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Liu Tao smiled and said, "Are you saying you saw who went out with Zhang Liang that day?"
"Yes, I saw it was Tian Dashan," Tang Zhaodi nodded heavily. That day, she had been chased out by her mother again. Her mother had never treated her well and was always hitting her. That day, she accidentally spilled mashed potatoes on the table, and her mother hit her for it. She was so scared that she ran out, and later when a strange uncle came to their house, she wanted to go home but couldn't. Her mother had said that when an uncle came to visit, she would rather die outside than go home.
"Did you see where Tian Dashan and Zhang Liang went?" Liu Tao casually took a bite of cucumber. Tian Dashan? He would have to ask Li Yan about them later; who exactly was this Tian Dashan?
"They went to Dong Village, but it got dark and I didn't dare to go there. Dong Village has cornfields, and I'm scared," Tang Zhaodi lowered her head again. She had heard that Uncle Zhang Liang had died, and the hardships she faced growing up made Tang Zhaodi mature early. "Captain Liu, it wasn't Uncle Li Yan and the others who killed Uncle Zhang Liang because I haven't seen Uncle Zhang Liang since that day."
When Tang Zhaodi said this, Li Yan and Zhou Miao were moved. This child came to tell Liu Tao these things; could it be that she was trying to clear them of suspicion? Li Yan put down his bowl, squatted down, and asked softly, "Why didn't Zhao Di come to tell us before?"
Tang Zhaodi looked down at her worn-out shoes that were barely recognizable and hesitated before speaking, "Everyone... doesn't like me. Uncle Zhang Liang used to... touch Zhao Di's bottom and front and said if I told the adults he would break my legs. Zhao Di didn't like him. Tian Dashan is also very fierce; when Dongzi from West Village insulted her, she even hit people." So when she heard that Uncle Zhang Liang had died, she didn't tell the adults, but Uncle Li Yan and the others treated her well.
"Damn, I used to think he was just a beast; turns out that was an insult to beasts," Zhou Miao couldn't help but curse. This Zhang Liang truly deserved his fate. To die like this while being so cruel to such a small child.
Yu Tian patted Tang Zhaodi's little head. Everyone in the village knew about her situation; now that she was nine years old, she looked so thin that people would think she was only five or six. The world was harsh, but no other child suffered as much as she did. That heartless father only took away her brother, and Ma Juan vented all her frustrations on her. Getting beaten every three days was mild; if Ma Juan was in a bad mood, she would be beaten until there wasn't a good piece of flesh left on her body.
Fortunately, this child hadn’t become dark-hearted from being beaten; aside from being introverted and insecure, she still had a kind heart. Yu Tian went to the kitchen to get some corn for her but was stopped by the old man coming out of the house. Yu Tian looked at him in confusion—was he unwilling to give it?
The old man sighed as he looked at Tang Zhaodi and said, "Let her come every day in the future to get some. If we give it to her now, she won't be able to eat it at home." A child in such dire straits likely came from a bad family. The old man had lived long enough to see through things clearly.
With someone like Ma Juan around, if Tang Zhaodi took the corn home, it would just end up in a dog's belly. Yu Tian thought this made sense and only gave the child one ear of corn, telling her to come quietly every night from then on. Tang Zhaodi's little face lit up with joy as she repeatedly said, "Thank you, brother! Thank you, grandpa!"
Zhou Laoyezi nodded and went out to feed the chickens; he had found something to do now. Feeding chickens and ducks or playing with rabbits made his days feel more stable than before.
The situation regarding Zhang Liang had become clearer, and Liu Tao also had things to do now; he clapped his hands and left. Li Ming walked Tang Zhaodi home; recently he had read in a book that as a gentleman one should escort ladies home.
The adults at home agreed with this; the village was still safe after all, so letting Mingming send her back wasn’t a problem. Wonton happily followed along while Dumpling lazily lay at the door, occasionally glancing around vigilantly.
"Mingming brother, did Tian Dashan kill Uncle Zhang Liang?" Although Tang Zhaodi was clever for her age, she still felt uneasy about such matters.
