I didn’t take Chapter 9.
When everyone heard that Gu Rou had graduated from junior high and had even been admitted to a vocational school, they were all shocked. This was such a big deal! But now, her admission notice had been taken—wasn’t this almost like taking half her life? In an instant, the team leader and the villagers no longer felt any pity for Gu Li; all they felt was hatred for Gu Jiandang’s family. This family was truly heartless, worse than dogs! They had already bullied Gu Rou before, and now they went so far as to steal from her. No wonder she came at them with a knife before her injuries had even healed.
“I… I didn’t take it…” Zhang Nian desperately tried to explain, blood streaming from her mouth again.
“Team Leader, we don’t know anything about this admission notice! Gu Rou is here just to get revenge. You have to stand up for my family!” Gu Jiandang, seeing Zhang Nian fainting, made a miserable face and started complaining. Seeing Gu Rou’s aggressive approach today, he thought maybe this could be their family’s chance. If they kept playing the victim and made it seem like everything was Gu Rou’s fault, perhaps they could avoid paying her any compensation.
Hearing this, Gu Rou turned her eyes sharply on Gu Jiandang, pointing the knife at him fiercely.
“Revenge? I think it’s you who are trying to get revenge on me! That’s my future you’re playing with! Have you ever seen anyone joke with someone else’s future?”
“First, you tried to take my life, now you steal from me. Your whole family is no good; you all deserve to be sent for reform!”
“We didn’t steal anything from you! I’ve never even heard of your notice, much less seen it!”
“Gu Rou, you’re being unreasonable, lawless!”
Gu Rou took a few steps forward, standing right in front of Zhang Nian, knife pointed at her. “Give me the notice!” She searched Zhang Nian thoroughly, checking her pants pockets and jacket pockets. Finally, in the lining of Zhang Nian’s coat, she found Gu Rou’s admission notice.
“This is Xiao Rou’s notice. So it’s you, shameless girl, who stole my child’s things. What kind of people are the Zhang family? The cousin tries to kill, and the elder cousin steals. This whole family is a pack of wolves!”
Li Xiufang didn’t know what an admission notice looked like, but she could recognize the words written on it: “Notice.” This was the admission notice for vocational school! If their child could attend this school, their future would be secure, and their family would even have access to food rations. This was the result of Gu Rou’s hard work and late nights of studying—if it were taken away, it was almost like taking half her life.
The surrounding villagers all looked at Zhang Nian with hostile eyes, especially Gu Jianguo and Li Xiufang. Their glares were like knives, piercing her. Zhang Nian panicked, trying to calm herself down despite her slightly disheveled clothes.
Yes, she had already prepared her excuse: just say she didn’t know anything, how could an outsider know about Gu Rou’s things? But before she could speak, a voice rang out:
“I gave it to Zhang Nian to look at.”
“She didn’t steal anything!”
Who else could it be but Gu Dali, the love-struck boy? Seeing the girl he liked surrounded like this, he couldn’t stand it and immediately spoke up for her. He didn’t see it as a big deal—she just wanted to look at it. That hardly counted as stealing; at most, it was borrowing.
Zhang Nian immediately breathed a sigh of relief, looking at Gu Dali with gratitude and admiration. Gu Dali, feeling bolstered by her gaze, straightened his back like he had been injected with adrenaline, not noticing Gu Aimin’s angry glare nearby—Gu Rou’s eldest uncle.
“No stealing? Then why didn’t she return it when I asked just now?” Gu Rou sneered.
Gu Dali continued to make excuses for his beloved Zhang Nian: “She really admired you. Being admitted to vocational school is impressive. Who wouldn’t want to spend a little extra time with something they like? It’s normal for Zhang Nian to hold onto it for a few days.”
“I just didn’t expect you to be so petty. It’s only a notice, why are you so anxious?”
“She was just looking at it! How is that stealing?” Gu Rou laughed, completely infuriated by his foolishness.
Slap! Without thinking, she slapped Gu Dali.
“If you don’t speak, no one will think you’re mute!”
“This isn’t something I gave out! Whoever it’s on, it’s stealing! Just like my money—if I didn’t lend it to you and it’s found on you, you’re a thief, understand?”
After saying this, Gu Rou shoved Gu Dali hard, then turned to the team leader: “Team Leader, I’m right, aren’t I?”
With Gu Rou’s clear and simple explanation, the surrounding spectators all nodded in agreement. The team leader also nodded, his expression darkening. A vocational school student had appeared in the village—no mistakes could be allowed! Whether from this village or another, no one should dare to interfere.
“I was wrong just now… Zhang Nian told me not to say anything and promised she would return it. That’s why I handed it over,” Gu Dali quickly corrected himself, realizing the seriousness of the situation.
“She gave it to me voluntarily, I didn’t take it—don’t blame me!” Zhang Nian immediately chimed in. She couldn’t allow this blemish on her record; she had to clear herself completely.
Gu Dali had originally thought Zhang Nian was a good girl who would understand and tell the truth—but now, she shifted all the responsibility onto him. He shouted desperately: “Zhang Nian, why didn’t you speak? This isn’t how it happened! You kept asking me for it, and I gave it to you—how did it become that I gave it voluntarily?”
“Didn’t you say the most important thing to you was me? How could you treat me like this?”