Chapter 32

"They… they were too mean, they said bad things about Sister-in-law." Little Bei, who had returned crying after being beaten, sobbed and complained bitterly, feeling that the bullies were truly awful.

He whimpered, "Waaah, I never want to play with them again."

"Don't cry, don't cry. It's all their fault. So, you fought with them? How many of them hit you?" Jiang Manzhu coaxed, patting Little Bei's head, feeling a bit moved.

As she spoke, she looked at Little Bei with some doubt. It didn't make sense — the kids Little Bei played with were all five or six years old, at most seven or eight…

Little Bei was already ten years old. Last year, the family had decent food for about six months, so he should be stronger. If they fought, it shouldn't have been so one-sided, right?

"A lot of them." Little Bei was still angry as he cried, recalling the situation.

"How terrible, how could they bully our Little Bei like that?" Jiang Manzhu's face turned angry as well. "Little Bei, don't worry. Your third brother will definitely get justice for you."

Little Bei sniffled and nodded vigorously. At that moment, Linxi's dark, cold eyes looked as icy as a frozen pond.

"Li! Get out here!!" The sound of angry shouting came from the entrance, clearly someone had come to cause trouble.

The loud curses made Little Bei instinctively shrink his neck, perhaps realizing that without their mother around, there was no one to protect him.

"Little Bei, don't be afraid. Your third brother is here!" Jiang Manzhu, knowing Little Bei was scared, tried to comfort him. After all, his grandmother had been so fierce that both she and Little Bei missed her.

Looking up, Jiang Manzhu glanced at Linxi. His handsome face was gentle and elegant, but when his face turned cold, there was a sharpness to it. However… he still didn't look ferocious enough.

Perhaps noticing Jiang Manzhu's slight doubt, Linxi stood up and headed toward the entrance. Seeing this, Jiang Manzhu and Little Bei quickly followed.

When they stepped outside, they saw two or three women with their children at the door, angrily pointing and cursing, especially when they saw them come out.

"You, Li! Your mother just passed away, and we all came to help. But now you, an older kid, are bullying younger ones? Do you have any shame?"

"Yeah, look at how badly my child got beaten!"

Jiang Manzhu glanced at the two or three kids. So, these were the ones who had fought with Little Bei?

"Little Bei, why did you fight with them earlier? Don't be afraid, just tell the truth." Jiang Manzhu encouraged Little Bei to speak up, not to be intimidated just because there were more people and they were louder. He was a brave boy.

Little Bei was indeed a bit scared, but with Jiang Manzhu's encouragement, he stepped forward. "It was them. They said Sister-in-law was unlucky, cursed her husband, and killed Big Brother, Second Brother, and even Mom. They said Third Brother and I would die soon too."

As soon as Little Bei finished speaking, the three women were instantly silenced as if someone had grabbed them by the throat.

This…

How did Jiang Manzhu know about the things they had whispered privately?

"The state clearly stated in the People's Daily to 'Smash the Old and Establish the New.' You're calling my family unlucky just because we had elders pass away? That's spreading the rotten remnants of feudalism! You're poisoning the minds of the masses with this nonsense."

"These kids don't know any better, so they must have heard it from someone. Er Gouzi, tell me, who told you that?"

"We can't tolerate anyone poisoning our production brigade's members like this. This is a rural cancer that must be eradicated. We should report this and investigate thoroughly. We can't let a bad element hinder our production brigade from earning the Red Banner for active production."

Jiang Manzhu smiled as she looked at the beaten Er Gouzi. "If you confess, you'll be saving our whole production brigade. I'm sure the brigade leader will be very pleased."

"Jiang Zhiqing, what nonsense are you spouting? Don't drag my Er Gouzi into this!" Er Gouzi's mother, hearing what Jiang Manzhu said, immediately stood up, glaring fiercely as she scolded Jiang Manzhu.

If her child grew up learning to inform on others, he would be ruined. No matter whom he informed on, his reputation in the village would be destroyed.

Whether Er Gouzi heard the gossip from a family member or someone in the village, whoever got blamed would resent Er Gouzi for the rest of their life.

