CH 129

They walked across the official road to the village. Lu Junming bought some mutton at the lamb soup restaurant by the road to eat with his grandfather later.

Da Gang said, “Tomorrow is the twenty-fifth day of New Year. It’s the day of hoarding. How big of a hoard did your family have in previous years?”

Mo Yan didn’t know what he was talking about, and she didn’t dare to ask. Lu Junming asked first, “What is the day of hoarding?” [1]

Da Gang explained, “You use ashes from the stove to draw a circle in your yard, which represents your hoard. Then, you place the seeds you want to grow inside your hoard to pray for a good harvest.”

After he finished speaking, Mo Yan suddenly cried out. Lu Junming thought she had sprained her ankle, and complained, “You had to walk when we could’ve ridden the horse, and now you’ve sprained your ankle!”

Mo Yan retorted, “No, Dagan said that we should place any food we grow at home for a good harvest. We plan to grow medicinal herbs this year, but the seeds are still in Ms. Hua’s vegetable cellar!”

“Then make a hoard at hers tomorrow! Problem solved.”

Xiaoyue said, “No, it has to be at your own home, and it won’t work when the sun comes out. Lazy people won’t be blessed.”

“Then what should I do?” Mo Yan looked at Lu Junming, who handed her the mutton he was holding, “Fine, I’ll go get them for you!”

After that, Lu Junming ran back to grab the seeds.

The others continued to walk home. Dagan said that he wanted to save more money this year, so he could build a new house next year.

They were only halfway back when Lu Junming returned, holding a small linen bag in his hand. Mo Yan asked in surprise, “You’re back already?”

Lu Junming handed it to her, “I don’t train every day for nothing!”

“Then why do you still ride your horse?”

“To exercise my horse, obviously.”

After entering the village, they were about to go their separate ways. Mo Yan asked, “Dagan, Sister Xiaoyue is timid. Can you walk her to work every day from now on?”

Dagan smiled honestly, “No problem. We’re going the same way anyways, there’s no delay.”

Lu Junming’s house was the closest to the village’s entrance. He and Mo Yan left the main street together and turned at a fork in the road. Dagan continued to walk along the main street to send Xiaoyue home.

First passing by the back of Lu Junming’s house, he had no intention to go in. Mo Yan said, “My house is just in front, you should go home!”

At this moment, a strange call came from the willow tree by the pond, “Hoot hoot!”

Mo Yan grabbed Lu Junming’s sleeve subconsciously, “What is that?”

Lu Junming snorted lightly, “Are you scared?”

“Of course I’m not!”

“Then why are you grabbing my sleeves? Let go!”

Lu Junming tugged back on his sleeve, but Mu Yan held on tighter. She still didn’t ask him to send him home. Lu Junming tugged on his sleeve again, and Mo Yan simply hugged his arm, “I’ll walk you back home.”

“Sure you will.” He walked home, and Mo Yan held his arm tightly. She followed him to his courtyard, looking towards the pond from time to time.

Lu Junming tugged at his sleeves again, “I’m home, you can leave now!”

There was another call from the willow tree, especially creepy in the twilight. Mo Yan was so frightened that she hugged Lu Junming tightly, and cried, “I don’t want to leave!”

Sir Lu came out of the kitchen when he heard them, “Junming, what’s wrong with Yan’er?”

Lu Junming couldn’t help but laugh and say, “She’s afraid of that owl.”

“Is that the cry of an owl?” Mi Yan looked up at him.

Lu Junming smiled and nodded, “What did you think it was, a ghost?”

“Don’t talk nonsense!” Mo Yan beat his upper arm and chest.

Sir Lu said, “It’s just a bird, but it’s getting dark. Let Junming take you back.”

Lu Junming looked at her with a smile and asked, “Do you want me to send you home?”

Mo Yan refused to ask him for help verbally, but pulled on Lu Junming’s sleeve and refused to let go. In the end, Lu Junming gave up. He handed over the mutton to his grandfather, and then took Mo Yan’s hand to walk her back home.

After leaving the yard, Mo Yan insisted, “Not by the pond.”

“But it’s quicker.”

“I don’t want to!” Mo Yan shook his arm vigorously.

“I’m right here! What are you afraid of?” Lu Junming pulled her wrist and left, while Mo Yan leaned against him, clutching his arm tightly with both hands.

When they got to the well, the owl on the willow tree hooted again. This time, there were two hoots. Mo Yan was so frightened that she tightly grabbed Lu Junming’s arm.

Lu Junming was really in pain. He pushed Mo Yan’s hands away forcefully, “It’s just a bird who built a nest here, and they’re scaring you like this!”

Mo Yan ran back home by herself. Lu Junming imitated hooting from behind her, which caused the owl to hoot again, but Mo Yan had already disappeared.

He picked up a stone and threw it towards the willow tree, “Stop hooting!” The owl flapped its wings and flew away.

Mo Ling saw that Mo Yan ran into the house frightfully, so she knew that she was scared by an owl hooting.

“You’re too cowardly, an owl scared you like this?”

“If you’re so brave, I’ll bring two dogs back home tomorrow.”

Mo Feng said, “The Wang family’s dog at the east of the village just gave birth to a litter of puppies. They look very cute, and I want to raise one.”

Mo Ling was the first to object, “If you dare to bring one back, I’ll throw it into the pond.”

Mo Yan said, “I think we should have one in the workshop. The yard is so big, what if someone breaks in?”

Ms. Liang said, “You need a small dog to keep watch, they’re smarter. Your uncle’s family has one, I’ll ask them for a puppy when she’s given birth. You still have to hire security for the workshop at night.”

“Don’t we have Lu Junming?”

“He has to sleep! Besides, he can’t stay in the workshop forever!”

Mo Yan thought she made sense, but where could she find a suitable security guard? She suddenly thought of the governing official’s men. They should have nothing to do most days except to patrol the streets. They were all local, and familiar with the area and people, so they couldn’t be more suitable.

At night, the two sisters were lying on their kang when Mo Ling asked, “Yan’er, do you know where the child in the backyard went?”

“Where?” Mu Yan was about to ask about this.

“East of the village, that crow’s house.”

“What! Does he want the child to die?”

“Today I fetched water for second grandma. I heard from her that he’s going to school with the crow’s grandson, and Mo Zenian asked her to help take care of him.”

“It’s been a few days. Has he visited Mo Zheng?”

“Who knows, but it’s not something we should worry about.”

The sight of Mo Zheng calling her sister, and saying he was hungry appeared in front of Mo Yan. Mo Zenian and Lin Xian’er are indeed hateful, but Mo Zheng was so young, the only thing he’s done was be given birth to by those two.

Thinking back to that day, when the woman in the back courtyard treated Mo Zheng so poorly, if she brought the child home, it wouldn’t be good.

Post-translation notes: Mostly a ‘nothing sandwich’ of a chappie, unfortunately. As always, thank you for reading!

[1] I don’t know what that is either, or most of the cultural things talked about in this story for that matter. I’ve just been trying my best to make sense of it.