Chapter 4: The Vicious Female Supporting Character in the 1980s (4)

With a full set of textbooks, Su Qin studied even harder. She worked in the factory during the day and stayed up late to study at night.

Late at night, Su Qin grew frustrated with her studies. She lazily slumped over the desk, looking at the towering stack of books beside her with a silent sigh.

Studying for the college entrance exam had been tough. She used to think it would get better once she got into university. But university led to the even harder challenge of postgraduate exams. She had thought it would be fine once she finished grad school.

Now she had to walk the same path all over again.

Su Qin held a pen and began doodling on a scrap piece of paper. With a few strokes, she drew a chubby little bear. After thinking for a bit, she drew a book in front of the bear. The little bear was reading it seriously.

“You should be happy. Studying is such a joyful thing,” Su Qin muttered to herself, adding a smiling face to the little bear. Its eyes squinted with joy, making it look even more lovable.

Su Qin’s gloomy mood lifted a little. She went on to draw several more little bears—some lying down reading, some on the sofa, some reading in bed…

After drawing a bunch, she even gave it a title: The Little Bear Who Loves to Read.

Su Qin stared at it for a long while, moved by the bear’s cuteness and inspired by its love of reading. She took a deep breath and went back to her textbooks to keep fighting.

What was the college entrance exam now?

She had to get even better results.

*

At the factory, although Su Qin was a bit clumsy, she worked diligently and focused on her tasks.

But in Zhou Xiufang’s eyes, this behavior seemed arrogant and aloof.

Ever since the original owner found out Zhou Xiufang supported Zhou Zhiyuan in breaking off the engagement and favored Su Yue instead, the two didn’t get along. They had argued twice. These days, Su Qin simply ignored her to avoid unnecessary trouble.

After Su Qin offended Cheng Lan, Zhou Xiufang looked down on her even more. She thought that even if Cheng Lan didn’t cause trouble for her, she would definitely hold some grudges.

To win over the new leader Cheng Lan, Zhou Xiufang took every opportunity to speak sarcastically to Su Qin and even became the ringleader of a clique that ostracized her.

Su Qin was used to keeping to herself and didn’t care about these petty games at all.

That morning, a large batch of pineapples and pomegranates was delivered to the factory. With not enough hands to move them, Cheng Lan led a group of female workers to help.

One truck after another rolled in, and Cheng Lan was busy giving out instructions.

“Su Qin, Chen Feng, Zhou Xiufang, Wei Lan—you four go help over at Workshop No. 2,” Cheng Lan called out a few names.

Chen Feng, Zhou Xiufang, and Wei Lan were all veteran workers. They walked together at the front while Su Qin followed alone behind them.

Zhou Xiufang kept glancing at her from the corner of her eye, but Su Qin didn’t pay any attention.

When they reached the trucks, Su Qin was surprised to see one of the drivers was Cheng Wenfeng.

Cheng Wenfeng also noticed her.

Su Qin smiled at him as a greeting.

Cheng Wenfeng nodded slightly in return, then joined the others in unloading the goods.

“These are too heavy. Why are we doing this kind of work?”

“Exactly.”

The crates of fruit were extremely heavy. The women grumbled as they worked, while Su Qin stayed silent and just followed the group.

Cheng Wenfeng occasionally looked around for Su Qin. After carrying a few loads, her forehead was covered in sweat and her cheeks flushed from the sun. It was clear she was exhausted.

That small frame really didn’t have much strength.

“Su Qin, everyone else is working. What are you standing there for? Hurry up and help!” Zhou Xiufang raised her voice on purpose when she saw Su Qin returning a bit slowly.

If someone slacked off, the others would have to pick up the slack. Zhou Xiufang knew exactly how to stir up discontent.

Several people turned to look at Su Qin, and even Cheng Wenfeng frowned at the words.

Su Qin kept her unhurried pace. Her willow-like brows furrowed slightly as she asked in confusion, “Sister Feng and I carried three crates each. You also carried three. How is it that we’re the ones not working?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, the mentioned Chen Feng wasn’t having it. “Exactly. How are we not working? Everyone’s doing their part.”

Zhou Xiufang was at a loss for words and quickly said, “I meant Su Qin, not you.”

