"Zhao Tiezhu, you useless piece of trash. You watch your own wife get hit and don't even dare to say a word. Are you even a man?"
"Me, useless? You caused a scene on the day they were raising the roof beams, and you think you're in the right? Yesterday I told you there'd be red envelopes, and what did you say? You said you didn't care about a few lousy bucks. You were the one who dragged me kicking and screaming to settle the wages. Now you regret it? Too late."
"Come home with me now, or I'll have your family come fetch you."
Cai Shufen's heart skipped a beat when she heard that her family would be called. Her father cared more about face than anything. If she got sent back to her parents' house over this, she'd be in serious trouble.
Zhao Tiezhu once again apologized to Xiao Mandong: "I'm sorry, Educated Youth Xiao." With that, he yanked Cai Shufen away and left.
By the time Xiao Mandong rushed to the clinic, everyone was already waiting at the door.
She divided the remaining liquor into six portions. Zhou Qichuan hadn't shown up, but she set one aside for him anyway.
Over the next few days, Xiao Mandong didn't dare go into town either. The news of Director Huang searching for spies in the city was spreading like wildfire. Xiao Mandong felt that Director Huang should be reported to the authorities. A scumbag like that couldn't be allowed to threaten national security—and sitting in his position as the head of the Revolutionary Committee, who knew how many more pillars of the country he'd persecute.
The new house was finally finished, and the Xiao sisters were about to move out of the educated youth compound.
Ever since news of Xiao Mandong's divorce got around, the others at the compound had been avoiding her. Li Meifeng, who used to sleep next to her, had switched spots with Jian Qiuyue. She'd rather sleep next to someone who tossed and turned all night than next to Xiao Mandong.
On moving day, Zhou Qichuan and Song Xiangjun pushed a cart over to the compound to help the Xiao sisters move their things.
It took three trips to get everything moved. Uncle Changgui also delivered the furniture Xiao Mandong had ordered. The clean, tidy house was a sight to behold. Many villagers came to see the new place and had nothing but praise.
After getting off work, the people from the compound also came to see what the fuss was about. Nobody expected the house to be this nice—smooth floors, snow-white plastered walls, green window frames. Just looking at it made you feel good.
Wang Yuanyuan was almost grinding her teeth to dust. She just couldn't understand why Xiao Mandong's life was so charmed. Spoiled since childhood, protected even when her family fell apart, and even after a divorce she got to live in such a nice house.
She desperately wanted to move in, but she didn't dare suggest it now. She knew the Xiao sisters wouldn't agree anyway. She wondered if her aunt had received her telegram yet, and what her aunt was planning. If she could get her hands on Xiao Mandong's money, Xiao Mandong's good days would be over.
Just as she was thinking this, a commotion erupted at the door.
"Which one of you is Xiao Mandong? Get out here!" A round-faced woman stormed into the yard.
Xiao Mandong stepped forward. "I'm Xiao Mandong. Who are you?" The woman raised her hand to strike her, but Xiao Mandong dodged to the side. The woman missed and grew even angrier, raising her hand again. Xiao Mandong grabbed her wrist and shoved her hard. The woman stumbled and slammed into the wall, letting out a pained grunt.
Hu Guizhen came running in right after.
Then a man in his twenties ran in and steadied the woman: "Mom, are you okay?"
So they were mother and son. No wonder they both had those big pancake faces. Xiao Mandong glanced at Hu Guizhen—the three of them shared a resemblance. Were they Hu Guizhen's relatives?
"Hey, what's wrong with you women these days? Don't you know to respect your elders? How dare you raise a hand against someone?"
"If you're blind, go get your eyes checked at the hospital. Nobody here is blind. She came in swinging at me—was I just supposed to stand there and take it?"
"You ruined my sister's life! My mom's just upset for her daughter. What's one slap to you? Shouldn't you just take it?" The man glared at Xiao Mandong with murder in his eyes.
