Chapter 104 - 95: Gone Crazy Again
Chapter 104: Chapter 95: Gone Crazy Again
Not long after Xiao Man returned home, Guan Ailan showed up, just as promised, with a small cloth bag of corn flour. She also brought Mo Linghui with her. Mo Shuixia had a lot of chores at her house; to be able to go into the mountains with everyone tomorrow, she had to work frantically today to get it all done.
Her neighbor from the back, Jiang Xuehua, came over to fetch water. When she found out what they were up to, she quickly filled her water vat before running over to join the fun. Of course, she wasn’t just there for the spectacle; she wanted to get her hands dirty. An opportunity to learn was an opportunity to master a skill that would surely come in handy one day.
Grandma couldn’t see, so she guided them with words alone, though her hands could still manage the rough shapes. Meanwhile, Xiao Man quietly played the part of a "brilliantly smart" apprentice who understood everything with a single hint, making the few novices who had no concept of working with dough stare with starry-eyed envy. Even the usually competitive and self-satisfied Guan Ailan was thoroughly impressed!
The entire afternoon, Xiao Man’s house was filled with laughter and billowing steam. When the buns came out of the steamer, the lingering aroma was so fragrant it made one’s mouth water. Luckily, the house was in a private, enclosed courtyard. Jiang Xuehua had already told the few families living behind them that they were making provisions to take into the mountains tomorrow, so they thoughtfully kept their distance. Otherwise, neighbors from all around would have been drawn by the scent, and there wouldn’t have been nearly enough to share.
At the same time, in stark contrast to the joy and liveliness at Xiao Man’s home, the Mo Family Courtyard was cold and desolate, the atmosphere heavy. Even the crowing of the chickens sounded jarringly loud.
The door to Mo Laoer’s home was still shut. Huang Baoshan had taken Mo Xiaosu to the production brigade’s clinic for a shot and left after seeing her home. After returning for lunch, Mo Laoer and Second Aunt Mo had also gone out to work. The weather was getting colder by the day. If they didn’t seize the chance to earn more work points now, there would be none left to earn when it got even colder. They pushed themselves to work hard these past few days, preferring to sit idly at home later when there was no work to be done.
Mo Xiaosu’s two younger brothers had never paid her any mind and wouldn’t return home as long as they weren’t hungry. So, Mo Xiaosu stayed locked inside the house. She was now both afraid of and filled with hatred for Liu Fengying’s family; with no adults around, she didn’t dare provoke them.
This was also why she wanted to move away so badly. ’But Grandpa and Grandma, who used to be pretty fond of me, won’t take me in now because of that detestable Mo Xiaoman. My own parents are useless, and to top it all off, I have to let my two front teeth heal, so I can’t even scream and shout. I’m going to die of frustration!’
’It was all because of Mo Xiaoman. She’s the reason I was injured by that vicious woman, Liu Fengying, nearly losing my front teeth and getting disfigured. And I even have to take a leave of absence from school... My grades are so good, and I’m a class officer, yet I have to drop out. I’m so furious!’
She’d heard the homeroom teacher was even preparing to have Mo Xiaoman replace her as the study monitor. Mo Xiaosu’s teeth itched with hatred; she wished she could curse Mo Xiaoman to death!
Only when she thought of her cousin’s promise did Mo Xiaosu feel a little better. ’Just you wait, Mo Buman. You dare steal my things and monopolize my Grandpa and Grandma? I’ll make your life a living hell!’
While Mo Xiaosu was busy cursing fate and Mo Xiaoman, over in Mo Guoqiang’s house, the whole family was gathered around a table eating pan-fried sticky rice cakes, the entire room filled with the fragrant smell of fried food.
Mo Guoqiang had just brought the sticky rice cakes back from Liu Fengying’s family home. He hadn’t gone to work today; instead, he’d gone to the commune post office. Liu Fengying had told him to buy some pork and candy at the market, and on his way back, to make a detour to her family’s home to visit his parents-in-law.
In reality, the couple no longer went to work regularly for the production team. ’How much money could they earn from work points? The living expenses sent from the provincial city were worth more than any amount of hard labor the two of them could do. It was only sent once every three months, but it was a hundred yuan each time. That averaged out to thirty-three yuan a month, equivalent to a worker’s monthly salary. With the addition of clothes and fabric, it was more than enough for their family to live very well!
