Chi Ge watched Su Xiao Tian, who was following her brothers with her short legs, and said, "This child, she's too unlike a child!"
"Like a little adult," Du Tong He agreed heartily. "Children who are too precocious..."
He didn't want to continue, and the topic ended there.
They returned home in the afternoon.
Su Xiao Tian read for a while and then felt bored.
At this time, the Su family's boys, each with their tools, were preparing to go cut pig feed.
It was summer vacation, and in the afternoons, the Su children would go cut pig feed, hand it over to the production team, and based on the amount of pig feed cut, they could earn two or three work points.
Su Xiao Tian immediately trotted over and grabbed Su Wu Rang's sleeve, "Gege, I want to go too!"
Su Wu Rang quickly said, "Tian Tian, be good. Let's not go. There are snakes, insects, rats, and ants on the mountain, it's very dangerous. Why don't you stay home and feed the chickens earthworms?"
If it were for something else, Su Wu Rang wouldn't mind bringing his sister along, but going up the mountain to cut pig feed was too dangerous.
Even if they encountered no danger, they might still get sunburned.
Their fair and tender little sister couldn't be tanned into a coal ball.
Su Xiao Tian pouted and said, "No, I want to go. It just rained, so the wild vegetables are the tenderest now. If we're lucky, we might even find mushrooms."
"But..." Su Wu Rang hesitated. "Tian Tian, be good. Stay home, and when Gege comes back, I'll bring you wild fruits from the mountain."
"No, I want to go!" Su Xiao Tian rarely showed such unreasonable behavior, but it didn't come across as willful. Instead, it added a touch of charming innocence. "Grandpa's birthday is in a few days. He's turning sixty this year. I want to go up the mountain to pick mushrooms for Grandpa to make a delicious meal."
Su Ci Liang heard this and smiled, "If Tian Tian wants to go, then let her. Anyway, we brothers can look after her. Little Jiu, you don't need to cut pig feed either. Just play with Tian Tian."
"Second Gege is the best!" Su Xiao Tian said obsequiously.
Su Wu Rang tapped Su Xiao Tian's head and said dotingly, "Is Gege not good? I'm just worried about you being in danger on the mountain, you ungrateful little thing!"
"Gege is good too, all my brothers are good!" Su Xiao Tian showered them with compliments as if they were free.
Su Ci Liang was overjoyed by the praise. He put Su Xiao Tian on his back, called out to Su San Gong to help him carry the basket, and led the way out.
The siblings went up the mountain together, a grand procession that attracted a lot of attention along the way.
An old woman in the village saw Su Xiao Tian on Su Ci Liang's back and couldn't help but curl her lips.
Su Ci Liang looked at the old woman and also curled his lips.
This was from Old Chang's family in the village. Her family valued sons over daughters, but out of her three sons, one was a daughter, and the next was also a daughter. It wasn't until five years ago that she finally had a son.
Old Mrs. Chang couldn't stand seeing the Old Su family dote on a "money-losing product" like a treasure. Every time she saw them, she had to say a few words.
As expected, this time was no exception.
"Second boy, why are you always carrying a little girl? Doesn't she have legs?"
"With so many brothers, my little Tian doesn't need legs to go anywhere!" Su Ci Liang immediately replied.
As he spoke, he proudly lifted Su Xiao Tian a bit higher.
Su Xiao Tian triumphantly stuck out her tongue at Old Mrs. Chang.
Old Mrs. Chang was so angry she almost cursed.
"Grandma Chang, you should mind your own business. I saw your third daughter's eldest girl the other day, and she was wearing pants that exposed her bottom. We Su family's affairs don't require your concern!"
As Su Wu Rang passed Old Mrs. Chang, he didn't forget to say this, further provoking Old Mrs. Chang, since she was always looking for trouble with them for no reason.
Old Mrs. Chang was infuriated.
She disliked girls and dressed her granddaughters in rags. Only her only grandson was treated like the apple of her eye, indulged in every way from childhood, turning him into a little devil.
That child, Jin Bao, was disliked by everyone in the village. He was like heaven and earth compared to Su Xiao Tian, who was also spoiled and grew up with him.
"Red star shines brightly, red star is warm in the chest, red star is the heart of workers and peasants, the glory of the Party shines for ten thousand generations..."
Seeing Old Mrs. Chang's contorted face from anger, Su Ci Liang felt pleased and hummed the newly learned song "Red Star Shines" as he walked towards the mountain.
Old Mrs. Chang found the behavior of the Su children very displeasing. She thought about her own "money-losing products" and wondered why they didn't know to always carry her Jin Bao in and out.
How could a little girl like Su Xiao Tian be more precious than her Jin Bao?
Hmph, she glared back. Let the girls carry Jin Bao in and out. Not only did Su Xiao Tian not need legs, but Jin Bao didn't either.
Putting aside Old Mrs. Chang's stimulated thoughts, Su Xiao Tian and the others arrived at the mountain, found a spot with lush vegetation, and began to divide and cut grass.
Little Jiu was young and couldn't cut much. Su Ci Liang simply told Little Jiu not to cut grass and to play with Su Xiao Tian instead.
Su Xiao Tian thought there might be mushrooms nearby, so she picked up her small basket and started looking for them, humming "The Little Mushroom Picker, carrying a big basket..." as she walked.
At this moment, Su Xiao Tian had completely forgotten that this song wouldn't be composed for several more years. Fortunately, Little Jiu was carefree and young enough not to notice.
"There are really mushrooms here, Xiao Tian, come quickly!" Little Jiu quickly found a mushroom under a tree and happily called out to Su Xiao Tian.
Meanwhile, Su Xiao Tian had already found a patch of mushrooms and was carefully picking them.
"Jiu Ge, wait for me. There are several mushrooms here. I'll be right over after I finish picking them!" Su Xiao Tian shouted.
Little Jiu ran over and happened to see Su Xiao Tian picking a large cluster of mushrooms, his mouth agape in surprise.
"Xiao Tian, this patch of mushrooms is so big! Tian Tian, how did you find it?"
He had only seen one, but Xiao Tian had found a whole patch.
"I have good luck!" Su Xiao Tian said, proudly raising her bright, smiling face.
Little Jiu nodded repeatedly and said with great agreement, "My little Tian is the luckiest girl!"
Su Xiao Tian thought, wasn't she lucky?
To be able to live in such a family, to be loved wholeheartedly by her elders and brothers, and to have a second chance at life, this was unparalleled luck.
After picking one patch of mushrooms, she spotted another patch not far away.
Although it was a bit smaller than the first patch, it was still quite substantial. She hurried over.
This patch of mushrooms hadn't fully grown, and some parts were still buried in the soil. Su Xiao Tian used a small stick to dig around the mushrooms.
However, before she could finish picking this patch, with a strong pull, she dug out a hard, heavy lump from the soil.
She picked it up curiously. It was so heavy, it definitely wasn't a clod of earth. She wondered aloud, "What is this?"