Bonus chapter for 2000 nutrient solutions: I'm going to seek refuge with my childhood sweetheart...
Chapter 15
Zhou Jingsong has not yet explained.
Zhao Yueru then spoke up, "Yingying, Lao Qi is the one who helped you carry your coffin before, and he was also Comrade Zhou's comrade-in-arms."
"Let me tell you, he's a really good person. I never expected that before he left, he actually figured out that these bastards would come to our door, and he even called the police."
"I think the alarm is good."
Meng Yingying, "Old Qi?"
She seemed to recall that the other person had supported her like this before she fainted. She only remembered that the other person's hands were like iron clamps, gripping her so tightly she couldn't move.
Unfortunately, I couldn't see his face clearly.
Meng Yingying's heart stirred slightly, a feeling that was hard to describe. "It's a pity I couldn't thank you in person."
"That's alright."
Zhao Yueru said, "I see that Lao Qi is a good example of learning from Lei Feng, doing good deeds without seeking recognition."
As she said this, she glanced at Uncle Meng, who was slumped on the ground, and said, "Don't you think so?"
"Uncle Meng."
Upon hearing this, Uncle Meng trembled slightly. "Officer, I didn't go to your house to rob it, and I didn't vandalize it."
As soon as I saw him say such shameless things...
Zhao Yueru immediately launched into a tirade, "Did you not want to smash up the house? I was the one who opened the door in time."
“If I don’t open the door, you’re going to bring men with axes and chop my door down.”
Zhao Yueru took the property deed from Meng Yingying and handed it to Officer Li on the spot. "Officer, look, this is my home, Zhao Yueru's home. And these people I don't know are trying to smash my house. Shouldn't they be arrested?"
Zhao Yueru did what Meng Yingying should have done.
She knew that Meng Yingying's surname was Meng, and even if she retaliated, these people would only say that she was heartless.
Therefore, Zhao Yueru took care of these tasks.
Meng Yingying suddenly realized what was happening. She looked up at Zhao Yueru, who nodded at her. Then, without giving Uncle Meng a chance, she pointed directly at the axe in his hand, "Officer, this is physical evidence."
Police officer Li stared intently at the axe in Uncle Meng's hand, and Uncle Meng instinctively threw it away.
"This is my way of chopping wood for Meng Yingying."
He turned his head, gave Meng Yingying a smile, tinged with flattery and ingratiation, "Yingying, don't you think so?"
“I’m your uncle. Your father is gone, so I’m like a second father to you. I was worried that you wouldn’t have any firewood, so I brought an axe to help you chop wood.”
"Right?"
I asked again.
Meng Yingying couldn't understand how there could be such a shameless person in the world.
"Yeah?"
She forced a smile. "Uncle, you brought over a dozen people here just to chop firewood for me?"
Meng Yingying suddenly walked up to him, half-squatting down and looking down at him, "Do you dare say that to my father's portrait?"
On the wall in the center of the main room of the Meng family's house hangs a portrait of Meng Baichuan.
The seventh day after death has not yet passed.
Uncle Meng naturally dared not. He took several steps back and said in a fierce but weak voice, "Meng Yingying, I am your uncle, your blood-related uncle."
"Are you really going to take me to the police station?"
Meng Yingying smiled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. "Yes, my dear uncle, before my father even died, he came to our door wanting my father to leave the house to the Meng family and marry me off to your adopted son. He's trying to take advantage of me, and he'd rather have no descendants, so he can get his money's worth in one go."
“My father died, and we were carrying his coffin up the mountain. You, as my uncle, not only prevented the neighbors from helping, but also led the way in obstructing and threatening me. You demanded that I give up my house on the condition that I marry your adopted son. Only then would you carry my brother’s coffin.”
"Uncle, my dear uncle, you are my dear uncle."
"Right?"
"Upon learning that the person who had previously helped me was gone, they turned around and brought men to my door to demand I think about it."
The usually docile Meng Yingying now had an icy expression, asking, "What do you want by coming here?"
"Robbing a house?"
"Take them away?"
"Ideally, you'd win the house and me too. That way, not only would the house my dad left behind be yours, but the daughter my dad raised for twenty years would also be yours. Wouldn't that be great?"
"It saves on bride price and ensures that your adopted son can carry on the family line."
"She's really taking advantage of many opportunities."
The more she spoke, the uglier Uncle Meng's face became. There are some things that can be done, but cannot be said, because saying them out loud is like tearing away the last veil of pretense.
"Meng Yingying!"
He roared, "Do you want to ruin my reputation?"
Uncle Meng was as quiet as a chicken and trembling in the face of the police.
