PCJ – Chapter 286 Zhang Yuanbao’s Pride

“Jiaohua, today I went to cut the rice, and Dad and Mom said I did it faster than them,” Zhang Yuanbao said proudly. To him, cutting rice was something only adults did. Being able to do it like an adult was a big deal. He felt an intense sense of pride in front of Zhang Jiaohua.

Bragging, unabashed bragging. Zhang Jiaohua, of course, could see this, but he responded calmly and said in a flat tone, “A few days ago, I harvested over an acre of rice by myself.”

Zhang Yuanbao, who had been waiting for his younger brother’s admiring gaze, was stunned and scratched his head in confusion.

These small actions of children made adults unable to suppress their smiles.

“Jiaohua, Yuanbao. Go wash your faces and come to eat,” Aunt Hu Xiaoqing called as she quickly set the dishes and bowls.

“Jiaohua, you need to grow taller soon. Grandpa says you’re still too short. When you’re as tall as me, you can help us work in the fields,” Zhang Yuanbao, who was a few centimeters taller than Zhang Jiaohua, spoke with great confidence.

“Let’s eat quickly. Even eating won’t stop your mouth. Jiaohua now has a garden and a pig farm to take care of, which is more successful than being a government official. You’re the only one without success; you’ll spend your whole life with a hoe,” Zhang Youlian said as he tapped Zhang Yuanbao on the head.

“That’s not certain. When I grow up, I’ll go to college and become a government official, more successful than Jiaohua,” Zhang Yuanbao said defiantly.

“Well, you’ll need to pass exams and outperform Jiaohua to achieve that,” Hu Xiaoqing said, not very kindly.

“You all look down on me and only like Jiaohua,” Zhang Yuanbao cried out dramatically.

Ah, life is indeed a tough read.

Zhang Yuanbao had scored a perfect hundred in the final exam, but it was the combined total of two subjects. Zhang Jiaohua had scored full marks in math and over ninety in Chinese. The certificates had been collected, and Jiaohua hadn’t put them up yet. He planned to display both semester’s awards together on the wall of their home during the New Year.

Zhang Yuanbao suddenly realized that he had been comparing his own shortcomings with Jiaohua’s strengths. This made him even more upset.

“If you stop crying, I’ll give you a puppy from the herding dogs,” Zhang Jiaohua said with just one sentence, making Zhang Yuanbao laugh.

“Really? Are you serious?” Zhang Yuanbao wiped his tears with his sleeve, blinking eagerly.

“Are you still crying?” Zhang Jiaohua asked.

“Who’s crying? I’m not crying. It’s just that some dirt got into my eyes. It’s a bit uncomfortable,” Zhang Yuanbao replied, smiling through his tears.

Everyone else also smiled helplessly.

Hu Xiaoqing shook her head, “Such a big person, and you don’t act like a big brother in front of your younger brother.”

A childhood with a strong neighbor is unfortunate; a childhood with a strong younger sibling is tragic. Zhang Yuanbao was completely unaware of this; he was entirely immersed in the happiness of getting a herding dog.

“When I get a herding dog puppy, I’ll train it to be just like a leopard. I’ll have it catch rabbits and wild chickens from the mountains every day. That way, I’ll have meat to eat every day too.” This ideal was so powerful that Zhang Yuanbao forgot his previous sadness and was entirely absorbed in his dreams for the future.

Zhang Jiaohua also seemed distracted, holding his bowl without moving his chopsticks. Today’s trip to Liao’a Ridge had been too dangerous. Although he had possibly found out the reason for Jin Hu and the others’ misfortune last year, it was very dangerous for him to investigate this matter with his current skills. It was not easy to return safely today. So, Zhang Jiaohua decided to set this matter aside for now. Since it had already happened, investigating it now wouldn’t help. He would deal with it properly when he had the strength.

What Zhang Jiaohua didn’t know was that after he left, a large fish covered in black stripes suddenly leaped out of the water in Liao’a Pond. The pond began to boil again, and the water turned into a giant hand that reached out from the surface and grabbed the large fish. The fish turned into a mist of blood, disintegrating into flesh, which was quickly devoured by countless monstrous fish that emerged from the pond. The dead fish floating in the pond after Zhang Jiaohua’s Five Thunder Spell attack had disappeared completely.

Liao’a Pond returned to its previous calm state, with water still green but slightly darkened.

“Jiaohua, are you tired? You don’t need to do anything at noon. Go home and dry your rice. The weather has been good recently. The rice needs to be dried before storing it. Soon, we’ll need to deliver the grain, and if the rice isn’t dried well, the grain station won’t accept it. When the time comes, you can come with us to the market,” Zhang Genxin said, noticing Zhang Jiaohua’s distracted expression.

“Mm.” Zhang Jiaohua knew that his grandparents wouldn’t make him help with the rice cutting, so he didn’t insist and went home after dinner.

The rice at Zhang Jiaohua’s home was already dry when harvested, and the recent scorching sun had dried it further in just one day. If you chewed a grain, it would make a crisp sound, indicating it was very dry.

Usually, drying rice under the sun takes two days. With over a thousand pounds of rice, it would take about four or five days to finish drying. However, even though it seemed straightforward, there were many tedious tasks involved. When delivering the rice to the grain station, the workers there, who were used to state rice, often looked down on honest farmers and scrutinized the rice brought by them. Preparing the rice carefully to avoid any issues was crucial to avoid having it rejected.

Zhang Jiaohua’s rice had already been dried and sifted. It was as if it had been carefully selected, with no substandard grains.

Zhang Wenrong and the others had returned home for the past few days, as they needed to help with the double harvest at home. As the main labor force, they naturally participated in the family’s production work.

However, they worried about Zhang Jiaohua handling the gardening tasks alone, so they went to the garden every morning and evening to help with the work.

In the afternoon, while letting the cows graze, Zhang Jiaohua didn’t go to Liao’a Ridge but let the cows graze on the lawn in the back mountain. He didn’t need to supervise them; he just recited a spell to confine them.

Zhang Jiaohua released Jin Hu and the others from the bell, saying, “Jin Hu, Fu Gui, Xiao Shuan, Dog Wa, and Man Cang, today I went to Liao’a Pond and couldn’t defeat that thing. I’ll avenge you when I have the ability.”