Besides, if someone from the village got reported and arrested, their production brigade would lose the Red Banner for active production. The brigade leader would not be happy at all.

"How am I harming him? I'm teaching him to distinguish right from wrong. Or do you think the state's 'Smash the Old' movement and ideology are harmful to the revolutionary masses or the hardworking people?"

Jiang Manzhu's face turned cold as she spoke, draping the accusation over her opponent's head like a banner. If anyone reported this, Er Gouzi's mother would have a hard time avoiding prison.

"I… I didn't say that! Jiang Zhiqing, don't think you can scare me with this talk. You're just pulling the tiger's skin to scare people! I have never doubted the policies of our great leader. I am a firm supporter of all the great leader's actions."

Er Gouzi's mother's face turned pale. The words of these educated people were ruthless. If this accusation stuck, she might really be sent to the Red Guards. Even if she was found innocent, the village would gossip endlessly.

Some villagers had come to watch the commotion, and one or two women admired Jiang Manzhu for teaching their kids. Their children had done well in the end-of-term exams, and they idolized her as a teacher.

"Ye Xin, give it a rest. You're just here to pick a fight. Apologize to Teacher Jiang!"

"You're being awful! Your kids were the ones who started it, and Little Bei got hit too!"

"Don't think just because Ju Sister is gone, you can bully Linxi and Linbei like this. It's disgusting!"

"Hurry and apologize. You shouldn't spread gossip about people. If this gets reported, the Red Guards will parade you through the streets."

Several people stepped up to defend Jiang Manzhu. Regardless of what gossip they might have spread in private, no one wanted this to escalate and reach the authorities.

Jiang Manzhu had proven before that she wasn't easy to mess with, yet Ye Xin still came looking for trouble.

Had she forgotten Mei Hua's example?

"The brigade leader said that anyone caught spreading rumors again would be docked a year's worth of work points. Now, I wonder who's been spreading these rumors?" Jiang Manzhu's cold, sharp gaze swept over them. Her words sent chills down their spines.

A year of work points???

That meant they'd be left starving for the year!

"It was my child who said it. Er Gouzi, apologize to Teacher Jiang and Little Bei." Ye Xin quickly shoved Er Gouzi forward, forcing him to apologize.

Er Gouzi didn't have work points to lose, so there was nothing to dock.

The other two women quickly caught on and pushed their kids forward too. "Apologize to Teacher Jiang and Little Bei. Hurry and say you're sorry!"

"But Mom, it wasn't just me…" Er Gouzi protested. It wasn't fair for him to be the only one apologizing!

"Apologize, or I'll whip you with a vine and you'll get no dinner tonight!" Ye Xin, knowing what her child wanted to say, immediately glared at him, her face stern.

What could Er Gouzi do? He lowered his head angrily. "Sorry, Teacher Jiang, Little Bei. I was wrong. I shouldn't have spread rumors."

"Yes, it was all my fault!" The two other children, knowing they couldn't argue with their mothers, also apologized quickly to avoid getting slapped.

Watching this, the crowd glanced at Jiang Zhiqing. Wow, city folk really were something. Even when they threatened people, it carried so much weight.

Way more intimidating than those who just raised their fists and fought. No wonder everyone was scared of her.

Of course, part of the reason was that Linxi was there. In rural areas, if a household only had an orphan and a widow — and the orphan was still young — no one would listen to them, no matter how much they complained.

Having a man around made a huge difference, whether for fighting or doing heavy labor. That's why the preference for sons was so much stronger in rural areas.

Linxi's grim face glared at the women, looking as though he was about to charge over and beat them up any second.

They had rushed over here without bringing their own sons (or men). If a fight broke out, they'd definitely lose.

Many men had the habit of beating their wives, so they weren't convinced that fighting with a man wouldn't turn violent.

Jiang Manzhu watched as the women forced their children to apologize, her eyes flickering slightly before she looked at Little Bei. "Little Bei, they've apologized to you. Do you forgive them?"

Little Bei sniffed and looked at them bowing and apologizing. The anger in his heart faded. "Hmm."

