Little Ger, Slow Life in Another World

ranslated by Coke
Edited by Sienz

“Oh my goodness, Xiao Bao? Why are you sitting on the ground? Who allowed you to play over there!? Didn’t A-niang say that this is prohibited!”

As soon as she entered the house, Miao Heniang saw her little treasure on the ground, with his trousers all dirty. Spring was only a couple of days away, and the sun was about to hide its warmth in the west, so the cold breeze of the weather would easily creep up on the body’s health! 

And just looking at the other child in the room, a two-year-old boy, who’s white and plump with fat, carried warmly by his mother, who’s the second daughter in law of the Miao family. Miao Heniang wanted to call her second sister in law, Zhang Mian, and embrace her tightly!

Forget it, her precious jewel had nothing to drink, but for which reason could the other baby was fed hot rice soup!? The baby who had it better was merely a tangzhi of Xiao Bao,  who was the first-born of Ersao and was in the fourth generation of the Miao family. But with the smallest grandchild, shouldn’t it be also right for the elders to worry and care for Xiao Bao more than anyone else?

{T/N: tangzhi means nephew on the male side}

Only that, in stark contrast, the oldest woman seated inside the house appeared unconcerned about what was going on inside. When she noticed Miao Heniang enter the house, she did nothing more than lifting her eyelids. This kind of indifferent treatment wasn’t a wonder to sight. Miao Heniang, who could only restrain her rage, rushed forward to pick up her pitiful baby and then calling out to Juniang and Ersao.

{T/N:  句娘 jù niáng: 句 – sentence; clause; phrase | 娘 – mother; young lady // 二嫂 èr sǎo: 二 – two (2) |  嫂 – older brother’s wife; sister-in-law}

Seeing the twist of restraint in Miao Heniang’s face, a smile immediately crept up onto Zhang Mian’s mouth, “Hey, Xiao Bao is a very active kid for the age of three, and we were unable to keep up with him continuously, so we just permitted him to play as much as he wants to. Just now, he was crying for his A-niang. And I thought that perhaps di mei would return home with food, so I left some space in his stomach for the food you’d bring back.”

{T/N: 弟妹 dì mèi –  younger sibling; young, so like Miao Xing’s younger brother’s wife}

After delivering such words, Zhang Mian sneered deeply within her heart. 

That boy named Miao He caused Sanfang’s reputation to reeked so badly, which also greatly affected Zhang Mian’s husband to be the target of ridicule and pointed to take the blame when he was out working in the town. And to think that Heniang wanted for her child to be embraced like how she treated Zhang Mian’s child was purely a beauty of thinking! Moreover, it’s not only the doing of Miao Xing as to why their house conditions were significantly better than other families. Their son, Miao Quan, also followed his father’s footsteps and entered to work in the teahouse. Thus, establishing their family to be better. With this alone, it’s only natural for her, the old wife, to feed her grandchild with the best things in the family!

Miao Heniang secretly resented her in the deepest parts of her heart. Then steadying the about-to-erupt emotions on her face, she listened once more as the old woman finally decided to speak, “Did you make it clear to Brother He? Suppose he continues to bring embarrassment again to our family, then from now on. In that case, he will be prohibited from entering the premises of this courtyard during the celebration of Chinese New Year! If he comes back, then I, this laopozi, will never recognise him either!” 

Miao Heniang’s embrace around Xiao Bao turned stiff, “He will not suffer any more embarrassment.”

The old woman snorted darkly, and Zhang Mian continued to sharpen the blade still, “I hope so. Even the teahouse steward couldn’t keep himself from asking A-xing about this mess. Fortunately, my husband, A-xing, is brilliant and quick-witted to handle the tricky affair in a good way. Otherwise ah, I dread that the work we entirely put into building and flourishing the teahouse shop will be all for nought.”

The old woman’s mood immediately brightened up a little, “These days, ah, you and my second child carry too much burden on your shoulders. This laopozi is a sensible woman and will definitely not treat your room badly.”

[T/N: 房 fáng –  house; room; branch of an extended family}

‘And as a result, you turned to Xiao Bao and mistreated him?’ Just what’s wrong with her little treasure!!

Anyone who wasn’t blind could see that the three-year-old Xiao Bao was much thinner and weaker than the lovingly cared-for two-year-old baby. Hence, it’s self-evident that all delicious and healthy foods in the family had been entirely offered for the other baby. So, how much does Xiao Bao truly receive in the end? If that wasn’t the case, why would she even bother her married firstborn for money? She was also forced!!

Recalling the pieces of silver that Yang Dalang had promised her, Miao Heniang’s heart warmed up, and she hurriedly lowered her eyelids to conceal the thoughts that might reflect on her eyes. 

‘Whatever happens, I must not make this family aware of it!’

Meanwhile, when Miao He reached their home, he right away felt that he was too slow. 

