Chapter 16: Falling into the River

Seeing that Lin Xinrou and her brother were so furious their heads seemed to be steaming, Zhou Yan gave Lin Jingyue a thumbs up—amazing. Lin Jingyue arched her brow, her eyes saying, "That was nothing!" She wasn't joking; Lin Xinrou's suffering was precisely her delight, and she truly ate an extra half bowl of rice.

After the meal, Zhou Yan took the initiative to wash the dishes, leaving Lin Jingyue free for once.

The next day, they rose early again, went to work, bantered with the older women, and time flew by. In the blink of an eye, Lin Jingyue and her companions had been here for about a week.

Lin Xinrou and the others were barely adjusting to the work, still unable to finish their tasks despite their exhaustion, but it was better than when they first arrived. The main source of their anxiety was the lack of news from home.

"The secretary's son is back to visit, and his wife is about to show off again," Lin Jingyue overheard Aunt Hua and Aunt Liu gossiping one day.

Yes, Aunt Liu—the two had fought just days ago, but soon reconciled, much to Lin Jingyue's surprise.

"Well, it's all because she has a good son," Aunt Hua sneered, refusing to admit any envy.

"I heard the secretary's son came back this time to look for a match. Wonder which girl he's interested in. Speaking of which, Dahua, how's your Ergou's matchmaking coming along?" Aunt Liu asked, glancing at Lin Jingyue, who was fanning herself with a straw hat.

This girl was odd; despite working in the fields every day under the sun, she hadn't darkened—in fact, she seemed even paler.

Lin Jingyue pricked up her ears.

Ergou hadn't appeared since Aunt Hua scolded him that day; they’d changed fields a few times and never crossed paths.

"It's going well, they'll settle things in a couple of days," Aunt Hua replied with a smile, relieved. She definitely didn't want her son marrying an educated youth—even if they were strong, they were always shirking proper work, scheming and lazy.

"That's good; rural girls are reliable. Some people, pretty as they may be, are useless for daily life," Aunt Liu said, casting another pointed look at Lin Jingyue.

The implication was clear.

Lin Jingyue tossed her hoe aside, hands on her hips, taking charge, "Aunt Liu, what are you saying? Say it again!"

"I'm talking about you—so what? All brawn, but you don't work properly, always slacking off..."

"Hey, what does my work have to do with you? I earn six work points a day, one of the top at the educated youth station. My work points are more than enough to support myself. Why should you meddle?"

"Besides, I don't have a big family to feed, nor anyone loafing around waiting for a handout!"

She said it without a hint of embarrassment.

Aunt Liu was livid, "Who are you calling a freeloader? Who's loafing around? You brat, daring to insult my son—I'll tear your mouth apart!"

She rolled up her sleeves and charged at Lin Jingyue.

Everyone knew Aunt Liu's three daughters worked themselves to the bone in the fields, earning work points to support a lazy son. Yet that son was her pride and joy!

"Pah, you think I'm afraid? Bring it on," Lin Jingyue shot back, rolling up her sleeves and rushing forward.

"Hey, what are you two fighting for? There's trouble over there," a new voice piped up from the ridge, an old woman brimming with excitement. "Come quick, come see—two educated youths have fallen in the river!"

Damn! That was "trouble"?

Lin Jingyue's eyes widened—wasn't this a matter of life and death?

Aunt Hua and Aunt Liu were even more excited than she was, tossing their hoes and scrambling up the ridge with nimble hands and feet.

There were plenty of spectators. Their plot wasn't far from the river, so in a few minutes, they arrived to find a crowd already gathered.

"They've been pulled out," someone shouted, "Looks like they're not breathing."

Everyone grew anxious; fighting was normal, but a fatal accident was serious. Many spectators instinctively stepped back, afraid of getting involved.

"What happened?" Lin Jingyue asked, her expression grim, turning to Xia Nan, who was also working nearby.

Chen Chunlan, standing beside Xia Nan, looked even more troubled. "What happened? Your dear sister pushed someone in."

"Chen, educated youth!" Xia Nan frowned. "If you hadn't fought with Lin Xinrou, she wouldn't have knocked Wang into the river."

She didn't like Lin Xinrou, but wouldn't lie outright. The culprit today was Chen Chunlan.

"You're lying!"

"You know perfectly well I'm not, and others saw it too."

Chen Chunlan was silenced.

"Who was it?" Lin Jingyue looked at the man beside her, clad in a military uniform, about twenty-three or twenty-four, with a crew cut, bronzed skin, muscular build, and sharp features.

A soldier.

"He pulled Lin Xinrou and Wang out of the river, one in each hand," Xia Nan whispered.

"Oh my, Sun Dalang, was it you who saved them?" Aunt Hua slapped her thigh, face alight with excitement.

Lin Jingyue and the others were confused.

Sun Zhiyuan nodded, upright and composed, but said nothing, continuing to administer CPR to the unconscious Wang Xueping.

Nearby, Lin Xinrou had already regained consciousness, her face pale, eyes filled with terror and grievance, as fragile as a trembling flower in the wind.

Lin Jingyue's gaze sharpened. Lin Xinrou could swim—so why had she choked? Was it deliberate?

"Oh my, Sun Dalang, you're touching and pressing Wang right on her chest—how will she ever get married?" Aunt Liu's eyes glinted mischievously.

The crowd was instantly abuzz—right, Sun Dalang had touched Wang all over.

"And what about little Lin, maybe she was touched in the water too."

"That's serious, Sun Dalang could be charged as a hooligan!"

"The secretary's family is in trouble now!"

Just then, an angry shout rang out, "Nonsense! My Dalang was saving lives, that's heroic. What do you people know, always gossiping—shut your foul mouths!"

The crowd parted to let Sun's wife, hands on her hips, storm through, flanked by the brigade leader and the secretary, both with grim faces.

"Son, what happened..." Sun's wife was frantic; what would happen if this got out?

Suddenly, Wang Xueping coughed up water and began to breathe.

She opened her eyes, first flashing caution, then confusion.

That look...

Lin Jingyue arched her brow. Wang Xueping at the educated youth station had always seemed naïve, easily manipulated for favors, with others secretly calling her a fool. But now...

"Wang, you’re awake. Sun Dalang was all over your chest just now," Aunt Liu stirred the pot, eager for chaos.

She despised Sun's wife the most.

Sun Dalang was supposed to marry a town girl—why? Let him wed an educated youth instead.

Even better, if that educated youth ran back to the city and dumped Sun Dalang, Sun's wife would lose her pride for good.