Chapter 16

Liu Jumai usually didn't have much to talk about with young girls like Su Qianqian, so when she saw Su Qianqian smiling warmly and greeting her, Liu Jumai thought… she must need something!

But what could Su Qianqian possibly want from her? Liu Jumai couldn't think of anything. What could the village chief not handle that she, just a village woman, could manage?

If her son Lin Nan were still around, that would be another story. Maybe Su Qianqian would be asking for his help.

But now…

Even though all these thoughts flashed through her mind, it was only a matter of seconds. Liu Jumai found it a bit ridiculous—was Su Qianqian really that eager? It's not like she wasn't planning to attend her wedding banquet.

Then again, Liu Jumai wondered if she was overthinking it. Maybe Su Qianqian was just in a good mood?

As for the rumors about Su Qianqian refusing to marry the educated youth Luo Liangce, Liu Jumai didn't believe them. Just a few days ago, Su was still making a fuss about marrying him. This wasn't child's play. Who would drag their own reputation through the mud like that?

So…

After returning home, Liu Jumai mentioned the encounter at the dinner table, "When we give the wedding gift, let's add an extra two cents."

The village chief's daughter was getting married, and their family still needed the chief's favor to look after Lin Xi.

Upon hearing that Liu Jumai thought Su Qianqian's friendliness was all about the wedding gift, Jiang Manzhu didn't know what to say.

She hadn't forgotten how Su Qianqian had targeted her earlier, snidely saying that she contributed nothing to the Li family and only held them back.

Moreover, Liu Jumai hadn't been keeping up with the younger generation's love lives, but Jiang Manzhu knew that Su Qianqian truly wasn't going to marry Luo the educated youth.

So, it definitely wasn't about the wedding gift.

"Mom is right. The village chief has been so kind to our Lin Xi; it's only proper to show our gratitude," Jiang Manzhu said with a smile. There's no rush. If something was really going on, it would come to light in due time.

"She's a bad person! She… she said bad things about Sister-in-law today," Xiao Bei interjected, puffing up in anger. He didn't like Su Qianqian.

"What happened?" Liu Jumai asked, confused.

"Maybe Comrade Su Qianqian is just envious of me for having you, Xiao Bei, and Lin Xi by my side. When she marries Luo, she'll have to manage everything on her own," Jiang Manzhu explained casually, not mentioning how she had brushed Xiao Bei off earlier. But her point was clear enough.

"Exactly! She's just jealous of how hardworking I am!" Xiao Bei enthusiastically nodded in agreement, proudly praising himself without a hint of modesty.

Li Linxi, listening to Jiang Manzhu, glanced up at her with a sharp, disdainful look, as if he found her words childish.

"Is that so?" Liu Jumai was still a bit skeptical, sensing that something wasn't quite right.

"Mom, are you saying Lin Xi isn't capable, or that Xiao Bei isn't hardworking anymore?" Jiang Manzhu changed the subject, steering the conversation away from Su Qianqian.

Distracted by Jiang Manzhu's question, Liu Jumai immediately focused on her two sons.

Lin Xi wasn't petty enough to care about this sort of competition, but Xiao Bei, still young and eager, gazed at Liu Jumai with wide, expectant eyes. What could Liu Jumai do?

"My son is the best!"

"Mom, when can we have some meat?" Xiao Bei asked eagerly. When Lin Dong and Lin Nan were still around, Lin Dong worked hard, and Lin Nan would send money home, so they could afford meat every now and then.

Hearing Xiao Bei's hopeful request, Liu Jumai wanted to tell him, "The family isn't doing as well as before, so be good, and we'll have meat during the New Year." But before she could speak, Li Linxi interrupted:

"Next time after work, your third brother will buy you some." Li Linxi's voice was calm but resolute. It was just meat—he was determined that his brother would never go without it!

His eyes flashed with a hint of cold determination, but when he looked at his family, hesitation flickered. If something went wrong after he made a move, how would their mother and Xiao Bei manage on their own?

"Alright, alright!" Xiao Bei, unaware of his brother's inner turmoil, cheered loudly, thrilled at the prospect of meat in his future.

Liu Jumai glanced between Lin Xi and Xiao Bei, frowning slightly, but ultimately said nothing to dampen Xiao Bei's excitement.

Jiang Manzhu, watching the brothers bond, smiled softly. Meat sounded good; she wanted some too.

…

That afternoon, when Liu Jumai went to work, she happened to bump into Su Qianqian.

