Transmigration: Flirted with My Childhood Sweetheart
Chapter 148 - 147 Consecutive Days of Struggle

Chapter 148: Chapter 147 Consecutive Days of Struggle

That evening, Zhao Zhuangshi rolled up his bedding and kept watch in the primary school.

Two men climbing through the window, one leg inside and one leg outside, locked eyes with him.

Under the circumstances where Zhao Zhuangshi let loose a flood like the waters of the Songhua River, the two men managed to escape.

The second night, late.

The number of men coming over the wall increased to eight.

But Zhao Zhuangshi had also called upon his old pals Li Erdun and Wang Sanzhu to join him. The trio, under the stars and moon, armed with rolling pins, chased the eight men away for over two miles.

The third night, late.

No one came.

Zhao Zhuangshi, lonely, whistled at the moon for two hours.

Later he was scolded by Zhang Family’s Sister-in-law and didn’t dare to continue disturbing the peace.

The fourth day.

That cousin of Zhao Zhuangshi’s who married into the Nine-miles Team returned to her parents’ home.

"Xiao Cui, what brings you here at this time?" Widow Zhao busied herself in the kitchen, glanced at her little niece, finally resolved herself, and gave her half of a white flour bun.

She had landed a good job that paid four white flour buns a day. And since it was her niece that she raised, Widow Zhao was willing to give up her own share.

Speaking of the Zhao Family, they truly had experienced one misfortune after another.

Widow Zhao’s husband died early, and her brother-in-law lost his wife early, too.

Zhao Cuixia was practically brought up by Widow Zhao, and when she was learning to talk, she would call her ’mom’.

Starting from when Zhao Cuixia was fourteen, Widow Zhao began to collect fabric scraps and cotton, saving them until her wedding to provide her with a thick new cotton quilt.

"Ah, mom, why are you doing this? Keep it for yourself to eat."

Zhao Cuixia initially took it without thought, but upon realizing it was made of white flour, she hastily put the half bun back into the bowl. She then turned around, placed the bowl with the bun into the cupboard, and covered it with a larger bowl to prevent mice from spoiling it.

After doing this, she turned back to take over the work from Widow Zhao’s hands, saying, "It’s just those few days ago, Aunt Wang and the others went to my in-laws’ and made a call for the children to go to school. That little Educated Youth from your place slipped up in her speech. Now over at my in-laws’, everyone’s talking about how good your primary school is..."

Widow Zhao: "...?"

Slipped up in speech?

Lin Nianhe slipped up?

That girl, with a million wiles, could slip up?

Zhao Cuixia, busy washing dishes, didn’t notice Widow Zhao’s expression and continued, "So, they just want to see if the school is really as good as it’s said to be. They sent a few boys to check it out a few days ago, but my brother sent them packing."

"I thought, since I was coming to check in on you and my brother, I might as well tell them I’m coming to visit."

After finishing her story, Zhao Cuixia turned back to Widow Zhao with a silly smile and teary eyes, "Mom, I’ve missed you."

"Ah, my dear daughter."

Widow Zhao’s heart melted at once; she hugged Zhao Cuixia’s shoulders, patting her back just like she did when she was little to soothe her to sleep: "Mom missed you too."

A married daughter, no matter how close, is never the same as when she’s at home.

Zhao Zhuangshi woke up well-rested, rubbing his eyes as he came out, just in time to see his mother and little sister hugging and crying.

"What’s wrong, Cuicui? Did that scoundrel upset you?"

Zhao Zhuangshi instantly determined the truth, grabbed a kitchen knife, and headed outside, "Don’t be afraid, I’m going to sort him out right now!"

"Hey, brother!" Zhao Cuixia’s tears instantly stopped; she rushed over and grabbed Zhao Zhuangshi’s arm, "What are you doing? Don’t go!"

Wiping her tears, Widow Zhao frantically tried to snatch the kitchen knife from Zhao Zhuangshi’s hand: "Stop it, Yangzi is doing fine, put the knife down!"

Zhao Zhuangshi looked at his mother, then at his sister, and asked, "Then why you two bawling?"

"Smack!"

"Slap!"

Widow Zhao and Zhao Cuixia each landed a smack, neither too light nor too heavy, on Zhao Zhuangshi’s arm.

