About an hour later, Grandpa returned from the brigade clinic. Xiao Man had already prepared a basin of clean water on the stone platform. Grandpa washed his face and hands, then took off the clothes stained with Mo Xiaosu’s blood. Xiao Man immediately took them to soak, wash, and hang out to dry.

Grandpa changed into a jacket and came out. Grandma had already felt her way around to set the food on the table for him. Grandpa was starving. He sat down and devoured half a pot of congee in one go, finishing all the dishes that had been saved for him.

Once he was full, Grandpa went and sat under the pear tree to tell Grandma and Xiao Man about Mo Xiaosu’s injuries.

A ten-year-old girl isn’t very sturdy to begin with, and Liu Fengying is so strong. That slap really knocked half the soul out of Mo Xiaosu!

"The poor thing... that child lost so much blood. Her whole face is swollen up like a pig’s head. When she woke up, she was all dazed and could barely recognize anyone. Her adult front teeth had just finished growing in, and now they’ve been knocked loose. The barefoot doctor said since they weren’t torn from the flesh, they might grow back in properly, so he tried to fix them up a bit... Sigh... what a misfortune for the family. Back then, we all just thought Liu Fengying was capable. Who knew she could be this vicious! Even a tiger won’t eat its own cubs, but she would strike her own child so brutally! That woman... she’s no good!"

Grandma sighed too. "Little Su is a girl. With her face injured so badly, she won’t be disfigured, will she?"

"We don’t know yet. The other injuries might be fine once the swelling goes down. It all depends on those teeth. If they can set properly, there won’t be a problem. But if not... it will really affect her looks. Unless she gets a big gold tooth!"

Xiao Man almost laughed when she heard Grandpa. ’Grandpa, are you sure a woman with a big gold tooth *wouldn’t* affect her appearance?’

But she couldn’t blame Grandpa for his simple way of thinking. In this era, it seemed gold teeth were the only option for replacements. The other kinds of realistic, aesthetically pleasing dentures probably wouldn’t be available for another ten years, not in a hospital in a place like Wancheng, which could barely be called a third-tier city.

Mo Xiaosu was having her wounds treated at the brigade clinic. Since Second Aunt Mo had also fainted from exhaustion, Mo Laoer was called back from the fields. When he got to the clinic and saw his daughter’s condition, he immediately started a huge fight with Liu Fengying. The people from the brigade office needed to go home for lunch, so they just offered a few words of advice and left. Mo Laoer and Liu Fengying’s argument in the brigade courtyard escalated into a physical fight. No matter how tough a woman is, she’s no match for a man. Mo Laoer knocked Liu Fengying to the ground and beat her until she was screaming. As she scrambled on the ground, a small cloth bag fell from her clothes. Mo Laoer snatched it up and saw a big roll of cash inside!

Mo Laoer estimated the amount of money in the roll and declared it would be compensation for his daughter, Mo Xiaosu. He then told the tractor driver to take his wife and daughter to the commune health center.

Liu Fengying was left sitting in the brigade courtyard, crying and cursing like a madwoman.

Xiao Man said, "Liu Fengying deserved it! She’s rotten to the core. She clearly had money on her but wouldn’t use it for Xiao Feng’s medical bills. Instead, she had to come ask Grandpa for it! She was just banking on Grandpa being a soft touch, knowing he’d give in if she begged!"

Grandpa sighed. "I don’t have any money either, how could I just give it to her because she asked? The money I borrowed from the brigade office... the accountant said I have to pay it back quickly. The brigade doesn’t have much money either. At the time, I was just worried about Xiao Feng. If her eyes were ruined, her whole life would be destroyed. Just look at your Grandma... and Xiao Feng is still so young! Now, I’ve seen through it all. I’m not getting involved in their affairs anymore! In a couple of days, once Mo the Eighth is free to watch the reservoir for me for a night or two, I need to make a trip to Wancheng!"

Xiao Man quickly tugged on Grandpa’s sleeve. "Grandpa, I want to go too!"

"Hey, what would a child like you do in the city? The city is full of people and cars, it’s not like our countryside!"

"I want to see the city and broaden my horizons! Besides, Grandpa, you have to bring so many burlap sacks of herbs. I can help you carry them!"

"Those sacks are pretty heavy. You won’t be able to carry them!"

"I can! I’m strong, Grandpa! If you don’t believe me, I’ll go lift something to show you!"

"Alright, alright, you don’t have to. I know Xiao Man has some strength. How else could you carry water to the vegetable garden every day!"

Xiao Man: ...’He still doesn’t believe me!’

