Song Qingshan watched as Su Xiangwan prepared cornstarch with water.

His gaze shifted to the small iron pot on the coal stove, where she was pouring oil vigorously while repeatedly saying, “More oil, more oil.”

Fried chicken with plenty of oil would come out crispy on the outside, tender on the inside—absolutely delicious.

“Aren’t we going to Haixi? What about Liu Zaiye?” Su Xiangwan said, “Here’s what I think: At tomorrow’s meeting, Li Yifan will certainly defend me, insisting that there’s no issue with my background. Then, Liu Zaiye will probably initiate an investigation. But Tingxiu can stall him for a while. As long as Tingxiu firmly states that there’s nothing wrong with my background, Liu Zaiye won’t dare to act rashly. After a while, he’ll have to return to the provincial capital anyway since his base is there, right?”

“What if he uses coercion?” Song Qingshan said, “You probably don’t know this, but Zaiye used to be in the military. He has a hundred ways to get you to talk under pressure.”

“Then what do you suggest?” Su Xiangwan retorted.

Regarding her background issue, no matter how resourceful Su Xiangwan was, she couldn’t change it herself.

At this moment, she could only rely on Song Qingshan.

“I’ll talk to Zaiye tonight. I have a way to make him drop the matter,” Song Qingshan said confidently.

The couple seemed to reach a preliminary agreement, believing that the situation wasn’t too dire.

Just then, Su Xiangwan, who had finished draining the fried chicken, turned around and kicked Song Qingshan, who was washing vegetables. “Hey, look!”

Song Qingshan turned and saw Liu Zaiye standing outside the window in a crisp white shirt, arms crossed.

The couple had been so engrossed in their conversation that they hadn’t noticed someone standing brazenly outside the window.

“So, is Captain Song planning to go to Haixi tomorrow? Are you planning to bring your mother-in-law and brother-in-law back?” Liu Zaiye asked.

Song Qingshan surprisingly replied, “Yes, I was thinking about it. After all, they’re my family.”

Liu Zaiye pointed at him. “You’re done for. Really.”

He turned to leave but noticed that Su Xiangwan—the woman supposedly at the center of the storm—seemed calm and unbothered.

She didn’t look the least bit afraid or anxious about the potential criticism she might face.

She was busy slicing a plate of bright red dried chilies.

On the cutting board were freshly fried peanuts, their red skins rubbed off, leaving them round and white.

Liu Zaiye guessed she was going to stir-fry the fried chicken with the dried chilies and peanuts.

“Aren’t you afraid, Su Xiangwan?”

Liu Zaiye was curious. And why did he find it so hard to look away from this woman?

He wished he could slap himself. Liu Zaiye thought, I’m a man of strong convictions and integrity. Why do I keep staring at my comrade’s wife?

Especially since this woman was someone he despised the most—Song Qingshan’s wife.

She was uneducated, had a frivolous demeanor, and was the child of a “bad element.”

Why on earth was he looking at her?

Su Xiangwan added a bit of oil to the pan, stir-fried the minced garlic, ginger, and scallions until fragrant, and then tossed in the crispy chicken. Instantly, the kitchen was filled with an irresistible aroma.

Several children rushed in, drawn by the smell.

Even Sister Chen from next door came over, asking, “What are you making, Xiangwan? It smells amazing!”

“Spicy chicken,” Su Xiangwan replied. “The kids have been feeding the chickens until they’re so fat they can hardly walk. If we don’t butcher them now, they’ll just grow old.”

Sister Chen noticed Liu Zaiye standing in the yard and whispered, “Why did you provoke this bad omen? Around here, people don’t call him Zaiye; they call him ‘Mad Dog.’ Once he bites, he never lets go.”

Carrying the chicken out to the table, Su Xiangwan still needed to stir-fry two vegetable dishes, cook a few bowls of noodles, and keep an eye on the pot where half a stewed chicken was simmering. That chicken was for their journey.

“Soldiers block the enemy; water drowns the fire. I’m not afraid,” Su Xiangwan said with a smile.

