Chapter 35

Finally, it was time for Jiang Manzhu's vacation, and she decided to buy everything she needed in one go.

When she learned they had to walk to the town market, her initially excited mood instantly turned into one of indifference. What? Walk there?

No, thank you!

"Weren't you saying you wanted to go buy things? Why are you now saying you don't want to go?" Li Linxi looked at the woman in front of him, who was throwing a little tantrum, slightly puzzled. He couldn't quite figure out what he had done to upset her this time.

"Why do we have to walk to the supply and marketing co-op? It's so far…" Jiang Manzhu complained, admitting to herself that she wasn't the type to endure hardship. She was someone who enjoyed a comfortable life.

"I'll bring the handcart and pull you there." Li Linxi, on the other hand, planned to get some supplies… Oops, he meant go to work. But that part didn't need to be shared with Jiang Manzhu.

"Really? That's great! Linxi, you're really the pillar of our family, always so clever and capable." Jiang Manzhu immediately beamed, her smile sweet and radiant as she complimented him.

Li Linxi, hearing the term "pillar of the family" repeatedly from Jiang Manzhu, couldn't help but glance at the top of her head.

Pillar? How much of a pillar?

He raised his eyebrows slightly, and seeing her still standing there dumbfounded, he said helplessly, "Aren't you going to pack up the things you need to take? We should head out soon, or it'll be dark by the time we go."

Reminded by him, Jiang Manzhu quickly grabbed her small cloth bag and climbed onto the handcart. Watching Li Linxi pull the cart, she felt a bit embarrassed, "Linxi, are you tired? Do you want me to pull it instead?"

"Sure." Li Linxi stopped in his tracks, turned around, and looked at her.

His expression was calm, showing no hint of joking.

But it was Jiang Manzhu who burst into laughter, "I don't know the way, so I won't compete with you for the task. Why don't you ask Xiaobei? Xiaobei is already 14 or 15 years old now. Xiaobei, you should learn to help your third brother with the heavy chores, okay?"

"Don't trick him. Xiaobei is still young, and he might believe you." Li Linxi warned Jiang Manzhu helplessly. Xiaobei was still too young. What if he pulled the cart into a ditch?

"Xiaobei, your third brother says you're dumb," Jiang Manzhu laughed heartily, speaking without any filter, saying whatever came to her mind.

Sure enough, Xiaobei, feeling provoked, angrily exclaimed, "Third brother, how could you say that about me? I'm really smart. I can get full marks on my homework!"

"Yes, yes, our Xiaobei is very smart. If you study well, you'll definitely be able to get into middle school and even high school in the future." Jiang Manzhu nodded with a smile, praising Xiaobei until he almost forgot who he was.

"Hehe," Xiaobei grinned foolishly.

Unlike the speed of a tractor, along the way, Jiang Manzhu admired the scenery and chatted with Xiaobei.

Halfway there, Jiang Manzhu actually had Xiaobei pull the handcart for a while. Li Linxi stood on the side, full of helplessness, "Xiaobei, I really didn't think you were dumb."

As he spoke, his slightly cold gaze flicked towards Jiang Manzhu, as if blaming her: Look at what you've done!

Jiang Manzhu smiled sweetly and innocently, "Xiaobei enjoys moving around, just let him play."

Besides, wasn't Xiaobei pushing the cart just fine? It wasn't delaying anything. "Xiaobei has the heart to help, you shouldn't reject it. Otherwise, in the future, he might not be filial to you."

"Is the word 'filial' really appropriate here?" Li Linxi asked faintly, thankful she wasn't a language teacher, or she would mislead students.

"Why not? Xiaobei is younger than you. And it's not only when you're old that the term 'filial' applies. Filial piety means thinking of you and being considerate. Isn't that also filial?" Jiang Manzhu explained her view on filial piety, adding that when there's fortune, you should enjoy it. Otherwise, you might raise an ungrateful child.

As they walked, Jiang Manzhu eventually sat on the handcart again, realizing she couldn't keep going on foot. She couldn't help but sigh, "When can I finally get a bicycle?"

"When you get a bicycle ticket," Li Linxi replied casually.

"Oh, then I'll just keep dreaming." Jiang Manzhu knew her own situation well. As a teacher, she couldn't afford a bicycle, not to mention the even more precious bicycle ticket.

"Let's go. Didn't you say you wanted to buy some things at the supply and marketing co-op?" Li Linxi remembered that she had been wanting to go shopping, particularly for women's items.

Last time, the things he bought for her probably weren't exactly what she wanted.

After nodding, Jiang Manzhu entered the supply and marketing co-op, telling them to go their separate ways. "You buy what you need, and I'll just browse around."

After they finished shopping, they would meet up again. Meanwhile, Xiaobei was eyeing some delicious food, but didn't dare to ask.

Li Linxi bought some daily necessities, such as salt and brown sugar, and then went to buy meat.

By noon, after walking all the way from the village to the town's supply and marketing co-op, they were tired and hungry, so they stopped by a state-run restaurant.

This was a must-visit place for people of this era, and Jiang Manzhu had been there before with Li Linxi to buy meat buns. Sitting inside, it gave off a strong sense of the era.

Oh, wait, both the supply and marketing co-op and the grain station had that strong sense of the times.

The three of them ate their meal here, and before long, Li Linxi left, saying he had forgotten to buy something at the co-op and would be back soon.

Jiang Manzhu was still focused on her meal. The braised fish of this era was really amazing.

Xiaobei was also happily eating, alternating bites of meat and rice.

