But looking at Yang Xiaomei’s tear-streaked face, and the two children’s ecstatic expressions like they’d won the lottery—this crumbling, lifeless home seemed to have gained a glimmer of hope because of her arrival.
Miao Qing could only sigh inwardly. Oh well. We all get what we need. Let’s just go with it for now.
Liang Futian had Tietui and Taohua make Miao Qing a bowl of hand-pulled noodles. After she finished eating, the lingering discomfort of being tricked completely faded away.
These two kids were actually pretty good at cooking. But watching them treat the leftover noodle soup like treasure, reluctant to drink it themselves and insisting on saving it for Yang Xiaomei—that made her feel a bit uncomfortable.
It’s just noodle soup, not chicken or fish broth. Isn’t this a bit much?
But actually, it really wasn’t.
Yang Xiaomei had had a difficult birth and ended up paralyzed. To pay for her treatment, they’d sold off everything of value in the house.
The baby had never tasted a drop of breast milk since birth—kept alive entirely on rice water, and even the millet was almost gone.
Usually, their main food was wild greens and sorghum mush. Forget white rice or wheat flour—they couldn’t even get cornmeal.
No wonder they were so thin.
Even if Miao Qing didn’t want to be some saint, she didn’t have the nerve to stuff herself while watching them go hungry.
Besides, she was already in this hole, and there was no climbing out for now.
What’s more, that old fox Liang Futian had cut off any chance Yang Xiaomei might have had to actually track down her family. He said that during the famine years, her family had moved several times and had long lost contact with their hometown.
Yang Xiaomei cried all over again—he’d given her hope, then immediately crushed it. That old man was truly wicked.
Before leaving, Miao Qing pretended to pull from her pocket—but actually from her space—a few ration tickets and handed them to Yang Xiaomei.
“Later—have Tietui—go to—the supply store—buy some—millet, brown sugar, eggs—for you—and the baby—to build up strength.”
Yang Xiaomei refused, but Miao Qing just shoved them into her hands and turned to leave.
Talking was too exhausting, let alone lying.
So mentally draining!
Liang Futian, seeing Miao Qing like this, felt this trip had been a complete success—like he’d won a battle, feeling refreshed and pleased.
But then he watched Miao Qing take the small path back to the educated youth settlement, heading toward the gully. She used both hands and feet to navigate, still fell flat on her rear, and slid all the way down. He couldn’t laugh anymore.
Oh my goodness, with a useless mess like this, what did she even come to the countryside for? Even a bound-foot old lady walks steadier than her.
Liang Futian let out a long sigh and called out to Tietui,
“Tietui, go—escort your cousin back. That slope looks like too much for her too. Tell her tomorrow she can follow your sister and the others to pick soybeans—three work points a day. That’s all I can do. Not working at all is out of the question—someone would report it.”
Tietui dashed down, helped Miao Qing—who still hadn’t gotten up—to her feet, and passed on Sixth Uncle’s message.
Miao Qing hadn’t expected that by being such a complete wreck, she’d solved the work assignment problem without even having to ask.
She was so happy she forgot all about the embarrassment. Actually, it wasn’t really her fault—the path was indeed close, but it was also really steep. Sliding down saved her the walking anyway.
But the moment she reached the educated youth settlement and saw Wang Haiyan—eyes burning with venom the instant she spotted her, charging straight at her—Miao Qing’s good mood evaporated instantly.
What does it mean that a ghost won’t leave you alone? What does it mean that evil people are hard to deal with? Wang Haiyan is exactly that!
Wang Haiyan charged up, grabbed Miao Qing by the shoulders, and shook her violently while cursing,
“You little bitch, you’ve ruined me like this—are you satisfied now? Do you know how long I was locked up? How much blood they drew? How many tests they did? And you threw away my luggage! Now I have nothing—how am I supposed to live? You whore, you bastard—pay me back my clothes, pay me back my quilt, pay me back—”
Miao Qing felt like she was being shaken apart, and her ears were about to be deafened.
