Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Not an ordinary person

Xie Xiaoju nodded: "My family used to have a cart, but it broke down and we didn't use it anymore. However, we still have the tires, and my dad gave them to his friend some time ago."

"Oh, I see." Jiang Xi felt a little regretful. Tires are hard to find now. Xie Xiaoju's family gave the one away, so she had to look for it somewhere else.

Xie Xiaoju asked, "What do you want the tire for?"

Jiang Xi: "I want to make a cart, but I'm short of tires. I thought you had some, but they were given away."

Xie Xiaoju was also worried about Jiang Xi. She frowned and thought for a while, then clapped her hands and said, "I remember now. Aunt Niu over by the river has tires at home. Last time I passed by her house, I saw two tires in the yard. They were the kind used on carts."

Jiang Xi stood up and said, "I'll go ask."

Xie Xiaoju stopped Jiang Xi and said, "Aunt Niu is a very strange person. You know that. If you go there now, you may not be able to get the tires, and you will be scolded."

Jiang Xi also knew Aunt Niu because she was a special person in the village.

It is said that Aunt Niu's husband died decades ago. She has no children and lives alone. She is a loner with a sharp tongue. Anyone who comes to her house will be scolded by her. She always has a stern face and is not nice to anyone. Over time, the people in the village dared not offend her and stayed away from her.

But now Jiang Xi urgently needs tires, which are hard to find. Knowing that Aunt Niu has some at home, she has to try no matter what.

"It's okay, don't worry, I'll give it a try. The worst that can happen is I'll get scolded."

Xie Xiaoju still looked worried: "Aunt Niu's scolding is very fierce, most people can't stand it."

Jiang Xi raised an eyebrow at her: "Don't worry, Xiaoju, I'm not an ordinary person."

Xie Xiaoju looked at Jiang Xi with admiration. She had also heard about what Jiang Xi did yesterday. She was very proud of her friend for having the courage to resist. Thinking of this, she also felt a surge of courage.

Xie Xiaoju put the basin in the straw pile by the river: "I'll go with you, too. Aunt Niu even said a few words to me last time. Maybe she won't scold me if I go. Even if she does, it's better to be scolded by two people than by one."

Jiang Xi asked worriedly, "Your stepmother just asked you to finish washing clothes and go home early. Will something happen if you go home late?"

Xie Xiaoju didn't care: "Anyway, the worst that can happen is that she'll get scolded. She's pregnant now, and her body is precious. She's lying in bed every day to protect the baby. Even if she wanted to hit me, she couldn't. When she scolds me, I just close my ears and pretend I don't hear it."

Jiang Xi thought about it carefully. He realized that accepting one's fate would only make the evildoers more unscrupulous. This principle applies to everyone. Jiang Xi felt sad for his friend.

The two sisters hadn't seen each other for a long time and had a lot to talk about. Xie Xiaoju could fill a book with her complaints about her stepmother, pouring out basket after basket of grievances that she couldn't finish. Just like that, they walked to Aunt Niu's door.

A crack appeared under the old-fashioned wooden door. Xie Xiaoju swallowed her saliva and said she would support Jiang Xi, but when she got there, she was a little scared: "Jiang Xi, forget it. Aunt Niu's words are too harsh. Anyone who hears them will be in trouble. I still remember the time Aunt Niu scolded Er Laizi and made him cry. But Er Laizi never cried even when his own mother chased him around the village and beat him."

Jiang Xi was not afraid. Since he was already here, he had to give it a try.

Jiang Xi knocked tentatively on the door. After just two knocks, a strong voice came from the door: "Who has nothing to do all day? Why are you knocking on the door in broad daylight? No matter who you are, get out of here. I don't have any guests here and I don't welcome any guests. Get out as far away as you can, or I will make you suffer when I come out."

Jiang Xi... is really popular.

Xie Xiaoju shrank her neck and said, "Jiang Xi, why don't we go and look for tires somewhere else? Maybe there are some there."

Jiang Xi didn't give up and continued to knock on the door. Along with the sound of footsteps, the voices of cursing were getting closer and closer: "Who is this blind person? What's wrong with your ears? I told you not to knock on the door, not to knock on the door, why are you still knocking? Knock your mother's balls!"

The door creaked open, and the person who opened it was a woman in her sixties. Her lips were very thin and pressed into a straight line, and her face was stern. Just looking at her face, it was obvious that she was not someone to be messed with.

The woman looked at Jiang Xi and Xie Xiaoju from top to bottom with an extremely uncomfortable scrutiny. Xie Xiaoju couldn't help but move half a step and shrink behind Jiang Xi. This look was really too scary.

"What are you two doing here?" The woman's voice was cold and hard, as if she would start cursing again if Jiang Xi couldn't give a reasonable explanation.

Jiang Xi smiled and said, "Aunt Niu, I'm sorry to bother you. I heard you have some unused tires at home. Could you sell them to me? I need tires to make a cart."

Aunt Niu raised her eyebrows: "Is this what you came for?"

Jiang Xi nodded and explained the situation again: "Aunt Niu, I want to make a cart, but I can't find tires anywhere else. I heard you have them, so I came to you. I hope you can give me the tires."

