Chapter 19

Hua Xiaohua bit Yin Dabai awake, jerking him out of a deep sleep.

Yin Dabai gazed vacantly at Hua Xiaohua, feeling wronged. You’ve already forgiven me, so why didn’t you let me enjoy my nice nap, huh?

Actually, that thought hadn’t even crossed Hua Xiaohua’s mind. As for the reason why he’s roused Yin Dabai, it was because…

“Dabai, you still haven’t gotten Xiaoxiao’s bird eggs.”

It was because of that? Yin Dabai wanted to cry but lacked tears to do so. For the first time, he became expressly aware of how troublesome it was to procure bird eggs for Yin Xiaoxiao everyday.

“Got it. I’m going, then,” Yin Dabai listlessly answered as he prepared to go get Yin Xiaoxiao’s bird eggs.

Hua Xiaohua immediately threw himself at Yin Dabai and ruthlessly kissed him on the mouth. Then he rapidly set out to return to Yin Xiaoxiao. “Go and return, quickly!”

Having been bestowed a kiss by Hua Xiaohua, Yin Dabai stood for a while, stunned and laughing foolishly. Just a moment ago he’d been dispirited, but now he was incapable of feeling unhappy. With a cheerful undulation to his slithering, he left to look for Yin Xiaoxiao’s bird eggs.

Hua Xiaohua returned to where they’d left Yin Xiaoxiao. Many of the young snakes had already awoken from their naps and begun to wander around. Yin Xiaoxiao had also come out from the water. Although the temperature hadn’t completely dropped, Yin Xiaoxiao found the current temperature to be acceptable.

Well, all aside from Hua Xiaowu.

That’s right. Hua Xiaowu was still asleep.

Yin Xiaosi had pulled Hua Xiaowu back then had pushed him down and had laid on top of him to nap, without so much by-your-leave. While Hua Xiaowu had been tired, he still couldn’t struggle free of their family’s Si-ge. Although their Si-ge looked thin and petite, (…you do, too, you know?), one would only need to look at their Si-ge’s face to feel scared, so it was still best not to provoke their fourth brother.

Like this, everyone had laid down for a sound sleep for a time. Hua Xiaowu, feeling exceptionally bitter at being pinned under Yin Xiaosi, had stared, eyes open, waiting for everyone to get up.

But, yeah. Everyone knew that even if you were not sleepy, just from lying down in bed you could unwittingly fall asleep. The same principle held true for Hua Xiaowu.

So, unfortunately, as could only be expected, by the time everyone else, well-rested, had begun to rise, Hua Xiaowu finally fell asleep.

Cough cough. Was there a snake born who could manage Hua Xiaowu? Even Yin Xiaosi, who had pinned Hua Xiaowu underneath himself, couldn’t control him. Regardless, his goal had been to prevent Hua Xiaowu from disrupting Yin Xiaoxiao’s rest. He wasn’t going to force Hua Xiaowu to wake up.

As Hua Xiaohua returned, he only looked, baffled, at Hua Xiaowu and he let him be.

Anyway, snakes didn’t need to go to school or go to work. They didn’t need to worry about their future livelihood and didn’t have headaches over money. Even if Hua Xiaowu were to sleep during the day and wake at night, as long as he didn’t starve to death who cared when he went to sleep?

But Yin Xiaoxiao wasn’t so unconcerned about this.

It wasn’t that Yin Xiaoxiao wanted to meddle in others’ business, it was only because Hua Xiaowu was always following him around. If Hua Xiaowu continued with this abnormal sleep-wake cycle, he could only assume that it would make his life for him later, that’s all. Believing this to be self-evident, Yin Xiaoxiao’s face darkened.

And so Yin Xiaoxiao crawled over to the sleeping Hua Xiaowu, who was sleeping so soundly that he was drooling.

“Hua Xiaowu?” Yin Xiaoxiao called.

“…Hua Xiaowu?” Yin Xiaoxiao raised his voice.

“Hua Xiaowu!” Yin Xiaoxiao smacked Hua Xiaowu several times.

Still, Hua Xiaowu didn’t stir.

