Chapter 97

When Liu Cuifang mentioned that something had happened to Feng Shishi’s family, Feng Shishi’s face turned grim.

The confidence that she, as a young intellectual from the capital, had was completely gone. Her eyes momentarily became dull.

She pleaded with Liu Cuifang, “Fangfang, could you not spread the news about what happened to my family?”

Liu Cuifang knew all about her background.

Feng Shishi had no choice but to try to win her over.

“I want He Ting to take care of me. I told him I came to the countryside for him. I’m afraid that living at the youth’s dormitory would give me away, so I specifically came to the Xiangyang Brigade and rented a house from a fellow villager.”

The Li Ruicai that Liu Cuifang mentioned was Feng Shishi’s number one admirer.

Originally, she had come to the countryside far away from the capital, so the news of her family’s troubles wouldn’t reach anyone.

But Li Ruicai, the fool, told Liu Cuifang everything in his letters.

He even asked Liu Cuifang to take care of her.

The reason Feng Shishi came to the Xiangyang Brigade and didn’t visit Liu Cuifang right away was because she knew that Li Ruicai had been in contact with Liu Cuifang. She was afraid he would tell her about what had happened.

The fewer people who knew her background, the better.

And now, Li Ruicai had acted on his own, thinking he was helping her.

Since Liu Cuifang knew everything and was even beginning to doubt her, Feng Shishi had no choice but to explain what she had encountered in the Xiangyang Brigade.

“Fangfang, originally, I wanted to stay at He Ting’s house, but now he’s been charmed by a country girl and doesn’t care about the bond we have, having grown up in the same courtyard.”

“Luckily, I met a kind-hearted aunt on my way to the countryside. She agreed to let me stay at her place.”

“But now this aunt’s family is in trouble, and I don’t know if I can continue staying there.”

Feng Shishi then told Liu Cuifang about what had happened at the Yin family’s house.

Liu Cuifang: “…”

It was also because Feng Shishi had just arrived at the Xiangyang Brigade and didn’t know about the troubles between Lu Baiwei and Lu Jiaojiao. The rumors from Hongqi Brigade had already spread everywhere.

Since Aunt Tang Yunling and Aunt Ye Hongmei were from her brigade, and Lu Jiaojiao was the younger sister of Lu Baiwei, whatever happened after she married into the Yin family was being discussed at their youth points in Hongqi Brigade.

Yin Zhihe, who had been talking about marriage with his older sister but was dragged into a haystack by his younger sister-in-law, couldn’t possibly be from a good family, could he?

Now, the Women’s Federation and the police had come knocking. It was a good thing Feng Shishi had thought Shen Guixiang was a good person.

Liu Cuifang was almost laughing!

But seeing Feng Shishi in trouble, she felt a bit pleased.

Feng Shishi had always been the “golden girl” in their big yard, admired by everyone. With her striking appearance, she was always the center of attention, and she knew how to act coquettishly with the boys.

Even when following He Ting, he didn’t push her away.

That was why Feng Shishi had always been the object of Liu Cuifang’s jealousy.

So, Feng Shishi had always been the object of Liu Cuifang’s jealousy.

Only by being friends with Feng Shishi could she follow her like a shadow, tagging along behind He Ting when going to and from school.

Now, this “golden girl” had her family in trouble and had come to the countryside. Moreover, she had entered a den of wolves without even realizing it—something Liu Cuifang was quite pleased about.

She had followed He Ting to the countryside, thinking that proximity would give her an advantage, but in the end, she got nothing.

Instead, she had been schemed against and was now left with no choice but to marry Zhao Yongshen.

Now that Feng Shishi had come to the Xiangyang Brigade, she had been rejected by He Ting, which made Liu Cuifang feel a sense of balance in her heart.

So what if He Ting was a man she couldn’t have? He was also someone Feng Shishi couldn’t have.

Even though Feng Shishi was pretty, the most beautiful flower in the capital’s courtyard, that didn’t change anything.

Liu Cuifang, lost in thought, instinctively touched her belly.

