Chapter 50: Director Zhao led the team onto the right path.

The more the annoying old woman got angry, the more pleased Zhuang Lan and Su Limei felt. But both of them knew that today’s visit to the first household was basically a lost cause.  

A bad start.  

They were now worried about the rest of the visits.  

Zhao Ke once again demonstrated to them the unbreakable ties of rural family relationships—no matter how thick-skinned you were, you could never truly cut ties with your relatives.  

With a bright smile and an insufferably cheeky tone, Zhao Ke asked, “Second Aunt, what’s got you so worked up?”  

Zhao Er Shen let out a cold laugh, turned away dramatically, and said in a mocking tone, “Me? What would I be mad about? Do I even deserve to be mad at you?”  

“Now, listen to that,” Zhao Ke said with a shameless grin. “What’s all this about ‘deserving’ or not? I came for a visit, not to stir up trouble. I wasn’t trying to upset you on purpose—it was just how the conversation flowed. I’m young and speak without thinking, but you’re an elder. If you get worked up over someone like me, wouldn’t that be beneath you?”  

Zhao Er Shen crossed her legs, stretched out her arms, and turned her head away, the top of her head now facing Zhao Ke.  

Zhao Ke continued talking to herself, “This literacy class, you see, is a task assigned by the commune. Everyone thinks it’s a hassle—you think I don’t? Wouldn’t I rather sit back and earn my work points in peace? Why would I go out of my way to deal with this?”  

Xiu Xiang chimed in, “Exactly, Meizi. Why worry about such troublesome things? It’s better to just do your work quietly, find a good match, and get married—that’s what really matters.”  

Zhao Ke nodded. “It’s just a shame…”  

Xiu Xiang asked, “What’s a shame?”  

Zhao Er Shen stopped shaking her leg and tilted her head slightly to listen.  

Zhao Ke glanced at her and sighed regretfully, “Last year, the commune awarded the most advanced production teams in the literacy program. The enamel basins and enamel mugs were really sturdy, and there were kettles too…”  

Zhuang Lan and Su Limei exchanged glances—they hadn’t known there were awards.  

Xiu Xiang gasped, “Oh wow~ where did all those things go?”  

Zhao Er Shen curled her lip. “Who knows whose hands they ended up in?”  

“These were honors for all the members of the literacy class, of course, they were shared equally,” Zhao Ke said, standing up. “But Xiu Xiang Saozi is right. There’s no need for me to bother with this. It’s exhausting and thankless—let’s just pretend I was never here today.”  

With that, she called for Zhuang Lan and Su Limei to leave.  

“Hey—” Xiu Xiang couldn’t hold back and called out, “Zhao Ke, how does one qualify for the awards? And how do they distribute the items?”  

Zhao Ke responded disinterestedly, “Forget it, it’s not that important. No need to bring it up.”  

Xiu Xiang grew anxious. “Zhao Ke.”  

Zhao Ke stopped.  

Xiu Xiang’s tense expression eased slightly.  

But then Zhao Ke turned back and brought up an entirely different matter. “Almost forgot—I’m not just here about the literacy class. I noticed your old house roof looks a bit worn. Why not take this chance, while the brigade is organizing repairs, to get it fixed too?”  

Zhao Er Shen impatiently replied, “I’ve got several sons. If they wanted to fix it, they’d do it themselves. Why should we join in with the village and end up at a disadvantage?”  

“Then why don’t you just fix it yourselves?”  

“You think it’s free?” Zhao Er Shen shot her a glare and said sourly, “We’re not like Shuanzhu’s family, taking advantage of the brigade’s resources to go splurge. His parents and older brother’s family haven’t even been to the county’s state-run restaurant before for a meal~”

Zhao Ke said, “In our village, we mostly use straw and yellow mud to coat the roofs, then add some mountain grass on top. It doesn’t cost much—at most, you just have to provide some food for the helpers. Your family has plenty of people, so the food won’t even go into outsiders’ stomachs. Fixing it up is for your own benefit.”  

Zhao Er Shen still showed no intention of repairing the house.  

In truth, their family’s financial situation was already better than some in the village. In the past, when the elders were capable and the sons needed houses for their marriages, the whole family would pitch in and get it done.  

So why weren’t they doing it now? Why wouldn’t they listen?  

Was it because they were lazy? The brigade leader, Zhao Xinshan, managed things strictly, and Zhao Village’s members weren’t as plagued by laziness as people in other places.  

Was it because she lacked authority? That was true—she did.  

It just needed time.  

In the past, Zhao Ke would have been frustrated, feeling like every bothersome matter in the village was just a pointless mess.  

But now, Zhao Ke’s defiant spirit was on full display. She was dead set on butting heads with them—sooner or later, she’d turn the whole place upside down.  

