Chapter Ninety-Four: Yang Xiaofan’s Past, Part Four

“That would be the mild version. If it were worse, you might even go off with someone else, poison my brother, and steal his fortune, right?”

“?”

Qin Nuanyu was utterly stunned. Did children these days really have such rich inner worlds?

And just what sort of wild thoughts was that supposed to be? She wasn’t some actress going to the salon for a makeover, was she? Besides, there was nothing between them yet. She had only just come to Yang Xiaofan’s house today, and the two families had not even begun discussing marriage. Yet this little brat had already imagined things so far ahead.

Was this some kind of joke?

Seeing that she did not answer, a trace of smug satisfaction showed on Yang Xiaoqing’s face.

“Hmph! I guessed right, didn’t I? I knew you couldn’t possibly like my brother.”

“Then why would you think that?” Qin Nuanyu could not help asking.

Yang Xiaoqing answered with a proud look, “Do I even need to say? My brother is such a fool—who would like him? He and the village beauty, Yang Xiaomei, grew up together. From elementary school all the way through middle school and high school, they’d known each other for more than ten years! And later my brother even got into Northern Jiangsu University, a first-tier university! But what happened in the end? Didn’t the village beauty still end up marrying the village chief’s son?”

“And you’re more than ten times prettier than her. If even the village beauty looked down on my brother, how could you possibly look at him?”

Qin Nuanyu’s face twitched hard, and for some reason she felt an urge to laugh.

But she held it back.

After a light cough, she asked softly, “Then... could you tell me just how close your brother and that village beauty were? How much did they really grow up together?”

Yang Xiaoqing grew even more smug. “You don’t know this, but my brother and the village beauty were sweet on each other since they were little... Hm? Wait, why am I telling you this? You’re not my sister-in-law, and you’re not a good person either.”

Qin Nuanyu coughed once, took out her phone, gave it a sly shake, and said, “Your brother told me you really like playing with phones. If you tell me, I’ll give you this phone. How about that?”

Yang Xiaoqing’s eyes lit up at once.

“Really?”

“Of course it’s true. When has your sister ever lied to you?”

“Then okay, I’ll tell you.”

Yang Xiaoqing completely lowered her guard. She even dragged over a small stool and sat beside Qin Nuanyu, then began describing things with great animation.

“I don’t know exactly, but my brother and the village beauty really did grow up together with their bottoms bare. They were unbelievably close. When they were little, the two of them would secretly go down to the river to bathe and go up the mountain to pick mulberries. I even saw them kiss once!”

“What! They even kissed? How old were they?”

“Not very old. Third or fourth grade, I think.”

“But at that time, you must not have been very old either. How could you remember it so clearly?”

“Of course I remember. It was because I was so little then—only four years old—and my mom told my brother to take me out to play. My brother treated me like a child and didn’t pay me any attention at all. But I remembered everything very clearly.”

“Oh?”

Qin Nuanyu drew out the word with a long, playful tone.

“Looks like your brother really knows how to make girls happy.”

“Of course. Let me tell you, after my brother and she went on to middle school and high school, they weren’t even at the same school anymore. But whenever Sunday came and they came back, they’d still do homework together and chat. In the whole village, the two of them were the closest. It’s a pity, though. Back then our family was poor, and the village beauty’s parents were snobs—they looked down on us and wouldn’t let the two of them be together. Later, my brother went to university, the village beauty didn’t get in, and then she slept with the village chief’s son, and after that she married the village chief’s son.”

“Oh! I never would have guessed your brother had such a history.”

“There, I’ve finished. You can give me your phone now, right? You can’t go back on your word.”

Qin Nuanyu nodded, restored the phone to factory settings, removed the SIM card, and handed it to Yang Xiaoqing.

“I keep my word. This phone is yours.”

“Hooray!”

Having gotten the phone, Yang Xiaoqing cried out in delight and ran upstairs at once, eager to study her new treasure.

Qin Nuanyu, meanwhile, narrowed her eyes slightly.

“You little Yang Xiaofan, always acting so innocent in front of me. I never would have thought you had such a flirtatious past. And here I was, never even having been in love before. No wonder you know so many ways to coax girls. You’ve had me wrapped around your finger all this time. Today I’m going to settle this score with you properly.”

Just as Yang Xiaofan arrived at the convenience store, he could not help sneezing.

“Achoo!”

Rubbing his nose, he frowned.

“Who’s talking behind my back? Damn it, if I find out, I’ll make sure they get a proper beating.”

Then he parked his electric bike and walked into the store.

“Boss, I need a bag of salt.”

“Oh, Xiaofan’s here. Need salt, right? Just sit tight, I’ll get it for you.”

The owner of the small shop was a young man from the same village. In the past, their relationship had been perfectly ordinary, just that of neighbors and fellow villagers. But now that Yang Xiaofan had made it, the other man’s attitude had clearly changed. He was exceedingly courteous.

Fortunately, Yang Xiaofan had seen this sort of thing many times before and was already used to it.

So he did not stand on ceremony.

“All right, thanks.”

“What’s there to thank me for? You’re being too formal. Here, I’ve got it.”

“How much is it?”

“What money? Two bags of salt aren’t worth anything. Take them and use them.”

“That won’t do. You have costs in business too.”

“It’s fine, just two bags of salt.”

The other man was deliberately currying favor with Yang Xiaofan, and Yang Xiaofan understood that perfectly.

Sometimes, once a person had money, the change in status and standing, the glory it brought, could be intoxicating. But it also came with more obligations of human feeling.

If he took the other man’s two bags of salt today, it would amount to acknowledging that they were on good terms. After that, the man might start asking to borrow money and bringing all sorts of troublesome matters.

Among villagers, if one did not draw the line clearly, things became as tangled as fishing line, hopelessly messy.

So Yang Xiaofan took a hundred yuan from his pocket and placed it on the counter.

“I appreciate the thought, but I still have to pay. No need to give me change. I’m heading back.”

With that, he strode out. The shop owner followed him with a simple, ingratiating smile, saying politely, “Xiaofan, come on, it’s only two bags of salt. Why are you paying at all?”

Yang Xiaofan smiled and rode off.

“It’s only right.”

“Then I’ll take it, all right? Travel safe, and come by often.”

Only after watching him go did the supermarket owner, still smiling, accept the money and shove it into his pocket.