Chapter 57 Absolutely a Confidant
"Such a large pile of steel, even if it's rusty, is still useful, and you sold it to others in such a sneaky way! This kind of fluke mentality is absolutely unacceptable! If you do it again, I will definitely tell your school and punish you."
"You should be thankful that you are still students in school, otherwise I would have arrested you and sent you to labor camps."
When the scolding was almost over, the police officer asked loudly: "Why are you all lowering your heads? Do you know you are wrong? Will you do it again next time?"
"We know we were wrong! We won't do it again next time." The group of teenagers agreed straightforwardly.
There was nothing they could do. With their parents watching them closely, they just backed off.
Winter and summer vacations are the peak periods for these children to make mistakes.
Stealing other people's steel and selling it, stealing other people's door locks and selling them, stealing their own books and selling them, going to the suburbs in groups to steal other people's fruits, and getting together to fight...
The adults in the family have to go to work and have no idea where the children are doing during the day.
As long as the children don’t go swimming in the river in the summer, play with their lives, or do other things, the elders in the family will not care too much.
They always make small mistakes, but this time they were caught by the police and the situation became a bit serious.
On the way back, Lin Xiangxi was also beaten with a stick.
From the police station to her home, Hu Meili would hit him with a stick whenever she remembered him, and she never stopped scolding him.
"Is your family short of food? Or clothes? Why do you steal things? That's what I taught you."
Lin Xiangxi explained in a low voice: "It's not stealing. We didn't go to someone else's house to take it. Who would have known that he would throw something that he still needed at home in that shabby place with no one watching."
When the house was first built, someone would live there to keep watch at night, for fear that others would take away a few bricks to put under the table or take half a bucket of cement to plaster the walls.
The pile of old steel was placed so casually that the group of teenagers would naturally be tempted when they saw it.
"You still dare to quibble?" Hu Meili hit him with another stick, "Do you really think I don't know what's going on in your mind?"
Not only did Lin Xiangxi's buttocks feel burning from the beating, he also felt uncomfortable and ashamed in his heart. With red eyes, he lowered his head and walked forward in silence.
"Mom, don't be angry. My brother didn't mean it. He knows he was wrong now and he won't dare to do it again in the future." Lin Xiangnan comforted her with a few words and wanted to take the stick from Hu Meili to prevent her from continuing to hit people.
But Hu Meili refused to let go. She glared at Lin Xiangnan and started cursing.
"You are also a troublemaker. You are still talking about others."
"Does he know he's wrong? I don't think so. If you don't give him a good beating, he won't learn his lesson."
"I don't know how much sin I committed in my previous life to have to face you debt collectors. For so many years, there has never been a moment of peace. If I die one day, it will be because of you that I was pissed off to death."
Lin Xiangnan was angered, but she was too embarrassed to refute. It was because she usually criticized Hu Meili the most. In comparison, Lin Xiangxi was already an honest and good child.
Feelings develop through time. Lin Xiangnan had no feelings for Lin Xiangxi at the beginning, and even thought that Hu Meili was aggressive and unreasonable. But now, as time has passed, she has integrated into this family and started to care about her little follower brother.
After Hu Meili finished scolding and her anger had almost subsided, Lin Xiangnan quickly suggested: "Little brother is like this because he has not enough homework. So, I will get him a few sets of papers. He will be busy studying and will have no time to go out and play."
Hearing such a mean trick, Lin Xiangxi's breathing stagnated.
"Sister~" Lin Xiangxi begged for mercy with his eyes.
"I'm asking you to study for your own good. Don't be ungrateful." Lin Xiangnan couldn't help but pat him on the back and said disdainfully, "Your grades are already terrible. If you don't study hard, how can you get into high school?"
"It doesn't matter if I fail the exam. You're married anyway."
Lin Xiangdong went to the countryside to work as an educated youth, Lin Xiangnan got married, and Lin Xiangxi was the only child left to Hu Meili.
There is no policy that would destroy all other people's children.
This only child left in the city will not only not face the risk of going to the countryside, but the organization will also try its best to arrange a job for him.
And even if Hu Meili finds a way to get Lin Xiangdong back to the city, Lin Xiangxi is no longer the only one left in the city. Hu Meili will not ignore him. If she really can't find a job, she will let him take over her job.
Lin Xiangxi was fully aware of these principles, so he had no motivation to learn. He just wanted to go out to work after graduation.
There is no way for the family to go to college, and Hu Meili doesn't really take studying seriously, but it would be good to keep Lin Xiangxi at home for a while.
"Just listen to your sister. Read more books and develop the temperament of a scholar. Now you look just like those little thugs on the street."
The two women in the family formed a united front, and no matter how dissatisfied Lin Xiangxi was, he had to hold it in.
Lin Xiangnan bought a thick stack of papers directly at the mall and stuffed it into Lin Xiangxi's hands the next morning.
"Two papers a day. If you don't understand something, look it up in the book. Don't leave it blank. I'll check it when I get home from get off work in the evening." Lin Xiangnan threatened, "If you dare to fool me, I will eat alone and won't play with you anymore."
Lin Xiangxi took the papers with a tragic look on his face, and his hands trembled a little when he felt the weight of the pile of papers.
"If you write well, I'll bring you some maltose made by Uncle Fatty when you come back in the evening."
Lin Xiangnan made a big promise and happily rode his bike to work.
Because Zhang Dapang wanted to make malt sugar today, she went there a little earlier on purpose.
Yesterday afternoon, Zhang Dapang mixed the crushed wheat seedlings and cooked glutinous rice together, sealed them and fermented them overnight. This morning he was able to squeeze out the juice and start making sugar.
As soon as Lin Xiangnan arrived at the restaurant, he went to find Zhang Dapang to join in the fun.
After the amber-colored viscous sugar liquid was boiled out and before it was taken out of the pot and canned, Fatty Zhang took two small sticks, stirred a large piece of sugar and handed it to Lin Xiangnan.
"Stir the candy and eat it for fun."
The sweet and sticky taste made Lin Xiangnan even more greedy. "I want to eat honey chicken wings. I also want to eat sweet and sour shrimp."
Zhang Dapang smiled and said, "I can make all of these. If you can get some chicken wings and shrimp, I'll make them for you in private."
"That's a deal. Next time if I happen to buy these things, I'll bring them to you."
"Don't worry, the food I cook is guaranteed to be delicious." Fatty Zhang said as he made himself a piece of candy to eat for fun. "I just want to make these delicious foods every day. I don't want to work to earn money at all."
Lin Xiangnan looked at Zhang Dapang and said confidently, "A bosom friend! Absolutely a bosom friend! I think so too. It shows that great minds think alike."
"I said I liked you the first time I saw you. Turns out there's a reason for that."
While praising each other's lofty ambitions, the two of them walked towards the kitchen together with their heads down and sighs.
It's time to go to work in the kitchen.
His family sent a letter to Lin Xiangdong two days ago, telling him that his family had bought a job for Lin Xiangnan and asked him to find a way to take leave and return to the city to visit his relatives.
It would take at least half a month for Lin Xiangdong to receive the letter and find a way to go home. Lin Xiangnan would have to hold on for a while longer.