Otherworldly Space: A Tale of Love and Growth - Chapter 14

“Here you go. I have to accompany my two cousins to check the traps this afternoon, so I can’t stay with you. You don’t need to wash the lunch box; just give it to me tomorrow,” Song Ci said, handing Lin Xiaohe a lunch box filled with food and a container of fresh orange juice. After a few brief words, he left.

Lin Xiaohe watched Song Ci’s retreating figure. Only after he had disappeared from sight did he find a secluded spot to open the lunch box and slowly savor his specially prepared meal. Seeing the bright red tomatoes and scrambled eggs again, Lin Xiaohe couldn’t help but smirk, though the corners of his lips curled up involuntarily. The man had said that he should eat an egg every day for his health and development. Thus, every meal included either stewed or scrambled eggs, and sometimes even a few boiled eggs. It was as if he were being treated like a child.

In Lin Xiaohe’s experience, only children, who needed to grow, were given stewed eggs every day by their families.

Halfway down the mountain, Song Ci ran into the brothers Tongsheng and Sheng, who were heading up. “Brother Ergou, you’re already here? We just went looking for you. Auntie said you had come to the mountains, so we rushed over,” Tongsheng explained, giving Sheng, who was hiding behind him, a reproachful look. Sheng had clearly intended to let his brother take the blame, but in the end, Tongsheng had to step forward. The boy was really slippery.

Song Ci looked at the two with a half-smile, half-sneer. “Have I been too easy on you these past few days that you think you can get away with pulling wool over my eyes?”

Song Ci didn’t care what the two were thinking. He had just been with Lin Xiaohe, and their relationship had finally made some progress these past few days. If these two were to bump into them and scare Lin Xiaohe away, it would affect his plans to pursue him. He would show them what he was capable of if they interfered.

One really couldn’t be too kind-hearted.

“No, no,” the two brothers shook their heads in unison, feeling that Brother Ergou was terrifying at this moment, even more so than when facing their own father.

“Oh, as long as there isn’t, that’s good. You are not allowed to interfere, ask questions, tell others, or secretly follow me. If you mess up my plans, just try my methods. You’ll end up worse than your elder brother,” Song Ci threatened.

“You’re thinking of tattling again,” Tongsheng and Sheng thought with sympathy for their elder brother. Whenever it came to matters concerning Brother Ergou, their father seemed to be not their real father. Including their elder brother, they all felt like they were adopted. As long as it was about Brother Ergou, their father would stand by him without considering the rights and wrongs.

Their elder brother had suffered so much psychological torment because of this.

Their father always said that Brother Ergou was still young and would grow up to be sensible. He was clearly much older than them, yet they were expected to yield to him as if they were younger. It was really too much.

“Then just leave it alone. All I can say is that I’m not doing anything bad, and I won’t be like I used to. You don’t need to fuss over me like an old woman.”

Old woman!

Old woman!

The words echoed repeatedly in the minds of Song Tongsheng and Song Sheng, and they felt as if their hearts had been struck by ten thousand points of pain. It was truly heart-wrenching. They felt that their well-intentioned efforts had been completely wasted, and on someone who was called Song Ergou.

“Who wants to meddle in your affairs? It’s not like I have nothing better to do,” Sheng said, blushing with anger. It was like a dog biting Lv Dongbin, not recognizing a good deed when it saw one. He wondered if he would ever bother with his affairs again.

“Brother Ergou, there won’t be a next time for today’s incident,” Tongsheng also assured, although Song Ergou’s words were impolite. However, Tongsheng felt relieved and was willing to trust him. One shouldn’t condemn a person for life based on a single mistake.

Moreover, as younger brothers, it was wrong of them to interfere in their elder brother’s affairs. Brother Ergou used to be unruly, but recently he had been showing more and more of a brotherly demeanor.

They had taken advantage of Brother Ergou’s kindness and had become somewhat arrogant. If their family found out that they had treated Brother Ergou like a criminal, their father, mother, elder brother, and sister-in-law would all come to discipline them.

Song Tongsheng shuddered; the thought was too terrible to imagine.

“Remember what you just said, or you’ll end up worse than Brother Tiesheng. Aren’t you supposed to be looking at the game?” Seeing that the two were sensible enough, Song Ci decided not to hold it against them for now. If there was a next time, he would definitely teach the two young ones a lesson.

How could cousins compare with one’s own young wife?

Tongsheng and Sheng followed closely behind him.

“Wow, Elder Brother, Brother Ergou, there are actually two rabbits here,” Sheng exclaimed in delight when they reached the first trap site, forgetting the earlier unpleasantness. The rabbits were his, his, and when sold, he could keep a portion of the money.

“That’s really good,” Tongsheng also rejoiced. Seeing was believing. Witnessing Brother Ergou’s newfound skills with his own eyes, he felt relieved.

