121 – Different Species, How to Love Each Other
“Sure.” Qin Mian agreed, “A-Tie, go get the money.”
Lei Tie looked at him blankly, “Wife, aren’t you in charge of our family’s money?”
Lei Xiangzhi laughed despite himself.
Qin Mian slapped Lei Tie on his thigh and got up to get the money.Lei Tie followed in.
A moment later, they came out.
Qin Mian handed Lei Xiangzhi a banknote of 100 taels, a silver ingot of 50 taels, and a silver ingot of 10 taels.
“Your eldest brother said that you will have to socialize with other Xiucai students later, which will cost you a lot. You keep the 10 taels.”
Lei Xiangzhi took a look at Lei Tie and felt a slight sting around the rims of his eyes. “En… I also want to borrow your writing materials to write down the acknowledgment of the debt.”
Writing down the acknowledgment of the debt could make both sides feel at ease and be more comfortable to associate in the future. Qin Mian didn’t say anything like ‘’I believe you, there’s no need to write an acknowledgment of a debt’’ but told Lei Tie to get the writing materials.
Lei Xiangzhi wrote down on the paper that he borrowed 100 silver taels from his eldest brother and eldest sister-in-law and should pay it back within five years at the latest. Lastly, he pressed his thumbprint.Before Lei Xiangzhi left, Qin Mian asked Lei-Qin Le to pick a basket of pears for him.
Lei Tie took out his bow set and carried a basket on his back. “Wife, I’m going to the mountain.”
“Alright, don’t return too late.” Qin Mian knew that the man wanted to go hunting again. Recently, his taste became strange and changeable. He always wanted to eat something so abruptly. Once, he suddenly wanted to eat sour jujube cake, and Lei Tie went to the town on horseback to buy it without saying a word. Consequently, Lei Tie had developed a habit. When there was nothing to do at home, he took his bow set to hunt and conveniently picked some fresh wild vegetables and fruits in the mountains.
“Got it.”
Lei Tie was tall and strong, dressed in a maroon duanda and grey trousers with mid-high leather boots. His simple and fit dressing made his figure even slender. Such a back figure walked neither too slow nor too fast in the village was an unusual sight.
His oppressive and indifferent vibes made the villagers dared not approach him easily, but it did not stop them from paying close attention to him.
Sister Zhang teased Aunt Xiulan, who was nearly 50 years old, with a smile on her face as she scrubbed the dirt on her son’s clothes, “Auntie, stunned?”
“You woman!” Aunt Xiulan splashed water on her body, not in a good mood. She was entranced just now but felt a great pity. Lei Tie and his wife Qin Mian were both capable people. Why did they marry each other? Otherwise, anyone of them was suitable for her second daughter. But of course, she was just thinking to herself and would not truly pursue it.
There were only Aunt Xiulan and Sister Zhang by the river. Aunt Xiulan knew Sister Zhang was not a gossipy person, so she was at ease to speak out her mind, “Sigh, I’m worried about my second daughter.”
“Your second daughter? Ah, Xiaoyu.” The image of a young girl appeared in Sister Zhang’s mind. “Xiaoyu is beautiful, dexterous, and filial to you. She’s a rare young girl. There will be a lot of people coming to your house to ask for her hand. What do you have to worry about?”
“I’m not bragging as the mother but that girl is truly excellent.” Referring to her second daughter, Aunt Xiulan appeared proud. “Since her eldest sister has gotten married, she has been in charge of our family and manages the family in an orderly way. It’s just… Sigh, that girl’s character is really…” Aunt Xiulan shook her head dejectedly.
Sister Zhang nodded in agreement. If one must say that there was something wrong with Xiaoyu, it was that she was too shy. When others talked to her, she only called out to people most of the time and then smiled shyly with nothing else to say. Such a girl looked somewhat ‘’soft’’.
“She’s almost seventeen. She’ll be an old girl if I let her be. I’m not at ease to marry her off in another village, and there is no suitable man to marry her in this village. Worrisome ah.”
Sister Zhang hesitated for a moment. “Actually, the Lei family’s Old Four is not bad ah.”
Aunt Xiulan frowned. Thinking that the other party had no bad intention, she suppressed her displeasure and said, “Du Shi and Wei Shi are not qualified to be my Xiaoyu’s mothers-in-law! I only want to find a man from a simple family for Xiaoyu.”
Sister Zhang was an open-minded person. Seeing that Aunt Xiulan was a little angry, she said with a smile, “My bad. Auntie, don’t take offense ah.” Her family was close to Qin Mian’s family, so she knew more than other villagers. Qin Mian and Lei Tie not only took care of her family but also Wu Di’s family and Li Zheng’s family. A few days ago, the Lei family’s brothers, including the laziest Lei Xiangren, often went to the mountain to chop firewood. It was obvious that they had something big to do. She surmised that Qin Mian and Lei Tie had given them a money-making idea. If Xiaoyu married Lei Xiangli, she would surely live comfortably with Lei Xiangli. However, between Aunt Xiulan and Qin Mian’s family, she was certainly closer to Qin Mian’s family. Therefore, she would not say these words to Aunt Xiulan. It was already her limit to imply such a sentence.
“How could I?” Aunt Xiulan hurriedly said, “You’re right, the Lei family’s Old Four is not bad. By the way, I heard that your Dashuan is working in the vermicelli workshop and even works as a foreman?”
