Chapter 153: Trouble at Home?

Mingcheng was physically in the classroom, but his mind was on the playground. It was his sister’s first time visiting, and he was worried that something might happen to Wang Qian, making it difficult for him to explain to his parents.

As soon as the teacher announced that they could go home, Mingcheng couldn’t wait to rush out of the classroom. When he reached the playground, he was surprised to see his little sister chatting with the school principal.

Wang Qian had also coincidentally encountered the female teacher on the playground. Seeing the teacher wandering around, she went over to chat with her. Her main intention was to understand the situation at the school and the quality of the teachers. She didn’t want to end up paying for an education only to have someone with an elementary school education teach them. She needed to consider whether she should join Mingyuan and the others.

Liu Sulan didn’t expect the young girl to ask such profound questions. It was the first time she had encountered a young girl asking about these matters.

“What’s your name? Are you a student at this school?”

Wang Qian looked up at the stern-looking teacher with glasses and said with a smile, “Teacher, my name is Wang Qian, and I haven’t started school yet. I’m just trying to get an early understanding of the overall strength of the school I’m going to attend.”

These words stunned Liu Sulan. This little girl was not simple at all. Based on what she said, she was very articulate and didn’t sound like a child at all.

Liu Sulan softened her attitude and asked, “Wang Qian, did you come here by yourself or with someone else?”

Wang Qian smiled and glanced at the much-improved teacher. “Teacher, I came with my brother and the others.”

She pointed back to Mingcheng’s classroom and was surprised to see her big brother running over.

“Teacher, that’s my big brother.”

Seeing the smile on Mingcheng’s face, Liu Sulan’s smile grew even wider.

“So, you’re Wang Mingcheng’s sister. No wonder. All of you siblings are good students. Welcome to our school in the future. I hope you achieve good results, just like your brother and the others.”

The teacher’s heart always goes out to good students.

“Hello, Principal.”

Mingcheng quickly saluted the female principal.

“Principal, is my sister okay? Can I take her home?”

Liu Sulan nodded with a smile. “She’s fine, Mingcheng. Tell your parents that your sister can start school in September.”

In rural areas at that time, children under the age of eight didn’t attend school. Unless they were the children of teachers or their relatives, Liu Sulan’s words meant that Wang Qian could start school early. Mingcheng’s face lit up with joy. “Thank you, Principal. I’ll definitely pass on the message.”

As Mingcheng left with Wang Qian, the female principal watched them leave with a loving smile on her face.

“Sis, is that lady the principal? If I had known, I would have chatted with her a bit more, to see if she could transfer me to Second Brother’s class.”

At this point, Wang Qian regretted not speaking to the female principal. She should have explained her situation and asked not to repeat the first grade. She was already a grown-up, and she felt uncomfortable being around a group of sniffling children. At the very least, her cousins, Mingyuan and Zuo He didn’t have runny noses, and they were both clean kids.

“Sis, why the rush? We can discuss this when it’s time to start school. I’ve been thinking about skipping a grade, and I’ve already learned everything we’re studying now.”

Mingcheng’s suggestion was something Wang Qian had considered before, but she hadn’t discussed it with their grandfather and the others. She believed that her brother could skip a grade.

“Brother, when we get home today, let’s bring up your situation. I think you could skip two grades. If college entrance exams are reinstated, you’ll be able to catch the first batch.”

Wang Qian had a plan in mind, but she couldn’t voice it. Mingcheng was unaware of the possibility of college entrance exams in the future. He simply wanted to skip a grade to reduce the family’s expenses. Although the siblings had different approaches, their goals were aligned.

As they waited at the school gate, Mingyuan and the others arrived. Everyone carried baskets as they walked back. Liu Datou led the group ahead, but when he turned around and saw the siblings, he dashed forward as if a rabbit had seen a hawk.

“Bro, do you think Liu Datou will cause trouble again?”

Wang Qian had spotted Liu Datou earlier but hadn’t paid him any attention. She was surprised that the boy still remembered her after their last encounter.

“Since you scared him that time, he’s been pretty well-behaved. Even when there are fights, he doesn’t involve us. I guess he was really scared by your kitchen knife,” Mingyuan said, recalling the incident with amusement.

It’s best if Liu Datou doesn’t cause trouble for the siblings. As for meeting him when she starts school, Wang Qian decided to think about it later.

Upon returning home, they found the house in a mess. Wang Qian was confused. Their parents were not at home. Something must have happened.

“Bro, did we get robbed?”

Mingcheng shook his head. “Doesn’t seem like it. We don’t have much money. If there’s a theft, it would be from someone else’s house. How could it happen to us? Besides, Mom and Grandma are not at home. This is strange. Could something have happened?”

