{"id":18378,"date":"2026-10-20T09:00:03","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T13:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/?p=18378"},"modified":"2026-10-03T19:39:41","modified_gmt":"2026-10-03T23:39:41","slug":"teld038-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/teld038-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Two or Three Events in the Last Days 038-2"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"18378\" class=\"elementor elementor-18378\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-42b0e849 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"42b0e849\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4a86908a\" data-id=\"4a86908a\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-be92c0a elementor-align-left elementor-button-info elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"be92c0a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-xs\" href=\"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/teld038-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-angle-left\"><\/i>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Previous<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-f7fb7\" data-id=\"f7fb7\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-18ea06cd elementor-button-info elementor-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"18ea06cd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/teld\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Project Page<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-1d8d8028\" data-id=\"1d8d8028\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-36c7c248 elementor-align-right elementor-button-info elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"36c7c248\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-xs\" href=\"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/teld038-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-angle-right\"><\/i>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Next<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-7bbacf0b elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"7bbacf0b\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3d30f00a\" data-id=\"3d30f00a\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-db8400d elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"db8400d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-22ef33a4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"22ef33a4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chapter 38 Part 2 of 3<\/span><\/h1>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-27289d08 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"27289d08\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b96ed63 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b96ed63\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With so many villagers having returned home, no one had the heart to continue working that day. After putting away their baskets at home, they all headed toward Zhao Shaoqian&#8217;s house.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By the time they arrived, Zhao Shaoqian&#8217;s courtyard was already packed with people. Those who had returned with injuries were seated inside receiving treatment. Even the uninjured were being pulled over by worried family members to have their pulses checked and to ask what they should eat to restore their health.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, the reason Sun Lili had fainted earlier was twofold: she had been exhausted by the long journey, and she was pregnant.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These days, there were plenty of people who became pregnant before marriage and then married because of the pregnancy, so Zhao Anguo showed no particular reaction. After taking Sun Lili&#8217;s pulse, he said to Chen Xuefang, &#8220;She&#8217;s a little over a month pregnant. The fetus is slightly unstable, but as long as she starts taking care of herself now, there shouldn&#8217;t be any major problems. The first three months of pregnancy are always the most delicate, and they endured such a difficult journey back home. She&#8217;s a strong girl, and the child she&#8217;s carrying is blessed.&#8221;<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When Ma Chunjian heard he was going to be a father, he was completely stunned. It wasn&#8217;t until Chen Xuefang gave him a shove that he snapped back to his senses. He immediately turned to Zhao Anguo and asked nervously, &#8220;Uncle, please tell me everything I need to do to help take care of both her and the baby.&#8221;\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Outside, Ma Chunkang was recounting everything that had happened on their journey to Ma Renshan and the others.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After they and Wang Jiaqiang&#8217;s group had been chased by the giant ants, many of them had become separated. He had hidden with his wife, children, and younger brother inside an abandoned roadside vehicle for a while. On the desolate highway, which was no different from a wilderness, they had no idea how to search for the others. They didn&#8217;t dare shout for fear of attracting more danger, so they had no choice but to continue walking toward home.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fortunately, they had prepared multiple copies of maps before setting out, with everyone carrying several copies, so they never worried about losing their way. As they traveled, Ma Chunkang left markers along the route, hoping their companions would spot them and catch up.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The food they had seized from the road bandits had never been divided before they became separated, and it all ended up in Wang Jiaqiang&#8217;s group&#8217;s hands.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Along the way, even having money was useless\u2014there was no food to buy. The cities they passed had been overrun by mutated plants, with almost no intact shops remaining. Finding anything edible was incredibly difficult. No one dared touch the mutated vegetation, nor did they dare drink water carelessly.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They had seen several people, driven by hunger, eat wild fruit by the roadside only to die of poisoning. They had also witnessed people, desperate with thirst, drink from city fountains, only to have parasites in the water suck them dry in an instant.