She was so fair, and in Chinese culture, they said “a white skin covers a hundred flaws.”

“The other one, Su Xianghong, is her sister, right?” Lin Liguo thought for a while before adding, “Think of a way to make Su Xianghong’s skin as white as Su Xiangwan’s. We can work on her family conditions, but the skin has to be white.”

For a man like him, who was used to seeing beautiful women, marriage wasn’t about feelings. It was just about finding someone who looked beautiful, clean, and pure.

White, that was the most basic requirement. It had to be as flawless as Su Xiangwan’s.

One word settled the matter.

The next morning, Su Xianghong was delivered a large bucket of milk.

How could she drink all that? Su Xianghong took the milk and headed straight to the local government.

After Su Xiangwan picked up the children, she went back to the local government office.

That night, she actually had Li Chengze cook, because, as she said, she and Song Tuan had an important task and needed to lock themselves in the room.

She tied an apron around Li Chengze’s waist and handed him the spatula, saying seriously, “I really don’t have time today. Just cook something for everyone to eat. Your uncle needs to help me with something.”

Li Chengze was reluctant to cook and almost broke down holding the spatula. “I’ve never even started a fire, how can I cook?”

Su Xiangwan immediately closed the door to the master bedroom, and she and Song Tuan were off, doing whatever they were doing.

Li Chengze stood outside, dumbfounded for a while, before entering the kitchen and realizing that he didn’t even know how to start a fire.

Fortunately, Goudan was there.

He took the apron from Li Chengze and grabbed the spatula.

First, he made the coal stove burn brightly, then placed a pot of water on it. After that, he placed the buns in a steamer and started steaming them.

Then, he followed his father’s example, poured some oil into a large pot, took out all the eggs Su Xiangwan had saved, and started frying them one by one.

“Song Xiling, where did you learn these skills?” Li Chengze, Ludan, and Zhi Zhi gathered behind Goudan, all in awe.

Goudan, who was thin and had his pants tightly cinched around his small backside, tightened his belt a little more, stuck out his tongue, and didn’t say anything.

He finished steaming the buns, served everyone some eggs, and placed two eggs in a bun for himself. After eating, he took Dashan and went for a light jog in the courtyard.

Day after day, Goudan felt that as long as he kept exercising, he could grow tall and strong, just like Ludan and Li Chengze.

After his workout, while Ludan and Li Chengze took Zhi Zhi out to play, Goudan took a few books on weapons from his father’s collection and started reading them one by one.

Ludan and Li Chengze were naturally gifted in many ways.

But Goudan was different.

He was born a timid child, needing to be forced to the edge before he would fight back. And he always relied on sneaky tricks.

However, Chen Xiaoli’s contempt had pushed him to change.

Gradually, he wasn’t so thin anymore, nor was he as timid.

His body even had small muscles now.

He was clean and polite, literate, and gentlemanly—every day, he was transforming from a scared little boy into a small “boy god.”

Su Xiangwan and Song Qingshan were locked in the room, actually developing photographs.

The photo of her father with a Kuomintang officer was now in Song Qingshan’s hands, and Song Qingshan had a camera from the 307th Division, along with some film.

He first took pictures of the original photo, and then, remarkably, he was using a calligraphy brush to carefully touch up the negatives.

“I read in a book that you’re quite skilled, both in literature and martial arts, but I didn’t believe it. Now I’m starting to believe it,” Su Xiangwan said, resting her chin in her hand and smiling.

Back in the day, before the era of digital cameras, if you wanted to alter a photograph, whether for films or photo studios, they would use ink and calligraphy brushes to make changes to the film. This required a highly skilled hand to execute such fine work.

Of course, when Song Tuan was altering the negatives, he wore a pair of glasses. Even though he still had his military buzz cut, his white shirt was crisply washed, and his thick eyebrows made him appear scholarly.

A martial artist with a scholarly air, whose muscles had grown solid with age, Song Tuan exuded the charm of a mature man.

Moreover, while he might seem serious on the surface, he wasn’t shy about being a bit mischievous in private.

The more Su Xiangwan watched him, the more she felt that she had found a real treasure.

