Misplaced Devotion

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Lin Yuzhu, on the other hand, remained much calmer.

The aunties asked her whether Zhang the Widow really had sounded that slutty when she called out.

After a moment of silence, Lin Yuzhu shook her head. "I don't know, Auntie. Why don't you demonstrate what sounding slutty is like for us, so we'll have something to compare it to?"

What did "slutty" even mean?

The auntie was speechless.

Only after those aunties failed to get any entertainment from her did Lin Yuzhu finally find some peace and quiet.

Watching the older women still discussing things with great enthusiasm, Lin Yuzhu secretly shook her head. Zhang the Widow probably would never be able to hold her head up in this village again.

Zhang the Widow and Li Erhe had been beaten half to death the night before. Only after everyone dispersed did their respective families dare carry them home.

Lin Erhe's family had long since split up, and his elders were already gone. It could be said that the scandal he caused did not implicate many people; only his own family would be unable to hold their heads up.

Still, he was the main pillar of his household, so naturally someone took care of him. Afterward, his family carried him home.

Zhang the Widow was different. She had not split from the family and had a youngest son who was only ten this year. A child that young could not handle anything. She was dragged home by her two sisters-in-law, and once there, she was thrown into the courtyard and left to fend for herself.

Would the Zhang Family hire a doctor for her?

That was impossible. The old man and old woman of the Zhang Family wished she would hurry up and die, so she would stop disgracing them while alive.

As for Lin Yuzhu's feelings toward Zhang the Widow and Li Erhe, she neither mocked nor sympathized with them. She only felt sorry for the lives they would lead from now on.

In an era like this, getting beaten by one's family might originally have been the end of it. But now they had been beaten by the entire village. Did they think that was all?

No. Whenever the village needed examples to crack down on bad morals, they would be dragged out and paraded around. It could be said that over the next few years, their lives would have no dignity left at all. So they were somewhat pitiful—but they had chosen this road themselves, and even on their knees, they would have to keep walking it.

Lin Yuzhu had not expected Auntie Li Si to be so petty. She had not even taken the two eggs.

She was still holding a grudge over what happened that day, so Lin Yuzhu paid a little more attention to Auntie Li Si. It was not that she planned to retaliate; she simply wanted to learn about Auntie Li Si's family members and stay alert, so she would not remain clueless if someone plotted against her.

Once she asked around, she found that the whole family was truly awful. From Deadbeat Li down to his daughter and sons, not one of them was a good person.

The only promising one was their youngest son, who was said to have joined the army. No one knew what his character was like, though perhaps a good hawk really could come from a bamboo thicket.

Time flew by. The villagers seemed to have forgotten Zhang the Widow and Li Erhe, all of them busily rushing to bring in the harvest. The village elders predicted an incoming storm, followed by a rainy season. The rainy season would last at least forty-five days, and with bad luck, it could rain on and off for half a month. If they did not harvest quickly, the grain might rot in the fields.

And so, Lin Yuzhu entered a true nightmare.

Ever since the harvesting began, Lin Yuzhu felt as if her waist no longer belonged to her, and neither did her mind.

She only knew to swing her sickle, cutting the wheat one stroke at a time as she moved forward. Sweat ran into her eyes, and she could only wipe it roughly with her sleeve. Her neck was covered in wheat chaff, making her skin itch and sting, but she had no time to deal with it. If she slowed down even a little, the people behind her picking up fallen ears of wheat would urge her on.

Several times, her sickle nearly cut her leg. That was even though she had been careful, careful, and more careful!

During this time, she heard shouting in the distance. Later, she learned that someone had cut their leg with a sickle, bleeding all over the ground. The village chief sent someone to apply the prepared plant ash, and only then did the bleeding stop.

Lin Yuzhu's hand trembled as she heard that, and she became even more careful while cutting wheat.

When the Summer Palace bell rang, Lin Yuzhu slowly straightened up, baring her teeth as pain shot through her back. That soreness was something else.

On the way back, Lin Yuzhu still saw endless fields of wheat swaying before her eyes. That morning had exhausted her terribly.

Only after returning to the Educated Youth Dormitory did she learn that the person whose leg had been cut by a sickle that morning was Zhang Yanqiu. Wang Xiaomei winked at her from the side, her face full of gloating, and Lin Yuzhu did not know what to say.

Was this Zhang Yanqiu's tragic fate as cannon fodder?

To be honest, Lin Yuzhu felt that after Zhang Yanqiu came to the countryside, she had not spent a single day living smoothly. Everyone was exhausted right now, and no one took the initiative to show concern for her. Lin Yuzhu's relationship with her was only so-so, and after hearing she was injured, she had no plans to visit her.

With Zhao Xianglan nearby, even good intentions could be twisted into something bad. Lin Yuzhu did not want to waste the energy.

Wang Xiaomei let her imagination run wild and decided that Lin Yuzhu was loyal. Because they were close, Lin Yuzhu was not going to the front courtyard to visit Zhang Yanqiu.

Watching the three of them return to the back courtyard, Zhao Xianglan entered the room and immediately started gossiping with Zhang Yanqiu. "They know you're hurt, yet those people in the back courtyard showed no reaction at all. Never mind Wang Xiaomei, but those other two came here with you. They should at least look out for one another."

"Look at them. They do not even care about keeping up appearances now. Sigh."

After saying that, she kept shaking her head, looking as though she felt it was not worth it for Zhang Yanqiu.

