For dinner, Meng Yao steamed buns and cooked rice porridge. Seeing that Meng Yu was sulking in her room and refusing to eat, Meng Yao, in a rather good mood, added a dish of scrambled eggs—something they usually couldn’t bear to eat—to the meal.
Once again, only the three of them sat down at the table.
Looking at the fragrant scrambled eggs on the table, Zhao Meilan couldn’t help but ask Meng Yao, “A-Yao, is the household money we gave you still enough? If it’s not, tell your parents. We’ll give you more. Don’t be too frugal.”
Meng Zhihong also looked at her. This eldest daughter was the most practical, usually reluctant to spend money and always saving the best food and drinks for her younger sister.
Thinking of her Space, Meng Yao scooped some scrambled eggs into her parents’ bowls. “Mom, Dad, don’t worry. It’s enough. I’ve even discovered a small business idea. Once we start making money, we can eat scrambled eggs every day!”
Upon hearing this, Meng Zhihong frowned first. “Even though we’re not well-off, we must never learn from those street loafers and do anything illegal. A person must act with integrity and uphold righteousness.”
Zhao Meilan glared at her husband in dissatisfaction. “What kind of talk is that? Is A-Yao that kind of person?”
Meng Zhihong thought about it and realized she was right, feeling somewhat relieved.
Seeing her parents’ concern, Meng Yao took the initiative to explain. “Dad, you’re overthinking it. It’s just selling some vegetables from our own land. City folks like natural, additive-free food. I thought, since our vegetables are so good, selling them to city people would definitely attract many buyers.”
Such ordinary buying and selling of grains and vegetables wasn’t a big deal and didn’t warrant any serious scrutiny. Meng Zhihong felt reassured.
But then came a pang of sorrow.
His job as an accountant might sound respectable, but in reality, he earned only a few yuan a month, with no work points. The family relied entirely on his wife earning work points in the fields.
Fortunately, their eldest daughter managed the household. Now, with both daughters preparing for college entrance exams, it would be another significant expense.
After much thought, he could only sigh. “A-Yao, study hard, get into college, marry well, and escape the fate of staying in the village.”
Meng Yao understood her father’s thoughts and gave him a complicated look but said nothing more.
In this life, she would stay by her parents’ side and help them see through that person’s true nature through her actions.
Halfway through the meal, Zhao Meilan scooped the scrambled eggs from her bowl into a clean small bowl.
Meng Yao glanced down but remained silent.
A while later, Zhao Meilan, still concerned for her child, said to Meng Yao and Meng Zhihong at the table, “She must be starving after getting so angry. Let me see if she’s calmed down.”
With that, she scooped another bowl of rice porridge and, holding the scrambled eggs, was about to stand up.
Meng Yao quickly grabbed Zhao Meilan’s arm.
She kept the scrambled eggs in Zhao Meilan’s small bowl. “Mom, just take the porridge over. I used a lot of oil in the scrambled eggs today. Eating something so greasy late at night will only make Xiao Yu complain about stomach discomfort again.”
Zhao Meilan thought it made sense and pushed the scrambled eggs toward Meng Yao’s bowl. “Then Yao Yao, you eat them. I’ll take the porridge to her.”
Watching Zhao Meilan carry a bowl of porridge into Meng Yu’s room, Meng Yao’s eyes darkened. Zhao Meilan and Meng Zhihong genuinely cared for both daughters, but with Meng Yu’s identity unclear, how could she make them see Meng Yu’s true face?
This argument had completely shattered the relationship between Meng Yao and Meng Yu.
Living under the same roof, they ignored each other. When their parents were around, Meng Yao still pretended, but once they were gone, she couldn’t even be bothered to act.
The two were in a cold war, and the one suffering was Meng Yu. In the morning, there was no prepared breakfast, no one washed her dirty clothes, and the snacks Meng Yao often gave her were gone.
They studied separately, with no communication between them.
Looking at Meng Yao frowning and pondering over test questions, Meng Yu felt a bit relieved from the knots in her heart over the past few days.
Although she didn’t know why Meng Yao had changed her mind and decided to take the college entrance exam, she was certain that Meng Yao would definitely fail. Unlike herself, who could rely on memories from her past life, knowing the exam content early and making it as easy as could be.
But she wouldn’t say a word to Meng Yao.
Who told her to dare not serve her anymore? Let her figure it out on her own!
Tired from studying, Meng Yu yawned and leisurely returned to the bedroom for a nap.
Meng Yao looked at the tightly closed bedroom door and sneered inwardly.
She could roughly guess Meng Yu’s thoughts—relying on memories from her past life to think she could easily get into college. But wasn’t she afraid things might change in this life?
Since both she and Meng Yu had experienced Rebirth, what else was impossible? Only the knowledge stored in one’s own mind truly belonged to oneself, something no one could take away.
But she couldn’t predict the future either. It all depended on who would have the last laugh!
As evening approached, Meng Yao frowned over the last few difficult problems she couldn’t solve and decided to go to the Educated Youth Point to ask the educated youths there.
She packed her schoolbag, took along the borrowed English book, and set off.
It was evening, with colorful clouds filling the sky. Everyone was busy in the fields, wildflowers and weeds growing wildly along the roadside, and a faint scent of grass and trees filled the air, brimming with vitality everywhere.
Following her memory, Meng Yao arrived at the brigade courtyard, where several educated youths were shelling peanuts.
The educated youths had been sent to the countryside, and the village head knew they were intellectuals, so he didn’t assign them heavy labor. At this moment, several educated youths, both men and women, gathered together, shelling peanuts and chatting.
Seeing her arrive, Aunt Liu, who was feeding chickens in the vegetable garden nearby, greeted her, “A-Yao, what brings you here at this time?”
Meng Yao patted the small bag on her shoulder, “I came to ask the educated youth teachers about something.”
Meng Yao saw Aunt Liu chopping grass, fresh grass chopped into fine pieces before being tossed into the chicken coop. Meng Yao walked over and took a look.
The chicken coop was clean and tidy, with five or six old hens followed by a group of chicks, each round and plump like little yellow balls, chirping adorably!
Meng Yao looked at the little round balls and blinked, “Auntie, these chicks are so cute!”
Aunt Liu was still chopping grass and, without looking up, replied, “Of course! This batch hatched a few days ago, and each one is full of energy. I wonder how much they’ll sell for.”
“Auntie, I’d like to buy two. Are they for sale?”
Aunt Liu stopped her work and laughed heartily, “What are you saying? How could I take your money? Pick whichever ones you like!”
Meng Yao picked the two liveliest ones, one male and one female.
In the end, she left fifty cents for Aunt Liu.
“Auntie, leave them here for now. I’ll come back to get them when I go home.”
“Alright, go ahead. I’ll put them in a basket for you.”
Meng Yao entered the courtyard and greeted the educated youths, “Brothers and sisters, there’s a problem I can’t solve. Could you help teach me?”
The educated youths were free at the moment and were happy to help, asking her to show them the problem.
The moment the test paper was pulled out, several educated youths in the group were stunned when they saw it was a high school math exam.
One of them asked Meng Yao, “A-Yao, you’re already studying high school material? Are you planning to take the college entrance exam?”
Since the villagers would find out sooner or later anyway, Meng Yao saw no need to hide it and openly admitted, “Yes, my sister and I are preparing for the college entrance exam.”
Instantly, the gazes from the educated youths in the group took on a somewhat ambiguous tone.