Sweet Rebirth: The Little Healer

Zhao Nuanyue did a quick calculation. She had over four hundred yuan. The village women and the more dexterous men had also earned tens, or even hundreds, of yuan.

In an era of scarcity, this amount of money was enough for a family to live on for a year, enough to find a wife for a son, and more than enough for a daughter’s generous dowry.

Since it wasn’t time for spring planting yet and everyone had money in their pockets, many people went to the market fair in groups.

Zhao Nuanyue naturally brought her younger brother, and Little Red Carp also hopped on the ox-cart to go to the market fair with them.

Zhao Nuanyue not only had the money she earned herself, but also the money and ration tickets her mother, Xia Yingyu, often sent. In addition, Hua Yusen also frequently sent her money and tickets. So this time in the county town, Zhao Nuanyue bought two huge bags of goods, enough to last for a very long time.

Li Qiong also had a good bit of money and treated herself to some fabric to make two summer outfits.

Little Red Carp was wandering up and down the street and accidentally stepped on the broom of an old man sweeping the road.

”Little Red Carp, come here,” Zhao Nuanyue quickly called out. ”I’m sorry, my little sister is so naughty...”

Before she could finish her sentence, she saw the street-sweeping old man’s face.

Zhao Nuanyue quickly pulled Little Red Carp back, retreating behind Director Li.

”What’s wrong?” Li Guihua asked, confused. She looked at the man and was also stunned. It was actually Zheng Delin.

That Zheng Delin had clearly recognized Zhao Nuanyue and Li Guihua. His heart seethed with resentment, and his eyes shot out a hateful glare. It was because of these people from Nianqiao Village that he had fallen from his high-ranking official position to sweeping streets.

Zhao Liqiang had been transferred away, but no arrangements had been made for him. His old connections were all avoiding him now, completely unwilling to offer any help. All he could do was miserably sweep the streets here.

He had once been high and mighty, free and unfettered; his current life was that much more humiliating. ’Rather than just barely surviving like this, it would be better to go out with a bang.’

’I will have my revenge!’

This was the only thought in Zheng Delin’s mind.

Seeing Zheng Delin like this, Li Guihua was also startled. She quickly led the group to the intersection to meet up with Wu Dazhu and the others, and then they all headed back to Nianqiao Village together.

”Nuanyue, you need to be more careful when you’re out with the children in the future. I don’t think that Zheng Delin is someone who will stay quiet. He hates us,” Li Guihua said. The thought of Zheng Delin’s vicious glare sent a shiver down her spine. ”I think he’ll try to find any way he can to get revenge on us.”

”Mm, you’re right. Wang Dadan, Li Siming, Liu Lanhua, Wang Cuihua... they may seem to have settled down on the surface, but they haven’t actually acknowledged their mistakes. They blame us entirely for their current situation,” Zhao Nuanyue said slowly. ”So we don’t just have to watch out for Zheng Delin, but for Wang Dadan’s group as well.”

Li Guihua was taken aback, then nodded. ”Yes, they’re all restless! Life is good now, why can’t they just live peacefully?”

”Heh, if everyone were like you, the world wouldn’t be in such chaos,” Zhao Nuanyue said in praise. ”But here in Nianqiao Village, with you and the other village cadres working hard, I’m sure things will be fine.”

However, just as Zhao Nuanyue and Li Guihua were waiting for Wu Dazhu, they saw a young man dressed in an Yixian Suit walking toward them.

Facing the sun, Li Guihua couldn’t see clearly, but when the person got closer, she was stunned again. It was Li Shan, the son of Li Siming and Liu Lanhua.

The young man had gone to work in the city less than two years ago and was finally home to visit his family.

”Are... are you Shanzi?” Li Guihua asked. She hadn’t seen him in two years, and Li Shan had gotten much sturdier. She was still a little uncertain.

When Li Shan saw Li Guihua, he smiled. ”Director Li, it’s me!”

”Are you home visiting family?” Li Guihua asked. ”It hasn’t even been two years!”

”Heh, I earned a commendation at work, so my superior let me come home to see my parents,” Li Shan said with a smile. ”I thought I was going to have to walk all the way back, but I ran into you all. Perfect timing to catch a ride.”

Li Guihua was suspicious, but he was one of the village’s younger generation after all. Li Siming and Liu Lanhua were no-good, but Li Shan was a decent kid and probably wouldn’t lie.

”Sure, if we squeeze in, there should be room,” Li Guihua said with a smile. ”Let’s wait a bit. Brother Wu, Director Wu, and the others will be back any minute.”

Hearing Li Guihua’s words, Li Shan was surprised and asked, ”Aunt Li, who is that?”

”It’s Wu Dazhu,” Li Guihua replied. ”Wang Dadan was too careless before and failed to fulfill his responsibilities. A few of the young people sent to the countryside from the village got into trouble, so the higher-ups removed him and made Wu Dazhu the director.”

Li Shan was stunned. He had gotten his spot to work in the city by going through Wang Dadan’s connections to find Zheng Delin in the county town. To get that spot, Li Shan knew his parents had become very close to Wang Dadan. Now that Wang Dadan had fallen on hard times, what about his parents?

’Better to wait and ask my parents when I get home,’ Li Shan thought.

When Wu Dazhu and Miao Dahai arrived, they were also a little surprised to see Li Shan. However, since he was one of the village’s more promising members of the younger generation, Miao Dahai and the others wouldn’t give him a hard time. This was also why, despite Li Siming and Liu Lanhua doing so many detestable things, Miao Dahai and the others still left them a way out, even though they couldn’t stand them.

Because Li Siming still had a son, and it wouldn’t be good to push them to the point of desperate measures.

Along the way, Li Shan also saw Zhao Nuanyue sitting not far from him, and he was even more astonished. ’This woman used to have such dark skin. How did she become so fair and beautiful?’

Little Red Carp saw Li Shan staring at her big sister and wasn’t happy about it. She turned her head and glared at him, saying, ”No staring!”

Hearing this, Zhao Nuanyang finally noticed Li Shan staring at his sister. He shifted over, blocking Li Shan’s line of sight to his sister.

The others on the ox-cart noticed as well and snickered from time to time.

Li Shan was a bit embarrassed and said awkwardly, ”I didn’t recognize her. Aunt Li, is this a relative of yours?”

Li Guihua was a little confused. When Zhao Nuanyue and the others first came to Nianqiao Village, Li Shan was clearly there! For him to not recognize Zhao Nuanyue now seemed a bit much.

But when Li Guihua turned to look at Zhao Nuanyue, she couldn’t help but chuckle. Zhao Nuanyue really had changed since coming to Nianqiao Village. Before, although her features were delicate, she had been withered, dark, and skinny. Now she was seventeen, the prime age of a woman’s youth and beauty. Her skin was fair and radiant, and her figure was graceful. The young men in the village would privately discuss who was the prettiest.

And Zhao Nuanyue was, without a doubt, number one!

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have left Hua Yusen so unable to forget her!

Even though Hua Yusen had left without taking Zhao Nuanyue with him, she still received letters and packages from him every month.