Seeing Su Qianqian's overly enthusiastic smile as she called out, "Auntie Liu," Liu Jumai grew even more suspicious. What was she so cheerful about? Did she want something?

As the saying goes, when something is out of the ordinary, there's usually something fishy going on. Liu Jumai wasn't anyone important and had no connections in the city, so why would the village chief's daughter want to curry favor with her?

"What a coincidence, are you off to work too?" Liu Jumai kept her suspicions to herself and returned Su Qianqian's enthusiasm with a warm smile.

"Yes, Auntie! Why are you heading to work alone? Where's everyone else?" Su Qianqian was actually hoping to run into Li Linxi, but seeing Auntie Liu wasn't bad either.

Her overly friendly attitude, even warmer than how she treated her own mother, made Liu Jumai even more suspicious. Why was Su Qianqian trying so hard to tag along? What could she possibly want?

Could it be…

Did the Su family know that there was still some of Lin Nan's pension left? Were they trying to borrow money to pay for Su Qianqian's wedding banquet?

Absolutely not!

Her family had no money to spare, and once word got out that they'd lent money, everyone would come asking for a loan.

"Qianqian, I heard your wedding banquet is coming up soon. Congratulations!" Liu Jumai decided to congratulate her first, laying the groundwork for what she wanted to say next.

But before Liu Jumai could continue, Su Qianqian hurriedly cut her off, "Auntie Liu, I'm not having a wedding banquet. And I'm not marrying Luo the educated youth. Please stop pairing us together—we're not in that kind of relationship."

Su Qianqian quickly clarified, her tone serious, fearing that her "future mother-in-law" might misunderstand.

Liu Jumai looked at her in surprise. "What? You're not getting married anymore? Why? Did Luo do something to wrong you?"

It was such a big fuss, and now they weren't getting married? Other than Luo having wronged her, Liu Jumai couldn't think of any other reason.

Especially since the Su family had already agreed to the marriage. Wasn't it all settled?

Though Liu Jumai was the first to leave home, other villagers were now passing by, eavesdropping on their conversation, eager for the latest gossip.

Hearing Liu Jumai's question, a spark of inspiration flashed in Su Qianqian's mind. A perfect excuse!

"Yes, he's been behaving inappropriately with one of the other educated youths!" Su Qianqian declared angrily, as if the whole world had wronged her.

She didn't lower her voice, so the nearby villagers heard and were shocked. "Is that true?"

"Did that Luo boy really do such a thing? Who was he involved with?"

"Yeah, Su, tell us, who was it?"

"That's just shameless, isn't it? They were supposed to get married! I told you, you can't trust those educated youths."

No one doubted Su Qianqian's words, especially since she was risking her own reputation by saying it.

Though her tone was full of righteous anger, people would still gossip behind her back. Society was always harsher on women, regardless of the era.

So, no one suspected her.

Liu Jumai, for instance, was surprised and clicked her tongue in disbelief. Oh… so the rumors of them "breaking up" were true?

"Well, better to find out now than after the wedding," Liu Jumai offered, unsure why Su Qianqian was confiding in her, but still trying to console her awkwardly.

Feiying, what's going on with your daughter?

"Auntie Liu is right. Good thing I found out early!" Su Qianqian nodded vigorously, determined not to fall into Luo Liangce's trap.

The only thing that bothered her was why she hadn't returned earlier—just a month, or even half a month earlier would have been better.

Now, things were so difficult. But no matter—she would make it work.

Her eyes gleamed with determination, mixed with hatred for Luo Liangce.

First, she had to crush Luo Liangce to get closer to Li Linxi and Auntie Liu. Otherwise, that despicable Luo would surely cause trouble!

Others may seem all fired up, but in reality, most are just talking without action. After all, they still have to go to work!

It's fine to gossip, but not if it affects their ability to earn labor points.

Su Qianqian's mother, Huang Yeying, almost got furious to the point of disfigurement when she found out that her daughter had been airing their family's dirty laundry.

People always say, "Don't air your dirty laundry in public." What exactly was Qianqian thinking?

By the time Huang Yeying dragged Su Qianqian back home, the whole village was already buzzing with gossip.

When Luo Liangce found out about this, it was like being struck by lightning. What? When had he ever been involved in an illicit relationship with a female educated youth?

Luo Liangce had been busy these past two days. He was courting… no, deeply connecting with Comrade Su Qianqian, striving to contribute to socialism together. What did others' strange looks matter? He was just trying to improve his own life.

