Chapter 17

“So, you’ve finally learned to stand up for yourself?”

Watching Zhou Zhaodi and the others leave, Aunt Cui walked over to Shu Yue with a smile. She was genuinely pleased with Shu Yue’s performance just now. In the past, Shu Yue had always been quiet and aloof. She never caused trouble, but… she also felt lifeless, like there was no spark in her. Not like now—able to curse, able to fight, more grounded, more real. People from the city or the countryside—it makes no difference. In the end, everyone’s human.

When you’re bullied, you fight back. When you’re misunderstood, you explain yourself. That’s how you live like a real person. Unlike the old Shu Yue, who said nothing, did nothing, and kept herself so distant that it felt like an invisible wall stood between her and everyone else in the village.

“Auntie, thank you. From now on… I’ll protect myself.”

Shu Yue understood exactly what Aunt Cui meant. In the past, she treated all these matters lightly. The village chief and his wife wanted to protect her, but they couldn’t watch her every second. If she didn’t have any backbone, no one could shield her forever. Only by becoming strong herself would others stop daring to bully her—only then could she live a better life.

“That’s good. As for your so-called ‘class background,’ it’s not even an issue. Before you were sent down here, your family already published a formal statement in the newspaper cutting ties, precisely to protect you. Otherwise, you wouldn’t even have been allowed to come to the countryside. So, if anyone tries to use your background against you again, you can refute them outright.”

Aunt Cui glanced around to make sure no one was nearby, then lowered her voice. Shu Yue’s family had done everything possible to shield her—publishing the severance statement before she left, signing her up as a sent-down youth themselves, and arranging for money and ration tickets to be sent every month. Having such good relatives was a blessing. And because her family had gone to such lengths, Shu Yue had even more reason to live well—not waste her life in self-pity.

“Thank you, Auntie.”

Shu Yue was truly grateful to the village chief and his wife. In this village, there were very few people who spoke honestly with her—really, only Aunt Cui. Yes, Aunt Cui accepted some benefits to look after her, but to Shu Yue, this care was a lifeline in a bitter winter—something she would always remember.

After a few more words, Shu Yue headed up the mountain as planned to gather firewood. Small branches went into her basket, while the larger ones she tied into bundles to drag back down. She had done this work countless times, in both her past and present life, so she was very familiar with it.

This season, villagers were busy harvesting. Except for Shu Yue, who had recently given birth, and a few elderly folks, nearly everyone was working in the fields—leaving plenty of firewood untouched on the mountain, which made things easier for her.

She hadn’t gone far before she already had a good haul. Sitting on a clean stone to rest, she suddenly heard rustling behind her. At first, she thought it might be a snake and grew nervous, not daring to get closer. But soon she realized she’d worried for nothing—it wasn’t a snake.

It was a man and a woman… doing something improper. And they weren’t being quiet about it.

Curious, Shu Yue crept forward to see which shameless pair would fool around in broad daylight. Don’t think she was being bold—she wasn’t some naive girl anymore. After all, she’d lived decades over two lifetimes. If they dared to do it, why shouldn’t she dare to look? And if they were sneaking around, they clearly weren’t a married couple. All the more reason to see who they were.

Keeping her distance, Shu Yue hid behind the weeds and saw two pale, skinny bodies moving together—frenzied, yet oddly in sync.

The woman was Sun Qing. The man was another educated youth, Chen Guo’an.

How on earth did these two get involved? Wasn’t Sun Qing courting a villager, already talking about marriage? So this was… cheating?

And Chen Guo’an—if Shu Yue remembered correctly, he was about to return to the city. She’d heard his family had pulled strings to have him transferred back soon. Yet here he was, tangled up with Sun Qing. What was going on?

“You’re leaving for the city soon. I’ve given you everything… You can’t just abandon me when you go back…”

Sun Qing’s nasal, tearful voice carried through the weeds. She hadn’t even bothered to get dressed, clinging to Chen Guo’an as she cried—clearly begging him to take her with him to the city.

“Don’t worry. I treat you like my wife. Once I’m back in the city, I’ll figure out a way to bring you there too. Just wait for me.”

Chen Guo’an’s words worked like a sedative. Sun Qing’s face lit up, and she threw her arms around his neck, eager to go another round—but he refused. He whispered something in her ear that made her blush, then she dressed quickly and hurried off.

Having seen the whole scene, Shu Yue prepared to leave too. But to avoid making noise and being discovered, she decided to wait until Chen Guo’an left first.

Except… he didn’t leave. After dressing, he simply sat down leisurely, showing no sign of going anywhere.

“Brother Guo’an!”

Another woman suddenly appeared, crying as she threw herself into his arms. Shu Yue nearly gaped out loud—it was Wang Aihua, the same girl who’d just been slapped earlier.

Judging by how affectionate they were, this was definitely not “just comrades.” And yet, Chen Guo’an had just been with Sun Qing! Sun Qing and Wang Aihua were supposed to be best friends… and now Chen Guo’an was cozying up to both?

“Your face—what happened to you?”

“That little slut Shu Yue hit me! I don’t know what’s wrong with her today. She never reacted before no matter what we said, but today… she actually slapped me. It hurts so much. Brother Guo’an, you promised me—you said once you go back to the city, you’d get me there too. You can’t go back on your word. Without you here, life would be unbearable.”

Shu Yue almost laughed aloud. Wang Aihua’s words were nearly identical to Sun Qing’s earlier pleas.

So, Chen Guo’an was stringing along two educated youths at once—both using his upcoming return to the city as bait. Heh. Shu Yue suddenly realized she’d just found the perfect way to get back at Sun Qing.