Chapter 209 Idea
Ye Hua saw that his son's chin was covered in crumbs.
With a pained heart, she took out a handkerchief to wipe her son's mouth.
Fang Peizhong snorted angrily and twisted his body to avoid his real mother's hand.
He finished chewing, jumped off the kang, and went straight outside.
Ye Hua sighed, and Liu Hongmei hurriedly tried to comfort her.
"Auntie, Peizhong just has a child's temperament, that's just how he is. Don't be angry with him. We're about to start working, and he's worried about wasting time. How about this, you go to my dorm room to rest a bit.
We'll entertain you when we come back to work in the afternoon. Mother and son never hold grudges overnight, sit down and have a good talk, there's always a way."
Ye Hua lay down in Liu Hongmei's room.
Liu Hongmei sorted out Fang Peizhong's open luggage, put it in his cabinet, and hurriedly went off to work in the field.
Ye Hua slept through the afternoon until Fang Peizhong and Liu Hongmei returned from the field, waking her with their noise.
After all, there are quite a few girls in the room, they would inevitably chatter and wake her up.
By then, Fang Peizhong had already calmed down, Liu Hongmei had been whispering to him in the field for a while.
He knew it wasn't easy for educated youth to return to the city, there were many people in the educated youth team with connections and relations.
If they can't return, how could he?
Take the team leader Zhang Chaoyang, for instance, his family background is even tougher than his.
If he can't return, why should he be able to? He merely vented his frustration on his mother after seeing her, but that feeling had long passed.
Now, the mother and son sat on the wooden block outside the dormitory talking.
The view was wide open, and they could see others, the weather was hot, a good place to cool off.
"Mom, can't you get me back? I'm exhausted. This is not a life for people!"
Fang Peizhong couldn't hold back his resentment, he truly couldn't stay there.
Resentment boiled inside him against Jiang Xiaoxiao.
It was all because of Jiang Xiaoxiao.
Otherwise, would he be here now?
Ye Hua sighed, "If there really was a way, wouldn't I do it for you? Hang in there, your dad will find a way to get you back after some time."
She knew that "some time" was uncertain.
"Mom, forget not being able to return, you have no idea how awful Jiang Xiaoxiao is, she's humiliated me publicly, yet she thrives here effortlessly, living a good life.
Our team leaders and forest managers all regard her highly, you don't know how she runs to the county all the time. Is she really my sister? I don't think so."
Fang Peizhong found it hard to believe that Jiang Xiaoxiao was his sister; there was no trace of sibling intuition.
"Jiang Xiaoxiao has the nerve, mom regrets even having her. If only she'd never been born. Well, just pretend you don't have this sister, dad and mom won't acknowledge her."
Ye Hua didn't regret her choice then; she would still make it.
"Mom, Jiang Xiaoxiao's uncle seems quite competent. He came once, hauled wood from the forest, and provided the team with food. Jiang Xiaoxiao's sister Jiang Yue, along with her brother-in-law, work in the county.
I suspect it's linked to her uncle somehow. You should reconsider softening relations with Jiang Xiaoxiao, if there's a way to get me out of the team—working in the county is far better than laboring here, day after day, I can't take it."
Fang Peizhong wasn't foolish; he realized Jiang Xiaoxiao holds considerable sway, contrary to his earlier beliefs about her family being ordinary workers without any real power, otherwise she wouldn't have replaced their son in the countryside.
However, the situation had unfolded unexpectedly.
Signs indicated Jiang Xiaoxiao's family held capable people. Perhaps it's true, after all, dragons birth nine sons, with sons differing greatly.
Now, Fang Peizhong set his sights on his sister.
But reconciling with Jiang Xiaoxiao himself seemed impossible; he had offended her under many watchful eyes, his pride wouldn't let him stoop.
His mom, however, surely could, being Jiang Xiaoxiao's birth mother.
Ye Hua hesitated, "Are you out of your mind? Jiang Xiaoxiao's family has no connections, as we've investigated before. Her father's family, though not farmers, are poor workers, and her uncle's connections are nonexistent, their son is even a rogue.
Jiang Xiaoxiao's mother's family is rural, with her brother in a city department store's sales department. How much influence could a sales position really have?
It's so far away, how could leaders be directed by him? I guess you've got it wrong, maybe her sister's and brother-in-law's connections lie with his family."
Ye Hua recalled the small courtyard, the comments of surrounding people, suddenly realizing: owning a courtyard in the county is not for ordinary families.
Moreover, judging by the attire of her sister and brother-in-law, they seemed like city workers. While cities do hire rural workers, they either need education or skills, these opportunities aren't available to everyone.
"Mom, why do you defend Jiang Xiaoxiao so much? I saw her uncle come, notably welcomed by our farm manager. That car they rode back in belonged to county leaders, the license plate was recognizable, not just to me, many educated youths on the farm noticed.
We've speculated before, Jiang Xiaoxiao likely has connections with county leaders. If she didn't, how would that car be casually lent? It's best you rethink and discuss with her, get me into the county.
Even if she can't, her brother-in-law managed to get her sister and himself into the county, surely he can do the same for me. She's still your daughter, though distant, you can't truly discard her.
For your son, lower your head. This life, I genuinely can't endure."
Fang Peizhong whined to his mother; he knew their family had wronged Jiang Xiaoxiao deeply.
In their interactions, they always held arrogant attitudes, waiting for Jiang Xiaoxiao to come begging, to maintain ties. To their dismay, Jiang Xiaoxiao showed absolute disdain toward them.
Requesting her help now would likely lead to ridicule. Thus he urged his mother instead.
Sent by his mother wouldn't be as humiliating as he himself going, even if dignity was lost, it wasn't his dignity.
If an opportunity arises, failing to seize it would be foolish.
If he had known sooner, he wouldn't have offended Jiang Xiaoxiao so.
Who knew he'd one day rely on Jiang Xiaoxiao.
Claiming Fang Peizhong wasn't jealous would be untrue.
He was indeed envious, why should Jiang Xiaoxiao, an outsider, excel more than anyone else on the farm?
Same individuals, different fates.
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