How About We Team Up?

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How About We Team Up?

He Yuanfang more or less understood what Li Xiangwan meant. The village was only so big, and he had heard plenty of gossip.

Lin Yuzhu silently mourned for the heroine and had absolutely no desire to get involved.

In the original plot, Li Xiangwan later pulled Zhao Xianglan into their arrangement, and only then did the gossip ease up somewhat.

It did not stop completely, though. Two men and two women made neat pairs no matter how one looked at it, and there would always be people talking. Better not wade into this muddy water.

The main issue was that the heroine's cooking was, well, not very good. Asking Lin Yuzhu to cook for so many people? Heh. "My meal's already ready. In this heat, it'll spoil if I don't eat it. I won't join in your fun."

Lin Yuzhu spoke with a beaming smile.

Li Xiangwan looked at Lin Yuzhu's smiling face. It did not seem like mere polite refusal, and she could not help regarding Lin Yuzhu more highly. Someone who could resist such temptation was rare, and it left her restless inside.

Unfortunately, she actually wanted someone as ungreedy as Lin Yuzhu to join them even more.

"Fine, then. Once I'm done cooking, I'll bring you a bowl."

Lin Yuzhu hurriedly shook her head. "Ah, please don't. I can't afford any decent gift in return." She preferred to speak plainly.

Li Xiangwan froze, then quickly understood. Lin Yuzhu only earned so many work points a day; being able to feed herself was already quite good. How could she possibly have anything to spare for social obligations? Their meals were good here, and if they had meat today, they could send some over. But if there was meat tomorrow or the day after, they would not send any.

Once or twice was fine, but doing it too often would only add pressure for Lin Yuzhu.

"Then I'll go in and get busy."

Lin Yuzhu nodded and answered cheerfully.

Heh.

Watching Li Xiangbei, who had already cleaned up and gotten to his feet to head inside, Lin Yuzhu found the male lead rather superfluous no matter how she looked at him.

The heroine did not actually lack meat. With the male lead around, things were only more inconvenient.

She had to eat poisoned food and cook for those two grown men. No matter how one thought about it, it was a losing deal.

More importantly, the male lead brought the heroine quite a lot of trouble. Once a girl's reputation was ruined, all sorts of demons and monsters would dare to crowd around her.

Lin Yuzhu leaned against the back of her chair and watched the clouds drift across the sky. Being single was still the best—easy and carefree. She really wanted to kick up her feet.

Before she had enjoyed herself for more than a few minutes, arguing broke out in the front yard.

Listening in, Lin Yuzhu figured Wang Xiaomei was fighting with someone again. It was nothing unusual. It would be strange if they went a day without arguing.

Not long after, Wang Xiaomei came dragging Zhang Yanqiu toward the back yard.

Lin Yuzhu's eyes lit up. What was going on this time?

It had to be said, life was never lonely with Wang Xiaomei around.

Wang Xiaomei angrily dragged Zhang Yanqiu, whose face was dark and gloomy, into the back yard. She let go in one sharp motion, planted her hands on her hips, and roared, "I cook one meal, and you complain about this and complain about that. Then stop eating with us! Go ask whether anyone else wants you. I don't want you anymore, anyway!"

"Every day, either you're too sick to move today or you're feeling unwell tomorrow. You don't do a thing, yet you still have the nerve to complain. Do we owe you something or what?"

Perhaps because Wang Xiaomei was making such a huge scene this time, the educated youths from the front yard hurried over as well. Even Auntie Chen from next door stopped cooking and came to her own back yard to peer over at them. There was truly no one more eager for gossip.

Zhang Yanqiu had recovered from her illness, but she had grown so thin that she was little more than skin and bones. Standing there, she looked frail enough to be blown over, making Wang Xiaomei seem like a bully by comparison.

Zhang Yanqiu was clearly furious. Her entire body trembled, her eyes bloodshot as she glared at Wang Xiaomei and shouted, "Why should I split off just because you say so? Who do you think you are?"

"Why?"

"Because I cooked the food, and I bought the pot!"

"What part of the things we eat with has anything to do with you?"

"The vegetables weren't grown by you alone, and the pot wasn't bought by you alone. What you say doesn't represent everyone. So why don't you ask whether they're willing to take you in?"

After saying that, Wang Xiaomei pointed at the educated youths behind her.

Both angry and aggrieved, Zhang Yanqiu looked at the older educated youths who had followed over, hoping someone would say a few words for her.

Zhao Xianglan's eyes flickered as she spoke like a peacemaker. "Xiaomei, stop saying things in anger. Where can she possibly go to eat by herself?"

Lin Yuzhu raised an eyebrow. Something about those words sounded pointed. Didn't Zhang Yanqiu always think she was from Beijing and look down on those of us from small cities?

Did she really think no one could see through her little thoughts?

Who was she showing that sour face to every day?

"Bullshit. Who knows what she's doing here, mooching off us? Hurry up and beg those people from the big city to take you in. You all came from the same place, so why don't they want you?"

Wang Xiaomei folded her arms and spoke with a sharp, cutting expression.

Wang Yang could no longer stand listening. "Comrade Wang Xiaomei, what kind of thing is that to say?"

As the argument raged on here, Li Xiangwan kept pretending not to hear it and did not come out of the house at all.

Because of Li Xiangbei, Wang Yang, who was standing outside, could not help getting caught in the crossfire. Wang Xiaomei's words left him deeply embarrassed.

Lin Yuzhu, from a small place, really wanted to pull out a handful of sunflower seeds and watch the show.

Zhang Yanqiu felt utterly humiliated. Breathing heavily in rage, she screamed herself hoarse, "Huang Xiaomei, you've gone too far!"

