Novelfun: The 70s Villainess Just Wants Peace v1

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1: Chapter 1: Transmigrating to the 1970s, Don't Run Away, You Trash!

"Ah!"

A miserable scream echoed throughout the entire amusement park.

Yang Mumu had already entered "free flight" mode from the pendulum ride.

Pulled by gravity, she landed in the river not far away with a "thud," splashing up a huge spray of water.

The suffocating pain in her lungs and heart rushed over her.

In the moment she struggled helplessly in the water, the river completely submerged Yang Mumu.

The "long" minute she had just experienced flashed through her mind repeatedly, and all she wanted to do was curse.

The dog company was inhumane; not only did they hold team-building on a weekend, but she also had to accompany the thrill-seeking Party A "Dad" to ride the pendulum.

Now look, the pendulum just had to malfunction, and it was going to cost her her life!

It was a pity for the 400,000 she had desperately saved up over these years! It was a waste for the bank!!

Heavens, this believer is willing to trade the dog leader's assets for a chance to live.

If she could survive today, she would absolutely charge at the leader when she got back. Who would suffer that kind of torture? Going crazy, she must go crazy!

As this consciousness shifted, Yang Mumu landed on the riverbed, her hand brushing against something sharp.

With that scratch, Yang Mumu lost her last breath, spat out a large bubble, and kicked the bucket!

A dark light flashed across the riverbed!

The end!

* * *

May 1974, C City, Sichuan Province, in a small courtyard near the Machinery Factory.

The person lying on the bed twitched her brows. The next moment, she snapped her eyes open, crawled to the bedside, dragged out a chamber pot, and started vomiting.

"Ugh!"

After Yang Mumu finished vomiting the contents of her stomach, she felt much better.

She leaned against the bed, reached out to pick up the bowl of water on the nightstand to rinse her mouth. Just as her lips touched the rim of the bowl, various fragmented images flashed through her mind.

They were so fast she couldn't grasp them, finally freezing on a scene of a woman handing her a bowl of water, and then she fell down after drinking it.

Damn it, was it poisoned?

Yang Mumu was so scared she slammed on the emergency brakes, quickly threw down the bowl, spat out the water, and raised her hand to vigorously wipe the lips that had touched the rim.

Her other hand pressed against her suddenly aching head. Her eyes stared again and again at the portrait of the Great Man hanging on the wall in front of her, then saw the large year on the calendar hanging below the portrait. She was both shocked and delighted.

Oh my god!

Had the transmigration package, this heaven-sent wealth, finally come to her, a working dog?

Haha, were the dog leader's assets that effective? Heavens actually heard her prayer and left her a life.

Yang Mumu's face was almost broken from smiling. Joyfully, she knelt on the bed, looked up at the ceiling, and put her hands together to pray devoutly.

Thinking of the protagonists in the short dramas and novels she had read, they all had Golden Fingers.

She shamelessly made a wish again: "Heavens, Golden Sponsor Mom and Dad, Grandparents, can you give your dear daughter some Golden Fingers?"

"One or two isn't too little, three or four isn't too many, you decide."

As soon as the thought fell, those images she couldn't grasp earlier poured directly into her brain, giving her an epiphany.

Yang Mumu sat on the bed, sorting through the memories of the original owner in her mind, focusing on finding information related to this bowl of water on the nightstand.

Hmm? It seemed she had received the script of a poor, pitiful girl schemed against by everyone.

The original owner was 18 this year, graduated for one year, worked for one year.

Not only did she share the same name, but her background was equally bad. She was an orphan, while the original owner had a dead mother, a missing father, leaving behind a broken her, a hypocritical second uncle, a white lotus stepmother, and that green tea stepsister, and the pretentious scum.

One month after her father, an engineer at the Machinery Factory, had an accident, these people who pretended to be kind revealed their true colors, eyeing the original owner's property, job, and this person.

Her fiancé, engaged since childhood, and her stepsister were messing around behind her back.

And the bowl of water that flashed in her memory just now was the work of this scum, her stepsister, and her stepmother. The scum provided the drug, the stepsister secretly drugged it, and the stepmother was responsible for planning and follow-up arrangements. The person who came up with the idea was the second uncle hiding in the background.

This was to achieve the goal of catching her in the act, holding leverage to threaten the original owner, making her obediently listen, break off the engagement, seize her house, money, and job, and then take the stepsister's engagement and replace her for going to the countryside, etc.

This was all heard by the original owner herself from the stepsister and stepmother before she fell into a coma.

Once she succeeded here, the stepmother would bring the scum's mother over to catch them in the act and threaten her, then each would do their own thing.

Heh, what a great show!

"Yang Mumu, this little bitch, I'll leave her to you, Brother Wu. Hehe, this is a whip made of cowhide, a gift from me to you. Take it too!"