Zhao Ke led Zhuang Lan and Su Limei out of Zhao Er Shen’s house.  

Xiuxiang walked them out, still pressing about the literacy awards.  

Zhao Ke didn’t answer, using the excuse that she had more households to visit and no time to chat. She left Xiuxiang hanging, keeping her appetite whetted.  

Once they were a bit further away, Zhuang Lan asked, “Is there really an award? Director Zhao, you’re not going to pay for it yourself, are you?”  

“Of course not,” Zhao Ke said. She couldn’t afford to, anyway.  

But if there was no award—couldn’t she just create one?  

Later, she’d go to the commune and propose the idea. If they wanted to encourage literacy efforts across the production brigades, why couldn’t there be an award?  

They wanted the donkey to pull the millstone but wouldn’t even feed it properly—how could things work that way?  

With her experience at Zhao Er Shen’s house, Zhao Ke made sure to subtly drop mentions of “enamel mugs and enamel basins” at every household she visited when talking about the literacy class.  

And to be fair, with those prizes dangled in front of them, the women’s interest soared.  

She’d “trick” them into joining first—she’d find a way to keep them later.  

As for mobilizing people to repair houses, by noon, Zhao Ke had convinced two households. She didn’t think that was too few at all—two was already a small success.  

But there was one thing about persuading through the women that Zhao Ke just couldn’t accept—out of ten households, at least eight would say they had to “wait for the head of the house to decide” rather than discussing it with their husbands.  

No matter how aggressive or unreasonable they were outside, their words and tone always carried that mindset.  

Zhao Ke found it utterly ridiculous—if men’s words carried so much weight, then why was it always the women who took the lead in village disputes?  

There were times when women would pull each other’s hair and fight, only for the men to step in afterward, breaking them apart while complaining that they were “too rough.”  

Men never took the blame for the bad, but they always took credit for the good.  

Zhuang Lan and Su Limei were both feeling a bit down, making small movements behind her as they walked—pushing and shoving each other.  

Finally, Zhuang Lan stepped forward and asked, “Director Zhao, are we still visiting in the afternoon?”  

Zhao Ke nodded. “Of course. Are you guys tired?”  

Zhuang Lan quickly shook her head.  

Behind her, however, Su Limei was nodding.  

The contrast was obvious, and Zhao Ke laughed.  

Sensing something off, Zhuang Lan turned around abruptly.  

Halfway through her nod, Su Limei’s eyes darted away, looking a bit guilty. She whined, “But I really am tired~”  

She only used this tone with young men—her way of speaking with Zhuang Lan was never like this.  

Zhuang Lan wasn’t buying it at all. “Su Zhiqing, we must uphold the spirit of enduring hardship and fatigue—”  

Su Limei pouted slightly. “Tired means tired! Why pretend otherwise? You’re so fake~”  

Zhuang Lan: “…”  

She really needed a good smack.  

Zhao Ke couldn’t hold back her laughter. “Alright, it’s normal to be tired. In fact, I have to praise Su Zhiqing—honest and unpretentious, a true comrade.”

Su Limei had rarely received kindness from other women in the past. After coming to the countryside, she first met Zhuang Lan, and now she was being praised by Zhao Ke. She couldn’t help but lift the corner of her eye smugly.  

Zhao Ke then turned to Zhuang Lan and praised, “Comrade Zhuang, you’re so young yet so hardworking and enduring. I really admire comrades like you.”  

She was being acknowledged by someone—something she had never received from her own family.  

Zhuang Lan clenched her fists excitedly. “Th-thank you, Director Zhao.”  

Zhao Ke smiled. “In private, just call me by my name. We’re good comrades, and we can also be friends.”  

Su Limei leaned in. “If we’re friends… can you help me get a bit more benefits?”  

Zhao Ke’s smile vanished instantly. “No way. Even between close friends, accounts must be clear, and things must be done by the rules.”  

Su Limei pouted. “Fine, close friends…”  

Zhao Ke and Zhuang Lan both looked at her, then glanced at each other and burst out laughing.  

Watching the two of them laugh, Su Limei was at first a little unhappy, pursing her lips, but after a while, she couldn’t help but laugh along with them.  

That afternoon, the three of them continued visiting households along the second road.  

This road was considered the main thoroughfare of Zhao Village. The village elementary school, clinic, team committee office, and threshing field were all located along it. At the same time, Zhao Xinshan’s house, Accountant Niu’s house, Zhao Ke’s house, and Fu Zhiqing’s house were also on this road.  

Additionally, Zhao Ke’s grandmother’s vacant house was on the north side of the road.  

So in the end, they had five households to visit on this road.  

They included Lu Wei’s family on the west side in the house repair effort. Encouraging his wife to join the literacy class also went smoothly.  

