Transmigrated as My Aunt in the 70s
Chapter 74 - 073 Gao Hongmei

Chapter 74: 073 Gao Hongmei

Tian Sisi was quite satisfied with Jin Duofu’s performance. She handed him a few fruit candies, about four or five, which delighted the boy immensely. He wasn’t selfish either; when no one was paying attention, he stealthily placed two candies into Zhong Juying’s desk. From Tian Sisi’s behavior earlier, it seemed she and Zhong Juying had a good relationship. Since that was the case, sharing the candy with Zhong Juying should make Tian Sisi happy, right?

A slight smile curled at the corners of Tian Sisi’s mouth. This guy wasn’t too bad; he had a clever mind. She wondered what fortunes this boy might have had in his past life. Recalling the tales her mother used to tell about the past, Tian Sisi tried to remember if there was anyone named Jin Duofu who had achieved great success. And thinking about it, she did recall a story.

In the past, her mother had mentioned a dramatic incident that occurred at Luoling Primary School. A male student from Jinkeng Village, bored during a break, had folded a piece of homework paper into a telephone and, placing it to his ear as a joke, uttered a phrase. It was this phrase that plunged the boy into a deep abyss, causing him thereafter to live a life of extreme distress.

What the student said was, "Hello, where are you? Is this Taiwan?" Normally, it would have been just a child’s joke and overlooked, unless someone decided to report it. Unfortunately, a girl in his class, who loved to stir up trouble, overheard him. This girl, from Moon Spring Village and named Gao Hongmei, the daughter of the village accountant, rushed off to inform her uncle in the town, who was a member of the Rebel Faction. As one might guess, the student was then accused of being a spy for Taiwan and was severely persecuted, nearly losing his life along with his family’s.

However, Tian Sisi couldn’t quite remember the name of that male student. She only remembered that it happened during her current class period, approximately around the time people would eat Qingming Cakes, as mentioned by her mother. Could that tragic student be this Jin Duofu? Tian Sisi couldn’t help but glance at him more intently, just in time to see him sniffling again and sucking in his snot. "Disgusting," Tian Sisi immediately turned her head, determined not to look at this repulsive fellow again.

She decided she’d better keep a closer eye on Jin Duofu. If she ever saw him folding a paper phone, she’d immediately stop him from uttering those dangerous words. Saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-level pagoda! Tian Sisi was deeply moved by her own compassion. Where could one possibly find another girl as beautiful, kind, and intelligent as her?

Thinking further about the girl named Gao Hongmei, Tian Sisi remembered her as well; the original host of her body had a best friend and a nemesis. The best friend was of course Zhong Yuying, and the nemesis was this Gao Hongmei. Gao Hongmei, two years older than Tian Sisi at age 12, was short, chubby, and robust—stronger even than boys her age. She resembled her mother, Tian Chunfang.

Gao Hongmei’s mother, Tian Chunfang, was a stout, dark-skinned woman, quite popular in the countryside for her robustness. However, Tian Chunfang was somewhat fame-hungry, the type that was obsessed with maintaining appearances. Despite having meager meals at home, she would smear a piece of fat pork on her lips before going out, making her lips glossy to boast about how delicious and plentiful their meat was, claiming it was so much that it nearly burst their bellies. Considering her and Gao Hongmei’s well-fed appearances, many believed her, joking that all the meat at home was devoured by her and her daughter while the others looked as skinny as firewood sticks. This lie lasted several years until someone caught her smearing the leftover skin from their kitchen fat on her mouth, bursting her pretentious bubble.

Besides being competitive and overly concerned with face, Tian Chunfang was relatively harmless. However, her husband, Gao Yuzhu, was not so admirable. He was a sneaky man; although a resident of Tian Estate, he was among the few outsiders who had settled there, having moved to Tian Estate begging with his grandpartents and parents. As such, in Moon Spring Village, his family was considered a weak group, constantly keeping a low profile.

Yet, Gao Yuzhu was not one to submit to a lowly status. Thus, he schemed and eventually charmed Tian Chunfang. Tian Chunfang’s father, Tian Shuimiao, the former village accountant known for his excellence in handling accounts—Tian Sisi’s second uncle, Tian Manmu, had learned how to use the abacus under him. Gao Yuzhu, a good-looking, tall, and clean-cut man, coupled with his sweet words, was irresistible to the plump Tian Chunfang, and she fell for him within two months.

