Chapter 199 Disappointment

Only Zhang Qiaoyan gloated and said, “Hmph, the Shang family is really something. Let’s see if Shang Hongying stays at her parents’ house. I don’t believe the Shang family can keep her forever. If they can, it will save us some food.”

Zhang Dongze looked at his sister in disbelief. He never imagined that someone who boasted about having attended high school would be so insensitive to the difficulties faced by their parents and brothers. Even at this moment, she was still gossiping.

He remembered what his wife had told him yesterday—she wanted to split from the family because she couldn’t bear it anymore. His younger sister did nothing at home and caused trouble all the time. She was tired and didn’t want to be with a troublemaker anymore.

So he stood up with a cold smile and said, “Mom, Dad, aren’t you going to say something? Do you feel comfortable only when you break up my little family?”

After grabbing three steamed buns from the table, he walked out without looking back. Zhang Qiaoyan asked, “Brother, you took the steamed buns. What will I eat?”

Zhang Dongze replied, “These are rightfully mine. I earned them from my work. If you want to eat, go work and earn your own money. Aren’t you a high school graduate? You should be able to handle such small matters.”

After saying that, he walked away without turning back, leaving the village secretary and his wife stunned.

Zhang the village secretary couldn’t eat anymore, sighed and said to Wang Chunni, “Prepare some things today and go to the Shang family to bring our daughter-in-law back. Take Qiaoyan with you.”

Upon hearing that she had to go too, Zhang Qiaoyan was a bit unhappy. She put down her chopsticks and said, “Why should I go? Whether she wants to come back or not is up to her.”

Zhang the village secretary was truly angered by these words. He slapped Zhang Qiaoyan across the face and shouted, “If your sister-in-law doesn’t come back, you won’t have any books to study! You’re fifteen or sixteen years old and you don’t understand a thing!”

Zhang Qiaoyan covered her face and shouted back, “Then I won’t study!”

After shouting, she ran out of the courtyard.

By the bridge, villagers were discussing the distribution of farmland. The brigade cadres were preparing to distribute land after the harvest, saying each mouth would get about eight mu of land. Everyone was discussing these responsibility fields.

Hearing the talk about land distribution, Luo Qiao looked towards the Daqing Mountain. There was a barren slope in front of the Daqing Mountain because it was next to the mountain and often visited by large animals.

Secondly, because the yield of that slope is low, and when there’s heavy rain, most of the crops can’t be preserved and are washed away. Moreover, there used to be a small forest there where villagers used to gather firewood year-round. Over the years, most of the big trees on the slope have disappeared, replaced by thorny bushes.

She had already thought about it before; if possible, she would lease that hilltop. Then she could use the water in the pond above to bring down the water through a pipeline from the mountain.

In the past few days, everyone is looking forward to the distribution of land, so they aren’t in the mood to work. It’s said that in some places, the distribution has already been completed, and everyone in the village has been talking about it these days.

Luo Qiao was listening attentively when she felt someone’s gaze fall on her. She discreetly observed and found it was Zhang Qiaoyan from the village secretary’s family. She didn’t know what this person was up to.

She had never offended her before, so what did she want? Does she really think her father can do whatever he wants because he’s the village secretary?

The work distribution began, and today Zhang Qiaoyan was sent out by her mother to work. Not wanting to do heavy work, she took on the task of herding cattle.

Luo Qiao’s task today was to go with the women’s leader to the slope ahead to pick plums. There’s a plum orchard up there, and now is the season when they’re ripe.