“I was with Sister Feng. Weren’t you just talking about us?” Su Qin followed up, still looking puzzled. “If you want to earn credit, you don’t have to drag us down for it, do you?”

Su Qin directly exposed her petty scheme. Zhou Xiufang’s face turned ashen, and she ground her teeth in frustration, brushing it off. “What nonsense are you talking about? I was just asking you to help carry things.”

Su Qin didn’t want to be partnered with her at all, but Chen Feng had gone to the bathroom and Wei Lan wasn’t around. She had no choice but to walk over and lift one side of the pineapple basket.

As soon as she lifted it, the soreness in Su Qin’s hand worsened. Zhou Xiufang barely used any strength, yet it was already much harder than before.

Su Qin looked at Zhou Xiufang’s expression. The other party had an innocent look on her face, clearly doing it on purpose to make things difficult for her.

They hadn’t walked far when beads of sweat began to form on Su Qin’s forehead. Zhou Xiufang noticed and said sarcastically, “You’ve been working at the factory for a year now, and you’re still not quick with your hands. Can’t study and can’t even work?”

She knew Su Qin hated being compared to Su Yue the most. Every time she heard it, she would become irrational.

Zhou Xiufang was waiting for Su Qin to explode, but unexpectedly, Su Qin just turned her head to glance at her and said directly, “You’re not the one paying the wages, what are you barking for like a dog?”

The moment it involved Su Yue and Zhou Zhiyuan, Zhou Xiufang thought Su Qin would drop everything and make a scene. Maybe even start yelling hysterically. Instead, she calmly shut her down without giving her a chance to speak.

Su Qin called her a dog?

No matter what, she was still a senior. Su Qin actually compared her to a dog?!

“How can you say that? Who are you calling a dog?” Zhou Xiufang jumped up in rage, her voice becoming shrill.

“What do you think?” Su Qin smiled faintly and threw the question back at her.

Her expression clearly said, “I’m talking about you.”

Zhou Xiufang was instantly furious. She glanced at the pillar behind Su Qin, and with a rush of anger, shoved the basket forward, wanting to teach Su Qin a lesson.

Who would have thought Su Qin had already seen it coming. She quickly dodged to the side, yanked the basket over with all her strength, and then let go.

Zhou Xiufang was caught off guard. The basket of pineapples slipped from her hands, and she was tripped up hard by it, her body pitching forward, hitting the pillar headfirst.

“Bang—”

A sharp scream echoed through the warehouse. Su Qin even got goosebumps from the sound. She quickly reacted and cried out in alarm. When Cheng Lan and the others rushed over, she hurried to help Zhou Xiufang, her face full of worry and fear as she said, “Aunt Zhou, didn’t you see the pillar behind me? You needed to turn.”

Zhou Xiufang had hit her head hard and was clutching it, crying out in pain.

“What happened?” Cheng Lan walked over and asked.

Su Qin supported Zhou Xiufang and pointed innocently at the pillar. “We were moving things. Aunt Zhou didn’t see the pillar behind me. I had already turned, but she tripped over the basket and hit the pillar.”

The pillar was right behind Su Qin. Zhou Xiufang didn’t see it and ran into it. You really couldn’t blame anyone else for that.

Cheng Lan examined Zhou Xiufang’s injury. Because of the hard impact, a large purple lump had already formed on her head. Combined with her tightly scrunched face, it looked somewhat ridiculous. Someone even covered their mouth and snickered.

Seeing the big bump on Zhou Xiufang’s head, Cheng Lan fell silent for a moment, then continued asking about her injuries.

Zhou Xiufang gradually regained her senses and immediately pointed at Su Qin, cursing, “Does she even know how to work? If she can’t do the job, what’s the point of staying here?”

After that, she held her forehead and kept wailing. “It hurts so much, oh my—”

“Do you want to go to the hospital and get it checked out?” Cheng Lan asked.

“Whoever gets partnered with Su Qin is unlucky. I must have the worst luck ever.” Zhou Xiufang kept clutching her forehead and wailing. She had made the first move, so she could only swallow the bitter pill, but she didn’t want to let Su Qin off so easily.

