Chapter 2: Not Foolish Anymore

Zhang Lanlan was momentarily speechless. Qin Man had caught her red-handed.

“I… I didn’t! Jiang Cong, don’t listen to her. What does a fool know? I really just got here! Seeing her soaking wet, it wasn’t hard to figure out she fell into the water!”

She looked at Jiang Cong with an innocent expression, hoping he would believe her. Surely, a normal person like herself couldn’t be less trustworthy than a fool, right?

“You’re lying! Grandma said that kids who lie won’t have any friends!”

Suddenly, Jiang Yu’s sweet, childish voice rang out. She pointed a tiny finger at Zhang Lanlan, pouting in a way that was so adorable it melted Qin Man’s heart.

“What do kids know? Grown-ups are talking—stay out of it!” Zhang Lanlan snapped, glaring at the little girl.

Jiang Yu immediately shrank behind her mother’s legs but still stuck out her tongue and made a funny face at her.

“And why shouldn’t kids understand? Children don’t lie—unlike some people. Go ahead, glare at her again and see what happens.”

Qin Man narrowed her eyes, exuding a quiet authority that made Zhang Lanlan instinctively take a step back.

Damn woman—why does she suddenly seem so intimidating? Wasn’t she just a simple-minded fool who could barely string a proper sentence together? Why did she suddenly seem so sharp and confident?

Zhang Lanlan wasn’t the only one confused. Jiang Cong was equally surprised. However, his priority was figuring out what had really happened—was it an accident, or had someone deliberately pushed Qin Man into the water?

“Jiang Li, tell me—what did you see?”

Jiang Li took after his father—quiet and reserved. Despite being just three years old, he already had an air of cold detachment.

“My sister and I went home to get something while playing house with Mom. When we came back, we saw her. She ran away.”

As he spoke, Jiang Li pointed directly at Zhang Lanlan. Unlike his younger sister, his words were more structured and articulate.

Jiang Cong knew his son wouldn’t lie. Children were pure and honest—they had no reason to deceive anyone.

“So, do you have anything left to say?” Jiang Cong’s gaze turned cold as he looked at Zhang Lanlan.

Xiao Zhu may have been simple-minded, but she had endured so much to give birth to their two smart and lovable children. As her husband, it was his responsibility to protect them.

He had been the one to force Xiao Zhu into this marriage. That was his mistake, and he needed to make amends—to take responsibility, to shield her and their children.

“I didn’t do it! None of you saw me push her, so how can you accuse me? And besides, Jiang Cong, don’t you understand how I feel about you? You’re a university graduate with a bright future ahead of you! She’s just a fool—she’ll only drag you down! Don’t you remember how long the village has laughed at you because of her?”

Zhang Lanlan grew desperate, completely dropping her act. Her disgust toward Qin Man was now plain for all to see.

“She may be simple, but at least she has a pure heart—unlike some people, who are rotten to the core.”

Jiang Cong had already guessed that Zhang Lanlan had something to do with this, but without witnessing it firsthand, he chose not to press further.

Qin Man, on the other hand, was quite pleased with his response. He had defended her—that meant he wasn’t entirely without a sense of integrity. The fact that he hadn’t abandoned a “fool” like her and had taken her in as his wife already spoke volumes about his character.

Jiang Cong had been drugged—that much had been confirmed. However, the mastermind behind it was never found. Since he and Qin Man were already bound together by fate, he chose not to investigate further.

Qin Man withdrew her hand from Jiang Cong’s and stepped toward Zhang Lanlan. She stood at about 1.6 meters tall, half a head taller than Zhang Lanlan, and her aura completely overshadowed the other woman.

“Thanks to you pushing me into the reservoir, I got a little shock—now I’m not foolish anymore. So, from now on, you’d better stay far away from me. I have a bad temper, and I really don’t want to lose control and hit you. Oh, and one more thing—my name is Qin Man, not Xiao Zhu. We’re not close enough for nicknames.”

She raised an eyebrow, thoroughly enjoying the sight of Zhang Lanlan’s face, which was now a mix of anger, shock, and humiliation.

“Come on, kids, we’re going home.”

Qin Man turned around, taking her children by the hand and leading them toward their house.

Jiang Cong was just as shocked as Zhang Lanlan, though he didn’t show it. The way Qin Man carried herself, the way she spoke—it was clear she had truly recovered.

Who would’ve thought that falling into the water would actually turn out to be a blessing in disguise?

Qin Man walked a few steps before noticing Jiang Cong hadn’t followed. She turned around and called out, “What are you standing there for? Hurry up!”

Hearing her voice, Jiang Cong snapped out of his daze and started walking. As he passed Zhang Lanlan, he left her with a cold warning:

“I’m letting this slide for the village chief’s sake. Don’t let it happen again.”

That’s right—Zhang Lanlan was the village chief’s daughter, which was why she was so arrogant.

She had always believed that she was the only one worthy of Jiang Cong, that no one else deserved him.

Watching the family of four walk away, Zhang Lanlan clenched her teeth so hard she could have shattered them.

Damn it! I was hoping that idiot would just drown, and now she’s actually come out better than before?

Jiang Cong had graduated from a teachers’ college and had been assigned to a middle school in the city as a teacher. Right now, it was summer break, but come September, he’d officially start working.

A college graduate was highly sought after in these times. Jiang Cong’s teaching position in the city paid at least fifty or sixty yuan a month. In the mid-1980s, the average person only made around thirty or forty yuan. His job was stable, well-paid, and even came with benefits. After retirement, he’d still receive a pension. With him, one would never have to worry about food and shelter again.

Four years ago, the village had thrown a celebration when Jiang Cong got into college. That night, Zhang Lanlan had drugged his drink, hoping to seal the deal with him. But she had lost track of him afterward, and somehow, that big fool Qin Man had ended up with him instead, stealing the bright future that should have been hers.

That fool got lucky—not only did she end up with Jiang Cong, but she also got pregnant with twins. Jiang Cong had married her out of responsibility.

She had waited for so long. While other girls in the village got married, she kept hoping that someday, she and Jiang Cong would be together. Now, at twenty-five, she still clung to that dream. How could she accept losing him? Where else would she find such an outstanding man?

—

Meanwhile, Qin Man and Jiang Cong had returned home with the children.

The Jiang family had three siblings—the eldest, Jiang Cheng; the second, Jiang Cong; and the youngest sister, Jiang Lian.

Jiang Cheng was already married and had a seven-year-old daughter. Jiang Lian, on the other hand, had failed her university entrance exams this year and was now working at a guesthouse in town, earning fifteen yuan a month.

The Jiang family was poor. Jiang Cong and Jiang Cheng were the main breadwinners. Two years ago, land reform had given families their own farmland. Before that, they relied on collective farming, grain rations, and odd jobs. Now, their food supply depended on their harvest. During the busy farming seasons of spring and autumn, the brothers worked the fields. Outside of that, they took on side jobs to make extra money.

Jiang Cong had paid for his university education through scholarships and part-time work. The college entrance exam had only been reinstated a few years prior, and students who got in didn’t have to pay tuition. They even received financial aid. He had managed to cover his living expenses through odd jobs without burdening his family too much.