When Su Xiaomei brought Su Xiaogang in, her expression was hard to describe.
"Xiaomei, what's wrong?" Grandma Su asked strangely, "Is Xiaogang disobedient and you're angry?"
When Xiaogang was little, he was a very naughty child, more so than children his age.
But he had been very obedient these past two years, so he shouldn't have made Xiaomei angry.
Su Xiaogang quickly said, "Gai Nai, how could that be? I wouldn't make Sister angry."
Grandma Su smiled.
Su Xiaomei forced a smile and said, "No, Gai Nai, Xiaogang is very obedient."
"What's wrong? Everything was fine just now!" Su Taohua also asked curiously, looking at Su Xiaogang, sure it shouldn't be Su Xiaogang's fault.
"Mom, something happened at the chicken farm!" Su Xiaomei bit her lip before saying it.
When everyone heard that something had happened at the chicken farm, they dropped what they were doing.
Everyone knew what the chicken farm meant to the people of Hongxin Brigade.
Because Su Xiaomei was standing at the kitchen door when she spoke, even the men talking in the yard heard her.
Almost everyone looked at Su Xiaomei, waiting for her to continue.
"The thousand eggs that were supposed to be delivered to the commune were smashed!" Su Xiaomei said, glancing at Shen Zizhen.
She used to think it was good that Uncle Shen was her stepfather, but now she felt so uncomfortable.
It didn't matter how good Uncle Shen was; his ex-wife and his two children were too troublesome.
After suffering a loss in the cowshed, they didn't learn their lesson and went on to smash the eggs at the chicken farm.
What could anyone say about this?
With people like this causing trouble, even if Uncle Shen treated her mother well, her mother's future days would not be peaceful.
Su Xiaotian happened to be nearby and saw the look Su Xiaomei gave Shen Zizhen.
She looked over curiously.
The chicken farm had been established for so long, and she had never seen eggs broken before.
Auntie was a meticulous person and required those working at the chicken farm to be careful and cautious.
In all this time, not a single one had been broken.
One thousand eggs broken at once, it seemed strange no matter how you thought about it!
Sister Xiaomei had just given Uncle Shen a meaningful glance. Could it be that Zhu Yuling and her two children did it?
"Sister Xiaomei, who did it? Won't Auntie be furious?" Su Xiaojiu, not noticing the subtle exchange of glances, asked directly.
"She's furious, alright. She's already beaten the person who broke the eggs, and she's still not satisfied, so she's sent the person to the commune!" Su Xiaomei said, glancing at Shen Zizhen again.
This time, several people saw that Su Xiaomei had looked at Shen Zizhen when she spoke, meaning it was very likely that the person who broke the eggs was related to Shen Zizhen.
Shen Zizhen had no other relatives in Hongxin Brigade besides Su Taohua's family. The only possibility was his ex-wife and children who had suddenly appeared in Hongxin Brigade today.
Everyone understood and immediately looked at Shen Zizhen.
Shen Zizhen hadn't understood yet. He was facing away from Su Xiaomei and hadn't seen her look at him.
Suddenly, seeing everyone looking at him strangely, he realized something was wrong.
He turned and looked at Su Xiaomei, "Xiaomei, tell Uncle Shen who it was that broke the eggs? And why did they break them?"
Su Xiaomei drew circles on the ground with her foot but didn't speak.
Should she say it or not? That was the question!
Su Xiaotian understood and knew what Su Xiaomei was thinking.
She tugged at Su Xiaomei's sleeve and said, "Sister Xiaomei, just tell the truth!"
Uncle Shen was not an unreasonable person. If it was really the fault of those three, he would definitely not be protective.
Of course, if Uncle Shen was so unreasonable as to be protective, it would prove that he was not worth cherishing.
Su Xiaomei bit her lip and said, "It was your ex-wife and children, Uncle Shen!"
As she spoke, Su Xiaomei's voice was very low, almost inaudible.
But Shen Zizhen's ears were fine, and he heard it clearly.
It was Zhu Yuling and Shen Feiwen and Shen Wenyuan?
