Chapter 24

Summer greeted him and then left him alone, not wanting to bother him any further.

She walked over to the cupboard, opened her compartment, and prepared to take out two buns to steam.

However, as soon as she reached for the bamboo basket, she froze.

Her eyes darkened slightly, and she frowned.

The buns in the basket weren't hers.

Her buns were a mix of black and yellow, and they were smaller than the ones in the basket.

Someone had switched her buns!

As this conclusion formed in her mind, she felt a surge of anger.

But she didn't explode immediately. Instead, she picked up a bun, tore off a small piece, and put it in her mouth. After just two chews, she felt the grit of sand and stone.

Summer spat out the bun, her anger almost boiling over.

Logan had been with her all day yesterday, so it couldn't have been him. Besides, his buns were always clean, without any sand.

There was no need to guess; it had to be Henry and his group.

They had no right to bully her like this!

Summer put down the bun and started searching the kitchen.

Logan, still tending the fire, noticed her unusual behavior and watched her for a moment.

Seeing her grab an empty enamel basin and a rolling pin, he sarcastically remarked, "What, making breakfast for Henry already?"

His tone was mocking, but Summer didn't direct her anger at him.

She replied, "They ate all my buns and replaced them with these ones full of stones."

Without waiting for Logan's response, she left the kitchen.

Clutching the enamel basin and rolling pin, Summer took a deep breath of the crisp morning air and began banging the rolling pin against the basin.

The sharp sound echoed through the yard, waking up most of the still-sleeping people, who all frowned at the noise.

Summer didn't stop and kept banging the basin.

By the fifth or sixth strike, someone came out of the boys' dormitory.

The first out was Chuck, his hair a messy nest, face showing his irritation at being rudely awakened. "Summer, what are you doing? It's so early!"

As Chuck spoke, the others also came out.

Summer stared at Henry, then banged the basin once more.

The grating sound was unbearable, making everyone irritable.

Jane and the other girls came out, covering their ears, faces still sleepy and clearly annoyed. "Summer, what are you doing so early in the morning?"

Summer didn't reply and kept her eyes on Henry for a while longer.

Then she turned and went back into the kitchen.

Still half-asleep, Yvonne mumbled, "Is she crazy?"

But before she finished, Summer came out again, this time holding the bamboo basket with the buns they had steamed the night before.

Seeing the basket, remembering last night's events, Jane and the other girls immediately sobered up and felt guilty.

Summer walked straight up to Henry, thrusting the basket at him, her face full of stubborn anger. "Care to explain what this means?"

Henry had never seen Summer this furious. The girl before him, brimming with anger, didn't seem like the gentle, understanding Summer he knew.

He frowned, "What are you talking about? What's wrong?"

Summer sneered, "Don't play dumb! You ate all my buns and replaced them with these full of stones. Wasn't it you guys?"

Henry frowned even more and looked at Chuck.

Chuck, feeling guilty, immediately lowered his head.

When Henry looked at Jane and the others, they also showed guilt.

Henry quickly understood what had happened.

He took the basket from Summer and said, "Let's talk inside."

Summer knew causing a scene made Henry lose face.

If she didn't listen, he would lose even more face and might get angry.

But Summer didn't care about his face right now, nor did she fear his anger.

She stood firm, "I'm not going anywhere. We'll talk and settle this here. If you have the guts to steal my buns, you should have the guts to face this."

Henry's face darkened, "Summer, who taught you to speak so harshly? We're all family here, I'm your brother! Can't we talk calmly? Is this necessary for just a few buns?"

"It is necessary!" Summer's voice rose. "You took my buns without asking, without permission. That's stealing! You stole from the collective, and now you steal from me. Who wants to be family with people like you?"

Seeing Summer give Henry no face, Jane softly tried to reason, "Summer, we just borrowed your buns out of urgency and planned to return them. If you don't want these, we'll steam new ones for you. We never intended to eat them for free. They're just coarse buns, isn't your reaction too much? We wanted to tell you last night, but you came back too late, and we fell asleep."

Summer looked at Jane, "So it's my fault now?"

Jane kept her voice gentle, "I'm not saying it's your fault, but such a small matter isn't worth this fuss. They're just a few coarse buns. We'll replace them. Why make such a scene? Can't we talk calmly?"

Summer couldn't help but laugh, tears almost coming out.

She took a deep breath and then sternly said, "I won't argue. Grain is precious these days, you'll understand soon. You stole my buns! I don't want replacements. I don't eat your stuff. Give me back the grain equivalent to the buns you ate, plus the time and effort I spent milling and steaming them, all in grain! If you don't, I'll go to the brigade leader and report your theft!"

Henry couldn't hold back, "Summer, do you have to make a mountain out of a molehill? They're just coarse buns. Do you have to make it so ugly, tearing us apart? Can't you control your temper and talk it out?"

"No, I can't!" Summer stared at Henry, her voice even louder and firmer. "You're right! I didn't just want to avoid working with you, now I want to break ties and cut off all relations!"

Henry glared at her, his face stormy.

Summer met his gaze unflinchingly, "Henry, I was blind and stupid to treat you so well, to give you the best of everything, and to not want you to suffer any hardship. Now, my eyes and heart are clear. You don't deserve my kindness! I won't be a fool anymore!

"You keep saying you're my brother, that you'll take care of me. But how have you ever taken care of me?

"Have you taken care of me by eating my food without a word of thanks? By saying I'm petty when I asked for my mirror back from Jane? By asking me to give the teaching job to Suzie?

"Or by leading others to bully me now?

"Is this how you take care of me?

"You use me, and it's not enough. You want to use me to benefit everyone else too! Today it's a few buns, tomorrow, what will it be?

"I don't want to work with you because you're a bunch of lazy leeches! You can't do this or that, avoiding work. Who are you counting on?

"You're a bunch of shameless, immoral scumbags! Parasites!"

Henry stared at Summer, his face dark.

Summer finished, and Jane, unable to hold back, angrily retorted, "Summer, your words are too harsh and hurtful. Who wants to use you? Henry knew nothing about this; it was me..."

"Enough!" Henry interrupted Jane.

Then, still glaring at Summer, he called out, "Chuck, give her whatever grain she wants!"