CHAPTER 48: 48

In the evening, when Mo Yuanle returned from his work, Lan Tian secretly observed Mo Yuanle’s expression. Seeing there was no change on his face and his demeanor was as usual, she finally felt relieved.

Turning her head, she saw him heading to the yard carrying a stick. Lan Tian ran around the courtyard on her legs, screaming as she went. From inside the house, Grandma Sun and Zhao Li came out and saw Mo Yuanle approaching Lan Tian. They thought it was as if the sun had risen from the west and even looked up to the sky. Hearing Lan Tian’s screams, they quickly came over to stop the commotion. The yard was in chaos, like chickens flying and dogs jumping.

This child can’t go on without discipline, she’s becoming completely lawless.

Grandma Sun and Zhao Li gestured to Lan Tian, signaling her to apologize to Mo Yuanle. With her back against the wall, Lan Tian obediently apologized, promising not to backtalk to her elders again, and the matter was finally resolved.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Mo Yuanle met with the village chief and went to the house of Fourth Mo. He called back his three cousins as well. In the presence of the village chief and the sons of Fourth Mo, Mo Yuanle spoke his mind freely. He started from his military service years, to how his second aunt took care of his parents until their passing. He now considered his second aunt as his own mother, and her granddaughter as his daughter; Fourth Uncle should stop coveting the house and lands.

The girl’s sensitivities were acute; in the future, they should not say things that hurt the child and make her leave in front of her, especially since the elderly’s health was poor and could not withstand turmoil. As for himself, Mo Yuanle admitted his temper was bad and he could be hot-headed. If he lost his temper and did something outrageous, the others should not blame him.

After saying his piece, Mo Yuanle left. The village chief, after casting a glance at Fourth Mo who was shaking his head, walked away, thinking to himself that Fourth Mo was becoming less and less reasonable as he aged.

The sons of Fourth Mo felt so ashamed they wished they could find a hole to crawl into. They were well aware of the character of Fourth Mo. It was bad enough that he was troublesome and overbearing at home; after all, they were his sons, an unavoidable circumstance. But why did he have to interfere in the business of the second aunt’s family?

It was outrageous to think that he had the nerve to suggest that the second aunt adopt their children, as if they were dead. Life at home was still decent, what was the old man thinking? To still covet the second aunt’s house—in the village, people didn’t know how to view them, thinking they were the ones instigating the old man behind the scenes.

The youngest son of Fourth Mo, who was a teacher, held a secure government job and was supposed to be a role model, nurturing the future generations of the country. How could he continue working at the school after this? The things Hui Li mentioned when she came back last time, he hadn’t believed them, but now it seemed they were true.

"Dad, I’m begging you, please don’t do this anymore. Whether it’s good or bad, whatever happens in the second aunt’s home, it’s her own business, what does it have to do with you? Do you really want me to lose my job as a teacher before you’ll be satisfied? Never mention the adoption of grandchildren again, unless I’m dead." Mr. Mo slammed the door as he left.

The oldest and second sons of Fourth Mo sighed and left one after another.

"I’m doing all this for whom, if not for you? That wretched girl doesn’t share our blood, yet you are still her nephews. Why can’t it be yours? No good deed goes unpunished, now it’s all my fault. Just great, from now on I won’t interfere with your affairs."

After entering the Qi Cultivation Stage, Lan Tian’s appetite doubled in the morning, and she ate two bowls of congee. Grandma Sun was delighted, believing that a good appetite was a blessing, and she wished Lan Tian would eat another bowl.

"Do you want more? Grandma will serve you." Lan Tian, rubbing her round belly, shook her head and declined.

"Grandma, didn’t you notice that I ate an extra bowl more than usual? I’m not a piglet, my stomach is about to burst." With her belly protruding, she waddled like a penguin with her schoolbag on her back to school.

Lan Tian had finally returned to school, much to Shitou’s joy. During the days when Lan Tian wasn’t there, he felt lethargic in everything he did; speaking in class seemed dull, and even frightening Cha Hua with bugs was no fun.

Upon seeing Lan Tian, Shitou rambled on endlessly, essentially saying how dumb Lan Tian was to be captured by human traffickers. If it had been him, he would have run faster than a rabbit, and the traffickers definitely wouldn’t have caught him. He also told Lan Tian how to recognize human traffickers, describing them as having sly and mousey eyes, looking like hooligans who could not be trusted and should be avoided at all costs, among other things.

Lan Tian guessed that all this had been taught by Shitou’s parents after she was kidnapped by the traffickers. Before, no matter what they said, the most was not to go with strangers. He also mentioned that he, along with Tie Jun and Black Dog, went to see her but didn’t find her and so on.

Lan Tian nodded in agreement to everything, showing that she understood. If she rebutted even once, Shitou would babble on for about an hour. Lan Tian had never realized boys could talk so much.

To celebrate Lan Tian’s return to school, the class teacher specially awarded her with a big red flower to encourage her, and helped Lan Tian pin the flower to her chest, covering almost half of it.

Lan Tian stood in front of the classroom, dressed in a green lantern suit with a big red flower attached. She looked particularly silly. The classmates, gazing at the red flower on Lan Tian, felt intense jealousy and envy. This made Lan Tian dare not refuse the red flower, fearing that their gazes would kill her.

"Lan Tian, let me wear the flower, will you?" Shitou had been eyeing Lan Tian’s big red flower throughout the class, and as soon as the class ended, he asked her to lend him the flower. Lan Tian, who was looking for an excuse to take off the red flower, quickly tore the flower off and gave it to Shitou. Shitou wore the flower and ran off, and Lan Tian knew without a doubt that he had gone to show off.

When Shitou returned, he cast shifty glances at Lan Tian, awkwardly pulling out the flower from behind him. The palm-sized red flower, now wilted as if it had lost moisture, was no longer as grand. Shitou gave a glance at the red flower, then at Lan Tian, and as if he were out of his mind, suddenly burst into laughter.

Lan Tian was puzzled by his laughter. Looking at the withered flower, Lan Tian genuinely did not want it; it had been a nice big red flower, but she wouldn’t want it even in its previous state. Shitou ignored Lan Tian’s dilemma, throwing the flower onto her desk and walking away. Lan Tian had no choice but to stuff it in her backpack.

Seeing Lan Tian receive a big red flower reward from the teacher, Cha Hua pouted and gave Lan Tian several scornful looks. Now seeing Lan Tian’s red flower crumpled and wilted, Cha Hua couldn’t help but gloat. She didn’t care for such a red flower at all.

After the second period, Tie Jun, Black Dog, and the others came to see Lan Tian, and took the chance to discuss where to go after school. For some reason, Taohua followed as well, but Lan Tian didn’t have the time to pay her any attention, busy dealing with her buddies.