Chapter 13

Zhang Man blocked Song Nian and Liu Pingping halfway down the path, shouting angrily:
“You dare throw my clothes!”

Song Nian looked at her calmly. “You poured water on me first.”

“I—When did I ever pour water on you? At most a drop fell while I was hanging clothes, and that was an accident. But you actually threw my clothes down!”

Liu Pingping had seen everything just now. Hearing Zhang Man twist the truth, she was so furious she snapped:
“You’re lying! I saw it—clear as day—you deliberately stuck your hands out to wring water!”

Of course, Zhang Man wouldn’t admit it. She raised her voice, arguing shrilly, and said she would report it to the security office. “Song Nian bullied me, this can’t just be let go!”

“Fine, then let’s go to the security office.”

Song Nian stepped forward, closing in on her, staring straight into her eyes. “I have Liu Pingping as my witness. And you?”

Her gaze swept over Zhang Man. “If it weren’t for your aunt propping you up, your own qualifications are very average. You haven’t even passed probation yet, and you’re already causing trouble to the point of the security office… Between the two of us, considering our value to the workshop, who do you think the factory will punish?”

Zhang Man froze. “Y-You’re trying to scare me!”

Song Nian reached out and smoothed Zhang Man’s collar, speaking slowly and unhurriedly. “I’m not short of money, and I’m capable. Even if I lost this job, I could easily find another. You, though?”

She looked her in the eye, each word deliberate: “Poor, ignorant, stupid… and scheming. You think you can act high and mighty just because your aunt is a mere team leader? With that stupidity, you probably don’t have anywhere better to go, do you?”

Zhang Man’s eyes turned red with rage. “Who are you calling poor? Who are you calling stupid—you—”

Song Nian smiled faintly. “If you don’t believe me, then by all means, let’s go to the security office right now and see who comes out worse.”

Liu Pingping, still a little dazed by Song Nian’s calm ferocity, snapped back to herself and quickly said to Zhang Man: “I’ll testify for Song Nian!”

Zhang Man’s face went pale, then flushed, lips bitten tight as she glared at Song Nian… but she didn’t dare press further.

Song Nian was right. Zhang Man’s family was poor, and she wasn’t particularly pretty or clever. If her aunt hadn’t just been promoted to team leader and pulled strings everywhere, she probably wouldn’t have gotten into the Red Flag Factory at all.

Meanwhile, in just a few days, Song Nian had already built a reputation. She was fast and precise with collars and sleeves, hardly ever had to redo her work, and her efficiency had lifted the output of the whole team. Zhang Man, on the other hand, still stumbled over sewing even simple pieces.

She was no match for Song Nian.

But—she still had her aunt!

Zhang Man glared hatefully. “I won’t let you off.”

“Oh.”

Song Nian smiled lightly. “Then go ahead and use all your stupid tricks.”

Zhang Man’s face went ashen. She shot her a vicious look before storming off. She still had to rewash those clothes…

When she was gone, Liu Pingping turned to Song Nian, hesitating a moment before whispering:
“Song Nian, the way you scared Zhang Man just now… you were amazing.”

She couldn’t even describe the feeling. Song Nian hadn’t shouted or cursed like the other women in the factory might have.

She had just stood there, smiling faintly, speaking slowly and clearly—calling Zhang Man stupid, malicious, poor… If she’d been Zhang Man, she would have been furious enough to faint.

That afternoon, while at work, Zhang Man kept glaring daggers at Song Nian, muttering “vixen” to herself.

Song Nian didn’t give her so much as a glance, just kept busy. Then someone came with a message: the gatekeeper said someone was asking for her.

When she went out, she found it was her cousin, He Binbin.

Looking embarrassed, he scratched his head. “Cousin, my mom asked you to come over for dinner after work.”

Song Nian had already planned to return the ten yuan, but when it came to dinner, she remembered how her uncle He Wangrong had behaved last time. She didn’t want to stir up trouble for her aunt Hu Xiuyun’s family, so she said her shift ended late: “Don’t wait for me to eat. I’ll come by later.”

He Binbin quickly added: “I caught some fish, my mom cooked them just for you. Oh, and she told me to tell you my dad’s not home, so don’t worry.”

Hu Xiuyun knew her husband was hard to deal with, and she knew her niece would hesitate, so she deliberately had her son pass along that reassurance.

Song Nian couldn’t refuse again. After a moment’s thought, she agreed.

As she left the gatehouse, she caught sight of Zhang Man’s figure slipping around the corner, sneaky and shifty-eyed. Song Nian looked away, ignoring her.

Once Song Nian had gone, Zhang Man slipped into the gatehouse to fish for information.

When she learned that the patched-up, shabby-looking boy who had come was actually Song Nian’s cousin, her eyes widened—and then filled with disdainful amusement.

That boy was clearly dirt poor, with patches all over his clothes. With such a cousin, how wealthy could Song Nian possibly be?

So she had been completely bluffed earlier!

And she’d dared to call her poor and stupid… She’d put on a show, that was all. Turns out Song Nian herself was nothing but a mud shell with a shiny coat.

Thinking it over, it all made sense. If Song Nian really had money or came from a good family, why would she sneak into the factory through recruitment to “seduce” her uncle?

And if her family background was truly respectable, why had she never mentioned her family or her husband whenever the other workers asked?

She’d never spoken about her husband. Clearly, he wasn’t worth mentioning!

With relatives like that poor cousin, what kind of background could she possibly have? And marrying so young… wasn’t it obvious she’d been sold off to some poor old man, forced to put on airs with her pretty face just to get by in the Red Flag Factory?

Zhang Man was elated, convinced she had discovered Song Nian’s secret. She hurried back to the workshop, eager to tell her aunt.

Her aunt had been hesitant before, worried Song Nian might have some backing, which was why she hadn’t taken real action.

But now? No need for caution at all!

Let’s see how long that vixen can strut around…

After work, Song Nian said goodbye to Liu Pingping. She packed her things slowly, deliberately waiting until the rush had died down—she didn’t want to be squeezed onto a crowded bus. By then, most people had already left the factory.

Just as she was heading for the gate, a figure appeared in front of her.

“Miss Song, the captain says to ask you to come with him and go home together.”

It was Xu Jin’s orderly, Xiao Zhao.

So Xu Jin wanted to take her home?

Only now, after she’d been squeezed on buses for days, his conscience decided to wake up?

Wasn’t he worried about appearances, about being seen?

Song Nian muttered inwardly… but today she had plans.

“Please tell him I’m going to my aunt’s house. I’ll be home later.”

Xiao Zhao froze, then quickly nodded. “Alright, I’ll report back to the captain.”

At the liaison office, when Xiao Zhao relayed that Song Nian was going to her aunt’s and would be late, Xu Jin didn’t even lift his head, just said he knew.

He had been thinking of last night—how he had indeed gone too far, made her cry. After a whole day of work, he’d thought to make things easier for her.

But seeing how Comrade Song could work long hours and still have the energy to visit relatives afterward, it seemed she wasn’t so overburdened after all…