As for the few bits of gossip among the educated youth, Luo Liangce dismissed it as jealousy.

But today…

The educated youths told him directly that Su Qianqian, the daughter of the brigade leader, had said he was involved with someone else, and she wanted to break off the engagement!

Who could it be? Who would dare tarnish the reputation of the educated youths? Who could be so shameless?

Even more shameless than Jiang Manzhu, the educated youth who merely asked the villagers for help with work. But now…

A reputation for "immorality" was serious. He could even be paraded through the streets and sent to the northwest for re-education on a farm.

The female educated youths were also furious. Who was it? The title of "educated youth" was now tainted, and until the culprit was caught, they had to endure the accusing stares, as if they were the ones involved.

Outrageous!

How could they not be angry, especially with Luo Liangce? Since he was already engaged to Comrade Su Qianqian, how could he still be involved with another female educated youth?

It would be one thing if he got caught, but to have no evidence? This was dragging them all into the mess!

"Comrade Luo, this is your fault!" One of the female educated youths angrily scolded Luo Liangce, accusing him of tarnishing their reputation.

The male educated youths also looked at him with disapproval, thinking he had done something inappropriate. He was, after all, a city boy, an intellectual—tsk…

Luo Liangce felt wronged. He was confused. What had he done? He had done nothing wrong!

He was a loyal man. What use did these female educated youths have? They couldn't work well, and their family backgrounds were poor…

The only one with a slightly better family background, Jiang Manzhu, had already been wooed away by a villager. So, Luo Liangce had no intention of getting involved with any of them. He'd rather go up the mountain to dig some yams and roast them.

There were many girls in the village, but not all of them were up to his standards.

After much consideration, he focused on Su Qianqian, the daughter of the brigade leader. Her family didn't require her to do much manual labor, so she was a bit fairer than other girls.

Fair skin covers many flaws. She was a bit more delicate-looking than most, her family had plenty of laborers, and her father was the brigade leader. Luo Liangce decided to focus all his efforts on winning her over.

It had taken great effort to get her family to agree to the idea of him marrying into their family. How could he ruin everything now?

"I didn't do it! Comrade Su Qianqian must have misunderstood me. I have to go explain to her!" He dropped the hoe in his hand and rushed off to find Su Qianqian, too anxious to continue working.

"Qianqian… Comrade Su!" He had just called out when he saw his future mother-in-law was also there. He quickly changed his tone.

They weren't married yet! He needed to appear more mature.

"Auntie, Comrade Qianqian has misunderstood me. I haven't been involved with any other female educated youths. We can confront them if you want. She must have been mistaken."

Luo Liangce was quick to speak, afraid that if he hesitated, he'd be driven away.

Huang Yeying's expression was complicated. "Comrade Luo, you've done something so shameful, and you still have the nerve to come here?"

"Exactly! Luo, don't ever come looking for me again. You disgust me." The sight of Luo Liangce's face filled Su Qianqian with such hatred that she wanted to rush over and beat him to a pulp.

Huang Yeying instinctively pulled her daughter back. Honestly, did she have to say everything out loud? Even if she thought it, she shouldn't voice it so openly!

"I didn't do anything. Who's been spreading lies about me? I won't let myself be falsely accused!" Luo Liangce thought someone must have been speaking ill of him to them and was upset that this misunderstanding had grown out of control.

Hearing Su Qianqian call him "disgusting" hurt his pride. Of course, he was angry. But he had to suppress all his emotions and beg for forgiveness, all while trying to figure out who had tarnished his reputation.

Su Qianqian couldn't reveal who it was. Instead, she put on a face full of disdain, as if she were looking at a faithless man, and tried to drive him away.

In the end, without getting the explanation he wanted, Luo Liangce was instead served with a clear notice of their engagement being broken off.

Luo Liangce was both furious and indignant.

How could he accept this? Over the next few days, whenever he wasn't seeking out Su Qianqian, he was watching her closely, trying to figure out who had been talking to her.

Then he realized…

What was going on with Su Qianqian? She didn't seem to have any close friends. She was always approaching that boy from the Li family…

A few days later, the truth dawned on him—Su Qianqian wasn't upset because he had been too close to other women. She had set her sights on someone else!

That shameless woman!

These past few days, both at the educated youth station and in the village, Luo Liangce had endured sneers and gossip. How could he not notice the difference? Everywhere he went, he felt uncomfortable.