Zhang Yanqiu lay on the kang bed, pale and weak, her eyes red with hatred. She said sharply, "They're all living comfortably. Why would they care about me? Are they afraid I'll cling to them?"

And indeed, regardless of their reasons, all three of them really were afraid she would cling to them.

A trace of smug satisfaction flashed in Zhao Xianglan's eyes. "Oh, don't overthink it. Maybe they're still young and don't understand how people should treat each other."

"They were probably all spoiled rotten by their families growing up."

Naturally, those words did not include Wang Xiaomei.

Sure enough, Zhao Xianglan saw intense jealousy flash through Zhang Yanqiu's eyes, and she felt extremely pleased.

See? She was not the only one jealous of them. With how ostentatious they were, how could they possibly avoid making others jealous?

Who told them to love showing off so much? Building houses, buying meat, eating refined grain every meal.

Especially the expressions Li Xiangwan and Lin Yuzhu wore whenever they ate coarse grain, as if they were terrified people would not know they were not used to it.

What were they putting on airs for?

Were they the only ones with family support? Were they the only ones with money? Was that why they looked down on everyone and wanted to move out to live by themselves?

Hmph!

Why were they all female Educated Youths, yet she alone had to suffer?

Whenever Zhao Xianglan thought that Zhang Yanqiu resented them even more than she did, that someone's heart was even more bitter than hers, she felt indescribably delighted.

Zhao Xianglan quietly watched Zhang Yanqiu, thinking that it would be wonderful if this fool could do something satisfying. Wasn't Li Xiangwan only living comfortably because she seduced men?

Pah!

Zhang Yanqiu spoke through clenched teeth.

On the day Li Xiangwan moved, she saw Brother Xiangbei carrying a bag over to her place.

When he came back to the Educated Youth Dormitory to pack up his things, she accidentally saw Li Xiangbei's bag. It was filled with ration coupons and money.

At the thought that this whole bag of coupons and money had been given to Li Xiangwan, her heart twisted like it was on fire. She wanted to rush out and tear apart Li Xiangwan's seductive, fox-like face and see how she could keep seducing people then!

If it were not for her, would Brother Xiang Wei belong to her instead?

Dong Mimi, who had been working in the kitchen, ran into the room and asked curiously.

"Who seduced a man?"

"Li Xiangwan or Lin Yuzhu?"

"It can't be Wang Xiaomei, can it?"

Zhao Xianglan smiled awkwardly and explained.

"Hmph, who else could it be? The prettiest of those three, of course!"

"With Wang Xiaomei's short, stubby build, she wants to hook up with someone? Dream on!"

Zhang Yanqiu spoke with a mocking expression, her eyes full of venom mixed with a hint of madness.

Dong Mimi did not know about the conflict between Zhang Yanqiu and Wang Xiaomei, nor could she be bothered to learn about their relationship. She only knew that the seductive vixen Zhang Yanqiu was talking about was undoubtedly Li Xiangwan.

Her thoughts immediately became animated. If Li Xiangbei learned that Li Xiangwan was fickle and promiscuous, would her sister still have a chance?

"Who did she seduce?"

Dong Mimi seemed genuinely curious as she asked casually.

Zhang Yanqiu fell silent.

Dong Mimi grew anxious and pressed impatiently, "Oh, say something!"

"You stopped halfway through. You're making people itch with curiosity."

Zhao Xianglan watched the two coldly. She had long understood what they were thinking, and she could not help but feel delighted.

Li Xiangbei really was a hot commodity. One after another, they all wanted to throw themselves at him.

What was so great about him? In Zhao Xianglan's eyes, that person was far better.

Thinking of the person in her heart, Zhao Xianglan's gaze drifted toward the door.

She happened to see Zhou Nan sitting in the courtyard reading a newspaper.

Zhao Xianglan's eyes grew dreamy as she thought how beautiful she was. Even sitting there quietly with a newspaper in hand, she was so captivating.

She seemed to love reading books and newspapers. She must be very talented with words.

It was a pity she did not like talking. From the time she arrived until now, they had barely exchanged a few words. At that thought, Zhao Xianglan smiled again. The other female Educated Youths could not even get a word out of her. She was already far better off than them.

While Zhao Xianglan was lost in thought, Zhang Yanqiu suddenly spoke in a low voice. "Wang Yang's family seems quite wealthy. I saw them privately... Ah, never mind. Maybe I really saw it wrong."

Dong Mimi naturally knew what Wang Yang's family circumstances were like. They had all grown up in the same large courtyard at the front of their alley, so she knew him well.

Originally, her sister had planned to go after Wang Yang if Li Xiangwei did not work out. Hearing this, Dong Mimi narrowed her eyes. Li Xiangwan really had a clever plan. Did she even have the ability to pull it off? Did Brother Xiangbei know?

"Sigh, such sincere feelings given to the wrong person. I never thought Sister Xiangwan was that kind of person."

After saying that, Dong Mimi shook her head, looking as though she deeply regretted it for Li Xiangbei.

Zhang Yanqiu lowered her lashes, which trembled slightly, and said painfully, "Brother Xiangbei really did choose the wrong person."

Zhao Xianglan laughed without restraint as she quietly watched the two of them. They really were so adorable.

After hearing the gossip, Dong Mimi hurried to the vegetable garden behind the house. Dong Tiantian was picking beans beneath the bean trellis, so Dong Mimi quickly slipped inside. The trellis was nearly as tall as a person; once inside, people outside could not see her, and she could not see outside either.

That way, when she said certain things, it would not seem like she had come specifically to pass on the message.