A lewd voice suddenly sounded outside the door, interrupting Yang Mumu's train of thought, and the memories in her mind instantly awakened and merged.

This was the voice of the original owner's engaged scum fiancé, Zhao Yitian!

"Haha, you're a good brother. Just don't forget our agreement."

Finding the hooligan Wu Erliu to rape the original owner?

Yang Mumu's eyes were cold. She quickly picked up the iron flashlight placed by the pillow, got off the bed, crouched down, walked to the door, and pricked up her ears to listen carefully.

"Understood, understood. As long as it's done, there will be no shortage of benefits for you, Brother Wu. The scrap iron and residue in our factory will all be yours. Oh, that's right, there's a bowl of... hehe... that water on the nightstand inside. See if you want to use it, brother. It's guaranteed to work~"

Yang Mumu looked at that bowl of water, gritting her back teeth.

Very good, the preparations were quite complete!

"Alright, alright, hurry up and go. Come back at the agreed time, don't drop the chain."

Wu Erliu rubbed his hands and urged, with unstoppable laughter and impatience in his sharp voice.

"Alright, alright, we won't disturb Brother Wu's good deed."

Yang Mumu behind the door saw through the door crack that the scum fiancé pulled her stepsister and walked out of the house, thoughtfully closing the main door.

And the door handle of her room began to turn. Yang Mumu tightened her grip on the flashlight, a sneer hanging on her face.

This group of people was targeting her, a young girl, to scheme against, right? Then they should all stay, don't leave.

Tell the Heavens, she was only a bit cowardly in front of the Golden Sponsor, but she wasn't cowardly at other times!

Her great strength and high combat power weren't fake. She was undefeated in the orphanage, and when she worked part-time at the martial arts gym, she was the top master.

"Hehe, little Mumu, where are you? Brother is here to love you!"

With a creak, the door opened, and the sharp-mouthed, monkey-cheeked Wu Erliu walked in with a lewd smile on his face.

Yang Mumu raised the flashlight and knocked it on the back of Wu Erliu's head, closed the door behind her, and kicked him hard in the back.

Wu Erliu lay on the ground, wailing in pain.

Yang Mumu moved quickly, stepped hard on his back with one foot, tucked the flashlight into her waistband, grabbed his head and pulled it back, stuffed a table rag into his mouth, slapped him a few times, then picked up the leather whip that had fallen on the ground, and whipped him without hesitation, especially taking care of a certain place.

"Woo woo woo—" Wu Erliu curled his legs and covered his crotch, rolling in pain.

Outside the main door, the two people listening with their ears pressed against it heard the muffled human sounds and the sound of the whip hitting flesh coming from inside. Both of them wore the same satisfied, villainous smiles on their faces.

"Did you hear that? It's quite intense inside. It's done. When the time comes, we'll come over to catch them in the act. From now on, Yang Mumu will only be able to obediently listen to our arrangements, and we two can be happily together. And all of this will be yours. Qianqian, you won't have to suffer her bullying anymore, and you can even make her atone for her sins. How great!"

Zhao Yitian leaned over and kissed the person beside him, hugged her shoulders and pulled her into his arms. Yang Qianqian also leaned over, covered her mouth and laughed shyly. The moment she lowered her head, a vicious smile flashed in her eyes, but she spoke softly and coquettishly.

"It's still you who treats me best, Yitian brother. But Mumu is my sister after all. After she goes to the countryside, let's prepare something for her, and give my doll-marriage object to her. This way she can live a good life, we can't let her suffer."

Zhao Yitian hugged her tighter, feeling heartbroken: "Qianqian, how can you be so good? She's already damaged goods, and you're still thinking about her future. My good Qianqian, it's lucky I met you in this life. Let's go~"

Yang Mumu's fists hardened even more. She opened the main door and swung the whip at the two people hugging each other. Then she grabbed both of them into the room, closed the door, and started punching and kicking, serving them with the little leather whip.

"Go where? You aren't going anywhere once you've arrived. Two little villains from the gutter here pretending to be noble, good people. One is pretending to be a 'green tea' bitch, the other is acting out a scum character. You really are a match made in heaven, you bitches. How dare you disgust me, how dare you harm me!"

2: Chapter 2: Abusing the Scum, the Cheat Code Arrives

The two were beaten and howling. When they came to their senses and saw Yang Mumu, they screamed in terror simultaneously.

"Ah—Yang Mumu, why are you standing here?"

"Ow, stop... How dare you hit me! You've grown bold!"

"Ha, I've already hit you. You two idiots just love asking the obvious."

"The things in my hands are what you brought yourselves. See how good I am to you? I'm personally serving you. You should be thanking me."

