Chapter 93: Chapter 84: School Begins
After leaving the Han Family’s home, Xiao Man didn’t go to Mo Shuixia’s house.
She had just been thinking: ’Han Jialan had looked so delighted when she tasted the wild grapes. And Granny Han, clutching the rice pestles, wild chestnuts, and walnuts, was also thrilled, saying it was the first time she’d seen them this year. That must mean when Mo Shuixia and her brother brought the mountain goods home yesterday, the Mo family didn’t give any to the neighbors to sample.’
Xiao Man didn’t think it was because Mo Shuixia and her brother were stingy. It was probably just as Second Granny Qiu had described: the moment things entered the house, the adults took control, leaving the children with no say in the matter.
In an era of such material scarcity, every bit of food was precious. There were plenty of people who would hoard and hide anything they got their hands on, so there was really no reason to blame them.
So, Xiao Man decided not to go to Mo Shuixia’s house. She didn’t want to embarrass them by having given something to the Han Family when they hadn’t.
She was just repaying a favor. It had nothing to do with anyone else.
In the Mo Family Courtyard, Mo Xiaoqiang hid behind a doorpost, spying on Xiao Man as she left the Han Family’s home and walked step by step in his direction.
Just a moment ago, he had wanted to rush out and grab Mo Xiaoman, beat her half to death, and blind her to get revenge for Xiao Feng!
But his dad had stopped him, forbidding him from doing so.
Mo Guoqiang explained to Mo Xiaoqiang, "It’s broad daylight. Don’t be like last time, where a whole crowd showed up the second she yelled. With what happened to Xiao Feng already, they won’t even have to think twice. They’ll know we beat her up on purpose, and we’ll be the ones in the wrong. We also don’t know when she overheard me and your mom talking. She’s been spreading the story about her not being our biological daughter all over the place, and the whole village knows now. So it’s not a good idea to just hurt her. Your Grandpa and Grandma treat her like a treasure. If those two old geezers insist on making a case out of it, we’ll end up in jail! Your mom’s idea is to slowly coax Xiao Man back. After all, we raised her for eleven years. Who doesn’t want parents, brothers, and sisters? When she gets married in the future, she’ll need a family to back her up, right? For now, we’ll hold back. We’ll be nice to her, lure her back home, and *then* we’ll create an ’accident’ to cripple her... It’ll save us a lot of trouble!"
Mo Xiaoqiang nodded to show he understood, then asked, "So when are Mom and Xiao Feng coming back?"
The house was a mess without a mom around. They couldn’t even get a proper meal. And he was stuck in charge of Xiao Neng, Xiao Zhi, and Xiaohua. It was so annoying!
"In about ten days or half a month," Mo Guoqiang said. "And stop going over to the Knowledge Youth House to cause trouble. There’s no benefit in annoying the old man. I heard them over there arguing about having Little Su move in with your Grandpa and Grandma. If Little Su moves in, you can go too! Your Grandpa has no sons. After he dies, everything he owns will be split between our two families! Understand?"
"I get it," Mo Xiaoqiang replied. Thinking of the room full of dirty clothes, the table piled with unwashed dishes, the lice on Mo Xiao Zhi and Mo Xiaohua’s heads practically lining up for a market fair, and how Mo Xiaoneng was as filthy as a mud-caked monkey, he grew frustrated. "Dad, why don’t we just drag Xiao Man back? She has to do some chores, right?"
Mo Guoqiang thought for a moment, then said, "In my room, there’s a travel bag. Inside, there’s a pack of sweet biscuits. Go get it. I’ll take my time and coax her!"
And so, the father and son waited in the courtyard for what felt like half the day. When they saw Xiao Man leave the Han Family’s home and approach their gate, they immediately stepped out and called to her.
"What is it?" Xiao Man asked indifferently.
Mo Guoqiang held out the half-eaten pack of sweet biscuits, looking at Xiao Man with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "You silly child, can’t your dad call you over just to talk? Here, I saved these for you. I bought them when I came back from taking Xiao Feng to the hospital in the city a few days ago. Look, they’re Shanghai biscuits! They’re delicious. Take them and eat."