After all, Little Bei had already beaten them up.

He ran back crying because he lost the argument. This, Xiaobei decided not to tell his sister-in-law, for fear that she might look down on him.

"I think our production brigade lacks self-discipline. Our great leader is guiding us towards a path of self-reliance and independence, but we haven't kept his words in our hearts at all times. It's truly disgraceful."

Jiang Manzhu shook her head in pain, as if everyone had committed some huge, unforgivable mistake. Her eyes carried a hint of reproach.

The others: … What's she up to now?

"That's not true, Jiang Educated Youth. Don't talk nonsense." For their generation, their greatest admiration was for the great leader. Without him, how could they have the happiness they enjoyed today?

"Exactly! We deeply revere the great leader! You can insult us, but you cannot insult our feelings for him!"

"That's right!" Anger rose among them—how dare she speak that way about the great leader, the greatest of them all. What Jiang Educated Youth said was too much, too offensive.

Listening to their outraged rebuttals, Jiang Manzhu raised an eyebrow slightly. "The great leader once said that farmers are the backbone of the revolution and will play a key role in the modernization of China in the future. We should respond wholeheartedly to the nation's call…" (cited from Baidu sources)

She went on with a long speech, only to finally arrive at a turning point: "Everyone should go back and memorize the great leader's quotes more carefully. Stop acting against his policies."

"But I'm different. I've always followed the leader's policies, responding to the call to go to the countryside and contribute to rural modernization."

"Farming isn't my strong suit, so I play to my strengths, educating the children of our production brigade to study hard, so that they can one day pass middle and high school exams and contribute to our nation's modernization."

Jiang Manzhu was also quite skilled at self-praise. Initially, she had been criticizing others, but somehow she turned it into praising herself.

Li Linxi's previously grim expression softened into one of helplessness as he looked at Jiang Manzhu, even allowing a faint smile to appear.

It seemed that all those rumors about Jiang Manzhu being unlucky or cursed hadn't left any psychological scars. On the contrary, she had turned it into a form of self-entertainment, using it to praise herself.

The others: Hmm, what she says kind of makes sense?

After leaving the Li family, Ye Xin and a few others started discussing Jiang Manzhu, "What do you think? Could Jiang Educated Youth be so eloquent because she's memorized too many of the leader's quotes?"

"That can't be it. Maybe she's read a lot of books? After all, she's a high school graduate."

"Isn't there another high school graduate in the village? And there are other educated youths here. Why isn't anyone else as articulate as Jiang Educated Youth?"

"Jiang Educated Youth is so eloquent, can it really be just from memorizing quotes? I heard she also has an uncle in the Revolutionary Committee!"

"Really? I never heard that before."

"When she first came to the village, you probably didn't notice, but she often received packages and would constantly talk about reporting people."

"Is that true? No wonder she dares to threaten the brigade leader and others, saying she'll take them to the Red Guards."

"Tsk, you'd better be careful. Don't go spreading rumors, or you might get in trouble. You, especially, behave yourself from now on. If anything goes wrong, I'll say you were the one talking nonsense. Do you understand? Or else all our food might end up being given to Jiang Educated Youth, and you'll starve!"

"Right, don't speak carelessly from now on, got it?" A slap landed on the back of a child's head. This mischievous boy almost cost the family half of their food rations.

That night, the mischievous boys causing trouble were all given a beating by their elders, who used bamboo sticks or vines to make sure they learned their lesson.

That night, the village echoed with the cries of children.

It left them with a lasting fear—no more talking nonsense outside, or they might get beaten again, boohoo…

However, Ye Xin's speculation still spread accidentally. Although no one dared to say anything openly, it became widely known that Jiang Educated Youth indeed had strong backing.

The villagers and even the other educated youths didn't know much about Jiang Manzhu's family background; they only knew that her family was well-off. Even though she no longer received packages, she still seemed to be living quite comfortably. Maybe there were still packages, but they just didn't know about them. After all, she no longer stayed at the educated youth center; anything that came would likely be sent to the Li family.

