Chapter 29 The old lady causes trouble by freeloading
Xu Zhili opened her palm and showed the candy to Xu Zhian, saying softly, "An'an, this is White Rabbit milk candy, it's so sweet. Let me unwrap the wrapper for you, okay?"
Xu Zhian didn't say anything, but nodded obediently, her eyes full of anticipation for the candy.
They came from all directions and different regions, and gathered here because of the common goal of "sent-down youth supporting rural construction and contributing to the motherland".
Along the way, the group shouted slogans with great enthusiasm, sang patriotic songs with great passion, and talked enthusiastically about their life ideals. The young people were full of passion, and their high enthusiasm seemed to set the entire carriage on fire.
Xu Zhili looked at An'an sitting quietly beside her, and couldn't help but look up at the window. Her thoughts drifted away as she pondered the current situation.
It is now June 1968, nearly ten years before the college entrance examination is restarted, and the reform and opening up will be more than a decade later.
For Xu Zhili, traveling to this era was not a bad thing.
She was already tired of the fighting and killing in the apocalypse.
In comparison, this era gives her more peace of mind. Although there are risks, she is confident that she can protect herself and her mother in this life with her own strength.
She wondered to herself, when she met her mother, would her mother remember her from the apocalypse?
Even if my mother isn't the one from the apocalypse, having the opportunity to accompany her throughout her life is enough to make up for the regrets left by the apocalypse.
Thinking about the reform and opening up more than ten years later, Xu Zhili was full of anticipation. She thought she should enjoy the leisurely time of retirement in advance. Just imagining it made her feel that the future days would be filled with warm sunshine.
Around noon, people in the carriage took out the dry food they had prepared at home and began to eat.
Xu Zhili opened the lunchbox, and instantly, the aroma of dumplings filled the air, causing everyone to unconsciously swallow.
It turned out to be pan-fried dumplings carefully made by Grandma Xu; their golden and crispy outer skin looked incredibly tempting.
Xu Zhili took one for herself, and after tasting it, she really liked it. She then picked up another one and fed it to An'an. The little one ate it with great relish, looking extremely cute.
Although the weather was hot in June and the dumplings had cooled down, they still tasted quite delicious, and Xu Zhili didn't mind.
Just then, an elderly woman quietly approached, her eyes fixed on the lunchbox, her longing almost bursting forth, clearly wanting some food.
"Little girl, could you give this old lady something to eat? My stomach is growling with hunger," the old lady said pitifully.
"I'm so sorry, ma'am, there are only enough dumplings in this lunchbox for my brother and me. I'm really sorry."
Xu Zhili refused without hesitation. She and An'an didn't have much food to begin with, and there was really no way to share it with others.
After An'an finished eating, Xu Zhili mixed a few mouthfuls of sauce with the lunchbox.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, the old woman instantly transformed into a dramatic character, clutching her chest and screaming in a shrill voice, "Heavens! Is there no justice left? Someone is bullying this sick old woman! Everyone, come and judge! How can there be such a heartless person! This kind of person should be sent to labor reform!"
After shouting, the old woman seemed to think things weren't bad enough, so she plopped down heavily on the ground and wailed loudly in her hoarse voice.
The sound was sharp and piercing, echoing in the carriage like tiny knives stabbing into people's ears.
She doesn't look like a sick old lady at all.
Her crying and tantrum caused an immediate uproar, drawing everyone's attention.
"Young lady, please have pity on this old woman. I'm not well and I'm sick. I'm just craving dumplings. It's all because my stomach is so uncooperative. I just want to have a bite."
The old woman cried and wiped away her tears with her rough hands. Her face was full of scheming, and anyone who didn't know the truth would definitely be deceived.
"Auntie, it's not that I'm heartless and won't give you any, it's just that you..."
Xu Zhili deliberately dragged out the last syllable, then stopped speaking. Her gaze seemed to casually sweep across the faces of the people around her, but in reality, she was secretly observing their reactions, her mind as clear as a mirror.
Most of the people in this carriage were educated youth sent to the countryside; they were young and impetuous, with a strong sense of compassion and curiosity.
Some of the female educated youth might even have secretly envied Xu Zhili's outstanding appearance.
Sure enough, a female educated youth dressed in a bright yellow dress across the aisle suddenly stood up like a firecracker that had been lit, put her hands on her hips, and angrily accused Xu Zhili.
"Hey lady, you can't treat this old lady like that! What you're doing is wrong. Can't you at least be a little more considerate of her because she's sick? It's just a few dumplings, what's wrong with letting her eat a few? We're all educated youth, we should know how to respect the elderly and care for the young, why don't you have any compassion?"
Li Yuqiu, a female educated youth dressed in a bright yellow dress, stood with her hands on her hips, righteously criticizing Xu Zhili.
Upon hearing this, Xu Zhili couldn't help but scoff and retorted without backing down: "I have no compassion? Fine! Since I have no compassion, then this comrade with overflowing compassion will probably be happy to give the old lady a few eggs to eat."
"It's because the old lady really wants to eat dumplings. I'm not like you, who has dumplings but doesn't give them to her. If I had them, I would have given them to her already." Upon hearing this, Li Yuqiu hurriedly and nervously covered her lunchbox.
“But the old lady is sick, how can she eat my fried dumplings? Your eggs are very nutritious, they’re perfect for helping her recover.”
Xu Zhili persisted, her eyes full of mockery.
"How can you be like this? It's clearly the old lady who wants to eat dumplings, but you refuse to give them to her no matter what. How can your moral awareness be so low?" Li Yuqiu was so angry that her face turned red, and she still wanted to continue arguing.
However, before Xu Zhili could respond again, something unexpected happened: an unexpected person appeared.
"That's not right, comrade."
Bai Linlin's almond-shaped eyes widened, and she retorted without any politeness, "Giving is a favor, not giving is one's right. How can you be so hypocritical? You keep saying you have compassion, why don't you give it to yourself? Just now, as soon as you heard I wanted to eat your eggs, you quickly sealed the lunchbox. What, it's easy for you to talk when it's not your turn, pretending to be kind to the old lady? If you really have to give something, you can't bear to part with it?"
"But...but, Auntie is sick, she just wants to eat dumplings, it's not that I...I want to too..." Li Yuqiu blushed and stammered in defense. Hmph, what a hypocritical "white lotus" who only knows how to be generous with other people's money! From the very beginning, this girl's whole charade was simply to make everyone hate Xu Zhili.
Xu Zhili sneered and continued, "Oh, so you're taking my things to be a good person? I already said I had a reason for refusing. I put a lot of chili peppers in these fried dumplings. I'm from Hunan Province, and I love this kind of food. Fried dumplings have to be very spicy to be satisfying. But the old lady is sick, how can she eat chili peppers? If I give them to her, wouldn't I be harming her?"
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