Chapter 79 : Xue Zhiqiang leaves

Chen Banghua nearly stood up to applaud his good brother, leaving no room for his rival. Han Yuecheng was surprised, when had Nangong become so unreasonable as to snatch someone else’s food?

Nangong Ruochen didn’t give Yun Siying a chance to speak and immediately handed the lunch box to Xue Zhiqiang as if nothing had happened. “Sorry, I just wanted to taste it. I was a bit hungry and couldn’t help but drink it all. Really sorry.”

“Comrade Xue, please step back! Nangong has always taken care of Siying’s meals. He knows her tastes better, right, Siying?” Chen Banghua helped smooth things over.

“Well, food is expensive now, Comrade Xue. Please don’t send me food anymore in the future,” Yun Siying nodded obediently. She didn’t like Xue Zhiqiang, so it was better not to give him the wrong idea.

Xue Zhiqiang took back his lunch box. Seeing the challenge in Nangong Ruochen’s eyes, he realized this man also had impure thoughts about Yun Siying and was his number one rival.

Shu Ruxue and Xue Zhigang had obtained their marriage certificate and called home to inform them. She was now directing Xue Zhigang to pack up the items in her house. But when she opened her purse, it was empty again, her money was gone. Panic rose within her, and she stifled her screams and shouts.

She didn’t want others to know about this otherwise the villagers would mock her for being a spendthrift. Although no one dared say it to her face, a few who were unfriendly ridiculed her behind her back.

After working for more than an hour, Xue Zhigang said, “It’s all packed. We’ll wait until my brother and the others get off work tonight, then move everything together. It’ll be faster.”

Looking at the leather shoes, brand-new clothes, two new quilts, two sets of sheets and quilt covers, hairbands, vanishing cream, thermos, enamel basin, enamel pot, watch, flashlight, and other nice things, one couldn’t help but salivate. The Shu family was really wealthy and treated their daughter well. If the 1,200 yuan hadn’t been stolen from this spendthrift woman, she’d be a thousand-yuan household now.

“Okay, we have the marriage certificate. How much are you planning to give me as a gift?” Shu Ruxue only remembered the gift money after discovering her money was stolen, and Xu Ziying had not reminded her.

How could Xu Ziying remind her? It was too late to hide it now. The reason was that Xue Zhiqiang’s mother, Zhang Fengying, had come to her house the night before to ask for the 200 yuan gift back. But she was told that Shu Ruxue was her adopted daughter and would marry into the Xue family tomorrow, so the 200 yuan was considered Shu Ruxue’s gift.

“The 200 yuan gift has been given to your adopted mother,” Xue Zhigang said awkwardly. Two hundred yuan, it was really a waste of money.

Shu Ruxue knew the situation at home, her house had been completely robbed. How could she have the money to return the betrothal gift to the Shu family, let alone money for her dowry?

“I understand.” What else could Shu Ruxue do? She didn’t dare ask her mother for the betrothal money, but she could still ask the Shu family for the dowry. Fortunately, she called her mother today and was promised money for support.

That evening, several Xue family brothers came to the Youth Educated House and moved all of Shu Ruxue’s belongings to the Xue family home. The Youth Educated House folks looked at each other and then at Shen Subai with some sympathy, thinking his head was probably “glowing green” with jealousy.

Chen Siming felt lucky. When Shu Ruxue’s mother had been here, he had gotten back all the money he lent her otherwise, he might have had a heart attack.

In the following days, every time Xue Zhiqiang appeared, Nangong Ruochen and the other two would block him. Yun Siying didn’t have to intervene at all. Until the last day, Xue Zhiqiang left for the army with regret.

Thinking about how his younger brother and Shu Ruxue didn’t have to work every day, enjoyed the best food at home, and used the finest things, while he, the third brother, was ranked behind them. Even when he brought food to cook for the fainted educated youth, he was squeezed out by his younger brother and sister-in-law, and his mother didn’t stop it. Thinking of this, he felt a chill. He looked back sadly at the village and set off on his lonely journey.

“Wait.”

Hearing this voice, which made him grit his teeth in anger, he turned around mechanically, confused as to why this person was here.

“What’s the matter?”

“This is the dry food I prepared for you. Eat it on the road. It’s compensation for you eating your food these days. But Siying, don’t think about her anymore. She’s mine.” Nangong Ruochen came to see him off and to warn him.

Xue Zhiqiang thought of the food he had worked hard to prepare, which all ended up in this guy’s stomach, and felt a bit of loss. He took the cloth bag from Nangong’s hand and felt slightly better. Turning around, he waved his hand and said loudly, “I will not give up.”

“You don’t stand a chance.” Nangong Ruochen watched him disappear before turning back.

Both of them were soldiers. Xue Zhiqiang had good character and skills, and was an excellent soldier, but he could see that his family didn’t care about him. He messed up his good intentions and ate a lot of Nangong’s food to send him off.

Xue Zhiqiang smiled sadly, walking forward step by step, firmly and powerfully. He knew he had no chance, and said it deliberately so Nangong would hear, which also made him unhappy. These days, Yun Siying was very cold to him and gave him no illusions, but he just wouldn’t give up. He had finally fallen in love with a female comrade and wanted to do his best so he would have no regrets in the future.

After the brigade harvested the rice, they started harvesting corn and soybeans, then other grains. They finished harvesting all the crops in the fields within one month, completing the autumn harvest more than ten days earlier than in previous years.

Moreover, the weather was sunny, with only a few cloudy days and no rain. Everyone finished the autumn harvest in one go. The rice was dried, the corn dried and threshed, and other grains dried and put into the warehouse.

The brigade leader gave the villagers a three-day holiday. The educated youths were busy during this time and became darker and thinner. They flocked to the state-owned restaurants in the county.

Yun Siying went to the black market again. That day, she sold five wild boars and earned 1,950 yuan. Thinking of the large collection in her space, some from the Li family, some from Shu Ruxue and Shen Subai, some from the Shu family mother and son, her own savings, and money earned from selling wild boars, plus today’s earnings totaling about 78,000 yuan. In the 1970s, she was considered a small rich woman.

This did not include the gold, silver, jewelry, antiques, calligraphy and paintings, jade ornaments, and other valuables in her space, which would be very valuable in the future. Wearing that strange dress, she walked happily, unaware that her relatives wouldn’t recognize her steps.

She didn’t expect to suddenly bump into a wall of flesh at the corner. She was about to get angry, but when she looked up and saw a pair of familiar eyes, she opened her mouth to speak only for someone to pull her hand and wildly run into the alley. Who was this person? How dare he take advantage of her? She began to struggle.