Yang Mumu kicked them over without mercy. Hearing their pleas for mercy only made her beat them more fiercely.

"Wuwuwu—"

Finally, she gagged them, tied them up, and threw them into the next room—Yang Qianqian's room.

Then she dragged Wu Erliu, who was in her own room, over and threw him in with them.

Wu Erliu weakly opened his eyes and saw the two also tied up and thrown on the ground, barely alive. A hint of joy flickered in his heart, and he closed his eyes in satisfaction.

At least he wasn't alone!

Yang Mumu picked up the bowl of water from her bedside table, glanced at the water, then looked at the three lying on the floor.

"Since you've prepared everything, it would be a waste not to use it. You must thoroughly enjoy the fruits of your own labor."

She pried open their mouths, pinched their chins, and poured the water into each of them one by one.

One bowl of water, evenly divided, not a drop wasted.

As soon as it went down, the rascal beside her began to squirm.

"Damn, that fast!"

Yang Mumu quickly untied the ropes on the three, tossed them one by one onto Yang Qianqian's bed, piling them up.

Finally, she returned the tools she had picked up to them, letting them use each other again.

The trap they set for the original owner—now you get to taste it yourselves.

Seeing all three moving, Yang Mumu closed the door and locked them all in.

Ha, a triple fold—no matter how you fold it, it's always a win.

While waiting for her stepmother to arrive, she returned to her own room. Seeing the face in the mirror that was exactly like her own, she was overjoyed.

Not to be narcissistic, but what she was most satisfied with was her face, and of course her height of 170 cm—bright features, tall figure. Simply put, fair skin, beauty, and long legs. The original owner had the same face and figure as her.

After the excitement, Yang Mumu sat aside and continued to sort through the information in her mind.

But the more she sorted, the more something felt off. The original owner's experiences and background seemed strangely familiar.

She pressed her temples, forcing herself to follow the memories of her two lives. Suddenly, her mind cleared, and she grasped the key point.

Holy crap!

No wonder the original owner looked exactly like her.

It seemed she had transmigrated into a book—a period novel written by a male colleague who had confessed to her and been rejected. She herself was the prototype for the character.

Thinking about it made her angry. That male colleague confessed to her, and after being rejected, he shamelessly pestered her. When she exposed that he had multiple lovers, he became furious and wrote her into his novel.

Yang Mumu only learned about this book through a friend at work. From the author's notes, she deduced that the vicious female supporting character with the same name was written based on her.

Write if you want, but he turned her into a brainless vicious female supporting character who loves the male lead. And the male lead's name was the same as that idiot's name.

She was obsessed with him, fought for him against everyone and everything, did all kinds of evil deeds, and went further down the path of being vicious to others while fawning over him. She enriched the male lead but ruined herself, making everyone despise her. Even stray dogs would bark and pee on her in disgust.

Damn! The idiotic content in that book is not worth mentioning now!

And what she was experiencing now was exactly what was written in the original book's extra chapter about the vicious female supporting character before she went to the countryside.

In the book, Yang Mumu was caught in bed, completely controlled by her stepmother and the others. They succeeded in everything, and she had to go to the countryside in disgrace, eager to marry her stepsister's betrothed—the male lead himself.

This extra chapter was written to make readers feel sorry for the male lead and curse the vicious female supporting character.

When she first read it, she almost had a heart attack. That very night, she grabbed a stick and a sack, stalked the scumbag who was returning from a nightclub, and in a secluded corner, she covered him with the sack and beat him up. Not satisfied, she continued to ambush and beat him every chance she got for a whole month.

If she had known today would come, she would have chased and beaten him for at least two more years. If she ever sees him again, he's her enemy!

Yang Mumu rubbed her face. In a daze, she seemed to see a flash of light on her right wrist, fleeting.

She brought her hand closer and rubbed the spot where the light appeared. This rubbing revealed a two-centimeter-long, diamond-shaped blue stone, glowing with a halo. Its structure resembled a blue diamond, but she couldn't identify the exact type.

Yang Mumu suddenly remembered that when she died, she had felt a prick on her hand and something entering her body. Was this that thing?

She became excited. Could this be the Golden Finger that heaven had given her?

Since it had followed her here, it must already be bound. She probably didn't need to prick her finger for blood again.

With that thought, Yang Mumu held the blue stone and focused her mind. When she opened her eyes, she was in a strange place, and she had a concept of this place in her mind.

This was a space, not large—only 2000 square meters. In the middle stood a 500-square-meter blue-brick tiled house. The surrounding land could be cultivated. With a thought, she realized she was standing in the courtyard.

That was all the information in her mind. After that, there was just an ellipsis.

Did this mean infinite possibilities?

Yang Mumu felt a bit of anticipation and eagerly walked toward the main house. When she opened the door, she saw a machine that looked like a vending machine in the middle of the room. Curious, she ran over to check it out.

