Chapter Thirty-Three: Sending Gifts

  Liu Jian let Lan Niang take the meat to Liu Lao's house and wait under a crooked jujube tree some distance from the village head's house. Since she didn't want to go, there was nothing he could do about it. He took a deep breath, picked up one leg of meat, and headed towards the village head's house.

  She has been a bit wild since she was young, just like a boy, and maybe even more so. Perhaps it's because she was raised that way at home. Lan Niang was afraid she would be bullied, so she spoiled her and never disciplined her at home, which is why she turned out the way she is today.

  Although Zhi Xiao had lost her memory and forgotten many things, the past was still there. She shook her head, looking at the village chief's house, where Liu Yu, who had taken advantage of her in the past, was inside.

  Liu Yu is the eldest grandson of the village head, two years older than Zhi Xiao. At a young age, he often admired and liked to watch fierce fights, but he himself had never been able to do so, only admiring from afar. This was due to his parents' strict upbringing, which led to a rebellious psychology in him.

  Liu Yu is relatively pampered at home and not allowed to go out much. He has a curiosity about outside things, and when adults talk, he likes to stand by with a small stick in his hand, listening quietly, as if trying to understand what's going on outside.

  These adults are mostly village women who come to visit the door, usually talking and turning around Zhi Xiao's body. He listened to it on the side and felt that Zhi Xiao's attention was quite high, far exceeding his own as the village head, Da Jin Sun. She is a celebrity in the village, the type he admires.

  He had been worshipping her to a certain extent, and when his mother let him take a nap, he would sneak out and secretly observe her impressive achievements. As time went on, he found that this girl was always the winner.

  For example, Zhi Xiao can do whatever she wants and her mother won't say anything to her. For example, when Zhi Xiao is bullied, she always manages to bully back, whether it's an adult or a child. If she can't do it temporarily, she will remember the hatred and prepare to take revenge next time, as long as you don't provoke her first, she can get along with others.

  Liu Yu was eager to get close to her, learn a few tricks, and as the village chief's grandson, he would be able to live a life of ease in the future. When others spoke ill of her, it sounded like music to his ears, so in the village, the only person he admired was Zhi Xiao. Although it wasn't quite right, he had never mentioned it to anyone, and instead slowly collected information about her.

  So finally on a certain day of his 7-year-old year on the road, he met Zhi Xiao again, who was squatting on the ground watching insects fight.

  Liu Yu plucked up the courage to approach and strike up a conversation, gazing at him with eyes full of admiration, wanting to know how he did it. Xiaozhi understood his intention after a deep look, picked up two grasshoppers from the ground and was about to leave, but Liu Yu blocked him twice or thrice, and finally Xiaozhi told him that it was all inspired by the precious insects in his hands.

  The final result was that Zhi Xiao sold the two insects to Liu Yu, and used the money he got from Liu Yu to buy persimmon cakes from the old lady at the village entrance.

  Liu Yu observed the insect day and night, but it died in a few days. He didn't find out anything, and finally realized he had been deceived, but he was too embarrassed to tell others.

  Zhixiao was delighted to eat the five big persimmon cakes that cost ten cents, and happily returned home. She wanted to hide them away and savor them slowly, but her mother happened to lift the curtain and come out, saw her daughter hiding something behind her back, and came over to take a look. Under pressure, Zhixiao couldn't help but tell her mother about her great achievement.

  Lan Niang couldn't help it, and at night she complained to Liu Jian again. A few days later, when she saw Liu Yu again, Liu Yu still followed Xiaoxiao, often appearing in the village with a situation where 5-year-old Xiaoxiao walked in front and 7-year-old Liu Yu followed behind.

  Three aunts and six mothers told Liu Yu's mother about this, only to find out that her son had slipped away and was not in the house at all. From that day on, there was an additional teacher in Liu Yu's home, staring at him every day, wanting to teach him everything.

  Liu Yu's mother even almost got into a fight with Lan Niang just to find out who had dumped her daughter Liu Yu.

  ……

  It's been years since the incident, and Ling's daughter has probably long forgotten about it. At that time, she complained to him in desperation, but now she's venting her anger at everyone who treated Xiaoxiao unfairly just because they knew about it.

  Liu Jian composed himself and knocked on the village chief's door.

  The one who opened the door was Lin Lu, the wife of Village Chief Liu Gui, nearly 50 years old.

  Lin Lu was originally a concubine who had been an official in the city for three years, and was married off by her stepmother. However, it was also because of this that after only a few years, her father, who was also an official, was transferred to another place and later impeached and dismissed from office, which allowed her to narrowly escape disaster.

