Chapter 109: Lin Caiyue’s Little Scheme

Lin Caiyue had grown up in a deeply impoverished family. Her parents valued sons over daughters, and as a girl, she had never been taken seriously.

If it hadn’t been for the Down to the Countryside Movement, her parents would probably have sold her off to secure dowries for her brothers.

To take control of her own life, Lin Caiyue resolutely chose to go to the countryside.

Life in the village was tough, but not unbearable.

At least there, she could rely on her own labor to eat her fill, and no one would beat or scold her.

Later, she met Luo Fei.

All the beautiful words she knew still weren’t enough to describe him. Never in her barren life had she encountered someone like that.

Handsome, well-read, and gentle in speech. Lin Caiyue felt unworthy even to look at him more than once.

If Qiu Yinuo knew what was going on in her head, she’d probably award her the gold medal for ultimate simp.

After all, even Jinzi hadn’t reached the point of thinking he didn’t deserve to look at someone. That kid had ambitious goals, not just a few glances, he wanted to marry the girl.

Lin Caiyue harbored her silent crush on Luo Fei, thinking no one knew.

At first, she didn’t even dislike Qian Zhiya. But after learning that Qian Zhiya and Luo Fei had grown up together as ‘childhood sweethearts’, she had sunk into self-loathing.

After all, Qian Zhiya was beautiful and came from a good family. She and Luo Fei were a perfect match.

But Qian Zhiya had somehow seen through her feelings and even told Li Fangfang about them.

Even though not everyone found out, it was still a blow to Lin Caiyue.

From that point on, she and Qian Zhiya were at odds. She even got close to Zhou Xue, who also didn’t get along with Qian Zhiya.

Lin Caiyue saw right through it—Qian Zhiya didn’t really want to go back to the city.

She was probably just trying to provoke Luo Fei. Who would’ve thought he didn’t care at all?

Now, Qian Zhiya was running around in a panic, clearly looking for an excuse to stay. If Qiu Qianjin foolishly went to beg her to stay, there was a good chance she really would.

That couldn’t be allowed. Lin Caiyue would never let that happen.

No matter what, the Qiu family had to keep a tight leash on that boy. Qian Zhiya had to go back to the city.

Even if Luo Fei didn’t like her, Lin Caiyue refused to let him end up with someone as two-faced as Qian Zhiya.

She had assumed Qiu Yinuo would treat the news as a serious threat. At the very least, she expected her to avoid Qian Zhiya like before. But to her surprise, Qiu Yinuo acted completely indifferent, like she was washing her hands of the matter.

“You can’t just ignore this! Qian Zhiya is putting on airs, waiting for someone to give her an excuse to stay. If your brother goes and tries to stop her, she might really stay. But she definitely doesn’t truly like Qiu Qianjin. You wouldn’t want to see him get hurt, right?”

Qiu Yinuo was even more confused. Whose side is she on, exactly?

“Thank you for being so concerned about our Jinzi…”

Lin Caiyue’s eyes widened immediately and she waved her hands in protest. “I’m not worried about your brother! I just can’t stand Qian Zhiya and don’t want her staying here, that’s all!”

Qiu Yinuo lowered her eyes. Usually, educated youths returning to the city would make others jealous. It was the first time she had seen one desperately wishing for another to leave. “Is she a threat to you?”

Lin Caiyue’s mind stalled. She had no idea how the topic turned to this.

“???”

“So, what does she threaten exactly, that you want her gone so badly?”

Lin Caiyue sucked in a breath. Qiu Yinuo’s perception is way too sharp.

“Anyway, I’ve brought you the message. Believe it or not, it’s up to you. If you can’t stop your brother, and things blow up, it’ll be your family dealing with the mess.” With that, she took off at a jog, as if afraid that staying a moment longer would cause her to spill more than she wanted to.

Ever since her last argument with Li Fangfang, when she was mocked for being a toad lusting after a swan, Lin Caiyue had felt as if her secret had been laid bare for the world to see. Now, everyone she looked at seemed to be hiding a knowing smirk.

Qiu Yinuo pressed her lips together. Thankfully, they would be taking Jinzi back to the provincial capital tomorrow.

As for the drama in the educated youth quarters, they could just let it play out however it wanted.

…

Under his sister’s strict guidance, Qiu Qianjin had no time at all to pay attention to the goings-on at the educated youth quarters. Every day was a whirlwind of tasks, and he would fall asleep as soon as he lay down.

Even Dongzi had started complaining that he was too busy to hang out with their group of brothers.

On the train, Qianjin leaned back and closed his eyes, already dozing off.

Qiu Yinuo nudged him. “Move inside. Qingqing and I will stay outside to watch the luggage.”

“You’re too good to me, Sis.”

“Then you’d better remember how good I am. When I come looking for a favor in return, don’t try to brush me off.”

Qianjin shivered. “Sis, why do I feel like you’re up to something… Ow! Why do you always hit me on the head? I’m not a kid anymore!”

“Just sleep!”

“Got it!”

…

Once they got off the train, they headed straight to their home in the provincial capital.

From Uncle Cai’s letter, Qiu Yinuo had learned that Aunt Cai had been sick recently. She decided to visit her first.

She quietly pulled out five jars of peach preserves from her space; some soft, some firm.

Qianjin puffed up with pride. “Sis, I feel like I’ve gotten a lot stronger.”

“How so?”

“Carrying all this luggage plus the jars of peaches, and I don’t even feel tired!”

Qiu Yinuo pursed her lips. Putting the jars in this silly kid’s bundle was definitely the right move. He didn’t even notice the weight. If she’d given them to Qingqing, she would’ve immediately realized something was off—like why there was no clinking sound from the jars.

“You’re amazing!” Sometimes praise was necessary. Good behavior needed to be encouraged.

“So, Sis, have you thought about switching roles when you go to work in the future? You could carry me! It’d help you lose weight and build strength. Way better than jogging.”

Qiu Yinuo: “…”

So that’s the real motive!

“Look, I’m not heavy. Carrying me definitely wouldn’t be as hard as me carrying you.”

“…I don’t want to ride a bike.”

“Why not?”

Qiu Yinuo gave him a reason he couldn’t argue with. “It chafes.”

After brushing off her brother, Qiu Yinuo told him to keep an eye on the kids. “You don’t need to cook, just make sure you watch them.”

Not because she was worried about tiring him out, Qiu Yinuo just didn’t want him wasting food.

At home, Aunt Cai was watching her grandson. When she saw Yinuo and Qingqing arrive with jars of peaches, she was overjoyed.

“When did you two get back?”

“We just got in. We saw from Uncle Cai’s letter that you’d been sick, so we came to check on you.”

“It was just a little cold, nothing worth a special trip.”

“Seeing how energetic you are now, Yinuo and I are relieved.”

Aunt Cai invited them in warmly. “You two are here already, and you still brought something so expensive. Are you treating me like an outsider?”

“Auntie, what are you saying? This is from a new factory our village started. These jars of peach preserves are homemade. We heard you liked them while you were sick, so we brought a few more jars—ome soft, some firm. They’re delicious.”

After sitting and chatting for a while, Qiu Yinuo prepared to leave. Aunt Cai tried to persuade her to stay. “Why don’t you stay for a meal?”

“Thank you, Auntie, but my brother’s still at home,” Qiu Yinuo said with a smile. “We’ll be in the city for a few days, though. I’ll come by again soon.”

“Alright then, bring your brother and the two kids next time and we’ll eat together. Treat this place like your own home, don’t be so polite.”