But the top part wasn't stocked with goods; instead, there was a screen displaying a lucky wheel.

As soon as she touched the wheel, she smiled. The 400,000 yuan she had saved by scrimping and saving hadn't gone to the bank—it had turned into her Golden Finger and come with her.

This lucky wheel was a mobile blind box resource library. She could spin the wheel to draw different supplies, and the cost per draw was her savings: one yuan per draw. Her savings were enough for 400,000 draws. There was no daily limit; as long as there was money in the account, she could draw as much as she wanted. The items drawn would definitely be worth the price.

Each spin had six slots, each with a different item. There were no empty slots, but after drawing three slots, the wheel would randomly refresh, and so on.

This meant that three slots' items would be missed, and whether they would appear next time was uncertain, adding a bit of excitement.

That's fine. It's better than refreshing after every draw. 400,000 draws will last a long time. Yang Mumu could accept that.

Of course, what if the money runs out? No worries. The wheel could also switch to a recycling machine. Valuable items could be recycled back into money and deposited into the account, creating a sustainable cycle.

She was content!

Yang Mumu was ecstatic. She knelt down and bowed to the sky again. From now on, she was Heaven's loyal follower. Whoever curses Heaven, she'll curse them.

After bowing, Yang Mumu stood up and looked at the lucky wheel. She tapped it, and the six slots lit up, revealing the six items for this round.

3: Chapter 3 The Diligent Triple Fold

"One steamer of large buns/6 pieces, one umbrella, one 8-jin cotton quilt, one Seagull brand camera, 10 rolls of film, 5 jin of rice."

Yang Mumu's eyes went wide.

"This isn't just getting your money's worth; this is an absolute steal! One yuan is a massive profit. Let's do it!"

She reached out to start the first draw, staring fixedly at the pointer on the lucky wheel as it spun, feeling a bit nervous.

She wanted every single item on there; they were all good. Of course, she preferred the items with the best value.

The pointer on the lucky wheel landed on the large buns. Yang Mumu excitedly crouched down and looked at the output slot below; there was actually something there.

With a thud, a steamer of buns was delivered into her hands. Feeling the warmth, she was pleasantly surprised. She couldn't wait to lift the lid of the steamer; the buns inside were still piping hot.

She took out a bun and took a bite, her eyes lighting up with delight.

"It's real, and it's a cabbage and pork bun! It actually tastes pretty good. Not bad, not bad at all. I can even keep the steamer to use."

Now, Yang Mumu completely believed it. This resource library was real, her Golden Finger was nice, and it truly held infinite possibilities.

Her stomach happened to be very empty, so Yang Mumu ate the bun while continuing to draw prizes.

This time, she drew 10 rolls of film.

At this moment, Yang Mumu's heart tightened. There was only one chance left, and the items in this round would be updated. She had to draw the camera to maximize her gains.

The moment she saw the camera, she had already thought of a great plan to deal with those scumbags who coveted her belongings.

"Oh Heavens, my generous benefactor, please bless me to draw the camera."

After finishing her prayer, she spun the lucky wheel.

The pointer landed on the camera.

"Ah! Heavens, from now on, you are my god!"

Yang Mumu excitedly picked up the camera. It was a model produced this year, perfectly usable. She then took out the film she had just drawn and saw that it was exactly the right specification for her camera.

She put the film into the camera and tried taking a picture of herself. Hey, it actually worked! The only thing was that she would need to develop the film.

Thinking of this, Yang Mumu spent a large sum—nine yuan—to spin nine consecutive times.

The first eight times: 5 jin of flour, 5 jin of fruit candies, 1 jin of brown sugar, 2 cotton quilts, 1 bag of malted milk, 1 bag of milk powder, 4 chicks (two hens and two roosters), and a retractable rolling pin.

Finally, on the last turn, she drew a film developing kit.

She opened it up and saw that it had everything, including an instruction manual for developing film, which listed exactly how to develop it and how to use the tools.

This was great; everything was complete at once.

Just as Yang Mumu was preparing to learn how to use it, the commotion outside the space caught her attention. Through the screen of the lucky wheel, she saw two people standing at the main gate.

The scumbag's mother, Zhang Cuilan, cursed in a low voice: "This unreliable brat, it's already time and he still hasn't come over to call us. Once I see them, I'll definitely grab him and give him a piece of my mind."

The stepmother, Li Yuhua, opened the door and shook her head, saying: "Forget it. Whether they call us or not, or are here or not, it's all the same. In any case, nothing can go wrong on Yang Mumu's end; I saw her collapse myself. We need to focus on the important business now. The notification for going to the countryside will arrive in a few days. We must finalize everything today. You handle the marriage annulment, and I'll handle my family's affairs."