After they were full, he rubbed his round belly and sighed, "Sister-in-law, wouldn't it be great if we could eat at a state-run restaurant every day?"

In Xiaobei's mind, state-run restaurants were now synonymous with good, plentiful food.

The people sitting nearby heard Xiaobei's comment and couldn't help but join in, "Haha, young man, that's quite an ambition."

"I'd like to eat at a state-run restaurant every day too. Ah, but I can't afford it!"

"Haha, once you become a worker, you can eat here every day. Study hard, young man."

None of the adults noticed anything unusual in Xiaobei's words, so they kept teasing him. Xiaobei, not realizing anything either, asked earnestly, "Study hard, and I'll be able to do it?"

"Yes, yes, study hard. Have you gotten into middle school yet?" They continued joking around, but seemed to sense something wasn't quite right.

"Not yet. I just started first grade." Xiaobei shook his head.

As soon as he said that, the adults' gazes towards Xiaobei became a bit more subtle. "Oh, then study hard."

"Xiaobei, don't drink so much water," Jiang Manzhu advised. Even though water was free, drinking too much would be a problem since they still had to walk back to the village, which was far away.

"Your brother will be back soon," she added, subtly signaling to the others not to think they were just two easy-to-bully weaklings.

To prevent Xiaobei from sharing too much information, Jiang Manzhu started chatting and laughing with the other ladies there.

Before long, they had talked about the jobs of these ladies' sons and daughters.

These women loved to brag, especially about their children who were workers, feeling a sense of pride.

When Li Linxi returned, he found Jiang Manzhu happily listening to the older ladies bragging about their children. They even asked her if she was married and if she had any good matches to recommend.

Jiang Manzhu: Yes, I am married, and someone as excellent as you must surely have children who are equally excellent. I don't know anyone who could match that level of excellence.

Seeing the sharp, mean look in the older woman's eyes, Jiang Manzhu thought to herself that this lady must be tough on her daughter-in-law at home. Sorry, I don't know anyone for you!

The woman only heard the surface meaning of Jiang Manzhu's words and, thinking she was being praised for her excellence, laughed heartily.

Of course, aside from this lady, the other two old women were also quite happy with how things were going.

They even shared some local gossip as they continued their chat.

"Sorry, we need to get going. You can continue chatting," Jiang Manzhu said with a smile as she noticed Li Linxi had returned. She bid farewell to the group of gossiping women, having enjoyed passing the time with them.

The ladies were a bit disappointed to see her go, feeling like they were losing their best audience. Why not chat for a little longer?

"Are we done talking? Come on, let's chat a bit longer. Why are you in such a hurry?"

"You young people have things to do, unlike you, who can just wander around."

"Who's wandering around? I'm working hard."

"You call that working?"

As Jiang Manzhu left the state-run hotel, she could still vaguely hear their arguing. In fact, they didn't really care about Jiang Manzhu leaving; they just wanted someone to support them while they boasted, which wasn't enough motivation!

Jiang Manzhu didn't ask Li Linxi what he bought. "It's getting late. Now that we've finished shopping, we should head home."

"Yeah." Li Linxi carried a burlap sack. If he could, he planned to push the wooden cart into the state-run hotel.

On the way home, Jiang Manzhu started to feel a bit sleepy. Fortunately, she held onto the cart while she and Xiao Bei sat on the wooden cart, leaving Li Linxi to do all the hard work.

However, what Jiang Manzhu didn't expect was that as soon as they got home, the team leader's wife, Huang Yeying, stormed in angrily.

"Li Linxi, you shameless thing!" As soon as Huang Yeying saw Li Linxi, her face was filled with rage, and she directly started cursing him.

Jiang Manzhu: …

Li Linxi: ???

Xiao Bei: !!!

"Aunt Ying, some things shouldn't be casually said. Our Linxi is hardworking, capable, kind-hearted, and cares for students. Who are you calling shameless?" Jiang Manzhu said coldly, clearly displeased.

"Jiang Zhiqing, this isn't your business." Huang Yeying was full of anger; she didn't want to hear Jiang Zhiqing's nonsense.

Don't talk back to her at this time, or she might slap her.

Huang Yeying's arrogance and anger were evident on her face. Jiang Manzhu looked at Li Linxi with confusion. "You haven't done anything to offend her, right?"

He shouldn't have; the male lead is pure and disinterested, with no time for romantic affairs.

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Li Linxi rolled his eyes, then looked at Huang Yeying.

"Aunt Ying, you come to my house and start cursing. If you're looking for trouble, don't blame me for being rude." Li Linxi looked at Huang Yeying with a cold gaze. Did she really think the team leader's position was secure?

"Li Linxi, what did you do to my Qianqian? You're worse than a beast!" Huang Yeying didn't fear Li Linxi's cold stare; instead, she felt like she wanted to charge at him and fight.

Earlier, when she visited her daughter, she noticed her looking unwell.

Since her daughter couldn't cook, and Luo Liangcai had gone to work in the fields, he even helped stir-fry dishes and made her daughter steamed egg custard to nourish her. In the afternoon, he secretly brought her some brown sugar.

Brown sugar egg soup to nourish her, and after marrying Luo Zhiqing for so long, why hadn't she gotten pregnant yet?

Just then, upon smelling the egg's fishy odor, Su Qianqian felt nauseated and vomited several times.

As a woman who had given birth to several children, Huang Yeying's eyes brightened up immediately, and she focused on Su Qianqian's belly. "Qianqian, is something up with you…?"

