People who eat melon are in 70 - Chapter 51

The next morning, after waking up, Liu Manzhu brought a group of village cadres to find Xu Manqiu—they intended to take her to the commune.

The educated youth at the settlement couldn’t bear to part with Xu Manqiu, so they decided to follow along.

Seeing this, Liu Manzhu and his group said nothing.

Upon arriving at the commune, the first stop was the Women’s Federation, where Jiang Yutao and the others took Xu Manqiu. Meanwhile, Liu Manzhu and the cadres went to the office of the commune secretary to report the matter.

When Secretary Shen of the commune heard the details, his brows furrowed tightly: “Accountant Xu? Xu Liangcai?”

Secretary Shen had been the secretary of Zao Township Commune for nearly ten years and was well-acquainted with the leaders of the subordinate brigades.

He remembered Xu Liangcai—he wasn’t talkative, but his bookkeeping was meticulous. Secretary Shen had even publicly praised him in the past.

Thinking about Luo Xuemin and Su Changshan, who had recently been sent to labor reform, Secretary Shen’s anger flared up: “You people from Liushu Village really are something, aren’t you? Huh? Luo Xuemin and Su Changshan were caught fooling around, and now Xu Liangcai is leading the way with feudal superstitions!”

Secretary Shen was well aware of the state’s strict crackdown on feudal superstitions. He slammed the table loudly: “And you lot—knowing full well that his family was engaged in feudal superstitions, you didn’t report it. Not only that, you even helped cover it up. And now that things have spiraled out of control and the victim can’t be appeased, you’re coming to me, is that it?”

Yesterday, Secretary Shen had gone to a meeting in the county. The county leadership had specifically emphasized these issues and even showcased a recent example. He had been discussing the matter just yesterday. Yet, lo and behold, the boomerang he had thrown out came back to hit him squarely.

The individual in question practiced feudal superstitions, claiming to be the reincarnation of a celestial fox spirit. But in Liushu Village, they took it further, creating roles for a “Fortune Star” and a “Misfortune Star.” The entire village supported the Fortune Star, while the Misfortune Star was subjected to abuse by her family.

Secretary Shen could only imagine the fallout if this incident were exposed. His face darkened like soot. The embarrassment from the brigade leader and village party secretary being caught in an affair with the same woman was still fresh, and he was still being ridiculed for it. Now, it turned out all three major leaders of Liushu Village had issues, and Xu Liangcai’s misconduct was even more severe. “Xu Liangcai, what a fine example you’ve set! Truly remarkable!”

Secretary Shen was so furious he could hardly articulate his anger.

In the Women’s Federation office, the male educated youths stood guard at the door while Jiang Yutao and the others accompanied Xu Manqiu inside. There, Xu Manqiu showed them the injuries on her body.

Bruises and scars of varying sizes and depths covered her body—some from beatings, others from cuts. Many times, new wounds overlapped old ones before they had a chance to heal.

Jiang Yutao and her companions had known that Xu Manqiu’s life in the Xu family was difficult, but they hadn’t imagined it was this bad.

Their hearts ached for her. The staff at the commune’s Women’s Federation, though experienced, had never encountered someone treated as cruelly as this by her own family.

“What kind of grudge could warrant this level of hatred?” exclaimed one of the three Women’s Federation members, all of whom were outraged.

Li Yunying and the others felt immense sympathy. While Jiang Yutao and Gu Nianwei managed to hold back their emotions, Zhao Yonglan and the rest couldn’t stop their tears.

In these times, preference for sons over daughters was common. As girls, they had all faced some form of discrimination, and not all were cherished at home. But severe beatings were rare, and they had never seen someone as bruised and battered as Xu Manqiu.

Director Wang of the Women’s Federation helped Xu Manqiu adjust her clothing and asked, “Manqiu, do you want to return to the Xu family?”

Xu Manqiu shook her head. “No, I don’t. I’m sixteen now. I can earn full work points to support myself. I want to live on my own.”

Xu Manqiu had dreamed of leaving the Xu family for as long as she could remember.

This time, no matter what punishment the Xu family might face, Xu Manqiu was determined never to return to them.