“Shishi, I’m getting married! Come to Hongqi Brigade for my wedding banquet in a few days!”

“Huh?”

Feng Shishi was stunned upon hearing the news that Liu Cuifang was getting married. “Fangfang, this is so sudden.”

“You never mentioned anything about having a boyfriend in your letters. Is your boyfriend also a fellow youth who came to the countryside with you?”

Curious about who her boyfriend was, Liu Cuifang shook her head. “No, my fiancé, Zhao Yongshen, is a carpenter from Hongqi Brigade. He’s very good with his craft.”

A country carpenter—just another country bumpkin.

Liu Cuifang was actually quite proud.

Feng Shishi didn’t understand. “Fangfang, are you crazy?”

“How can you be with a country bumpkin?”

“Being with him is one thing, but why are you rushing into marriage so soon?”

The term “country bumpkin” was something Liu Cuifang had often used before. But hearing it from Feng Shishi’s mouth now felt incredibly harsh.

Ha!

If it weren’t for the fact that she was pregnant with something she didn’t want, how would she choose to marry a country bumpkin?

It was all because of the schemes of Zhou Xiaohong and Zhao Yongshen, and also because Zhao Yongshen’s ex-fiancée had tied her up that day. She hadn’t even had time to properly adjust her clothes before being bound up, causing her to be seen in disarray by the young men at the Hongqi Brigade.

That time, Zhao Yongshen had failed to get what he wanted.

That time, Zhao Yongsen indeed didn’t succeed.

But because she had been seen wearing so little, someone with ill intentions must have taken notice of her. That very night, when she went out to use the restroom, she was dragged into the woods beside the educated youth dormitory and assaulted.

She didn’t even get a clear look at the person who assaulted her.

It wasn’t until she reported Zhao Yongsen to the authorities and started vomiting every morning, with her period missing for a long time, that she realized she had been impregnated that night.

Now, she was carrying a child and had no choice but to find someone to take the blame.

And Zhao Yongsen was the most suitable scapegoat.

With such an example right in front of her, Feng Shishi still dared to move into a family like the Yins’. She might laugh at Liu Cuifang for marrying a “country bumpkin” now, but it remained to be seen who would end up crying first.

“Shishi, we came to the countryside to support rural development. How can you look down on the rural community members?”

Liu Cuifang stood on the moral high ground. “Your family has already faced troubles. Let me give you a word of advice—be more careful with what you say in the Xiangyang Brigade. Saying something like ‘country bumpkin’ isn’t appropriate and might give people something to use against you.”

“Be cautious!”

The mention of her family’s troubles made Feng Shishi’s expression turn sour.

She hadn’t expected Liu Cuifang, who used to obey her every word, to start lecturing her about rural development.

Feng Shishi felt incredibly unlucky.

“Fine, I’ll be more careful in the future.”

Though Feng Shishi’s family had fallen into trouble, her uncle was a capitalist, so she likely wouldn’t lack money to spend.

Unlike Liu Cuifang, who wasn’t born and raised in the same courtyard. She had only moved there when her mother remarried into the courtyard.

Later, her mother gave birth to younger siblings and stopped paying much attention to her, her stepdaughter. She rarely sent her food or other support.

Since Feng Shishi was naïve and wealthy, Liu Cuifang figured she might need to rely on her generosity at some point.

For now, Liu Cuifang decided not to offend her.

“Shishi, if I said something wrong, don’t take it to heart.”

Liu Cuifang warmly clasped Feng Shishi’s hand. “You’ve just arrived here and don’t yet understand life in the countryside. Everything I do is for your own good.”

“This isn’t like the courtyard back home. Without our parents here to support us, we have to look out for each other since we come from the same place.”

“Whether it’s how we speak or act, being cautious is never a mistake.”

This was the Liu Cuifang Feng Shishi recognized.

With Liu Cuifang returning to her usual flattery, Feng Shishi felt much better.

She asked Liu Cuifang, “So about your wedding, should we inform He Ting and Zhou Yanfeng? After all, we all grew up in the same courtyard.”