As soon as Mingli entered the house, he snatched the ice box from Zhong Qin's children. "The ice was bought for my grandparents. Who gave you the right to touch it?"
Zhong Qin had a thick skin. Even after being scolded, she could still greet Mingli with a smile and motion him to sit down. "Why are you so angry, kid? Your aunt and your younger siblings just came in and were really hot. They ate a few pieces of ice to cool off.
Is that the bicycle outside yours? Your mother's life is getting better and better. Why doesn't she help out her own sister?"
Grandma Zhong's face fell. "Xiaoqin, I don't like to hear you say that. Your sister left all the betrothal gifts at home when she got married. She and her husband are capable and have saved up. You should stop dragging her down."
The old couple was also annoyed by having such a thick - skinned daughter, but they couldn't put her back into the womb, could they?
Aunt Zhong pulled down the corners of her mouth and broke off relations with her thick - skinned sister - in - law.
"Little sister, now that our parents are too old to work, they'll be taken care of by my husband and me.
If you want to come back and have a chat with our parents, my husband and I will welcome you. But there definitely won't be any food for you. And don't even think about taking a single grain of rice to support your in - laws!"
Zhong Qin secretly thought it was bad. It had only been a few days since she last came back. Why had her parents agreed to be taken care of by her elder brother? How could she take advantage in the future then?
She was not willing to go home just like that. "Sister - in - law, look at what you're saying. Our parents have their own share of grain. I'm not eating yours. Are you going to kick me out after the meal is ready?"
The Zhong family didn't know that actually Zhong Qin hated her parents very much. Back then, she fell in love with Brother Xiaoxian in the village, but the old couple firmly disagreed, saying that his family was poor and she would suffer if she married him.
Zhong Qin was not afraid of suffering. She only thought that her parents had ruined her great marriage!
She just wanted her parents to know that Brother Xiaoxian was not a burden, and she, Zhong Qin, was!
After getting married, Zhong Qin's life was quite good. Her husband was hard - working and good at hunting. They often had meat to eat, and all the family money was in her hands.
But people can be so stupid. The unattainable Brother Xiaoxian became her unfulfilled love. So she often came back to take a look from afar and took some grain back to her own small family by the way.
Aunt Zhong didn't give Zhong Qin any face and clearly stated her attitude.
"I won't kick you out. You can stay if you want. Anyway, at night, our parents will go to my house for dinner."
After saying that, Aunt Zhong turned around and left. Mingli took the opportunity to stuff the ice box into her hand. "Aunt, take it back to your room and keep it."
It was the first time for Zhong Qin to be humiliated in her natal family. So she resorted to her old trick and sat on the kang howling.
"I don't have parents or elder brother and sister - in - law anymore. Everyone looks down on me. Why is my life so hard..."
Mingli covered his ears in pain. It was the first time he had seen such a scene. He thought his aunt could go to mourn the dead professionally and might even make a fortune from it.
"Back then, I wanted to marry someone in the village, but you wouldn't let me. Now that there's no food at home, you don't care about me. You might as well just let me die..."
The old couple of the Zhong family also wanted to cry. As parents, they would rather eat less themselves than let their children go hungry.
But they really had no more grain, and their son and daughter - in - law wouldn't agree to let their daughter take it away.
"Xiaoqin, stop crying. The grain is in your elder brother's room. We old folks don't have the final say anymore."
Nan Mingli rolled his eyes at his grandfather. Fortunately, the grain had been taken away. Otherwise, it would have been gone with her crying.
"I'm really convinced. Grandpa, can you open your eyes and take a look? Which of these four people looks like they're starving? They're as fat as pigs!"
Zhong Qin almost lost her momentum halfway through crying. She took a look at her own family. They were really fat. She had to find an excuse to cover it up.
"Mingli, don't talk nonsense. Your younger siblings aren't fat. They're swollen from drinking too much water!"
Mingli didn't want to talk to her anymore and directly drove them out.
He grabbed a child with each hand and threw them into the yard. If they didn't obey, he kicked them. Then he dragged his aunt into the yard.
Zhong Qin stopped pretending at this time. She got up from the ground and started scratching. "Nan Mingli, you heartless little bastard. I'll scratch you to death today!"
As soon as she started, the children also joined in. Neither side got the upper hand. It was Aunt Zhong who came over after hearing something was wrong and rescued her nephew.
Seeing that Mingli's clothes were torn and his face was scratched, Aunt Zhong was so angry that she slapped Zhong Qin. "You unlucky woman. Don't come back again!"
...
Nan Sheng was leisurely drinking tea in the office. It was given to her by a clerk of the Revolutionary Committee.
Du Tang came in from the outside with a resentful look on his face. "You're really not being nice. After distributing the ice, you just hid in the room. I've been scolded like a dog!"
Nan Sheng quickly poured him a glass of ice water. There was no shortage of ice in the town government. "What's going on? Why doesn't the mayor just remove Old Huang from his post? Why hasn't it been settled yet!"
Yesterday, the two of them not only persuaded the villagers back to Xiaoguan Village but also made the villagers a little resentful of Village Head Old Huang.
Now Xiaoguan Village was divided into two factions. One faction was the single men who were on Old Huang's side. They only cared about their own enjoyment.
The rest of the people formed another faction. When they got back to the village yesterday, they rushed into the brigade headquarters to grab the ice, causing a big commotion.
Today, neither faction was working. They came to the mayor to seek a solution.
"All the village cadres in Xiaoguan Village are on Old Huang's side. They all have to be removed from their posts. The villagers outside are extremely angry, and Jia Bing doesn't dare to say a word. It really pisses me off."
Nan Sheng pretended to comfort him. "She can't always just serve tea in the room. It's good for her to get some exercise."
Today, Jia Bing volunteered to go to the front yard with Du Tang to appease the villagers of Xiaoguan Village. Nan Sheng had to give her a chance to show herself, right?
Du Tang wasn't stupid. He knew what Nan Sheng meant.
"Stop saying sarcastic things. Come out and help me. My throat is about to smoke!"
Nan Sheng turned to look at the two colleagues from the Revolutionary Committee. "How about coming with us?"
The two of them looked at each other and then followed them out.
Their status in the town government was awkward. No one wanted to talk to them, and no one dared to offend them either. Nan Sheng was the first comrade to take the initiative to be friendly.
Although Du Tang didn't understand what Nan Sheng was doing, it was too chaotic outside. Having two more men to hold the scene down was better.
The four of them went outside the town government together. The villagers of Xiaoguan Village were arguing loudly, and Jia Bing was even scolded to tears.
She looked at Du Tang aggrievedly. "Why did you come so late!"
