As soon as Su Rui got home, the first thing she did was rush to Su Chang’e’s room to grab her.

Su Chang’e locked the door and refused to open it, cursing from inside.

“My ancestors, why are you starting to quarrel again?” Su Yuqin walked in first with a basket over her arm, while Su Li helped the frail Su Hongpei into the courtyard.

Su Rui quickly put aside her grudge and ran over to support Su Hongpei. “How are you? Do you feel any better after the injection?”

Before Su Hongpei could answer, Su Yuqin scolded, “You come back and don’t even think to start cooking? The older you get, the wilder your heart becomes! If you don’t treat this house as your home, then get out!”

Su Li silently took the basket from her, placed it in the main hall, and then went around to the back to chop firewood.

Seeing Su Yuqin standing there with her hands on her hips, ready to argue, Su Rui was just about to confront her when Su Hongpei pinched her arm. “Help me lie down for a bit.”

Swallowing her anger, Su Rui helped Su Hongpei into the room.

Su Yuqin was still fuming. “A worthless girl will always be worthless! What kind of twenty-something-year-old woman still lives at home eating her mother’s coffin money? The old widower next door is looking for a stepmother for his kid, and tomorrow, I’m going to arrange a match for you!”

Thud!

The sharp sound of an axe splitting wood rang out.

Su Yuqin flinched and turned toward the noise, only to see Su Li chopping firewood. His arm swung down with precision, splitting a thick log clean in half.

Gritting her teeth, she snapped, “Chop, chop, chop! Why don’t you just chop me to death? I must’ve been blind to let a thorny gourd into my house! Not a single one of you, young or old, gives me any peace!”

Su Li said in a low voice, “I’m chopping wood to cook for you. Just wait inside.”

Su Yuqin glared at him viciously. “I don’t need you to decide things for me!” But despite her words, she still went inside.

Lying in the west room, Su Hongpei stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought. Especially after Su Rui told her that Wang Luxing might be involved with Xiao Juan.

Thinking back on his behavior over the past two years, it wasn’t impossible that he had secretly found someone else.

But what she couldn’t accept was how he had refused to give her a bride price, yet was willing to pay one for another woman.

She had originally planned to talk to Wang Luxing once she recovered. If his family was truly struggling, she could accept it. But now, it seemed completely pointless.

“Little Sister, you’re right. It’s better to rip the bandage off quickly than to suffer long-term pain.” Tears that had built up for half her life finally poured out in one day. Her eyes swollen, her voice hoarse, she stared at the ceiling and murmured, “Some people’s hearts are made of stone. No amount of warmth will ever change them.”

Su Rui added, “Don’t listen to what your mother says.”

Su Hongpei forced a smile. “She has a sharp tongue but a soft heart.”

Su Rui didn’t think she was that soft—she had only ever seen the sharp tongue. But Su Hongpei always believed people were good at heart.

Turning her head, Su Hongpei noticed mud splattered on Su Rui’s pretty little face. She reached out to wipe it off and teased, “Why do you look like a little stray cat?”

Su Rui didn’t tell her about beating up Wang Luxing and simply said, “I tripped on the way back.”

Su Hongpei struggled to sit up. “Where did you fall? Let me see.”

Su Rui quickly reassured her. “It’s nothing, just a little tumble. Didn’t even scrape my skin.”

After making sure she was fine, Su Hongpei lay back down and said lazily, “That’s good. You always run around with that sugarcane; I’m afraid you’ll poke yourself in the eye one day.”

Su Rui laughed. “That’s impossible.”

But as she laughed… she suddenly froze.

W-wait…

Where was her old sugarcane?

Her ultimate weapon was gone!

***

The Next Day

“Sister Zhao! You have to stand up for my eldest son!” Aunt Wang sobbed. Thinking of Wang Luxing, who was barely alive at home, she cried even harder. “It must have been Su Hongpei! Otherwise, why would my son get beaten up right after refusing to pay the bride price?”

“The officers at the station said they didn’t find any signs of a fight at the scene. Besides, your son drinking by the roadside wasn’t just confirmed by Xiao Yan from the supply and marketing cooperative but also by Team Leader Wu.”

“You know his drinking problem isn’t new.” Director Zhao tried to reason with her. “When he was found, he reeked so much that even the stench from the sewer couldn’t cover it. When he woke up, he was still completely out of it.”

“Out of it? He was beaten so badly his brain turned to mush!” Seeing that Director Zhao wasn’t taking her side, Aunt Wang wiped her tears and declared, “I will find the culprit myself!”

Nearby, Team Leader Wu muttered under her breath, “Only the dead are called murderers”

Aunt Wang shot her a glare and stormed out.

Back at home, Wang Luxing was still groaning in pain on the heated kang.

When his mother told him that the police were still investigating, he struggled to sit up. “I clearly heard Su Hongpei’s voice.”

Aunt Wang said, “Lie back down! Sister Zhao said Su Hongpei was at the clinic at the time. Doctor Qian and the bald guy from the clinic can both testify.”

