Chapter 7

After the meal, Su Daqiang, tipsy from a bit of alcohol, went back to Su Nian’s place, while the others all returned to their own homes.

Knowing Su Yue would be upset, Fu Mingjun began to coax his new bride once he got permission from his father.

“Yueyue, you’re kind and understanding—you’ll surely understand my parents, right? Don’t worry, all of this is just temporary. Once you start working at the sugar factory and Su Nian, that ugly girl, goes off to the countryside, my parents will definitely make it up to you.”

Su Yue also knew that while Fu’s mother didn’t think much of Su Nian’s looks, Fu’s father was a man of his word. He was probably being cold toward her now just to avoid upsetting Su Nian.

“You’re right. Once we register our marriage tomorrow, we can start processing my job assignment.”

No matter what, this time she, Su Yue, had won against Su Nian. So what if Su Nian was the biological daughter? She still lost her man and her job to Su Yue.

While the two of them were all lovey-dovey, on Su Nian’s end, things weren’t so sweet.

Su Daqiang was kneeling on the floor, eyes red as he tearfully poured out his grievances.

“Nian Nian, your dad has suffered! All these years, I haven’t had a single day of peace. When your grandparents were still alive, people called me a live-in son-in-law. Then when the policies changed and your mom left, people said I was greedy for the Wen family’s money and neglected my own daughter. I just didn’t want to face it all…

Your dad was just a coward, and I ended up hurting my own daughter. I regret it so much!”

Su Nian had been about to go to bed, only to be dragged up by this emotional mess of a man—she was thoroughly unimpressed.

“Dad, I don’t blame you anymore. Just remember who really matters to you from now on. Give me more allowance when you get paid, and we’re good!

So… what are you going to do about Yao Xiaojun? She took so much money from my mom, after all.”

Su Daqiang wasn’t stupid—he wasn’t going to let her walk away without consequences.

“Don’t worry. I already found the passbook she secretly stashed away. It had over 1,000 yuan in it! A jobless woman saving that much? Obviously she stole it from us.

Here, this is the passbook. Consider it her repayment to you.

Divorce isn’t an option for now, though. I’m still waiting on a promotion, and you know her brother is a big shot in the Revolutionary Committee. We have to be patient.

I’ll squeeze some more money from her family and give it to you when the time’s right. Who knows what things will look like then?”

That reminded Su Nian—Yao Xiaojun did have a powerful backer, which was probably why Su Daqiang had kept turning a blind eye all these years.

Su Nian tucked the passbook away and said reassuringly, “Dad, just the fact that you care is enough for me. After all, I’m your only real daughter—Su Gang? You can’t count on him for anything. Go sleep in your old room.”

Su Daqiang hadn’t expected his daughter to let him back into his original room. Moved to tears, he cried with snot and everything.

As for Su Nian, she’d just made another 1,000-plus yuan. And that didn’t even count the allowance Su Daqiang promised her going forward.

The next morning, before heading to work, Su Daqiang even wrote out a formal note promising to give Su Nian 80 yuan a month for living expenses—his conclusion after a long night of reflection.

That way, his daughter could head off to the countryside without worries, and he’d also have a legitimate reason to cut back on household expenses for Yao Xiaojun. Two birds with one stone.

Now that she had money, Su Nian was ready to start shopping. Even though Su Yue had left quite a few things behind, Su Nian still worried about her future.

This was the 1970s, after all—no way she believed life as a “sent-down youth” would be as rosy as the officials claimed.

She had to be fully prepared.

When Fu Mingjun brought Su Yue over to transfer the job post, they didn’t find anyone home.

It wasn’t until after dinner, when Su Nian strolled home leisurely, that she found two figures snuggled up and sleeping at her doorstep.

“Well, well! Did you get married and come here just to show off?”

Su Nian’s voice startled Fu Mingjun awake. “Why are you back so late? A young lady like you shouldn’t be out at this hour. Good thing I didn’t marry you.”

Judging by Su Yue’s bashful smile, it was obvious they’d gotten their marriage certificate.

“Good thing I didn’t marry you, either. With eyes that big and still so blind… Anyway, I wish you both a long and happy life. Now get lost—you’re dirtying my doorstep.”

Seeing Su Nian’s tone take a sharp turn, Su Yue dropped the act too.

“We’re not here to argue. Just don’t go anywhere tomorrow. Come with us and officially transfer the job. That job was meant for Mingjun’s wife—now that you two aren’t together, you should return it.”

“Tsk tsk tsk!”

Su Nian spat on them both. “Such thick faces—could cover mountains and oceans! Why should I hand over my job to a homewrecker?”

With that, she slammed the door shut, not bothering to argue further.

Su Yue, her nose hit by the door, started whining to Fu Mingjun. “Look at her! Why aren’t you standing up for me? Wasn’t it you who got that job for her?”

Fu Mingjun rubbed his nose awkwardly.

He couldn’t tell his wife the truth—that he didn’t actually have the ability. The job had been arranged by a distant uncle of his, who had left it behind specifically for Su Nian before moving away.

“Let’s just wait a couple of days. It’s a bit inappropriate to push this right after we got married.”

Su Yue figured Su Nian must just be throwing a tantrum. After all, who would shamelessly hang on to a job slot from their ex-fiancé’s family?

Turns out, Su Nian would. Shameless and proud of it.

Not only did she hold on to it—she planned to sell the slot for cash. After all, she wouldn’t be using it if she was going to the countryside. Why waste it?

Early the next morning, she headed straight to the sugar factory.

After a deep and productive conversation with the gatekeeper—sweetened by a pack of cigarettes—she finally tracked down the right contact.

It turned out the deputy factory director had just remarried, and his new wife had a son who had just graduated and needed a job. But all the job slots were already taken, so they’d been asking around.

“Uncle, I don’t know the deputy director personally. Can you give him a call for me?”

The gatekeeper knew the number to the deputy director’s office. Five minutes later, the man came rushing out.

Once he found out Su Nian was offering a job slot, he hesitated for a moment.

“Comrade, I’ll be honest with you. If it were anyone else’s job slot, I would’ve taken it right away. But yours was specifically reserved by Fu Tingchuan. I feel a little uneasy about taking it.

Back then, Fu Tingchuan saved my son’s life.”

Su Nian blinked. So the job wasn’t arranged by Fu Mingjun at all, but by his distant uncle, Fu Tingchuan.

In the original host’s memories, this uncle seemed to enjoy bullying her—pulling her hair, throwing bugs at her, splashing water on her… All unpleasant stuff.

But Su Nian wasn’t really some naive 18-year-old.

It was pretty clear that Fu Tingchuan must have had a crush on the original Su Nian.

Starting that young? Not exactly gentlemanly—but since he left her such a valuable job slot, she decided to let it go.