Thirty-five dangerous children
Li Wei had been busy all day and collapsed onto the kang (a heated brick bed) as soon as she got home. She really wanted to just take a nap. Lazily, she took out the red envelope she was wearing, opened it, and started counting the money. But as she was counting, she suddenly stopped, her expression changing. She quickly stuffed all the money back into her wallet, jumped off the kang, and ran to the west room's raw materials room.
Looking at the stacks of colorful fabrics that she had already sorted and neatly arranged, Li Wei started moving them without saying a word. She picked up a bundle in each hand and headed to Aunt Lin's house next door. When she entered the house, she saw Erpangzi lying on the kang (a heated brick bed) with his legs up, fast asleep, probably exhausted.
When Aunt Lin, who was doing sewing, saw Li Wei come in carrying a piece of cloth, she smiled and said, "Xiao Ming, you've brought Aunt Lin some work again?"
"Yes, Fourth Aunt, please hurry up these next few days. I'll bring all the fabric over later. Try to finish it within three or four days. If you can't, please help me find someone else to finish it. They're waiting for it. Is that alright?" Li Wei put down the fabric in her hand and said seriously to Fourth Aunt Lin.
Actually, Aunt Lin's process is very simple. First, she cuts the cloth to the appropriate width, and then sews them together to make a cloth cover. The cloth covers are made of various colored pieces of cloth. The piecework is paid according to the total length of the cloth cover. There is no need to worry about the loss of raw materials. Aunt Lin always tries to make the cloth cover longer.
Aunt Si glanced at the bundle of cloth that Li Wei had put down: "How many bundles can there be? Let me calculate. If I can't finish them, I'll find someone to help me as soon as possible."
“Thirty-five bundles, not counting these two,” Li Wei said without hesitation.
After a brief discussion, Aunt Lin said, "Alright, I'll find two more people to help. You don't need to worry about it. Just bring them over, and I'll make sure they're all done within three days." Aunt Lin's family didn't have much land, so they weren't usually very busy. But since she started doing processing work for Li Wei, her income had increased significantly, especially last month, when it almost caught up with her husband's income as a factory worker in the city. So she was full of energy.
After Li Wei moved all the fabrics from her house to Aunt Lin's house next door, she wiped the sweat from her brow and rushed off to her other neighbor Wu Feng's house. Wu Feng's family was having dinner in their small courtyard. Wu Feng's father had been working as a carpenter at Li Wei's construction site, and Wu Feng's mother was making hair accessories for Li Wei. Two of the four members of their family were under the jurisdiction of Old Li's family.
After greeting Uncle Wu, Li Wei ran inside to find Wu Feng's mother, who had eaten dinner and was now back at work. When she entered, she saw that Wu Feng's mother was truly dedicated to her job, making hair ornaments next to the sewing machine.
Between Aunt Lin and Aunt Wu, Aunt Wu's work is more complicated and requires more attention to detail, so her piece-rate wages are higher. However, Aunt Wu is more meticulous and skillful, which suits her better, while Aunt Lin is relatively more extravagant.
Li Wei knew that with so much fabric processed by Aunt Lin, Wu Feng's mother couldn't possibly finish it all in a short time. So she came in advance to let her know, suggesting she find some skilled workers to subcontract the work. To avoid Wu Feng's mother worrying, she also mentioned that there would be even more work later, as the fabric was now being processed in whole bolts, so these smaller batches needed to be finished quickly. Wu Feng's mother was earning quite a bit from this work, so she wanted to perform well and satisfy the employer, assuring her that she wouldn't delay things. Anyway, Li Wei let her find her own workers and decide how much to subcontract. She believed she could handle most of the work herself, so Wu Feng's mother wasn't worried at all; in fact, she was quite happy.
Li Wei had arranged everything on both sides. By the time she got home, the whole family had already eaten dinner. She was exhausted. She ate something quick, took a short shower, and went to bed. She had school tomorrow. The two little ones ate and then climbed onto the bed and fell asleep. She didn't have the energy to look after them anymore.
Her father, Li Zhaoxing, was quite puzzled. He said to his wife, Cheng Min, "These kids seem to be much busier than us?"
As Cheng Min tidied the table, she said dismissively, "That's right. He went to make money doing small business in the morning. He spent the afternoon spending it. He even took a bunch of kids to the park for half a day. Do you think he wouldn't be busy? Busy making money."
Grandpa came home today. So Li Zhaoxing is the most senior person in the family. He's been speaking much more casually.
Li Zhaoxing also sighed, "Although she's a bit noisy, Xiaoming is still quite sensible and capable. Look at what other people's children do. The adults have to worry about them so much. You should be content."
Cheng Min was amused by her husband's words: "Tch! I'm not satisfied? I'm quite satisfied. Didn't you see the way Fourth Sister-in-law and Wu Feng's mother looked at Xiaoming? They wished Xiaoming were their daughter. But you, chasing after the child with a broom, yelling and shouting, like he was your enemy. Is that how a father acts?"