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There were many people walking home just like them. Wherever crowds gathered, bloodshed was almost inevitable.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bd6fbca elementor-hidden-desktop elementor-hidden-tablet elementor-hidden-phone elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"bd6fbca\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Two or Three Events in the Last Days (TELD)\u00a0 is translated by Betwixted Translations. The site you&#8217;re reading this chapter on stole our translation.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-782a5f98 elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"782a5f98\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Exhaustion from the journey, the constant fear of traveling through overgrown wilderness, hunger, and thirst kept everyone&#8217;s nerves stretched to the breaking point. The slightest argument could ignite violence like a spark thrown into a barrel of oil. People would even kill for a single mouthful of food.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Others had simply gone mad, slaughtering travelers at random to vent their rage and despair. Ma Chunkang and the others had once hidden nearby and watched a crazed man butcher several people before the remaining survivors banded together and killed him.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Numbness. Cold-bloodedness. Madness.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before they reached the village, they had all felt that sooner or later they would become like that themselves.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Only after seeing their families again did they finally feel truly alive once more.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ma Renshan&#8217;s eyes reddened as he listened. He patted his eldest nephew on the shoulder and said, &#8220;You&#8217;re home now. You\u2019ve made it back home.&#8221;\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aunt Zeng, who had been listening quietly beside them, suddenly asked, &#8220;What about Gao Zhuo?&#8221;\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Gao Zhuo is here.&#8221; A middle-aged man with one arm suspended in a sling walked in, cradling a plastic mineral water bottle against his chest.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The man was Ma Dazhuang, Liu Yinghua&#8217;s husband. He carefully held the bottle out before Aunt Zeng, his face heavy with grief.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;When we got separated, Gao Zhuo was with my son and me. We managed to shake off the giant ants, but then we ran into a flock of mutated sheep. Gao Zhuo panicked and startled them. Those sheep were taller than any of us. One of them leaped up and kicked him&#8230;&#8221;<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He lowered his head. &#8220;I&#8217;m sorry, Sister Zeng. I couldn&#8217;t bring Gao Zhuo home safely.&#8221;<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The kick had ruptured Gao Zhuo&#8217;s internal organs. He had died almost immediately.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ma Dazhuang had injured his own arm trying to save him, but it had been futile.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gao Zhuo had been about the same age as his own son. Watching someone from the younger generation die right before his eyes while being powerless to save him had filled him with unbearable grief.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unable to leave Gao Zhuo&#8217;s body in a foreign land, Ma Dazhuang and his son, Ma Mingliang, had gathered gasoline from abandoned vehicles, found an open area, cremated him there, and brought his ashes home.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aunt Zeng had never imagined the bottle before her contained her son&#8217;s ashes.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although she had already sensed something was wrong, hearing confirmation of Gao Zhuo&#8217;s death caused her knees to buckle. The people around her caught her before she fell, but she no longer had the strength to stand.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She clutched the bottle tightly and broke down in heart-rending sobs.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f208568 elementor-hidden-desktop elementor-hidden-tablet elementor-hidden-phone elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f208568\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Two or Three Events in the Last Days (TELD) is translated by Betwixted Translations. The site you&#8217;re reading this chapter on stole our translation.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-11327b68 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"11327b68\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Her husband had died years ago, and ever since then, she and her son had depended on one another. Though Gao Zhuo worked far from home most of the year, no matter where he was, he had been her entire world.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now he was gone.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Her world had collapsed with him.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;What a cursed world!&#8221; Watching the scene unfold, even many of the toughest men present had tears in their eyes.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aunt Zeng cried for a long time before she finally rose and wandered toward the door as though in a trance, ignoring everyone who called after her.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She had lost her husband in middle age and now her only son in old age. The blow was nearly fatal.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The villagers pitied the elderly widow, fearing she might do something rash, so they asked two younger villagers to accompany her home.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jing Lin and the others did not stay at the Zhao household much longer before leaving.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As they walked back, Zhao Chenghuai said, &#8220;Most of the villagers who were going to make it back have probably returned by now.