Didn't they leave? Why did they go to the chicken farm to cause trouble?
Were these people specifically coming to the remote place of Hongxin Brigade to cause trouble?
Shen Zizhen couldn't help but frown!
"Why did they smash our eggs?" Grandma Su asked distressedly.
The old lady was truly distressed. A thousand eggs were something that an ordinary family couldn't afford in a year.
Even though the brigade now had a chicken farm, many people were still reluctant to eat eggs.
To smash them like this, why not smash the brains of those people who had lost their minds?
Su Xiaotian was also very curious. They had beaten the family of three earlier, so why hadn't they learned their lesson?
Logically, they should be avoiding Hongxin Brigade now, not actively looking for trouble.
Su Xiaomei continued to answer, "They were disgusted by the chicken droppings on the stick that Auntie was holding just now. Seeing the chicken farm and hearing the chickens, they got angry."
Su Xiaotian remembered how Auntie had wielded the stick covered in chicken droppings with great vigor and couldn't help but laugh.
"It just so happened that the chicken farm was preparing to send eggs to the commune today. Several baskets were packed and placed at the entrance of the chicken farm, waiting to be loaded onto the truck to be sent to the commune."
"They were enraged, kicked them over, and still weren't satisfied. They smashed the baskets several more times, smashing all the eggs. A thousand eggs, not a single one was left!"
Su Xiaomei had also worked at the chicken farm for a long time. Thinking of so many eggs being broken and smashed, with the egg liquid flowing all over the ground, her eyes turned red.
She really didn't know how there could be people like that, smashing eggs out of anger, how impressive.
Su Xiaomei even felt a bit resentful towards Shen Zizhen. If it weren't for Shen Zizhen, those people wouldn't have come to Hongxin Brigade to cause trouble.
When Su Xiaotian heard these words, she felt like her worldview had been shattered.
What kind of people were these, what kind of mentality? Their brains were too problematic!
If they couldn't vent their anger on people, why vent it on eggs?
Did they know that they might not be able to afford to compensate for these thousand eggs?
"If I had known, I would have beaten them more today instead of letting them off lightly!" Su Xiaotian said in a low voice.
She truly hated it in her heart!
After hearing this, Shen Zizhen was speechless for a moment.
He had known before that Zhu Yuling was a troublesome person, but he didn't know she could act like such a shrew.
She didn't say much, just remained silent for a while.
Just as everyone thought he might offer a defense, they heard Shen Zizhen speak.
"It's fine, don't worry about it. I believe my sister-in-law will handle it."
Uh~~~~~~
Although Su Xiaotian had expected Shen Zizhen not to be protective, she hadn't expected him to have such an attitude, to not care?
Not caring was good!
If Uncle Shen didn't care, then these people would definitely have to shed some skin.
Others might not know how important the commune considered the chicken farm, but everyone in Hongxin Brigade, from adults to children, knew clearly.
Su Xiaotian's small face bloomed with a bright smile.
Su Taohua was a little absent-minded.
Before, she hadn't thought that those who had given up on Shen Zizhen would come looking for him one day.
Now that they had come, even though Shen Zizhen had repeatedly assured her, she still felt uneasy in her heart.
She kept looking at Shen Zizhen until she was sure that Shen Zizhen really wasn't going to save that mother and children, and only then did she completely relax!
Su Taohua was particularly lacking in confidence today.
She always felt that Shen Zizhen would leave her soon, and then she would become an abandoned woman again.
That's right, again.
Although Su Taohua had initiated the divorce from Li Changming, in everyone's eyes, Su Taohua was still considered an abandoned woman.
Even Su Taohua herself always felt this way.
"Taohua, you must believe in Teacher Shen's character. I think he genuinely cares for you!" Grandma Su, having noticed something, leaned in and said in a low voice.
She was actually more curious about when Teacher Shen's ex-wife and children arrived in the brigade, and where they were living now?
Why hadn't she heard any rumors before?
Were they looking for Teacher Shen to live together again?
Grandma Su had many doubts but didn't know who to ask.
