Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Seeing Tang Xingwang like this, Wu Dachui decided to personally escort him back to his aunt's house and have a talk with her.

Raising a boy like this simply wouldn't do; he wouldn't be able to handle responsibilities in the future.

Tang Xingwang never imagined that his usually kind uncle's family could be so terrifying when angry.

However, Tang Qingqing didn't want to go with them. "I still want to find those two sheep."

Wu Dachui disagreed: "It's winter and snowing. Where would you find them? You're just a girl; stay home and don't wander around."

Wu Dachui's wife, Aunt Zhao, also chimed in: "That's right. You're still growing. Girls can't withstand the cold; if you damage your health, you won't be able to have children later."

"Why are you telling her this?"

"Why not? If we don't tell her, she won't take it seriously and will suffer later. I regret not explaining it properly to Erniu. She didn't understand and damaged her health. Look how old she looks now at such a young age."

Thinking of the past, Aunt Zhao's eyes welled up with tears.

Wu Dachui was most impatient with women bringing up old grievances, but he couldn't say anything at this moment.

Tang Qingqing quickly intervened to ease the awkwardness: "Uncle, have you heard about how our brigade solved the arson case?"

"I heard it was a little girl..." Wu Dachui started, then immediately realized, "Could that girl be you?"

Wu Dachui wasn't familiar with Tang Qingqing. He only occasionally visited his aunt's house during the New Year.

He would drop off gifts and leave without staying long.

As he got older, he often sent his eldest son instead, visiting even less frequently.

So while he knew there was a girl, he had no idea what she looked like or how old she was. It was only by deducing from Tang Xingwang that he remembered Tang Qingqing.

Therefore, when he heard that a little girl had solved the arson case, he never thought it could be Tang Qingqing.

When he sent some rice and flour over with his eldest son, no one in his aunt's family mentioned it.

"Yes, it was me."

Hearing Tang Qingqing mention this, Tang Xingwang felt he finally found an opportunity.

"It's all her fault for learning tracking and making me learn it too. If I hadn't learned this, I wouldn't have chased after the sheep... Ow!"

Tang Xingwang was punched by Wu Dachui. Unlike at home, this punch was powerful, and tears immediately welled up in his eyes.

"Uncle, why did you hit me? Why have you changed?"

Wu Dachui snorted: "If I had known you were such a coward, I would have disciplined you on behalf of your grandmother. How dare you complain! Your sister learned this skill and wanted to teach you, yet you blame her. How can you be so ungrateful?"

Tang Xingwang protested: "Uncle, why are you so partial to her now? She's just a girl, and I'm the eldest grandson of our family."

"If you know you're the eldest grandson and the future pillar of the family, yet you can't handle things and blame others for everything, how can the family rely on you? It'll collapse!"

When Wu Dachui became serious, he exuded the authority of a patriarch. Tang Xingwang dared not argue back and sulked to the side, feeling extremely unlucky recently.

Wu Dachui didn't understand what tracking was, but knowing Tang Qingqing had this skill, he didn't stop her anymore.

After all, two sheep were a significant asset for farmers, and finding them would be better.

Still, he couldn't help muttering, "Why teach this skill to a girl? Boys would be more capable."

Tang Qingqing heard this and responded:

"Uncle, there's no choice. The heavens made me learn it, and none of the boys could do it."

Ever since she stood out in the arson case, some people were interested in learning this skill.

They didn't dare disturb the eccentric Old Liu, or when they tried, he ignored them. So they turned to Tang Qingqing.

Tang Qingqing didn't refuse and asked them to observe the village's sheep. When they could identify the sheep based on their footprints, they could come to her.

She had gone through a similar test herself, living with the sheep as if they were her closest brothers, even being mocked for going mad.

In the end, no one could endure it. After a couple of days, they all gave up.

Their elders scolded them, but the kids weren't afraid, shouting that if the adults couldn't do it, why should their children?

For a while, the brigade was in chaos, quite lively.

