexpectedly enveloped by a tight embrace. The body that was pressed tightly against his back emitted a strong manly scent mixed with the smell of sweat. Miao He resisted this time, flinging off the hands that were holding him. He turned his head back to say something, with his face resembling that of a child throwing a fit.
But before he could say anything in response, Yang Dalang’s deep voice reverberated against his ears, “Go and wash when you are done.”
Miao He didn’t utter a word.
Without them noticing, their positions had been reversed. This time, the one who lost his temper was Miao He.
Yang Dalang, on the other hand, didn’t clarify or explain what he meant. He simply sat the little ger on the stool he was holding inside the house’s central hall and walked to the courtyard without making a sound.
Miao heaved a heavy sigh as he watched him walk away. He pretended to be angry out of embarrassment and tried his best not to hurt Yang Dalang with his words, all to help the original host wash white.
Those words just now were partly true and false.
The original host was unwilling to put his betrayal into question; however, he still wanted to confirm it with Miao Yuan. That’s why he’d tried to find Miao Yuan so many times in the past. But what happened in the time between their conversations was unknown.
The original Miao He mustn’t have confronted Miao Yuan in the past, as he couldn’t find any memory of it at all. Hence, Miao He weaved another tale, but this time in his own version, to emphasize his intention of drawing a clear line between himself and Miao Yuan in the future.
In this approach, if Yang Dalang was still unwilling to understand him, Miao He would more or less disperse from his life. Just thinking about it like this, Miao He’s attitude towards Yang Dalang was without a doubt, earnest.
Yang Dalang, a man with a green hat, should have been furious at the original host for coming out of the wall just to see Miao Yuan. However, following the original host’s memories, it appeared that no matter how shady, or even indifferent, the original Miao He was, Yang Dalang acted as if he hadn’t seen it all, nor did he respond like he was a part of it; but instead, merely did what he was supposed to do.
Dalang hastily married the original host to fulfill his mother’s final request before she died- to see her son married. The main reason for this was because Miao He’s family was also going through a difficult period and didn’t want to accept any betrothal gifts. Making the Yang family sigh in relief, who had been burdened by the enormous debt incurred for the treatment of Yang Dalang’s mother’s illness. Even so, the person should have been enraged, but Yang Dalang did otherwise, just basing it on how things appeared in the previous few days.
With those little doubts, Miao He couldn’t help thinking about it further.
It seemed like Yang Dalang was the only one who was forced to marry by his mother on her deathbed as his older brother was never even forced to do so. After he got married, Yang Dalang took good care of Miao He. And as the night befell upon them sleeping together, Miao He didn’t notice any sort of odd behavior. Moreover, the original host had imagined if he and Miao Yuan might still have a good relationship with Yang Dalang.
‘Wait, isn’t this development a little too familiar?‘
‘Could it be that Yang Dalang also has a Bai Yueguang and a cinnabar mole in his heart just like the original host? And because he couldn’t ask for it during those times, he just went along and married someone else?’
Then, with this theory, no matter how many times the original went out of the wall, Yang Dalang’s indifferent response was clearly sorted out.
And if the thoughts were true, wouldn’t everyone be happy? At the very least, there would be no mishaps and problems staying at the Yang household for a short while!
Miao He’s eyes glowed, and he hurriedly searched in the memories of the previous host. It’s a shame there weren’t any hints. Except for Miao Yuan, the original host really paid little attention to others.
As the thought came to an end, Yang Dalang finished the vegetable plot in the backyard. He appeared in the doorway, announced that he was going to dig a hole right away, and asked Miao He where he should dig. Miao He then responded by pointing to the ground outside the mud wall, to prevent the odor from entering the house.
Seeing Yang Dalang preoccupied with his affairs, Miao He mentally calculated the time and realized that it should be lunchtime by now.
It was a local custom to eat two meals a day, and Yang Dalang followed suit. However, Miao He felt hungry as soon as the time came, and he wasn’t sure if it was because his psychology was interfering with his physiology. He also wanted to make a treat for Dalang as compensation for his hard work, as well as get some food to fill their stomachs.
