When she bullied him as a child, he now tricked her out of a few dollars using her letters, thinking it settled the score.

Jiang Lin took out a few embroidered handkerchiefs and handed them to him. “I heard you’re good at dealing. If you sell these, after deducting costs, we split the money.”

Jiang Xinglei’s eyes lit up. “Really? Sister, you don’t know, there’s money to be made everywhere in the city by dealing on the sly. Too bad I can’t get supplies, or else I…”

Although some people got caught, the profits were too tempting, and not everyone could be caught dealing in ration tickets, cigarettes, glass, metals, industrial vouchers, and more.

“You fool!” Jiang Lin kicked him. “Dealing in small things like this, the market management folks turn a blind eye because it’s manual labor and limited in quantity.”

They headed home for dinner, but at the crossroads, they bumped into Meng Yiyi, who seemed to be waiting just for her.

After a restless night, Meng Yiyi looked worn out but oddly excited.

She stared at Jiang Lin like an enemy, her expression cold. “Jiang Lin, from now on, we’re done. Just you wait!”

Jiang Lin raised an eyebrow. “First, pay back the money.” Meng Yiyi still owed her parents 78 yuan.

Meng Yiyi immediately pulled out a mix of bills from her pocket and produced the repayment note from their collective farming days. “It’s all written down clearly. No more false accusations! You asked me to get money for you back then, and I did. But then you spent it and denied it was for you. I’ve accepted that all these years…”

“You’ve convinced yourself with your own lies, haven’t you?” Jiang Lin scoffed.

Meng Yiyi felt her anger rising uncontrollably. “Jiang Lin, I never thought you’d be so malicious. You actually reported me to the factory office. Do you think you can stop me from going back to the city like this? Let me tell you, I’ve passed the recruitment exam at the auto parts factory, and I’m starting work today!”

She raised her chin proudly. “Don’t you want to know who helped me?”

Jiang Lin rolled her eyes and continued counting the money. “Not interested!”

“Hmph! I thought you couldn’t handle it. Let me tell you, it was Bian Haitao who helped me. He’s doing well now, a cadre in the military district with good connections.” She paused, staring hard at Jiang Lin’s face, hoping to see shock, jealousy, or despair, but she was disappointed.

Jiang Lin smirked. “Bian Haitao? Lasting forever? Please.”

“You! Hmph! You’re just jealous!” Meng Yiyi’s face turned livid with anger, then she sneered. “I know you envy me. I won’t stoop to your level. Do you think Fan Huiyuan could stop me from getting into the factory? Hah, she’s nothing! One call from Bian Haitao at midnight, and she obediently let me go, even apologized. See, I’m going to work openly and honestly now. By the way, I might not have time to transfer my household registration for food supply relations. Could you do it for me later? Thanks.”

Jiang Lin couldn’t stand her smugness. “You’ll probably need me to bring you food in jail someday.” She glanced at the money and flicked her finger. “You’re still short fifteen yuan. Can’t you count?”

Meng Yiyi retorted, “Jiang Xinglei, did you demand fifteen yuan from my dad in the name of your sister? Don’t deny it.”

Jiang Lin replied calmly, “Sorry, no evidence of that. All I see is what’s written here.”

She waved the repayment note from their collective farming days, signed by Meng Yiyi and witnessed by Sun Qinghui and others.

Seeing Jiang Lin’s firm stance, Jiang Xinglei refused to admit his actions.

Meng Yiyi’s face darkened with hatred, gritting her teeth as she reluctantly handed over fifteen yuan to Jiang Lin. “Bian Haitao is more powerful than Cheng Rushan. If he says someone loses their job, they lose it!”

Jiang Lin stared at her like she was crazy. “You talk like you’re Bian Haitao’s mother. Not even worthy to compare to Cheng Rushan, let alone talk about taking off his shoes. Don’t disgust me. I feel like punching you.”

Meng Yiyi, seeing she couldn’t provoke Jiang Lin further, turned pale and quickly ran off.

Last night, Meng Yiyi was taken away by Fan Huiyuan.

Xu Aimei wanted to confront the Meng family about spreading rumors, but Cheng Rushan advised them to stay calm and gather evidence first.

Without proof, the Meng family would deny everything, and they couldn’t be accused.

That’s why someone intervened, and Meng Yiyi was released.

Jiang Lin remembered Cheng Rushan telling her that once the rumors were clarified, no one dared to trouble her anymore.

As for those spreading rumors, he would handle them, so she didn’t need to worry.

