Chapter 24: Qin Fang, the Nuisance to All

When Tao Hua woke up, two hours had already passed.

She opened her eyes and looked down at the small yellow blanket draped over her, smelling the familiar fragrance of her older sister’s scent, and felt completely content.

“Sis, what are you reading? I can’t understand any of it!” Little Tao Hua leaned over and peered at the book in Nan Qiao’s hands.

“You’re awake, little Tao Hua. Have some water first.” Nan Qiao handed her a cup of warm honey water before replying, “It’s a German novel called Affinity.”

“So those are German words?” Tao Hua asked in amazement as she sipped the sweet drink.

“That’s right.”

“Wow, you’re amazing, sis!”

“Little Tao Hua, can you keep a secret for me? Don’t tell anyone that I have this book, okay?”

“Okay! I won’t tell anyone—not even Mom. I promise!”

“Good girl.” Nan Qiao patted her on the head in praise.

Tao Hua blushed and lowered her head shyly, smiling brightly from being praised.

Nan Qiao continued reading, while Tao Hua nursed her drink and kept sneaking peeks at the book in her sister’s hands.

“Sis, can I learn this country’s writing too?” Tao Hua asked eagerly.

Nan Qiao put away the book and looked at her. “You want to learn?”

“I do! I think it’s so cool that you can read words from another country. Those squiggly lines and circles look really hard to understand.”

Nan Qiao couldn’t help but chuckle at her description.

If she wanted to learn, Nan Qiao could teach her. After all, the college entrance exams would resume in a few years. Knowing another language could be a big advantage for Tao Hua if she ever wanted to leave the village and see more of the world.

But as for the villagers, Nan Qiao was still a little wary. Even though many people sent to the countryside were now gradually getting their status restored and returning to the city, villagers weren’t necessarily keeping up with the latest central policies. Most still viewed foreign languages and novels as symbols of capitalism. Some might even go as far as to accuse her of being a spy.

Nan Qiao had the advantage of her space dimension—she could stash everything away and no one would find it. But if Tao Hua practiced at home and someone saw, that would be a big problem.

“If you really want to learn, I can teach you. But you’ll need to promise me one thing, alright?”

“Really? What is it? Tell me—I’ll definitely do it!”

“If I teach you, you can’t tell anyone. You also can’t practice at home. You can only study it here with me. Not even Mom, Dad, or your brothers can know. People in the village don’t understand this stuff. If they find out, they might think we’re bad people and take us away.”

“Whoa, it’s that serious? Then how about I bring a math or Chinese book when you’re not busy, and we can use that as a cover to study this?”

“Of course you can. It’s settled then. After dinner each day, you come here to learn, okay?”

“Okay! I promise I’ll behave.”

And so, from then on, every few days after dinner, Tao Hua would go to Nan Qiao’s place to study. This left Sheng Yanchuan quite bitter—he had no chance to spend time with his beloved little wife…

While Nan Qiao and Tao Hua were laughing and chatting, things weren’t nearly as cheerful over in the fields where Su Mu and Dong Jiayan were sowing crops.

“Su Mu, you like Nan Qiao, don’t you?” Dong Jiayan finally couldn’t hold back and asked during a break.

She hadn’t seen Su Mu that afternoon, so she asked around the male educated youths. One of them said he saw Su Mu carrying pastries around noon, and Dong Jiayan’s heart instantly tightened. She’d already learned in the morning that Nan Qiao had taken leave due to a sprained ankle.

So if Su Mu was carrying pastries around noon… even a fool could guess where he went. Naturally, she felt more uneasy.

Now seeing Su Mu resting alone, she rushed over to confront him.

Su Mu, already frustrated about what had happened at noon, was further irritated by her question.

He stood up abruptly, his face extremely unpleasant. “Who I like or don’t like has nothing to do with you.”

“What’s so good about her? I’ve stayed by your side for so many years, and all I get from you is ‘It’s none of your business’?” Dong Jiayan’s eyes turned red instantly from his shout.

Looking at her like this, Su Mu sighed and softened his tone. “I’ve always seen you as a childhood friend from the same alley. Please don’t say things like this again.”

With that, he turned to leave.

“Comrade Su, aren’t you being a bit too heartless? Even if you don’t like Jiayan, you don’t have to treat her like this.” Qin Fang stepped forward to block him, speaking up.

Seeing Qin Fang get involved, Wang Yuman instantly knew things were about to go wrong. She hurried over to try and pull her back—but it was too late. Qin Fang’s mouth was too fast…

Wang Yuman sighed heavily and withdrew her hand, her gaze toward Dong Jiayan filled with pity.