  After marrying Liu Gui, the village chief of this Liu family village, life may not be as good as before, but it's better here that people don't take concubines just because they have money. She lived a peaceful and stable life for half her life, and she was also a straightforward person who got along well with others.

  Lin Lu opened the door to see Liu Jian standing outside with a silly smile on his face, holding a basket of pork in his hand, and immediately understood what was going on.

  Liu Quan has been talking about it since he came down from the mountain, exaggerating that the wild boar was huge and the meat was extremely fragrant, which moved the old man.

  Liu Gui, as the village head, lived in this mountain village. Although he had heard that a family surnamed Zhi Xiang had caught a wild boar in the mountains, he didn't think much of it. After all, it was his idea to let Zhi Xiang live on the mountain, and everyone in the village agreed. However, when he heard that Liu Quan's son had bought five kilograms of meat for 100 yuan and brought it home for his family to eat, they all said it was delicious, and Liu Gui started to crave some too. But Liu Quan stopped him, saying: "Uncle, what's your status? Maybe later Liu Jian will personally deliver ten or eight kilograms to you, who made you the village head?"

  Liu Gui was also waiting at home after hearing the news, and he didn't leave even a step. Originally, he was going to go for a walk after dinner, but he didn't go today either.

  Just now his daughter-in-law went to open the door, didn't see anyone coming in, but her hands were carrying a few catties of mountain pork, Li Lü saw him staring at the meat with wide eyes and couldn't help but laugh, feeling somewhat helpless.

  "Liu Jian brought it, handed it over and left. Are you happy now? You didn't spend any money and got it for free!" Lin Lu rolled her eyes at him, annoyed by his habit of always looking for a bargain.

  Liu Gui, however, was not bothered. He narrowed his eyes to a line, took the object from the person's hand and weighed it, finding it quite heavy. He couldn't help but laugh with some praise, saying: "He knows how to treat people."

  "Go, I'll send someone to pick you up. It's not easy for his family either. Now that you know about this child, don't always have an opinion about this family. Look at how many things have happened since they moved back." Lin Lu said with a mix of resentment and nostalgia.

  "It's not bad at all, after moving to the mountain, there is still wild boar meat to eat." Liu Gui didn't care at all.

  Lin Lu scolded him, "You glutton, go ask Sunzi what he wants to do tomorrow. These days, seeing him study is also quite tiring, his mother is expecting him to pass the imperial examination or something? All day long forcing him to recite books with the teacher."

  Liu Gui heard this and wouldn't agree: "Don't you want our family to produce a top scholar, bringing glory to our ancestors? I'm waiting for that."

  "Go, go, you think it's easy to be the top scholar." Lin Lu hurried him to leave quickly, then stopped and thought of something, frowning in doubt: "Don't you think he's been a bit listless lately? Is his mother pushing him too hard, will he get sick?"

  Liu Gui felt a bit anxious when he heard her say that, this was the only big golden grandson of the Liu family. He put the pork in his hand into hers and rushed to the inner room where Liu Yu was, if it was true that he was ill, they had to call for a doctor as soon as possible.

  Liu Yu was lying in bed staring blankly at the beams on the ceiling when someone suddenly burst in, giving her a fright. She didn't even see who it was and hastily picked up the book beside her to read.

  "The Master said: Without a noble aim, one cannot be considered a gentleman; without knowledge of propriety, one cannot take his stand; without knowing..."

  "Alright, good grandson is tired, take a rest."

  Liu Gui walked into the house and saw Liu Yu lying on the bed, still reading a book seriously. He felt relieved and stroked his beard, nodding his head excitedly, praising himself for having a good grandson.

  "Grandpa, how did you come?" Normally at this time, only his mother would occasionally come to check the post.

  "It's not like I'm your grandfather, but I feel sorry for you, seeing how tired you are from studying. How has your body been lately?" He reached out to pat his grandson's thin shoulders.

  "It's all right, nothing, don't worry." Liu Yu's words were somewhat dull and listless.

  "En, that makes me feel at ease. By the way, your grandma asked me to ask you, Liu Jian's family caught a wild boar on the mountain today and sent over a leg of meat. They're asking how you want to eat it tomorrow."

  "Liu Jian? Isn't that her family?" He sat up in bed with a start, his two eyes shining brightly.

  "Really? It's that family who moved up into the mountains, what about them?"

  "How did they catch the wild boar, Grandpa? Tell me."

  ……