What were a few harsh words from Liu Zaiye?

She was only 26, still young, with kids already this big.

If she just held on for a few more years, good days were ahead.

She had the potential to be an official, and she had a sharp eye for making money.

Once the policies improved a bit, she could live however she wanted.

Why get upset now?

That night, Su Xiangwan didn’t even eat dinner and fell into a deep sleep.

In the middle of the night, she felt something rolling over her face.

Reaching out to push it away, she heard Song Qingshan’s voice, sounding both tender and cheesy. “Honestly, I’ve never seen a woman as beautiful as you, Su Xiangwan. I’m serious.”

So, he had been touching her all night because of how pretty her face was?

The next morning, when Su Xiangwan got up and went to wash her face and comb her hair, she realized that the bruises Ma Xijun had given her two days ago were completely gone.

Her skin wasn’t exactly fair or delicate, but at least it didn’t look like a patched-up mess anymore.

She touched her face and saw the kids—Zhi Zhi, Gou Dan, and Lu Dan—each nibbling on an egg.

Then she realized that last night, Song Qingshan had rolled eggs over her face all night to help reduce the swelling.

The kids were all laughing foolishly.

Song Qingshan said with great seriousness, “I’ve already filled the explosives. The Civil Engineering Bureau isn’t a military enterprise. I’ve consulted with my superiors, and my family can join me to watch the mountain blasting. How about it, wanna come with me?”

The kids all laughed brighter than the next. “Mom, come with us, Dad wants to take you out.”

“I don’t even have a nice outfit. If I go, I’ll embarrass you. Forget it, I won’t go,” Su Xiangwan instinctively thought she had nothing to wear.

At home, everything was fine, but once she was at Song Qingshan’s workplace, she feared that with her dark skin and plain clothes, she would be mocked.

“How about this shirt? Does it fit you?” Song Qingshan said, handing her a shirt.

Su Xiangwan took it and saw that it was a pure white shirt, indeed cool to the touch. It didn’t feel like her own clothing, so she asked, “Where did this shirt come from?”

“Just put it on, no need to ask where it’s from,” Song Qingshan said.

Of course, he wouldn’t tell her that he had driven his truck all over the Civil Engineering Bureau the night before, knocking on doors to borrow fabric coupons from the engineers.

He had collected enough coupons, rushed to Haixi County City before dark, and bought the most beautiful shirt in the department store for her.

This time, he didn’t pick the largest size but chose one that would fit her perfectly.

The white shirt fit just right.

Su Xiangwan washed her face, and when she saw the kids gathered together, they were all looking at her from behind, clearly worried after she had been a little slack yesterday.

Looking into a small mirror, Su Xiangwan took down her braid and only used a few hair ties to fix her hair. In no time, she had a half-high bun.

The white shirt, dark blue pants, and a simple, understated bun.

Though her skin wasn’t perfect, she still looked vibrant. When she turned around, Gou Dan’s mouth dropped open, and he exclaimed, “Mom, you look really pretty today!”

Li Chengze, who normally didn’t have much of a filter when it came to family feelings, had heard everything Liu Zaiye said about Su Xiangwan yesterday.

He had been holding his own frustration inside.

Seeing Su Xiangwan like this, he immediately rushed out the door, calling Liu Zaiye, who was staying in the Seventh Team. “Liu Uncle, come quickly, we’ve got something good to show you!”

Liu Zaiye swaggered over, still mumbling, “What good thing do you want to show your grandpa?”

Then, he saw Su Xiangwan come out of the house.

What was the word for this? Beautiful, confident, elegant.

Though her skin wasn’t white, the white shirt was just perfect for her, and the high bun showed off her neck, giving her an especially spirited look.

Looking at this, Liu Zaiye still thought, what’s the big deal? It was just a new shirt.

Could a woman really transform just because of a new shirt? At her core, wasn’t she still just a vulgar village woman?

But despite thinking this, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. He felt that this woman was the most beautiful he had ever seen in his life.

