Chapter 35: Dried Jujubes

Chapter 35: Dried Red Dates

Among the group of boys, one kid held a slingshot and seemed to be the leader.

He was bold, licked his lips, and stepped forward two paces, asking Yin Hongxue: "Brother Xue, can we have some too?"

His question wasn't out of line.

Although Yin Hongxue had said everyone could eat together, the boys never hung out with the young lads and lasses.

Usually, when folks said "let's all share," they didn't mean the other bunch.

But the dried red dates were so sweet and fragrant, and kids mostly had a sweet tooth—asking wouldn't hurt.

If they got the okay, they'd eat together; if not, they'd back off and not be a bother, so they wouldn't tempt themselves.

That was their plan, but their eyes were shining, glued to the dried red dates.

Clearly, they still wanted to eat.

Yin Hongxue looked at the boy who had come to ask.

He kinda remembered—he seemed to be Erdan's little brother, Sandan.

His real name was probably Xu Zhou.

In Xiaohe Village, the two big family names were Gu, then Xu.

Yin Hongxue smiled, his eyes curving into crescents, and said softly: "Of course you can."

Hearing that, Sandan's eyes went wide with surprise, and with a yell, he and the boys behind him all ran over.

They'd heard Brother Xue was nice, and seeing him today, it was true!

There weren't many dried red dates, and counting everyone there, each person could only get one.

Xu Guangzong walked at the very back, cautiously sneaking glances at Yin Hongxue.

Only when the dried red date actually landed in his hand did he finally crack a happy smile.

He'd actually gotten one too.

The dried red date was small and red, fitting snugly in his palm.

Xu Guangzong immediately bit off half—the sweet, tangy date flavor made his mouth water.

So good, so good, really good.

He took another bite, and the little dried red date was down to just the pit—round in the middle, pointy on both ends.

A bit of flesh was still on the pit, and Xu Guangzong, not wanting to waste it, held it in his mouth, sucking out the last of the sweet date flavor.

With the pit in his mouth, his eyes were glued to Yin Hongxue's hands.

There were still a few dried red dates left over.

Xu Guangzong smacked his lips, wishing Yin Hongxue would give him the rest of the dates too.

Yin Hongxue picked up one dried red date and popped it in his mouth, then took out another one, and put the rest in his pouch.

Xu Guangzong had figured the one taken out separately was for Gu Mu'an.

But Yin Hongxue looked at Gu Yang instead, who was standing next to Xu Erdan.

"Gu Yang, why hasn't your big brother come out to play? Here's a date for you—take it back and give it to him."

Gu Yang's big brother was Gu Li.

Even though Gu Li's dad also favored boys and lads over girls, Gu Li's family was well-off, and with the Gu clan leader backing them, life was pretty decent.

Lately, Gu Li had been learning embroidery from an old auntie in the Gu clan.

Back in the day, the auntie had worked as an embroiderer in a rich household, and after coming back, she made a living taking on apprentices and teaching embroidery.

Thirty wen a month.

Chen Youyan was also thinking of sending Yin Hongxue there.

Gu Yang's eyes went wide in surprise.

First, he answered Yin Hongxue about what Gu Li had been up to, then carefully took the dried red date and put it in his pouch, and finally thanked Yin Hongxue for the dates.

"Thanks, Brother Xue. I'll give it to my brother."

Yin Hongxue smiled and messed up his hair.

"No need to thank me—I'm good friends with your big brother."

The other kids around looked at Gu Yang with envy.

Hearing this, Xu Guangzong, who was still sucking on the date pit, suddenly went wide-eyed.

Good friends!?

Yin Hongxue was good friends with Gu Yang's brother, and he was also good friends with his own brother, Xu Xiaoshui!

He remembered that sometimes when he came home, he'd overhear his dad and his other dad muttering that Yin Hongxue helped Xu Xiaoshui with work, and Xu Xiaoshui was getting more done.

Since Yin Hongxue was willing to help Xu Xiaoshui with work, he'd definitely share dried red dates with him too.

And the dates given to Xu Xiaoshui would end up being his.

Xu Xiaoshui, that good-for-nothing, didn't deserve to eat dried red dates anyway.

The pit he'd been so reluctant to part with just moments ago was immediately spat out into the dirt.

That good-for-nothing Xu Xiaoshui was still good for something sometimes.

At least he could get two dried red dates out of it.

Dried red dates were pricey in spring.

Even Xu Guangzong, who was spoiled at home, hadn't had any in a long time.

After all, winter was over, the dried dates stored in autumn were almost gone, and new dates wouldn't be ready for a while.

Xu Guangzong thought about this and grinned, quietly waiting for Yin Hongxue to call his name.

But that never happened.

Yin Hongxue acted as if he had never thought of Xu Xiaoshui at all.

He turned instead to the other lads beside him and started talking about something else.

Xu Guangzong was somewhat indignant.

That useless Xu Xiaoshui—when Yin Hongxue had something good, he only thought of Gu Li and never once remembered him.

Sure enough, a money-losing child was a money-losing child, not even capable of winning people over.

Who knew if he'd ever even marry out and bring in bride price money.

Xu Guangzong cursed inwardly, but outwardly he stepped forward a few paces.

"Brother Xue, my elder brother has matters to attend to today and can't come out to play. How about I take the dried jujubes back for him?"