Director Wang instinctively wanted to shake her head, but after reflecting on what Xu Manqiu had just said, she realized it wasn’t entirely unreasonable for her to want to live on her own. Still, she felt uneasy—after all, Xu Manqiu was a young woman, and rural areas had no shortage of single men. If something truly happened, what could be done?

As she turned her gaze, she noticed Jiang Yutao and the others. An idea crossed Director Wang’s mind, but she suppressed it for the moment. Whether or not it was feasible would require further discussion with Liu, the brigade leader from Liushugou.

Secretary Shen finally finished venting his anger and called for the Revolutionary Committee Director. Matters involving feudal superstitions typically fell under the Revolutionary Committee’s jurisdiction, and the director had been eager for an opportunity to prove himself. Now, such an opportunity had presented itself on a silver platter, and he couldn’t be happier.

As the large group was about to step outside, Officer Hu and his team arrived. Secretary Shen stepped forward to speak with him, saying, “We were just about to come find you.”

Without wasting words, Secretary Shen quickly explained the situation in just a few sentences. After he finished, Officer Hu replied, “What a coincidence. We’re here for the same issue. Last night, Xu Liangcai’s two grandsons attempted to set fire to the educated youth settlement in Liushu Village. The brigade members caught them and sent them to us overnight. After interrogation, they confessed that everything they did was under Xu Cuilian’s orders.”

Officer Hu and his team had initially planned to head out immediately but decided to wait outside when they saw Liu Manzhu and his group heading to the township government. They figured they might as well go together since they had collaborated on cases before.

Secretary Shen’s already dark expression grew even darker.

The people of Liushu village truly had a knack for causing trouble. Practicing feudal superstitions was bad enough, but now they had gone so far as to instigate arson through their own grandchildren.

Meanwhile, Xu Liangcai hadn’t slept since the previous night. He sat motionless on a stool in the courtyard, lost in thought.

His wife, Madam Xu, also couldn’t sleep. Seeing him sitting there like a block of wood, she grew irritated. “What’s the point of sitting here like that?” she snapped.

Xu Liangcai ignored her and remained seated in silence.

Madam Xu rolled her eyes and headed to the kitchen.

She wasn’t worried in the slightest. Her eldest granddaughter was fortunate, having saved the son of a county leader and the life of an old factory director. Her second son was also capable and well-connected. She didn’t think there was anything to fear.

Seeing Xu Liangcai act as if the sky were about to fall, she felt nothing but disdain.

As she worked in the kitchen, her thoughts wandered to her time as a maid in a wealthy family years ago. There had been a young master in the household, two years older than her. Handsome and cultured, she could never forget the image of him in his long robe, reading under the veranda.

Before being sold, her mistress had told her that the young master had hinted he intended to bring her closer to serve him once she was older.

Madam Xu stabbed her chopsticks into the bowl angrily. If her mistress hadn’t gotten into trouble, the maids wouldn’t have been sold. If she hadn’t been sold, she would have become the young master’s concubine by now.

Even when the land reform came, she wouldn’t have been worried. The young master’s family was wealthy; just a small hidden stash would have been enough to live comfortably.

But instead, she had been bought by the Xu family, where she ate poorly, dressed shabbily, and had to marry someone like Xu Liangcai—a spineless man who could never stand tall.

Madam Xu finished cooking, but no one was in the mood to eat. She ended up eating the meal all by herself.

Just as she set down the bowl, Xu Zhiqiang and Li Yinfeng arrived. The couple had been restless ever since receiving a phone call from home the previous night. As soon as dawn broke, they took the earliest bus they could catch.

“What’s going on? Where’s Xu Manqiu?” Xu Zhiqiang, dressed in a brand-new blue work uniform, started searching for Xu Manqiu as soon as he entered.

Despite her worry, Li Yinfeng was impeccably dressed in a pale yellow blazer and even wore a pair of small leather shoes.

“That brat is too bold! But really, Mom, you pushed her too hard,” Li Yinfeng said bluntly. With her well-off family background, a job, and having given birth to the family’s “lucky star,” her position with Madam Xu was different.

While other relatives like Aunt Xu and Third Aunt wouldn’t dare speak their minds, Li Yinfeng had no such hesitation.

