Di bulan Mei, Zheng Shaolian dan Leader Pasukan Xiao Zhao datang lagi. Zheng Shaolian melemparkan sebuah surat kepada Xiao Man. "Cepat, bacalah. Setelah kamu selesai, aku ingin melihatnya juga!"
Xiao Man memutar-mutar amplop surat itu. Melihat hanya nama "Mo Xiaoman" di sampul, ia tahu itu untuk dirinya. 'Apa sih sebabnya dia juga bisa melihat?'
"Siapa yang menulis ini?"
"Aku juga tidak tahu. Seseorang mengantarkannya. Soh potong, biar kami bantu membuka bersama. Pasti di sana ada jawabannya!"
"Apa kamu mengira kamu tidak bisa membaca? Aku akan tahu setelah melihat tanda tangannya." Xiao Man menggulingkan matanya padanya, namun ia tetap membujuk Xiao Man duduk di bangku bambu panjang, memaksa untuk membuka surat bersama. Sebagaimana diperkirakan, itu dari Gu Shaojun. Satu halaman penuh dengan tulisan tangan menggebrang, namun temanya tunggal: *Xiao Man, datanglah ke kota provinsi untuk sekolah menengah. Aku akan mengatur segalanya. Kakek dan Nenek juga boleh ikut.*
Xiao Man tak bisa berkata apa-apa. Guru Yu inginkan ia pergi ke sekolah menengah kabupaten, namun ia belum bahkan memutuskan. Lalu di sini ada seseorang memberi nasihat tanpa diminta. 'Apakah mereka semua menyakiti aku hanya karena aku masih muda? Apa yang membuatku tidak bisa mengambil keputusan sendiri!'
Zheng Shaolian dengan cepat melipat suratnya, memasukkan kembali ke amplop, lalu berkata dengan rasa tidak puas, "Apa yang sedang berpikir sepupu saya yang lebih tua ini? Aku masih di sini, mengapa kamu pergi ke kota provinsi? Sekolah di sini tidak baik? Intinya, kamu harus belajar dengan giat untuk sukses!"
"Persis sekali, itu pendapatku juga," kata Xiao Man, merasa seperti keduanya akhirnya berada di halaman yang sama.
"Brother Shaolian, saat kamu kembali, beritahu sepupu saya agar hanya fokus pada pekeritaannya dan tidak usah khawatir. Guru saya sudah mengatur untukku melanjutkan studi, dan segala sesuain akan lancar. Aku tidak akan ke kota provinsi untuk belajar. Terlalu jauh, dan tempat itu tidak cocok untukku."
"Bagus! Itu keputusan akhir. Kecuali mereka memindahkan aku, saudaraku pasti tidak akan pergi!"
Xiao Man: ...
'Itulah pendapatmu. Aku punya alasanku sendiri!'
Kali ini, Zheng Shaolian dan Xiao Zhao datang dengan truk. Mereka mengangkut sepeda wanita yang indah dan baru, mesinjahit, dan radio. Zheng Shaolian berdeklarasi dengan pemandangan megah, "Saudaramu yang lebih tua membeli semua ini. Mereka memberi uang. Sepedanya untukmu, radio untuk Kakek. Mata Nenek baru saja membaik, dan menjahit dengan jarum itu melelahkan. Mesinjahit akan jauh lebih cepat dan mudah. Aku akan mengatur agar kalian punya televisi lain!"
'Apakah mereka sudah memiliki TV hitam-putih?' pikir Xiao Man. 'Meskipun kita dapatkan, apakah kita bisa menonton? Apakah tidak perlu sinyal?'
Mereka juga membawa banyak beras, tepung, kue manis, dan buah kalengan dari unit militer Zheng Shaolian dan Xiao Zhao. Xiao Man melihat kedua orang itu turun dengan beberapa besar kaliber keramik. Di setiap kaliber, ditulis dengan kuas, kata-kata "Pasta Cabe," "Pasta Bawang," "Saus Tomat," dan "Pasta Kacang." Xiao Zhao memberikan uang kepada Kakek, namun Kakek masih berusaha menolnya. Xiao Man tiba-tiba tak bisa berkata apa-ada. 'Apa kamu benar-benar membawa rumahku seperti toko saus!'
Zheng Shaolian juga tidak bisa berkata apa-ada. Dia tidak bisa menyimpan makanan enak untuk dirinya sendiri lagi. Sejak pertama kali dia membawa kembali cemilan-cemilan, semua orang memperhatikannya. Punya saudara di pedesaan tidak lagi menyembunyikan. Setiap kali dia datang, semua orang saling bersaing untuk memberinya sesuatu. Namun, saat kembali ke markas, sekelompok serigala akan menerjang, mencuri segala-galanya tanpa kata-kata. Mereka tidak akan peduli jika kamu menangis; sampai kamu selesai, tidak ada yang tersisa lagi! Setelah beberapa hidangan lezat dari saus sayur dan makanan asam yang dia bawa kembali, semua orang ingin lebih banyak. Sekarang, bukan Zheng Shaolian dan Xiao Zhao yang datang dengan suka rela; mereka dituntut untuk datang.