After Song Tuan finished altering the photo, the same picture, when developed, turned into two completely different photos.

Song Tuan tossed the calligraphy brush aside, put his hands on his hips, and grinned. “I’ll handle Lin Liguo. This Hu Min, though, you’re in charge of.”

Su Xiangwan took the two photos and again admired Song Tuan’s skill. “Where did you learn to do this?”

Song Tuan raised his hands. “Drawing and design should be connected, shouldn’t they?”

After a pause, he continued, “By the way, did you think I forgot about the New Year’s gift? The bonus from Haixi has been distributed. It’s three hundred yuan. I’m giving it all to you. Spend it however you like.”

Three hundred yuan was indeed a windfall.

Su Xiangwan took a moment to look at him. “It should have been five hundred. You gave your mom two hundred and only gave me three hundred, right?”

Song Qingshan didn’t change his expression. “No, I gave it all to you. Really.”

“Don’t lie. The money was transferred to Xinhé, wasn’t it? Now show me the transfer receipt. If it’s five hundred, I’ll break your legs.”

If the bonus for a project of such a large scale was only three hundred yuan, it would be a miracle.

Song Qingshan, who usually never flinched when deceiving others, finally admitted the truth. “Just the civil engineering department didn’t get that amount. I had to work for it. You take the three hundred. I kept one hundred for myself, gave it to Old Fang, and honestly, I only kept one hundred. I’m not lying to you anymore.”

Su Xiangwan reached out her hand, almost poking his eye in the process, and kept pressing it.

Song Qingshan, feeling a little dissatisfied, pulled out ten big yuan bills.

In his mind, this woman, nearly thirty but still flawless, smooth-skinned, beautiful like a fairy—she was practically a fox spirit.

Just like Liu Zaiye, Song Tuan gritted his teeth, singing the “March of the Volunteers” in his heart.

“Su Xiangwan, you get it, right? Where there’s oppression, there’s resistance. I’m not like Lin Liguo, who needs to find a wife who’s especially beautiful. You’re pretty enough, but sometimes I really can’t handle it. Be careful, one day, I might follow Gu Bei’s example and start a rebellion.”

Song Tuan, with one leg still in a plaster cast, pulled out a pocket from his pants: “Have you ever seen a leader who’s so poor he doesn’t even have a coin to his name? I’d rather have a wife who’s not as pretty, but at least has some money in her pocket.”

“Well, you can always find another one. After all, there are plenty of scumbags in Qingshui County. They won’t even be able to take their eyes off your wife. If I want to find someone, it’s as easy as pie,” Su Xiangwan said nonchalantly.

“What kind of logic is that? Why is it that every scumbag can’t take their eyes off you? Are you some kind of magnet?” Song Tuan, a serious person, couldn’t stand Su Xiangwan’s line of thinking.

Su Xiangwan flicked the end of her long braid, purposely teasing him, probably trying to rile him up until he couldn’t stand it anymore.

After a while, she turned and walked away.

Well, what can I say, Su Xiaonan set up a group of scumbags for her, each one more bizarre and ridiculous than the last, and all of them seemed to be blind, unable to take their eyes off her the moment they saw her.

Being the “heartthrob” was truly a troublesome persona.

With all their strength, Song Tuan and Su Xiangwan, the husband and wife duo, were now preparing, one with words and the other with action, to deal with Lin Liguo and Hu Min.

At first, Su Xianghong thought becoming an announcer at the General Political Department was the best thing that could happen.

However, it didn’t take long before she realized that things were not as simple as she thought.

First, the female comrade named Hu kept staring at her every day, constantly mentioning how dark her skin was.

She was always asking if Su Xianghong had used milk to bathe, and why her skin still hadn’t lightened.

Then, that evening, Hu said a leader wanted to meet her and asked her to prepare for a visit to the guesthouse.

When Su Xianghong arrived, she realized it was the same man in military uniform who had visited her clinic a few days ago.

“Why is your skin still so dark? Hasn’t Hu Min thought of a way to make you a little lighter?” Lin Liguo asked.