So he returned to the room and took out a small pouch of wheat flour, a bag of millet noodles, a can of salt, and a small can of oil. The oil didn’t smell like lard; Yang Dalang seemed to have gotten it from his prey. There were also dried meat strips, pickled choy sum, shriveled ginger and garlic, and an apparent shortage of fresh veggies. Obviously, he didn’t cook very often. And the food Yang Dalang brought home in the last few days was either purchased or exchanged with Aunt Yang.
Consequently, Miao He could only work with the materials he had on hand. In a bowl, he combined a small amount of wheat flour with half of the millet noodles. He kneaded it with water to form a dough, then added some oil and salt to taste, shaped it into a ball, and beat it several times on the table. The kitchen stove was lit with a flint he used- he always washed his face with warm water first thing in the morning, so he was skilled at it- and the iron pan was placed on the stove.
While waiting for the pan to heat up, the dough was divided into small lumps. Because there was no rolling pin available, the balls were flattened by hand. When the pot was hot enough, an ample amount of oil was brushed over the entire surface of the pan, and a flattened dough was placed inside. To make the cooking process quicker, Miao He cut the dough into small pieces, flipped the flatbreads on both sides, and the bings were ready in no time.
As the bings were a little charred, a distinct aroma of starch emanated from them. Miao He couldn’t stop his stomach from gurgling, so he succumbed to temptation and took a bite. The pair of eyes immediately narrowed in delight. After all, the bings were made with oil and wheat flour, so they were softer and more fragrant than Second Aunt Yang’s hard pancake. And it’s far more delicious when served straight from the pot.
Miao He was quite satisfied with the results of his first cooking. The original host never tried building a good relationship with the Yang family, and Miao He who was married for a certain reason, could only bite the bullet and eat the pancakes made by Second Aunt Yang.
He managed to eat three bings in one breath. When he no longer felt hungry, he went to find a bamboo basket, then placed the still hot bings in a bowl, and put it inside the basket, followed by a wet towel on top. Miao He dragged his feet and lingered outside, searching for a certain person.
Outside, Yang Dalang was making fast progress, and he had dug half a person deep by this point. Seeing Miao He approached with a basket in his hand, he put down his hoe, and frowned, “What’s the matter?” It meant that it was okay, just don’t walk too much around.
Miao He raised the basket he was holding, “I made bing. I was feeling hungry just now, so I made some food. Come on in and eat some.”
Yang Dalang was speechless; he simply dropped the hoe he was holding and nimbly jumped out of the half-dug pit. Before going to help Miao He with the basket, he wiped his hands clean on his body.
A large stone happened to be beneath the tree a few steps away. After being pointed at by Yang Dalang and sitting down as they reached it, Miao He finally had the chance to open the basket.
He took out some things and passed over a wet towelette, “Wipe your hands first.”
Yang Dalang paused briefly before taking it and wiping his hands clean on it. Miao He then passed the bowl of flatbread to Yang Dalang, and when Yang Dalang took one, he also took one. Yang Dalang’s chewing speed increased almost instantly after he took a bite. Miao He also ate his flatbread happily, his eyes curved, and said, “I used some wheat flour and some oil.”
‘Although it will be more difficult, I will undoubtedly profit from selling vegetables in the future.’
Miao He became more daring as the prospect of economic freedom looked promising.
Concerning the cooking aspect, the small ger had to enter the kitchen with the assistance of Yang Dalang, and no matter how Miao He tossed in the kitchen, it was unlikely that his secret would be revealed. The original host had never done it before, but that didn’t mean he didn’t know how, just that he was unwilling to.
Yang Dalang had already finished gobbling up the food he had in his hands when he took another bing from the basket. And his “Use it if you need it,” attitude indicated his obvious support for this type of luxury.
Miao He witnessed the other party’s contagious eating enthusiasm, and he became infected with the desire to be in a good mood. “The pit is about the height of a grown man, but how will you get out if you keep digging until it’s finished?”
