Chapter 60

Qin Qingman generally didn’t care about other people’s stares, unless those stares had ulterior motives. So when Wu Weimin’s gaze landed on her, she immediately noticed. Looking at his blank expression, Qin Qingman furrowed her brow slightly.

Despite how well-groomed Wu Weimin and his group appeared, Qin Qingman could see right through them. Not only did she quickly judge their characters, but she also sensed that they had powerful backers.

Thinking that it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble, she calmly shifted her gaze away.

That’s when she noticed the hidden worry in Gui Ying’s eyes. It seemed that Gui Ying must know something about these people’s backgrounds.

Qin Qingman didn’t want to make things difficult for Gui Ying. She thanked Ah Yun’s husband for the ride. Without his special help, it would have taken her and Chuchu at least forty to fifty minutes to walk to Hongqi Farm.

“Qingman, don’t be polite. I was just passing by. It’s no trouble at all. You go to your uncle’s house first. I’ll come back later to pick you up and take you back to the village.” Ah Yun’s husband said, waving his hand. He was a straightforward man who didn’t consider it a bother to give them a ride.

“Alright, thank you.” Qin Qingman replied.

“Chuchu, let’s go. I’ll take you into the farm.” Gui Ying said, picking up her wicker basket from the ground and cheerfully inviting Qin Qingman and her brother.

This was Qin Qingman and her brother’s first time at Hongqi Farm, so they weren’t familiar with the family housing area. Gui Ying often came to visit her daughter and grandson, so she knew the area well and would have no trouble leading them.

“Okay, Gui Ying, thank you for showing us the way to the cafeteria.”

Before coming, Qin Qingman had asked around and learned that the Wan family had indeed been allowed to eat in the Hongqi Farm cafeteria.

Her aunt was the head cook, her uncle handled procurement, and even her cousin had become the farm director’s secretary. It seemed that the whole family had some skill; otherwise, they wouldn’t have landed such good positions with decent benefits.

Take her uncle, for example. He managed the procurement of food for the thousands of people in the cafeteria. A little theft here and there would be enough for his family to live comfortably.

As for her aunt, being the head cook meant she had a lot of helpers, and anyone working in the cafeteria could never go without their meals thanks to her influence.

Cousin Wanliang was even more unnecessary to mention. As the secretary to the head of the farm, as long as he casually showed a bit of the fox’s power, there were plenty of benefits to gain.

So Qin Qingman had made sure to find out everything before coming here.

However, it was her first time coming here, and she didn’t know where her uncle’s family lived in the staff quarters. She could only go to the cafeteria first to ask; the cafeteria staff would definitely know the specific address of the Wanmingxi family.

Aunt Guiying, hearing that Qin Qingman didn’t want to trouble her, thought about her own daughter and son-in-law, and silently nodded.

Her son-in-law worked as a farm laborer, and compared to the Wan family, he wasn’t much. In order to avoid causing trouble for her daughter, Aunt Guiying appreciated Qin Qingman’s consideration and led her toward the farm’s main gate.

“Comrade, this Comrade.”

A warm voice called out from behind.

Qin Qingman and Chuchu seemed to not hear it at all, continuing to walk into the Hongqi Farm’s main gate with Aunt Guiying.

The world inside the gate was completely different from that outside.

Outside the gate were fields covered in snow, while inside, there were houses everywhere.

Aunt Guiying pointed toward a cluster of houses behind them and said, “Qingman, that’s the staff quarters. As long as someone works at the farm, they live in the staff quarters.” Moreover, that staff area had not only single-story houses but also multi-story buildings.

Her daughter and son-in-law lived in one of those buildings.

In this era, having a house was not unusual, but living in a multi-story building was rare. The buildings were stacked floor after floor, as beautiful as a dream.

Qin Qingman followed Aunt Guiying’s pointing direction and looked over.

Every household had chimneys puffing white smoke, and there was a lively, bustling atmosphere in the air.

“Comrade, Comrade, wait a moment…”

Qin Qingman, holding Chuchu’s hand, was walking and quietly talking with Aunt Guiying, while behind them, there were calls filled with eagerness and invitation.

Many people passing by looked over in surprise.

When they saw that it was Zhao Tiancheng and his group, everyone immediately turned their heads, pretending they hadn’t seen them, and quickly walked away.

