Chapter 434: Chapter 423: The Top Scorer of a Farming Family
"Enough with primping, change back into your clothes, it’s late and elder brother must be hungry too. Let’s eat quickly." Daya Xiuya solemnly placed the plum blossom hairpin into her chest, and then changed back into her old grayish-blue hemp dress, skillfully setting the hot dishes from the pot onto the table.
For dinner, they still had sweet potatoes and wild vegetables, with not a trace of meat on the table. Ye Qiu, seeing this, took out grain, oil, rice noodles, and pork from the donkey cart. Looking at these abundant ingredients, Xiuying swallowed hard.
Ye Qiu affectionately patted her on the head and said with pity, "It’s too late today; we’ll cook the meat and bones tomorrow. Let’s eat this for today."
With that, he took out a roast chicken wrapped in oil paper and a bag of white buns from another bundle: "The roast chicken has gotten a bit cold, Xiuya, take it to the pot and heat it up."
"All of it?" Xiuya frowned, seemingly accusing Ye Qiu of wasting money again.
Ye Qiu was helpless, the long-term poverty and the brainwashing from Ye Li had a really tremendous impact, and it was truly difficult to change this all at once.
"Yes, all of it, a single chicken isn’t much. Elder brother earned some money today, it’s right to have a hearty meal."
Although Ye Qiu said that, when it actually came to mealtime, he found that both Xiuya and Xiutong were consciously being frugal. They satisfied themselves with just one white bun, and even from the roast chicken, they ate only the neck and rib parts where there was hardly any meat.
"Give our Xiuying a big chicken wing, hoping our Xiuying grows up healthy and strong." Ye Qiu tore off a chicken wing and put it in the little girl’s bowl, Xiuya and Xiutong smiled at Xiuying, showing no signs of jealousy.
Ye Qiu then took down two chicken legs: "This chicken leg for the sensible Xiutong, and this one for the hardworking Xiuya."
"Elder brother, I’m not tired at all, you eat it." Xiuya quickly refused, clutching her bowl nervously. Seeing her like this, Xiutong also hesitated to eat the chicken leg in her bowl.
"Eat." Ye Qiu’s expression hardened slightly, "I am the elder brother, what I say goes."
He realized that being too gentle did not suffice to soften Xiuya’s deeply-rooted thoughts, at times a stronger approach was indeed necessary.
"I can just eat chicken wings like Xiuying. You two eat the chicken legs this time. Xiuya, it’s just a chicken leg, we don’t need to be this frugal. Look, you even make Xiutong afraid to eat."
"But..."
"No buts. I am the elder brother, it’s my duty to take care of you. I know women are regarded lower than men nowadays, but in elder brother’s heart, you are not any less valuable than me. What I have, I want you to have too, understand? Let’s eat, the roast chicken won’t taste good if it gets cold." With that, Ye Qiu placed the chicken leg into Xiuya’s bowl and then began eating silently, saying no more.
Xiuya hesitated for a while but finally took a small bite. The greasy chicken meat together with the skin entered her mouth, and she finally smiled broadly, feeling she had never tasted anything so delicious, even better than what she had when Father was still around.
Seeing this, after receiving a nod from Ye Qiu, Xiutong also timidly took a bite of the chicken leg, chewed a few times, and then smiled too.
All the while, Xiuying, who had been nibbling at a chicken wing, looked left at her eldest sister and right at her younger sister, seeing both sisters smiling at elder brother, she also grinned, then nibbled at the chicken wing even more earnestly.
Early the next day, Ye Qiu got up shortly after dawn, planning to take a stroll in the mountains, but unexpectedly Xiuya and Xiutong had risen even earlier. They wore new clothes that Ye Qiu had bought for them the day before, and he keenly noticed that both girls had changed their hairstyles. The braids they usually wore were fashioned into a half-bun on top of their heads, and the remaining hair was braided into two smaller plaits tied with red hair ropes, draped over their shoulders.
The two of them were naturally pretty. If their complexions were not so sallow and a bit fairer and healthier, they would be indistinguishable from the young ladies in the county.
When Xiuya and Xiutong saw Ye Qiu step out of the room, they exchanged glances and walked over to him, then both took out the hairpins Ye Qiu had given them yesterday. Xiuya was the first to speak, her voice filled with anticipation, "Big brother, could you pin these for us?"
Ye Qiu gave a hearty smile, relieved that they were finally starting to change: "Of course."
After pinning the hairpins, Ye Qiu stepped back to take a good look at them and nodded vigorously, "Very pretty."
Seeing this, Xiuya and Xiutong blushed slightly, then mimicked the village chief’s granddaughter, bowing respectfully to Ye Qiu: "Thank you, big brother!"
Having never been trained in such formalities, their bow was somewhat awkward, but Ye Qiu was delighted. However, he secretly resolved to make a fortune, then hire a teacher and a nanny to educate his three younger sisters.
"Xiuya, later return the sweet potatoes to Wang Po and get a bag of snacks," Ye Qiu instructed as he was about to leave. Wang Po was the one who had originally sent word from the county school, calling him back home and offering help during their hardships.
Wang Po’s husband’s family was not originally from Ye Village and had passed away early. She raised her son alone, and though it was hard, her son was sensible, and his wife was also filial. Over the years, they gradually became wealthy. Both of her grandsons are grown now, the elder one two years older than Ye Qiu, just got engaged this year and is learning to be a peddler like his father, while the younger one, a year younger than Ye Qiu, is studying in the same school as Ye Qiu.
"Got it, big brother, be careful out there."
"Don’t worry, I’m not going into the deep mountain, just wandering around the outskirts."
Writing scripts was not a long-term occupation, although it brought considerable benefits in the short term. Still, he was ultimately a scholar intended for a career in government. It was acceptable during hard times, but to continue when the family had money could become a source of gossip. Besides, he always intended to find some suitable jobs for Xiuya and Xiutong – working in the fields was absolutely not allowed. He was resolved that they would become ladies of standing, how could he let them get suntanned?
Early autumn had just begun, and the leaves in the mountains were already slowly turning yellow. Little animals were constantly darting about the woods. At this moment, Ye Qiu couldn’t help but think of Little Golden Crow, who seemed to find these ordinary worlds less amusing, meditating and cultivating on its own.
He always felt there was a great secret within him, but unfortunately, it seemed as if Little Golden Crow was under some sort of Prohibition, always forgetting everything when it came to crucial moments.
Ye Qiu was not in a hurry; he could feel his Divine Soul strengthening with each completed Task, and he knew that when he was strong enough, the truth would eventually surface.
"Knock knock..." Following Ye Qiu’s instructions, Xiuya carried a basket of items and knocked on the neighboring Wang Po’s house’s main door.
"Coming." A crisp young voice came from inside the house, and after a moment, the courtyard door opened.
Seeing that it was him, Xiuya smiled and asked, "Zhaoxing, you’re back from school? Is Wang Po at home?"