Chapter 117 - 108: Zheng Shaolian

Chapter 117: Chapter 108: Zheng Shaolian

That’s when it hit Xiao Feng. "You’re right. I bet that girl has already dropped out of school! In our rural areas, there’s always been a preference for boys over girls, so it’s common for young girls to leave school. Last night, I saw her acting like a little street vendor. But wasn’t yesterday Friday? She should have been in class. Even today, Saturday, there should be a half-day of school. Oh, just now she said... she said something."

"What did she say?"

"’I learned to sing from the radio, I don’t want to join a song and dance troupe, thank you!’"

The car fell silent. After a long moment, Tang Qingyun murmured to himself, "So young and already out of school. She’ll be illiterate before she’s even grown. That’s unacceptable. We must step up our efforts and urgently resolve the issue of rural children dropping out!"

Xiao Feng glanced at the rearview mirror and saw puffs of smoke curling up from the back seat. He decided not to comment and simply focused on driving.

After a good while of silence, Xiao Feng assumed Secretary Tang was engrossed in his documents and had forgotten the matter. But then he heard him say, "The Education Bureau has basic data from their annual spot checks of the counties, communes, and school districts. Next week, I’ll draw up a list. Have them bring me the relevant materials based on that list. I want to review them myself."

"Yes, sir." Xiao Feng nodded, then added, "But Secretary Tang, you’re already so busy. You work late into the night every day and only get three or four hours of sleep. Shouldn’t the education department be handling this...?"

"I want to look into it."

"Understood!"

Xiao Man struggled free from Xiao Feng’s grasp and ran a short distance before turning onto another street at the crossroads. ’From now on,’ she thought, ’I’m never walking past that government compound when I come to Wancheng!’

As she walked along the side of the street, a massive banyan tree came into view. From its lush foliage and the complex web of branches that cast a wide shadow, she guessed it had to be at least a hundred years old. A low wall of concrete and brick encircled its base, protecting the tree from climbers while also offering a place for pedestrians to sit and rest.

Right then, only one person was sitting under the tree, head bowed. He was a young man wearing black trousers and a gray pullover sweater but no jacket. He probably lived nearby, just out for a walk and taking a short break.

Xiao Man had intended to sit on the other side of the wall, but just then, the young man lifted his head. The moment her eyes met his pale, handsome face, she froze, then walked straight toward him.

’Zheng Shaolian, what are you doing here?’

Zheng Shaolian scowled, his face a mask of disgust as he shooed her away. "Kid, get lost!"

Xiao Man was speechless.

’This punchable, unpleasant temper of his must be congenital,’ she thought. ’No wonder Gu Shao Feng had him kidnapped and thrown into the army, even taking great pains to stick him in this remote mountain region just to keep Old Mrs. Gu from rescuing him too quickly.’

Xiao Man ignored him and sat down right next to him, intentionally closing the distance. Zheng Shaolian immediately scooted away, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Get away! Don’t come any closer, or I’ll hit you!"

Xiao Man pressed her lips together to hide a smile. ’So he was always this flawed, even when he was young? The thirty-something version of him was so gloomy and sullen, but back then he was like a startled cat. It’s actually kind of amusing!’

’Still, it’s unbelievable that this guy, with all his issues, would transform into a high court judge years later. It makes you wonder if he got the position by pulling some strings.’

"So, uh, how come you’re not in uniform?"

The question slipped out accidentally after her silent amusement, and she startled herself as soon as she’d said it.

Zheng Shaolian stared at her like she was some kind of freak, then glanced down at his own clothes. He deliberately lowered his voice, trying to sound more mature and resonant. "How did you know I was an uncle from the People’s Liberation Army?"

’PLA... uncle?’

Xiao Man fought the urge to roll her eyes. Instead, her own sparkling eyes darted over him as she scrambled for a plausible explanation. Finally, she pointed and said, "Your hair is really short. Plus, people who wear hats all the time get a line in their hair! My neighbor’s a soldier, and his head looks just like yours. He said it’s because soldiers have to wear their hats every day!"