In fact, this was already the second time Aunt Guiying had heard Wu Weimin call out to Qin Qingman.

Qin Qingman didn’t stop walking; she of course wouldn’t make a fuss because she knew that with Wu Weimin and his group, it was best to avoid them when possible.

“Aunt, I’m sorry to trouble you.” Qin Qingman said.

She could ignore the calls from behind, but she still had to thank Aunt Guiying.

Not everyone could bear the pressure and help guide someone.

“We’re from the same village. What trouble? It’s nothing like that. Don’t worry. They wouldn’t dare do anything in broad daylight. Our Kaoshan Village’s brigade secretary is no pushover.” Aunt Guiying said.

She didn’t dare to provoke Wu Weimin and his group openly, but she wasn’t afraid to guide someone either.

Their village’s brigade secretary, Zheng Anguo, was well-known, and his influence wasn’t limited to Hongqi Brigade. Even the Hongqi Farm had to show respect.

“Aunt, you’re a good person.” Qin Qingman felt the sincerity and kindness of the people in Kaoshan Village.

“My daughter, let’s walk faster and shake them off.” Aunt Guiying smiled, flattered by the praise, and bent down to carry Chuchu on her back.

The reason they were walking so slowly was because of Chuchu.

Chuchu was small, and no matter how fast her short legs moved, their pace was still affected. So Aunt Guiying decided to carry the child, which allowed her and Qin Qingman to walk faster and take bigger steps.

The best option was to shake off Wu Weimin and his group as quickly as possible.

Wu Weimin had originally thought that Qin Qingman, coming from the countryside, didn’t understand that the “Comrade” he had been calling out was directed at her. Just as he was about to speed up to catch up, he saw that Aunt Guiying had picked up the troublesome child and quickened her pace.

At that moment, Wu Weimin understood what was going on.

Their cover was blown, and the other party had deliberately avoided them.

“Old Wu, looks like the young lady isn’t interested in you.” Zhao Tiancheng joked, laughing at Wu Weimin. Since he’d fallen for Huang Wanqing, no other girl, no matter how beautiful, could catch his eye. Now, he didn’t even bother to look at other female comrades.

Including now, Zhao Tiancheng hadn’t paid much attention to what Qin Qingman looked like.

But that didn’t stop him from mocking Wu Weimin.

Ever since Zhao Tiancheng’s pursuit of Huang Wanqing had been thwarted, he had come to enjoy seeing his “brothers” also get rejected by female comrades. Today, he finally got to witness Qin Qingman dismissing Wu Weimin.

Wu Weimin, already fuming because Qin Qingman had ignored him, couldn’t control his anger when he heard Zhao Tiancheng’s ridicule.

“Old woman, stop right there!”

Fury boiled inside Wu Weimin, and he no longer cared about politeness. He immediately snapped at Aunt Guiying.

Aunt Guiying didn’t want to pay any attention to him, continuing to walk while carrying Chuchu on her back. This only further provoked Wu Weimin.

All the brothers were watching, especially Zhao Tiancheng, who couldn’t afford to lose face.

Despite Wu Weimin usually flattering Zhao Tiancheng, he surely harbored some hidden ambition.

Zhao Tiancheng’s father was the director of the revolutionary committee, and his father also managed a farm with thousands of people. In terms of rank, Zhao Tiancheng’s father wasn’t any lower than Wu Weimin’s, but because of the special nature of Zhao Tiancheng’s father’s position, Wu Weimin had to keep his head down in front of him.

On the surface, Wu Weimin had to cater to Zhao Tiancheng, but secretly, he wanted to one-up him.

So, when Wu Weimin noticed how beautiful Qin Qingman was, even more so than Huang Wanqing, he became infatuated.

But when Qin Qingman ignored him, and Aunt Guiying did the same, Wu Weimin’s anger was impossible to contain. Seeing that the two women knew his background and weren’t even pretending anymore, he charged forward.

Wu Weimin, being a man, naturally moved faster than Qin Qingman and Aunt Guiying.

Moreover, he knew the ground at Hongqi Farm like the back of his hand, and his sudden lunge caught many people by surprise.

Qin Qingman only had time to grab onto Wu Weimin’s clothes.

