Chapter 6: The Vicious Female Supporting Character in the 1980s (6)

As soon as Cheng Wenfeng saw Su Qin, his heartstrings were tugged sharply. The place where her hand touched his shoulder felt like an electric current running through him, quickly spreading through his body, making him feel tingling all over.

His heart seemed to sink in a specific spot.

Upon hearing that the staff had mistaken Cheng Wenfeng for a man with bad intentions, Su Qin smiled softly, her eyebrows arched as she laughed: “He’s here to find me, and he’s a retired soldier.”

When the staff members heard that Cheng Wenfeng was a soldier, they immediately stood at attention, respectfully apologizing in a nervous but sincere manner.

Cheng Wenfeng didn’t mind the situation. To avoid raising any suspicion from Su Qin, he had already bought two youth magazines for Zhang Linlin.

After leaving the bookstore, Su Qin couldn’t stop laughing as she remembered what had just happened.

“Is it that funny?” Cheng Wenfeng looked at her, his mind still replaying the moment when she appeared in front of him, feeling a little dazed. He thought her skin was incredibly fair and smooth.

“Haha—” Su Qin turned her head, grinning, and even comforted him, “It’s okay. I already explained it. You’re really a good person.”

Her words made Cheng Wenfeng’s dark eyes flicker.

People who didn’t know him usually thought he was hard to approach, especially women. When they first met, they would be scared of him and would even talk behind his back, saying he looked like a bad person, fearing that he would abuse them.

But Su Qin didn’t doubt his intentions when she saw him in the bookstore. She confidently said he was a good person.

“Do you still read youth magazines?” Su Qin looked at the two magazines Cheng Wenfeng was holding, curious.

Now, most youth magazines were filled with tragic literature or various little stories.

Cheng Wenfeng: “I bought them for my cousin.”

Buying magazines was secondary; he had mainly come to the bookstore hoping to bump into her.

Su Qin nodded in understanding and didn’t ask more questions. When she saw an ice pop stand ahead, she tilted her head and asked him, “How about I treat you to an ice pop?”

Last time, she had said she would treat him to many ice pops.

Ice pops were cheap and refreshing; how wonderful.

Cheng Wenfeng: “It’s almost mealtime. We can go eat something proper.”

Su Qin’s eyes widened immediately. She didn’t have enough money to treat him to a proper meal and still needed to save money for exam papers!

Fortunately, Cheng Wenfeng only suggested they go eat wontons, which wouldn’t cost much. Su Qin breathed a sigh of relief.

Cheng Wenfeng mentioned that there was a good wonton shop nearby, but they would have to walk a bit into an alley.

“Then let’s go!” Su Qin was all in when it came to food and agreed immediately, following him as they walked forward.

As they walked, Cheng Wenfeng deliberately slowed his pace. When they turned a corner, he noticed she was following him without suspicion, her face full of curiosity. His heart softened even more in that moment.

The next second, Cheng Wenfeng furrowed his brows again, his expression darkening.

She was so easy to trust people. What if she encountered a man with bad intentions and ended up getting hurt?

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He abruptly stopped.

“Bang—”

Su Qin was distracted, looking around and not paying attention to the road. When Cheng Wenfeng stopped, she bumped right into his back.

Cheng Wenfeng hadn’t even reacted yet when Su Qin’s eyes instantly widened like copper bells. She covered her nose and stumbled backward, quickly saying, “Sorry, sorry—”

Facing Cheng Wenfeng, her instinct was to treat him like a big shot and not offend him.

Although Cheng Wenfeng would eventually like Su Yue, he had never hurt her and even helped her.

Cheng Wenfeng said, “It was my fault.”

At this point, not only did he think Su Qin was simple and easy to fool, but also very timid. It clearly wasn’t her fault, yet she was still trembling in fear and constantly apologizing.

No wonder she was always bullied at home. What should be done about that?

The worry in Cheng Wenfeng’s heart grew even more.

The two of them went to a small shop. The owner recognized Cheng Wenfeng and greeted him warmly. When he saw Su Qin with him, he gave her a few more curious glances.

Cheng Wenfeng said, “Two bowls of wontons.”

“I want a small bowl,” Su Qin reminded him.

“Hold on, coming right up,” the owner said with a smile as he walked into the kitchen.

While waiting for their food, Cheng Wenfeng looked at the ketchup on the table. His thin lips parted slightly. “You can add some ketchup later. They make it themselves. It tastes pretty good.”

