Chronicle of the 70s
Chapter 112 - 109 Spots in the Third Watch of the Night

Chapter 112: 109 Spots in the Third Watch of the Night

The visitor was none other than Liu Aidang, holding a winnowing basket in her hand, filled with some peanuts. Upon seeing her, Li Xianglu couldn’t help but smile warmly, though her mind couldn’t stop speculating, "Offering help without being asked can only mean you’re up to no good!"

Qin Xi was also taken aback when she saw Li Dafu’s wife arrive. She was definitely here for Xiang, probably because of the incident yesterday. She looked over with an indifferent expression: "Let’s eat first."

Li Xianglu politely said to Liu Aidang, "Auntie, you’re so early. Please, come sit inside first. I haven’t finished my porridge yet."

Liu Aidang replied sheepishly: "Go ahead, I’ve already eaten. I’m just here to see how you’re doing."

Li Huai Ren had been silent all along, giving only a nod before heading back to the kitchen.

At the moment, Qin Zhen was arrogantly sitting at the table, devouring a soy-sauce-glazed pork knuckle. Seeing this, Li Xianglu immediately rushed over, grabbed his ear, and started pulling while shouting, "You dare to eat my pork knuckle, do you want to mess things up?"

Qin Zhen yelped in pain, but he didn’t stop gnawing on the meat for even a second. Witnessing this, Qin Xi coldly huffed, "You are not to go anywhere before New Year’s Day. Stay home quietly, clean both rooms well, and clear the snow off the roof of the cave dwelling. Or else, watch out!" She glanced menacingly at his behind.

That look instantly reminded Qin Zhen of the times his brother would tie him to a bench and spank him, causing his legs to go weak. He hastily nodded in agreement, afraid that if he was too slow, he would get beaten right away.

Li Xianglu then settled down in her seat contentedly, started eating her portion of the pork knuckle, licked her fingers clean, and finished off her porridge.

Qin Xi had to go out, so Qin Zhen started washing dishes and tidying up on his own initiative. Li Xianglu washed her hands, wiped her mouth, and headed to the west room across the hallway.

Meanwhile, Liu Aidang was absolutely stunned by the furnishings of the room. The windows were covered with plastic, making them not only translucent but also warm. Just like at home, there was nothing but a mat on the kang bed, but the quilts and padded mattresses at the head of the bed here were thick and new. There were also two big wooden chests that looked brand new, along with a new kang table. The floor wasn’t just plain earth; it was covered with red brick. This was better than most people’s homes, even surpassing some newlyweds’ houses. It seemed true what her husband had said—Li Huai Ren really did spoil his child.

This thought soured Liu Aidang’s heart. To think that the likes of her sister-in-law could raise such a fortunate daughter who now lived in comfort. If she had a bit of sense and didn’t always make trouble, Liu Aidang couldn’t believe that the girl wouldn’t look after her mom when she got old.

Li Xianglu brought in a bowl of hot water, placing it on the kang table with a smile, "I don’t have much to offer, Auntie. It’s cold, have some hot water to warm up."

Liu Aidang could hardly be picky; in these times, it’s already quite good if someone gives you a bowl of hot water to drink.

After taking a sip, Liu Aidang was not one to beat around the bush. She went straight to the point, "What reward did you choose?"

Li Xianglu thought, ’As expected,’ but answered honestly, "I chose the cash bonus."

Hearing this, Liu Aidang replied, just as her husband had said, this girl was indeed greedy for money. But she still remarked, "Do you realize how rare this quota is?"

Without waiting for Li Xianglu to respond, she continued, "Our county only gets at most ten of these quotas a year, and sometimes not even ten. If you go to school, they provide food and salary, so you don’t have to spend a penny from your family’s pockets. And after graduation, you get assigned a job—good jobs at that."

She finished speaking and quietly observed Li Xianglu.

Li Xianglu smiled. At this moment, she actually thought highly of Liu Aidang. Although that person was influential, he wasn’t sly or underhanded at all. No wonder Grandma chose her to be the eldest daughter-in-law.

Li Xianglu nodded and said, "I know, but I don’t want to go."

Although Liu Aidang heard the answer he wanted, he still doubted and asked, "Why not?"

Li Xianglu did not use the convincing argument she had prepared for her grandfather. Instead, she asked with a smile, "Auntie should know why I got this opportunity, right?"

Liu Aidang was startled but of course knew, "It’s because you saved a child who had been trafficked. You received provincial commendation, hence this opportunity arose."

Li Xianglu shook her head and said, "It seems Auntie didn’t get the full story. It’s because after saving the child, I exposed a human trafficking gang."

Upon hearing this, Liu Aidang nodded and replied, "Yes, your great-uncle told me the gist of it. There’s no mistake."

With a helpless shake of her head, Li Xianglu continued, "Did Uncle mention that the gang was armed and that they were a small branch of a national crime syndicate?"

Liu Aidang was now shocked. It was such a big deal - even armed traffickers were involved.

Li Xianglu said seriously, "At that time, the sub-leader had a gun. He happened to be returning to Provincial City with one of his subordinates for some matter, and I just happened to spot something amiss."

"The most important thing is that the police asked Uncle to keep it a secret. Why is that? It’s a proud moment. If the whole county were to praise him, Uncle would look good, wouldn’t he? But instead, it was a secretive reward."

Liu Aidang also realized the crux of the issue, "Yeah, why keep it a secret if it’s something praiseworthy?"

Li Xianglu shook her head and said, "Such an opportunity is far more valuable than two thousand yuan. I’m not foolish. Besides, I have an elder brother. If I really don’t want to go, I could give it to him. It’s better than him going to enlist in the army."

At this point, Liu Aidang completely understood. Yes, this girl and her elder brother were very close. She would share whatever food or drink she had, and it was said that when she was free, she would even cook and bring meals to the county. With such affection, she wouldn’t just take the money and ignore her brother.

Thinking of this, Liu Aidang had a moment of clarity, "Are you afraid that those people would find out and harm you?"

Li Xianglu harshly said, "Cutting off someone’s financial path is like killing their parents!"

Liu Aidang felt a pang in her heart. She finally understood. Yes, Xiang was clever - why would she foolishly take the money instead of a chance to go to college? She had already figured it out. This opportunity was too hot to handle, something not to be taken even if it was given for free. A national crime syndicate was involved, and part of the gang had been caught. Seeking revenge wouldn’t be hard. Whoever went to college would be exposed, but money was different - receive it and it’s done.

With this in mind, Liu Aidang sighed and said, "I initially thought you didn’t want to go to college because of the money. So, I was thinking if my older brother could gather enough money, could we give the opportunity to them. I didn’t expect there was this twist to the story." Liu Aidang wiped the cold sweat of fright from her forehead and thanked her, "Xiang, you’re lucky you’re sensible and honest with Auntie. Otherwise, I might have really misunderstood the situation."

After emptying the dustpan, Liu Aidang took her leave.

Watching her departing figure, Li Xianglu also fell into deep thought. In fact, after lunch yesterday, Grandfather and Qin Xi discussed exactly this outcome. They feared that if the opportunity was traced, and she was exposed in the open, it would be a loss beyond measure if anything were to happen. This was also why Grandfather was even more ready to let go of this matter.