Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Tang Qingqing sprinted all the way home. The villagers only felt a gust of wind pass by before she vanished from sight.

"Fire on her tail! She ran so fast, I thought it was a wild boar coming down the mountain!"

Old Lady Wu saw a shadow dart into the courtyard and was genuinely startled, quickly grabbing a nearby stick.

But upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Tang Qingqing.

Tang Qingqing called out, "Grandma," placed the basin on the ground, and in an instant, slipped into her room, slamming the door shut.

Her actions were fluid and seamless.

"What's going on?"

From inside her room, Tang Qingqing shouted, "Grandma, nothing. You go about your business; I'll hang up the clothes in a bit."

Old Lady Wu was puzzled but didn't press further. Instead, she reminded her:

"Hurry up, don't delay the sheep-herding."

"I know, Grandma."

As she yelled back, Tang Qingqing rummaged through her sewing kit.

Five-year-old Tang Qiaoqiao had already woken up and, seeing Tang Qingqing enter the house, flashed a sweet smile. But when she got a clear look, her eyes widened.

"Wow, Sister! Your pants..."

Tang Qingqing covered her mouth with one hand. "Don't make a fuss."

If this got out, it would be embarrassing.

Tang Qiaoqiao nodded vigorously, and Tang Qingqing released her hand.

"Sister, why are your pants torn like that?" Tang Qiaoqiao whispered.

Tang Qingqing looked embarrassed and mumbled an excuse.

In her dream, she could bend her legs backward, pulling her calves to her nape, finding it incredibly fascinating. Her legs seemed like vines, twisting however she wanted. Feeling curious, she tried it herself.

But as soon as she lifted her leg, the pants ripped.

Tang Qingqing swiftly threaded her needle and began sewing the torn pants.

She only had two pairs of pants; one was being washed, and if she didn't mend these, she'd have nothing to wear outside.

The Tang family, thanks to occasional help from Uncle Tang Jianguo, managed to live relatively well in the village.

At least for girls like them, they had clothes to change into each season.

Many of these clothes were hand-me-downs from Tang Zhenzhen and her siblings, still in good condition, some without even a patch.

Although Zhao Dahua wasn't pleased, Tang Qingqing, being the oldest child, often got to wear them first. It would be too wasteful to alter them for younger children.

Only recently, with her younger brother Tang Xingwang growing taller and Tang Qingqing staying small, did she start wearing his old clothes.

She didn't mind, considering her siblings had worn her clothes before; it wouldn't be fair to object now.

As for Tang Zhenzhen's discarded dresses, Tang Qingqing mostly avoided them, finding them inconvenient for work.

The tear was quite large, and the current cotton fabric wasn't durable. Tang Xingwang didn't take care of his clothes, leaving them fragile by the time Tang Qingqing wore them.

It took Tang Qingqing considerable effort to mend the pants.

Outside, Old Lady Wu started urging her: "It's getting late. If you don't leave now, you won't make it. Shuanzi from Group Two has already taken the sheep up the mountain."

"Coming, coming!"

Tang Qingqing quickly put on her pants, drawing a sharp breath at the pain in her thigh. It must have been strained when she lifted her leg.

"Sister, what's wrong?" Tang Qiaoqiao noticed something amiss.

"Nothing."

Tang Qingqing finished dressing, thinking that dancing was not for the faint-hearted. Stretching like that every day was more painful than chopping off a leg.

When Tang Qingqing stepped out, she found the clothes already hung up.

Old Lady Wu grumbled, "Your aunt hung them up. At this rate, the sheep will be back before you finish. Luckily, your parents went to work early today. If they saw you dawdling like this, they'd beat you senseless.

If you mess up and lose this job, see how you explain it. If it happens again, don't blame me for not speaking up for you."

Old Lady Wu turned and walked back into the house, clearly displeased with Tang Qingqing's behavior.

Tang Qingqing stuck out her tongue and thanked Aunt Wang Siimei: "Aunt, thank you for the trouble!"

Aunt Wang Siimei, who was chopping pig feed, smiled at her.

Seeing Old Lady Wu enter the house, she quickly pulled Tang Qingqing aside.

Wang Siimei was particularly short, barely taller than the undeveloped Tang Qingqing.

Being so small made childbirth difficult; she nearly lost her life giving birth to her first child.

This made it hard for her to remarry, leading her to marry the disabled Uncle Tang Jianshe.

They had been married for several years before Wang Simei gave birth to Tang Qiaoqiao, and after that, she couldn't conceive again.

Wang Simei was small in stature but very diligent. Not only did she earn work points at the brigade, but she also handled many household chores and often helped Tang Qingqing.

Wang Simei glanced into the house; Grandma Wu was busy and didn't notice outside. She quickly handed Tang Qingqing two mixed vegetable buns.

"Auntie, this is too much."

The mixed vegetable buns they made were as big as a fist, and one was enough to fill Tang Qingqing up.

