Chapter 336 Chen Tangtang, the Little Chili Pepper
Ye Shengyun stood by, watching her boyfriend declare his territory. He was really petty.
"Thank you, and thank you for the gift, too."
After handing over the packages, Chen Tonghua looked at Ye Shengyun, finally seeing her clearly.
"Everything inside was prepared by my mom. There are local specialties, snacks my mom made, and she even made two clothes for you. I hope you like them."
Ye Shengyun looked at the two packages, her heart softening a little. It was not easy to bring out so many things during this era, let alone put so much thought into it.
"Thank you, I like them very much. I will definitely thank Aunt Chen properly when I have the chance."
Chen Tonghua waved his hand and quickly left. For some reason, he felt a lot of pressure as soon as he entered Ye Shengyun's home. Only after leaving the house did he let out a heavy sigh.
When Chen Tonghua returned to the educated youth dormitory, the older educated youth also began to return. However, none of them showed a welcoming attitude. It was Zhang Aiguo, the team leader, who spoke first.
"Welcome to you all. Time is short this noon, so we'll have a small welcome party tonight. As for your lunch today, we will provide some grain for you first. You will need to repay it once your own grain is distributed."
Zhao Ling was the first to disagree. Ji Mingliang still hadn't talked to her about marriage, and she could never find him usually. Her own grain was also very tight, so what if someone was unwilling to repay it? Could she still take it back from their mouths?
"I disagree. I don't even have enough grain to feed myself."
With one person speaking up, many others chimed in, making Zhang Aiguo, as the team leader, lose face.
"What's wrong with helping each other out? It's not like you won't get it back. Besides, do you want to be like Bai Hui, with no one to help you when something happens? Then the educated youth dormitory will truly fall apart. Shouldn't we, who are far from home, unite and help each other?"
Hong Jun's hands clenched noticeably when he heard Bai Hui's name, but his eyes were filled with disdain.
"Captain, how about this: please trouble yourself to take us to get our grain. The head of the production team just said that when you have time, you should take us to the production team's office. If we get our grain, we won't need to borrow any."
Zhang Aiguo's expression was grim. He felt that this was undermining his authority, but he also wanted to give the new educated youth a good impression, so he could only lead them away.
"Tangtang, watch the luggage. I'll go get the grain."
"Mhm, mhm."
"Hmph, who would touch your things?"
Chen Tangtang's round, chubby face turned into a sharp square one. She stared intently at the female educated youth who spoke, intending to overwhelm her with her gaze first.
"Hmph, what are you looking at? It's just a little more luggage, what's so great about it?"
The speaker was Zhang Chunli, one of the only two female educated youths who came with Bai Hui's group. She was already a newcomer, not only ostracized by the older educated youths but also just baptized by the harshness of the fields. Therefore, she couldn't stand people who were more well-off than herself, and her words became harsh.
"There's nothing great about it, but how much luggage I have and what I say is none of your business. Why are you being so sour and unbalanced? Go home and complain to your mom."
The little chili pepper was indeed quite spicy. She had been pampered since childhood. Chen Tangtang had a good personality, but she was also quite feisty, as evidenced by how she defended Ye Shengyun at school.
"You, hmph, what's so great about you."
Chen Tangtang watched Zhang Chunli back down, her back straightening even more. She had plenty of support here. She wouldn't provoke others, but if someone provoked her, she wouldn't back down, hmph!
Ye Shengyun looked at the opened packages, her face full of surprise. There were many dried goods from Qishi, as well as a goose-yellow sweater and a thin cotton-padded jacket with a small floral print. This was quite a lavish display. Although she wasn't lacking, these were tokens of affection.
Mom Ye also returned from the Bai family. Seeing that her daughter's classmate's mother was so generous, she immediately waved her hand and took out some food from the storeroom.
"I'll go to the educated youth dormitory to take a look. Don't let anyone bully Chen yatou because she's young. My visit will also serve as a warning to those troublesome people."
Ye Shengyun didn't even have time to stop her before she disappeared, and she heard her calling someone next door. Ye Shengyun was helpless. She had wanted the Chen siblings to not be envied, but now there was nothing for her to do. They could come over freely in the future.
"Don't worry about these trivial matters. No one in the village dares to provoke us. I believe the educated youths have all heard about it."
Zi Yisheng hated seeing the little girl worried. She shouldn't be troubled by anything at home.
"Mhm, I hope so. Then tomorrow, let's invite them over for a meal. You see these things."
"It was done with care. We just need to look out for them more often."
The educated youth dormitory had already started cooking, and of course, Chen Tangtang and the others were included. The grain was distributed quickly: thirty jin of corn, thirty jin of sweet potatoes, and ten jin of rice for each person. This was because Bai Rong Production Team had a decent yield. In the drought-stricken northern regions, they would be lucky to get thirty jin at most.
"Hello, my name is Liu Dandan, and this is Shang Wenqi. I think you're the only one I find agreeable. If you have any problems in the future, you can come and ask us two. We don't care about anything else."
This was the only person who showed kindness to Chen Tangtang. Chen Tangtang quickly nodded like a pecking chicken.
