Chapter 1025: Extra 2

Chapter 1025: Side Story 2

In the fields beneath Niuxin Mountain, the half-green wheat swayed in the gentle breeze. The crop grew with promising vigor; the ears were fully formed and the grains plump, suggesting a bountiful harvest was not far off.

A group of children, a mix of trepidation and excitement, crouched by the edge of the field, plucking the green wheat with their hands. The little girl leading them, with her shock of white hair and pink pupils, stood out starkly among the crowd.

Yet, the other children seemed long accustomed to her appearance and treated her no differently; in fact, because she appeared slightly older, they looked to her as their natural leader.

"Hurry up, everyone!" Bai Lingmiao crouched on the ground, reaching out to tug forcefully at the green stalks.

The children looked nervous, glancing toward the direction of Liangqu from time to time, as if wary of something approaching.

Under Bai Lingmiao’s guidance, the children moved quickly, and before long, each had at least a handful.

Just then, an old man carrying a hoe in the distance came running toward them, shouting, "Hey!"

"Run, everyone! Third Uncle is on our tail!" At her command, the children scattered in an instant.

Because of the early warning, all the children escaped capture and regrouped at the foot of Niuxin Mountain.

Looking at the two handfuls of spoils in her hands, Bai Lingmiao, her face flushed red from the heat, revealed a gap-toothed grin, laughing heartily along with the other children of the village.

"Sister, the fire." A little tyke beside her stood on tiptoes, straining to hold out the fire-striker he had brought from home.

Seeing this, the other children didn't need to be told; they spontaneously scattered to gather dry leaves and twigs.

Before long, thin wisps of smoke rose at the foot of Niuxin Mountain, the result of roasting the green wheat ears. All the children gathered around the fire, swallowing their saliva in anticipation.

As the spoils roasted over the modest flame, a rich, mellow aroma of wheat began to permeate the air, drawing deep, hungry breaths from the group.

When the awns were scorched and the ears blackened, the experienced Bai Lingmiao knew it was time to extinguish the fire.

She reached out with her delicate hands, pulled three or four ears from the heat, and rubbed them vigorously between her palms. The grains separated from the husks.

She puffed out her cheeks and blew into her palms, scattering the chaff until only the green-and-black grains remained.

She cupped the roasted grains in her palm, tilted her head back, and poured them into her mouth. After a few chews, the fragrant, sweet juices filled her mouth—delicious, truly delicious, savory and sweet.

For children in such a remote, impoverished place, this was a rare treat. Moreover, this roasted green wheat could only be enjoyed for a brief window; once the wheat ripened, it would be gone.

Thus, every child ate with great focus and care, crouching or standing as they savored the rare delicacy.

When the wheat was finished, everyone’s hands and mouths were stained pitch-black by the charred husks, and they pointed at each other’s faces, erupting into laughter.

Yet, once the laughter died down, they felt a lingering sense of dissatisfaction.

"Ugh, Third Uncle came too fast. It wasn't enough. I only just got a taste."

"Exactly, exactly. Let's go pick from my house. My parents went to visit relatives; there’s no one in our fields."

"Your field won't work. It’s right next to mine. If your field is empty, mine has people in it."

"Green wheat is so good. I really don't understand why the adults insist on waiting for it to turn yellow before cutting it."

"Stop arguing," Bai Lingmiao said with a wave of her hand. "Let's go! Let's see if the dates at Second Uncle's place are ripe! There's no one home there right now."

After dousing the fire with a splash of urine, the group of children clamored off toward the village under Bai Lingmiao’s lead.

Although the dates at Second Uncle’s were not yet ripe, it didn't stop them from chasing chickens and dogs throughout the village. At this age, they were at their most energetic and mischievous, drawing constant shouts and scoldings from the adults.

But for the children, this was their happiest, most carefree time. The world was full of wonder, and every day was a joy.

But that would change as they grew older; soon, the boys would have to work the fields, and the girls would be married off.

Just as the group was discussing a plan to dive into the village pond, the peddler’s cry drew them all in.

Under the tree at the entrance of the village, the peddler’s shoulder-pole, laden with all sorts of novel trinkets, captured the eyes of every child.

