Swish!!!
Black Crow opened his "playing dead" bird eyes and locked onto Xie Jiajiao's teasing gaze.
Croak croak.
[You fool, can you understand what Crow Master is saying?]
"Fool? Crow Master?"
Damn!
Someone actually understood Crow Master's words.
Before Black Crow could recover from his shock, Xie Jiajiao's fake smile turned sharp as she vigorously shook her hands up and down, completely ignoring Black Crow's life or death.
Croak croak.
[You fool, how dare you plot against your Crow Master?]
Xie Jiajiao: "..."
That was a light hit.
Croak croak.
[Hehe, two fools now, interesting.]
Is this referring to the dumb crow?
Just then, Liu Niannian, freshly cleaned, walked over. When she saw Black Crow dangling in Xie Jiajiao's hand, her eyes lit up, quickly turning into blazing flames.
A black smelly crow, daring to cause trouble on the local god's turf? She'd pluck all its feathers and roast it for dinner.
Thinking about the taste of its meat made Liu Niannian drool.
She stepped forward to snatch Black Crow from Xie Jiajiao, but was dodged.
"Jiajiao, thank you for helping your sister catch the culprit," Liu Niannian controlled her dark thoughts and wore a face full of sympathy. "Though it's at fault, it's not intentional. Let me take it, I'll teach it a lesson, then set it free."
Black Crow remembered the voice of "Honeycomb Coal" very clearly.
That evil-eyed troublemaker had brutally broken one of his wings, leaving him unable to fly far, forced to wander alone outside the flock, away from his beloved Cuihua.
If not for his luck and speed, he might already be buried under three feet of grave grass.
Croak croak.
[You fool, don't listen to Honeycomb Coal's nonsense. If you hand Crow Master over to her, she'll say nice things but is probably thinking of plucking and roasting me.]
A black line appeared on Xie Jiajiao's forehead.
Who taught you to "ask" so shamelessly?
"Here, take it." Xie Jiajiao showed no kindness to Black Crow.
As soon as she handed him over, Black Crow lost all composure.
Aren't they on the same side?
Croak croak.
[You fool, no way! (So mean.)]
[I treat you like a little brother, but you want Crow Master's life!]
Xie Jiajiao said, "Cousin, you're too kind-hearted. I think it's better to chop it into pieces and feed it to the big dog in the village to vent some anger."
Crow Master: "..."
Croak croak.
[Grandma, ancestor… I'm old, tough, and dry, no tasty meat here.]
He could even say things that sounded pleasant.
Xie Jiajiao felt relieved. When Liu Niannian reached out to take Black Crow, she quickly pulled back.
"Cousin, sorry, I suddenly think this ugly crow looks kind of cute. I want to keep it as a pet."
"Jiajiao…"
Liu Niannian wanted to say more but was cut off by impatient Xie Jiajiao.
"Cousin, didn't you say you didn't mind 'Sunzi' pooping on your head? Why the change of heart?"
Calling you "Crow Master" every two seconds, I insist on calling you "grandchild."
Liu Niannian sadly wrung her clothes and forced, "No, but Jiajiao is a bird, it belongs to—"
"I know, cousin. I'll release it after I've played with it for a few days."
With that, Xie Jiajiao left Liu Niannian standing there in a graceful retreat.
Damn it, damn it!
"Niannian, are you okay?" Just then, Su Yu rushed over from the nearby courtyard, concern in his voice as he asked after Liu Niannian. But his shifty little eyes darted around as if looking for someone.
A few years ago, young men and women sent down to the countryside had nearly fought to death over a single bite of food. To prevent another incident, Jiang Tao had built a mud wall in the big courtyard, forcing them to cook separately.
Liu Niannian, still annoyed but seeing Su Yu rushing over for her, instantly felt her anger soften. She enjoyed the attention Xie Jiajiao had longed for.
"Comrade Su, I'm fine." Liu Niannian forced a troubled expression, then accidentally let slip, "Jiajiao caught a crow and wants to roast it. I can't bear it, so I tried to convince her to let it go, but she wouldn't listen."
She quickly covered her mouth, panicked, and corrected herself, "No, Comrade Su, it's me who wants to eat crow meat, it's nothing to do with Jiajiao…"
Crow meat?
Yuck!
And Xie Jiajiao was such a refined young lady, yet still wanted to eat that unlucky meat.
Su Yu interrupted with a disgusted look, "Niannian, you're still so kind and sensible."
"No, Comrade Su, I really want meat," Liu Niannian almost cried.
Su Yu, used to it, pulled out the last three yuan and a meat ration ticket from his pocket and put them into Liu Niannian's hand with feeling.
"Niannian, no need to say more, I understand."
"Here, if you want meat, I'll buy it for you."
Liu Niannian said "No, this won't do," but quickly stuffed the money and ticket into her pocket.
Having gotten what she wanted, Liu Niannian then spoke up to send him away.
"Comrade Su, you should go eat lunch now, work starts soon."
"Niannian, I…"
"Comrade Su, you hugged me at noon and Jiajiao saw. She misunderstood and is still mad at me. If she sees you and me like this again after lunch, there's no way to explain it."
He knew Xie Jiajiao was playing hard to get.
Really, now he was even spying on them. No scholarly dignity left.
Su Yu inwardly scolded himself but also secretly enjoyed it.
He was a man. Even though he thought Xie Jiajiao—this silly, useless pretty face—was totally unworthy of him, it didn't stop him from enjoying her shameless flattery and desperate pursuit. It satisfied the worst part of his manly nature.
However, the slight concern he had felt earlier completely vanished after Xie Jiajiao's one act after another of putting on a show.
He adjusted his glasses and said with deep affection, "Niannian, you know…"
"Comrade Su!" Liu Niannian stomped her foot, her face stern and her eyes full of displeasure.
"Niannian, don't be mad. I won't say any more. I'm leaving now."
No sooner had Su Yu taken a step away than Xie Jiajiao, lunch finished, shoulder slinging the falcon, came out of the kitchen just as the whistle signaling work time blew.
"Cousin, let's go. It's time to work."
Liu Niannian, wanting to refuse going back to eat, bit her lip and, seeing Xie Jiajiao's back casually walking away without stopping, reluctantly followed on an empty stomach.
"Jiajiao…"
Croak croak.
[You fool, look at Crow Master...]
"Hm?" Xie Jiajiao glanced over lightly, and Black Crow immediately changed his tune.
[Zhuge Beauty, listen to what the falcon says.
Your cousin is like honeycomb coal—full of holes and scheming, mostly aimed at you.
You think she watches over you every day for your own good?
No, no, no.
She's just waiting to spring a stinky fart on you.]**
"Shut up!" Xie Jiajiao's face darkened like the bottom of a pot.
The falcon, threatened and intimidated by Xie Jiajiao's harsh tone, immediately grew silent.
But inside, it grumbled: I call you fool, and you're not happy? You're the dumb one, how can I blame you?
"Jiajiao." Liu Niannian stared blankly at Xie Jiajiao.
"Cousin, I'm not talking about you. You go ahead. I just think that black crow is way too noisy. I want to pull its tongue out."
The falcon covered its beak, glared furiously at Xie Jiajiao with its bird eyes, trembling in anger but too scared to say a word.
Liu Niannian wisely kept quiet, suspecting Xie Jiajiao was badmouthing her, but had no proof.
They walked in silence. Even the sun didn't feel so harsh anymore.
They queued up, received assigned tasks, picked up farming tools, and headed off to work.
"Xie Jiajiao, right?" the scorekeeper Jiang Xiu asked in a grim tone.