Chapter 124: Bai Xi Foots the Bill

Bai Xi rolled her eyes, unable to help herself. "That’s so thick. Are you trying to beat them to death?"

The shoulder poles, held high by the men, froze mid-air. They were caught in a dilemma: to strike or not to strike. Even Zhuzi’s father, whose pole had begun its descent, hesitated because of Bai Xi’s words, giving Zhuzi just enough time to dodge nimbly.

After narrowly escaping, Zhuzi shrank his neck, but everyone’s attention was already fixed on Bai Xi, and Zhuzi’s father forgot to pursue the matter further.

"Are you all stupid? Use something thin to switch them; it won’t cause injury, but it will still sting." Honestly, being a Great-Aunt was so exhausting; she even had to teach them how to discipline people.

Bai Xi’s words sent a shiver down the spines of Xiao Shunzi and the others. Chen Daliu asked with genuine curiosity, "Great-Aunt, how do you know that a thick stick would kill someone?" It was strange; the Great-Aunt had never been hit once since she was born. Though Chen Daliu posed the question as if he were just idly curious, he and everyone else in the village were secretly thinking the same thing: if they ever found out which heartless soul dared to bully the Great-Aunt, they would make them pay dearly.

Bai Xi hummed, "Use your brains and think about it. Have you ever seen a small twig crush someone to death?"

This self-evident logic wasn't exactly an answer, but it made everyone suddenly realize the truth. Indeed, only a thick, heavy tree could crush a person; a small twig certainly couldn't. The Great-Aunt was truly wise!

However, upon hearing this, Xiao Shunzi and the others recalled how she had snapped a thick tree with one strike to crush a giant snake, and they couldn't help but tremble.

Seeing that everyone understood, Bai Xi waved her hand, signaling them to continue, and turned to walk away, not forgetting to add, "Remember, just find a thin stick to switch them."

When Bai Xi returned to the treehouse, she could still hear the howling of Xiao Shunzi and the others in the distance. Xiao Hei stayed behind to watch the show properly before trotting back to report to Bai Xi.

Xiao Shunzi and the others were switched for about ten minutes until their backsides were swollen before the punishment stopped. They spent two days lying on their stomachs in bed before they could even stand, and even then, they walked with a limp. Bai Xi assumed they would be sulking for days, but to her surprise, the moment they could walk, they came limping over to apologize.

"Great-Aunt, we were wrong. We’re sorry."

Watching the group standing crookedly due to the pain, Bai Xi couldn't help but smile.

Little Shanzi raised his head to glance at Bai Xi, saying weakly, "Great-Aunt, we really didn't do it on purpose. We didn't recognize those as jujube trees, and we weren't watching our feet—we didn't know those were watermelon seedlings." They had been so focused on checking their progress that they hadn't paid attention to where they were stepping.

In truth, Bai Xi hadn't been that angry to begin with, and now that three days had passed, she certainly wasn't still holding a grudge. Seeing them like this, she took out some milk candies and gave each of them two.

"Alright, I know you’ve suffered enough. Just be more careful in the future. Go on back."

The boys thanked her profusely and left with the candies. Once they reached the bottom of the treehouse, they couldn't wait to peel off the wrappers and pop them into their mouths. The rich, sweet scent of the milk candy filled their mouths, and they all narrowed their eyes in bliss, thinking to themselves that while their parents had been ruthless enough to keep them bedridden for two days, the Great-Aunt was the kindest for caring about them. Even though their backsides still ached, the milk candy was so sweet!

In the countryside, there was only no work during the winter; at all other times, everyone was busy. Even though the villagers were occupied, no one neglected Bai Xi. It was currently the lean season between harvests, and every household was rationing grain, reverting to thin porridge twice a day. Only Bai Xi had plenty of food reserves, and she could eat whatever she pleased. If she wanted fish, Xiao Hei went to the stream to catch it; if she wanted meat, Xiao Hei went into the mountains. Even if the catch wasn't large enough to share with the village, it was more than enough to fill the bellies of one girl and one beast.

Chen Zhaodi was suffering from morning sickness and had to reluctantly hand over the task of cooking for Bai Xi to Li Jia. Li Jia thanked Chen Zhaodi profusely and, under the envious gazes of others, earnestly asked about Bai Xi’s preferences. Once she was certain she wouldn't offend any taboos, she began cooking three meals a day for Bai Xi with the utmost care.

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. One day, after Li Jia finished making breakfast for Bai Xi and washed her soiled clothes, she was hanging them out to dry when she caught sight of someone pacing back and forth below. She looked closely and realized it was Chen Tianming.

"Great-Aunt, Chen Tianming is down there." Li Jia hadn't intended to say anything; she still felt indignant whenever she thought of that little ingrate. But after a moment's thought, she approached Bai Xi and whispered the news.

Chen Tianming?

Bai Xi was feeling drowsy after her meal and didn't react at first. It wasn't until Xiao Hei nudged her that she remembered. What was he doing down there? She recalled Chen Daliu mentioning that once Chen Tianming recovered, he was to leave to learn a trade. Had he recovered?

Bai Xi stepped off her daybed, not bothering to put on shoes, and walked toward the door on her fair, tender feet. As a Nine-Tailed Immortal Fox, she had never been in the habit of wearing shoes before she took human form; she felt much more comfortable without them.

When Li Jia saw this, she quickly grabbed the shoes and chased after her. "Great-Aunt, please put on your shoes. You might step on something and hurt your feet." The Great-Aunt’s feet were so delicate; they looked as if they would break the skin at the slightest pressure—though, of course, that was true of her entire self.

Bai Xi didn't intend to go downstairs; she just wanted a look.

Below, Chen Tianming knelt slowly, his expression solemn and filled with remorse. He moved his lips as if whispering something, then bowed his head respectfully toward the treehouse. He did not call out to see her, nor did he shout from below; he simply knelt, kowtowed three times in reverence, stood up, and turned to leave.

As Chen Tianming kowtowed under the treehouse, Bai Xi leaned against the doorframe, watching. She did not stop him. Everyone must be responsible for their own actions, and at ten years old, one is not too young to understand such principles. Moreover, Niu Luo Village had always upheld this code; if she overruled it now, the village would fall into chaos.

Li Jia watched from the side and snorted indignantly, "At least his heart isn't completely rotten."

Hearing this, Bai Xi looked at Li Jia, turned back to her daybed, and pulled out a Qiankun bag. She rummaged through it and pulled out ten yuan, handing it to Li Jia.

"Go, give this to him. It’s good to have some money when traveling away from home." She would consider it a favor for the piece of cloth he once gave her.

Li Jia didn't understand at first, but upon hearing this, she was surprised. "Great-Aunt, you mean he’s leaving?"

"Yes." Li Jia couldn't hear it, but Bai Xi had heard what Chen Tianming was murmuring: "Tianming knows he has committed a grave error. I do not ask for the Great-Aunt’s forgiveness; I only wish for the Great-Aunt to be happy, long-lived, and prosperous."

Li Jia tried to dissuade her, "Great-Aunt, don't give him money; he deserves it."