Chapter 8: An unexpected surprise

“There’s no misunderstanding between us,” Chang Suisui directly cut off Chang Meili’s act. “From the moment you started seducing Zhao Hang, we stopped being sisters!”

Zhao Hang, seeing Chang Meili getting the short end of the stick, quickly stood in front of her to protect her. “It wasn’t Meili, I was the one who took the initiative, I—ah!”

Before Zhao Hang could finish his sentence, a willow branch lashed across his mouth. The pain nearly made him roll around on the ground.

“You had a fiancée and still went after my cousin. You’re disgusting!” Chang Suisui scolded as she lashed him several more times. Zhao Hang gritted his teeth in pain, squirming on the ground like a bean worm that had just dropped into the dirt.

Everyone watching suddenly lost any sympathy they had for him.

Serves him right! He deserved that beating!

After she was done, Chang Suisui threw the willow branch aside and turned to the stunned village chief. “Uncle Village Chief, I know how hard it is for our village to be named an ‘Advanced Brigade,’ so let’s not report this to the commune. As long as they return the money, I won’t pursue the matter further.”

The village chief snapped back to his senses and looked at her with fatherly affection. “Good child, don’t worry. I won’t let this go so easily!” With a wave of his hand, he signaled to a few young men who had been watching from the educated youth’s quarters. “You two, lock up Chang Meili and Zhao Hang in the cowshed! Let them haul manure for two months as reformation! Once we finish investigating, we’ll make a public announcement to the whole village!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Hang and Chang Meili were dragged away. They tried to struggle, but the strong village men were too quick and too strong.

Chang Suisui was clearly pleased with the village chief’s decision, but she still pursed her lips and maintained the look of a strong yet fragile girl. “I’ll follow Uncle Village Chief’s arrangements.”

Everyone else began to change their attitudes too. Seeing that Chang Suisui wasn’t pressing charges for the sake of the collective, they started to look at her more kindly.

“Comrade Chang, if you ever need help, come find me,” said Xie Sanmei, patting her on the shoulder.

Chang Suisui looked at the slightly chubby, tanned woman and nodded gently. Xie Sanmei was Xie Yu’s cousin and also the village’s women’s director. In the original novel, she used to help Chang Meili a lot because she was part of the Xie family.

But judging from the way Xie Sanmei had just looked at Chang Meili—with clear disgust—Chang Meili had probably lost her “tool person” now.

Chang Suisui also remembered that the book mentioned Xie Sanmei often took care of Xie Yu before he passed. It seemed she was a decent person.

Chang Suisui obediently smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Aunt Xie.”

The village chief, knowing that Chang Suisui had just been through a lot, gave her the day off to rest in the educated youth’s quarters.

Naturally, Chang Suisui didn’t argue. Resting was better than working hard in the fields. After all, with a stockpile of goods worth billions in her space, she wasn’t worried about those meager work points. What she needed to figure out was how to turn her supplies into money.

Once back in her room, she locked the door and went straight into her space. As she checked everything, she noticed something unusual—the dividing wall in the space seemed… thinner?

She squinted. Was it just her imagination?

She reached out and touched it, her gaze sweeping over to the other side. Her eyes landed on an old tin box, like the biscuit tins from this era. What was inside?

She casually wished she could take a closer look—and in the next second, the box appeared in her hand.

Chang Suisui: “!!!”

Oh wow—did this mean she could now access items from Chang Meili’s space?

She tried pulling over some other items from the opposite space, but… nothing happened.

Chang Suisui: “…”

OK. Fine. Treat it as a nice little surprise.

It wasn’t her imagination after all. The partition wall had indeed thinned a little. Just a bit, but it was enough to let her grab things from Chang Meili’s side.

Why the wall had thinned, and why she could suddenly reach through it, she’d have to study further. But for now… she was more interested in what was in the tin box.

She opened it and—money. Lots of it. All in big bills.

This must have been the money Chang Meili earned using her space. Tsk tsk—she’d already made two or three hundred yuan. Not bad!

And now it all belonged to her~

She’d been worrying about how to make money, and look—here was the solution!

Leeching off the female lead! Guaranteed profit with no loss!

The heroine made money, and she got rich lying down. A total win!

Chang Suisui was in an excellent mood. She picked up the hoe leaning against the partition and immediately started digging the spring on her side deeper and wider.

Leave even a single drop of spring water for the heroine? Dream on!

After the big drama between Chang Suisui, Chang Meili, and Zhao Hang, the village was in an uproar. Naturally, Xie Yu also heard most of the details from others.

“Who would’ve thought Comrade Chang, who always seemed quiet, would make such a big move—sending both Chang Meili and Zhao Hang to the cowshed to haul manure,” said Xie Liyi as he sat on the small wooden stool beside Xie Yu’s bed, chattering non-stop.

Normally, Xie Yu would have sent this overly chatty nephew away. But since he was talking about Chang Suisui, Xie Yu didn’t interrupt.

Xie Liyi and Xie Jianguo were his older brother’s sons. He was five years younger than Jianguo, and only fifteen this year. Every time Xie Yu came home, Xie Liyi loved to stick close to him.

He knew Liyi wasn’t very smart, not as clever or charming as Jianguo, which was why his older brother and sister-in-law favored Jianguo. So Liyi especially looked up to his youngest uncle.

Xie Yu glanced at him and said dryly, “Not bad, you know a lot of idioms.”

Feeling praised, Xie Liyi raised his chin proudly. “Of course! I’m a junior high student!”

Xie Yu: “…”

He rubbed his temples, slightly speechless at his nephew’s cluelessness.

“Uncle, is your head hurting again? Want me to massage it?” Liyi looked at him with puppy eyes, a little nervous.

He knew he wasn’t the favored child at home, especially when his older brother was around. His parents often ignored him. Only his uncle treated him well, so he loved hanging around him and helping with chores. But every time his mother caught him, she’d beat him and forbid him from coming.

He didn’t care. His uncle was a hero—of course he’d come help him!

Looking at the uneasy boy, Xie Yu let out a silent sigh and beckoned him over. “Come here, I need your help with something…”