Chapter 15: Fighting on the Hillside

This time, it was Mu Mian who was filled with curiosity.

Although they were far apart and Shi Xiaolian quickly averted her gaze, Mu Mian couldn’t shake the feeling that something was different—something about Shi Xiaolian wasn’t quite the same as before.

Mu Mian was just thinking about this when Xu Lele nudged her arm. She turned her head, but her best friend wasn’t even looking at her. Instead, Xu Lele’s lips moved slightly as she whispered, “Teacher Shi is looking at you.”

The next second, Mu Mian belatedly felt the teacher’s gaze.

“………………”

Oh, right. It was their second-grade class now.

Shi Xiaozhu wasn’t a strict teacher, but she liked asking questions. “Mu Mian, why don’t you read this part?”

Mu Mian, who had no idea what the teacher had just been talking about:
“………………”

Read… read what?

What was this?

Reborn in the Second Grade, Yet Unable to Answer a Question.

Luckily, Mu Mian had a good best friend. Just as she was about to shamelessly ask Teacher Shi where to start reading, Xu Lele, despite the teacher’s gaze, braced herself and pointed to the correct passage for her.

Now that she knew where to read, Mu Mian didn’t stutter. It was just a few sentences—she could even recite them backward if needed. There was no way she would read them wrong.

After finishing, Mu Mian raised her head and looked at Shi Xiaozhu with a sweet smile.

Shi Xiaozhu: “………………”

Two seconds later, Shi Xiaozhu nodded. “Very good. You may sit down.”

After sitting down, Mu Mian glanced at the doorway, but Shi Xiaolian was no longer there. She wondered where she had gone.

—

Shi Xiaolian had indeed left the elementary school and was on her way home. As she walked, she thought to herself—some things were different from her past life.

She didn’t have time to figure out what was wrong with Mu Mian and Xu Lele. They were outsiders anyway and not important.

What mattered was her sister, her mother, and that wretched old woman along with Shi Dabao!

In her previous life, Shi Dabao had thrown a tantrum about wanting his own place and a new house, and that old woman had set her sights on her sister.

She had claimed that, since they had no father, their grandmother had the right to decide their marriage.

After taking so much money from their family over the years, it still wasn’t enough—she even wanted to sell her sister!

Shi Xiaolian’s expression grew darker the more she thought about it. But since she kept her head down as she walked, no one noticed her mood.

Meanwhile, Mu Mian spent her math class reading newspapers. After two back-to-back lessons, school was over.

In the neighboring classroom, Mu Wan had been thinking about dumplings all morning. The moment school ended, she went to find her little cousin.

Mu Mian, distracted by her cousin’s excitement, completely forgot to check if Shi Xiaolian was around.

—

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

As May arrived, the weather gradually warmed, and people started wearing light clothing at midday.

After two weeks of classes, Mu Mian had successfully finished reading a whole stack of newspapers.

Unfortunately, they were all old issues. She couldn’t get her hands on any new ones. No one in the brigade subscribed, and even if they did, the mailman wouldn’t travel this far to deliver them.

When she had the chance, she wanted to find some magazines to read. No matter the era, reading more was always beneficial.

Today was Sunday, so there was no school.

Mu Mian had just finished breakfast when Xu Lele’s voice rang out at the front door.
“Sister Mianmian! Sister Mianmian! Let’s go pick mushrooms!”

Mu Mian wiped her mouth and called back, “Coming!”

It had rained heavily yesterday. After a rain, mushrooms sprouted in abundance. Fresh mushrooms were delicious when stir-fried, and if they collected enough, they could dry them for later and use them in soups.

Mu Fugui glanced at his daughter as she ran outside. “The mountain paths are slippery. You two be careful. If you fall and hit a rock, it won’t be fun.”

Mu Mian waved her hand while carrying a basket. “Got it, Dad!”

Xu Lele grinned. “Uncle Fugui, you’re so naggy, just like my mom!”

Mu Fugui pretended to be angry. “Hey! You little rascal, just wait—I’ll have a word with your dad later.”

Xu Lele wasn’t scared at all and ran off laughing.

On their way, the two girls encountered plenty of people—uncles, aunts, and lots of kids.

The ground was still damp, and every step left a bit of mud on their shoes. The road was indeed slippery. Xu Lele, excited as always, liked to hop around while walking.

When they reached a downhill slope, she wasn’t paying attention and almost slipped. Mu Mian reacted quickly and grabbed her. “Be careful!”

After regaining her balance, Xu Lele patted her chest in relief. “Whew, that was close! Thanks, Sister Mian—”

Halfway through her sentence, Xu Lele’s gaze shifted to the left. In a surprised tone, she said, “Sister Mianmian, look! Isn’t that Shi Xiaolian? She’s not out picking mushrooms? Didn’t she always collect a big basket full to dry?”

