LGSLAW : Chapter 11 – Miao Qiang

Miao He thought for a moment, and then remembered that the man was Miao Qiang, Yang Dalang’s childhood friend.

 

Miao Qiang’s mother, Shi Ruqing, and Yang Dalang’s mother, Shi Yu, both came from the neighboring Shi family village. They were close even before getting married. When Miao Qiang’s mother married into Miao’s village, Yang Dalang’s mother followed soon after. Their friendship grew stronger, and naturally, Yang Dalang and Miao Qiang became close, with Yang Dalang calling Miao Qiang’s mother “Aunt Qing.” Dabai, the cat, was also from Miao Qiang’s family.

 

As expected, anyone close to Yang Dalang didn’t look favorably upon Miao He.

 

When Miao He walked into the front yard, Miao Qiang’s expression immediately soured. “What are you doing here?” He asked. Normally, Miao He would hide in the room when he came over. Why was he coming out to make people uncomfortable today?

 

Miao He glanced at Miao Qiang and then greeted Yang Dalang, “You’re back, and you have a guest.”

 

Before Yang Dalang could respond, Miao Qiang let out a loud laugh, “Back? Guest? How amusing. You have the nerve to act like the host here after all the disgraceful things you’ve done!”

 

“Take it inside. I’ll talk to Qiangzi.”

 

Miao He blinked, hesitated, and then obediently said, “Oh,” before heading back into the house and closing the door.

 

As soon as the door closed, Miao Qiang bombarded Yang Dalang with questions, “What’s going on? What’s happening? Didn’t you marry him because of your mother? Are you willing to acknowledge him as your spouse now?” He sounded increasingly agitated as he spoke.

 

Yang Dalang glanced at Miao Qiang, finding the noise irritating, and walked out of the yard before saying, “He’s doing well now.”

 

“Well? What’s good about him? He’s only got a pretty face, but inside, he’s selfish and unruly! What has blinded you to suddenly say that?”

 

“If he has done wrong, he can change.”

 

“Can he change? If he were capable of changing, he would have known what to do and what not to do right after marrying you! Otherwise, would he have gone to town to pester Miao Yuan? Would he have stolen money to run away when you weren’t around? What has he changed now? Tell me!”

 

Yang Dalang didn’t want to elaborate. He simply said, “It’s fine. I have eyes and won’t be mistaken.”

 

Miao Qiang almost laughed out of anger. He used to appreciate how straightforward and concise Yang Dalang was. But now, he was giving no details at all. How could he believe that? He could be blinded by those eyes!

 

“You! You come with me now and see if you dare to say this in front of my mother!”

 

Yang Dalang shook his head, “Not today.”

 

“Why not?”

 

The little ger was frightened in the forest. If left alone at night, he might be scared.

 

Yang Dalang glanced at the house, saying, “It’s too late.”

 

Knowing Yang Dalang for so many years, Miao Qiang couldn’t miss the obvious look of concern. Suddenly, he felt a pang of bitterness, as if his best friend was being taken away. His face darkened, but knowing Yang Dalang’s determination, he suppressed his frustration and changed the subject, “Fine, tomorrow then! My family needs help with transplanting rice seedlings. Be there first thing in the morning! Don’t forget!”

 

“Okay.”

 

Seeing Yang Dalang agree without hesitation, Miao Qiang finally calmed down a bit before leaving.

 

When Miao He learned that Yang Dalang had to help with transplanting rice seedlings the next day, any discomfort he felt earlier vanished, replaced by the joy of having some free time. He could now hasten the growth of more codonopsis!

 

He smiled so much that night that he didn’t notice Yang Dalang sneaking glances at him.

 

The next morning, Miao He cheerfully waved Yang Dalang off to work and then hurried to the backyard. After harvesting the seeds from the codonopsis planted in the magical soil the day before, he dug it up. To his surprise, the roots were three times larger than those from the forest!

 

Would selling this be safe?

 

Miao He pondered for a moment and recalled Yang Dalang mentioning that codonopsis roots needed to be sliced and dried for medicinal use. He decided to slice the larger roots before selling them to be safe. Although it felt wasteful, safety was his priority. For future plantings, he would pay more attention to timing to avoid letting the roots grow too large.

 

Next, Miao He took out the green onion seeds. After days of effort, he had successfully planted improved seeds from the magical soil into the vegetable garden. The remaining seeds were for personal use.

 

Since arriving in this world, Miao He hadn’t yet tasted the vegetables grown with the magical soil. Now, with some free time, he decided to improve his meals before working on more codonopsis.

 

First, he planted the green onion seeds. While waiting, he cleaned the chicken coop and fed the chickens with the inedible leaves of the harvested codonopsis. Dabai, the little black cat following him around, also meowed for a share.

 

While cleaning the chicken coop, Miao He was delighted to find eggs! Three hens had laid four eggs. Feeding them leaves grown with the magical soil had clearly been nutritious. Deciding he couldn’t resist the temptation, Miao He planned to cook and eat them for lunch.

