Er Ye and Shang Tao both rolled their eyes at her. Shang Tao said, "Xu Yao, I think you really have a thick skin. We didn't ask you to help sell, but you just won't leave."

Xu Yao completely disregarded Shang Tao, a mere child, and shoved him aside, saying to herself, "Go away, what do you know, you little kid..."

Yang Wanwan slapped Xu Yao's hand away, her face cold and stern: "Xu Yao! Who gave you permission to be so rude to my brother?!"

Xu Yao looked at Yang Wanwan, who was originally as gentle and kind as a glutinous rice ball, with surprise.

This was not the Yang Wanwan she remembered, nor the soft-hearted and muddle-headed Yang Wanwan that Cao Xinchun described.

Indeed, Xu Yao came to sell things for Yang Wanwan because Cao Xinchun instigated her.

Cao Xinchun has been incredibly frustrated this month!

I actually lost four or five pounds!

She's so worried that her hair is falling out in clumps every day!

Yang Dali was ordered to return the 13,000 yuan to Yang Wanwan, but he managed to scrape together 5,000 yuan.

Yang Dali didn't go to see Yang Wanwan, but instead asked Cao Xinchun to give it to her.

Yang Wanwan took the money and said curtly, "You still owe me eight thousand yuan! If you can't pay me back within a month, I'll call Yang Qingqiu's school!"

This forced the couple to ask their daughter and relatives for help.

So, he paid back another 5,000, but still owes Yang Wanwan 3,000.

Xu Yao is beautiful and clever, and she likes Yang Qingqiu.

When Yang Qingqiu was at home, Xu Yao often came to hang around his house, something Cao Xinchun clearly noticed.

This time, after Xu Yao returned, she visited Yang Qingqiu's house again and comforted Cao Xinchun. Cao Xinchun then had some ideas and gave Xu Yao a few hints.

Xu Yao was very "clever" and immediately began to deliberately approach Yang Wanwan.

Now, after being teased by Yang Wanwan, Xu Yao was stunned for a moment before saying, "Yang Wanwan, do you understand? I'm doing this to help you. Your brother is only a few years old, what does he know? He'll only cause trouble... Ouch... What is this? It hurts so much... Ouch..."

Yang Wanwan ignored her, activated the stone golem, picked up a piece of wood from the ground, and stabbed it hard into Xu Yao's toes, causing Xu Yao to wince in pain.

Yang Wanwan didn't turn her head and continued to hawk her wares.

Xu Yao was in so much pain that tears were about to fall. She had no choice but to sit on the rock behind her and take off her shoes to look at her toes.

She's bleeding!

This pain is excruciating!

what is going on?

Xu Yao rubbed her toes, completely forgetting her purpose.

Er Ye and Shang Tao pursed their lips, but no one paid any attention to her.

Xu Yao's pain subsided only after they packed up their stall, and she followed Yang Wanwan and her two siblings, limping back to the village.

From beginning to end, Yang Wanwan did not say another word to her.

Xu Yao was both surprised and somewhat suspicious. After the breakup, she went home.

Yang Wanwan's strong will greatly encouraged Er Ye and Shang Tao, and the two siblings chattered excitedly.

Er Ye asked, "Big sister, didn't you and Xu Yao get along really well before? You even said that she wasn't afraid of her stepmother, that she was beautiful, had good grades, and was very principled."

Yang Wanwan sighed, realizing she had said something like that.

No wonder Xu Yao later sought refuge with him, and he accepted without hesitation.

Shang Tao curled his lip and said, "Big sister, your judgment was really bad before. I think she's too clever for her own good, and she even thinks she can be the head of my family, humph!"

Futaba also said, "Everyone in the village says she's amazing; her stepmother can't keep up with her."

The "shrewd" they used meant that they were very cunning.

Although Yang Wanwan was cleared of theft suspicion a month ago, her act of sending her two uncles to the police station still caused many adults around her to keep their distance from her.

The adults' attitudes influenced the children to some extent. As a result, although some of her classmates admired her, none of them were truly close to her.

In addition, she was always focused on her studies and didn't interact much with her classmates. She even studied during breaks, so she basically had no friends in class.

So, does someone as intelligent as Xu Yao not know her current situation?

What exactly does she want from approaching me?

After thinking about it for a moment, Yang Wanwan couldn't help but laugh.

So, Xu Yao wanted to marry Yang Qingqiu.

Cao Xinchun knew Xu Yao's thoughts perfectly well. Although he looked down on Xu Yao, this country bumpkin, he still took advantage of her feelings.

When Yang Wanwan and her younger siblings returned home, they saw a woman standing on the road in the distance, hands on her hips, cursing menacingly: "You lazy, stupid, clumsy, and dumb thing, how dare you steal food! Why don't you just die?! Why don't you just die?!"

It was Liu Bamei who was insulting Pan the Mute.

Although Yang Wanwan knew that Liu Bamei often cursed at Pan Yaba, she was too busy every day and Liu Bamei was too lazy to play at home, so she did not see Liu Bamei cursing.

Moreover, it wasn't uncommon for mothers to scold their sons in rural areas at that time.

Even more than 20 years later, mothers still yell at their children very often.

There's a saying that goes something like, "No homework, father and son are loving and filial; homework, however, leads to chaos."

However, while they might yell, they wouldn't use insulting language or treat the children like servants.

It's rare to see Liu Bamei scold her son like that. No one would accuse their son of stealing food, nor would they make him work every day and prevent him from going to school.

Pan the mute stood indifferently to the side, not arguing, but letting Liu Bamei point her finger at him and curse.

"Lazy, stupid, and gluttonous! You're just here to collect debts! What was the point of having you? Why don't you just die? Everyone else dotes on their younger siblings, but you're the opposite—you steal your brother's food! Look at your stupid self! If you hadn't been stealing, would you have grown so fast in just a few months? Look at your brother, you've stolen all his food, he's gotten so thin..."

Liu Bamei's voice was shrill as she pointed at Pan the mute's nose and poked his forehead repeatedly.

Pan, the mute, stood there blankly, seemingly lost in thought, without uttering a single word.

A few villagers came and went, and when they saw this scene, they whispered among themselves, but no one paid any attention.

Pan Daqin, Pan the mute's father, weakly stopped Liu Bamei, saying, "Hey, just say less."

Liu Bamei glared at Pan Daqin, "You're so sick you're practically dying, mind your own business and not worry about other people's problems."

Pan Daqin was in poor health and was always very thin.

But Yang Wanwan didn't think Pan Daqin was no longer able to work in the fields. She believed he could handle some light work without any problem.

For example, planting vegetables, hoeing the ground, cutting grass, and so on.

But strangely, according to Shang Tao's report, Pan Daqin did not work in the fields.

Pan the mute manages both the paddy fields and dry land in his family's home by himself.

As for Liu Bamei and Pan Yaba's chubby younger brother and sister, it was even more impossible for them to get out of bed.