Chapter 9: Take Jiang Meilan to the boy's house to make her give up
"Meilan, my family is having dumplings today. Let's go to my house?" The male classmate held the bicycle, looked at Jiang Meilan with anticipation, and called her softly.

Jiang Meilan bit her lip, feeling a little conflicted.

She thought for a moment and said, "How about you keep the dumplings and I'll eat them tomorrow? I have to go home first, because every time my eldest sister buys meat, my family will make my favorite braised pork."

After saying that, she waved to the male classmates, turned around and ran towards Jiang Daguo.

Jiang Daguo saw her coming back, and the stone in his heart finally fell to the ground, but he still looked stern and stern and blamed her, "Why didn't you say hello to your family before leaving?"

Jiang Meilan was not convinced and pouted her lips to refute, "I told you! I said I was going to a classmate's house to do homework and would be home later."

"What about your classmate? Where is he?" Jiang Daguo looked behind Jiang Meilan.

When the boy heard his name being called, he was so scared that he shrank back into the haystack.

In a panic, the boy lost his grip on the bicycle and it fell to the ground with a thud.

"Who's there?" Jiang Daguo was puzzled and quickly stepped forward to check the situation.

When I got closer, I saw that it was a male student who looked only fifteen or sixteen years old. He was frantically trying to pick up the 28-bar bicycle that had fallen to the ground.

Jiang Daguo frowned and stared at the boy in front of him. He suddenly recognized him and said, "Aren't you the third son of Huang Guicai, the director of the brigade's public security department? You live in the twelfth team. Why are you here in our fifth team?"

Facing Jiang Daguo's questioning, the male student seemed a little flustered and stammered, "I... I was just passing by here."

After saying that, he lowered his head, pedaled his bicycle quickly and ran away.

Looking at the male student's receding back, Jiang Daguo's face became extremely gloomy, as if covered by a thick dark cloud.

Thinking of what his daughter said about her younger sister's future, Jiang Daguo felt a chill down his spine.

However, Jiang Meilan did not notice Jiang Daguo's anger and worry at this time.

"Hey, Huang Liangping, I'm going to your house to eat dumplings tomorrow. Remember to save some. I want to eat fifteen dumplings!" Jiang Meilan shouted at Huang Liangping who was fleeing.

She didn't notice at all that Jiang Daguo behind her was staring fiercely at the boy who was leaving, with anger flashing in his eyes.

"Go home!" Jiang Daguo grabbed Jiang Meilan's arm tightly and pulled her towards home.

"Brother, brother, please slow down. My shoes are about to fall off!" Jiang Meilan staggered and followed Jiang Daguo's steps, stumbling all the way.

After finally getting home, Jiang Meilan looked around but did not see her elder sister.

She was immediately furious and shouted angrily, "Brother, you actually lied to me! My sister didn't come back at all! Humph! You made me have no dumplings to eat!"

She stamped her feet and turned around, ready to run out again.

Jiang Daguo rushed forward, grabbed Jiang Meilan tightly, picked up a broom, and mercilessly whipped Jiang Meilan's calves.

He also warned fiercely, "If you dare to run out in the middle of the night, I will break your legs!"

This blow really badly hit Jiang Meilan.

She jumped up and down in pain, mumbling, "I just wanted to do my homework, why did you hit me? Brother, are you crazy?"

Uncle Jiang, who was making straw sandals, was so upset by the quarreling of the brother and sister that his head almost exploded.

He put down the work in his hands helplessly, "What are you arguing about?"

Aunt Jiang also came out from the kitchen upon hearing the noise, complaining that Jiang Daguo was too harsh and shouldn't treat his sister like that.

Seeing this, Jiang Meilan cried even harder, and even raised her voice an octave higher, crying, "Brother is going to beat me to death!" as if she had suffered a great injustice. Jiang Xiaoxiao listened to the noise in the yard and shook her head secretly. Jiang Meilan was really hopeless.

[Dad, my aunt won't give up until she reaches the Yellow River. People tricked her into going out to play, and didn't even prepare dumplings for her to eat. They just wanted to trick her into sleeping.]

[Director Huang lost a lot of money in gambling, and his family didn’t have meat to eat for several years.]

Although Jiang Meilan is not as beautiful as Jiang Meihua, she is quite popular among some young men.

She has a round face, round eyes, and short hair. She looks a little silly and reckless. She will follow the energetic young man as soon as he waves his hand, and will take off her clothes and go to bed after a few words of coaxing.

It would be a waste not to take advantage of such a stupid and naive girl!
When Jiang Daguo heard his daughter's voice, he was so angry that his blood rushed to his head.

He grabbed Jiang Meilan's arm tightly and walked straight out of the yard. "You idiot, if I don't let you see it with your own eyes, you will never give up this idea!"

"Brother, where are you taking me?"

"Go to Director Huang's house!"

Jiang Meilan was confused. Her brother clearly told her not to play with Huang Liangping, so why did he still take her to the Huang family?
But she was afraid of being beaten, so she had to follow.

After arriving at Huang's house, Jiang Daguo discovered that a group of people were arguing in front of the Huang's gate.

Several burly men with fierce looks on their faces, arms folded across their chests, as if ready for a fight, surrounded the public security director, Director Huang, and kept saying something.

Director Huang's wife, holding her fist, bowed to the men and said something nice, "Our expenses are high this month, and we don't have any extra money. Can you wait a little longer? We'll have money when the work points are settled at the end of the year."

"No, it's only been two months since the Chinese New Year. Are you asking us to wait until the end of the year? No, no!"

"It is only natural to repay a debt!"

"If you don't pay me back, I'll report you to the commune!"

Director Huang said with a sad face, "There is really no money at home. We didn't even dare to eat meat during the Chinese New Year. We only eat porridge made of grains and wild vegetables every day. If we really had money, I would have paid you back long ago."

The couple was crying and begging for mercy to several debt collectors, while Huang Liangping, who had made an appointment with Jiang Meilan to play, sat on the kitchen threshold with his head hung dejectedly.

Someone noticed the bicycle in the main room and said, "I can't pay the debt today, so I'll use this bicycle to pay off the debt first."

As he said that, he strode into the Huang family's house and pushed the bicycle out.

Huang Liangping hurriedly stepped forward to stop him.

The man sneered and said, "If you don't let me push the cart, I'll send your father to jail!"

"Liangping, let him push it away!" Director Huang's wife was anxious and angry, and pulled her son away.

One person pushed the bicycle away, and several others came into the house to move things.

Some people pushed away carts, some moved out tables and chairs, and some moved away an old sewing machine.

Director Huang's wife sat on the ground crying, but there was nothing she could do.

Jiang Daguo and Jiang Meilan were stunned.

"Meilan, do you still want to play with Director Huang's son?" Jiang Daguo took the opportunity to hit the little sister.

(End of this chapter)