Chapter 24

The Li Family Boy?

Her actions and intent were clear to the villagers standing around watching. They all turned their gaze to them. "What? Is what Meihua said true?"

"Don't say such things. Remember the fuss the incident with Comrade Luo caused?"

"That's right. Besides, it doesn't seem like the Li family boy has done anything to them…"

When Liu Jumei heard what Meihua said, her previously arrogant demeanor instantly turned into fury. The broom in her hand immediately flew up. "Li Meihua, you filthy woman!"

How dare she slander her family's Linxi's reputation and good name? Did she think Liu Jumei would just let it slide? Dirty people see filth everywhere.

Ah Qing, seeing his mother storming toward them in rage, quickly shielded her, taking the blows himself. When Li Meihua saw Liu Jumei hitting her son, how could she endure it?

She shoved Ah Qing aside and ran over, enduring the pain as she forcibly grabbed the broom. The two women started fighting. Jiang Manzhu watched her mother-in-law hold her own.

She was worried that Ah Qing, the young man, would step in to help, so she and Xiaobei held him back. "Don't get involved in a fight between old women."

Ah Qing, stopped by Jiang Manzhu, looked at her beautiful face and couldn't bring himself to act. "Comrade Jiang…"

"My mom and your mom are both elderly. Let them handle their own issues. I trust you're someone who respects the elderly and cares for the young, right?"

Jiang Manzhu spoke calmly. If he hadn't meddled in the first place, none of this would have happened.

The problem was…

Linxi wasn't home right now. She was just a weak woman, and Xiaobei was a silly little kid. How could they possibly win a fight against Ah Qing, who was big and strong?

Besides, Meihua had two sons, who might be called over at any time…

No wonder the villagers always wanted to have more sons. Maybe it was because… there would be more help when it came to fighting?

Jiang Manzhu figured, "Mother-in-law, don't worry about fighting. I'll keep the others from stepping in."

If she got involved, Meihua's sons would definitely join in. Who knew if the two daughters-in-law might be called in too?

Thinking of this, Jiang Manzhu knew where their weakness lay. "You grab your mother, and I'll grab mine. If this keeps going, someone's going to end up in the hospital."

As soon as Ah Qing heard Jiang Manzhu's words, he hurriedly stepped forward. "Mom, stop, stop."

Seeing his mother getting beaten like that, Ah Qing was in a panic. On the other side, Jiang Manzhu quickly grabbed her own mother and pulled her back, worried that the madwoman Meihua might strike again.

"Ahhhh! Don't hold me back! I'm going to beat that old hag to death!" Meihua, being dragged backward, flailed her arms and legs wildly, as if she wouldn't stop until she had another round of fighting.

"Your damn mother's the old hag! An old bag like you, still alive and wasting food, with a mouth that smells like it came from a cesspool."

Liu Jumei shot back, just as arrogant despite being beaten.

"Stop! Stop!" The brigade leader had been called over, looking extremely displeased. "What, is the work in the fields too light for you? Why all this fighting?"

"Brigade Leader, you finally came. They… they bullied me. I'm in so much pain from being beaten. You have to stand up for me!" Meihua shouted at the brigade leader the moment he arrived, her tone pitiful as if she might break down crying on the spot.

"What's going on?" The brigade leader ignored the troublemaker's cries and looked instead at the younger ones, Jiang Manzhu and Ah Qing.

Before Jiang Manzhu could say anything, Meihua started rambling again, "It's Jiang, the educated youth! I sent a matchmaker to their house before, hoping to arrange a marriage between my Ah Qing and her. But after she rejected him, today she came to flirt with Ah Qing! And that's not all! She even had the nerve to bring up the money I gave to Ah Qing to buy medicine! Brigade Leader, tell me, isn't she just after our money?"

"Bullshit! Just your measly few coins? You think our Manzhu would even bother? You're clearly the one spewing filth about Linxi and Manzhu! If my Linxi can't find a wife in the future, I swear I'll put you in a sack and break your legs."

Furious, Liu Jumei spat on the ground, pointing at Meihua and cursing. She was just about ready to beat her up again.

"Brigade Leader, here's what really happened. A while back, Auntie Meihua sent a matchmaker, hoping to arrange a marriage between me and her son. But I've only been married to Lin Dong for a short while. Although Lin Dong is gone now, I still want to honor his memory for a few years."

"But who would've thought? Today, Auntie Meihua came to our house, causing a huge commotion, insulting my mom, and slandering Linxi and me, questioning our integrity."

"Brigade Leader, I may be an educated youth sent down from the city, but I've officially moved my residence here. Our country sent us here to help build and improve rural life, not to ruin the unity between the villagers and the educated youth."

"She's spreading these vile rumors, trying to destroy us. Does she want to drive us to our deaths?"

