Su Rui had no idea that Su Hongpei had made a blunder.

She first went up the mountain for her daily militia patrol. After making her rounds, she stopped at the patrol hut halfway up the hill and secretly pulled out a hidden egg. Lighting a fire, she boiled the egg for herself.

She had given yesterday’s egg to her eldest sister, so today she would enjoy it herself.

And where did the egg come from?

Well, the two old hens actually laid two eggs a day. As long as she made sure to be the first one up, she could pocket the first egg before anyone else noticed.

Hehe.

Back in the cornfield, Su Rui noticed people whispering among themselves as they worked.

She was vain and afraid of getting tanned, so she wore a pink triangular scarf around her head, revealing only her bright almond eyes. On top of that, she wore a straw hat for extra protection.

“What are you all talking about?” she asked, holding onto her hat as she squeezed into the group.

“This morning, Sister Zhao and Guo Qingwang almost got into an argument. They’re demanding higher work points. If the work points don’t go up, they want to start a labor competition early so the women can prove themselves.”

Su Rui quickly pulled down the triangular scarf covering her mouth and nose and asked, “So, are we competing or not?”

“Of course! Can’t you see they’re already picking people?”

“Chen Xianglan and Wanzi’s mother have been called over. They said it’s a ‘one-stop competition’!”

“A one-stop competition? What’s that?”

Others might not know, but Su Rui did.

It was a phrase she came up with—starting from breaking the corncobs off the stalks and ending with stripping the kernels.

“I’m going over to take a look.” Su Rui dropped her sack and ran towards the field ridge, pulling a metal tool with small ridges from her pocket as she ran.

This was a corncob sheller, made for her last year by a blacksmith she had helped. With this tool, she didn’t need to pry off kernels one by one with her fingers like before. She could simply insert the dried corncob, grip the sheller tightly, and twist it a few times to strip all the kernels at once.

The reason she dared to come up with the idea of a labor competition was because she had this secret weapon in hand.

She caught up with Chen Xianglan, handed her the corncob sheller, and whispered a few instructions in her ear.

“You’re finally down from the mountain? We’ve been waiting for you.” Director Zhao spoke directly to Su Rui, “You know about the competition, right? It will take place in the field under your charge, and you’ll be in charge of timing.”

“Got it. I’ll go get the gong,” Su Rui responded briskly.

“Wait a moment.” Director Zhao stopped her and asked, “Do you have anything you want to say to everyone?”

Su Rui was quick-witted and full of ideas, so this time, they made an exception—letting the acting team leader speak at such an important moment.

After thinking for a moment, Su Rui said, “I believe in the strength of our three sisters! Remember, even if you fall behind, don’t give up! There’s always a chance to turn things around until the very last moment. I’ll be leading the women in cheering for you!”

She also planned to record the competition and submit it to the Women’s Daily newspaper. If she could spread the word and attract the attention of the higher-ups, that would be even better. Sooner or later, Old Fox Guo’s days of controlling everything would come to an end.

This was her ultimate move!

Director Zhao wasn’t aware of Su Rui’s scheming but nodded seriously and said, “Just do your best. Don’t overthink it.”

Su Rui had no intention of overthinking. After saying a few more words, she grabbed the gong and headed to her assigned field.

The corn in her field was growing well, all thanks to her little farmer, Su, who had tirelessly guarded the crops day and night—catching pests, scaring away sparrows, and trapping mice. Even the corn stalks here were a palm’s length taller than those in other fields.

Not long after she arrived, a large crowd of villagers gathered around, forming tight circles.

Ten minutes later, Guo Qingwang wrapped up a meeting with three men from Qingnan Village and strode over confidently.

Two of these men were the brigade’s “model workers,” while the third was tall and burly—big enough to make Chen Xianglan look half his size.

Su Rui walked through the field, beating the gong loudly, drawing even more spectators.

Seeing that the crowd was large enough, Guo Qingwang stood in the center of the field with his hands behind his back and began to speak.

Su Rui, deliberately or not, banged on the gong again and again, making an awful racket. Guo Qingwang had to shout at the top of his lungs, his voice going hoarse. In the end, he waved his hand and said, “Alright, alright! The competition will have three stages, each lasting fifteen minutes. Whoever gets the most work done wins.”

Su Rui nudged Yan’er, who immediately stepped forward and asked, “What’s the prize for winning?”

Guo Qingwang laughed it off, saying, “Let’s see if you women can win first.”

Su Rui nudged Yan’er again.

Yan’er insisted, “No way! If we don’t know the prize, we won’t have any motivation to compete!”

Su Rui quickly added, “Exactly! What kind of competition doesn’t announce the prize beforehand? Don’t you all agree?”

“Yeah! He won’t even say what we’re competing in, and now he won’t tell us the reward either? What a waste of time!”

“That Guo guy just loves keeping secrets. Looks like he’s too stingy to give out a prize!”