And it was all because of Su Qianqian, who had cast him aside for someone else.

The mockery he faced every day had eroded his calm demeanor, the constant anxiety and anger had worn away his rationality, and he had been seething inside for days.

So, when he saw Su Qianqian working in the fields, he grabbed her and angrily confronted her, "Su Qianqian, have you fallen for that boy from the Li family? Is that why you're ruining my reputation to break off the engagement?"

His outburst seemed impulsive, but Luo Liangce had weighed his options. His reputation was on the line. If he was reported for improper behavior, he might be publicly shamed or even sent for re-education.

It was better to prove his innocence now. If the brigade leader started targeting him later, he could accuse him of abusing his power and report him to the authorities.

Caught off guard by the confrontation, Su Qianqian couldn't admit to anything, especially since Luo Liangce's question was filled with hostility.

"Luo, what nonsense are you spouting? You did something wrong and won't admit it, and now you're trying to blame others?"

Su Qianqian's sharp voice rang out in defiance, masking the guilt she felt inside.

"Didn't you? Then what have you been doing these past few days? Don't think people haven't noticed. You've been hanging around Aunt Liu and the Li boy, trying to marry into the Li family. You didn't have the guts to break off our engagement, so you're using my reputation to get what you want. I can't believe you're so malicious and fickle!"

Luo Liangce's voice was firm, determined to clear his name. Today, he would defend himself against these false accusations. No one was going to slander him!

Their argument quickly became the focus of the village gossip, with people heading to work pausing to watch. How could they miss out on such entertainment?

"You dare accuse me? Someone told me directly that you were involved with others!" Su Qianqian hadn't expected Luo Liangce to follow her. Even so, she couldn't let this slip out in public.

She glanced around nervously, relieved that neither Li family members were present. She doubled down, fiercely arguing back while trying to shake off Luo Liangce's hand. "Let go of me!"

At that moment, Su Qianqian truly wanted to hit him. This despicable man! If he hadn't abandoned his wife and children after returning to the city back then, would her life have been this hard?

As she thought about it, hatred flashed in her eyes. A sudden slap rang out, accompanied by a surge of resentment. "Let go of me!"

The scene instantly fell silent.

Su Qianqian felt a sense of satisfaction. If she could, she'd grab a wooden plank or stick and bash his head in right now.

"Su Qianqian!" Luo Liangce had never been humiliated like this before, especially in such a public and embarrassing way. His face flushed red with anger, veins bulging on his forehead.

Startled, Su Qianqian instinctively took a step back, glaring at him warily, as if afraid he would hit her back. "I already told you to let me go! And you're lucky I'm not holding you accountable for your shameful actions. Now get lost!"

The onlookers widened their eyes in shock. She actually hit him? Surely Luo Zhiqing must have done something to wrong the Su family's daughter.

"Fine, fine! Swear to me that you don't want to marry that Li family boy!" If it weren't for the crowd, Luo Liangce would have slapped her back already. His veins were bulging, showing his fury, but his reason hadn't completely given way to his anger.

How could Su Qianqian swear? In her view, marrying a reliable man was her only goal in life. The idea of starting her own business and being independent was not something she had ever considered, as it was never part of her upbringing. This mindset was deeply ingrained, and without someone challenging it, it was hard for other ideas to take root.

Now that she knew about Li Linxi's future success, the thought of potentially becoming the wife of the richest man excited and thrilled her. What was Luo Liangce compared to that? He was nothing compared to Li Linxi.

Moreover, having been reborn, her already superstitious nature made her even more convinced that heaven had seen her suffer in her previous life and had given her this opportunity. Swear to heaven? No way!

Seeing Su Qianqian remain silent and unwilling to swear, Luo Liangce felt like he had regained some ground. "Alright, alright, everyone saw that, right? It's the Su family who's wronging me! They're trying to break off the engagement but don't want the blame, so they're ruining my reputation!"

Luo Liangce's words gained support from the female educated youths at the scene.

"Exactly, that's too much! She's dragging us female educated youths into this."

"Yeah, does the team leader have something against us educated youths? Is that why he's targeting us?"

Reputation could be both important and unimportant at times. But here and now, for the female educated youths who had been gossiped about for so long, the opportunity to clear their names was one they wouldn't miss. They spread the word, leaving no room for misunderstanding. This was all Su Qianqian's fault! She was just relying on her father, the team leader's authority.

