Chapter 142: Chapter 132: Venomous Malice

In May, Zheng Shaolian and Squad Leader Xiao Zhao came again. Zheng Shaolian tossed a letter to Xiao Man. "Quick, read it. Let me see it after you’re done!"

Xiao Man turned the letter over and over. Seeing only the name "Mo Xiaoman" on the envelope, she knew it was for her. ’Why should he get to see it too?’

"Who wrote this?"

"I’m not sure either. Someone passed it along. Tear it open, and let me help you take a look. Then we’ll know!"

"What, you think I can’t read? I’ll know once I see who signed it." Xiao Man rolled her eyes at him, but he still dragged her down onto the long bamboo bench, insisting they read the letter together. As expected, it was from Gu Shaojun. A single page was filled with flamboyant, cursive script, but the theme was singular: *Xiao Man, come to the provincial city for middle school. I’ll make the arrangements. Grandpa and Grandma can come too.*

Xiao Man was speechless. Teacher Yu wanted her to go to the county middle school, and she hadn’t even made a decision about that yet. Now here was someone else giving her unsolicited advice. ’Are they all bullying me because I’m young? Why is it so hard to make my own decisions!’

Zheng Shaolian quickly folded the letter, stuffed it back into the envelope, and said with dissatisfaction, "What is my big cousin thinking? I’m still here, so what would you go to the provincial city for? Are the schools here no good? The key is that you have to study hard yourself to succeed!"

"Exactly, that’s what I think too," Xiao Man said, feeling like the two of them were finally on the same page for once.

"Brother Shaolian, when you go back, tell your big cousin to just focus on his work and not to worry. My teacher has already made arrangements for me to continue my studies, and everything will go smoothly. I’m not going to the provincial city to study. It’s too far, and that place isn’t right for me."

"Good! That settles it. Unless they transfer me away, my sister will absolutely not go with them!"

Xiao Man: ...

’That’s what *you* think. I have my own reasons!’

This time, Zheng Shaolian and Xiao Zhao drove up in a truck. They unloaded a beautiful, brand-new women’s bicycle, a sewing machine, and a radio. Zheng Shaolian declared with a grand air, "Your brother bought all this. They gave me the money. The bicycle is yours, the radio is for Grandpa. Grandma’s eyes have just gotten better, and sewing clothes with a needle all the time is hard on them. A sewing machine will be much faster and easier. I’ll have someone figure out a way to get you guys a television next!"

’They have black-and-white TVs already?’ Xiao Man wondered. ’Even if we got one, would we be able to watch anything? Don’t you need a signal?’

They also brought lots of rice, flour, sweet biscuits, and canned fruit from Zheng Shaolian and Xiao Zhao’s army unit. Xiao Man watched as the two of them carried down several large porcelain jars. On each jar, written with a brush, were the words "Chili Paste," "Sesame Paste," "Tomato Sauce," and "Bean Paste." Xiao Zhao handed a roll of money to Grandpa, but Grandpa kept trying to refuse it. Xiao Man was suddenly speechless. ’You guys are absolutely treating my house like a sauce shop!’

Zheng Shaolian was also helpless. He couldn’t keep the good stuff for himself anymore. Ever since the first time he brought back those snacks, everyone had their eyes on him. Having a sister in the countryside was no longer a secret. When it was time for him to visit, everyone would fight to give him things to bring along, acting all friendly and enthusiastic. But when they got back to the barracks, a pack of wolves would pounce, snatching everything without a word. They wouldn’t care if you cried; by the time you finished, nothing would be left! After a few delicious meals of the vegetable sauces and pickled goods he’d brought back, everyone longed for more. Now, it wasn’t Zheng Shaolian and Xiao Zhao coming of their own accord; they were being urged to come.

Because of this, Grandpa wanted to go reclaim some wasteland by the mountain to grow vegetables. Their own little vegetable garden was nowhere near big enough to make all the pickles they needed, so he had to trouble Secretary Mo to buy mustard greens from the other villagers. Of course, he didn’t know that Xiao Man had several acres of vegetable fields in her ’space.’ The fruits and vegetables in the space grew quickly, and she already had a large supply of processed sauces and pickles. The purchased vegetables were just a smoke screen; she would put them in her space for a while before using them.

