68

The children in the house ran out to see what was going on when they heard their mother's voice. A short while later, the car stopped in front of the Tang family's courtyard.

The people who got out of the car were indeed Chang Yin and Wang Ming. Tang Shengkai stepped forward and saluted.

Chang Yin formally returned the salute, then asked, "Are you ready?"

Tang Shengkai was genuinely puzzled. Was he really here to pick him up? When did he become so arrogant? Ignoring the questioning look on Tang Shengkai's face, Chang Yin remained serious.

"Tang Shengkai, 1st Battalion, 3rd Regiment, 7th Division, South Island Corps, return to unit!"

"yes!"

After speaking, Tang Shengkai was about to get into the car when Lin Cuicui quickly turned around, went home, took out Tang Shengkai's bundle, and handed it to him.

Before getting into the car, Chang Yin glanced at Tang Yue again, nodded, and then drove away.

Tang Yue frowned. Something was wrong. Why would her father, a mere soldier, send someone to pick him up?

She couldn't understand it, but it was a good thing that Dad didn't have to walk anymore. Tang Yue turned and went home.

What they didn't know was that once they left Daobei Village, Tang Shengkai began his basic training for new recruits.

When the village chief rushed over, Tang Shengkai had already been gone for a while.

"What's going on? I heard the military vehicles are coming?"

"It's the village chief, he's here to pick up my husband. Is there something you need?"

"Oh, no. You've almost finished tidying up here, so you can officially start work tomorrow."

"Okay, I'll go to work tomorrow."

The task of borrowing vegetables was handed over to Old Li, and Tang Bei went with his grandfather.

After work in the afternoon, Sister Miao and Sister Ding each came over carrying a basket.

Several women chatted while washing and preparing vegetables.

"Cui Cui, you should be going to work tomorrow, right?" Ding Lingzi asked.

"Um."

"Then you'll come with me tomorrow. There's not much grass left in the fields these past few days. After we pull this batch, it'll probably be time to harvest in a few days."

Lin Cuicui smiled and said okay as she washed the vegetables.

Sister Miao came in carrying firewood. "I heard that people came to the educated youth settlement and the cowshed today. Cui Cui, did you see them?"

"Huh? No."

Lin Cuicui was quite surprised. They were so busy every day that they really hadn't paid attention to anything happening in the village.

"I just got home and was gathering firewood when Aunt Juhua told me that four educated youths had arrived, and two of them had moved into the cowshed."

"oh."

Lin Cuicui didn't pay any attention. Ding Lingzi knew that Sister Miao wouldn't say these things without a reason, "What's wrong, Sister Miao? Is there anything different about those people?"

Sister Miao's eyes sparkled. "I heard there was a very arrogant educated youth who came to the educated youth compound and picked and chose, using his status to intimidate people. He even switched places with the old educated youth."

"Oh, is that so? What kind of status must he have? Besides, does he even dare to mention his status now?"

"Who knows? Anyway, I heard that someone helped him, and the two of them picked out the best spot in the educated youth compound."

"Wow, that's really impressive."

Lin Cuicui washed a different type of vegetable. "Would those former educated youth agree to this? Why don't they go to the village chief?"

Ding Lingzi and Sister Miao exchanged a glance, then Sister Miao lowered her voice and asked, "Have you seen the village chief these past two days?"

Lin Cuicui didn't understand what it meant and nodded blankly.

"Yes, he came over today."

"What? Really? What do you think of the village chief's face?"

Ding Lingzi was extremely curious.

Lin Cuicui didn't understand what Ding Lingzi was excited about, but she still thought about it carefully.

"It seems like one side of his face is a bit purple? But the village chief's face isn't pale, so I didn't pay much attention."

Ding Lingzi looked at Sister Miao and said, "See, I was telling the truth."

Sister Miao sighed, and Lin Cuicui asked, puzzled, "What's wrong with the village chief?"

This wasn't a secret in the village, so Sister Miao just told her the truth.

"That night, Li Qingzhu carried his old mother home. Li Pin was cooking at home. When he saw his wife being carried back, he was so shocked that he almost fell to the ground. He was helped up by the people who had come over."

"What happened?"

Li Pin glanced anxiously at her son, "Didn't your mother go looking for you? Why did you come back lying down?"

Seeing that the old woman had her eyes open, Li Pincai asked this question.

Li Qingzhu, still angry, embellished the story and recounted what had happened in Tang Shengkai's courtyard. Li Pin was furious upon hearing this.

"Why doesn't your third uncle ever wish for anything good for our family? Humph, he doesn't even care about his nephew and sister-in-law. I'll teach him a lesson."

As he spoke, he tiptoed out the door, his leg slightly limping.

Li Qingzhu showed no intention of stopping them. The villagers who came over tried to stop him, but Li Pin waved them away.

Just as they arrived at the door, the village chief rushed over in a panic. Before the village chief could speak, Li Pin slapped him across the face.

The village chief was knocked off balance by the blow.

"Second brother, what are you doing?"

"What are you doing? Are you even human? Huh? Li Da. You even bully your own nephew and sister-in-law, are you even human?"

"If I had known it would turn out like this, I definitely wouldn't have saved you from the mountain. I would have let you get gored to death by the wild boar."

The village chief felt utterly powerless. How had he ended up with such an unreasonable brother? When would this family ever get any better?

The village chief got angry too, "I really wish you hadn't helped me back then. Otherwise, I wouldn't have felt so guilty towards you all these years, letting you suck me dry like leeches."

Li Pin was incredulous. He stared at the village chief, "Li Da, what did you say? Say it again!"

The village chief showed no intention of compromising this time.

"I'll say it a hundred times and it'll still be the same. I'm telling you, I'm not going to be the village chief anymore. From now on, you can live however you want, I won't care anymore."

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