Wang Xiaomei snorted coldly and continued mocking her without backing down. "I've gone too far? Why don't you talk about how excessive you've been?"

"Let me ask you: how many times have you washed the dishes since you came here?"

"Your food supply is almost gone, but you never said a word about borrowing grain. All you think about is mooching off us. Have you no shame?"

"Seeing how sick you were, I only put one chili pepper in the dishes. Yet you still weren't satisfied. So you do nothing and just sit there picking faults?"

"I really don't understand how you have the nerve. Are you some rich young lady? Then go home and be one! No one here is going to pamper you, feed you, keep you watered, and wait on you hand and foot. Are we supposed to be your maids?"

"Even landlords do not dare act like this now. If you think I'm bullying you, fine. Let's go to the threshing ground and talk it out properly. Let the village chief and the four team leaders hear who's in the right."

"Am I the one bullying you?"

Wang Xiaomei rattled all that off in one breath, practically going on a rampage. Lin Yuzhu looked at her in a new light and also understood why Wang Xiaomei had caused such a scene. One possibility was that Zhang Yanqiu's constant pickiness had irritated her and she wanted to kick her out. The other was that she was worried about the food and feared Zhang Yanqiu would keep mooching. Zhang Yanqiu's face turned pale at Wang Xiaomei's last words.

No matter what, she could not be dragged to the threshing ground today. How could she go on living with any dignity after that?

Her tears came quickly, pouring down in streams as she said in a trembling voice, "My hands were chafed raw from working, and washing dishes hurts terribly. Sister Lan couldn't bear to see it, so she told me to go back to my room."

"I was too sick to get out of bed, so I couldn't go borrow grain."

"I already spoke to Sister Lan about it. Once I'm fully better, I'll immediately borrow grain from the team leader. How can you slander me like this? Are you trying to force me to my death?"

Seeing Zhang Yanqiu's pitiful appearance and hearing her explanation, everyone present began to feel that Wang Xiaomei was making a mountain out of a molehill.

One was weak and frail, crying after being driven to such a state; the other stood nearby with a fierce expression, aggressively pressing the issue. No matter how one looked at it, the weaker person was more likely to draw sympathy.

"Look at me, I forgot about that. I never told you all."

"Yanqiu really did say she would borrow grain from the team after recovering."

"Xiaomei, stop making a fuss. If this goes on, people will laugh at us."

"We haven't even finished eating yet. Let's hurry back. If we don't, the food will get cold."

Zhao Xianglan spoke softly and gently, sounding as if she were soothing both sides.

He Yuanfang rubbed his stomach. Hearing all that had made him hungry.

Zhou Nan stood to the side as little more than decoration, his features cool and distant.

Wang Xiaomei sneered again and again. "Hmph, you're the only one who knows how to play the good person. I'm the bad person, then. Fine, I don't care. I refuse to wait on her. If you love playing the good person so much, you wash the bowls, scrub the pot, and provide the grain."

"And stop whispering this and that in my ear. If you're willing to put up with it, then put up with it yourself. But I'm making this clear today: if she stays, I leave; if I stay, she leaves. Either she moves out, or I do."

"Half the vegetables in the garden are mine, and half the private plot is mine too. Split out my pots, bowls, and utensils as well. I get to use that pot first to cook, or I'll smash it right now and no one gets to eat."

The scene fell into silence. Zhao Xianglan said nothing, her expression unreadable, though there was a flash of hostility in her eyes.

He Yuanfang looked here, then there. Suddenly, he stepped forward, walked to Zhang Yanqiu's side, and said honestly, "How about you and I team up? We can split off and eat together."

Zhang Yanqiu even forgot to cry. She stared at He Yuanfang as if struck by lightning, her lips trembling uncontrollably.

Wang Xiaomei nearly threw back her head and howled.

Lin Yuzhu was speechless. The atmosphere grew even more strange and unpredictable.

Zhang Yanqiu's face went from white to green, then green to red, then purple. Her eyes turned bloodshot, and with a face full of resentment, she shoved past He Yuanfang and ran off.

With one of the main players gone, the gathering immediately broke up, and everyone went home.

Wang Xiaomei left like a victorious rooster, head held high and chest puffed out.

Lin Yuzhu looked speechlessly at the sky. She had no idea what that girl was so pleased about. She had mocked everyone in the neighboring room, yet not a single issue had been resolved.

Watching Zhao Xianglan's retreating figure as she strolled away, Lin Yuzhu's gaze deepened. It would be better to keep some distance from that girl in the future. She doesn't seem like a good person.

Li Xiangwan had hidden inside the room and never come out. Only after everyone had dispersed did she emerge and shake her head.

She had not paid close attention to their verbal dispute. She had only noticed Wang Xiaomei's mocking remarks about people from big cities being somehow nobler. Her dislike for Wang Xiaomei deepened, and she silently decided to stay farther away from such people in the future.

She had thought the matter would end there. No matter how much they argued, how much of a fuss could it really cause? Could they truly drive someone out?

Who would have thought that half an hour later, the village chief would lead several villagers carrying the drenched, unconscious Zhang Yanqiu into the Educated Youth Dormitory?

In that short time, the yard filled with people. Zhang Yanqiu had tried to take her own life by jumping into the river.

It was quite unexpected. No one had imagined such a small matter would blow up so badly, and even Lin Yuzhu had not expected Zhang Yanqiu to do something like that.

Lin Yuzhu had read so many novels. It was always the heroine who jumped into a river, reincarnated, and returned to punish scum. She had never seen a supporting female character jump into a river to kill herself.