With hopeful eyes, she looked at Su Qianqian, but instead of joy, Su Qianqian turned pale and instinctively touched her belly.

"Maybe I'm pregnant. Oh, mom, you don't know how long I've been waiting. Come on, let's go see the doctor at the entrance of the brigade…"

Huang Yeying hadn't sensed anything wrong yet, still very happy. If she had a child, then the man's heart could be settled down.

"No, I won't go." Su Qianqian instinctively shook her head, her face full of fear and panic, clearly showing it to Huang Yeying.

Even if she was happy for the child, she wouldn't lose her head and reason. Su Qianqian's behavior was too unusual for Huang Yeying not to notice.

"Qianqian, are you hiding something from mom?" Huang Yeying grabbed Su Qianqian's hand with a serious expression.

Su Qianqian didn't know that she…

"Mom, I… I'm pregnant, but… it's not Luo Liangcai's child." Su Qianqian struggled to say these words, as if she had suffered some huge humiliation before slowly speaking.

"What? Not… You, Qianqian, what's going on?" Huang Yeying's eyes widened in shock, and her mouth couldn't close for several seconds before she finally reacted and lowered her voice.

She looked around, occasionally glancing outside to see if Luo Liangcai would suddenly return.

"This is so frustrating. How did this happen? Who is it? Who??" Furious, Huang Yeying slapped Su Qianqian's hand several times, wondering how such a thing had happened. Did she want to lose face…?

If she wasn't her own daughter, Huang Yeying would want to spit in disgust.

But now that it was her daughter, she felt her vision darkening, almost fainting from anger. Not only could she not faint, but she also had to think of a way to help her daughter clean up the mess.

Su Qianqian dared not tell her mother who it was. She really couldn't bring herself to say it and just kept her head down in silence.

"Are you still keeping secrets for him? And if Luo Liangcai finds out about this, what will happen? At this point, don't say it's someone else's; this child is definitely Luo Liangcai's!"

Seeing Su Qianqian wouldn't say, no matter how much she pressed, Huang Yeying could only endure her anger and made this decision.

She had already considered her daughter's future, regaining her calm expression and giving Su Qianqian some advice.

"You must not contact him again, understand?" Huang Yeying still indulged Su Qianqian, but no amount of arguing or hitting would work. The incident had already happened.

Now…

Once Huang Yeying finished speaking, Su Qianqian frowned, her face full of worry, making Huang Yeying impatiently speak up.

"What's wrong? Is there still a problem? Don't worry; tell mom, and I'll help you solve this. I won't let him disturb your life. Really, how could you do something like this? If it gets out, you'll be in trouble!!"

Doing something like this could get one paraded around in public.

Huang Yeying specially reminded Su Qianqian, who turned pale at the thought and clutched her mother's hand. "Mom, what should we do??"

Just then, Luo Liangcai's figure appeared at the door. "Mom? Why are you here? Qianqian, I'm back."

In front of Huang Yeying, Luo Liangcai appeared warm and polite, entirely different from the indifference when only Su Qianqian was present.

"Liangcai's back? Oh, I came to tell you something good." Huang Yeying smiled brightly, speaking to Luo Liangcai, filled with excitement.

"Mom." Su Qianqian quickly warned her.

"Qianqian might be pregnant. In a bit, I'll take her to see the doctor." Huang Yeying didn't mention the months, thinking anyway it must be Luo Liangcai's child, and she could just fabricate the months later.

Qianqian was so silly, how could she be sure it wasn't Luo Liangcai's child?

What if it was Luo Zhiqing's? Huang Yeying had all her calculations ready, knowing young people were impulsive and wouldn't think of anything, especially at night when nothing was happening.

Immediately, Su Qianqian and Luo Liangcai's expressions changed, one pale and the other green.

"I caught a cold this morning and don't feel well. I have no appetite for anything, so my mom misunderstood." Su Qianqian quickly explained that she was sick and had no appetite. "Mom is worried we should have a child soon, and that's how the misunderstanding happened."

Huang Yeying wasn't stupid, realizing what Su Qianqian meant. Besides, Huang Yeying was no fool; if she built a bridge and didn't find a way down, there would definitely be a problem.

"Can I check? Really, you should have told me if you weren't feeling well; look how hot your forehead is." Huang Yeying hurriedly went to touch her forehead and then spoke irritably, as if saying this kind of thing shouldn't be her mother's concern.

Luo Liangcai stood there watching them without saying anything, his gaze somewhat focused on her belly.

"Liangcai, lunch is ready for you. Eat first; I'll take Qianqian to the doctor. Honestly, Qianqian doesn't even know how to take care of herself." Huang Yeying reassured Luo Liangcai before leading Su Qianqian out.

However, they were indeed going to see a doctor.

When they ran into others outside, they also mentioned that Su Qianqian caught a cold and was going to have her pulse checked.

However, when they reached a deserted open area, Huang Yeying pulled Su Qianqian, looking as serious as if she were interrogating her. "Su Qianqian, tell me the truth! What's going on between you and Luo Liangce? Also, whose child is it that you're carrying?"

This place was empty, surrounded by fields, indicating that no one was eavesdropping.

It wasn't that she didn't want to take Qianqian home, but… wouldn't that let Luo Zhiqing know that something was amiss?

Damn it, how could Qianqian get herself into such a shameless situation? Huang Yeying was so angry that she felt like giving Su Qianqian a beating.

"Mom, I can't keep this child, and… maybe there is no child at all?" Su Qianqian really couldn't bear to imagine what had happened before and was unwilling to admit she had an illegitimate child.