The women of Xiaoba Village were sharp-tongued, chattering away. Director Zhao deliberately held back, wanting Guo Qingwang to say it himself so he wouldn’t go back on his word later.

Guo Qingwang had indeed planned to keep quiet about the reward. He wanted to leave room for negotiation and avoid committing to increasing their work points.

But who knew someone among them would bring it up? And of course, it was Su Rui’s doing again!

Wanzi’s mother, standing in the crowd, rubbed her hands together and said, “I heard that the prize is more work points for us women!”

The women of Xiaoba Village, who hadn’t heard this news, immediately erupted.

“I can vouch for that!” Seeing that Guo Qingwang still wasn’t speaking, Su Rui raised her hand and waved to draw everyone’s attention.

Clearing her throat, she announced, “The village head said that if we win, we’ll get ten work points! And I trust that once we win, Uncle Guo will keep his word. Right, Uncle Guo?”

Guo Qingwang was furious, but with so many women watching—from the field, the ridges, even perched on tree branches—he had no choice but to admit it. “Yes, yes, I’m a man of my word. I won’t go back on it.”

One of the young men from Qingnan Village scoffed, “Why are we wasting time with all this nonsense? Win first, then talk. If we waste time working, you women won’t be able to take responsibility for it!”

Chen Xianglan spat on the ground. “When we women were working, you were still suckling at your mother’s breast! Have some gratitude. You’re grown now, but have you already forgotten the milk that fed you?”

Crude as her words were, they weren’t wrong.

Su Rui covered her mouth, laughing along with the other women. The young man’s face turned bright red, clearly embarrassed.

Guo Qingwang pointed at the women of Xiaoba Village and snapped, “Can you lot say anything that isn’t vulgar?”

Wanzi’s mother, like the other women of Xiaoba Village, only respected Director Zhao—not Guo Qingwang. She slapped his arm away and said angrily, “Quit pointing fingers! If we’re competing, let’s get on with it.”

Guo Qingwang brushed the dust off his sleeve in frustration and told the men from Qingnan Village, “Show these old hags what we’re made of. Let them lose fair and square, so they’ll finally respect the brigade’s authority.”

A lot of Qingnan Village men had gathered at the scene. They’d rather slack off here than actually work. If there was one thing they excelled at, it was loafing around.

The competitors they sent out were indeed the better workers among them, but compared to the women of Xiaoba Village? No contest.

These women didn’t just ignore their own limits—they refused to acknowledge them at all.

While the men carried sacks of corn back and forth, the women strapped the sacks around their waists and dragged them forward using sheer core strength. Their eyes held the same doubt: Are these men weak, or are their brains just slow?

When they lifted two sacks of grain, thinking they had victory in the bag, the older women grinned at them, flexed their well-developed biceps, then effortlessly hoisted three sacks onto their shoulders and strode away with ease.

While the men sat on the field ridge, panting heavily and tugging at their collars for air, the older women listened to the cheers of encouragement and teasingly asked if they wanted to marry into their village and enjoy an easy life.

…

After three rounds of competition, the men of Qingnan Village were left dumbfounded. Chen Xianglan, Liu Zhu, and Liu Minxi from Xiaoba Village dominated every match, securing three consecutive victories and delivering a resounding slap to the faces of the men from Qingnan Village.

Not only were the men drenched in sweat from physical exhaustion, but their pride was also bleeding.

When the competition ended, all the men fell silent.

Only Guo Qingwang jumped up and cursed, “Slacking off all the time, and now you’re trying to cheat in the competition too?! Calling yourselves men, yet you’re not even as good as the women. Let’s see how you hold your heads up after this!”

Su Rui muttered under her breath, “Serves them right for always being lazy and avoiding work.”

As Su Hongpei would say, strength comes from labor—the more you work, the stronger you get; the more you slack off, the weaker you become. Today, that truth was proven beyond doubt.

After Guo Qingwang finished berating them, he begrudgingly changed the women’s work points in the ledger from “six” to “ten.” At that moment, it felt as if Xiaoba Village had been liberated once again.

Su Rui, who had played a crucial role in making this happen, smiled sweetly as she watched the excitement on everyone’s faces. Suddenly, she felt a pat on her back. Turning around, she saw Director Zhao looking at her with satisfaction.

Director Zhao sighed, “I want to thank you on behalf of everyone. If it weren’t for your idea to introduce this competition, things wouldn’t have been resolved so quickly.”

Su Rui caught the underlying meaning in her words. She linked arms with Director Zhao and pulled her aside, whispering, “Did you have another plan in mind?” This wasn’t in the book—if she had known, she wouldn’t have put in so much effort.

Director Zhao also lowered her voice, saying, “Last month, I sent a report to the commune. He favors men over women and steals the women’s work points. If he doesn’t give a proper explanation, he’ll be removed from his position as village head”

So that was the real reason! In the book, Guo Qingwang’s downfall wasn’t sudden—it was because Director Zhao had reported him!

Su Rui felt even more delighted.