Jiang Manzhu, angry, complained to the brigade leader, her emotional plea not losing to Meihua's dramatics. With her pretty face, she seemed even more pitiable and convincing.

"Exactly, Captain, you can't favor Meihua, that dog, for causing trouble at my house and beating me up. She's bullying us just because Lin Dong and Lin Nan are gone."

"Captain, my Lin Dong died while working to open a canal for our production brigade, and Lin Nan was a martyr!!! Bullying a martyr's widow and orphans means you're disrespecting the Party and the army!!"

Liu Jumie wasn't clueless either. Well… mostly because her second son was articulate, and her third son wasn't exactly a fool either. She had listened to their conversations and picked up some things along the way.

Now, standing confidently in front of the Captain, she lifted a figurative hat and placed it on her head. "Do you even know who I am?"

"You're talking nonsense! It's Jiang Zhiqing, that little fox, who's been seducing my A-Qing, trying to marry into our family. When I refused, she kept clinging!" Aunt Meihua shouted back in anger.

"Captain, I don't know when it became a habit in our village to ruin someone's reputation and smear their name like this. It's simply too vicious! I suggest we report this to the Red Armband at the commune!"

"Whether it's a Zhiqing or a villager, it started with Luo Zhiqing suffering, and now it's targeting her again. I suspect someone in the village is deliberately targeting the Zhiqings, undermining the unity and friendship between us and the villagers."

"This is clearly the work of bad elements trying to undermine the unity of our socialist society. We can't let them get away with it—it could even be enemy agents!!"

Jiang Manzhu's expression turned serious as she spoke. Her beautiful eyes swept across the crowd, seeming to question everyone: "Are you one of them? Or is it you?"

"Our Great Leader tasked urban intellectual youths with coming to the countryside to build a modern agricultural future. But now, someone is deliberately sabotaging this policy—clearly, someone has bad intentions."

Jiang Manzhu's words sounded especially grave, so much so that the villagers' faces began to show hints of panic.

Especially Aunt Meihua. "What… what are you talking about? I never undermined the Great Leader's policy! Stop spouting nonsense."

Jiang Manzhu ignored her and turned her gaze to the other Zhiqings who were watching the commotion.

"Comrades, since arriving here, we Zhiqings have upheld the spirit of not fearing hardship or toil, acting like bricks to be moved wherever needed. Yet, some bad elements are clearly trying to break our unity."

"Otherwise, why would the hardworking Zhiqings and the villagers have conflicts? It's obvious that someone is stirring up trouble. Otherwise, why was Luo Zhiqing targeted by those malicious rumors, and why did the culprit never get caught?"

By pulling the Zhiqings into the conversation, Jiang Manzhu elevated the stakes. Despite the occasional disagreements between the Zhiqings and the villagers, the intellectual youths held some weight in the village.

Sure enough, when Jiang Manzhu said this, the Zhiqings' faces grew solemn.

Before they could speak, Jiang Manzhu continued her performance.

"Aunt Meihua now wants to drive me to death. If I die, the whole matter will blow up. The commune will definitely get involved, and who will be blamed? It'll be Aunt Meihua!"

She pointed at Aunt Meihua with a serious expression. "She'll probably be sent to a reform-through-labor farm in the northwest for causing my death! And the villagers, they'll blame the Zhiqings for this, because I am one of them."

"If that happens, the conflicts in our production brigade will only deepen, affecting productivity. It could even lead to a disaster like the famine in the '60s. I get it now—this must be the work of enemy agents! They don't want us to live well, and one of them might be hiding right here in our village!"

Jiang Manzhu's sharp eyes scanned everyone again, as if accusing them: "Is it you? Or maybe… you?"

"You're talking nonsense, Jiang Zhiqing! Don't spread fear and cause panic in the village. There are no enemy agents here!" The Captain was startled at first, but soon caught on.

Jiang Zhiqing was just waving a big stick, talking nonsense to scare people. Could she stop freaking out the villagers already?

"Captain, are you sure? Can you guarantee that? If there are no enemy agents, then why are there always rumors undermining our unity? And why do they always go unresolved?" Jiang Manzhu wore an expression of disbelief, as if ready to report the matter and escalate it further.

Luo Liangce, who had originally come to play the hero and impress Jiang Manzhu, heard the last part of the conversation and immediately jumped in.

"Exactly, Captain! There's no way our villagers could be so malicious. Shouldn't we investigate? Maybe we should report this to the commune? You know, it's not just Jiang Zhiqing who's being targeted—it's all the Zhiqings. Are we in someone's way?!"

Jiang Zhiqing may not have started this to help him, but it sure was working in his favor, so Luo Liangce seized the opportunity.

The other Zhiqings, initially unconcerned, now found themselves thinking that this conspiracy theory… might have some truth to it?