"Just let Xiao Man go," Grandma spoke up. "Getting out and seeing more of the world will broaden her horizons and be a good experience. The other village kids don’t have the chance, but we do. With an adult like you taking her, and since Xiao Man is so clever, she won’t get lost! After a couple of trips to the city, she’ll know the way. Who knows, maybe in the future, she’ll be able to go to even bigger places?"

Grandpa looked at Grandma, then at Xiao Man. After a moment, he said, "Fine. If Grandma says you can go, then you can go! Tonight, Grandpa will have to twist a grass rope to keep handy!"

"What’s the grass rope for?"

"To take with us into the city. I’ll tie one end tightly to Xiao Man and the other end to my waist, so you can’t get away!"

After he said that, the three of them—grandfather, grandmother, and granddaughter—burst out laughing.

In the afternoon, Xiao Man and Grandpa sorted the herbs again. Meanwhile, Grandma was in the kitchen, stoking the fire to boil the rice pestles Grandpa had brought back. Grandpa said there were a lot of rice pestles in the mountains, and by late autumn, the forest floor would be covered with them. He usually didn’t bother picking them up, as he didn’t have the spare time. Grandma wasn’t very fond of them either, saying they were too hard to eat.

This year, with Xiao Man at home, Grandpa saw the rice pestles starting to fall and picked some up—about five or six catties’ worth. Xiao Man had Grandma boil them first. Later, when she was free, she would scoop them out, soak them in cold water, and then dry-fry them in a wok. This would make the rice pestles crack open, separating the shell from the meat, making them much easier to eat. They were also more fragrant, sweet, and tender than just boiled ones.

Before Grandpa left for the reservoir, Xiao Man’s fried rice pestles were ready. Grandma tried a few and said with a smile that they were indeed delicious, filling her mouth with fragrance as she chewed. She had Xiao Man grab a few handfuls to put in Grandpa’s pocket for him to snack on along the way.

As he was about to leave, Grandpa reminded Xiao Man again, "Bolt the door securely, and don’t open it for anyone! If someone dares to bang on the door and make a scene, people will naturally go report it to the brigade office... You and your Grandma just stay inside with the door bolted. Don’t pay any attention to anything!"

Xiao Man nodded in agreement. She watched Grandpa walk away into the distance, then closed the door and ran back to the kitchen. She filled a large brass basin with rice pestles and said to Grandma, "The kids from the houses behind us often run to the brigade office to get help for us. We can’t finish all these rice pestles. Should we share some with them?" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Grandma nodded. "It’s not like they’re anything special. Just give the children a handful each for a fun treat. You don’t have to go deliver them personally. Just stand in the courtyard and shout loudly. Tell them to come to the courtyard gate and get them!"

"Will they be able to hear me?"

"If you shout loudly, they should hear you. Your Second Granny Qiu says she can even hear you when you’re hollering and singing nonsense in the vegetable garden!"

Xiao Man: ...

’Grandma, I wasn’t just hollering and singing nonsense. I was singing real songs from a KTV room...’

Xiao Man had originally wanted to use the excuse of delivering the rice pestles to slip out of the courtyard for a bit, but with Grandma supervising and not letting her go out, she had to give up the idea. She stood in the middle of the courtyard, faced the back neighbors, and let out a few shouts. Soon, there was a knock on the courtyard gate. It was the eight-year-old boy she had called for, Second Granny Qiu’s grandson, Little Tiger.

"Sister Xiao Man, Sister Xiao Man! Why were you calling me?"

Following Grandma’s instructions, Xiao Man asked, "Can you check if Mo Xiaoqiang is out there?"

"Nope! Don’t worry, Sister Xiao Man. Mo Xiaoqiang and Mo Xiaoneng were at the brigade office helping their mom fight today. They got a little hurt too, so they won’t be coming!"

"Oh, is that so? That’s good."

Xiao Man opened the courtyard gate and handed him the brass basin of still-warm rice pestles. "Thanks for getting help for my family today. Take these and share them with everyone!"

Little Tiger’s eyes went wide at the sight of the full basin of fragrant rice pestles. Overjoyed, he still remembered to ask where they came from. "Where’d you get these?"

"Stole them!" Xiao Man teased him.

Little Tiger’s mouth fell open. "Uh," he grunted. Seeing his adorable, dumbfounded look, Xiao Man couldn’t help but laugh out loud. "Relax, Grandpa ’stole’ them from the forest in the mountains. No one’s going to get you in trouble. Now hurry up and share them with everyone, and bring the basin back to me!"

"Okay! I’ll go pour them into a basket and bring the basin right back!" Little Tiger scampered back happily, shouting as he ran, "Sister Xiao Man, when Grandpa comes back tomorrow, ask him which part of the mountain forest the pestles are falling in! We’ll all go pick some!"