A military truck pulled up outside the Su family’s gate, and the villagers passed the news from one to another, all running over to watch the excitement.
This was a truck—a military truck, no less! Since when had the Su family become so impressive?
Seeing Su Changping come out, someone teased, “What’s going on, Changping? Why would soldiers come to your place? Did you get into trouble?”
“Nonsense!” Su Changping barked, then strutted over to stand before the man and show off, “Xingchen did the soldiers a favor. They’ve come to thank our Xingchen!”
As if to confirm his words, a middle-aged man in a crisp uniform, looking impressive at first glance, stepped out of the truck, followed by two young soldiers. They headed straight toward the Su family.
Under everyone’s envious gaze, Su Changping hurried forward to greet them, “Hello, comrades! You’re here to see our Xingchen, right? He’ll be out in a moment!”
He spoke especially loudly, as if he wanted the neighboring village to hear.
Guo Jianjun, whose hand he had grabbed, was taken aback. He glanced at Xiao Jue in confusion and said hesitantly, “This is Su Lingxi’s home, isn’t it? We’re here for Comrade Su Lingxi.”
Old Mrs. Su came out just in time to hear this. Her aged face wrinkled, but she quickly broke into an all-smiles expression and asked, “Comrade, you must have made a mistake. It was our Xingchen who found the money pouch!”
No one in all of Huaxing Village had ever seen her so humble. Usually she lorded over everyone because Old Man Su was a martyr, sometimes refusing to give even the village chief any face.
Su Xinghui, who was supporting her as she came out, frowned slightly. She didn’t recognize the soldier in front, but the two behind him looked familiar—on closer look, they were the same two who had killed the wild boar.
Su Xingchen found their money pouch? Could it really be such a coincidence? But that man had clearly said he was looking for Su Lingxi… Suppressing her surprise and doubt, she looked over at Ling Xi.
Ling Xi hadn’t expected to see Xiao Jue again so soon, without even having to wait until the 23rd of next month.
Compared to his face painted in garish colors back on the mountain, Xiao Jue’s face was now clean. With sword-like brows, starry eyes, and deep-set features, his resolute yet refined looks hit her aesthetic preferences dead-on.
The moment she saw him, she made faces and winked at him, her eyeballs rolling about in an utterly adorable way.
Xiao Jue saw her too, but after a brief glance he looked away, acting as though the two of them were strangers.
Ling Xi tutted inwardly: “Uses me and tosses me aside. What a scumbag!”
“What weird nonsense are you muttering now?” Cai Yu said with deep disgust.
Guo Jianjun had no idea that the soldier he valued most had just been branded a scumbag. Seeing that Old Mrs. Su was clearly the one in charge, he said mildly, “Comrade, I don’t know anything about this money pouch you mention. I am indeed here for Comrade Su Lingxi, to thank her for assisting our Huaian Base in capturing an important criminal.”
Now not just Old Mrs. Su but everyone present was stunned. Even Yu Lian and Su Changhe stared at their daughter in a daze—so little Xi hadn’t just brought back a full back-basket of good things, she’d also caught a criminal?
Old Mrs. Su fought down the urge to fly into a rage and smiled stiffly, “How could that be? How could Su Lingxi catch any criminal? Comrade, could you have the wrong person?”
“That’s right, soldier uncle. My little sister is so frail—how could she have the strength to catch a criminal?” Su Xinghui said in disbelief as well.
Guo Jianjun had risen to the position of regiment commander because his powers of observation far exceeded those of ordinary people. He caught the silent exchange between the two women at a glance and simply smiled without a word.
“Foolish!” Su Shanren had rushed over the moment he heard the news, arriving just in time to catch their words. He shot Old Mrs. Su a warning look. “Xi is a good child. Changhe, quickly bring Sanya over for the commander to see.”
Old Mrs. Su, cowed by his glare, didn’t dare make a sound and stepped aside.
By now, Ling Xi had already put on her professional fake smile and was obediently carried forward by her father.
Guo Jianjun looked at Ling Xi, who was thinner than most children, and chuckled as he patted her head. “What a clever, adorable child—just as Battalion Commander Xiao described.”
