Xu Yunyun said in despair, "Why? You clearly saw them hit me. If we go back to Baici Village, they will definitely hit me again."
Xu Yunyun grabbed Xu Nuo's hand and held it tightly: "Cousin, I really don't want to go back. Anyway, your house is so big, and your cousin Xu Yan isn't here. Just let me stay. Uncle loves you the most. Talk to them and let me stay, okay?"
Xu Nuo struggled but couldn't break free, so she let her hold her. Although she sympathized with Xu Yunyun, she would never let her stay. Not to mention that she didn't like Xu Yunyun at all, she was also Xu Jinhong's daughter.
It would be best if they severed all ties with that family completely.
“You are your uncle’s daughter, so you will definitely be with them. If you find it hard to live in Baici Village, you might as well take the book I gave you with you.”
Xu Yunyun's face stiffened, and Xu Nuo continued, "You've been to school for a few years, so it's not difficult for you to understand those things. If you can get into a school in the future, my dad will definitely lend you the registration fee. We can't help you with anything else."
Xu Yunyun did indeed attend school for a few years.
Xu Guihua favored boys over girls, and Guo Ailian was even more so. They had no intention of sending Xu Yunyun to school. It was Xu Jin'an who felt it would be a pity if Xu Yunyun didn't study, so he paid for her schooling himself.
Xu Guihua, thinking that it was a waste not to stop Xu Yunyun from studying, unfortunately, Xu Yunyun was not motivated. The hardships of life did not motivate her to study hard, and her grades were always unsatisfactory. She dropped out of school a few years ago.
Seventeen-year-old Xu Yunyun had no idea that studying was the way for her to change her destiny. She thought that Xu Nuo was just deliberately making things difficult for her by bringing up the past.
Thinking about it, she felt both ashamed and angry and shook off Xu Nuo's hand. Unable to hold back her tears any longer, she squatted down and buried her head in her hands, sobbing.
Seeing this, Xu Nuo didn't say anything more. She had said what she needed to say and given all the books she was supposed to give. If Xu Yunyun was unwilling, there was nothing she could do.
She walked past Xu Yunyun into the living room.
As Xu Guihua and the others were carrying Xu Jinhong into the house, Xu Nuo stepped aside as they passed by her. She heard Xu Jinhong's anxious voice: "Go back to Baici Village, Mother. I have to go back to Baici Village right away. I'll die."
Xu Guihua had clearly compromised as well, wiping away her tears to comfort Xu Jinhong: "Jinhong, let's leave tomorrow, let's leave tomorrow."
Xu Nuo lowered her head, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips.
Today's farce was an unexpected delight.
In any case, Xu Jinhong and his family are finally leaving.
Seeing that she was standing there motionless, Xue Ping came over, took her hand, and led her into the room, whispering, "Those people are really scary. They beat your uncle up like that and even chopped off his finger."
Xu Nuo hummed in agreement, her beautiful face contorting as she recalled the two bloody holes that had robbed her of her fingers.
"Are you hungry? Mom will make some noodles. Have some."
Xu Nuo didn't have much of an appetite: "Mom, I'm not hungry. You and Dad eat."
“You have to eat even if you’re not hungry. Why don’t you have some biscuits and I’ll make you a cup of malted milk powder.”
Seeing that she looked tired, Xu Nuo tugged at her hand and said, "No need, Mom, sit down for a while. I'll go cook for you and Dad."
Xue Ping smiled and said, "No need, Mom will do it."
Just then, Xu Guihua's door opened, and she walked briskly to Xu Nuo with a happy expression: "Where's that kind of tea that makes you feel very comfortable? Give it to me quickly."
Xue Ping felt a jolt in her heart.
Xu Nuo had added herbal water to many things in the kitchen, such as honey, tea leaves, and dried flower tea. On the day Xu Guihua moved in, Xue Ping had the foresight to put away the tea leaves and dried flower tea.