Zhang Cuilan nodded, her eyes fierce and determined. She had to help her son annul the marriage today. The deputy factory director's daughter was still waiting for her son. However, this marriage had been brokered by the director of their Machinery Factory. To avoid affecting her son's and husband's promotions, the marriage had to be annulled due to reasons on Yang Mumu's side.

"Yang Mumu, don't blame us for being heartless. Who told you to become an orphan? Let's go, inside!"

Heh, they're finally here. The show is about to begin.

Since she was full, it was time to move around. She also needed to finalize things today. None of them would escape; they had to reap what they sowed.

A cold smirk curled on Yang Mumu's lips. She put down the empty steamer, used a thought to move the four chicks from the room to the lawn outside the courtyard, and then exited the space herself.

Having seen the two walk into the courtyard through the lucky wheel, she watched them head straight toward her room, but they stopped under the eaves when they heard a loud commotion coming from the room next door.

Li Yuhua looked at her own daughter's room with a puzzled expression, but then comforted herself. This would only make it easier to accuse that little bitch Yang Mumu of being shameless and having an affair in her sister's room.

She pulled Zhang Cuilan and walked toward the room next door with a chuckle: "Over here, listen to how intense it is. It's time for us to make our entrance!"

"What a loose, cheap slut. She acts all high and mighty, but the moment she sees a man, she's like this. She's not worthy of my son at all. Pfft!"

Zhang Cuilan's eyes were full of disgust. Her son should be with the deputy factory director's daughter.

"Exactly!"

Li Yuhua smiled meaningfully and pushed open the door. Zhang Cuilan, wearing a smile, leaned in to push it as well.

Yang Mumu stepped out of her room, took out the camera, and snapped two pictures of them.

The two smiling women walked into the room, but upon seeing the scene inside and the people involved, the smiles on their faces froze, and they screamed in terror.

"Ah——"

Yang Mumu used the fastest speed to hold the camera and rush to the door of the room next door to take pictures. She took several group photos of the five of them, then several photos of that passionate and energetic three-fold, and finally, she took close-ups of each person's face and close-ups of the group's private parts.

For the first time, she experienced the excitement of being a photographer. With such great material, her hands couldn't stop taking pictures!

The two women, stunned, finally snapped out of it and went to pull the people apart. While they were struggling to separate them, Yang Mumu had already walked in swaggering with the camera and taken a few more pictures.

"Yo, are you all having a party here? Oh my god, are those on the bed my dear stepsister and fiancé? Wait, no, there's one more! It's really lively, isn't it? Do you want me to call someone to help you? How about calling the Public Security Officer?"

A new round of screams erupted in the room.

"Ah! Yang Mumu! Why are you standing here? Why, why! Stop taking pictures! Stop it, stop it!!"

Stepmother Li Yuhua desperately pulled her daughter out with one hand, while pointing a trembling finger at Yang Mumu and screaming in anger with the other.

Zhang Cuilan, acting like a madwoman, lunged over to hit and grab her: "Don't take pictures, don't take pictures! You little bitch, shouldn't you be the one underneath? What right do you have to be standing here!"

4: Chapter 4 Stud!

Yang Mumu hung the camera around her neck, raised her hand, and slapped Zhang Cuilan across the face twice, then kicked her, sending her flying toward the most chaotic part of the room.

"If you've got shit in your dog mouth, go drink some urine to wash it out. Don't come stink up my house. If you're in heat, go do it together; I understand that dogs can't control themselves."

Zhao Yitian lunged forward to pin her down. Zhang Cuilan didn't dare to strike back with full force, so she just struggled and resisted in panic, even taking a whip strike in the process.

"Ah! Help! Son, I'm your mother! Li Yuhua, save me! Yang Mumu, you motherless, fatherless little beast! You aren't worthy of my son, yet you harm us like this. I won't let you off!"

Yang Mumu's eyes turned cold. She lifted her foot and kicked Zhao Yitian even closer. "I need you to let me off? Your son has a father and a mother. Look, isn't he just pairing up with his mother right now? I'm a human, so of course, I can't pair up with you animals!"

The camera in her hands never stopped clicking.

Li Yuhua knew full well that her stepdaughter was strong and that a direct confrontation would be a disadvantage, so she grabbed a clothes hanger from inside the room and tried to ambush her from behind.

Just as she raised her hand to strike, Yang Mumu seemed to have eyes in the back of her head. She turned, grabbed Li Yuhua's hand, landed four hard slaps on her face, and shoved her toward Wu Erliu with a punch.

"Since you like exercising so much, Stepmother, why don't you go and taste your own masterpiece yourself?"

