Chapter 61: 61 Arrogant
The woodcutter on Back Mountain loved to curse, a fact that the little monks had often heard. The other three no longer remembered it, but Little Jingkong never forgot.
He took their complaints at face value, after all, the dumplings truly did taste delicious, and he really did want to play with Jiaojiao.
“Don’t repeat that again.” Xiao Liulang stated sternly.
“Why?” Little Jingkong blinked, asking innocently.
Xiao Liulang opened his mouth, “Jiaojiao won’t like it.”
Speaking of this, he discreetly glanced towards the kitchen.
She was so far away, she likely hadn’t heard him say her name.
By the time Gu Jiao brought the food from the kitchen, the two men of the family had already established their relationship.
Xiao Liulang pointed at Gu Jiao, saying, “She’s your sister, your real sister.”
There could be no improper thoughts now.
Moreover, since Gu Jiao already had a brother, having one more made no difference.
Little Jingkong now understood Gu Jiao’s family relationship and, sounding like a little adult, sighed, “Fine, even though I’m not her one and only little brother, neither are you her one and only man.”
He patted his little chest, indicating he too, was Jiaojiao’s little man!
Xiao Liulang was speechless…
Little monk, you sure are bold on your first day home.
To show that he was a responsible little man, Little Jingkong even helped Gu Jiao set the bowls and chopsticks.
In reality, the little monks from the temple had a tougher life than ordinary kids. They practiced martial arts, went to school, and worked, without missing a single thing. So despite his small stature, he approached his tasks in an impressive manner.
Dinner was a dry pot of wild mushrooms, green pepper with chicken eggs, cornmeal porridge, and cabbage buns. They could afford meat on normal days, but since they were too busy to go to town to get any meat today, they went without.
The little monk looked at the table full of vegetarian dishes and couldn’t hide his little disappointment, “No meat?”
Xiao Liulang laughed, “Aren’t you a monk? Can monks eat meat?”
Little Jingkong stated quite seriously, “But now that I’m down the mountain, I’m not a monk!”
Xiao Liulang glanced at his small bald head.
Little Jingkong quickly covered his bald head with his small hand, “My… my hair will grow back!”
Xiao Liulang seriously replied, “Our family can’t afford meat.”
Little Jingkong let out an “Ah” and looked at the furnishings in the house. They were indeed very frugal, as if they were really poor.
“Oh.” He didn’t argue about wanting meat anymore. Removing his hand from his head, he obediently went to pick up the vegetables.
He is Little Jingkong who isn’t picky with his food. He is easy to take care of!
Gu Jiao laughed, “Your brother-in-law is just teasing you. We’ll have meat tomorrow.”
“Um!” Little Jingkong grinned ear to ear, then as if remembering something, he glared at Xiao Liulang with a serious expression, “Naughty brother-in-law!”
Little Jingkong’s appetite was really not to be underestimated. Fortunately, Gu Jiao made enough steamed buns.
After dinner, Gu Jiao started to clean up the dishes and bowls, but Little Jingkong insisted on washing his own.
It was a habit fostered in the temple. In order for them to become independent, his senior brother insisted they do things like getting dressed, washing, and doing dishes themselves.
Only bathing needed help, after all, he was too small and couldn’t even reach over the rim of the tub.
The house didn’t have a tub, just a wooden basin. But he was so small that even if he was given a basin, he still wouldn’t be able to bathe by himself.
Gu Jiao had never bathed a child this young before, and it felt a bit strange.
She took the basin to the kitchen. The stove in the kitchen, which had just been used for cooking, still had some unextinguished firewood in it. The kitchen was warmer than Granny’s room, and she had hot water ready in the kettle, so she could add it to the basin whenever the water cooled down.
Gu Jiao went into the room to take out Little Jingkong’s clothes.
Little Jingkong obediently sat on the small stool and waited for Gu Jiao.
But to his surprise, it wasn’t Gu Jiao who turned up but Xiao Liulang.
Obviously, he preferred Gu Jiao who was full of kindness towards him and often charmed him over cold and somewhat disdainful Xiao Liulang.
“Sigh.” Little Jingkong sighed.
He was quite disappointed.
After his bath, it was time for Little Jingkong to go to bed.
There were only three rooms in the house without any extras for him. Considering his small size, Gu Jiao figured that he could share a room without much trouble.
The Granny’s room was the warmest, and seemed to be the perfect choice.
“Go and sleep with your grandma.” Gu Jiao gave him a small pillow.