Xu Nuo often brewed tea for Xue Ping and Xu Jin'an. Once, Xu Guihua was also present, and Xu Jin'an shared a cup with her. It was just a little honey diluted with herbal water, which made people feel refreshed and had a lingering sweet aftertaste.
This surprised Xu Guihua greatly.
Faced with Xu Guihua's surprised yet greedy gaze, Xu Nu blinked her big eyes: "This was a gift from someone else, and it's all gone now."
Later, Xu Guihua searched the entire kitchen but couldn't find it, so she had to give up.
But she still remembered in her heart that Xu Jin'an's black hair and increasingly youthful face were related to that tea.
Xu Jinhong's half-dead state reminded Xu Guihua of the tea.
She couldn't bear to leave her eldest son and grandson, so she was bound to go with them. But if she just left like that, Xu Guihua felt that she was letting Xu Nuo and Xue Ping off for nothing.
That's why he excitedly came to Xu Nuo to ask for the things.
Xu Nuo shrugged, looking completely innocent, and said, "It's been over for a long time. Didn't I give you the bottles back then?"
Xue Ping nodded and said loudly, "It's already over, what do you need that thing for?"
Xu Guihua didn't believe it. She anxiously thought to herself, "Don't think I don't know. Jin An's hair turned black after drinking that tea. Even though I, Jin Hong, am injured like that, I still have to drink that tea."
Xu Nuo didn't even bother to smile anymore. Her gaze fell on the table that Guo Ailian and the others had just dirtied, and she shrugged: "It's all gone now."
Xu Guihua knew she wouldn't get anything from Xu Nuo, so she tearfully pulled Xu Jin'an over: "I can't get your precious daughter to come, but I can at least get you to come, right? Try to get some of that tea we drank earlier."
Xu Jinan struggled, pulled out his collar, and subtly stood in front of Xu Nuo, completely blocking Xu Guihua's view: "That thing is gone."
Looking at Xu Jin'an's full head of black hair and youthful face, and thinking of Xu Jinhong who had two fingers chopped off, Xu Guihua felt her heart ache as if it were bleeding.
"I don't care, tell her to go find someone to buy some. Your brother is injured like that, are you just going to stand by and watch?"
Xu Jinan remained unmoved: "I've seen your injuries, brother. They shouldn't have penetrated deep inside; it's just a lot of superficial wounds. He'll recover after a while back in Baici Village."
Xu Guihua finally understood that Xu Jin'an was just waiting for her to return to Baici Village. She immediately cursed, "You unfilial son! You also want to send me back to Baici Village, don't you? Now it's exactly what you wanted, isn't it? Let me tell you, even if your older brother and I go back, you have to take care of us. You have to give me twenty yuan every month."
Xue Ping's expression changed, and even Xu Nuo slightly twitched the corner of her mouth.
Xue Ping really dares to think big.
Even Xu Jin'an, with his usually good temper, couldn't hold back any longer and slammed his hand on the table in frustration: "Where would I get that much money?"
Xu Guihua was a typical bully who preyed on the weak. She would take advantage of Xu Jin'an whenever he was obedient. Seeing his bad mood, she had no choice but to suppress her emotions and said earnestly, "Jin'an, don't think I'm asking for too much. You and your husband earn several tens of yuan a month. Twenty yuan is considered a small amount for me. Your older brother is injured like this, and he definitely won't be able to work in the future. There are so many of us, and there's Jiangjiang. He still needs to go to school."
Xu Nuo sat in the chair, her big eyes smiling, her voice sweet.
"Dad, you should resign and go back to Baici Village."
Xu Guihua turned her head fiercely, wanting to scold her, but when she met Xu Nuo's ambiguous smile, she inexplicably couldn't bring herself to yell at her. Her finger trembled as she pointed at her, stammering, "You, you..."
Xu Jin'an stepped in front of her and said gently to Xu Nuonuo, "Nuonuo, go back to your room. This is an adult matter. Don't scare you."