And there was more to be happy about. The last time Song Ci had set traps with Sheng in different locations, they had made four in total. After checking each one, they found a total of ten game animals, with five rabbits and five wild chickens.

“Rich, rich, Brother Ergou, we’ve struck it rich this time,” Sheng exclaimed joyfully. He had never expected to catch so many. He thought catching three or five would be quite good, and then he could exchange them for some pocket money, just like Brother Ergou. He never dared to imagine that they could make so much this time. Judging from the last time they sold game in the county town, these ten animals could fetch around one hundred and sixty coins. It would take selling dozens of pounds of vegetables to earn that much.

“Not bad,” Song Ci replied calmly. He just felt that he couldn’t use the spiritual spring water anymore. It could be a coincidence once or twice to achieve such good results, but if it happened too many times, it would be too conspicuous.

For his own peace, he would have to inconvenience his young cousin Sheng.

As for whether there was a bit of petty revenge in this, only he knew.

“Don’t get too carried away. We got lucky this time. Once those animals become wary, it won’t be so easy to catch them in the future,” Song Ci泼冷水泼冷水on Song Sheng and also gave him a reminder.

“I know, I know,” Sheng said, hopping around excitedly. He didn’t care what Song Ergou said.

Although the three brothers tried to choose less crowded paths when going down the mountain, carrying so many items still attracted attention.

The news that they had caught more than ten game animals spread quickly and convincingly in the village.

Many people felt that fate was unfair. A troublemaker like Song Ergou could easily set a trap and catch so many game animals, and even make money with the two Song family boys. For a while, quite a few people were envious. A few with more malicious thoughts even cursed that Song Ergou’s enthusiasm would be short-lived and he would return to his old ways.

People, when they see someone who used to be inferior to them suddenly surpass them and become more capable, can’t help but feel unbalanced.

In the evening, when Lin Xiaohe returned home, Lin A’m had heard a few things while chatting with others during the day and mentioned it at home.

“Ergou has really become capable,” Lin A’m sighed. “Today, with the two brothers from the Song family, they actually caught more than ten wild chickens and rabbits. It’s really amazing, truly amazing.”

“Ergou is clever and will have great prospects in the future,” even the usually silent Lin A’di couldn’t help but praise.

As for Lin Xiaohe, he was even more shocked. He never expected that Song Ergou could be so amazing, transforming from a troublemaker into a good young man. He must have put in a lot of effort. Was this for him?

At the same time, Lin Xiaohe felt a bit tempted. If he also went to learn how to set traps from him, he wondered if Song Ergou would be willing to teach him.

“Xiaohe, what are you thinking about? Your rice is falling onto the table,” Lin A’m noticed Lin Xiaohe’s absent-mindedness during the meal and asked, “I see that you haven’t had a good appetite these days. Is there something wrong with your body?”

“It’s nothing. I’m probably just tired from working these past few days and have no appetite,” Lin Xiaohe replied guiltily. He had been eating so much at Song Ergou’s place every afternoon that he naturally ate less for dinner.

“Why don’t you rest tomorrow? I’ll take care of the pig fodder. Don’t work too hard. This boy, your health is the most important. Take good care of yourself, so you won’t suffer too much when you have children,” Lin A’m suggested.

“Mother, I’m fine. I’ll just go to bed early and rest more. It won’t affect my work,” Lin Xiaohe refused. He wasn’t sick or injured, so he didn’t feel right about slacking off and pushing his work onto his mother, who was already tired from working in the fields.

“You child, you’re just too strong-willed,” Lin A’m complained, her heart full of tenderness.

Her Xiaohe was good at everything, except for his bad luck.

Lin Xiaohe lowered his head and ate faster.

When washing the dishes, he took out the hidden plastic lunch box, washed it together with the bowls and chopsticks, and then hid it again.

When he was alone in his room at night, Lin Xiaohe took out the plastic lunch box again. Such a box was really beautiful and transparent. You could see through it from the outside and vice versa. He had never seen anything like it before and wondered where Song Ergou had gotten it from.

Maybe it was also a novelty from overseas.

Like that small mirror, it should be very expensive. He just gave it to him to use, which showed a lot of generosity.

Then Lin Xiaohe thought of another possibility, and his face burned so much that he felt like it was on fire.

Had Song Ergou used this box before?

He was so shameless. What if he had really used it and then gave it to him?

For a moment, Lin Xiaohe felt the box was scorching hot. He buried it under his pillow and lay down to sleep.

Lin Xiaohe tossed and turned because of the lunch box and couldn’t sleep well. The next morning, he had two big dark circles under his eyes.

On the other side, at the Song family’s home, Song Sheng came early to give money to Song Ci.