Cheng Lan scanned the people around them. She glanced past Su Qin, who stood there nervously, and not far from her was Cheng Wenfeng.

She had wanted to greet Cheng Wenfeng in front of everyone and introduce him, hoping it would make things easier for him. But he clearly didn’t want that and even instinctively avoided eye contact with her. So, Cheng Lan gave up on the idea.

Cheng Lan’s gaze returned to Zhou Xiufang. She spoke calmly, “The pillar was right behind Su Qin, and you still ran into it. You really can’t blame her for that. Besides, there was a pillar ahead. Why were you walking so fast?”

If you hadn’t walked so fast, how could the basket have tripped you? It just sounded dumb.

Zhou Xiufang felt wronged but had no way to explain. How could she have known Su Qin would suddenly yank the basket and let go?

Cheng Lan continued, “You’re a senior worker. You should be more cautious. She’s still young and inexperienced. You should guide her more.”

These words completely cleared Su Qin of any blame. Between the lines, there was even a subtle warning for Zhou Xiufang to know her place. Zhou Xiufang widened her eyes in disbelief.

Not long ago, Su Qin had snapped at Cheng Lan’s nephew. Cheng Lan’s face had been terribly dark that day. Now, with such a good opportunity, why wasn’t Su Qin punished? Why was she the one being scolded?

“I’ll have Chen Feng take you to the hospital for a checkup. Since you hit your head, it’s better to be cautious.” Cheng Lan was very considerate and gave Zhou Xiufang a work injury leave, even telling her she could rest at home for two days.

Chen Feng helped Zhou Xiufang away. Cheng Lan told the others to disperse. “Get back to work. There are still several truckloads this afternoon.”

Su Qin had thought she’d have to fight a tough battle. She never expected Cheng Lan would defend her like this. In the original novel, Zhou Xiufang had made trouble for the original owner many times. Plus, the original owner had been careless with work. Cheng Lan always kept a stern face and often scolded her.

Later, the original owner got fired, and her hard days began.

Su Qin looked at the busy Cheng Lan. Just as she turned around, her eyes met Cheng Wenfeng’s not far away, and she paused again.

Cheng Wenfeng had a cold and stern aura. His deep black eyes were like a bottomless abyss, and his eyebrows carried a sharp edge. At first glance, he didn’t seem easy to get along with and was a bit intimidating.

But Su Qin knew that he was not an arrogant or ruthless person, but a great man who loved public welfare.

Cheng Wenfeng would become a future business tycoon. Building a good relationship with him definitely wouldn’t hurt.

Su Qin gave him a slight smile. She pointed to the outside of the warehouse, then walked out.

Time to get back to work.

Cheng Wenfeng saw her smile and suddenly felt like he had let out a breath. That strange emotion made his brows furrow again.

She was the person with the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. Cheng Wenfeng thought of ripe peaches, soft and sweet, with a refreshing feeling.

Su Qin walked outside and stood in front of a basket of pineapples, looking for a partner.

Cheng Wenfeng suddenly appeared in front of her. He easily lifted one side of the pineapple basket.

Su Qin snapped back to her senses and quickly reached out to help lift as well.

This time, it was much easier. When the two of them carried the pineapples to the warehouse, Cheng Wenfeng could lift the basket by himself and stack it up.

“Thank you.” Su Qin rubbed her hands and said to him.

Cheng Wenfeng glanced at her hands. Her palms were already rubbed red, so he said, “If you can’t handle it, don’t do it.”

He saw that she was drenched in sweat and thought there was no need to push herself.

“Everyone’s working. It’s not good to slack off.” After saying that, Su Qin smiled optimistically, “Work is almost over. We won’t be the ones moving in the afternoon.”

Cheng Wenfeng didn’t respond and just followed behind her.

“By the way.”

Su Qin suddenly stopped and turned around, facing Cheng Wenfeng directly. He was caught off guard. Remembering how others talked about him, he tried to put on a friendly expression but didn’t know how, so he just stared at her blankly, gradually growing irritated inside.

She didn’t seem to mind. She even leaned a bit closer to him and lowered her voice, saying, “About that thing last time, I told your aunt I treated you to an ice pop and you forgave me. She believed it. Can you please not let it slip?”