Zheng Shaolian eyed her with suspicion. ’Well,’ Xiao Man thought, ’since he becomes a judge later, no matter how many strings he pulled, there must be *something* in that head of his for appearances’ sake. It can’t be completely empty.’ She cleared her throat and added, "And you just have the... aura of a PLA uncle!"

Still suspicious, Zheng Shaolian asked, "Are you one of the brats from the base?"

Xiao Man bristled. "Is there something wrong with your eyes? I’m a big kid! If you ask me, *you’re* the little brat!"

The corner of Zheng Shaolian’s mouth twitched into a slight smile. Xiao Man was exasperated. ’He has masochistic tendencies, too!’

’He ignores compliments but gets happy when you insult him.’

"Alright, spit it out. Which officer’s kid are you?"

Hearing him ask that, combined with the fact that he was out of uniform and sitting alone on a street corner this early in the morning, Xiao Man could guess what was going on. ’This guy got into trouble on the base, and it must have been such a big deal that everyone knows about it!’

"I’m just a kid from the countryside, here to look around the city. I don’t know anything about the army!" Xiao Man said.

Zheng Shaolian tilted his head, studying her. "You’re from the countryside? You don’t look it."

"Oh? And what is a country person supposed to look like?"

"Country people are... poor, dirty, and smelly. They wear rags, beg for food whenever they see anyone, and they can’t speak Mandarin as smoothly as you do!"

’Screw you! The country folk from *your* hometown must be like that!’

Xiao Man shot him a glare. "Well, I’m a 100% genuine country person! And I’m a student. I have a teacher who taught me Mandarin!"

"You’re a student! That explains it! A kid running around bothering me before ten in the morning!" Zheng Shaolian exclaimed. "Why aren’t you at school? Are you playing hooky?"

Xiao Man was speechless. ’Me, playing hooky? And what about you, Mr. Newbie Recruit? You’re not at morning drills. How do you explain sitting out here? Are you deserting? I’m seriously starting to wonder!’

"My teacher gave me permission to be absent!" Xiao Man said.

"Permission to come to the city? What for?"

"I have business to attend to. Important business!"

"What important business could a kid like you possibly have?"

"It’s a long story, and you wouldn’t understand it anyway."

In the face of Zheng Shaolian’s displeased stare, Xiao Man pulled two bunches of grapes from her satchel. She had picked them last night and put them on the stone platform in her pocket dimension. By picturing her target, she could reach into her bag and retrieve things from that space as if reaching through the air.

The moment Zheng Shaolian saw the grapes, he fell silent. The guy was like a civet cat—he had a serious weakness for fruits and vegetables.

Xiao Man handed him a bunch. When she saw him pull a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the grapes, she said, "These are wild mountain grapes, picked fresh. They aren’t dusty—see that natural white bloom on them? I’m not so sure your handkerchief is cleaner than they are!"

Zheng Shaolian paused, then wiped his hands and put the handkerchief away. "Who said I was going to wipe the grapes? You’re too nosy!"

Watching him pop one grape after another into his mouth, Xiao Man spoke again. "You asked me so many questions. Now it’s my turn. Are you really in the PLA? What are you doing here all by yourself? What’s your name?"

Zheng Shaolian completely ignored her. He quickly finished his bunch of grapes, and seeing that Xiao Man had only eaten a few from hers, he snatched her bunch and devoured it, too. He looked up. "So these are wild grapes, huh? They’re delicious! Got any more? I’m still hungry!"

Xiao Man was speechless.

’So the poor guy didn’t even get to eat breakfast,’ she thought.

"I have one last bunch in my bag. Answer my questions, and it’s yours!"

Zheng Shaolian glared at her. "You’re taking advantage of my situation! So devious at such a young age!"

"They’re just a few questions. What’s the big deal?"

"Then you tell me your name first."