Chapter 23

Xu Zhaodi had the habit of getting up early to clean the room and get a bit of exercise. Just as she stepped out, she ran straight into Qiao Qiqi, who was sneaking back from outside.

“Xu Zhaodi, y-you better keep your mouth shut! You should know that Tian Li is the instructor in charge of us educated youths. You better think carefully about what you say and what you don’t.”

Qiao Qiqi sounded flustered.

She knew what she was doing wasn’t right, but Tian Li had promised he’d marry her.

Still, before marriage, she absolutely couldn’t let news of her staying out all night get out. If Su Nian caught wind of it, who knew how she’d mock her!

And if that woman decided to stir up trouble and secretly report her and Tian Li, it’d be a disaster.

Thinking about it, Qiao Qiqi decided she had to get Tian Li to give her a proper status no matter what, or people would think she was just fooling around.

Xu Zhaodi knew that even though Qiao Qiqi acted like she had a better life than her, the truth was they were in the same boat—both sent by their families as wallets for their brothers.

But she would never choose this kind of method to change her fate.

Besides, Tian Li didn’t seem like someone who really intended to settle down with her.

“If you don’t want people to know, don’t do it in the first place. I don’t care about your business. If you’ve got energy to spare, go collect some firewood. I heard it’s going to get colder soon.”

Qiao Qiqi shot Xu Zhaodi a contemptuous look.

“You’re just a stubborn idiot. Marrying a good man is the right way to go. Breaking your back working only to have your leech of a family take it all—what’s the point?”

“Not all fish live in the same sea. We just chose different paths.”

Xu Zhaodi might not like her family, but she also disdained relying on a man to change her fate. What she wanted was a future that was different from her past.

She wanted to be treated equally at home.

The conversation ended in a stalemate.

At lunch, Qiao Qiqi deliberately sat next to Tian Li. Since Tian Li mainly focused on the veteran educated youths, he usually ate with them.

Qiao Qiqi’s sudden appearance made others curious, and two female educated youths were already glaring at her.

“You new girls have no shame, do you? Don’t you know men and women should leave a space between them when they sit? And Tian Instructor is your superior!”

Faced with the accusations, Qiao Qiqi stayed quiet, just staring at Tian Li.

She was hoping he’d step up and acknowledge her.

Su Nian had been about to leave, but when she saw this, she sat back down, ready for the show. Everyone else subtly shifted their attention their way too.

After all, this wasn’t Tian Li’s first “incident.”

They all wanted to know what kind of sparks would fly between the new flame and the old one.

Tian Li looked embarrassed. “Qiao Zhiqing, go sit back down. I told you already, the new and old educated youths are in separate teams. We should limit contact.”

He kept winking at Qiao Qiqi, hoping she’d take the hint.

But she was focused on getting an official title now and ignored his signals. She turned to the girl who had just scolded her and shouted:

“Why should I keep my distance from him? We’re dating!”

The noisy dining hall fell instantly silent at her words. Su Nian could even hear her own breathing.

Everyone was stunned—this new girl really had guts!

All this time, Tian Li had been stringing along girl after girl, but no one had ever dared to announce it so directly.

The female educated youth suddenly burst into tears and grabbed Tian Li. “Is it true? If she’s your girlfriend, what am I? I’m pregnant with your child!”

Whoa!

This drama just kept escalating.

Tian Li hadn’t expected things to go this far—he instinctively denied it: “Don’t talk nonsense. I already have a wife back home. How could I be dating any of you?

You educated youths from the city are all so indecent. You mess around and then blame me to cover it up. I don’t care if you’re pregnant or dating someone—it has nothing to do with me. Who even are you people?!”

Su Nian’s worldview was breaking again and again.

This guy was really scum. Cheating was bad enough, but he even had a wife back home? Wasn’t he younger than Fu Tingchuan?

“Tsk tsk tsk!”

She turned and bumped right into a firm and warm chest.

She took a step back, rubbed her nose, and looked up angrily—only to meet Fu Tingchuan’s gaze, filled with warmth and affection.

“I thought you said it’d be a few more days—how come you’re back so soon?”

“What? I rushed back for a certain heartless someone, and now you’re complaining? What a waste of the walnuts, pine nuts, hazelnuts, and deer antler I brought back.”

Su Nian couldn’t help but think Fu Tingchuan was a really great guy.

She’d just been thinking about something, and he was already there with gifts. Tall, handsome, a government worker—he was basically marriage material!

“Hehe, I just got hit and didn’t react right away. I remember all the good things you do for me, don’t worry. I always repay favors.”

Fu Tingchuan opened his arms: “Then repay me now!”

Su Nian was stunned.

The other side was still dealing with a cheating scandal, and now she was supposed to jump into an embrace? In this conservative era, wasn’t that too much?

After struggling for a bit, she chickened out.

“Fu Tingchuan, with our current relationship, it’s inappropriate to be hugging. As a regiment commander, you should set a good example. What you’re doing isn’t much better than Tian Li!”

Instead of being offended, Fu Tingchuan chuckled. She was just too cute.

“Take a closer look. Did I say I wanted a hug? Both my hands are full—I was just asking you to help take the document bag hanging around my neck. That shouldn’t break any rules, right?”

Su Nian finally noticed he had a document pouch around his neck.

She wanted to curl up in embarrassment.

Luckily, the commotion over at Tian Li’s table distracted everyone again—one of the female educated youths had just smashed him in the forehead with her lunchbox.

“You said you’d marry me! I’m already three months pregnant, and now you tell me you’ve got a wife back home? Do you want me to go to the educated youth office or the revolutionary committee and report you?

I’ll make sure you spend the rest of your life working in this farm till you drop!”

Qiao Qiqi was sobbing too.

“I just wanted to be your official girlfriend—why is that so hard? How could you lie like this when you’re supposed to be a leader?”

Still, she held back from spilling the full truth.

She wasn’t stupid—now that Tian Li was in trouble, if she exposed their affair, she’d get nothing and might be punished too.

Adultery was a serious crime. She wasn’t about to take that kind of fall.

Just then, a gentle voice came from the door:
“Excuse me, is Tian Li here?”