Chapter 4: Big Mountain Monkey
Su Xiaoman’s little mouth dropped open. “Really? That’s such a waste! If I lived with them, I’d pick up every egg they threw away!”
Su He looked at her dumbfounded expression and couldn’t help but laugh until she nearly doubled over.
It was only then that Su Xiaoman realized she’d been tricked. Her face puffed up in anger like a little pufferfish.
She huffed, “Sister Ruyi never made fun of me! She even brought me snacks! She’s way better than you! I’ll never recognize you as my sister for the rest of my life!”
With that, she took a fierce bite of the poached egg.
The sister might be bad, but the poached egg was innocent.
Su He sighed inwardly. Your sweet Ruyi sister never made fun of you because she planned to bury you alive one day.
Now she finally figured out how the little girl had gotten in—the window of the west room was open. She must have climbed in through it.
No wonder she’d grow up to become a house burglar—she was already climbing through windows!
Su Xiaoman quickly finished the poached egg and even licked the bowl clean—cleaner than if it had been scrubbed with water.
Su He covered her forehead. Poverty sure makes people creative…
Su Xiaoman blinked curiously. “I heard you were rescued by a wild man. What did the wild man look like?”
Su He suddenly remembered that this was a detail she had completely overlooked. The original host had passed out right after jumping into the river, so she hadn’t actually seen any “wild man.”
All the rumors had come from the villagers, and they told the tale like they’d witnessed it themselves.
Some said the wild man was twelve feet tall, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, wearing animal pelts and roaring like a beast.
Others said he looked like a regular person, except with hair that dragged on the ground and leaves wrapped around his body.
One even claimed the wild man had three heads and six arms—you’d think he was describing Nezha!
Even the book she transmigrated into had only brushed over this scene. By the time she dropped the story, the wild man still hadn’t been explained.
Su He figured he was probably some hermit hiding in the mountains. Times were unstable—maybe he was just taking shelter from chaos.
Or… maybe it really was a mountain monkey.
In this area, the locals called mountain spirits or forest apes “big mountain monkeys.” Maybe one of them had mistaken the original host for prey and dragged her ashore.
Feeling mischievous, Su He deliberately teased Su Xiaoman: “That wild man? Green face, fangs, huge bloody mouth—and he loves eating children…”
No matter how bratty Su Xiaoman could be, she was still only a nine-year-old girl. Her face turned pale with fright. “Stop! I don’t want to hear it anymore!”
Su He couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Su Xiaoman puffed up again like an angry little pufferfish. “What are you laughing at? Do you know what people are saying in the village because you got rescued by a wild man?! They say only a cripple or a blind man would ever marry you!”
Su He didn’t care about that kind of gossip in the slightest. She was just about to keep teasing the little girl when she heard the ringing of a bicycle bell outside, followed by a voice calling:
“Dad, Mom, are you home?”
Su Xiaoman’s eyes lit up, and she rushed to open the front door. “Second Uncle! You’re back?”
Su He instantly remembered who this was—Su Yongshi, Old Madam Su’s second son.
Su Yongshi and his wife worked at a textile factory in the county. Even though they were just temp workers, in a rural village like Huangxi, they were considered high-status.
On top of that, they had a chubby son named Su Jinbao, who was Old Madam Su’s pride and joy.
Old Madam Su often secretly used money earned by Su Yongguo (her other son) and his wife to support Yongshi’s family, while claiming to everyone that her second son was the most filial.
When the original host first returned to the Su family, Su Yongshi and his wife had come back once. They’d subtly tested her a few times, and when they realized there was no profit to be had, they went cold.
Su Xiaoman was excited because Su Yongshi always made a big show of affection. Every time he returned, he brought candy or pastries for the elders.
Although Old Madam Su didn’t care much for Su Xiaoman, the little girl always found a way to get her hands on some of the goodies.
While Su He was lost in thought, Su Yongshi parked the bicycle.
He always took a bus to the Huaihua commune, then borrowed a bike from his father-in-law’s place to return to the village.
Out of politeness, Su He smiled and greeted him. “Second Uncle.”
Su Yongshi beamed. “Xiao He’s home, huh? Come, try some of the honeycomb cake I brought.”
While Su Yongguo and his wife still called Su He “Su He” (the eldest girl), Su Yongshi didn’t. He considered himself a city person—using country names was beneath him.
Just as he pulled out a piece of honeycomb cake, Old Madam Su’s voice came shouting from the gate:
“She already ate five of my eggs! Where’s the room for pastries?! And how many times have I told you not to waste money on this crap?! Why won’t you listen?!”
She’d been chatting with a few grannies under the big willow tree by the road when she heard he was back and rushed over.
Su He acted like she didn’t hear Old Madam Su at all. Not only did she take the piece of cake, she also grabbed the whole pastry bag and handed it to the eagerly-waiting Su Xiaoman.
Su Xiaoman was practically knocked out by happiness. She snatched the bag and darted back into the west room, ready to escape through the window if needed.
Her speed and agility were so impressive that even Su He was a little in awe.
Old Madam Su was nearly exploding with rage.
“Greedy little devils, all of you! Think you’re worthy of honeycomb cake?! I ought to beat you all!”
Su He chuckled lightly. “Grandma, the state teaches us that men and women are equal. Aren’t you afraid someone will report you for going against the government? In the provincial capital, people who say stuff like that get locked up.”
“Locked up” was the local slang for going to jail.
Old Madam Su wasn’t exactly worldly. The mention of jail made her hands go clammy. “I-I was just saying things! Actually, I love you girls the most…”
“And the cake?”
“I-I don’t like cake. Y-you girls eat it…”
What a tragedy—she already lost five eggs, and now a whole bag of honeycomb cake too!
China 1970s Brief History Info:
Commune: In the 1970s, China’s rural areas were largely organized under the People’s Commune system, which was a form of collectivized agriculture and social organization. These communes, the highest administrative level in rural areas, were divided into production brigades and teams, and aimed to collectivize living and working practices. While the system initially aimed for equality and communal living, it faced challenges with inefficiency and ultimately was dismantled in the early 1980s, giving way to a more market-oriented approach and individual farming.