“…Hua Xiaowu, you’re really not going to get up?” Yin Xiaoxiao asked, calmly and composedly. “If you don’t get up, then don’t blame me for being rude.”

….Hua Xiaowu still didn’t stir.

The corner of Yin Xiaoxiao’s mouth drew up in a grin. Slowly, he approached Hua Xiaowu…

“AAAAAAAAAH!”

Following this startling outburst, birds within two li ¹ took to the sky and flew away.

All the other snakes who had been waiting, including the idle Hua Xiaohua, rushed en masse to the place from where the shouting originated. Realizing that the one shouting had been Hua Xiaowu, en masse they about-faced, each returning to their own affairs.

Hua Xiaowu opened his eyes and levelled an especially aggrieved expression at Yin Xiaoxiao in front of him. “Xiaoxiao, it hurts. It hurts.” Absent-mindedly , he crooked his tail to rub where Yin Xiaoxiao had bitten him. It really did hurt a lot.

Yin Xiaoxiao suddenly felt invigorated. Oh wow, he had finally gotten his revenge on Hua Xiaowu for biting him that morning.

……..

That wasn’t it. Obviously, he had done this to get Hua Xiaowu to wake up.

Yin Xiaoxiao laughed. “Wu-ge, everyone is already up, you know. I had been calling for you to get up, otherwise you won’t sleep again tonight.” He paused. When he opened his mouth once more, his voice had held a trace of grievance, “I had called Wu-ge several times, but Wu-ge still didn’t wake up. I had no other choice but to bite Wu-ge. Wu-ge, don’t blame me, okay?”

Still not completely awake, Hua Xiaowu carefully mulled it over and fell for it. It seemed to be as Yin Xiaoxiao had said. “Xiaoxiao, Xiaoxiao, you’re really very good.” Hua Xiaowu was moved. Fortunately, Xiaoxiao, you woke me up, right? Or else, I wouldn’t sleep again tonight. Xiaoxiao, you’re a really great snake!”

“…” Yin Xiaoxiao wanted to smile at Hua Xiaowu, but found that he couldn’t. Hua Xiaowu, are you really stupid or just pretending to be?! Ultimately, Yin Xiaoxiao dismissed his worry. This child was just too easy to deceive, that was all.

“Yin Xiaoxiao, come eat bird eggs!”

Yin Dabai’s voice came from a distance.

Without further thought, Yin Xiaoxiao dashed over to where he’d heard Yin Dabai’s voice and saw him dragging a bird’s nest. Yin Dabai [added for clarity] quickly slithered over with a goofy smile on his face.

…Goofy?

Yin Xiaoxiao felt that he was missing something. What was going on today? Did Hua Xiaowu’s foolishness infect Yin Dabai’s facial expressions?

Yin Dabai tossed the bird’s nest to Yin Xiaoxiao, then turned and rushed over to Hua Xiaohua.

Yin Xiaoxiao stared after Yin Dabai, who acted as though he wished that he could fly over to Hua Xiaohua, then lowered his head to begin eating the bird eggs.

The familiar sound of drool being swallowed reached his ears.

Yin Xiaoxiao hesitated then suddenly placed an egg in front of Hua Xiaowu. “For you.”

“Huh?” Hua Xiaowu stared blankly, paused in the middle of swallowing back some drool. “Stammering, he asked, “For-for me? Is this really for me?”

“Do you not want it anymore? If you don’t, give it back!” Nevermind, Yin Xiaoxiao wanted the bird egg back.

Hurriedly, Hua Xiaowu rushed over and coiled around the egg. “Xiaoxiao, Xiaoxiao, it was my mistake. I still want the bird egg.”

Yin Xiaoxiao snorted then lowered his head and continued to eat bird eggs.

Hua Xiaowu very happily began to eat his bird egg. Xiaoxiao really was a very good snake to give up his own bird egg!

…Please! Have you forgotten the countless times before that Yin Xiaoxiao had refused to give you bird eggs?!

T/N:

Footnotes

<ol>2 里 in modern measurements is about .62 miles; here’s a calculator to play around with different li</ol>