Ch 6: The Unfilial Children Trembles in Fear (QT)

Xiao Zhang, the delivery driver, was in his twenties. He was bold but careful. Back when other people saw a vehicle and did not even dare touch it, he already dared to get hands-on with one.

He was indeed clever. Whatever part he took apart, he could install it back exactly as it had been, guaranteeing he would not damage anything.

He had also gone to the capital and the provincial capital several times for further training, so his skills were quite solid.

At least in this city, whenever a factory’s vehicle broke down, they would invite him over to discuss repairs. It was said that he earned quite a bit of extra money on the side.

Xiao Zhang loved eating meat.

The first time Yun Xi met him, she stuffed two cans of meat into his hands.

After Sister Qin introduced them, she went back. Yun Xi looked at the large truck, her eyes shining.

“This truck is really impressive. I can tell at a glance that you take excellent care of it. You must put a lot of effort into it, right?”

Xiao Zhang laughed.

“This is how I make a living, so of course I have to take care of it. Sister Li, why do you want to learn how to drive? You don’t usually get a chance to drive anyway.”

Yun Xi squatted down and studied the truck’s various structures as she replied,

“I just find it fascinating. For the past forty-something years, I was stuck in the countryside and never saw much of the world. Now that I finally have the chance, of course I want to see and learn more.

I even signed up for literacy classes. I’m learning characters, numbers, and even Russian.

Then I heard you’re especially good with vehicles, so I wanted to learn a bit from you too.

You don’t have to teach me seriously. Just let me watch from the side. I’m only curious.”

The skills someone relied on to earn a living would naturally not be taught casually.

So Yun Xi spoke very lightly.

Sure enough, Xiao Zhang did not mind after hearing her.

Plenty of people had watched him drive and repair vehicles before. Hadn’t none of them learned?

Otherwise, he would not receive special treatment from all the factories.

The main issue was that other people were timid. They were afraid of breaking such a large machine. If they were always holding back, how could they possibly learn to repair vehicles?

A woman in her forties was even less likely to learn.

She was simply joining in the excitement.

So when Xiao Zhang inspected the truck, he let Yun Xi watch from the side. They chatted as he worked, and she could even help hand him a wrench or something while he took a few bites of the canned meat.

Sometimes, when they were loading or unloading goods, Yun Xi would lend a hand and carry a few things.

Her great strength shocked the group of grown men, and each of them gave her a thumbs-up.

Occasionally, when the weather was hot, Yun Xi bought Xiao Zhang an ice pop or handed him a bottle of soda. At the very least, she would take out a handful of sunflower seeds.

Little by little, Xiao Zhang became more and more accustomed to Yun Xi watching nearby. When he drove or inspected the truck, he would casually mention a few things to pay attention to.

In truth, Xiao Zhang simply felt she posed no threat. He treated her like his own aunt and spoke casually.

He never imagined Yun Xi could actually remember it.

Drivers from other factories had to take out notebooks when listening to him talk about these things.

But Yun Xi had once been a demonic cultivator.

Although lightning had destroyed her cultivation, her soul was still far stronger than an ordinary person’s.

She did not have perfect photographic memory, but after seeing something three to five times, she would remember it.

Xiao Zhang did not even notice the things he casually said every day.

Yun Xi, however, firmly stored them all in her mind.

Many people in the municipal government soon knew of Yun Xi’s existence.

First, she had saved the mayor’s family, so everyone understood without saying that they should not offend her for no reason.

Second, after starting work, she interacted warmly with people. Whenever she had free time, she ran to the warehouse to watch Xiao Zhang work on vehicles. She was especially interested in trucks. Everyone found it novel and amusing.

It was the first time they had ever seen a little old lady who liked vehicles.

Of course, it was also the first time they had seen someone her age attending literacy classes every day and even learning Russian.

Whenever people brought her up over tea or after meals, they sighed.

“You really have to get along well with your children. Otherwise, you’ll end up like Sister Li, all alone with nothing to do all day, forced to look for things everywhere just to pass the time.”

They thought Yun Xi was too lonely, which was why she filled her schedule so tightly.

In reality, Yun Xi wanted to understand this unfamiliar world as quickly as possible.

