Chapter 7: Aunt Was Taken by the Old Bachelor, Disgusting Neighbors

With her worries resolved, Ming Dai was in a great mood. As she passed by the state-owned restaurant, she thought about trying its food before leaving.

It was just noon, and the place hadn’t filled up yet.

The waiters inside stood arrogantly behind the counter, ignoring everyone.

Ming Dai glanced at the small blackboard menu and said, “Hello, comrade. I’d like a serving of braised pork, Four-Joy Meatballs, crispy fish, and sweet and sour ribs. Oh, and a bowl of rice as well.”

The waiter squinted at the plainly dressed little girl in front of him. “Do you even know where you are?”

Ming Dai looked innocent. What did I do wrong?!

Other customers joined in, jeering, “What kind of status do you have to order four meat dishes in one meal?!”

The waiter sneered as well. “Four dishes, huh? Sure, we can make them. But do you have the money and ration tickets?”

Ming Dai reached into her bag. “How much?”

“Six yuan and sixty cents, six liang of grain coupons, and two jin of meat coupons. Do you have that?”

Without saying a word, Ming Dai rummaged through her bag. A moment later, she placed a neat stack of cash and ration tickets onto the counter.

The waiter’s face darkened as he glanced at the beaming little girl, then reluctantly went to the kitchen to place the order.

Soon, the food arrived. The table was filled with fragrant meat dishes, making the people in line envious.

Ming Dai, however, ate without a care in the world.

Mmm! The braised pork smells amazing!

Mmm! The Four-Joy Meatballs are delicious!

Mmm! The crispy fish smells amazing!

Mmm! The sweet and sour ribs are delicious!

After trying each dish, her mouth still craved more, but her stomach was already full.

The portion sizes were simply too large, and she had ordered four dishes—there was no way she could finish them all.

Just as the onlookers were wondering what she would do, Ming Dai reached into her bag and pulled out a lunchbox.

She packed up the leftovers, wiped her mouth clean with a handkerchief, slung her bag over her shoulder, and walked out.

From that day on, a legend spread in the state-owned restaurant—about a girl who once ordered four meat dishes in a single meal.

After eating her fill, Ming Dai took a leisurely stroll back home.

Once she got back, she indulged in a nice afternoon nap.

The moment she woke up, loud banging on the door filled the air.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Annoyed, she changed back into her clothes and stepped out from her space.

Outside, Xing Cuiyun and Ming Yanhong were pounding on the door while cursing.

“Ming Dai! You rotten girl, open the door! You disrespectful little brat, are you hiding from me on purpose?! Open the door right now!”

She had heard from Wang Dahua next door that this girl had spent all the money left by Ming Changhe on preparing for her trip to the countryside.

How could that be allowed?!

That money was meant for her son’s bride price!

With an irritated expression from just waking up, Ming Dai yanked open the door—just in time for Xing Cuiyun’s kick to come flying toward her.

However, the woman lost control mid-kick and failed to stop herself, landing in a perfect front split on the doorstep.

Tsk, tsk, tsk… Aunt may be getting old, but her childhood martial arts skills are still intact!

“AHHHHH!!!!”

A scream, as if a pig were being slaughtered, echoed from Ming Dai’s house. The nosy neighbors who had been eavesdropping shrank back in fear.

They hadn’t expected Ming Dai to be this ruthless!

Seeing her mother in such agony, Ming Yanhong hurried to help her up.

Ming Dai, ever so discreetly, extended her foot and tripped her.

Ming Yanhong stumbled and fell—right on top of her mother.

“AHHHHHH!!!!”

An even more miserable wail rang out, sending another shiver down the spines of the onlookers.

“Who the hell is wailing like a funeral’s being held?!”

Old Bachelor Li Dakan, who had just finished his night shift and was trying to catch up on sleep, was rudely awakened. He cursed under his breath as he stomped over.

Ming Dai’s eyes lit up. She quickly waved him over.

“Uncle Li! Come help! My aunt did a split and can’t get up!”

Li Dakan took a good look—and sure enough, there she was, stuck in place.

Xing Cuilan wasn’t exactly a charming middle-aged beauty, but to Li Dakan—who lived in an era where even a glance at a pretty woman could get a man reported for harassment—she might as well have been Diao Chan or Xi Shi.

For a bachelor who hadn’t touched a woman in years, this was practically a gift from the heavens.

And if he didn’t take advantage of it… well, he’d be a damn fool!

Without hesitation, Li Dakan transformed into Helpful Uncle Li and rushed over eagerly.

“Oh dear, that was quite a fall! Don’t worry, my dear niece, Uncle Li will take your aunt to the hospital right away!”

With that, he bent down and scooped Xing Cuilan off the ground—legs still awkwardly split apart.

He literally carried her away.

Xing Cuilan wasn’t exactly light, yet he held her steadily. The only problem was… his hands weren’t exactly staying in the right places, and his body kept pressing against hers.

And so, amid Xing Cuilan’s wails and Ming Yanhong’s shocked expression, Li Dakan carried her out of the courtyard—sparking a wave of laughter and gossip among the neighbors.