Karena hal ini, Kakek ingin mengklaim lahan sempadan gunung untuk menanam sayuran. Kebun sayur kecil kami tidak cukup untuk membuat semua llok semua, jadi ia harus meminta bantuan Sekretaris Mo untuk membeli sawi dari warga lain. Tentu saja, ia tidak tahu bahwa Xiao Man memiliki beberapa hektar lahan sayuran di "ruangnya." Buah dan sayur di ruang itu tumbuh dengan cepat, dan ia sudah memiliki stok yang cukup banyak saus dan lok yang diproses. Sayur yang dibeli hanyalah topi; ia akan memasukkan ke dalam ruangnya sejenak sebelum digunakan.
Untuk keberuntungan, Mo Chengfu memiliki kebun sayur yang cukup besar. Xiao Man secara pribadi pergi untuk "membeli" biji-bijian, dan mereka berdua berhasil membuat kebun itu subur.
Xiao Man dan Zheng Shaolian duduk dan berbincang di bawah over, sambil melihat ke pelosok mata. Xiao Zhao keluar dari dapur sambil memegang mangkuk enamel besar di tangan kirinya dan botol kecap di tangan kanan, keluar dengan santai.
Mengetahui rahasianya, semakin banyak Xiao Man memikirkan hal ini, semakin lucu. Zheng Shaolian bingung. "Apa yang kamu cukur?"
"Tidak ada."
"Keluarkan!"
"Mm, kamu tahu tidak, desa kami punya " kecantikan desa.?"
Zheng Shaolian tertawa. "Aku akan bilang kamu adalah kecantikan desa, tetapi kamu bodoh!"
"Keluar! Kecantikan desa kami cantik sekali. Xiao Zhao pemunya mata yang tajam—ia menemukannya. Kamu tidak beruntung!"
"Apa yang kamu bicarakan dengan tajam atau tidak, dan beruntung... hey, di mana dia?"
"Dia pergi untuk bertemu kecantikan desa!"
"Tuh, benar-benar benar? Cepat, ke mana? Aku juga ingin melihat!"
"Mari kita tidak. Jika kamu sekarang, kamu akan jadi orang ketiga."
"Aku... saudaraku, orang ketiga? Bahkan jika saudaraku seperti bohlam, aku adalah bohlam yang berdaya ratusan watt. Aku akan membuat mereka buta! Ayo, ayo!"
Xiao Man: ...
'Sepertinya anak ini semakin sulit untuk diintervensi,' pikirnya, 'jadi aku akan mengajaknya untuk bermain.'
Tidak terduga, kehadiran Zheng Shaolian "bohlam" tidak membawa keuntungan apa-apa. Bahkan Xiao Zhao tidak bisa bertemu dengan kecantikan desa—ia tidak ada. Pintu dikunci; ia sudah pulang makan!
Liu Fengying juga mendengar berita soal ujian masuk sekolah menengah, karena ia menerima dua paket besar dan dua jumlah uang berturut-turut!
Biasanya, hal ini akan menjadi sesuatu untuk dirayakan. Di masa lalu, ia pasti akan membeli daging untuk merayakan. Namun kali ini, wajahnya penuh dengan kekhawatiran. Ia buru-buru pulang dan bisik pada Mo Guoqiang:
"Uang dan barang dari kota provinsi kali ini lebih banyak dari biasanya. 'Ibu itu' yang mengirimkan sendiri. Catatan di amplop pengiriman uang meminta kami untuk merawat anak ini dengan baik dan memastikan ia masuk sekolah menengah. Uang akan terus mengalir. Kota provinsi begitu jauh, dan dengan Xuanxuan ada di sana, tidak sulit untuk menipu mereka. Namun Wancheng juga mengirim sesuatu! Amplop pengiriman uangnya juga memiliki catatan meminta kami untuk mendoakan anak ini dan membantunya masuk ke sekolah yang baik! Apa yang kita lakukan? Mereka bilang wanita itu yang menanggung semua biaya hidup, mengapa pria ini ikut campur? Haruskah kita menulis ke Xuanxuan dan memberitahu?"
Mo Guoqiang menggosok kakinya yang terluka. Meskipun sudah sembuh, kaki itu masih sakit ketika hujan dan cuaca basah. "Kita harus menuliskannya segera! Beri tahu situasinya agar dia bisa merencanakan solusi! Anak telip itu Xiao Man... dia menolak bantuan dengan lembut, maka dia akan dapatlah bantuan keras. Dia bisa melupakan kesempatan untuk sukses seumur hidup! Apakah dia benar-benar merasa aman hanya karena menemukan seorang dokter terkenal? Jika prajurit tersebut menganggapnya saudaranya, apa artinya? Di masa depan, aku akan membuat Xuanxuan kita menjadi seorang pejabat dan menghancilkannya sepenuhnya, meninggalkannya terjebak tanpa jalan keluar, tidak pernah bisa pulih!"
Liu Fengying teringat apa yang ia dengar beberapa hari lalu, tentang truk besar dari kota yang mengirimkan barang ke Rumah Pemuda Terpelajar. Barang-barang itu sangat berharga, setara dengan mahar seorang gadis dari keluarga kaya. Ekspresinya berubah menjadi senyum jahat. "Jika aku punya banyak dinamit, aku akan menghancurin rumah itu! Anak brengsek setan itu! Ia melukai Xiao Feng dan juga menyakitkanmu. Aku benar-benar buta telah membesarkannya selama bertahun-tahun! Jika
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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