Chapter 343 - 300: Unwelcome
Chapter 343: Chapter 300: Unwelcome
When she got home, Zheng Shaolian was still napping in the fruit-laden pear tree. The pears wouldn’t ripen until July, and since he couldn’t eat any yet, the guy simply refused to come down, having sweet dreams pillowed by the tree’s fragrant bounty.
The large pear tree, much like the old maple by the river, had drunk its fill of spiritual spring water from the Treasure Pearl Space. The entire tree was putting all its energy into sprouting branches and leaves, growing more lush and luxuriant than ever. The flavor of its fruit had improved by several notches. While they still looked like the yellow-skinned local pears of the South on the outside, their snow-white flesh inside was as sweet as honey, rivaling the famous tribute pears from the Northwest.
Grandpa had once fertilized the pear tree under the guidance of an agronomist from a rural work team. Xiao Man had childishly suggested, "What if we bury sugar under the tree? Would it make the fruit sweeter?" The agronomist, who enjoyed teasing kids, had told her to give it a try. So, Xiao Man really did dump a large jar of sugar—about two or three pounds—into the freshly dug fertilizer pit. For that, Second Granny Qiu had stamped her feet and called her a wasteful little fool. Afterward, the pears grew sweeter and more tender every year, and many people came to believe in the idea of burying sugar under fruit trees. But believing was one thing; few could actually bring themselves to do it.
Unfortunately, Grandpa thought the big pear tree took up too much space and blocked the sunlight in the yard, so he stubbornly trimmed off a good number of branches. Zheng Shaolian protested this, lamenting how many fewer pears he’d get to eat!
Xiao Man called Zheng Shaolian’s name a couple of times, but there was no movement from the tree. She grabbed a bamboo pole and poked him with it, finally waking him up. He kicked his legs, stretched his arms, and let out a series of groans while thrashing about, making the leaves rustle loudly. Hearing the racket from the kitchen, Grandma got a scare and hurried out, yelling, "Be careful! Be careful! You’re in a tree! A fall from there is no joke!"
Xiao Man laughed. "Grandma, you don’t have to worry about him. He’s a soldier; he has to train all the time. He can jump from three stories up and be perfectly fine. What’s a little height like this?"
She had barely finished speaking when Zheng Shaolian, with a WHOOSH, leaped straight down from the tree branch, which was a good story high. He landed in a crouch without his heels shifting an inch, then stood up steadily.
Grandma’s jaw dropped, her face white with fear. It took her a long moment to recover before she hurried over to feel Zheng Shaolian all over. "Son, are you alright? Does it hurt anywhere? Try moving your legs and feet. Are they okay?"
Zheng Shaolian glanced at Xiao Man and proudly puffed out his chest. "Don’t worry, Grandma, I’m fine. Next time I’ll show you a jump from three stories up. Piece of cake!"
Grandma swatted him. "Don’t be a fool! Why would you jump from that high for no reason? Are you trying to give your Grandma a heart attack? It’s too dangerous. You’re forbidden, you hear me?"
"Okay, I get it, Grandma. I won’t jump!"
"That’s more like it. You two, go wash your hands. The food is ready. Start bringing it to the table. Grandpa is in the herb garden; I expect he’ll be back any moment." Saying this, Grandma thought of Mo Chengfu and added, "Xiao Man, didn’t you go to the village clinic? You should have asked Chengfu to come back and eat with us."
Xiao Man said, "Let’s just save some food for him. He’s busy today with a lot of patients. Plus, some friends came looking to ’play’ with him."
Grandma nodded, said no more, and turned to go back inside.
Xiao Man and Zheng Shaolian walked over to the well to draw water for washing their hands. Xiao Man said with a laugh, "I see your fear of heights is cured. You didn’t even hesitate to jump."
Zheng Shaolian gave her a deadpan look. "I haven’t been afraid of heights for a long time, alright? In short, all those flaws you people kept pointing out are fixed. They’re gone!"
"Then you really ought to thank Gu Shaofeng. By the way, I heard from Shaoyu that Gu Shaofeng wanted to get married, but his parents opposed it. His fiancée is in H Province. Have you ever met her?"
