Chapter 44 : The Kind Reminders from the Aunts

It was almost time to get off work. Li Hongying looked at Yun Siying, who was still resting, and called out, “Comrade Yun, I have to go home and make lunch. Want to come with me?”

Yun Siying, who had been practicing her supernatural abilities, immediately stopped, smiled, and replied, “Yes, Aunt.” She quickly stood up, said a few words to Lin Zikang, and then walked off with Li Hongying and Wang Yunfeng. Not long after they had walked, they heard Li Hongying’s loud voice. “Cuifen, Lianzhi, go home and start cooking!”

Yun Siying looked surprised at Auntie’s voice was really loud but she still stood there waiting with the others. Then she took out a handful of five-spice melon seeds from her bag and handed some to each of them. “Aunties, have some melon seeds.”

The two aunts accepted the seeds and tasted one. Li Hongying smiled and said, “Comrade Yun, just call me Aunt Hongying! Thank you for the melon seeds, they’re so fragrant. This is the first time I’ve ever had such delicious ones.”

“Okay, Aunt Hongying, and you can just call me Siying.” Yun Siying knew the value of blending into her environment and was eager to integrate with the villagers. These two aunts were the best place to start, she clearly remembered how they had stood up for her on her first day at the Li household.

“That’s great! I’ll call you Siying too. You can call me Aunt Yunfeng,” Wang Yunfeng chimed in warmly, and the other two also introduced themselves to Yun Siying.

A short while later, two other aunts came out from another part of the wasteland. Seeing Yun Siying walking with the two older women, they looked surprised. Cuifen asked, “Hongying, is this Comrade Yun?”

“Hello, Aunties. Just call me Siying. Here, have some melon seeds and give them a try,” Yun Siying greeted them with a smile. She didn’t mind the dirt on their hands and handed each of them a handful of seeds.

The two were a bit flattered by the gesture but still introduced themselves. They hadn’t met such a friendly educated youth before. Though surprised, they accepted the melon seeds. Lianzhi, full of curiosity, asked, “Siying, I heard you took the initiative to cut ties with the Shu family in Jing City. Why?”

The other three women all turned to look at Yun Siying with shock and curiosity in their eyes. So many people longed to be associated with such a powerful family, why would Siying choose to sever ties? And she seemed like such a smart girl, too.

“It’s true, I made the decision myself…” Yun Siying went on to explain how, after returning to the Shu family, she had been slandered, framed, and oppressed by Shu Ruxue. She also talked about the Shu family’s indifferent attitude and lack of support.

“I didn’t expect Ruxue to be so scheming,” Wang Yunfeng said with a sigh.

“That’s because you judged her wrong before. With a mother like Xu Ziying, who’s clever and calculating, how could Ruxue be any less?” Hongying added, winking.

“Siying, it’s actually a good thing you’re not the biological daughter of the Li family. Otherwise, you would’ve suffered a lot,” Lianzhi said after staring at Yun Siying for a moment.

“Aunt Lianzhi, is there some story behind that?” Yun Siying asked with interest, her eyes sparkling, looking at her with an eager expression that said, “Come on, tell me!”

“Your Aunt Lianzhi is right,” Li Hongying replied. “Ruxue used to be the family’s workhorse. When she was young, she did almost all the chores. As she got older, she still had to do housework and work in the fields after graduating from junior high. She used to be scrawny and pale, but look at her now all plump and fair. Life in the big city sure does people good.”

“Auntie, I saw Li Yanyan and Li Minglang yesterday. They both looked well taken care of. Their parents don’t seem like the type who would favor sons over daughters,” Yun Siying said thoughtfully.

“The other three kids are truly treasured by that couple. They’ve never done a day’s work since they were little. Li Mingqiang has been in the army for years. Li Yanyan is still in high school at most, she helps with cooking at home, but she’s never worked in the fields. Li Minglang isn’t much of a student. He dropped out a long time ago and has never gone to the fields to earn work points. He just hangs around with the village riffraff all day,” Cuifen added.

“Tsk, do you think Xu Ziying might’ve deliberately switched the babies because she saw the other family had better conditions?” Hongying whispered into her ear like she was sharing a big secret.

“Hongying, now that you mention it, that might really be true. Otherwise, why would the couple treat Shu Ruxue so differently even though she’s their child too?” Wang Yunfeng chimed in as if she had just realized something.

“Exactly. This time when Shu Ruxue came back, their attitude toward her was a lot warmer. I wonder what they’re planning?” Li Hongying asked curiously.

“What else could it be? I heard that Shu Ruxue brought a big sum 1,000 yuan with her when she came to the countryside this time. Unfortunately, it got stolen. But as long as her parents are alive, they’ll definitely keep sending her money. After all, they probably feel guilty for how they treated her all those years. Do you think that couple would let go of money that easily?”

“Siying, you’d better be careful. Everyone in the village knows you brought 2,000 yuan with you. That couple might already be eyeing it,” Lianzhi warned kindly, thinking of the rumors that had been going around.

“She’s right. Money stirs the heart. Don’t go out alone if you can help it. Times are hard these days, and there are some real schemers in this village,” Li Hongying added.

“Thank you, Aunties, I’ll be cautious. It seems Shu Ruxue doesn’t want to see me living a good life,” Yun Siying said, her expression darkening slightly, eyes turning pensive.

Cuifen spoke up, “Li Gang and his wife are very calculating, and Shu Ruxue is no better. Do you think they’d just let a pile of money slip through their fingers?”

“Shu Ruxue’s parents work in the same brigade as me. They already know about Siying, the golden phoenix, and they won’t let her go easily. Plus, their son can’t have children… Unless you find your biological parents, you won’t be able to shake off the connection to them. I wonder if there’s a way to confirm it, maybe through blood testing or something?”

“It’s said blood testing isn’t very accurate,” Lianzhi said.

“Siying, remember, don’t go anywhere alone. After today, a lot of people in the village will probably be watching you. It’s too easy to ruin a girl’s reputation these days,” Li Hongying warned.

“Thank you for your concern, Aunties. I’ll be careful,” Yun Siying replied seriously. She had read many period novels lately if someone wanted to destroy a girl’s reputation, there were only a handful of dirty tricks. They weren’t clever, but they were effective, and many people fell victim to them.

Soon, the group reached a fork in the road and went their separate ways. When Yun Siying arrived at the educated youth camp, Nangong Ruochen was already cooking.

The staple for the meal was steamed buns made with two-grain flour. They looked soft and fluffy, tempting anyone to take a bite. She couldn’t help but wonder what secret technique or recipe Nangong Ruochen used to make them taste so good.