Chapter 24

Zhou Shanshan sat leaning against Chen Jiefang without saying anything, but her eyes stayed fixed on Song Wanyue.

“What are you staring at me for? I know I’m good-looking, but I like girls. Zhou Shanshan, take your eyes back, or I’ll let Liuliu bite you.”

If only Liuliu were a big dog, she could actually sic it on people. Unfortunately, it was just a little puppy, not much help.

Zhou Shanshan felt her face had been completely lost. Recently, she hadn’t dared to go out except for work. But cleaning the pigsty and tending pigs was filthy, and she wanted to move back into the dorm.

Abandoning her pride, Zhou Shanshan said, “Yang Liu, Zhou Jing, I want to move back into the shared dorm. Do you mind? Also, do you have any milk powder ration tickets? Can you lend me two?”

Zhou Jing was the most annoyed. She said with dissatisfaction, “You and Chen Jiefang are both working with pigs and cleaning the sty—it stinks. Letting you move back in is already us being accommodating. Can’t you be more considerate of us?”

She really didn’t get it. Chen Jiefang had given Gu Dahai forty yuan, but he didn’t have fifty cents for rent?

Chen Jiefang put on an apologetic face. “All my money went to Gu Dahai. Shanshan doesn’t have any either, and she still has to feed the baby. It’s inconvenient. We just wanted to save money and buy some milk powder for Dongdong. Forget it, if you don’t agree, just pretend we didn’t ask.”

“Anyway, there’s only a month left until the college entrance exams. I’ll just live with Shanshan.”

Yang Liu rolled her eyes. “You two are husband and wife, living together isn’t the issue. Just please stay clean and don’t come back smelling of pig manure.”

Back when some of the educated youth here raised pigs, that was the worst. The smell spread for miles. She’d rather work harder for more work points than ever clean a pigsty again.

Zhou Shanshan suddenly turned her fire on Song Wanyue. “Song Wanyue, looking at me in this miserable state, are you feeling pleased with yourself? I think you’re the one behind all this.”

If she examined her conscience, aside from Gu Dahai’s former fiancée, only Song Wanyue bore her such hostility.

She had offended a few others, yes, but not to the point of being ruined.

Now the village gossips were calling her loose and shameless, no better than a brothel girl, which enraged her to no end.

The harshest of them was Er Mazi’s mother. Back when Zhou Shanshan first arrived, Er Mazi had courted her and helped with chores for a few days—that was all.

Song Wanyue replied coolly, “How could it be me? Did I make you go on dates with Chen Jiefang? You’ve been meeting constantly. You think everyone else is stupid? What I really don’t understand is why Gu Dahai agreed. Does he think that if you pass the college exam and go to university, he can follow you back to the capital?”

“Am I dreaming, or are you? Right now, even city folk can’t easily find jobs. You really think you can just go back to the city and everything will be fine?”

Unless you were in the black market or paid to buy a post, jobs weren’t easy to get.

That’s why she chose to continue her studies. Another year and she could start a business.

College students had winter and summer breaks, plus weekends off—plenty of time to take on system tasks and earn money.

Once she had saved up, opening a shop wouldn’t be late.

Zhou Shanshan’s face flushed with fury. “If it wasn’t you, then who? Where were you last night? Who can testify for you?”

Yang Liu raised her voice. “Me, is that enough? I know about the review materials Chen Jiefang gave you, and I was devastated. Wanyue kept me company, walking with me around the village. Wanyue is kind and helpful, nothing like you—malicious and cruel. You even traded your body for a few notes. Chen Jiefang, give me back the study materials I gave you.”

“You wicked woman, trying to frame Wanyue. When we saw you, you and Chen Jiefang were hot and heavy. Do you know who first saw your naked bodies?

A group of kids, then Auntie Cui, Granny Xie, the Party Secretary’s wife, Auntie Song. Wanyue and I aren’t married, so of course we felt too embarrassed to come out first.”

Zhou Shanshan’s face turned pale as death. “You’re sure you were with Song Wanyue the whole time?”

Unless Song Wanyue had three heads and six arms…

Yang Liu nodded firmly. “After dinner, Zhou Jing even walked with us for half an hour before going back to study. We continued along the river. Wanyue was with me the entire time. I’m absolutely certain.”

“You idiot, don’t you see who really set you up? You’re so gullible.”

She herself was now confused. Could it be that Zhou Shanshan and Chen Jiefang had been framed? Whoever did it had done a neat job.

Anyway, she had already let go of Chen Jiefang. He was married. She wasn’t about to degrade herself by chasing after him.

“Chen Jiefang, why are you still standing there? Hand back the notes—I worked hard to get those.”

Song Wanyue chimed in, “Yes, return them, Chen Jiefang. What are you thinking? You’re married now. It’s inappropriate to keep gifts from another girl.”

Seeing Yang Liu angry—really looking like she’d moved on—over just a marriage certificate?

Chen Jiefang tried to stall. “Uh, Yang Liu—oh, Comrade Yang—that set of notes, you won’t be able to use them right away anyway. Think of it as me borrowing them. After the exams, I’ll give them back.”

Just drag it out for now.

Yang Liu shot him down. “No way. I need them right now. We female educated youth all share our study resources. I have to do my part.”

He was married now—she wasn’t about to let a scumbag profit any further.

She had already seen that he didn’t like her but still accepted her gifts. She’d told herself to be patient, that feelings could grow. But reality had proven: if he doesn’t like you, he doesn’t like you.

No matter how much you give, he won’t see it.

“Are you the kind of scumbag Wanyue described, eating from one bowl while eyeing another pot? I accepted your coldness. But now I want my things back. As for the food I gave you—forget it. Consider it fed to a dog.”

What she couldn’t stand was him redirecting her heartfelt gifts toward someone else. That crossed her bottom line.

Wang Dabing rubbed his aching head. “Enough. Chen Jiefang, bullying a female comrade is disgraceful. Return her review notes.”

He didn’t want to be the team leader another day—too many problems lately.

And Zhou Shanshan was back, more trouble.

He turned to her. “Zhou Shanshan, you’re not planning to bring your baby into the dorm, are you? Don’t. It’ll disturb everyone’s studying. In a few days we’ll finish this month’s tasks and won’t need to work in the fields. Please, don’t make things harder for us.”

The male educated youth Liu Jun, usually invisible, finally spoke. “Yeah. Don’t bring the baby. It’s noisy.”

Funny—he’d never realized before how noisy Zhou Shanshan was.

Chen Jiefang, helpless, nodded and agreed to return the notes.

Zhou Shanshan frowned. “But my son is still so little. If I don’t bring him, it’s really hard for me.”

The child was only two months old—she couldn’t leave him, not unless there was milk powder.

She turned hopefully toward Song Wanyue. “Wanyue, do you have any milk powder tickets? Could you lend me two?”

Song Wanyue shook her head. “No. I’m not married and I don’t have a baby. I don’t get those. You’d be better off asking in the village if someone is willing to nurse him for you.”

Even if she had them, she wouldn’t give them.

Yang Tao, who was determined to pass the college exams, had to speak up. “Comrade Zhou, your child really is too noisy. If he were quiet, I wouldn’t object. But it’s just one month—please don’t make trouble for everyone else.”

Zhou Shanshan nodded dejectedly. She’d have to go ask around the village.