Chapter 65.1

Xu Lianhua immediately knew that Wu Yuanming was finished when she discovered that the cafeteria’s dishes had changed. With her source of support gone, her work was bound to be affected.

She had to find a new ally right away.

Wan Liang noticed Zhou Jingguo’s unusual attitude toward Qin Qingman and immediately abandoned his previous choice, opting for Qin Qingman instead.

Someone who could make the commune revolutionary committee director treat them politely must have some enviable assets. This was the conclusion Wan Liang reached. He instructed his mother to take the lead, believing that women could more easily win the favor of other women.

Xu Lianhua listened to Wan Liang’s words and trusted his judgment.

Although, from her own perspective, she couldn’t see anything remarkable about Qin Qingman, who was dressed in dull, gray clothes, she obediently followed Wan Liang’s instructions.

Qin Qingman had just opened her lunchbox and taken out a steamed bun. She was about to have lunch with Chuchu, and the aroma of her steamed buns was just starting to waft out when Xu Lianhua’s voice suddenly rang out. Xu Lianhua’s tone was expressive, and her volume was not small, so everyone’s attention quickly focused on her.

Liu Hechang saw Xu Lianhua heading straight for Qin Qingman and immediately recalled what Xu Lianhua had just called Qin Qingman. A sinking feeling gripped his heart.

Today, he had not only invited Zhou Jingguo but had also arranged for his wife to enter the cafeteria in advance. The teacher cooking in the cafeteria today was his wife. He originally thought that with Wu Yuanming’s downfall and Xu Lianhua’s replacement, there would be no need to inform Xu Lianhua. But now, not only did Xu Lianhua know Qin Qingman, but she was also Qin Qingman’s aunt!

Liu Hechang froze, his face becoming stiff with unease.

He had always feared Qin Qingman and her husband, and now, once again, he had encountered them today. Was he destined to follow in Wu Yuanming’s footsteps?

Realizing this, Liu Hechang’s heart shook, and his mind raced as he tried to figure out how to mitigate Qin Qingman’s opinion of him.

Ever since Wei Ling’s threat, Liu Hechang had dared not get involved with Qin Qingman.

He couldn’t afford to provoke either of them.

While his mind raced, Liu Hechang quickly put on a friendly smile. Before Qin Qingman could speak, he hurriedly addressed the situation.

“Isn’t this Comrade Xu Lianhua? You… are you a witness too? Why didn’t you inform the cafeteria? The comrades here thought you were on leave, and in their rush, they asked me for instructions. That’s when I arranged for the teacher to cook.”

No matter what his intentions had been earlier, his first priority was to shift the responsibility onto someone else.

Having been a union chairman for many years, Liu Hechang was skilled at deflecting blame.

Xu Lianhua had originally come straight for Qin Qingman, but Liu Hechang blocked her path, not only stopping her but also placing the blame for the teacher change in the cafeteria on her.

Xu Lianhua’s face turned red with anger in an instant.

If it weren’t for the fact that Liu Hechang was the chairman of the farm’s union and she didn’t yet understand Qin Qingman’s full background, she would have already confronted Liu Hechang.

Now that she had been caught off guard, Xu Lianhua knew that this wasn’t the time to confront Liu Hechang directly. She forced a strained smile and began to explain.

“I came to the cafeteria with the crowd and have been here the whole time. I thought the cafeteria staff understood my situation and didn’t ask for leave in time. It was my fault. I’ll write a self-reflection and deeply examine my attitude toward work. I won’t make such a mistake again in the future.”

Xu Lianhua had been working in the cafeteria for over a year, so she naturally knew how profitable the cafeteria could be. She was unwilling to give up this benefit she had gained. In her words, she was clearly defending her “legitimate” position.

She was also indirectly informing Liu Hechang and the others in the cafeteria that after completing the paperwork today, Xu Lianhua would return to her job. She wanted everyone to consider carefully if they had chosen the wrong side.

Wu Yuanming was out of power, and Xu Lianhua still had new backing.

Liu Hechang was furious when he heard Xu Lianhua’s words, but he couldn’t directly refute her. After all, Qin Qingman was still standing nearby, and Xu Lianhua hadn’t been expelled from the cafeteria team.

“Comrade Xu Lianhua’s self-reflection does indeed need to be written. Without rules, nothing can be accomplished. Every position has its rules and regulations, and everyone must follow them,” Liu Hechang, though irritated, still had to speak in an official tone to Xu Lianhua.

He then moved aside to sit down.