Sister Chen added, “Just be careful. But don’t worry—now that you’re a government cadre, even if he wants to criticize you, he’ll have to follow procedure. Old Deng will surely back you up.”

As it turned out, the county party secretary had sent Sister Chen to reassure Su Xiangwan.

Meanwhile, Li Chengze, Lu Dan, and Gou Dan rushed in, smelling the food.

Seeing Liu Zaiye—the man who nearly fought with their father earlier that day—Gou Dan timidly hid in the kitchen, while Lu Dan, being bolder, circled around Liu Zaiye before taking a defensive position near Dashan’s kennel.

“Wash your hands and eat! Everyone gets a bowl of noodles with spicy chicken. If you wait too long, the noodles will clump together,” Su Xiangwan called out, sweating from the heat of the kitchen.

Song Qingshan, being the host, felt it wouldn’t be right to not offer food, even to his old adversary. “Stay and have a simple meal with us, Zaiye?”

“When have I ever eaten at your house, Song Qingshan?” Liu Zaiye said, though he couldn’t deny how delicious the spicy chicken looked.

But he had sworn never to break bread with Song Qingshan, his sworn enemy.

Before long, Li Yifan came back from work with Zhao Guodong.

As they walked, Li Yifan scolded Zhao, “Su Xiangwan’s work is outstanding! If you ask anyone on the street, they’ll tell you the Women’s Federation is doing the best job in the county. And look at you—six deputy county heads, and none of you can compare! What do you mean the higher-ups won’t allocate funds? If they won’t, go camp at the Finance Bureau until they do. All I care about is getting the money!”

Zhao Guodong noticed many people next door and waved at Su Xiangwan when he had a moment.

He was planning to go next door, but as soon as Li Yifan caught a whiff of the spicy chicken, she walked in.

“Give me and Guodong a bowl of noodles,” Li Yifan said.

Turning around, she saw that Liu Zaiye was also there.

She crossed her legs and pushed the cleanest boy, Lu Dan, out of the way before sitting down.

“Liu Zaiye, came here to supervise our work?” Li Yifan pointed at Zhao Guodong and said, “People in your revolutionary group should handle someone like Zhao Guodong. He can’t do anything, soft and brainless, always making people run around after him.”

When Su Xiangwan first came to the county, she thought she would be working with Zhao Guodong again, but she ended up in the Women’s Federation, while Zhao Guodong was in charge of finance.

Given that they were once partners, she filled a big bowl of noodles for Zhao Guodong, and gave Li Yifan a smaller portion.

To eat noodles, you need garlic.

Zhao Guodong was now entirely a noodle lover.

He picked up his noodles, saw the chili powder on top, and poured the whole bowl into a golden yellow hue. Excited, he grabbed a garlic clove and started chewing enthusiastically.

Liu Zaiye, hands in his pockets, was wandering around the room.

“Since you’re here, sit down and have a bowl of rice,” Li Yifan said.

But you have to know, Liu Zaiye’s personality: If you don’t persuade him, he might eat a bowl, but as soon as you try to persuade him, he’ll refuse even more.

Li Yifan, on the other hand, had a sharp tongue: “Zhao Guodong might be useless elsewhere, but at least he’s got a good temper. Liu Zaiye, what are you being wild for? You should know that revolution will end one day, and when that time comes, you’ll be waiting for your reckoning.”

Had she not said that, it might have been fine, but as soon as the words left her mouth, Liu Zaiye was enraged and almost ready to hit someone.

Of course, Su Xiangwan had read the book, and in the original story, Liu Zaiye indeed met a tragic end after the revolution, getting brutally killed by being hit with bricks, then thrown into a stinky ditch.

The original Su Xiangwan had a hard time forgetting him and even helped collect his body after his death.

“Li Jie, I need to take a leave tomorrow to go to Haixi. You know about this, right?” Su Xiangwan quickly intervened, separating Li Yifan and Liu Zaiye.