“Really?” Su Qin picked up the ketchup, looked at it repeatedly, and even brought it close to sniff it. “I’ll try it later.”

After the owner brought the wontons, Su Qin added a bit of ketchup. She took a bite and nodded enthusiastically. “Delicious!”

Cheng Wenfeng also started eating, the corners of his mouth lifting into a faint smile.

Su Qin ate slowly. After Cheng Wenfeng finished eating, he stood up to go pay the bill.

“Wasn’t it supposed to be my treat?” Su Qin put down her chopsticks and tried to stop him.

Cheng Wenfeng came back and changed the words on the tip of his tongue. “Next time.”

That way, they could meet again.

Su Qin didn’t think much of it. “I’ll treat you next time.”

As they left, the owner called from behind them, “Take care.”

“Thank you,” Su Qin said before quickly walking forward to catch up and walk side by side with Cheng Wenfeng.

Along the way, she praised the shop’s wontons and the delicious ketchup. Cheng Wenfeng listened to her talking nonstop and didn’t have the heart to interrupt a single sentence.

Once they exited the alley, they reached an intersection. Su Qin asked him, “Which way are you going?”

Cheng Wenfeng pointed toward the direction of the cannery dormitory. “Going back to the factory to grab something.”

“Just so happens we’re going the same way.” Su Qin smiled with her eyes and took the lead walking forward.

When they got near the cannery dormitory, the two of them were about to part ways.

Su Qin said, “I’ll head back first.”

“Mm.” Cheng Wenfeng stopped and looked at her, nodding slightly.

Su Qin had just turned around and walked a couple of steps when Cheng Wenfeng’s deep voice came from behind. “Next time, don’t go out alone with a man.”

“Huh?”

“It’s dangerous,” Cheng Wenfeng said very seriously and earnestly.

Especially someone like her, so simple and easy to fool, so timid and delicate, she could easily be bullied by others.

Su Qin’s lips curled up as joy filled her eyes. Her tone was casual. “But you’re not a bad person.”

*

After walking a big circle around the cannery, Cheng Wenfeng went to Cheng Lan’s house.

When Zhang Linlin saw the two magazines he brought over, she was so excited she nearly jumped up.

He didn’t stay long at the Zhang family’s home and returned to his own place.

The Cheng family lived in an alley, but at least they had two small tile-roofed rooms, which were spacious enough for him to live in alone. There was a pomegranate tree in the yard, already full of fruit.

The tree was covered in pomegranates, already starting to blush red. In a while, they would be ripe.

Cheng Wenfeng glanced at the pomegranate tree a few times, then went into the house and lay on the heated brick bed. In his mind, that delicate and fair little face floated up again.

Back at the bookstore, the warmth from Su Qin patting him still lingered. They had been so close that he could even smell the fragrance on her body.

Cheng Wenfeng lay motionless, his mind blank. He didn’t know how long he had been lying there before he slowly drifted off to sleep.

And this sleep—was something else entirely.

Cheng Wenfeng dreamed that the two of them got off work together. He invited her to the movies, and she readily agreed, following him with her innocent look to the cinema.

Along the way, she kept speaking softly, thanking him over and over.

Later, it started raining, and the movie theater only had the two of them. Su Qin watched the movie while chattering and laughing with him. After a while, she leaned her head on his shoulder.

At that moment, Cheng Wenfeng’s breathing grew rapid. All he could hear was his own heartbeat. It felt like his heart was about to jump out of his chest.

He held his breath, gathered his courage, and reached around to gently hold her waist.

Her waist was so slender, so soft, just as he imagined. Her body was so fragrant—

Su Qin lay on his shoulder, turned her head to look at him and smiled. Her cheeks were dewy and charming, those bright almond-shaped eyes curving into little crescent moons.

Cheng Wenfeng froze, a tingling sensation rushing through his entire body. He clearly knew this was a dream, yet his body temperature still spiked. It all felt so real.

They were close. Cheng Wenfeng’s gaze landed on her lips, which were soft and moist.

“You’re a good person—” Su Qin blushed, speaking to him shyly.

Cheng Wenfeng was already struggling to breathe. “I—I—”

“Meow~~ meow~~~”

A stray cat that had wandered into the yard startled Cheng Wenfeng awake. He opened his eyes abruptly, his forehead already covered in a fine sweat, limbs completely tense.

