Chapter 108: Fate, Indeed

Since the agreement had been made, Niuluo Village would not go back on its word. Chen Daliu agreed immediately upon hearing the terms.

Seeing this, Bai Xi whispered a few words to Chen Rui.

"Tell him to stay vigilant. Do you understand?"

Chen Rui nodded earnestly. "Auntie, don't worry. I will go tell the Village Chief right away."

"Good, go ahead." After sending Chen Rui to warn Chen Daliu to stay alert, Bai Xi headed toward the treehouse first.

Chen Daliu was busy directing the men to harness the ox cart for the trip to town. Pulled aside by Chen Rui, he listened to her relayed message and said solemnly, "All right, tell Auntie not to worry. I will keep a close watch."

Satisfied that the Village Chief understood, Chen Rui felt proud of having completed Bai Xi's instruction perfectly. Seeing Xiao Shunzi and the others heading to the treehouse, she hurried to catch up.

Chen Daliu, accompanied by the dozen or so strong young men who had helped catch the pigs, set off toward the city with the ox cart loaded with pork, trailing behind Section Chief Fang’s group in a grand procession. Naturally, Chen Weiguo and his wife went along as well.

The remaining villagers quickly tidied up and moved the rest of the pork to the treehouse. They chatted and laughed, eagerly waiting for the meat to be divided.

Usually, this task fell to Chen Daliu, but since he was busy selling the meat in town, Bai Xi had to take charge.

Actually, she didn't need to do much. She simply stood on a stone stool and said a few words, and everyone sprang into action.

As soon as Bai Xi announced the start of the distribution, she fell silent.

Seeing the crowd below staring blankly, not having reacted yet, Bai Xi was stunned. What was wrong? Were they suddenly being modest?

Old Lady Zhang, standing by her side, smiled and whispered a reminder, "Auntie, you need to say a few words to them."

"Oh..." Bai Xi felt awkward. They had been at this for half the day; weren't they tired? Did they really need a speech just to divide some meat?

Old Lady Zhang continued, "Auntie, you should really say a few words. The year is coming to an end, and it hasn't been easy for anyone. If you speak, it will give everyone peace of mind."

Nowadays, everyone was accustomed to hearing Bai Xi’s thoughts before doing anything. She was a person of great fortune; with her blessing, the villagers felt much more confident.

Bai Xi pondered this. Was this similar to the "spreading of blessings" in the Celestial Realm?

Realizing this, Bai Xi straightened her back even more. She cleared her throat, though her voice remained high-pitched and childish—a limitation of her young age that she couldn't help.

Ignoring the lack of gravitas in her voice, she scanned the waiting crowd and began.

"Since you are in no hurry, I will say a few words." Had Chen Weiguo and Fang Ya been there, they would have found this opening quite familiar—it was the classic way leaders spoke at their work units. Their "Auntie" was truly a little prodigy.

"It has been a hard year for everyone." Bai Xi paused, musing for a few seconds before continuing. She couldn't very well copy the customs of the Celestial Realm.

Her hesitation was seen by the villagers as incredibly adorable. Their Auntie was still young; even if she was brilliant, she was still learning how to act like an adult. Yet, at only five years old, she was so composed and could express herself so clearly—she was truly worthy of being their Auntie. If it were any of them standing up there, just speaking clearly in front of so many people would be a struggle.

"...First the drought, then the endless rain, the rush to harvest, the grain collection, and the seeding... It hasn't been easy for anyone this year. But just because life is hard now doesn't mean it will always be this way. The people of Niuluo Village are very united, and that is a good thing."

They had to be united; otherwise, they would have been bullied beyond belief.

"As for me, I am still young." Bai Xi didn't blush at all while saying this. "I am grateful for everyone's care."

As soon as she said this, the crowd below broke out in voices.

"Auntie, you mustn't say that."

"Exactly, Auntie, that is too much honor for us."

"Auntie, it is we who have caused you trouble." It wasn't just that respecting elders was the rule of Niuluo Village; they believed their Auntie was watched over by the Heavens. They were the ones basking in her good fortune, so how could they claim to be taking care of her? Even without them, their Auntie would never go thirsty or hungry.

This was true; Bai Xi wasn't actually a five-year-old child. Even if the villagers didn't look after this "orphan," she wouldn't starve, though life wouldn't have been as comfortable from the start.

Bai Xi raised her hand, and the crowd immediately fell silent.

"Listen to me. Since I have come to this village, it is our shared destiny. I know of all the kindness you have shown me. In the future, with me here, I promise that I will not let your lives grow increasingly difficult."

"That's all. I’m just a little child, and I don't have any flowery words to say. Everyone has been busy all day, so let's start dividing the meat."

Flowery? These words were more beautiful than anything they had ever heard.

The villagers were moved and excited. Although Auntie hadn't said much, that single mention of "shared destiny" was enough to make them overjoyed.

Chen Rui, standing below, squinted her eyes in happiness. As expected, their Auntie was an immortal reincarnated into Niuluo Village.

Bai Xi, unaware of their thoughts, pointed to Li Youcai, the champion of the previous fish catch, and told him to gather a few men. Led by the heads of the Li and Chen clans, they began to distribute the meat. As for the head of the Bai clan, that was naturally Bai Xi, but she was their "Auntie"—there was no need for her to get her hands dirty.

There were four pigs plus one side of pork. Bai Xi was allocated one side, while the four pigs were divided equally among the villagers. Naturally, the families of the dozen young men who had gone to the city received slightly less.

Those families had no complaints. Holding their portions of meat, they felt embarrassment, but even more so, shame. Even though Auntie was unharmed, the incident had occurred, and if not for the grace of the Heavens, who knew what might have happened to her?

"Auntie, what shall we do with the pig offal?"

Bai Xi pondered for a moment and asked, "How was it handled in the past?"

Old Lady Zhang replied, "It was either given to villagers who had made significant contributions, or exchanged for work points." Pig intestines stir-fried were, after all, still meat.

Seeing the villagers happy with the portions they had received, Bai Xi thought for a moment and said, "Six sets of offal isn't a small amount. Let's do this: get everyone to clean them, add some vegetables, and stir-fry them. I’ll have a pre-New Year meal with everyone." It was rare to have such a lively atmosphere, so they might as well make the most of it.

It was already past lunchtime, and it would be a hassle for everyone to go home to cook. It was better to set up the pots right there. With everyone helping, the preparation would go quickly.

The villagers responded enthusiastically. Since the offal alone wasn't enough, they cut half a catty of meat from their own shares. Soon, as everyone worked with great fervor, the savory aroma began to drift through the air.