Chapter 27: Darling, aren't you afraid that taking so much will offend the Immortal?

"Hey! I’m talking to you! Come over and move the firewood!" The woman stood with her hands on her hips, facing the Su family's direction, breathless and frustrated. "...I don't want silver! And I'm not giving it away for free! Take it on credit for now; if you get anything good later, like medicinal herbs or food, you'll bring them over one by one to pay off the debt!"

The Su family, just about to set off for the mountain, stared in stunned silence. "..."

"Do you want it or not? If not, forget it!"

"Yes, yes, we want it!"

The man leaned against the doorframe, watching the sharp-tongued woman with her hands on her hips, and after a moment, he pressed his lips together to hide a smile.

He received another glare from the woman as she turned back.

The Su family had not expected such a sudden turn of events, nor that the woman would suddenly be willing to give them firewood. As for the matter of credit, it was almost negligible. The Su family would never dream of reneging on a debt, but they could distinguish sincerity from pretense; the woman was likely just embarrassed by her previous conflicting words, hence the talk of credit. If they ever had anything good in the future, they would certainly bring it to repay her family. To receive help while out in the world was something to be grateful for.

The Su family joyfully moved the firewood, though only Tianbao felt a bit dejected, pouting her little lips. She had just spent quite a bit of effort chopping down several large trees in her hidden space, and now it was all for nothing.

Old Mother Su was in a good mood. Looking down and seeing her precious granddaughter pouting, she smiled and reached out a finger to poke the baby's little lips. "Why are you unhappy now? We’ve been granted a convenience, and we can finally set up a shelter, which counts as having a place to live. Baobao shouldn’t pout; one must remember the kindness received for a thousand years."

Old Man Su also leaned in, chuckling, "Your grandmother is right. Remembering kindness and repaying favors is the mark of good character. Although the words that auntie said earlier weren't very pleasant, she actually gave us a reminder, which is a kind act. As our Tianbao grows up, she needs to learn the ways of the world."

Tianbao tilted her little head, her dark, liquid eyes revealing a trace of bewilderment.

Seeing this, the elderly couple both smiled softly. "Tianbao is still young, so it's normal she doesn't understand. Grandpa and Grandma will teach you later."

Knowing their little granddaughter was extraordinary, the couple didn't treat her like an ordinary infant. Especially after the child had tossed pears around randomly, they had already caught a glimpse of a "bold" streak in her nature, so they took every opportunity to teach her about human relationships and reason.

Tianbao indeed did not understand these things. But if teaching them made Grandpa and Grandma happy, she would listen patiently. As long as they kept being this good to her, she was willing to be a well-behaved child.

The Su family were all skilled at hard work. With sufficient materials, building a thatched hut was not a difficult task. Su the eldest and Su the second were young and strong; with a few quick movements, they set up the frame, draped the curtains they had woven from dead vines and thorns that morning over the sides, secured them, covered the top with a thatched roof, and added a layer of bark gifted by their new neighbor to keep out the rain and snow.

Done.

Although it was far from the home they had in Big Locust Village, the family finally had a place to stay. While the men were busy, the others were not idle. The three young women continued to collect soft, dry grass, which they dried and laid out in layers on the ground in each room, covering them with old clothes so they could sleep; once they had the means, they would find a way to get wooden beds. Old Man and Old Mother Su marked out a small perimeter around the house and tied thorn branches along the boundary, creating a courtyard.

While the adults worked, the three little ones gathered around the wooden cart, dutifully taking care of their sister. With a home and a place to live, the children beamed. When the adults weren't looking, they reached out to pinch and rub their sister’s soft, chubby cheeks with all their might.

Her little face was squashed by grubby paws one moment and pulled to the sides the next, her sparse baby hair tugged at intervals. Tianbao remained expressionless.

She wanted to beat them up.

But.

"Sister, Tianbao! Sister is so cute!"

"Not only cute, but super pretty! None of the little babies in our old village were as pretty as Tianbao!"

"Such a pretty Tianbao is my sister, hee hee hee!"

"She's my sister!"

"My sister! She was born to my mother!"

"My mom and dad said Tianbao is our real sister! Real! Hmph! Tianbao, I'm your second brother. When you grow up, I'll give you everything delicious I have!"

"I'm your third brother! Tianbao, when we have pears again, I'll give you the sweetest one!"

"Naive! Tianbao doesn't even have teeth yet, how can she eat a pear? Tianbao, when you grow up, big brother will give you fish!"

Tianbao’s little fists were clenched tight, then slowly relaxed, and her little mouth let out a sigh.

Forget it.

They said she was pretty.

Besides the thatched hut, the Su family used the remaining materials to build a simple kitchen. It was a bit drafty, but it had the advantage of shielding them from view, so they didn't have to cook like thieves anymore.

Late in the evening, when it was time to eat, the empty bag that had been placed in the corner of the kitchen quietly bulged again.

"Brother! The bag, the bag! Tianbao sent us food again!" Su the second, whose eyes had been fixed on the bag, noticed it immediately and grinned, showing a mouthful of white teeth. "Shall we have pan-fried fish tonight? It's clean!"

Roasted fish was delicious, of course, but the skin always got scorched black, and sometimes if it was overcooked and burnt, it couldn't be eaten—a waste.

Su the eldest walked over to pick up the bag and spat at him, "You're getting picky, aren't you?"

Opening the bag, Su the eldest reached in to grab the frozen fish, but froze when he saw what was inside. His mouth twitched.

"No fried fish, how about rabbit and chicken?"

Su the second, who had just stepped forward to light the stove, stumbled at these words. Once steady, he dashed to his brother's side, stretching his neck to peer into the bag.

"Two fat rabbits?! Three wild chickens?!" He hissed in excitement, keeping his voice low. "My goodness! Just how many good things does our Tianbao have? Are these... are these fairy chickens and rabbits? Would it be a sin to stew them all in one pot?"

"Are we stewing them or not?"

"Stew them!"

Su the second laughed out loud, rushed out of the kitchen, scooped up little Tianbao from the cart, and gave her a barrage of kisses. "Oh, my precious! Second Uncle loves you so much!"

After laughing and kissing her, he whispered into the baby's ear, "Bao, Uncle knows you have magical powers. Will you offend other immortals by taking so many things? If the immortals come to hold you accountable, put all the blame on your second uncle; I'll take the punishment for you!"

Tianbao blinked.

Silly second uncle.

She raised her little hand and scratched his chin lightly, her small mouth trying to curl into a tiny arc.

"Oh! Oh! Dad, Mom! Tianbao smiled!"

Old Mother Su, who hadn't finished tying the last of the thorn branches, heard this and hurried over on tiptoe. She snatched Tianbao away, happily watching her little granddaughter's sweet smile for a moment before raising her hand to smack the second son. "Why aren't you cooking instead of teasing Tianbao? Your sister-in-law and Daxiang have been tired all day, and Xiuer is so tired she can't even stand straight. If you don't cook, you don't eat tonight!"

"Don't do that, I have to eat tonight!" Su the second remained cheerful even after being hit, dodging playfully and whispering, "Mom, we're having rabbit and wild chicken tonight! Tianbao brought them out!"

Old Mother Su’s hand missed.

"..."

Oh, the blessings of my Tianbao, they've fallen into a bottomless pit!