As they were at a loss, a voice came from outside. “Hello, comrade. We’re from the military security office. We’d like to ask a few questions about last night’s events.”

Wang Luxing slapped his thigh. “That’s right! If the local authorities can’t handle it, the military definitely can!”

Two soldiers wearing armbands entered, stood by his bed, and carefully questioned him about what had happened. Wang Luxing recalled everything vividly, even repeating the words he had muttered to himself at the time.

The two soldiers exchanged a glance.

Wang Luxing continued rambling, “It was definitely someone from the Su family! If it wasn’t Su Hongpei, then it was Su Rui. Yes, it had to be Su Rui! You should arrest her and send her to a labor camp! She always—”

The taller soldier cut him off. “We handle cases based on evidence, not speculation. Do you have any proof?”

Wang Luxing pondered over and over, then finally lay down, clutching his head, and said, “If the army refuses to handle this, I’ll lie at the entrance of your barracks—”

“The restricted area is off-limits. Please conduct yourself accordingly.” Another soldier spoke in a low voice, then turned to the tall soldier and said, “That’s enough.”

The two soldiers saluted them before leaving one after the other.

As soon as they stepped out of Wang Luxing’s house, they headed straight to Su Rui’s doorstep.

Su Rui was home today, taking care of Su Hongpei, so she hadn’t gone to work on the road. She was crouched in front of the stove, boiling red date water, planning to help her eldest sister replenish her blood and energy.

A while ago, people from Yi Wang Village had been selling large dried red dates. They were big and cheap, but since every household within a ten-mile radius had jujube trees, even the rare “Dog Head Dates” couldn’t sell.

Su Rui knew their worth. The small sour dates at home were nothing compared to Dog Head Dates in terms of nutrition. She patiently waited for the prices to drop, then spent two yuan to buy thirty jin of Dog Head Dates, an extremely cost-effective purchase.

During those certain days each month, she would boil two Dog Head Dates in sugar water, making her complexion glow with a rosy fairness.

“Big Sister, drink more. If you take good care of your face, when you bring a husband into the family, he might ask for a lower bride price just because you look good.” Su Rui earnestly advised while handing Su Hongpei the red date water.

Looking at Su Rui’s radiant and lively face every day, Su Hongpei hesitated for a moment before finally being convinced. She took the bowl and drank it all in one go.

Indeed, rather than marrying into another family and being schemed against, it was better to bring a man into their own.

Seeing that Su Hongpei’s mood had stabilized, Su Rui let out a sigh of relief.

Su Chang’e caught a whiff of the fragrance and wandered over, leaning against the doorframe bonelessly. “Why didn’t you make a bowl for me too? Are you keeping all the good stuff for yourself?”

Su Rui glanced coldly at her feet and warned, “If you dare step into my room, I’ll break your legs.”

Su Chang’e immediately pulled her foot back but still refused to back down. “If you’ve got the guts, go ahead and try.”

Su Rui suddenly stood up, and Su Chang’e bolted back to her own room.

Heh, little brat.

“Is Comrade Su Rui here?” The tall soldier stood at the entrance of the courtyard, waiting for them to finish talking before politely saying, “I’m from the army’s security office.”

Su Rui shuddered and stood up. When she saw the two soldiers waiting at the courtyard gate, she swallowed hard and asked, “What’s the matter?”

“Our leader—”

Su Rui pointed to the east room and interrupted, “Report to the leader, she’s involved too!”

Su Chang’e had been peeking from behind the door. Upon hearing that, she immediately pushed it open in anger and shouted, “Are you a water ghost reincarnated? Why must you drag me down with you?”

Su Rui shrugged. “Sorry, I don’t like being lonely.”

Su Chang’e stomped her foot in frustration. Every single day, this was driving her insane!

“Then both of you come along,” the other soldier said, stepping aside and politely making a welcoming gesture.

Su Hongpei came out of the house and, seeing the soldiers’ uniforms and armbands, turned to her two younger sisters suspiciously. “What have you two been up to behind my back this time?”

Su Rui grabbed her hand and said solemnly, “For true love, for freedom, and for equality!”

Su Chang’e spat out a toothpick and muttered, “Let’s go. By the time we come back, our nephew will probably be running around already.”

Su Rui gave her elder sister one last warning. “Big Sister, whatever you do, don’t marry that bastard Wang.”

Su Hongpei was deeply worried and chased them to the gate. The tall soldier reassured her, “Our leader just wants to ask a few questions. They’ll be back soon.”

***

Su Rui sat in the cargo bed of a three-wheeled motorcycle, with Su Chang’e sat on her lap.

This girl had prominent bones on her face and even sharper ones on her backside, grinding painfully into Su Rui’s thighs.

Since she was suffering, she wasn’t about to let Su Chang’e have it easy either. She wrapped her arms around Su Chang’e’s waist and pinched hard.

Su Chang’e tried using a sinking stance to resist, but Su Rui caught on. With a yelp, Su Chang’e shouted, “Are you crazy?”

