Free Web NovelChapter 443: Chapter 233: A Favor
In the blazing midsummer heat, Juhua sat by the door shelling pods while gazing out at the scorching sun. It seemed to bake the green mountains and clear waters until they drooped listlessly. ’I wonder if that threshing machine works well,’ she thought. ’If it keeps breaking down, we might as well just use a threshing bucket.’
Xiu had given Juhua a small calico kitten, a fluffy little ball of fur. Now that it had grown a bit, it loved to nestle by Juhua’s feet and rub against her legs. At that moment, the kitten was staring at the swallow’s nest under the eaves, its fur standing on end. It bared its teeth defensively, letting out a soft, immature growl.
Juhua glanced up to see a swallow blocking the entrance to its nest, chirping sharply. It looked so leisurely and content, as if its high perch made it completely unconcerned with the creature below.
Since she often fed these particular swallows, they weren’t afraid of the Zheng family. Humans and birds coexisted in perfect harmony, as if they were truly neighbors.
Seeing the kitten looking like it was facing a mortal enemy, Juhua was amused and nudged it with her foot. "They live so high up," she said. "You think you can get up there? Even if you did, you couldn’t reach them. And they can fly, you know."
The kitten tumbled from her nudge and, seeming to lose interest, finally let its bristling fur settle down. It let out a soft "Meow—" at Juhua, then cozied up and started trying to climb onto her again.
Juhua glanced at the large Black Dog lying under the eaves, panting in the heat with its tongue hanging out. He didn’t try to cuddle with her much anymore; he took his duties as a guard dog seriously, carrying himself with a sense of responsibility. This little cat, however, was even clingier than Black Dog had been when he was young. ’Cats and dogs really are different,’ she mused. ’A kitten’s way of asking for affection is much more endearing.’
But Juhua never spoiled it. This wasn’t the city, and it wasn’t being kept as a pet. On a farm, cats and dogs were expected to earn their keep; otherwise, their owners wouldn’t be pleased.
She grabbed the kitten by the scruff of its neck, peeled it off her body, and chided, "You’re this big already and you haven’t caught a single mouse. What’s the point of feeding you? Get out there and make yourself useful." Whether the cat understood or not, she tossed it away from her.
The little creature’s front paws clamped down, its claws hooking into her clothes—it did not want to let go. Annoyed, Juhua used her other hand to pull it off and toss it a good distance away, muttering, "If you rip my clothes, you can forget about lunch!"
Despite being thrown so forcefully, the kitten wasn’t hurt in the slightest. Cats are nimble, after all. It seemed almost weightless as it spun in the air, landing with a soft THUMP. It stood perfectly steady, completely unharmed—thanks to the soft pads on its paws.
She paid it no mind, quickly finishing the Huangdou and prepping the cowpeas, peppers, and eggplants. Then, like a whirlwind, she was in the kitchen washing the vegetables and stir-frying, a flurry of activity.
Qingmu walked into the courtyard, a shoulder pole bent under the weight of a heavy load of rice sheaves. The heavy baskets barely swayed, a testament to his steadiness. Juhua hurried out to meet him. "Brother, is the threshing machine working well?"
Setting down his load, Qingmu pulled the towel from around his neck to wipe away the sweat. "It works well," he said. "Much faster than the threshing bucket. It just doesn’t seem very sturdy. I’m not sure it’ll hold up until all the rice is threshed."
This was exactly what Juhua had been worried about.
Although she didn’t understand much about mechanical devices, she knew that one shouldn’t underestimate the importance of even a single tiny screw. In a Different Space-Time that lacked machine tools, a device like the threshing machine was bound to require constant refinement.
She took a large teapot from one of the baskets and filled it with chrysanthemum tea. She also grabbed some snacks. After her brother had poured the grain out onto the courtyard floor to dry, emptying the baskets, she placed the items inside for him. "The meal’s almost ready," she reminded him. "Come back and eat after your next trip."
Qingmu nodded. Without even stepping inside the house, he shouldered the empty baskets and turned to leave. Just then, a horse-drawn carriage pulled up to the courtyard gate. Before it had even come to a full stop, his cousin Laifu leaped down.
Qingmu asked in surprise, "Laifu? What are you doing here? Is everything alright at the workshop?" Laifu currently worked at the Fang family’s workshop.
Laifu grinned good-naturedly. "Qingmu! You’ve already started harvesting? So early! Looks like I’ve come at the perfect time, then."
Qingmu quickly tried to usher him into the courtyard. "We can’t ask you to help," he said. "You can’t just take time off work. And even if you’re free, you should be at home—your folks have their own rice to harvest, and they’ll need the help too."
But Laifu didn’t step inside. He just smiled and said, "I’m not here to help you harvest. I came to deliver something for you—something you can use right away. Manager Song asked me to bring you a threshing machine, as a token of his thanks. This one is much better made than the one my master and I built; it won’t break down so easily. So, tell me, isn’t my timing perfect?"
