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While on the train, Lu Xingguang had actually thought Huang Yingying wasn’t bad at all.
When it was confirmed that he had to go down to the countryside, Lu Xingguang was extremely dissatisfied. His father clearly had the ability to keep him from enduring such hardships, yet he insisted that a man should go through some hardship and exercise himself.
He promised that in no more than two years, he would find a way to secure a spot as a worker-peasant-soldier student and enroll in a worker-peasant-soldier university.
If it weren’t for this, how could Lu Xingguang have possibly agreed to come to this godforsaken place to be an Educated Youth?
The entire journey, since both Lu Xingguang and Huang Yingying had set out from Hu City, Lu Xingguang found the petite and cute Huang Yingying, whose voice was soft and sweet, quite to his liking. The countryside was dull and suffocating. If he could find the right companion and have a bit of fun for a couple of years, then leave when the time came, there would be no harm in it.
But from the moment he laid eyes on Su Niannian, Lu Xingguang had already lost all interest in Huang Yingying.
No matter how he looked at it, Su Niannian was far superior to Huang Yingying. Huang Yingying, along with that Zhao Sulan, couldn’t even cook rice porridge properly in the kitchen without burning it.
She simply wasn’t worthy of someone like him.
Just thinking about Su Niannian’s tall figure, her face, and her slender waist that could be grasped with a single hand, Lu Xingguang’s eyes gleamed with admiration.
Huang Yingying noticed that Lu Xingguang’s gaze kept lingering on the increasingly distant Su Niannian, but she wasn’t surprised in the slightest.
After all, Su Niannian at this point was far more attractive than in her past life, and her temperament had also changed quite a bit.
If she could help Lu Xingguang win Su Niannian over, Lu Xingguang would surely be grateful to her.
Moreover, given Lu Xingguang’s nature, Su Niannian definitely wouldn’t have had an easy time. If her life wasn’t going well, she wouldn’t have the energy to engage in any entanglements with Gu Nan.
Once that was the case, Huang Yingying would have no trouble taking action against Gu Nan, wouldn’t she?
Gu Nan, that country bumpkin, had never encountered someone like her, a delicate and cute girl. When he saw her, he would definitely be deeply attracted. If she used a bit of strategy, Gu Nan would undoubtedly act like a dog with a bone, sticking to her.
The thought of eventually becoming the wife of a wealthy man filled Huang Yingying with immense joy.
Even the porridge in her hand, which had turned a little lumpy, seemed much sweeter.
Su Niannian naturally had no idea what these two were thinking, but now that she had returned, she certainly wouldn’t let them have their way.
In the afternoon, when it was time to go to work, Su Niannian once again joined Song Zhaodi in cutting pigweed.
Today, Su Niannian cut six large bundles of pigweed, earning three work points.
Song Zhaodi cut twelve bundles of pigweed, earning six work points.
Song Zhaodi was going to give Su Niannian four bundles of pigweed to count toward her work points, but Su Niannian refused.
Now that Su Niannian had returned, she wasn’t relying on these few work points for anything; she had other ways to make money.
The crops she had planted in the space were growing beautifully, and it seemed like they would ripen in just a few days. At that point, she could quietly sell them on the black market for some cash.
Of course, Song Zhaodi had no idea what Su Niannian was thinking. She only felt a bit awkward, especially since she had already eaten so much of Su Niannian’s food.
She couldn’t shake the feeling that she wouldn’t be able to repay this favor.
Thinking of this, Song Zhaodi asked Su Niannian to head back to the youth station first, as she needed to gather more firewood. Su Niannian offered to go with her, but Song Zhaodi declined.
“If you keep doing this, I won’t feel right accepting your food anymore.”
Su Niannian understood Song Zhaodi’s personality and didn’t want her to feel indebted, so she stopped insisting.
As Su Niannian was walking back to the youth station, she passed a quieter spot and heard some commotion coming from nearby.
“Give it to me!”
“I won’t give it to you, I picked this myself.”
“You filthy thing, a dog-like creature, who do you think you are to eat wild fruits? Letting you give it to me is already showing you respect.”
“I won’t give it!”
