Chapter 99: Neither Here nor There

"You see? Great-Aunt was right just now—she really does take after Ancestor Bai. Ancestor Bai never cared much for talking either, but every time she spoke, she hit the nail right on the head. Clean and neat!"

"Exactly. Great-Aunt learned it from Ancestor Bai. She's always believed that since she holds the highest seniority in the village, she's an elder, so naturally she ought to carry herself like a grown-up."

But in the end, Great-Aunt was still a child. Some of her gestures and words, everyone could tell, were copied from the adults. Yet no one would be so rude as to laugh, and no one would dare disobey Great-Aunt's orders.

"Ah, Great-Aunt hasn't had it easy either. She was only so young when Ancestor Bai passed. If we villagers don't look after her a bit more, she'd be all alone and it'd be too hard on her."

"That's true! But you needn't worry—our village knows its manners better than most. How could we ever neglect Great-Aunt? If the villagers wouldn't raise a fuss, I'd have brought her to live at my house long ago."

"You wish!" Hearing this, one of the people walking behind immediately objected. "Great-Aunt belongs to all of us. You want to take her into your own home? Try mentioning that to the village and see if you don't get beaten so badly your own mother wouldn't recognize you."

"Why are you only picking on me? Don't tell me you lot don't want the same?"

At that, the few walking together couldn't help but laugh. Who wouldn't want it? Everyone would!

"And that's precisely why Great-Aunt insists on living by herself—she's afraid the villagers would fight over this very thing." The speaker was Bai Dashan, Bai Xi's father.

The others nodded in agreement. Exactly so!

If Bai Xi had heard this, she would have muttered to herself that the flower spirit wanted to live alone simply because the treehouse was closer to the essence of sun and moon, making it easier to cultivate.

Little Black, having earned a "Not bad" from Bai Xi, was so delighted its tail nearly curled up to the sky. Just then, it spotted Chen Zhaodi calling people back. It immediately picked up a wild pheasant in its mouth, dropped it in front of Chen Zhaodi, and whined—Go on, hurry up and fix it into soup for the mistress.

It remembered that the mistress liked chicken soup.

Chen Zhaodi looked at it and immediately waved her hands. "No, no, I can't take Great-Aunt's things."

"Grrr..." Little Black let out two angry growls at Chen Zhaodi's words. Who said you could take it? I'm telling you to make soup for my mistress, your Great-Aunt.

As if! Little Black shot Chen Zhaodi a contemptuous look. This is my offering to the mistress. You want to take it? Have you no shame?

Chen Zhaodi still shook her head, refusing no matter what to pick up the pheasant at her feet. "Little Black, I understand what you mean, but I appreciate the kindness all the same. I still have some fish at home, and there's still a strip of cured meat left that Great-Aunt gifted us earlier. In a few days the village will be butchering the pig. This pheasant—I really can't take it."

She'd also been thinking these past few days of inviting Great-Aunt to her home for the New Year's Eve dinner. When she'd mentioned it, her family had all agreed without exception. For that very reason, her mother-in-law had specially scrubbed the whole house from top to bottom.

What are you going on about? Who said you could take it? I told you to make it for the mistress! Little Black whined at Chen Zhaodi, both angry and exasperated. Why are you so dense?

Seeing Little Black push the pheasant toward her again, Chen Zhaodi shook her head like a rattle drum. "No, I won't! No matter what you say, I'm not taking it. You worked hard to catch this for Great-Aunt. I can't accept it."

I didn't say it was for you! Little Black was so furious it hopped on its paws.

It was the first time it had discovered just how stupid Chen Zhaodi could be.

Up in the treehouse, Bai Xi saw Chen Zhaodi nearly making Little Black roar in frustration, and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Chen Zhaodi was touched that Little Black had offered her the pheasant, and she could see that Little Black was unhappy she hadn't accepted it. But she had her principles.

Just then, she heard Bai Xi's laughter drifting down from above. Chen Zhaodi immediately said, "I won't talk to you anymore. Rest yourself—I'm going up to cook for Great-Aunt."

Little Black watched Chen Zhaodi scurry up the treehouse as if fleeing, and couldn't hold back a furious roar.

The sudden roar startled Chen Zhaodi, but her heart felt warm. They all said beasts were cold-blooded and bloodthirsty, and the king of the mountain, the tiger, would eat a man without a moment's hesitation. Yet their Great-Aunt had somehow raised a tiger to be so understanding of human nature, so thoughtful of others... Great-Aunt really was Great-Aunt.

Chen Daliu was halfway along the road when he heard the tiger's roar. He froze, then immediately bolted toward the treehouse. Damn it! He shouldn't have lingered in the latrine that morning. He'd arrived late, and now Great-Aunt was upset.

Chen Rui happened to step out of her house just then. Seeing Chen Daliu sprint toward the treehouse, she tilted her head in confusion. Then, thinking of something, she immediately broke into a run to follow him. Was something wrong with Great-Aunt?

The last time the village chief had run like that, it was when Great-Aunt had fallen ill.

Little Black and Chen Zhaodi entered the treehouse nearly at the same time. The moment Little Black came up, it ran to Bai Xi's feet, rubbed its head against her pant leg, and whined pitifully. Mistress, she's too dense. I told her to take the pheasant to make soup for you, but she thought I was giving it to her. How shameless.

Bai Xi cast a sidelong glance at Little Black, a smile flickering across her face, but she said nothing.

Chen Zhaodi began preparing Bai Xi's breakfast. Seeing that Little Black was still unhappy, she said, "Great-Aunt, could you explain it to Little Black for me? I appreciate its kindness, I really do, but I truly can't accept it. Tell it not to be upset—I'll give it an extra two pieces of meat at lunch."

At her words, Little Black rolled its eyes in irritation and whined to Bai Xi with even more grievance. Mistress, even Rui'er can mostly understand what I mean. How is it that this woman, fully grown as she is, doesn't understand a thing?

As Little Black grumbled, it turned around and pointed its rear at Chen Zhaodi. It didn't want to look at her.

"Alright, enough sulking." Bai Xi had been amused since early morning, and her mood was excellent. She tousled Little Black's head, then glanced at the dried shiitake mushrooms in the cupboard. Little Black immediately understood and bounded down the treehouse to fetch a pheasant.

"I'd like some chicken soup. Clean one and stew it." By the time Bai Xi finished speaking, Little Black had already come back up with a pheasant in its mouth.

Chen Zhaodi agreed without a second thought, then asked, "Great-Aunt, should I also skin those wild hares and turn them into dried meat like before?"

"There are over thirty wild hares, but if I get a few people together to help, it'll be quick." As she spoke, Chen Zhaodi's motion of picking up the pheasant paused. She slowly turned her head toward Little Black and said, a little uncertain, "Little Black, just now... the pheasant you gave me—you weren't giving it to me to keep, were you?"

She'd only just realized it because Little Black's manner of setting down the pheasant had looked exactly the same as it did down in the open ground. It had clicked, suddenly, and she remembered.

You only just figured that out?!

Little Black snorted and turned its head away. Chen Zhaodi had spent enough time with Little Black by now that she understood the gesture at once, and her face flushed red with embarrassment.

"I... I..." How mortifying. Little Black had clearly meant for her to make food for Great-Aunt, and she hadn't understood. No wonder Little Black was upset.

And it made sense—when Little Black had displeased Great-Aunt before, it had gone hunting in the dead of night to cheer her up. Yet she, Chen Zhaodi, had failed to grasp even that. No wonder Little Black was angry.