After marrying Tian Chunfang, Gao Yuzhu also endeared himself to his father-in-law, who was totally enchanted by him, taught him the finer points of accounting personally, and even recommended him for the village accountant position, a role not even offered to his own sons. Because of this, Tian Chunfang and her husband’s relationship with her brothers was strained.

After Gao Yuzhu became the village accountant, his status skyrocketed, making him a standout in the village. However, he was not satisfied. A few years later, he arranged for his youngest sister, Gao Yulan, to marry a leader of the Rebel Faction in the town. This leader was more than ten years older than the 18-year-old Gao Yulan and was unattractive. Nevertheless, the leader was ecstatic to have a young and beautiful wife, and he pampered Gao Yulan greatly. Just a few years into their marriage, Gao Yulan gave birth to two chubby boys, further elevating their status.

Therefore, Gao Yuzhu wielded the power of a small faction of the Rebel Faction in Wangjiazhen, leading a carefree life. However, the people of Yuequan Village maintained a respectful distance from Gao Yuzhu, though they dared not offend him. He was a two-faced and treacherous person, always smiling to your face while potentially stabbing you in the back, somewhat like Zhong Liangcai but slightly better as he at least cared about keeping up appearances and wasn’t entirely ruthless.

Having been raised by her mother, Tian Chunfang, Gao Hongmei always considered her family as one of the top families in Yuequan Village, and she viewed herself as the village’s little princess (at least in her own opinion). However, when she started attending school, Gao Hongmei realized how naïve her previous thoughts were—Tian Sisi was the real princess. Although she didn’t want to admit it, reality forced her to acknowledge that Tian Sisi’s clothes were prettier, her hair accessories more appealing, and she even had more pocket money... Of course, Gao Hongmei would absolutely never admit that Tian Sisi was prettier than her.

As a result, Gao Hongmei, who wholeheartedly believed that Tian Sisi had stolen her status, always gave Tian Sisi cold and hostile glares and pointed accusations. If not for her brother Gao Yuzhu’s warning not to provoke Tian Sisi, Gao Hongmei would’ve done more than just make snide remarks; she would have actively sought to drive Tian Sisi out of school.

Tian Sisi looked towards the front row and saw the stout Gao Hongmei looking in their direction. Upon seeing Tian Sisi, Gao Hongmei glared fiercely then quickly turned her head back to attentively listen to the teacher. Sitting upright, her hands neatly placed behind her back and crossed, Gao Hongmei’s expansive back made Tian Sisi chuckle.

Despite being short, Gao Hongmei was quite plump—and she wasn’t even the shortest in the class. To assert her extraordinary status, Gao Hongmei insisted that her mother, Tian Chunfang, speak to Principal Luo to have her seated in the middle of the first row. Intimidated by her uncle’s influence and wishing to avoid trouble, Principal Luo consented, much to the dismay of the students sitting behind her.

If it were just Gao Hongmei’s height, the students behind could have managed by leaning slightly to the side to see the blackboard. However, Gao Hongmei was also wide, effectively blocking their view not only directly but also to the sides. No matter how much the students behind her squirmed and jumped, they couldn’t see the writings on the board, and their complaints were endless. Yet, no one dared to voice their grievances openly—Gao Hongmei’s family was not to be trifled with, so they just endured.

Of course, Tian Sisi wasn’t afraid of Gao Hongmei, but she preferred not to provoke unnecessary trouble with such petty and hypocritical characters. As long as Gao Hongmei didn’t come after her, Tian Sisi wouldn’t bother with her either—the best scenario for both.

During the break, Tian Sisi didn’t feel like playing and simply rested her cheek on her hands atop the desk, lost in thought. She wondered when her uncle would finally bring back the camera he had promised to buy—it had been almost half a month already. Ah, the downside of this era—the inconvenience of not being able to purchase good things even with money.

As the weather had warmed up, Tian Sisi wore the red leather shoes He Xuewen had bought her, along with the pure white socks he had subsequently purchased. As the afternoon sun shone on her seat, warming her up, Tian Sisi took off her thin jacket to reveal the yellow and white sweater underneath, which had been skillfully knitted by Zhu Aiqing. Zhu Aiqing, talented and crafty, had adorned the sweater with two cute little flowers, making it incredibly beautiful.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.