Chapter 7

“Xiaoxiao, it’s me!”

The voice was familiar, but Ye Xiaoxiao couldn’t recognize it for a moment. She struggled desperately.

Besides, she had transmigrated into the book, and she didn’t have the original owner’s memories.

Even if it was someone she knew, she wouldn’t recognize them.

“Woo, woo, woo, let me go.”

Ye Xiaoxiao stepped on the person’s foot, making them loosen their grip.

“I… ouch ouch ouch, Xiaoxiao, what are you doing? I waited for you in the county for several days, and when I didn’t see you, I came to look for you… I finally found you, and you’re hitting me…”

The voice was full of grievance.

Ye Xiaoxiao, “Who are you?!”

Shadow, “It’s Duan Lei!”

Ye Xiaoxiao: “…”

Oh… the original owner’s little sidekick.

Duan Lei was also a child from the big courtyard in Beijing. His parents’ military ranks were higher than Hao’s father, making him a little bully in the courtyard.

This time, Ye Xiaoxiao insisted on coming to Baishi Village, and Duan Lei, worried, followed her.

But when they reached the city, Ye Xiaoxiao wouldn’t let him go with her. She just told him to wait for her there.

In the original book, after Ye Xiaoxiao left Baishi Village, she would return to Beijing with Duan Lei.

Hao’s parents welcomed her back and promised to treat her and Hao Yan Yan equally. But as time went on, Hao Yan Yan became more and more outstanding, and Ye Xiaoxiao kept making mistakes, so the scales naturally tipped.

Duan Lei was the one who stood by her side when everyone else abandoned the original owner.

But he ended up very badly. Because he opposed the male and female leads, he committed a crime and fled to the mountains, where he was eventually bitten to death by a wild animal.

When they found him, his body was incomplete.

Knowing his identity, Ye Xiaoxiao calmed down.

“Didn’t I tell you to wait for me in the county? How did you find this place?”

“I’ve been waiting for you for four or five days. If you didn’t come back, I was going to contact the local police to find you in that broken village!” Duan Lei’s tone was very bad.

Ye Xiaoxiao, “I’m fine.”

Duan Lei, “When are we going home? I can’t stand this broken place for a single day. How can there be such a poor place?”

Ye Xiaoxiao told the truth, “I think it’s pretty good. I’m not planning to go back.”

“What! What’s good about this broken place? It’s freezing cold inside the house, you have to walk for miles to buy things, and there are no restaurants everywhere, no department stores, nothing!”

Duan Lei didn’t expect to get this answer after enduring the cold and hardship for so long. He was instantly devastated.

“Calm down.”

Ye Xiaoxiao quickly covered his mouth. This loud voice, you’d think he was cursing in the street.

“How can I calm down… ugh… crap?”

Duan Lei was about to break free from Ye Xiaoxiao’s hand when a force pulled him from behind, causing him to stumble.

“You dare bully my sister!”

Ye Changyuan punched Duan Lei in the face.

“Crap… go to hell!” Duan Lei thought he was good at fighting and didn’t hear what the other person said, so he raised his hand to retaliate.

The two of them started fighting.

“Are you okay?” Ye Changsheng also ran over.

He and Ye Changyuan came back and saw someone holding Ye Xiaoxiao. They immediately thought he was a local thug.

“Stop fighting, you guys know each other!”

Ye Xiaoxiao couldn’t explain in time. She quickly stepped forward and separated them.

Duan Lei’s eye was already black and blue, and Ye Changyuan’s lip was split.

Both of them were panting heavily, neither of them willing to back down.

“Fourth brother, Brother Yuan, I know this guy, he’s my friend from Beijing.”

Ye Changyuan: “…”

Ye Changsheng and Ye Changyuan picked up the rice sack that had fallen to the ground. The four of them went into the courtyard.

Inside the house, although both of them had injuries on their faces, they couldn’t see clearly because there was only a kerosene lamp lit.

“What were you guys doing? Dinner is ready. You can’t take Xiaoxiao out running around like that.”

Miao Fengshan saw the extra child but didn’t ask any further questions. He thought he was a classmate of Ye Changsheng and Ye Changyuan.

Duan Lei’s expression became even more disgusted after entering the house.

He was also a little wronged. He didn’t understand why Ye Xiaoxiao would rather stay here than return to Beijing.

Look at this small, broken house, it doesn’t even have electric lights.

