"How is your injury?"
Cheng You smiled and shook her head. "Uncle Li said it's nothing, just a minor wound."
"You're just a little girl. Even a minor wound could leave a scar. How could you be so foolish? If anyone was going to rush forward, it should have been San Leng."
The kind demeanor of Sixth Aunt reminded Cheng You of Jiang Qing. If her mother were still alive, she would surely be heartbroken.
"Everyone is precious to their family. If San Leng got hurt, wouldn't Sixth Grandma be devastated?"
Sixth Aunt tapped her forehead. "I worry about him, and I worry about you too. Why don't you come and stay at my place for a few days? If you go home now, there's probably no one to look after you."
Her attitude was already clear: she intended to use this incident to give Song Yulian and Cheng Tao a good lesson. Cheng You was, after all, a member of the old Cheng family, and they couldn't bully her.
Cheng You thought for a moment. Sixth Aunt's house was close to the educated youth point, making it convenient to see Qi Chengyan. "Then I'll trouble you, Sixth Grandma!" With Sixth Aunt around, Qi Chengyan wouldn't have to worry about taking care of her.
Sixth Aunt led Cheng You ahead, while Qi Chengyan followed not too far behind, his gaze fixed on Cheng You. They hadn't had a chance to talk privately since she was injured. However, the impact of Cheng You's action on him had not yet subsided.
Sixth Aunt's family was butchering a pig, and people had gathered around to watch. Seeing Qi Chengyan arrive, many people swarmed him, showering him with praise. Qi Chengyan, with a stern expression, offered no perfunctory replies to the overwhelming compliments, appearing cold and proud. However, everyone was used to this.
Cheng Xianjing stepped forward and asked, "Chengyan, what do you plan to do with this wild boar?" The boar weighed over three hundred catties on the scale, with good meat yield. With so many villagers gathered, they all wanted to buy a pound or two. Meat was a rare delicacy, and buying it here meant no meat coupons were needed and it was cheaper.
"Uncle Jing, keep some of the good meat for your family, send some to the educated youth point, and sell the rest to the villagers at a good price. Let me know if there's anything left." He had originally wanted to ask Cheng You, but it was clear she didn't want people to think the boar was related to her. He could only sell the meat and give her the money later.
Sixth Aunt called for her eldest daughter-in-law, Li Yulan. "Go to Cheng You's house and pack some of her clothes. Also, tell Song Yulian that Cheng You will be staying with us for a few days. She's injured now, and there's no one at home to look after her. I'm worried."
Li Yulan was an astute woman. She immediately understood her mother-in-law's intentions and quickly agreed. San Leng had told her that if he hadn't pulled Cheng You up the mountain to dig for He Shou Wu, they might not have encountered the wild boar. Looking at Cheng You's small, delicate face, she seemed so lovable, exactly like the daughter she had always envisioned. She had only had three sons in her life, and when she was pregnant with San Leng, she had wished for a daughter, but it turned out to be another son. So, she couldn't help but feel an extra layer of affection for Cheng You.
"Aunt, just pack a couple of outfits for me."
Li Yulan smiled and replied, "Anything else? Aunt will pack it for you."
Cheng You's eyes darted around, and she whispered into Li Yulan's ear, "Bring my money too. I'm afraid it might get lost if I leave it at home." She even told her where she hid her stash.
The words were casual, but Li Yulan caught the implication. Money left at home wouldn't get lost. It was fear of thieves, wasn't it? And more frighteningly, the thief might not be an outsider, but someone within the household. How pitiful, she wondered what kind of life the girl had at home.
Li Yulan smiled and nodded, gently stroking Cheng You's head. "Don't worry, I'll bring it all for you."
Just as Li Yulan reached the door of Cheng You's house, she ran into Cheng Tianhua. "Sister-in-law, where are you going?"
Li Yulan smiled. "Nowhere in particular, just to your house."
Cheng Tianhua: "Is something wrong?"
"Nothing much, just about Cheng You. Cheng You is injured, and she's close to San Leng. My mother worries that there's no one to look after her at home, so she wants to have Cheng You stay with us for a few days. I'm here to pack some clothes for her."
Cheng Tianhua immediately thought that with Song Yulian and Cheng Tao at home, how could there be no one to look after her? But having been a production team leader for so many years, he wasn't easily fooled. After a moment's thought, he understood. Sixth Aunt was expressing her displeasure with Song Yulian.
"Alright, then let Cheng You stay for a couple of days. I'll allocate her work points later. Your family has many people, we can't take advantage of you."
Li Yulan nodded, thinking that Cheng Tianhua was being reasonable. She wasn't greedy for the work points, but this showed Cheng Tianhua's attitude.
Li Yulan walked in with him. "It's not really taking advantage. My mother likes Cheng You and thinks she's a good child. She can't stand to see others bully her, which is why she wants to take her home to look after her."
These words were overheard by Song Yulian and Cheng Tao in the courtyard. Their faces paled. Cheng Tao, in particular, was surprised that Cheng You had such a way with people, silently gaining the favor of Sixth Aunt.
"Dad, isn't Cheng You coming home?"
Cheng Tianhua glanced at her expressionlessly. He didn't know what they had done, but he had a general idea. Ever since Cheng You fell into the water last time, something seemed to have changed in this family. Only Cheng Wenyu remained as before. Cheng Tian was out and about and rarely home.
"She's staying at Sixth Aunt's for a few days. Your aunt is packing her some clothes."
Cheng Tao's eyes flickered. "I'll help Cheng You pack."
Li Yulan took out her key. "No need. Since Cheng You entrusted me with this, I'll do it." Cheng You was only eighteen, and she had to lock her door when she went out. It showed what kind of wolves and tigers were at home.
Li Yulan opened the door and went inside. Cheng Tao also wanted to follow, but Song Yulian held her back. Song Yulian gave her a meaningful look, and Cheng Tao then looked at Cheng Tianhua. Seeing his dark expression, Cheng Tao dared not say anything further.
When Li Yulan found Cheng You's hidden stash, she also found two large duck eggs. She couldn't help but chuckle, thinking that these were also part of her treasure and took them along.
"Tianhua, I'll be going back now."
Cheng Tianhua saw her off. "Take care, sister-in-law." After Li Yulan had walked away, his face darkened.
Song Yulian explained the situation herself. "It's really not that I wanted to trouble Cheng You. I'm just a stepmother, how could I dare to do anything to her? It was Wang Hongxia who heard about this and was very displeased with Cheng You. I was afraid it would affect the marriage, so I reprimanded her. And Sixth Aunt happened to overhear."
"Even if you had to reprimand her, you should have done it behind closed doors. What were you doing at Li Yongdong's house?"
Song Yulian looked wronged. "Wang Hongxia wanted to make a fuss. I saw that she and Cheng You were naturally at odds. This marriage is probably difficult to succeed."
Cheng Tianhua felt a sense of melancholy, his face grim, his thoughts somewhat complicated. Marriage was not about making enemies. With Cheng You's temperament, if she married into the old Zhao family, there would probably be arguments every other day. Such in-laws could not provide him with any support. Thinking this, he cast his gaze towards Cheng Tao. Compared to Cheng You, Cheng Tao seemed much more sensible.