Rebirth: My Dear Little Wife Is So Scheming

Chapter 24: Chapter 24: A Dog Can’t Spit Out Ivory Chapter 24: Chapter 24: A Dog Can’t Spit Out Ivory At this moment, Bai Xiao had also found the postman. She just needed to wait on the main road at the entrance of the village to intercept him. From afar, she could see him riding a dark green, classic ’28-model bicycle, with the green postal bag dangling from the back seat containing various letters and newspapers.

Typically, a single postman was responsible for about a dozen nearby villages and would have been doing the job for decades, definitely a familiar face. Over time, he had come to recognize who belongs to which household in all the surrounding villages.

When Bai Xiao saw the postman Zhang Changgong approaching on his bicycle, she hurriedly waved her hands, “Uncle Zhang, Uncle Zhang!”

Zhang Changgong got off his bike, resting his hands on the handlebars, his face beaming with a smile, “Ah, Bai Xiao, are you here waiting for your admission notice? I’ve checked and it hasn’t arrived yet, but as soon as it does, I’ll make sure to deliver it to your house without fail. You can rest assured I won’t lose it. Getting into university, that’s a big deal. Having a college student from our rural area, that’s truly a cause for celebration. I promise I’ll handle it with care.”

Bai Xiao smiled, “Uncle, I know I can trust you. I just wanted to tell you if the admission notice arrives, please do not give it to my grandmother or my uncle. I’ve moved back into our house. When the time comes, could you possibly deliver the notice there? My grandmother doesn’t want me to go to school. She wants me to go out and work, or toil in the fields.” It was crucial to explain this to Zhang Changgong.

Zhang Changgong furrowed his brow and sighed, looking at the child with pity, “Alright, rest assured that once I receive the letter, I will definitely deliver it to your house. Your grandmother and uncle, they’re just shortsighted. They don’t consider that having a university graduate is like getting a permanent job. Anyone would be excited to the point of setting off fireworks and hosting a feast, but your family, ah, let’s not talk about it. You, this child, have it tough. Don’t worry, as long as you’re admitted, I’ll ensure the notice gets into your hands.” Thinking about the child’s fears and facing such an unreliable grandmother and uncle, could he not be concerned?

What work out there could possibly not require proof of admission these days?

So, this admission notice was indeed a big deal.

Bai Xiao eagerly thanked him, “Uncle, thank you so much!” She bowed deeply, grateful beyond words.

Zhang Changgong waved his hand, mounted his bicycle, and rode off, haphazardly navigating the dirt road.

“Girl, better head back now!”

Bai Xiao finally felt relieved.

This major issue was resolved. Now she had to consider taking a trip to visit her two older sisters. Waking up with barely a penny to her name, she needed to come up with a significant sum for travel expenses—one challenge she couldn’t tackle alone. She had to think long-term about this.

Don’t think that doing business was easy back in the eighties. In the countryside, without proper conditions or purchasing power, business was tough. You had to go to the town or provincial city, which she couldn’t manage just yet. Even a round trip to the county town would take six hours, let alone the fact she had no means of transport.

The only solution she could think of was to try to get her sisters to help with travel expenses. If that failed, she’d have to borrow from every household in the village. Once she arrived in the university city, she could perhaps start a small business or find some odd jobs to earn the money to repay everyone. But for now, she had no other options.

But everything was progressing in a positive direction.

As Bai Xiao was walking back home, she ran into Wu Xiaoyue and Bai Mei. The two were as thick as thieves on any regular day.

Upon seeing Bai Xiao, Bai Mei’s eyes were aflame with anger. Her finger still throbbed with pain—it had already formed two blisters since morning. How could she not be furious? And now, seeing the one who caused her suffering, she felt like biting Bai Xiao twice over.

Bai Xiao saw Bai Mei and didn’t intend to greet her; after all, Bai Mei looked as if she would be happy to devour her alive, and Bai Xiao had no interest in courting trouble.

She turned, thinking to pass by the two.

Unfortunately, while she wished to keep the peace, Wu Xiaoyue wasn’t having it.

This one also lacked tact, thinking herself to be Bai Zhuang’s fiancée, which, by extension, made her Bai Xiao’s future sister-in-law. She felt it was her right to lecture Bai Xiao.

She indeed caught hold of Bai Xiao.

“Xiao ah, why do you walk around us when you see us? After all, we are family, aren’t we? Is there anything we can’t discuss amicably? It’s not necessary to make a scene and have the whole village pointing fingers. Bai Xiao, you’re a grown girl. I’ve seen you handle things with care in the past, so why are you so thoughtless this time?” Wu Xiaoyue put on the airs of an older sister-in-law.

Bai Mei glared with fury, “Who is family with her? She’s nothing but a wild child with no father or mother. If it weren’t for my dad and my grandma’s generosity in keeping you alive, you would’ve starved to death by now. And now you have the gall to turn the tables. I think even a dog wouldn’t eat your conscience. Had we known, it would have been better to let you die of starvation back then; then we wouldn’t have all these issues today. You’re a jinx; whoever encounters you is doomed.” Bai Mei was used to spouting abuse at Bai Xiao with impunity, having done so for many years, and Bai Xiao had never fought back.

A smirk appeared on Wu Xiaoyue’s lips. She had always felt that having an extra person like Bai Xiao around was actually quite convenient; looking at the past days, all household chores had to be done, and wasn’t that just like gaining an extra laborer for free? Eating little but working a lot, she was happy with such good fortune.

Once she married into the family, it was as if she would gain a servant for nothing.

So she really didn’t mind Bai Mei scolding Bai Xiao. Only by completely eroding this girl’s spirit would she be easier to handle in the future, she thought to herself.

Bai Xiao gave Bai Mei a sidelong glance, her eyes holding a chilling sharpness, as if they were two poisoned daggers, fixating on Bai Mei, who suddenly felt a wave of coldness at the back of her neck.

How did this wretched girl end up with such intimidating eyes?

“What, you still don’t agree with what I said? Am I wrong?” Bai Mei was far from conceding.

“Bai Mei, don’t bite indiscriminately once you leave the Bai Family’s gate. Go back and ask your dear grandma and your good father exactly who has been freeloading. Every month, my brother and sister send 19 silver coins to your house, and what do I get fed each day? Yesterday, in front of the whole village, your grandma and father clearly admitted it. If you think you’ve been wronged, let’s go. Let’s take this matter to the village chief.”

“Let’s see who owes whom? Save your breath if you can’t spit out anything but venom,” Bai Xiao was not about to suffer in silence. Bai Mei was the type to bully the weak and fear the strong; if Bai Xiao showed any willingness to back down today, Bai Mei would take it as a sign of weakness and become insufferable.

Bai Mei was so startled by Bai Xiao’s tight grip on her wrist that she jumped. She didn’t dare to go in front of the village chief. She wasn’t unaware that her father and grandmother had taken the money.

“What are you doing? I’m not going!”

Bai Xiao tightened her grip, “Not going? If you don’t have the courage to go, then shut your mouth. Stop spouting nonsense. Otherwise, the next time I hear such talk, I’ll smack you every time I see you. If you don’t believe me, just try me and see if I dare.” She threatened, raising her fist and waving it in front of Bai Mei, who nearly fell over in fright.