"Thank you. My name is Chen Tangtang, and this is my elder brother, Chen Tonghua. Please take care of us in the future."
"Hey, this is the first time I've met siblings who have gone to the countryside together."
Chen Tangtang felt a little embarrassed. Could she say this was a painful memory for the Chen family?
"There were some circumstances, nothing could be done."
Such ambiguous words made Liu Dandan feel apprehensive. Had something happened at home?
"Tangtang, Auntie is here to see you."
Chen Tangtang turned and saw Mother Ye, who was still as beautiful as ever.
"Aunt Ye, why are you here?"
Chen Tangtang had only met Mother Ye a few times after she found Ye Shengyun. She had been in the countryside for so long, yet she hadn't changed at all. Her clothing had adapted to the rural customs, but her face was still so young and beautiful.
Mother Ye came with Auntie Bai and Second Auntie Bai, wanting her family to recognize them and to have someone to help them if needed.
"I didn't see you just now, so I came to take a look. Hahaha, you're still as plump and fair as ever. I wish Shengyun could be like you."
In her previous life, Mother Ye would never have described a girl like this, but now, plumpness was the most beautiful compliment.
"Oh, this girl looks so cheerful. I'm Shengyun's eldest aunt. Come to our house often in the future. I like girls who look cheerful."
"Indeed, I like her too. We're lacking girls in our family. Hello Tangtang, I'm Shengyun's second aunt."
Chen Tangtang was surrounded and didn't know how to react, so she could only giggle along.
"Hello, Aunties. My mom also says I'm the family's joy. Oh, by the way, this is my elder brother, Chen Tonghua."
Chen Tonghua quickly stepped forward, his face flushed, unable to interject.
Mother Ye and the other two surrounded the Chen siblings with the greatest enthusiasm, causing envious glances from behind them.
"Tangtang, this is the snack Auntie brought for you. Eat it if you're hungry. If you finish it, Auntie will bring you more. You can't let your little face get thin from hunger."
"Mhm, mhm, Auntie, you're so kind."
Chen Tangtang now transformed into a little sweetie, as sweet as can be.
"Alright then, if you have nothing to do, come to our house to play with Shengyun. Auntie will be leaving now."
Chen Tangtang carried the basket and saw them off for a long distance, wishing she could immediately pack her luggage and follow them. But she knew she couldn't, and she shouldn't disturb other people's lives.
The educated youths who were originally jealous now dared not speak. They all knew that the people who could not be offended in Bai Rong Production Team were the officials, and then there were the newcomers from the Ye and Bai families. They were all very powerful. Hadn't no one in the village dared to provoke them?
Liu Dandan, however, suddenly felt that her judgment was as good as ever. She had found a powerful one right from the start.
Meanwhile, Hong Jun, who had deliberately avoided Mother Ye's appearance at the educated youth dormitory, had a sinister smile in his eyes and looked at Chen Tangtang with even more eagerness.
Ye Mu'en, who had disappeared for three days, went directly to the village head's house with two documents. The old village head was a little surprised to see the Ye family boy, who rarely visited.
"Why has Ye boy come?"
Ye Mu'en smiled and handed the old village head two boxes of the most expensive cigarettes. The old village head smiled and quickly put them in his pocket, afraid his wife would see them.
"You boy never visits without a reason. Tell me, what do you want me to do?"
"Two distant relatives from my family are coming to seek refuge with us. Times are hard, and they heard that our family has enough food, so they came. We couldn't refuse, so we transferred their household registration. I want you to receive them."
The old village head hesitated. Newcomers meant that the production team's grain would have to be divided. This was not something he could decide alone, so he had to consult with others in the production team.
"Ye boy, Uncle won't hide it from you. This still requires a trip to the head of the production team and the Party branch secretary. It's not a big deal, but the procedure must be followed."
"Okay, the cigarettes are ready. Shall we go now?"
"Heh heh, you boy is much more clever than Wentao."
They walked on the road and didn't meet anyone. It was mealtime.
"Ye boy, have you seen my Wentao?"
Ye Mu'en knew why Uncle Gong had run away, but he didn't like to meddle in other people's business.
"Village head, I really haven't seen him. Why don't you ask Zi Yisheng? After all, Uncle Gong is his person."
"Hmph, he's just doing some work for the village. I can't count on him now."
"Village head, do you want Uncle Gong to do this favor only once or to help with it all the time?"
This sentence hit the nail on the head. The old village head fell into deep thought.
Ye Mu'en didn't want to say more. He had just planted a seed of thought.
"Forget it, this is a long-term problem. We can't always trouble Wentao, and it's not our responsibility."
"It's good that you've figured it out. This way, Uncle Gong can go home. You don't know how much Shengyun misses Uncle Gong."
The village head glared at Ye Mu'en.
"I think she misses the food Wentao cooks. If she wants to eat, she doesn't need him. I taught him how to cook. Come to our house for a meal another day, and let your precious one have a taste."
"Okay, it's settled then. I'll bring good stuff over another day."
The household registration was processed smoothly. All they needed to do was take the document stamped with the official seal of Bai Rong Production Team to the Public Security Bureau. With both the transfer out and the receiving in, no one would investigate.