Chapter 45: Fell into the River
After subtly rebuffing Jiang Xia, An Ning still took An Guoming on two more laps. ’Can’t rush things, it has to be a gradual process.’
"Little Sis... just drag me home."
An Guoming didn’t want to take another step.
Upholding the fine virtue of respecting others’ wishes, An Ning grabbed An Guoming by the collar and dragged him all the way home.
A villager heading out to the fields in the thick morning fog saw a blurry figure dragging a "corpse" away.
"Good heavens! Captain—!"
By the time Sun Dazhuang was called over, several villagers, armed with hoes and shovels, had followed the clear drag marks in the dirt all the way to the An’s house.
"Captain, is there a fight?"
An Ning, who happened to be at the door, saw the expressions on the captain and his group, and the weapons they were carrying. She smoothly grabbed a wooden club from beside the door, hoisted it onto her shoulder, and asked, "Who are we fighting?"
"No, no, no, just put that down first."
After Sun Dazhuang’s questioning, they finally realized it was all a misunderstanding. An Ning put the club down with a hint of regret and smiled sweetly at Sun Dazhuang. "Goodbye, Captain. Don’t forget to call me next time there’s a fight."
"Right, right."
Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Sun Dazhuang left the An’s house, chuckling as he walked. ’Everyone in the An family, except for the second son, loves a good fight.’
But then he thought, ’It seems like everyone with the surname An loves to fight. But they really do stick together.’
The morning’s blunder didn’t disturb the An family at all. Lin Cuihua and Zhou Guifen were already completely engrossed.
When An Ning had taken An Guoming out for his morning exercise, the two women had gotten up to work on the sewing machine, making school bags.
To them, each school bag was a banknote, waving and beckoning.
While the two women worked, An Sancheng casually cooked a pot of sorghum rice and steamed some potatoes. And just like that, the meal was over.
As for An Guoping, he had set off for school that morning with a school bag on his back and another new one held carefully in his hands.
However, on his way to school, he ran into Miao Xiaohua, who was out gathering firewood.
An Guoping snorted coldly, quickened his pace, and ran past Miao Xiaohua.
Miao Xiaohua, still holding the firewood, stared intently at the backpack on An Guoping’s back, her eyes looking like they would pop out of their sockets.
A backpack?
’They have backpacks now?’
’Why didn’t I see anyone with one when I went to the county town two days ago? What’s going on?’
"What are you doing? Takes you half a day to gather some firewood. You’re useless day in and day out."
"She came to us for free, but she really acts like a freeloader."
With her back to Chen Mingliang’s mother, Miao Xiaohua’s face was filled with disgust and even a hint of hatred. ’Old hag!’
But the moment she turned around, her face was wreathed in smiles.
"Mom, I’m coming right now."
’If it weren’t for Chen Mingliang’s filial piety, she wouldn’t bother with this old hag at all. But she had to, to keep him on her side.’
Miao Xiaohua went inside to cook and serve the entire family, but her mind was still on what she had just seen.
An Ning’s changes had already made her uneasy. In her previous life, An Ning and Chen Mingliang had never divorced, and she was terrified that Chen Mingliang would have regrets.
After breakfast, everyone who could work in the fields went out to do so, and An Ning was no exception.
Miao Xiaohua also went to the fields, but after working for only a short while, she used the excuse of needing the latrine to sneak off to the An family’s home.
The An family’s front gate was closed, so Miao Xiaohua ran around to the backyard.
The backyard wall wasn’t high, only about a meter. She glanced left and right, and seeing no one, she hopped over it.
In the middle of summer, as long as someone was home, both the front and back doors were left open for ventilation.
Miao Xiaohua tiptoed toward the An family’s back door and saw Gao Guifen and Lin Cuihua in the kitchen, working at the sewing machine.
She was horrified.
’The An family is making backpacks!’
’An Ning is back, too?’
"Miao Xiaohua!"
The eldest sister-in-law was the first to spot Miao Xiaohua. She snatched up a broom and swung it toward the back door.
Gao Guifen followed close behind.
Miao Xiaohua turned pale with fright, stumbling over her feet as she fled in a panic.
Lin Cuihua and Gao Guifen didn’t give chase. They had a room full of valuable things; what would they do if something got stolen?
"Mom, what was she doing here?"
"Who knows."
The two of them truly couldn’t figure it out. But no matter what, they had to get back to work first.
A single Miao Xiaohua wasn’t going to stop the two of them from making money.
Meanwhile, as Miao Xiaohua ran away, her mind was consumed with a single thought: An Ning was back, too.
At this moment, she was becoming unhinged.
’Why hasn’t she tried to take Chen Mingliang back?’
’She must think Chen Mingliang will go back to her. That has to be it.’
’What should I do? I can’t leave Chen Mingliang. I don’t want to go back to my old life.’
Miao Xiaohua thought about her own past life. She had originally gone to the south to find work but was tricked into becoming a "girl" at a hair salon.
The unsavory kind—the lowest-ranking type of girl.
The only men she ever encountered were worthless types who were either afraid of their wives or beat them. She had never met anyone impressive in her entire life. Chen Mingliang was the most capable person she had ever known.
After her rebirth, her only "effort" was to find a man with potential. The thought of working hard to make a good life for herself never even crossed her mind.
Lost in her chaotic thoughts, Miao Xiaohua looked up and found she had wandered to the place where they were repairing the canal. And there, just ahead, was An Ning, all alone with her back to her.
Miao Xiaohua stared at the large river in front of An Ning. ’People drown in it every year, don’t they? What’s one more?’
Memories of her past life swirled in Miao Xiaohua’s mind. A vicious glint suddenly appeared in her eyes. She would never go back to that kind of life!
’Go to hell!’
An Ning had sensed Miao Xiaohua’s arrival long ago. The overwhelming aura of resentment was hard to ignore.
’She’s actually going to push me?’
An Ning’s spiritual power spread out, and she happened to see Jiang Xia nearby. Remembering something An Guoming had taught her, the corner of her mouth lifted into a smirk.
"Miao Xiaohua—what are you doing!"
SPLASH!
The sound was a loud splash. Jiang Xia watched as Miao Xiaohua pushed An Ning into the river. But at the moment she fell, An Ning grabbed Miao Xiaohua, and Miao Xiaohua fell in with her.
"Plum Blossom Deer!"
Jiang Xia sprinted over. As he ran, he tore a piece of cloth from his clothes, pulled a pen from his pocket, and scribbled a few words on it.
"Da Huang, go get help!"
WOOF WOOF!
Da Huang clamped the strip of cloth in his mouth and ran frantically toward where the people were.
As for Jiang Xia, he didn’t hesitate for a second. With another SPLASH, he jumped into the river to save them.
Meanwhile, An Ning, who was now in the river, instantly invaded Miao Xiaohua’s mind with her spiritual power. She severed thirty years of her memories but preserved her desire to marry Chen Mingliang.
Not only did she preserve it, she strengthened it. She wanted those two to be together for a lifetime.
At that moment, Da Huang, with the cloth strip in his mouth, quickly reached Captain Sun Dazhuang and began running circles around him.
Everyone in the village knew Da Huang. He was an incredibly intelligent dog who had even helped chase away thieves several times, so all the villagers were quite fond of him.
"What’s wrong?"
As soon as Sun Dazhuang asked, Da Huang stopped immediately, tilted his head up, and revealed the strip of cloth in his mouth.
"Well now, you even know how to deliver messages."
Sun Dazhuang took the strip of cloth. There really were words written on it.
One look, and he dropped his hoe!
"Quick, a rescue! An Ning fell into the river!"