Su Rui said expressionlessly, “Switch. Let me sit on your lap instead.”

Su Chang’e admitted defeat. Su Rui never took a loss, not even a tiny one.

When the three-wheeler stopped, they swapped positions, with Su Chang’e now holding Su Rui.

Su Rui gripped the cargo bed’s railing tightly, wary that Su Chang’e, this vicious supporting character, might just toss her off. Not long after, she felt an arm coil around her waist, followed by a sharp, burning pain that made her suck in a breath.

The soldiers on the adjacent motorcycle had noticed their antics. They had been holding back their laughter the entire way and finally reached the security office near the road checkpoint.

The moment Su Rui entered, she spotted a large incriminating object lying on the ground—a thick old sugarcane.

Su Chang’e suddenly acted like she was possessed, limping dramatically forward as she pointed at the sugarcane. “Reporting, sir, last night—mmph mmph mmph—”

Su Rui lunged forward and clamped a hand over Su Chang’e’s mouth.

Su Chang’e was dying to see Su Rui thrown into labor camp, sent off to be lovebirds behind iron bars with some big fellow. She struggled desperately, determined to be the key witness.

Su Rui had expected her to turn traitor, so she decided to skin her alive before they even stepped inside.

“What’s all this commotion? No fighting! Stand straight against the wall!”

The tall soldier’s loud command made both of them instantly separate and dejectedly stand by the wall.

“You’ll stand there for half an hour. Wait for the captain to arrive before you can sit.” With that, the two soldiers left to hand over duties to the other guards on shift.

Su Rui knew the old sugarcane was evidence against her. Once the soldiers’ footsteps faded into the distance, she crouched down, sneakily grabbed the sugarcane, and poked Su Chang’e. “Here! Bite it!”

Su Chang’e was about to run over and report again when the sugarcane swung menacingly before her nose.

She muttered reluctantly, “Why do I have to chew the base? The base tastes weird.”

Su Rui flipped the sugarcane around and made another threatening motion.

Left with no choice, Su Chang’e and Su Rui huddled in a corner, each gnawing on one end of the incriminating sugarcane.

Su Rui ran her fingers over the purplish stalk, her jaw aching from all the chewing.

She caught Su Chang’e slacking off again, jabbed her with the sugarcane, and urged, “Chew faster! We only have half an hour. Finish this, and when we get home, I’ll make you a detachable collar.”

Su Chang’e’s eyes immediately lit up. “Really?”

Su Rui’s detachable collars were always stylish and well-made—pointed collars, round collars, cloud-shaped collars, she could do them all. Su Chang’e had been eyeing them for ages.

“Of course.”

Su Chang’e clutched the sugarcane and chomped down ferociously.

…

Hearing nothing but silence from the security office, the soldiers assumed they were obediently standing at attention.

The tall soldier saluted as the captain arrived, stepping forward to open the door.

Fang Chiye waved his hand, signaling him to step aside, and helped Qin Shan open the door.

Inside, two rural women sat squatting on the ground, backs facing the door, happily gnawing on the same sugarcane.

Fang Chiye took a step back, carefully glancing at the sign that read “Public Security Office” before stepping inside again.

“Ahem.” Qin Shan, still holding something in his arms, cleared his throat lightly. He was about to speak but was stopped by Fang Chiye.

Su Rui quickly stood up, her cheeks bulging with sugarcane fibers she hadn’t spit out yet.

Su Chang’e ferociously bit off the last piece of sugarcane, her lips stained with red from gnawing too hard. She even gave Su Rui a thumbs-up.

This was solid.

Su Rui couldn’t bear to look, torn between wanting to laugh and holding it in. She ended up headbutting the wall. Just as she was about to crash into it, a broad palm pressed against her forehead, absorbing the impact.

Huh?

Su Rui immediately straightened up, sensing someone behind her, a voice close to her ear asking, “Comrade Su Rui?”

Her scalp tingled. She mumbled, “That’s me.”

The man seemed to chuckle briefly before asking, “The sugarcane from yesterday?”

Here it comes, here it comes, the time of reckoning had come.

Su Rui refused to admit it. “What sugarcane?”

The officer stepped closer. “Spit it out.”

Su Rui: “No.”

“Spit!”

“No!”

Seeing how stubborn she was, the man said, “No offense, then.”

What offense? Who would dare offend me?

Before Su Rui could react, the tall man moved in, trapping her from behind and pressing her cheeks firmly.

Forced to open her mouth, Su Rui’s panicked and embarrassed expression resembled a hamster hoarding food, helplessly watching the sugarcane fibers being squeezed out of her mouth.

The man didn’t even flinch. He caught the chewed-up sugarcane in his palm, held it up to her, and marveled, “Good teeth. You chewed it pretty clean.”

“Thanks for the compliment.” Su Rui’s face went numb. “Like a cow or a horse, of course my teeth are good^[1]It is a sarcastic or self-deprecating remark, implying that she’s being treated like a hardworking animal (cattle or horse) that needs strong teeth to endure tough conditions..”