Su Xiaotian no longer worried about Su Manxiu's life and death, and was extremely happy. Her steps were even more vigorous as she climbed the mountain.
"Xiaotian, you seem particularly happy today?" Chi Yiyuan said with a light smile, looking at the lively little girl.
"Of course I'm very happy," Su Xiaotian said with a proud smile.
Little Jiu chuckled, "I wonder what she's so happy about all day!"
He himself didn't feel there was anything to be happy about, so why was Xiaotian constantly smiling?
"I'm happy that we might find a rabbit today!" Su Xiaotian said casually.
The Su brothers agreed that it was very possible, but Chi Yiyuan thought it was unlikely.
Rabbits were fast runners, and ordinary people couldn't catch them. How could a little girl like Su Xiaotian possibly find one?
Unless the mountains were teeming with wild rabbits, then maybe.
"Xiaotian, it's broad daylight, stop dreaming!"
But just as Chi Yiyuan finished speaking, he suddenly saw a rabbit running rapidly not far ahead. It then crashed headfirst into a large tree and fainted.
What was going on?
Chi Yiyuan felt he must be seeing things. This was impossible no matter how he thought about it.
"Waiting for a rabbit by a stump" was a story, not a real event!
But he blinked his handsome eyes again and again, and the rabbit was still lying at the foot of the big tree.
Oh, no, it was already in Little Jiu's hands.
"This rabbit is so big and heavy, I can barely lift it. Second brother, second brother!"
Little Jiu's cheerful voice echoed through the woods.
Su Xiaotian was also stunned. She had just said it casually, so how could she have actually found one?
"Xiaotian, you must be careful not to say too much in front of outsiders from now on," Chi Yiyuan said, finally calming down, and immediately reminded Su Xiaotian.
If others saw this, wouldn't they capture her?
"Little Jiu, keep your voice down. What if someone hears you?" Su Ciliang also quickly stopped Little Jiu from shouting.
Why were they so ignorant? It wasn't the first time they had found a rabbit.
Su Xiaotian regretted not saying that they might find a wild sheep earlier.
The rabbit was too small!
Should she try again later to see if she could find a sheep?
If Chi Yiyuan knew what Su Xiaotian was thinking, he would probably lose his balance.
Fortunately, such thoughts only flashed through Su Xiaotian's mind.
"Let's hurry and gather a bit more pig fodder before we go back," Su Ciliang instructed his brothers to act immediately.
Chi Yiyuan was not to be outdone, and began to work with his small shovel.
Su Xiaotian didn't need to cut pig fodder and searched around instead.
As the weather grew colder, mushrooms became scarcer, and wild fruits on the mountain also gradually decreased.
Even Su Xiaotian found fewer and fewer things to search for each day.
Her search area grew larger and larger, and she soon distanced herself from the others.
Suddenly, she tripped over something.
She crouched down curiously to look, but touched a sharp corner.
Su Xiaotian carefully dug away some of the soil next to it.
It turned out to be the corner of a box, and it was a copper-bound box.
She was startled. How could such a thing appear on the mountain?
After quickly glancing around and seeing that no one was paying attention to her, Su Xiaotian carefully covered the soil back, disguised it, and then retreated.
She thought carefully if someone had found something on the mountain in her previous life.
After all, the box was about to be exposed. Today, she found it by chance. If she hadn't, she believed that soon someone going up the mountain would discover it inadvertently.
After much deliberation, Su Xiaotian found that there seemed to be no changes in the families in the brigade.
If there was any change, it should be in Second Uncle Su Shan's family.
About seven or eight years later, with the reform and opening up, Second Uncle Su Shan's family's life suddenly improved.
Now that she thought about it, no one in Second Uncle's family was engaged in business or small trades, so how did they suddenly get better?
Their family first built a large tiled house, and then renovated it again, building two-story houses for both Jinbao and Yinbao.
It was a pity that both Jinbao and Yinbao were useless and even learned to gamble. In the end, both two-story houses changed hands.
This matter seemed rather peculiar!
Su Xiaotian decided to discuss it with her grandmother when she got home.
***
Xiangyang Brigade.
Old Mrs. Wang was sitting in her yard, pounding soybeans with a mallet.
A young媳妇 (daughter-in-law) stood outside the fence and called out, "Aunt Wang!"
"Dahe's wife, what is it?" Old Mrs. Wang looked up and asked.
"Auntie Wang, have you heard? Manxiu has gone to work in the county town. I heard she's a temporary worker, with wages and coupons!"