Zheng Shaolian shook his head. "I’m always stuck on the base, how would I have met her? But I heard Zhang Qingwan is looking after her for him. They’re waiting until he gets back from overseas to sort things out."
Xiao Man’s lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she didn’t.
’She remembered that in her past life, by the time she was at Gu Shaojun’s side, Gu Shaofeng had already had a son of fifteen or sixteen. The boy was tall, handsome, and exuded vitality, having been toughened up in the military with Gu Shaofeng from a young age. Two years after Gu Shaojun’s death, Gu Shaofeng was tragically killed in the line of duty when his plane crashed during an inspection of a mudslide disaster in the Northwest. At such a young age, the boy had to prepare to shoulder the family’s heavy burdens. Even though two of his elders were still in the military, the Gu family seemed to gradually withdraw from military circles after that. As for the exact reasons why, the Xiao Man of that time had been too limited in her perspective and knowledge to find out.’
’Based on my previous life, Gu Shaofeng should have been married by now. Otherwise, where would his son come from?’
’It would be a shame if the family’s interference prevented him from marrying, causing that handsome young man to never be born. The boy had looked like Gu Shaofeng, but he lacked his father’s cold, sharp edge. He smiled often when he was around Gu Shaojun and was quite chatty.’
Xiao Man helped Grandma carry the dishes to the table. Seeing that Grandpa still wasn’t back, Zheng Shaolian went out the courtyard gate and ran towards the small hill not far away to meet him.
The courtyard gate was left open, and in just a short while, two sets of unwelcome visitors arrived. The first was Mo Laoer. Carrying a hoe on his shoulder, he claimed he was just passing by on his way to check the water in the fields and thought he’d drop in to see "Dad and Mom." He added that he could help out if there was any work to be done.
The second was Liu Fengying, whom Xiao Man almost didn’t recognize at first glance. Though it had only been a few months, Liu Fengying looked as if she had aged even more, resembling a woman in her sixties. Her once rosy, round face was now gaunt and bony, with sunken eye sockets and a protruding mouth. Her hair was disheveled, her clothes were in tatters, and she reeked of sweat. She walked with a limp, and when she opened her mouth to speak, she revealed a disgusting set of yellowed, blackened teeth, with her two front ones missing.
It was dinnertime, and Grandma didn’t want the pair loitering about. She worried Zheng Shaolian would be too disgusted to eat if he saw them, so she gave each of them a two-pound package of noodles and hurried them away.
Mo Laoer had always been a cunning man. He and his wife had long schemed to get their hands on the old couple’s house and money. Unfortunately for them, that hope began to dwindle after Xiao Man was reunited with her biological grandparents. The couple found out that the Tang family was powerful, and what’s more, the army garrison in the city kept in close contact with the old folks. Military jeeps and large trucks were a common sight, loading and unloading goods. The whole village looked on with envy, but no one dared to get any funny ideas. Who would be brave—or foolish—enough to challenge the army?
So, Mo Laoer abandoned his thoughts of playing dirty and taking the property by force. He became docile and obedient instead, appearing before the old couple from time to time like a dog wagging its tail, begging for pity. This way, he could actually gain some benefits. He and his wife decided this wasn’t a bad approach. Even though the collective land had now been distributed to individual households, their family was in dire straits. Their son, Mo Xiaosu, had been sent to a juvenile reformatory for colluding with a gang of hooligans and committing violent roadside robberies. As his guardians, they were hit with a hefty fine for their negligence, which wiped out their savings and plunged them into debt. They didn’t even have money for seeds or fertilizer. To top it all off, Second Aunt Mo had given birth to a daughter, exceeding the birth limit and incurring yet another fine. They were now dirt-poor. During the lean season between harvests, they survived by borrowing rice just to put food in the pot, never having a single grain left for the next day.
Although the smell of meat and wine made him swallow his saliva with longing, Mo Laoer had learned his lesson. He didn’t stubbornly hang around. He took the noodles, put on a fawning smile, and said, "Thanks, Mom. I’ll come see you and Dad again when I have time," before leaving.