Su Xianghong awkwardly pinched her clothing at the collar, nearly on the verge of tears. “Is it not possible to be an announcer if I’m not light-skinned? If that’s the case, I’ll quit.”

“What nonsense are you talking? When you go back, don’t go out. Keep covered for a few days, and your skin might lighten. I don’t mind, but Ye Zong prefers girls with lighter skin. Also, from now on, don’t contradict me. Ye Zong doesn’t like women who always argue,” Lin Liguo said, still keeping his hands in his pockets.

Su Xianghong had a feeling that this wasn’t about being chosen as an announcer—it felt more like she was being selected for something else.

Lin Liguo wasn’t done with his comments yet. “And don’t keep your hands hidden in your sleeves. Ye Zong doesn’t like girls who aren’t graceful. Stretch your hands out and sit properly.”

Su Xianghong was puzzled. Who exactly was Ye Zong, and why were his demands for women so strict? Of course, she didn’t dare to sit.

There were oranges on the table. In February, it was rare to have oranges to eat.

“Why aren’t you eating the oranges?” Lin Liguo asked.

Su Xianghong grew more nervous. “I don’t like oranges.”

“Ye Zong…” Lin Liguo didn’t finish his sentence, and Su Xianghong immediately stood up, almost running out the door. The mention of Ye Zong had scared her into developing a complex.

Song Tuan had firmly decided not to cooperate.

After much hesitation and internal conflict, Lin Liguo finally gave up on Song Tuan.

“Proceed,” he said, as the guards entered the room. “Implement Plan B.”

The so-called “Plan B” was the “Silence Plan.” According to the plan, Song Tuan would be taken to the Yellow River, and then, the people accompanying Lin Liguo would deal with him.

Of course, Lin Liguo wouldn’t handle this personally. To him, a man like Song Qingshan wasn’t worth his attention. Taking care of him would be as easy as swatting a fly.

However, before all of this, the most important thing was for Hu Min to lead the way and, with Liu Zaiye’s help, first carry out a brutal suppression of Su Xiangwan.

This suppression had to take place at a county committee meeting. Only after that, Song Qingshan and his wife would realize the serious consequences of defying the highest instructions.

It just so happened that the funds from Guangzhou had arrived, and the county committee was holding a meeting. This was the perfect opportunity. Hu Min, carrying the photographs, brought Liu Zaiye along to the county committee.

Liu Zaiye was carrying a large stick, followed by a group of lackeys, all of them holding sticks.

Seeing this, Hu Min couldn’t help but think, “I never expected you, Liu Zaiye, to be so…” The word “arrogant” was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to say it.

However, in her mind, Liu Zaiye’s attitude was indeed enough to be considered arrogant.

There were revolutionaries in the capital, but none of them dared to walk around with sticks like this.

“Excuse me, but it’s my time for the meeting now,” Hu Min interrupted as Liu Zaiye knocked on the door.

She walked into the meeting room and went straight to Su Xiangwan’s side, slapping a photo on the table. “Director Su, explain this to me. Why do I have a photo of your father with a Kuomintang officer?”

Though it was just one photo, it was enough to stir up a storm.

Pointing at Zhao Guodong, Li Yifan, Hu Min continued, “You all are guilty of covering up crimes. Especially you, Zhao Guodong. Your father was a big shot in Qinzhou, right? Can you explain how a woman with such unclear background was promoted by you?”

Zhao Guodong immediately stood up. “How can you prove that the man in this photo is Su Xiangwan’s father?”

Hu Min slammed the table and pointed at Zhao Guodong. “You’re dismissed immediately. Get out right now.”

“Who gave you that order?”

“Direct orders from the Vice Commander,” Hu Min said, not backing down an inch.

When Li Yifan heard this, he became angry: “Hu Min, don’t go too far. We’re having a county committee meeting, and I didn’t even slam the table. What do you think you’re doing?”

“You’ve been dismissed, Li Yifan. The Vice Commander’s orders. Now, leave. Immediately,” Hu Min replied.

She raised her head and said, “Not just you—Li Commander too—he will be held accountable by the Vice Commander. You should be mentally prepared for that.”

All the officials were looking at Su Xiangwan.