The peddler, a piece of dog-skin plaster stuck to his chin, fanned himself with a straw hat and said to the children, "Little ones, go on, go call your elders! Needles and thread, wooden combs, thimbles and scissors, fruit and malt candy—I’ve got it all."

"If your mothers are happy with their purchases, they might just buy you some candy."

At the mention of candy, every child’s eyes lit up, and they scattered instantly to find their parents.

The peddler looked at Bai Lingmiao, who was holding her younger brother’s hand, and felt a sense of curiosity. Why did this girl look like that? But as a man who had seen the world, he didn't make a fuss.

He cared more about whether this trip would be profitable than what anyone looked like.

He glanced at the silver chain around the boy’s neck, noting the longevity lock attached to it, and assessed the condition of their clothes. He quickly formed an opinion.

"Little white girl, is your family rich? Didn't your elders give you any copper coins to buy treats?"

Bai Lingmiao shifted her gaze from a flower-patterned copper hairpin on the rack. "No. You can't buy anything with money in this village."

The peddler slapped his forehead in regret, forgetting that this godforsaken place wasn't a county seat where money could actually be spent. This girl surely didn't have a single coin.

"Then what are you standing there for? Go call your elders! Tell them to come buy you some candy."

"My elders are out on business. My brother and I are staying with our aunt."

"Heh, what a waste of time." The peddler couldn't be bothered with the white-haired girl anymore and sat down at the base of the tree to drink from his gourd.

Bai Lingmiao seemed to really want that hairpin, but she did nothing, standing there quietly and watching, as if merely looking at it was a pleasure in itself.

Before long, the village entrance became lively. The children had spread the news of the peddler’s arrival throughout Niuxin Village. Many were scolded for the black soot on their faces, but they didn't care, pestering their parents to buy them candy.

The ones who came were the mothers and grandmothers—most of the men were out working the fields. They crowded around the peddler, asking questions all at once.

Many children clung to their mothers, begging for candy, but except for a few pampered ones, most were rewarded with a sharp slap to the ear.

"Still asking for candy! You little plague! Where did you get that black soot on your face?"

Yet, the children who did get candy didn't eat it alone. They would spit the half-sucked sugar out of their mouths and pass it to those who were crying. The small piece of candy traveled from mouth to mouth, finally reaching Bai Lingmiao.

Looking at the sticky, nearly dissolved brown sugar bean, Bai Lingmiao licked her lips. She hesitated for a moment, but ultimately resisted the temptation and tucked the candy into her brother’s mouth.

"Is it good?" Bai Lingmiao asked, stroking his little head.

"Mm, good." Seeing her brother nod vigorously, Bai Lingmiao smiled happily.

When the women dispersed, the peddler’s rack was noticeably emptier. He thought to himself that his judgment had been correct; the more remote the village, the fewer peddlers visited, and the more profit there was to be made.

He weighed his heavier coin purse, feeling satisfied, and sat back down at the tree root to rest, planning to walk to the next village in one go once he had caught his breath.

"Uncle, have you been to many places?" Bai Lingmiao asked, moving a little closer.

"You bet. I’ve traveled north and south all these years; I’ve been everywhere." In a good mood, the peddler answered her question.

"What is it like out there? Is it very different from Bai Village?" Bai Lingmiao’s eyes were full of longing; she was incredibly curious about the outside world.

It wasn't just her; all the children in the village were curious. Hearing this question, they all gathered around.

"You bet. Do you know what’s in the far west? It’s the sea. Have you ever seen the sea? I have! Back in the day, when I was begging in Hedong Circuit, I even saw someone catch a fish twice as tall as a man!"

Watching their stunned expressions and hearing their gasps, the peddler couldn't help but lift his chin, feeling a bit puffed up.

"Fine, since I’m in a good mood today, I’ll tell you little ones a thing or two, so you folks in this backwater can broaden your horizons."

Soon, through the peddler’s mouth, the children of Bai Village gained their first concepts of other things—what a shop was, what a pawnshop was, what a teahouse was.

As the peddler grew more animated and the gasps around him increased, he began to mimic the storytellers in the teahouses.

He didn't remember some details clearly, so he made them up as he went along; they were just children, after all, and he doubted they would know the difference.

