Chapter 266: Chapter 266: On Fire Chapter 266: Chapter 266: On Fire Brigade Leader Gao Jiefang returned from the fields and was brought straight over by the Luo Family Brothers, who solemnly reported the matter of Zhao Jianing. They had returned her safe and sound, and from then on, there would be no further ties between them.
Having seen to it that the person was delivered, the Luo Family Brothers handed Zhao Jianing her household registration and school enrollnt certificates in front of Brigade Leader Gao, saying, “From now on, conduct yourself well.”
After saying that, they turned and left the entrance of the Zhao Family’s house, following the Brigade Leader to the brigade headquarters.
The Zhao Family looked at the pile of belongings with various thoughts in their minds. Zhao Pulin said, “It’s good that you’re back, let’s go inside the house first.”
Zhao Jianing followed with a cold face into the courtyard, while the Zhao Family Sisters helped to move the belongings inside.
Zhao Jianing said to them, “Be careful with those things, if you break them you won’t be able to afford the replacents.”
Zhao Xiaoxing, who had a frank nature, retorted, “Afraid we’ll break them? Then move them yourself. We don’t owe you anything.”
After saying that, she took her sisters back to their room, leaving Zhao Jianing’s belongings just outside the front door, making Zhao Jianing feel wronged and bringing tears to her eyes.
Zhao Pulin had no choice but to say, “You go inside first; I’ll help you move them.”
The belongings were moved inside, but the Zhao Family only had three rooms for living. One was for the couple, one had been for the son, and one for the daughters. Ever since the son was taken away, the daughters had moved into his room.
Therefore, there was no spare room in the courtyard for her to live alone. Zhao Pulin could only say, “We don’t have a separate room for you, so you can share with Xiaoyun. Even though her room is a bit small, she is the only one living in it.”
Originally, the eldest daughter Zhao Xiaotao and the second daughter Zhao Xiaoi had lived in that room, but now that Zhao Xiaotao had married off and Zhao Xiaoi, after that incident, had moved into the Cui Family Manor with the Cui Family Eldest, the room was solely occupied by Zhao Xiaoyun.
Zhao Jianing was scornful of the courtyard, but for the sake of her future life, she didn’t say much. After moving her things in, there was no spare space left in the room.
By the ti the workday ended, the villagers had gathered outside the Zhao Family’s courtyard, all eager to see the sixth Zhao Family Daughter who had returned from the city and had reportedly brought back a donkey cart full of belongings.
So people teased Zhao Pulin about striking it rich, and others said that Luo Qiao’s birth parents were benevolent, not involving the child in adult matters, and that the couple was truly magnanimous.
This gossip made Zhao Jianing, who stayed indoors, extrely frustrated, as she kept smashing things around, causing the Zhao Family Sisters to strongly dislike their newly returned sister.
If it wasn’t for her, their family wouldn’t be in the current situation, their mother wouldn’t have to go to jail, and resentnt amongst the sisters mounted increasingly.
Throughout the afternoon, there was never a quiet mont at ho; groups of won ca in twos and threes to see Zhao Jianing. At first, Zhao Jianing pretended to be amicable, but later, she stopped pretending and greeted them with a cold face, ignoring everyone.
Everyone envied the belongings piled up in the house, but they didn’t have a good impression of the newly returned sixth Zhao Family Daughter. They thought she paled in comparison to Luo Qiao, as the saying goes, “Like begets like.”
No matter how rich her upbringing had been, it was all in vain; her pettiness and inability to present herself were evident to the core.
By the afternoon, it was well known throughout the village that the Zhao Family daughter who returned from the city lacked manners and looked down on the villagers.
The Luo Family foster parents had been kind enough to send back many nice things, and it was heard that Zhao Jianing had also brought back a considerable amount of money. Now, Zhao Pulin was basking in the benefits.
After an afternoon of rumors, the Zhao Family Sisters, after finishing their work and dinner, all gathered in Zhao Jianing’s small room. Initially, they subtly inquired about whether she had brought back any gifts, but it escalated into fighting over the belongings, and Zhao Jianing alone couldn’t possibly stop them.
Zhao Pulin, having had things to take care of, left for his big brother Zhao Changlin’s place right after dinner, not anticipating soone would co running to fetch him, screaming that his house was on fire and urging him to rush back imdiately.
It turned out that during the scuffle over the belongings, the room, being too small, led to soone bumping the table with the kerosene lamp on it. The lamp fell onto the packages brought back, which contained bedding and clothes and had just recently been refilled with kerosene.
In no ti, the fire grew fierce, and although villagers ca to help extinguish it, not much was saved, and those items that were rescued were too damaged to be of use. Fortunately, the efforts of everyone prevented the fire from spreading to adjoining rooms.
When Zhao Pulin ran back, he saw a courtyard full of people, and the room where his young daughter had been living was charred. His daughters stood there disheveled, and the sixth daughter, who had just returned from the city, was in tears.
Upon seeing Zhao Pulin’s return, Zhao Jianing got up and yelled, “Now are you satisfied? You are all a bunch of robbers, a group of shaless people who have never seen anything of value.
You didn’t give but resorted to stealing, and now look, it’s all gone, burnt to a crisp.” After finishing her tirade, she burst into tears again.
The villagers pointed fingers and muttered about the Zhao Family daughters, who had never expected things to turn out this way, each hanging their heads in silence.
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