The sunlight shone brightly, making the Supervisor Guard Uniform stand out.
But what was even more striking was his handsomeness.
Chiang Xiao immediately thought of Yu Chunyu and felt that the girl would take a liking to Tyrant Meng at first glance, which would be normal human behavior.
She smiled at Meng Xinian and walked over.
"Brother Xinian, how’s your wound?"
She had skillfully avoided addressing his previous remark.
Meng Xinian felt a slight blockage in his heart but couldn’t help saying, "Kitty, if your heart is clear and open, there’s nothing you can’t discuss with others."
Chiang Xiao widened her eyes, "There’s nothing I need to say. Oh right, speaking of which, the issue is resolved, so I should return these things to you." She ran into the room, where she had already packed the items back into the shoulder bag, which was set aside.
Meng Xinian had already followed her in.
Chiang Xiao handed the shoulder bag to him, "Brother Xinian, I really thank you for today, but I can’t accept these things."
Just now, Yao Cong had given her money, and she had received it with a radiant smile. Yet she refused his gifts?
"Little, I’ve told you before, you are like a sister to me in my heart, so you can accept what I give you."
"I really don’t need it, now I can go hunting in the mountains with my granduncle and aunt, we can gather wild vegetables, we can earn money." Chiang Xiao stuffed the bag into his arms.
Meng Xinian felt somewhat irritated. Zhao Xin had already told him about the recent events at the Chiang Family; what kind of life was this girl living?
So hard, so difficult, why couldn’t she accept his help?
She was indeed stubborn.
"You can’t always go up the mountain, can you? Don’t you need to attend school? You will be moving up to junior high next term, and the curriculum is much harder than elementary school. If you keep taking leave, you won’t do well on the exams. How will you continue to high school, how will you get into college? Do you want to drop out of school so soon?"
Everyone else in the room fell silent.
Meng Xinian had a stern look, his tone serious and imposing, which made them dare not to interrupt.
"I won’t give up on my education, and I will definitely achieve good grades. I will go to high school and college in the future. But this doesn’t conflict much with working hard to earn money."
As Chiang Xiao spoke, they all turned to look at her in unison.
They were impressed, that Chiang Xiao could still converse freely with him.
"How is there no conflict? Do you think you’re a genius? Isn’t mountain climbing tiring? Isn’t it dangerous? What if you get injured? If you are always absent, can you understand the knowledge points the teacher covers? Without attending class, no time for homework, no time for review, how do you expect to achieve good results on the exams?"
Meng Xinian’s face was grave, his eyes intimidating, his features taut as he watched Chiang Xiao. He just felt that the girl was too disobedient.
If she doesn’t study diligently, how will she ever leave Siyang Village or Peace Town?
Here, girls who don’t attend school typically marry early. By twenty, they’re carrying a baby on their back, leading a slightly older child by the hand, feeding chickens, tending pigs, doing household chores. Within a few years, they start speaking crudely, gossiping like the aunts and uncles about who stole eggs from which household or which couple fought the night before. Their lives become centered on mundane matters like firewood, rice, oil, and salt, with only chicken droppings at the doorstep and children’s diapers to think about.
Is that the life she wants?
Thinking of Chiang Xiao becoming that kind of person made Meng Xinian feel even more congested in his chest.
She shouldn’t be someone without aspirations; she should be passionate about life and have dreams. She should leave Peace Town and soar in a wider world.
"Chiang Xiao, that Yao Cong from just now, he’s one of the village militiamen, right?"
Yao Cong. The name was familiar to him because Zhao Xin had mentioned it in passing when changing his dressings.