“Hit her, hit her! A whole family of useless things, just looking at you makes me sick…”
Then came the sound of a little girl’s startled cry, followed by the noise of hitting and scolding.
Su Niannian quickly ran toward the noise.
“Stop it!”
By the time she arrived, she saw a little girl, around seven or eight years old, crouching on the ground. Her clothes were covered in dirt, with some weeds stuck to them.
Her braided hair had become messy, and her small face was covered in grime, her eyes red from crying.
There were also several crushed wild berries on the ground, the bright red March berries.
“What are you doing? Bullying someone at such a young age?” Su Niannian approached and immediately pulled away a little boy who had been eating the wild berries.
The little boy who was pulled away was a bit chubby, with a round face and wearing cleaner clothes than the other two boys.
The other two boys were initially frightened when they saw someone approach, but when they realized it was a pretty older sister they didn’t recognize, they felt indifferent.
Su Niannian walked over and squatted beside the little girl.
She gently patted her shoulder, offering comfort.
The little girl buried her head in her knees, crying softly, “Wuwu.”
The little girl didn’t understand. She hadn’t done anything wrong. She just wanted to pick some wild berries to bring back for her mother and brothers to eat. Why was that not allowed?
Why did they have to bully her?
“You’re new here, aren’t you? A new educated youth, right? I advise you not to meddle in things that don’t concern you!”
“This whole family, they’re all bad people, and they deserve to be knocked down! They’re our enemies! If you help her, you’re no better than they are!” The boy who seemed to be the leader, a little chubby, held a basket with many red wild berries inside.
While speaking, he grabbed a handful and shoved it into his mouth.
The sweet juice from the berries dripped down his chin, and the boy casually wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
“So what if they’re ‘bad people’? Haven’t they already been punished?” he sneered.
“Just because they’re ‘bad’ doesn’t mean you have the right to steal from them!”
Sensing the tension, Su Niannian lifted her head and shot the three children a fierce glare.
The boy at the front was taken aback for a moment, stunned by her boldness, before he quickly regained his composure and spoke again.
“So what if we steal? This whole village belongs to my family! My grandfather is the village head!!”
“Just try and take her stuff! Come on, bite me! Hit me!” The little boy taunted, putting on an exaggerated expression as if daring her to retaliate.
Su Niannian patted the little girl on the shoulder, stood up, and walked straight up to the boy.
Without a word, she raised her hand and slapped him across the face.
The boy was left stunned, his cheek burning from the force of the slap.
“You… you dare to hit me?!” he shouted in disbelief, his anger flaring.
Su Niannian looked at the boy with cold eyes, unfazed by his threats.
“Your grandfather is the village head?” She raised an eyebrow. “Then I guess it’s good to know, because if he hears that you’re bullying people, I’ll make sure to tell him who you really are.”
The boy’s face froze. He hadn’t expected her to react so calmly.
“You’re not scared?” He stammered, clearly taken aback.
Su Niannian smirked slightly. “I’m not afraid of someone who hides behind their grandfather’s name to bully others. If your grandfather really knew what kind of person you were, he wouldn’t be proud.”
The boy hesitated, and the anger in his eyes began to fade as doubt crept in.
The two boys exchanged glances, uncertain how to respond. They had clearly been watching the exchange between Su Niannian and their leader, but now they seemed to be second-guessing their actions.
One of them hesitated before muttering, “We… we didn’t do anything.”
Su Niannian smiled coldly, “Exactly. It’s him who started everything. I was just defending myself.”
The two boys remained silent, not daring to argue further. It was clear that the atmosphere had shifted, and the tension between them had dissipated. They were no longer so sure of their previous bravado.
Seeing that they were no longer a threat, Su Niannian turned back to the little girl, who was still sniffling and wiping away her tears. Gently, she placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Don’t worry. They won’t bother you again.”
The little girl looked up at Su Nian with wide, grateful eyes. “Thank you, big sister.”
Su Niannian smiled softly. “You’re welcome. Remember, no one has the right to bully you, no matter who they are.”
With a last glance at the two boys, who were now sheepishly walking away, she began walking toward the village, the little girl trailing behind her, still clutching the wild fruit she had picked earlier.