Little Monk came to the old lady’s room with the small pillow, but instead of rushing in, he stood at the door, earnestly examining it: “If you agree to share half of the preserved sweets you have hidden, I’ll sleep with you.”
Without a word, the old lady slammed the door shut!
Little Monk returned to Gu Jiao’s room with his pillow: “Grandma won’t sleep with me.”
Thinking of the old lady’s eccentric temper, and then hearing the violent slam of the door, Gu Jiao was not surprised, and pulled up the quilt, saying, “Then you sleep with me.”
“Okay!” Little Monk smiled happily, put the pillow on the bed, climbed up with his short legs, and just as he was halfway up, Xiao Liulang lifted him up.
Xiao Liulang: “You sleep with me.”
Little Monk: “I don’t want to sleep with you.”
Xiao Liulang: “No, you do.”
Little Monk was brought back to the room by Xiao Liulang.
Xiao Liulang’s bed was not as big as Gu Jiao’s, but it wasn’t small either. It was quite spacious for the two of them, but Little Monk didn’t lie down properly on one side. Instead, he sprawled out in the middle of the bed like a bullseye.
Xiao Liulang put his crutch aside, his eyebrows slightly furrowed: “Sleep well.”
Little Monk rolled around on the bed: “I don’t want to.”
Xiao Liulang said coldly: “If you keep this up, I’ll throw you out and you won’t be allowed to sleep.”
Little Monk was about to speak.
Xiao Liulang said: “I’ll also lock the door, and you won’t be allowed to get to the other side.”
With his retreat route blocked, Little Monk fell silent.
Xiao Liulang raised an eyebrow, saying, “You better behave yourself, or I might consider letting you squeeze in.”
Little Monk was taken aback for a moment, then climbed up and said, “I should be the one saying that to you. Jiaojiao said that I am part of this family too! So I should be the one letting you squeeze in with me!”
Xiao Liulang understood the beginning of the sentence, but what did the last two sentences mean?
He asked indifferently, “What do you mean, ‘you let me squeeze in’?”
Little Monk put his hands on his hips and looked at him: “Because I am part of the family, so I have a share in the house too! You and Jiaojiao are married, so you two should share a room, that one is yours! This one is mine! Jiaojiao doesn’t want to sleep with you, so now I’m taking you in!”
Xiao Liulang: unexpectedly, he couldn’t argue…
Children are the most unpredictable beings. One second, Little Monk was chattering away with Xiao Liulang, the next, he turned and laid his head on the soft pillow, fast asleep with drool flowing.
Xiao Liulang liked tranquility and naturally wasn’t accustomed to this little thing that chirped all night, but he didn’t actually throw him out.
He picked Little Monk up from the pillow, tucked him into the quilt, and settled him down.
Xiao Liulang looked at this little guy who had stolen his limelight. Because of his arrival, everyone had forgotten that he made the top score in the county exam.
Although his original intention for coming first wasn’t to show off, his heart still felt a bit uncomfortable, as if…something was missing.
The door creaked open-
The door was gently pushed open a crack, and Gu Jiao whispered through the gap, “Are you asleep?”
“No.” Xiao Liulang paused, glanced at the soundly sleeping Little Monk, and said, “He is asleep.”
“Then I’m coming in.” Gu Jiao stepped in quietly, holding a lamp, “I noticed your lamp is almost out of oil, you can use mine tonight.”
“Hmm.” Xiao Liulang sat on the edge of the bed, responding indifferently.
Gu Jiao placed the lamp on his table: “Um… I haven’t congratulated you yet on coming first in the county exam.”
Xiao Liulang’s eyelids lifted slightly.
“Here you go.” Gu Jiao handed him something.
“What is it?” Xiao Liulang asked.
Gu Jiao smiled slightly: “This is your reward for your incredible progress.”
Xiao Liulang turned away, “I’m not a child, I don’t need any rewards.”
Even so, he still reached out and took it. It was a sachet Gu Jiao had made by hand filled with dried flowers for aiding sleep, which she had also made herself.
Gu Jiao whispered, “Keep the sachet with you, and you’ll have a good night’s sleep.”
“You…” Xiao Liulang want to ask her how she knew his sleep was poor.
Gu Jiao guessed what he wanted to ask, and smiled, “You forgot, we’ve slept together.”
Xiao Liulang’s eyebrows twitched, but he maintained his calm demeanor.
Gu Jiao intended to return to her room, she took a step and then suddenly turned back, leaning in to whisper in his ear, “Did you…did you just call me Jiaojiao?”