He believed that he was entirely responsible for the debt of 6 silver taels that would be flying off towards the highest heavens. He obviously had the magical soil in his hands to help him. Still, he had no mountain of silver to use, and he also couldn’t afford to lose it all due to impetuousness. Moreover, the vegetables planted just now required half a month before they could be sold. ‘Isn’t there any other method that could be implemented during half a month?’

Seeing that the person before him behaved in such a dreary and lacked the right state of mind, Yang Dalang directly entered the bedroom and took out a small pot. The earthenware pot was turned upside-down, and from within, a few pieces of silver rolled out, followed by a few strings of copper coins. Miao He was taken aback and unable to keep himself from standing up on his feet. ‘One dime, two dimes…it was approximately equivalent to six dimes!’

“There’s also money that I have on hand,” Yang Dalang said as he fished for the money that he had earned in selling the boars today.

Miao He was unaware of it all. The young wild boar that was caught yesterday didn’t sustain any serious injuries when it was hunted. The little wild boar’s meat was sturdy enough to withstand such hunting actions and would become much thicker as they grew up into fine breeds. This type of boar was considered under the preys that were too rare to come by. For this exact reason, Yang Dalang intentionally went on a trip to a public market in the southeast area of the town that specialised and was known for beast trading to ask for a reasonable price for the boar.

When Yang Dalang took out his fisted hand from his pocket, there laid seven dimes of silver on his palm! After mentally deducting the two hens and a bag of flour that Dalang brought back, that little wild boar should have been sold for one or two taels. 

So after adding it all up, Yang Dalang’s net worth was currently at least one to three taels, and it would be possible to hand over a tael for this month to pay for the make-up gift. Only that it didn’t make Miao He feel any better. After all, until now, the identity of Miao He in their home was still a rice weevil who only leached into the fruit of Yang Dalang’s hard work and didn’t make any contributions just yet. And he still had a lot of debt owed. 

But as a matter of fact, Yang Dalang’s economic situation wasn’t that tense. Previously, he owed silver to cure his mother’s severe illness. At first, when he was only relying on hunting, he could still pay back the debt of a few silver taels. However, their situation coincided with the winter season. And to make things even worse, the day that must have been the end of the cold season didn’t come as expected. Their town was covered in such coldness and heavy snow for an extended period that Yang Dalang could hardly dare to enter the mountains. Hence, if one had to spend more than necessary and earn less, he’d have to borrow money elsewhere to survive. 

Now that the spring season had begun to cast its presence, everything, from the smallest to the world’s most gigantic inhabitants, was returning back to life. Yang Dalang had decided that he needed to be more diligent and so that he would be able to climb the mountain several times.

“I’m planning a trip to the mountains. Not to hunt prey but to gather medicinal materials. Nothing serious.”

‘Medicinal materials?’ Miao He snapped his head up and looked intensely at him, “You can recognize medicinal plants?” 

“Uncle Lin frequently entrusts me with collecting them while I’m hunting, so I’m familiar with them.”

“Then I’ll join you! Let’s pick them together!” In this manner, he could bring back some different types of medicinal plants and directly test them on living soil! In any case, if he planted the plants as soon as they returned, there would always be a way to sell the harvested goods without Yang Dalang’s knowledge. This type of covert action should be carried out only once, but the money gained from it should be sufficient to support them temporarily during this period. 

Yang Dalang frowned, unwilling to let him go. It was easy to discern when the little ger was happy because his eyes would be brightly lit. And if he was low spirited, the string of words he usually spoke would become so short and punctuated immediately. Dalang nodded his head, “Wait for a few days, and I’ll take you there.” 

Satisfied, the eyes of Miao He immediately curved into a pair of illuminated crescents as he smiled. Feeling that things have finally taken a turn for the better. With a happy heart, Miao He stood up and went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. 

A few days later, Miao He seized the opportunity to use the living soil to breed some plants. Yang Dalang appeared to be putting in a lot of effort for Miao He’s sake. Many of the hunters went hunting with Yang Dalang a few days ago. Despite only being a few meters away from the entrance, they were able to successfully retrieve prey. It’s a shame they didn’t spot more luxurious animals, such as a little wild piglet. And the most frequent animal they came across were pheasants and hares.

The backyard had also undergone changes because of this reason, and it now included a chicken coop. Currently, the only inhabitants of the coop were three hens and two roosters. Miao He hadn’t found any eggs to pick up from the nests, but it should be soon until the eggs are laid. The plants he planted on the soil were plucked and fed to the chickens, and indeed, there’s also Dabai.

Dabai was already larger than the palm of his hand. It could also now walk a few steps, with its hinds shaking as the cat advanced, and had become very affectionate to Miao He. On the day they were supposed to leave for the mountains, Miao He had prepared tender leaves and bottles of water. He then placed them in a bamboo basket before leaving home together with Yang Dalang.