He had made his point and even explained it to Qin Qingman, hoping that she wouldn’t hold it against him. If necessary, he would even give up his position in the cafeteria again.

People who speak in official tones often have sharp minds, and although Liu Hechang didn’t directly say anything to Qin Qingman, he believed she understood his explanation.

Liu Hechang wasn’t the only one who noticed the tension between him and Qin Qingman. Many in the room could see his unease and hesitation around her.

This suggested that Qin Qingman’s background might indeed be unusual.

As a result, many people started looking at Qin Qingman with increased interest. If she was someone with real power, or had someone powerful backing her, perhaps they could follow her path.

There were many people suffering, and many hoped for a glimmer of hope to warm their hearts.

“Qingman, I’m your aunt, Xu Lianhua!” When the Wan family saw that not only Zhou Jingguo but even Liu Hechang had softened, they immediately knew they had made the right choice. Xu Lianhua, with a fawning smile, quickly squeezed her way to Qin Qingman’s side.

Qin Qingman, having been interrupted by Liu Hechang, had already regained her composure. She was eating a large bun while watching the commotion with Chuchu.

Qin Qingman was very smart. From the brief exchange between Liu Hechang and Xu Lianhua, she quickly realized that the two had an uneasy relationship and were competing for control of the cafeteria. From what she could see, Xu Lianhua seemed to have lost.

Wan Liang had been Wu Yuanming’s secretary, and with Wu Yuanming’s downfall, Wan Liang, the sycophant, was unlikely to fare well. At this point, Xu Lianhua coming forward to acknowledge her meant she was eager to latch onto a new powerful figure—and Qin Qingman had now become the new “big leg” the Wan family was hoping to lean on.

Qin Qingman couldn’t help but laugh inwardly. She had been planning to deal with this family, but unexpectedly, instead of bowing their heads, they were still trying to manipulate her as the original leader. How overconfident must they be to think that after mistreating the original leader, she would still remember their family ties?

“You are… Aunt?” 

Qin Qingman didn’t deny knowing Xu Lianhua.

The relationship between the original owner, the Wan family, and Xu Lianhua was well known to anyone who was familiar with them. There was no way to hide it, especially with Zhou Jingguo sitting nearby. Qin Qingman, of course, wouldn’t let anyone hold anything over her. She pretended to be surprised, taking a few seconds to recognize Xu Lianhua before speaking.

After recognizing her, Qin Qingman immediately put down the bun in her hand, stood up, and grabbed Xu Lianhua’s hand excitedly. “Auntie where’s Uncle? Today is Uncle’s birthday. Chuchu and I came specifically to celebrate with him.”

Liu Hechang, seeing that not only had Qin Qingman acknowledged Xu Lianhua but had also come to wish a happy birthday, felt his heart sink.

If Xu Lianhua ever went behind his back to report anything to Qin Qingman, he would not be able to escape the consequences.

Realizing this, Liu Hechang’s face darkened.

While Liu Hechang looked defeated, Xu Lianhua was overjoyed. She quickly turned to wave at Wan Mingxi and Wan Liang, then said to Qin Qingman, “Qingman, your uncle is here. He’s here, and so is your cousin.”

She was showing off her connection to Qin Qingman in front of everyone.

Wan Mingxi and Wan Liang, seeing Xu Lianhua’s wave, immediately stepped out from the crowd, their expressions calm and composed.

Inside, they were both extremely excited.

With Wu Yuanming out of the picture, the Wan family now had a new source of power.

Qin Qingman, however, was not going to let them have things go smoothly. Following Xu Lianhua’s gaze, she saw Wan Mingxi and Wan Liang, and a look of surprise appeared on her face. “I haven’t seen Uncle, Auntie and Cousin in over a year. You’ve gotten whiter and fatter. I almost didn’t recognize you. If I hadn’t heard that you moved to the Hongqi farm’s residential area, Chuchu and I wouldn’t have known where to find Uncle for his birthday.”

The implications in her words were clear.

It had been over a year! Her uncle’s family had become plump and well-fed, living without a care, and had changed so much! Her uncle had moved, and yet her niece didn’t even know, only hearing it from someone else!

Hmm, this didn’t sound quite right.

Wan Mingxi and Wan Liang’s calm expressions froze, and their steps faltered.

Uh-oh, how could they have forgotten this detail? After Wan Liang got Qin Qingman’s work position, he quickly used his connections to be transferred to Hongqi farm. Not long after, the whole family moved there as well.

Since the whole family was now at Hongqi farm, they had, of course, moved into the farm’s residential area.

