Chapter 27 Beating Sun Wenwen

Besides the educated youth, the villagers also came out. After everyone assembled, Li Changping, the brigade leader, started assigning work.  Since Jiang Li and the other new educated youth were working for the first time, he assigned them light work: weeding. After receiving their assignments, everyone started working.

 Weeding wasn’t easy. The easiest work was gathering pigweed; it was less strenuous but paid fewer work points; usually, children did it.

Li Changping wanted to give Jiang Li an easier task, like gathering pigweed, since she had money and didn’t need to earn many work points.  But he couldn’t give her special treatment on her first day; the other educated youth might complain. He would give them the same work for the first few days and then favor her later. Jiang Li put on work gloves to protect her hands. Weeding could hurt her hands. 

Seeing her gloves, Liu Yulan felt jealous; she hadn’t bought any gloves. Sun Wenwen also saw the gloves. She wanted to criticize Jiang Li in front of Mu Jingxun. “Some people are so spoiled, acting like capitalist daughters. Weeding is easy; why wear gloves? We’re here to build the countryside; we should work hard. 

If everyone is so delicate, how can we build the countryside?” She glanced at Mu Jingxun. Jiang Li slapped her. She had endured Sun Wenwen for a long time; she hadn’t hit her on the train, but Sun Wenwen kept provoking her.

  She slapped Sun Wenwen, shocking everyone. Mu Jingxun and Bai Ziyong weren’t surprised; they had seen Jiang Li’s temper. But the villagers hadn’t expected a new educated youth to be so bold. Sun Wenwen, feeling the burning pain on her cheek, asked, “Jiang Li, you hit me!” Jiang Li, standing with her hands on her hips, said, “Yes, I did. 

And I’ll hit you again if you keep talking nonsense.  I’ll hit you every time you provoke me.”  The villagers were surprised by Jiang Li’s bold behavior.  She wasn’t easy to mess with. Jiang Li had hit Sun Wenwen in front of the villagers to show them she wasn’t someone to be bullied. Liu Yulan immediately defended Sun Wenwen.

 “Jiang Li, you’re being excessive! Sun Zhiqing only said a few words; you didn’t need to hit her!” Jiang Li sneered.

 “Excessive? She provoked me first!  She called me a capitalist daughter just because I wear gloves!  Does anyone say you can’t wear gloves while weeding?  Mind your own business!  If you want gloves, buy some yourself!” Li Changping, hearing the commotion, came over.

Remembering Jiang Li’s help, he defended her. He warned Sun Wenwen, “Sun Zhiqing, be responsible for your words. Don’t spread rumors; don’t call people capitalists! Don’t cause trouble; otherwise, I’ll send you back to the Youth League office.” Being sent back meant losing their current favorable situation. 

Heilongjiang had good conditions; the grain yield was high, and they could rest during winter.  Being sent back meant being reassigned to a different location; they might be sent to Northwest China. Sun Wenwen’s goal was to attract Mu Jingxun; being sent back would ruin her chances. Though resentful, she didn’t dare to argue and silently endured the humiliation. Liu Yulan didn’t dare to speak up either. Jiang Li continued weeding.

Bai Ziyong and Mu Jingxun looked at Jiang Li. Mu Jingxun smiled slightly; Jiang Li was the most spirited girl he had ever met. Weeding wasn’t difficult for Jiang Li; with her gloves, she didn’t feel tired. Peng Zhigang approached her.

Seeing Peng Zhigang approach, Jiang Li frowned. “Comrade Peng, do you need something?” Peng Zhigang acted attentive and solicitous. “Jiang Zhiqing, it’s your first day working; if you find it too hard, tell me, and I’ll help you.

” Sun Wenwen, seeing Peng Zhigang’s attention toward Jiang Li, felt gleeful. She knew how awful Peng Zhigang was.  Jiang Li would suffer if she was deceived by him.  Jiang Li said coldly, “Comrade Peng, thank you, but I don’t need your help. I can handle this myself.” Peng Zhigang, unwilling to give up, said, “Jiang Zhiqing, we’re all educated youth, comrades; don’t be so formal.” Jiang Li frowned.

“Comrade Peng, can’t you understand? I said I don’t need you; can you please leave me alone?” Liu Yulan, seeing Jiang Li’s attitude, said, “Jiang Zhiqing, Comrade Peng is being kind; you shouldn’t be so ungrateful.” Jiang Li’s cold gaze fell on Liu Yulan. “Liu Zhiqing, you’re itching for a slap, aren’t you?  If you want one, I don’t mind giving you one.”