Back in the cities, people were actively hunting spies, with rewards for reporting them. Even some elderly women had gotten quite skilled at it, boasting about their achievements.

Having been raised by such women, the Zhiqings couldn't help but be influenced by that mindset. The more educated a person was, the more they tended to overthink things.

The Captain, seeing the commotion escalate and with more people gathering around, felt increasingly uneasy. Damn that old woman for making such a mess!

Many of the older villagers knew the Captain's character well and had long suspected his involvement behind Su Qianqian's issues. Now, hearing all this talk about destroying unity and targeting the Zhiqings, the villagers' suspicions grew.

"Captain, how do you plan to handle this?" Jiang Zhiqing had spoken so seriously that the crowd was now anxious, wondering if she was right.

Did they want to force her to swallow her words? Liu Jumei was standing there, fiercely protecting her, and it seemed like the knowledge youth had heard something too because they were quickly gathering around.

More and more people surrounded them, talking about how this could lead to disrupting unity, undermining the great leader's policies, and even accusations of espionage. Oh dear, this situation was getting so out of hand that it might not just end with reeducation at the farm; there could be deaths involved.

As for those wearing the red armbands, well… never mind, best not to say anything.

"It's all Meihua's fault. Why did she have to provoke Jiang, the knowledge youth?"

"Exactly! Jiang just married into the Li family not long ago. Lin Dong has only been gone for two or three months, and Jiang just wants to mourn him. What's wrong with that?"

"Yeah, there's no comparison between Ah Qing and Lin Dong."

"Besides, that Lin Xi kid is so young! Liu Jumei has already started looking for matchmakers for him, so how could there be anything going on with Jiang?"

"Only filthy minds see filth in others. If something serious happens, I won't let that old witch Meihua off the hook."

"Jiang, we're all neighbors. Let's not blow this out of proportion."

Some asked the village leader for his opinion, others pointed fingers at Aunt Meihua, and some tried to persuade Jiang Manzhu.

The village leader hesitated, looking at Jiang Manzhu as if waiting for her response.

Aunt Meihua, feeling indignant, thought the whole situation had nothing to do with her. How did she get involved in accusations of disrupting unity, disrespecting the great leader, and even espionage?

She knew city folks were deceitful, and now she was worried about whether she'd be sent off for reeducation. No, it couldn't be, could it? She only had a bit of an argument and a scuffle, nothing more.

"Auntie, are you saying that whether or not there are spies hiding in our village, we should just ignore them? Let them do whatever they want in our country? Is that how you honor the revolutionary martyrs who marched the Long March?"

Jiang Manzhu's question made Aunt Meihua's intentions even clearer: she didn't want people to care about it. What was she plotting?

The simple-minded aunt's face turned pale with panic. "Nonsense! When did I say we should ignore it? I firmly oppose bad elements and spies!"

Damn it, this Jiang sure knew how to pin a crime on someone. With that one statement, she had practically turned Aunt Meihua into a spy collaborator.

"Yes, this matter needs to be handled. It must be thoroughly investigated. Village leader, you better investigate this properly!" The aunt's daughter-in-law was terrified that her mother-in-law might be accused of collaborating with the enemy. How could they live after that?

The whole family could end up in prison. Even if they weren't imprisoned, they'd be criticized in public and ridiculed by the villagers. They'd be treated like those intellectuals in the cowshed—doing all the dirty work and earning a pittance.

"Jiang Manzhu, it's just a small matter. Do you really need to label the villagers as enemies and bad elements? What are you trying to do?" Naturally, there were people who disliked Jiang Manzhu, and someone stood up to refute her.

For instance, Su Qianqian, who arrived late, had been shaped by modern ideals and knew that gossip was just defamation.

If no one was physically harmed, defamation wasn't a crime. Besides, defamation as a legal concept hadn't even been established yet (the crime of defamation was only introduced in 1979).

The village leader's face darkened when he heard his daughter Qianqian's voice. He looked over at her as she approached, frowning.

Why was Qianqian here? This whole thing about spreading rumors about Luo Zhiqing… wasn't that the handiwork of his wife and daughter?

"So, in Comrade Su Qianqian's view, nearly killing a knowledge youth, disrupting urban-rural unity, undermining new village construction, and disregarding the great leader's policies are not a big deal?"

"So, can I reasonably suspect that you, Comrade Su Qianqian, are the mastermind?"

"Luo Zhiqing, when you were repeatedly slandered, didn't you feel like the sky was falling? Like you were ready to end it all?"

Jiang Manzhu turned to Luo Liangce, pulling more people into the spotlight.

"Yes, I was so tormented by those rumors that I wanted to die. I never thought I'd face something so vicious."

