CH 7

Chapter 7 – Storybook

Breakfast was ready. The group of children rushed out and took their seats.

Da Lang sat on the right-hand side of Old man Zhou. His wife, Xiao Qian was supposed to sit opposite him. However, because Man Bao was favoured, the little girl always sat on the right-hand side of Mrs Zhou, thereby, occupying Xiao Qian’s seat.

Xiao Qian carried Man Bao and helped her to sit on the stool. Then, she stood up, and distributed the porridge.

Wu Lang and Liu Lang glanced at the gruel and pouted. In the past, they would eat rice (novel says “dry”, so it could be other types of grain) for breakfast. After all, they had to work during the day. For the evening meal, they would have thick porridge.

However, they didn’t dare to express their dissatisfaction in the presence of their parents.

The three older brothers calmly handed their bowls to Xiao Qian. Si Lang wanted to bury his head in his chest.

Xiao Qian glanced at Si Lang, took his bowl, took the ladle, and scooped just the gruel’s water to fill up his bowl.

If everyone’s porridge could be considered porridge, then the thing in Si Lang’s bowl could only be called rice soup.

Si Lang almost whimpered. He looked up and glanced at his sister-in-law. When he made eye contact with her cold eyes, he lowered his head and dared not utter a word.

Man Bao looked around the table. When she thought of being able to eat rice crusts at school in the afternoon, she gave half of her porridge to her father and mother.

Old man Zhou and Mrs Zhou were so touched. So, they didn’t bother to exhort Xiao Qian. Instead, they kept praising Man Bao, “Only my daughter is considerate and knows how to show filial piety.”

Everyone else ate their porridge silently. They also wanted to demonstrate filial piety but were afraid of being hungry.

Mrs Zhou scooped up the porridge and poured it back into Man Bao’s bowl. She beamed, “Man Bao, eat up. Mother doesn’t have to work, so she’s not hungry.”

Man Bao shielded her bowl, “I don’t want to eat anymore, I have a small, small stomach. I’m nearly full.”

Mrs Zhou realised she can’t win so she divided the porridge into three portions for her three oldest sons. and told them, “You are working so, eat more. If you are hungry when working, find something to tide you over. Wait till the village chief’s money is repaid. Then, things at home will be better.”

The three sons acknowledged her exhortations.

Old man Zhou glanced at his wife and said, “That’s enough. Man Bao is showing her filial piety by sharing her porridge. Don’t give it all away.”  

He instructed his second son, “Take a bag of grain to the market tomorrow and sell it for money. We don’t have to repay the village chief immediately.

“You brothers should be able to make some money by the time it’s New Year. But your mother needs medicine, and we must buy them. We can’t not have a single penny/ wen at home.”

Er Lang acknowledged his father’s instructions.

Mrs Zhou took the opportunity to say, “Take Man Bao and the children with you tomorrow. Second daughter-in-law, go with them, and keep an eye on the kids.”  

Wu Lang and Liu Lang immediately clamoured, “Mother, mother, we also want to go! We will keep a close watch on Man Bao, Da Tou, Da Ya and the rest of them.”

Mrs Zhou didn’t want to allow her two youngest sons to go to the market. Upon hearing the request, she frowned, “What’s the progress in clearing fourth brother’s wasteland?”

Wu Lang intuitively felt mother wasn’t going to agree. He hated the fact that he was too far away from Man Bao and couldn’t give her a kick. He can only beseech her from a distance.

Fortunately, great minds think alike. Man Bao looked up, glanced at her brother, and then, her mother. Finally, she said, “Mother, let fifth and sixth brother go with us. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to care for Da Tou and the rest of them.”

Da Tou immediately looked up.  “Little aunt, I am older than you. I don’t need you to take care of me.”

Since Da Tou was within reach, Wu Lang kicked him, and thought, Stinky boy! Why are you messing with our plans to obtain mother’s approval?

Da Tou yelled, “Ouch!” He jumped up and shouted, “Mother, fifth uncle kicked me!”

Xiao Qian glared at Wu Lang, patted her stupid son, pinched him and said, “Hurry up and finish your porridge. You talk a lot. Even your little aunt is keeping quiet.”

Da Tou pitifully bowed his head.

Old man Zhou observed everything. Just then, he finished eating the porridge, put down his bowl and said, “Let them go, they’re still children. Da Tou, Da Ya and the kids are mischievous.

“The second child’s family might not be able to keep an eye on all of them. Let the fifth and sixth son go, just don’t lose any of the kids. The fourth child will continue to clear the wasteland.”

Old man Zhou stared at the suffering Si Lang and set a deadline, “I’ll give you a month. If you can’t even clear a mu (0.165 acre) by then, you wouldn’t even have porridge to eat.

Si Lang felt so miserable.

Man Bao intentionally twisted the knife. After the meal, she deliberately sat beside him and asked, “Fourth brother, do you know why you are suffering?”

She replied herself, “It’s because you gambled!”

Si Lang, ……

Man Bao sighed angrily like an adult, patted Si Lang’s shoulder and said, “All gamblers are bad eggs/ scoundrels. Even I know this simple truth. How come you don’t understand?”

“Man Bao, let’s go to school.” Xiao Qian put all the vegetables in a basket, and wanted to put Man Bao in her pack basket. However, the little girl waved her hand airily, looked up proudly and said, “Eldest sister-in-law, I’ve grown up. You don’t have to carry me anymore. “

Xiao Qian laughed, “Our family’s Man Bao has grown up?”

“Yes, I’m six years old.”

Provoked by Man Bao, Si Lang who was filled with grief and indignation, stretched out his hand and messed up her short hair.  He ridiculed her, “Still six years old? You’re not even five. Do you know what one full year of life is?