“Knock a foot on the ground, use it as the pedal, and then I’ll be able to come out ah.”
“I see. Then the medicine on my foot can be removed tomorrow, right? I want to go with you to the mountain to pick up fallen leaves for the pit. Is that okay?” Besides this, he also wanted to see if there were any fruits in the mountain that could be planted in the living soil in the future.
Yang Dalang replied, shaking his head to the sides, “the day after tomorrow.”
‘Uncle Lin approximated that the resting recuperation period would last three to four days, with four days required to ensure that everything was healed,’ Dalang thought.
“But my foot really doesn’t hurt as much anymore,” Miao He remarked, determined to win him over this time.
“Four days. If you go out and get injured again, it’ll cost us more money unless you stay put until the four-day mark.”
Miao He was rendered speechless by the reasoning behind it. Yang Dalang didn’t have many expressions, but he was good at reading people’s minds. In any case, Miao He immediately came up with another reason to follow, “Okay, I’ll rest some more for another day. But, I’ll accompany you to the mountains in the future. Tomorrow, I will have to ask you to pick up some dead leaves on your way.”
Yang Dalang agreed, making Miao He happy. When Yang Dalang entered the mountain tomorrow, he would pretend he wasn’t at home, so then he could plant the vegetable seeds secretly after a while!
‘When Yang Dalang leaves the house tomorrow, the vegetable seeds should still be seedlings, not too eye-catching, but by the afternoon, they will be almost ready to harvest.’
“I’m full. You eat the rest,” Miao He beamed. He made eight pieces of flatbread, ate four by himself, and gave the rest to Yang Dalang. The latter also consumed all of them, and Miao He was quite cheering.
Yang Dalang then returned to the pit and resumed digging. After finishing the pit, he pulled over a slab of wood he obtained from his er di’s house and placed it on top of the compost’s surface, as Miao He had instructed. During this time, Miao He took advantage of it by going to the backyard with a bag of vegetable seeds that Yang Dalang had brought back the day before. However, as he was about to choose a seed, he remembered that Yang Dalang hadn’t provided any sort of introduction to these and he also didn’t know which type of seeds these were.
Miao He reasoned, ‘Anyway, it’s still the same. I’ll just pick a vegetable seed and bury it in the soil in a particular place.’ With bliss, he thought, ‘I don’t know what kind of vegetable I will harvest tomorrow.’
He realized there was nothing else he could do after turning around the room, so he quickly fell into contemplation and made another batch of flatbreads.
‘I’m not going to stay up all night eating flatbread, but I’d like to give these flatbreads to Yang Dalang in exchange for some eggs from Second Aunt Yang. In the evening, I could use the eggs to stir fry with the remaining bings for another filling meal.’
As Miao He was occupied with his internal affairs, the courtyard rang quietly. It should have been Yang Dalang who had returned from the pit. Miao He took a towel and wiped his hands off of any dirt before going out to meet him. At this precise moment, he caught sight of a window that showed a specific area in the backyard in his peripheral vision. There appeared to be bare, freshly loosened ground in the said location, with a verdant green onion in the center, whose long leaves were swaying merrily in the wind!!
‘Lying Cao! How come it has grown already!?’
Miao He was so startled that he accidentally hit the bowl in his hand, creating a pit for himself ah!! As he cursed himself, the sounds of Yang Dalang’s large strides reverberated as he walked towards the back room.
Miao He felt that his legs were turning jelly, ma ah, how should he explain to Yang Dalang if the latter saw that swaying green onion!? Circling in the backroom in panic, Miao He lost all hope when he found that his mind was blank and couldn’t think of a way out!
At this time, when Yang Dalang had already stepped into the back room, a frantic Miao He immediately pounced on him, pointing decisively in the direction of the main room!
“I-I think I see something. From the side of my foot, it dashed into the main room! Isn’t that something like a mouse?” Miao He clutched Yang Dalang tightly, forcing him to go in the direction of the main room. “No, I’m afraid of mice; you, you help me find it in the main room, and in the bedroom; don’t let it hide in the house! Otherwise, I won’t be able to sleep at night!”