"No wonder the Li family is willing to take in an educated youth like Jiang who doesn't do any work. Turns out she gets packages every month, probably with meat and sugar in them."

"Liu Jumei is quite shrewd. I've been wondering, who pampers a new wife like this? She doesn't have to do farm work or house chores (she spends her afternoons taking Xiaobei out to play). Now it all makes sense."

"If I had a daughter-in-law like that, I wouldn't make her do farm work either."

"Her background is that strong. Even if she's from the city, she must have connections. You all better stop badmouthing Jiang Educated Youth. Otherwise, she might really report you."

"No wonder what she says gives us the chills—it's all because of her family ties!"

Everyone started piecing things together. Rumors always started small and grew more exaggerated as they spread, like a story that starts with "a chicken died at the village entrance" and ends with "a whole family died."

As gossip about Jiang Manzhu's family background spread, people added their own interpretations without admitting they were just speculating. The listeners, thinking it was fact, spread it further.

By the time it reached the educated youth center, people were starting to believe it made sense. Back when Jiang Manzhu first came to the countryside, she'd threaten to report people if she didn't like something. Everyone thought it was just her being spoiled.

But now…

The original Jiang Manzhu hadn't revealed much because she knew her family's background was sensitive—wealthy, almost like capitalists. However, people would always ask about the packages she received every month. Afraid to tell the truth, she had to make things up, warning the villagers and educated youths not to provoke her, claiming she had a powerful family background.

But she was careful not to exaggerate too much, fearing someone might expose her lies, which gave people room to imagine.

Yuan Fengxin, back then, didn't really know much about Jiang Manzhu's family either; he just knew her family was well off.

Otherwise, why would he hang around Jiang Manzhu trying to woo her? Of course, a big part of the reason was her looks.

But now, learning about her family background, his legs went weak. Wait, Jiang Manzhu's family does that for a living?

Wasn't he lucky not to have deceived her? That place is now so powerful it's untouchable, and if they want to find out where he's gone, it'd be as easy as pie!

At that moment, he gave up completely on his ill intentions toward Jiang Manzhu. No wonder she dared to threaten him back then!

Some educated youths at the center remembered Yuan Fengxin being somewhat close to Jiang Manzhu before, so they asked him about it. He responded seriously, "Jiang Educated Youth is a kind and hardworking person. It's all thanks to her family upbringing."

She was so good because her family had raised her well. Her family members were also kind and capable people!

Once he said that, everyone thought he was subtly confirming that her background was real.

Hiss—

Of course, not everyone believed it. When Su Qianqian heard the news, her first reaction was to scream in disbelief, "Impossible! How could she have an uncle doing that? She…"

She…

How could she have fallen so low afterward?

But as Su Qianqian searched her memories, she realized that in her previous life, she had never heard anything about Jiang Manzhu's family background.

Maybe… it was after the Red Guards were disbanded that her uncle, having offended too many people, was also removed from power??

With this thought, Su Qianqian's eyes lit up. Yes! In just a few years, the intellectuals sent to the countryside started being rehabilitated one by one. Jiang Manzhu's good days… wouldn't last long.

"Hmph, Jiang Manzhu, I'll just wait for you to fall!" Su Qianqian snorted coldly, full of jealousy.

That wretch, how could she deserve to live under the same roof as Li Linxi?

Su Qianqian was now certain that Li Linxi didn't like her because of Jiang Manzhu. Now, with them staying under the same roof day and night, how could they not develop feelings over time?

No, no!!! Even though Li Linxi wasn't interested in her now, she couldn't allow Jiang Manzhu to stay in the Li family any longer.

Without Liu Jumei around to control things, who knew what might happen between those two under the same roof in the dead of night?

As for Xiaobei, in Su Qianqian's eyes, he was just a fool. What could he possibly understand?

And Luo Liangce was useless—he couldn't even seduce Jiang Manzhu!

However, apart from the educated youth, aren't there still a lot of bachelors in the village who don't have wives? Jiang, the educated youth, is a widow who has remarried, so how could she marry one of the village's young men?