What was originally a minor conflict now escalated, with Su Qianqian caught in the middle, surrounded and berated by the female educated youths. She became flustered and uneasy, feeling guilty, but soon pushed those feelings aside.

"What are you all doing here? It's time for work! Are you trying to stir up trouble?" The team leader shouted angrily, clearly frustrated by the commotion on the way to work.

Upon hearing that his daughter was the cause of the trouble, his face darkened. He cast a stern glance at his immature daughter. She and his wife hadn't told him anything, and now he had to clean up the mess!

"Su Qianqian! How could you do something like this?" he scolded her angrily. "Have I taught you nothing?"

He slapped her hard on the back, nearly causing her to cough up blood. "Apologize to Luo Zhiqing and the other educated youths! And clear up these rumors in the village!"

Su Qianqian had once thought highly of her team leader father, seeing him as a figure of authority in the village. But now, he was telling her to apologize and humiliate herself in front of everyone? Wouldn't that make all her earlier bravado a joke?

And in front of so many people…

She had forgotten that if things escalated further, she would have to stand on the stage in the large open space used for meetings and publicly confess her wrongdoings. Her father was, in a sense, helping her save face. But his daughter didn't appreciate it. Could the team leader not be furious?

What had he done to deserve such a daughter in this life? Not long ago, she had been crying and begging to marry Luo Zhiqing. But just a few days later, she was spreading malicious rumors, determined to break off the engagement. Truly deserving of a beating.

After hitting her a couple more times, he apologized to Luo Liangce and the other educated youths, humbling himself in front of them.

What else could Luo Liangce and the others do? They still had to work under the team leader, so after some half-hearted persuasion, they agreed to forgive her.

With a cold expression, Luo Liangce said, "From now on, the team leader should keep a closer eye on her. I don't have the luck for this."

Luo Liangce had a temper. If he stuck around, the villagers and other educated youths would surely see him as someone shameless and pitiful. Besides, why had he gotten close to Su Qianqian in the first place? Given the situation now, the Su family was likely dissatisfied with him too. It would be better to sever ties and position himself as the victim. This way, he could live more comfortably for a while.

The team leader could only force a smile and drag his daughter home. He needed to give her a proper lesson.

The other villagers were sent off to work, while Su Qianqian was taken home, where she would prepare to apologize and make amends. Her reputation was now ruined.

Moreover…

"What do you see in that Li family boy anyway? His face?" The team leader thought his daughter had terrible judgment. His wife, too, always gave in to her whims.

At least Luo Zhiqing was capable of working and feeding himself. But what about the Li family?

They had only two laborers to support four people. Jiang Zhiqing and Li Linbei were not young, yet they still lazed around at home. And judging by Liu Jumei's attitude, she had accepted that her eldest son's wife, Jiang Zhiqing, would continue living off the family.

If Su Qianqian married into that family, wouldn't she end up supporting her sister-in-law and younger brother-in-law as well? And there was no way the family would split.

Absolutely not!

Just as he had rejected Luo Liangce as his son-in-law, the team leader was now determined to squash any thoughts Su Qianqian had about marrying into the Li family and insisted that she stay home.

He also gave his wife a scolding, reminding her that as the team leader, he needed to set an example for the village.

Huang Yeying, who had been getting ready for work, looked at her daughter with a complicated expression. She had thought Su Qianqian didn't fancy Luo Liangce because she wanted to marry someone from the city, so she had been planning to find a matchmaker to set her up with a city boy.

But now…

"Qianqian, are you…?" Are you out of your mind?

Huang Yeying was furious. How could her daughter be so foolish? Li Linxi had good looks and potential, but did that really justify her behavior?

Unfortunately, her resistance was met with the same defiance as before. Su Qianqian believed her parents were wrong and that they were too shortsighted, much like the situation with Luo Liangce. How could they be so stubborn?

Apart from being dragged to the educated youths' house in the afternoon to apologize, Su Qianqian spent the rest of her time locked at home, much to the displeasure of her three sisters-in-law.

"She just lazes around at home all day."

"Exactly. She already has an easy job as a points clerk, earning high work points. What's she even thinking?"

"What's there to think about? She's just spoiled… unlike us."

Who wouldn't be envious? Su Qianqian, a young girl, was lazy and arrogant. She looked down on her sisters-in-law as if they were freeloaders, so how could they like her? They thought Su Qianqian, a girl set to marry out of the family, was just freeloading while avoiding work.