He was incredibly imposing in front of Meng Yingying; even at this point, he could still boss her around.
However, it's only because Meng Yingying is a lesbian, and the least valuable lesbian in the Meng family.
Upon hearing this, Meng Yingying turned around abruptly, her usually clear eyes now sharp and piercing. "I want to ruin your reputation?"
"You surnamed Meng, get this straight, you want me dead, you want to ruin my life."
"Shouldn't I want to ruin your reputation now?"
She looked at him, her eyes filled with anger and hatred.
The obedient, kind, and innocent Meng Yingying experienced the coldness and warmth of human relationships within these two weeks.
I also witnessed how ugly the faces of relatives can be.
Uncle Meng met her gaze and instinctively looked away, saying, "I am your uncle."
"You are not."
You don't deserve it!
Meng Yingying sneered, turned around and walked up to Officer Li, "Officer, this is the scumbag. He not only wanted to anger my father to death and steal my house, but he also wanted to sell me to his adopted son."
"However, he did not succeed."
She took a deep breath. "This house doesn't belong to me, nor does it belong to the Meng family. It belongs to the Zhao family. And these strangers are carrying weapons and trying to break down the door and steal the house. I wonder if people like them should be arrested?"
All I can say is that people who understand the law are truly different.
Today, as long as the property deed for this house is in Meng Yingying's name, and she has lost her father, and Uncle Meng is coming to her door as her relative, everything she does is generally within the permitted scope.
However, Meng Yingying somehow managed to change the ownership of the house.
Then Uncle Meng wasn't coming to his niece's house; he was breaking into other people's homes.
This involves a crime.
Therefore, Officer Li bluntly stated, "Someone like him, who broke into a private residence and led a group to rob someone, should indeed be arrested and brought back to the police station to verify the specific circumstances."
Even if Uncle Meng's robbery attempt failed, he still had the intention and even came to the door, so he should at least be locked up for a few days.
Upon hearing this, Uncle Meng was so frightened that he wet his pants. "Comrade, I didn't!"
"You can't arrest me. I'm at my niece's house. I didn't trespass."
Unfortunately, all the witness testimonies and physical evidence are now conclusive.
Officer Li ignored him completely and took out silver handcuffs, cuffing them onto Uncle Meng's hands. "Whether you have it or not, you have to come with us to give a statement."
Uncle Meng refused. He took several steps back, trying to avoid Officer Li's handcuffs. While backing away, he accidentally bumped into Meng Yingying.
Meng Yingying blocked his way from behind and suddenly asked, "Are you scared?"
"I thought someone as heartless and cruel as you would never know what fear is."
Meng Yingying could never have imagined that a relative could do such a vicious thing as threatening to carry a coffin up the mountain to coerce her.
That feeling of isolation and helplessness, that sense of heaviness, was something Meng Yingying never wanted to experience again.
"Yingying, your uncle was wrong, your uncle will never dare to do it again." Uncle Meng was scared after all, and he began to soften his words, "Yingying, please give your uncle another chance for the sake of me being your father's older brother."
Meng Yingying uttered two words, "No."
Seeing that Meng Yingying was unmoved by any gentle persuasion or coercion, Uncle Meng turned to the person next to him for help, "Mother, please persuade Yingying!"
Grandma Meng was about to start cursing.
Meng Yingying looked at her and smiled, "You'd better scold me even harsher."
“If I remember correctly, before the house was transferred, my uncle seemed to have taken a lot of things out without my father’s and my permission.”
"If I were to sue him for burglary now as the victim, would he be sentenced to a longer period?"
"What if he gets executed?"
Meng Yingying tugged at the corners of her mouth, "My dear grandma, you'll have no one to take care of you in your old age and see you off in your final days."
Grandma Meng nearly died of anger upon hearing this, "You—"
She was about to curse him, but remembering Meng Yingying's previous threats, she swallowed her words.
"What do you want from your uncle?"
She realized that all of this was the work of that brat in front of her.
From the time her second son's house was transferred to someone else's name, to the time her eldest son came to arrest Meng Yingying, it wasn't Meng Yingying who came out, but her friend from the city.
From the moment the police came to her door, every single incident was related to Meng Yingying.
Meng Yingying gave her a strange look. "My dear uncle, when you wanted to anger my father and kill off my family line, why didn't you ask him how you could let me go?"
"When your own son was being carried up the mountain for his funeral, your eldest son came to your door to stop him from being laid to rest. Why didn't you ask him how he could let me go?"
“You see, he has never let me go, nor has he let my dad go.”
"In the end, you're telling me to let him go? Why should I?"