In the office area of the Civil Engineering Bureau, a group of engineers wearing hard hats were waiting for Song Qingshan.

Most of the people in the Civil Engineering Bureau were former soldiers, and they greeted each other with salutes when they met.

“Is this your family?” one of the engineers asked, holding out his hand to shake Su Xiangwan’s.

Before Liu Zaiye could deny, Song Qingshan stepped forward and put his arm around Su Xiangwan’s shoulder, saying, “This is my family, Comrade Xiao Su, her name is Su Xiangwan.”

“Hello, everyone,” Su Xiangwan said. “I’m the deputy director of the Women’s Federation in Qingshui County. If you have time, feel free to come visit us.”

It was just a polite remark, but her tone was gentle, neither humble nor arrogant. When shaking hands, she didn’t act shy like most women, and the engineers all seemed to treat her with respect, even somewhat like a leader.

These engineers, who mostly lived in remote mountains, hadn’t seen many women. Some were shy, some were reserved, and a few couldn’t resist making jokes.

“Can we really visit Qingshui County? If we go, Comrade Xiao Su won’t pretend not to know us, right? After all, we’re generous people, and we’ll probably eat you out of house and home,” one engineer joked.

Su Xiangwan gave his hand a slight squeeze. Unfazed, she pulled her hand away and said, “Of course not. Our Qingshui County is one of the largest grain-producing counties in all of China. The fertilizer is produced by Song Qingshan’s engineering corps, and the planting technology was developed by me. If you can’t get enough food in Qingshui, there’s nowhere else in all of China that can feed you.”

It wasn’t boasting; at this moment, as a female comrade, she had to state her strengths and position.

Sure enough, the engineer’s face changed, and the respect immediately appeared on his face. “I’ve heard a lot about Qing Shui County’s impressive grain output. I didn’t realize that in terms of technology, it’s Comrade Su Xiangwan doing the R&D. Amazing, amazing. It looks like we underestimated you.”

Su Xiangwan stood still, quietly waiting for a group of engineers to look at her with admiration.

Wasn’t Liu Zaiye the one who thought she was just a village woman, uneducated and ugly?

Well, she had to show him a little something.

“Have you ever flown in a plane?” Liu Zaiye couldn’t help but ask. “We’re probably going to have to take that plane to observe the explosion situation.”

Su Xiangwan had already spotted a helicopter in the distance, so she asked Song Qingshan, “Are we really going to fly in a plane?”

“Yes,” Song Qingshan replied briefly, “But Liu Zaiye can’t go; he has to go with the engineers by car to the site.”

“To the site? That means eating dust! I’m not going,” Liu Zaiye said.

Song Qingshan responded, “Then go back to Qinzhou. There’s no work for you here. Why are you always tagging along with my family? Are you planning to be her chauffeur?”

Liu Zaiye immediately understood. After running all this way, Song Qingshan was messing with him.

Pointing at Song Qingshan, he said, “Wait for it. I’m leaving now. When you return to Qinzhou, I’ll deal with you.”

With that, he strode over to the jeep and drove off.

When Su Xiangwan boarded the plane, she saw the group of men in safety helmets from earlier, all staring at her with wide eyes.

Of course, in this era, a woman wearing a white shirt, her hair tied up neatly and elegantly, looking sharp, capable, and beautiful—arriving at a construction team of men who hadn’t seen a woman for a while—was bound to cause quite a stir.

Clearly, this blasting operation was led by Song Qingshan.

There was only one pilot on the helicopter, with Song Qingshan seated behind him.

Su Xiangwan, being tactful, fastened her seatbelt once on the helicopter and quietly sat still, not moving.

Song Qingshan handed his large water bottle to Su Xiangwan, then took the radio and began coordinating with the people on the ground.

The helicopter flew very low, and the roar of the blades was especially loud, making it quite uncomfortable.

From her seat, Su Xiangwan could see the terrain below: a long mountain range with a thin section of mountain wall, and a high cliff on one side.

On the other side was a deep ravine.

In engineering terms, this was called deep excavation and high filling. By using directional blasting, the unapproachable mountain could be filled into the ravine.

