"Mom! Dad’s hitting me! Scratch him to death!"
Chiang Lidong sat on the ground, kicking wildly, tears and snot streaming down his face.
Upon seeing this, Song Xiyun’s heart ached and she rushed over in anger, "Oh my poor son! Chiang Baoguo, have you gone mad? He’s your own son, why are you hitting him?"
"You foolish woman, what a fine son you’ve raised!" Chiang Baoguo glanced at Director Ding and his daughter, feeling disgraced. His tone became even harsher, "Take Dongdong back to the house to wash up, now!"
Didn’t she know he had important guests to entertain? He would usually let her have her way, but she had the audacity to yell at him and not give him face in front of his guests.
And this brat of a son, calling for his mother to scratch him?
Chiang Songtao’s eyes had lit up at the mention of the man being a factory director.
What kind of factory director was he?
In that era, being a factory director was a coveted position. To these mountain villagers, it was almost like being a high-ranking official.
You can’t blame people for not bringing gifts. Who were they? Simply gracing their home with their presence was honor enough, and you still expect gifts? Where’s the shame!
With this in mind, Chiang Songtao hurriedly said to Song Xiyun, "Mother Dongdong, quickly take Dongdong inside. What sort of behavior is this, making such a racket?"
When Chiang Baoguo spoke, Song Xiyun wouldn’t listen, eager to continue the argument, but she dared not defy her father-in-law’s words. She glared at the woman, then scornfully at Chiang Baoguo, and reluctantly dragged Chiang Lidong back inside.
"I won’t go, I won’t go! I want candy!" Chiang Lidong’s wails could still be heard even after they went inside.
A look of disdain and disgust flickered through the injured woman’s eyes.
Chiang Xiao caught sight of that look and had a sudden flash of insight—she knew who these two people were!
Only, they hadn’t appeared so quickly in her previous life. Why had they now made an early appearance in the life of the Old Chiang Family? Had her rebirth truly set the butterfly’s wings aflutter?
Now that she knew who the visitors were, Chiang Xiao had lost interest in watching the drama unfold.
"Grandpa, it’s getting late. Let’s go to Uncle Canyuan’s quickly," Chiang Xiao tugged at her grandfather’s sleeve.
Chiang Songhai had also felt that Song Xiyun and her son were embarrassingly disgraceful. He sighed for his elder brother. Besides, he’d been standing there for quite a while, and his brother had not called him over, which meant his presence was not required now.
The two of them left, heading for Xu Canyuan’s home.
Siyang Village was not large, but houses were irregularly scattered rather than arranged in neat rows and alleys as in other larger villages.
To get to Xu Canyuan’s house, they had to pass by Shi Zhuang’s and take a small detour. It really wasn’t very far.
Shi Zhuang’s mother, Hu Molan, was washing vegetables at the door and looked at them as they passed, her gaze falling on Chiang Xiao.
That girl still looked as delicate and frail as ever. How could she have been so fierce with Baoguo’s mother earlier?
Previously, that girl’s eyes always seemed misty, cold, and distant. Now, they were clear and bright, spirited, and full of life.
"Uncle Songhai, where are you off to? Haven’t you eaten?"
Chiang Songhai said, "I’m taking Little to Canyuan’s. We’ll eat when we get back. Is the good daughter-in-law washing vegetables?"
Chiang Xiao had never really paid much attention to the villagers, so at first, she genuinely forgot how to address her until she heard her grandpa call her the good daughter-in-law. She then realized this was Xiang Mingying’s mother-in-law, Shi Zhuang’s mother, and quickly greeted her, "Hello, Auntie Shi."
Her voice was crisp, and her face was bright with a cheery smile.
Hu Molan’s heart skipped a beat.