Reborn in the 80s, Get Rich by Eating Melons
Chapter 86: Then, I will secretly go with you

Chapter 86: Chapter 86: Then, I will secretly go with you

Hearing Ma Xiulan’s apology, Si Xiaohui felt relieved. Plus, now that she had nowhere else to go, she decided not to dwell on it anymore.

Thinking back, she felt a closer connection to Ma Xiulan. "You had a fiery spirit even when you were little, unafraid of digging up worms or catching mice. Among us girls, you were the bravest and the most decisive. Even now, you are the most capable."

When she was young, she, Ma Xiulan, and Zhang Lijuan used to be best friends, vowing to marry within the same village when they grew up so they could continue being sisters.

Unexpectedly, Ma Xiulan left for the big city to work two years ago and returned after a long absence with a noticeable difference – she had earned a lot of money and had become very fashionable. Zhang Lijuan was doing well as an apprentice, but only she remained a village girl.

Ma Xiulan laughed heartily upon being teased, clutching her stomach. "My mom used to scold me for not being like a typical girl, saying I wouldn’t be able to get married when I grew up. Even if I did, I’d end up getting beaten by my in-laws."

"Who would dare to hit you, you’re so capable?" Si Xiaohui glared at Ma Xiulan sourly, feeling as if Ma Xiulan was showing off before her. "If I were as capable as you, I wouldn’t have to put up with this at home."

Sensing the displeasure in Si Xiaohui’s tone, Ma Xiulan blinked, "What’s wrong? Did something happen at home?"

Before Si Xiaohui could respond, Ma Xiulan overturned her own assumption, "That’s not right! Didn’t everybody know that your mom and your two brothers pampered you? When we were little, the rest of us had to work in the fields, but not you. We were all envious."

Those words struck a chord with Si Xiauhui. Since Tong Yao married into the family, the repressed feelings of injustice welled up in her like a flood. Her eyes welled up with tears and she nearly broke down into sobs.

"See! You all think that my family treats me well, right? But that was in the past. Since my elder brother married, everything changed. They all sided with Tong Yao to bully me. Everything was my fault, even eating a dumpling was wrong! Am I even considered a family member now? I’m worse off than a beggar on the street– they spare some sympathy for the beggar when they see him."

Ma Xiulan detected the crux of the issue; there was discord between Si Xiaohui and her sister-in-law. "I met your sister-in-law earlier today. She seemed quite nice and speaks well. And she’s pretty like a fairy."

Having experienced a variety of things these past two years, Ma Xiulan had developed a quick wit. She knew what to say to get a reaction and rile up the other person.

As expected, as soon as she finished speaking, Si Xiaohui huffed, "You’re even praising her, you have no idea how she badmouths you behind your back."

Sensing danger, Ma Xiulan put on an act of innocent curiosity. "I barely know your sister-in-law, I only met her at noon. What could she possibly say about me?"

"She called you a human trafficker, saying I’ll be sold off for sure if I stick with you. Plus, she said you’re all stylish and don’t act like a decent person. She thinks you must have been up to no good this past few years abroad, who knows what you were doing." Si Xiaohui exaggerated and embellished Tong Yao’s words with some rumors she’d heard from the village grandmas, attributing everything to Tong Yao.

She just wanted to draw Ma Xiulan to her side to belittle and detest Tong Yao together. Si Xiaohui didn’t believe Tong Yao’s words at all, thinking that she was just a sour grape.

Having grown up with Ma Xiulan, how could she be a human trafficker?

And who ever heard of a young woman in her twenties being a human trafficker?

Deep in her narration, Si Xiaohui didn’t notice how Ma Xiulan’s expression froze for a moment when she heard these words, only to quickly revert back to an expression of indignation as she began to defend herself.

"Xiaohui, you have to vouch for me, how could I possibly be a human trafficker! If I were, would I dare return to the village? And where would I sell off the people I kidnap? Even if I were a human trafficker, no matter how cold-hearted I was, I wouldn’t kidnap a sister I grew up with! My cousin came with me too. If I were doing something like that, could I still face my family? Kidnapping and selling people is a major crime."

Enraged, Ma Xiulan wanted to go to the Si Family to confront them, "No, I have to ask your sister-in-law. I want to know what I did to offend her, for her to badmouth me like this."

"Xiulan, don’t be impulsive!" Si Xiaohui panicked and quickly held her back, "If you confront her now, won’t my family know that I was the one who told you about it? Then how am I supposed to live at home? Aren’t you harming me by doing this?"

Listening to Si Xiaohui’s plead, Ma Xiulan temporarily gave up the idea of confronting Tong Yao, but she couldn’t contain her anger. "Who would have thought that your sister-in-law, who looked so harmless, could scheme such things behind my back. Her true colors are a far cry from what she portrays. She even wanted to come work with me to earn money. Good thing I didn’t agree to take her along."

"She wanted to go with you too?" Si Xiaohui’s eyes widened in surprise.

"Exactly!" Ma Xiulan made it sound incredibly real, "When she learned that those who are literate can work in offices and earn twice as much, just like in the TV dramas, she insisted on me taking her with me. I thought since she’s an outsider and also your sister-in-law, if something happened I wouldn’t be able to bear the responsibility, so I declined."

"Those who are literate can earn twice as much?" Si Xiaohui was instantly distracted. If illiterates earn fifty, wouldn’t literates earn a hundred?

And working in an office, isn’t that like being a boss?

"Of course." Ma Xiulan nodded, "It’s because I can read and write after attending school for a few years that I got to be the group leader."

Suddenly intrigued, Si Xiaohui asked, "Do you think I can work in an office?"

Ma Xiulan lamented, "Your mother doesn’t agree with you going, what can you do even if you are capable?"

Si Xiaohui bit her lip and gritted her teeth. Thinking of the injustices she had suffered recently, she decided, "Then I’ll sneak off with you."

"As long as you dare to do it behind your mother’s back, I can guarantee you an office job." Ma Xiulan put her arm around Si Xiaohui and earnestly advised, "Xiaohui, I consider you a sister, that’s why I’m letting you go with me. They’re already treating you like this even before your second brother gets married. Who knows what life will be like once he does? It’s better to earn some money on your own. At that time, you’ll be the one calling the shots at home. No one will dare to bully you."

"See how good my parents treat me now? They even bring me water to wash my face in bed in the morning."

"If you trust me, come with me and let them regret their decisions at home."

Ma Xiulan, having encountered all sorts of people, was adept at reading hearts. Each word and sentence she spoke stabbed into Si Xiaohui’s heart like a knife. Even though it was an obvious scam full of holes, Si Xiaohui was bewitched, completely absorbed by the prospect of making a fortune, wanting her mother and brother to see her in a new light, and regretting their treatment of her.

"I’ll go with you. When are we leaving?"