During times of food shortage, she could only have half a bun per meal.

On regular outings, she usually took one or one and a half buns to last her the whole day.

"Just take them. The harvest this year is good, not as tight as before."

Autumn harvest had just ended, and piles of grain filled the warehouses, giving everyone more confidence than in previous years.

"But if you get caught..."

Life wasn't easy for Wang Simei in this family, being a second wife who couldn't bear a son, which was looked down upon in the countryside.

If Grandma Wu or Zhao Dahua found out about her stealing buns, she would definitely be scolded.

"Don't worry, hurry and go. Don't delay your task."

Wang Simei went back to chopping pig feed, her slender wrists displaying great strength, and soon chopped quite a bit.

Tang Qingqing pursed her lips, stuffed the buns into her pocket, and hurried to the sheep pen of the brigade.

When she arrived, only the flock she was responsible for remained unattended.

The old man guarding the sheep pen saw her arrive late but didn't get angry.

"Did your parents assign you another task today?"

Everyone in the brigade knew that Tang Qingqing wasn't favored by her parents, and many didn't think much of it, believing that country girls weren't valued.

Recently, Zhao Dahua had been assigning Tang Qingqing many tasks, making her, who used to be the first to release the sheep, now often the last. This prompted the old man's remark.

Tang Qingqing smiled at the old man. "Uncle, I'm off now."

"Go ahead, be careful and don't wander too far. I heard that the neighboring brigade encountered wolves while herding sheep recently and lost several."

Tang Qingqing responded crisply, cracking her whip to drive the sheep into the mountains.

The nearby hills had little grass left, and since she arrived late, the closer areas were already occupied by other flocks. She had to herd them further away.

Herding sheep wasn't an easy job, involving traversing mountains and keeping an eye on the sheep to prevent them from straying.

Losing a sheep would be troublesome, as it was the collective property of the brigade.

One of the main sources of income for Rongshan Brigade was this flock of sheep.

With the autumn heat still intense, by the time Tang Qingqing reached a suitable hill, the sun was already high in the sky.

She found a shady spot to sit, drank water from her gourd, and ate the mixed vegetable buns.

The buns contained a lot of vegetables and cornmeal, making them somewhat dry and requiring water to swallow.

Half a bun consumed half the water in her gourd, and with her stomach feeling full, Tang Qingqing took out a sickle to cut willow branches nearby.

The willow branches were soft and flexible, not easily broken, ideal for weaving baskets.

Baskets were useful both at home and could be sold to the supply and marketing cooperative.

The cooperative paid one to three cents per basket depending on size, and someone quick-handed could earn several dollars a month.

Stockpiling willow branches now meant having time to weave baskets during the less busy winter months.

Unused branches from the previous year could still be used the next year after soaking them for half a month to regain their flexibility.

Every year around this time, Tang Qingqing would combine herding sheep with cutting willow branches.

After cutting the willow branches, Tang Qingqing didn't idle. She carried a basket and used a stick as a pair of tongs to collect sheep droppings.

Raising sheep not only increased income but also provided plenty of sheep droppings as fertilizer.

Therefore, every shepherd, besides herding sheep, had to collect the droppings.

Throughout the day, Tang Qingqing hardly stopped except for brief breaks to eat.

Seeing the sun was about right, Tang Qingqing carried a bundle of willow branches and a large basket of sheep droppings, herding the sheep back.

Since she hadn't gone far, she returned early and saw another group's sheep still on the mountain on her way back.

Tang Qingqing recognized the sheep and looked for the shepherd, soon spotting a small figure halfway up the hill.

"Caoer, it's getting late. Let's go back together."

Wang Caoer didn't respond, so Tang Qingqing called out louder.

"Qingqing Jiejie... wah—"

Seeing Tang Qingqing, Wang Caoer burst into tears uncontrollably.

Tang Qingqing was startled and rushed over to see what had happened.

"What's wrong? Did Heizi bully you? I'll beat him up later; he always bullies people!"

Wang Caoer is only ten years old this year. Their group consists of two people watching over the sheep, and they have a few more sheep than Tang Qingqing's group.

The one with Wang Caoer is her cousin, Wang Heizi, who is one year younger than Tang Qingqing and acts like a monkey, always running around everywhere.

He loves playing pranks. Previously, he put burdock on Wang Caoer's head and then rubbed it all over, forcing Wang Caoer to shave her head and wear a scarf for a while before she dared to go out.

Tang Qingqing almost fell for his tricks too. She beat him up badly at the time, which made him not dare to provoke her anymore.

When tending the sheep, he only knew how to play, leaving the tasks of picking up sheep droppings and watching the sheep to his cousin, who is two years younger than him.

Seeing Tang Qingqing roll up her sleeves, ready to fight, Wang Caoer quickly grabbed her clothes.

"It's not like that, Sister Qingqing. This time, I caused a big problem."

"What happened? What's going on?"

Wang Caoer's face was full of despair, crying in sobs. "The sheep, the sheep, the sheep are gone!"