"I… I haven't consummated my marriage with Luo Liangce yet…" Su Qianqian stuttered awkwardly as she said this, feeling both embarrassed and uncomfortable.

If others found out about this, Su Qianqian thought it would be incredibly humiliating and disgraceful…

Even if it was her own mother, it didn't matter. The main issue was that if her family had allowed it earlier and helped her make connections, she would definitely have been able to marry Li Linxi.

Because of their obstruction, she now found herself in such a difficult situation.

Su Qianqian felt her future was bleak, but wealth and honor were so close within her grasp. If she missed this opportunity, she would truly regret it for the rest of her life.

"Mom, do you think I can still marry Li Linxi like this?" Su Qianqian couldn't help but ask her mother. If not, she really felt like she would rather die, just like in her previous life.

That despair also reached Huang Yeying, who couldn't understand why the simple girl she had doted on would feel so hopeless.

And… what did it mean to say she hadn't consummated the marriage??

"Qianqian, how could this be… Is Luo Zhiqing not capable? If I had known this, I wouldn't have let you marry him. He ruined my Qianqian's life!"

"And Luo Liangce too, knowing he had a problem, still wants to harm other girls. How despicable!"

Huang Yeying's anger made Su Qianqian hesitant to mention her unwillingness to consummate the marriage with Luo Liangce. She could only lower her head, pretending that the truth was exactly as her mother said.

Su Qianqian's silence made Huang Yeying suspicious. "Could it be that the child is Li Linxi's?"

Otherwise, why would Qianqian think about marrying Li Linxi?

Su Qianqian wanted to refute this but found herself at a loss for words, not knowing how to voice that the child in her womb belonged to some vile and despicable man…

Huang Yeying looked at her belly. "Maybe you don't have a child at all. Have you noticed anything unusual with your body recently?"

Su Qianqian answered truthfully and even asked Huang Yeying if she could terminate the pregnancy.

Huang Yeying took her to see a doctor and, upon learning that she was pregnant, instructed the doctor not to speak carelessly. Her Qianqian had only caught a fever.

The doctor, who often dealt with various patients, nodded knowingly at Huang Yeying's words, choosing not to elaborate.

However, when it came time to pay, Huang Yeying handed over a large sum of money, indicating it was a bribe to keep quiet.

As for abortion pills… the doctor didn't have any. After all, this was a rural area where not many people came to see a doctor. Most only came for fevers, and other medicines wouldn't sell, so he wouldn't take a loss on drugs that wouldn't sell.

Currently, there was no emphasis on family planning; everyone hoped for more children to bring more blessings. Who would terminate a pregnancy?

Those new brides who had been married for over half a year and hadn't gotten pregnant would do anything to get pregnancy medicine!

Although Huang Yeying was disappointed, she still had ways to manage.

After returning home with fever-reducing medicine, she needed to at least appear in front of Luo Liangce as if Qianqian was merely ill and not pregnant.

Leaving her daughter's home, Huang Yeying ran to the Li family's house, but at that time, no one was home. Angered, she had to go back. Just as she returned home, she heard that the Li family's young man was pushing a cart back, and she immediately ran to the Li family.

Due to her daughter's reputation, she didn't make a scene at the door but entered the house first before angrily cursing.

Xiao Bei didn't follow her inside and instead went to brag to his little friends about what he ate and bought at the market today.

Only Li Linxi and Jiang Manzhu heard Huang Yeying's words, so upon hearing them, both felt… was Huang Yeying's mind a bit problematic?

"Aunt Fei Ying, I remember that you already came to make a fuss about Su Qianqian's matter last time. Was it once or twice? Don't come dumping your dirty laundry on us."

Jiang Manzhu understood; Huang Yeying wanted to marry her daughter to Li Linxi again??

"Linxi, it's all your fault for being too outstanding. I've said it before, how can a man as excellent as you hide his brilliance… This isn't the case where married women don't care about their reputation; they want to marry you."

Jiang Manzhu seemed to be teasing Li Linxi cheerfully, but in reality, it was a dark jab at Huang Yeying. Your daughter is a married woman. Is it really the mark of a good mother to tarnish her reputation like this?

"Shut your mouth! You did something shameful and don't want anyone to talk about it?" Huang Yeying felt a bit flustered. Being reminded, she recalled that she had indeed caused trouble for the Li family because of Qianqian…

Now, could it be that Qianqian wanted to marry into the Li family and deliberately lied to her?

No, that's impossible! This matter was about her reputation. It was so serious that Qianqian wouldn't dare to speak carelessly!

"Aunt Fei Ying, you've said so much but still haven't explained what exactly is going on. You can't just come here and yell at us without reason, right?" Could it be that Su Qianqian did something shocking that drove Huang Yeying mad to seek trouble?

Jiang Manzhu pondered for a moment, thinking, something shameful? What kind of inhumane treatment did they give to her Qianqian??

It couldn't be that her purity was ruined? She glanced at Li Linxi beside her, wondering if he was looking at a married woman behind her husband's back.

"Do you still dare to say you haven't done anything? Li Linxi, before, when I asked you to marry my Qianqian, you refused. Who knew you would be doing such dirty deeds behind our backs?" What do you say we do about this?

Huang Yeying thought that since Luo Liangce wasn't suitable, they needed to find another man.

In the past, Li Linxi didn't fancy her daughter. Now that she was pregnant, could he still have the audacity to talk about reputation?