It's no wonder this drug was so effective, so powerful, and so intense—more potent than the breeding drugs used on livestock. Even two sober people couldn't hold them back. Wu Erliu came sniffing the scent, and he even brought Yang Qianqian along with him.

Li Yuhua was pinned down and couldn't move at all. This chaotic scene was truly an eyesore.

Well, it looked just like a pile of snakes tangled together in a fight.

"Ah! Yang Mumu, I'm your stepmother! You can't do this to me! Yang Mumu, you'll die a horrible death!"

"If I'm going to die a horrible death, you'll be the first one I drag down to hell with me. You'd better pray I live a long life; otherwise, I'll haunt you even in hell. Also, a friendly reminder: you'd better keep your voices down. If your screaming attracts outsiders, you'll be the first to suffer. When that happens, you'll be disgraced, famous throughout the county, and you'll even have to eat lead bullets."

Yang Mumu looked at the two sober ones with a smile, her camera clicking away non-stop.

"You—"

"Oh, and one more thing: if your shit-eating mouths come out to stink up the place again, I won't be able to control myself. What if I start screaming and bring people over? What if I accidentally 'lose' one of the photos in my hand? What do you think should be done then?"

Having taken enough photos, Yang Mumu prepared to implement the next step of her plan: lure the snakes out of their holes and catch them all in one net.

Li Yuhua and Zhang Cuilan's expressions changed drastically. They immediately shut their mouths and focused on struggling, but the two of them were at a disadvantage and couldn't push off the three giant mountains pressing down on them.

Yang Mumu laughed out loud.

Li Yuhua suppressed the hatred in her heart and turned her gaze toward Yang Mumu, begging.

"Mumu, Mumu, my good daughter, please save us! Mother won't scold you anymore in the future, and I'll listen to everything you say. I will absolutely treat you as my own biological daughter. I'll even kick your sister out, and as for Zhao Yitian, I'll tell your sister to return him to you. As long as you save Mother, I'll give you everything, my precious treasure!"

Zhang Cuilan was resisting with both hands and feet while starting to beg for mercy as well.

"Yes, yes, Mumu, don't you like Yitian? As long as you help me and don't spread word of this, I'll have you and Yitian get married as soon as we go back. Really, believe me. I'll bring the 'three rounds and one sound' as a dowry, and there won't be a single piece of furniture missing from the 72-leg set. From now on, I'll do all the housework. I'll serve you like an ancestor. Everything in the family will be yours. I absolutely won't let you suffer the slightest grievance, Mumu—"

Yang Mumu put on an intrigued expression. "Oh? Is that so? Everything is mine? Whatever I want, you'll give?"

Zhang Cuilan nodded hurriedly. "Yes, yes, yes, absolutely. I can give it to you first, as long as you save me and don't make a scene. It would be best if you gave me the film too. I'll give you whatever you want; I have plenty of money and coupons, and I'll treat you well for the rest of my life."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuhua hurriedly added, "Me too, me too! I'll give you everything, give you money, give you coupons, and buy you delicious food."

"Fine. Considering how much I like Yitian, I'll agree to your terms."

Yang Mumu looked at Li Yuhua.

"Let me calculate first. Stepmother, you've been eating and living at my place for all these years, so that was already my stuff to begin with. There's nothing to give there. So, I'll just settle your accounts. For all the money and goods you've secretly sent away all these years, plus what you've used up, you owe me 1,000."

"Your job can be sold for 1,000. Auntie Liu was just asking to buy it for her daughter earlier; it can be settled in a few minutes. This money is easy for you to come up with. Now, write an IOU, sign it, press your fingerprint, and then write a letter of confession. Only then will I save you. Once you hand over the money and goods, I'll give you the film and return the letter of confession."

"One thousand? You're robbing—"

Li Yuhua was about to burst into a torrent of abuse, but seeing the camera in Yang Mumu's hand swinging back and forth, and then being pounced on by Zhao Yitian and Wu Erliu like starving wolves—just as she struggled free a little, she was pulled back in, her clothes torn—she nearly ground her teeth to dust. She hurriedly agreed, "Fine, I agree! Save me!"

Yang Mumu shook her head. "You hesitated. In that case, the house your ex-husband lives in must also be transferred to me. I know you bought it and it's in your name."

"How did you know... Ah—"

"Fine!"

At this moment, Zhang Cuilan's pants had been ripped off. Overwhelming shame made her scramble to shout, "I agree too! I'll give you 1,000 yuan, just save me first!"

Yang Mumu waved her hand. "You owe more than just 1,000. Your family is so noble, a director's family, with all three of you holding respectable jobs. What a wealthy family! Since we agreed that everything in the family is mine, I won't be greedy. Three jobs for 3,000 yuan—give me 3,000 yuan. And you must transfer the house to me first. Otherwise, what if you go back on your word after I marry into your family? I'd have given you the film without getting the goods, and that would be a loss."