Su Qianqian thought for a moment about who would be the best husband for Jiang Manzhu. Should it be the guy who hits his wife? Or the one who peeks at widows bathing? Or maybe…

What should she do? It seems like every one of them is quite suitable for Jiang, the educated youth!

Su Qianqian revealed a villainous and cunning smile, which didn't even make Luo Liangce, who had just returned, feel disgusted. He wondered what strange things she was thinking about now.

"Qianqian, is lunch ready?" Luo Liangce asked with a gentle smile, as if he was genuinely starting to like her.

Su Qianqian's family sent food over, and she could go cut pigweed, do the laundry, and cook meals for him. Hmm… not a bad deal.

It was just that he pretended to like her so that she wouldn't go out to do farm work. As for her arrogant words, Luo Liangce just acted like he didn't hear them.

When he was with the other educated youth, he heard even worse things sometimes. He was different—he could let it go in one ear and out the other.

"Hmph, you come back and just ask if the meal's ready. I'm doing housework at home, which is hard work too. Don't I work? Don't I earn work points? Seriously."

Su Qianqian grumbled as she got up to prepare the meal. "You're lucky to marry someone like me. You educated youth don't even know if you'll ever have a chance to return to the city. You're no good at farming, you barely earn any work points, but luckily my dad is the team leader…"

Su Qianqian had initially planned to follow the script of "make him fall in love with me, then dump him and leave him heartbroken." But seeing how annoying he was, she couldn't help but snap at him one day.

Yet Luo Liangce's attitude remained the same—gentle and indulgent. Suddenly… she thought, he must be hopelessly in love with me.

So, she started acting even more freely, while subconsciously learning some manipulation skills, thoroughly stepping on Luo Liangce.

"Yes, yes, Qianqian is the best. You understand how hard I work, and you're cooking especially for me. It's truly a blessing to have a wife like you." Darn it, having a wife like you is more like a curse that lasts for generations.

Maybe there's truth in the saying: reincarnation doesn't make people smarter, as shown by Su Qianqian now.

She hadn't realized Luo Liangce's two-faced nature beneath his gentle surface, thinking only that she had him wrapped around her finger.

"As long as you know that," she said, lifting her head with a bit of pride. Indeed, she was the most charming. It's just that Li Linxi had higher standards.

No worries, she would work hard to win him over.

Su Qianqian thought her acting skills had improved a lot. After all, hadn't she already fooled Luo Liangce into thinking she truly liked him?

While she kept manipulating Luo Liangce, she also began planning out what kind of future storyline would suit Jiang Manzhu. Life seemed to be falling into place perfectly—how could she not be happy?

Luo Liangce didn't know what she was so happy about, but it didn't matter to him. As long as it didn't interfere with his daily life and he could eat and drink, it was fine.

Let her do as she pleases. After all, her father was the team leader, and Luo Liangce understood one thing: as long as Su Qianqian had a team leader dad, life would be good. His current work assignments were high in work points yet light in labor.

Of course, he couldn't brag about that to anyone else, and this was the only thing that made Luo Liangce uncomfortable.

That afternoon, Su Qianqian went to find Zhu Dachun, a man in the village in his thirties who still hadn't married. He was skinny and short, with ugly facial features, and he was a bit sleazy…

He was poor, had a bad temper, and was known to be a gambler. Just looking at him made him seem like a charity case.

Since Jiang, the educated youth, had such a wealthy and well-connected family, shouldn't she be helping out someone in need?

If you're going to help the impoverished, you can't look down on their family conditions, right? Otherwise, how would it be considered charity and a good deed?

As for whether he was ugly or not? You can't judge a book by its cover. With Jiang's good looks, they could have attractive children in the future, so no need to worry about that.

She would handle everything herself!

Zhu Dachun, now over thirty and nearing forty, had, of course, thought about marriage before. But no one had ever wanted him.

When he was younger, he was ugly and still looked down on others for being ugly.

Now, at his age, he wanted to stop being picky… but even widows thought he was too lazy and poor, so no one wanted to marry him.

When Su Qianqian came looking for him, Zhu Dachun was quite surprised. The young girls in the village avoided him, so he didn't expect anyone to approach him voluntarily.

