The literacy class exam concluded after five days. Yang Lei helped grade papers and tally scores. The results were personally posted on the village committee office door by Grandpa Xiao. Half the people failed. Li Zhengguo publicly criticized them over the broadcast, fining them with cleaning the village roads of snow and requiring a re-exam the day after tomorrow. If they failed again, their crops wouldn't be seized, but rather twenty percent of the proceeds from their sale. Those named rushed out with shovels and bamboo brooms from their homes to clear the village road. Both friends and enemies cooperated seamlessly, and the cement road was soon cleared. Then, they began memorizing pinyin and multiplication tables from their own or their family's notebooks.
Da Mai and Xiao Mai returned. They walked on the clean cement road, hearing the sounds of reciting "aoe" and "one times one is one" from every household. The sisters exchanged a glance and quickly headed west. Passing by the Chen family's house, Li Min stopped them.
"Da Mai, Xiao Mai, you're back?" Li Aunt’s polite and courteous demeanor made the sisters uncomfortable. Why wasn't Li Aunt jealous of them anymore? The sisters' confusion was written all over their faces. Li Min raised her chin proudly. "Hmph, you endured hardship working outside, while I, in the village... cough cough, also endured hardship." "Your uncle is the village head, I can't disgrace him. Now, I'm polite and reasonable with everyone, so don't be surprised. Goodbye, bye-bye." Li Min waved and turned to enter the courtyard.
Da Mai pulled her sister and ran quickly to the west. "Grandma, Uncle, Aunt, we're back." Mother Li and Tian Jing came out from the kitchen. Li Zhengguo came out from the main hall. "Da Mai, Xiao Mai, you're back? Have dinner here tonight." Da Mai nodded, "Yes, yes, we'll go tell Mom and Dad." "Invite your Mom and Dad to come over for dinner too." "Okay."
Xiao Mai carried her luggage back to fetch their parents and younger brother, while Da Mai went into the kitchen to help. "Aunt, Grandma and I can cook, you go rest." Tian Jing waved her hand, "What's there to rest for, I'm not tired. You and Xiao Mai, why didn't you send a telegram? Did you walk back?" Da Mai nodded, "Yes, we walked back. Didn't we want to surprise you? Instead, you surprised us. Li Aunt said Uncle is the village head?" "Yes!" Mother Li replied to her elder granddaughter, "Your uncle is amazing..." Mother Li lavished praise on her younger son. In her life, she had never felt so proud. Before, her younger daughter-in-law had upheld her Li family's honor. While she complained that her younger son wasn't as capable as her younger daughter-in-law, she secretly thought the same. Now, her younger son was doing great things for the people, and she felt honored. She had to remain composed, not get arrogant or carried away. Just as her elder granddaughter asked, she couldn't help but tell her. It was fine to talk to her elder granddaughter, she was family and steady. Da Mai listened, also proud, "Yes, yes, my uncle is amazing. It's a pity we didn't get to participate in the village meeting, why didn't you notify us to come back?" Mother Li pointed at her lightly, "Could you have come back? When the notice was issued, there were only two days left. I was also kept in the dark. I even thought this new village head was putting on airs, not allowing anyone to be absent..." "Hahaha." Da Mai, with red eyes, laughed with her grandmother.
Tian Jing quietly left the kitchen. At any time, it was still the man who stood tall that was the pride of the family and gave them a sense of security. Li Zhengguo held his wife's hand, "Tiantian, all of this is your silent support from behind. Otherwise, even with my memories, I wouldn't dare to do something so grand. The taste of watermelon is my foundation." Tian Jing squeezed her husband's hand back, "Don't you support what I do from behind as well?" Li Zhengguo looked at his wife affectionately, "My support is too superficial, yours is genuine support, I..." "Oh my!" Li Zhengguo's words were interrupted by a gasp from the doorway. Ouyang Meihua entered the courtyard first, "Village Head Li, can you mind your image? Seriousness is the expression you should have right now." Xiao Mai giggled and slipped into the kitchen. Li Weiyan and Li Weiyu followed their father in. Li Zhengguo simply pulled his wife into his arms, "What's wrong? Why should I mind my image at home? Comrade Ouyang Meihua, be careful you don't get put on Sister Guihua's blacklist." "Heh heh." Ouyang Meihua chuckled slyly, "Am I afraid of her? I never speak foul language."
Li Weiyan didn't indulge his mother, "Mom, your voice is too loud, it's affecting others. You've already been reprimanded by Aunt Guihua twice." Ouyang Meihua turned and snapped at her eldest son, "You brat, after learning martial arts, you're even less likable than before." Li Weiyan put his index finger to his lips, "Shh, Mom, lower your voice." Ouyang Meihua felt a lump in her throat, "No, don't I even have freedom of speech? Sister Guihua is using a chicken feather as an arrow, targeting me specifically. I'm going to lead the charge to have her removed." Li Zhengguo nodded, "You can. If she's removed, I'll put you in her place." Ouyang Meihua waved her hands in fright, "Oh my, no, no, I won't do such thankless work." "Then I'll be even more suppressed than I am now. Fine, Village Head Li, you win, I give in, alright?" Ouyang Meihua walked past them, pulled Tian Jing along, and snatched her away. Hmph, no matter how tough, he's still weak. Li Zhengguo, left leaning against the wall, "... He should teach his elder brother. His elder sister-in-law is definitely going through menopause."
Father was taken away by his uncle. Li Weiyan then took his brother to the east of the village to call their elder brothers and sisters back. When they called, four more people returned. Li Min slipped into the kitchen. Her mother must be telling Da Mai and Xiao Mai about recent village events, and she'd join in. The eight children laughed and entered the east room. Chen Suozhu was awkward, unsure whether to enter the kitchen or the main hall. Tian Jing beckoned to him, "Big Brother and Brother Zheng are in the west room, go find them." "Okay." Chen Suozhu quickly passed through the main hall and entered the west room. Ouyang Meihua shook her head, "This Suozhu, no matter how you teach him, he's still so dull." Tian Jing patted her, gesturing for her to speak softly, "How do you know this isn't his camouflage? It hasn't changed for over ten years." Ouyang Meihua was stunned, her eyes widened, "My goodness, this is a master, a real master." Tian Jing lowered her voice, "Shh." Ouyang Meihua also lowered her voice, "Why do I feel a little scared? My dear, you're overthinking. I mean he doesn't let changes show on the surface, he's steady enough. It's the highest form of pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger." "But I'm still scared, I'm most afraid of people like this, I can't figure them out." Tian Jing said dismissively, "Why figure him out? He's family, we haven't wronged him." "No!" Ouyang Meihua shook her head, "You're wrong to think like that. That's just your idea. From his perspective and standpoint, whether you've wronged him isn't for you to say, it's for him to say." These words stunned Tian Jing. From Grandpa Chen's incident, she knew she had wronged Grandpa Chen. She had always thought so. Ouyang Meihua's words were like a thunderclap in a dream. What if Chen Suozhu felt she owed him? Grandpa Chen said Chen Suozhu didn't know about the Chen family's affairs, but who knew if Chen Suozhu genuinely didn't know or was pretending not to know? She now hoped that Fu Chen would come quickly. Once he arrived, everything would be completely resolved, and she could tell Chen Suozhu.