"Ah~ Fine, I'll give the money, I'll give it! Transfer the house first, come save me quickly~"

Zhang Cuilan's voice was already distorted. Yang Mumu took a closer look. Tsk, how exciting!

Zhang Cuilan was nearly stark naked, and little Zhao Yitian was already primed and ready.

All in!

5: Chapter 5: Luring the fish out of their hole, the big fish arrives! Get ready to pull the plug and eat them!

With a click, Yang Mumu recorded this scene for them, capturing a hint of enjoyment on their faces.

After Li Yuhua had also finished "enjoying" it, she pulled the two of them out, took out paper and a pen, and handed them over. As she dictated, the two wrote down each sentence mechanically, incredibly meek and obedient, writing out two IOUs and compensation agreements. They also wrote a confession of their own wrongdoing for conspiring to harm Yang Mumu, signed it, pressed their thumbprints, and stamped it with their personal seals.

"That's enough, right? Can you let us go now? I'm going back to get the money, the house deed, and the land deed."

Zhang Cuilan asked with a listless expression. She glanced at her son, felt nauseous, turned her head away, and retched violently.

"Sure, go ahead. If I don't see the items in half an hour, then I don't know where the film in my hands will end up, and I can't guarantee where your son and the others will end up either. Don't try any tricks; you won't know where I'll put the film or who I'll give it to for safekeeping after you leave!" Yang Mumu deliberately put on a smug expression, her eyes filled with blatant excitement and malice.

"Fine."

Zhang Cuilan agreed through gritted teeth and turned to leave, her eyes full of viciousness. Threatening her? She must be tired of living. Once she got the items and the film back, she'd show her—hmph!

This was exactly the effect she wanted. Yang Mumu smiled slightly, then raised an eyebrow at Li Yuhua, who was glaring at her. "What? Does Stepmother still have an opinion? Your stepdaughter is still there; do you need me to let you go and 'enjoy' it again? Looking at their posture, I don't think fighting for three days and three nights would be a problem."

"No, no opinion. I was just thinking about where the house and land deeds were. Oh, I remember now. I'll go get them, I'll go get them for you right now."

Li Yuhua scurried off toward her room.

In a great mood, Yang Mumu stepped out of the room and locked the door again. What good medicine! They hadn't run out of steam even after such a long time.

Less than a minute later, she received the house deed, land deed, and 100 yuan that Li Yuhua handed over.

"Mumu, take this hundred first. Mom is going to find Aunt Liu to sell my job. Wait for me for a while. When I come back with the money, we'll go transfer the house deed immediately. I'll definitely be back within half an hour. Don't do anything rash, absolutely don't do anything rash!"

Li Yuhua appeared humble and pleading, but she hated Yang Mumu to the core and was secretly plotting countermeasures.

Looking at the items, Yang Mumu agreed obediently, "Okay, go ahead. I'll wait for you to come back; I won't do anything rash."

"Okay, okay, okay, I'm going right now."

Ignoring everything else, Li Yuhua dashed outside.

Watching her back, Yang Mumu laughed out loud. She wasn't worried about what would happen next at all; it was better if everyone who needed to enter the trap did so before the finale. She looked forward to the start of the next act.

She had placed spatial monitors on the two of them—an item she had just drawn for one yuan. It allowed her to view their situation in real-time and listen to their audio. Now, everything was under her control.

During this intermission, Yang Mumu didn't idle. She entered her space to learn how to develop film. After practicing on her own photos, she took out the "treasures" she had just captured and began developing them.

In half an hour, the roll of film had been developed and was hanging there to dry.

Meanwhile, in the monitor, Li Yuhua and Zhang Cuilan had already sold their jobs and were coming over with the money. Unsurprisingly, they also brought three familiar, tall, burly men.

One was Zhang Cuilan's husband, Zhao Bing, who was also one of the accomplices in this incident involving the original owner.

One was Li Yuhua's ex-husband, Xu Qiang. After "Yang Mumu's" father died, she discovered that her stepmother Li Yuhua had never cut ties with her ex-husband. They were plotting to seize the family property, and that ex-husband was also part of the plan to leave her with nothing.

As for the last person, it was her dear Second Uncle, Yang Zhong, the mastermind behind Li Yuhua. He was having an affair with Li Yuhua; how could the closest uncle be missing when it came to seizing the family property?

He had been jealous since childhood that his brother was more capable than him. Now that the only person left in his brother's family was a daughter, of course, he had to seize the property. After all, his own son needed money to get married, and his daughter needed a job.

"Heh, the big fish have all arrived. Get ready to lower the sluice gate and eat the fish!"

She would let them walk the path they had personally designed for the original owner.

