Chapter 343: Chapter 343: Here Again, As Expected
Raina slaughtered the four remaining rabbits that afternoon. Tang Xiaonan gave one to the Hawthorne family and kept the other three. The rabbits were more bone than meat; they hadn’t been raised long enough.
Raina had been so worried these past two days that she couldn’t even enjoy the taste of meat. It was all because Comrade Yang hadn’t shown up again. In her foul mood, Raina had chewed out Phoebe Thorne several more times. Tang Xiaonan felt terrible about it; her aunt was taking the heat for her.
Phoebe Thorne, however, was completely unfazed. Having grown up with Raina’s constant scolding, she had long since developed a thick skin. The words went in one ear and out the other, never lingering past the day. Besides, Raina, just like Phoebe Huxley, had a sharp tongue but a soft heart. She might yell in the morning, but by noon, she’d be making Phoebe Thorne’s favorite dishes. Phoebe Thorne knew her mother’s temperament well, so she never talked back when Raina was angry. Her mother would eventually get tired of scolding and stop.
Tang Xiaonan had started to think her guess was wrong, but at noon on the fourth day, Comrade Yang entered the village without a sound. She was alone, riding her bike furtively, and hadn’t even notified the village chief. Every household was having lunch, the Thornes included. They were eating fragrant, savory braised rabbit that went perfectly with rice, while a small mongrel happily gnawed on a bone under the table.
They had gotten the dog from Phoebe Huxley’s mother’s home two days prior. He was a chubby, roly-poly little yellow dog, nearly two months old—a genuine Chinese rural dog. Tang Xiaonan had picked him out herself. For her and the little yellow pup, it was love at first sight.
The puppy had a great appetite and was a voracious bone-chewer, gobbling up anything he was given. After just a few days at his new home, he had already gotten much rounder. Tang Xiaonan named him "Dollar." There’s a saying that a dog brings wealth, so a name like Dollar would surely attract more dollars. What could be better?
WOOF WOOF WOOF...
Little Dollar’s ears suddenly shot up. He arched his back and barked at the front gate. Standing at the entrance was Comrade Yang, who had come to launch a surprise inspection.
Raina went out to look, still holding her rice bowl. When she saw who it was, she suddenly felt a sense of relief. The rabbit meat in her mouth even seemed to taste better. ’Good, she’s here,’ she thought. ’The rabbits weren’t slaughtered for nothing.’
"Someone reported us again? Which rotten bastard has nothing better to do than watch my family all day? What did they report us for this time? Come on in, come on in! The whole family’s here. Look wherever you want, upstairs and down!"
Comrade Yang frowned. ’Did they move them again?’
’But no one knew I was coming this time, not even my team leader,’ she mused. ’This family can’t possibly be clairvoyant, can they?’
’Then again, it could just be a bluff.’ Comrade Yang searched the house thoroughly but found nothing. All she saw was a large pot of meat on the table. It didn’t look like pork; it looked more like rabbit. ’So they actually butchered the rabbits.’
"What kind of meat is that?" Comrade Yang asked coldly.
"Rabbit. It’s not against the law to catch rabbits in the mountains, is it?" Raina shot back.
Jim Thorne added sarcastically, "If we can’t even eat mountain rabbits, you might as well just seal off the whole mountain. Then we won’t have any firewood to burn, and the entire village can just live on air."
Comrade Yang clenched her jaw, her expression turning ugly. She had caught plenty of troublemakers who violated rules and regulations, but this family was the most difficult she’d ever dealt with. To make matters worse, they were classified as poor peasants, so no matter how furious she got, there was nothing she could do to them.
"Don’t let me catch you next time!"
Comrade Yang left in a huff. She had rushed over without even eating lunch, only to come up empty-handed. It was infuriating. She mentally added the Thorne family to her blacklist. ’I’ll be back to check on them from time to time,’ she vowed. ’The moment I catch them making a single mistake, hmph, I’ll make sure none of them has an easy day again.’
"Take your time on your way out! No need to see you off! Next time, give us a heads-up before you come, don’t want my dog biting you. I can’t afford the medical bills!"
Raina shouted after her as she ran out. Comrade Yang had just gotten on her bike, and Raina’s words made her so angry she lost her balance and nearly fell. After struggling for a moment to steady herself, she slowly rode away.