Li Zhaoxing was a little embarrassed by what his wife said: "Well, I was just angry with her. You know how capable this child is of driving people crazy! Sigh, don't even mention me, do you know that the other day, that old woman from the Luo family in the front yard almost got her killed by your precious daughter the moment she stepped into the house?"
Cheng Min became interested upon hearing this. She had suffered at the hands of that shrew before, and there was nothing she could do; no one was shameless enough to be unreasonable. She urged her husband, "Really? I didn't know. The child didn't say anything when he came back. How did you know? Tell me quickly, was Xiaoming bullied?"
Li Zhaoxing wasn't in a hurry. He lit a cigarette, took a puff, and said, "Our little devil, you think she can be bullied? You underestimate her. I only heard about it from others at the construction site these past few days. Come to think of it, it's really not our Xiaoming's fault. Besides, that shrew, she got angry, so she deserved it!..."
When Li Zhaoxing finished recounting what happened that day, Cheng Min was laughing so hard she couldn't stand up straight. Wiping away her tears, she said, "Tell me, who does this little brat take after? He's so bold, daring to challenge Luo San's mother. What if he gets beaten up?"
Li Zhaoxing was somewhat dismissive: "Giving her a beating to teach her a lesson and temper her will be good. Otherwise, who will be able to discipline her in the future? Besides, she's already beaten Luo Er enough. She's even scratched Luo Da, such a sensible child. Your father saw it with his own eyes. Why can't she talk things out properly? She always has to resort to violence. You haven't noticed, but I have. The moment she sees another child being disobedient or doing something wrong, her little eyes immediately flash with a fierce light. Ask any of the kids around here, who hasn't been spanked by her? If she continues like this, who will want her when she grows up..."
Li Wei's father, Li Zhaoji, has begun to worry about her marriage prospects.
After a good night's rest, Li Wei, who had worried her father about her not being able to get married, woke up refreshed and full of energy. After breakfast, Li Lin rushed off, and Li Lianhui left without a word. Li Wei continued fiddling with her hair accessories. Her mother, Cheng Min, couldn't stand it any longer and shouted through the glass of the steamed bun workshop, "You little brat, why aren't you leaving?! Look at the time!"
Li Wei didn't even look up: "There are still fifteen minutes left. I'll be there in six minutes. What's the rush?"
Grandpa, who had just arrived, tried to smooth things over, saying, "Yes, if you're in a hurry, Grandpa can take you by bike. We're not in a rush."
Cheng Min was so angry she didn't know what to say; she had never seen an old woman and a young girl like this before.
In the end, amidst the awkward atmosphere, Li Wei left home ten minutes early. Sigh, it wasn't that she wasn't in a hurry, but really, what was the point of going so early? Now that the twins could take care of themselves and were adapted to school life, she didn't need to be like an old bird constantly following behind them. Besides, going to study and practice calligraphy so early in the morning was really not her hobby. And chatting with classmates when she wasn't practicing was even less of a hobby for her. Therefore, she didn't want to stay at school for even a minute longer.
In her mother Cheng Min's eyes, this meant that the child had become lazy and procrastinating.
Li Wei strolled leisurely to school, and just as the bell rang, she entered the classroom, following behind the student on duty. The homeroom teacher, Ms. Zhang, who was talking to students on the side of the podium, smiled when she saw the student on duty trailing behind: "Li Wei is quite punctual; she came in right as the bell rang."
Li Wei said without any shame, "Good morning, teacher."
"Okay." This child is quite polite. Many students enter the classroom and, upon seeing the teacher, quickly dart to their seats as if they don't even see her. Teacher Zhang is quite pleased.
After attending classes for half a day in the morning, Li Wei felt that was enough. She decided to rest at home in the afternoon and discuss some things with her grandfather.
Halfway through the fourth period of moral education class, Li Wei raised her hand: "Teacher... my stomach hurts terribly."
The moral education teacher was a recent graduate from a teacher's college and had little experience. She asked Li nervously, "Are you sure you can manage? Where does it hurt? I'll go find your homeroom teacher, Ms. Zhang."
Li Wei waved her hand while clutching her stomach, saying, "It's okay, I want to go home."
If any other student had said that, it would have been blatant cheating. But because Li Wei said it, none of the teachers suspected she had ulterior motives. She was a good student—obedient, sensible, academically excellent, and a skilled erhu player—a well-rounded student excelling in all aspects of life. Therefore, the moral education teacher let her go without a second thought, even asking her with concern, "Do you want a classmate to take you home?"
Li Wei quickly shook her head, seemingly determined, and said, "No need, teacher, I can manage on my own. My home is nearby."
As soon as Li Wei finished speaking, Luo Da stood up and volunteered: "Teacher, I'll take her home. My house is right in front of hers."
Li Wei, unable to see Luo Da's expression from behind, was seething with anger. She thought to herself, "If you're going to give me a ride, you don't need to. I have two freeloaders at home."