Liu Fengying had managed to calm Mo Xiaofeng down, and Xiao Zhi and Xiaohua were even easier to pacify. They were her own flesh and blood, after all; how could she not dote on them? A mother’s heart is linked to her daughter’s, and Mo Xiaofeng could also feel that her mother still loved her. But after Mo Xiaoman had both coaxed and terrified her, "Xuanxuan" had become a dark shadow in her heart. She forbade Liu Fengying from mentioning the name. The moment she did, Mo Xiaofeng would start screaming and crying like she was possessed, causing Xiao Zhi and Xiaohua to cry and wail along with her. Liu Fengying was both heartbroken and helpless. She had originally wanted to explain a few things to get them to keep their mouths shut and not casually tell outsiders about Xuanxuan. But seeing her daughters’ extreme aversion, she figured they probably wouldn’t go around spreading rumors, so she decided to just drop it and never bring it up again.
When Mo Guoqiang found out, he blamed Liu Fengying for taking matters into her own hands. "You’re a woman at home with a few kids, what were you thinking luring her here? You’re more of a hindrance than a help! You should have waited until Xiaoqiang and I were both here; we would’ve had a better handle on the situation!"
Liu Fengying shot him a withering look. "How was I supposed to know that damned girl would be so cooperative this time? I tested her once, and she came right away! I thought I’d have to try a few times until she got annoyed before I even started thinking about what to do next. It’s like when we went to the Youth Corps Courtyard to cause a scene. At first, she didn’t make a peep, but later she dared to point and curse me out in front of all those people! If it weren’t for that damned girl, I wouldn’t have had to pay five hundred yuan to Mo Er! It makes me furious! My heart aches just thinking about it! Five hundred yuan, I wouldn’t even spend that on myself. That was my—"
She glanced at Xiao Feng, who was eating her sticky rice cake with her head down, and didn’t finish her sentence.
Mo Guoqiang’s face was also grim. He’d had to swallow his pride to get that five hundred yuan from his good daughter, Xuanxuan, only for it to be snatched away by Mo Laoer. He couldn’t swallow his anger!
Sitting beside Mo Guoqiang, Mo Xiaoqiang was tearing off large bites of his sticky rice cake. When he heard his parents mention the five hundred yuan, his body stiffened. ’The compensation was more than just five hundred yuan. His mom had knocked Mo Xiaosu out with a slap and damaged two of her front teeth. But Huang Baoshan had also brought people to beat him up. They had even pulled out knives that day, threatening to cut off one of his fingers. The threat had scared Mo Xiaoqiang so much he’d nearly peed his pants. He had to promise to steal another three hundred yuan from his parents to give to Mo Xiaosu for "recuperation meals" before Huang Baoshan finally backed down!’
He hadn’t managed to steal the money yet, but every time Mo Xiaoqiang was left to watch the house, one or two of the family’s fattest chickens would go missing, which made Liu Fengying furious. They weren’t really running away, though. They were the "interest" Mo Xiaoqiang was paying to Huang Baoshan!
’As long as the three hundred yuan wasn’t handed over, he had to keep paying interest. Otherwise, he could just wait to be dealt with!’
’He couldn’t tell his parents about this. Otherwise, it wouldn’t just be a pinky finger they’d cut off—it would be his entire hand!’
’Huang Baoshan had brought over a dozen thugs, none of them from this village. Mo Xiaoqiang had never seen them before, but he knew they were men of their word!’
Then he heard Liu Fengying say, "Guo Qiang, when do you think we slipped up and let that damned girl overhear us? She actually knows... that name from the city! She even threatened me today. Tell me, where does she get this kind of nerve?"
Mo Guoqiang turned his head and looked through the kitchen doorway, his gaze falling upon the small loft in the main house where Xiao Man used to sleep with her younger siblings. That loft was open on all four sides, and right below it was his and his wife’s room.
He snorted. "Who else but you? Talking in your sleep is one thing, but you shout and yell like you’re in the middle of a fight! I can’t count how many times I’ve heard you yell ’precious daughter’ and ’precious Xuanxuan.’ How could she not know?"
At that moment, Mo Xiaofeng suddenly shot to her feet. With a sweep of her arm and a loud CLANG, she let out a shriek so piercing it could have split the roof tiles. Mo Xiao Zhi, sitting on the same bench, was thrown off balance like a seesaw and fell to the floor, dragging the adjacent Mo Xiaoneng down with her. Mo Xiaohua, who was sitting next to Liu Fengying, scrambled in terror to grab her mother’s sleeve, trying to burrow into her arms. The bowls and chopsticks in front of them all crashed to the ground with a DING and a CLANG!
Liu Fengying was so angry she felt faint. Mo Guoqiang stared wide-eyed, muttering, "She’s gone crazy again! She’s gone crazy again!"