He panted heavily and looked around.

“Meow—meow—”

The stray cat in the yard continued to cry. Cheng Wenfeng’s gaze shifted to his lower body, and black lines filled his forehead. “……”

Maybe because he thought he was being too perverted, Cheng Wenfeng gave himself a solid scolding.

*

Ever since the last open confrontation with Zhou Xiufang, Su Qin had no intention of making peace.

When Zhou Xiufang returned from her leave, the bruise on her forehead hadn’t faded. She still had a bump, and even putting on her work hat was hard. When the hat pulled on her wound, she kept crying out in pain.

Everyone saw it and wanted to laugh but didn’t dare, afraid she would lash out.

As soon as Su Qin came to work, Zhou Xiufang scowled. Her eyes looked like they were about to pop out, as if she wanted to drill thousands of holes into Su Qin with her glare.

Everyone was busy on the production line when Zhou Xiufang saw Liu Mei walking over from Workshop No. 2. She deliberately raised her voice and asked, “Liu Mei, I heard from Zhiyuan that your Su Yue’s article got accepted? It’s going to be published in a magazine next month?”

Liu Mei smiled and said, “I also just heard it from Zhiyuan, I’m not sure if it’s true.”

Zhou Xiufang replied, “It must be. Zhiyuan works at the magazine agency, how could he not know?”

“If it’s true, that would be great. Her dad is so happy he had two drinks yesterday to celebrate in advance.” As Liu Mei spoke, she glanced at Su Qin out of the corner of her eye and didn’t say more. “I’ll go back to work first.”

As soon as Liu Mei left, Zhou Xiufang continued, “If you ask me, Liu Mei really has good fortune. She married from the countryside into the city and picked up a daughter like Su Yue for free. Not only did she get into junior college, but she can also submit articles to earn money before even graduating.”

Chen Feng was shocked. “Submitting an article to a magazine?”

“Exactly, the same magazine agency where my Zhiyuan works. It’ll be published next month,” Zhou Xiufang said more and more excitedly. “Who says rural education is bad? Su Yue came from the countryside and still got into college. Even kids from the city aren’t that impressive. Once she graduates, she’ll be a formal worker with an iron rice bowl!”

As soon as she said that, everyone looked at each other and couldn’t help but glance at Su Qin.

Zhou Xiufang was clearly talking about Su Qin, but no one could pick up the conversation easily.

Everyone knew that Su Qin didn’t get into college. Even Su Yue, who came from the countryside, was better than her. She could only work as a temporary worker in the canning factory.

She was the youngest here and got in through connections. She used to drag everyone down when working. Now it was a little better.

She wasn’t good at studying and wasn’t good at working either. She was completely overshadowed by Su Yue. Even her engagement got canceled.

“When Su Yue graduates, if she can get into the magazine agency, she’ll be working with our Zhiyuan. If they can become a couple, even better. People end up with others who match their kind,” Zhou Xiufang deliberately said to provoke Su Qin.

But Su Qin remained unfazed, as if the gossip had nothing to do with her. She kept a straight face while handling pineapples with the peeling knife.

Zhou Xiufang felt like her punch had landed on cotton. She looked at Su Qin and gritted her teeth before continuing, “I heard the chief editor praised Su Yue to the skies. To get praise from the editor, how capable must she be? No wonder everyone likes her. Even I like her.”

“Which one of you is Su Qin?”

The workshop supervisor suddenly appeared at the door. She was wearing work clothes, her hair was neatly tied, and she looked rather stern. She looked around the workshop after asking.

Su Qin put down the pineapple. “I am.”

The director said, “Come with me.”

Su Qin put down the knife and followed her.

As soon as the two left, the workshop immediately exploded with chatter.

Chen Feng nervously asked, “Why did the workshop supervisor come? Is something wrong with our workshop? Don’t tell me they’re docking our pay again?”

Cheng Lan wasn’t nearly as strict as this workshop supervisor, who was always known for being impartial and unrelenting. Last month, she severely punished Workshop No. 2 and scolded a few senior workers. No one could talk their way out of it.

Whenever she came to inspect the workshop, no one dared slack off.

Zhou Xiufang chimed in, “She only called Su Qin. Not us. If something’s wrong, it’s her problem. What’s it got to do with us?”

Hearing that, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. But someone still worriedly asked, “Why would she call Su Qin? She’s just a temporary worker.”