"Heh, young girl, what brings you here to see me?" Zhu Dachun grinned, showing a row of yellow, crooked teeth.

Su Qianqian felt a mixture of disgust and fear toward Zhu Dachun. "Zhu Dachun, you're not young anymore. Have you thought about finding a wife?"

Suppressing her inner unease, she glanced at Zhu Dachun. Perfect, he was just right for Jiang Manzhu.

When Zhu Dachun heard Su Qianqian's words, he looked at her, misunderstanding her intention. "What, you're planning to find someone for me?"

His gaze ran up and down her, and he couldn't help but marvel at his charm. Who would have thought that a girl like her would fancy him?

"Zhu Dachun, I'm planning to introduce you to someone. Do you know Jiang Manzhu, the educated youth in our village? She's beautiful, comes from a wealthy family, and is now a widow, just lacking a man to depend on."

Su Qianqian could feel Zhu Dachun's lecherous gaze, and inwardly spat in disgust. Hmph, as if I would ever like you!

But she kept her smile wide. A girl like Jiang Manzhu, with her thin skin, wouldn't be able to withstand public gossip.

Zhu Dachun wasn't a diligent worker, so he didn't know much about the educated youth or the new brides in the village. But he had heard the village boys talk about which educated youth was beautiful and who they wanted to marry, but their mothers wouldn't let them.

He had heard Jiang, the educated youth, mentioned several times.

"Jiang, the educated youth? The really beautiful one?" Zhu Dachun asked in surprise. He had once wondered just how beautiful she was, and after seeing her, he shook his head—she was out of his league.

Plenty of young men in the village had tried to court her, but he didn't have the guts. Later, he heard she got married.

To whom again? Oh, it was that Li Lindong kid. A lot of the young men in the village were jealous, and he didn't pay attention after that—he was too busy!

"Li's eldest and second sons are both gone, Aunt Liu is also gone, and now it's just Li Linxi, the high school student, and the fool, Li Linbei. How can they support a beautiful young widow?"

Su Qianqian made sure to highlight the fact that most of the Li family was dead, and if Zhu Dachun did something, there wouldn't be anyone from the Li family to stop him.

As for the rumor that Jiang Manzhu was cursed and brought bad luck to her family, she held back from mentioning it. Although this could prove that the Li family despised Jiang Manzhu, she worried that Zhu Dachun might be afraid of her bad luck and ruin her plans. So, she kept quiet about that part. This alone should be enough to tempt Zhu Dachun, right?

Indeed, Zhu Dachun's eyes lit up. "Really? A young widow… I can take care of her! You're right, she's perfect for me! I don't mind that she's a widow."

He grinned, his eyes lingering on Su Qianqian's face.

Su Qianqian snorted coldly. "Then I wish you success."

She turned and left, inwardly disgusted by Zhu Dachun and gleeful at Jiang Manzhu's misfortune. She hoped everything would go as smoothly as she planned.

Zhu Dachun watched Su Qianqian leave, rubbing his chin. He wondered if the educated youth Jiang Manzhu was really like Su Qianqian had said.

But after thinking it over, Zhu Dachun's lustful thoughts were quickly doused with cold water.

Su Qianqian had nerve, trying to push him into a pit of fire.

The Revolutionary Committee… Hmph, Jiang, the educated youth, had an uncle in a high position, with considerable power. Was she trying to get him killed?

Though she looked good, Zhu Dachun thought, if he really got involved with Jiang Zhiqing, he might end up getting killed. Hmm?? But what if he could use Jiang Zhiqing to climb the social ladder?

If he married Jiang Zhiqing, wouldn't the committee members become his uncles?

Changing his mindset lasted less than three seconds before Zhu Dachun regained his rationality. He knew his own worth; if things went south, he'd be the one to suffer…

He wasn't tired of living yet!

Su Qianqian had been waiting several days for the good news she desired, but Zhu Dachun was just too useless.

She couldn't help but curse him; after all, she was just a woman, a weak woman—how hard could it be to deal with her?