Wu Dachui was speechless for a moment before speaking:

"Sigh, you're indeed smart, but why aren't you a boy? Your Tang family is strange; all the brains are in the girls. Even the smart one was adopted out."

Wu Dachui thought more and believed his aunt had made a foolish decision. His father had suggested adopting Tang Jianjun, as the youngest son was too pampered to support the family.

Tang Jianguo was different, clearly smart and reliable enough to stay and support his parents. But his aunt wouldn't listen.

Look at how the Tang children turned out. Currently, the most capable one is a girl, which is useless.

Wu Dachui instructed his youngest unmarried son, Wu Xiaoliu, and his eldest grandson, Wu Heqing, to accompany Tang Qingqing in searching for the sheep. He himself took his eldest son to escort Tang Xingwang back to Rongshan Brigade.

Wu Xiaoliu was about the same age as Zhai Hongyi but shorter by half a head.

He was lively and chattered nonstop along the way, asking Tang Qingqing about the arson case.

Before, he had heard about it. Everyone spoke of it in awe, saying that the little girl who found the arsonist had a pair of divine eyes.

He always wanted to see them, and he never expected that the little girl with divine eyes would be his aunt's daughter.

This delighted him greatly, and he kept bouncing around Tang Qingqing like a monkey.

On the other hand, Wu Heqing, only twelve years old, was mature beyond his years. Occasionally, he would hold back his uncle, telling him not to bother Tang Qingqing.

After one night, the footprints became even harder to find.

Fortunately, the snow had stopped, and the sun hung high in the sky, unobstructed by clouds.

Tang Qingqing found the stone markers she had placed yesterday and followed them for about a mile before finding the sheep's tracks. This gave her some confidence.

Tang Qingqing bent over, sweeping the snow and checking as she went. At first, both Wu Heqing and Wu Xiaoliu helped, but soon Wu Xiaoliu couldn't bear it anymore.

No wonder only Tang Qingqing learned this skill; it was too much trouble.

It was completely different from what he imagined; this was clearly hard work.

Wu Xiaoliu jumped around playing, shaking the snow off trees and getting covered in it while laughing foolishly. When he saw Tang Qingqing standing still, he went to play with the snowman.

In contrast, Wu Heqing silently followed Tang Qingqing, assisting her without any impatience.

Tang Qingqing had a good impression of Wu Heqing. It seemed the Wu family was grooming their eldest son and grandson to handle responsibilities, making him much more reliable.

The three set out early in the morning and continued searching until past three in the afternoon. Wu Xiaoliu had asked countless times:

"Are we done yet? How much longer?"

This time, he couldn't help but say, "I reckon we won't find the sheep. We should give up. It's getting late, and if we don't head back now, it'll be dark, and this place will be dangerous."

Tang Qingqing felt reluctant but had to admit that Wu Xiaoliu was right.

It was still relatively safe during the day, but at night, it might not be, especially with the wolf howls they heard last night.

"Let's go back and try again later."

Wu Xiaoliu: "You're going to come back?"

"We have to keep looking."

Wu Xiaoliu gave her a thumbs-up. "You're much more reliable than Tang Xingwang."

"Shh," Wu Heqing suddenly said.

Tang Qingqing and Wu Xiaoliu's hearts skipped a beat, and they didn't dare make a sound.

Wu Heqing listened intently, trying to hear something.

Wu Xiaoliu put away his playful demeanor, drew his axe, and shielded Tang Qingqing behind him, his eyes fixed on the surroundings.

"Uncle, Sister, over there!"

Wu Heqing suddenly ran, and Tang Qingqing and Wu Xiaoliu hurried after him.

After running about a hundred meters, they heard the 'baa baa' of sheep.

Tang Qingqing's eyes lit up. "It's the sheep! It must be them!"

Following the sound, they found two sheep hiding in a narrow crevice—exactly the ones that were lost!

The two sheep recognized Tang Qingqing and quickly came out.

