A Leisurely and Extravagant Life - Chapter 36

Chapter 36: The Little Imp Takes Charge

“Tienwang, tell Grandpa—why do you want to raise that nest of crows?” Luo Baolin asked calmly.

“They’re not mine to raise. I just want them to help me guard the loaches in the pond,” Luo Tianwang said.

“How could they possibly listen to you and guard the loaches?” Luo Baolin asked, puzzled.

“I gave that green symbol to the ox, and the ox listens to me. The loaches listen to me too, so of course these crows will also listen to me. The crows hide in the bayberry tree. If that short-lived rascal Luo Shuigen dares come steal our loaches, I’ll have the crows scare him to death!” Luo Tianwang never hid anything from his grandparents.

“Then where did you get the crows?” Luo Baolin had actually guessed a little already. After all, Tianwang wasn’t the first one to dig a crow’s nest out of the old locust tree.

“From the locust tree, of course. Other than that tree, where else in the village could you find a crow’s nest?” Tianwang thought his grandpa’s question was really low-level.

“You little brat, bold as the sky! Do you think that old tree is a place a child like you should be climbing?” Luo Baolin glared.

“Why not? That’s just your feudal superstition.” Tianwang wasn’t the least bit afraid of Grandpa’s scolding.

“Then why choose crows? Wouldn’t sparrows be fine?” Of course Luo Baolin knew about the little sparrow.

“Sparrows are stupid. All they do is catch bugs for me to eat and mess around with me. If I had more sparrows, Teacher Cheng Yulian wouldn’t dare force me into her math class anymore. The language book says crows are the smartest. They even know how to find water on their own. Plus, villagers are all afraid of crows. If Luo Shuigen dares steal loaches, I’ll have the crows dive on him and scare him to death,” Tianwang declared.

There wasn’t much else Luo Baolin could say at this point.

The next day, Luo Zhengjiang phoned urging Xiao Chunxiu to come quickly. Zeng Hongmei’s belly was huge—she was about to give birth, and Luo Zhengjiang was anxious.

But Xiao Chunxiu worried about home. Luo Baolin almost never did housework. With only him taking care of Tianwang, she was afraid the grandfather and grandson might not even be able to feed themselves.

“Tianwang is growing—make sure he gets good nutrition. Collect the eggs the hens lay, fry him one each meal. If he craves something, buy a pound of pork from town. Take good care of him…” For days before she left, Chunxiu repeated instructions. She really couldn’t rest easy.

“Alright, alright. You be careful on the road too. When you arrive, remind Zhengjiang to call back,” Luo Baolin said as he packed her luggage. He even reminded her of the bag colors and markings so she’d count them carefully when getting off the bus.

But the very first day Chunxiu left, the house fell into chaos. Luo Baolin had never managed household chores, always relying on her. Without her, he was helpless—worse even than Tianwang.

Meanwhile, the nest of baby crows grew fast. They had already learned to fly from their parents, and the five fledglings could now flit about the trees near the pond.

Maybe the sparrow had been a bad influence, but these fellows also started eyeing the loaches. Every morning when Tianwang came to play with the loaches, the crows swooped down to feast.

Each time Tianwang scolded them, but the very next day they returned, stealing loaches right out from under his nose.

You can guard against outsiders, but not against “thieves at home.” Luo Shuigen hadn’t even shown up, yet the crows—once Tianwang’s great hope—were thinning the loaches daily. He almost wanted to pluck them and roast them. But strangely, the number of loaches didn’t seem to shrink; if anything, they were multiplying, so he held back.

“Tianwang, time to eat!” Luo Baolin finally finished cooking and called from the house.

Dragging his feet, Tianwang went in. He had little enthusiasm—Grandpa’s cooking was terrible.

“Don’t pout. If I can feed you till you’re full, that’s already something. Be content,” Baolin muttered. Cooking, after all, takes talent. Back when he was a child, just having enough to eat was a blessing. Kids these days were so hard to please.

“Grandpa, you boiled the cabbage to death. No taste at all. And this chili pork—you forgot the salt, didn’t you?” After one bite, Tianwang lost all interest. He went to the jar, fished out two pieces of fermented bean curd, and forced down a bowl of rice. But the bean curd was already going off in this season—it wouldn’t last long.

“You brat, so picky! If you’re so capable, cook yourself.” Baolin’s face flushed red.

“Fine, I’ll do it myself. I’ll cook this afternoon,” Tianwang said.

“You’ll learn—only when you run the household do you realize how hard it is. You’ll see how expensive oil and salt are.” Baolin chuckled, secretly happy to let his grandson take the ladle.

That same day, Teacher Cheng Yulian walked through the gates of Hemawan Primary School and saw two crows perched there. Her heart clenched—their eyes were terrifying, fixed on her. Crows were never a good omen.

Just last night she and her husband had a rare passionate moment, and she’d woken still glowing with happiness. But now, it felt like plunging into an icy pit. The campus atmosphere was wrong—too quiet. At this time there should be noisy children everywhere, chasing and laughing.

“Teacher Cheng, why are you so late? The first class is almost over,” Principal Cai Binghong frowned.

“Ah—” Cheng quickly checked her Shanghai wristwatch, a gift from her husband when they married, stylish back then.

It was already 8:30! She had indulged too much the night before, slept late, and lingered in memories that morning, forgetting the time.

“Be more careful next time. Otherwise your bonus will be docked,” Cai said sternly, then turned into his office.

Cheng’s face burned. In all her years teaching, no one had ever scolded her to her face. She nearly exploded with anger. Watching Cai smooth strands of hair over his bald head, she thought—if only that annoying sparrow would splatter droppings right there, that would be justice!

“D**n it!” came Cai’s furious voice from the office. A crow had squeezed out through a gap between roof and wall.

Cai then emerged, dabbing his sweaty forehead with a handkerchief.

“So accurate?” Cheng’s eyes widened, her hand flying over her mouth. She hurried into her classroom at a trot.