The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

Following Zhao Lin's footsteps, the group bypassed the wheat field, passed through the woods, and arrived at the door of a house deep in the bamboo forest.

Bamboo branches slung diagonally over the roof, and dark green vines climbed the walls, giving the impression of a long-neglected desolation.

Upon entering, the group was immediately struck by a pungent smell of alcohol.

Xu Xi was most sensitive to the smell of wine. She stretched out her nose, took a gentle sniff, and frowned slightly.

"Linlin, how come there's alcohol in this village?"

Logically speaking, this isolated little village, where food is scarce, shouldn't have something like alcohol for entertainment.

Zhao Lin smelled the alcohol in the air: "This is rice wine. Many people in the village brew it, and it's used to celebrate weddings or housewarmings."

"But the harvest has been poor in the past two years, and many people are not getting enough to eat. No one has had grain to brew wine for a long time."

After saying that, she gritted her teeth and said, "This Zheng Fengnian, he just said a while ago that his family had run out of food and his children couldn't afford to eat, so he took two bags of rice from us and actually used them to brew wine!"

"Let's go in and take a look." Xu Nian frowned as she looked at the half-open door.

"Okay, sure." Zhao Lin suppressed her anger and stepped forward first.

The three of them pushed open the creaking wooden door together, and a strong smell of alcohol hit them. Xu Xi felt a churning in her stomach and couldn't help but gag. She quickly covered her nose and took two steps back, stopping under the bamboo shade outside the house.

"Is anyone there?" Xu Nian shouted into the dark room.

After a while, a drunken man emerged from the darkness.

He reeked of alcohol, walked unsteadily, and held an enamel bowl in his hand, which contained a layer of pale yellow rice wine.

"Who is it? What are you doing here in my house causing trouble?"

He squinted his drunken eyes, his tone full of impatience, and glared fiercely at Xu Nian, a stranger. Only when he saw Zhao Lin beside him did the ferocity on his face subside a little.

"Teacher Zhao, what brings you here? My daughter Xiaoyi is at school, is she doing alright with her studies?"

"His grades have always been very consistent."

Zhao Lin stared at the wine bowl in his hand, a hint of displeasure flashing between her brows.

Every pound and ounce of supplies in the mountains is hard-earned. Even she, who usually enjoys a drink, has been forcing herself to abstain from alcohol for the past two years, sharing the saved grain with those who are truly in need.

But this man in front of her took the rice she had saved up through frugality to make ends meet and brewed it into wine to squander and indulge in.

This is not only a waste of food, but also the most blatant insult to her kind intentions.

"Zheng Fengnian, you said your family is so poor you can't even afford to eat, and your two children can't afford to eat, yet you take two bags of rice from me and immediately use them to brew wine. Is that appropriate?"

Upon hearing this, a surge of anger appeared in Zheng Fengnian's eyes.

"You're a woman, shouldn't you be at home cooking and taking care of your Mr. Qi? Why are you coming here to meddle in my house? Who do you think you are?"

Zhao Lin was immediately furious, and even raised her voice several decibels.

"You're using the rice we saved up to drink and have fun, and you think I shouldn't interfere? Do you even know that those two bags of rice were carried up the mountain step by step from the town down there!"

"What does that have to do with me?"

Zheng Fengnian pulled out a bamboo chair from the side, sat down with a "thump," glanced at Zhao Lin provocatively, and took a sip from his enamel bowl.

"You've already given me the rice, so why do you care what I'm going to do with it? I need to drink it well so I can have the energy to take care of my son."

Seeing Zhao Lin so angry she was itching to bite her, Xu Nian frowned, patted her shoulder, and reminded her of the purpose of her visit.

Zhao Lin took a deep breath and calmed herself down.

"Okay, let's put aside the matter of us saving the grain to help you brew wine. What happened to Zheng Xiaona who didn't come to school today?"

"Didn't I tell Xiaoyi to tell you all? That brat is sick! She's sick, you know? Are you all deaf?"

Zheng Fengnian slammed his fist on the table and roared.

"Is she sick? What's wrong with her?"

Zhao Lin stared intently into Zheng Fengnian's eyes. She had a premonition that this drunkard wasn't telling the truth.

"She..." Zheng Fengnian was speechless for a moment. Perhaps his head was clouded by alcohol, and he stammered for a long time without being able to say anything coherent. "Anyway, she's sick and can't go to school today."

After saying that, he paused, then added, "I won't go to school anymore."

"What kind of illness is it that's so serious that he can't even go to school?"

Zhao Lin said in a deep voice.

"Zheng Xiaona has always been one of the top students in her class. She has a good chance of leaving the mountains and achieving great things in the future. However, her constant absences will have a significant impact on her grades."

"Let me see what's wrong with Xiaona. If it's serious, I'll take her down the mountain to the city hospital."

After saying that, she set off, intending to go to Zheng Xiaona's room.

Suddenly, Zheng Fengnian slammed his fist on the table, stood up, pointed at Zhao Lin's nose, glared angrily, and started cursing.

"You wretched woman! You're meddling way too much! She's just a little girl, what's the point of her studying? What good will it do her? She should get married as soon as possible, use the dowry to support her brother's education, that's what she should be doing!"

"Zheng Fengnian, do you know that we don't charge tuition here?"

"Xiao Na and Xiao Yi have not paid a single penny of tuition fees in the past two years of their studies. They even eat in the school cafeteria. Your family doesn't have to worry about them at all."

"We have never let any child be unable to go to school, nor have we ever made any child sacrifice their own opportunity to support another person."

Zhao Lin spoke slowly and deliberately, her suspicions now largely confirmed.

This man never cared about his daughter. He held the belief that "it's useless for girls to study" and didn't want Xiaona to go to school at all.

He only ever talks about his son, as if his daughter wasn't his own flesh and blood.

But whether it's Xiaona or Xiaoyi, they are both his own flesh and blood, and as their father, he should treat them equally.

"Teacher Zhao, please don't meddle in my family affairs."

Zheng Fengnian slammed the enamel bowl on the table and snorted coldly.

"That girl who lost money, I've already accepted the betrothal gifts and married her off to Wang the Cripple in the east of the village."

"you……"

Zhao Lin's eyes widened instantly, and she pointed at him with a trembling finger.

"Xiaona is only 12 years old, and you actually let her get married just for money?"

"So what? She's my daughter, she has to do whatever I tell her to do! What's wrong with using her to get a dowry to pay for my son's education?"

......