Li Yifan gave Liu Zaiye a cold glance and said, “You’re accompanying Qing Shan on a business trip, taking the kids out to play, right? I’ll leave the work of the Women’s Federation to Liu Tang. By the way, you don’t know, but Qing Shan’s work ability is top-notch. He does life-threatening tasks, so when he’s away, try not to argue with him and don’t distract him.”

Of all the men in Qing Shui County, Li Yifan only had eyes for Song Qingshan.

After praising him, she didn’t forget to belittle Liu Zaiye: “Look at him. That guy is the product of all those Communist Party members spilling their blood and sacrificing their lives—just to end up with someone like him.”

Su Xiangwan quickly shoved a piece of chicken into Li Yifan’s mouth: “Li Jie, hurry up and try a piece. This chicken is really delicious.”

Sometimes, Su Xiangwan suspected that Li Yifan had been so sharp-tongued and mean all these years simply because she had good luck and hadn’t been hurt by her words.

However, neither she nor anyone else at the table knew that it was precisely because of Li Yifan’s words that Liu Zaiye changed his mind.

By the time they finished eating, when everyone looked up, Liu Zaiye was nowhere to be seen.

After the meal, Li Yifan repeatedly asked Su Xiangwan if she wanted to leave Zhi Zhi with Mother He.

Su Xiangwan firmly refused.

First of all, Mother He was getting old, and though her heart was willing, her strength wasn’t enough. They would be gone for at least a week.

While Aunt He could look after the kids during the day, watching over them at night while they slept would surely tire her out.

Secondly, Su Xiangwan didn’t know what Liu Zaiye was up to in Qing Shui County, so it was better for the family to stay together.

Moreover, she had already spoken with Zhao Guodong.

If things got worse, and Liu Zaiye kept bothering them, she might need to stay outside a bit longer. If she didn’t see Zhi Zhi for half a month, she’d surely miss her.

Anyone could be left behind, but Zhi Zhi could not—she was the reason for everything Su Xiangwan had fought for.

After finishing the meal, she urged Song Qingshan to do the dishes, while she took the chicken out of the broth.

The newly made marinade had only been used once, so of course, she couldn’t waste it.

Su Xiangwan divided it in half, giving one part to Mother He and the other to Chen Jie.

In the kitchen, soy sauce had to be covered with sesame oil to prevent it from going bad.

Vinegar had to be kept in a cool place to avoid drying out, and there was a large jar of brine and meat that needed to be stored carefully in the hot summer, to avoid spoiling if it rained.

Su Xiangwan had entrusted all these to her younger sister, Xiang Hong.

At that moment, Su Xianghong came in to grab the key to her sister’s house.

As she entered, she bumped into Zhao Guodong.

Zhao Guodong, 25 years old, was three years younger than Ting Xiu.

Though he didn’t look as young as Ting Xiu, he was still a young man.

Had it not been for the chaotic system, he probably would’ve had to work as a village head for ten years before making it to the deputy county chief position.

When Zhao Guodong saw Su Xianghong, he was more excited than when he saw Song Tingxiu, almost bumping into the large wooden door of the Tusi Yamen.

However, the most beautiful young woman in the county was focused on her studies and had no interest in love, so naturally, she didn’t think much of Zhao Guodong.

Su Xiangwan gave her younger sister some instructions on what to watch out for, handed her the key, and gave her some leftover food.

She was still busy at the stove, making pancakes.

Aunt He and Li Yifan, hearing that Su Xiangwan and Song Qingshan were going to Haixi, quickly prepared many essentials for Gu Nan, including soap, a basin, grain coupons, towels, and other necessities, for Song Qingshan to take along.

As for the matter between Su Xiangwan and Gu Nan, Mother He had even urged Su Xiangwan to talk to Gu Nan and try to convince him.

If possible, she hoped Song Qingshan could bring Gu Nan back.

Lu Dan and Gou Dan, for the first time in their lives, were leaving home. They were so excited they couldn’t sleep that night.