When the two sheep tried to exit the crevice together, they got stuck at the entrance and struggled for a while before managing to get out.

Finding the sheep, all three burst into laughter.

On the way back, Wu Xiaoliu hummed songs loudly, echoing through the sky.

Tang Qingqing: "Uncle, your singing is really nice. I've never heard these tunes before."

Wu Xiaoliu laughed happily. "I made up these songs myself. What do you think, are they cool?"

"Very cool."

"There are even cooler ones, but I can't sing them to a little girl like you."

Tang Qingqing was puzzled. "Why not?"

Wu Xiaoliu winked. "Not just you, Heqing can't listen either."

Tang Qingqing became even more curious.

Wu Heqing: "Sister, he's being naughty."

Tang Qingqing seemed to understand something, giving him a look of disbelief.

Wu Xiaoliu, feeling a bit embarrassed, said, "I'm not like you kids. In a couple of years, I'll be able to marry a wife."

Talking about this topic filled Wu Xiaoliu with dreams.

"I hope my wife will be pretty and give me a smart child. Preferably like Qingqing, not like Heqing."

Wu Heqing rolled his eyes but wasn't angry.

Tang Qingqing laughed. "If it's a girl like me, you'd probably cry."

"Nonsense, I love girls. I don't want boys."

Tang Qingqing didn't take his words seriously. She had never seen anyone in the countryside who didn't like boys.

Although not every family treated girls as less than human, many still doted on their daughters, yet they ultimately believed that having a boy was better.

Boys were the ones to carry on the family name; girls would eventually marry out and become part of another family.

Unlike Tang Xingwang, who returned to the brigade with a group of people scolding him,

Tang Qingqing led the two sheep back to the village, and everyone she saw started shouting.

"Goodness, Qing girl found the sheep! Qing girl found the sheep!"

This commotion drew many people out to watch.

"She really did find them, how capable!"

"I knew Qing girl could find them. If she could find the arsonist, finding sheep would be even easier."

"It's good that they're back. This year has already been tough enough; losing more sheep would have made it unbearable."

Many people came forward to praise Tang Qingqing for her capability, and Aunt Gui Hua walked up to her.

"You, girl, are truly capable. Tonight, you must have something delicious to replenish yourself."

Tang Qingqing smiled but didn't say anything.

Aunt Gui Hua didn't mind and continued:

"Your older brother was severely criticized and received a punishment. Yesterday, everyone froze, worried sick, while he slept soundly."

The team leader didn't say much when he returned, but those who went with him couldn't help but talk, especially Wang Heizi, who spread the word about Tang Xingwang's misdeeds everywhere.

Aunt Gui Hua followed Tang Qingqing home and deliberately shouted loudly at the doorstep.

"Qingqing, you've done a great deed. You must be rewarded with two eggs tonight!"

There was no response from inside the courtyard, and Aunt Gui Hua scoffed.

"Look at this stinginess."

Wu Xiaoliu and Wu Heqing, uncle and nephew, didn't say a word and followed Tang Qingqing home.

They had both visited Rongshan Brigade before, so they weren't unfamiliar with the place.

The atmosphere at home wasn't very good. Tang Xingwang had just been punished and beaten, and now he was lying on the bed, crying into his pillow.

Wu Dachui and Wu Lao Da nodded at them as they entered, their expressions relatively calm.

However, Grandma Wu, Tang Jianjun, and Zhao Dahua didn't look pleased, and their faces didn't brighten upon seeing Tang Qingqing.

Hearing that the two sheep had been found, Wu Dachui spoke up.

"Qingying did well; she managed to salvage your family's reputation. Even though she's just a girl, she's still a source of pride for the Tang family."

Wu Dachui then looked at Old Lady Wu. "Auntie, it's fine to spoil girls, but especially with boys, especially the eldest, you can't indulge them. They need to be disciplined."

Although Wu Dachui was a younger generation member, he wasn't much younger than Old Lady Wu, and he had always been responsible since childhood.