Ming Dai watched them disappear into the distance before casually reminding the stunned Ming Yanhong, “Aunt is going to the hospital. Aren’t you going with her?”

That finally snapped Ming Yanhong out of her daze. She shot Ming Dai a fierce glare but had no time to settle the score. She quickly ran off after her mother.

If her mom really got carried through the streets like this, neither she nor her brother would ever be able to get married again—and their mother wouldn’t be able to show her face in public!

With the commotion dying down, the neighbors gathered at the entrance, pointing, whispering, and occasionally bursting into laughter.

No one cared about Xing Cuilan’s dignity—what really mattered was that Li Dakan had gotten a rare opportunity to touch a woman.

Even if she was an older woman, for an old bachelor like him, it was still a win.

As the conversation drifted, someone eventually turned the topic back to Ming Dai.

Wang Dahua’s eyes darted around, scheming, as she watched Ming Dai about to close the door. With a quick step, she wedged herself inside.

“Ming Dai, dear, you’re about to leave for the countryside, right? Everything in your house is going to sit unused for a long time. How about letting Auntie Wang borrow some of it? You know how hard things are for my family—we barely have anything!”

As soon as she finished speaking, Wang Dahua tried to shove Ming Dai aside and force her way in.

The other neighbors in the courtyard eagerly watched the scene unfold. They were just waiting for Wang Dahua to push Ming Dai aside—then they’d all rush in and empty the house.

After all, she was just a lone orphan. Her only relatives, her uncle’s family, didn’t even care about her. If they took her things, so what?

Ming Dai sneered inwardly but remained calm. She simply pressed her fingers lightly on one of Wang Dahua’s pressure points.

“AHHHH!!! MURDER! SHE’S KILLING ME! THIS LITTLE WRETCH IS KILLING ME!!!”

Wang Dahua’s screams echoed through the courtyard like a pig being slaughtered.

She was so loud that even the onlookers flinched and backed away in fear.

Some of the more enthusiastic troublemakers even ran off to call the neighborhood committee.

Hearing his wife’s desperate cries, Wang Dahua’s husband stormed out of their house, raising his hand to slap Ming Dai.

“You little brat! How dare you bully my wife?!”

Ming Dai twisted Wang Dahua’s arm slightly and took a small step back.

SMACK!

A loud slap rang out.

Wang Dahua’s face took the full force of the hit, instantly swelling up. Her vision blurred, and she saw stars as she stared at her husband in shock before collapsing onto the ground.

Her husband’s face darkened as he glared at Ming Dai, ready to charge at her.

Just then, the neighborhood committee arrived, and the crowd quickly parted to make way.

Wang Dahua’s husband could only glare fiercely at Ming Dai before reluctantly stepping back.

As luck would have it, one of the committee members was someone Ming Dai recognized—the old lady who had once mistaken her for trying to drown herself and had sent her home.

Ming Dai stood quietly, eyes downcast, and wiped at her tears without saying a word.

Meanwhile, Wang Dahua continued wailing dramatically from the ground.

“Ohhh, Leader! You must seek justice for me! This little wretch tried to kill me!”

The middle-aged man leading the committee frowned as he examined the large handprint on her face.

“She hit you?” he asked.

Though it was phrased as a question, anyone with eyes could see that the size of the handprint didn’t match the girl’s small hands at all.

Wang Dahua groaned in pain. “She hit my arm! I think she broke it!”

As she spoke, she pulled up the sleeve of her thick cotton-padded jacket.

The crowd leaned in for a better look.

Well, well, well… That’s one thick layer of dead skin!

The leader took one look at Wang Dahua’s arm—aside from being covered in dust, there wasn’t a single sign of injury. His expression darkened with anger.

“Nonsense!” he snapped.

Wang Dahua finally looked at her own arm and, in disbelief, rubbed it. Then she scrubbed at it harder—only to roll off several little dirt pellets, making the onlookers wrinkle their noses in disgust.

She felt wronged. Just moments ago, it had truly felt like her arm was about to break. How could there be no pain at all?!

Meanwhile, Ming Dai wiped at her eyes at just the right moment. Her reddened eyes and delicate, pitiful appearance made her seem like a helpless girl who had been bullied beyond measure.

Wang Dahua, still on the ground, suddenly flipped herself over like a turtle and lunged at Ming Dai.

“It was you! You little wretch, what kind of witchcraft did you use?! I felt my arm breaking—how could there be no wound?!”

Just then, the elderly woman with the red armband took the opportunity to explain Ming Dai’s situation to the middle-aged leader.

On one side was a frail, orphaned 14-year-old girl being forcibly sent to the countryside.

On the other side was a filthy, shameless woman who threw tantrums and, clearly, didn’t even bathe regularly.

It was obvious which way the scales would tip.

“Spreading superstitious nonsense!” the leader barked. “Take her away!”

The young guards behind him immediately stepped forward and, ignoring Wang Dahua’s struggles, dragged her off.

The courtyard fell into dead silence.

No one dared to plead for her—not even her own husband.

Without another glance at the commotion outside, Ming Dai promptly shut her door, uninterested in watching the farce unfold any further.