Chapter 70: A “Can of Fruit”
Liu Yao saw Ning Xiyue heading toward the kitchen and assumed she was going to jar the meat, so she quickly grabbed her notebook and followed.
Ning Xiyue silently leaned against the kitchen doorframe, watching Ning Xiaoxiao’s every move.
Liu Yao was about to speak, but Ning Xiyue, quick as lightning, covered her mouth and gestured for her to keep quiet. Only after pointing into the kitchen did she release her hand.
Both of them turned their eyes toward the scene inside.
In the kitchen, Ning Xiaoxiao sneakily ate a few pieces of pork cracklings, then looked at the meat, the cracklings on the stove, and the pot of rendered oil with a heartbroken expression.
Then, as if making up her mind, she pulled a can of fruit out of the bag slung across her body. The label on the can was worn away in some places.
Seeing this, Ning Xiyue knew the real show was about to start. She temporarily tolerated Xiaoxiao’s petty theft and continued to watch.
Ning Xiaoxiao held the can away from herself with a look of disgust, ate a few more pieces of cracklings, and then placed one hand on the lid, preparing to open it.
Ning Xiyue could already guess what she intended to do — and there was no way she’d let that happen.
Just as Ning Xiaoxiao was about to open the can, Ning Xiyue whipped out a brick and hurled it. It struck Xiaoxiao on the head and, falling, smashed into the hand reaching for the lid.
“Ah—!”
A scream echoed through the educated youth compound, drawing everyone’s attention.
“What happened? What’s going on?”
People in the courtyard rushed toward the kitchen, and those inside the house ran over as well.
Liu Yao, who had witnessed the entire thing, was the first to speak. She pointed at Ning Xiaoxiao — now lying on the floor clutching her head — and the can on the ground.
“She was stealing the cracklings and was about to sabotage Xiyue’s meat. This is the evidence — I saw it with my own eyes!”
Ning Xiaoxiao flatly denied everything, her voice pitiful and weak:
“I… I just came in to find a knife to open a can of fruit. Then I saw the cracklings and remembered Xiyue said she’d make spicy cracklings for us, so I wanted to try one for everyone. I wasn’t stealing, and I wasn’t trying to ruin anything.”
“You liar!” Liu Yao snapped. “You were clearly eating one piece after another, and you were about to pour whatever was in that can into the cracklings. Luckily, we caught you!”
Wang Fenglan spoke bluntly: “Ning Xiaoxiao, what were you trying to do? Ruin everything? Make us all miserable? Be honest!”
Ning Xiyue walked over with a cold face, crouched down beside Xiaoxiao, grabbed her hand, and smiled with a chilling sweetness.
Ning Xiaoxiao flinched and tried to pull her hand back, but Ning Xiyue’s grip was like iron — it didn’t even look tight, yet she couldn’t move at all.
“Don’t be scared. I’ll help you open the can.”
Still smiling, Ning Xiyue picked up the can, placed Xiaoxiao’s other hand on the lid, and slowly forced it open bit by bit. The smile on her lips never once faded.
The more Ning Xiaoxiao’s heart pounded, the more terrified she felt. She wanted to shake Xiyue off, but it was useless.
As the smell from the can reached Ning Xiyue’s nose, her heart turned ice-cold, but the smile on her face only grew brighter.
In a gentle tone, she said, “I’ll feed you the fruit.”
Ning Xiaoxiao’s face changed drastically. “No — no! I don’t want it! Let me go!”
“Oh, you must. Don’t worry — I’ll make sure not a single drop is wasted.”
With that, she pried Xiaoxiao’s mouth open with one hand. Liu Yao and Chen Yechu came over to hold Xiaoxiao’s shoulders down.
Chen Yechu even helped pinch her jaw to keep her mouth open, making it easier for Ning Xiyue to proceed.
Ning Xiyue guided Xiaoxiao’s hand holding the can above her mouth and, under her desperate gaze, slowly poured the contents down.
She used her other hand to close Xiaoxiao’s jaw so nothing would spill out.
Chen Yechu, knowing full well what was in the can, pressed Xiaoxiao’s throat to make her swallow. Every last drop of the can’s contents went into her mouth — not a single bit was wasted.
When it was over, all three released her, letting her collapse to the ground.
“Ugh—”
Ning Xiaoxiao gagged violently on the floor but couldn’t throw anything up. She kept retching over and over.
Ning Xiyue looked down at her with a sweet smile. “Was the fruit tasty?”
Chen Yechu added, “Looks like she finished it all.”
“Ugh… Ning Xiyue, ugh… Chen Yechu… ugh…”
Ning Xiaoxiao shot them a venomous glare before burying her head and dry-heaving again.
Ning Xiyue mimicked Xiaoxiao’s usual innocent tone and said, “What’s wrong? Isn’t it fruit? Or… is it not? What else could it be?”
The others looked at Ning Xiaoxiao in confusion. Why was her reaction so extreme? Wasn’t that her own can?
The can had rolled to the feet of Zhao Jianshe, the senior in the compound. He picked it up, sniffed it, and was instantly hit by a pungent stench.
He immediately tossed the can aside, his face turning dark as he rushed to wash his hands.
Curious, Wang Fenglan asked, “Well? Comrade Jianshe, what is it?”
Zhao Jianshe roared, “Ning Xiaoxiao, how vicious can you be? You were going to pour urine into the cracklings! Do you hate everyone here that much? You knew Comrade Ning Xiyue was going to share that food with all of us, and you still tried to contaminate it. What kind of twisted heart do you have?”
“What — that was urine?!” Wang Fenglan gasped, her stomach turning over.
The thought that Xiaoxiao had almost poured urine into the cracklings — which she herself would have eaten — made her feel sick.
“I can’t — I need to go vomit.”
The others, watching Xiaoxiao finish an entire can of it, felt nauseous too.
Ning Xiyue pointed at her angrily, her hands shaking with rage. “Ning Xiaoxiao, how could you do this? You heard me say the cracklings were for everyone. How dare you?”
Liu Yao was furious. “Exactly! I thought it was fruit, or at worst water. I never imagined it would be urine!”
Chen Yechu kicked Ning Xiaoxiao. “Truly malicious.”
Faced with everyone’s condemnation, Ning Xiaoxiao could only retch and pound at her stomach, unable to say a word, too busy trying to vomit.
“This is too vile, Ning Xiaoxiao,” Wu Guifang said angrily. “I have to report this to the team leader.” And with that, she stormed out.
