Soon, everyone sitting in the living room noticed Lin Hongying. They all stared at her in silence. The female comrade who had made those earlier remarks said nothing, merely giving Lin Hongying a cold glance before brushing past her shoulder on the way out, leaving the Shao household.  

As expected, the atmosphere turned awkward, and the gathering ended on an uncomfortable note…  

However, Lin Hongying wouldn’t let such a golden opportunity to harvest resentment slip away. She wasn’t about to let someone openly disrespect her without retaliation.  

Seizing the moment, she quipped sarcastically, “Your voice was so loud I could hear it from miles away—”

“Though I may not have received higher education and can’t compare to you cultured folks, even I know talking behind someone’s back is unacceptable!”

With that, she successfully reaped a wave of resentment.  

[Cui Yan’s Resentment +300]

[Zhao Jingshun’s Resentment +200]  

[Liu Chongshan’s Resentment +100]  

[Han Weidong’s Resentment +50]

Shao Qingfeng and Wang Gang, who had been washing dishes in the kitchen, came out upon hearing the commotion. Seeing everyone exchanging awkward glances and Lin Hongying standing outside the door, they immediately understood what had happened.  

Han Weidong found it oddly refreshing—Lin Hongying actually knew how to argue, and her sharp tongue was quite amusing.  

Shao Qingfeng apologized, “Sorry.”

This was the first time he had ever heard the usually meek and timid Lin Hongying openly express her displeasure. Her cool, piercing gaze no longer held the intense, overwhelming affection she once had for him, nor the cautious hesitation from before.  

Politely, she addressed the group, “Before you leave, please clean up the house. I’m not very good at tidying up.”

Everyone soon left the Shao residence. One officer only realized something was off halfway down the road. “Huh? Why did it feel like Brother Feng’s home was hers just now?”

Han Weidong silently thought: Well, once the marriage application is approved, it will be her home…

But that would only be official after the paperwork went through. Given Lin Hongying’s family background as landlords, things might get complicated. Until then, Han Weidong wouldn’t say a word more.  

…

That night, Lin Hongying began drafting a complaint letter.  

Several days had passed, yet none of them had come to apologize. They probably thought she was an easy pushover, assuming she wouldn’t dare report them.  

Well, she wasn’t going to hold back.  

Late into the night, Lin Hongying furiously penned her report, detailing the divisive behavior of certain family members. Her thousand-word essay was impassioned and well-structured—writing reports was second nature to her. Back in her past life, she had written reports for meetings, funding applications, and research results. This was child’s play for her.  

….

The next morning.

Lin Hongying woke up early and exchanged some resentment points for a pound of lean meat and a pound of pork ribs.  

The ribs cost only thirty cents per pound—half the price of fatty pork. In the future, this would be the opposite, with ribs being far more expensive than fatty cuts, which would hardly sell at all.  

Seeing her resentment points nearly depleted, she frowned.  

After washing up, she carried a small stool to the doorway, settling in to earn her next meal while figuring out the rules of her golden finger.  

The residential building was a relatively new tube-shaped apartment complex with four floors, six households per floor, each unit around 70 square meters—decent living conditions by the standards of the compound.  

The first-floor layout was as follows: the Zheng family (Brigade Commander), Shao Qingfeng, the Wang family, the Qian family, the Zhang family, and Widow Zhou.  

Before seven o’clock, the families in the building began waking up and heading to work.  

The first to step out was Nurse Liu, the wife of Wang Gang. The couple often argued.  

Nurse Liu had an urban household registration, while Wang Gang was from the countryside. When she married him, he was just an obscure platoon leader, and her family had looked down on him. Even now, as his rank rose with his military achievements, Nurse Liu remained as domineering as ever.  

This led to frequent quarrels between the two.  

Lin Hongying greeted her first. “Good morning.” 

Nurse Liu was on the early shift and had to arrive by seven to relieve the night shift. Dressed in a pine-green cotton-padded jacket and wearing a popular Seagull watch on her wrist, she looked sharp and alert.  

She gave Lin Hongying a second glance—since when did Shao’s timid, rural wife greet her?  

Lin Hongying tested the waters. “Did you two argue last night?”

Then she yawned exaggeratedly and said lazily, “Next time, could you pick a better time to fight? Arguing late into the night makes it hard for others to sleep. Though not fighting at all would be best.” 