As a shepherd, losing the sheep is a big deal and would definitely result in being criticized by the team.

Not only would their work points be deducted, but they would also be set as an example.

Most importantly, the loss is too great.

She was so scared she didn't know what to do and didn't even dare to go home.

"First, don't panic. Tell me how you lost them, when did you lose them, and how many are missing?"

"I don't know when they were lost. They were all there when the sun was overhead. I went to cut some thorny branches, and in just a short while, two sheep were gone."

Wang Caoer trembled, two sheep!

If they were gone, her family would beat her to death.

She was already disliked for being a girl; if this happened...

Wang Caoer even thought about jumping into the river, unable to face what was about to happen.

"What did the lost sheep look like?"

"Huh?"

"Big or small? White or black? Male or female? What did their horns look like? How did they usually hum, run, and jump? Tell me everything you know as detailed as possible."

Wang Caoer had been tending sheep for two years, always diligently and very familiar with these sheep.

Although she didn't understand why Tang Qingqing was asking these questions, she answered honestly:

"They were both male, white, and their horns looked like this..."

Wang Caoer described them in great detail, showing she had been observing closely all along.

As she spoke, she became even more upset, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"It's all my fault. If I had kept watching, this wouldn't have happened."

Wang Caoer usually watched closely, but after cutting thorny branches, her family asked her to gather them while tending the sheep.

Many shepherds did this, and Wang Caoer couldn't refuse, so she got distracted doing other things.

She never expected such bad luck to strike!

"Where's Heizi? Did he blame you and run off?"

"No, no." Wang Caoer waved her hand. "Brother Heizi went to look for the sheep and told me to stay here."

"Hmph! I'm not that kind of person! Don't underestimate me."

Wang Heizi had just returned and heard Tang Qingqing say that about him, feeling quite unhappy.

"I, Wang Heizi, may not have much else, but I am very loyal! If we can't find the sheep, I'll take all the blame without batting an eye."

Tang Qingqing responded directly: "I wronged you. I'm sorry."

Hearing this, Wang Heizi felt relieved and lifted his chin high.

"Brother, did you find the sheep?"

Wang Heizi's proud face immediately fell.

"No..."

Wang Heizi wasn't afraid of being scolded, but he cared deeply about the sheep.

He hadn't brought honor to the team but instead lost an important asset, which made him feel terrible.

Wang Caoer's hopeful face instantly lost its last bit of light.

Tang Qingqing remained calm: "Don't worry. I will help you find the sheep."

Wang Heizi pouted: "I searched everywhere just now and didn't see a single hair. How could you possibly find them?"

"Just because you couldn't find them doesn't mean I can't."

Tang Qingqing's calm and confident tone gave Wang Caoer a glimmer of hope.

Wang Heizi still didn't believe her. He had searched thoroughly and found nothing.

Tang Qingqing didn't explain further. "Caoer, you should herd these sheep back and tell the guard that we will find them within three days."

Wang Heizi frowned. "From what you're saying, you want to keep it from the team and not report it?"

"You know the situation at home with Caoer. If the team finds out, her parents will know, and she'll get beaten tonight. Even if we find her later, she won't escape this beating now."

"But if you can't find the sheep and delay reporting it for so long, the responsibility will be even greater. You'll be implicated too and face criticism together. Don't forget, your situation isn't much better than hers."

Before Tang Qingqing could speak, Wang Caoer quickly interjected:

"Sister Qingqing, whether we find them or not, I won't drag you into this. You're trying to help me, and I won't be so ungrateful. I'll say it was my idea, and I'll take all the punishment myself."

Wang Heizi glared. "Do you really believe her?"

Wang Caoer had a pained expression; she wasn't entirely sure herself. But she thought that delaying it for a day might give her some hope.

"Caoer, think carefully. Saying it now is different from saying it in two days."

Wang Caoer's face scrunched up. "Brother, I have no other choice. I want to try. If it doesn't work, I won't blame anyone.

When Sister Qingqing and I played hide-and-seek, she was always great at finding people. No matter where we hid, she could always find us. When Aunt Zhou's cat went missing, Sister Qingqing found it too. Maybe... maybe she can find the sheep as well."

Wang Heizi remained silent.

Wang Caoer continued: "Brother, just pretend you don't know about this. I won't drag you into it."

"Am I that kind of person! We were both tending the sheep, so I share the responsibility. Let's give it a try. At worst, we'll get a few beatings. I've been wanting to stop tending sheep anyway, so this might be a good chance to do something else."

Wang Heizi looked at Tang Qingqing. They had fought before and didn't get along well.

But now, he set aside their past grievances and said seriously:

"If you can really find the sheep, I'll recognize you as the leader from now on. If you can't, we won't involve you."

Tang Qingqing extended her fist. "True words grow tall, false words break legs."

Wang Heizi clenched his fist and hit back. "If I go back on my word, I'll never eat meat again."