Zhou Xiufang replied, “A temporary worker who doesn’t do well is even easier to fire, right? If she gets fired, what can she say?”

The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed. She felt satisfied deep down.

If Su Qin got fired, she’d have no way to find a proper job. And if she was fired, which factory would want her?

After a while, Cheng Lan walked in and glanced around. She asked, “Where’s Su Qin?”

Zhou Xiufang usually flattered Cheng Lan the most. But this time, afraid Cheng Lan would plead for Su Qin, she pretended not to hear.

Cheng Lan frowned. “She didn’t come to work?”

Su Qin used to be late often, but now it had been an hour since work started, and she still hadn’t shown up?

After a moment, Chen Feng quietly said, “The supervisor called her away.”

“The supervisor?” Cheng Lan hadn’t expected that and asked again, “Did she do something wrong?”

“I don’t know.” Chen Feng shook her head.

Zhou Xiufang added, “It’s probably serious. The supervisor didn’t look happy.”

She was reminding Cheng Lan not to get involved in this mess.

After hearing that, Cheng Lan turned around and left, heading straight for the supervisor’s office.

When she got there, she peeked through the window and saw Su Qin inside. She quickly walked to the door.

Knock knock knock.

The supervisor saw Cheng Lan standing at the door looking anxious and stopped speaking to ask, “Did something happen?”

“No.” Cheng Lan shook her head and glanced at Su Qin. Then she looked at the supervisor with a polite smile. “I’ve been busy lately and didn’t manage them well. Did this girl do something wrong?”

For the supervisor to come get her, it must be serious.

Could they be making Su Qin take the blame for something? Or trying to make room for someone else?

“It’s rare to see you this worried. Anyone who didn’t know would think I brought her here to punish her,” the supervisor waved her hand and signaled her not to be so nervous.

She had heard some rumors recently. It was said that Cheng Lan had arranged a blind date between her nephew and Su Qin, but it ended terribly.

By right, someone like Cheng Lan, who cared a lot about saving face, shouldn’t be this concerned about Su Qin.

Cheng Lan said, “She’s just a young girl. Still immature.”

“It’s not about that,” the supervisor didn’t keep her guessing. “My Old Chen, liked a few of Su Qin’s drawings. He was supposed to come get them today but couldn’t make it, so I have to send them over later.”

Her husband was Chen Guoliang. When he first told her, she wasn’t sure if it was really Su Qin. She hadn’t heard of any kid around here being that talented at drawing.

“Drawings?” Cheng Lan didn’t quite get it.

“You go get the drawings first,” the supervisor told Su Qin.

“Okay.” Su Qin walked out.

Once she left, the supervisor looked at Cheng Lan with an amused expression. “The magazine is going to launch a children’s issue. Old Chen is the chief editor. Anyway, he kept praising Su Qin’s drawings and told me to deliver the drafts quickly. He even said the whole first issue is relying on Su Qin to hold the fort.”

Cheng Lan still didn’t quite understand.

If she remembered correctly, Chen Guoliang was quite capable, and the magazine agency was a major one. They needed Su Qin’s drawings?

It wasn’t that she looked down on Su Qin, but she’d never heard of her having this skill.

To even be published—what an honor that was.

“Have you ever heard of Su Qin being able to draw?” After the workshop supervisor finished speaking, she sighed and added, “Our OldChen has been staying up late every night for this magazine. His hair has gone white, and he’s poured so much effort into it.”

She didn’t finish the rest of her words—she was worried Su Qin might not be up to it.

After all, the girl hadn’t even gotten into college. She was just a temporary worker at the factory and didn’t perform particularly well either.

“Could he have mistaken her for someone else?” Cheng Lan carefully asked.

The workshop supervisor said, “You mean Su Yue? I asked about that. Old Chen said Su Qin didn’t get into college. She’s a temporary worker at our factory and even goes to the bookstore to study the college entrance exam questions to prepare for next year’s retake. It’s her.”

Cheng Lan was completely silent.

Su Qin soon returned and handed the drawings in her hand to the workshop supervisor. “I drew five stories in total. Let Chief Editor Chen pick one. I’ll go back to work first.”

“Alright.”

As soon as Su Qin left, the workshop supervisor flipped through the drawings and was momentarily stunned.

“What is it?” Cheng Lan leaned over, and when she saw the illustrations on the pages, her expression was many times more shocked than the workshop supervisor’s.