"Grandpa Jade Emperor, you big lying meanie! Manbao doesn't like you anymore!"
Qi Manman was so angry she pointed at the sky and roared, looking just like a little kitten with its fur all puffed up.
Yi Meng was amused by her appearance but still tried to comfort her, "Alright, alright, Manbao, don't be angry! Look, it just thundered, it didn't really rain, so don't be upset."
Gently stroking the little girl's back, Yi Meng couldn't help but feel a little uneasy inside.
The clear sky suddenly filled with dark clouds, with thunder and lightning—it clearly seemed like it was going to pour, but then, in the blink of an eye, the sky cleared again.
Truly bizarre.
But as long as it didn't actually rain, that was a good thing.
Qi Manman, still so angry she couldn't stand it, kept grumbling a few more things before finally calming down with her mother's comfort.
But in her heart, she was still thinking that she would never offer incense to Grandpa Jade Emperor again.
He's a big liar and a meanie!
In the Nine Heavens, the black-haired, black-bearded Jade Emperor sat with a gloomy face, looking at the Dragon King who stood before him, slapping the jade table and scolding, "Didn't I tell you not to cause rain? Why did you stir up trouble again?"
The old Dragon King twitched his long white beard, murmuring softly, "But it didn't really rain."
"You still dare to make excuses? Do you even know that little girl was so angry she almost pointed at my nose and cursed me? Get out, all of you are such a hassle! Don't you know who that girl is? Aren't you afraid she'll come back and pull out your dragon whiskers?"
Upon hearing that, the old Dragon King couldn't help but shiver, quickly forced a smile, "Jade Emperor, I just remembered I need to retreat now. Won't be out for a few thousand years. I'll excuse myself first!"
With that, the old Dragon King turned and ran, as if something terrifying was chasing him.
Watching the Dragon King's figure disappear, Gold Star Taibai laughed and said, "Your Majesty, they say children have short memories and might forget, so you should calm down."
"Hmph!"
The Jade Emperor snorted but didn't say anything else.
Whether that little girl would forget, even he did not know.
He thought about making a wish, but being the Jade Emperor, who could he wish to?
...
Although the season was good, the grain in the fields was considered a harvest.
Yet it took less than five days for each household to finish gathering it.
In every family's yard, golden rice was laid out to dry, giving people a sense of peace just by looking at it.
Qi Zheng puffed on his dry smoke, sitting under the eaves watching the rice in the yard, and said to his eldest son who was turning the drying rice, "Eldest, take the dried ones with the second and third, and sell them in the city!"
Grain is important, but a family still needs some money for food and drink.
Their whole family farmed, relying on that bit of grain for the year's expenses.
Mrs. Qi, who was picking wild vegetables nearby, chimed in, "I'll go with you tomorrow too."
Qi Zheng knew his wife was going to buy household supplies, so he didn't stop her.
Qi Manman was in the vegetable garden helping catch bugs.
Though just a little girl, she wasn't afraid of those caterpillars at all, catching them and giggling all the while.
Seeing she wasn't scared, Yi Meng felt reassured and busied herself with her tasks.
When the mother-daughter pair arrived from the backyard to the front, they saw that the rice on the ground had noticeably decreased.
"Grandma!"
Upon seeing Mrs. Qi, Qi Manman immediately called out sweetly, "Manbao caught a lot of bugs today for the chickens!"
The chickens pecking the bugs will lay eggs, and those eggs are so delicious!
Qi Manman remembered this firmly, so whenever she heard they were going to the back garden, she'd eagerly follow along.
Mrs. Qi exclaimed, quickly put down the basket of wild vegetables, dusted off her hands, and scooped the little one up in her arms.
Seeing the little girl's forehead was sweaty, her heart ached again, then she took the little one inside to tidy up.
Trailing behind Qi Manman, Qi Shilang witnessed this scene, blinked, and felt an itch on his forehead, raised his hand to scratch, scooping sweat mixed with dirt, turning his small hand into a little muddy paw, and leaving a smudge on his forehead.
When Yi Meng came over, she saw the little flower-like Qi Shilang and heard the daughter giggling inside, along with the gentle voice of her mother-in-law, and could only shake her head helplessly.
Mother-in-law truly adored the little girl Manbao, and as her mother, she was naturally pleased, but comparing the two made little Xiao Shi seem even more pitiful.
Inside, Mrs. Qi, while wiping her beloved granddaughter's hands, asked, "Manbao, do you want some cake? The sweet, soft kind. If you like it, grandma will buy you some tomorrow from the city."
"Cake?"
Qi Manman tilted her head, slightly confused.
But upon hearing it was sweet and soft, her eyes immediately lit up, eagerly nodding, "Like it, like it! Grandma, Manbao loves sweet things!"
Sugar water is sweet, she loves drinking it.
Cake is sweet too, so she surely likes to eat that as well!
"Alright, once we sell the grain and earn some Copper Coin, grandma will buy it for you tomorrow."
Seeing the little one's face all clean, Mrs. Qi planted a kiss right there.
Ah, so fragrant!
Yet, unexpectedly, this kiss didn't earn a return from her precious granddaughter, but rather an inquisitive question: "Grandma, why do we sell grain?"
"Because we need to exchange it for money to buy other things! Like cake, or things like salt and sugar for home."
Mrs. Qi didn't think much of it, explaining to the little one, "And Manbao's new clothes, we have to buy fabric to make them."
Usually, with the way she was used to this, the little girl would laugh joyfully upon hearing about food and new clothes.
However, there was no laughter, instead, the chubby little face scrunched up like a bun: "Grandma, we can't sell the grain!"
"Why not?"
This left Mrs. Qi puzzled: "Manbao doesn't want to eat cake or wear new clothes anymore?"
"I do!"
Qi Manman replied with certainty but continued, "But we can't sell the grain! We need to keep it to eat, or else we'll go hungry on the road."
"On the road? Go where?"
Mrs. Qi was utterly confused: "Little one, we're just going to the city, you won't be hungry on the way."
"It's a journey!"
Qi Manman's little face was full of seriousness, "There are so many people on the road, all skinny like sticks, they're so hungry they're eating dirt!"
"What on earth?"
Mrs. Qi's brow lifted sharply, suddenly having a bad feeling.
Without waiting for the little one to continue, Mrs. Qi quickly let her go, turned, and ran to the front, shouting as she went, "Old man, old man, you, you come in quickly, come in!"
Qi Zheng was just inhaling a puff of smoke when the sudden call startled him, causing him to choke.
"Cough cough cough!"
Just a few coughs, and tears streamed from Qi Zheng's eyes.
Coughing while swearing in his heart: This old woman, such an age, how can she still be so loud?