In one go, they could lay down dozens or even hundreds of meters of roadbed, greatly reducing manpower.

The radio was crackling with messages, and Song Qingshan was scanning the surroundings with his naked eyes.

About two hours later, when the helicopter’s fuel was almost running out, Song Qingshan held the radio and softly said one word: “Detonate.”

Then he released the radio, pointed out the window, and said, “Pay attention to the direction the mountain collapses.”

Since the mountain was so high, when it exploded, the sound was particularly hollow and distant.

Su Xiangwan pressed her face to the window, watching as the towering cliff seemed to break at the waist and slowly began to collapse.

After a few seconds, it fell like a sharp arrow, perfectly straight, directly into the ravine on the opposite side without a single deviation.

When the mountain collapsed, a gust of wind hit the helicopter, and it rocked violently.

Su Xiangwan felt as if the helicopter was about to crash, but luckily the pilot was skilled enough, and although the ride was rough, they didn’t fall.

“Mission complete. Can we return now, Captain Song?” the pilot asked.

Song Qingshan replied, “There’s still some fuel. Let’s fly two kilometers further in the two o’clock direction. I need to observe the terrain on the other side of the mountain.”

The pilot acknowledged, and the helicopter flew further north.

Song Qingshan kept his head tilted until they reached a golden-yellow field on the other side of the mountain.

He pointed down and said, “That’s where I was imprisoned three years ago. Do you see those two fortifications? They were probably built after I escaped.”

Below them were electric fences, tall watchtowers, and rows of brick and concrete houses.

Because the helicopter was flying low, they could see a group of prisoners in brownish-yellow clothes working in the fields, while guards wandered nearby.

When Su Xiangwan had seen enough, Song Qingshan pointed to the sunset in the distance and said, “I often look toward the setting sun and wonder if you’re still at Xiao Song Village. If you’ve already left, where would I go to find you?”

Though both were farms, prison farms and labor reform farms were very different.

Su Xiangwan, watching the sunset, suddenly understood the kind of anxiety Song Qingshan must have felt when he couldn’t see his family or children.

The sunset was beautiful, but it wasn’t her home.

Song Qingshan was always in a white shirt and green army pants—handsome, energetic, reserved—but unlike Liu Zaiye, he was steady and reliable.

Looking at him, Su Xiangwan couldn’t help but think how blind she had been in her original life, not liking a man like Song Qingshan but instead falling for someone like Liu Zaiye, that jerk!

He had been tortured and suffered for a year at the labor reform camp before escaping, a torment and pain that only he truly understood.

When they landed, Song Qingshan was the first to get off the helicopter.

Since the propellers hadn’t stopped spinning and the wind was strong, he turned back and held Su Xiangwan’s hand to prevent her from being blown over.

Just then, an off-road vehicle came speeding toward them from the construction site, and the window rolled down to reveal the ever-present Liu Zaiye.

“Qingshan, Qingshan!” he called.

It was late, and the wind in Haixi was strong.

Su Xiangwan was both annoyed and amused. “Liu Zaiye, how many times have you said you were leaving? Why are you still here?”

Liu Zaiye said, “That Ma Xijun was causing a scene in the county town, saying he’s going to report Mayor Xie. This matter involves your mom. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have anything to do with me.”

At first, Su Xiangwan couldn’t stand Liu Zaiye.

But seeing him so flustered now, she oddly felt that his desperate look was somewhat cute.

However, they were about to leave, and if Ma Xijun really went ahead and reported it, it could cause trouble.

So, Su Xiangwan and Song Qingshan got into Liu Zaiye’s jeep and headed straight for Haixi County.

But when they arrived at the Haixi County government, they couldn’t find Ma Xijun or Mayor Xie.

After all, the county government closed at six in the afternoon, and by the time Ma Xijun arrived to file the report, he probably hadn’t gotten anywhere and had likely turned back.