Mo Xiaoqiang stood to the side, glaring menacingly, a ring of biscuit crumbs still around his mouth. Xiao Man could just imagine how Mo Guoqiang had snatched the half-eaten pack from his hands.
Xiao Man sneered. "Shanghai biscuits are so expensive. You must have struck it rich to afford them. Save them for your own children. I don’t want other people’s things. If I want something to eat, my Grandpa and Grandma will buy it for me!"
Mo Guoqiang’s eyes widened. "What kind of talk is that? You’re my and your mother’s child, too..."
"You know perfectly well whose child I am! If you have something to say, say it. If not, get out of my way. Don’t block me, I’m going home!"
As Xiao Man said this, she looked at Mo Xiaoqiang and thought, ’Go on, block me. Better yet, try to hit me. Let me satisfy this itch to fight. I promise I won’t cripple or break you, I’ll just use you as a punching bag for a bit!’
But today, Mo Xiaoqiang was surprisingly well-behaved and didn’t move a muscle. Instead, Mo Guoqiang reached out a hand to pull Xiao Man. "This is your home, where are you going back to? Hurry and come inside. Your mom even bought two new outfits, both for you!"
Xiao Man watched Mo Guoqiang’s hand, waiting for the moment it touched her shoulder to grab it, twist, and give him a shoulder throw. But just as she was gathering her strength, she heard a loud shout, "Mo Guoqiang, what are you doing?"
It was Granny Han, her face livid with rage. She pointed a finger at Mo Guoqiang. "You call yourself a man? Why are you acting just like that demon Liu Fengying? Has Xiao Man done anything to provoke you? Just because she’s not your biological daughter, does that mean you have to be her mortal enemy? Why can’t you stand to see her have a moment of peace? You try to beat her every time you see her! Oh, so your own children are treasures, but someone else’s child deserves to be trampled underfoot? The two of you are just too evil! You hit her. You just try and hit her. I won’t even have to go to the brigade. I’ll report you directly to the commune’s armed forces department and the police station! You think I’m kidding?"
The Han Family were the family of a martyr, and Granny Han was the relative of a serviceman. Her son, Uncle Han, was an officer of some rank in the army. Never mind the commune, even the county officials had to show her some respect. If she said she’d do it, she definitely meant it.
Mo Guoqiang didn’t dare provoke Granny Han. He hastily tried to explain that he wasn’t going to hit Xiao Man, even waving the half-eaten pack of biscuits in his hand and saying he just wanted to give his daughter some sweets to eat and talk with her for a bit.
But Granny Han didn’t believe him. She cursed him a few more times, then took Xiao Man by the hand and personally walked her home!
Xiao Man: ...
A thousand words could only be condensed into one sentence: "Granny, I owe you so much. Thank you, I’m so grateful!"
「A few more days passed, and school finally started.」
Xiao Man had already packed her new school bag the day before. It was the grass-green satchel. She put her stationery and dictionary inside and slung it over her shoulder. She got up early in the morning to wash up, and Grandma had already fumbled her way through making congee. There were eggs in the house from Second Granny Qiu, which were supposed to be sold to the Sun Family in Wancheng, but Grandma had boiled two of them for her. Grandpa didn’t have to go to the reservoir starting today, so the two elders sat at the table with Xiao Man while she ate breakfast. They didn’t eat, saying they would have theirs slowly after they walked her to school.
Grandma held Xiao Man’s hand all the way to the courtyard gate, saying, "Study hard and make progress every day!"
Then she handed Xiao Man over to Grandpa, who would walk her to school. The grandfather and granddaughter had already walked quite a distance, but when they looked back, they could still see Grandma standing there, facing in their direction.
’They were making such a grand affair out of her going to elementary school. What would it be like when she went to university?’ The thought made Xiao Man chuckle. ’Would Grandpa and Grandma insist on coming along to be my study companions? Would that count as even more of a grand affair?’