&#8221;<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There were some villagers who worked elsewhere. A few families only returned once every two or three years, while one family had been away for well over a decade, coming back only once during that time to register an ID card for one of their children. Their old tiled house was practically collapsing. If they returned now, they might not even have a place to live.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the past, whenever someone in the village died, the family would invite a Taoist priest to perform funeral rites.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But Gao Zhuo&#8217;s death carried such overwhelming despair that there wasn&#8217;t even a Taoist priest to invite anymore.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The following day, Ma Renshan, as the squad leader, visited Aunt Zeng to ask where she wished to bury Gao Zhuo.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After only a single night, much of Aunt Zeng&#8217;s hair had turned white. She looked as though she had aged more than ten years. There was no light left in her eyes. Her heart seemed utterly dead, and it was obvious she had lost all will to keep living.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unable to bear seeing her in such a state, Ma Renshan happened to notice the pear tree in her courtyard, its branches heavy with fruit.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Wasn&#8217;t this pear tree the one Xiao Zhuo transplanted from the mountains when he was young? I think Chunzheng helped him move it too. Why not bury Xiao Zhuo beneath this tree? That way, he&#8217;ll still be here to keep you company.&#8221;<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aunt Zeng remembered her son digging up the tiny sapling when he was a child, his face smeared with dirt as he excitedly told her he wanted to plant it in their yard so that one day, when it bore fruit, he could pick the very best pears for her.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tears welled up in Aunt Zeng\u2019s eyes again. But this time, a faint spark also returned to them.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She nodded, agreeing to have Xiao Zhuo buried beneath the tree.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-67a99261 elementor-hidden-desktop elementor-hidden-tablet elementor-hidden-phone elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"67a99261\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Two or Three Events in the Last Days (TELD) is translated by Betwixted Translations. The site you&#8217;re reading this chapter on stole our translation.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7f6c5899 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7f6c5899\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When Ma Renshan left, he finally felt somewhat reassured. Before departing, he also asked several elderly villagers who frequently visited Aunt Zeng to spend more time keeping her company.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For Aunt Zeng, Gao Zhuo&#8217;s death was absolute despair. But for most of the village, once the initial grief passed, it eventually became only another sorrowful episode amid countless others.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With so many villagers having returned, the village had become much livelier than usual.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every day, Jing Lin and the others harvested corn, hauled corn home, dried corn in the sun, and shelled corn.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zhao Zhiwen&#8217;s family owned a corn sheller, but without electricity it was useless, so they had to shell every ear by hand.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After breakfast each morning, Jing Lin would take Le Le to Zhao Zhiwen&#8217;s house. Each person sat on a small stool with a basket of corn cobs in front of them.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Yan family also came over every day after meals to help. There wasn&#8217;t much else to do anyway, and having more people around made the work pass more pleasantly through conversation.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ever since the husbands and sons of Liu Yinghua and her daughter-in-law had returned home, the gloomy expressions had vanished from their household.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before, their front gate had remained shut all day long. Now, whenever someone was home, the door stood wide open.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since their house sat right next to Zhao Zhiwen&#8217;s, separated only by a narrow gap between the buildings, Liu Yinghua and her family also sat outside shelling corn every day alongside Jing Lin&#8217;s group.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The spot where Ma Xiaoyuan had been bitten by the poisonous ants had completely healed.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After learning his lesson, the boy had become much more obedient. He knew nowhere was truly safe anymore and no longer dared run around recklessly. Every day, he played only in front of or behind his own house.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Le Le was only a few years younger than him, so he followed Le Le around constantly, begging to play together.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Duckie had grown quite a bit recently and had begun molting, leaving its feathers looking dull and patchy.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At first, Le Le worried it was sick. Jing Lin reassured him that it was perfectly normal.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pointing at Ma Xiaoyuan&#8217;s missing front tooth, he said, &#8220;It&#8217;s just like Brother Xiaoyuan. After that tooth falls out, a stronger one will grow in.&#8221;<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Only then did Le Le relax.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ma Xiaoyuan was currently most self-conscious about the gap in his teeth.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being unintentionally called out by Jing Lin left him feeling embarrassed.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He didn&#8217;t dare take it out on Jing Lin or Le Le, so instead he mischievously reached over and tugged a clump of Duckie&#8217;s feathers.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first time, Duckie merely squawked at him twice.