"It is said that in ancient times, the Nine Li threw virtue into chaos, and the people and gods were mingled! No, that's not it—the world was in disarray! The gods toyed with the people, and their deeds were not pure. This means that in the past, the gods in heaven lived right alongside us."

"As it turned out, someone saw that this wouldn't do. That person was Zhuanxu."

"They say this Zhuanxu, ah—he was a giant! He was nine feet tall the moment he was born, could eat an entire ox in one sitting, and could drink a stream dry in a single gulp."

"They say Zhuanxu's father was a god. I don't know if it's true, but he was certainly something else—you could tell at a glance he wasn't an ordinary man!"

The children of Niuxin Village were utterly spellbound, oblivious to the several carriages approaching along the distant path.

"Disasters arrive in succession, and their energy never wanes. Zhuanxu received this burden—which is to say, since Zhuanxu was so formidable and possessed such great power, he became the King of Men, the Human Emperor."

"Once he became Emperor, he had to get things done. He looked at the gods living among men and felt it wasn't right. 'Hey,' he thought, 'how can this be? Humans and gods shouldn't live together.' So, he took his two generals, Baizhong and Yuli, and went to settle the score with the immortals."

"Heh! And guess what happened?" At this point, the peddler paused, savoring the suspense.

"What happened?" Bailin Miao and the others were hooked.

"The gods refused to budge! Heh! You think Zhuanxu, with that fiery temper of his, would just take that? I couldn't stand it, let alone him. He started brawling with them right on the spot. Oh, the scene—tsk, tsk, tsk! He grabbed them by the hair and started slapping—smack, smack, smack! It was loud enough to wake the dead."

Just as she was listening intently, Bailin Miao felt someone tugging at her sleeve.

She turned to see her uncle, a boy one year her junior. "Why does this god-fighting sound just like my aunt and second cousin fighting?"

Hearing this, the other children looked puzzled. Though young, they weren't stupid; something felt off.

"Ahem! What's this? Don't want to listen? If you don't want to listen, I'm leaving." The peddler pretended to stand up, only to be grabbed by the children. "Listen, listen! Please, go on."

Seeing everyone's attention back on him, the peddler cleared his throat. "Where was I? Oh, right, Zhuanxu won, scratched the god's face, stole the god's chickens, and... and snatched the god's copper coins."

"But the gods still weren't satisfied and brought others to cause trouble. Could my ancestor Zhuanxu swallow that insult? He spat on his palms, stomped his feet, and started casting spells."

"The Human Emperor could cast spells? He couldn't before—when did he learn?" Bailin Miao asked curiously.

"Go on, stop interrupting! I say he could, so he could."

The peddler mimicked stomping his feet, muttering nonsense, then suddenly thrust his hands toward the sky. All the children followed his gaze to the blue expanse above.

"Then Zhuanxu shouted, 'Mima Mima Hum, Sever the Earth from Heaven!' Oh, the scene—whoosh, whoosh! The sound of it—crackle, crackle, crackle! You weren't there, but it was truly something else."

As the peddler gestured wildly, spitting as he spoke, the children anxiously asked what happened next. His speech was nothing but sound effects, and they couldn't visualize the scene.

Just then, Bailin Miao's eyes lit up. She saw her grandfather, parents, and several uncles leading their carriages into the shade of the great tree.

"Grandpa!" Bailin Miao bent down, scooped up her younger brother, and ran toward them.

Bai Hangshu picked up his grandchildren, laughing as he tickled them with his beard, but his expression suddenly shifted. He led his sons toward the peddler.

"What kind of nonsense are you spouting!" Bai Hangshu's tone was sharp, and his sons behind him rolled up their sleeves, ready to thrash the man.

"N-nothing, just telling them some old legends," the peddler stammered, retreating a step.

"Bullshit! What legends? You don't know the first thing about history! You're just misleading the youth!" Bai Hangshu kicked the peddler's carrying pole over.

"Yes, yes, you're right, it's all wrong."

The peddler shrank his neck, not daring to utter a word. This old man had too many sons; he wasn't a man to be trifled with.

Seeing the Bai family closing in, Bailin Miao gently tugged on her grandfather's beard. "Grandpa, please don't hit him. If you do, he won't come to our village anymore."