"And what can we do? Your little sister misses her mom, that’s not allowed?"

"Bro, can you go find me a couple of bird eggs? We can roast and eat them just like when we were kids."

These smacks were so light that Zhao Zhuangshi didn’t feel any pain, but he still grimaced to make sure they didn’t think he wasn’t hurt and give him a harder hit.

"Alrighty, I’ll get some for you."

Zhao Zhuangshi said and headed up the mountain without even washing his face.

Widow Zhao rolled her eyes at his retreating figure and laughingly scolded: "You never act proper a single day!"

After that, she turned back and tenderly wiped Zhao Cuixia’s tear-stained face clean, then holding a kitchen knife said, "Wait a sec, the old hen at home has stopped laying eggs, just a few days ago I got some hazel mushrooms, I’ll stew you some chicken."

"Hey, mom, isn’t that enough? If you keep this up, I’ll be scared to ever come back..."

"What’s wrong? My daughter... My daughter comes home and can’t even have a chicken? Let go, don’t think I won’t smack you now."

At this point, the old performer of Widow Zhao’s family finally couldn’t escape her fate of sacrifice.

Zhao Cuixia was kept by Widow Zhao until the evening before she was willing to let her go, and as it was getting dark, Widow Zhao had Zhao Zhuangshi walk her back.

With a bag of hazel mushrooms in hand and nibbling on a cucumber, Zhao Zhuangshi accompanied Zhao Cuixia towards the Nine-miles Team.

On the way, Zhao Cuixia remembered her task for the day and asked him, "Bro, is our Birch Team’s primary school good or bad?"

Zhao Zhuangshi, munching on the cucumber, casually replied, "Everything there is new, how could it not be good?"

"All new?" Zhao Cuixia paused for a moment, then understood, "Ah, Second Uncle Li from the Li family built it, didn’t he?"

"Exactly," said Zhao Zhuangshi, "that’s the project team’s construction, they said it cost several hundred bucks in total!"

"Oh my goodness." Zhao Cuixia clicked her tongue in wonder, "The primary school in Birch Team is just a rundown room, windy from all sides in the winter... Hey, bro, in a few years, can my little nephew come back here to go to school?"

"Huh?" Something seemed to dawn on Zhao Zhuangshi, and he stared at Zhao Cuixia’s belly, asking, "What? Are you...?"

Such a subtle hint might not be understood by other unmarried men, but this was Zhao Zhuangshi, he caught on unusually quick.

With her hand on her stomach, Zhao Cuixia said with a smile, "Yeah, that’s what mom cried over this afternoon... It’s just two months, mom doesn’t want word to get out."

"No wonder mom wanted to stew chicken today." Zhao Zhuangshi suddenly felt nervous, the cucumber in his hand forgotten, "Then, then, Cuixia, can you walk? Should I call Erdun to carry you back?"

"No need for that!" Zhao Cuixia, amused and exasperated, gave Zhao Zhuangshi a pat saying, "I don’t feel anything, it’s not a bother."

"Really?"

"Really."

Zhao Zhuangshi felt, not really, not really at all.

"I’ll go borrow a bike from Uncle Li to take you home." Zhao Zhuangshi was worried about his little sister getting tired.

"There’s really no need," Zhao Cuixia pulled on his arm, "It’s just a short walk, how could it tire me out."

"That won’t do..."

They argued back and forth as they walked, until finally, Zhao Zhuangshi compromised. After asking Uncle Guan for permission at the cowshed, he hitched up the ox cart to take Zhao Cuixia back home.

"Bro, so are you going to let my in-laws’ kids go to our school or not?"

As they neared the Nine-miles Team, Zhao Cuixia finally remembered her core mission again.

Zhao Zhuangshi stopped his cheerful whistling and after a moment’s struggle said, "Just tell the truth. If they want to send their kids, it’s up to them. Don’t make it seem like you lured them into it. Later, if your in-laws make things difficult for you..."

Zhao Zhuangshi found it a bit hard to express himself.

He pondered; Lin Nianhe made him guard the school and didn’t let the people from the Nine-miles Team take a look, he surely didn’t want to accept those students.

But he was worried about his sister being mistreated at her husband’s home.

So... maybe forget about today’s steamed buns?