Chapter 32: Notice of Reform and Opening Up

Watching Zhou Haoting and the others’ car gradually drive away, Wen Wan supported Old Mrs. Guo’s arm, a hint of reluctance flashing in her eyes.

“Xiaowan, you’ve worked hard,” Old Mrs. Guo said, her voice full of apology and guilt. Xiaowan and Haoting had only been engaged for three days before facing separation.

Wen Wan smiled faintly, changing the subject. “Grandma Guo, what time do you get up in the morning?”

Seeing Old Mrs. Guo’s puzzled expression, she walked towards the house, adding, “I’m thinking of having my older brother bring my belongings over tomorrow.”

“Xiaowan, I get up early. Just knock when you arrive,” Old Mrs. Guo said kindly.

After settling Old Mrs. Guo, Wen Wan checked the time. “Grandma, it’s getting late. I’ll go back and come over tomorrow morning.”

“Okay, be careful on your way,” Old Mrs. Guo glanced at the sky and didn’t insist on keeping her. For an old woman like her, not causing trouble for young people was the greatest help.

Remembering the things in the storage room, Old Mrs. Guo slapped her thigh, excitedly grabbing Wen Wan’s hand. “Xiaowan, there’s a bicycle in the house. Can you ride it?”

“Ah…” Wen Wan’s buttocks involuntarily felt a little sore. She shook her head and refused. “Grandma Guo, I’ll take an ox cart.”

Before she finished speaking, Wen Wan had already run away like a gust of wind.

Old Mrs. Guo was momentarily stunned. Why did Xiaowan run so fast? Did she say something wrong?

Feeling no one behind her, Wen Wan patted her chest in fear. She had been really scared. Not only had she not ridden a bicycle in many years, but the bumpy dirt road was a challenge.

More than ten minutes later, Wen Wan reached the crossroads leading out of town.

“Wen Wan, are you going home?” someone suddenly called out.

Wen Wan turned her head at the sound, thinking for a few seconds. “Old Niu, I thought you had finished your work for the day?” She said, smiling broadly as she walked over.

Old Niu waved his hand, glanced around, and lowered his voice. “A woman from our village has something to do today and specifically asked me to wait.”

Of course, asking him to wait meant extra money; otherwise, he would have gone home long ago.

Wen Wan understood and sat down, taking out a dime and handing it over.

Despite Old Niu’s missing most of his left hand, he was a hero who had retired from the battlefield.

Old Niu could have stayed in the city as a warehouse keeper, but he was stubborn. Knowing he could no longer contribute to the country, he was unwilling to be a burden.

After returning to the village, the villagers admired Old Niu and gave him the job of driving the ox cart, specifically for transporting people or goods, with Old Niu receiving half the money and the village the other half.

In less than fifteen minutes, nearing 4:30, a woman with a wide face, carrying large and small bags of luggage, hurried over.

Aunt Chun threw her luggage onto the ox cart. “Old Niu, you parked too far away. If I had known there were fewer people, I would have asked you to pick me up at the station.” She complained.

Old Niu wasn’t used to being treated this way and impatiently flicked his whip. “If you dislike the distance, I wouldn’t have come. You could have walked back yourself.”

Aunt Chun hadn’t even settled on the cart when the sudden start almost made her fall.

The other people on the cart saw Aunt Chun’s embarrassing situation and couldn’t help but laugh. They could hear the blatant boasting in her complaints.

Humph, as if nobody knew! Every time Aunt Chun went to her daughter’s house in the county, she went empty-handed and returned with bags full of things.

A mother coming to mooch off her daughter, and she still dared to show off, not considering how her daughter would live in her in-laws’ house.

“What are you laughing at? If I hadn’t been late today, you wouldn’t have gotten a ride,” Aunt Chun said angrily.

Liu Lanzhi spat, rolling her eyes. “The ox cart belongs to the village. When did it become yours? And we paid our fare.”

“You… Liu Lanzhi, I think you’re just jealous that my daughter treats me well. Your daughter married a man from the mountains; he doesn’t even have land to farm.” Aunt Chun retorted.

Seeing Liu Lanzhi’s face suddenly turn ugly, Aunt Chun grinned. “Liu Lanzhi, I told you not to marry your daughter to a mountain man. That life isn’t easy.”

“Humph, I’m not like some people, like a leech clinging to their daughter, sucking her dry, making the in-laws come to your house to take your daughter back,” Liu Lanzhi glared at Aunt Chun, wishing she could tear the other woman’s mouth apart.

Aunt Chun’s eyes widened, and she reached out to slap Liu Lanzhi’s face.

Liu Lanzhi wasn’t a pushover either and retaliated.

Wen Wan propped her chin on her hand, her expression calm, while her inner thoughts were jumping: Liu Lanzhi, quickly pull Aunt Chun’s hair, pull hard, don’t let go!

Seeing Liu Lanzhi and Aunt Chun fighting, the others quickly stepped forward to stop them.

“Sister Liu, don’t bother with Aunt Chun. You know what she’s like.”

“Yes, let’s not bother with her. Your second daughter’s good days are still ahead.”

Aunt Chun’s side also had people quietly persuading her.

“Aunt Chun, you know, Erni’s husband is a hunter from the mountains, with a violent temper. If you provoke him, something might happen.”

A few minutes passed.

Liu Lanzhi and Aunt Chun agreed to stop fighting.

Wen Wan tsked inwardly. It was quite something. Aunt Chun had lost over ten hairs, and Liu Auntie had a bloody scratch on her face.

But overall, Aunt Chun was the most injured, as a small piece of scalp was still attached to her hair. It made everyone wince.

Sitting on the swaying ox cart, Wen Wan stopped paying attention to the two women’s bickering and thought about what she could do next.

Hearing that Liu Lanzhi’s son-in-law was from the mountains, Wen Wan had a bold idea.

From the numerous street vendors in town and the county, the reform and opening up was inevitable. Even in a parallel-universe historical novel, the time of the college entrance examination was consistent with history.

Therefore, the time difference for reform and opening up should not be too great.

Her family didn’t agree with her going to the black market to resell goods now, but she could prepare in advance. When the notice of reform and opening up came out, she could be one step ahead.

Actually, Wen Wan had this idea on a whim. The supplies in her farm space must be prioritized for upgrading the space; she couldn’t be greedy for immediate profit.