“En, Brother Qin and Brother Lei Tie have a good opinion of my Dashuan.” Sister Zhang smiled. Zhang Dashuan used to drive a carriage between Zhaoyang County and Running Water Town to pick up and drop off customers eating in Double Xiang House. However, since a transport line started operating in the town, he lost customers and was not able to drive anymore. When Qin Mian and Lei Tie learned of this, they asked Zhang Dashuan to work in the vermicelli workshop and made him a foreman. Sister Zhang and Zhang Dashuan were grateful to Qin Mian and Lei Tie. Therefore, Zhang Dashuan was very dedicated to the work. It was thanked Qin Mian and Lei Tie that their family now could afford the few children to study.
Aunt Xiulan was very envious. Zhang Dashuan only helped Lei Tie and Qin Mian when they separated from the family, but Qin Mian and Lei Tie had taken care of his family until now. It was clear that good deeds paid off well.
On Lei Tie’s side, when he got to the mountain, he searched around for fresh wild vegetables and fruits with sharp eyes. Occasionally, he saw a few mushrooms. He carefully dug them up and put them into the basket.
In less than an hour, his basket was almost full, which was mostly filled with green wild vegetables. His wife said that this kind of wild vegetables was very delicious for dumpling stuffing. Besides that, there were also a lot of chestnuts. He remembered that his wife loved chicken stewed with chestnuts and sugar-fried chestnuts.
“Awoo!”
A wolf howl came from behind. Lei Tie turned around with vigilance.
White Spot jumped out from a bush and rubbed against his legs, appearing a little anxious, “Awoowoo.”
Lei Tie was puzzled.
“Awoo awoo!”
Lei Tie frowned and looked in the direction it turned its head to.
White Spot bit his trouser leg and pulled him forward. Lei Tie patted it on the head and quickened his pace. Feeling the master’s comfort, White Spot’s agitation retreated a bit.
The man and the wolf soon came to a big tree. As soon as Lei Tie saw what the giant lying on the ground was, his pupils shrank.
The animal on the ground was covered in golden fur and had a strong muscly body; it was estimated to be about 400 kg. On its huge head was a pair of ears which appeared slightly small, and its opened mouth showed two rows of sharp teeth. Due to the bloody hole in the abdomen, its four strong feet were motionless but its grey eyes stared at Lei Tie, full of ferocity and vigilance.
It was a golden furred brown bear.
“Awoo!” White Spot pulled Lei Tie to the side of the bear.
Lei Tie stepped forward. The brown bear raised its eyes on guard and wanted to attack with its two forepaws, “Grr…” Lei Tie’s body suddenly emitted a kind of compelling force. The strong pressure shocked the brown bear. Although it still stared at Lei Tie in alert, it didn’t dare to move.
White Spot scornfully glanced at the brown bear as it slowly walked on the brown bear’s body. Strangely, the brown bear indulged in it as if it didn’t feel the weight on its body.
Lei Tie took some spiritual spring water from the space and smeared it on the brown bear’s wound. After a moment of pause, he slowly closed the wound with his vital spirit.
The blood stopped a while later. When the brown bear was relieved from pain, its alertness dissipated. It lay the ground and lightly called out to Lei Tie, perhaps to thank him.
Lei Tie hesitated for a moment before he put the brown bear into the magic space.
White Spot ran in front of him and rubbed against his legs. Lei Tie also put it into the magic space and continued to hunt.
The sun gradually set to the west. Lei Tie hurriedly climbed down the mountain and returned with a full load.
Qin Mian leaned on the railing on the second floor and raised his hand to the man, “Just got back? The rice is ready, just waiting for your gains. What did you get?”
Lei Tie opened the basket for him to see.
Qin Mian saw that there were a lot of wild vegetables inside, and smilingly said, “I’m coming down now.”
Lei Tie put the basket at the door, went into the house, bolted the door, and brought Qin Mian into the magic space.
“Wife, look.”
Qin Mian looked at the huge thing lying on the ground in surprise, “A golden furred brown bear? Good, it looks so impressive!”
Lei Tie nodded to himself. He knew his wife would like it.
White Spot happily ran to rub against Qin Mian and ran back again, trampled all over the brown bear’s back. Then, it lay down in front of the brown bear and rubbed its snout with the brown bear’s snout.
Qin Mian was struck dumb with astonishment. After a good while, he reprimanded it with heartache and a headache, “White Spot, don’t be confused. Different species, how to love each other?”
A solid smile surged in Lei Tie’s eyes for a jiffy. He touched his wife’s head, bowed his head, and pecked at his lips, “Must be accidental.”
White Spot probably understood Qin Mian’s words. It lifted its eyelids and looked speechless.
Qin Mian looked at the brown bear’s velvet golden fur, his fingers felt a bit itchy, “A-Tie, it looks very soft.”
Lei Tie pulled him to the brown bear and deliberately stood on his right side, skillfully blocked the brown bear’s head.
Unexpectedly, the brown bear was completely indifferent to Qin Mian and even lukewarmly looked at him. Perhaps, it sensed that his aura was similar to that of the space.
Qin Mian squatted in front of the brown bear. Avoiding its wound, he happily rubbed its back. The brown bear’s fur was at least two inches long and felt soft.
“A-Tie, will it be willing to let our family raise it?” Qin Mian expectantly looked at Lei Tie. Raising a bear at home sounds very domineering!