Dahe's wife was a young媳妇, and when she said this to Old Mrs. Wang, there was clearly a hint of schadenfreude.
Not everyone in Xiangyang Brigade was foolish. Many people were watching the old Wang family's jokes.
They had abandoned a good wife and instead sought out a young widow who was promiscuous. They would have to suffer for it.
Old Mrs. Wang glared at Dahe's wife, very displeased.
"Are you lying? That person who can't even utter a fart with three kicks, can actually be a temporary worker? If she can be a temporary worker, then I can be a formal worker!"
Old Mrs. Wang cursed. She saw through Su Manxiu completely and despised her from the bottom of her heart.
"It's true. My sister-in-law is married to Hongxin Brigade, and people there are talking about it."
"Don't try to fool me, I don't believe it." Old Mrs. Wang thought about it and still felt it was impossible.
"Anyway, Su Manxiu is in the county town now. If you don't believe me, go and ask."
After Dahe's wife finished speaking, she left on her own, leaving a confused Old Mrs. Wang.
Hmph, let that old woman regret it!
After a moment of stunned silence, Old Mrs. Wang reacted.
When the wind rises from the flat ground, there must be a reason.
She suddenly slapped her thigh and said, "Oh, if this is true, it would be a great loss. No, I have to go and see!"
As she stood up, before she could even shake off the soybean dregs on her body, she saw several of her sons coming out of the house.
"Didn't you all say you were uncomfortable, why are you out?" Old Mrs. Wang looked at her sons and said irritably.
Wang Laoda (Eldest son Wang) approached Old Mrs. Wang with a smile and said, "It's just a cramp, I'll be fine after resting for a while."
Old Mrs. Wang snorted coldly and cursed, "A bunch of lazy good-for-nothings, you don't even know how to do the chores at home."
Despite the scolding, there was no anger in her eyes.
Sons were not daughters-in-law; if they didn't work, they didn't work.
Old Mrs. Wang turned and walked towards the outer gate.
"Mother, if the second son's wife really becomes a temporary worker, you must get it back. That belongs to our old Wang family," Wang Laoda quickly reminded his mother.
Old Mrs. Wang gave him a sideways glance and said, "Don't I know that?"
"Mother, if this quota is taken back, give it to our Dalengzi. Dalengzi is seventeen this year. If he can become a temporary worker, maybe he can even find a wife from the city," Wang Laoda continued.
His Dalengzi was getting old and it was time for him to get married. Having a job or not having a job made a difference.
"Big brother, that's not right. Why should it go to Dalengzi?"
The one speaking was Wang Laosan (Third son Wang).
He strongly agreed with getting the temporary worker quota back, but he had an opinion about giving it to Laoda's Dalengzi.
Wang Laoda glared at his third brother and said, "If not Dalengzi, then who else? Your Dazhu is only a few years old. Even if you give it to him, he can't do it!"
"Big brother, you can give it to me. I'm twenty-four this year, which is just right!" Wang Laosi (Fourth son Wang) also ran out and vied for it, unwilling to be left behind.
"You're already twenty-four and married. Why are you competing with your nephew for this quota? Have you no shame?" Wang Laoda adopted the posture of an elder brother and said.
"I, as an uncle, am still unemployed. Why should it go to a young brat?"
Old Mrs. Wang watched her sons start arguing and cursed, "It's not even grown yet, and you're all fighting over it. Stay home and work. I'll go to Hongxin Brigade to inquire first."
After scolding, she didn't care if her sons would fight at home and went straight out the door to Hongxin Brigade.
As Old Mrs. Wang walked, she kept cursing Su Manxiu, that little slut. How dare she take the temporary worker quota with her? This belonged to their old Wang family. Let's see if she wouldn't tear her apart.
Hongxin Brigade.
After finally finishing the autumn harvest, most of the work in the brigade was done. In theory, they would soon enter the winter hibernation.
But Su Changjiu, the brigade leader, couldn't stay idle.
He squatted in the corner of his yard, smoking one homemade cigarette after another, but he was still upset!
Kang Yiye, that woman, had actually returned!
The peaceful life their brigade had finally achieved was about to be disrupted again!
That woman was sent for labor reform on charges of promiscuity.
He originally thought that no matter what, this woman would never return to Hongxin Brigade.
Who knew that with a word from the commune, she was back!
Su Changjiu didn't want her, but Director Qian's words that she was originally a sent-down youth of Hongxin Brigade and would definitely return to Hongxin Brigade after re-education blocked him.
Director Qian also said that Comrade Kang Yiye's ideology had regressed, and it was his fault as the brigade leader for not properly re-educating the sent-down youths.