"Aunt Ying, I have nothing to do with Su Qianqian. We've never had any contact, and if you want to falsely accuse someone, you should at least have some evidence."

Li Linxi truly wanted to kick Huang Yeying out. Did she come here to yell at him just because she was the brigade leader's wife?

His deep-set eyes concealed a coldness like a dark pool. As for the brigade leader… given his recent behavior, who knew if he could still keep his position?

There were always people wanting to be the brigade leader, but lately, Su Dazhuang had done well during the three years of the great famine. However, in recent years, the village had expressed complaints about the favoritism towards his family.

At this moment, Huang Yeying looked at Jiang Manzhu, seemingly intending to have a private chat with Li Linxi.

However, Li Linxi refused. "Let's not. If something goes wrong, you'll blame it on me. It's better to have a witness present."

Jiang Manzhu, standing there, felt a bit tired after walking quite a distance.

She plopped down on a bench in the hall. "Aunt Ying, if you have something to say, just say it directly. If you keep shouting and cursing, we won't welcome you again. Even if you're the brigade leader's wife, there's no reason to bully the villagers like this."

Jiang Manzhu lightly put a label on her, suggesting that she used the brigade leader's power to bully the villagers, and the brigade leader wouldn't punish her… if this got out, it would be a serious offense that could cost him his position.

"Qianqian is pregnant, and it's your fault, Li Linxi. How do you plan to take responsibility?" Huang Yeying got straight to the point, having rushed over to find Li Linxi with little preparation.

When Su Qianqian was asked who the father of the child was, she refused to say anything, or she would tearfully stutter, asking if she could marry Li Linxi…

Huang Yaying couldn't help but misunderstand; if this scandal got out, her daughter would be ruined. How could she bear it?

Once this was said, both Li Linxi and Jiang Manzhu were stunned, especially Jiang Manzhu. Why should Li Linxi take responsibility when Su Qianqian was pregnant?

"Aunt Ying, I've never done anything wrong. No one can pin this on me. Besides, hasn't your daughter married Luo Liangce?" Your daughter is already married, yet you want to frame me? Isn't that disgusting?

"Exactly! Since you say so, what evidence is there? How many months pregnant is Comrade Su Qianqian?"

Jiang Manzhu looked at Huang Yaying with a sarcastic tone. "Anyone can make wild claims. If one day someone comes to say they've gotten pregnant with the captain's child, does that mean it's true?"

As soon as this was said, Huang Yaying's face changed drastically. "What the hell are you talking about? My Su family would never do such a thing!"

Just after Huang Yaying finished angrily rebuking, she realized what Jiang Manzhu meant. "Our Qianqian has been pregnant for over a month, a month ago you…"

"A month ago, our mother-in-law had just passed away. How could Linxi have had time for that? Besides, if Linxi had that thought, he would have married Su Qianqian long ago. It's actually Comrade Su Qianqian who has repeatedly tried to marry into our Li family. What's going on here…?"

Jiang Manzhu elongated her last sentence, a hint of mockery in her tone, clearly informing Huang Yaying that perhaps this was another self-directed drama?

Huang Yaying glared at Jiang Manzhu. "Jiang, I'm talking to Li Linxi, this is none of your business, please don't interrupt us."

Jiang Manzhu was being annoying, and Huang Yaying's words were being blocked by her, how could she not be angry?

Seeing Huang Yaying in a furious state, Jiang Manzhu said, "Aunt Ying, we don't know about Su Qianqian's situation and won't leak it, but you should really investigate the truth. Don't wrong an innocent person and let the whole village know."

Jiang Manzhu implied somewhat disdainfully, "Considering Su Qianqian's previous behavior, haven't you remembered anything at all, Aunt Ying?"

Li Linxi also felt that Huang Yaying was acting impulsively, as if she had no brain. So many things had happened before; how could she still not learn her lesson?

"Aunt Ying, I've already given you a lot of face. Each time you've come to me over some baseless rumors, even the captain shouldn't be bullied like this by a martyr's family."

Li Linxi's handsome face was cold, with sharp features. He was already tired of Huang Yaying's repeated provocations. "Your daughter is behaving improperly; you should discipline her rather than slander others everywhere."

Huang Yaying was insulted in turn by Jiang Manzhu and Li Linxi, but she couldn't make a scene. If others found out, Qianqian would be truly finished.

Frustrated, unable to scold or fight back, she didn't dare mention this to her husband, who was already unwilling to deal with Qianqian's issues.

After leaving the Li family, Huang Yaying sought out Su Qianqian again, asking who the child in her belly belonged to. Was it Li Linxi's? When did they get together? She would definitely make him take responsibility!

Su Qianqian was scared and quickly asked, "Mom, did you go to find Li Linxi just now?"

"Yes, didn't you say that the child is his? But he won't admit it; he has no manly spirit, just a worthless egg." Huang Yaying was furious, hitting the bed.

However, Su Qianqian was upset by her mother's foolish impulsiveness, crying, "Mom, why did you go to Li Linxi? I…I didn't say it was his. Wuwu, how will I find him in the future?"

She wanted to quietly get an abortion and then find a way to approach Li Linxi. After all, where there's a will, there's a way. Isn't it true that "men pursue women through mountains, while women pursue men through a veil"?

Who knew her plans would be shattered, and now that Li Linxi knew she was pregnant with… an illegitimate child, he would definitely think she was a loose woman, making her chances of getting close to him even slimmer.

