Chapter 92 - 088 Break through
Hong Mei smiled smugly, deliberately stomping her foot several times and splashing muddy water around. The girls beside her erupted into joyful laughter. Because of their status as outsiders, their parents always urged them to keep a low profile in the village. Now, seeing the local tyrant of Yuequan Village blush with anger due to Hong Mei, they all felt a surge of pleasure.
"This ditch isn’t owned by the Zhong Family, is it? It’s state property, belonging to the broad working masses. How I choose to look for snails is none of your business!" Influenced by her father Yuzhu, Hong Mei retorted with ideological rhetoric.
"Well, neither does this ditch belong to the Gao Family. Your reckless actions hinder our snail hunting, so of course I will intervene," Wanhua counter-argued.
"You? Wanhua, I haven’t even started on you yet. As the daughter of the village chief, you’ve been fraternizing with the wealthy peasants. You really have regressed in your thinking, showing no aspiration. Have you lost all sense of being from the poor peasantry?" Hong Mei argued confidently and aggressively.
Xu Wanhu was at a loss for words. Not naturally articulate and now faced with Hong Mei’s denunciation, she felt flustered. Anmei thought to help out, but she knew speaking up might make things worse. Sisi, hearing the commotion, hurried over.
"We’re obviously educating the wealthy peasants when we’re with them, to let them understand the honor and greatness of labor. Anmei, do you now understand how honorable labor is?" Sisi asked Anmei seriously.
"Now I do. Thanks to your group’s instruction, we truly realize how glorious and great labor is," Anmei suppressed her laughter while responding, supported by Juying nodding along.
Knowing well that Sisi and Anmei were just putting on an act, Hong Mei couldn’t formulate a rebuttal, agitatedly stirring the water under her feet. Sisi accused her, "Hong Mei, you are sabotaging our work. Hmph, you are the one with backward thinking."
"I am not! I help Mama with lots of chores every day. Sisi, you’re the one who’s backward and unwilling to work. Look at your hands and your feet; do they even look like those of someone from the countryside? You are the real backward element," Hong Mei retorted furiously.
Tian Xinhua had already noticed the commotion, and seeing Sisi having the upper hand and with Wanhua present, he wasn’t too worried but kept an eye on the situation, ready to intervene if needed. He Chengsi was about to step in to help, but was stopped by Tang Qiubai.