Xu Nuo shook her head and smiled, "It's okay, Dad, you two talk."
Seeing Xu Jin'an still affectionately interacting with his daughter Xu Nuo, Xu Guihua angrily tugged at him, pulling him close and glaring at him: "I've worked so hard to support your education. If you dare to quit your job, you're being unfilial. You're not allowed to quit, do you hear me?"
Xu Jinan gave a slight, expressionless twitch as he looked at Xu Guihua, as if he had become a completely different person.
“Mom, don’t worry. If I, Xu Jin’an, resign and go back to your hometown with you, I guarantee no one will say I’m unfilial.”
Upon hearing this, not only Xu Guihua but also Xue Ping was stunned for a moment. She suppressed the corners of her mouth that she couldn't help but turn up and stood aside expressionlessly.
"You...you dare to talk to me like that."
Xu Guihua's fierce and haughty eyes were filled with disbelief.
“You are my mother, and I should be filial to you. In the past, I gave you eight yuan a month. I don’t think anyone would dare to say that I, Xu Jin’an, gave you too little. If you want it, you can take it. If you don’t want it, that’s fine too. I will resign tomorrow and we will go back to Baici Village together.”
Xu Guihua panicked. She and Xu Jinhong's family all depended on Xu Jinan's money to live. What would they do if Xu Jinan really resigned?
"No...no way." Xu Guihua sat down on the ground, wiping away her tears and starting to curse: "This is outrageous! God, this is outrageous! I raised such a son, and he thinks I'm too old and useless, and he's bullying me! Father, open your eyes and see!"
Xu Jinan's face grew increasingly grim. Xu Nuo sighed, stood up, and reached out to help Xu Guihua up. Xu Guihua, however, was not about to let her help her up and tried to shake her off with all her might, but Xu Nuo gently patted her shoulder: "Wait a minute."
Xu Guihua was taken aback, and actually couldn't shake her off.
Xu Nuo squatted down in front of her, her back to Xu Jin'an, her eyes devoid of any smile, staring at Xu Guihua. Her cherry-like lips opened and closed, but the words she spoke made Xu Guihua feel as if she were in an ice cellar, with no other recourse.
“My dad is determined. If you don’t want the money, he’ll resign tomorrow. Think about it, if he resigns and comes back with you, what will the surrounding villages say?”
Xu Guihua was also wondering, "What will they say?"
Xu Nuo smiled and said, "Everyone must envy you for having such a filial son. Even though you resigned, you were once quite capable and successful, weren't you?"
Yes, Xu Jin'an is promising. He was a well-liked child in Baici Village. When Xu Guihua brought Xu Jinhong to Luxian County, the villagers would curse her every day: "Look at Jin'an, he's been raised so well since he's with Old Xu. And look at Guihua, that woman, she's immoral herself, and the Xu Jinhong she brought out is also good-for-nothing, always doing petty theft. If I catch him sneaking off during work hours again, I'll break his legs."
Xu Guihua was certainly unpopular in Baici Village, if not universally hated. This was precisely why she was unwilling to return to Baici Village. If Xu Jinhong hadn't been so anxious that he vomited blood, she wouldn't have agreed to go back.
“But after my dad loses his job, you will have to follow the production team. It will be tiring, but it’s better than my uncle being beaten to death. I just don’t know how the villagers in Baici Village are. Will they bully us?”
Xu Nuo's soft, sweet voice jolted Xu Guihua awake from her reverie.
She gripped the hem of her clothes tightly. Yes, Xu Jinan couldn't resign.
As long as he has a job, those people in Baici Village won't dare to bully Xu Guihua. If Xu Jin'an resigns and goes back, those people in the production team won't even care about her anymore.
I'm afraid they'll bully her and Jin Hong to death.
Seeing how sensible his beloved daughter was, Xu Jin'an felt both heartbroken and guilty. He pulled her up and gestured to Xue Ping with his eyes, "Nuonuo, go back to your room first. It's okay, Dad can handle it."