Luo Zhiqing was filled with grief and looked like she was about to cry. Now that she had a chance to clear her name in front of so many people, why not take advantage of it?

They had spread nasty rumors about a girl? Well, she could spread rumors about them being "bad elements" and "spies" and see who was more ruthless.

Yuan Fengxin, who had once been threatened with "let's die together," watched the heroic Jiang Manzhu with a sinister smile on his lips.

Had he thought about spreading rumors about Jiang Manzhu and the Li boy? Of course, when he had been furious, he had wanted to do just that.

But he couldn't find the right person to spread it to, and he was afraid the source would be traced back to him. After all, when rumors about Luo Zhiqing spread, didn't the villagers immediately try to find out who was behind them?

That incident made Yuan Fengxin hold back. He thought, "I'll wait a while…" And here we are now.

Ha, luckily, he didn't make a move.

Look at Aunt Meihua now, trembling so much she could barely stand after being beaten and now slapped with the label of "bad element." That was scarier than murder.

Forget it. There was no point in fighting.

Good thing he gave up early.

"Bullshit! What nonsense are you spouting? My father is the village leader! How could I have done such a thing? Stop putting everything on others. You're the most malicious one here! Are you trying to destroy us all?"

Su Qianqian figured that if she couldn't get Jiang Manzhu married off, maybe getting her thrown into prison or sent off to be reeducated at the northwest or northeast farms would work just as well.

"Well then, do you dare go with me to the Red Armbands?" Jiang Manzhu didn't bother to refute her. Instead, she raised her eyebrows, challenging Su Qianqian's courage.

The Red Armbands…

If she went there, could she even come back? In Su Qianqian's heart, she was scared and felt guilty.

She wasn't a spy, but all the rumors she'd spread about Jiang Manzhu and the matchmaking she'd arranged for her were her doing.

If the investigation turned up anything, her reputation in the village would be ruined.

Marrying Li Linxi would be even harder, so Su Qianqian dodged the question. "Jiang Manzhu, you're part of our village now. Why do you insist on stirring things up and disrupting the peace?"

Jiang Manzhu knew exactly what Su Qianqian was trying to do—playing dumb and evading the issue.

"Village leader, how do you plan to handle this? Are you going to ignore it, or are you going to investigate thoroughly?"

She couldn't be bothered arguing with a fool like Su Qianqian any longer. Instead, she directly turned to her father, the village leader.

The village leader's face had already been dark, and now it was even darker. You've pushed the issue this far, and I'm supposed to ignore it? If word gets out, how can I continue as the village leader?

"Investigate thoroughly." The village leader cast a glance at his trouble-making daughter. Qianqian needed to be married off soon—keeping her around was just trouble.

And now she's standing up to stop me from investigating. If word got out, wouldn't people start suspecting me of being a spy?

"And Jiang Manzhu, you should be careful with your words in the future, understand?" The village leader's tone carried a slight threat.

"Captain, what about Aunt Meihua? Shouldn't we investigate her thoroughly as well?" Jiang Manzhu glanced at Aunt Meihua. This troublemaker shouldn't be let off so easily.

Otherwise, there would be no deterrence, and she wouldn't remember the lesson.

Next time, if she dares to cause trouble again, would I have to give another grand speech?

"What do you mean? Jiang Zhiqing, are you implying that I'm a bad element? I've lived on this land all my life! Captain, you can't doubt your own people just because of a few words from an outsider!"

Aunt Meihua was furious, feeling that Jiang Zhiqing was deliberately targeting her.

"So, Captain, do you differentiate between insiders and outsiders when conducting an investigation?" Jiang Manzhu considered whether she should bluff by claiming her uncle was some big shot.

"That's nonsense! Meihua, you've stirred up this mess, so I'll have to investigate it thoroughly." The Captain, as a leader, needed to be impartial and strict, especially with so many villagers present.

"The Captain truly is fair. Back in the day, he led us out of the famine years. Tomorrow, we'll go to the Red Armband group and bring someone down to help with the investigation."

Jiang Manzhu praised him, then tugged at the Captain, preparing to head toward the commune, her words leaving people frowning and worried.

"Jiang Zhiqing, that place isn't somewhere you can go just like that! You're essentially making a false report! There are just some rumors in the village, nothing really serious…"

Before she could finish, someone beside her tugged on her sleeve. "Are you crazy? Don't you see that no one else is saying anything? If they accuse you of being a spy, you're done for."

"How could I be a spy? Didn't Aunt Meihua say we're all locals born and raised here…"

"Weren't the traitors during the war born and raised here too? Honestly…"

"Exactly, locals know their own people best, which is why they make even better spies."

"Yeah, yeah, like that guy from the town back then, a notorious traitor who got shot in the end."

"Jiang Zhiqing, I—I'm not some spy! I just got upset and came over to argue. Didn't I get hit too?"