Meng Yingying was a kind person, but after she came into this world, her kindness was gradually devoured by these people.
Since that's the case, we might as well settle scores and grievances.
Grandma Meng remained silent.
Suddenly, Aunt Meng spoke up, "Yingying, what if it were me? What if I were begging you?"
Meng Yingying suddenly remembered that half an hour later, Aunt Meng and Dunzi had suddenly found her and told her to run.
Let her run as far away as possible.
At that time, Aunt Meng and Meng Dunzi already knew that Uncle Meng was going to make things difficult for her, and that if she missed a single step today...
So now she's the one who's in trouble.
Faced with Aunt Meng's request, Meng Yingying closed her eyes and said, "Auntie, I'm sorry."
“One thing at a time. I remember you helping me, but today—” she turned and pointed at Uncle Meng, “he’s definitely going to be arrested.”
She kept waiting, waiting for Uncle Meng to truly cross the legal line.
However, the things Uncle Meng did before were all morally questionable.
This time, however, it was a real violation of the law that they brought men with axes to break down doors and steal things.
When Aunt Meng realized she couldn't reason with her, she tried to kneel down.
Meng Yingying helped her up, "Auntie, isn't it good that he's been arrested?"
"You'll get beaten up less often."
Aunt Meng was taken aback. She turned to look at Uncle Meng. According to the tradition of the Meng clan, men are the head of the family, so it is only natural for men to beat and scold women.
Aunt Meng got used to being beaten all her life.
However, Meng Yingying's words now silenced Aunt Meng for a moment.
"Now that your children are all grown up, what's the point of having him?"
"Is it because he's old, or because he doesn't cook or bathe? Or maybe it's because he beats you every three days?"
Aunt Meng was startled.
Uncle Meng, who was standing nearby, couldn't stand it any longer. He shouted angrily, "Meng Yingying, what are you doing?"
Meng Yingying walked up to him and said casually, "I'm just repeating what you did again."
"It's that simple."
"Uncle, why can't you accept this?"
Her family fell apart, so why is Uncle Meng able to go back to being a big shot after doing such heinous things?
Meng Yingying did not accept it.
Uncle Meng was afraid that his wife would take Meng Yingying's words to heart, so he immediately turned around and scolded her, "Yulan, don't listen to Meng Yingying's nonsense."
Aunt Meng remained silent for a while before looking into Uncle Meng's eyes with a hint of expectation, "Can you please stop hitting me?"
Zhang Yulan was married to Uncle Meng her whole life, and she was beaten her whole life.
If the food is cooked late, you'll get a beating.
If the clothes aren't washed properly, you'll get a beating.
If a child gets sick, injured, or falls down, they will also be beaten.
If you don't serve your mother-in-law well, she'll beat you to death.
Aunt Meng couldn't remember how many times she had been beaten in her life. She only knew that she wanted to exchange the other person's predicament for the opportunity to avoid being beaten.
As long as Uncle Meng stops beating her, she can continue living this life.
Even if it's just for the children.
But no.
Uncle Meng stared at her for a while, then sneered, "What woman in this world doesn't get beaten?"
“Zhang Yulan, I think you’ve been misled by Meng Yingying.”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yulan's smile gradually faded, and the light in her eyes slowly dimmed. She closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them again, she had already made her decision: "Yingying, take him away."
She will not plead for him again.
This was the first act of resistance in a patriarchal society.
For the first time in nearly thirty years of marriage, that submissive woman rebelled.
Uncle Meng was shocked. He never expected that his wife, who always listened to him, would dare to defy him.
He started cursing, "Zhang Yulan, have I given you too much face? I've raised you my whole life, you good-for-nothing! Without me, the pillar of this family, are you planning to be bullied to death?"
Zhang Yulan remained unmoved.
Uncle Meng was truly panicked this time, but as a man and the head of the family, he had never known what it meant to bow one's head.
So he half-threatened, "Even if you don't consider me, you still have to consider the marriages of your children."
Meng Dunzi suddenly said, "I will take care of my mother in her old age."
As soon as he said this, everyone looked over. Meng Dunzi was actually the beneficiary of this game.
after all.
According to Uncle Meng's plan, the house would belong to his own son, Meng Yuzhu, but Meng Yingying would belong to Meng Dunzi.
But no one asked Meng Dunzi's opinion on whether he was willing to marry Meng Yingying.
It wasn't until Uncle Meng led his men to storm the house, seize the house Meng Baichuan had left behind, and force Meng Yingying to marry him that things changed.
Meng Dunzi then began his first act of resistance.
He was going to tell Meng Yingying that he was going to run away.