When they’re on their way to the destination, Yang Dalang could be seen carrying a big basket slung on his back, while Miao He was holding a smaller one. As they were nearing the entrance of the mountain, the two coincidentally met Miao Er. 

Who was Miao Er again? He was the ruffian that was always goofing off at work and the person who loved to run his mouth everywhere, specializing in jabbing the people on their sore spots.

“Hey, isn’t this Dalang? Wah, this is quite rare, Brother He will also be going up the mountain.”  

Yang Dalang let out a groan, which was also considered a greeting.

Sure enough, Miao Er really possessed a lowly, mean mouth, “This should have been long ago. It’s definitely better to let the people wander and take them with you than to trap the people in the courtyard and not know whether the people have gone off and where they’d run off to! In fact, it is also good to have a helping hand whenever you need it. Hey, it’s a lot of help in one fell swoop!” 

Yang Dalang’s orbs were devoid of any expression, and neither did he respond. Still, Miao Er was able to and continued on his own. “You too, Brother He. This man you’re with is very different from someone you know who exactly well. If you still think about the other party in your heart, then what’s the use of this?”

Just as Miao Er finished his last words, Yang Dalang tilted his body towards his basket suddenly and took out a scythe from it, which was razor-sharp. Seeing this unexpected action, Miao Er was instantly frightened, making him involuntarily jump off on his feet, “Well, you, what are you holding the knife for?”

“When there are excessive weeds on the road,  we need to cut what is unnecessary.”

Miao Er released a forced laugh, “Then you have to be careful with that. In case you accidentally injure people, this, this excellent person will have nothing good to say in front of the village chief.” To mention the village chief’s name suddenly indicated that he was somewhat harbouring a shadow of fear at the bottom of his heart.

Undisturbed, Yang Dalang calmly stated, “I know. Thanks for the reminder.”

Miao He stayed quiet throughout the whole exchange. He concluded that the villagers must have mentioned this to Yang Dalang countless times. He always stayed and hid inside the courtyard walls and hadn’t experienced any of the mean words directly, nor did he know any of it was happening. Only then did he come out and experience what reality was like. 

‘If you really want  to reconcile with him in the future and part ways, then you won’t be able to hear what Yang Dalang will hear next.’ Thinking of this, wisps of guilt quickly etched onto Miao He’s heart. 

That’s definitely another matter. However, he couldn’t just let himself be bound to someone who didn’t like him just for this reason.

So now, he must think of a way to make things easier for them in the future. 

Miao He then moved his lips and spoke to Miao Er, “Uncle Miao said that the young people would inevitably say the wrong things and sometimes take the wrong way of life. And the last thing to evaluate, by which matters the most,  is whether this person has changed, isn’t it?”

Miao Er thought that he was talking about himself and was somewhat wary, “It is.”

Miao He nodded obediently, seemingly satisfied with the answer, “Then thank you, Uncle Miao for understanding. Let’s go, Dalang. I’m afraid that the time won’t be enough to collect them all.”

After speaking, he took hold of Yang Dalang’s hand, which wasn’t occupied by the scythe and pulled him away.

This sudden action stirred the eyes of Yang Dalang to look at their hands, but he gripped hold of himself. After offering a nod to Miao Er, he turned his body forward and left with Miao He. 

Miao Er, who was holding his head, was left behind. 

“I understand? What did I understand? Hey, is it possible that Brother He finally gave up struggling and decided to stay with Yang Dalang?! Is this possible? Or is it a new trick?”

An hour later, after separating themselves from Miao Er, they finally entered the mountain. 

The mountain terrain was gradually rising, and after walking their way up, Miao He had no choice but to stop and take a rest. He personally knew that his joining would be a hindrance and definitely impeded Yang Dalang’s efficiency. Thus, before they went out, he came to an agreement with Dalang, that they would only enter the mountains mainly to collect medicinal plants and fruits. He wanted to see if there would be any species of plants more valuable and better than vegetables.

Yang Dalang didn’t intend to powder down the little ger’s self-confidence. If the restorative materials could be replanted, then everyone would have planted them a long time ago, and they wouldn’t have to make this trip. Moreover, this trip also made the little ger to be relieved and drove away from his boredom. If the village people saw him traversing down the town, it was probable that the people would say something to him which would make him uncomfortable. Therefore, if you wanted to walk around without any worries, then the mountains were a suitable place to be.   　

It’s just that he never thought that the little brother would be willing to say that in front of Miao Er.

And it seemed that ever since the serious injury had occurred, the temperament and thoughts of the little brother have changed a lot.

Originally, Yang Dalang was hardly interested. Regardless of what the little ger had on his mind, Dalang always had his own reasons why he still took care of the person, be it placing food on the table and providing water to drink. However, with their current progress, if the little ger somehow changed his mind, could Yang Dalang really have no worries…

The raging thoughts in his heart were suddenly extinguished by the cheerful and lighthearted interruption by the little ger. 

“Hey, is that fruit edible?”