Song Yitang felt the huge rock hanging in her heart finally drop; she had thought she would have to make a big fuss for everyone to know before she could get her share of the inheritance.
This was surely heaven showing her pity.
Li Ping first cried her eyes out in front of the two of them, recounting how difficult it had been to give birth to Zhang Rui and then painting Song Yitang as heartless.
"This really was Tangtang's fault, how can you say that? After all, others were trying to save you," Captain Zhang was completely led by the nose by Li Ping.
Imitating her, Song Yitang sat on the ground and cried her heart out.
"The moment I fell into the water, Zhang Rui appeared, and the next second Widow Liu came with a crowd to rescue me, or were they there to witness? It was clear they wanted to set me up!"
"Those who know me are aware that I go to see Su Meimei every Sunday afternoon, no wonder I've been bumping into Auntie Li lately."
As soon as Song Yitang spoke, everyone suddenly realized what was happening.
Li Ping's facial expression turned ugly, she wanted to argue but Song Yitang did not give her a chance.
"I had thought my dad was always clear about right and wrong, but I don't know why, he always listens to Auntie Li's words."
The doorway buzzed with surprise; could it be that the seemingly honest and upright Song Lao Si was having an affair with Li Ping?
Song Jianguo cared most about his reputation, and now that he was being splashed with mud by his own daughter, he could not care less about his face.
He rushed up furiously and slapped her, "You lowlife, I'll beat you to death today, you damned thing!"
Song Yitang deliberately did not dodge, and she sobbed quietly, head down.
Li Ping was also infuriated and started to shout, getting ready to join in the physical conflict.
Captain Zhang held back Song Jianguo, and Secretary Zhao restrained Li Ping to prevent the three from fighting.
Slap—
In the chaos, Li Ping slapped Secretary Zhao across the face, even knocking off his glasses.
Frightened, Captain Zhang hurried to pick up the glasses and hand them back to Secretary Zhao.
The air froze instantly, and the people who had been arguing heatedly quieted down all at once.
"I'm sorry, Secretary Zhao, I didn't mean to…"
"Enough! We came here to be witnesses, not to get involved in domestic affairs!"
Zhao Shouzhong's face showed that he was having trouble maintaining his composure, regretting his impulse from earlier.
Captain Zhang began to tally up Song Jianguo's family property.
"What nonsense is there for a woman to demand a share of the family property? You're not even married, and you're thinking about splitting the family?" Song Jianguo was indignant.
Considering that Song Yitang was still young, and in just a few days she would begin her third year of high school, striving for her college entrance exam, although reluctant, Song Jianguo refused to budge.
Finally, after much persuasion, they gave Song Yitang one hundred yuan, a bag of sweet potatoes and potatoes, and several strings of dried chili peppers.
"Don't even think about pots and pans. Giving you some food is already considering the kindness of having given birth to you!"
The petite girl shouldered her bag, dragging two sacks of sweet potatoes and potatoes, with two strings of dried chili peppers hanging on her neck, staggering as she walked away.
Song Yitang felt secretly thrilled inside; as long as she left home, her destiny would have changed by a large part, the rest would be up to her.
"Young girl, the captain told me there's an empty storage room in the educated youth dormitory, if you don't mind..."
"I don't mind!"
Zhao Shouzhong asked Captain Zhang to find a place for Song Yitang to stay.
Later, Captain Zhang led Song Yitang to the educated youth dormitory of the team. Some male educated youths who had just finished work saw Captain Zhang leading an unfamiliar face and thought she was a newcomer.
The room was very close to the latrine, the smell was strong, and the place was very damp. There wasn't even a window, and a few tiles were missing from the roof. The wooden door creaked.
"The conditions are a bit rough, but it's still livable. It's your own bloody-mindedness to make a fuss about splitting from the family."
After giving her the keys, Captain Zhang left in a hurry.
Song Yitang put down the potatoes and sweet potatoes and hung up the chili peppers. She took a quick look around, preparing to tidy up; this might be her only place to stay before the school term started.
But her legs felt as if they were filled with lead; she couldn't lift them at all, and soon a mechanical female voice rang in her head.
[Ding, congratulations host for binding with the Scholar Tyrant System.]
[Complete tasks to receive rewards, the first activation reward includes a novice package—space and study materials.]
As she spoke, the dilapidated thatched house transformed into a brand-new study, with bookshelves on both the left and right sides and something resembling a movie screen placed at the front.]
[Time within the space is three times different from real time, allowing the host to study efficiently in the space.]
Song Yitang strolled around the space a few times, and just as she was about to pick up a book from the shelf, she was forcefully pulled back to reality.
"You're new here?"
The man was dressed in a thick military coat, his face was fair, and he was holding several rubber candies, with one also stuffed in his mouth.
He didn't look at all like a youth sent down to the countryside, but rather like someone there to enjoy good fortune.
Song Yitang recognized him, Fu Hao, the Casanova among the male youths, always leaving traces of affection. He was articulate and charming, especially popular with the female youths on the team and the village girls.
In the past life, he impregnated a girl from the neighboring team and then ran back to the city, shirking his responsibility.
"No, I'm just staying for a few days."
Song Yitang had no intention of getting involved with him, fearing an untold number of troubles.
"I have to tidy up some things, so I won't be able to entertain you," Song Yitang said as she picked up the worn-out broom against the wall, bent over to sweep, and shooed him away.
Interesting, this little girl seemed quite feisty despite her small stature.
Fu Hao left all his candies on the table.
"Don't be so standoffish, my name's Fu Hao. We should hang out more in the future!"
Song Yitang coldly dropped the broom, grabbed his candy, and tried to stuff it back into his hand.
"I don't like sweets. Take them back."
"Hahaha, little sister, your way of refusing people sure is novel."
Song Yitang looked at Fu Hao as if he were a lunatic.
Fu Hao felt somewhat embarrassed under her gaze and could no longer keep laughing.
"Don't like candy, huh? I have other things. I'll take you to get some, and you can pick whatever you like!"
At the right moment, Fu Hao, playing the scoundrel, tried to take advantage of the girl by grabbing her hand.
Song Yitang stuffed the candy into his pocket and shook off his hand. Out of frustration, because he was gripping it so tightly, her wrist was left with red marks.
She yanked his hand towards her and bit down hard, causing Fu Hao to grimace in pain.
"Let go, let go, are you a dog or what!" He shoved Song Yitang away forcefully, his skin bearing a glaring teeth mark.
"If you continue to pull and tug at me like this, I'll report you to the commune!"
Fu Hao was intimidated by Song Yitang, but still harbored ulterior motives, his desire to conquer only inflamed by her show of resistance.
This girl's skin was slightly yellowish; she did not look like someone from the city, more like a local from this brigade.
But why hadn't he ever seen her before?
Song Yitang picked up the broom and pretended to strike him, frightening Fu Hao into a quick retreat, leaving behind only a sentence before he fled in a panic.
"You just wait, I'll come back!"
What a creep, Song Yitang sat down on the ground, exhausted.
Song Yitang noticed an additional scratch on the bracelet her grandmother had given her. She reached to touch it, and before she had time to reminisce about her grandmother, she was taken into the space again.
So this was how to enter the space!
With the night not yet completely dark, after fumbling in space for a while, the returned Song Yitang surveyed the shabby, wind-blowing house with a fist-sized hole under the wooden door.
Several tiles were missing from the roof, allowing light to seep through, becoming the sole source of light in the house.
Now, in the middle of the first month, having not been allotted a quilt, and with the temperature plummeting at night, she really couldn't survive a night in such cold, lest she froze to death or had a stroke.
She spent the night in the space in the end.