This was the second time, and under the powerful ideology of the Meng clan, it was his second act of resistance.
“If,” Meng Dunzi looked up at Uncle Meng, “if Yuzhu and the others don’t take care of Mother, I will.”
He was an adopted child, and over the years, if it weren't for Aunt Meng, Uncle Meng would have given him away dozens of times.
“I can take her away, and we can leave the Meng family and live alone.”
"She raised me when I was young, and I will take care of her when she is old."
As soon as he said that, the surroundings fell silent.
Zhang Yulan could no longer hold back, and tears streamed down her face. "Dunzi."
The first person to rebel against Uncle Meng was Meng Yingying.
The second is Zhang Yulan.
The third is the pier.
After they started, Meng's other three daughters also chimed in, "I'll go with my mother too."
The Meng family's daughter is worthless.
The only one who was precious and valuable was Meng Yingying.
They didn't have the courage to rebel like Meng Yingying, but after Meng Yingying rebelled, they all stood up as well.
To fight a bloody path for the injustices and unfairness of the past.
This is the third act of resistance against patriarchy.
Even that worthless little girl revealed her claws.
When Uncle Meng saw that everyone in his family, except Meng Yuzhu, was leaving him and betraying him.
This is even more infuriating than the police arresting him.
"Are you all crazy?"
"Meng Yingying's family was destroyed, and she's hoping something bad will happen to our family too. Are you really going to do as she wishes?"
The three daughters of the Meng family remained silent.
Meng Dunzi shielded them behind him, murmuring, "Father, I don't want to marry Yingying, because she is my sister."
"Mother doesn't want to be beaten anymore."
“My three younger sisters don’t want to be sold off like this for dowry.”
“We all have our own troubles, and these have nothing to do with Yingying.”
"You are the one who truly has the connection."
"It's you." Meng Dunzi, the invisible man, spoke his mind for the first time. "It's because you were an unkind father, an unjust person, and a heartless wife that you ended up being abandoned by everyone."
Upon hearing this, Uncle Meng's eyes widened suddenly, and he roared, "Meng Dunzi!"
Do you know what you're saying?
"I raised you, and you turned out to be an ungrateful wretch?"
Meng Dunzi didn't speak, he just kept his head down.
Because Uncle Meng touched a nerve with Meng Dunzi, that cowardly and self-conscious young man was so burdened by this kindness that he couldn't even lift his spine.
"You didn't raise him."
Zhang Yulan stepped forward and said, slowly and deliberately, "It was Dunzi who was raised by me."
“You don’t give him food, so I’m the one who saved food from my own mouth and fed him bite by bite.”
When Uncle Meng saw her like this, he immediately cursed, "You've gone too far! You've gone too far!"
"You've all rebelled."
Meng Yingying felt a headache coming on. She turned around, found a smelly sock, and stuffed it directly into his mouth. She then said to Officer Li, "Take him away."
"It's so noisy."
It's so noisy it's giving me a headache.
No one expected that Uncle Meng's performance would end like this before he even started.
He was taken away like that.
Seeing that the leader had been arrested, the others brought by Uncle Meng stood dejectedly at the back, not daring to utter a sound.
No matter how powerful they were in Mengjiatun, that was only in front of their own people. When they saw the police in uniform holding a pair of silver handcuffs...
They panicked.
Meng Yingying looked at them coldly, and they didn't even dare to meet her gaze. "Yingying, we were forced into this."
"It's true, it was Boss Meng who forced us. If we didn't listen to him, he would expel us from the Meng clan."
Meng Yingying twitched the corner of her mouth, neither believing nor disbelieving. Seeing that she remained silent, everyone went back to fetch their belongings and apologized.
A bunch of small green vegetables.
Three eggs.
A gourd.
It was mostly everyday stuff, and Meng Yingying didn't want it. She asked them to take it with them, but they refused. "Yingying, I'm sorry."
"But there's nothing we can do about it."
Uncle Meng is the mainstay of the Meng clan and the leader of the clan. If they want to stay in Mengjiatun, they have no way to refuse Uncle Meng.
"Yingying, don't take the things." It was Uncle Meng. He spoke up, "Have them go to the brigade headquarters and get you a travel permit."
He knew that his niece was going to Heilongjiang Province to stay with her childhood sweetheart.
It was only then that Meng Yingying realized that in this era, one still needed a travel permit to travel, especially for someone like her who was leaving across provinces.
"I can have my third uncle help you get the travel permit."
He was the neighbor who had previously taken money from Meng Yingying and Uncle Meng, but had failed to help carry the coffin.
