CHAPTER 115: CHAPTER 115: XIAOMI’S LITTLE SCHEMES

Teaching the younger siblings also helped Jiang Yu consolidate his learning once again, and everyone discovered that no matter what she’s learning, Xiaomi could remember after just two, at most three, repetitions.

And this news spread throughout the village within three days.

Jiang Hu’s second aunt certainly wasn’t bored enough to tell everyone, but Jiang Yu inadvertently told Liu Hai, who then told his father Liu Yang, and so...

Jiang Hu’s second aunt felt speechless, while Xiaomi was delighted. She had been idle for more than two years and was worrying about not being able to do something big.

Sometimes she fretted about not growing up faster, thinking once she was as big as her parents, she could do anything.

While pondering this, she saw her mother returning with a backpack full of sweet potato vines. Xiaomi quickly ran over eagerly: "Mom, let me help you trim them, you go rest for a while."

Her mom put down the backpack, poured out the sweet potato vines, took a breath, and went back to the kitchen to drink a bowl of water.

"Xiaomi, where’s Second Sister?" asked her mom when she came out, seeing that Xiaomi had already picked up a pair of scissors, measuring the length of the sweet potato vines, and started trimming.

"Second Sister is on the hillside picking chrysanthemums, Tiedan went there too." Sweet potato vines cut to about a foot long can be planted.

Her mom said, "I’ll go carry another pack, you trim slowly, don’t hurry."

"Okay, okay," Xiaomi nodded repeatedly.

Once her mom turned away, Xiaomi quickly replaced them with two large bundles from her space. Earlier in the morning, she had heard her parents discussing planting sweet potato vines in the afternoon, so she had prepared them.

Sure enough, just after switching, she heard her mom calling Second Sister and Tiedan to return from behind the house.

The sweet potato vines from the space had larger leaves and thicker vines. The difference was especially noticeable when compared.

However, Xiaomi mixed them up before Second Sister returned, and deliberately rearranged them a bit, making the difference not as obvious.

Jiang Xiaoxue soon returned with Tiedan, holding a small bamboo basket, with a bright smile: "The chrysanthemums bloomed a lot today, they surely can be sold for a lot of money."

Since last spring, Jiang Hu’s second aunt had watered the wild chrysanthemums a few times before they bloomed, and indeed, the flowers were larger and more fragrant.

Of course, their family couldn’t consume so many chrysanthemum dishes, so they simply sent some to the tavern. The shopkeeper Liu expressed that they were very good and asked them to send the surplus wild chrysanthemums over.

As Xiaomi was trimming the sweet potato vines, she saw Second Sister’s smile, which made her happy as well: "Second Sister, Dad said he would give you half of the money from selling chrysanthemums this year."

They were all a bit older, and with Xiahei joining them, they didn’t take everyone to the fields for everything this year. It was just right that whenever Second Sister had time, she would go pick chrysanthemums, and she picked quite a lot.

Jiang Xiaoxue placed the bamboo basket properly and instructed Tiedan not to touch it, then came over to work with Xiaomi.

"I don’t want money, Dad buys me such expensive books, just give the money to Dad."

Speaking of Dad, Xiaomi looked towards the road back to the village: "Speaking of which, why hasn’t Dad returned yet?"

It was already the hour of the snake, he should have been back.

"He should be back soon, it’s quite far to the town."

Xiaomi nodded; indeed, plus the ox cart was originally slow, she thought that once they had more money, they should get a horse-drawn carriage, faster and more stable.

However, this matter wasn’t just about money; they also needed to wait until they were older, preferably until Big Brother passed his childhood student exam so that they could prepare this.

As for Big Brother studying, Xiaomi wasn’t worried. Big Brother was focused on studying, unlike Liu Hai, who spent every day loafing in the school.

Besides, with the support of the Spiritual Spring water over the years, not to mention pursuing official ranks and becoming a high official, becoming a scholar shouldn’t be a problem.

By then, they wouldn’t have to worry about being hindered by minor troubles, and their family could develop peacefully.

The two didn’t work for long before Tiedan came over making a fuss. Accurately speaking, he originally intended to help but ended up creating more trouble.

Fortunately, not long after, Jiang Hu returned driving the ox cart, and seeing the cart, Xiaomi quickly said: "Tiedan, look, Dad is back!"

Tiedan immediately dropped the sweet potato vine in his hand and ran outside: "Dad, Dad, eat candy!"

Seeing this, Jiang Xiaoxue quickly called out again: "Don’t go too far, wait for Dad to come back."

Then Tiedan stood under the eaves, hugged the pillar, and gazed eagerly as Dad approached bit by bit.

Xiaomi breathed a sigh of relief: "Finally, some peace."

Jiang Xiaoxue chuckled lightly: "Tiedan is already very good and obedient; Xiaomi, you don’t know, Liu Uncle’s family, that little brother, he’s the one who is really naughty."

Upon hearing about that little brother, Xiaomi quickly shook her head; indeed, he was naughty, so young yet always full of energy every day.

From their brief interactions, he was never quiet for a moment, even when Aunt Wang Xiang held him, standing in one place and chatting for a while, he couldn’t stay calm, insisting on being carried everywhere.

One could only imagine what he would become when he could walk by himself.

In comparison, Tiedan seemed quite obedient.

Jiang Xiaoxue continued: "Tiedan is pretty well-behaved, whereas Xiaomi is not like a typical child, even smarter than I am."

Tiedan’s ’naughtiness’ was just in contrast to Xiaomi’s sensible nature. But truthfully, if Xiaomi were to be mischievous, Tiedan couldn’t compare, like when she was in the mood, she’d spend all day running to the fields.

Xiaomi sheepishly touched the tip of her nose, not daring to speak much, with the feeling that Second Sister saw through her, even though she knew Second Sister was just speaking casually.

By now, Jiang Hu was already driving the ox cart outside the courtyard. With a shout, he stopped Big Water Buffalo: "Xiaoxue, Xiaomi, come quickly and take the stuff."

Seeing Jiang Hu’s beaming expression, it was clear they had bought a lot.

Ever since installing the vehicle canopy, purchasing items wasn’t like before where they had to cover everything, as generally, no one was impolite enough to stop the ox cart and peek into the canopy.

Xiaomi and Xiaoxue exchanged a glance, put down what they were holding, and trotted over: "Dad, what did you buy today?"

Jiang Hu had already dismounted the ox cart and handed an oiled paper package to Tiedan: "Take this back and eat with your sisters, and remember to leave some for Big Brother."

Then he handed a parcel to the approaching Jiang Xiaoxue: "This is Xiaoxue’s book, it’s about embroidery. The shopkeeper said it’s the most basic. Xiaoxue learns it slowly, and once she’s done, Dad will buy something else."

Finally, he looked at Xiaomi: "Bought some large bones today. Xiaomi likes bone broth the most, right? We’ll have mom stew bone broth tonight."

But what he gave Xiaomi was a fabric package: "Inside are cotton cloths, ask mom to make two inner garments for you all."

The three youngsters happily carried the items back, while Jiang Hu turned around and took a big jar off the ox cart.