Aunt Niu stared at Jiang Xi, and after a moment she said, "Are you Jiang Xi? I heard you beat Zhao Xianglan to a pulp yesterday?"

Jiang Xi objectively commented, "I didn't beat her to a pulp, I just slapped her a few times. She was rude and spread rumors maliciously. If I don't beat her, she won't change."

Aunt Niu's stern face showed a faint smile: "Well said, some people deserve to be scolded and beaten. They are born to be mean. If they are not taught a lesson, they will not know fear at all. You did a good job."

Jiang Ximeng was unexpectedly praised, and although he was a little surprised, he remained calm: "I didn't hit her on purpose. I just don't offend others if they don't offend me. She has bullied me to the point of being too aggressive, and I have no reason to tolerate it."

The smile on Aunt Niu's face deepened. "You little girl, how rude of me! I hate people who are cowardly and swallow their anger the most. If you want tires, I'll get them for you. As for the money, I don't want it."

Jiang Xi and Xie Xiaoju looked at each other. They didn't expect it to be so easy. Jiang Xi hurriedly thanked them: "Thank you, Aunt Niu, but I can't sell the tires for free. Please charge me a little."

Aunt Niu's face hardened again: "I said I'll give you the tire, and I mean it. No money is required. If you insist on paying, then you can leave now. I won't give you the tire anymore."

Aunt Niu's attitude was firm and there was no room for compromise, so Jiang Xi had to give up. Aunt Niu's temper was indeed a bit strange, but it was good enough to get the tire. He would find a chance to thank her later.

Both girls were very happy to get the tires successfully.

"Jiang Xi, can you see if these two tires can be used to make a cart?"

Jiang Xi checked the tire. There was some wear on the surface of the tire but it did not affect its use and was just right for use as a cart.

"Thank you, Xiaoju. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be able to find the tire today."

Xie Xiaoju was embarrassed: "I didn't do anything for you. It was all because of your own good work. That's why even Aunt Niu was willing to give you tires for free. I wish I could be as good as you one day."

"Xiaoju, you are also very good, but I believe you have potential that has not yet been developed. Once your potential is developed, everything will be completely different."

Jiang Xi still remembered this time in her previous life when she was still ignorant. After experiencing a life-and-death experience, she seemed to suddenly become enlightened and had different feelings about many things and many people.

Xie Xiaoju hummed and said, "Let me help you take the tires back. It's hard for you to carry two such large tires by yourself."

Jiang Xi asked worriedly: "You have been out for a long time. What if your stepmother gets angry again when you go back later?"

Xie Xiaoju said, "She's been locking me up at home doing chores for a while now. If I go out for even a short while, she'll scold me. But why? She didn't take care of me when I was little, and I've helped her with a lot of things at home over the past few years. I don't want to live like this anymore. I've made up my mind! I'm going to rebel!"

Jiang Xi thinks that Xie Xiaoju's decision is correct, otherwise Xie Xiaoju will continue to be bullied. The crying child gets the milk. If Xie Xiaoju's stepmother gives birth to a younger brother in the future, Xie Xiaoju will have even less status.

Jiang Xi and Xie Xiaoju pushed the tires all the way back. The two tires were not too big but it was difficult to maintain balance. Jiang Xi originally wanted to carry one on each side, but Xie Xiaoju insisted on helping Jiang Xi push them back home.

Both of them were sweating all over as they walked.

"Xiaoju, take a rest for a while."

Xie Xiaoju put the tire on the ground, and when she bent down to stand up, a notebook fell out of her pocket.

Jiang Xi helped Xie Xiaoju pick up the notebook. The wind blew and two pages of the notebook turned over. Jiang Xi saw the words on the notebook.

"I am the soil, and you are the tree. When the rain comes, many earthworms will automatically grow for you..."

Jiang Xi...

"What is this? Did you write this?"

Xie Xiaoju was very flustered. She put the tire down and snatched the notebook back from Jiang Xi's hand: "No, nothing, I was just writing it down. Don't tell anyone."

Jiang Xi was puzzled. He had never heard that Xie Xiaoju had a hobby of writing poetry before.

Xie Xiaoju folded the notebook and put it in her pocket: "Let's go back quickly. I should go back soon."

Jiang Xi temporarily put aside his doubts. When they were about a hundred meters away from home, Jiang Xi said to Xie Xiaoju, "It's getting late now. You should go back quickly. Leave the tire here first. I can carry it back by myself."

Xie Xiaoju was worried: "Can you do it?"

Jiang Xi said, "I've already delayed you for a long time today. If you don't go back, your stepmother will probably lose her temper. Even if you want to resist, you have to do it gradually. She has the upper hand now. If she catches you, you will suffer."

Xie Xiaoju was dejected: "I don't even want to go home now. If I go home, I'll have to see her face and there will be endless things to do. Jiang Xi, what do you think I should do?"

Jiang Xi lowered her eyes in thought. She and Xie Xiaoju had always had a good relationship, so she spoke directly: "Xiaoju, in essence, your stepmother is definitely wrong, but the one who is most wrong is your father. So to change your current situation from the root, we have to start with your father..."