Director Zhao truly had a well-thought-out plan. Her approach was much better than Su Rui’s idea of exposing him in the Women’s Newspaper. The three villages were now closely tied together; their reputation was shared. It was better to handle matters privately than to air their dirty laundry in public.

Guo Qingwang, full of resentment, took the men of Qingnan Village elsewhere to work, unwilling to witness the women’s moment of triumph.

Su Rui, on the other hand, found their absence to be a relief.

She hummed the lively tune of “The Prairie Female Militia.” As soon as she started, Director Zhao interrupted her, saying, “Go sing in the middle so everyone can hear!”

Yan’er squeezed through the crowd, winking at Su Rui. “I helped a lot today, didn’t I? Come on, perform for me!”

“No problem!”

Su Rui wasn’t shy. She walked to the center of the crowd, stepped onto a wooden post, clapped her hands, and boldly announced, “Aunties, keep the beat for me!”

Since Chen Xianglan and the others had won the competition, they were hailed as heroes. The villagers gathered around them, presenting them with flowers. Though the village didn’t have much, there were plenty of wildflowers, bright and beautiful.

As part of their reward, Director Zhao even exempted them from labor for the rest of the day, leaving them grinning from ear to ear.

Chen Xianglan’s husband brought her a water flask and, feeling proud, said, “Warm water with a bit of sugar. Drink more.”

Chen Xianglan drank the sweet water heartily, then clapped her hands and called out, “Comrade Xiao Su, hurry and sing! You’re our songstress!”

A mouthful of sugar water sure made the words sweeter.

Su Rui, like a crisp little oriole, began singing:

“Standing on the prairie, gazing toward Beijing, in my heart rises an unsetting red sun…”

…

“Chairman’s thoughts arm our minds, the prairie female militia are bold, strong, and fearless… With heroic spirit, rifles in hand, we gallop forward, our battle songs shaking the world!”

Her voice was bright and sweet, and she even incorporated the era’s signature gestures into her singing. Her graceful figure and radiant face, bathed in the golden sunlight, created a breathtaking scene.

After finishing “The Prairie Female Militia,“ she followed up with “The Spring Water Ding-Dong Rings.” The cheerful melody made her already pleasant voice sound even more delightful.

When she finished singing, she gracefully bowed amid the women’s enthusiastic applause before hopping down from the wooden post.

Su Hongpei, standing in the crowd, clapped for her little sister, then nudged Su Chang’e with his elbow.

“I heard it was our little sister’s idea to organize this competition!”

“Oh.”

Su Chang’e had just returned from their grandmother’s house. Seeing Su Rui standing in the crowd, admired by everyone, she remained expressionless. Only after being nudged did she reluctantly raise her hands and give a few stiff claps.

After a short break, everyone was about to resume work when the sound of a loudspeaker suddenly echoed from the dirt road.

Although Xiaoba Village wasn’t far from the county, it rarely saw vehicles. Beyond the village lay reforested hills with no developed roads, making it difficult for cars to pass through.

Su Rui tiptoed curiously and called out, “Come back here, don’t let the car run over you!”

Wanzi and a group of young boys immediately stopped chasing after the military truck, watching as it drove past.

The older women also looked on in confusion. When did the village’s little dirt road connect to the military?

Su Chang’e, who had already heard some news, generously shared what she knew. “I heard the army is coming to the mountains for a construction project.”

Someone asked, “What could they possibly build in our mountains?”

Apart from the trees that Director Zhao had insisted on reforesting, there weren’t any valuable resources. Back when they were planting trees, the men from Qingnan Village had mocked them relentlessly.

“They better not cut down our trees.” Su Rui, who patrolled the mountains every day, was especially fond of the lush greenery. Compared to the barren wastelands of Qingnan Village, their forested hills were a world apart.

“Don’t spread rumors. They’re not touching our land.” Director Zhao stepped forward to explain, “Two years ago, plans were made for a military team to rebuild our reservoir. Last month, I received notice from the commune to cooperate with the army’s work. Once the military leaders arrive, I’ll hold a meeting to inform you all.”

Su Rui was taken aback. As a side character, she hadn’t been involved in the main storyline—so this meant the male lead’s arrival was just around the corner.

As they spoke, a series of large, imposing military trucks passed by in the distance, loaded with soldiers in identical green uniforms.

The children jumped excitedly in place, waving at the heroic People’s Liberation Army soldiers.

The women paused their work, gazing at the soldiers with admiration.

Even the men working in the fields of Qingnan Village stood on tiptoe, peering into the truck beds.

Who hadn’t dreamed of being a soldier in their youth?

Who, deep down, didn’t hold gratitude for the People’s Liberation Army?

Behind Su Rui, Su Chang’e clenched her fist excitedly in her pocket. She knew that her future husband must be among these men.

Then, she cast a sinister glance at Su Rui. The labor reform prisoners who had followed the construction corps to reclaim the land would be arriving soon.