novelraw Chapter 270 - 262: Bored Out of Their Minds
Chapter 270 - 262: Bored Out of Their Minds
Ever since entering the city, everyone hasn’t heard the voice of the common people.
Occasionally, the sounds that drift into their ears are those of unruly soldiers, shouting and causing chaos without restraint. No one knows which faction they belong to. Those who were previously skeptical about Cheng Xiaoxiao’s so-called insider information now believe it about eighty to ninety percent.
Each group was assigned a specific area, some to a large manor, some to a small farmhouse, and most to shops along the street. Each team quickly organized their dinner.
The feeling of cooking at the stove indoors was wonderful; finally, there was no need to brave the wind and snow to cook and no risk of freezing one’s hands and feet.
The women, led by the Liu Family, showed long-lost smiles. If it weren’t for the captain offering double work points, no one would have been willing to arrange food in such cold, snowy conditions.
While they complained, they were also immensely proud because their 132th Regiment was the best-fed among all the refugee groups. Others could only cook rice gruel with pickled vegetables or make a pot of withered wild vegetable soup with hard millet pancakes to barely fill their stomachs, while Niu Lizheng’s group couldn’t even fill up on corn husks. Unlike their team, which had either sweet potato congee or dumpling soup, occasionally even adding dried meat.
Even Han Xifeng’s team felt ashamed in comparison. Who wouldn’t be envious, so when the captain relented slightly, other teams eagerly wanted to join.
However, they didn’t accept just anyone; there was a trial period, and only those who passed and met the standards could join.
The seasoned team members were very smug; with that sense of pride, they walked with vigor, confidence, and with their heads held high.
Especially with more and more people gathering around to curry favor, Cheng Xiaoxiao really feared these people, who had lived at the bottom of society for so long, would suddenly be lifted up and become arrogant!
The reality proved she was overthinking it. The team members were very cautious; even if someone tried to curry favor with them, they would not appreciate it. They insisted on following the proper procedure, refusing to let anyone take shortcuts, which left Cheng Xiaoxiao amused and exasperated.
The most awkward situation was with Ke Mengyao. Since she joined the team, left the team, and now found out she had to join again, she was very displeased and was throwing a fit.
"I will not go back, not even if it kills me." Ke Mengyao sat by the table, looking defiant and refusing to listen to anyone.
Lu Jinglian, holding a heater and pacing to stay warm, also looked very unpleasant and turned to Mrs. Lu with a spoiled tone, "Mother~, please persuade dad and brother again, I really don’t want to join the 132th Regiment."
"I understand your feelings, but we have no choice given the current situation, our family is forced into this too."
"I just can’t stand that Cheng girl. Why can she, a deceptive girl, manage a team and even target me, hmph!" Ke Mengyao fumed with anger.
Lu Jinglian also spoke resentfully, "Exactly, exactly, Mother, Brother Fang took the lead this time and became the leader, he could pressure the 132th Regiment to hand over their supplies so everyone can be fed and fight the enemy, wouldn’t that solve the problem? Why should we relinquish our say and even join them?"
"Don’t speak such nonsense!"
"I’m not talking nonsense, didn’t we also contribute our food for relief? Why can’t that Cheng just do the same?"
"This is different, those soldiers are your brother’s former subordinates, they have nothing to do with the 132th Regiment." Mrs. Lu corrected her daughter.
Ke Mengyao snorted, "The 132th Regiment is hoarding resources just so people will compromise and acknowledge that rotten girl as the leader, without the collective support of everyone, her hundred or so people would have been divided by the local forces. Instead of being grateful, she is acting uppity and putting on a good person front, who knows how malicious she truly is inside!"
Upon hearing the two girls belittle Miss Cheng, Mrs. Lu didn’t know what to say. It seemed the two had deep biases against Miss Cheng, starkly contrasting with the admiration and praise from her husband and son for her.
Right and wrong were clear to her, she couldn’t let her daughter continue to act out, especially as she had become extremely willful after being with Ke Mengyao. Mr. Lu had previously asked her to watch their daughter closely, but she hadn’t taken it seriously, thinking the hardships of their fleeing life meant her daughter had no friends to talk to. Seeing Ke Mengyao willing to include Lian’er, she was glad. She never expected things to turn out this way.
As she thought of this, her daughter uttered an even more infuriating sentence, "Wouldn’t it be fine if we turned the lack of relationship into one? You could have Brother marry her, and that would solve the problem."
Seeing her daughter’s excited but somewhat distorted malicious face, Mrs. Lu couldn’t believe it was her daughter’s voice saying such things.
At this moment, Lu Jinglian was daydreaming about how she, as a sister-in-law, could make Cheng Xiaoxiao suffer if she married into the family. Not only would she have to wash clothes, cook, and take care of their whole family’s daily life, but she would also have to bring all her team’s goods over in marriage.
By then, all the delicious items would become theirs.
Indirectly, they would be hers; she could do as she pleased in the future. Just as she was dreaming sweetly, a high-pitched angry shout startled her.
"Nonsense!" Mrs. Lu slammed the table, her face livid, "Who taught you to speak like this, how would that make your sister-in-law feel?"
Lu Jinglian, feeling wronged, glanced secretly at Ke Mengyao and muttered discontentedly, "Just make her a concubine, she doesn’t have much background anyway, she’s already reaching beyond her grasp..."
Smack~! Before she finished, she received a heavy slap on the face, Mrs. Lu was so angry her chest heaved violently, "You inconsiderate girl, how can you have such a malicious thought?"
Having kept a close eye on her daughter, Mrs. Lu naturally saw her glance at Ke Mengyao. It was now evident that her daughter had been led astray in such a short time.
Ke Mengyao was speechless; she did subtly suggest it once, but what did it mean for this foolish Lu Jinglian to glance at her like that? It’s not like she forced her to say it. Truly inept and counterproductive.
Lu Jinglian, tears in her eyes, "Mother, you actually hit me!"
Her mother had never hit her from childhood till now, yet this time, she was hit for an outsider, the more she thought about it, the sadder she felt, and she cried as she turned and ran.
"Lian’er!"
Mrs. Lu called out, but her daughter ran away without looking back. She regretted it too, she acted out of urgency just now.
Now looking at the troublemaker, her gaze was no longer friendly.
"I’ll go check on Sister Lu!" Ke Mengyao also ran off in a flash.
Leaving Mrs. Lu speechless.
System: "Tsk tsk! Those two malicious women are dreaming of you marrying Lu Jingtian to seize all your hard-earned efforts. Truly, the forest is big and full of all kinds of birds, dreaming wildly without even looking in the mirror to see themselves, always coveting others’ things, such ugly faces..."
The system continued to rant.
Cheng Xiaoxiao, however, was getting impatient. She was discussing serious matters and couldn’t stand the noise; if it weren’t for the current special circumstances requiring her to be aware of every move in the city, she would’ve shut the system down ages ago.
Those two naive young girls couldn’t possibly be hard for her, someone who’s lived two lifetimes, to deal with. The system was clearly bored, watching the show more than being genuinely worried for her.