Font Size:
Jiang Xiaolu was still crying when Wang Yingxiu, standing in the courtyard, picked up a firewood stick and started hitting him.
“Jiang Xiaolu, I’ve tolerated you long enough! Haven’t I gone a few days without giving you a beating?
And now you have the nerve to say you know you were wrong?
This is your idea of knowing you were wrong?
You shoved your sister and still want Jiang Xiaolin’s address?
Niannian, come here—go get the address and give it to him.
Let’s see if he’s got the guts to go find her. Let’s see if she’ll even want to see him!”
Seeing Xiaolu get hit a few times on the butt, Jiang Weiguo quickly stepped in to stop his wife.
“Hey, that’s enough, enough.
He’s still just a kid. How could he even make it to the city?”
Wang Yingxiu had the stick snatched away but still slapped Xiaolu a few more times in anger.
“Then why did he ask for Jiang Xiaolin’s address?”
Jiang Weiguo didn’t know either, so he turned to ask:
“Why do you want Jiang Xiaolin’s address?”
Xiaolu, sobbing from the pain, answered honestly when asked:
“It was Big Cousin who told me to ask.”
Hearing that, Jiang Niannian said:
“Back in the small woods, I heard Jiang Jiaxing say he wanted to go to the city for work.
Looks like he’s planning to find Jiang Xiaolin and ask her to help him find a job.”
Wang Yingxiu sneered.
“Hah! He thinks finding work in the city is easy? What a joke.
Give him the address, let’s see if he gets a door slammed in his face.
Even if someone sold him off, he’d probably help count the money! Just let him go!”
Jiang Niannian went inside, found the address, and stuffed it into Jiang Xiaolu’s arms.
“When I left, Jiang Xiaolin’s father was working at the steel mill and was about to be promoted to workshop supervisor.
As for now, I don’t know what’s going on.”
Noticing the blood on her daughter’s hand, Wang Yingxiu quickly told Jiang Weiguo to get some alcohol and cotton swabs.
She then ordered Xiaolu to apologize.
“Look at what you did—your sister’s hand is bleeding! Apologize!
If I catch you pushing her again, I’ll beat the life out of you!”
Xiaolu sniffled and sobbed.
“Sorry, I won’t do it again…”
Jiang Niannian glanced at him. Forgiveness? Not a chance.
“Scram!”
Hearing that, the brat even looked wronged.
“I already apologized! What else do you want?!”
“You think I have to forgive you just because you apologized?
I’m not forgiving you—so what? Stay away from me. I don’t want to see your face.”
Jiang Xiaolu wailed and ran into the house crying.
Wang Yingxiu noticed the bracelet was now sparkling clean—it gleamed clearly under the 15-watt bulb.
“Your blood still dripped on it. Did you feel anything?”
Jiang Niannian shook her head.
“Nothing at all. Mom, give it up already.
Anyway, I’ll go deal with this myself. There was a little stone on the ground—otherwise, it wouldn’t have bled so much.
So much for the freshly cleaned bracelet… I’m going to bed.
Oh right, is Big Brother watching the fish pond now?”
Her second brother, standing by the door, answered:
“Yeah, we’re taking shifts. I’d like to see who dares do something so shady.”
Niannian nodded and returned to her room, sleeping soundly through the night.
The next morning, she stretched and noticed—her wound had healed?!
That’s weird… super weird!
It was bleeding just last night, and now it’s fine?
Could it really be a space?
“Enter!”
Nothing happened. Then, Niannian noticed the green gourd on the bracelet flickered.
She saw a little green gourd appear in her mind, filled with a glowing liquid. Suddenly, a drop of it materialized in her palm. In her head, two words appeared: Spirit Spring!
Holy sh—!
Even if it wasn’t a space, a Spirit Spring was more than good enough!
Her brain was flooded with information about the gourd.
Apparently, it had been dormant for too long. After finally drinking enough blood to activate, it could now only produce one drop of Spirit Spring water per day.
Spirit Spring: Heals wounds, detoxifies all poisons; its effectiveness depends on the amount used.
Niannian was shocked. That meant the bald patches on the tabby cat could be cured instantly!
She ran to the kitchen and whispered something to her mom. Wang Yingxiu’s eyes widened in joy.
“Hahahaha! I knew it!”
Niannian quickly clamped her mom’s mouth shut.
“Shhh, Mom—keep it low-key. It only produces one drop a day. It’s not even useful yet.
Later, I’ll drop one into Big Brother’s fish pond.
There’s none left for today. My wound soaked up everything from last night and this morning.”
Wang Yingxiu nodded rapidly.
“Alright, alright! This is our mother-daughter secret.
No one else can know—not even your dad. You hear me?
Ugh, if only I had dripped two more drops back then.
Turns out the poor thing just wasn’t full. Whose blood is ever enough for it to chug?
And it didn’t even give a hint! This fate was clearly meant for you. Keep it safe.”
Niannian nodded and peeked into the pot.
“We’re having sugar pancakes today? I love sugar pancakes!”
Wang Yingxiu smiled.
“I knew you’d like them—I made them especially for you.
Hey, once you save up more of that spring water, give me two drops later.
I wonder if it’ll make my skin even better.
But man, one drop a day is too little. If only it could produce eight glasses a day…”
The bracelet sparkled briefly—clearly, it had heard the trash talk. Hmph!
After breakfast, Dahei started fussing, saying he wanted to visit his “wife” at the pig farm.
Niannian had a headache—this wasn’t something she could easily handle.
“Dahei, how about you go by yourself?
Pretend I don’t know anything. Just make sure you come back.
You can scare people, but no biting.
And don’t eat anything strangers give you.
What if they poison you? Then you’ll never see me or your wife and kids again.”
Dahei barked twice:
“Got it, Master. You’re a bit naggy.
My old master taught me that stuff already.
If his family hadn’t moved to the city and stopped hunting, they would never have sold a mighty, powerful dog like me.”
Niannian blinked.
“Sold? My second brother paid for you—how much?”
Dahei: “Two yuan.”
Niannian let out a breath. Two yuan wasn’t too bad.
“Alright then, off you go.”
She planned to go hunt rats at Li Laosan’s place. Dahuang had promised to take her to the rat holes behind his house today.
At the pig farm, Wang Lin saw a big black dog run in and immediately started shouting:
“Shoo! Get out of here! One more step and I’ll hit you!”
Xiao Jingyan came out and recognized Dahei. He grabbed Wang Lin’s arm, stopping him from throwing a rock.
“Don’t drive it away. That’s Comrade Jiang’s dog.”
Wang Lin was surprised.
“When did Uncle Jiang’s family get a hunting dog like this?
It looks fierce. Why’s it at our pig farm?”
Xiao Jingyan stood in front of Dahei and asked,
“Did you come looking for me?”
Dahei barked twice, then bypassed him and trotted straight into the pig farm like he knew the place. He went directly to the yellow dog’s nest.
Woof woof!
The yellow dog, named Dahua, barked twice in return.
Xiao Jingyan had thought Dahei came for him—turns out he was visiting his dog.
Wang Lin elbowed him furiously.
“Brother Yan… bro… could Dahua’s pups actually belong to this Dahei guy?”
Xiao Jingyan thought about it and burst out laughing in frustration.