Cheng Wenfeng pressed his thin lips together tightly.

Seeing this, Su Qin pitifully said, “I’m just a temporary worker. If your aunt has a problem with me, it’ll be tough for me. I know you’re not a petty person. A grown-up wouldn’t fuss over a small matter. I can buy you lots of ice pops. When I have money, I’ll treat you to a meal too.”

Right now, she couldn’t afford to treat him to a meal. Things were really tight financially.

Cheng Wenfeng looked into Su Qin’s watery apricot eyes. She had quite a few little tricks, and even flattered him first. Without thinking too much, he replied along the lines of her words, “It’s nothing serious.”

She was the first person to reject him outright, but that was fine. He was used to it.

Upon hearing this, Su Qin’s eyes lit up with an unmistakable smile. Even the corners of her eyes curved up. She raised her lips and said, “I really wasn’t targeting you. You’re pretty nice.” After saying that, she quickly added, “I’ll buy you an ice pop in a bit.”

Just as Cheng Wenfeng was about to say “no need,” she had already walked away.

At lunchtime, Su Qin really did go buy a few ice pops. She came back while eating one, looking very pleased.

She handed one to Cheng Wenfeng, “I also bought one for Team Leader Cheng. I’ll go give it to her first.”

This was the second time Cheng Wenfeng had received an ice pop from her. The coldness seeped through his palm, spreading through his limbs, bringing a trace of coolness in the sweltering weather.

He stared at the ice pop. A wave of emotion surged in his dark eyes. He had never had such a strong desire for someone before—the desire to be close, to be together, to—

Cheng Wenfeng felt like he was going crazy. He quietly walked aside, sat down, and slowly ate the ice pop.

It was mint-flavored, refreshing and sweet, but it couldn’t ease the heat inside him.

On the other side, Su Qin found Cheng Lan in the storage room.

“Something you need?” Cheng Lan raised an eyebrow and asked.

“Here, an ice pop for you.” Su Qin walked over with small steps and placed a popsicle in front of her. Before Cheng Lan could speak, she quickly said, “Last time, they didn’t have this flavor when I bought them, so I got the plain sugar one for Cheng Wenfeng. This time I made it up to him and got one for you too.”

Su Qin deliberately brought this up. Even she admired her own ability to make things up.

Cheng Lan’s tone softened a bit, “You young people settle your own matters. Don’t buy me one next time.”

“It’s so hot. An ice pops helps cool off.” After saying that, Su Qin added shyly, “Although he said it wasn’t a big deal, I still felt bad. You’ve been so good to me. That makes me feel even more like I was out of line.”

She had to stress that Cheng Wenfeng said it wasn’t a big deal, that he didn’t blame her. She also wanted to express her gratitude for Cheng Lan’s support today.

Cheng Lan looked at Su Qin. This little girl was about the same age as her own daughter. After asking around, she learned Su Qin’s mother had passed away. Her father had remarried a woman named Liu Mei, and there was also an older sister who came from the countryside. She must’ve had a rough background.

But Su Qin had a simple heart and no bad intentions. She was grateful and sensible. With her pretty looks, urban household registration, and a proper job, if she was willing to get closer to Cheng Wenfeng, it wouldn’t be a bad thing.

Cheng Lan spoke, “What do you think about our family—”

Pa—

The small notebook in Su Qin’s pocket fell to the ground and opened up. She squatted down to pick it up, “Go on, I’m listening.”

“You’re studying English?” Cheng Lan saw the vocabulary words written on the notebook and looked puzzled.

Su Qin looked a bit embarrassed, then frankly said, “I want to try again next year. See if I can get into college. Otherwise, I just can’t let it go.”

“I see.” Cheng Lan’s impression of Su Qin changed once again. This girl was pretty much self-studying, even squeezing time to memorize English vocabulary while working.

“What were you about to say?” Su Qin asked.

Cheng Lan said, “Nothing. Go on and get busy.”

Watching Su Qin walk away, Cheng Lan felt it was a pity.

So the girl wanted to take the college entrance exam. That really meant she wouldn’t go on blind dates or get married.

Forget it.