Madam Xu slammed her utensils onto the table. “Now you’re blaming me? Where were you, her mother, all this time?”

At Madam Xu’s outburst, Li Yinfeng quickly backed down. Her assertiveness relied on Madam Xu needing something from her because of Xu Baozhu. If Madam Xu decided not to give her face, Li Yinfeng didn’t dare push back.

Her tendency to bully the weak and fear the strong was on full display.

Hearing her parents’ voices, Xu Baozhu hurried out of her room and ran straight into Xu Zhiqiang’s arms, crying.

Li Yinfeng awkwardly lowered her outstretched hands.

Just as Xu Baozhu was pouring out her grievances, Jiang Yutao and her group arrived, trailed by a crowd of onlookers curious about the commotion.

When Li Yinfeng spotted Xu Manqiu in the crowd, her eyes turned sharp, and she charged at her. “You jinx, you wretched girl! How dare you go out and spread lies! If I had known you were such an ungrateful brat, I should’ve strangled you long ago!”

Li Yinfeng and Madam Xu were truly two of a kind, perfectly matched as mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Even their way of speaking was strikingly similar.

Director Wang immediately stepped in front of Xu Manqiu. “Comrade, what do you think you’re doing?”

Li Yinfeng stopped short and sized up Director Wang with an air of disdain. “Comrade, please step aside. I’m just teaching my own child a lesson.”

Because of Xu Baozhu’s status, Li Yinfeng usually interacted with people of influence and rank. To her, someone like Director Wang—a mere rural Women’s Federation director—was beneath notice.

Director Wang’s face darkened instantly.

Among the eight brigades of Zao Township Commune, she was respected wherever she went. She hadn’t encountered an attitude like Li Yinfeng’s in years.

Meanwhile, Xu Zhiqiang ignored the storm brewing among the women. He walked up to Secretary Shen and the others, pulling a packet of ‘Da Tuanjie’ cigarettes from his pocket. “Hello, Secretary Shen, I’m Xu Zhiqiang. We met once before at the county government. Do you remember me?”

Secretary Shen did, in fact, remember him. Xu Zhiqiang was the secretary to the county supply and marketing cooperative director. Out of every ten meetings, they crossed paths at least three times.

But Secretary Shen’s impression of him wasn’t favorable—he found Xu Zhiqiang to be obsequious and arrogant, relying on his connections to bully others.

Secretary Shen waved away the offered cigarette with a stiff smile. “Sorry, I don’t smoke.”

The faintly smug expression on Xu Zhiqiang’s face froze. Shen Kaiming was being disrespectful! In the county, he had seen Shen Kaiming smoking more than once.

The moment of awkwardness passed quickly. Xu Zhiqiang forced a laugh and said, “Not smoking is good, very good. Smoking is bad for your health, bad for your health.”

He then tried offering the cigarettes to other leaders, but no one dared accept them.

Xu Zhiqiang’s forced smile finally slipped.

The Revolutionary Committee Director had no patience for small talk. With a wave of his hand, the Red Guards under his command swarmed forward to take Xu Liangcai, Xu Zhiqiang, and Li Yinfeng into custody.

Xu Liangcai resigned himself to being led away without resistance. However, Xu Zhiqiang and Li Yinfeng’s faces turned pale as they struggled desperately, but the Red Guards were cold and unyielding, refusing to relent.

Meanwhile, Officer Hu and his team went to arrest Madam Xu. When she heard the charges, she was dumbfounded. “When did I ever tell them to set the fire? Those little brats are lying!”

Eldest Aunt Xu, hearing Madam Xu curse her sons, turned her gaze on Madam Xu with resentment.

All the Xu family’s resources had always gone to the second branch, leaving the first and third branches with only scraps. Even then, they had to fight bitterly for those leftovers.

Eldest Aunt Xu’s eyes fell on Xu Baozhu, who was quietly sobbing. Her two sons had been arrested for setting the fire, yet from last night to now, Xu Baozhu hadn’t shown the slightest concern.

Eldest Aunt Xu was filled with hatred. “I can testify! My sons set the fire because Xu Cuilian ordered them to, and Xu Baozhu was there giving advice!”