He was a little embarrassed. "My third uncle is the captain of the brigade headquarters, provided that you have a legitimate reason for traveling."
Meng Yingying looked at him for a while and then said, "Then I'll trouble you."
The other person shook their head. "I'll take you there now."
Meng Yingying was about to leave with him when Meng Dunzi suddenly called out to her. Meng Yingying stopped, and Meng Dunzi whispered, "Yingying, I'm sorry."
It seems like all of them owe her an apology.
Meng Yingying remained silent for a moment, but it was alright if she couldn't answer. She simply nodded to Meng Dunzi before leaving.
I saw her go to the brigade headquarters.
Meng Dunzi then said to Aunt Meng, "Mom, come with me. There's a house for the elderly living alone at the east end of the village. No one lives there now, but we can tidy it up and move in."
Aunt Meng shook her head, "I'm not going."
The person who had always been submissive suddenly became more assertive: "We won't move out as long as he doesn't come back."
At this point, she glanced at Meng Yuzhu and asked, "Yuzhu, you don't have any objections, do you?"
Meng Yuzhu remained silent.
Or rather, all he did from beginning to end was stop Meng Dunzi from going out to help Meng Yingying carry the coffin.
After a long pause, Meng Yuzhu finally said, "Mother, I think this is too cruel to Father."
After their father was arrested, the family started looking for ways to get rid of him, or rather, to start their own business separately.
Aunt Meng suddenly asked, "Don't you think it's cruel that your father beat me so many times before?"
Meng Yuzhu fell silent again.
He is not a good person.
He secretly didn't want Meng Yingying to leave. He hoped that Meng Dunzi would marry Meng Yingying. On the surface, it would be him marrying Meng Yingying, but in reality, Meng Yingying's house was meant for him.
Everyone knows that he is his father's biological son.
But from the moment Meng Yingying rebelled, and from the moment Meng Dunzi and Aunt Meng turned against them, it seemed that everything was no longer going according to their plan.
This made Meng Yuzhu feel like all his efforts had been in vain.
But the outcome was already decided, and there was no point in him trying to resist.
He remained silent for a long time before saying, "Mother, I am your biological son." Perhaps only without Meng Yingying could he finally pour out all the pent-up thoughts in his heart.
“If Dad really succeeds, then not only will Dunzi and I be able to live in a big house, but you can too.”
He didn't understand why his mother would object.
Clearly, his mother and they are a community of shared interests. If his father really manages to tear a piece of flesh from Meng Yingying's hands, his mother will also benefit.
Aunt Meng didn't seem surprised that her own son would say such a thing.
"If your father dies, and your second uncle brings people to our house, would you agree to that?"
Meng Yuzhu instinctively said, "How is that possible?"
"Why should the house that my father left us be given to my second uncle?"
As soon as he said this, Meng Yuzhu froze without even needing Aunt Meng to say anything.
Aunt Meng murmured, "See, that's the difference. Dunzi has never coveted anything from your second uncle's family."
“Back then, Fenfang once told me that I shouldn’t have spoiled you so much, but I didn’t believe her.”
"Now, I believe it."
Song Fenfang has a sharp eye.
She came easily, and she left easily.
Even if she randomly picked a man, he would be the best man in the Meng family.
She spent forty years trying to see it clearly but still couldn't.
After saying this, Aunt Meng ignored Meng Yuzhu's reaction and said to Meng Dunzi, "Let's go, go back and pack up your things, take out all the eggs and give them to Yingying to take away."
Meng Yingying is leaving for Mengjiatun.
I might never come back.
Before she left, she went to do something to show her gratitude. No, it wasn't a gesture of gratitude, but rather an expression of guilt and a way of making amends.
"She's gone, what will happen to this house?"
Meng Yuzhu couldn't help but ask a question.
He was Meng Yingying's cousin.
Aunt Meng glanced at him. "You still think the same way your father does, that the house your second uncle left behind should be yours, not Meng Yingying's, right?"
These words seemed to expose Meng Yuzhu's most secret thoughts.
Being young, he couldn't hide his thoughts and felt a little embarrassed, so he lowered his head and said after a long while, "Grandma said that Second Uncle has no sons, and what he earned was originally meant for us cousins."
Even his father did the same thing.
Aunt Meng looked at him for a long time before finally saying, "No wonder you're from the Meng family."
“Apart from your second uncle, who is an oddball, the rest of the Meng family—” she twitched her lips, “are all pretty inhuman.”
It's a pity that when Song Fenfang gave her advice back then, she thought the other woman was sowing discord and wasn't a good woman who could live a simple life and endure hardship.