Yu Ruiyuan, who heard this, also said, "Taohua, you saw it with your own eyes. Teacher Shen must be heartbroken by that mother and children, and it's impossible for them to reconcile. You don't need to worry that he'll change his mind and leave you to go back!"
Although they didn't know when they would leave, Old Du and Old Chi both felt that the news Xiaotian got might be true.
Teacher Shen might have to return to the capital soon.
Then, Taohua should go with Teacher Shen.
Although they might be pestered by that mother and children, as long as the couple trusted each other, life wouldn't be too difficult.
Su Taohua sighed and just lowered her head to knead the dough vigorously.
Seeing Su Taohua like this, Yu Ruiyuan knew that what Su Taohua lacked was confidence in Teacher Shen.
Or rather, it was a lack of trust in herself.
"Sister-in-law, what's going on with Teacher Shen's ex-wife and children? I haven't heard anything about it?" Grandma Su thought for a moment and asked Yu Ruiyuan.
If anyone knew, it was probably Yu Ruiyuan.
Yu Ruiyuan hadn't expected Grandma Su to be unaware of this matter, so she briefly explained it to Grandma Su.
Naturally, she also mentioned Su Xiaotian's great achievement of beating two people by herself.
When Grandma Su heard this news, her expression turned very displeased.
She hadn't met Teacher Shen's children, but they were definitely older than Xiaotian.
If one younger person fought two older people, she didn't know if they were at a disadvantage!
Su Xiaotian kept signaling Yu Ruiyuan not to mention this matter.
But Yu Ruiyuan was getting carried away and didn't pay attention to Su Xiaotian's small movements.
As a result, all of Su Xiaotian's eye signals were wasted.
Hearing Yu Ruiyuan spill everything without any reservation, Su Xiaotian couldn't help but wail inwardly.
The other young male children wailed even louder.
They had thought that after eating dumplings, this matter would be over.
Who knew that those blind things would do something like smashing eggs.
It was too unlucky!
The young male children were even more annoyed with Zhu Yuling and her two children.
If they hadn't heard that Wang Xianghua had already sent them to the commune, they would have definitely gone to the chicken farm to kick them a few times to vent their anger.
Grandma Su didn't let her grandsons off the hook just because they wailed. She looked at her grandsons with a cold face.
"Grandma, we were wrong!" Su Xiaojiu spoke first.
"You guys are really capable. When something happens, you let my precious child go forward. Aren't you afraid that such a delicate little sister will be beaten?"
Yu Ruiyuan heard this and knew she had said the wrong thing. Looking at the expressions of the Su family's children, she knew.
"Sister-in-law, don't be angry. These children are protecting Xiaotian, but Xiaotian is too powerful, so she acted herself. Besides, that Shen Wenyuan is a girl, and if she were to be called a hooligan, none of the boys would dare to step forward."
As she spoke, she also blamed herself, "It's also my fault for being incompetent. If I were capable, I would have stepped forward to stop that mother and her two children!"
"Sister-in-law, this is not your fault. It's my children's incompetence that made Sister Xiaotian protect them!" Grandma Su snorted coldly, looking at the Su family's children with a chilling gaze.
Su Shouwen, being the eldest brother, quickly said, "Grandma, it's all my fault. I wasn't back in time today!"
"Grandma, it's not Big Brother's fault. Big Brother and Second Brother are not here, and I am the eldest. I failed to protect Xiaotian." Su Sangong quickly apologized to Grandma Su and also deeply reflected on his failure to fulfill his duties!
Fourth brother, fifth brother, and the other brothers also quickly apologized.
"Grandma, it's our fault. Please punish us! Auntie has already punished Third Brother!"
Grandma Su ignored them, but her expression improved a lot when she heard that Wang Xianghua had already punished Su Sangong.
She examined Su Xiaotian thoroughly, and only then did she feel a bit relieved, confirming that Su Xiaotian was fine!
"Precious child, are you injured anywhere? Otherwise, should Grandma go back to the room to check you thoroughly?"
Su Xiaotian quickly shook her head and said, "Grandma, I'm fine. I'm perfectly fine. Grandma, let me tell you, don't worry about me, I'm much more capable than my brothers!"