Aunt Meihua seemed to realize the seriousness of the situation. She blamed the Captain's family for stirring up such a big fuss before.

Look, even Zhiqing Luo said she almost killed herself, nearly causing the death of a Zhiqing.

Otherwise, how could this have involved her?

And they say they can't find the culprit? Who are they fooling! Isn't it because they're covering for the Captain's weak, pampered daughter?

"Really? I don't believe it. Just now, you couldn't stop talking about money, money, money. Only big capitalists go around saying that all the time."

Jiang Manzhu looked at Aunt Meihua suspiciously, throwing accusations of being both a spy and a capitalist, quick to escalate things.

The villagers now realized that Jiang Zhiqing wasn't to be trifled with. When she stayed quiet, it was fine, but when she got angry, she could make anyone's life miserable!

"Jiang Zhiqing, Aunt Meihua knows she was wrong! Aunt Meihua, hurry and apologize." One of the neighboring aunts pleaded for her, giving Aunt Meihua a pointed look. Do you have a death wish or what?

"Jiang, Jiang Zhiqing… I—I was just in a hurry about our son A-Qing's wedding, not trying to cause trouble. You're a bigger person, please forgive me."

Aunt Meihua, though uncomfortable, swallowed her pride. Fine, she would avoid provoking Jiang Zhiqing from now on, okay?

"Aunt Meihua, my mother was beaten so badly by you. Shouldn't you compensate her? Not much, just twenty yuan and ten eggs."

Jiang Manzhu glanced at her righteous mother-in-law. She had protected her fiercely just now. How could Jiang Manzhu not take care of her health?

"What? Twenty yuan?" Aunt Meihua's eyes widened in shock, instinctively letting out a scream. Twenty yuan was a huge sum!

"And I was beaten by your mother-in-law too! Look at this, this, it's much worse than your mother-in-law. She should compensate me too!" Aunt Meihua refused and even demanded compensation in return.

"Looks like Aunt Meihua isn't just a big capitalist but also has the mindset of an exploitative landlord. After doing something wrong, she doesn't feel remorse but instead pushes for more, just like Huang Shiren. Sigh, turns out the state was right to make films about people like Huang Shiren. I used to think those were just theatrical stories, but in real life, here in our production team…"

Jiang Manzhu sighed and shook her head, leaving her sentence unfinished, allowing people to fill in the blanks.

"Meihua, stop it. Do you really think you'll avoid a trip to the Red Armband group?" The Captain was also getting impatient.

If she hadn't caused trouble at the Li family's door today, would Jiang Zhiqing have stirred all this up?

This incident couldn't be silenced. There was no telling if the gossip would spread to the neighboring production team, especially since some of the young wives had married from there.

If word got out, regardless of the truth, he needed to appear impartial and take this seriously.

The Captain's words carried weight. Aunt Meihua, though unwilling, feared being taken in. "Fine, I'll pay."

"Aunt Meihua, go and fetch it now, or tomorrow I'll have to bother the commune with this investigation into our village." Jiang Manzhu could see her reluctance.

Delaying it any further, and this debt might just disappear.

It's said that those who owe money are in charge. With such a threat in front of so many people, Jiang Manzhu didn't believe she wouldn't pay up.

Sure enough, with trembling hands, Aunt Meihua was supported by her son, A-Qing. In the end, it wasn't Aunt Meihua who brought the money, but her son, A-Qing.

When she handed over that huge sum of money, her heart bled.

When she passed it to A-Qing, she gripped it so tightly that A-Qing almost tore it in half while taking it.

A-Qing didn't know how to face Jiang Manzhu now. After a long while, he muttered, "Jiang Zhiqing, my mom didn't mean to target you, she was just speaking out of turn. Please, don't report her to the commune…"

"Let's hope your mom learns her lesson. Not everyone is as kind as I am."

With that, Jiang Manzhu accepted the twenty yuan and called over Xiaobei to help carry the eggs, as she couldn't manage all ten by herself.

Meanwhile, Jiang Manzhu urged the other Zhiqing to press the Captain to investigate thoroughly, so there would be no more baseless rumors in the future.

A strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake, and commoners can't fight officials… all sorts of sayings flew around. They all pointed out that Zhiqing were already in a weak position. If villagers targeted other Zhiqing in the future, what then?

No one could be sure they wouldn't be next. After all, it seemed like the villagers really didn't like them.

Hearing this, the Zhiqing couldn't stand it anymore. That's right! They couldn't let this happen again. They didn't want to suffer through backbreaking farm work, only to be gossiped about.

The villagers, too, were paying attention to this matter. Although they thought Jiang Zhiqing might just be making noise, the more they thought about it, the more some began to suspect there might really be a plot.

They urged the Captain to conduct a thorough investigation, with some even volunteering to help.

