Chapter 49 This is a bit difficult

Ming Leyao hadn’t expected this—Comrade Fang always appeared gentle and mild, but it turned out he had a tough side too.

Thinking of Ming Hongdou’s expression just now, Ming Leyao couldn’t help but feel a bit gleeful—what was that about? At this moment, Ming Hongdou, who had just been rejected, looked deathly pale against her usually tanned skin. She was trembling all over, her eyes filled with disbelief.

“I’m leaving,” Fang Xian turned and headed down the mountain—right in the direction where Ming Leyao was hiding.

Ming Leyao cursed under her breath and pretended to gather some branches on the ground, making a rustling sound.

“Who’s there?”

“Uh… Teacher Fang, it’s me.”

“Teacher Ming? You’re back?”

“Emmm… yeah, I’m back. I didn’t have any classes this morning, so I came to collect some branches for firewood.”

“I’ll help you.”

Despite Ming Leyao’s protests, Fang Xian squatted down and helped her gather the branches. After tying them up, he even helped carry them down the mountain with her.

Ming Hongdou watched the two of them leave together, her face twisted with rage.
“Ming Leyao… Ming Leyao… you bitch…”

On the way down, Ming Leyao felt a little awkward. After racking her brain for a while, she finally managed to blurt out,
“Um… I won’t tell anyone what happened today.”

“I know,” Fang Xian replied casually.

Although the teachers hadn’t worked together for long, they had a basic understanding of each other. Fang Xian knew that Ming Leyao wasn’t one to meddle in others’ affairs, so he wasn’t worried about the incident being spread.

“Um… Teacher Fang, I still have to warn you—Ming Hongdou isn’t exactly mild-tempered. You’d better be careful.”

Without Ming Yuehe around, Ming Hongdou could go completely off the rails. No one could predict what she might do.

“She was the one who hit you and injured your head before, wasn’t she?”

“Yeah.”

“Then walking down the mountain with me… won’t she hold a grudge against you?”

“The grudge between us… one more thing doesn’t make a difference.”

After they got to the foot of the mountain, the two of them went their separate ways back to their homes.

Back home, Ming Leyao locked the door and went into her spatial dimension. She clipped the wings off the wild chickens, set up a fenced area, and kept them inside. Although wild chickens were good, their meat still wasn’t as tasty as domestic chickens. She figured she should get a few chicks to raise sometime.

In the kitchen inside the space, there were all the seasonings she needed. She cleaned and chopped up the chicken, put it in the pressure cooker, added light and dark soy sauce, some spices, mushrooms, and salt. Once the lid was secured, she left it alone.

She pulled out a medical book from the study, sat by the windowsill, looking out at the distant mountains and nearby waters while sipping tea—there was a bit of poetic charm to it.

After reading for over half an hour, Ming Leyao returned to the kitchen and added potatoes to the pot.

Fifteen minutes later, the chicken was done.

She poured everything into a bowl, grabbed some steamed cornbread buns she’d made herself, and headed to the cowshed.

“Uncle Si, Aunt Si.”

“Hey?” Aunt Si poked her head out of the kitchen at the door. Seeing it was Ming Leyao, she jogged over.

“No classes today? Have you eaten yet? I was just about to cook. My sister-in-law from my mother’s side sent over some eggs—later I’ll steam some egg custard for you girls.”

“Auntie, let’s go inside and talk.”

The basket she carried was still a bit heavy, and Ming Leyao was afraid the smell would escape and be noticed by others, so she covered it with another bowl.

“Alright, come in.”

The few-square-meter thatched house was divided into several sections. Between two double beds were a few trunks, separated by a curtain. Near the door was a low table, and behind it a cupboard for bowls. Beside it stood a long table with enamel mugs, toothbrushes, washbasins—everyday clutter.

“What’s going on, Leyao? Why so mysterious?”

“Auntie, I went up the mountain this morning and got something good. I cooked it at home and brought it over for us to eat. Didn’t you say Uncle Si went to help build the dam? That’s hard work—he’ll need good energy for that.”

“Ah, after the autumn harvest, it’s all odd jobs left. Not many work points to earn. Winter’s coming soon, and your uncle just wants to earn a bit more, trade for some money, and get some mud bricks to fix up the house.”

“Auntie, there’s no rush to earn points right now. But the house really should be repaired sooner. I still have some money—use it for now, fix the house, and you can pay me back later if you want.”

“No, no, how could we use your money? You live alone—you should keep some for emergencies. Besides, when you get married one day, that’ll be your dowry.”

“Auntie, if I ever have to rely on money to keep my dignity in a marriage, then I’d rather not marry at all. Besides, I’m only eighteen—nineteen after the new year. No rush.”

“Eighteen is nothing! I was eighteen when I married your Uncle Si.”

“Auntie, really, don’t be polite with me. If not for yourselves, at least think of Xiao Jiang and Xiao Xue. You know how cold the winters here are. Even with a brick house and a heated bed, it’s still freezing, let alone this thatched house that leaks air everywhere.”

Her words hit Aunt Si right in the heart. The adults could tough it out, but the kids?

“I… I’ll talk it over with your uncle.”

“Alright, Auntie. Talk it through. Have Xiao Jiang come tell me when you’ve decided. Don’t feel burdened—only once we have a house can we think about anything else.”

“I understand, I understand.”

Ming Leyao smiled, then lifted the bowl covering the basket. The rich aroma of meat instantly filled the tiny thatched room.

“Oh my god… so much?? Is that… is that chicken? Wild chicken?”

“Yep, our dog did a good job this morning—caught one for me. I can’t finish it all myself, and I know it’s hard for you to cook here, so I made it at home and brought it over.”

“Oh, good child… such a good child…” Aunt Si’s eyes welled up with tears. It felt so good to be thought of. Life may be hard, but it was filled with little surprises.

Xiao Jiang and Xiao Xue came in after neatly stacking their firewood outside. The smell stopped them in their tracks.

“Oh my gosh… it smells so good???”

“You two just gonna stand there like door gods? Come on in—your sister brought you something tasty.”

“Jie? Sister Leyao, you’re the best!”

Xiao Xue, being younger, showed affection very directly. She ran into Ming Leyao’s arms and snuggled close, making her laugh helplessly.

Xiao Jiang, on the other hand, was more emotionally reserved. Her eyes were wet, and she softly called out, “Jie…” That one word, “sister,” was filled with emotion.

“Eat up, eat a lot. If we finish it, we’ll have Dogzi catch us another.”

“That’s awesome! Dogzi is amazing! Mom, ask Grandma if that family has any more puppies. Let’s get one too!”

Ming Leyao: “…..”

That… might be a bit tricky.