Jolted by Si Lang, Man Bao stumbled, and yelled. Before she looked up, Si Lang released hand and quickly ran off. Man Bao was enraged that her hair was messed up, and burst into eardrum-blasting cries.

Xiao Qian was startled. Man Bao seldom cried, and after turning one, she rarely cried. When she saw her bawling, Xiao Qian was so shocked that she was dumbfounded. When she recovered, she went over and hugged her.

Mrs Zhou who was in the room quickly abandoned her sewing basket. She jumped out of the bed and ran out so anxiously that she didn’t even wear her shoes properly. “What’s wrong, what’s wrong, what’s wrong with my Man Bao?”

For a moment, Man Bao felt wronged. After crying, she was about to stop. At first, she didn’t know why she felt wronged but when she saw Mrs Zhou, she felt even more wronged.

She cried, threw herself into her mother’s arms and complained, “Mother, fourth brother bullied me. See, he messed up my hair.”

Mrs Zhou immediately fixed her messy hair. She was so angry that she instructed, “This stinky boy. He must be punished. You are not allowed to cook his dinner, let him go hungry.”

Xiao Qian assented with a loud voice.

Mrs Zhou felt distressed for her daughter, and after wiping her the tears said, “Good girl, our Man Bao have stopped crying. How about mother make you a boiled egg?”

Xiao Qian asked, “She is not going to school?”

“No. I will boil an egg and cook rice for her.”

Xiao Qian felt a twinge of pain but since her young sister-in-law was bullied into tears, she deserved to be coaxed. Man Bao, however, didn’t agree. She wriggled out of her mother’s arms, “No, I want to go to school.

She had a good reason. “Tomorrow, I’m going to the market, and can’t go to school. I have to inform Mr Zhuang.”

Xiao Qian said, “Not to worry. I’ll inform Mr Zhuang on your behalf.”

“No, I’ll tell him myself. Today, I also want to see if Mr Zhuang has finished writing his manuscript. If he has, I want to bring the manuscript home.”

“Well…” Xiao Qian hesitated and looked at her mother-in-law.

When she noted her daughter was no longer sad, Mrs Qian stroked her little face and smiled, “Okay, go to school if you want.”

Man Bao turned around and happily went to school with Xiao Qian.

After the two of them left, Mrs Zhou got up from the floor. She was incensed and instructed her two daughters-in-law and two youngest sons who were watching, “Go, seize the fourth son, and drag him home.

“Dared to rebel and refused to obey my instructions? Yet behaved atrociously and created troubles outside? Gambled and lost money, and still dare to bully family members?” 

They obeyed, and the entire village went with them to catch hold of Si Lang.

As soon as Man Bao arrived in school, she climbed up the window and listened to Mr Zhuang’s class. Today, they were talking about The Analects.

Man Bao had, previously, heard a few sentences, but she hadn’t memorized them systematically. This time, Mr Zhuang was teaching a big group of students so all of them were learning The Analects from scratch.

Man Bao listened to the entire session, but Mr Zhuang only taught everyone to recite, and didn’t explain the meaning.

She didn’t even have a book and followed them to recite in a muddled manner. She always had a good memory. She would be able to memorize anything she has read for three to four times, but she didn’t know the specific words, let alone their meaning.

She observed Mr Zhuang was still teaching the same sentences repeatedly.

If it was any normal day, Man Bao would continue to recite enthusiastically but today, she wasn’t in a good mood, was slightly affected (by the incident with fourth brother) and couldn’t fully concentrate.

She turned away, left the window still and sneaked into Mr Zhuang’s yard.

Mr Zhuang’s study was never locked. One wasn’t sure whether this was a habit or for the convenience of a child who always sneaked in to clean up for him.

Man Bao walked around the yard and study, and finally sat on the steps. In a daze, she held her chin, but she was actually talking to the system.

The system replied “Host, no one in this world will always be liked. Even money is sometimes hated by others.”

“But I am not money. I am fourth brother’s sister. How can he not like me?”

The system was silent for a while and said, “In this world, fathers hate their children, mothers hate their children, and it is normal for brothers and sisters to hate each other.”

“You are spouting nonsense. In this world, how would it be possible for parents to not like their own children? Don’t siblings have friendly affections and would help each other?”

“That’s the host’s wishful thinking.” The system felt he might be too lonely. If not, why would he be talking to the host about this?

However, Keke also felt this was for her safety and to set the foundation for her growth. If his host was too naive, he would be worried in the future.

So, after doing a search in the Encyclopaedia, he found a book, “Top Ten Evil Fathers in History” and gave it to Man Bao, and said, “Host, I’m lending this to you.

“It will cost you points to borrow books. Earn points and remember to pay me back.”

A book suddenly appeared in Man Bao’s hand. Her eyes gleamed and she forgot all about how fourth brother hurt her feelings. She asked happily, “Is this for me?

The system emphasized, “This book is lent to the host to read. After you finished reading, you need to return it.”

Man Bao was very moved, “Keke, you are so good, this is my first book.”

The system emphasized, “Host, you must return the book once you are done. Otherwise, many points will be deducted.”

Man Bao was extremely magnanimous. She airily waved her small hand, “Go ahead. After all, it takes a lot of money to buy books.”

System, “…… host, you have no points.”

Man Bao had lowered her head, and was flipping through the book.

The text in the book had been replaced with the language of Man Bao’s world. She knew many words, the book was written in a vernacular language, and so, she read it with gusto, just like reading a storybook.

In fact, this was a storybook, about the top ten scumbag fathers in history.