Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Life for our family of three was actually pretty good.

I could eat my fill, and the Ninth Prince could have meat now too. But because the Ninth Prince looked so delicate and refined, a lot of people in the village were curious about him and kept trying to ask about his background.

But the Ninth Prince forbade me from saying anything, so I kept my mouth shut and didn’t reveal a single word.

After a while, everyone stopped asking.

I was busy every day. Once the fields at home were planted, I had to go help other families plant theirs too. Since I was strong, everyone liked to call on me for help.

But the Ninth Prince wasn’t happy about it. “You do all the work at home every day, and then you help other people too. Aren’t you tired?”

I shook my head. “Your Highness, as long as I have enough to eat, I have endless strength.”

The Ninth Prince gave a cold laugh. “If even a fraction of that strength went toward growing a brain, you wouldn’t be so lacking in it!”

The Ninth Prince was a good person. He was just a little too particular. Of course neighbors in the countryside had to help each other. Besides, when I helped them work, they always gave me plenty to eat. It wasn’t like I was doing it for nothing.

We had only just come back, and the crops had only just been planted. With everyone helping us out, we could save a little money, and my adoptive father would have an easier time too.

That day, I was helping Aunt Ma carry firewood. Aunt Ma had a large family, so they needed a lot of firewood.

“Dachui really is capable. If it were the men in my family carrying this load of firewood, they’d have to split it into four or five trips. Dachui brought it back in one go.”

I wiped my sweat and smiled. “They’re just not as strong as me. If you have work in the future, call me.”

I put the firewood down in Aunt Ma’s courtyard. Her two sons had only just gotten out of bed, and her husband was squatting by the door eating meat buns. I smiled and greeted them, “Uncle Ma, Brother Ma, Second Brother Ma.”

They were all very polite to me.

The meat buns smelled pretty good.

Aunt Ma scooped up a ladle of cold water and handed it to me. “Thank you, Dachui. We don’t really have anything presentable to eat at home, so I won’t keep you for a meal. Remember to come help me carry water tomorrow. My water jar is empty too.”

I agreed, but I still wanted to ask Aunt Ma about the two pumpkins she’d promised me.

But Aunt Ma went into the kitchen to eat, and I felt too embarrassed to ask. I wiped my sweat and was about to leave when I turned around and saw the Ninth Prince standing by the roadside, beckoning to me.

“The three men in their family are all at home resting, and they ask you to carry firewood, so you go?”

“I’m as strong as an ox. No one in their family is as capable as me,” I replied. The Ninth Prince frowned. Suddenly, he grabbed my hand and stared at the bloody scratches on it. “Even a little calf can get scratched?”

I rubbed at the wound. “You get hurt when you work. It’s fine.”

“Idiot!” The Ninth Prince asked me again, “This morning, I heard through the window that she promised you two pumpkins. Where are they? Why didn’t she give them to you?”

I felt a little embarrassed. “She probably forgot. But it’s fine. Maybe she’ll remember next time.”

“Hopelessly stupid.” The Ninth Prince rolled his eyes at me. “Wait here!”

He flicked his sleeve and walked toward Aunt Ma’s house. I knew he had a bad temper. If he started arguing, that was one thing-he could outtalk anyone. But if it came to a fight, he was so soft and frail that he would definitely be the one to suffer.

But just as I took two steps after him, the Ninth Prince turned back and glared at me, and I didn’t dare move.

To my surprise, after the Ninth Prince went into Aunt Ma’s house, there was no argument and no fight. A short while later, Aunt Ma’s family of four came out behind him, each carrying a big pumpkin.

“Dachui, Auntie forgot to give you the pumpkins. Auntie is getting muddle-headed in her old age. We’ll bring them to your house right now.”

I heard Aunt Ma’s voice trembling. The three men in her family were also stumbling as they walked. I quietly asked the Ninth Prince, “Why do they look so scared?”

The Ninth Prince said blandly, “They’re usually too idle, so their legs have gone weak.”

That had to be it. After all, the Ninth Prince was so delicate and frail, and he was pretty too. People would only want to like him and protect him. How could anyone be afraid of him?

But for some reason, starting that day, whenever Aunt Ma passed by my house, she took a detour. And it wasn’t just Aunt Ma’s family. A lot of people in the village did the same.

I asked my adoptive father why. He rubbed his arm and gave me a meaningful look.

“Have you never considered that the Ninth Prince beat them up?”

I couldn’t believe it. “Dad, the Ninth Prince is delicate and weak. How could he possibly hit anyone?”

My adoptive father didn’t say anything. He just hunched over and went into the kitchen.

My good adoptive father. He seemed to have aged quite a bit. I had to work hard to repay him.