Zuo He searched every room but found no one.

“Mingcheng, something must have happened. At this time, Mom and Grandma would be at home cooking. Look at the mess on the floor. It’s obvious that someone broke in. Let’s go out and look for them.”

Zuo He was genuinely worried about his grandmother’s safety and pulled Mingcheng’s hand, ready to run outside.

“Zuo He, listen to my plan and don’t rush.”

Mingcheng grabbed Zuo He’s hand. “Mingyuan, you and I will go to the production team. Big and Little Sis, you two and Zuo He go to the Commune office. Let’s move quickly.”

Mingcheng ran out with his brother, while Zuo He and his sisters headed to the brigade office. They hadn’t gone far when they ran into their eldest cousin.

“Xuan’er, hurry to the Commune office. My dad asked me to tell you that your family members have been taken there.”

Wang Qian felt a pang of unease. It was a bad situation. The fact that they were taken to that place made her recall the events of that day.

“Big brother, who did this?”

Wang Qian felt that something was amiss. Everything was fine before, and everyone knew about her family’s situation. How did things take a turn for the worse after the Lunar New Year?

Wang Mingshan looked dejected and angry. “Don’t ask. This was all caused by Wang Mei and her husband. When they came back, they somehow incited some people to go to your house and arrest people. Hurry and go see what’s happening. Don’t let anything happen.”

Wang Mingshan pulled his siblings and ran towards the brigade office. The courtyard was already crowded with uninformed members of the commune. Some had come just to watch the commotion, while others had been incited by Wang Mei and her husband.

When Wang Qian and her siblings entered the courtyard, they saw their parents and several elderly men from their family being held in the middle of the yard by some young people. However, they didn’t see Grandpa Zuo or Grandpa Wu.

Wang Mei and Huang Youcai waved their notebooks and angrily accused the couple of various wrongdoings and harboring bad elements.

Wang Xuan and Zuo He immediately wanted to rush in, but Wang Qian stopped them.

“Sis, Zuo He, don’t rush. This time, Wang Mei and her husband are clearly here to settle scores. I suspect they are somewhat prepared. Big brother, do our grandparents know about this?”

“How could they not know? They tried to persuade Aunt and Uncle, but they were stopped by them. Didn’t you see Grandmother watching from the side?”

Wang Qian looked in the direction her brother pointed and became even angrier. Their grandfather was being held back by their grandmother, Wang Zhenguo, and Wang Zhi, preventing him from going forward.

And Zhu Qiyu have a noticeable relaxed expression on her face, with a hint of satisfaction in her eyes. Damn, things had escalated to this point.

Looking at Zhang Lan’s condition inside, it wasn’t good. Her hair was disheveled, and there were clear signs of being hit on her face. Wang Qian didn’t know if it was Wang Mei or the others who had done it, but she held Wang Mei responsible for everything. Her father’s condition was somewhat better.

No one expected Wang Mei to become increasingly agitated as she spoke. She raised her fist towards Zhang Lan, and no one dared to speak at that moment.

Wang Qian clenched her fists and shouted, “Stop!”

Wang Xuan, Zuo He, and Wang Zhenhe also shouted at the same time and rushed in without hesitation.

Wang Xuan and Zuo He rushed to Zhang Lan’s side and shielded her with their small bodies.

Wang Qian composed herself and coldly confronted Wang Mei, “Hey, Aunt, what kind of drama are you playing? Last time, you tried to sell my 11-year-old sister, but we stopped you. Now, you want to sell my parents. You’re really something. You’ve reached a new level of villainy. Since you failed last time, are you trying to retaliate this way?”

As soon as Wang Mei saw the three little kids in front of her, her veins jumped, and she glared fiercely at the two sisters.

“The kids don’t know anything. This isn’t a place for you to speak. Go wherever you want. This is a struggle. We must fight against the stubborn elements to the end.”

Wang Mei raised her little notebook and rallied the crowd. Those who were uninformed joined in, their fervent expressions making it seem as if the Wang couple were irredeemable villains.

Zhang Lan, seeing the three children, looked worried.

“Qianqian, Mom is fine. Hurry, go back home.”

The three children were too young, and even self-defense was a problem, let alone dealing with someone who was somewhat deranged. They would only end up at a disadvantage. She would rather suffer herself than let the three children be implicated.

The three siblings bit their lips stubbornly and shook their heads. Wang Qian shouted to the crowd, “Everyone, please calm down and listen to me. I might be small and hard to see, so I’ll stand somewhere higher. Please listen to what I have to say.”