Chapter 11: Hurry and Pick Up the Leaks

At the same time, Liu Lao'er couldn't help but complain about Liu Meng.

This child, what kind of nonsense is she spouting?

If the brigade leader heard such feudal superstition, they would have their work points deducted!

However, on second thought, Liu Lao'er realized that Liu Meng had never been wrong before.

A flicker of pity emerged in his heart.

Wang Cuilan’s family already favored boys over girls. If they knew this baby girl was an evil spirit, they would probably drown her in a chamber pot the moment they got home, right?

But they were all from the same village; it wouldn't be right to just leave an evil spirit alone.

Liu Lao'er gave a hypocritical warning: "Sister-in-law Wang, why don't you go back and ask the old shaman in the neighboring Niujiatun to take a look at your little girl? I look at this child’s big, pitch-black eyes, and it gives me the creeps."

Wang Cuilan laughed in anger: "Liu Lao'er, if you don't want those eyeballs of yours, you can gouge them out."

"Mom, everyone is watching," Zhou Zhaodi said timidly, "please don't argue."

"Move aside, you useless thing." Wang Cuilan shoved her, causing her to stumble, then pulled back the swaddling clothes to reveal Lin Xiangrong’s round, adorable face for everyone to see.

"Look, everyone, how chubby and cute our precious granddaughter is."

The surrounding people took a look; she was indeed a jade-like, fair, chubby, and blessed baby girl.

How could such a girl be an evil spirit?!

Wang Cuilan rolled her eyes at Liu Meng and grabbed Liu Lao'er, forcing Liu Meng’s face into view: "This little money-loser, skinny and sallow-faced, yet she has the nerve to call my precious granddaughter an evil spirit."

"Pah!"

She spat a thick glob of phlegm onto Liu Meng’s face: "People shouldn't talk nonsense. Auntie Wang is teaching you a lesson today."

Liu Meng let out a shriek, and as she opened her mouth, the phlegm nearly slid right in.

"Whoa!" Sister-in-law Cui hadn't expected Wang Cuilan to be so vicious, spitting a thick, yellow glob of phlegm onto a child's face.

And she did it for a girl, no less!

Wasn't she the one who favored boys the most?!

"Auntie Wang!" Liu Lao'er stepped back two paces and hurriedly wiped Liu Meng’s face with his dirty sleeve. Seeing her gagging in disgust, he shouted indignantly: "What are you doing?"

"Mengmeng is just a child, what does she know about what can and can't be said?"

"Besides, my Mengmeng is a lucky star. Can the words of a lucky star be false?!"

"Whose lucky star has such a poisonous mouth?" Wang Cuilan raised her hand, pretending to strike Liu Lao'er, making him shrink back in fear.

She smiled triumphantly: "Hurry up and take your little disaster back to wherever you came from!"

Embarrassed, Liu Lao'er ignored Liu Meng’s protests and turned to head home.

"What are you looking at?"

"Is there anything worth seeing?!"

Wang Cuilan handed Lin Xiangrong to Zhou Zhaodi, turned around, put one hand on her hip, and pointed at the group of women, scolding them: "Don't you have work to do at home? Don't you need to feed the pigs and chickens or serve your men?"

"Go on, go on, all of you, go back to where you came from!"

Seeing this, Sister-in-law Cui didn't even dare to mention the child bride, and she scurried away with her hands tucked into her sleeves.

The group of women nearby were also surprised by Wang Cuilan’s sudden change in attitude regarding her preference for boys. They muttered to themselves as they walked away, legs clamped tight, fearing that the sharp-tongued Wang Cuilan would grab them for a scolding.

[Grandma, Grandma!]

Lin Xiangrong’s eyes lit up.

There’s no profit in waking up early.

Liu Lao'er wouldn't take Liu Meng out for no reason.

The only time they went out early was to pick ginseng and take the village secretary’s grandson to the clinic.

Now, Liu Meng and Liu Lao'er had been driven away by Wang Cuilan’s scolding by sheer coincidence.

They could swoop in and take the opportunity!

[Go to the back mountain, hurry to the back mountain!]

Lin Xiangrong grew excited, making "ah-ah" sounds and waving her lotus-root-like arms.

[There is ginseng in the back mountain!]

[We can pick it and sell it; it can sell for a lot of money!]