She endured hardship for thirty years, only to realize at this moment that her husband was capable of ruthlessly killing even her blood-related brother and niece.
What makes her think he will treat her well?
When she is old and sick, will she be able to get a bowl of water from the other party?
Thinking of this, Aunt Meng said calmly, "That's Meng Yingying's house. Even if she throws it away or smashes it, it has nothing to do with you."
After saying this, Meng Yuzhu was left standing there with a stiff expression, unable to recover for a long time.
*
Meng Yingying went to the brigade headquarters. After the previous commotion, everyone in Mengjiatun knew about it. Meng Yingying called the police and had Uncle Meng, who wanted to eat the childless man, arrested.
Humans are naturally inclined to seek advantage and avoid harm.
As a result, they treated Meng Yingying with more seriousness, because she was not someone to be bullied.
What is the purpose of obtaining the travel permit and letter of introduction?
Meng Yingying took out the token, "When my father was alive, he arranged a marriage for me when I was stationed in Heilongjiang Province."
"With the army?"
"right."
Without saying a word, the other party issued Meng Yingying a travel permit. After receiving the travel permit, Meng Yingying looked at it for a long time.
She gripped the paper tightly, knowing that this thin travel document was crucial to her future.
After Meng Yingying returned home.
Most of the family members had left, including Zhou Jingsong. Only Zhao Yueru and Uncle Meng remained. Upon seeing Meng Yingying return, Zhao Yueru immediately went to greet her, "Yingying."
"How did it go? Was it successful?"
When Meng Yingying went to the brigade headquarters to apply for a travel permit, she stayed at home and did not go with them.
Meng Yingying nodded, "It went very smoothly."
Her tone was somewhat complicated as she whispered, "It seems one shouldn't be too kind. After I made a scene at home and went to the brigade headquarters, the officers there were all very polite to me."
"There was absolutely no delay in getting things done."
This wasn't the case before.
The saying "Kindness is often taken advantage of" was something Meng Yingying only came to realize.
"That's good," Zhao Yueru said. "When are we leaving?"
Meng Yingying paused for a moment, then said, "The sooner the better."
"I might have to leave first thing tomorrow morning."
She could no longer stay in Mengjiatun.
Zhao Yueru seemed to be thinking about something, "Then why don't you come home with me?"
Seeing that Meng Yingying was a little confused, Zhao Yueru said, "My parents have been urging me two or three times, but I was worried about you, so I haven't left yet. Now that you have your travel permit, why don't you come home with me?"
With sincere eyes, she warmly invited, "It would be more convenient to get to the train station from my house, so you don't have to get up too early from the village and might not make it to the train."
Meng Yingying's throat tightened, but she couldn't utter a single word. She simply stepped forward and hugged Zhao Yueru, her voice hoarse, "Yueru, thank you."
"No need to thank me."
Zhao Yueru: "You've forgotten, we're best friends."
She was just a little sad. "Yingying, if you leave, it will be hard for us to see each other again in the future."
Meng Yingying said firmly, "No."
She said softly, "Wait until I've settled in, then I'll bring you over to play."
As they spoke, Uncle Meng remained silent throughout, simply keeping them company until they finished.
Uncle Meng then asked, "If you leave, what do you plan to do with this house?"
Although the property deed has been transferred, the house is still here.
Meng Yingying had already made plans. "Third Uncle, the house is now officially Yue Ru's, so all we need to do is trouble you to move in."
"Just keep an eye on the house and make sure no other members of the Meng family move in."
Uncle Meng disagreed with this approach and refused decisively, saying, "After you leave, I'll lock this house. I'll still live in my house and come in once a month to clean it up."
He paused for a moment, then said, "When you get married and come back with your husband and children in the future, you'll have a home to settle down in."
Meng Yingying's throat felt a little hoarse, and she softly called out, "Third Uncle."
"I promised your father I would take care of you," Uncle Meng said with some regret. "But I didn't take good care of you."
“Since that’s the case, and you’re no longer in the village, I’ll naturally take good care of this house.”
"Don't worry, as long as I'm here, this house won't be touched by anyone else from Mengjiatun."
Uncle Meng was a scoundrel, and many people in the village were wary of him.
Meng Yingying pursed her lips, unable to utter a single word. She bowed deeply to Uncle Meng, a truly solid bow that bent her entire body down.
Uncle Meng also received her bow.
"Pack your things and let's go early."
The earlier she leaves, the safer she will be.
Meng Yingying nodded and turned to pack her bags. Since traveling a long distance would be inconvenient, she only packed the essentials.
Her father left behind a bankbook, a pocket watch that symbolized their childhood betrothal, travel documents, and a bag of milk candy her father had bought before.