“Really? Xiao Jue-gege actually said that?” Ling Xi’s eyes seemed to sparkle with stars as she looked up at him expectantly.
Faced with her question, Xiao Jue felt unusually guilty and pressed his lips together awkwardly. “Something like that.”
Off to the side, Chen Tianjun stifled a laugh. Xiao Jue, the notoriously tight-lipped man—how could he possibly say something so direct?
When the regiment commander had asked about little Xi in the car earlier, he had only said, “She’s got guts.” Yet now, standing before Ling Xi herself, the man who always disdained lying had actually learned to fib.
Chen Tianjun silently clicked his tongue. Xiao Jue really did treat this little girl differently.
After showering Ling Xi with more praise, Commander Guo directed his men to carry down a bag of high-grade flour from the vehicle, then pulled a voucher from inside his jacket. “After deliberation by the military committee, it has been unanimously decided to reward Comrade Su Lingxi with ten jin of high-grade flour and one bicycle voucher.”
As the heavy sacks of flour were carried into the Su household, the villagers burned with envy. Parents poked their own children’s foreheads, secretly resenting that their own sons and daughters lacked the ability.
Su Xinghui was seething too. There was a time when all those envious gazes had belonged to her, but ever since Su Lingxi had been rescued, not a single thing had gone her way.
Overwhelming hatred filled her heart, and she blamed every one of her misfortunes on Ling Xi.
It was all Su Lingxi’s fault—she had stolen everything from her!
The bicycle voucher had originally been handed toward Su Changhe, but Old Mrs. Su was quicker, reaching out with both hands. “Aiya, comrade soldiers, you’re far too polite! The army and the people are one family—our Sanya did all that as a matter of course!”
Winter was approaching, and with Xingchen studying so hard in the county town, a bicycle would make things so much easier—he could even come home a few more times each month.
Her precious darling grandson had finally gotten his good days!
Guo Jianjun had long noticed how poorly this old woman treated Su Lingxi, so he didn’t let go of the voucher, instead watching to see what Ling Xi would say.
Old Mrs. Su felt she was losing face, but she didn’t dare vent her anger at the soldiers, so she could only coax Ling Xi: “Sanya is still too young. Grandma will keep the voucher safe for you, and give it to you when you need it.”
Ling Xi snorted inwardly. If the bicycle voucher were handed over to her, it would be a miracle if it ever got used on Ling Xi herself.
She was disdainful inside, but on the surface she smiled with perfect understanding. “Grandma, managing our whole Su household is tiring enough for you. How could I trouble you with such a small matter? Just let my mother hold onto it.”
Before Old Mrs. Su could say anything more, Yu Lian snatched the voucher and tucked it into her inner jacket pocket, beaming. “Xi is right, Mother. Just leave this little matter to me.”
Old Mrs. Su cursed the mother and daughter a hundred times over in her heart, but in front of everyone she could only swallow her anger. “Then you’d better keep it safe. That’s from the comrades in the army, mind you.”
“Don’t worry, Mom,” Yu Lian said, eyeing the third branch’s family sideways. “Even if I die, this ticket won’t get lost!”
Wang Guiqiu was furious at her guarding-against-thieves attitude. Once the soldiers left, she cursed loudly, “Who cares! Our Xingchen is going to be a factory worker—there’ll be nothing he can’t buy then!”
Su Xingchen tugged at his mother. Mistaking the person was embarrassing enough—if she kept talking like this, where was he supposed to put his face in the future?
The Su family’s third branch was different from the second branch; their reputation in Huaixing Village was poor. Seeing them humiliated, the villagers felt no sympathy—on the contrary, they were delighted to watch it happen.
One villager who didn’t get along with Su Changping piled on: “Changping, didn’t you say the soldier was here looking for your family’s Xingchen? How come he ended up looking for Sanya instead?”
“Hah, anyone can brag!”
The onlooking villagers burst into laughter, and the sound stung the third branch’s faces like a whip, burning hot.
Wang Guiqiu wanted to go fight with those gossipers, but the thin-skinned Su Xingchen dragged her back into the courtyard. As for Su Changping, he had already retreated into the house, feeling he’d lost face.