At this moment, Lin Man ran over, covered in sweat. She bowed repeatedly to Tian Jing and Zhou Chengbin, saying, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. It was my fault for not watching my mother and sister properly. I'm so sorry."
"Lin Man!" Tian Jing's cold voice cut off Lin Man's bowing.
She looked up and weakly at Tian Jing, "Captain Tian."
Tian Jing frowned, "Before, when Lin Wan was causing trouble, I never thought you were so foolish!"
"Do you think you can manage two grown adults by yourself?"
"Or do you want your second sister to think you're working too hard and quit the nursery to come back and help you?"
"Besides, your mother is no longer a villager from Kushan. What right does she have to move in?"
"If you miss your mother, you can go with her. You won't have to worry about your father either."
Lin Man lowered her head, silent.
Tian Jing waved her hand irritably, "Village Chief Zhou, take your villagers away."
"This is my territory. My guests' car has been parked here for over an hour, and someone still managed to get hit."
"Who was driving? Was it the ancient ancestor of the Lin family, brought back to life by anger from the Lin descendants?"
Zhou Chengbin called Niu Dasao and Guilan Sao, asking them to bring four people to carry them away.
After hanging up, he apologized to Shen Jianrong and Shen Jianfang.
Shen Jianrong looked at the red mark on the white car door, feeling disgusted.
Zhou Chengbin also saw it and said he would have the Lin family come to handle the matter.
Niu Dasao and Guilan Sao arrived quickly. Tian Jing introduced the Shen sisters to them.
Niu Dasao and five others, in pairs, carried one person away.
As they left, Niu Dasao waved to the Shen sisters, "Zi Yu's mother, Zi Yu's aunt, after I finish up, come and spend some time with me touring our Kushan!"
"Okay!" Shen Jianrong's mood improved considerably thanks to Niu Dasao's cheerfulness.
With the outsiders gone, Tian Jing and Ouyang Meihua helped the Shen sisters with their luggage.
The Shen sisters truly planned to stay for a few more days, each with a suitcase and a duffel bag.
Entering the second courtyard, Ouyang Meihua took the two women to the backyard, while Tian Jing and Li Min went to the kitchen to prepare lunch.
Ouyang Meihua then took the opportunity to tell the Shen sisters about the grievances between Lin Wan's family and Tian Jing's couple.
Shen Jianrong listened, dumbfounded, "An eight-year-old girl is already so scheming? She hasn't seen the world yet. If she had, who knows what level she would have cultivated to?"
Shen Jianfang, however, was not surprised. "You've been protected by your brother-in-law and father, so you've seen too little darkness."
"Which child in our compound isn't calculating something?"
"This Lin Wan was just taught a bit by her mother, who is calculating but lacks worldly experience."
"If she were where we are, she'd definitely be a top talent cultivated by the family."
Shen Jianrong ignored her elder sister and asked Ouyang Meihua, "Then how did Lin Wan regress in these three years?"
Shen Jianfang shot her younger sister a speechless glance.
Ouyang Meihua chuckled and explained to Shen Jianrong,
"It's because the law class was canceled. After the law class was canceled, the literacy class only admitted villagers over forty years old."
"The primary school expanded its enrollment to adult classes for those between twenty and forty."
"But they charged tuition fees. Not only was the tuition high, but the miscellaneous fees were also not low."
"Moreover, if you scored below eighty, you wouldn't be promoted. Adults attending primary school was already embarrassing, and having to pay fees and face exam pressure meant most people couldn't bring themselves to study."
"Lin Wan is a child of the compulsory education stage. However, compulsory education only means no tuition, but miscellaneous fees are still charged, and various materials still need to be purchased."
"Originally, because she learned some law and caused trouble, her father didn't send her to school, nor did he send her sister Lin Man. This was to prevent Lin Man from also causing trouble or teaching Lin Wan after she learned."
"The age limit for the literacy class was implemented because of Lin Wan. Villagers from all three villages were itching to get at Lin Wan, forbidding their adults and children from associating with Lin Wan."
"Lin Wan was ostracized. She was also often confined at home by her father, so her thoughts and behavior didn't quite keep up with the rapidly changing world outside. If you don't advance, you fall behind."
"Wait? That's not right?" Shen Jianrong was even more surprised. "To be honest, Sister-in-law Ouyang, please don't be angry."