This was a statement originally meant to exonerate her brothers, but it sounded different to Grandma Su.
"Hmph, I knew it. They're all useless. They can't be relied on at critical moments!" Grandma Su snorted coldly.
"I told you to practice more, but none of you take it seriously. You're not as good as your little sister. Are you ashamed?"
Grandma Su scolded, and the brothers could only listen obediently, not daring to object.
Anyway, Grandma would just scold them a few times. They just had to listen. If they really retorted, Grandma would get angry and might even hit them.
Su Xiaotian quickly acted spoiled and said, "Grandma, I'm the most capable, so my brothers can't beat me."
Grandma Su, hearing this, indeed beamed with joy.
"My precious child is of course the most capable. You brats, you should learn more from your sister in the future. If you let your sister protect you again next time, you'll be in trouble!"
After scolding, Grandma Su happily said, "Tonight, I'll add a sugar egg for my precious child."
Su Xiaotian smiled happily and said, "Grandma, I don't want a sugar egg, I want meat dumplings!"
Grandma Su smiled so brightly that she immediately said, "Okay, we'll have dumplings tonight, and I'll make you a sugar egg separately tomorrow. Your brothers won't get any."
Su Xiaotian accepted it as a matter of course.
If it were before, she might have declined, but now that the family's conditions were good, meat and eggs were eaten frequently. Even her brothers wouldn't find it particularly strange, let alone be envious.
Everyone looked at Grandma Su's actions, somewhat dumbfounded.
They had heard before that the old Su family favored daughters over sons, and some people didn't believe it, but they didn't expect it to be true.
Grandma Su had completely different attitudes towards her grandsons and granddaughter.
What's more, the Su family's boys seemed to accept it very well, without any sign of objection. They even went up to Su Xiaotian after Grandma scolded them and promised to practice diligently in the future to protect Su Xiaotian.
"Sister-in-law, aren't you afraid the boys will have opinions?" Yu Ruiyuan asked curiously.
"What am I afraid of? They have nine brothers and only one sister. What's wrong with me doting on her? Girls don't stay at home for long. If you don't dote on them well, you won't be able to dote on them when they're older!"
Grandma Su said, looking at Su Xiaotian with a hint of reluctance.
This demeanor didn't look like Su Xiaotian was only in her teens, but rather in her twenties, waiting to get married, and she was reluctant.
Yu Ruiyuan sighed, "That's true. Once a girl gets married, she belongs to another family. No matter how well she's doing, her maiden family can't interfere. It's only right to dote on her now."
Su Taohua couldn't help but laugh when she heard this, "Now that you say it, I feel like I'm not doing well enough. Xiaomei has an older brother above her and a troublesome younger brother below her. I haven't paid much attention to her. In the future, I will have to dote on her more."
Compared to Xiaotian, Xiaomei had fewer days at home.
But she had focused more of her attention on the eldest and Xiaogang, neglecting Xiaomei.
"Actually, you're doing well enough. It's rare for girls to go to school in this era!" Yu Ruiyuan sighed.
In Hongxin Brigade, it was not easy for girls to attend school for two years.
In fact, not only in Hongxin Brigade, but even in the capital, not many girls went to school. Most of them helped their families with chores after elementary school.
By the time they were teenagers, families with means could get them into a factory, and families without means simply sent their daughters to the countryside as educated youths.
Su Xiaomei had indeed completed junior high school before, and now she was going to high school.
Just based on this, Su Taohua, as her mother, was doing well.
"I will pay more attention to Xiaomei in the future. Perhaps next year or the year after, she will be looking for a match," Su Taohua said, looking at her graceful daughter with emotion.
She had previously agreed to let her daughter go to school. Now Xiaomei was going to the second year of high school. After a year, she would graduate from high school, and at that age, it would be appropriate to find a partner.
Thinking about it this way, Xiaomei would only have a year or two left at home, so she really needed to dote on her more.
Su Xiaomei's expression suddenly changed. What if she didn't want to find a partner or get married?
But she really didn't dare to say this to her own mother.