Chapter 194: Sending Them Back

Chapter 194: Chapter 194: Sending Them Back

"Have you lost your mind? My uncle went down there to save people, so how could he possibly have caused your mother’s death? What I heard was that the woman who fell refused to let go of her precious luggage no matter what anyone said. She was the one who refused to be rescued, so what does that have to do with my uncle?"

Gu Nuan Nuan gave a huge roll of her eyes and held out her other hand. "I don’t owe you anything. Since you look down on our eggs, just give them back if you’re not going to eat them. And stop your whining. My uncle saved you, and I gave you an egg without asking for your thanks. Hmph, from the looks of it, you actually hold a grudge against us now. How ridiculous. We save someone only to make an enemy."

"You... You’re a bad person! I’m not giving it back. You gave me this egg, so why should I have to give it back to you?"

Liu Li saw that Gu Nuan Nuan was more articulate than her, spitting out a whole stream of words that left her with no idea how to retort. She could only resort to her ultimate move: sobbing and sniffling. But this time, she discovered that even after crying for a while, not a single person stepped up to comfort or defend her. She was filled with anger, resentment, and shame. Finally, with a loud cry, she shoved the egg, shell and all, into her mouth and took a vicious bite.

’What an idiot. Can’t you see everyone looking at you like you’re a hopeless case? Don’t think that just because you’re a kid, people will overlook your ingratitude and make excuses for you.’

Gu Nuan Nuan shot her a scornful look and let go. Turning to her uncle, who was still standing there in a daze, she gave him a nudge and urged, "Uncle, hurry and eat."

As she spoke, she took another egg from the basket and began to peel it. Once done, she eagerly held it to her uncle’s mouth. She had a cunning little thought: she was afraid that once more survivors came up, her uncle would definitely offer up the remaining food in the basket, especially since none of the arriving rescuers had brought anything to eat or drink. It was better to get him to eat as much as possible now; every bite counted.

It was hard to say if anyone saw through Gu Nuan Nuan’s little scheme. However, when the group of arriving rescuers saw the two little girls squabbling over food, they clearly realized it had been an oversight not to bring any food or water. Someone immediately spoke up, "In a moment, we’ll arrange for vehicles to take everyone to the county to get settled. You can have a hot meal and get some rest..."

After they quickly finished eating, Zhang Wei Qiang called over Gu Nuan Nuan, who was busy artfully questioning young Shao Zhiheng. "Nuannuan, we should be heading back." It was a bike ride of several hours, and the sky was already growing dark. With the rescue team now on the scene, the people below would be brought up soon. He felt there was nothing more for him to do, and it was best to head back before their family started to worry.

"You’re heading back now? That makes sense. This whole ordeal kept you from your family visit, and if you’re delayed any longer, your family is sure to worry. I’ll have Xiao Li give you a ride." Shao Qingyang had overheard Zhang Wei Qiang. He’d already learned from Gu Nuan Nuan that Lihua Village, where the two lived, was quite a distance away, so he immediately waved Xiao Li over and gave him some instructions.

"There’s no need to trouble Mr. Li. We have a bicycle, we can ride it back ourselves," Zhang Wei Qiang quickly declined.

"It’s no trouble, Zhang. You must be exhausted. How can you possibly ride a bike for several hours? It’ll be much faster by car. I’ll just go strap your bicycle to the back of my car," Xiao Li, who was incredibly grateful to Zhang Wei Qiang for saving Old Shao, insisted. Without another word, he hurried over to Zhang Wei Qiang’s bicycle.

"Where do you two live?" Old Shao asked from the side.

"Dad, they’re originally from Zhang Family Village in Liuyun Town, but they’re living in Lihua Village now," Shao Qingyang answered before they could.

"Why the sudden move to Lihua Village?" Old Shao asked, his curiosity piqued. Shao Qingyang didn’t know the answer either and looked over at Zhang Wei Qiang.

Zhang Wei Qiang nodded. "My younger sister got divorced recently. Her former in-laws had her buy a house in Lihua Village with her dowry money, so she got to keep it in the settlement. We’re all over there helping her with construction, and we plan on starting a small business together, so we just moved in with her."

"Lihua Village... the name itself sounds so beautiful." Old Shao’s eyes lit up. "Little Heng still has a long vacation, and we were just wondering where to go. How wonderful it would be to stay in the countryside for a few days and have some fun. Say, Zhang, I wonder if you’d welcome an old man and a young boy imposing on you for a few days?"

"Dad, after the disaster we just went through, you haven’t had a big enough scare? Don’t even think about it. You’re going to go with everyone else to the county guesthouse for a night’s rest, and we’ll head home together tomorrow," Shao Qingyang immediately objected. When he saw his father’s dismissive expression, he became furious. "If you don’t listen, I’ll call my older brother and sister-in-law to come personally and drag you back to Beijing."

"The guesthouse is so boring..." Old Shao muttered, but seeing that his second son was genuinely angry and had even played his trump card, he quickly changed his tune. "Fine, fine, I’ll listen to you," he said with great reluctance. "Just don’t bother your older brother over something so trivial."

It wasn’t that he was afraid of his eldest son coming. What he feared was his daughter-in-law’s talent for crying, an art she had inherited directly from his late wife. The thought of someone just staring at you, eyes red and brimming with unshed tears, was just excruciating... A pang of sorrow shot through his heart as he thought of his departed wife, and he heaved a sigh.

He didn’t want to stay in Beijing precisely because the city was overflowing with memories. He was afraid of old feelings being stirred up by familiar sights, and he didn’t want his children to worry that he still hadn’t moved on... It was better to stay here, in the city where his second son was assigned. The numerous counties and towns under its jurisdiction meant there were more places for him to explore.

Gu Nuan Nuan couldn’t help but stifle a giggle. Old Shao’s look of aggrieved helplessness was hilarious.

"What are you laughing at? Don’t think I can’t see you just because you’re hiding! Hmph, you little rascal, are you happy that I won’t be able to come to your house for good food now?" Old Shao curled a finger and gently knocked on Gu Nuan Nuan’s head, glaring with mock anger. "Just you wait. In a few days, when my eldest son arrives, our whole family will descend on your house to freeload. Don’t think you’ll be able to hide the good stuff then."

"I’m not that stingy! When you come, I’ll treat you to our homemade steamed meat buns, how about that?" Gu Nuan Nuan rubbed her head, but the more she thought about it, the more indignant she felt. ’Why does everyone get to knock me on the head just because I’m young?’ She spotted the even younger Shao Zhiheng standing nearby, and a devilish grin spread across her face as she reached out to pinch his chubby cheek.

Shao Zhiheng whimpered in protest.

"Do you want a big meat bun?" Gu Nuan Nuan asked, her eyes narrowed in a way that was half threat, half temptation.

"Y-yes..." Little Shao Zhiheng whimpered, nodding his head repeatedly.

"Good boy. Here, have another egg." Perfectly satisfied, Gu Nuan Nuan released his cheek, took an egg, and casually stuffed it into his hand before giving his head a pat.

’Hmm, pinching cheeks and patting heads really is pretty fun,’ she thought.