She even secretly inquired and found out that Jiang Manzhu, that despicable woman, was preparing for school and busy with lesson plans, while Li Linbei, that fool, had to go to school too…

It was so infuriating! Just a fool—what was the point of going to school? What a waste of tuition! How could the principal allow a fool to enroll? Didn't he fear the fool might go crazy and stab someone?

Because of this, Su Qianqian went to gossip with the other wives, spreading rumors about how certain crazy fools were likely to lash out violently. It was truly scary!!

While using a knife might be difficult, especially with teachers like Jiang Manzhu and Li Linxi checking up, what if he couldn't control himself in class?

Every parent worries about their child, and the mothers with kids attending school started to feel concerned: "Could it really happen?"

"If you don't believe me, just check the town. There are definitely a few fools around who constantly cry and make noise. Maybe even in our brigade," Su Qianqian used her knowledge of mental illness from the future to paint Li Linbei in a bad light.

Her instigation made some of the women uneasy. What if Li Linbei actually acted out?

"But normally, Xiao Bei doesn't seem like a crazy person. He's just a bit slow, like a six- or seven-year-old child."

"Yeah, he seems like a well-behaved kid. I even saw him helping to cut pig grass last time."

"Have you all forgotten? He once fought with Er Gouzi and several others at once. He was really fierce." Hearing this, Su Qianqian quickly chimed in to remind them.

Su Qianqian was angry, as her plans to harm Jiang Manzhu had failed, partly because of Li Linbei's school situation.

She took her frustration out on Li Linbei, not wanting Jiang Manzhu's plans to succeed.

Yet she overlooked the fact that she wanted to marry Li Linxi but hadn't lifted a finger to help Li Linbei, instead throwing him under the bus, which would surely turn Li Linxi away.

Seeing that some of the young wives were swayed by Su Qianqian's words, one of the clearer-headed ones spoke up, "Qianqian, is what you're saying really from the town? I've never seen Xiao Bei go crazy. Last time, wasn't it Er Gouzi and them cursing Jiang Zhiqing?"

"Feudal superstitions aren't to be trusted!"

One of the women, recalling Jiang Manzhu's past victories over various village gossipers, reminded them, "What if the Red Guards accuse you of something?"

"Are you saying we just let this go? I don't want my child to go to school with that fool," one woman huffed, thinking a fool might be contagious.

"Don't say that. Have you seen the kids who always play with Xiao Bei? Did any of them become fools? Ridiculous."

Self-assured, she distanced herself from the argument.

Su Qianqian, listening to their back-and-forth, quickly moved to suppress any further comments about Li Linbei being a fool and said, "Since you're not worried, that's good. It's my bad for being overly concerned. After all, we're all village kids who see each other every day."

Her slightly sarcastic tone made them feel uneasy.

Afterward, Su Qianqian pretended not to care and left, not wanting to leave them with a bad impression of her being maliciously divisive.

As long as she could sow the seeds of doubt, she could pour more mud onto the situation, and it would soon become a stinking cesspool.

What she didn't realize was that her reputation was already that cesspool.

Those who were newly married were unaware; those who knew the truth had already cautioned each other about Su Qianqian's scheming, which had sparked numerous rumors.

"Why do you think the team leader mandated that anyone spreading rumors would be penalized? It's all because of her!"

"What? Really? She looks so delicate and weak…"

"The team leader can't fight against the village's turmoil. Jiang Zhiqing blew up; her rhetoric was sharp. With a well-connected uncle in the Red Guards, the team leader couldn't afford to ignore her."

"Oh, that makes sense. No wonder Su Qianqian hates the Li family so much."

In their view, targeting Li Linbei was simply a way of disliking the Li family.

"Ah, it's not just about that. I heard, oh, I mustn't spread this around, but Su Qianqian likes Li Linxi. However, Li Linxi and Liu Shaner don't want her to marry into their family, so she's resentful."

"Really?"

"Shh, don't spread this around. Actually, most people in the village already know; they just talk about it privately. Don't bring it up again. Just understand it for yourself, okay?"

"Got it, got it…"

If Su Qianqian knew that her divisive tactics led to her being mocked behind her back, she would surely be furious.