[This is our chance to scavenge! In the past, the Liu family picked ginseng, sold it, and used the money to build several rooms, and they even snatched the Second Uncle’s job position!]

Thinking of the plot, she felt the Lin family was truly miserable.

After Lin Yuandong became lame, his job position was taken by Liu Lao'er.

The second son, Lin Yuanxi, had been blinded in one eye while up in the mountains years ago. It took a lot of effort and a heavy dowry to even find a wife.

Not only did they only have two girls after all these years, but his job position was also secretly snatched by the Liu family during a personnel reshuffle.

Without two laborers to earn work points, the family had to rely on farm work and nearly starved for several years.

The third son, Lin Yuannan, was a bit clever and slick. Relying on the fact that he had attended school for a few years and had a silver tongue, he managed to get a minor job and started acting high and mighty at home.

But it didn't last long; Liu Meng secretly schemed against him and sent him straight to the police station.

The younger sister and younger brother in town didn't fare well either; once Liu Meng moved to town, she caught them and either ruined their reputations or framed them for theft, getting them locked up.

Only the cannon-fodder female supporting character fought against Liu Meng from beginning to end and rarely suffered losses.

However, in the end, with the backing of a jewelry tycoon and the male lead, Liu Meng still defeated her.

Now that there was a chance to scavenge, Lin Xiangrong wished she could grow legs and personally take the village secretary’s grandson to the clinic herself.

[It’s tragic, really. Second Uncle was already blind in one eye, and it was hard enough for him to get a job. If he grabs this opportunity, maybe he won't have his position snatched by the Liu family.]

What?!

Wang Cuilan and Zhou Zhaodi stopped in their tracks.

They pondered these words in their hearts.

Suddenly, they were both anxious.

The family couldn't afford to lose a laborer!

Farming and working in the factory were worlds apart!

Work points were incredibly useful.

What was the use of farming?

The little money earned from that wasn't even enough to eat.

If they couldn't even pull out a grain ration coupon, wouldn't the whole family have to tighten their belts to survive?

"Third daughter-in-law, come with me to the mountain."

Wang Cuilan’s eyes darted around: "Mom suddenly remembered there’s a place on the mountain where we can find wild rabbits. Let’s go take a look; if there are any, we’ll have made a profit!"

"Mom... Dafu, Erfu, and Sanfu haven't gone back yet. How about I send them home first and then come back?" Zhou Zhaodi wanted to go, but she was worried about her sons getting lost.

Kidnappers were even coming into the village now.

What if Sanfu got snatched?

Wang Cuilan thought that made sense.

Just as she was feeling troubled, she spotted Lin Yuanxi coming over.

"Second brother!"

Lin Yuanxi looked up with his left eye: "Mom, Third sister-in-law, are you done naming her?"

"Yes, come with Mom to the mountain, there’s something good there."

Wang Cuilan momentarily ignored Zhou Zhaodi’s reaction.

But Zhou Zhaodi was observant.

She carefully glanced at Wang Cuilan.

Why did it feel like her mother-in-law could hear what the little girl was thinking?

She pulled back the swaddling clothes and poked Lin Xiangrong’s little face with her finger.

"Little one, are you hungry?"

[Not hungry, not hungry.]

Zhou Zhaodi pursed her lips and smiled: "Good, as long as you're not hungry."

"No, I can't call you 'little one' anymore, I have to call you Xiangrong. That’s a good name!" A gentle smile appeared on her honest, simple face, and Zhou Zhaodi’s heart melted at her daughter’s smile.

"Alright."

"Sister-in-law, are you taking the little one back?"

Second brother Lin Yuanxi wore an eye patch, revealing only his left eye, which looked as if it were covered by a thin film.

His right eye was completely ruined and was usually covered.

"No."

Wang Cuilan refused quickly: "Xiangrong is coming with us."

"Mom, is that a good idea? How old is Xiangrong? What if you drop her?" Lin Yuanxi was stunned. Why take a nursing baby up the mountain?

"Nothing will happen, Xiangrong is blessed!"

That was different.

All these good things were told to them by their precious granddaughter who came to repay their kindness.

If it weren't for their precious granddaughter, they wouldn't even know where the ginseng was.

Wang Cuilan urged Zhou Zhaodi to go back, grabbed Lin Yuanxi by the ear, and dragged him toward the back mountain.