Ye Xiaoxiao went to help serve the food and warned Duan Lei, “We’ll talk after dinner!”

Duan Lei, “We’re still eating? It’s so dark in here, I can’t even find my mouth with chopsticks.”

Ye Xiaoxiao, “Then get out.”

Duan Lei: “…”

They had potatoes for dinner, with rabbit bone broth from yesterday. Although you couldn’t see the meat, it was very fragrant.

Only Duan Lei was very disgusted, “I’d rather starve to death than eat this kind of food.”

No one paid any attention to him. Even Miao Fengshan just smiled and looked at him.

After a while, Duan Lei picked up his bowl and took a bite of the dish.

Hmm… delicious!

After dinner, while Grandpa and the others were cleaning up the table, Ye Xiaoxiao called Duan Lei aside.

“I didn’t finish what I was saying before. Actually, I’m not not going back, I’m just waiting until next year to return to Beijing.”

“Why?”

Ye Xiaoxiao said resolutely, “I’m not Hao’s biological daughter. I’m ashamed to go back. Unless I can get into college, I’m also ashamed to see you guys. I’m afraid you’ll despise me.”

Duan Lei was a little anxious, “How could that be? We’re friends with you, not because of your family. No matter whose daughter you are, we’re still good friends.”

Ye Xiaoxiao thought to herself, not everyone is as simple-minded as you.

She put on a wronged look, “But I don’t dare to see Dad and Mom. I’ve decided to study hard and get into college in Beijing. Then I’ll go back and repay their kindness.”

Ye Xiaoxiao wanted to go to college, but she would definitely not apply to Beijing. She couldn’t wait to get away from that place of trouble.

But the priority was to keep Duan Lei calm, so she said that.

Duan Lei understood a little, but after thinking for a while, he still felt something was wrong, “Has anyone from this place ever gone to college? You only have half a year left. Without a teacher to guide you, are you sure you can get into college?”

Ye Xiaoxiao looked up, her eyes misty with tears, “So I’m relying on you. I hope you’ll go back to Beijing and study hard, and then send me study materials regularly. Then we can meet at the same university.”

Duan Lei suddenly felt a sense of responsibility.

“No problem, I’ll definitely help you!”

He completely forgot that he was a terrible student.

Ye Xiaoxiao was much moved and took the opportunity to make a request, “Then when you go back to Beijing, you must study hard. Don’t fight, and don’t go looking for trouble with Hao Yan Yan.”

This unlucky guy went astray because he offended the heroine. She had to set things right.

“Since you said so, I’ll let her off this time.”

Duan Lei originally planned to go back to Beijing and give Hao Yan Yan a good lesson. Who told her to steal Xiaoxiao’s parents? But now he didn’t have that idea anymore.

All he could think about was which teacher he should go to for study materials.

Xiaoxiao would be disappointed if she knew he wasn’t good at studying. He couldn’t let Xiaoxiao down!

Duan Lei stayed at Grandpa Miao’s house for one night. The next morning, he went to see Ye Xiaoxiao to say goodbye.

“Xiaoxiao, I have to go back to Beijing. I’ll send you the study materials you need as soon as I get to Beijing. Remember my phone number, call me if you need anything.”

“Will you stay for breakfast before you leave?”

“No, you don’t know, there’s only one early bus from here to the county. If I miss it, I’ll have to find another way to go back.”

Ye Xiaoxiao, “Okay then, remember to put some medicine on your face.”

After a night, the bruise on Duan Lei’s face was even worse.

His originally handsome features now looked a little comical.

“It’s fine… ouch…” Duan Lei wanted to touch his face, but as soon as he touched it, he felt a sharp pain. That bastard really hit hard. If it wasn’t for Xiaoxiao’s brother, he would… humph!

Seeing Ye Xiaoxiao’s concerned gaze, he felt that the pain was nothing.

Duan Lei took some money and coupons from his pocket, “Take this money. There’s not much left, I’ll mail you more when I get back to Beijing.”

“I don’t need it.”

“Don’t be polite with me. We’ve been friends since we were little. I can’t bear to see you starve here.”

Duan Lei stuffed the money into Ye Xiaoxiao’s hand without hesitation and turned to run away.

“I’ll take the money. Be careful on the road.”

Ye Xiaoxiao chased after him. She didn’t turn back until she saw Duan Lei’s figure disappear at the entrance of the alley.

Duan Lei was gone, and Ye Changsheng was better. She had to think about her plan to make money!