Angry, Su Qianqian confronted Huang Yaying, her tone filled with blame. "Why are you acting so recklessly? I didn't want you to interfere; why are you meddling? What were you thinking?"

As she spoke, she cried, leaving Huang Yaying feeling cold. She was doing this for Qianqian's sake, but this impulsiveness was only out of concern. After all, it was Qianqian who said the child was Li Linxi's.

If it weren't for this, she wouldn't have sought Li Linxi and then been publicly humiliated by both him and Jiang Manzhu.

If Qianqian was truly this worried and scared, why did she do such shameless things in the first place?

Yet Huang Yaying held her anger in, realizing that Luo Liangce was no longer viable, and Qianqian couldn't be tied to him for life.

Who was the child's father? If possible, marrying that person wasn't out of the question; after all, they had been together… Ugh, at least she was pregnant with the child of someone…

Suddenly, Huang Yaying thought of a possibility. "Could it be that man is already married?"

Damn it!

Under Huang Yaying's repeated questioning, she finally found out who it was—Zhu Dachun?!

Huang Yaying was furious and wanted to beat Zhu Dachun to death. Right now, only Su Qianqian was in front of her, so she could only hit Su Qianqian in anger. "How dare you, how could you? What kind of person is Zhu Dachun? You… you actually look up to him?"

It was one thing if Luo Liangce was useless, but how could she possibly look up to Zhu Dachun?

Huang Yaying never thought that her casual comment would turn out to be true; Luo Liangce really was impotent?

"Are you blind?" She slapped Su Qianqian several times before anxiously looking at her belly. "No, you can't keep this child."

Luo Liangce was useless; then just find another man. But Zhu Dachun? That was completely unacceptable.

"Mom, I don't want it either…" Su Qianqian was aggrieved; it wasn't like there weren't any abortion pills at the small clinic. She didn't know what to do.

With tearful eyes looking at her mother, Huang Yaying couldn't help but soften her heart.

After all, it was her child that she had raised with her own hands. Huang Yaying had felt a little cold in her heart, but now she was worried. About whether the child could be kept, there wasn't much of a problem. She could find the medicine.

"Now, Luo Liangce has gone to work. You just rest at home; I'll find the medicine this afternoon and come back to get you. In the next few days, just take a good rest…" Huang Yaying was truly worried about her daughter.

"And Zhu Dachun, you must never have contact with him again, understand?" Huang Yaying really felt that her daughter was living…

"If Luo Liangce is useless, why didn't you say it earlier? Now it's like this… How about this? You two should get a divorce, and Mom will find you someone better?" If the man is useless, then it means there won't be any children, and how would they provide for their old age in the future?

Su Qianqian didn't understand why her life had become so miserable. The child must not be kept, but Luo Liangce…

"What kind of person is Mom planning to find for me?" Su Qianqian hesitated. She had already disliked Luo Liangce in her past life, but now that she was with him, she didn't know if she should believe his explanations.

Clearly, Su Qianqian didn't despise Luo Liangce as much as before, but she was reluctant to be with him, afraid he would continue to be like he was in her previous life.

Huang Yaying mentioned a candidate, a villager from the neighboring production brigade, who was said to be diligent and could earn full work points.

As soon as Su Qianqian heard this, she quickly shook her head. No, no! A mud-legged person? Did she really want to spend a lifetime facing the dirt?

Huang Yaying suggested another candidate, also a farmer, but Su Qianqian was unwilling to accept it. She just wanted to marry Li Linxi. Was that really so difficult?

Huang Yaying was also angry. This was the best she could find. Qianqian was now in a second marriage… If she hadn't gotten pregnant and Luo Liangce wasn't useless, it could still be considered a first marriage.

But now…

What good partner can she still find? Don't think that just because the current leaders promote gender equality, it's really equal. It's already good if a divorced woman can marry someone decent; most of the time, they end up marrying men in their thirties or forties who are widowers.

She already cares for her daughter a lot, but who knew her daughter didn't know how to restrain herself and didn't understand her mother's good intentions, and even murmured, "Why are you only finding these country bumpkins? Mom, isn't there anyone better?"

"Mom, can't I marry Li Linxi?" In the end, she cried again, wondering what she had to do to marry Li Linxi.

"Just give up on that thought. Li Linxi is still a high school student; how could he be interested in you? If you hadn't been messing around outside, would it have come to this?" Huang Yeying was also frustrated; no wonder the old man didn't want to deal with Qianqian.

She didn't want to deal with her daughter's troubles anymore; she even wanted to slap her face to wake her up.

Su Qianqian knew the difference between herself and Li Linxi right now, and because of the hopelessness, she felt resentment towards her parents who had obstructed her. "If you hadn't stopped me from marrying Li Linxi back then, I wouldn't have ended up like this."

Huang Yeying sensed Su Qianqian's resentment and found it unreasonable. Back then, the Li family really wasn't good. They only had Li Linxi as a labor force while having to support three useless ones, while Qianqian was their cherished pearl.

Who could have imagined that after Su Qianqian's series of reckless actions, her reputation would plummet?

"Isn't this the good deed you did back then? Your reputation in the village is terrible; no one wants to marry you now." Huang Yeying snapped back angrily.

What a waste of talent, turning a good hand of cards into a mess—that's exactly Su Qianqian.

Huang Yeying's enthusiasm was doused with cold water. It seemed like a complaint, but ice doesn't freeze in a day; it's built up little by little, just like Huang Yeying.

Her mind involuntarily recalled what Jiang Manzhu had said to her earlier at the Li family, bringing back memories of Qianqian and her interactions.