Mu Mian followed her gaze and indeed saw Shi Xiaolian.

Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t seen the girl in half a month.

Shi Xiaolian had stopped going to school or even loitering outside the classrooms. Since their homes were far apart, they hardly ever crossed paths.

She had heard some gossip from Cao Chunfeng, but it was always the same old rumors.

People said the Shi family’s little girl seemed to have been scared out of her wits. She wouldn’t greet anyone when she saw them, just kept her head down and walked away quickly. No one knew what was on her mind.

Whenever Mu Mian heard this, she would recall the look in Shi Xiaolian’s eyes that day.

Unlike the aunts in the brigade, she was certain—that was not the look of a frightened seven-year-old girl.

Still, even if she had her suspicions, there was no way to confirm them without seeing the girl.

And even if she could confirm them, what difference would it make?

Their families had no ties. Whether her guess was right or wrong wouldn’t affect them in the slightest.

So, over the past two weeks, Mu Mian had simply pushed the matter out of her mind.

Seeing Shi Xiaolian now, she was only mildly curious—where was she rushing off to?

When she didn’t reply, Xu Lele turned to her. “Sister Mianmian?”

Mu Mian withdrew her gaze. “It does look like her. She’s probably busy with something. I don’t know.”

Xu Lele had just been asking casually, so she quickly lost interest and moved on.

The areas close to the mountain had already been picked clean by those who arrived early, so the two of them climbed higher. The path was a bit slippery, but there were indeed plenty of mushrooms.

In less than an hour, they had filled an entire basket. Deciding to take it back home first, they planned to return for another round.

As they descended about ten meters, they ran into a few brigade women. Cao Chunfeng let out an exclamation, “Oh wow! You two little girls are lucky! These are all big ones.”

Mu Mian glanced at their empty baskets and smiled. “Aunt, did you just get here?”

Cao Chunfeng shook her basket. “Of course! Your Aunt Wang and the others are already on their second trip. Why didn’t your mother come?”

Mu Mian replied, “My mom is at home sewing clothes. My dad and grandma went to my uncle’s place to help repair the roof.”

In reality, her mother was making new clothes for her. Since she had no time during the weekdays, Sunday was the only chance.

As for her father and grandmother, they had gone after being called over by Xiao Chengzi. Her uncle’s house had a severe roof leak last night, and both of her little cousins had caught a slight fever from the cold wind, so her father and grandmother went over to check on them.

After exchanging a few more words, Mu Mian and Xu Lele continued down the mountain.

The moment Mu Mian arrived home, Liu Shuangcui spotted her and waved. “Come here and let me measure.”

Mu Mian obediently stood still, letting her mother take measurements while complimenting her, “Mom, you’re so skilled! It will definitely fit perfectly!”

Liu Shuangcui chuckled and tapped her daughter’s forehead. “I haven’t even finished yet. How can you be so sure?”

Mu Mian beamed. “Everything you make always fits and looks great!”

Liu Shuangcui smiled and said, “You sure know how to flatter.”

The mother and daughter chatted idly for a while until Xu Lele came calling again.

Liu Shuangcui looked at the two little girls. “You’re going back? There can’t be much left by now.”

Mu Mian nodded. “We’re going! There should still be some left.”

With that, she dashed outside, not forgetting to call out to her mother, “Mom, take care of that basket for me!”

Liu Shuangcui waved her hand. “Got it, got it. Don’t run too fast. If you fall, don’t come crying to me.”

“I won’t!” Mu Mian barely finished speaking before she and Xu Lele disappeared from sight.

This time, they chose a different path instead of going back the same way. Xu Lele held a stick, using it to push aside grass as they walked. “Has someone been here already?”

Mu Mian nodded. “Looks like it. I saw Sister Xiao Wan and the others.”

There were a lot of children further up the slope, meaning this area had likely been searched thoroughly.

Just as Mu Mian was about to suggest changing direction, she suddenly heard a loud shout from up the hill.

“Shi Dabao! Give it back to me!!”

Mu Mian stopped in her tracks and looked in the direction of the voice. The distance was quite far, and trees blocked much of her view, making it hard to see clearly.

She could only make out that Shi Dabao seemed to have snatched something from Mu Wan. Mu Wan shouted while trying to grab it back, but Shi Dabao forcefully shoved her away. She fell straight back and crashed into a tree.

Mu Mian’s eyes widened.

Her fists clenched.

How dare he bully her family!

Without hesitation, Mu Mian let go of Xu Lele’s hand and ran toward the direction where Shi Dabao was heading.

Up the hill, Mu Wan also spotted her little cousin and shouted at the top of her lungs, “Xiao Mian! Stop Shi Dabao!!”