The original owner was indeed illiterate. The characters Yun Xi herself knew were traditional characters. Of course she needed to learn the writing system here as soon as possible.

That way, she could understand more of this world’s wonders through books.

Besides, in the future, if she transmigrated to other worlds, it might come in handy.

Some people even teased her.

“Sister Li, how’s your driving study going? When are you going to take it for a spin?”

Yun Xi smiled.

“Whether I get to drive or not, I’ll learn first. Look at how many people have bicycles now. What if one day small cars become affordable too? I can drive then. Even if I never get to drive, it’s not a loss. I’ve broadened my horizons.”

Everyone laughed.

In their hearts, they thought she truly had no family burden. One person fed meant the whole household was fed.

And she still said it was not a loss?

She had given away canned meat and soda. If those things were given to one’s own grandson, he could be raised into a plump little boy.

They had all noticed that Xiao Zhang had gotten fatter recently, and that was because Yun Xi had been feeding him.

They had truly never seen an old lady like Yun Xi, who completely ignored her children and grandchildren.

No one knew exactly how deep the conflict between her and her descendants was.

Once people’s curiosity was stirred, it did not take many days before they saw Yun Xi’s children and grandchildren.

The Dong family waited an entire month and still did not see Yun Xi return.

Unable to stand the strange looks from the entire village any longer, they discussed it and decided that no matter what, they had to bring Yun Xi home.

Whether life was good or bad, they could not keep carrying the reputation of being unfilial.

As long as Yun Xi returned and they shut the door to live their lives, this bad reputation would slowly fade.

Every day, they went to the brigade leader’s house to make trouble.

Only the brigade leader had issued Yun Xi’s household registration transfer certificate, so only he knew which work unit Yun Xi had gone to.

In the end, the brigade leader could not withstand them anymore and told them.

Only then did everyone learn that the work unit accepting Yun Xi’s household registration was actually the city government!

What kind of existence was the city government?

To the villagers, it was like the doorstep of officialdom, something they could not touch in their entire lives.

Being able to go to the city government was incredibly impressive.

If someone had a proper job inside, it would absolutely be the glory of the entire village.

But Yun Xi, that little old lady?

Was that possible?

The Dong family came to the city government half-believing, half-doubting.

Although they threw their weight around at home, once they reached the city, they instinctively felt inferior. They could not even straighten their backs.

When they asked the gatekeeper about someone, their faces were full of ingratiating smiles.

“Uncle, do you know Li Yunxi? She’s my mother. She said she works here.”

The gatekeeper heard this and looked them up and down several times.

Then he said meaningfully,

“Oh… so you’re Sister Li’s children?”

He glanced at the two children behind them.

They were probably Yun Xi’s grandson and granddaughter.

Both looked rather timid and shrinking.

Their temperaments did not resemble Yun Xi’s at all.

Yun Xi was open and confident. She was much more pleasant to look at.

Dong Zhihong’s eyes lit up.

“Uncle, my mom really works here? What kind of job does she do?”

The gatekeeper gave him no pleasant expression.

“You’re her son, and you don’t know what kind of work she does? Wait by the roadside. I’ll have someone call her.”

Dong Zhihong squatted by the road and quietly cursed a few times.

What was that old man acting so proud for?

The old woman had a municipal government job now.

As long as she transferred that job to him, he would be an employee here too.

When the time came, wouldn’t this old gatekeeper have to smile ingratiatingly at him?

Dong Zhijie also began imagining things.

The city government!

Every department had to give this place some face.

If he could give a few gifts and speak to the right person, maybe he could be transferred to an elementary school in the city.

Then he would truly transform his life.

But judging from the gatekeeper’s attitude, could Yun Xi have been spreading stories at the city government about her children being unfilial?

Wouldn’t that ruin his chance of transferring to a city elementary school?

Other people’s mothers sacrificed everything for their children.

Why was his mother so good at dragging them down?

As for Dong Zhiyong and Dong Zhizhi, their hearts burned with excitement.

Both felt that, as the younger children, the job ought to be passed to them.

Under their eager, longing gazes, Yun Xi soon came out.

Beside her was the enthusiastic Sister Qin.