They had flaunted their successful move and their comfortable life to many people, but they had never informed Qin Qingman and her brother about it. This oversight could have been easily explained away privately, but now Qin Qingman had brought it up in front of everyone.

The way she spoke seemed like she was showing concern, but it also felt like an implicit reproach.

Qin Qingman didn’t wait for Xu Lianhua to explain herself. She immediately said, “Uncle, Auntie knowing that today is Uncle’s birthday, Chuchu and I even went back to Uncle’s old home yesterday. When we got there, we found out that you had already moved. Sigh, we brought a lot of mountain goods today to celebrate Uncle’s birthday, but as soon as we got to the farm’s entrance, we ran into some unpleasant business.”

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately thought of the murder incident at the farm gate, and they also admired the thoughtfulness of Qin Qingman and her brother for remembering their uncle’s birthday.

“Uncle, Big Sister brought you some monkey head mushrooms, but unfortunately, they got ruined at the farm gate. Those were a gift from my uncle’s family, and we didn’t eat them at all,” Chuchu said, cleverly adding a detail after swallowing the bun.

When people heard Chuchu’s words, their gaze toward the Wan family immediately changed.

It seemed like the Wan family didn’t care much for their nephews!

“Oh, right, Uncle, Auntie why didn’t you come on my father’s memorial day? My mother always remembered you. Whenever we had something good at home, we always saved some for you,” Chuchu innocently continued.

After finishing, the child added another pure remark, “Sigh, Uncle, you’ve been out of sight for so long. Were you worried that my family would ask you for food? Don’t worry, we never asked. Even when we were struggling, eating only one meal every two days, we never thought of asking you for food. We are poor, but we have dignity.”

After saying this, the child glanced at Qin Qingman and winked lightly.

Qin Qingman had already been laughing in her heart. She hadn’t expected Chuchu to have such a knack for acting. The child’s performance was so natural that no one noticed the little schemes behind the innocent words.

The brother and sister had silently slapped their uncle’s family in the face, and the crowd immediately began to murmur.

The real sister cared about her brother, always saving a share of the good things for him. But after Big Sister and Brother-in-law passed away, the brother’s family, who had benefited greatly, not only turned cold and ignored the two nephews’ well-being but even failed to visit on the anniversary of Brother-in-law and Big Sister’s deaths.

Was this even human?

They were worse than animals!

The uncle didn’t care about his two nephews’ welfare, yet the poor nephews still remembered their uncle’s birthday and brought valuable gifts like monkey head mushrooms to celebrate. The Qin family had truly fulfilled the duties of respect and filial piety as nephews to Wan Mingxi.

It was the Wan family that was truly disgraceful.

As the Wan family listened to the murmurs around them, their faces turned a mix of red and black.

Wan Liang even keenly sensed the hostility Qin Qingman and her brother had toward their family. After all, he had been the one who used his connections to secure Qin Qingman’s work position. If it hadn’t been for that, their family wouldn’t have been able to live such a comfortable life over the past year.

Realizing that the chance to latch onto Qin Qingman’s support had passed, Wan Liang immediately understood that not only was the opportunity gone, but today their family might even face a significant loss. Otherwise, Qin Qingman wouldn’t let them off so easily.

“Qingman, well, you know, the move was so rushed. Kaoshan Village is far from us, and we just forgot to let you know. Don’t blame your uncle. If anyone should be blamed, it’s me. I didn’t handle the arrangements well,” Xu Lianhua, realizing something was wrong, quickly tried to explain.

Though she was Qin Qingman’s aunt, her surname was Xu, so she was technically not part of the Qin family by blood. She hoped that, being an outsider, she could explain it away.

Qin Qingman, having used just a few words to make everyone see the real relationship between the Wan family and hers, wasn’t about to let Xu Lianhua ruin it. She immediately grabbed Xu Lianhua’s hand with a sincere expression.

“Auntie what are you talking about? We’re not angry with you. We just thought maybe you were too busy and forgot. As soon as we heard it was Uncle’s birthday, we came to ask about it. If we were really upset, we would have cut ties with you long ago. After all, Uncle didn’t even come on Mom’s memorial day. If we stopped recognizing you, no one would say anything, since you’re just a relative by surname.”

Qin Qingman’s words were sharp. It was understandable to forget for a day or two if one was too busy, but forgetting for such a long time without a trace—if she said it wasn’t intentional, who would believe her?

At this point, everyone in the room understood the kind of grudge between the Wan family and Qin Qingman’s family.