The Captain's face darkened. He couldn't slack off now, fearing gossip, so he had to take a team and start investigating.

Su Qianqian was furious, thinking her father was a coward, garbage, spineless. Everything Jiang Zhiqing said was clearly nonsense.

Not taking the Great Leader seriously? Oh, just because of some minor conflicts with Zhiqing? Ridiculous! The country wouldn't arrest anyone over something so trivial.

Unfortunately, her dad was…

"Dad, Jiang Zhiqing is so over the top, she should be punished severely. Otherwise, if everyone follows her example, who will want to go to the fields and farm?"

"And wasn't it you who started all this? Now everyone's following your lead." The team leader glared at Su Qianqian. If it weren't for her stirring things up with her mother, it wouldn't have escalated to this point.

One wave after another, waves never stopping.

Su Qianqian felt guilty after being scolded by her father and rubbed her nose awkwardly. "I-I… I already admitted I was wrong earlier."

"This matter, you stay out of it." The team leader was nearly terrified earlier when Su Qianqian walked out. Especially when she said, "My dad is the team leader, my dad will take care of it," his heart nearly skipped a few beats.

He was worried Jiang Manzhu would respond with something like, "Just because your dad is the team leader, does that mean he can ignore the great leader's policies toward the educated youths…," but luckily, Jiang Zhiqing still had some sense and didn't drag him into it.

Su Qianqian was indignant. Clearly, it was Jiang Manzhu's fault. Did she really think being from the city and having a slick tongue made her so impressive?

Su Qianqian decided not to deal with her father anymore; she went to find other aunties to chat with.

"Jiang Zhiqing is too much, asking Auntie Meihua to pay her twenty yuan."

"All this fuss over something small, starting a huge commotion. Talking about spies and whatnot, everyone in our village is decent. Where would such a malicious person come from?"

"Now no one can work in peace, and she's fine, teaching at the elementary school every day. She must be deliberately delaying farm work."

The gossiping women either witnessed the events or heard about them later. While they agreed with Su Qianqian's words, they…

Jiang Manzhu was too sharp-tongued. With just a bit of gossip, she managed to squeeze twenty yuan and ten eggs out of them.

If they listened to Su Qianqian and gossiped about Jiang Zhiqing, and later got accused of obstructing an investigation, would that make them spies? That would be a disaster.

"Hehehe… Qianqian, I heard your mother's been arranging a match for you in the city? Did you like him?"

"Oh my, Qianqian, you've become even more beautiful recently. Marrying into the city would be wonderful, living a good life."

"Exactly, exactly. So, what kind of match did your mother arrange? What does he do for a living? Don't forget how hard your parents worked to raise you when you're enjoying yourself later."

They smoothly shifted the topic, having no interest in discussing the rumors about Jiang Zhiqing anymore.

They weren't ignorant. The previous rumors about Luo Zhiqing were spread by the Su family. They were only being polite to the team leader.

There was no way they would take the fall again, or risk losing another twenty yuan.

Money might not be on their lips, but it was certainly imprinted on their minds. They knew better than to openly discuss it, especially with Jiang Zhiqing, who was so good at twisting things around. Talking too much could get them labeled as capitalists, which would ruin them.

Su Qianqian was dumbfounded for a few seconds. Wait, weren't we talking about Jiang Manzhu? How did this conversation turn to me? "Jiang Zhiqing is really too much…"

"Qianqian, you're not still thinking about that boy from the Li family, are you?"

"That can't be. Linxi from the neighboring team is good-looking, but looks don't put food on the table. Qianqian, you have to be smarter."

"Young girls, always like this…"

See? Su Qianqian's bad intentions were obvious. She tried to drag Jiang Zhiqing into it, but nobody was going to let her.

If she really wanted to stir things up, why not go and confront Jiang Zhiqing herself?

The women pretended not to hear and kept talking about Su Qianqian's marriage prospects until she was fed up.

Who to marry? A worker? Bah! How could they compare to Lin Linxi?

True, workers were highly respected and well-paid now. Who wouldn't want to marry one? Marrying a worker was considered a great honor.

But Su Qianqian wasn't interested. She knew that in another ten or so years, the status of workers would decline. Right now, it seemed like an iron rice bowl, but eventually, they would be laid off.

Su Qianqian didn't like what she was hearing, but forced a smile and played along. These women weren't worth her time. She needed to find some educated youths…

Unfortunately, the educated youths wanted nothing to do with Su Qianqian.

Jiang Zhiqing had already warned them that spreading rumors was dangerous, and none of them wanted to come back from a hard day's work to be gossiped about.

Su Qianqian grew even more frustrated. What, just a few words, and they're scared off?

Back home, Su Qianqian was scolded again by her mother.

