Daily life of farming and supporting a family on the ancient Loess Plateau

Grandma Ji snorted and said, "I told you, that family is full of tricks and has no heart. I told you not to associate with them, but you wouldn't listen."

Ji Yinqiao pinched Old Lady Ji's leg and said, "Mother, what happened back then is all in the past. Nobody expected my fifth brother to get into trouble. Nobody in our village had ever experienced anything like this before. Sigh, we just suffered because we were ignorant..."

You told me to cut off all contact with my second brother's family, but everyone in the village knows that when I broke, I fell into a ravine, and it was my second brother who pulled me out. It would be embarrassing to cut off contact.

Old Mrs. Ji snorted coldly and didn't reply.

Ji Yinqiao then asked, "Mother, you're saying I can't even pay for this medicine powder? Is my second brother's family so rich they're throwing money away that they don't care about this little bit of money?"

Grandma Ji coughed twice, rolled her eyes, and said, "They said that if you want medicine, you have to bring the child with you before they'll sell it to you. Each person can only buy one dose, and you have to drink it on the spot."

Ji Yinqiao's eyes widened: "What? What is my second brother thinking? Isn't this going against money?"

Grandma Ji continued smoking her pipe, remaining silent.

Seeing that Old Lady Ji remained silent, Ji Yinqiao pondered for a long time before saying, "Mother, give me some advice on how to make this work. I've already promised them and received the money. Mother, I'll give you half of this money. Hide it well and don't let my brother and sister-in-law see it." As she spoke, she stuffed a hundred large coins into Old Lady Ji's hand.

Grandma Ji leaned against the wall behind her, crossed her legs, raised her toes, and swung them around. She said, "No rush. I'll go to Ji Lao Er's house with you at noon."

Ji Yinqiao was overjoyed and quickly said, "Mother still loves me the most. As long as you take action, my second brother will definitely agree a hundred times over."

Old Mrs. Ji sneered: "That Ji the Second is like a tile cracked by the sun in June, a good-for-nothing. He owes my child a life, and he's got a guilty conscience!"

After noon, Ji Yinqiao helped Old Lady Ji out of the house, walking unsteadily towards Old Master Ji's house.

On the way, she met the old woman whom the child called Aunt Big Mouth. She asked curiously, "Oh dear, old lady, what brings you out? It's rare for you to come out. Are you going to Ada (where) to have some fun?"

Old Mrs. Ji spat and cursed, "Get the hell out of here, you little idiot! Jumping around in front of this old woman, are you trying to make a fool of yourself like a monkey?"

Auntie Big Mouth, annoyed by the rebuke, said, "Look at you, Old Lady Ji! I asked you a question, and you either answered or you didn't. You're so old, yet you still have such a temper. I'm afraid you'll burst your bladder!"

Old Mrs. Ji walked over, then turned back with a smirk and cursed, "Your father has wasted his life on the grave, raising such a long-tongued person like you. Cut it off and feed it to the dogs!"

An old man squatting by the roadside grinned, revealing a set of gap-toothed teeth with several dark holes, and said, "Auntie Big Mouth, you really don't know the pain until you fall down, and you don't learn your lesson until you suffer a loss."

This old woman was notorious for being fierce when she was young; she was like a tiger's backside—you couldn't touch her or slap her.

And you, all cold and timid, trying to get close to her with your enthusiasm, don't you know how to handle a scolding?! That wicked wife didn't even throw a jujube stick at you, that's already showing you mercy.

Aunt Big Mouth curled her lip and said, "I just asked a question out of kindness, and you started cursing right away. I've never seen anyone more twisted than this old woman."

Ji Yinqiao and Old Lady Ji arrived at the old courtyard of the Ji family.

The courtyard gate was wide open, and only the elderly Yang couple were tidying up something inside.

Ji Yinqiao took a deep breath, suppressing the slight fear in her heart. It was really because the incident of inviting Huang Daopo to exorcise Jia Ronghua last time had caused such a fuss that she wouldn't have thought of bringing her mother along.

"Second Brother!" Ji Yinqiao called out into the courtyard.

Grandpa Ji looked up and saw Ji Yinqiao and Grandma Ji standing at the door. He paused for a moment, then his face immediately showed surprise. He didn't care about Ji Yinqiao and hurriedly took two steps forward, saying, "Aunt...Auntie...Why are you here? Come in and sit down."

Madam Yang was also taken aback by the arrival of Old Lady Ji. It was the first time Old Lady Ji had ever visited her home in all these years, and she was at a loss for how to react.

Old Mrs. Ji had a thin, bony face, high cheekbones, a sharp nose, and thin lips that made her look even more mean. She snorted and walked in arrogantly, going straight to the apple tree and sitting on the half-meter-high bench.

Grandpa Ji carefully smiled apologetically and said softly, "Auntie, I heard you haven't been going out much these past two years. What brings you out for a stroll today?"

Grandma Ji snorted again before speaking, "If I hadn't come out, you would have bullied Yinqiao and Lao Si to death!"

"Auntie, what are you saying? How could I dare to bully my own siblings?"

Grandma Ji raised her voice: "What? I can't say anything anymore!"

Yang's body stiffened, she shivered, and said, "I'll go get some water." Then she turned and hid in the kitchen.

Grandpa Ji said with some helplessness, "Auntie, you know, that's not what I meant."

Old Mrs. Ji glared at Old Mr. Ji: "That's not what I meant, then what did I mean? Do you not want this old woman like me to come to your house?"

Old Master Ji didn't want to talk for a moment.

Ji Yinqiao quickly smiled and said, "Second brother, you know our aunt's personality; she's always tough on the outside but soft on the inside. She just happened to have some free time today, so she came to see you and sister-in-law. Where is the others?"

Grandpa Ji took two steps back, sat on a small stool, and said, "You're going to the market? You came with your aunt, is there something you need?"

Ji Yinqiao hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Second Brother, I heard your family sells deworming medicine?"

Grandpa Ji was taken aback upon hearing this, then nodded and said, "Yes, it was that girl Yongling who caused it. What's wrong? Does your grandson have worms in his stomach too?"

Ji Yinqiao shook her head and said, "No, no, a noble person asked me to buy it."

Grandpa Ji looked at Ji Yinqiao with a puzzled expression, shook his head, and said, "No, Yongling said that this medicine can only be taken by children who come to our door to drink it, and the powder will not be sold to outsiders."

Ji Yinqiao's heart tightened; she knew this matter might be somewhat tricky.

She took a deep breath and continued, "Second brother, it's like this, there's an important person in the city who can't come over, so she asked me to bring some deworming medicine for her child. We can't afford to offend such an important person, so I had no choice but to agree. You see..."

Upon hearing this, Old Master Ji frowned and said, "No, this medicine belongs to Yongling. The rules were set in the beginning, and as her father, I cannot break them."

Grandma Ji couldn't stand it anymore: "Hmph, that sounds nice, but you're always blaming the child! I don't believe a ten-year-old could concoct any kind of medicine. It must be you adults who did it and are just pinning the blame on the child."

Grandpa Ji took a breath and said, "Auntie, I'm already in my forties, why bother with all that fancy stuff! Besides, you've come all this way, I wouldn't dare to fool you."

Grandma Ji rolled her eyes: "You're all talk and no action! When Fifth Brother died, what did you say on his grave? You said you would support his old mother, but what did you do in the end? You only gave him a load of wheat a year. If it weren't for Fourth Brother, I'd probably have starved to death eight hundred times over."