Wu Weimin had already planned to teach Aunt Guiying and Qin Qingman a lesson. The moment he charged toward them, he shoved Aunt Guiying with all his strength. The ground was covered with snow, and although it had been cleared, the snow was still there.

The force of the shove sent Aunt Guiying crashing to the ground. She lost her balance and slid a long distance, and even Chuchu, who was on her back, fell heavily with her.

Snow, as the name suggests, accumulates layer after layer.

While fresh, untouched snow might be soft, snow that had been trampled by countless people had hardened like concrete.

Both Aunt Guiying and Chuchu were hurt by the fall, lying on the ground and unable to get up right away.

Qin Qingman had never imagined that Wu Weimin could be so petty, daring to bully an elderly woman and a child in broad daylight. Failing to catch him, she became furious, her face flushed with anger. She raised her hand and slapped him across the face.

The sharp sound of the slap rang out.

It was loud.

Qin Qingman put all her strength into the slap.

Not only did Wu Weimin fall to the ground from the force of her slap, but half of his face also quickly swelled up. He spat out a mouthful of blood, and among the blood was a broken tooth.

It was a decayed tooth that had been loose for a long time but had stubbornly stayed in place.

Today, however, Qin Qingman’s slap knocked it out.

Not only did the tooth fall out, but the inside of his mouth was also injured from the impact, which was why so much blood poured out.

Wu Weimin stared at the blood and his broken tooth on the snow, frozen in place. Zhao Tiancheng, Wang Ji, and Zhou Tao were also stunned. The passersby around them were all frozen, gaping at the scene.

Everyone stood still, staring in shock at what had just happened, feeling that it was completely unbelievable.

Someone in the crowd recognized Aunt Guiying and hurried to inform her daughter and son-in-law.

Qin Qingman, however, didn’t even look at the result of her slap. Instead, she immediately suppressed her pain and rushed toward Aunt Guiying.

Aunt Guiying had suffered an unwarranted disaster. She was over fifty years old, which, in this era, made her a senior. The elderly had brittle bones, and Qin Qingman worried that this fall might cause serious injury.

Even though her heart ached for Chuchu, Qin Qingman knew she had to prioritize Aunt Guiying’s well-being.

“Chuchu, don’t move around. Big Sis will check on you in a moment.” Qin Qingman quickly instructed the child, her voice filled with concern.

After giving that quick reminder, she knelt beside Aunt Guiying and began checking her over.

Qin Qingman wasn’t a professional healthcare worker, but having come from the future, she had learned first aid and basic medical care. It wasn’t difficult for her to check if Aunt Guiying’s bones had been broken.

“Aunt, don’t rush to get up. I’ll check the spots I touched—just let me know if it hurts, and call out loudly if it does.”

Liu Hechang, the union leader, was the representative of the workers’ organization. The incident where the factory director’s son had pushed a worker’s family member was very serious. If not handled properly, it could easily cause trouble.

As soon as Liu Hechang received the news, he hurriedly ran toward the farm’s main gate.

Bao Shengli, who was the son-in-law of Aunt Guiying, was a member of the farm’s machinery team and a tractor driver. Tractor drivers were highly valued on the farm; one person could do the work of dozens. People like him held a certain position on the farm and had countless helpers.

It was crucial to handle the situation properly today; otherwise, no one would be able to get out of the mess if things escalated.

“小严, you go find Bao Shengli and tell him not to make trouble. His wife’s work assignment has already been arranged.” Liu Hechang instructed an office worker to go find Bao Shengli and mediate.

“Understood, Liu Hechang Comrade.” the worker replied.

Xiao Yan quickly set off to find Bao Shengli.

While Liu Hechang was halfway to the farm gate, he encountered the farm’s director, Wu Yuanming, who was rushing toward him.

The two met, but neither of them was in a hurry anymore.

“Liu Hechang Comrade, what do you think of this matter?” Wu Yuanming asked subtly.

“Wu Yuanming Comrade, it’s winter, and there’s snow everywhere. Falling down is common. If someone breaks a leg, compensation is only fair. What I’m worried about is that some people may not be injured but are trying to extort money. I think we should report it to the police and let them intimidate the others.” Liu Hechang replied, understanding Wu Yuanming’s implication, and immediately shared the plan he had already prepared.