"Stay at home and behave yourself. You're not allowed to go anywhere," Huang Yeying snapped. She was getting annoyed. She had done a lot for Qianqian, with only her daughter's best interests in mind.

But Qianqian just wouldn't appreciate it and kept making trouble.

She had even heard today that Qianqian was still thinking about that boy from the Li family. What was so good about Lin Linxi?

"Qianqian, do you not want to marry into the city?" Huang Yeying asked coldly, her face serious.

"Mom, I-I… I just don't want to get married yet. And besides, it's not like you have to marry into the city to be happy, right?" Su Qianqian noticed her mother's serious tone and wondered if she was still upset about the events from earlier that day.

But when it came to marriage, her feelings hadn't changed.

"I see," Huang Yeying said, though she adored her daughter, she would never place Su Qianqian's importance above her three sons.

Qianqian's recent actions were threatening her husband's position as team leader, and her three sons might become laughingstocks because of it.

If she wasn't willing to marry… well, there were plenty of other good matches in the neighboring production teams.

Jiang Manzhu held the ten eggs, planning to make something nourishing for her mother tonight while scolding Aunt Meihua one more time.

The twenty yuan had originally been for Liu Jumie, but Liu Jumie refused to take it, insisting on giving it to Jiang Manzhu. She told her to buy more meat next time she went to the market.

Now that the weather was cooling down, the meat could last longer. With some salt, they could preserve it for even longer. Twenty yuan… could go a long way.

"Yes, yes, mom is right. Mom, should we rub some safflower oil on you?" Jiang Manzhu didn't know where the safflower oil was, so she asked Xiaobei to fetch it.

After applying the medicine, Jiang Manzhu was still concerned about whether her mother was in pain.

Liu Jumie waved her hand. "It's nothing. That weak old chicken Meihua can't compare to me."

Liu Jumie worried that her fierce outburst might have scared Jiang Manzhu, but to her surprise, it had only made her daughter admire her more.

Jiang Manzhu even said that with a mother like hers, she felt so safe. Having a strong mom really was the best.

Liu Jumei chuckled on the spot, clearly because Manzhu must have been bullied before at the educated youth station. It made sense, given how frail Manzhu was.

"Mom will protect you, from now on, Mom will protect you," Liu Jumei said this twice.

In the afternoon, Liu Jumei stayed at home. Jiang Manzhu, who didn't have class, was studying, while Xiaobei stayed with their mother. He was truly scared to death at noon.

By the time Li Lingxi returned in the late afternoon, the situation had already been resolved.

On his way home, he overheard someone saying that Meihua had gone to the Li family with her son and even gotten into a fight. What a loss, they said.

At first, Li Lingxi didn't catch the details, but when he heard Meihua had brought her son to fight, he became anxious. He only vaguely caught the words "what a loss" drifting to him afterward.

He assumed that Meihua and her son had beaten up his mother and Xiaobei, leaving them injured. How could it not be a great loss?

He rushed home, and as soon as he reached the door, he couldn't contain himself and shouted, "Mom? Mom, Mom..."

"What are you yelling for? Shouting like a death knell," Liu Jumei, sitting in the hall peeling garlic, heard her son's calls, one after another, without him saying what was wrong. It was annoying.

When he walked inside and saw his mother calmly sitting on a low stool peeling garlic, looking nothing like someone who had been in a fight, he sighed in relief.

"Mom, nothing happened today, right? I heard Aunt Meihua brought her son over... for a fight?" Li Lingxi asked worriedly, afraid that what he heard was true.

"Yes, don't worry, we've already settled it," Liu Jumei responded nonchalantly. Back when she protected her kids when they were young, who knew how many fights she had gotten into with people in the village?

Just because they lived in the same village didn't mean everything was harmonious. Being a widow with orphans, they were bullied even more.

So, Liu Jumei didn't take such small matters to heart.

"Settled? How did you settle it?"

"Did you fight them? Were you hurt?" Li Lingxi worried about his mother. Meihua's family was shameless, coming over with her son when he wasn't home. Damn it, he'd make sure they paid for it tonight.

A flicker of ruthlessness crossed his mind, but he didn't show it in front of his mother.

"It's nothing. One hit with my broom, and who would dare challenge me?" Liu Jumei waved her hand dismissively. "But that trash Meihua tried to slander you and Manzhu's reputation. Hmph! Let's see if she dares to speak up again."

Talking about it made Liu Jumei furious. If that piece of trash caused her Li Lingxi to miss out on a wife, she'd burn Meihua's house down.

Hearing his mother, Li Lingxi remembered the scenes from when his mom used to fight others. Indeed...

"But you're not the same as before. Back then, you were still young, so naturally..."

"What's all this talk about being young? I wasn't fighting Ah Qing and the others, just that weakling Meihua. She can't even outwork me, and she wanted to fight? One sweep from my broom left her black and blue."

