Chapter 87: Chapter 87: You Are Like a Little Ancestor Chapter 87: Chapter 87: You Are Like a Little Ancestor Bai Zhi washed the dishes and fed the chicks, but as for the piglets, Bai Dan never worried Bai Zhi with that chore.
Always the first thing was to feed the pigs, and only then could they start eating their meal.
If the previous Bai Zhi was too busy to have a moment’s rest, now she was too idle to find something that needed doing, that was the difference.
Backpack on shoulders and jar in arms, Bai Zhi headed to find Bai Fei.
Up until now, the issue of homework.
Cough, cough, cough,
Because she couldn’t let herself appear to know everything, it seemed right that she hadn’t finished it all, like that math stuff.
Right…
Well, okay then, she really was too busy, going straight to sleep after finishing the day’s tasks.
What was homework?
Could it be eaten?
Could it earn some money?
She needed to repent; she was guilty.
She couldn’t afford to waste time anymore.
Actually, the homework wasn’t that much, likely a matter of one or two days to finish, plus the journal entries, but her laziness matched Bai Fei’s.
Day after day without lifting a finger, did they expect the pen to move on its own?
Vacation days dwindled, but the amount of homework didn’t.
When Bai Zhi arrived, Aunt Li Si was also brandishing a bamboo switch on the table.
With just one week left until school started, and not a word of homework done by Bai Fei, how could Li Si not become anxious?
It was all Bai Guang’s fault, coddling her every day; that girl was nearly soaring sky-high.
At this moment, she forgot that she was also one of the people spoiling Bai Fei to the heavens.
“You tell me, school is starting soon, and you still want me to be lectured by the teacher? I’m out of face already, should I send your dad instead?”
Li Si blurted out in frustration, but Bai Fei’s eyes lit up at the thought.
Dad going would be great; he wouldn’t scold her, but mom, that was another story—the teacher on the left, mom on the right…
Seeing Bai Fei’s eager face, Li Si also realized and let out a cold laugh.
“I’m so frustrated by you, don’t even dream about it. If your dad went, he’d come back saying everything about you was splendid, the teacher praising you, praise my foot, how shameless can he get, no wait, he’s got no shame at all!”
Because besides praising his daughter, he was good for nothing else.
“Mom, have you thought about how Dad feels when you say that?”
Bai Fei felt a bit down; she’d been figured out. Every time her mom went to the school, she’d be deprived of snacks for several days, sigh…
“Snort!”
Bai Zhi, standing at the door, heard the conversation and couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Bai Fei and Li Si turned to see Bai Zhi at the doorway, on a hot day, holding such a large jar—pickles?
Li Si hurried over to take it, the weight sinking in her hands. Did this child really carry it all this way?
“Bai Zhi, why did you carry such a big jar over here? Go and rest, and I’ll prepare some fruit for you girls. Your cousin is so infuriating, not doing her homework.”
Bai Zhi felt a bit embarrassed; she seemed to be one of those who hadn’t done her homework as well.
“Auntie, it’s not pickles, but canned fruit, canned mountain pears that my cousin and I made together.”
Bai Zhi quickly explained, lest the auntie mistook it for pickles and stashed it away for good.
“PickleS?” Li Si was taken aback. They would just eat the mountain pears as is, tossing away the sour ones, although grapes and those August melons were particularly relished.
“Yeah, canned ones. That way, they aren’t sour anymore, but sweet and delicious.”
“That’s great. None of us like sour stuff. You kids go do your homework. I’ll get some for you.”
After hearing this, Li Si immediately smiled and spoke; she didn’t doubt their word and quickly brought out some from the kitchen.
The mountain pears were especially white after being peeled for canning and seemed translucent and sparkling. They looked tasty, and upon trying one, Li Si found it indeed very sweet, without the sourness of the raw pears. Bai Zhi, the child, was really capable.
But capable only because no one was there to help her, poor kid.
With that thought, Li Si remembered that her daughter had suggested knitting a sweater for Bai Zhi next time, and she had agreed!
Such thoughtful children, always considering others. How good they are.
Li Si then sliced some watermelon and brought it over, expecting the two children to be playing, but found them diligently working on their homework together.
“Zhizhi, I really should thank you. Otherwise, our little rascal wouldn’t know the first thing about doing homework. Auntie is really at her wit’s end.”
Placing the fruit by their side, Li Si looked tenderly at Bai Fei, who was copying vocabulary words alongside Bai Zhi, an exercise that didn’t require much thought.
“Auntie, my cousin is actually quite amazing,”
She’s like a mother, isn’t she? Despite her complaints, her eyes were filled with tenderness.
There’s this thing, you know, where she might be speaking words of complaint, yet you can feel her pride.
Like now. While Li Si was pointing out Bai Fei’s faults, her tenderness and unwitting pride for her daughter as Bai Fei shone through.
Compared to that, Ye Xiu, although much kinder to her lately, still kept a careful distance, missing that casual spontaneity and showing a bit too much caution.
But that was fine. If she were to become closer to Ye Xiu, she wouldn’t be able to handle it anyway.
After all, she and the original owner shared a visceral discomfort.
Perhaps one day she could accept it, but definitely not now. The future, well, how far away is that? Who could know?
“She’s only amazing in your eyes. Come, have some watermelon and the pickles. The pickles you made are really tasty, just as good as the ones sold in stores. Your brother Bai Xiang loves them the most…”
Isn’t there a saying, ‘speak of the devil and he shall appear’?
“Mom, I’m back…”
At the courtyard entrance, Bai Xiang returned, carrying several bags.
At times like these, having a teacher available to tutor was an opportunity not easily found, thus Bai Xiang hadn’t come home even during the holidays.
With just one more week until September 1st, it was natural for him to come back to rest for a few days. Just as he reached the house, he heard his mother talking about him.
This was the first time Bai Zhi had seen this cousin of hers. He was the type with a somewhat anxious look, now going through the voice-changing period, with a bit of a squawky voice.
But since he always wore a smile, he looked very sunny, that is if one could ignore the acne on his face…
“Bro, you’re back?”
Hearing Bai Xiang’s voice, Bai Fei immediately ran out, demanding treats without hesitation.
“Did you bring me something tasty? If not, I’m not talking to you.”
Bai Xiang was somewhat helpless and flicked Bai Fei’s forehead with his finger.
“Yes, yes, yes, you’re like an ancestor to be appeased.”
Bai Xiang pulled out the snacks he’d bought: radish, peanut brittle, and Spicy Chicken Gizzard.
Bai Fei immediately took them to share with Bai Zhi while Bai Xiang finally took a good look at his cousin Bai Zhi.
How to put it? Bai Xiang’s previous impression of Bai Zhi was of someone too submissive, somewhat lacking in self-esteem, never striving for better.
There’s a saying, isn’t there? If you don’t love yourself, how can you expect others to love you? When you demean yourself to the bone, no one else will take you seriously either.