Xu Fang didn't feel so panicked until she returned to Xu Wei's country.

On her way back, she felt like everyone she saw was trying to rob her, and she was on edge the whole way.

"Second sister, you have some money now, how about you consider buying a job in the city and moving here?"

Xu Weiguo had always wanted Xu Fang to move to the city because Chenjia Village was too remote, and he had heard that the crops grown there didn't yield very good harvests.

Whether it was distributing grain or money, the amounts were very small. The most telling example is that not even any educated youth were assigned to their village.

He hadn't spoken up before because, although he didn't mind supporting Xu Fang's family, he knew Xu Fang would definitely not agree.

Otherwise, Xu Fang wouldn't have refused their suggestion that Chen Mai and Chen Liang go to the city to study and stay at her home.

Hmm? Right, where are Chen Mai and Chen Liangren?

"Honey, are Hongxia and the others not home?"

Right, when the others heard Xu Weiguo ask Xu Hongxia if she was home, they finally realized that something was wrong.

There was no sound from inside the house, so obviously no one was home. Besides, the door was locked when they returned.

After realizing what was happening, Zhang Yumei calmly said, "Afang, don't worry. Hongxia must have taken them to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy food. They'll be back soon."

However, Zhang Yumei still felt something was strange. Based on her understanding of Xu Hongxia, she should have set off the moment they left.

Why haven't they come back yet? Could something have happened to them?

Xu Hongxia did encounter some trouble. At first, everything was perfect.

She took Chen Mai and Chen Liang, and they each bought an ice pop. Then they strolled around the supply and marketing cooperative and ate them as they went.

Since popsicles cost five cents each, three popsicles only cost fifteen cents. This was because Xu Hongxia bought fruit-flavored popsicles; regular ones would have cost three cents each.

After buying popsicles, Xu Hongxia still had a "huge sum" of over eight cents left, so she thought about buying them some more food. Xu Hongxia's motto was simple: if you have money, spend it all.

The plan was perfect, but sometimes plans can't keep up with changes.

Xu Hongxia hadn't seen Li Lulian (the classmate who gave Xu Hongxia the foreign language book) for a long time.

If she suddenly ran into her at the supply and marketing cooperative, her first reaction would be: Run! Her pocket money is in danger!

So she grabbed one of her younger brothers by the hand and ran in the opposite direction as fast as she could. And silently prayed that Li Lulian wouldn't see her, wouldn't see her!

But clearly, her prayers were in vain. Li Lulian had already come over and called her name.

"Red Glow!"

After Li Lulian saw that Xu Hongxia not only didn't stop after she called out to her, but ran even faster, she felt that Xu Hongxia had gone too far! She was completely ignoring her.

But Li Lulian had finally managed to see her, and she couldn't just let her go like that. Ever since Xu Hongxia stopped seeing her, her life had become even more difficult.

She used to often get money from Xu Hongxia. As long as she played the victim, Xu Hongxia would give her some food or buy her whatever she wanted.

Now that the sucker is gone, Li Lulian hasn't eaten sweets or meat in a long time.

She had to find a way to appease Xu Hongxia, otherwise she wouldn't be able to continue mooching breakfast from her when school started. Her adoptive parents wouldn't care whether she had eaten enough or not.

Xu Hongxia, who was holding the weight of two others, was no match for Li Lulian, who was running alone. Therefore, she was quickly stopped.

Xu Hongxia could only stop, feeling utterly hopeless.

Li Lulian complained, "Hongxia, didn't you hear me calling you? Why are you trying to leave as soon as you see me?"

Xu Hongxia: Don't you know why I'm leaving?

"Xiao Lian, I've already told you before that we don't need to contact each other anymore. You know perfectly well what you've done."

Li Lulian didn't care whether Xu Hongxia had told her or not; she only knew that if Xu Hongxia really stopped playing with her, she would lose a lot.

Anyway, Xu Hongxia's family is so rich, and her parents and older brother treat her so well, she can easily give her a little something, which will make her feel much better.

“Hongxia, I didn’t mean it. I didn’t know those things would be problematic. I just thought you liked them, and I didn’t need them, so I gave them to you out of kindness.”

"Please don't blame me, okay? We've always had such a good relationship, how can you cut ties with me over such a small thing?"

“Hongxia, have you forgotten? I used to take a detour to your house every day just to accompany you to school.”

“Every time you say you want to go out for a walk or go somewhere, I will go with you, whether I am free or not.”

"I often mend your clothes and carry things for you. Have you forgotten all that?"

With tears glistening in her eyes, Li Lulian spoke with heartfelt sincerity. She humbled herself greatly, and the others in the supply and marketing cooperative, seeing this, also felt that she must know she was wrong.

Seeing Li Lulian like this, an older man also advised, "That's right, young lady. Look, even your friend knows she was wrong, and she's done so many things for you before. You should forgive her!"

"That's right, you're a young lady, you can't be so stingy."

"You used to ask others to do so many things for you, and now you're threatening to cut ties over such a small thing. Aren't you being incredibly narrow-minded?"

"That's right, that's right!"

Seeing everyone else siding with Li Lulian and criticizing her, Xu Hongxia felt her head buzzing.

Chen Mai and Chen Liang, unaware of the cause and effect, dared not speak, but they both chose to protect Xu Hongxia from the front and the back.

Now more and more people are gathering around, afraid that others might bump into Xu Hongxia, but they are boys and they are not afraid.

But Xu Hongxia was different. In the village, if any woman was touched by a man, she would be cursed and scolded by everyone.

Hearing the onlookers continuing to criticize her, Xu Hongxia couldn't take it anymore and shouted, "Enough!"

"You don't even know the facts, so what gives you the right to accuse me?!"

"The reason she would take a detour to accompany me to school was because every morning she would deliberately play the victim in my ear, saying that she hadn't eaten and that her family wasn't feeding her enough, so every morning I would give her a steamed bun or an egg!"

"She often accompanies me out shopping because she knows I'll definitely come to the supply and marketing cooperative when I'm out. Every time, she asks me to buy her some food or other necessities!"

"Also, she said she'd mend my clothes, but I never asked her to mend my clothes. Every time, she would deliberately take my clothes away, saying she'd mended them for me. But she never gave them back!"

"If I remember correctly, this dress you're wearing is mine too, isn't it?"