Chapter 111 : Encounter, Conflict

Today marked the first day of work for the newly arrived educated youth.

Since they hadn’t yet experienced the hardships of farm labor, they were unaware of how dirty and exhausting the work in the fields could be.

Everyone was dressed neatly, their clothes pristine and without a single patch. Two of the female educated youth even wore new outfits, appearing eager and fresh.

They marched into the village in a lively group, where their eyes fell on a graceful young woman standing at the village entrance.

One of the young men stared in awe, mumbling to himself, “I never thought there’d be such a stunning beauty in this mountain valley.”

Standing nearby, Su Xieyun clenched her teeth in jealousy as she recognized the familiar figure. Recalling Han Zhenyu’s stern warning from the day before, she refrained from provoking her.

Li Bihua, however, sneered and said to the male educated youth, “Don’t waste your time. She’s already married and now plays the role of a stepmother.”

“What? She doesn’t look that old! How could she already be married?” The male youth was visibly disappointed. He had been considering pursuing her, but he hadn’t expected someone else to get there first.

Then again, he reasoned, a beauty like that would have been claimed long before now. He asked curiously, “How do you know she’s married? Do you know her?”

Li Bihua smirked knowingly and whispered, “She’s the one the older educated youth talked about, the one who threw herself at a man and shed her clothes just to avoid hard labor.”

At this, the group of educated youth turned to look at Su Xieqiu, intrigued. They wanted to see what kind of person would do something so outrageous.

Su Xieqiu had already noticed the group but paid them no attention. She didn’t turn around until she felt their stares lingering on her. Calmly, she glanced at them, her expression unreadable.

From their gazes, she could discern curiosity, disdain, and even mocking amusement. It was clear that the older educated youth and Su Xieyun had been spreading malicious rumors about her.

But Su Xieqiu was unfazed. She mentally made a note to deal with them when the opportunity arose. She wasn’t the kind of person to be easily bullied.

When several of the young men saw her face up close, their admiration only grew. One of them couldn’t help but murmur again, “What a pity, what a pity, what a pity. If I’d come to the countryside earlier, what use would her man have been?”

Before he could continue, Xiang Guoqiang elbowed him sharply and said, “Enough! Do you think it’s appropriate to talk about a comrade like that? Be careful, if her husband hears you, you’ll be in trouble.”

Zhao Yingchao, realizing he had gone too far, awkwardly scratched his nose and turned away, no longer looking at Su Xieqiu.

As for Su Xieyun, she initially passed by Su Xieqiu without incident. But as she walked further, her anger boiled over. Turning back, she let out a disdainful snort.

Su Xieqiu caught her actions immediately. Refusing to back down, she retorted with a smirk, “Are you a pig? Snorting like that when you see someone.”

“You’re the pig! Your mouth stinks, did you forget to brush your teeth before leaving the house?” Su Xieyun shot back, her temper flaring.

Unfazed, Su Xieqiu replied with amusement, “Oh, I didn’t bother brushing my teeth today because I knew I’d run into a pig like you snorting around. No point wasting toothpaste.”

“You’re the pig! And you’re shameless! Do you think it’s something to be proud of, being a stepmother? You’ve disgraced the Su family!” Su Xieyun hissed, her voice dripping with venom.

Hearing this, Su Xieqiu instantly knew the old educated youth had been stirring up trouble. With a glint in her eyes, she decided it was time to expose Su Xieyun’s true colors.

Since the older educated youth weren’t present, she decided to deal with them later.  

Shaking her head in mock helplessness, Su Xieqiu sneered, “Su Xieyun, you really haven’t changed at all. You’re still just as vile as before, making up lies and spreading rumors when things don’t go your way.”  

She turned her gaze toward the small crowd, raising her voice. “Do you know what she said to me? She wanted to live in my house and have my husband support her. How could I possibly agree to that? It’s not something to be proud of. If word got out, imagine the gossip it would stir.”  

The group of educated youth was stunned, their eyes widening in disbelief.  

“What? She wanted her cousin’s husband to support her? Isn’t that too shameless?” one of them muttered, clearly shocked.  

Su Xieyun’s face flushed a deep red. Stamping her feet, she stammered angrily, “Su Xieqiu, stop making up lies! When did I ever say I wanted your man to support me?”  

“You said it the day you arrived, right at my doorstep,” Su Xieqiu shot back without hesitation. “You complained about the poor conditions at the Youth Hostel and said you wanted to live comfortably in my big tiled house. You even said my husband could help you with work in the future. When I heard that, I was furious at your shamelessness, so I kicked you out.”  

She turned her gaze to Li Bihua and added, “You were there that day, weren’t you? Did I say anything that wasn’t true?”  

Li Bihua hesitated for a moment, realizing the stakes. Weighing her options, she quickly nodded in agreement. “Yes, I was there. Su Xieyun did say those things. I was so shocked at the time that I left early.”  

Su Xieyun’s face turned pale with fury. She pointed a trembling finger at Li Bihua but was too angry to form a coherent sentence.  

Meanwhile, Su Xieqiu smirked inwardly, plotting to sow further discord. “Su Xieyun, you’ve been spreading rumors about me at the Youth Hostel. I’ve already heard all about it. But I’ve been too busy lately to address it. Just wait, when I’m done with my work, I’ll come to the hostel myself and deal with you.”  

Hearing this, Su Xieyun instinctively glanced at the other educated youth, trying to figure out who might have betrayed her.  

Noticing this, Su Xieqiu laughed inwardly and added fuel to the fire. “Don’t bother looking at them. The person who told me isn’t here right now.”  

Enraged, Su Xieyun blurted out, “It must have been Miao Lili and Shen Wanxia!”  

Su Xieqiu didn’t respond, her silence intentional.  

This only fueled Su Xieyun’s suspicion. “I knew it! Those two gossipers are no good!”  

Fuming, she declared, “Well, if that’s the case, I won’t hold back either. Miao Lili and Shen Wanxia said you took off your clothes in broad daylight to seduce men to avoid labor. They also said you’re shameless, that you’re a stepmother, and that your husband is fooling around outside. Their words were nasty!”  

Su Xieqiu listened with an air of calm, even nodding. She suppressed her laughter and asked lightly, “Anything else?”  

Caught off guard by her lack of reaction, Su Xieyun shook her head blankly. Something about Su Xieqiu’s demeanor unsettled her. She realized, with unease, that this was not the same woman she used to look down on.  

The educated youth who had been observing the exchange exchanged glances, their impressions of Su Xieqiu shifting. Xiang Guoqiang and Luo Jie, in particular, noted her sharpness.  

“She’s not simple,” Xiang murmured.  

“In just a few sentences, she turned the tables on Su Xieyun, exposed the rumor-mongers, and even managed to set the stage for a reckoning. That’s some skill,” Luo Jie replied, impressed.  

Turning to address the group directly, Su Xieqiu flashed a composed smile. Then, looking at Su Xieyun, she said, “As I said, I’m busy now, but let Miao Lili and Shen Wanxia know, they should wait. I’ll deal with them when the time comes.”  

Her expression suddenly turned icy. “No one who spreads lies about me will escape the consequences.”