The children who had been staring enviously at Gu Yang now turned to look at Xu Guangzong with equal envy.

If only they too had elder brothers or sisters who were good friends with Brother Xue.

Even though the jujubes were meant for the elder brothers, getting a few crumbs would still be sweet.

Yin Hongxue, who had been laughing and chatting with the person beside him, turned to look at him.

His pale-toned eyes were like sunlight filtering through a crack in a winter window.

They looked like sunlight, but draw close and they were biting cold—all chill wind.

Xu Guangzong was stunned into stillness, not daring to take another step forward.

"B-Brother Xue."

Yin Hongxue said, "Everyone knows your family bullies your elder brother, and you do too. If I gave the dried jujubes to you, your second brother probably wouldn't even catch a glimpse before you'd eaten them all yourself."

"Then wouldn't my dried jujubes have been given to you—letting you eat two while others only got one? What about those who only got one?"

The children around were moved by Yin Hongxue's words and chimed in agreement.

Even if some were still dazed, seeing everyone else agree, they joined in too.

"If we gave them to you, you definitely wouldn't share with your elder brother!"

"That's right! I've even seen you snatch food from your elder brother—how would you give him jujubes!?"

"Yeah, you'd just eat them yourself. Why should you get to eat two!"

Gu Yang immediately drew a line between himself and Xu Guangzong: "Brother Xue, my elder brother and I have a good relationship. I definitely wouldn't eat the dried jujubes myself."

Xu Guangzong's face flushed red from everyone's accusations.

He spoke up angrily: "That's not true! I wouldn't! I'm really good to my elder brother!"

"You're spouting nonsense!" Gu Muan spoke up. "Your elder brother works for your family day in and day out, just like a hired hand for the landlord of Chen Family Village. And you call that being good to him!?"

Gu Lvliu didn't understand why Gu Muan said the Xu family wasn't good to Xu Guangzong's elder brother when Xu Guangzong claimed he was.

But since Gu Muan had said it, Gu Lvliu immediately followed in his soft, quiet voice.

"Yeah, if you were good to your elder brother, why don't you help him with his work? Why don't you bring him out to play?"

A little girl in pea-green clothes joined in: "I saw Brother Shui today—he went up the mountain to gather firewood."

Xu Guangzong, angered by the crowd's words, blurted out recklessly.

"My father said those are all things money-losing children should do! Xu Xiaoshui is a boy—he'll marry out of the family someday, so right now he should be working for the family!"

The moment those words left his mouth, it was like a hornet's nest had been stirred up.

In farming villages, every child knew what "money-losing child" meant.

And how many lads and lasses hadn't been called that at some point?

Everyone glared at Xu Guangzong with anger.

The lads who had good relationships with their elder brothers, elder sisters, younger brothers, and younger sisters also glared angrily at Xu Fengshou.

The remaining lads weren't as angry, but they seemed to have found a handle on Xu Guangzong.

They teased: "You just said you were close with your elder brother and would give him the jujubes—so you really were going to eat them yourself, weren't you!"

"I—I wasn't!"

Yin Hongxue looked at him and settled the matter: "Xu Guangzong first lied to get dried jujubes, then looked down on lads and lasses. I won't play with him."

Gu Muan and Gu Lvliu were the first to chime in.

Then all the lads and lasses spoke at once: "We won't play with him either."

Among the lads, Sandan was the first to speak: "I won't play with him either."

He was the one who had asked Yin Hongxue for the jujubes in the first place, and now that Xu Guangzong had pulled this stunt, Sandan felt he had lost face.

Having just eaten Yin Hongxue's jujubes, and with some genuinely looking down on Xu Guangzong, the group of lads also spoke up: "We won't play with Xu Guangzong either."

Everyone walked off together.

A few lads who didn't see the big deal worried they'd be left out too, so they hurried along and followed the crowd: "Then we won't play with Xu Guangzong either."

Watching everyone about to leave—especially hearing them talk about going to pick fruit, catch fish, and raid bird nests—Xu Guangzong blurted out in a panic: "Don't go! I..."

"I...I was wrong! Everything I said was my father's words—I really am good to my elder brother!"

Nobody paid him any attention, so Xu Guangzong ran after them.

"Brother Xue, Sandan, I'm telling the truth! Don't stop playing with me!"

"I have a great relationship with my elder brother—I, I've even brought him chopsticks!"

Gu Muan turned back and glared at him: "Bringing chopsticks means nothing. I help my elder brother cut grass, pour tea, wash vegetables, massage his legs, do laundry, feed the chickens, ducks, and pigs, tend the fire..."

Gu Muan listed them one by one, then said:

"I've never once seen you help your elder brother, nor seen him come out to play. Is that what you call being good to him? Gu Lvliu, you tell me—is that being good to an elder brother?"

Gu Lvliu spoke softly but tried to sound as firm and forceful as possible: "No!"

Gu Muan then looked at Sandan: "Sandan, you tell me—is that being good to an elder brother?"

Sandan didn't have an elder brother, only an elder sister.

His sister was the oldest and usually took good care of him and his second brother, but he and his second brother also looked after their eldest sister.

Sandan likewise spoke up: "No! I help my elder sister cut grass and chop firewood!"

Others around also echoed Gu Muan.

Finally, Gu Muan tossed his head: "If you're so capable, go help your elder brother gather firewood and cut grass, and bring him out to play!"