 

Returning to the magical soil, Miao He saw that the green onions had already grown leaves. He didn’t need to wait for seeds this time; he could simply harvest the leaves. After collecting a large basketful, he planted codonopsis seeds again and headed inside to cook.

 

Since he had eggs, he decided on scallion pancakes with eggs for lunch!

 

After preparing the dough as he had before, he let it rest. During this time, he checked on the codonopsis he had planted before leaving. The green leaves had already sprouted. Miao He estimated that in about half an hour, he would need to plant another seed.

 

Codonopsis was more cumbersome because it was the root that was harvested, meaning the entire plant had to be uprooted each time, unlike fruits that could regrow quickly. However, given its high value, Miao He didn’t mind the extra effort.

 

That evening, Yang Dalang returned late. Miao He’s pancakes had gone cold and were reheated multiple times, making him think that perhaps Yang Dalang wouldn’t come home for dinner.

 

The house felt empty with one less person, the outside pitch dark without any light, and only a dim, flickering oil lamp on the table. Even with Dabai in his arms, Miao He felt uneasy. Except for hunting trips, Yang Dalang had never returned this late. Miao He had wanted to make something special for him, but he didn’t come home.

 

Could it be because of Miao Qiang? The one Yang Dalang had feelings for… But Miao Qiang seemed more passionate and didn’t quite fit the picture…

 

When Yang Dalang finally returned, he saw the little ger sitting in front of the oil lamp with three pancakes on the table, holding the little black cat, waiting for him.

 

Miao He glanced at the tall man and asked, “You’re back. Have you eaten?”

 

To his surprise, Yang Dalang shook his head, “Not yet.”

 

Miao He blinked, picked up the plate, and started to walk away, “I’ll reheat it for you.”

 

Yang Dalang stopped him, “No need,” and took a pancake, biting into it. Though it was cold and a bit greasy from the oil and egg, he still said, “It’s good.”

 

For no reason, Miao He felt happy. The house didn’t seem as dark anymore.

 

Over the next few days, Miao He focused on planting codonopsis in the backyard, accumulating a large bundle. He carefully hid it in his only dowry chest. To facilitate selling it, he sliced the codonopsis roots and dried them. This made them easier to hide and would make selling them to an apothecary simpler.

 

As for meals, besides scallion pancakes, Miao He made dishes like stir-fried cabbage with egg and rice, stir-fried bok choy with preserved pork and gluten, all using vegetables grown with the magical soil. The cabbage was sweet and crisp, and the bok choy was tender and juicy. Miao He had been waiting for Yang Dalang to ask where the vegetables came from, considering the garden’s crops had only just sprouted. But Yang Dalang never asked, simply eating earnestly without a word.

 

One night, seeing Yang Dalang enjoying the meal, Miao He gave him another helping of the tender bok choy. “Is it good?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“But the oil in the kitchen is almost out, and so is the flour,” Miao He said innocently, “How many more days are you busy? When you’re done, can we go to town?”

 

Yang Dalang paused and looked at Miao He.

 

Miao He felt a bit nervous, “I haven’t exchanged the codonopsis for money yet, and there are raspberries and gentian too. Didn’t you say the apothecary buys them? The ones we dug up are doing well. Tell me how to prepare them, and I can sell them tomorrow.”

 

Yang Dalang still didn’t respond.

 

“We also need oil, vinegar, and sugar. We don’t need lard, just canola oil, and soy sauce if available. It would be best to buy everything at once to avoid missing anything.” Miao He’s voice grew softer as he spoke, “I won’t run around; I’ll stay with you.”

 

“Okay.” Yang Dalang suddenly said and continued eating.

 

“Huh?”

 

“We’ll go the day after tomorrow.”

 

Miao He’s face lit up, “Really?”

 

Yang Dalang continued eating in silence, but his mind was on Aunt Qing’s words.

 

‘Dalang, Aunt Qing has always felt sorry for you. If it weren’t for insisting on taking you to hear that monk’s lecture to calm your temper, you wouldn’t have had your fortune read, saying you would harm your father and mother, be unlucky in marriage, and be lonely for life. So many years have passed, but Aunt Qing thinks that even if fate has chosen a path for you, it doesn’t mean there’s only one way to walk it.’

 

‘Qiangzi’s father died young, leaving only Qiangzi with me. If I had my fortune read by that monk, it would only be slightly better than yours. But even so, Aunt Qing still feels that being with Qiangzi’s father was the right choice. Even if he was short-lived, I wouldn’t want anyone else. One path can be walked with contentment by some and with complaints by others.’

 

‘Your mother always worried you’d be left alone, afraid that your marriage would follow your fortune and bring heartbreak. But in the end, she understood that having someone with you is different from being alone. She chose He Ge’er with that in mind, and you can probably guess why.’

 

‘When Qiangzi came back and said you thought He Ge’er was good, Aunt Qing was overjoyed. Instead of fearing that the fortune was accurate, it’s like when your mother fell ill—life’s ups and downs are just something you have to experience. As long as you don’t regret it in the end.’