Yang Dalang frowned. He’d never seen a mouse in the house, and he didn’t notice any movement when he walked in through the doorway. The little ger could be seen to be extremely nervous, but he didn’t appear to be faking it, so he calmly said, “That’s all right. I’ll look for it; it’s okay.”
Miao He smiled quickly and softly said, “I’ll wait for you here.”
Seeing that Yang Dalang began searching for this mysterious mouse by opening the cupboards in the main room one by one, Miao He turned around to pack the flatbreads he had just made into the bamboo basket. Then he blocked the door connecting the main room and the backyard, waiting anxiously.
Until Yang Dalang finished inspecting the hall and said no, Miao He turned pale with fright and stopped the person from going into the yard for a look.
“No, no, no! No, it doesn’t matter if it goes into the yard, as you won’t be able to catch it, but it’ll be fine as long as it doesn’t scurry over in the house. Ah, I remember that I made flatbreads just now and originally wanted to give it to Second Aunt Yang in exchange for some eggs. The, ah, the flatbread hasn’t been eaten yet by the mouse, thankfully, so you, you, just send it over right away!”
Yang Dalang accordingly took the basket, but asked, “Aren’t you afraid?”
Miao He bit his lower lip and pretended, “I am afraid, so you must return soon.”
Yang Dalang frowned for a bit, then dropped a stress-inducing sentence to Miao He, “Then I’m not going.”
“But, but I’ve done so much, and it’d be a shame if it hadn’t been exchanged for some eggs, and I haven’t eaten eggs in a long time, ah.”
Yang Dalang remained silent, looking at the pleading little ger, and said, “Okay, I’ll be back soon.”
Miao He nodded vigorously, almost pushing him out of the room, and said, “Then go, hurry up.”
When he heard the sound of Yang Dalang closing the courtyard door, Miao He jumped up on the spot, dragging his injured foot. And he dashed to the plant’s side, reaching out and uprooting the green onion! Fortunately, it was a green onion that had sprouted, which was not obvious. If it had been lettuce instead, a distance away would not be enough for it to go unnoticed. Miao He thought, chuckling to himself.
“I was almost scared to death by you! Why did you grow so fast, doesn’t it usually take one day mah,” Miao He said bitterly. And felt that when he came here, he was frightened almost practically every day.
‘However, if you look closely at this onion, you can see that it has aged. Plants grown in this soil, in other words, mature quickly. If you want to get fruits or green leafy plants, you must stay nearby and wait for the right moment to pick them up decisively. Otherwise, the plant’s growth will continue, and the fruit may develop into seed, or something else.’
‘Back then, when the seedlings of the plants were planted in the flower pot, it took about a day for the entire crop to mature. I’m not sure if it’s due to the relationship of mixing the living soil in the ground or something else, but it’s very powerful, and the seeds planted would only take an hour to fully grow.’
‘There will be seeds if you look closely at this green onion.’
It far exceeded Miao He’s expectations. Miao He, too, didn’t want to waste anything, so he carefully collected the good seeds he received before digging a hole to bury the old green onion leaves in the ground, obliterating the traces.
After he took care of everything, Yang Dalang had also arrived and succeeded in exchanging eggs. But Miao He’s mind was far away, he absent-mindedly made dinner, with his thoughts entirely focused on the new changes in the living soil. Then, he realized it was more convenient for him to use Xirang.
In Yang Dalang’s eyes, the little ger was greatly frightened by the earlier incident that caused him to be disoriented.
Later that night, when they both went to bed, Yang Dalang said something to reassure the terrified ger.
“I have good ears, so it’s okay.”
“What?”
“If there is a movement, I will be able to hear it.”
Ah, do you mean the non-existent mouse? “…That’s great.”
Yang Dalang reached out and patted Miao He, almost enveloping him into a hug as his hand lifted the quilt over them. “Go to sleep.”
“En.”
