Transmigration: Flirted with My Childhood Sweetheart
Chapter 389 - 388: Human Nature

Chapter 389: Chapter 388: Human Nature

Cao Manfu’s face was dark, standing motionless in the courtyard.

Cao Shijian, having regained his strength, asked innocently, "Uncle, what are you thinking about?"

Filled with anger, Cao Manfu immediately pointed at his nephew’s nose and scolded: "You good-for-nothing rascal, neglecting collective duties to beg at Ten Miles Team every day, do you have any shame? If you keep this up, might as well transfer your food ration there too! The Cao Family can just consider..."

"Really? Uncle, are you serious? Then write me a recommendation letter?"

His eyes sparkling, he rubbed his hands together and in two or three steps sprang to Cao Manfu, clearly ready to press him to write that letter right now.

He didn’t forget his good brother: "Write one for Maomao too, let’s go together!"

Cao Manfu: "..."

Does this damn fool not realize I was scolding him?

He kicked Cao Shijian aside, shook his hands, and turned to leave.

Seeing people still gathered outside the courtyard, he roared: "What are you staring at? If you’re so envious go beg at Ten Miles Team too, see if they give you anything to eat!"

After saying that, he left, breathing heavily.

The villagers, smelling the gamey scent of wild boar meat being parboiled, lingered unwillingly.

This year, the harvest at Victory Team was poor, a lot of the grain was spoiled in the fields due to heavy rain, and what they received wasn’t much. Moreover, with swine fever, it was tough for them to taste meat come New Year’s.

Now seeing so much meat, their eyes glinted green like wolves, not willing to leave even if just to smell it.

In the cold wind, a few people quietly followed Cao Manfu, including Qian Sanbao’s father.

In the courtyard, Wu Genmao picked up the sprawled Cao Shijian and dragged him into the house.

After securing the door, Cao Shijian, rubbing his butt, asked Wu Genmao: "Maomao, is our mission accomplished?"

"It should be," Wu Genmao mused in response, "Didn’t Teacher Lin just want them to know that we bagged a wild boar... and now they all know, right?"

"I was just getting fired up, how is it over just like that!" Cao Shijian complained with a pout.

"Alright, hurry and pack up, we need to leave!" Wu Genmao picked up the newly packed bundle, signaling Cao Shijian to hurry.

"What about the meat in the pot?"

"Didn’t Teacher Lin say not to worry about the meat and grain, just to leave? Let’s listen to her!"

"Should we take this meat with us?" Cao Shijian gazed eagerly at the uncooked meat on the stove.

"Ah... it would be a waste to throw it away, just take it, it’s not much trouble."

"Alright! I’ll carry it!"

As it grew dark, the people outside sniffing the air couldn’t hold back. No one knew who moved first, they pushed open the wooden door, and entered the courtyard.

The house door was kicked open by several feet, the stove top was empty of meat, the pot still simmered, but water almost dried up and the fire was about to extinguish.

Neither Wu Genmao nor Cao Shijian were seen in the kitchen, and no one cared where they had gone, everyone’s eyes shone and they reached for the pot’s meat as if not afraid of burns.

Soon, the pot was empty of meat.

Those who didn’t manage to grab any directed their eyes at the meat in others’ hands...

On the pitch-black mountain path, Wu and Cao, with bundles on their backs and meat in hand, treaded unevenly under the moonlight heading towards Ten Miles Team.

Inside Cao Manfu’s home, several men huddled together smoking, nearly grinding their teeth to bits.

"Damn it, how come Ten Miles Team has such good luck? Even wild boar swarms get finished by them, this bunch is too lucky!"

"What’s there to hunt? If there was even one, it would disrupt half the village, must be wild boars doing splits on the ice, letting them pick up what’s left easy!"

"Damn, this bunch of losers really..."

Cao Manfu waved his hand dismissively as he listened to the envious complaints, "Enough, let’s drop it. Pretend nothing happened. Zip up, and don’t blabber about it outside, got it?"

Qian Sanbao’s dad glared, shouting, "Why? Why is everything theirs? My woman’s son is still squatting behind bars! Why do they get to eat meat?"

"What do you want then?" Cao Manfu’s face darkened, "You can’t even deal with wild boars, what can you do?"

"I don’t care!" Mr. Qian slammed on the kang bed, his eyes bulging, "They can’t get away with this!"

Cao Manfu sneered, "Oh really? If you’re so capable, just go burn their storage barn! Then let them be responsible for the match factory’s losses, compensating with more than the entire village can afford! Let their family be ruined!"

Mr. Qian’s breath hitched, and his face turned beet red.

He clenched his fists and shouted with a strained neck, "What am I afraid of? What wouldn’t I dare? I’ll burn their whole village down!"

A man whose son had also been taken to the station for climbing over the Educated Youth Corps fence grabbed Mr. Qian, "Old Qian, are you crazy? Sanbao’s already locked up, do you want to throw yourself in too?"

A few others chimed in, trying to persuade him.

But sometimes people can’t be persuaded; the more you try, the more determined they become.

Mr. Qian shrugged everyone off, grabbed a freshly opened box of matches from the kang table, and rushed out.

"You loser!" Cao Manfu pretended to chase after him but just as he stepped forward, he twisted his ankle and yelped, "Ouch!" sitting down while clutching his leg.

"Brother Cao!"

The people in the room wanted to help him up, but he waved them off, "Leave me! Quickly, go catch him, don’t let him do something stupid!"

A few people responded and ran out.

But they weren’t exactly quick, and even though they clearly knew Mr. Qian’s destination, they decided to search separately.

When they were alone, they all grinned.

"Heh... why stop him? If something happens, he’ll bear it himself, and I’d get a good deal..."

Once they were gone, Cao Manfu immediately stood up from the floor.

He dusted off his pants, sat back on the kang edge, and lit a cigarette.

Aunt Cao walked in, seeing his state, she snorted, "You just keep being malicious!"

Cao Manfu, unfazed, scoffed, "What about me? It was just talk sparked by anger, besides, didn’t I stop him? Even if Public Security arrives, they can’t pin anything on me!"

Aunt Cao twisted her mouth and pinched his arm, "Ah, what’s with that Shi Jian, that little loser? Why isn’t he bringing us some meat? He’s not afraid of bursting with all that old meat!"

Cao Manfu’s headache intensified at the mention of that foolish nephew. Just as he was about to respond, Dayue ran in from outside.

Under the kerosene lamp, Dayue’s face was covered in blood.

Aunt Cao jumped, quickly embracing her daughter to see where she was hurt.

"Mom, Dad! Someone’s been murdered!"

"Take it easy! Tell us slowly! Who hit you?"

Terrified, Dayue trembled, tears streaming down, her lips quivering, "They... they were fighting over the meat, and then... just suddenly... someone was killed... so much blood..."

Aunt Cao finally saw where Dayue was hurt — her head was cracked, but thankfully, there were no other wounds. It was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.

She turned back to Cao Manfu, "Hurry up! Go have a look!"

Cao Manfu also stood up, walked a few steps outside, then suddenly stopped and sat back down.

"What are you doing? Hurry over and check!"

"Silly old woman! It’s pitch dark, no one can see a thing, going there is just asking for trouble! Anyway, as for that meat, there’ll always be a share for us..."