Ouyang Meihua patted her chest, "Speak your mind. I promise not to be angry."
Shen Jianrong then asked, "Logically, you should also be illiterate, right? You probably only attended the literacy class, at most?"
"But the way you're speaking, your word choices are precise, and you're using idioms constantly."
"If you came from the literacy class, then we've only graduated from kindergarten."
Speaking of this, Ouyang Meihua sighed, "Then I'll tell you about someone. Don't mention it to my sister-in-law."
Shen Jianfang and Shen Jianrong nodded.
Ouyang Meihua looked outside, "This courtyard was originally built for that person. After that person was gone, my mother-in-law gradually covered up all traces of that person..."
After hearing Grandpa Xiao's story.
Shen Jianrong and Shen Jianfang shed tears.
They wept for Grandpa Xiao, and for Tian Jing.
Some relatives are more ruthless than enemies.
But some people, though not relatives, are better than relatives.
Ouyang Meihua also shed tears, she missed Grandpa Xiao.
As for Tian Jing's true identity, Ouyang Meihua wasn't very clear, nor did she know how she became Captain Zeng's sister.
"Dinner is ready."
Li Min's loud voice echoed from the inner courtyard into the backyard.
Shen Jianfang wiped her face, "The call for dinner is so nostalgic. Come on, let's go eat."
Li Zhengguo returned from work and saw the white seven-seater car outside the courtyard. He knew Shen Jianrong had come to pick up local specialties.
Entering the courtyard, the living room was empty, and only his wife and sister were in the kitchen.
Upon learning that the Shen sisters were organizing their rooms in the backyard, he went to call his elder brother and brother-in-law.
He was not home, and there were female guests. His elder brother and brother-in-law would feel awkward arriving too early.
After calling his elder brother and brother-in-law, he asked his sister to call everyone for dinner.
Well, his sister stood in the inner courtyard and let out a loud shout, calling everyone for dinner.
Shen Jianfang and Shen Jianrong also met Li Liguo and Chen Suozhu and got acquainted.
The two honest men were the ones who felt more embarrassed.
Li Liguo was slightly better; he had recently 'seen the world' in Kyoto.
Chen Suozhu was as nervous as a young girl, which made Li Min exasperated.
Shen Jianrong and Shen Jianfang laughed heartily, surprised to find that all three siblings in the Li family had a dominant wife and submissive husband dynamic.
Shen Jianrong was the most satisfied.
Her youngest daughter told her that she had been chatting very well with Li Weiyan and there was a high probability of a good outcome.
She didn't care if her daughter married into the countryside. Competition in the countryside was only material.
Not to mention that the Li family and the villagers of Kushan were basically not short of money, but the dowry she had prepared for her daughter would be enough for her daughter to live a life without worrying about food and clothing.
Li Weiyan's mother was straightforward, and Li Weiyan's father was honest. She was very satisfied.
Ouyang Meihua sat next to Shen Jianfang and enthusiastically served her food,
"You've traveled such a long distance to Kushan to pick up local specialties, so take this opportunity to satisfy your cravings first. Eat until you're full before going back."
Shen Jianfang was not polite at all, "Sister-in-law Ouyang, I'll serve myself. I won't be polite."
"You're right. Now that I'm here, I plan to eat every meal, every day, until I'm filled with the taste of Kushan from the inside out."
"Haha." Ouyang Meihua laughed heartily, "It's a bit difficult to achieve that from the inside out."
"However, we have some elderly people here who make handmade cloth shoes to sell. You can wear Kushan's cloth shoes to show your outer Kushan flavor."
"Great!" Shen Jianfang was overjoyed, "I had this idea already. I didn't expect Sister-in-law Ouyang to suggest it first."
"Let me tell you, I'm also going to buy some to take back as souvenirs for my family. They are absolutely economical and practical, and they will touch their hearts."
The two of them chatted so enthusiastically that they were lost in their own world.
Tian Jing ignored them and gestured for Shen Jianrong to eat, "This time it's pure local specialty, even the ginger and garlic are from here."
Shen Jianrong was already impatient and didn't need Tian Jing to call her:
"I'll serve myself. Your dishes are served in large bowls, and the portions are very generous. I'm going to eat to my heart's content."