Chapter 67: Quite a Bargain

"Village chief, fellow villagers, we meant no disrespect to the great aunt." Though the two were older than Chen Daliu, when it came to being disrespectful to elders, even those younger had the right to admonish them.

"That's right, that's right. We were just disciplining Xiaoliu," they insisted.

Having finally been untied, Xiaoliu was still numb from being bound so long and could barely get up. Hearing his grandmother say they would discipline him, he shivered involuntarily and glanced over.

But at the sight of Bai Xi, all his fear vanished. His teary eyes brimmed with excitement and gratitude—so long as the great aunt was here, she would stand up for them.

This small, slight figure had become the hope of Xiaoshunzi and his friends; with her present, they had nothing to fear.

Before the great aunt arrived, they had tried explaining everything to Granny Chen and Granny Li, but the two old ladies had refused to listen.

Only the great aunt was truly capable and knowledgeable—otherwise, their fate would be more unjust than Dou E’s father.

And why not more unjust than Dou E herself? Because if Dou E was already so wronged, her father’s plight must be even worse, mustn't it?

Afraid Bai Xi might misunderstand, Granny Chen hurried to explain, "Great aunt, we meant no disrespect. We were just worried that these children might somehow harm you."

Bai Xi understood. She looked at Granny Chen—a woman in her fifties—and didn't want to see her overly anxious or angry, lest something happen. So she nodded, showing her understanding.

But then Bai Xi turned, looking at the belated Chen Daliu. The next moment, she snorted, "Xiaoliu, you've been busy, haven’t you? Only now do you show up." She had already settled everything.

Though Bai Xi was young, her childish but stern tone left no doubt that she was displeased.

Of course Bai Xi was unhappy—she had used her divine power and now her stomach was rumbling. Being called over to resolve such trifles, even if she had caused them unwittingly, was still irritating.

Chen Daliu heard the tone and quickly apologized. "Great aunt, it’s my fault for troubling you." He had been discussing seed selection and planting with the village elders when he was summoned, so he hurried over.

On the way, he’d also run into the parents of Xiaoshunzi and the other boys, all rushing over after hearing the commotion.

"I'm hungry," Bai Xi said, ignoring Chen Daliu and turning to Chen Zhaodi, who had come at the news.

Chen Zhaodi quickly caught on. "Great aunt, I’ll go prepare a meal for you right away."

Though it was still two hours before dinner, the great aunt was young and children needed to eat more as they grew. An extra meal was nothing strange.

Well satisfied, Bai Xi took Chen Rui’s hand and was about to leave when Chen Daliu called after her, "Great aunt, what about this matter—"

"How old are you? Can't you handle the rest yourself?" Bai Xi turned, giving him a look of disdain. "I may be the great aunt, but I'm not the village chief."

Hungry and irritable, Bai Xi refrained from scolding Xiaoshunzi and the others or berating the two old women, and instead vented her frustration on the hapless Chen Daliu.

Chen Daliu accepted this with a sheepish rub of his nose. Was he resentful? Not at all. If the great aunt was willing to scold him, it meant she was close with him; ignoring him would be a real problem.

But Bai Xi wasn’t finished. The more she thought, the angrier she became, so she turned on the rest of the crowd as well.

"If children have questions, just answer them. Don't hem and haw or keep things hidden—does causing such a farce amuse you?"

"As parents, isn’t it your duty to answer your children’s questions and guide them into adulthood? If they knew everything, what would they need you for? Letting them figure things out on their own only delays them."

"Were you born knowing how to hold chopsticks or work the fields? Weren’t you taught by your elders? Why can’t you do the same? Think about how you grew up."

Bai Xi had more to say, but her stomach betrayed her with a loud grumble. She snorted twice, glared at everyone, and left with Chen Rui.

Those left behind exchanged glances. No one thought it strange that a child like Bai Xi spoke as an adult might—after all, the Bai family’s ancestor had raised her well.

No wonder the great aunt was considered so blessed and clever.

Not far off, Bai Xi paused and whispered a few instructions to Chen Rui, who nodded and dashed back to the yard, calling out to Xiaoshunzi and his friends who were still supporting each other, "Great aunt says, after you’ve had your medicine, come see her."

Once Bai Xi had left, Chen Daliu turned to the villagers, finally assuming the authority of a village chief. Beating children might be a family matter, but a few words of admonishment were in order.

"Let’s put an end to today’s matter here. It’s not to be repeated. In Niuluo Village, we do not condone such behavior. Let this be a lesson to all…"

"You all know that superstitions and nonsense are strictly forbidden now—why would you make such a mess? Can’t even recognize your own children and grandchildren? Look at the state you left those poor boys in."

This last remark nearly brought Xiaoshunzi and his friends to tears again from sheer grievance.

In the end, Xiaoliu’s family was fined four eggs, and Granny Chen two eggs, all to be boiled and given one each to Xiaoshunzi and his friends.

Though the eggs were meant to reduce swelling, once the bruises faded, the eggs naturally ended up in their stomachs.

Handing over four eggs at once was no small thing for Xiaoliu’s grandmother, but thinking her grandson was unharmed and the village peaceful, she decided it was worth it.

Granny Chen didn’t mind the two eggs either. In another village, such issues would not have been resolved so easily, so she had no complaints.

Both women apologized repeatedly to the families of Xiaoshunzi and the others. Everyone understood they’d acted out of good intentions, so no blame was laid.

After Bai Xi’s speech, the villagers reflected. Though some matters were still hard to explain to children, in the future, they grew more patient in finding ways to help them understand, leading to a subtle shift in the mindset of Niuluo Village.

Having suffered a beating but earning an egg to eat, the boys munched their eggs on the way to the treehouse, the pain already forgotten. If not for fear of being scolded, they might have said that getting a beating every so often was worth it as long as there were eggs to eat—a fair bargain.

Little Black could now eat half a chicken, but since Chen Rui refused to take a whole chicken home, Bai Xi had Chen Zhaodi stew two wild chickens with mushrooms, giving Chen Rui a bowl to take back and sharing the rest with Little Black.

The mushrooms had been picked by villagers after a recent rain, dried, and gifted to Bai Xi because they knew she liked them.

Bai Xi accepted their offerings without the slightest hesitation.

Chen Zhaodi felt no envy at Chen Rui getting a bowl of meat—rewards from the great aunt were always fair, and Chen Rui had earned it by pleasing her.

(Here it comes… much love!)