But these small conflicts were hidden from the team leader and Huang Yeying. Or perhaps they saw them but chose to ignore them, considering them trivial matters unworthy of concern.

As for Su Qianqian's three older brothers, they too were influenced by their wives. The strange looks they received from the villagers made them uneasy and angry. It felt as though their entire family was relying on the team leader's authority to act recklessly. How could they not feel awkward?

However, Su Qianqian didn't care about any of this. Her only focus was on how to get closer to Li Linxi and his mother, Liu Jumei. But with her family keeping such a tight watch on her, Su Qianqian was growing frustrated. And her sisters-in-law's constant mocking wasn't helping either.

…

Su Qianqian's troubles weren't on Jiang Manzhu's mind lately.

That day, when the team leader's daughter Su Qianqian was exposed for having feelings for the Li family's boy, everyone was shocked. No one had expected her to have such thoughts.

Especially the Li family—both Liu Jumei and Li Linxi were stunned. Li Linxi showed no interest in Su Qianqian, treating her coldly and keeping his distance. Seeing this, Su Qianqian turned her attention to Liu Jumei.

Others naturally wouldn't think that Su Qianqian was trying to please her future mother-in-law.

But now, with the truth revealed, wouldn't the attention be drawn to the Li family?

Liu Jumei wasn't there at the scene, but when she heard about this from others in the village, she was completely shocked. What??? Su Qianqian???

Of course, it wasn't that she thought the team leader's daughter was bad, but she wasn't suitable for their Linxi.

Su Qianqian had been spoiled by the team leader and Feiying, and she never did any fieldwork. Even when she was given an easy, high-scoring job as a scorer, she managed to lose it. Yes, because of this, others in the village were dissatisfied with her, and the team leader had no choice but to give the job to someone else.

The team leader was angry, but there was nothing he could do. After all, his daughter was incompetent compared to others.

Not only was she spoiled and not good at work, but her temper wasn't great either. It was said that she often quarreled with her three sisters-in-law.

Liu Jumei immediately considered her and quickly rejected the idea.

At the dinner table, Liu Jumei made a point of bringing it up with Li Linxi, "Linxi, you're not young anymore. It's about time for you to start a family. But I need to tell you something first."

Liu Jumei's words caught the attention of all three people at the table.

"The team leader's daughter, Qianqian, I don't agree with her marrying into our family." Actually, back when Lindong wanted to marry Jiang Manzhu, she didn't agree either.

It was only later, when Lindong got into trouble, that she hastily followed a fortune teller's advice for a spirit marriage… Ahem, of course, that kind of superstition couldn't be spoken of, or else she'd be criticized during the 'Four Olds' campaign.

Upon hearing Liu Jumei's words, Jiang Manzhu was stunned and glanced at Li Linxi.

Actually, before Liu Jumei brought it up, Jiang Manzhu had already teased Li Linxi about it, saying, "Our Linxi should be getting married soon, too."

However, when she teased him with a smile, Li Linxi didn't respond at all. On the contrary, he seemed angry, leaving Jiang Manzhu confused.

What's going on?

Oh… "Don't worry, I'm not trying to push you into marriage. But with the gossip going around in the village, what do you plan to do?"

Jiang Manzhu hinted gently that Li Linxi should deal with the rumors in the village, or else he might end up being forced into marrying Su Qianqian.

Li Linxi responded with a grunt. He wasn't angry at Jiang Manzhu's teasing, but rather at the annoying Su Qianqian.

Now, with his mother bringing it up at the dinner table, both Jiang Manzhu and Li Linbei turned their attention to him.

"I don't have that idea." In front of Liu Jumei, Li Linxi seriously and earnestly expressed his thoughts, unlike his nonchalant attitude with Jiang Manzhu.

"Really? You must not have it in the future either! Understood?" Liu Jumei wasn't joking and warned him sternly.

"Mm." Li Linxi was helpless. Facing his mother's persistent questioning, he could only nod.

In the village, when Li Linxi went out to work, some people teased him, "Heard you're marrying the team leader's daughter? Not bad!"

"When's the wedding feast?"

Li Linxi was never one to mince words, especially in situations like this. With a cold face, he said, "I have no such intention. Comrade Su Qianqian and I are not suitable, so stop spreading rumors."

The others: …

Uh…

It seems… the Li family really doesn't like Su Qianqian?

