He was tall with long legs, exuding a powerful aura. Standing in front of the two, his shadow cast a heavy, oppressive feeling.

Wu Donglin nervously said, “I… I was just warning her about some things. I’ll go back to work now.”

Zhang Yunxi raised her middle finger.

“Trash who can’t even speak properly.”

Wu Donglin really wanted to turn around and curse at Zhang Yunxi, but thinking of Zhao Rencheng, he decided to save it for next time when he would teach her a lesson.

Zhao Rencheng stared at Zhang Yunxi. “You’ve got quite the nerve.”

“I had no choice. If the brigade could properly discipline adults who abuse children, I wouldn’t have to do anything,” Zhang Yunxi lifted her small face to look at him. “Do you think I was wrong?”

The girl’s face was tense, her expression serious. Under the sunlight, her skin seemed to glow with a pale radiance. Zhao Rencheng’s eyes flickered, and for some reason, he felt a bit guilty, averting his gaze. He coughed lightly and said, “You weren’t wrong.”

Then he added, “But you might face retaliation.”

“It’s fine. I know what I’m doing,” Zhang Yunxi went back to work. She had been given a quota by the accountant uncle these past few days—she needed to earn four work points to continue receiving advance rations. To survive, she had to work hard.

Zhao Rencheng hesitated, wanting to ask how she knew what she was doing. But she was just an educated youth, and she had nothing to do with him. So he said, “Work hard, be diligent.”

Zhang Yunxi: “…Got it.”

This man told her the same thing every day. It was annoying. She was already working hard, okay?

Zhao Rencheng turned and left, walking over to Zhao Hongqiang.

Zhao Hongqiang instinctively stepped back.

It had to be said…

He and Zhao Rencheng were the same age.

When they were kids, Zhao Rencheng had almost beaten him to death!

Facing him, everyone in the brigade felt a deep, bone-chilling fear.

Zhao Rencheng got straight to the point. “I heard you’ve been thinking about going to reform-through-labor recently?”

Zhao Hongqiang: “???”

“Brother Zhao, what are you talking about?”

“I see you’ve been causing a lot of trouble lately. If you go to reform-through-labor, that’s fine, but it’s almost the end of the year, and we’re about to evaluate the best brigade. If you mess things up and we can’t get the title, meaning we won’t get an extra pig to eat, you know what the consequences will be.” Zhao Rencheng gave a warning and then left.

Zhao Hongqiang didn’t dare to say anything in front of him.

But his face was dark with anger.

Not long after, Brigade Leader Zhao arrived, puffing on his pipe, looking worried. “Zhao Hongqiang, behave yourself recently. Stop causing trouble. Zhao Mo is just a girl, and her aunt is taking care of her. Isn’t that saving you a lot of trouble?”

Zhao Hongqiang was afraid of Zhao Rencheng, but he wasn’t afraid of Brigade Leader Zhao. “So, you’re just going to let an educated youth bully a local?”

Brigade Leader Zhao puffed on his pipe, the smoke swirling around him, almost obscuring his face. “Hongqiang, I’ve watched you grow up. I’m speaking from the heart—that Educated Youth Zhang isn’t someone to mess with. Look at how many times she’s stirred things up since she arrived. Hasn’t she won every time and gotten real benefits? Our rural brains can’t compete with city folks’. If you provoke her and she comes after you, I won’t be able to help you.”

“You didn’t help me last time either.”

Zhao Hongqiang still held a grudge against Brigade Leader Zhao for siding with Zhang Yunxi when she accused him of rape.

Brigade Leader Zhao turned and left. “Do as you please. If you want to die, no one can stop you.”

Zhao Hongqiang was so angry he threw a basket.

It hit a rock, and the basket tore a big hole.

The accountant uncle appeared like a ghost beside him. “One mao.”

Zhao Hongqiang’s face turned red with anger.

Accountant Uncle: “One mao.”

Zhao Hongqiang gritted his teeth. “I’ll give it to you this afternoon.”

The accountant uncle nodded, satisfied, and left. He had just come to watch the drama, but he ended up contributing to the brigade’s finances.

Indeed.

He was really suited to be an accountant.

After watching Zhao Hongqiang’s drama, the accountant uncle went over to Zhang Yunxi.

Brigade Leader Zhao spoke earnestly. “Zhang Yunxi, you’re just a young girl. You need to think about yourself too. Zhao Mo is still Zhao Hongqiang’s child. You can’t raise her forever. Look at how you’re working—earning four work points a day. Tell me, who can you support? When Zhao Mo goes back to her father, she’ll be beaten again. I know you mean well, but you also need to think about Zhao Mo’s future, right?”

The accountant uncle clasped his hands, nodding in agreement.

The brigade leader was quite persuasive.

Zhao Rencheng, standing behind the accountant uncle, thought so too. He felt that Zhang Yunxi handled Brigade Leader Zhao much better than she handled him.

Zhang Yunxi tossed the peanut seedlings to the side, piling them up, and said seriously, “Brigade Leader, but she’s my only family left. I just want Zhao Mo to be okay. I understand what you’re saying, but I don’t know what to do. You’re telling me to sit back and watch Zhao Mo be abused by Zhao Hongqiang, and I just can’t do that.”

“Hey, I’ve already talked to him,” Brigade Leader Zhao saw that she was willing to listen and continued, “Although we should value family ties, you can’t sacrifice yourself for Zhao Mo. It’s not worth it.”

“You’re beautiful, a top student, and you’ll contribute to the country in the future. Right now, just occasionally give Zhao Mo some things and treat her like an ordinary relative. That way, you won’t have too much pressure, and Zhao Mo won’t rely on you too much. What if you get married someday? What will happen to Zhao Mo? So, being ordinary relatives and maintaining a long-term relationship is the way to go. When you’re doing well in the future, you might even help Zhao Mo marry into a good family, and she’ll be fine.”

The accountant uncle nodded.

Zhao Rencheng frowned.

Then Zhang Yunxi said, “Brigade Leader, if it’s just about being ordinary relatives, I didn’t need to leave my life in the city to come to the countryside. Even though my uncle took over my house, I’m a top student, and my parents were workers. I could have been a temporary worker.”

Brigade Leader Zhao was shocked. “Then why did you come?!”

Even a temporary worker is still a worker.

How could that compare to this place?

The accountant uncle’s calm expression cracked. What fool would give up a temporary job in the city to come to this backwater?

Zhang Yunxi shrugged. “So, I came here to raise my niece properly for my sister’s sake. Maybe you think it’s unnecessary or stupid, but Zhao Mo and I have lost the closest people in our lives. If I don’t help her when she’s in trouble, and wait until she’s grown up and already numb from being bullied, I don’t think that’s helping—it’s charity!”

Brigade Leader Zhao fell silent.

Seeing that he didn’t refute, Zhang Yunxi gathered her courage and continued, “I understand what you’re saying. You’re worried about me getting married. I can’t guarantee anything else, but I believe that if I want to, even with Zhao Mo, I can marry into a good family. Don’t you think?”

Brigade Leader Zhao looked at her face.

Then he thought about her actions. That was indeed possible.

“But you’ll have a much harder life.”

“If it were another child, maybe it would be hard. But for Zhao Mo, I don’t think so. She’s a good kid, and being able to be part of her childhood and grow up with her makes me feel very happy.” Zhang Yunxi bowed slightly to him. “Brigade Leader, I hope next time you won’t come to me because you’re afraid I’ll be bullied, but rather to discuss how to deal with those who bully me.”