"Lu Siqiao, we look forward to your better performance in this city-level competition. If you encounter any difficulties, just let the school know. We will unconditionally support the work of Shitou Primary School."
As the education bureau leaders were leaving, Lu Siqiao had two competition certificates in her hand.
The principal told her that the final competition in City A would be held in ten days.
Lu Siqiao showed no impatience; instead, she calmly and confidently said that she would work hard.
This competition is just a small test on her learning journey; the real challenges are yet to come. City A is, after all, a fourth-tier city, with countless hidden talents in its primary and secondary schools, their depth unfathomable. She started late and will have to put in much more effort than others to catch up with them.
Coincidentally, Lu Sidi's essay also won third prize in the town competition, and he received a water cup as a prize.
When she and Lu Siqiao stood on the podium, receiving the admiring gazes of the students below, she felt a deep sense of irony.
The reason is that she only scored 10 points on her math test.
It's difficult, really difficult.
But how did Lu Siqiao manage to do it?
The whispers and comments from others also made her uncomfortable.
"Lu Sidi is the class monitor's older sister, three years her senior. She transferred back from a primary school in the city, yet she's not as good as the students from our poor mountain village!"
"In my opinion, she wasn't a very good student in the first place..."
The relationship between the two sisters, which they had finally managed to mend, has vanished again.
After class, Lu Sidi went home with Lu Zhenxing and his sister without even glancing at Lu Siqiao.
Lu Siqiao didn't care; her mind was full of thoughts about the math Olympiad.
When he got home, Third Master Lu learned that Lu Siqiao had won first place in several towns and districts. He was so happy that he couldn't stop smiling. He specially posted the certificates on the wall of the living room and always showed them off to visitors.
The old man's behavior left Lu Siqiao both amused and exasperated.
A few days later, the chili peppers in the field ripened. Unlike last time, this time the price of chili peppers was extremely low; no one wanted them even for three cents a pound.
The villagers of Lujia Village regretted not heeding Lu Wenqing's advice, and they all suffered setbacks, with cries of despair filling the air.
Shao Lihua made a special trip to the main house to inquire about the news.
"Qiaowa, how much are you planning to pay for the chili peppers in your aunt's field?" She still pretended to look innocent.
Lu Siqiao laughed: "Third Aunt, I told you this chili pepper was definitely worthless, didn't you believe me? So how much do you want me to pay?"
Listening to her childish tone, Shao Lihua licked her lips and quoted an exorbitant price: "Third Aunt, I don't need much, just five cents a pound." The third family had planted three acres of chili peppers, hoping to make a fortune by growing them.
"Let alone five cents, I wouldn't dare agree to even three cents." Lu Siqiao sneered, "For three cents, you can pick anywhere in the town market, and if you don't like it, don't take it."
Upon hearing this, Shao Lihua's face fell, and she said unwillingly, "Three cents? Who are you trying to fool? Do you think Boss Cai would let your four acres of chili fields lose money?"
Seeing that she was becoming increasingly irresponsible, Luo Xiaoxue retorted, "Our family's chili peppers are homegrown and for our own use, how can they be the same?"
"We have to calculate the cost of our own produce, right? Who are you trying to scare!" Shao Lihua retorted angrily, then launched a preemptive attack, "I don't care, you have to buy our chili peppers, and not less than four cents a piece, or I... I won't live!"
"Why are you so shameless? It's not like we held a knife to your head and forced you to grow chili peppers! On the contrary, my daughter Qiaowa even advised you not to follow the trend, but you wouldn't listen." Luo Xiaoxue's tone turned icy as she scolded, "Don't try to blackmail others with family ties all the time. If we buy your chili pepper field for four cents, what will happen when everyone in the village demands the same price? What about the outsiders?"
"Do you really think we're rich and owe you something?!"
Shao Lihua pouted and said, "We're doing this privately, who would know? Besides, you should give me some compensation, don't be so stingy, it's not like we can't afford it!"
Luo Xiaoxue's chest heaved with anger as she shouted, "This is utterly unreasonable!"
"Third Aunt, if that's how you see it, then we have nothing to say to you. Please leave." Lu Siqiao was afraid that Luo Xiaoxue would get upset and hurriedly advised her to go back to her room, coldly giving her the order to leave.
"Alright, your eldest son's family has really made something of themselves, they don't even care about their relatives anymore!"
"I'd like to see what you have left without us relatives!"
Shao Lihua's insults were harsh, and the villagers who rushed over were disheartened when they learned that the eldest son's family refused to accept the chili peppers.
"Let me tell you, Qiaowa deliberately lowered the prices for the villagers so she could buy them all at a lower price later." Shao Lihua didn't forget to brainwash the villagers and maliciously slander Lu Siqiao. "What does a seven-year-old girl know about human relationships? It must have been my sister-in-law who instructed her! Does she really think everyone is stupid!"
"We're all from the same village, this is going too far."
"I never would have guessed Luo Xiaoxue was so vicious..."
Seeing that the villagers' opinions were overwhelmingly against her, Lu Siqiao was about to come out to demand an explanation, but was stopped by Luo Xiaoxue.
“If you go out now, you’ll be playing right into your third aunt’s hands.” Luo Xiaoxue shook her head and comforted her instead, “Complaining will only make you see the ugly side of humanity when you’re so young. The villagers have only been led astray by Shao Lihua; most of them still have a sense of humanity.”
Fortunately, Mr. and Mrs. Lu Wenqing arrived and intervened to break up the fight.
"What are you doing? What kind of behavior is it to block someone's door?" Lu Wenqing scolded. "Did Qiao Wa tell you to plant the chilies? She has repeatedly emphasized that following the trend is not advisable, but you just won't listen. You're really taking kindness for granted!"
"Village chief, every household has a lot of chili peppers right now, what should we do?" a villager complained. "We need to come up with a plan."
Shao Lihua also took the opportunity to complain, "Village chief, I told Qiaowa to just give her whatever she thinks she can, but she won't even give her four cents. She's clearly bullying us!"
"Four cents? You're dreaming!" Lu Wenqing sneered. "Do you know the prices outside? These days, three cents worth of chili peppers are everywhere in town, anyone can pick them up. Why don't you sell them for four dollars? You're just asking for trouble!"
Shao Lihua's face burned, but she was incredibly thick-skinned. She retorted defiantly, "Can others compare to us? We're from the same village, we see each other all the time. Besides, they run a chili sauce factory, they have to buy the chilies. It's better to benefit our own people than to let others benefit."
“Taking money from your family is nothing, at most I’ll only compensate you a few hundred yuan, but what about the whole village? What if outsiders hear the news and come asking for four or five cents? Aren’t you going to compensate them for their losses?” Lu Wenqing spat and cursed.
His wife, Liu Hong, sneered, "Accepting it is a favor, not accepting it is also reasonable. Don't spread rumors here and ruin the reputation of the eldest son's family."
The villagers were so ashamed after being scolded that they couldn't lift their heads. Someone whispered, "Village chief, why don't you talk to Qiao Wa and ask her to accept the 28 cents? We know their family's difficulties. Let's all compromise and make money peacefully."
"Listen up, everyone, I'll take it for two yuan a pound, but I want dried chili peppers."
At this moment, Lu Siqiao came out and shouted loudly.
"However, we can't afford the chili peppers from Auntie's house!"
Her gaze turned cold.
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