Chapter 7

She sized up her son.  

He was twenty-four years old this year, full of youthful vigor.  

It was normal for a man to desire a woman.  

Other men at his age already had children old enough to run errands.  

But Xu Mo? Not only had his engagement been called off, but up to this day, not a single girl was willing to marry him.  

It was their family’s burden that had dragged him down.  

Liu Xiaolan let out a silent sigh in her heart.  

“Old Third, don’t worry. Mother will definitely find you a well-behaved and sensible wife. I won’t let you remain a bachelor for life.”  

Xu Mo: “……” How did the topic suddenly turn to finding a wife?  

“Let’s not talk about this for now. Old Third, hurry up and go eat in the front. There’s no work this morning. The Captain told us to go to the threshing ground to distribute the pork.”  

The threshing ground was already lined with long queues.  

One line for the Educated Youth, another for the commune members.  

The village had a designated butcher, so every year, the task of slaughtering the pigs was handled by him.  

However, wild boar skin was thick and tough, making it difficult for one person to butcher the entire animal alone.  

So, several people had to take turns cutting up the meat.  

When Shen Jiaojiao was on her way to the threshing ground, she happened to see Xu Mo emerging from a small path on the side.  

His younger siblings followed closely behind him.  

Xu Mo was wearing a black tank top that day, paired with gray shorts that reached just above his knees.  

His skin was a healthy shade of wheat, and with such a simple outfit, he somehow carried an air of nobility.  

His physique was perfectly proportioned, like a walking clothes hanger.  

Even if he were to casually drape a military coat over himself, he would still look ridiculously good.  

Shen Jiaojiao wanted to go up and greet him, but with so many people around, she held herself back.  

Xu Mo, of course, also saw Shen Jiaojiao. His gaze moved from her face to the silk scarf wrapped around her neck, and in an instant, his blood boiled.  

He knew that must have been his own doing.  

Shen Jiaojiao was covering up the marks on her skin.  

Xu Mo hurriedly withdrew his gaze in a panic, refusing to look any longer.

Xu Meili, who was following closely beside Xu Mo, tugged at her Third Brother’s arm and whispered: “Third Brother, that pretty Big Sister has been staring at you this whole time.”  

Although Xu Meili was talking to Xu Mo, her eyes remained fixed on Shen Jiaojiao.  

She thought Shen Jiaojiao looked like a celestial being, just like the leading ladies in movies.  

Her skin was fair, her figure was stunning, and she dressed fashionably.  

At ten years old, Xu Meili was at the age where she adored all things beautiful and novel.  

Xu Mo grabbed his little sister’s hand and pushed her forward, lowering his voice. “Watch where you’re going, and stop talking nonsense.”  

His face remained indifferent, but the tips of his ears had turned red.  His second sister-in-law, Li Ermei, overheard the little girl’s words and rolled her eyes dramatically.  

Glancing at Shen Jiaojiao, who was about ten steps away, she sneered in a hushed voice: “What’s the use of being pretty? She can’t carry anything, can’t do any hard labor, and spends all day powdering her face like some delicate flower. Any man who marries her won’t just have to worship her like an ancestor—he might even end up wearing a green hat.”  

Xu Mo’s expression darkened instantly, ready to explode.  

But his mother, Liu Xiaolan, was faster.  

With a sharp slap to the back of Li Ermei’s head, she snapped: “Where did this gossiping shrew come from, busy spreading rumors about a young girl? You must have too much free time. If you don’t earn at least five work points this afternoon, you’re skipping dinner.”  

Li Ermei clutched the back of her head, unwilling to back down.  

“I’m not wrong, though. That Shen Jiaojiao used to chase after Fang Qinghe everywhere, and now she’s blatantly ogling Third Brother. She’s nothing but a vixen.”  

“If you say one more word, I’ll slap you so hard your mouth swells up, you hear me? Her eyes are on her own face—who she looks at is none of your damn business. Why are you always making trouble?”  

Li Ermei, thoroughly scolded, didn’t dare make another sound.  

But her resentment toward Shen Jiaojiao only deepened.  

That woman was nothing but a scheming seductress, always luring men in.  

Xu Mo had no interest in bickering with women, so he simply shot a glare at his Second Brother.  

Xu Fuqiang, honest and soft-spoken, had no control over his own wife.  

All he could do was shrink back like a quail.  

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By the time everyone arrived at the threshing ground, they saw the Fang Family standing right at the front.  

The Fang Family consisted of four members—Fang Qinghe, his parents, and his younger sister.  

At that moment, the Captain was scolding them in front of the entire crowd.  

However, the incident from last night—when people had gone to Xu Mo’s house to catch an affair—had not been made public.

After all, regardless of the truth, this matter would damage both of their reputations.  

The Captain took this into consideration and only brought up Fang Qinghe’s act of hoarding pork.  

It was meant as a warning to everyone present, to deter them from secretly keeping goods in the future.  

At that moment, the entire Fang Family shrank their necks, heads lowered in shame, unable to face anyone.  

The scolding lasted for nearly an hour. The Captain only let them go once his mouth had gone dry from all the reprimanding.  

After that, it was time for the distribution of the pork.  

Fang Qinghe was originally supposed to line up at the very back, but when he spotted Shen Jiaojiao, anger flared in his chest.  

He forcefully squeezed forward and cut in line, positioning himself right next to Shen Jiaojiao.  

Lowering his voice, he demanded: “Shen Jiaojiao, give me an explanation for what happened last night.”  

He assumed she must have been frightened, which was why she had acted so strangely.  

But at the same time, he didn’t dare completely lose his temper with her.  

If he angered this little princess, all his benefits would be gone.  

His family wasn’t well-off, but Shen Jiaojiao could support him, giving him money and ration tickets.  

Most importantly, her family had power.  

In the future, he needed to rely on their influence to rise in status.  

Shen Jiaojiao ignored him. She stepped out of the line and moved to the back of the Educated Youth queue, putting distance between herself and Fang Qinghe.  

However, after lining up again, she realized that the person standing beside her was Xu Mo.  

Fang Qinghe refused to give up and attempted to follow.  

“Shen Jiaojiao, what do you mean by this?”  

Before Shen Jiaojiao could respond, Xu Mo grabbed Fang Qinghe by the collar and tossed him out of the queue.  

Fang Qinghe hit the ground hard, scraping the skin on his elbow.  

“Xu Mo! What the hell do you mean by that?”  

Xu Mo shot him a cold look. “You cut in line.”  

Fang Qinghe had no desire to get into a conflict with Xu Mo. After all, the Male Protagonist Halo was too powerful—if he wasn’t careful, he’d end up getting hurt.  

So, he circled around to Shen Jiaojiao’s other side and said in a coaxing tone: “Jiaojiao, let’s find somewhere quiet to talk later.”  

Shen Jiaojiao rolled her eyes at him. “Shameless.”  

Then she lifted her chin and called out toward the front: “Captain, Fang Qinghe is harassing me!”  

The Captain, hearing Fang Qinghe’s name yet again, was furious. “Fang Qinghe, if you keep causing trouble, I’ll have you sent straight to the Public Security Bureau!”