Looks like this thing is over, Wang Yuman thought silently.

“What do you want me to do—pretend to like her?” Su Mu was already upset by Dong Jiayan’s questioning. Now even someone like Qin Fang was joining in?

“Can’t you like her? Why pretend?” Qin Fang pressed.

Su Mu nearly laughed out loud in anger. What do you mean ‘can’t you like her’? Do you think liking someone is something that can be forced?

He instantly felt arguing with her was just plain idiotic.

So he turned to Dong Jiayan and said, “I don’t like you. I never did, and I never will. I hope you keep your friends in check and stop spreading these ridiculous things. As for those engagement rumors from the past—just let them go. I don’t want to hear anything about a relationship between us ever again.”

Maybe it was the blow from Nan Qiao at noon, but right now, Su Mu was unexpectedly decisive. If Nan Qiao were to hear about this, she might even give him a thumbs-up—then add a sarcastic, “Why didn’t you do this sooner?”

Qin Fang and Wang Yuman were both stunned by his words and didn’t know how to respond.

After Su Mu left, the two of them stayed behind to comfort Dong Jiayan.

But Dong Jiayan didn’t say a word. She quietly returned to her task and kept working. Even after the end-of-day bell rang, as everyone returned their tools and walked back, Qin Fang still hadn’t stopped talking in her ear.

She ranted about how cold and heartless Su Mu was, how useless Nan Qiao was, how Su Mu was blind to like someone like her, and how Nan Qiao was just a flirty tramp seducing everyone she saw.

Wang Yuman tugged at Qin Fang and whispered, “Say a few less words.”

“Why are you pulling me? Which part of what I said was wrong?”

Dong Jiayan suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned around, glaring fiercely at Qin Fang with reddened eyes.

Every word Qin Fang spoke stabbed right into Dong Jiayan’s heart. No, none of it was right.

She would rather believe that Su Mu liked Nan Qiao because she was excellent, not because she had seduced him.

At the end of the day, Dong Jiayan truly liked Su Mu. Even if she didn’t get along with Nan Qiao, she didn’t want to slander her and let her beloved Su Mu get implicated.

“You think you’re so clever, able to see through people, and that everyone else is a fool, is that it?” Dong Jiayan snapped at Qin Fang with a vicious glare.

If she had just cried a little and played the weak card, Su Mu might have softened. But this idiot had to jump in with her accusations, causing Su Mu to firmly declare that he didn’t like her. Just thinking of those words—“I don’t like you”—made Dong Jiayan feel like her heart was being crushed by an invisible hand.

She had a chance. As long as Su Mu didn’t clearly reject her, she still had a chance to stay by his side. She believed that one day she could move his heart. But now… it was all this idiot’s fault. All her fault!

With that thought, Dong Jiayan’s gaze toward Qin Fang turned even more venomous.

Qin Fang, unnerved by Dong Jiayan’s look, no longer felt so confident and muttered guiltily, “Jiayan, I was just doing it for you… why are you lashing out at me…?”

“For me? You were doing it for me by using your stupidity to ruin everything? If your brain doesn’t work, then stop trying to act clever. Or are you afraid people won’t realize you’re as dumb as a pig? No, pigs are at least edible. What can you do?”

Dong Jiayan spat those words out, choking back her tears, then let out a cold laugh and stormed off.

“She—she went too far! We’re friends—how can she talk to me like that!” Qin Fang raged to Wang Yuman after Dong Jiayan left.

Wang Yuman had long had enough of Qin Fang’s repeated stupidity. She didn’t even want to respond now. She gave her a look and silently went after Dong Jiayan, walking with her in the direction of home.

Qin Fang stood there alone, fuming, not understanding what she had done wrong.

After catching up to Dong Jiayan, Wang Yuman said nothing and simply stayed by her side.

“Yuman, do you think I’m really not as good as Nan Qiao?” Dong Jiayan asked softly.

“Of course not. Everyone just has different types they like.”

“So Su Mu likes someone like Nan Qiao, not someone like me?”

“I don’t think you’re entirely out of chances. Su Mu isn’t with Nan Qiao right now, is he? Did you see his mood this afternoon? He looked really upset—probably got shut down hard by Nan Qiao.” Wang Yuman analyzed calmly.

“Really?” Dong Jiayan could only think of Su Mu’s words—“I don’t like you.” Everything else escaped her mind.

“I think Nan Qiao’s changed a lot. She doesn’t seem to like Su Mu anymore, and she doesn’t cling to us like she used to. The old Nan Qiao would’ve made a scene by now. And have you noticed? She hasn’t approached Su Mu once lately.” Wang Yuman continued rationally.