They remembered how she had made a fuss about marrying Luo the educated youth. At that time, people in the village had suspected she might be pregnant, otherwise, why would the Su family agree so quickly?

"Oh… right, that makes sense." It's normal for you to reject her. After all, with all that commotion, who wouldn't hold a grudge?

This prompted Liu Jumei to urge the matchmaker to hurry up. In her opinion, any girl, aside from those weak, educated youths who couldn't do physical labor, would be better than Su Qianqian.

Jiang Manzhu had no comment on the matter, but she was quite annoyed with the recent events. She had just managed to get rid of Yuan Fengxin, thinking he had finally given up, but…

He came back again??

And this time, he caught her alone. With a sorrowful, repressed expression, he poured out his emotions, "Manzhu, I know it all now. You've been holding back for my sake, deceiving the Li family, right?"

What the hell! Disgusting!

In an instant, several words popped into Jiang Manzhu's mind: slimy, disgusting!!

Why is this man here again? According to the plot, wasn't he supposed to be scared off by the male lead's imposing aura?

"You're so annoying! Can't you see I can't stand you?" Jiang Manzhu didn't want to waste any time circling around with Yuan Fengxin and directly told him to leave.

As she turned to leave, Yuan Fengxin grabbed her arm, but she slapped his hand away with a 'smack,' her face full of disgust.

Yuan Fengxin's heart skipped a beat. Disgust??

"Yuan Zhiqing, I know what you're trying to do. You'd better stop now and find someone else. Don't get in my way." Jiang Manzhu was irritated. If it weren't for her lack of strength…

Wait, next time, she'll bring Xiao Bei and have Yuan Fengxin beaten up in a sack!

Yuan Fengxin had no idea what she was thinking. Seeing her look of disgust and hearing her disdainful tone, he felt a surge of anger. "You, you clearly look down on me. Are you just like Su Qianqian, interested in that Li boy, Li Linxi? Have you forgotten he's your brother-in-law??"

Yuan Fengxin had heard the village gossip and Luo Liangce's "treatment," and he immediately thought about spreading rumors about the widow and her brother-in-law.

Slandering?

Jiang Manzhu immediately realized his intentions. Even in modern times, slandering a woman could cause significant damage.

"If you dare ruin a girl's reputation, you'll end up in a labor camp in the Northwest! Or maybe I'll accuse you of attempted assault, and you can go to prison!"

Jiang Manzhu's face turned cold, and she spoke with such a threatening tone that Yuan Fengxin was genuinely frightened.

"Jiang Manzhu, when did you become so vicious? Do you want me dead?" Yuan Fengxin, despite his fear, yelled even louder, but he didn't dare escalate further.

"If you dare, I'll dare! If it comes to that, we'll both be doomed. But I'll make sure to take you with me!" Jiang Manzhu was glad that the law was on her side with strict punishments for such crimes.

Jiang Manzhu feared he might become violent, so she bent down, picked up a large, sharp stone, and glared at him fiercely.

Yuan Fengxin wasn't ready to commit murder just yet, and hearing Jiang Manzhu's harsh words, he was even more terrified. If she really got desperate, she'd only suffer some criticism, but he'd end up facing death!

"Fine, you win!" Yuan Fengxin had originally come back because the city girls had no money, and his job in the city… was gone!!

So he rushed back to find Jiang Manzhu. But seeing her holding that sharp stone, he decided to back off for now.

Seeing him leave, Jiang Manzhu wasn't satisfied. She immediately went to find Xiao Bei. "Xiao Bei, someone bullied me. Let's go beat him up tonight!"

Xiao Bei angrily slammed the table, "How dare they bully my sister-in-law? Let's go beat him up right now!"

Sister-in-law is so nice, how could anyone bully her?

So, the two of them started plotting how to ambush Yuan Fengxin in a sack that night. But they figured it'd be hard to get him out of the educated youth dorm at night, so why not do it now, since he wasn't working…

"This sack is perfect." Holding up a fertilizer sack, Jiang Manzhu waved it around. Ugh, the smell of urea is so strong and pungent! It'll definitely make that self-proclaimed gentleman, Yuan Fengxin, choke. If not, it'll at least make him dizzy from the smell…

Perfect, just right for Yuan Fengxin.

Xiao Bei looked at the sack and didn't notice anything special, but if his sister-in-law said it was good, then it must be.

With a wave of her hand, Jiang Manzhu and Xiao Bei, partners in crime, set out…