Liu Jumei spoke with a swaggering boldness. If it weren't for her trying to get wives for Lingdong and the others, she wouldn't have held back her temper.

"That's good. Did you get hurt? Wasn't Jiang Manzhu home? Why didn't she help?"

"How could she not help? She stopped Ah Qing from coming over to hit me. And she sure stood up for you, talking circles around Meihua until everyone in the village was afraid."

When it came to Jiang Manzhu, Liu Jumei had to admit that city folks were different. Look at the principles and arguments she could come up with—one after another.

How impressive. Talking about unity, stability, and friendship. Educated youth building new rural areas. The future of modernization... an endless list of reasons.

Jiang Manzhu admired her boldness and spirit, while Liu Jumei thought highly of Manzhu's educated knowledge.

Who said studying was useless? If you hadn't read books, how could you say such things?

Li Lingxi's dark eyes flickered slightly. As long as his mother was okay, that's what mattered. "I'll go fetch some water."

"Go, go." She didn't hold back with her son. How annoying. I just want someone to share my thoughts with, but no one wants to listen.

When Li Lingxi went to the kitchen, he didn't see Jiang Manzhu. While he was outside fetching water, he saw Jiang Manzhu and Xiaobei picking vegetables.

When Jiang Manzhu came back with the washed vegetables and saw Li Lingxi, she couldn't wait to complain. "Lingxi, you weren't home at noon, and Mom, Xiaobei, and I were all bullied."

As the male protagonist, Li Lingxi naturally had the aura and ability of the hero, so Jiang Manzhu especially trusted him.

"Tell me in detail." Li Lingxi hadn't asked his mom earlier, knowing she would hide things so he wouldn't worry.

Jiang Manzhu described everything, from Meihua coming over to pick a fight to the insults. She made sure to express her anger in detail, afraid Li Lingxi wouldn't feel the full impact.

"Because she slandered us, saying we had an affair, it enraged Mom, and that's when the fight started. I was worried Ah Qing would come over, so I held him back with Xiaobei."

"Finally, after a lot of arguing, they stopped accusing us of having an affair. How ridiculous, spreading such nasty rumors."

When Jiang Manzhu said "they accused us of having an affair," Li Lingxi's dark eyes glanced at her several times.

"Oh? How did you manage to outwit them?" Li Lingxi knew that dealing with such salacious rumors was difficult. Maybe he had underestimated Jiang Manzhu.

"Of course, I accused them of undermining the unity between educated youth and the villagers. I said they were labeling me as a capitalist sympathizer with their malicious rumors, which made them the enemy. Then they didn't dare say anything else..."

Talking about this, Jiang Manzhu felt pretty proud of herself. She hadn't expected to perform so well under pressure. It confirmed that she was destined for big things in the future.

Seeing Jiang Manzhu's smug expression, like a victorious rooster, paired with her beautiful, stunning face, it was indeed endearing—at least to Li Lingxi.

"Not bad, but don't use it again. Once is enough, no need for a second time," he cautioned. Otherwise, it wouldn't be as effective.

"I understand, Lingxi. Now, it's up to you. You're the pillar of this family. If you had been home at noon, none of us would've needed to step in. You alone could've handled everything."

Jiang Manzhu nodded obediently and followed it up with heavy praise for Li Lingxi.

Li Lingxi raised an eyebrow with a faint smile. "You trust me that much?"

"Of course." Jiang Manzhu nodded matter-of-factly. If she didn't trust his protagonist aura, who else could she trust?

Li Lingxi nodded slightly, saying no more, and Jiang Manzhu didn't ask further, knowing the matter was now in Li Lingxi's hands.

"By the way, Aunt Meihua also compensated us with twenty yuan and ten eggs." Jiang Manzhu proudly took out the twenty yuan. The trouble had been hers, but the fight was her mother-in-law's...

"Mom said we should use the twenty yuan to buy some meat for nourishment, so I'm giving it to you." Jiang Manzhu smiled sweetly. The supply store was far away, and the load was heavy. She trusted that Li Lingxi wouldn't pocket the money.

Because it was for Mom and Xiaobei's nutrition!

Li Lingxi, likely seeing through her small scheme, took the money and casually pocketed it before heading out.

At dinner, Jiang Manzhu and Liu Jumei were locked in a mutual praise-fest, while Li Lingxi only occasionally responded, having no room to insert his thoughts.

But as he watched his family happily chatting, he lowered his eyes and silently ate his meal.

The next day, Jiang Manzhu heard that all three of Meihua's sons had been beaten up.

Jiang Manzhu couldn't help but pull Li Lingxi aside and whispered, "Wasn't that a bit too obvious? Everyone can guess who did it!"