“That’s true, she doesn’t go to Su Mu anymore… but now he goes to her.” Dong Jiayan said, feeling defeated.

“Jiayan, I don’t want to see you hurt yourself chasing after Su Mu. But if you truly like him, then why not try again? If it still doesn’t work out, at least you won’t regret it later.” Wang Yuman advised gently. She was closer to Dong Jiayan than Qin Fang. Though Jiayan could be a bit manipulative at times, they had grown up together. She didn’t want to see her like this.

“But I don’t even know what to do now. That idiot Qin Fang ruined everything—what reason do I have to stay near Su Mu anymore?”

“Just because you can’t be lovers now doesn’t mean you can’t in the future. We’re all educated youths from Shanghai assigned here—being a caring ‘brother and sister’ is reasonable enough, isn’t it?” Wang Yuman said with a hint of suggestion.

The words seemed to wake something in Dong Jiayan. She wiped her tears, eyes lighting up with a glimmer of hope. She looked at Wang Yuman seriously and said, “Yuman, thank you.”

“We’re friends. No need to be so polite.”

Dong Jiayan gave a faint smile and, after a pause, added sincerely, “Yuman, I think we should stop hanging around Qin Fang so much. It’s only been a few days since we came to the countryside, and look at the messes she’s already caused. I’m worried she’ll drag us down one day.”

Wang Yuman merely responded with a soft “mm,” but inwardly thought, Wasn’t it you who wanted a pawn to do your dirty work? Otherwise, why befriend such a brainless person in the first place?

She wasn’t some pure-hearted little fool. Sure, her family background wasn’t bad, and sticking with Dong Jiayan and Nan Qiao gave her some advantages, which she didn’t mind enjoying.

But even so, she wouldn’t take advantage while also bad-mouthing someone behind their back like Qin Fang. Even if she benefited from Nan Qiao and Dong Jiayan, she still looked down on someone like Qin Fang who insulted others from the shadows.

Now that Dong Jiayan said this, Wang Yuman was happy to go along with it. After all, if Jiayan only had her around from now on, she’d be the first one to benefit. Why not? As she followed beside Jiayan, her lips curved into a subtle smile, clearly in a good mood.

Meanwhile, Qin Fang had returned to the educated youths’ dormitory, still muttering curses under her breath, annoyed at everyone she saw.

She even ignored people greeting her.

Instead, she stormed into the kitchen and shouted at the people cooking, “I’m not eating dinner tonight—don’t any of you dare steal my grain ration!”

“Who are you calling a thief?” a girl already irritated by the heat jumped up, ready to charge at her, only to be stopped by a gentle, graceful-looking female educated youth.

“You’d better not eat with us from now on. That way, we can all have peace of mind,” the graceful girl said coldly.

Qin Fang didn’t retort this time. She just gave a cold snort and returned to the dormitory.

“Wenwen-jie, did you see that?” The fiery-tempered girl stomped her foot in frustration.

“Don’t waste your energy on her, Xiao Ke. People like her will get what’s coming to them,” Wenwen comforted the girl.

Xiao Ke sighed and squatted back down to keep cooking.

Qin Fang returned to the dorm and, after a day’s work, didn’t even wash before climbing into bed. She not only went straight to sleep, but even brought food onto the kang bed to eat. Crumbs from pastries fell everywhere, and she didn’t care at all.

That night, after everyone had eaten and washed up, they each returned to their rooms to rest.

Qin Fang was already fast asleep.

Everyone else was still outside washing up. Only Xiao Ke had returned to the inner room first. It was hot and stuffy in the summer, and with so many people sharing a space, the air was already unpleasant. Qin Fang, refusing to wash and tossing her socks and shoes—reeking of sweat—everywhere, made it unbearable.

As soon as Xiao Ke walked in, the stench nearly knocked her back out. She immediately stormed out of the room and marched straight to the well to fetch a basin of ice-cold water.

Wenwen saw her charging out and asked, “Xiao Ke, what’s wrong?”

But Zhao Keke couldn’t be bothered to respond. She carried the basin of water and stormed back into the room.

Wenwen sighed inwardly, sensing something was about to go wrong, and quickly followed behind. But before she even reached the doorway, she heard Qin Fang’s scream.

“Ah!! Zhao Keke, are you f***ing crazy?!”

“So what if I’m crazy? If I have to share a room with you any longer, I’ll go insane! Just wait and see if I don’t chop you up next time!” Zhao Keke snapped, glaring at the now-soaked Qin Fang sitting miserably on her bed.