On Jiang Manzhu's side, she was too busy to care about others' thoughts, nor did she want to understand them. She had her own tasks to handle.

With the two of them attending school, it meant leaving Li Linbei alone at home.

A mother worries when her child is away, and a brother worries when leaving his younger sibling behind.

Li Linxi knew his brother wasn't a fool but rather had the mindset of a seven- or eight-year-old. However, he couldn't help but be anxious; to him, Li Linbei would always be the little brother he needed to protect.

What if he stayed at home and, as Jiang Manzhu had warned, played with fire or went to the river? An accident could lead to losing his last blood relative.

Thus, Li Linxi made a special trip to speak with the principal.

When Principal Zeng heard Li Linxi's request, he found it hard to respond. Although Li Linbei's mentality was around seven or eight years old, he was already a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old young man.

To say he would attend first grade? It seemed absurd!

"Principal, it's not that we won't pay tuition, but we can't leave Xiao Bei alone at home. If we can, we'll bring him to school and let him play in the teacher's office…"

Li Linxi argued strongly, emphasizing that the tuition was a significant amount and proposing that they could sit him at the back of the classroom so he wouldn't disturb other students.

In the end, the principal agreed, "If he disrupts the class or disturbs other students, I can't be merciful."

After all, he was an excellent teacher graduating from his class, and he was working hard for this year's admission rate.

"June is the time for the elementary school entrance exam. Do you have confidence, Teacher Li, that the students will perform better this year?" The principal brought up this topic, his eyes lighting up with anticipation.

"Math should be fine; it's really just the language scores we need to work on," Li Linxi replied based on the students' progress, noting that his teaching style was different from Jiang Manzhu's but also effective.

"Great, I'll be waiting for your good news." The principal nodded happily and went to discuss with the fifth-grade language teacher on how to strengthen their language scores.

After many years, Li Linbei was once again seated in a classroom, feeling the thrill and excitement wash over him.

The friends who played with Li Linbei also had two or three in the same class. They chatted happily before classes started and even agreed to play a game of tossing sandbags after school.

People are social creatures. When they saw this "big friend" sitting in their classroom, curiosity sparked, and after chatting, they were shocked to find out that this big friend was one of their classmates!

With a few friends from the production team leading the way, along with Li Linbei's older brother and sister-in-law being teachers for the fourth and fifth grades, no one would intentionally exclude or disdain them.

During break time, they played games, which was especially suitable for someone with Li Linbei's mental age.

Jiang Manzhu and Li Linxi had been paying attention for a few days. Seeing Li Linbei studying well and having fun, they felt they had made the right decision.

After school, the early spring weather was still a bit chilly. Jiang Manzhu no longer left early; instead, she waited for Li Linbei to finish before walking home together.

Sometimes when they both had classes, they had to wait until everything was tidied up before leaving. At this moment, most of the classmates had already gone.

"Li Linbei, come hold the umbrella. It's spring now, but there's still a cold wind blowing," Jiang Manzhu didn't hesitate to direct Li Linbei in front of Li Linxi, and he obediently complied.

"Li Linbei, what did you learn at school today? Did the teacher assign any homework?" Jiang Manzhu asked, concerned about the child's learning progress.

"After we go back, let your third brother help you with your homework. Aim for a perfect score of 100, okay?" Jiang Manzhu coaxed Li Linbei like she would a little child.

Li Linbei nodded obediently, wanting to share his happiness about playing at school with his sister-in-law.

Hearing his sister-in-law's encouraging words made Li Linbei even happier. As for his third brother… he didn't want to tell him since he wouldn't care.

After returning home and having lunch, Li Linbei sat down to do his homework. Li Linxi sat beside him, thinking it was just a few questions, and he could rest soon.

However, during his first attempt at tutoring, Li Linxi finally experienced the kind of maddening frustration that could drive someone crazy.

"You have five candies. If you give one to your third brother, how many do you have left?"

"Three."

"How can it be three? Five minus one is…" Li Linxi even extended his fingers to demonstrate.

"Does my sister-in-law not need to give any?"