Xu Cuilian was Madam Xu’s name before marriage. She had been called Cuilian as a maid, and after joining the Xu family, she kept the name but added the family surname.

Madam Xu was stunned. “Li Sanmei, are you out of your mind? Last night, your two sons talked about setting the fire right there in the courtyard for the whole family to hear. Did I say a single word about it? Did Baozhu? Third branch, you tell them!”

Third Aunt Xu glanced back and forth between Madam Xu and Eldest Aunt Xu, then smiled faintly at Madam Xu, revealing two black gaps where her front teeth used to be.

“My mother-in-law definitely said it,” Third Aunt Xu declared, her resentment toward Madam Xu running even deeper than Eldest Aunt Xu’s.

When the first branch had meat, at least the first branch could sip the soup; the third branch was left to gnaw on bones for scraps of flavor. After Third Aunt Xu lost her front teeth in an accident, her husband, Third Uncle Xu, found her ugly and became even colder toward her. Every time she misspoke, he would beat her, and Madam Xu, upon hearing about it, would deliberately stand by the window and instruct her son on how to hit his wife to maximize pain.

Help Madam Xu? Not in this lifetime.

Madam Xu’s eyes shot venomous glances at both daughters-in-law, but neither was afraid of her. Eldest Aunt Xu glared back boldly, and Third Aunt Xu smirked. Worst case scenario, they would split the family. At worst, they would endure a few rounds of verbal abuse or beatings when Madam Xu returned from custody. But if they could make her sit in the police station for a few days, it would be worth it.

Eventually, everyone implicated, including Xu Baozhu, was taken away. Once the crowd dispersed, Eldest Aunt Xu and Third Aunt Xu exchanged a glance in the now-empty courtyard. Both huffed disdainfully and returned to their respective rooms.

As soon as Third Aunt Xu entered her room, Third Uncle Xu slapped her across the face. She quickly dodged and retaliated with a hard kick.

“Xu Laosan, do you think you’re still the same Xu Laosan from before? Let me tell you, you’d better treat me with some respect. Otherwise, I’ll just walk out of this house and see who’s still willing to marry you!” Third Aunt Xu had done her homework. Xu Liangcai was done for this time. The village’s food rations for Xu Baozhu were gone too. And with Xu Liangcai and Madam Xu leading the charge on superstitious practices, there was no guarantee they would ever return.

What was Xu Laosan trying to act tough for? She, Ju Lan, could finally rise up and sing her freedom song.

Thanks to the state! Thanks to the Party!

Sure enough, Xu Laosan didn’t dare make another move.

After the Revolutionary Committee and the police left, Xu Manqiu was escorted to the brigade headquarters, surrounded by a protective crowd.

The group discussed and considered where Xu Manqiu would live in the future.

In a time when every household was already burdened with many children, it was difficult to find a suitable place for Xu Manqiu, especially since she was already grown. Neither Eldest Aunt Xu nor Third Aunt Xu were easy to deal with; sending Xu Manqiu to live with either would inevitably cause trouble.

After a round of deliberation, the Women’s Federation took the floor. Director Wang suggested, “I just checked, and there’s some empty land next to the educated youth dormitory. Could the village provide materials and labor to build a small house for Manqiu?”

Director Wang’s suggestion caused a brief silence in the brigade meeting room, followed by heated debate. Ten minutes later, Director Shen, with a stoic expression, asked for the group’s decision.

Liu Manzhu spoke up, “We’ve discussed it and agreed to go with Director Wang’s proposal.”

Building a house wasn’t a huge effort and could be completed in a week. After careful consideration, everyone had agreed to the idea. As they reasoned, Xu Manqiu was 16 years old and would eventually marry. When that happened, the house would revert to the village’s possession.

It wasn’t a loss, and it avoided many complications.

Xu Manqiu hadn’t expected this outcome, and her eyes lit up with excitement.

Jiang Yutao patted her on the head.

Though her current body was only a year older than Xu Manqiu’s, Jiang Yutao had grown to 1.7 meters tall despite poor childhood nutrition. With better meals recently, she’d even grown a bit more. In contrast, Xu Manqiu, standing just over 1.5 meters, looked small and frail.

