Suppressing her unease, she prepared the meal, knowing Ye Chenming would be back for dinner soon. She would sneak a peek after eating.
Finally, Ye Chenming returned. Ye Chen'er was about to speak when Ye Chenming stopped her with a look. The two ate their meal in silence. After Ye Chen'er washed the dishes, Ye Chenming said softly, "Chen'er, let's pack our bags and get ready to live in the cowshed."
Ye Chen'er's heart calmed down. If it really was her grandmother and aunt, then with Li Ping and Li Qiang around, their identities couldn't be kept secret, and she and her older brother would be labeled as bad elements.
So what if he's a bad element? He's still a farmer here. At worst, his place will smell a bit and he'll be far away from the villagers. It's just a pity about Nan Nan; we won't be able to play with him anymore.
The two shared the same idea, quickly tidied up, and headed towards the cowshed. Ye Chen'er heard a familiar voice at the door: "Mom, go in and rest for a while, I'll take care of it."
That was Aunt Ye Huixian's voice: "Auntie, Auntie."
Ye Chen'er was best friends with Ye Huixian, so she quickly ran in while calling out to him. Ye Huixian and Grandma Fu Qingping were stunned. They knew that the two children had been sent to the countryside as educated youth, but they didn't know which place.
So the two children had come to Mushroom Village! Grandma was excited, and Ye Huixian was also excited. They grabbed Ye Chen'er and looked her up and down. After looking her up and down, they grabbed Ye Chenming and looked him over. Tears streamed down their faces.
Ye Chenming knelt down in front of his grandmother and aunt: "Grandma, Aunt, it's all that old woman's fault. I've let you down."
Fu Qingping quickly pulled Ye Chenming up: "Silly child, you are my grandson. Since the family has suffered this calamity, we should accept it. It has nothing to do with you. You have to be well and cheer up."
Ye Chenming nodded. His grandmother was always so knowledgeable and reasonable. Even when his grandfather was taken away, she bravely told the family not to worry too much, that good people are always protected by heaven.
Ye Huixian suddenly asked, "Chen'er, do you know who Nan Nan is?"
Ye Chen'er was stunned: "Nan Nan is the most beautiful and best girl in this village. Aunt, how do you know Nan Nan?"
Ye Huixian laughed: "A cowherd came over and taught me how to clean the cowshed and how to feed the cows grass and water. I offered him candy, but he refused, saying that Nannan had sent him."
"Oh, that boy is the second son of Village Chief Ma. He gets along very well with us, we..." Ye Chen'er suddenly couldn't continue.
Ye Huixian wondered why the little girl wasn't saying anything.
Fu Qingping knew that his arrival would likely affect his grandchildren, but he wondered if he could keep it a secret.
Ye Chenming seemed to know what his grandmother was thinking: "Grandma, Li Ping and Li Qiang are here too."
Fu Qingping sighed: "Huixian, let's get to work quickly and clean up the other room so Chenming can stay there."
Ye Huixian understood: "Chen'er, Chenming, your aunt and grandma have dragged you into this. I hope you two won't blame us. If we had known you were here, we definitely wouldn't have come."
Ye Chen'er shook her head: "Auntie, I'd rather be implicated than not live with you. You can continue with your work, I'll go and move my things over."
Ye Chenming and Ye Chen'er left; one went to the educated youth settlement to pack up his things, and the other went to the village chief to tell the truth.
The village chief was taken aback. If these two educated youths were labeled as bad elements, he would have to report them to the town, which would be detrimental to the two children. His eyes lit up, wondering if he could cover it up.
Ye Chenming smiled wryly: "Li Qiang and Li Ping know my family."
"Then write a letter severing ties with them, stating that you have broken off all relations with them and will never have any contact with them again," Village Chief Ma suggested.
Ye Chenming shook his head: "Thank you for your kind words, Uncle Village Chief, but I won't write it. Even if I'm criticized or exiled, I still won't write it. Those are my own grandmother and aunt. They raised me and Chen'er with great difficulty. How can I do such a thing?"
Village Chief Ma looked at Ye Chenming with admiration. Many people choose to write a letter severing ties with their families for their own peace of mind, but Ye Chenming is different. He is a good boy with a sense of responsibility and commitment.
That night, Ye Chen'er and Ye Chenming moved their belongings and bedding to the cowshed. Ye Chenming had a room by herself, while the three of them shared a room. Liu Limin and Zhang Dali followed behind with their firewood, and Tian Fang and Wang Yan also helped Ye Chen'er carry her things.
Li Qiang and Li Ping went from being stunned to overjoyed to worried. Although their parents were not professors, they worked at the school. If even the Ye family couldn't escape, how could their parents protect themselves?
If their parents couldn't protect themselves, wouldn't that implicate them? Would they end up like Ye Chenming and his sister? The two began to worry.
After thinking for a moment, Li Qiang decided to write a letter severing ties with his parents and keep it in mind. In case his parents were sent to the countryside, he would give them the letter to sign, and they would go their separate ways and never see each other again.
Li Ping agreed, and the two of them took out pens and paper and started writing quickly. They carefully proofread the sentences and words, afraid that any mistakes would cause the severance of ties to fail.
Yang Wei and Li Xiangyang watched coldly, feeling a chill run down their spines. They exchanged a glance and both saw fear in each other's eyes. This brother and sister were like venomous snakes; getting away as quickly as possible was the best course of action.
The two went outside and found Liu Limin and Zhang Dali: "Liu Zhiqing, Zhang Zhiqing, may we share a room with you?"
Zhang Dali glanced at Liu Limin but remained silent. Liu Limin coldly said, "State your reasons."
Yang Wei glanced around and pulled Liu Limin into the room: "I saw Li Qiang and his sister writing a letter severing ties."
"A letter of severance of ties? With whom is it severing ties?" Zhang Dali asked, puzzled.
"I have good eyesight, and I even saw him write a lot of bad things about his father on a piece of paper. It seemed to be about his father accepting a steamed bun from a student," Yang Wei replied.
Liu Limin was horrified. Was this still his son? This was terrifying! Quick, move him! Let's all stick together and not be afraid of Li Qiang anymore.
Wang Yan saw Yang Wei and the other man moving things and found it strange. Just as she was about to ask, Liu Limin covered her mouth and said, "Don't make a sound, I'll tell you."
Wang Yan's eyes widened in disbelief. She quickly told Liu Limin, "Go tell Ye Chenming and the others, and I'll tell Tian Fang. We all need to be careful."
Liu Limin nodded, looked around, and finally decided to bring some of his personal belongings to school tomorrow. By the way, can Ye Chen'er still be a teacher? If Ye Chen'er can't be a teacher, who will?
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