Chapter 10: 10 Big White Geese

Chapter 10: The Big White Goose

Song Tan’s grandfather, Song Youde, is a genuine old farmer, now 79 years old.

He has issues with his lungs and tends to wheeze, so he hasn’t done much heavy labor in recent years.

Aside from tending to the vegetable garden, his daily routine consists of playing leaf cards with a group of old men in the village. He carries an antique long-stemmed pipe, a rarity in these parts; every year, people come to ask for the old tobacco oil from the stem to treat sores.

Grandmother Wang Lifen, on the other hand, has strong legs, is in excellent health, and is a dab hand at cooking. Even now, she keeps the family vegetable garden in perfect order, and every year, people from the village come to her to trade for vegetable seedlings.

She can truly be called the pillar of the Song family.

Song Tan stepped out of the courtyard and circled around the vegetable patch. A red-brick house stood at the foot of the mountain. The yard in front was paved with cement, with only a sweet osmanthus tree in the corner, under which a few chickens were huddled, sunning themselves and scratching in the sand.

And at the gate stood a fiercely aggressive big white goose. It had been squatting in the corner of the entrance, but the moment it saw someone approaching, the tuft of yellow on its head instantly bobbed—a very striking sight.

It widened its small eyes, let out a loud "Honk! Honk! Honk!", spread its wings, and came waddling straight toward her!

Behind her, Song Qiao also hurriedly spread his arms and rushed forward, shouting in the same manner: "Honk! Honk! Honk! Dabai, I’m here!"

Then, he skillfully crouched down.

He and the big white goose hugged each other like brothers.

Your arm around my long neck, my wing around your back—that’s what you call deep affection!

Song Tan:...

This display of "man and nature" left her momentarily speechless.

Grandmother Wang Lifen had just come out of the kitchen and was delighted to see Song Tan: "Tantan, when did you get back?"

She then looked at Song Qiao: "Qiaoqiao, don't let Dabai get your sweater dirty."

Qiaoqiao looked up and replied: "Honk!"

The big white goose also lifted its clever little head and echoed: "Honk!"

Wang Lifen laughed heartily: "This child... Tantan, have you eaten yet? Grandma will get you some biscuits."

Song Tan hurried over: "I only got back last night, and I went into town this morning, so I haven't eaten yet."

Upon hearing this, Wang Lifen quickened her pace: "Then I'll get you plenty to eat!"

This was exactly the effect Song Tan wanted—since the items were all expired, she naturally needed to dispose of them as soon as possible!

She looked around the courtyard. Her grandparents were diligent people; the house was kept clean and tidy, and aside from the few chickens in the corner, there wasn't a speck of dirt or clutter.

At that moment, a thought crossed her mind. She crouched down and condensed a grain-sized amount of spiritual energy at her fingertips. With just a flick, she saw Qiaoqiao’s good brother immediately abandon him, spread its wings, and come charging over at high speed with a "Honk!"

Its flat feet slapped against the cement floor with a "pat-pat-pat" sound, its little yellow-capped head stretched far forward—one could only imagine how eager it was!

It wasn't just the big white goose; the five chickens that had been sunning themselves in the dirt pit also went crazy, sprinting toward Song Tan. The lead rooster’s glossy neck feathers were puffed up, its red comb trembling—it was eating with the intensity of a street fight!

For a moment, even Qiaoqiao opened his mouth in surprise.

Song Tan thought to herself, *Oh no*—she knew spiritual energy was great for farming and raising animals, but she hadn't expected the attraction to be this intense!

If they all pounced on her, her clothes would be ruined!

She quickly withdrew her hand, but the group charging toward her couldn't stop!

Just then, she felt a cold breeze whistle past the back of her head. A large broom swept horizontally across the top of her head without hesitation; she could even feel the dust falling from the bristles.

The heroic broom sent the charging chickens and goose into a chaotic squawk, flapping and scattering across the yard, which finally calmed them down.

Wang Lifen caught her breath: "I just chopped up cabbage to feed them, why are they so crazy!" She added with concern: "They’ve been scared now; I hope they don't stop laying eggs for the next few days."

Song Tan felt a bit guilty.

But Wang Lifen was just grumbling. Seeing her granddaughter looking even fairer and prettier, and then looking at Qiaoqiao, her heart was filled with nothing but joy

"Come, come, these are the biscuits your aunt bought for me. You two eat up!"

Perhaps afraid the children wouldn't be full, she handed over half a bag in a plastic bag. Song Tan calculated that this alone must have cleared out at least half, if not 80%, of Grandma's inventory!

Qiaoqiao was overjoyed and went to open the bag. Song Tan didn't stop him, but she took the plastic bag into her own hands and gave Song Qiao a small biscuit: "Qiaoqiao, let your goose brother have a taste."

The black expiration date stamp was glaringly obvious—it had clearly expired last September.

Qiaoqiao happily agreed: "Okay!"

The siblings, one intentionally and one unintentionally, both ignored the look of heartache on Wang Lifen's face.

Seeing her grandson acting so silly, Wang Lifen couldn't do anything about the biscuits, so she just looked at Song Tan

"You've lost weight. Is work in the city going well? How long are you staying this time?"

Song Tan didn't hide it from her, but she had to use a bit of creative phrasing: "Grandma, I'm back to recover my health this time, so I might rest for a while. When I start planting vegetables, you'll have to come help me!"

Wang Lifen understood it that way—her granddaughter just wanted to stay home and play for a while. As for planting vegetables, what could young people do? It was just for the novelty.

She laughed loudly: "Oh, if my granddaughter is planting vegetables, I'll definitely come help you!"

Of course, in a few days, she wouldn't be saying that anymore.

Song Tan looked around: "Where's Grandpa?"

Wang Lifen thought for a moment: "Probably at the village square playing cards with the others. Nobody plays those leaf cards anymore, so it's not easy to find enough people..."

A group of trembling old men, playing for a dollar a day, falling asleep while trying to play a card...

Wang Lifen was happy to let him go out and play on his own.

"Saves him from being so picky at home," she said, acting as if she found the old man annoying.

In reality, the old couple had been together for decades; they had known each other since Song Youde was seven or eight years old and herding cattle for the landlord. Their bond was deep.

Song Tan strolled around and saw Qiaoqiao squatting there, being "brothers" with the big white goose: "Dabai, you have a big piece... How is it? Sweet, right? These are milk biscuits."

"I'll have a small piece..."

Song Tan wasn't paying attention, and he took a bite too.

Song Tan:...

Never mind, never mind. With that level of proficiency, it probably wasn't his first time eating them.

She looked down into the plastic bag again. Good heavens, a bag full of all sorts of biscuits and candies, and without exception, they all expired last year.

There was even a pack of oat biscuits that had expired the year before last.

Song Tan pulled it out and remained silent for a long time. Now, she didn't even dare to feed the goose.

However, she had indeed taken a liking to that big white goose.

It could honk so loudly, it was bold, and it was very sharp—when she channeled her spiritual energy, this goose had been the furthest away, yet it reacted the fastest! It was a great guard for the house.

Once the pigsty in the back mountain was simply repaired, she would borrow it from Grandma to be a "goose-herder"!

Pair it with two big yellow dogs—how did that poem go? "Holding a yellow dog in the left hand, a falcon in the right"—it had a certain ring to it, didn't it!

Geese were rarely raised in the village simply because they ate a lot and were loud... That big voice could be heard over the mountain; it was truly a nuisance.

(End of chapter)