"I don't know," Li Ming replied thoughtfully. "But Captain Liu is really impressive; my brother said he's a special forces soldier—yeah, special forces are really amazing police." He thought it was possible because one night his brother took him outside the wall where he saw a woman strangling a big man with his own eyes. His brother had said that sometimes women could be fiercer than men; that big man had stolen food from the woman. His brother said that compared to fear, that woman wanted to live even more—only by living could one truly exist.
He seemed to understand a bit; he was well taken care of by his brother, and they had enough space, so food was not a concern. However, he saw many children and elderly people who were hungry, to the point that they were eating tree roots. He had picked some up to eat as well, but it was very bitter and astringent, not tasty at all. So that woman killed that man to avoid starving, but he still didn't understand whether the woman was a good person or a bad person; after all, she had committed murder.
"Clearly, Brother." Tang Zhaodi suddenly stopped walking, lowered her head and thought for a while before saying, "I think Tian Dashan wanted to fight with Zhang Liang Uncle. My mom often fights with those uncles too. Although I think my mom looks uncomfortable, she still brings those uncles home."
That day, Tian Dashan must have wanted to fight with Zhang Liang Uncle too, right? When they went out, I saw Zhang Liang Uncle even touch Tian Dashan.
"Uh..." If this were before, Li Xiaoming would definitely have been able to discuss this with her, but clearly he had matured. Together with Li Yan, they would occasionally "fight," and for the first time Li Xiaoming's face turned red as he stuttered while speaking. "Fighting... fighting... is also comfortable. I... I'm going home."
Tang Zhaodi tilted her head and looked at Li Xiaoming as he quickly ran away with Wonton, feeling puzzled. Is fighting comfortable? Every time she got hit by her mom, it was not comfortable at all; it hurt so much! Clearly, Brother is really strange.
Neither of them noticed that someone was hiding in the corner nearby. Zhang Dazhen had originally come back to get something; when she moved houses, a whetstone had fallen behind in her old home. She never expected to overhear such a shocking secret: could it be that Tian Guifang and Zhang Liang were having an affair? That meant the murderer is... This matter spread quickly through gossip until almost everyone in the village knew about it.
Tian Guifang felt something was off these days; the way people in the village looked at her seemed filled with disdain and fear? She had long gotten used to their contempt since her affair with Zhang Zhong was exposed; she had lost all face. It was only because there were more women in the village now that her situation had improved slightly.
Speaking of Zhang Zhong, that scoundrel didn’t come home again last night; she didn’t know which seductive vixen he had gone to. It must be Huo Yan, who always threw flirtatious glances at him. For this past month, Zhang Zhong had shown no interest in her at all; sometimes when she tried to tease him a little, she would get scolded instead. Tian Guifang felt so angry; she had already noticed that their rice and flour supplies had decreased significantly. That vixen would eventually get what she deserved! But despite her thoughts, Tian Guifang still tried to prepare dinner carefully. She even planted some cucumbers and eggplants in the yard; these were considered the main dishes now. Sighing, Tian Guifang turned around and went into the house.
Since they got those solar panels, life in the village has improved quite a bit. The weather has become so hot that it’s almost unbearable; one could say it's scorching. If you want to go out at noon, you must hold an umbrella and wear a jacket; otherwise, if you stay out bare-armed in the fields for just an hour or so, your skin could get burned red. At this time, medicine is more precious than food; if someone gets burned badly, it could take ten days or even half a month to heal. The elderly and children are even worse off; thus during noon, the entire village is almost deserted.
As the weather heated up, the villagers discussed allowing each household to use one electric fan. Everyone preferred to use less electricity since fans were more economical during this time.
However, within just a few days, several households secretly used air conditioning instead. These families were wealthier ones who couldn’t stand the heat and ended up getting reported. Li Jingfeng held a public denunciation meeting where their misdeeds were exposed throughout the village. Their pleas for mercy were useless; everyone in the village was watching! With such limited electricity available, how could they use air conditioning while others suffered? Even if it meant living without it for a week or even a month, they deserved it.
