Transmigrated as My Aunt in the 70s
Chapter 113: Scumbag, stay the hell away from me

Chapter 113: Scumbag, stay the hell away from me

He Xuewen seemed aloof and unearthly at first glance, like a deity among men, but after getting to know him better, one would realize he was like a deity holding a Jade Abacus, far too good at doing business. He was the kind who could even salvage four pounds of iron nails from a rotten ship!

After washing the dirty clothes, Tang Qiubai hung them out to dry in the yard, greeting He Xuewen and his daughter with a smile. He Xuewen still quite liked the kid Tang Qiubai. Though the child might be a little too cunning, it was just the way the world had shaped him.

Among the kids, Tang Qiubai stood out; only Tian Xinhua and Jianguo could quite compare with him. Chengsi, that foolish boy, might be good in a fight, but when it came to using their heads, he couldn’t keep up with the others.

"Sisi, why didn’t you come and catch loaches with us today? There were a lot of people there, Zhong Anmei even asked about you," Tang Qiubai said while hanging the laundry, trying to strike up a conversation with Tian Sisi.

Tian Sisi’s eyes lit up. Zhong Anmei was there? Then Zhong Juying and the others must have been there too. Just yesterday, that traitorous An Mei said she’d stay home to make shoes and not go out. Humph, what a liar!

"Ah Nan, why don’t you go with Qiubai? Daddy’s going to take a nap," He Xuewen said, truly feeling sleepy. He had eaten his fill at lunch and the cool breeze made him drowsy.

Tian Sisi really didn’t want to go with Tang Qiubai, but Daddy had spoken, and she didn’t have a choice. So, she went with Tang Qiubai, but unlike her usual chatty self, Tian Sisi was silent the entire way, not uttering a word. Tang Qiubai looked at Tian Sisi gloomily, wondering where he had offended this girl. Why did she seem to dislike him so much?

"Sisi, do you have a problem with me? If I’ve done something wrong, just tell me, and I’ll be sure to correct it," Tang Qiubai decided it was best to be direct.

Tian Sisi was startled and reflexively shook her head, saying, "No, no, you’re overthinking it."

"Then why do you always refuse to talk to me? You laugh and chat with Chengsi, Xinhua, and the others, but not a single word with me."

Tang Qiubai felt a bit wronged. No matter how precocious he was, he was still just a thirteen-year-old boy. Among the group of friends, Tian Sisi got along well with everyone else, but she wouldn’t speak a word to him. This blatant discrimination deeply wounded Tang Qiubai.

Looking at the sad and aggrieved Tang Qiubai before her, Tian Sisi felt as if a hundred alpacas were stampeding through her heart. How could she explain? Should she say that in his past life, this bastard was a jerk who made her life miserable?

"It’s mainly because we’re not familiar with each other. Don’t overthink it." Tian Sisi forced a smile.

"Oh dear, I forgot my hat. Why don’t you go ahead? I’ll catch up with you later." Tian Sisi didn’t want to continue being the counselor to the boy’s soul; she simply used a lame excuse to escape back home.

Tang Qiubai pounded his head in frustration, wondering why he still couldn’t get along with Tian Sisi. What was going on? Now, getting on good terms with Tian Sisi had become an obsession for Tang Qiubai, no longer serving any initial purpose. Tian Sisi’s rejection had ignited a competitive spirit in him; he didn’t want to be a loser.

In Tang Qiubai’s heart, being singled out and ostracized by Tian Sisi was a failure. Following the truth that one should pick themselves up where they fall, Tang Qiubai would strive to get closer to Tian Sisi in the coming years, only to be heartlessly kicked away by her every time.

Tian Sisi hurried home, relieved to see that Tang Qiubai wasn’t following her. She patted her chest and let out a sigh of relief. That damn jerk was really annoying, why did he keep following her and not let go? Wasn’t she making it clear enough? Could he not read her expression?

Tian Sisi didn’t realize that there are two terms that describe the tendencies of men, one being "desire for conquest" and the other being "self-degradation". Although Tang Qiubai was still just a boy, he possessed these two characteristics.

Tian Sisi casually picked a light purple sun hat to wear and ran to the ditch to find Zhong Anmei and the others. It was bustling there; not only were Tian Xinhua and the three siblings of the Zhong family around, but there were also many other children from the field and Zhongjia Bay.

At this time, when the weather was neither cold nor hot, the village kids would go to the ditch to catch loaches and eels in order to add some meat dishes to their family’s dinner table. Seeing Tian Sisi, dressed beautifully and wearing a sun hat, the boys showed their youthful shyness while the girls were obviously filled with envy and jealousy.

Zhong Yuying was also in the crowd, searching for snails down the stream by herself. Since the incident of pushing Tian Sisi into the tiger pit came to light, the village kids no longer wanted to play with her. Even her own sister and brother avoided her to prevent being ostracized, and it was the same now. Zhong Yuying’s brother Zhong Shoufu and sister Zhong Hongying stayed away from her, searching for snails with the others.

Zhong Shoufu was 15 years old this year and didn’t resemble either his father or mother. Instead, he looked like his uncle Zhong Shancai and was very similar to his cousin Zhong Shouliang. However, as Zhong Shoufu was pampered by Zhong Liangcai and Wang Yueyue from a young age and didn’t do much farm work, his skin was fair, giving him the appearance of a white-cut chicken. He didn’t have the tall and robust build of Zhong Shouliang. When the two stood side by side, Zhong Shouliang gave off an impression of being steady and responsible, while Zhong Shoufu seemed frivolous and unreliable.

Not only did he not resemble them in appearance, but Zhong Shoufu’s character was also not like that of Zhong Liangcai and Wang Yueyue. Zhong Liangcai and Wang Yueyue were the type to split one cent into three, and a bowl of plain vegetable and steamed meat would last a month on the dining table.

Zhong Shoufu, on the other hand, was very extravagant with money and loved to show off. Most of all, he disliked working and was fixated on becoming a worker in the city. However, with his current family status, he couldn’t even go to middle school, let alone become a worker.

Apart from being lazy and caring too much about face, Zhong Shoufu didn’t have any major flaws. Although his intentions weren’t always pure, he wasn’t as malicious as his father; he was just a bit selfish, perhaps due to his youth and having yet to "mature" fully.

As for Zhong Hongying, she was the odd one out in the Zhong family. "A bad bamboo can produce a good shoot" - that’s what they said about Zhong Hongying. She was the same age as Tian Sisi and only attended elementary school for two years. Since her elder sister Zhong Zhiying got married and there was no one to do housework, Zhong Liangcai stopped letting her go to school so she could help at home.

Just like her big sister Zhong Zhiying, Zhong Hongying was a girl who was hardworking and uncomplaining. She worked the hardest and ate the least, didn’t like to gossip, and was nothing like the character of her parents. Instead, she resembled her uncle Zhong Shancai.

Zhong Hongying wasn’t avoiding Zhong Yuying out of fear of being ostracized, it was mainly because Zhong Yuying usually didn’t like to be with her, thinking her unattractive and a disgrace to be seen together. In reality, Zhong Hongying was not lacking in looks, but just like the previous Zhong Juying, she worked hard all year round with no time to adorn herself, which made her seem unkempt.

Additionally, Zhong Hongying was quite afraid of this sister. She felt that her sister was different on the inside and always liked to scheme against others. When Zhong Yuying pushed Tian Sisi into the pit, she felt terrified and couldn’t help but want to stay away from her sister, which was also a form of self-protection. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to go to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)