Is this woman a super-psycho? She’s seriously insane!
It was Liu Gang and Li Qiang who threw away the luggage—how could she blame that on her too?
Would this ever end?
If no one stepped in, she was about to make a move herself!
“Hey hey hey, what’s going on here? Haiyan, if you’ve got something to say, say it nicely.”
Finally, someone showed up. A man she hadn’t seen before—thick eyebrows, big eyes, very much fitting the aesthetic of this era—put down his enamel basin and ran over.
But instead of stepping in, he tried to calmly reason with them first. Miao Qing was so exasperated she just wanted to roll her eyes.
“Let go of my cousin!”
Luckily, Tietui was reliable. Like a little calf, he charged over and knocked Wang Haiyan away.
Miao Qing quietly put away the oleander sap she’d secretly taken out from her space.
She’d really been about to flick that stuff right into Wang Haiyan’s mouth.
Good thing she held back. Impulse is the devil. Murder means paying with your life.
It wasn’t worth going down in flames with trash like this.
Wang Haiyan stumbled backward and fell into the young man’s arms.
She belatedly remembered her maidenly modesty and held back the murderous rage she’d wanted to unleash on Miao Qing.
But Miao Qing had no intention of letting her off. She turned to Tietui and said,
“Go find—Sixth Uncle. Someone—hit me.”
Tietui froze for a moment, then took off running.
Miao Qing glanced at Wang Haiyan, who was still leaning in the young man’s arms, and flopped to the ground.
She wants me to pay her back? Dream on. If I don’t extort this Wang woman down to her underwear today, I’m not getting up!
Wang Haiyan was stunned by Miao Qing’s dramatic move, but the young man’s peach-blossom eyes revealed a hint of amusement.
This girl is interesting. And pretty too—way more fun than this ugly fool in my arms.
Liang Futian was dragged along by Tietui, running and gasping for breath.
The moment he stepped into the educated youth settlement and saw Miao Qing lying on the ground, eyes tightly shut, face deathly pale—his legs nearly gave out.
Oh my heavens! I just left a little while ago—how did we end up with a dead body already?!
Tietui was terrified too. He threw himself down and shouted,
“Cousin! Cousin! Sis?!”
Miao Qing slowly lifted her eyelids, glanced at Tietui and Liang Futian behind him, and weakly pointed at Wang Haiyan.
“Sixth Uncle—she hit me.”
Seeing she was still alive, Liang Futian let out a huge sigh of relief, then turned to look at Wang Haiyan.
Only then did Wang Haiyan realize what Miao Qing was trying to do. She nearly lost her mind. Forgetting to even ask who Liang Futian was, she screamed and charged at Miao Qing again,
“You’re full of shit! You bitch—you dare frame me?! Watch me beat you to death!”
Fang Mingyuan quickly distanced himself from Wang Haiyan, afraid of getting dragged into it.
I’ve seen stupid people, but never this stupid. No wonder she got accused of having a contagious disease—her brain really is broken.
Liang Futian hadn’t fully believed Miao Qing’s accusation at first. In his years as brigade captain, he’d seen plenty of village women fighting—wailing and threatening to die—and the one who fell first wasn’t necessarily the one in the right.
But seeing Wang Haiyan still acting like this right in front of him made him furious.
Before Wang Haiyan’s foot could land on Miao Qing, Liang Futian shoved her away hard.
Just then, Tietui also rushed over to help. As Wang Haiyan stumbled backward, she tripped over Tietui’s outstretched foot, and her body lost all control, toppling backward.
“Ahhhhh—”
Despite her scream and her arms flailing like windmills, she couldn’t defy gravity.
Thud! She hit the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Miao Qing pinched herself hard to keep from laughing and kept up the act.
“Wuwuwu—Sixth Uncle—you—have to—get justice—for me—”