Living independently would be a good option. Xu Manqiu’s earned work points were enough to support herself. If she ever struggled, Jiang Yutao and Gu Nianwei would look out for her.

Zhao Yonglan, full of sympathy for Xu Manqiu, said, “For now, why don’t you stay with us? We have space in our room.”

Li Yunying and Zhang Huihui didn’t object.

Director Wang’s impression of the educated youth in Liushu Village improved even more. Whatever else could be said about these kids, their kindness was undeniable.

Director Shen saw that Liu Manzhu and the others had finalized their plan and said, “Alright, let’s settle it. Calculate Comrade Xu Manqiu’s work points, allocate her share of the grain, and provide her with some compensation.”

With Director Shen’s final decision, Xu Manqiu’s placement was officially resolved.

Xu Manqiu formally moved into the educated youth dormitory.

—

At the commune, after being arrested, Accountant Xu became disheartened and confessed to all his wrongdoings over the years.

In the first couple of days, Xu Zhiqiang and Li Yinfeng resisted, hoping that the county leaders they had previously cultivated connections with would save them. However, after several days without seeing anyone come to their aid, Xu Zhiqiang lost hope, and Li Yinfeng broke down even earlier.

When Granny Xu arrived at the police station, she firmly denied all accusations against her regarding Xu Song and Xu Bai’s actions. However, without evidence to prove her innocence and following thorough police investigations, her guilt was confirmed.

Granny Xu and Accountant Xu were found guilty of promoting feudal superstitions and inciting Xu Song and Xu Bai to commit arson. Their actions were deemed severe, and they received a combined sentence of ten years in prison. Xu Song and Xu Bai, convicted of arson, were sentenced to seven years each.

Although Xu Zhiqiang and Li Yinfeng were not heavily involved in the feudal superstitions, they were still sentenced to seven years. Xu Baozhu, as the central figure in the feudal superstition activities, received a ten-year sentence and was held in solitary confinement.

On the second day of her imprisonment, Xu Baozhu followed in Xia Heyu’s footsteps and was sent to the capital.

Xu Zhiqiang, unwilling to go to prison or be sent to a labor farm, sought to make a name for himself and exact revenge. He revealed incriminating details about the leaders he had once been close to.

This revelation caused a massive upheaval in the leadership of Yangping County. One official after another fell, each with increasingly high ranks.

—

However, none of this had anything to do with Jiang Yutao and her companions anymore.

Xu Manqiu’s house was completed quickly. Built right next to Jiang Yutao and her friends’ small cottage, it was a single room with a heated brick bed as large as theirs and a small veranda. Despite its modest size, it was fully equipped with everything necessary.

For Xu Manqiu, this was more than enough. She had never been so happy in her life.

The day after Granny Xu was taken away, Wang Shanxi and the others went to the county town. After receiving the clear information that there were job openings, they began to prepare.

The exam for the canned food factory was scheduled for the day of the first frost. Everyone except Jiang Yutao and Gu Nianwei went to take the test. Zhou Zhenfeng also blended in with the crowd, but no one paid attention to him.

After everyone left, Xu Manqiu asked Jiang Yutao and the others, “Wei Wei sis, Tao Tao sis, aren’t you going to take the exam?”

Jiang Yutao shook her head. “We don’t plan to join the factory.”

Xu Manqiu, being considerate, didn’t ask why, as she didn’t have the time to inquire.

During this time, Xu Dazui’s eldest grandson and granddaughter came to Jiang Yutao and the others for tutoring, and Xu Manqiu joined in the lessons as well.

She was truly the favored daughter of destiny, especially gifted with intelligence. In just a few days, she progressed from being someone who couldn’t read a single character to learning second-grade knowledge, while also mastering the first-grade curriculum thoroughly.

However, what Jiang Yutao regretted was that, after going through so many hardships, Xu Manqiu’s good luck had nearly faded. Now, her luck was only slightly better than ordinary people’s, and things went a bit more smoothly for her.