After his father grew old, he took over the entire household, arranging the marriages of his younger siblings. He acted very much like the head of the family, and in front of Old Lady Wu, he seemed more like an elder.

Old Lady Wu kept her head down and said nothing. Wu Dachui continued, "If they can't handle anything, who do you expect to take care of you in your old age?"

Only then did Old Lady Wu slowly raise her head. Although she still didn't speak, Wu Dachui knew she had listened.

"Alright, it's getting late, and Xiao Liu and the others have returned. We should leave now."

Old Lady Wu hurriedly said, "Why leave now? Have dinner with us before you go. We'll start preparing right away, Eldest Sister-in-law, Eldest Sister-in-law..."

Wu Dachui stopped her. "Auntie, no need to trouble yourself. We'll leave first. Don't resent us for being meddlesome. I just want to see our family improve. When my father passed away, he told me to support our family, especially you. You've had a hard life since childhood, so we must look after you."

"Dear nephew, I understand," Old Lady Wu wiped away a tear.

Despite her repeated invitations, Wu Dachui and the others insisted on leaving.

Before they left, Auntie gave them some roasted sweet potatoes to take along.

They didn't refuse and all took some.

As Wu Dachui was leaving, he called Tang Qingqing over.

"You seem like a smart girl. Keep an eye on things at home. Your family can't keep going like this. If you encounter any problems, come find your uncle."

Tang Qingqing nodded in agreement.

Wu Xiaoliu darted over to Tang Qingqing. "Niece, I'll come back to play with you! I'll stand up for you!"

The three from the Wu family arrived in a hurry and left in a hurry as well.

The once crowded house suddenly felt much emptier.

Zhao Dahua, who had been holding back, finally couldn't help complaining, "This is our Tang family's business. Who do they think they are, meddling in our affairs?"

Old Lady Wu was displeased by this. "Without the Wu family, there would be no Tang family! Jianjun's wife, if you keep talking like this, watch how Jianjun disciplines you."

"Isn't what I said true? Xingwang is your eldest grandson, and you just stood there watching him get beaten like that."

Zhao Dahua was both angry and aggrieved. Losing the sheep had already made her anxious, and now she was publicly criticized.

Before they could even comfort her, Wu Dachui talked about using family rules to beat Tang Xingwang severely. Not being their own descendant, they didn't know the pain.

House rules, whose house rules are these!

Tang Jianjun was also very resentful, but he had been afraid of Wu Dachui since he was young and dared not make a sound in front of him.

Old Lady Wu was also heartbroken, but one thing was one thing.

"Of course I feel heartbroken, but this is for his own good! If it weren't for the Wu family, I would have been devoured alive as a widow long ago. How many of you children would be left now?

Back then, Tang Jianjun almost got kidnapped, and it was Dachui who led people to snatch him back! With the Wu family as our support, we were not bullied by the villagers, nor did your uncles and aunts divide our belongings!"

Over the years, she had spent money and effort to maintain the relationship between the two families, all for the sake of this family.

Look at other widows; where could they find such good fortune?

Not long after their husbands passed away, there were already idle men trying to break into their homes at night.

If someone saw them, everyone would think the widow couldn't bear her loneliness and lured men over.

Women with men would be wary of her, fearing she might steal their men away.

Back then, when the children were still young, and the eldest was in that condition, unable to farm even a few acres, it was the maternal family, especially the Wu family, who helped out.

Old Lady Wu knew her daughter-in-law felt she was too generous to her maternal family, but given the circumstances, shouldn't she help?

Tang Jianjun impatiently said, "Mom, those are things from long ago. Now our family has established itself, and who in the whole brigade dares to bully us?"

"You ungrateful..."

Old Lady Wu continued to scold, but Tang Qingqing didn't hear anymore; she slipped away.

She had heard these words so many times that her ears had grown calloused.

Tang Jianjun and his wife only dared to murmur a few words in front of Old Lady Wu; when they saw the Wu family, they wouldn't dare say a word, cowering in fear.