Liu Zaiye was about to turn the car around to head toward Baiyang Town, but Su Xiangwan stopped him. “No, we should head to the train station. Someone like Ma Xijun, who sticks to his ideas, will definitely catch a ride to the provincial capital now that the county government is closed. If he causes a ruckus there, it will drag Mayor Xie and the local government into it.”

Liu Zaiye grumbled, “Why don’t we just shoot him and be done with it?” He was clearly irritated. “He’s a stubborn mule, no use reasoning with him.”

Su Xiangwan pointed at the road ahead. “Be careful. What if someone or an animal suddenly appears on the road? What then?”

Liu Zaiye glanced at Song Qingshan and suddenly grinned. “I told you, fists don’t do much. If you run into an animal, you can’t fight it, can you? Can you just beat it to death?”

He was teasing Song Qingshan, implying that neither he nor Ma Xijun could be dealt with through violence alone.

In Liu Zaiye’s view, both Song Qingshan and he, one relying on guns and the other on fists, couldn’t defeat a fool like Ma Xijun, who only had brute strength.

They were equally matched.

Soon, the three of them arrived at the train station.

It was a coincidence—inside the ticket hall, Mayor Xie and Ma Xijun were actually fighting in front of the ticket window.

“Ma Xijun, are you trying to go to the provincial capital to report us?” Su Xiangwan walked straight up to him and asked bluntly.

Ma Xijun, fumbling through his pocket for money, took out a few coins and licked his finger to count them. “You guys go through the back door, you take the land reformers who should be properly punished, but I don’t believe that once I get to the provincial capital, I won’t be able to expose you.”

Su Xiangwan suddenly smiled. “Let him go. He’s an idiot, doesn’t know anything.”

Liu Zaiye asked, “Why?”

Su Xiangwan crossed her arms, looking confident. “If he goes to report to the county police, someone will probably listen, but who will care in the provincial capital? There are tens of millions of people in the provincial capital. Who knows who Zhao Yinshuang and Su Fufu are?”

Ma Xijun stood there for a while, stunned, before turning and running out of the train station, heading toward the police station.

Liu Zaiye, hands in his pockets, stood there for a while, trying to figure out what exactly Su Xiangwan had in mind.

He saw her walk over to Mayor Xie and say, “You always think Ma Xijun has strength and can get the job done, so you use him to produce results. But don’t forget, he abuses the animals, kills them for money. And at the labor reform farm, he’s like a bully. If one day he actually causes a death, will anyone above not investigate you? You can take responsibility for an animal’s death, but can you take responsibility for a human life, Mayor Xie? As a cadre, can you take that on?”

Mayor Xie thought for a long time, then shook Su Xiangwan’s hand and said, “His family, well, it’s basically him killing his own animals. Forget it, I’ll report the case to the police and have them arrest him. I don’t need this animal anymore.”

With that, Mayor Xie left.

Su Xiangwan took Song Qingshan’s hand, waved goodbye to Liu Zaiye, and left.

Liu Zaiye stood in the waiting hall for a while, finally realizing the cleverness of Su Xiangwan’s words.

To put it bluntly, Ma Xijun, compared to an animal, was just a bit stronger and could walk upright.

People like him had simple minds—they only recognized one thing: whether you were scared or not. So, Su Xiangwan had used a bit of psychological manipulation on him.

With just one mention that she was scared of the police station, Ma Xijun had rushed there, throwing himself into a trap.

As for Mayor Xie, he had always indulged Ma Xijun because he saw him as a tool, someone who could help the farm.

But when Su Xiangwan explained the pros and cons of using Ma Xijun, and then pointed out the consequences of continuing to use him, Mayor Xie understood the risks and ran off to report him.

So, with just two sentences, Ma Xijun ended up at the police station, and Mayor Xie had no choice but to report him himself and have the police prosecute him.

Liu Zaiye turned back and realized that Su Xiangwan wasn’t just a simple woman.

Her handling of people and situations was full of poise and insight after seeing through people’s minds.

The more he tried to dislike her, the more he couldn’t. Liu Zaiye seriously considered pulling out his gun and shooting himself.