Sister Qin was afraid Yun Xi would be soft-hearted and suffer a loss, so she specially came along to support her.

The moment Dong Zhizhi saw Yun Xi, she rushed forward and linked arms with her.

“Mom! It was just a few arguments at home. How could you really leave? You don’t even know how much I’ve been thinking about you!”

Wang Huijuan hurriedly choked out,

“Mom, if you didn’t want to use the money to buy Zhihong a job, we didn’t say anything. But you left just like that, and everyone in the brigade is cursing us for being unfilial. They’re practically driving us to death.”

Dong Zhijie sighed and advised,

“Mom, now that your anger has cooled, come back with us. This really doesn’t look good. Besides, with you out here alone, we can’t feel at ease.”

Each of them acted as though they cared deeply about Yun Xi.

Yet their words and expressions all accused Yun Xi of being unreasonable, making everyone see how helpless they were.

It happened to be the lunch break.

Some people were going to the cafeteria for food, while others came over to watch the excitement.

Everyone was surprised that Yun Xi had so many children and grandchildren.

Were all of these the ingrates?

Yun Xi pushed Dong Zhizhi away and put her hands on her hips.

“What kind of accusation are you trying to pin on me this time?

Are you going to say I have long hair and short insight again, that I’m uneducated and unreasonable?

Or are you planning to wrong me by saying I’m making trouble and not being a loving mother?

I was a widow who raised the four of you siblings into strong, healthy adults.

Anyone whose brain hasn’t taken in water knows how well I treated you.

Then look at me.

I’m as thin as a stalk.

My blood was almost sucked dry by all of you.”

Everyone looked.

The contrast really was quite obvious.

The Dong family members were not fat, but they were definitely not thin either. One could tell that they had eaten decently and had not gone hungry.

Yun Xi, on the other hand, looked lean and wiry.

It was said that she had been nourishing her body all this time, yet her health was still not as good as her children’s.

Who had sacrificed for whom was obvious.

Those children clearly wanted to ruin her reputation outside.

They really were ingrates.

Yun Xi gave them no chance to argue.

She pointed at Dong Zhizhi and asked,

“I divided my own room and gave it to you. Where is that room now? You and your third brother sold it, didn’t you?

And now you want me to go back?

Where am I supposed to sleep, on the ridge between fields?”

Then she pointed at Wang Huijuan.

“When a tree grows large, its branches divide. All I did was divide the family and come to the city to work. How exactly did that drive you to death?

If you haven’t done anything shameful, you don’t fear ghosts knocking at your door.

What did you do to make people curse you for being unfilial?

Go find whoever cursed you. Stop trying to use me as your banner.”

“And you!”

Yun Xi pointed at Dong Zhijie.

“You and your wife hide outside every day, secretly eating good food, and you won’t even share a mouthful of soup with me. And you’re worried about me?

The sun must be rising from the west.”

Then Yun Xi saw her grandson secretly glaring at her from behind Wang Huijuan.

She reached out, dragged him forward, and slapped him.

“What are you glaring at? Have you rebelled against the heavens? Try glaring at me again!”

Her grandson jumped in fright and burst into loud sobs.

“Old shrew! Old shrew! Let me go! Don’t expect me to be filial to you in the future. I’ll lock you in the storage room and teach you a lesson!”

The crowd erupted in uproar.

Everyone was stunned by the insults that had spilled so naturally from the child’s mouth.

What did a child this young understand?

He must have remembered those words because he heard adults say them.

Yun Xi secretly felt pleased.

She had known that starting with this boy would bring a pleasant surprise.

She tossed her grandson toward Dong Zhihong and sneered.

“You want to teach me a lesson?

What ability do you have to control me?

Your house was given by me.

Your entire family was raised by me.

What have you ever accomplished on your own?

And you still want to teach me a lesson.

I think you have short hair and short insight too.

You’re a useless coward.

Aside from your old mother, who has ever looked up to you?

Now you can’t even teach your son properly.

Be careful when you grow old, or your son might lock you in a pigsty!”

Didn’t the eldest son spend every day insulting her?

Then she would insult him right back.

Let’s see who had a stronger ability to withstand pressure.

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