Back To The 80s-Chapter 623: Extra Two: Controllable Range Target Lock Seven_1
Chen Gang and Jiujiu turned around to see Li Xianglan, who they hadn’t seen in years. Perhaps due to a rise in her living standards, she’d put on quite a bit of weight. She was dragging along her ten-year-old son, Xiaobao.
Upon seeing Li Xianglan, Jiujiu’s face fell immediately. She used to fear Li Xianglan so much as a child that she wouldn’t dare to breathe in her presence. Now, she was consumed by resentment, filled with nothing but hatred for her.
Li Xianglan exclaimed surprisingly, "Oh, it’s really you two! I feared I’d mistaken you for someone else." Then she tugged at Xiaobao saying, "Xiaobao, quickly call him uncle Six and aunt Jiujiu."
Xiaobao swiped at his runny nose with his sleeve and reluctantly turned his head away.
Calmly said Jiujiu, "You’re mistaken. I don’t have such a grown-up nephew." Then turned and prepared to leave.
Chen Gang frowned at Li Xianglan. Over the years, every time he had returned home to visit the graves, Li Xianglan had refused to cook. Women always pulled a long face, and after he’d heard that the couple had taken their child to the city to work, he’d never seen them again.
Seeing Jiujiu about to leave and Chen Gang ignoring her, Li Xianglan quickly added, "Old Six, Jiujiu, our mother’s grave was moved this past autumn because the government wanted to requisition the land..."
Jiujiu turned around and looked emotionlessly at Li Xianglan – this woman, who’d always been ruthless in her pursuit of profit. Now that she’d brought up this matter, she was probably after money.
Seeing them both stop, Li Xianglan laughed and said, "Chen Gang, you are your brother’s only sibling. One cannot write two Chen characters without borrowing a stroke. With the relocation of our mother’s grave, as her son, you simply can’t neglect your duty, right?"
Like frost, Jiujiu inquired, "Didn’t the government compensate for the land seizure?"
Li Xianglan paused at her words, taken aback. Is this the same little girl who didn’t dare to utter a word even when beaten as a child? Whereas before her eyes were full of fear and awe, now they were filled with disdain and contempt.
"How much money could the government really give? Old Six, your actions will be frowned upon. When our mother’s grave was being moved, your eldest brother didn’t tell you because he didn’t want it to interfere with your studies. Now that the deed is done, you just want to wash your hands of it, is that right? Do you have no conscience? In university now, are we not good enough for you in our impoverished state?" said Li Xianglan dramatically.
Li Xianglan and Chen Qiang had come to the province to work, laboring in a slaughterhouse with their son. Despite good food all year round, they couldn’t earn much money. Today, they brought their son out to buy clothes, and from afar spotted Chen Gang and Jiujiu. Judging by the latter’s clothes, they must be doing well. She’d also heard rumors that Jiujiu’s grandfather transferred to the city as a high-ranking official.
Li Xianglan became more and more regretful. If only she could have been nicer to Jiujiu, by now she might have been enjoying a lavish life as well. Unfortunately, there’s no cure for regret. Seeing them today gave Li Xianglan new ideas – she simply had to ask Chen Gang for money.
Chen Gang frowned, looking both impatient and disappointed. He was about to say something when Jiujiu rushed to confront Li Xianglan. Her face was flushed red and her voice raised an octave, "You’re talking about conscience? Do you have one? And not just a conscience – you lack basic humanity! Have you forgotten how you mistreated me when I was a child? Do you forget how you poisoned me, a child so small! Do you remember how you beat me mercilessly, starved me, hit me with a stove hook, and forced me onto a glowing bed of coals, almost killing me? You come here preaching about moral duty, but I tell you now: don’t even think about getting a single penny from us!"
Li Xianglan was taken aback by the fire in Jiujiu’s eyes and stepped back, saying, "It was not about you, I was referring to Chen Gang’s money."
With a cold snort, Jiujiu responded, "And as for Six brother’s money, don’t even think about it. When people die, what’s there to be filial or unfilial? In life, you’ve committed all kinds of heinous acts. Now, with the remains reduced to a mound of soil, you speak of filial piety. Isn’t that laughable? You’re saying these things now, hoping that we’ll look like we aren’t filial. But let me tell you – we live our lives without concern for the opinions of others!" Finishing, she took Chen Gang by the hand and walked away, tears streaming down her face.
Li Xianglan stood there, mouth agape. Seeing the contemptuous glances from the bystanders, she hurriedly took her child and left.
Chen Gang allowed Jiujiu to lead him to a secluded corner. Looking at Jiujiu, who was still shedding tears, he comfortingly said, "You know what kind of person Li Xianglan is, why bother getting angry over her?"
Jiujiu wiped away her tears with her hand and commented. She felt much better after the venting. Shaking her head, she said, "Brother Six, I’m okay, but you can’t give them any money in the future either."
Chen Gang smiled, "Don’t worry. Not a cent of Six Brother’s money will end up in their hands." He then took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped the tears from Jiujiu’s face.
Li Duo was standing not far off, silently watching everything. He knew that Chen Gang and Jiujiu weren’t real siblings, and had just heard the harsh words exchanged between Jiujiu and Li Xianglan. Now, seeing their affectionate actions, he blinked a few times, then turned and left.
After the Spring Festival, Jiujiu expected Li Duo to get them all together to go back to S City. However, after waiting until the tenth day of the lunar month, Li Duo was still nowhere to be seen.
As Chen Gang accompanied Jiujiu on to the train, she couldn’t help looking back. She couldn’t spot Li Duo anywhere in the crowded station.
Knowing what Jiujiu was thinking, Chen Gang sighed and said, "Jiujiu, let’s go. When summer comes, you can meet your aunt and Xiaopang."
As Jiujiu turned back around, she felt a sense of loss. She feared that now that they’d missed each other, they may never meet again.
In the new semester, Jiujiu felt generally happy, having a harmonious relationship with her dorm roommates, except for Chen Lu.
Every time Gu Xiaobei wrote her a letter, he would remind her to visit Capital City during the summer break.
Jiujiu always planned to go to Capital City. As soon as summer began, Ou Ruoshui sent her several new dresses, fearing she might be too frugal to buy them for herself.
Li Fei admired the various patterned dresses, and said enviously, "Your mom is so nice, sending you so many new clothes."
Chen Lu felt envious deep down, but on the surface showed only disdain – what’s so great about it, just some clothes, nothing show-off worthy.
As Jiujiu eagerly waited for summer break, it finally came. Early in the morning, she was cheerfully packing, preparing to head to the train station.
"Has anyone seen my pink floral dress that I dried outside yesterday?" Jiujiu asked after searching for a while, even leaning out the dorm room window to check if the wind had blown it away.
Chen Lu woke up disgruntled from the bed and complained, "Who cares about your lousy dress? Are you implying we stole it by asking us?"
Jiujiu was taken aback, "I was just asking if any of you saw it. I didn’t say anything else."
Chen Lu scoffed and retorted, "Even if you dress well, would that make you any different? Wouldn’t you still frighten people when you take off your clothes? Why show off every day? Not even the most beautiful clothes can cover up the fact that you only have one breast!"
Just then, the dorm room’s door was pushed open with a bang. Gu Xiaobei, leading the eight-year-old Xiaopang, stood in the doorway. The mother and daughter, both wearing white knee-length dresses and had braided their hair just alike.
Gu Xiaobei glared at Chen Lu and sternly commanded, "Apologize!"
