Chapter 22

Glancing at the low ceiling that he could touch just by raising his head, then at the crowded kang (a heated brick bed), Fu Tingchuan sighed helplessly—things really were inconvenient before marriage. The room was just too small. How had the political instructor supervised this?

Poor Wang Dahu had clearly reported this situation to him, but still ended up being blamed for this unexpected mess.

Once Fu Tingchuan left, Su Nian quickly locked the door and hurried to sort out all the items that weren’t urgently needed, storing them away in her space.

“Since Su Daqiang went all out, I should show some appreciation too.”

Didn’t Sister Yang say the locals had plenty of specialty products at home? She could trade for some and send them back to Su Daqiang. It wouldn’t cost her much and might even bring greater returns. It was a good deal!

That evening, Sister Yang sent her husband, Xiao Jindi, to deliver some pickled vegetables and fresh tomatoes.

“Comrade Su, my wife said to bring these over for you.”

It was Xiao Jindi’s first time meeting Su Nian, and he was a bit nervous—he’d heard the political instructor say she was the future wife of the regiment commander!

Su Nian smiled and handed him a bag of malted milk powder and two cotton ticket vouchers.

“Captain Xiao, thank you for making the trip. These are for Sister Yang, please take them. Oh right, I wanted to ask—if I want to trade for some local specialty items, how do I go about it?”

“Mid-month, there’s a marketplace at the foot of the mountain—it’s organized for people to barter goods.”

Xiao Jindi didn’t understand—why were city folks so interested in their cheap, local stuff? Meanwhile, rural people were desperate to exchange for city goods.

Just as Su Nian was holding out her items, Fu Mingjun pulled five yuan from his pocket.

“Su Nian, I’ll buy those things from you.”

Xiao Jindi’s eyes widened. “Comrade Fu, are you serious? I don’t know what the rules are in your Hangzhou area, but here in Heilongjiang, private buying and selling is forbidden!”

He was short on money, yes—but this wasn’t the way to earn it.

“No deal!”

“Why not?” Fu Mingjun was confused. Wasn’t Su Nian all about money? Didn’t she blackmail his parents after breaking off the engagement?

Su Nian looked at him coldly. “Just that little money? You think I need it?”

Five yuan wasn’t enough? Fu Mingjun was fuming. So what if Su Nian had become prettier—she was still just as unlikeable. If not for her, he wouldn’t be stuck in this godforsaken place.

Su Nian took out twenty ten-yuan bills and flicked them dramatically.

Fu Mingjun’s face turned even darker—this was the money his parents had given her as compensation!

Seeing Fu Mingjun clench his fists, Su Yue quickly stepped in and tugged his sleeve.

“Mingjun, you don’t have to go this far for me. I can go without. She’s just showing off because she suddenly has money. Don’t be angry.”

With red-rimmed eyes and such ambiguous words, Su Yue only fueled the fire burning in Fu Mingjun.

“Oh, I’m showing off? This money was compensation from Fu Mingjun’s parents—because of you two scumbags climbing into bed without even being engaged.”

“This is what I deserve. Blood money. And I plan to spend every cent of it!”

Su Yue hadn’t expected Su Nian to say something so ruthless in front of so many people. It would hurt her own reputation too—how dare she?

“And stop calling me ‘sister.’ I don’t have a sister like you. Your mother is—”

“Comrade Su!” Su Yue quickly cut her off, fearing she’d say her mother was a homewrecker. Even though her mom had legally married Su Daqiang, the whole close-relative-marriage situation was shameful. It was best if outsiders didn’t know.

“Su Nian, you can’t just say whatever comes to mind because you’re angry. People will talk behind your back.”

“Oh? I’m making stuff up? Want me to—”

Su Yue backed down. She shouldn’t have expected Su Nian to let her off. This woman now dared to say and do anything.

Fu Mingjun pulled Su Yue into his arms.

“Don’t worry, Yueyue. As your husband, I’ll protect you. She’s just using Su Daqiang to bully you. My father is still a professor at a research institute—we’re not afraid of her.”

To him, Su Nian had become a venomous beauty—proving everything Su Yue ever said about her was true.

He conveniently forgot how he and Su Yue had been fighting like cats and dogs just days earlier.

Meanwhile, Xiao Jindi had long slipped away. A battlefield of drama like this wasn’t something a regular guy could handle.

Su Nian actually found it all entertaining. If the scumbag couple got divorced too quickly, it would be no fun. She planned to stir the pot just enough to keep their relationship intact—at least until Han Zheng showed up.

“At least keep an eye on each other. My emotions have been unstable lately. I sometimes get the urge to hit someone, so don’t let me catch you at the wrong time.”

With that warning, Su Nian hummed a tune and went back to enjoy her extra meal.

Late that night, when everything was quiet, Xu Zhaodi felt her bunkmate sneaking out. She opened her eyes briefly, then shut them again.

You can’t stop a soul that’s determined to walk into hell—no point in meddling, especially after Qiao Qiqi cursed her a few times.

Qiao Qiqi had gone to visit Tian Li. Due to their work proximity, their relationship had heated up fast. She was sure he could give her a better life.

Little did she know—he was a total disaster.

Tian Li had a smooth tongue and knew how to coax women. He spent just a few dozen yuan and Qiao Qiqi was already offering herself. For him, it was already a splurge.

“Tian Li, we’ve come this far—when will you take me to meet your family?”

Qiao Qiqi purred sweetly.

“Qiqi, I told you, the regiment has strict rules—especially for someone in a leadership role like me. We’re only allowed to return home every three months. You just got here. Be patient, okay?”

Qiqi still felt uneasy.

“But I’ve seen Brother Tingchuan leave often. Doesn’t he have the same rules?”

Tian Li feigned anger. “Still calling him Brother Tingchuan? Do you still like him? I know I’m just an average-looking man with a low rank—not good enough for your heart. Maybe we should just… end this.”

How could Qiqi end it now?

“No, no, Brother Tian Li, don’t be mad! I won’t call him that anymore. He’s just a neighborly big brother. You’re the only one I love. You know that—look at what we’ve done… I can’t walk away from this.”

Tian Li saw her focus shift and once again initiated another “battle.”

Not until the sky began to lighten did he finally let her leave.