Jiang Yutao had once subtly asked Xu Manqiu if she felt any regret. Xu Manqiu replied, “I don’t regret it. Although good luck was mine, I’ve never enjoyed the benefits that come with it since birth. Instead, it has brought me suffering. Whether I had it or not, the difference doesn’t really matter to me.”

Since she had never benefited from it, Xu Manqiu didn’t care whether she lost it or not. Compared to people like Xu Baozhu, who relied on good luck to get things without effort, she preferred to rely on her own hands to earn what she wanted, little by little.

Now, all she wanted was to study hard, read more books, and learn more characters. She didn’t want to think about anything else.

After Wang Shanxi and the others took the exam, they would not get their results immediately.

On the day Xu Baozhu arrived in the capital, Jiang Yutao received a message from the Melon-Eating System.

[“Koi in the 70s” Small World Testing… The testing has confirmed that the small world is running smoothly. The true fate of the lucky star is revealed, and the host is the true lucky star, Zhang Mu, building the foundation for Xu Manqiu’s new life. Rewards for the host: 5kg of cotton, 10kg of koi fish, 10kg of ribbonfish, 3kg of koi fish, 20kg of king crabs, 20kg of Australian blue lobsters, 2kg of squid, 30kg of mixed-flavored sunflower seeds, and 5000 melon coins.]

[The rewards have been issued to the system backpack. Please continue your efforts, host.]

Jiang Yutao drooled as she looked at the seafood in the system’s backpack.

Who doesn’t love seafood? Especially the king crab and Australian blue lobster in her backpack, both of which were much larger than her enamel washbasin.

As an ordinary person from the lower class, Jiang Yutao had never eaten such luxurious food, though she had watched many videos of others enjoying it.

She had thought that to get a chance to eat these delicacies, it would have to be after the reform and opening-up.

But now, she had the chance to eat them right away.

Jiang Yutao was eager to start eating immediately.

However, her gaze paused on the koi fish mixed in with the seafood, and she decisively took it out.

“Wei Wei, Wei Wei, today we’re having koi fish,” Jiang Yutao said, carrying the koi fish into the living room.

Gu Nianwei came out of the room, looked at the lively koi in the bucket, raised an eyebrow, and then glanced meaningfully at Jiang Yutao for a while.

Then she asked nothing: “Okay, I’ll cook.”

By now, Jiang Yutao had decided to let things be. If Gu Nianwei didn’t ask, she wouldn’t say anything. It was just a matter of seeing who would give in first. “This fish is big, we can’t finish it on our own. I’ll go call Yunying and the others.”

Gu Nianwei didn’t object.

It was better to finish the fish in one go; reheating it for a second meal would make it smell fishy.

With fish to eat, everyone was very happy and came over to help.

Jiang Yutao went to teach Xu Manqiu. Xu Manqiu didn’t refuse, but instead made a note in a separate notebook of all the good things Jiang Yutao and the others had done for her.

This was her gratitude book. Everyone from the educated youth team was written in it, except for Zhou Zhenfeng, as well as villagers like Xu Dazui. When she moved into her new home, these people had brought her many gifts.

She kept track of everything. When she grew up, she would repay them.

The fish was huge, and Gu Nianwei cooked it in three different ways: sweet and sour, braised, and stir-fried with green peppers. Each dish was so delicious it could make someone swallow their tongue.

Before they ate, Jiang Yutao sent some to Xu Dazui’s family.

Everyone enjoyed the meal with great enthusiasm. Zhao Rongguang contributed the wine he had been keeping for years. He poured a glass for everyone, except for Xu Manqiu, and when he poured one for Zhao Yonglan, they exchanged a glance and both blushed.

Jiang Yutao found this interesting and quietly asked Zhang Huihui, “What’s going on with those two?”

Zhang Huihui smiled and said, “It’s been several days. They haven’t spoken a word to each other, but every time they look at each other, their faces turn red.”

Jiang Yutao understood. They liked each other, but hadn’t confessed yet. Thinking about it, the two were quite compatible. Zhao Yonglan’s family had good conditions, and Zhao Rongguang’s family wasn’t far behind. They were well-matched in social standing, neither of them would be at a disadvantage.

Wasn’t that better than Zhao Yonglan marrying Su Zhentang for the poverty alleviation project?