“If we catch the rumor-monger, it’s going to stir things up a bit. I’ll bring Dabao and Xiaobao to visit when Mom and Dad get off work tomorrow.”

Jiang Lin didn’t know Cheng Rushan’s exact plan, but she trusted him enough not to interfere.

Turning towards home, Jiang Xinglei couldn’t stop thinking about Meng Yiyi getting into the factory. “Sis, did she really get into the factory? You know how hard it is to get in there. Is Bian Haitao really that influential?”

Jiang Lin gave him a cold stare, which made Jiang Xinglei pause and quickly shut his mouth.

“If you keep up with this snobbish attitude, you can get out of my sight too!”

Jiang Xinglei looked at her in disbelief.

How could she call him snobbish?

Wasn’t she the one who was snobbish?

Didn’t she forget about marrying that scoundrel Lu Hang just to stay in the city?

Jiang Lin continued to threaten her brother, “If you dare to do anything under my name, I’ll break your legs. Try me if you don’t believe me!”

Setting the rules early, she would cut ties with him if he dared to act up again.

Jiang Xinglei immediately surrendered, raising his hands. “Sis, I really won’t, absolutely won’t.”

Jiang Lin: “You used my name to cheat and got 15 yuan. Remember to pay it back.”

Jiang Xinglei looked at her in disbelief, “Sister?”

“No room for discussion, first help me sell handkerchiefs to repay the debt.”

…

Meng Yiyi was extremely angry with Jiang Lin and decided to vent her anger on Fan Huiyuan.

Last night, Fan Huiyuan had captured her, intending to interrogate her about spreading rumors of running away with a lover and slandering others with false accusations.

She naturally refused to admit it.

She admitted to cheating money and promised to repay it, but she would never admit to spreading rumors, as Jiang Lin had no evidence!

Later, her father called Bian Haitao at the neighboring factory, and he immediately helped her deal with Fan Huiyuan.

Not only was she fine, but she also got a job in the factory and became a formal worker.

No one could send her back to the countryside anymore.

Next year, she planned to take the college entrance exam and aimed to get into a university to have a better future.

Ever since Jiang Lin exposed her over two months ago, she had been thinking of ways to get out of her current predicament.

She thought of Lu Hang and Bian Haitao, and eventually decided to start with Bian Haitao.

Lu Hang was just the son of a textile factory director.

When the political movement ended next year, investigations would start on officials in agencies and factories, and those who rose through movements would be sidelined.

Later, Lu Hang found a girl who looked a bit like Jiang Lin but was accused of being a hooligan, sentenced to eight years, and executed during a severe crackdown.

If she helped him, he could avoid death, but he liked pretty girls, especially those like Jiang Lin, which she hated!

So she decided to choose Bian Haitao.

Bian Haitao was smart and shameless.

He got into the military by marrying the daughter of a high school director, but then climbed up step by step on his own.

In a couple of years, he would dump the high school director’s daughter to marry the daughter of a military director, continuing to climb higher until he made a big mistake.

If she gave him some guidance, he could climb even higher and avoid pitfalls.

She wrote a letter to Bian Haitao, pointing out his current doubts and difficulties, as well as ways to improve.

Sure enough, Bian Haitao calmly wrote a letter to Jin Lei, asking how she knew all this.

Of course, she wouldn’t directly tell him that she had lived another life, thanks to her good sister Jiang Lin from her previous life, and knew everything about his life.

She only told him to believe that she would always help him, making his life smooth in the future.

Of course, he also needed to help her. With a military officer as her backing, her future would truly change.

She was so pleased that her steps were a bit unsteady.

After enjoying the sight of Fan Huiyuan’s furious and regretful expression, she hummed a tune and went to the factory office to report in.

She was an intern secretary in the office. After some training, she could handle publicity and paperwork, which would help her review her lessons and prepare for next year’s college entrance exam.

After wandering around enough, she returned to the office around ten o’clock, poured herself a big mug of hot water, grabbed a handful of the factory’s tea leaves, and savored the taste of top-quality Longjing tea—something she had drunk in her previous life with Cheng Rushan.

Just as she was feeling proud and daydreaming about the future, she saw Fan Huiyuan leading two police officers in uniforms, marching over.

The police officers wore white shirts and blue pants with bright red five-pointed star collar badges.

When they arrived, the officers showed their IDs, “Meng Yiyi, Cheng Rushan has reported that you maliciously defamed Jiang Lin, incited others to commit hooliganism, and damaged their marriage and family relationship. We have reliable evidence and will take you to the police station for questioning!”

Clang.

Meng Yiyi’s big mug fell to the ground.