"About your sister's situation, the whole village knows what happened. Go ask around. Did I do that to her?"
"My sister says you set her up—that you had her thrown onto Cripple Liu's bed. If it wasn't you, then who?"
"I set her up? Ha. Hu Guizhen, did you tell your family the truth? Was it me who told you to buy the breeding drugs? Was it me who got you pregnant?" Xiao Mandong shot a mocking look at Hu Guizhen. She couldn't understand how this family had the nerve to come knocking.
"Pregnant?" Both mother and son turned to stare at Hu Guizhen. She was so frightened she could only cry.
She hadn't known her mom and brother would come. She'd called home to say she was marrying someone in the village, and her mother had angrily said she didn't want a daughter like her anymore. What she didn't know was that her mother had taken leave that very day. Her brother's work held him up for a day, and then the two of them got travel permits and took a two-day train ride to stop her from getting married.
Today happened to be the day of her wedding banquet. When her brother saw Cripple Liu's living conditions and then got a look at the man himself, he flew into a rage and smashed up the whole feast. Hu Guizhen was terrified, so she blamed it all on Xiao Mandong. When her mother heard that, she stormed straight out of the Liu house, asked around until she found this place, and now here they were.
Mother Hu listened to the villagers chattering endlessly about what had happened to Hu Guizhen that day. She pointed at her daughter, unable to get a single word out. Finally, a breath got stuck in her chest and she fainted on the spot.
Xiao Mandong checked her pulse. "She's just overcome with anger. Let her rest for a bit and she'll be fine."
"I'm Hu Liang. Sorry about earlier. Look, my mom's passed out—could we rest at your place for a while?"
"No," Xiao Mandong refused without hesitation. Was this guy out of his mind? She'd taken the pulse because she was the village's barefoot doctor—it was her job. But she wasn't about to be a pushover. They'd been accusing her moments ago, and now they wanted to come into her brand new house to rest up? Where did they get the nerve?
Hu Guizhen lifted her head, hatred burning in her eyes as she glared at Xiao Mandong: "Xiao Mandong, my mom rode a train for two days, hasn't had a single sip of water since she got here, and now she's collapsed. Can't you show even a little sympathy?"
"I already checked her pulse. I've done my duty. My house isn't a hospital and it isn't an inn. Why would I let a complete stranger come into my home to recover?"
Hu Liang pulled two ten-yuan notes from his pocket. "We don't have anywhere to stay for the next few days. I'll rent your house for three days. Three days, twenty yuan. You should be happy with that price."
The crowd gasped. That was a lot of money—they'd be lucky to save thirty or fifty after a whole year of hard work. Twenty yuan for three days? Why couldn't that kind of luck land on their doorsteps?
Xiao Mandong finally understood why Hu Guizhen was the way she was. The whole family was shameless through and through.
Xiao Mandong took the twenty yuan, and a look of contempt spread across Hu Liang's face. He'd known these country bumpkins would be swayed by money—all that high-and-mighty talk was just an act.
But the next second, Xiao Mandong flung the money right in Hu Liang's face. "If you don't get out of here right now, I'm calling the police and reporting you for trespassing."
Hilarious. Did he think she was short on cash?
Hu Liang bent down and picked up the bills, his knuckles cracking as he clenched his fists. That woman actually had the nerve to throw money at him.
The villagers gathered around had actually guessed this outcome long ago. If it had been anyone else, they wouldn't have dared to say so, but when it came to Xiao Mandong, she simply didn't lack money, so there was no way she would agree.
Mother Hu opened her eyes at this moment — she had actually woken up a while ago. She knew that since her daughter's matter hadn't been resolved, they couldn't leave right away. Hearing her son say they would stay here for three days, she was satisfied, because that Cripple Liu's place was no fit for human habitation. But what she hadn't expected was that offering Xiao Mandong twenty yuan for three days' stay would actually be refused. Talk about not knowing what's good for you.
