Chapter 261: Chapter 253: Kang Mianhua
Hu Weiwen regained his spirit after resting at Tian Aiguo’s home for a few days. Despite Xu Qianwen’s objections, he returned to the paper mill but was assigned to an easier position. With Huang Xiaoguang and a few others looking after him, there shouldn’t be any big problems.
Coming back from the grasslands, Tian Qinghua and Tian Weihua regretted hearing about all the incidents that had occurred at home.
The two thought about severely punishing those villains, but these people had already been dealt with by Tian Xinhua. Thus, on a dark and windy night, both of them, along with Luo Jun and Lei Gang, used sacks to capture Commander Wang who was alone, and gave him a vicious beating, breaking two of his ribs, a front tooth, and two molars.
Commander Wang, a victim of this ambush, really wanted to find his assailants, but with experts like Lei Gang and Luo Jun skilled in such deeds, no clues were left behind. After a futile investigation, Commander Wang had no choice but to let it go and swallow the bitter pill.
Moreover, after this incident, Commander Wang seemed to sense something awry, or perhaps someone above had warned him. Afterward, he restrained himself quite a bit, no longer daring to act recklessly as before, which could be considered good news for the battalion’s educated youth.
After this ordeal, the relationship between Luo Jun, Lei Gang, and them improved. To put it in today’s terms, it’s like brothers who’ve fought together, visited brothels together, and been to jail together are truly close.
After the Ghost Festival, they returned to Beijing, and not long after their return, He Chengsi also came back, but he brought with him a girl with thick eyebrows and large eyes, quite pretty.
The girl had a very down-to-earth name, Kang Mianhua, and was about the same age as He Xuewen, but due to her tall stature and long legs, she appeared around sixteen or seventeen.
Kang Mianhua kept saying she came to express gratitude, but He Chengsi didn’t appreciate it.
One day, early in the morning when He Chengsi got up, he saw Miss Kang following him to the yard to practice boxing.
"Can’t you just not follow me?" He Chengsi was flustered.
"No way. My grandpa said, repay kindness, avenge wrongs. I haven’t repaid my debt to you fully, so I must follow you," the girl was stubborn, her voice crisp.
"Then go fetch me a glass of water."
Kang Mianhua happily brought a cup of warm water, and He Chengsi gulped it down.
"Alright, your debt of gratitude is repaid, you can go home now."
"That doesn’t count. You saved my life; a glass of water doesn’t settle that. My grandpa said, for even a tiny kindness, one should return a springlike bounty!"
He Chengsi was dumbfounded. If he had known saving this girl would be so troublesome, he wouldn’t have been soft-hearted and bothered with her life!
"So, what do you propose?"
"My grandpa said, follow you and serve as your maid to repay the kindness," the girl was fixated, obeying her grandfather’s words.
He Chengsi’s veins popped; he really felt like hitting someone, but she was an innocent girl unrelated to him, so he couldn’t hit her.
"Ha ha ha! Kang Tudi has really calculated this well," Mr. Yun, walking in the yard, laughed heartily after hearing the conversation of the two.
"Kang Tudi is even craftier than Luo Datou, eyeing a son-in-law so keenly!" Luo Datou wore a loss-taking expression.
"But this young lady is not bad, robust and with a big enough buttocks to bear sons," Luo Datou then praised Kang Mianhua.
"You sure are optimistic, not even a concrete possibility yet!" Mr. Yun scoffed.
"With them already entering our door, there’s no backing out. This time I’ll definitely make Kang Tudi regret starting this."
Luo Datou had suffered under Kang Tudi before and had always held a grudge. Now, he saw this as a chance to get even.
He Chengsi, pestered by Kang Mianhua, didn’t feel like practicing boxing anymore. He couldn’t hit the girl, and scolding her had no effect; he was truly vexed.
After waking, Tian Sisi saw He Chengsi with a gloomy face, and then seeing Kang Mianhua behind him, she couldn’t help but laugh.
"Sister Mianhua, did you accompany my Brother He to practice boxing again?"
"Didn’t do it today, he was too lazy."
Kang Mianhua said seriously, while He Chengsi rolled his eyes, annoyed. Wasn’t it you who bothered him so much?
"Sister Mianhua, how exactly did my Brother He save you?" Tian Sisi was really curious, considering He Chengsi’s usual indifferent attitude towards girls, how could he have stepped in to save Kang Mianhua?
"Kang Mianhua, don’t you dare say!" He Chengsi suddenly shouted at Kang Mianhua, his face showing an unmistakable blush.
Kang Mianhua’s wheat-colored cheeks also turned red, and she showed a rare girlish demeanor as she stammered, "It was just like that, he saved me."
What exactly is ’just like that’? Not saying is the same as not explaining. Tian Sisi secretly rolled her eyes, seeing the ambiguous look between the two, there must be something fishy going on; however, she decided not to ask further, determined to find out the truth later.
Seeing that Tian Sisi didn’t ask further, both He Chengsi and Kang Mianhua breathed a sigh of relief, and He Chengsi gave Kang Mianhua a fierce glare, blaming this woman. Women are just troublesome.
"Sister Mianhua, how do you plan to repay him?" Tian Sisi asked with a smile, feeling that Kang Mianhua and He Chengsi actually made a good match.
"My grandpa told me to stay by He Chengsi’s side as a maid," Kang Mianhua asserted confidently.
"I didn’t agree to that, go back where you came from, our house does not have extra food to feed you," He Chengsi said disdainfully.
"I won’t eat your family’s food, my grandpa will send it to me," Kang Mianhua stated seriously.
"Sister Mianhua, have your grandpa stop sending food over next time, our family doesn’t need that bit of food."
"No way, I eat a lot, I can’t take advantage of your family."
"Then help Granny Niu with chores, that way you won’t be taking advantage."
Tian Sisi really liked Kang Mianhua, who was straightforward and a bit stubborn; surely, her staying would add a lot of excitement.
"Mianhua staying to help Granny with chores is good, your grandpa will be talked to by Grandpa Luo, no need to send food over."
Niu Erniu, who came with a tray of breakfast, said smilingly, she also really liked Kang Mianhua.
"Um, I will do a lot of work, all the chores at your house can be done by me."
As Mianhua bit into a meat bun, she felt completely satisfied, the food here was much tastier than at home.
"Granny Niu, the food at your house is really delicious, better than at my home."
"Ha ha, if it’s tasty eat more, help yourself."
"He, what are you doing? Let this annoying girl eat and then send her back home, it’s so irritating." He Chengsi saw that this annoying girl didn’t see herself as an outsider, which inexplicably ignited his anger.
"Chengsi, how can you be so rude, it’s out of line," scolded Niu Erniu, leaving He Chengsi no choice but to grit his teeth at Kang Mianhua, but the girl just kept eating her bun coolly without lifting an eyelid.
"Auntie, I’ll also call you auntie from now on, otherwise I’d be lower in seniority than He Chengsi, that’d be a huge loss," Kang Mianhua said seriously to Niu Erniu after swallowing a bun.
"Alright, you can call me auntie too," Niu Erniu laughed heartily.
"Not fair, then I’m at a loss too, Granny Niu, from now on, I’ll also call you auntie," only then did Tian Sisi realize that she had previously let He Chengsi advantage.
"Ha ha, everyone call me auntie, you all are auntie’s nephews."