He wanted to curse at that moment. They were all sent-down youths, so why were others fine, but Kang Yiye had problems?
It could be seen that it was Kang Yiye's own problem, not his problem.
After thinking about it, Su Changjiu decided to go and have a chat with the Su family.
This matter, in a way, was not entirely unrelated to the old Su family. Perhaps when Kang Yiye returned, she would target the old Su family first.
"Kang Yiye is coming back?" Liang Xiu exclaimed.
"Yes, this woman, I don't know how she managed it, but she insisted on coming to our Hongxin Brigade," the brigade leader said, smoking his rolled cigarette.
"Let her come back. We'll live our own lives. We just need to stay away from such a woman!" Grandma Su said calmly, sewing shoe soles and speaking faintly.
Since she couldn't change it, she had to accept it. What else could she do?
"Auntie, I'm just worried that she'll come back and cause trouble again?" the brigade leader said with a wry smile.
Regarding that incident back then, he had thought about it countless times and felt that Kang Yiye wouldn't be so blind as to fall for a bald guy.
Kang Yiye's actions by the river were definitely premeditated. After much thought, he felt it was because of Su Laosan.
Su Laosan's appearance and physique were indeed quite good, considered one of the best in the entire Hongxin Brigade.
Kang Yiye must have taken a liking to Su Laosan, which was why she ran to the river.
As for getting into the bald guy's arms, that was purely a coincidence.
Don't ask him why he thought so. He just felt that way, without any reason.
It had to be said that Comrade Su Changjiu, who was good at making up stories, had a pretty sharp mind, but his imagination was only a few steps away from the truth.
"What trouble or no trouble, you are the brigade leader, can't you manage a few commune members? Sent-down youths who come to our brigade also have to listen to the brigade leader," Grandma Su said with a smile.
Su Changjiu, as the brigade leader, was good in all aspects, except that his personality was a bit too soft.
Su Changjiu sighed. Before he could speak, he heard Su Taohua's loud voice from outside, as fierce as ever.
"Pah! You dare to come to our brigade? Aren't you afraid our brigade members will break your dog legs!"
"Who is Taohua scolding?" Grandma Su asked.
"I don't know. It shouldn't be anyone from our brigade," Su Changjiu said, standing up. "I'll go out and take a look. Taohua's personality is too fierce!"
After saying this, Su Changjiu looked meaningfully at Grandma Su. One should know that Grandma Su had become more mellow in recent years, but in the early years, her personality was no different from Su Taohua's.
"I think it's good to be a bit fierce. Otherwise, how could Accountant Li be so tightly controlled?" Grandma Su actually agreed with Su Taohua.
Having lived for most of her life, she could see that Accountant Li was a man with ulterior motives, and it was fortunate that Su Taohua was so formidable.
Su Changjiu muttered, they weren't biological, how could they be so similar?
However, Grandma Su didn't hear this.
As they were talking, before they could walk out the door, they heard the gate ring.
When they opened the door, it was Old Mrs. Wang.
The smile on Grandma Su's face instantly disappeared!
Old Mrs. Wang, with a smile on her face, said to Grandma Su, "In-laws, are you home?"
Her attitude was so affectionate that anyone who didn't know would think the two families were very close.
"Don't even think about it. Our old Su family doesn't have relatives like you. The Liu family is your Wang family's in-laws."
Grandma Su held the half-sewn shoe sole in her hand, grinding her teeth in hatred, almost wanting to slap Old Mrs. Wang's face with the shoe sole.
This shameless woman dared to come to her doorstep. Was she thinking that the old Su family had no one left?
"In-laws, I just came to see Manxiu. After all, she was our daughter-in-law for so many years, I do feel sorry for her!"
Old Mrs. Wang said with a sheepish smile. She had already inquired and confirmed that Su Manxiu was indeed in the county town, and she heard that she had become a temporary worker.
Only then did she visit the old Su family. Today, no matter what, she had to get an explanation.
Whether Su Manxiu returned or not was not important. What was important was to get the temporary worker quota back.
She was dreaming of good things and forced her way into the Su family's gate.
"Pah! You old Wang woman, how can you say that? Are you feeling guilty? What have you done to my child? You dare to say you care about her? I care about you so much, do you want it?"
Grandma Su was almost angered to death by these words, and almost slapped Old Mrs. Wang's two-faced cheek.
"What are you talking about? Isn't it that the daughter-in-law becomes the mother-in-law in every family? I did it for Manxiu's own good!"
When Su Xiaotian returned from the mountain, she saw exactly this scene.