Frustrated and disheartened, hadn't she made plans for Qianqian before?

After Su Qianqian's words fell, she felt a bit regretful, but listening to her mother's accusations, that regret turned into awkward, painful anger—this was all your fault.

Seeing her mother storm off, Su Qianqian's anger and resentment turned into panic. Would her mother be really angry? Would she stop caring for her?

Even though Huang Yeying was angry, in the end, she still brought abortion pills for her; it's just that by the time she got them, Luo Liangce had already returned from work.

And the news about Qianqian's pregnancy had already spread…

Huang Yeying: ???

How did it spread? Damn doctor, after giving him so much money, couldn't he keep it a secret?

After asking a few more questions, she learned that it was Luo Liangce who spread it? What? Isn't he supposed to be incapable… wait, how did he know??

"Liangce, Qianqian isn't pregnant; she just has a fever. How could you spread this outside?" Huang Yeying immediately went to find Luo Liangce to clarify the situation, but her smile seemed a bit forced.

"Mom, my situation, Qianqian should have told you. Anyway, it's already like this. If I remain childless for a few years, people will suspect me; it's better like this. I will treat the child in Qianqian's belly as my own…" Luo Liangce sighed with a hint of worry and proactively mentioned this matter.

That wretched Su Qianqian probably didn't even know whose dog she had gotten pregnant by, but the Su family wouldn't let this matter spread; on the contrary, to find someone to take the blame, or to keep the informant quiet, he had no idea how he would suffer.

It wasn't that Luo Liangce thought too badly of people; it was just that he had been wrongly accused several times for trying to get close to Su Qianqian before and had even been mocked by her (saying to let him be a teacher).

It might not cost a life, but aside from that, he probably wouldn't want to be seen by anyone.

With the forced green hat on, Luo Liangce self-deprecatingly smiled, then looked at Huang Yeying with hope, "Mom, you must keep this matter a secret for me."

Huang Yeying was stunned. So, this is how it is??

"Mom understands…" Huang Yeying truly intended to think about it; if Luo Liangce knew and the matter blew up, he wouldn't let it go.

But now, looking at Luo Liangce's slightly pleading eyes, Huang Yeying tightened the pills in her hand. In her view, Luo Liangce was the one being controlled, and how could she protect Qianqian?

The old man didn't want to deal with it now; she didn't dare tell him, fearing he would get angry.

After hearing about her mother's plans, Su Qianqian was dumbfounded. What does this mean? No abortion? Carrying this… thing to term??

Is she crazy?

Also, when did Luo Liangce become incapable? If he was incapable, where did her child from her previous life come from?

Was Luo Liangce doing this on purpose? Had he spread this news throughout the village? Su Qianqian didn't believe Luo Liangce was truly unconcerned; he must have some conspiracy waiting for her.

"No, no, Mom, give me the pills. I want to abort…" Hearing her mother's ridiculous idea, Su Qianqian thought her mom must be insane. Only a fool would believe Luo Liangce's words.

On the contrary, Luo Liangce grasped Su Qianqian's hand with hopeful pleading, asking her to keep the child, saying it was for him.

It sounded as if the child belonged to Luo Liangce, leaving Su Qianqian momentarily stunned, but how could she agree?

Huang Yeying handed the pills to Su Qianqian, allowing them to fuss about however they wanted. She was tired after a day of running around and had gotten nothing, only her daughter's complaints.

How could she not feel exhausted and cold-hearted?

A few days later, Huang Yeying learned of her daughter's decision: to keep the child, and she wanted to get a marriage certificate with Luo Liangce, taking a day off.

Also, she had hidden Luo Liangce's documents, planning for the future if he wanted to return to the city? Hmph, not a chance!

Su Qianqian also realized that since Li Linxi had found out about her pregnancy, her favorability rating in Li Linxi's heart must be at negative ten thousand, and her chances of marrying him were gone.

So, she could only focus on creating trouble for Luo Liangce, her enemy.

He admitted he was incapable and wanted to raise someone else's child? No problem, she would immediately put a green hat on him and make him raise someone else's child.

Getting the marriage certificate and hiding the documents was all about ensuring that when he ran away, she could still find him, but of course, that was only if he could escape after she hid the documents.

Her father was the captain; could he not suppress Luo Liangce?

If he really wanted to run, then… she would just break his legs.

All of this was for later; for now, let's put it aside.

Returning to the timeline after Huang Yeying left the Li family, Jiang Manzhu frowned, "Su Qianqian is so annoying; it's always like this. And what's wrong with Feiying? Is she brainless? She always comes to cause trouble so impulsively. It's impressive to have a man as the captain."

Jiang Manzhu wasn't without temper either; under the roof, one had to bow their head. Fighting was not in her favor.

"Then let him not sit comfortably in the captain's position; he won't have so much time to meddle in others' affairs." Li Linxi's expression was slightly cold; being harassed repeatedly by others made him quite unhappy.

As for Su Qianqian, who had her eyes on him, she dared to act so arrogantly, wasn't it because she relied on her father's status in the village?

Jiang Manzhu looked up in surprise at Li Linxi, seemingly astonished that he would say such domineering words, but it also seemed quite natural.

As the male lead, how could he showcase his abilities without some setbacks and obstacles?

"You're right, Linxi, go for it! Are you planning to replace his position as captain? Wouldn't that be a bit challenging?" After encouraging him, Jiang Manzhu expressed her doubts.

After all, Linxi looked so young; it wouldn't be easy to win over the old men in the village.