Fortunately, Mo Chengfu had a rather large vegetable garden. Xiao Man personally went to "buy" vegetable seeds, and the two of them managed to make that garden flourish impressively.

Xiao Man and Zheng Shaolian were sitting and talking on the bamboo bench under the eaves. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Xiao Zhao come out of the kitchen holding a large enamel bowl in his left hand and a soy sauce bottle in his right, heading out the door nonchalantly.

Knowing his secret, the more Xiao Man thought about it, the funnier it became. Zheng Shaolian was confused. "What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing."

"Spit it out!"

"Um, did you know our village has a village beauty?"

Zheng Shaolian laughed. "I’d say you’re the village beauty, a silly one at that!"

"Get outta here! Our village beauty is gorgeous. Xiao Zhao is the sharp one—he discovered her. You’re not so lucky!"

"What’s this about being sharp or not, and being lucky... Hey, where is that guy?"

"He went to see the village beauty!"

"Holy crap! So it’s for real? Quick, where? I wanna go see too!"

"Let’s not. If you go now, you’ll be a third wheel."

"Me... your brother, a third wheel? Even if this brother is a lightbulb, I’m a several-hundred-watt one. I’ll blind them! Let’s go, let’s go!"

Xiao Man: ...

’Seeing as this guy was becoming more and more down-to-earth,’ she thought, ’I might as well take him out for some fun.’

Unexpectedly, nothing good came of Zheng Shaolian the "lightbulb" showing up. Even Xiao Zhao didn’t get to see the village beauty—she wasn’t there. The door was locked; she had gone home to eat!

Liu Fengying also found out about the upcoming middle school entrance exam, because she had received two large postal packages and two sums of money in a row!

Normally, this would be something to celebrate. In the past, she would have definitely bought meat to mark the occasion. But this time, her face was etched with worry. She hurried home and whispered to Mo Guoqiang:

"The money and things from the provincial city this time are even more than usual. ’That mother’ sent them herself. The remittance slip had a note telling us to take good care of the child and make sure she gets into middle school, and that the money will keep coming. The provincial city is so far away, and with Xuanxuan there, it’s not hard to fool them. But Wancheng sent something too! That remittance slip also had a note telling us to cheer the child on and help her get into a good school! What are we going to do? Didn’t they say that woman was handling all the living expenses? Why is this man getting involved too? Should we write to Xuanxuan and tell her?"

Mo Guoqiang rubbed his injured leg. Although it had healed, it still ached whenever it was damp and rainy. "Write to her. We have to write immediately! Tell her the situation so she can come up with a plan! That damned girl Xiao Man... she refuses a soft hand, so she’ll get a hard one. She can forget about ever getting ahead in life! Does she think she’s set just because she found some famous doctor? So what if some soldiers took her in as a sworn sister? In the future, I’ll have our Xuanxuan become an official and crush her completely, leaving her trapped with no escape, never able to get back on her feet!"

Liu Fengying recalled what she’d heard a few days ago, about a big truck from the city delivering things to the Youth Corps Courtyard. Those things were incredibly valuable, comparable to the dowry of a girl from a well-off family. Her expression twisted into a ferocious scowl. "If I had a pack of dynamite, I’d blow that courtyard to bits! That godforsaken little vixen! She harmed Xiao Feng and she harmed you. I must have been blind to have raised her all these years! If I had known, I would have strangled her to death as a child and been done with it!"

A glint flashed in Mo Guoqiang’s sinister eyes. "I don’t have a pack of dynamite, but... dynamite caps can also kill someone. Back when the brigade sent me to do infrastructure work, I saw it with my own eyes. Even if it doesn’t kill her right away, it’ll be enough to make her suffer for a while. Let her die from the pain, that’d be for the best!"

"If that could happen, it would truly be proof that heaven is watching. I’d buy a string of firecrackers to celebrate!"

The couple continued venting their hatred with these venomous words, completely unaware that Mo Xiaoqiang was crouched outside the door, eavesdropping.

Mo Xiaoqiang had originally been trying to overhear where his mother was hiding the money, but when he heard the words "dynamite caps," he started paying close attention.

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