Bai Hangshu doted on his eldest granddaughter and couldn't refuse. He smiled kindly and patted her head. "Alright, we'll do as you say, little one. Why is your mouth all black? Have you been roasting green wheat again?"

The peddler, having escaped a beating, didn't dare linger and prepared to shoulder his load.

"Wait!" Bai Hangshu's voice made the peddler shudder. He turned back with a smile uglier than a grimace. "Sir, is there something else?"

Bai Hangshu walked over with a stern face, grabbed a handful of malt candy from the load, and stuffed it into his grandchildren's arms. "How much?"

Seeing the menacing Bai family, the peddler hesitated. "No... no charge?"

"No charge? Bah! Do you think we're kidnappers? Stop the damn chatter—how many coppers!"

Seeing that Bai Hangshu intended to pay, the peddler's smile returned, and he quietly added an extra copper to the price.

"Sir, is this your granddaughter? She was eyeing this copper hairpin earlier. It's very nice, and not expensive—only forty coppers." The peddler held up the hairpin, trying to make a sale.

Bai Hangshu hesitated, then snatched it and pinned it into Bailin Miao's hair. "Little one, you're growing up; it's time you dressed the part. Tomorrow, have your mother braid your hair. Stop running around the fields and woods like a wild thing."

Bailin Miao's mother walked over, smiling as she touched her daughter's hair. "Father, it's fine. All girls are like this; she'll be quiet when she's older."

Bailin Miao, her mouth full of malt candy, said nothing, reaching up to touch the copper flower on her head with a grin.

The traveling party returned unscathed, and the village felt as if a great celebration were in order. That very day, a feast was held in the Bai family courtyard. They even slaughtered a pig that had been spared for the New Year, along with a sheep and an ox.

With three beasts slaughtered, there was more than enough meat for everyone.

Fragrant braised beef, oily preserved vegetable pork, and large platters of pork knuckles were served.

The children of Niuxin Village were overjoyed, huddled at their table, devouring the food like little piglets.

The village dogs and chickens darted under the tables, feasting on the scraps and enjoying a fine year themselves.

After the meal, Bai Hangshu sat at the head of the table, raising his glass with a touch of excitement, though Bailin Miao couldn't understand what he was saying.

Her attention was entirely on the malt candy in her pocket. Thinking she could have one piece a day for eight days, she felt as sweet as honey.

"No, I have to share with the others. If I don't share the good stuff, how can I be the leader?" Just as she was contemplating the distribution, a voice sounded beside her.

"Sister, do you have any more candy? I finished mine."

Seeing her brother sucking his fingers, Bailin Miao nodded and pulled at her clothes to retrieve the sweets.

But when she saw the candy had melted into a puddle from her body heat, tears welled up in her eyes.

"Oh, who is bullying our little one?" Bai Hangshu, his nose flushed with drink, walked over and kissed her forehead.

"Grandpa, the candy melted," she whimpered.

"Hahaha, is that all? It's fine, it's still edible." Bai Hangshu dipped his finger into the softened candy and fed it to her.

Bailin Miao followed suit, dipping her finger to feed her brother.

"Little one, don't believe what that peddler said. It's all lies."

Bailin Miao's eyes widened. "Grandpa, then what is the truth?"

"Hahaha, want to hear a story from Grandpa? Alright! Call all the children over."

Once everyone had gathered, Bai Hangshu began to speak. All sorts of strange and wonderful things flowed from his lips, leaving the children in awe.

Bailin Miao sat on her grandfather's lap, looking at him with adoration. Her grandfather was truly amazing; he always had a different story to tell.

Leaning in the arms of her favorite person, listening to whimsical ghost stories, and tasting the sweet malt candy, with her parents home at last, Bailin Miao felt this was the happiest day of her life.

Bailin Miao Side Story: Today is Bailin Miao's birthday. Let us wish Miaomiao a happy birthday!

[About the Side Stories]

Having finished the stories of Hongzhong and Miaomiao, the next in order is Zhuge Yuan. Since there are four side stories for Zhuge Yuan, I plan to integrate them into a short novella. Please look forward to it, dear readers.