Read Novel Full Chapter 91
Chapter 91 : Frost on Donkey Dung
The woman with the big mouth noticed Jiang Li was about to leave and was surprised. She held the phone receiver against her ear and called out to Jiang Li, “Hey, you, the one who does perms! How rude of you! You’re leaving without saying a word or doing any work?”
Jiang Li turned and asked her, “You weren’t really planning to get your hair done, were you? You were just messing with me on purpose.”
The big-mouthed woman looked surprised and slightly guilty. How did he know?
Jiang Li snorted coldly, then kicked over the green plant at her feet. The soil spilled out of the pot, scattering all over the ground. The woman was startled. “What are you doing? Do you know where you are?
“If you dare cause trouble here, I’ll call security right now to have you arrested!”
“Ugly people always stir up trouble. Your new perm makes you look ten years older. You could pass for my grandmother,” Jiang Li retorted sharply.
The woman, clearly very concerned about her appearance, froze. Her nails were painted, her hair was styled meticulously, and her clothes and accessories were all carefully chosen. Hearing this, she trembled with anger, pointing at Jiang Li’s nose. “You, you! What did you say?”
“I said you’re ugly. An old woman trying to act like a young girl, with makeup so thick it’s like frosted donkey dung.”
The maid couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter. The woman, named Zhang Xinlan, was insecure about her dark skin and always applied heavy makeup to cover it. But Jiang Li had mercilessly exposed her.
Jiang Li walked away, leaving Zhang Xinlan fuming. She yelled at the maid, “Go get the security team! I’m going to teach that man a lesson he won’t forget. He’ll never leave this compound!”
A sharp female voice came from the phone, “Sister Zhang, are you okay?”
“This is all your fault! What kind of lousy idea was that? Luring someone here to mess with them, what good does that do? If you had any skill, if you took your craft seriously, that stupid man wouldn’t have stolen your customers!”
“Useless fool!” Zhang Xinlan vented her anger before slamming the phone down, leaving the person on the other end gritting her teeth.
Jiang Li hadn’t made it out of the compound when a group of angry security guards shouted at her to stop. Instead of listening, she picked up speed, darting into an alley with his belongings.
After shaking off the guards, she changed clothes in a public restroom, zigzagging her way home.
As soon as she reached the gate of her courtyard, he spotted Qin Xiaoting standing there, looking around nervously. Beside her was Liu Lixin, who held her arm protectively.
“Xiaoting, what brings you here?” Jiang Li exclaimed, pulling her in for a closer look. It had been a long time since he’d seen Qin Xiaoting, and he realized he’d missed her.
The two friends had a lot to catch up on. Liu Lixin, carrying Qin Xiaoting’s things, followed them into the house with a resigned smile.
The weather was freezing, and the room was warmed by a coal stove for Jiang Li’s comfort. She poured hot water for Qin Xiaoting to warm her hands.
“The holiday is coming up soon. I’ll be heading back to the brigade with Qi Shaoqiang. Why did you come to the county in this cold weather?”
Qin Xiaoting blushed, and Liu Lixin chuckled awkwardly.
“Jiang Li, I’m pregnant with twins. We just found out at the county hospital.”
Jiang Li’s jaw dropped. “So fast?”
Wow, she thought, no wonder they’re the male and female leads of this story. Their efficiency in making babies was top-notch. Twins? No doubt they’d be little prodigies, adorable and clever.
“But Liu Lixin is a doctor himself. Why did you go to the county hospital for a check-up?”
Liu Lixin scratched his head sheepishly. “I don’t know why, but my hands shook when I took her pulse. Plus, Xiaoting said she dreamed about having two babies, so I thought it was better to check at the hospital and also get some supplements for her. The brigade’s supply of medicine is really lacking, and I didn’t want to take any chances.”
Qin Xiaoting already knew, in her past life, she’d had fraternal twins, a boy and a girl.
Jiang Li was genuinely happy for her friend. The two held hands, and Jiang Li gently touched Qin Xiaoting’s stomach. Though still flat, it now held two new lives.
Qin Xiaoting guided Jiang Li’s hand to her belly, her smile serene. “There’s one more thing, Jiang Li. We’re planning to move to the county. If you come across any suitable houses, please let me know.”
Liu Lixin looked at Qin Xiaoting with concern. “Xiaoting is pregnant with twins, and the medical facilities in the brigade aren’t good. I’m worried. If we live in the county, we’ll be able to go to the hospital promptly if anything happens.”
Jiang Li beamed with happiness. “Don’t worry. I’ll definitely help you find a place.”
“It would be ideal if we could find something in your family compound,” Qin Xiaoting said, leaning on Jiang Li’s shoulder. “That way, we’ll have someone close by for company, and we can study together.”
Qin Xiaoting had no plans to give up on the college entrance examination. Having lived in Haicheng for most of her previous life, with family and friends there, she was determined to return.
Liu Lixin also turned to Jiang Li. “Lizi, thank you for your help. I’ll come along when the time comes, but I’ll be busy training at the health center during the day, so I might not have time to handle everything. Please help us out for a while.”
“I’d help even if you didn’t ask,” Jiang Li assured him. “After all, Xiaoting is pregnant.”
“When the babies are born, I’ll give you one to play with!” Qin Xiaoting joked.
Her words startled Liu Lixin. “Xiaoting, I can afford to support two children!”
Jiang Li and Qin Xiaoting exchanged a glance and burst into laughter.
Time flew by, and soon the major factories began to close for the holidays. Qi Shaoqiang received New Year’s supplies from his workplace, including two kilograms of pork, a bag of potatoes, a bag of sweet potatoes, a bag of apples, candies, and biscuits.
They chose a day without snow to ride their bicycles back to the brigade.
The brigade was already buzzing with New Year’s preparations. On that day, the team happened to be slaughtering pigs and distributing meat. The grain team had distributed the rations earlier than usual this year.
This early distribution was triggered by an incident in the neighboring Dashuping Production Brigade. A female educated youth had fainted from hunger and had to be carried to Bailutang for medical treatment.
As a result, Dashuping’s brigade leader, Jiang Baoshan, and secretary, Jiang Fugui, were punished by the commune and required to deliver self-criticisms.
It was a massive embarrassment. To outsiders, it seemed as if the brigade had withheld rations and forced the educated youth to work on empty stomachs.
Jiang Baoshan, who had been a team leader for years without major faults, was enraged. He launched an investigation and found that the fainting incident was due to the female educated youth, Xu Caixia, giving her food rations to a male educated youth, Guo Haifeng.
Further investigation revealed that Guo Haifeng had not only accepted Xu Caixia’s rations but had also coaxed several other girls into bringing him food.
No wonder he frequently took leave from work and didn’t worry about food shortages, he had been living off others’ generosity.