Chapter 78: Chapter 78: I’ll Stand with You as Punishment Chapter 78: Chapter 78: I’ll Stand with You as Punishment But the taste was really good, sweet and syrupy, using white sugar, not saccharin. Although saccharin is sweet, it actually isn’t as delicious as white sugar when eaten.
Bai Fei ate one and squinted her eyes in delight, her gaze at Bai Zhi was practically glowing.
Were her uncle and the others blind? To have such a gem who could cook, earn money, and do household work but not spoil and protect her—instead, they bullied her. Really, their brains must be full of holes.
As she munched on the popcorn, she began to calculate the chances of luring Bai Zhi back to her home.
She could share her drawing books with Bai Zhi, and she could even give up her room for Bai Zhi. From now on, she would protect her, and all she needed was to be provided with delicious food every day, or else she could just bring her own backpack and show up at her door.
Just having a bite to eat was enough; she was easy to care for.
“Bai Zhi, do you need someone to stoke the fire? No payment needed, just provide food,” Bai Fei said, blinking expectantly and looking at her, her eyes shining like little stars.
“No need, you eat too much. I can’t afford to keep you,” Bai Zhi chuckled, finding her cousin too adorable.
“How can you say that?”
Bai Fei pouted but didn’t get angry, and simply ate her popcorn faster.
The two boys had chopped the bamboo and cut it into sections.
Lanzi had washed the rice as well, and there was a water pipe nearby. The water in their village came from a spring in the mountains, piped down. The spring water was incredibly sweet and clean, the kind you could directly scoop up with leaves and drink.
There was also a reservoir halfway up the hill that could release water.
Lanzi had washed the rice there. Bai Zhi mixed diced potatoes and carrots with the rice, and then added the smoked meat that Bai Fei had brought. She made do with a sickle and diced it, ready to be stuffed into the bamboo tubes,
Bamboo tubes just the size of an adult’s wrist were ideal; it was time to start the fire.
Bai Zhi inspected the pot Bai Fei brought, along with the smoked meat and potatoes—she decided to stir-fry the potatoes with the smoked meat.
Large stones were arranged in a circle for the fire, using big logs until the flames were ready, and then adding smaller ones. They were set up vertically against the stones. Now it was time to chat.
“Have you done your summer homework? I still have so much left, what should I do?”
Bai Fei was the first to speak out, with only half a month until school started, yet her homework was still completely untouched.
“Me too, I think math is so hard. I don’t know any of it. What will I do? I’m going to have to stand at the door again when school starts. Bai Zhi, this year, I’m going to be there with you.”
It was Lanzi who spoke this time; they were in the same class and would soon be moving on to the fourth grade.
In the past, the one who stood at the door, laughed at by others, was, of course, the original owner. She had no time to do homework, let alone at night. She wanted to ask the group pet for help, but they had already gone to sleep long before, leaving her no choice but to bite on her pen in frustration.
It wasn’t that the original owner wasn’t smart, but rather, she was often compared unfavorably—always hearing how Xixi was so smart to score ninety percent, and why could she only get forty.
Nobody considered whether the original owner had time to study or do homework. At school, she would be dozing off, because she needed to wake up early, make breakfast, feed the pigs, and cut the pig grass in advance.
At night, only after washing clothes could she do her homework. If she turned on the light, she might even be scolded,
At night, does turning on the lights not cost electricity?
So, what could she do?
Moreover, that feeling of inferiority was always there. She was a sensitive child who cared about others’ opinions. When people said she was too stupid, she would think that maybe she truly was stupid, and that she shouldn’t even try anymore because she wouldn’t understand.
Without comparison, there is no harm, but for children, that kind of harm—especially the stark and obvious comparisons, followed by sighs—made her already sensitive heart even more self-deprecating.
“I’m working hard; I used to not have the time, but now I want to work hard. A good memory is not as reliable as a worn pen; I believe if I do it a few more times, I will definitely be able to.”
Bai Zhi wouldn’t suddenly become a prodigy, that’s unrealistic. To leap from dummy to genius, people would only think that you must have been bewitched by something.
So she had to take it slowly and also recall her previous level; it would be best to find a teacher—it’s just too hard.
“You used to not do well because I didn’t tutor you, but don’t worry, I’m here now, I will tutor you.”
Upon hearing this, Bai Fei immediately spoke up; she was the best student among them.
“Bai Fei, you’d better forget it; you’re only a bit better than us. Besides, aren’t Bai Yu and Bai Ye very impressive? Why don’t you let them tutor you?”
Another boy spoke up right away. At school, Bai Yu was a genius, and Bai Ye, while slightly less so, was also a top scorer, as was the group pet.
But, a genius?
Bai Zhi did not agree with that; maybe in this small place, or perhaps Bai Yu would be in the future, but right now, it wasn’t necessarily the case.
“No need, my brother is also very impressive. Bai Zhi, don’t go looking for them; you’ve finally gotten away from them. You can’t be foolish and go back to mothering them, do you understand?”
Bai Fei grabbed Bai Zhi, feeling immediately that even popcorn lost its appeal, fearing that Bai Zhi would make another foolish mistake.
“I know, I won’t. I’m not stupid.”
“Yeah right, you used to be stupid to the point of death.”
Bai Fei was the kind of person to speak her mind, little did she know that her words would turn out to be prophetic,
as the original owner was indeed so foolish, she died.
Bai Zhi suddenly fell silent, and Bai Fei also realized her words might have been too harsh.
“That’s okay, it’s good to correct your faults, don’t worry about it. My brother is coming back to take extra lessons soon; he’s in the first year of junior high, so we definitely won’t have any problems getting tutoring from him, right?”
Bai Fei placed the popcorn in Bai Zhi’s hand and gave her a silly smile.
Seeing that Bai Zhi did not respond and feeling somewhat embarrassed, she took Bai Zhi’s hand.
“Sorry, I was wrong, I shouldn’t have called you stupid.”
Bai Zhi looked at Bai Fei’s cautious demeanor and shook her head; she wasn’t upset about that.
“It’s not that, cousin, I was just wondering how long it will take to finish my homework. As you know, I’m not very smart, I would definitely be happy if cousin could teach me.”
Bai Fei’s brother Bai Xiang, in fact, didn’t feature much in the original owner’s memory, the only thing notable being that he was part of a family that struck it rich.
Just a few words, really, didn’t provoke much feeling, but when you truly enter this world, you realize that Bai Fei is actually a very likable girl.
“Of course. He will definitely tutor us, don’t worry. If it’s still not enough, I…”
Bai Fei frowned, as if making some kind of resolution.
“I will, I will stand with you during the punishment.”
You should know, it’s not just standing in punishment; it would also subject them to everyone’s laughter.
Bai Zhi felt warmth in her heart; perhaps if the original owner had paid more attention back then, she could have gained such a great sister?
“Okay, then.” So she sweetly agreed.