Rebirth: She is Ready for a Counterattack! Chapter 12: Aiming for Something

Marry, her aunt, had already washed her hands, walked over, and playfully patted Gu Xiaoqing on the head, teasing her, "You little mischief, when did you beco so sweet-mouthed? Let see if you’ve been eating honey."

Gu Xiaoqing laughed and hid behind her Uncle Li Weimin, acting coy, "Uncle, Uncle, I haven’t had any honey water yet. Take up the mountain to find wild honeycombs!"

Li Weimin chuckled, "Alright, this afternoon uncle will take you up the mountain. Let’s see if Xiaoqing’s luck holds. Finding wild honeycombs depends on luck—it’s fate if you find them, useless yearning if you don’t."

The whole family burst into laughter.

Grandma Wu Zhaodi brought out a large bowl of stir-fried cabbage, tofu, and vermicelli, smiling and calling, "Stop teasing the two kids, everyone, let’s eat quickly. You must be famished after working all day."

Little Aunt Han Xue quickly lent a hand by taking the bowl inside.

Li Xuei also ca out with a big plate of scrambled eggs with green onions and a basket full of white stead buns. She saw Gu Xiaoqing laughing and ssing around with her brother and her own sister-in-law, who usually looked impatient and visibly annoyed, now had a smiling face. Though not necessarily sincere, at least there was a smile.

This relieved Li Xuei, making her feel more at ease about future discussions of borrowing money.

At least her sister-in-law’s smiling face was better than her usual scowling expression.

"Brother, Sister-in-law, Second brother, Second sister-in-law, Jianguo, Jianhui, Yufeng, Yuhong, co inside. You’ve all worked hard for half a day, you must be exhausted," she said.

Even her own daughter could put on a face to please and charm people; what did she have to worry about?

Liu Fen’s smile faded a bit but she still responded with a smile, "Your daughter’s got such a sweet tongue, it’s Gu Ruhai who’s taught her to be so slick. Now even the little girl is teasing her aunt."

At least it was a good start.

"Sister-in-law, it wasn’t teaching her. It’s all you and my brother always teasing her. Otherwise, how could she learn this? People say nephews take after uncles, so you better bla my big brother. He’s the one who led her astray," Li Xuei quipped with an ease she hadn’t shown before, at least managing a chat with her sister-in-law, not always being t with cold eyes.

"Sister-in-law, she’s just a talker. Everyone co in, dinner’s ready, don’t let it get cold," Han Xue pulled the curtain aside, smiling and inviting everyone in.

Second Uncle Li Weiqiang took the big bowl of corn porridge from his mother Wu Zhaodi, bringing it inside.

Wu Zhaodi grabbed Li Xuei, saying, "Alright, alright, enough chatter, let’s eat. After dinner, you can play with the kids."

Seeing this, Gu Xiaoqing quickly grabbed Yufeng and Yuhong’s hands, saying, "Sisters, let’s go together."

Yufeng and Yuhong were pleasantly surprised, knowing this cousin who seldom spoke was known for being taciturn.

Now she was cheerfully smiling, so warmly, making them both wonder.

Could sothing be up with Gu Xiaoqing?

But they didn’t worry much, as the whole family happily started eating amid laughter and chatter.

Li Xuei wasn’t tactless enough to bring up borrowing money during dinner. That would’ve spoiled the mood.

At least everyone should eat their fill first, she thought.

However, Gu Xiaoqing didn’t give her that chance. As soon as dinner was over, she insisted on dragging both uncles up the mountain to find so wild honey, claiming her luck today was exceptionally good.

Li Weimin and Li Weiqiang were both overwheld by their niece’s sweet-talking and coaxing, nodding a hundred tis in agreent.

Though both knew that wild honey wasn’t easy to find.

Every year, the mountain and hill area were scoured by villagers countless tis. If there was honey, it would’ve been collected long ago.

Wild honey was bought at the acquisition station for two yuan per pound, and an average wild honeycomb weighed about fifteen or sixteen pounds. That kind of windfall was sothing any family would want.

But since their niece asked so sweetly, the uncles couldn’t bear to ruin her fun. After all, this was the first ti their niece had shown such enthusiasm towards them; how could they refuse?

It could just be a fun outing for the kids up the mountain. It was autumn, and they could pick so wild fruits or grapes, making the children happy.

This was one small joy for the kids from the mountains.

So after the al, Li Weimin and Li Weiqiang took the six children up the mountain.

After all, who among the kids didn’t like running up the mountain?

Even picking wildflowers and gathering mushrooms was a joy.

Watching the children run around happily, Li Weimin and Li Weiqiang laughed too.

But as they walked, both checked around and didn’t see any wild bees, not even at the edges and corners.

It seed like they would have to return empty-handed.

They were ntally prepared for this, so the two brothers weren’t upset.

They just watched the kids play.

They did co across two or three pear trees. At this ti of year, the pears were already golden, so Jianguo and Jianhui, nimble and deft, climbed up and filled several bags with their clothes, giving each child an armful.

They were so happy that they couldn’t close their mouths from smiling.

After all, Jianguo and Jianhui, at sixteen or seventeen, were big boys, taking care of their younger sisters and brothers, enjoying themselves.

But Gu Xiaoqing wasn’t there for the pears; she really wanted the wild honey.

When she agreed to return to Grandma’s house with Li Xuei, Gu Xiaoqing had already decided to find a way to earn her tuition.

Borrowing money from Grandma’s house every ti would cause friction, even among relatives.

It’s best to stand on one’s own.

Yet, at this ti, finding a way to make money quickly wasn’t within Gu Xiaoqing’s ability. Her head was full of ideas, but none were applicable.

Today, when her dad, Gu Ruhai, ntioned going to Grandma’s to borrow money again, Gu Xiaoqing rembered sothing from her twelfth year. Back then, she wasn’t supposed to visit Grandma’s because Gu Ruhai had already decided that Gu Xiaoqing would stop schooling.

Gu Xiaoqing didn’t resist as she would in this life, so there was no need to borrow money then.

But on a visit to Grandma’s the following month, Gu Xiaoqing learned from her uncles’ conversations that soone in her uncle’s village had accidentally stumbled and found a wild honeycomb on a steep slope on the mountainside.

The discoverer was quite fortunate back then.

Reportedly, there were over fifty pounds of wild honey and honeycomb, which sold for a good sum at the purchasing station.

Gu Xiaoqing still vividly rembered her uncles’ envious chatter, noting how no one ventured to that slope due to the danger, not expecting such a fortune laying there.

So Gu Xiaoqing ca this ti with that in mind.