Chapter 70 Tip-off
Just as I was thinking about it, I saw Aunt Sun and her group coming over and telling me the purpose of their visit in a flurry of conversation.
Wang Xiaobin's brows relaxed unconsciously after hearing this. He thought it wasn't a bad idea, and was about to speak when Liu Linlin beside him got angry first.
"Why?" Liu Linlin stood up suddenly, her face full of disdain, "Who are they, the Wu family? If we want to keep warm, can't we find a way ourselves? Why should we ask that bitch for help!" She had been spoiled since she was a child and had never suffered such grievances. She felt uncomfortable all over when she thought about having to see Wu Yuetang's face.
The words were sharp and aggressive, and the surroundings instantly became quiet.
Wang Xiaobin's face darkened. He hadn't expected Liu Linlin to say such a thing. His tone was filled with obvious displeasure. "If you have a solution, then tell me sooner rather than later. If you don't have a way to help us survive this snowy winter, then shut up."
Liu Linlin was stunned, her eyes suddenly reddening. She was the daughter of the headmaster, when had she ever been scolded like that? Especially by Wang Xiaobin—his future career depended on her father! Tears of grievance welled up in her eyes, she bit her lip, unable to utter a word.
Seeing this, Wang Xiaobin realized that his words had been harsh. Liu Linlin's identity could indeed help him, and he couldn't let their relationship become strained. He slowed his tone and reached out to pull Liu Linlin: "Linlin, I didn't mean to do that. It's just that this cold winter is really hard to endure, and we're all just trying to survive..."
Liu Linlin shook off his hand, turned her face away and wiped her tears.
Wang Xiaobin sighed, turned around, and winked at Aunt Sun and the others, signaling them to go to the corner of the cave to talk. Seeing this, the group didn't dare to delay any longer and followed him to the corner, lowering their voices to continue the discussion. However, their eyes would occasionally glance towards the Wu family, revealing a complex emotion.
Seeing Wang Xiaobin relent, Aunt Sun hurried to the corner, rubbing her skinny fingers against the patched collar of her clothes. Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's hum, but it was filled with unconcealed anxiety: "Brother Wang, you have to make up your mind. I could smell the fragrance of the broth that the Wu family girl stewed on the wind yesterday. I'm afraid it must have ginseng and wolfberry in it, otherwise how could it have drifted so far?"
Chen Chunhe held half a frozen steamed bread in her arms. Upon hearing this, she glared at Aunt Sun fiercely, but immediately put on a flattering smile: "In my opinion, Yuetang has been kind-hearted since she was young. When she was chasing Brother Wang, she was willing to give you all the candy she had in her pocket. Now that we are in trouble, she can't just watch the villagers die of hunger and cold. Besides..." She paused deliberately and glanced in the direction of Liu Linlin, "The headmaster is rich, how can he understand how we farmers dig for food in the snow?"
The shadows in the corners fragmented everyone's faces. Some wrapped themselves tightly in their cotton-padded jackets, stomping their feet to keep warm, while others stared at the icy ridges on the cave ceiling in a trance. A lame man suddenly spat, "I saw the Wu kid collecting firewood in the back hills yesterday. His backpack was bulging. Maybe he's got some dry goods for the winter. I'd just go ask him. We're all from the same village. Can they really ignore us?"
"Bullshit!" Aunt Sun suddenly raised her voice and quickly covered her mouth. "That girl has taken in Ye Lao Er. I heard she's a hunter and has a bow and arrow! If we go there empty-handed, we'll probably be beaten up as robbers!"
Wang Xiaobin drummed his fingers unconsciously on his knees, Liu Linlin's tears of grievance still lingering before his eyes. He knew the headmaster's disciples were scattered throughout the government, and that the banknotes in Liu Linlin's dowry alone would have been enough for an ordinary family to live for three lifetimes. But now, in the blizzard, all that was worthless. The snow outside the cave was already knee-deep, and the stored dry food would only last three days at most. If they didn't find a solution, half the people would freeze to death before spring arrived.
"In my opinion..." He suddenly spoke, his voice particularly clear in the silent corner, "I'll go see Yuetang tomorrow morning and tell her that Linlin is feeling weak and wants a bowl of hot soup to warm herself up. If she's willing to give it to me, she'll naturally see our difficulties; if she's not..." He paused, his eyes sweeping over the purple faces of the crowd, "and then think of another way."
Chen Chunhe immediately clapped her hands, her frozen palms making a dry sound. "Brother Wang is the one with the idea! That girl looked at you like she wanted to give you her heart. As long as you're willing to give in, she'll definitely agree!"
Liu Linlin stood out of the firelight, her nails digging into her palms. Wang Xiaobin's words, "Just shut up," had pierced her heart like an icicle. But when she heard he was going to find Wu Yuetang in person, she felt relieved. She wanted to see if the girl she had pointed at and called a "country bumpkin" would dare to deny her, the headmaster's daughter, respect.
The wind outside the cave suddenly changed its pitch, like the howling of a wild animal in the distance. Wang Xiaobin looked up at the flickering campfire at the cave entrance and suddenly remembered that summer day ten years ago when Wu Yuetang ran after him, holding a candied haws fruit, the red string on her braid fluttering in the wind like a dancing flame. Back then, she always said, "Brother Xiaobin, I'll buy you your favorite glutinous rice cake every day."
Aunt Sun's nagging brought him back to reality: "...I need to ask that girl to bring more ginger. My legs hurt like crazy every winter..." He suddenly became irritable and waved his hand to interrupt everyone: "It's settled. I'm going alone tomorrow morning, and none of you are allowed to follow."
The chatter in the corner gradually died down, leaving only the crackling of the firewood. Liu Linlin walked over to him, her voice tearful but trying to maintain her composure, "Do you really want to beg that village girl? My father knows..."
"Linlin." Wang Xiaobin held her frozen hand, his fingertips stroking the delicate jade bracelet on her wrist. "After this is over, I will personally go and apologize to the headmaster. Right now, it's important to get out of the snowy mountains alive. Just be patient."
Liu Linlin saw the complex expression flashing across his eyes and suddenly bit her lip. "What if that girl dares to neglect you? That Ye family member next to her is obviously a martial artist..."
“No need.” Wang Xiaobin released her hand and stood up, his cloak sweeping the gravel. “She’s not that kind of person.”
Suddenly, an icy shard from the cave ceiling fell with a snap, sending a shower of sparks into the fire. Everyone shrank back, and no one noticed that when Wang Xiaobin turned around, a flake of snow from the cave ceiling clung to his eyelashes, resembling the melted rock candy Wu Yuetang had given him.
Every word of their discussion and conversation reached the ears of the surrounding villagers, and even those who had previously remained silent began to think about it. The Ye family of Liuwan Village, the Wu family of Maiduo Village, and even Wang Xiaobin's parents began to ponder the matter.
Seeing this, Aunt Liu quickly greeted her son, then quietly slipped out of the edge of the cave and headed towards the Wu family's small cave.
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