Su Baoguo had been raised by Su Yun since childhood. How could he tolerate anyone speaking ill of her? Like a lit firecracker, he immediately tried to rush forward to hit He Hua, but Su Yun firmly pulled him back.
"Little Five, forget it. Don't argue with a mad dog."
With that, Su Yun dragged Su Baoguo into the side room next door.
Behind them, He Hua instantly flew into a rage. "Su Yun, how dare you call me a mad dog! Just you wait—I'll definitely get married before you do!"
Once the door was shut, Su Yun ignored He Hua's provocation.
After all, He Hua would soon be sent down to the countryside. In her previous life, He Hua never returned after leaving. Why bother arguing with someone who was about to disappear from her life?
After closing the door, Su Yun skillfully took out a bottle of medicinal liniment from the cabinet and said to Su Baoguo, "Little Five, take off your pants. I'll apply some medicine."
Su Baoguo immediately covered his waistband, his face turning red. "Second Sister, I'm a man! How can I take off my pants in front of a girl? Mom only made loud noises earlier—it didn't hurt at all. I'm not injured, really!"
Hearing a ten-year-old boy declare himself a man, Su Yun could not help but laugh. "Stop talking nonsense. Whether you're hurt or not, I'll know once I check."
Reluctant and fidgeting, Su Baoguo still could not resist her. She pressed him against the desk and made him remove his pants for inspection.
"Hmm, Mom really didn't hit hard. It's only a little red."
Su Baoguo's face was flushed as he hurriedly pulled his pants back on.
After putting away the liniment, Su Yun could not help praising him. "Little Five, you really acted like a little man today. You protected your sister. You were amazing."
Hearing this, Su Baoguo immediately stood as straight as a dutiful guard, his face full of pride. "Of course! If that fat pig from the Jiang family dares to throw stones at you again, I'll beat him every time I see him!"
Then his expression fell, and he said dejectedly, "But Mom is right too. With the Jiang family's conditions, if you married into their family, you'd definitely live a good life."
Su Yun curled her lips. "Not necessarily. Look at that Aunt Jiang—so fierce and mean, criticizing everything the moment she stepped in. And her younger son, Jiang Yaozu, bullied me as soon as he came in. If I really married into that family, they'd probably bully me to death."
"So, Little Five, today you saved me. You kept me from jumping into a pit of fire."
Su Baoguo felt she made sense. The truth was just as she said—the Jiang family were not good people. They deserved to be beaten!
Once the burden in his heart lifted, Su Baoguo returned to his cheerful self. After chatting with Su Yun for a while, he found an excuse to run outside.
Not long after, Su Yun heard He Hua's sharp cry from outside—
"Ah! Ouch, my head! Who did that? Who smashed my window paper with a coal briquette? If you've got the guts, stand out here!"
Sitting at her desk, Su Yun shook her head with amusement. She did not need to guess—it must have been Su Baoguo.
Among the five Su siblings, Su Yun was closest to Su Baoguo. After all, when their older brothers and sister left home, Su Baoguo had only been a few years old and probably did not even remember what they looked like. Even after they later returned to the city, Su Baoguo only acknowledged Su Yun. He barely recognized the others.
Ignoring the commotion outside, Su Yun carefully organized the textbooks on her desk. It was May 1977. In a few months, the national college entrance examination would be reinstated. Since she had been fortunate enough to be reborn, she would naturally choose the best path—attending university!
Fortunately, she was already a high school student, and all her textbooks were still there. If she picked up her studies again now, there should still be time.
Su Yun pulled out a mathematics textbook from the pile and took a notebook and fountain pen from the drawer.
As she closed the drawer, her toe accidentally kicked the stone used to prop up one leg of the desk. Immediately, a dry, mechanical voice sounded in her ear—
"Ding! Treasure-Hunting System successfully loaded. A Qing Dynasty inkstone from the Daoguang era has been detected. Severe defects. Recycling price: 10 yuan. Would you like to sell?"
Su Yun froze, thinking she had imagined it.
But in the next second, a glowing screen appeared before her eyes. A worn black stone rotated 360 degrees in the display, labeled "Severely Defective," with arrows beside it showing "Yes" and "No."
Su Yun was stunned.
However, having just been reborn, her ability to accept strange things was already strong. After only a brief hesitation, she reached out and tapped "Yes."
"Ding! Severely defective inkstone successfully sold. 10 yuan received. System balance: 10."
At the same time, she felt the desk tilt slightly. Looking down, she saw that the broken stone once used to prop up the desk leg had vanished!
The black stone on the glowing screen also disappeared, leaving only a flashing line of text: "Withdraw cash?"
Su Yun's pupils shrank. Suppressing the tremor in her heart, she tapped "Yes" again.
Instantly, a brand-new ten-yuan banknote appeared on the desk.
Su Yun slowly picked it up and examined it carefully. Only after confirming it was genuine did she let out a long breath.
Amazing—simply incredible!
Such a miraculous thing actually existed?
Her father, Su Wenshan, was currently the warehouse director at the steel factory, earning 45 yuan a month. Her mother, Chen Xiue, was a textile factory worker, earning 38 yuan a month. Yet she had done nothing and had just obtained 10 yuan for free. It was unbelievable!
Next, Su Yun searched everywhere, touching everything in the entire west wing room, but she did not hear the mechanical voice again.
Although slightly disappointed, she did not dwell on it.
Time passed quickly as she studied.
By evening, several nearby factories had finished their shifts. People returned home one after another, and the courtyard grew lively. The sounds of cooking and stir-frying drifted in from outside, accompanied by occasional conversations—full of everyday warmth.
In the simple outdoor kitchen set up outside the Su family's door, Su Yun helped her mother start the fire and cook dinner. Su Baoguo, who had been playing wildly all afternoon, carried the food into the main room just as Su Wenshan returned, hands clasped behind his back, looking troubled.
Su Wenshan was forty-six this year and looked somewhat older than his age. He was tall, broad-backed, and wore the gray work uniform of the steel factory. His hair was cut short in a flat style, his face clean-shaven, and he wore black cloth shoes handmade by Chen Xiue.
As soon as he sat down, he asked in a low voice, "I heard Little Five hit the Jiang family's boy today?"
Upon hearing this, Su Baoguo paused mid-reach for a corn bun. Chen Xiue, who was carrying in a bowl of vegetables, also looked displeased.
Su Yun entered last with the bowls and chopsticks, shut the door behind her, and sat beside Su Baoguo.
On the small, worn dining table were several mixed-flour steamed buns, a small basin of corn buns, a bowl of thin porridge, and a bowl of stir-fried cabbage.
The family of four each took a seat.
With a dark expression, Chen Xiue handed the mixed-flour buns to Su Yun and Su Baoguo, then gave a corn bun to Su Wenshan before speaking:
"It's all Little Five's fault for being thoughtless. This time he really offended the Jiang family. I went to see Matchmaker Zhang this afternoon. She told me that after leaving our house, the Jiang family immediately went to see another girl. That Aunt Jiang was very satisfied with her. I'm afraid they won't consider our Xiaoyun anymore."