“Won’t reporting it to the police be too serious?” Wu Yuanming asked. Though he hadn’t yet seen the scene of the accident, based on his knowledge of his son, he couldn’t judge whether it was an accident or an intentional scam. However, he believed that no one would dare to extort him.

“Comrade Wu, these are all people from the countryside. They wouldn’t know the difference between what’s real and what’s fake. We can just send someone to scare them and suppress the issue. As for Bao Shengli, I’ve already arranged for someone to send a message to him and make sure his wife gets a job.” Liu Hechang said.

Of course, Liu Hechang did a good deed but also expected to gain some personal favor in return.

“Liu Comrade, you really thought of everything. I think your wife’s cooking skills are excellent; she’s definitely qualified to be the head chef in the canteen.” Wu Yuanming immediately returned the favor.

Although Liu Hechang, as the union leader, could easily replace the head chef in the canteen, the current head chef was a person of the farm director’s own, and Liu Hechang didn’t want to directly oppose Wu Yuanming. The current situation suited him just fine.

With the farm director’s support, Liu Hechang could now get a piece of the pie when it came to the canteen’s resources.

The two men, each with their own ulterior motives, exchanged a few words and settled the matter. They didn’t really care whether Aunt Guiying had genuinely been injured or not.

Had it not been for Qin Qingman, the situation would definitely have proceeded along this predetermined path.

But with Qin Qingman involved, no one could completely control everything.

At the gate of Hongqi Farm, Qin Qingman finally knelt beside Chuchu. Looking at the child lying motionless in the snow, her heart and fingers trembled. “Chuchu.”

She was afraid she might never hear the child’s voice again.

If she could go back, she would still have chosen to check on Aunt Guiying’s condition first.

“Big Sis.”

Just as Qin Qingman’s mind was in turmoil, Chuchu’s voice came in response.

This not only relieved Qin Qingman but also eased the crowd that had gathered, thankful that the child was okay.

Qin Qingman gently helped Chuchu turn over.

The child had been lying in the snow, his face was already red from the cold, and there were even patches of melted snow on his face.

Qin Qingman pulled out a handkerchief and gently wiped the snow off Chuchu’s face before starting to check him over.

Fortunately, the child had been getting proper nutrition recently, and since Aunt Guiying had cushioned the fall somewhat, he hadn’t been seriously hurt. His body had been spared, though his face had slid across the frozen ground, causing some redness and swelling.

This was an external injury.

Looking at the external injury on Chuchu’s face, Qin Qingman felt a deep hatred for Wu Weimin.

A person with such character must have done many bad things. No punishment would be too much for him.

Qin Qingman glanced at the two wicker baskets scattered on the ground. Whether it was things she had brought or things Aunt Guiying had, everything was scattered everywhere—dried vegetables, mountain delicacies, and monkey head mushrooms, many of them broken.

The items from both families were mixed together, and aside from Master, no one could distinguish how to separate them.

Qin Qingman didn’t pay attention to those items. She held Chuchu for a while, comforting him, before gently placing the child down. Then, she walked toward Wu Weimin, who was still staring at her, stunned.

Wu Weimin hadn’t snapped out of his daze.

He hadn’t expected to be struck by a woman.

And in front of so many people, not only had she knocked out his teeth, but his cheek was also now swollen, extremely painful.

“What… what do you want?” Wu Weimin finally came to his senses and, looking at Qin Qingman, couldn’t believe she was coming to apologize.

“Spare the rod and spoil the child. Your father failed to teach you, so I’ll teach you a lesson on his behalf.”

After saying this, Qin Qingman picked up a stick from the ground and swung it hard at Wu Weimin.

“Ahhh—!”

Wu Weimin’s scream echoed.

Qin Qingman was truly hitting him, and Wu Weimin was genuinely screaming in pain.

This scene shocked everyone present, especially those who had been bullied by Zhao Tiancheng and his group. They found it both absurd and satisfying, wishing they could rush up and join Qin Qingman in beating this scoundrel.

Wu Weimin’s screams were loud, and even Wu Yuanming, who had been walking slowly in the distance, heard them.

Following the sound, he saw a woman, mad with fury, beating his own son mercilessly.

“Stop, stop it right now!” Wu Yuanming, unable to remain calm, shouted as he saw his son being attacked.