Even Liu Hechang could sense the underlying meaning in Qin Qingman’s words.

Liu Hechang knew her background. Before Qin Qingman married Wei Ling, her life had been difficult, but after marrying him, the Qin family no longer had to live in poverty. He himself had been on the receiving end of Qin Qingman’s more direct and indirect methods, so he understood her ways well.

So, it wasn’t that Qin Qingman and her brother came to celebrate Wan Mingxi’s birthday. They were clearly there to slap the Wan family’s face, and at the same time, to make it clear to everyone that the two families had long since cut ties.

It was over.

Liu Hechang understood this, and if it were him, he would be delighted.

The reason he had reached his current position wasn’t just because of his work abilities; he knew how to flatter Zhou Jingguo, how to gauge his boss’s thoughts, and how to do his boss’s unspoken work.

Liu Hechang understood Qin Qingman’s message.

Wan Liang also understood.

Wan Liang had climbed to the position of secretary beside Wu Yuanming, the director, and was someone who was good at flattering leadership and gauging their thoughts. At this moment, he understood what Qin Qingman really meant.

The other side was not only dissatisfied with the work quotas that their family had stolen, but also resented that, after their family benefited from the Qin family, when Aunt passed away, the Wan family pretended they didn’t know them.

As Wan Liang was considering how to handle the situation and ease Qin Qingman’s resentment towards their family, the sound of a tractor’s engine grew louder as it approached the cafeteria.

Everyone froze for a moment and immediately guessed what was going on.

Qin Qingman casually let go of Xu Lianhua’s hand, picked up Chuchu, and walked toward the cafeteria door, while explaining, “It should be Comrade Bao Shengli and the others coming back. The Public Security Comrade should be here too.”

As Qin Qingman left, the others, who were witnesses, quickly followed.

Chuchu, ever so clever, grabbed their lunchbox again. Big Sister Baozi hadn’t even eaten much, and now Aunt was causing a fuss. He had to take the lunchbox, even wisely tightening the lid and tucking it into his chest.

The lunchbox had been kept warm on the stove and was very cozy. Holding it felt like carrying a little heater. 

It was quite warm.

Qin Qingman walked quickly, cutting off any chance for the Wan family to make a move. In the blink of an eye, aside from the Wan family, only Zhou Jingguo and Liu Hechang remained in the cafeteria. Even Zhou Jingguo’s son, Zhao Tiancheng, had followed the crowd out the door.

There was a reason Zhou Jingguo and Liu Hechang didn’t follow them out.

Zhou Jingguo, holding onto his leadership status, didn’t want to act like ordinary, uncultured people, so he sat there calmly. Liu Hechang, being Zhou Jingguo’s subordinate, stayed put as well, since his “Master” didn’t move.

As for the Wan family, they hadn’t reacted in time.

By the time they realized what had happened, they had already been left behind.

Wan Mingxi and Xu Lianhua were genuinely afraid in front of Zhou Jingguo. Without their protector, Wu Yuanming, they didn’t even dare to raise their heads in front of Zhou Jingguo. They hunched over, acting like obedient “servants.”

As for Wan Liang, he certainly didn’t dare to provoke Zhou Jingguo.

He stood to the side, caught in a difficult position.

If they had followed out of the cafeteria, there would have been no place for them beside Qin Qingman. If they stayed, Zhou Jingguo didn’t even think highly of their family, and Liu Hechang, who had just exchanged sharp words with them, was now looking at them with a mocking, triumphant gaze.

By wrongfully attaching themselves to Qin Qingman, the Wan family might soon find themselves back to square one, even worse than before.

“Liu Hechang, Comrade, let’s go outside and take a look.” After sitting for a few minutes, Zhou Jingguo started to grow impatient and decided to go out.

He hadn’t been able to wait for the Public Security Bureau officials to meet him yet.

If they hadn’t come, it meant that either they outranked him or they simply didn’t care about him. Reluctantly, he decided to take matters into his own hands and go out, signaling his stance on the fake Public Security incident.

Their commune needed to stay aligned with the county government.

Liu Hechang understood what Zhou Jingguo meant and quickly got up, motioning for the other to follow. The two walked past the Wan family without sparing them a glance.

To someone like them, the Wan family was no more significant than a few ants.

Wan Liang didn’t even have the right to be glanced at, let alone to engage directly with Zhou Jingguo. As the two passed by him without even looking in his direction, his face alternated between red and pale.

It was a humiliation—bare, raw humiliation…..