She looked at the two of them, smiling meaningfully, and said, “This year, the peach blossoms on the back mountain of our educated youth site are definitely going to bloom beautifully.”

This time, Zhao Yonglan’s face was so red it could almost bleed.

Zhao Rongguang, being a man, was embarrassed by the teasing, but he still raised his glass and said, “If the peach blossoms really do bloom, I’ll treat everyone to drinks then.”

At this, the laughter from everyone was so loud it could almost lift the roof. Zhao Rongguang was made to drink several more glasses.

Zhao Yonglan, as she ate, listened to Zhao Rongguang deflecting the teasing on her behalf, feeling as sweet as if she had eaten honey.

Xu Manqiu watched curiously, flipping her gaze from one person to the next, full of excitement.

Everyone had a bit too much to drink during the meal, and by the time they woke up the next day, it was already noon.

Today was the day the canned food factory would announce the results, which would affect their future lives. Li Yunying and the others couldn’t sit still, so they got up early and headed for the county town. Xu Manqiu noticed that Jiang Yutao and the others hadn’t woken up yet. After making breakfast and leaving it warming in the pot, she also went up the mountain.

Although the villagers had given her a lot of firewood after she moved in, she was afraid of the cold and kept thinking about stockpiling more.

On the mountain, she ran into Xu Danni and her youngest son, who were also there gathering firewood. They didn’t say a word to each other.

Xu Danni’s family had received a lot of benefits from Xu Baozhu. Now that Xu Baozhu had lost her good fortune, those who had benefited from her were more or less being affected by the backlash. Xu Danni’s family was facing many troubles—big and small. Like now, even though Xu Danni was being very cautious, she still stumbled over a stone and fell hard.

In the prison, Old Lady Xu and Xu Accountant were similarly unlucky. They were far worse off than Xu Danni’s family. Much like the old Xu Manqiu, they were so unlucky that even drinking cold water would make their teeth ache. During labor, they always got the worst tools and were always the last to finish, and being punished was a regular occurrence.

There would also be inexplicable new scars on her body, and sometimes the pain would be so bad in the middle of the night that she couldn’t sleep. The suffering that Xu Manqiu once endured, the stable running of the small world consciousness, was now slowly being returned to them, leaving them in a state where they could neither live nor die.

Xu Zhiqiang and Li Yinfeng, as Xu Baozhu and Xu Manqiu’s biological parents, had benefited the most, but they also suffered the most. The burden they had to bear was even greater. Some of the people they had offended would eventually cross paths with them in prison.

They took turns tormenting each other, and Xu Zhiqiang and Li Yinfeng lived in constant torment every day, where even eating and drinking became a luxury.

Xu Dazui came shortly after Jiang Yutao had just woken up. She brought them some news.

“Does the commune’s elementary and middle schools need teachers?”

“Yes, that’s right. They said the middle school needs four or five teachers, and the elementary school is short by two or three.”

The number of teachers in the school had always been stable; there had never been such a shortage before. Xu Dazui was skeptical when she first heard the news.

True to her reputation as the most well-informed woman in Liushu Village, Xu Dazui lowered her voice and said, “Isn’t Xu Zhiqiang the one who exposed many corrupt officials? A lot of people were removed from their positions, and many others got involved. The teachers were arrested for bribery and corruption.”

“Those teachers taught Xu Baozhu,” Xu Dazui’s words made everything clear to Jiang Yutao.

Jiang Yutao exchanged a look with Gu Nianwei, and Gu Nianwei went back to her room. After a while, she returned holding two apples, saying, “Aunt, here, have some fruit.”

The apples Gu Nianwei handed to Xu Dazui were large and round Fuji apples, obviously not cheap.

Xu Dazui accepted the apples graciously, feeling that the two pieces of news she brought were worth at least two apples.

“My stew is still cooking, so I’ll leave now. Think it over carefully,” Xu Dazui said, as briskly as she had arrived, and left in a hurry.

After she left, Jiang Yutao looked at Gu Nianwei and said, “Should we give it a try?”

“Let’s try it!”

They didn’t want to be factory workers, but they were certainly willing to become teachers.