Shi Dabao ran as fast as he could with whatever he had stolen. Mu Mian finally got a clear look—it was a medium-sized checkered keelback snake. Judging by its size, it was a juvenile. Its head had already been smashed.

It wasn’t venomous and was edible. There was a lot of meat on it.

The two of them ran straight into each other. Mu Mian grabbed onto him before she could say anything, but Shi Dabao yelled first, “I found it first!”

Mu Wan ran down with a bright red bump on her forehead and shouted, “Shi Dabao, you’re full of crap! I saw it first, and I killed it!”

Saying that, she reached out to snatch it back.

Shi Dabao had one arm caught by Mu Mian. Seeing that the snake was about to be taken away, he shouted at her, “My grandma said you’re going to be my wife in the future! Why are you helping outsiders!!”

“Huh?” Mu Wan froze, still holding the snake’s tail.

A few kids watching the commotion perked up their ears.

As for Mu Mian, she was utterly baffled. She even rubbed her ears uncertainly. “What did you just say?”

Seeing everyone stunned, Shi Dabao tried to make a run for it, but Mu Mian wouldn’t let him escape.

Shi Dabao, already yanked back multiple times, became furious and shouted, “Let me go! My grandma said you’re supposed to be my wife and serve me in the future! If you don’t listen, I’ll beat you to death!!”

As he spoke, he raised the hand holding the snake and swung it toward Mu Mian’s head.

But before he could even touch a strand of her hair, Mu Mian, whose fists were already clenched tight, smacked him hard across the face. “I dare you to say that again!”

Shi Dabao was completely stunned. Forgetting even the snake, he screamed and swung his fists wildly at Mu Mian.

Shi Dabao was well-fed at home, so he was taller and stronger than most boys his age. That was how he had managed to shove Mu Wan so easily earlier.

Mu Mian wasn’t as tall as him, but her strength was unmatched. Within seconds, the fight turned into a one-sided beatdown.

—

Back at the brigade, Mu Fugui had just returned from Mu Xinglong’s house when he saw the brigade leader’s daughter running toward him.

Before he could even wonder why his daughter wasn’t home, the little girl shouted breathlessly, “Uncle Fugui! Hurry! Sister Mianmian is fighting with Shi Dabao!!”

Mu Fugui’s eyes widened. “What?! Shi Dabao hit my daughter?!”

Xu Lele was still catching her breath. “Shi Dabao said Sister Mianmian is supposed to be his wife, and then they started fighting.”

“What?! What did you say?!” Mu Fugui’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

Without another word, he bolted toward the mountain.

Meanwhile, completely unaware that Xu Lele had gone to call the adults, Mu Mian was marching down the mountain with a swollen, bruised, and utterly subdued Shi Dabao in tow.

She was determined to get to the bottom of this.

Why on earth was that old hag Shi Chunzao spreading such nonsense?!

That woman’s way of thinking had always been bizarre. Just a week after Mu Mian had returned from the hospital, while other brigade women were busy teaching their sons decent manners…

“That little girl is fierce!”

“I heard she likes to kick boys’ little birds.”

“Better not mess with her in the future!”

And so on and so forth.

But Shi Chuncao had a different perspective. She only thought… being strong was a good thing! Strength meant she could do more work. If her precious grandson married a wife like that, wouldn’t that mean he wouldn’t have to do any work in the future?

She used to look down on that girl, thinking she was a silly thing. But now, she didn’t seem so dumb after all—barely good enough to match her grandson.

That was what Shi Chuncao thought, and she even told Shi Dabao the same at home.

All that could be said was, when someone lacks self-awareness, everything they imagine seems wonderful.

—

Mu Fugui quickly ran to the foot of the mountain, just as Mu Mian was dragging someone down in anger. Behind her, a group of children followed eagerly, wanting to watch the commotion but not daring to make a sound.

Each of them exchanged glances, their eyes darting back and forth, but their feet moved even faster.

That was terrifying!

They had all seen it—Mu Mian had beaten Shi Dabao as if it was child’s play. With just one hand, she had pinned down both of his arms, rendering him completely immobile.

Mu Fugui ignored the other children and rushed to his daughter’s side. After confirming that she was unharmed aside from some dirt on her clothes, his bull-like eyes locked onto the bruised and swollen Shi Dabao.

Usually known for his playful demeanor, Mu Fugui looked particularly intimidating when he put on a serious face—especially since he worked as a butcher and had a burly build.

Shi Dabao, who had already been shrinking back, instinctively pulled his neck in even further.

But he couldn’t shrink away for long.

The next second, a pair of large hands grabbed him by the back of his collar.

Mu Fugui lifted him effortlessly, like a quail, and strode off toward the Shi family’s house.