A photo of a father and daughter.
When she was packing up the milk candy and the group photo, Meng Yingying couldn't hold back her tears and they immediately started flowing.
She raised her hand and gently stroked the palm-sized one-inch photo. In the photo, Meng Baichuan was still young, without any illness, and smiling at the camera.
She looked unwell, almost smelly, and leaned on Meng Baichuan's shoulder.
"dad."
Meng Yingying called out silently.
People may be gone, but their belongings remain. Those memories are like the humid season – not a torrential downpour, but a gentle, persistent drizzle.
The dampness cannot be concealed, and the memories cannot be hidden.
Meng Yingying felt a little sad. She remembered that Meng Baichuan had said he missed her, so she ate a piece of candy.
She unwrapped the candy and took a bite.
It's supposed to be a sweet candy, but once you put it in your mouth, it's full of bitterness.
She missed her dad a little.
Late at night, when Meng Yingying and Zhao Yueru left, they did disturb Aunt Meng. Aunt Meng brought over the eggs she had prepared for Meng Yingying.
Meng Yingying refused, saying, "Auntie, you can keep them for yourselves."
"It's inconvenient for me to carry it with me when I go out."
She refused with a single sentence. Aunt Meng watched her departing figure, unable to recover for a long time, only murmuring, "Yingying, take care."
Meng Yingying did not turn around. To her, everyone in the Meng family, except for Meng Baichuan and Uncle Meng, was not a good person.
Even Aunt Meng is one of them.
She left decisively and resolutely, never looking back.
By the time Meng Yingying and Zhao Yueru arrived at the Zhao family home, it was already past 2 a.m.
The two women rode their bicycles, taking turns carrying each other, for the rest of the way.
Meng Yingying was fortunate that the original owner of this body knew how to ride a bicycle; otherwise, she and Zhao Yueru would have been completely lost, taking turns riding the bicycle.
When they arrived at the Zhao family's residence...
The Zhao family's house was still brightly lit.
This is not scientific.
Zhao Yueru also had a bad feeling. She immediately jumped off the back of the bicycle. Before she even went inside, her voice could already be heard, "Dad, Mom?"
Meng Yingying parked the car in the Zhao family's courtyard and followed closely behind.
In the blink of an eye, you can see the huge Zhao family home, packed with more than a dozen cardboard boxes, each of which is sealed.
When Zhao Yueru saw this, her face turned pale. "What happened?"
She actually knew, but she didn't want to speculate.
Why are you back?
Seeing her like this, Zhao's mother immediately tried to push her out, saying, "Didn't I tell you not to come back?"
She urged her daughter to come back the first two times, but by the third time, she was no longer willing for her daughter to return.
Home is a hotbed of trouble; it's safer to stay in Mengjiatun than to come back.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yueru's face paled inch by inch. "Mom, has something happened at home?"
Zhao's father kept his head down, smoking without saying a word.
Zhao Yueru went inside to look for Aunt Wang and the driver, but they were nowhere to be found.
Seeing Zhao Yueru's unease, Meng Yingying couldn't help but grab her hand tightly. "Find out the truth first. If something really happens, you can come to my house to hide."
As soon as he said this, both Zhao's father and mother looked over.
Meng Yingying confessed without changing her expression, "My father is gone, and I can't stay in Mengjiatun any longer. Today I'm going to the city with Yue Ru, and I plan to buy train tickets for tomorrow morning to go to Heilongjiang Province."
"Uncle and Auntie."
Meng Yingying's tone became more sincere, because this was a friendship she and Zhao Yueru had forged through shared hardships.
She was also very frank, saying, "My family has a house in the countryside. If you trust me, you can move in with Yue Ru."
Upon hearing this, Zhao's father finally understood why his daughter, who was so afraid of the dark, would travel thirty miles overnight to accompany Meng Yingying through the most difficult part of her journey.
Now that the Zhao family has fallen from power, their family background is considered bad, and they've been labeled capitalists. Even their relatives want to sever all ties with them.
But a little girl in front of them was willing to lend them a hand.
Mr. Zhao was grateful. “Yingying, your aunt and I thank you, but we can’t go.”
"If we go, Yue Ru won't be able to be saved either."
He took a deep breath and laid out his arrangements in detail, "Since you can take in Yue Ru, then let Yue Ru stay at your house for the time being."
Zhao Yue asked instinctively, "And what about you guys?"
Zhao's father didn't want to talk about it, but Zhao Yueru pressed him for answers, so he had no choice but to say, "Your mother and I can't escape it; our class background has already been determined."