"I'm not interested, but many people are. In recent years, the captain has assigned high-efficiency work to his own people, and many villagers have voiced complaints. Now, we just need a push."

Li Linxi chuckled lightly, glancing down at his sleeve. Cutting pigweed seemed easy, but it only earned two work points.

He had spent a lot of effort to get this position, relying on past favors.

Supervising the warehouse and keeping records were simpler tasks with higher work points—who wouldn't covet that?

People just wanted to take all the benefits for themselves and not even leave others a drop, which could definitely provoke anger.

After speaking, he stood up, planning to find those uncles for a good chat.

Jiang Manzhu nodded, half-understanding. For matters like this, she needed to help; the power of the aunts was still strong.

"They still have work today; it's time to head to the fields now. Let's talk tonight when it's quiet—better for conversations," Jiang Manzhu suddenly remembered and reminded Li Linxi.

Li Linxi might have forgotten that his rest schedule was different from that of the villagers. While the laborers had gone to work, the older folks were already relaxing at home.

Li Linxi didn't return all afternoon. After dinner, he went out again.

As Jiang Manzhu approached the end of her work shift, she pretended to gather firewood and chatted with several aunts, expressing, "You all work so hard. The team leader's family has it easy, getting light work with high points."

The person recording the work points was also from the team leader's family; if they wanted to give someone higher points, they could do it without anyone checking.

The aunts were quite sharp; even though they worked hard, they still accumulated points, and if the harvest went well, tomorrow would bring a prosperous year.

"I heard that the team leader's three sons and daughters-in-law are all capable and also earn high points. I really wonder where they found such good daughters-in-law; many must be envious," she said.

Just a few light comments made many aunts start to ponder.

Although she didn't say everything to one aunt, the hints felt more genuine with a touch of ambiguity. Did they doubt it? Of course, they'd discuss it amongst themselves.

By the time Li Linxi returned that night, Jiang Manzhu was still preparing hot water for his bath. "You've worked hard. How did it go? Was it smooth?"

"Mm." Li Linxi didn't elaborate on the process; he simply replied, "It's getting late; you should rest. You don't need to worry about me; I might come back late."

In the end, Li Linxi reminded her not to overwork herself, saying he didn't care much about these small matters.

"Okay." Jiang Manzhu wasn't the type to be overly sentimental. Since he said it wasn't necessary, she wouldn't fuss over it either.

Under Jiang Manzhu's and Li Linxi's reminders, many families in the village began to stir, igniting their ambitions.

At the very least, they needed to choose someone fair, if not themselves.

Because of their husbands' movements, other aunts started gathering to discuss how they could hold a new election for the team leader.

...

While the villagers were busy with their little maneuvers for the 'team leader election,' Tang Shengyan was considering Manzhu's future.

He didn't know how long he and Manzhu would live in this village, but she couldn't stay in a strange man's house forever. If something unexpected happened, how would he explain it to Uncle Jiang and the others?

Thus, Tang Shengyan specifically went to buy an old, dilapidated house from the team leader and even asked someone to help tidy it up. After all, when the time came for him to return to the city, this house would still belong to the team.

Originally, the team leader didn't intend to sell, but in the end, he agreed to this 'rental' arrangement.

When asking for help with the cleaning, many people came to assist, primarily because they were offered food.

Tang Shengyan didn't hide this from anyone, nor did he particularly seek praise from Jiang Manzhu. When it was all tidied up, he went to find her.

He brought the same cardboard box as last time. This time it wasn't as large, but it still contained quite a bit.

Since Manzhu had refused to accept it last time, Tang Shengyan could have given it to Li's family to pass on to her.

But he didn't trust Li's family for a small reason, and for a bigger reason… he wanted an excuse to visit Manzhu next time.

"Manzhu, Jiang Zhiqing, how have you been lately? This is something my parents asked me to bring down to you; they asked me to buy it for you…"

Fearing that Jiang Manzhu wouldn't accept it, Tang Shengyan quickly concocted a reason, though his words were disjointed, indicating he hadn't thought this excuse through.

"They asked me to buy it and send it to you; I just picked it up from the post office a few days ago, and I opened the package…"

Tang Shengyan hurriedly explained, feeling foolish for being so ineffective.

"Manzhu, please take it." He shoved it into Jiang Manzhu's arms, making her instinctively catch it.

Looking up at the boy in front of her, who smiled like a big, silly dog, bright as the sun, she asked, "Tang Shengyan, are these really from my parents? They… haven't been around for a long time, right?"

Jiang Manzhu's starry eyes gazed directly at Tang Shengyan, radiant and beautiful. "I know you want to help me, but it's not easy for you either. I have someone to take care of me; you don't need to worry."

Saying this, she tried to return it to him, but Tang Shengyan didn't accept it. He seriously rebutted, "I'm not helping you; this is originally yours."

"Manzhu, isn't it inconvenient for you to stay at the Li family? I've prepared a new house for you in the village; it's solely yours, and I've already stocked it with living supplies, so you can move in right away. What do you think? Want to move over? Don't worry; I'll still be at the youth point."

Tang Shengyan hinted slyly… no, it was already quite clear that he had prepared a new house, just waiting for Jiang Manzhu to move in.

His words subtly carried a hint of sourness and jealousy. He didn't want to… if he could, getting her out of the Li family would be ideal.

For some reason, Tang Shengyan felt that if Manzhu continued to stay with the Li family, he might regret it.

Moreover, that Li Linxi fellow, at first glance, didn't seem like a good man at all.