Chapter 41: The Money-Loving Rabbit

Bai Yan turned her head away with remarkable decisiveness, leaving Jiang Chengyan with nothing but the back of her head.

Jiang Chengyan didn’t force her to turn back. He simply looked at her round little head and said, “If you don’t learn to read, who’s going to recognize your scribbles?”

“As long as you do,” Bai Yan muttered, curling herself completely into the warm, cozy quilt.

“With your illiteracy, how are you going to sell mushrooms? You wouldn’t even know if someone sold you off!” Jiang Chengyan, unyielding, placed several books beside her pillow.

After a while, there was a rustling from under the covers. Bai Yan extended two little paws, flipping through the books.

The sight of them gave her a headache.

“So if I learn to read, what’s in it for me?” The young girl had to muster considerable courage before finally voicing her question.

Jiang Chengyan gazed at her impassively, but still reached into his coat and pulled out a small wooden box.

Curiosity piqued, Bai Yan edged closer. Jiang Chengyan opened the box, revealing a gleaming gold necklace with a sparkling rabbit pendant.

“This is for you,” Jiang Chengyan said, tossing it to her with feigned nonchalance.

He had spent no small amount of effort searching for this, nearly scouring the whole city.

Bai Yan reached out and caught the little pendant.

She placed the tiny golden rabbit in her palm. Exquisite as it was, it was only about the size of her pinky fingertip.

So Jiang Chengyan could only watch as the gold rabbit, hard-won after so much trouble, was unceremoniously tossed back by Bai Yan in disdain.

Jiang Chengyan: “…”

“It’s so small. I don’t like it.” Without another word, she dived back under the covers.

Jiang Chengyan pressed a hand to his twitching brow, struggling to maintain his composure.

“You want something bigger? Would you even be able to wear a pendant weighing several pounds?” He could barely swallow his exasperation.

“Of course I could. How will I know if I can’t wear it if you don’t buy it for me?” When it came to gold and silver rabbits, Bai Yan was never at a loss for words.

Jiang Chengyan yanked the blanket over and covered her head with it.

He couldn’t let her speak any further, for fear of dying from sheer frustration.

“What are you doing, covering my head?” The little rabbit thrashed beneath the quilt.

Expression mild and unruffled, the man replied, “I regret ever picking you up.”

He’d seen people fond of money, but never anyone quite this obsessed!

…………

Annoyed as he was, Jiang Chengyan was truly exhausted; after a day and a night of fatigue, it was only when he caught her scent again that he finally felt at peace.

Bai Yan, too, had snuck up the mountain at dawn to fetch spring water, so both of them soon drifted off into sleep.

While they rested, Madam Zhao was already briskly making tofu.

Father Jiang sat by the stove, tending the fire.

Madam Zhao was not lacking in beauty, but hers was a striking, almost fierce kind. Glancing at his busy wife, Father Jiang hesitated for a long time, raising his head several times before finally summoning the courage to speak: “San-niang, could you… maybe not be so strict with the girl?”

Madam Zhao had been in good spirits, pleased that the tofu-making was going smoothly, but his words instantly turned her sunny mood into a storm: “If I don’t teach her, your son will just bully her! Look how scared she is!”

Father Jiang clutched his ears, convinced they were about to be deafened. “But… Ah Yan doesn’t seem to have bullied the child.”

“Bully her? She’s so scared she hardly dares raise her voice!” Madam Zhao’s anger flared, soon spilling onto her husband. “What are you staring at? Don’t you have enough work to do?!”

Father Jiang bowed his head, silently tending the fire, not daring to utter another word.