Tang Qingqing took off her coat and knocked on her uncle's door.

Her uncle was sitting on the kang, wrapped in a quilt, weaving a wicker basket.

"Uncle."

He raised his head and nodded at her.

Tang Qingqing placed the coat on the side of the kang. "Uncle, thank you for the coat."

He merely nodded again without saying anything.

Tang Qingqing was used to it; her uncle rarely spoke and didn't talk much even to Tang Qiaoqiao.

But today, she sensed something different about her uncle. Normally, his gaze was fixed on his work, rarely looking up at others.

Today, however, he kept glancing at her wrist, making Tang Qingqing feel there was some hidden meaning.

"Uncle, what's wrong?"

He remained silent, looking down at his half-finished basket, lost in his own world.

Puzzled, Tang Qingqing left her uncle's house, pondering the matter. She felt those glances hinted at something.

Perhaps because of her thoughts, Tang Qingqing had a related dream that night.

The dream, like those strange dreams before, seemed to depict past events.

This time, however, the timeline was pulled further back.

In the dream, she was barely over a year old, walking unsteadily and speaking in single words.

At that time, Tang Zhenzhen was also around, but she was entirely different. Although she walked unsteadily, she spoke far better than her peers.

Though her pronunciation wasn't clear, each word was distinct and logical, like an adult speaking.

Strangely, Tang Zhenzhen didn't show this exceptional ability in front of outsiders, appearing similar to others.

Whenever someone asked who was the elder sister or younger sister, Tang Zhenzhen would always claim to be the elder sister.

When Zhao Dahua corrected her, she stubbornly insisted on her own way.

Not only that, she insisted that the young Tang Qingqing call Zhao Dahua "Mom."

Zhao Dahua was unhappy and about to lose her temper.

Tang Zhenzhen kept shouting, "It's Mom, it's Mom. We are sisters, so the younger sister should call you Mom."

The young Tang Qingqing, foolishly, followed Tang Zhenzhen's lead and called Zhao Dahua "Mom."

Zhao Dahua eventually grew tired of correcting her.

The scenes in the dream were not continuous, jumping from one place to another.

Tang Qingqing found herself back in the house, playing with Tang Zhenzhen.

Then she saw Tang Zhenzhen staring at her hand, a look that reminded her of her uncle.

She looked down and saw a silver bracelet on her wrist.

The silver bracelet was a common style, usually worn by children for blessings and protection.

It had some intricate patterns, quite beautiful.

Such bracelets were generally not removed, especially for girls, who should not take them off before adulthood. Some even wore them for life.

Huh? Where is her silver bracelet?

Tang Qingqing was very curious, not understanding why she had no memory of this silver bracelet.

Soon, she understood what was going on. Tang Zhenzhen crawled over and pointed at the bracelet, saying, "Sister, this is mine."

Young Tang Qingqing blinked and instinctively pulled her hand behind her back.

"Give it to Sister, and I'll play with you. Otherwise, I won't talk to you anymore."

Young Tang Qingqing already knew some things and immediately became nervous.

When Tang Zhenzhen came to take the silver bracelet again, young Tang Qingqing, though unwilling and pouting, did not cry or make a fuss.

Tang Zhenzhen struggled for a while before finally pulling the bracelet off. Young Tang Qingqing's hand turned red, and her eyes were filled with tears.

"Don't cry. No one likes children who cry."

Young Tang Qingqing understood and held back her tears, her eyes red and looking pitiful.

Tang Zhenzhen put the silver bracelet on her own wrist. When Zhao Dahua discovered this, she was quite surprised.

"How did the bracelet end up on your hand?"

"I'm the older sister, and older sisters have bracelets."

Zhao Dahua and Tang Jianjun exchanged a glance, their eyes flashing with a mix of surprise and uncertainty.

From then on, Zhao Dahua no longer objected to Tang Zhenzhen calling herself the older sister and did not mind Tang Qingqing calling her Mom.