Chapter 105: Why Ask for More?

Zhang Xiu had just returned with two buckets of water. The moment she saw her daughter, she hurried over and looked her up and down, finally letting out a sigh of relief.

"Mom, I'm fine," Chen Rui said quickly to reassure her.

"I know. With Great-Aunt here, what could possibly happen to you?" Though her words sounded relaxed, Zhang Xiu’s hand, as she gripped Chen Rui’s, was still trembling slightly. Just moments ago, when she saw her daughter standing before Great-Aunt, she had been terrified, her heart nearly shattering at the thought of that massive pig charging at her daughter—she would surely have lost her life.

As a mother, how could she not feel the heartache? Yet, she also felt a sense of pride. This was her daughter; for the sake of Great-Aunt, even a little girl would not shrink back. She could find no fault in her actions, nor would she ever hold any resentment. Without the ancestors of the Bai family, who knew what state the people of Niuluo Village would be in today? The entire village owed their lives to the Bai family several times over; if it meant saving Great-Aunt, no one would complain about any sacrifice.

"Exactly. As long as you know that, Mom, I’ll be fine with Great-Aunt around." Earlier, in her daze, Chen Rui had heard Great-Aunt speaking to the Heavens. She hadn't paid much attention then, but thinking back now, she was certain that Great-Aunt must be a celestial being reincarnated.

Zhang Xiu nodded. Seeing the full confidence on her daughter’s face—a look that clearly suggested she knew something extraordinary—she couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Daughter, do you know something?"

"Huh? No, I don't know anything." Chen Rui shook her head hastily. "Mom, please don't ask. Even if you ask, I won't tell. Anyway, as long as Great-Aunt is here, everything will be fine."

Having given birth to her, how could Zhang Xiu not understand? Hearing this, and recalling the scene from earlier, coupled with the events during the twins' full-month celebration, Zhang Xiu immediately understood.

"Fine, fine, fine. I won't ask. Heavenly secrets must not be leaked, right?" Zhang Xiu put on an expression that said she understood perfectly.

Hearing her say this, it was Chen Rui’s turn to be shocked. "Mom, you know?"

"I don't know. Mom doesn't know anything!" Now it was Zhang Xiu’s turn to be mysterious.

Chen Rui was left speechless. She didn't press the matter, washed her face, and after saying a word, went off to find Bai Xi. Watching her daughter run toward Bai Xi, Zhang Xiu smiled and picked up her buckets to head toward the creek. Feeling the envious gazes of the other villagers, a flicker of joy crossed her face. She was happy to see her daughter so close to Great-Aunt. It wasn't about gaining anything; it was just that while a girl could live well enough in Niuluo Village, things were uncertain outside. Being close to Great-Aunt meant that when her daughter eventually married, her in-laws wouldn't dare to bully her too much.

"Great-Aunt, here." Chen Rui handed back the half-dried handkerchief.

Bai Xi could tell that Chen Rui liked the little handkerchief. She reached out her chubby little hand, but instead of taking it back, she pushed it toward Chen Rui. "It’s yours."

Chen Rui froze, subconsciously saying, "Great-Aunt, I’ve already used it."

"I know," Bai Xi replied generously. "I have two more. You can keep this one."

"Thank you, Great-Aunt!" Chen Rui didn't stand on ceremony. She gripped the handkerchief tightly, grinning broadly. It still smelled of the milky scent that clung to Great-Aunt.

Because of the earlier incident, Bai Xi was in no hurry to leave. Not long after, Xiao Hei returned with its fur dripping wet, shaking itself dry as it walked. By the time it reached Bai Xi, most of the water was gone. Under the villagers' diligent efforts, the six pigs were quickly gutted and cleaned, with the intestines and other organs properly sorted.

Large square tables were pushed together, and the cleaned pork was laid out. Even though everyone’s hands were red from the cold, their faces were filled with happy smiles, and they chatted and laughed as they worked. Looking at the mountain of pork, everyone—literate or not—knew they would receive a generous share today.

As they were discussing the distribution, they heard the sound of bicycle bells and looked toward the noise.

"Great-Aunt, it’s Chen Yi’s family returning," Chen Rui reported dutifully.

Little Shunzi leaned in and muttered, "They definitely came back because they knew the village was slaughtering pigs today." Chen Yi was shameless; he had been crying and shouting that Great-Aunt had lied to him just a few days ago, and now he was clinging to her again.

Little Stone, on the other hand, stared at the three approaching bicycles, completely stunned. "Are... are those bicycles?"

"How unrefined! They're just bicycles!" Little Six sneered from the side, though he, too, stared longingly, wishing he could go up and touch one. Bicycles were expensive; people in the city had to save for a long time to buy one, and it was said that those who owned them earned very high wages. Niuluo Village had three oxen that could pull carts into town, but they didn't own a single bicycle. Seeing three at once was certainly something to be envious of.

Bai Xi glanced over and gave Xiao Hei a look. Although Xiao Hei wanted to stay, it knew it shouldn't be seen, so it obediently turned and darted into the bamboo grove, heading back to the treehouse.

Xiao Hei’s departure brought Chen Rui and the others back to their senses. Chen Rui moved toward where Xiao Hei had been standing, leaned close to Bai Xi, and asked softly, "Great-Aunt, do you like bicycles?"

Bai Xi shook her head. "No feeling." Riding on two wheels looked strange to her; she truly felt nothing for them.

Upon hearing this, Chen Rui smiled. "Great-Aunt, I don't like bicycles either." As long as Great-Aunt was there, what need was there for a bicycle?

Little Shanzi immediately echoed, "Great-Aunt, I don't like bicycles either." The others, seeing this, immediately chimed in that they didn't like bicycles either.

Bai Xi: "..." She hadn't even said anything. Besides, those bicycles weren't cheap, and you needed bicycle coupons—the way these little brats talked, one would think they could buy them whenever they wanted.

Chen Weiguo and Fang Ya were not officially on break until tomorrow, but having heard about the pig slaughter, they had requested leave early to bring their son back. Accompanying them were three of Chen Weiguo’s colleagues, including the Section Chief from last time. There was no other reason; when they had sold the fish previously, some people had asked Chen Daliu about the village’s plans, and upon learning about the pig slaughter, they had urged Chen Weiguo to come back and check.

The city hadn't seen a scrap of meat in two months. Any meat that did arrive was snatched up by store managers or officials before it even reached the shelves. In these times, if you wanted to eat meat, you couldn't get it without connections. Although Chen Daliu had said the pork would be distributed within the village and not sold, the three colleagues had still tagged along, hoping to get Chen Weiguo to persuade the villagers to sell them some.

They had arrived late and missed the earlier incident. Of course, once they arrived, the people of Niuluo Village said nothing about the near-accident; after all, one does not wash one's dirty linen in public.