This was the first rule Lin Hongying had deduced about her golden finger: When provoking resentment, technique matters.

To maximize resentment points, you have to strike where it hurts—subtle jabs might go over some people’s heads.

Sure enough, at the risk of getting beaten to death, Lin Hongying harvested:  

[Liu Zhihua’s Resentment +100]

So her name was Liu Zhihua.  

The nurse stumbled in anger, turning back to shoot Lin Hongying a venomous glare.  

This was Lin Hongying’s first time acting so shamelessly, and she wasn’t entirely comfortable with it.  

But Nurse Liu was no pushover—the original host had cried herself to sleep many times because of her. Thinking of this, Lin Hongying’s guilt instantly evaporated.  

Next, the mother-in-law notorious for tormenting her daughter-in-law stepped out. Lin Hongying greeted her cheerfully.  

“Good morning, Auntie.”

After racking her brain, she added: “You’re looking a bit pale today. Could it be from all the arguing? Elderly folks really should avoid getting too worked up. If not for others’ sake, at least think about your own health.”

This was the Qian family’s domineering mother-in-law, a sharp-tongued shrew whom the entire compound disliked. Neighbors had tried reasoning with her countless times, but she remained as unreasonable as ever.  

Her daughter-in-law was meek and timid, much like the original host—both were doormats who often confided in each other.  

Lin Hongying had seen her before—the frail woman begging for leftover broth in the cafeteria, starving despite still breastfeeding.  

[Li Sanya’s Resentment +200]

Lin Hongying watched Li Sanya’s lips twist downward, then glanced at the woman’s muscular, imposing frame. She swallowed her words.  

Next out was Brigade Commander Zheng.  

“Good morning, Commander. Work not going well lately? Those dark circles are pretty heavy.”  

[Zheng Jianying’s Resentment +1]

The commander barely reacted, his expression unreadable. He simply grunted in acknowledgment.  

As expected of a leader—broad-minded and unshakable.

Finally, Widow Zhou and her three children emerged. Lin Hongying waved.  

“Good morning, Sister Zhou.”

Widow Zhou spoiled her children rotten. She carried her three-year-old son on her back while cradling her seven-year-old eldest son in her arms. Her daughter, dressed in tattered clothes, trailed behind them silently.  

Zhou Cuicui’s husband had died a heroic death. Since both had been urban residents with no other property, the military allowed them to stay in the compound as a form of compensation—at least until the children came of age.  

Though only in her early thirties, Widow Zhou’s weathered face made her look decades older.  

Her back was bent from the weight of her children, yet her eldest son slept soundly in her arms, utterly unbothered.  

That boy was the compound’s troublemaker—stealing from his grandmother, pilfering neighbors’ hidden food supplies. Nobody liked him. As the saying goes, “The child is father to the man.” If left unchecked, this little brat would grow up to be nothing but a petty thief.  

Lin Hongying remarked, “Sister Zhou, spoiling your kids like this isn’t good. If he never learns to appreciate your hardship, don’t be surprised if he neglects you when he’s older.”

Her gaze shifted to the comfortably snoozing eldest son. “A six-year-old still getting carried around—aren’t you ashamed?”

[Zhou Cuicui’s Resentment +300] 

[Zhou Jinbao’s Resentment +500]

[Zhou Yinhua’s Resentment +100]  

[Zhou Yinbao’s Resentment +300]

Wow, this family’s temper is something else.  

Widow Zhou fixed Lin Hongying with a deathly stare.  

Just as the widow set her son down and began rolling up her sleeves, Lin Hongying sensed danger. In the blink of an eye, she snatched up her stool, dashed inside, and slammed the door shut.  

Widow Zhou pounded on the door, spittle flying. “You meddlesome bitch! Who asked you?!”

“Come out if you dare! I’ll skin you alive!”

A memory flashed in Lin Hongying’s mind—Li Sanya had once criticized Widow Zhou and ended up getting her scalp nearly torn off in the ensuing brawl. It took days of treating the wound with stove ash to heal.  

Too brutal!

Pressing against the door, Lin Hongying peeked through the crack at the widow’s towering, muscular frame—easily 175 cm tall.  

This bloody lesson reinforced Golden Finger Rule #2: Always prioritize survival.

Maybe provoking crowds isn’t the best idea…

As a refined intellectual, she stood no chance against this brawny, battle-hardened woman.