Next were Zhao Ke’s neighbors.  

Since they lived side by side, they were naturally familiar with each other. The two families across from her didn’t make things difficult when it came to the literacy class. As for repairing their houses, they were both diligent workers and didn’t need any assistance, so Zhao Ke simply didn’t bring it up.  

To the west of Zhao Ke’s house was Aunt Jin’s place. Her house was quite old, and since she lived alone without much care, many parts of it were in disrepair.  

When Zhao Ke and the others arrived, Aunt Jin neither agreed nor refused. She just kept dragging the conversation around in circles.  

The afternoon had gone too smoothly, and now they were stuck here for a while. Even Su Limei was starting to get impatient.  

Zhuang Lan remained serious, still trying to communicate effectively with Aunt Jin.  

Zhao Ke had some free time. Noticing how messy the house was inside and out, and how the yard looked like it hadn’t been swept in ages, she simply stepped out, grabbed a broom, and started sweeping casually.  

Su Limei couldn’t sit still, so she followed her outside and muttered, “What’s with this old lady? Just say yes or no already. Every time we ask, she just pulls a long face and stays silent. So weird!”  

Zhao Ke said, “Just find something to do and pass the time.”  

Su Limei glanced around the yard but didn’t want to touch anything.  

Inside, Aunt Jin had been listening to Zhuang Lan while watching Zhao Ke sweep for quite a while. Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore and scolded, “Zhao girl, what kind of ghostly scribbles are you making? Just look at how you’ve swept my yard!”  

Originally, the yard had a smooth layer of dust covering the ground. But with Zhao Ke’s sweeping, streaks and lines crisscrossed everywhere, making it look even messier and more conspicuous.

Zhao Ke turned around and glanced back. “Isn’t this fine?”  

“Fine, my foot!” Aunt Jin got up, strode over to Zhao Ke, snatched the broom from her hands, and started sweeping forcefully while grumbling in frustration. “This is how you sweep! Do you even know how to do any work properly?”  

Su Limei happened to be standing in a bad spot and suffered for it. A mouthful of dust flew straight at her, making her cough and cover her mouth as she jogged away.  

Following behind Aunt Jin, Zhao Ke suddenly asked, “Aunt Jin, the literacy class isn’t just about learning to read. It’s also a gathering for the women in our village to chat and socialize. It’s quite lively—you should come.”  

Aunt Jin pulled a long face, clearly unwilling. “Too noisy. I don’t like crowds.”  

Doesn’t like crowds? Then why did she go to the midwife training class?  

Doesn’t like crowds? Then why is she always in her yard, keeping an eye on every little thing happening in the neighborhood?  

Doesn’t like crowds? Then why was she just now stalling and chattering with them endlessly?  

Zhao Ke shot a look at Zhuang Lan and Su Limei.  

Zhuang Lan was quick-witted and had caught on as well. She walked over and awkwardly tried to coax her, “Aunt, just go. Otherwise, we’ll come bother you every day.”  

Su Limei, noticing how unnatural Zhuang Lan looked, laughed and shot her a “watch and learn” glance. Then, without hesitation, she grabbed Aunt Jin’s arm and wheedled sweetly, “Come on, come on~”  

Aunt Jin shuddered at the sudden affection and recoiled. “Go away, go away!”  

But she didn’t look the least bit fierce, so Su Limei doubled down. She ignored any distaste for dirt and hugged Aunt Jin tightly, swaying from side to side. “Please go, pleaaase~”  

Zhuang Lan, ever eager to learn, stared at Su Limei for a moment, then mimicked her actions. Blushing, she looped her arm through Aunt Jin’s other one and pleaded coyly, “Aunt~”  

Aunt Jin had always clashed with her own daughter like fire and water. When had she ever been so physically close to young girls like this? She was completely at a loss, flustered beyond belief, and turned to Zhao Ke in distress. “Look at the kind of people you brought! Aren’t you going to control them? Don’t they have any sense of propriety?”  

Being doted on by two young girls at once—how many people could experience such a thing?  

Zhao Ke just stood off to the side, enjoying the show.  

Zhuang Zhiqing and Su Zhiqing were truly good comrades, real team players.  

Aunt Jin was fuming, her face flushed red?  

No problem—it didn’t get in the way of the entertainment.  

Completely tangled up and with no way out, Aunt Jin finally gave in. “Fine, fine! I’ll go, alright?”  

Zhao Ke’s gaze swept up and down her house. “This house has to be repaired.”  

Zhuang Lan and Su Limei, standing on either side, locked eyes on her like wolves eyeing prey. Under their silent pressure, Aunt Jin gritted her teeth. “…Fix it.”  

The corners of Zhao Ke’s lips curled up. Now, wasn’t that settled nicely?