<\/span><\/p><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep your hands to yourself! Since you&#8217;re both just little squirts, I won\u2019t stoop to your level.<\/span><\/i><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, Ma Xiaoyuan couldn&#8217;t understand duck language. Instead, he became fascinated by the satisfying feeling of plucking feathers. After pulling out one tuft, he wanted to pull another, so he seized a moment when Duckie wasn\u2019t paying attention to pluck out yet another clumpful.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That was the last straw. Duckie exploded in fury.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It decided it was time to teach this naughty brat the true might of Lord Duckie.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It chased Ma Xiaoyuan relentlessly, pecking and twisting viciously at his thighs until the boy screamed in pain and cried for mercy. Only when the adults rushed over and drove Duckie away was Ma Xiaoyuan finally rescued.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having won its first battle in overwhelming fashion, Duckie strutted proudly back to Le Le.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It picked up the feathers Ma Xiaoyuan had pulled out and presented them to its owner, asking him to keep them safe.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After all, they had come from its own body. It simply couldn&#8217;t bear to throw them away.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1a89aa6d elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"1a89aa6d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-44373b6c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"44373b6c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3><strong>Words from the Translation Crew<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Miiya: One of two for the week. Vain goose is vain \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;\">Pinned note: Chapters 38-47 (except 45) are almost 3times in length.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-563a1ca5 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"563a1ca5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-60e6f737 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"60e6f737\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-71a7c28b\" data-id=\"71a7c28b\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-58978080 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"58978080\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Translator: Miiya<\/em><br \/><em>Editor:\u00a0<\/em><em>MushroomKnight73<br \/><\/em><em>Proofreader:\u00a0<\/em><em>Yume<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-50d02f6c elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"50d02f6c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2e340787 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2e340787\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-66 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-71b50dfb\" data-id=\"71b50dfb\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3078c43a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3078c43a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Avid BL reader, editor, and translator with 1 story completed (CLWP) and 1 story in progress (TELD). Support this translation with a Ko-fi. Three Ko-fis will add an extra chapter from the stockpile to the next weekly release.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-2a74a3f2\" data-id=\"2a74a3f2\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4d78a0fe elementor-button-danger elementor-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"4d78a0fe\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/ko-fi.com\/mimiiya\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-mug-hot\"><\/i>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Buy Miiya a Coffee<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4fc8c6a2 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4fc8c6a2\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-440f869f\" data-id=\"440f869f\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-674300e elementor-align-left elementor-button-info elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"674300e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-xs\" href=\"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/teld038-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-angle-left\"><\/i>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Previous<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-581bd351\" data-id=\"581bd351\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-13d9e96e elementor-button-info elementor-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"13d9e96e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-md\" href=\"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/teld00\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Project Page<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-722e0597\" data-id=\"722e0597\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-124fe533 elementor-align-right elementor-button-info elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"124fe533\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/teld038-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-angle-right\"><\/i>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Next<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#46;&#46;&#46;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":146,"featured_media":15070,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[94],"tags":[92,35,93],"class_list":["post-18378","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-teld","tag-apocalypse","tag-bl","tag-farming"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/clwp.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18378","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/146"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18378"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18378\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18382,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18378\/revisions\/18382"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15070"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18378"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18378"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18378"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}