Xue Ping didn't want Xu Nuo to get involved in these messy things, so she hugged her affectionately and said, "Let's go back inside."
Xu Guihua understood, looked up and said, "Jin'an, don't go back to Baici Village."
Upon hearing this, Xu Jinan shook his head calmly and deliberately said, "I'd better go back with you."
Xu Guihua immediately stood up, her face, which had just been crying hysterically, now full of smiles: "No, you should just stay and work hard in the city. As for the money, Mother thinks..."
Before Xu Guihua could speak, Xu Jinan said, "Mom, don't worry, I will send you five yuan every month from now on. You can save it for emergencies. There's not much to spend in the countryside. Your older brother is all grown up now, he should be able to support himself."
Xu Guihua frowned deeply. It used to be eight yuan a month, but now it's only five yuan. She was extremely unhappy about it, but this time Xu Jinan was determined and wouldn't agree no matter how much Xu Guihua threw a tantrum.
Xu Guihua stormed back to her room.
Xu Jin'an remained unmoved. After busying himself outside for a while, he brought a large bowl of noodles and knocked on Xu Nuo's door.
Seeing Xu Nuo open the door, Xu Jin'an smiled and said, "Nuo, you haven't eaten yet, have you? Hurry up and eat your noodles. We've run out of eggs at home, so Dad has soaked some mushrooms. Make do with these. Tomorrow, Dad will take you to a state-run restaurant."
Xu Jinan's eyes showed deep fatigue, but his smile was genuine. Xu Nuo felt a warmth in her heart, and she affectionately took his arm, saying sweetly, "You and Mom haven't eaten yet either, let's eat together."
"Okay, I'll call your mom."
Xu Jinan entered the room in slippers, and soon Xue Ping came out as well. The three of them sat around the table and quietly ate noodles.
Xu Jin'an ate with slurping noises, and when he saw Xu Nuo staring at him, he narrowed his eyes and said, "Dad, isn't this cooking pretty good? I think it's almost like your tea."
Xu Nuo smiled and whispered, "Your cooking is amazing. Why don't you cook for me from now on?"
Xue Ping had no objection and nodded in agreement.
Xu Jinan raised an eyebrow: "Sure, how could I dare not do it if my precious daughter has spoken?"
He leaned closer and whispered, "Didn't you want to buy a house a few days ago? Your mother and I have discussed it, and we'll start saving money now. I guarantee you'll save a lot of money. You won't need to go to the supply and marketing cooperative anymore; you'll be exhausted just to earn a penny or two."
A few days ago, Xu Nuo went to the supply and marketing cooperative to find Lin Xiaofeng and ran into Xu Jinan. Xu Nuo then joked, "I'm saving up to buy a house."
Unexpectedly, Xu Jin'an took it seriously. As soon as he got home, he dragged Xue Ping to settle their assets. The more they calculated, the more they felt that the two of them should save some money.
While everyone here was enjoying themselves, Xu Guihua was filled with sorrow and despair.
Xu Guihua was angry all night because of three yuan.
In addition, Xu Jinhong kept talking about going back to Baici Village all night, which made it even harder for Xu Guihua to sleep.
...
The next day, Xu Jin'an woke Xu Nuo up early and told her to go out and play all day.
Xu Nuo knew he was afraid Xu Guihua would cause some trouble again, so she simply took the newly made moisturizing oil and herbal tea to Lin Xiaofeng.
Unexpectedly, as she walked down the stairs, she saw a man sitting in the corner.
It seemed like he had been sitting there all night; his trouser legs were wrinkled when he stood up.
He looked somewhat tired, but his eyes were clear as he gazed at her, his voice hoarse: "Nuonuo."
Xu Nuo walked over quickly, grabbed his sleeve, and asked in surprise, "Li Xian, you didn't wait here all night, did you?"
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