Li Yuanyuan argued with Li Zhi’s family; she was fed up with this damned weather. Last year at this time she was enjoying life in an air-conditioned room like a young lady; now not only did they have nothing left, but her mother even made her do laundry? They hadn’t done any before—did they have any? Plus ever since entering the Safe Zone, they hadn’t eaten a decent meal; even if there were ingredients available at home, no one knew how to cook. And now finding a servant was impossible; not only did they lack food to support idle hands but given her father’s current stance, they couldn’t do anything out of line either.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. As soon as she stepped outside, she saw that the door next door was also open; Li Ming came out holding a tomato along with Li Yan. Li Yuanyuan couldn’t help but swallow hard; she forced herself to act like a refined young lady but couldn’t take her eyes off that half-red tomato. In the past, she wouldn’t have even glanced at such an unattractive tomato.
In fact, many families in the village grew seasonal vegetables in their yards; almost every two or three households had a well for water. Although the crops grown in the fields weren’t great quality, vegetables from their yards were generally acceptable. The Li family didn’t know how to farm at all—let alone grow fruits. Li Yuanyuan’s grandfather often helped them out but it wasn’t something they could rely on every day.
“Brother.” Li Yuanyuan mustered up her courage and walked over. “Where are you going? Can I come along?”
Li Yan really didn’t want to deal with this kind of young lady; he held hands with Li Ming and walked around her instead. Li Yuanyuan spoke softly in grievance: “Don’t you still want to forgive us? Dad has been sighing every day lately; he really cares about you.”
Li Yan had not interacted much with Li Yuanyuan, but he trusted his judgment of people. This girl was definitely not as simple as she appeared. Not to mention anything else, her ability to lower herself and speak softly to them was something even Jiang Yuejiao could not manage. A person who can bend and stretch is either a great man or a cunning villain, and Li Yuanyuan was clearly not the former.
"Miss Li, what does your father's situation have to do with us outsiders? If you truly care about him, you can follow him at any time instead of spying on my family," Li Yan said bluntly, giving no face to Li Yuanyuan. "Also, if you really want tomatoes, you can ask your grandfather for some. Of course, as neighbors, it's also fine to show a little kindness occasionally." He glanced at Li Ming, and the cold sarcasm made Li Yuanyuan both angry and frustrated.
After the two left, Li Yuanyuan couldn't believe she had been looked down upon. Although she really wanted to eat fruit, this... Just as she was about to throw it away, someone snatched it from behind her.
"Don't say it; your act of playing the victim is quite effective," Li Zhi said as he bit into it. Perhaps it had been too long since he had eaten, but this slightly undercooked tomato tasted particularly good, and he finished it in just a few bites.
Li Yuanyuan was so angry that she wanted to snatch it back, and soon they were fighting until Jiang Yuejiao came out to stop them...
Of course, Li Yan and the others were unaware of this. Most of the corn in the fields had wilted. Without water and under such harsh sunlight, no crops could survive. Li Yan and Li Ming went to the riverbank to fetch water. Now, Li Yan and Zhou Miao worked together every day, taking Li Ming and Yu Tian out to fetch water. On one hand, it was to avoid raising suspicions; on the other hand, it was to understand what was happening outside.
There were many people by the river. Li Ming was strong now, but Li Yan still couldn't bear to let him do too much. He traded half a bag of potatoes with the village carpenter for two small buckets. The child always happily carried the small buckets; he was already good-looking, attracting the attention of many young girls.
However, the elders did not favor such a son-in-law. Who didn't know that finding a son-in-law meant looking for someone reliable and strong? The child next to Li Yan was actually a good choice.
Thus, back and forth, Zhou Miao and Li Yan became prominent figures in the community. They had heard some rumors but naturally laughed them off. Everyone knew they were all married men with their hearts devoted solely to their wives.
Zhou Laoyezi felt regretful but thought that living one day counted as two and a half days these days. He also came to terms with it; thinking of Zhou Miao's parents made him sigh silently. Aside from being unable to have children, Yu Tian really had no other faults.
Author's Note: Mei Mei knows many people are wondering why there hasn't been an update for so long; it's because Mei Mei is pregnant and has gone to her mother's house. Her mother's house doesn't have internet access. Therefore, Mei Mei tries to go into town every couple of weeks to update. I'm really sorry about this but hope everyone can understand.
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