Chapter 159: Suddenly Feeling an Itch in My Hands

A single sentence, light as air, caused the expressions of not just Li Cuihua, but everyone nearby, to shift instantly.

That accusation was absolute perfection!

Li Cuihua’s lips trembled. "Lin Jingyue, you are slandering me. That is not what I meant at all!"

"Lin Jingyue, stop spouting nonsense!" Zhao Hua’s heart skipped a beat as he stared at Lin Jingyue, a flicker of desperation crossing his eyes.

"Oh? Is that not what you meant?" Lin Jingyue crossed her arms, watching Li Cuihua with a leisurely air.

"Of course not. Didn't they just stand clearly divided? You say I’m undermining unity, but they are doing it even more!"

"..." Silence fell over the crowd.

Moments later, someone shifted, and the crowd surged together, leaving no gap between them at all.

The officials, teachers, and principals who had arrived carrying the test papers: "..."

The brigade leaders and party secretaries of the Kaoshan and Qingshan brigades, in particular, wore expressions that were difficult to describe.

Seeing the people behind her, Jiang Xun stifled a laugh and coughed lightly. He said softly to Lin Jingyue, "I’ll wait for you outside."

"Mhm, don't worry. Wait for my good news." Lin Jingyue was full of confidence.

"Good." Jiang Xun had full faith in her as well.

Someone, still dwelling on the earlier exchange, opened their mouth to make a snide remark, but upon turning back and seeing the group of officials, they immediately clamped their mouths shut.

"Comrades, I am the future principal of the primary school. My surname is Zheng, and I am in charge of this examination." Principal Zheng was a man in his forties, wearing a Zhongshan suit with two patches on it.

"These two are teachers from the commune primary school; they will be supervising the exam. Now, please enter the classroom in front of you. One person per desk, and begin the test."

Principal Zheng wore a smile, though his eyes remained impassive.

Everyone looked at each other, then filed into the classroom.

Lin Jingyue chose the classroom closest to her and sat at the very first desk.

As it happened, Principal Zheng was the one supervising this room. Seeing Lin Jingyue, he paused for a fraction of a second before walking to the podium as if nothing were amiss.

Outside the classroom, the Brigade Leader of Kaoshan laughed and looked at the Brigade Leader of Qingshan. "Your Cuihua’s temper... it really needs some adjusting."

Seeing the Qingshan Brigade Leader’s face darken, he felt a sense of schadenfreude, then continued, "But that little girl is quite fierce, too. If you ask me, you’re all too soft. If it were me..."

"If it were you, the position of brigade leader wouldn't have been held by a Tian for a long time," Secretary Sun retorted, rolling his eyes.

"You’re so capable? Then how did that mess happen last year?" He was referring to the incident with Xu Qingqing.

Brigade Leader Tian’s face turned black, and he redirected his fire at Secretary Sun. "Your family isn't any better. With a daughter-in-law like that—the village bicycle for ten miles around..."

Well, that hit a sore spot for the secretary, and his face turned ugly. "You old shameless bastard! Your family isn't without its own scandals; your wife just hasn't been caught yet..."

"You old brat, you’re full of crap!"

Oh my, the two of them started brawling without another word, leaving the two men beside them stunned.

The Qingshan Brigade Leader reacted the fastest; he surreptitiously picked up a stone from the ground and rushed over, hammering it against the seat of Brigade Leader Tian’s pants.

The Kaoshan Brigade Secretary watched, dumbfounded.

Leaning against the wall in a relaxed posture, Jiang Xun’s mouth twitched, and he covered his eyes.

Those taking the exam inside the classroom heard the commotion but were too afraid to go out and join the fray.

There was only one test paper, containing both math and Chinese. It wasn't actually difficult, provided one was accustomed to reading and studying. When some saw the paper, their eyes went wide.

Lin Jingyue picked up her pen and wrote feverishly, treating all sounds from outside as nothing more than passing clouds.

Furthermore, whenever she finished a section, she covered it with her hand, giving no one a chance to peek. Those sitting around her saw this and their mouths twitched in irritation.

Even the principal on the podium chuckled.

An hour later, Lin Jingyue put down her pen. After a quick check for errors, she stood up and submitted her paper.

"Young comrade, wouldn't you like to double-check? There is still time left." Principal Zheng inexplicably felt that a child taught by someone like her might hold some pleasant surprises.

Lin Jingyue smiled, confident. "I have already checked it."

With that, she walked out of the classroom.

Outside, the two brigade leaders and the two secretaries all bore varying degrees of injuries and dirt.

Lin Jingyue simply laughed and winked at Jiang Xun nearby.

"..."

Brigade Leader Tian huffed, but for some reason, he kept his mouth shut.

Grading the papers would take a day, and the results wouldn't be known until tomorrow, so Lin Jingyue and Jiang Xun left.

The next day, everyone gathered at the commune again.

Jiang Xun had brought Lin Jingyue over again that day. They had stopped for a bowl of noodles, so they arrived a bit late, only to find that everyone was looking at them with complex expressions.

Lin Jingyue didn't need to guess to know that her ranking must be near the top.

Sure enough, she saw her name at the very top, far ahead of the rest.

"You must have cheated!" Li Cuihua couldn't help herself and spoke up again.

She had been rational in the past, but when it came to Lin Jingyue, it was as if she were possessed; there was no logic left in her.

Lin Jingyue narrowed her eyes and stepped forward. Li Cuihua shrank back in fear, hiding behind Zhao Hua.

Zhao Hua: "..." I'm terrified too, damn it!

"Coward!" Lin Jingyue sneered with disdain.

Pathetic and still trying to provoke her—how cheap!

"I personally went to the county to retrieve these papers. No one but me knew the content, so there is no possibility of cheating," Principal Zheng said, glancing at Li Cuihua.

A day was enough for everyone to find out about Principal Zheng’s background.

He had been sent by the county primary school and had no connection to anyone there, making cheating impossible.

"Furthermore, Comrade Lin’s paper is displayed right next to the others. You can see for yourselves where the gap lies."

It wasn't just Lin Jingyue’s paper; the top ten papers were posted. The principal’s intention was for everyone to compare them.

Li Cuihua was left humiliated by Principal Zheng’s words and dared not say another word. Others who had held similar thoughts also blushed in secret.

"I’m not surprised at all that Lin Jingyue got this score. She always has a book in her hands; it would be a surprise if she didn't do well," Chen Chunlan remarked, curling her lip.

Once she spoke, others began to speak up for Lin Jingyue as well.

Aside from Zhao Hua, the only educated youths from the youth point who came to take the exam were Lin Jingyue, Chen Chunlan, and Xie Wenjuan.

Zhang Shuting and Feng Wanjia had the self-awareness to stay away.

They had just arrived in the countryside; there were no opportunities for them. Even if they passed the exam, they wouldn't be able to get past the brigade headquarters—it was unfair.

"You really are a disgrace to your father," Lin Jingyue said, glancing at Li Cuihua coolly.

She rubbed her fingers, feeling a sudden itch in her palms.