However, the young teacher clearly thought that Luo Da, who looked quite robust, was the best candidate, and immediately agreed to Luo Da's suggestion. She promptly praised Luo Da's helpful and friendly spirit: "Okay, you go home with her. All students should learn from Luo Jianhua; when a classmate needs help, we should lend a helping hand..."
Luo Da's interference directly resulted in Li Wei, who, once out of the school's sight, didn't dare to run home. Instead, she weakly shuffled back, trying to look like a well-bred young lady. Li Wei was incredibly frustrated.
She could tell that Luo Da knew she was faking illness, or at least had a feeling about it. Without even glancing at Li Wei, he turned the corner in front of the school and tried to run away. But Li Wei wasn't about to let him have his way. "You little brat, daring to use me!" she yelled, "Stop... Ouch..."
She squatted down, clutching her stomach.
Luo Da hesitated, then withdrew the leg he was about to run away with, and looked back at Li Wei: "You... weren't you faking it?"
Li Wei's face scrunched up in pain: "How could I, such a good student, do that kind of thing? Ouch..."
Luo Da was still a child, and compared to the old fox with the heart of a sage, he was still a bit behind. He came over and helped Li Wei up: "Why don't we go to the clinic?" He seemed to have taken her to the clinic last time.
It would have been better if he hadn't brought it up, because Li Wei gets angry as soon as he does. So you really are the kind of helpful kid the teacher talks about? But you need my consent before you help me, the person involved. Fine, I'll give you a chance today, hehe!
"I don't need to go to the clinic, I'll just go home and rest for a while. Ouch... I can't walk anymore, carry me." Humph, I'm just bullying a kid, I'm just bullying a kid!
Luo Da hesitated for a moment, then, seeing Li Wei's expectant eyes, finally squatted down, his calf-like body sinking into the ground. Li Wei didn't stand on ceremony at all; since she was small and weak and didn't weigh much, she climbed onto Luo Da's back and shouted like she was riding a horse, "Giddy up... let's go!"
I almost gave myself away.
No wonder Luo Da is so fast and strong; he's small but incredibly agile. Carrying Li Wei on his back is like carrying a pillow—he moves with ease. He's walked halfway without showing any signs of fatigue, which puts Li Wei in a bit of a bind. "Oh dear," she thought, "what a predicament! It would be so embarrassing if the villagers saw this. They'd think I was bullying a child." She quickly said, "Luo Jianhua, I'd better get down. My stomach feels better."
Luo Da remained silent and left.
"I'll walk by myself. Stop, I'll walk by myself." Li Wei raised her voice and patted Luo Da's shoulder, afraid that Luo Da hadn't heard her clearly.
Luo Da stopped to speak when he heard a series of hurried footsteps behind him. He turned around, his face immediately changed, and he turned and ran off with Li Wei on his back. Li Wei was so shaken that her intestines almost came out.
They hadn't run far when Luo Da tripped, and the two of them tumbled together, leaving Li Wei completely disoriented. Before Li Wei could even figure out what was happening, her arm, throbbing painfully from Luo Da's yanking, was involuntarily pulled up and forced to run again. But her legs were no match for Luo Da's; she hadn't run fifty meters before she fell again, her knees and elbows burning with pain. Before she could catch her breath, she was roughly pulled up again and forced to stagger along. Li Wei was speechless, wondering what she had done to deserve this...
She lost her footing and fell again when she turned into her own alley. This time, no matter how much Luo Da pulled her, she wouldn't get up. She didn't have any enemies, so she could let whoever wanted to chase her follow her. If she kept running with Luo Da, she would definitely be torn to pieces by this kid.
Three teenagers quickly surrounded the two people, one standing and one lying down. One of them angrily cursed, "You little brat, you ran pretty fast! We've been looking for you for days..."
The other two shouted, "Stop talking nonsense, beat him up!"
Before they could even make a move, Aunt Lin's shrill voice rang out: "What are you doing, daring to fight in front of my house? Oh—isn't that Luo family's eldest son, and... Xiao Ming! Oh dear, Grandpa Cheng, come out quickly! Someone has knocked your granddaughter to the ground—Grandpa Cheng—help me, someone!"
The sharp, high-pitched sound echoed throughout Linjia Village.
In the end, the three boys were scared away, but Luo Da became the good boy who did the right thing.
Luo Da remained silent, accepting the praise from Cheng Min and Grandpa Cheng. As someone who had just been praised by his teacher said, "The more praise, the better; anyone who stands up to clarify is a fool."
With red antiseptic applied to her arms and calves, Li Wei, looking like a seriously injured person, lay on the kang (a heated brick bed) feeling depressed. "I'm fine, why am I slacking off? My bad luck starts as soon as I leave the classroom. I should stay where I'm supposed to be from now on. It's so damn dangerous for kids to run around everywhere!"
Especially kids like Luo Jianhua!
Staying away from Luo Da means staying away from danger!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
