Chapter 502 - 516: Backing

Lin Cuihua wailed.

Her tears flowed like a river.

Lin Cuihua had never been able to understand. ’There were still potatoes to eat at home, so why did they sell me?!’

She finally understood. The food she had eaten was what everyone else had scrimped and saved. Of the original four Lin Family siblings, only she and Lin Cuifeng remained.

In less than a month, their eldest brother and eldest sister had both starved to death.

And all because she’d been sold, Lin Cuihua had resented them for half her life. Even though she lived in the very same county, she never once went back to visit.

’If only I had known... If I’d known sooner, I would have gone back to see them, even just once!’

Naturally, An Ning and the others agreed to Lin Cuifeng’s request. They said they would leave at once.

As they went out to get the truck ready, An Guoming and An Ning spoke in hushed tones.

"An Ning, do you think he was telling the truth?"

"What do you think?"

"It feels true. I just wanted to confirm it with you."

"I think it’s true, too."

An Ning had been monitoring Lin Cuifeng with her spiritual power the entire time; he’d had no opportunity to lie.

This was hardly the only tragedy born of these times.

After Lin Cuihua composed herself, she and Lin Cuifeng talked for a long time. The two of them had finally reconciled.

Once the truck outside was ready, the An family had gathered everyone they could. They were going to her maternal home to back her up.

An Guoming drove with An Ning in the passenger seat. Lin Cuihua, Lin Cuifeng, and An Sancheng sat in the second row. In the truck’s cargo bed rode the only unmarried son from Uncle An’s side of the family, along with An Guoqing and An Guoping.

The roads were treacherous after the heavy snow.

It was only then that they learned Lin Cuifeng had taken a minibus as far as it went, then walked the rest of the way.

Lin Cuihua’s family home and Shili Gou were both in the same county, but at opposite ends—one to the south, the other to the north.

Back then, after Lin Cuihua was sold, she was supposed to be transported away, but there was an accident on the way. The driver and the buyer both died. Lin Cuihua took the opportunity to escape, choosing a direction that led away from her home.

The truck struggled for nearly three hours before finally arriving at the village from Lin Cuihua’s memories.

"Guoming, take the second alley."

Following Lin Cuihua’s directions, the truck honked its way to their destination.

The low-slung house and clean courtyard spoke of the owner’s diligence.

"Whose truck is that?"

"How come it’s heading to the Lin Family’s house!"

"Must be the lover of that Lin girl."

"Probably. That girl looks like a little vixen. You can tell she’s trouble at a glance."

"Tell me about it. Dressing all provocatively day in and day out. Who’s she even dressing up for?"

The villagers, drawn out by An Guoming’s deliberate honks, gathered in small groups at their gates, making no effort to hide their gossip.

BEEEEEEP—

The truck let out a long honk. Lin Cuifeng was the first to jump down. The honest farmer shot a vicious glare at the women spreading rumors nearby.

"Keep your women in line! Don’t they know how to talk without spewing shit?"

Lin Cuifeng’s outburst did nothing to stop their gossip. In fact, it only added fuel to the fire.

"Tsk, tsk. After doing something so shameless, she still won’t let people talk."

"Exactly. Making money, too. Everyone knows what kind of business involves spreading your legs."

"Exactly! Looking like a vixen like that, what good could she possibly be!"

"Pah! Disgusting people doing disgusting things."

The middle-aged women nearby shouted their insults without a shred of restraint, each one nastier than the last.

An Ning frowned. The harmony in Shili Gou had made her overlook many things.

’Ignorant people are ignorant because they only believe what they want to believe. They refuse to listen to reason, can’t tell right from wrong, and have no idea how much damage their words can do to an innocent girl’s reputation.’

"Well now—Aunt Wang, you seem to know an awful lot about this. Is it from personal experience?"

"With the way you look, would anyone actually pay you? Or do you have to pay them?"

As the bewitching voice faded, a woman with a stunning figure emerged from the low house.

In that moment, An Ning understood why people called her a vixen.

She was beautiful—a confident, breathtaking beauty that was out of place in this era.

Even in the dead of winter, the woman who emerged wore a dress. With her exquisite hairstyle, a casually elegant hairpin, a perfect hourglass figure, and a graceful stride, she immediately captured the attention of many of the village men.

’Jealousy. That has to be one of the main reasons they attack her.’

"Lin Xiaoxiao, you get back inside! What are you wearing? You think things aren’t chaotic enough?!"

Lin Cuifeng clearly disapproved of his daughter’s attire, but Lin Xiaoxiao, completely unfazed, stood her ground in the doorway and refused.

"Why should I hide? What’s wrong with dressing like this? It’s not my fault I’m too good-looking. You can only say that heaven showed me a little favoritism."

"Alright, don’t worry, don’t get angry. Their mouths are their own. If they want to talk, let them talk. We don’t care. We live well, eat well, dress well—let them die of jealousy."

An Ning wholeheartedly agreed with Lin Xiaoxiao’s words.

An Ning pushed open the truck door and jumped down, clapping loudly. "Well said!" she called out, putting on a show of support.

"Well now—where did this little cutie come from? Let me get a good look at you."

With a playful drawl reminiscent of a brothel madam, Lin Xiaoxiao tipped up An Ning’s chin with one finger and scrutinized her face.

"Mm, quite the looker. You’ve got a bit of my flair."

"Hello, I’m An Ning."

An Ning gently removed Lin Xiaoxiao’s finger. The calloused tip, rough against her skin, told her that Lin Xiaoxiao had a story of her own.

"An Ning?"

"That’s right. I’ve been away at school, so I haven’t had the chance to meet my cousin yet. You’ve been working with my second brother, right? He says you’re a fantastic help."

An Ning had cut in before Lin Xiaoxiao could say anything else. Lin Xiaoxiao, not being a fool, caught on and played along.

Just then, An Guoming made a timely appearance, and they all began greeting each other like old acquaintances.

"Brothers, get the New Year’s goods down! We’re going to our uncle’s house for dinner!"

An Guoming directed them, and the three men in the cargo bed started unloading boxes and baskets of goods. The scene at the Lin Family’s gate was as lively as a marketplace.

The onlookers were dumbstruck. ’What was happening? Didn’t they say that Lin Xiaoxiao only had money because she went out and... sold herself?’

’So what was all this, then?’

An Guoming knew exactly what they needed to do. He took out a bag of candy from the truck and started handing two pieces to everyone he saw.

"From Green Land in the county seat! Come by and take a look when you have time!"

"And our new department store! It has everything. Come browse when you’re free."

By the time An Guoming had finished his rounds, the New Year’s goods were almost all unloaded. Lin Cuihua and Lin Cuifeng walked in front, followed by an impressive procession of people.

An Ning, on the other hand, held Lin Xiaoxiao’s hand and walked in last. Before the crowd could react, she closed the main gate.

The gate shut with a loud SLAM, a sound that felt like a slap in the face. The villagers shuffled back to their homes, abashed.

Inside the courtyard, Lin Xiaoxiao pictured the scene outside the gate and broke into a brilliant smile.

"Ah, the human heart... It’s the most complicated thing of all."