Font Size:
Lin Ting gave Xu Zhaoying a hard slap.
Xu Zhaoying cried out in pain and rubbed her hand, still unwilling to give up her snide remarks.
“Comrade Lin, you’re so petty—won’t even let me peek at your parcel.”
She sneered maliciously,
“What, hiding something shameful in there?”
Lin Ting chuckled softly.
“If you’re so generous, then I guess you wouldn’t mind if we go through your stuff, right?”
“And since you’re accusing me without even knowing what’s inside,
then I could say you’re a thief, and you wouldn’t get mad either?”
Xu Zhaoying’s face turned red.
She opened her mouth but couldn’t get a word out.
Rolling her eyes, Lin Ting grabbed her parcel and walked toward the dorm.
In this second life, there was no way she’d indulge people like Xu Zhaoying anymore.
Once the three roommates returned to the dormitory courtyard, they locked the gate from inside and went into their room to unpack their parcels.
As soon as Zhong Shuhe opened hers, she found a letter on top, and beneath it were various food items:
smoked meat, cured sausage, smoked chicken, cookies, malted milk powder, candy, and chocolate.
Notably, the envelope contained five large denomination bills and grain coupons for fifty catties.
Her parents were clearly trying everything they could to help her live a little more comfortably in the countryside.
Yu Mo’s parcel came from her elder brother.
Inside were smoked meat, sausages, candy, a pair of work gloves, and a pair of rubber boots.
Yu Mo stared at the boots for a moment, lost in thought.
The transplanting season for rice was already over,
so she likely wouldn’t get to use them until next year.
Lin Ting’s parcel had the most items: sausages, smoked meat, salted fish, dried abalone, dried squid, dried shrimp, preserved vegetables, a pair of liberation shoes, a pair of rubber boots, two pairs of work gloves, two outfits suitable for labor, and two tins of malted milk powder.
Lin Ting was secretly stunned.
That purchasing manager from the meat plant was far too generous!
Still, she’d have to find a way to pay him back.
Zhong Shuhe was shocked at the sight.
“Lin Ting, your family sent you way too much stuff!”
Lin Ting just smiled and didn’t explain.
She didn’t want anyone to know these weren’t from her family—
it would only invite unnecessary gossip.
Meanwhile, Yu Mo finished reading her letter and beamed with pride.
“My brother got promoted—he’s a team leader now!”
Her older brother, Yu Jun, had been a deliveryman for the meat processing plant.
Now he’d been transferred to the procurement department and promoted to group leader.
Lin Ting and Zhong Shuhe were genuinely happy for her.
With her brother doing well, Yu Mo had more support and confidence.
But the older educated youths next door weren’t so cheerful.
Wen Chunlan had received only a letter,
and her mother had subtly hinted that she should send food back home instead of asking for it.
Tan Hongxia got a small parcel filled with her older sister’s discarded clothes,
so old and ragged that even she didn’t want to wear them.
Jiang Yanmei received a letter from her family scolding her harshly—
they had found out she’d been detained for seven days earlier.
Zhao Weidong received nothing.
Same with Yao Jian.
Sun Guohua received news that his younger brother was getting married,
which devastated him.
His mother’s job had been passed to his brother,
and now, while he—the older sibling—was still single,
his little brother was getting married.
It was hard not to feel bitter.
Wen Chunlan felt a bit better seeing others also didn’t receive much.
But when she remembered that the three new girls next door each got big parcels, she became upset again.
She couldn’t help muttering sourly,
“What kind of good stuff are those new girls’ families sending them?”
Jiang Yanmei sniffed the air.
“Smells like meat.”
The aroma of smoked meat was already wafting from the courtyard next door.
The older educated youths collectively swallowed their saliva,
feeling a mix of envy and frustration.
They were all supposed to be in the same boat.
Why did the new girls’ families treat them so well?
Jiang Yanmei suddenly remembered that she’d seen Lin Ting’s rice field the day before.
It was thriving—growing even better than the brigade’s own fields.
Rumor had it that Lin Ting was experimenting with hybrid rice,
trying to combine the high yield of southern varieties
with the cold resistance of northern strains.
If successful, it would be a groundbreaking feat.
Jealousy burned in her heart.
Why was it Lin Ting who had both a good background and real talent?
Why not her?
As the smell of smoked meat grew stronger, her gaze landed on Wen Chunlan—
and suddenly, an idea sparked in her mind.
…
As usual, Lin Ting went to the rice fields early in the morning.
The sunlight shone on the green leaves, casting a frosty shimmer across them.
But Lin Ting’s heart jumped.
Something felt wrong.
She rushed into the field and crouched down to inspect the rice plants.
A faint white powder on the leaves—it was lime!
She knew all too well how harmful this was.
It could destroy the roots, burn the seedlings—if serious, it would ruin the entire crop!
There was no time to find out who did it.
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
She immediately began changing the water in the field,
then added organic fertilizer to neutralize the damage…
By the time she finished, the sky was already dark.
Lin Ting was exhausted.
She sat on the edge of the field, staring silently at the rice she’d tended to by hand.
She said nothing. Her silence was frightening.
Yu Mo and Zhong Shuhe came over.
“Lin Ting, you’ve been working all day?”
Lin Ting looked up at them.
Her heart was a mess of emotions.
Finally, she said flatly,
“Yeah. Someone scattered lime in my field. I spent the day trying to save it.”
Both girls were shocked.
“Is it going to be okay?” Yu Mo asked.
Lin Ting shook her head.
“It depends on how it grows from here.”
Zhong Shuhe sat down beside her.
“Do you know who did it?”
“No idea.”
But she planned to ask her family for help—
maybe they’d have an idea who was behind it.
“Maybe we should report it to the brigade leader,” Yu Mo suggested.
Lin Ting nodded.
“That’s our only option for now.”
They went together to find the brigade leader.
Upon hearing someone had deliberately sabotaged Lin Ting’s field with lime,
he was furious.
“If I find out who did it—they won’t get away with it!“
He’d seen that rice field himself—
it was growing better than even Huaihua Brigade’s crops.
He was counting on Lin Ting to develop a new seed strain.
Who the hell would want to destroy that?
Suddenly, he had a thought.
“You don’t think it was Huaihua Brigade, do you?”
“Your rice looks better than theirs—maybe they’re jealous.”
Lin Ting hesitated before responding,
“Half the seeds came from Huaihua Brigade.
If the crop is growing well, it reflects positively on them.
Why would they destroy it?”
“You never know with people,” the leader muttered.
“I’ll have someone keep watch on the fields for a few nights—
let’s see what turns up.”
Lin Ting nodded.
“That’s all we can do for now.”
That night, Lin Ting couldn’t sleep.
She quietly slipped out under the moonlight.
But before she could even reach her rice field,
she felt someone following her.
Her heart clenched.
She turned to look—
But before she could see their face,
a hand clamped over her mouth.