"This is a foregone conclusion; we can't escape it."
“We will be exiled wherever the organization decrees our punishment.”
"But you are different."
Zhao's father's tone became more serious, "Yueru, now that Yingying is willing to take you in, you should seize this opportunity. If I remember correctly, Comrade Zhou also lives in Mengjiatun. You should stay close to him, find a way to marry him, and leave Xiangshi."
After she ran away, no one would know if she was still a capitalist's daughter.
Zhao Yueru turned her face away in a huff, "I don't want to."
Meng Yingying, standing beside her, pulled her back with a serious expression. "Yueru, now is not the time to be angry. Only when you are well can your uncle and aunt be well."
"If they were sent to the countryside, and you were alright, you could send them things and visit them, but—"
Her tone became more serious, "If you go with them, then there will truly be no hope left."
Zhao Yueru also understood this principle.
But she just felt bad about it.
“Yueru,” Meng Yingying said wistfully, “as long as people are alive, there is still hope. You still have your parents; only if you are well can they be well.”
“You’re not like me. Even if I get better, my dad won’t come back.”
With just that one sentence, the stubborn Zhao Yueru was persuaded.
“Then I’ll stay at Yingying’s house.” She sniffed. “I’ll use this opportunity to find a way to win over Zhou Jingsong.”
Her relationship with Zhou Jingsong is actually better than before.
However, during this time, she was busy with Yingying's affairs and was in a hurry to go home, so she put Zhou Jingsong aside.
That's as if he's about to die a heroic death.
Meng Yingying couldn't help but smile. "I think Comrade Zhou is handsome and has a good character. If you win him over, Yue Ru, you won't lose out."
That's the truth.
Hearing their discussion, Zhao's mother's mood lightened. "What's wrong?"
Meng Yingying recounted what Zhou Jingsong had done.
After listening, Zhao's mother exclaimed, "He really is a good man. He is indeed someone we can entrust Yue Ru to."
Zhao Yueru blushed slightly. "We don't know what the future holds yet. Let's get to know each other first. If it's a good match, I'll get married first. If it's not a good match..." She snorted. "I'll go find another man."
"How shameless."
Zhao's mother tapped her nose.
This commotion dispelled all the gloom that had been hanging over the house.
"You should get some rest tonight. Tomorrow—" Zhao's mother said, "you see Yingying off on the train before heading back to Mengjiatun."
At this point, Zhao's mother said with some gratitude, "Yingying, then our Yue Ru will have to bother your family for a while longer."
Meng Yingying shook her head, her eyes big and her chin pointed. "What's the big deal? I'm glad I can help Yue Ru too."
Just like how Yue Ru was able to help her before.
Seeing how much weight she had lost, Zhao's mother felt sorry for her, "You must have suffered a lot this time."
The last time I saw her, she was plump and had a blessed look on her face.
She looks much thinner this time; her face is smaller, her neck is thinner, and even her figure has shrunk considerably.
Meng Yingying touched the flesh around her waist, gave a wry smile, and remained silent.
That night, Meng Yingying didn't get much rest. It was time to say goodbye to Zhao Yueru, and the two best friends had so much to talk about.
In conclusion.
Meng Yingying said, "Yueru, after you move in, remember to visit my third uncle often."
“My third uncle is a man with a sharp tongue but a soft heart. In addition, he is skilled in martial arts. If you, a young woman, move into Mengjiatun, someone will at least look after you.”
"Of course, my third uncle is only one aspect; the most important one is Zhou Jingsong."
She remembered the name.
Zhou Jingsong's future is bright. He's a big shot now. His current blindness is just a low point in his life. He'll rise again in the future.
That would naturally mean a bright future.
Of course, he was more than capable of protecting Zhao Yueru, provided that Yueru could catch him.
"If all else fails, then you should abandon my third uncle and go directly to Zhou Jingsong for help."
"Over time, feelings naturally develop between them."
Zhao Yueru wrote it down bit by bit. She burrowed a little deeper into Meng Yingying's blanket, hugged her arm, and asked softly, "Yingying, have you arranged everything for me?"
"And what about you?"
Meng Yingying opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling above her head. The Zhao family's house was really beautiful, even the ceiling was carved.
Not wanting Zhao Yueru to worry, she pinched her cheek, smiled with pursed lips, and said, "I'm going to stay with my childhood sweetheart."
—No, she's off to pursue her future.
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Author's Note: We're only 53 bottles of nutrient solution away from reaching 2,000 words, so I'm posting the bonus chapter early!
Love you all! I'm so grateful for your support of my first order. I'll do even more to repay you all! I'm bowing down to you all!
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