Yang Mumu picked up the camera loaded with new film, grabbed a rolling pin, and went out to greet them.

She carried a stool and sat at the entrance of the triple-folding door. She saw on the monitor that Li Yuhua and Zhang Cuilan met the men by the wall five meters away from the door. They exchanged sinister smiles and discussed their plan.

Zhang Cuilan said in a low voice, "The two of us will go in later, and you three stay at the door and wait. Once we get the items, or once that little bitch takes them out, you guys come over. The five of us will definitely be able to handle her with minimal noise. That bitch must pay the price for what happened today."

Li Yuhua clenched the money, her eyes red as she stared toward the door. "When I get the things from that wretch, I'll cough. Once you hear the sound, rush in. Make sure you coordinate well; we must make her taste the bitter fruits."

Second Uncle Yang Zhong looked at everyone sternly. "There can be no more slip-ups this time. It must be done right so we can continue with the original plan afterward. Everyone, keep your guard up and do this properly. You two, manage your expressions and mouths once you go in; don't let her see anything suspicious. If you cause new trouble, none of us will get anything. Remember that, keep it firmly in mind."

"Understood."

All five of them wore vicious expressions as they walked toward the door.

Yang Mumu withdrew her gaze, the corners of her mouth curling up. She touched the rolling pin in her crossbody bag and looked toward the main gate with extreme anticipation.

With a creak, Li Yuhua and Zhang Cuilan walked in one after the other. Seeing Yang Mumu, they put on fawning smiles.

Li Yuhua trotted over and handed the one thousand yuan, wrapped in a handkerchief inside her bag, to Yang Mumu.

"Mumu, I kept my promise and returned within thirty minutes. Look, the money from selling the job is all here—one thousand yuan. Plus the one hundred I gave you before, that's eleven hundred. It's all for you. Now, give me those two things I wrote, and the film too."

Yang Mumu took the items from her hand without a word and then turned her gaze to Zhang Cuilan.

Zhang Cuilan immediately stepped forward and took the items out of her bag. "My 3,000 yuan is here too. This is our family's entire fortune. I had to sell both my job and Yitian's job to scrape it together. Also, here are my house deed and land deed. Take a look; I'm very sincere. Can you give us the film now?"

Yang Mumu took the items from her hand as well and slowly flipped through them.

"What's the rush? I promised to give it to you, so I will. After you transfer the house to me, I'll give it to you. I definitely won't keep it any longer than necessary; I'd rather spare my own eyes."

"You..."

Li Yuhua grabbed Zhang Cuilan's hand to remind her. Zhang Cuilan quickly suppressed her rising anger, took a deep breath, and said with a smile, "Then can you let us see the items first, so we can have some peace of mind? Don't worry, we are people of our word. Just hold it in your hand and let us take a look. As soon as we see it, we'll take you to transfer the property immediately, no stalling. You can give it to us after the transfer is done."

"Fine. Seeing as you're so sincere, I'll let you take a look."

Right in front of them, Yang Mumu put the money and the deeds into the cloth bag she was carrying. Then, she took out four folded notes from the bag, and finally, pulled a roll of clearly used film from her right pocket and dangled it in front of them.

"See? It's all here. I believe you won't lie to me, so I didn't hide it. Let's go now. Once the transfer is done early, I'll give you the items—right on the spot."

The two of them looked on greedily, their eyes practically glued to the film. They reached out to grab it, but Yang Mumu dodged and tucked the film into her pocket. Only then did they remember their plan.

Zhang Cuilan: "Let's go, let's go transfer the property now!"

"Let's go, cough, cough—" Li Yuhua pretended to be so excited that she choked on her own saliva, clutching her throat and coughing violently.

"Okay, let's go."

Yang Mumu took a step, watching their performance quietly. She saw through it but didn't expose it. She counted silently in her heart. As soon as she reached three, the three men burst in, locked the main gate, and surrounded her.

Time for an extra meal!

6: Chapter 6: The Photographer is Online, Let's See Who Eats Whom and Who Gets No Fortune

Zhang Cuilan could no longer hold it in: "Haha, Yang Mumu, let's see how smug you can be now. You're threatening us? Today, I'll make you wish you were dead!"

"Yang Mumu, just based on you, you still want to turn the tables? You have to see if you even have the capability to flip out. In this lifetime, don't even think about escaping my palm." Li Yuhua also gained some confidence, feeling a trace of satisfaction now. "Hand over the stuff. If you take it out voluntarily, we might not make things too miserable for you."

The eerie smile on Yang Mumu's face made Second Uncle Yang Zhong feel flustered.

Fearing that something else might go wrong, he roared impatiently: "What's with all the nonsense? Everyone, do it!"

However, villains die from talking too much. Second Uncle Yang Zhong's roar came a step too late. Yang Mumu had already pulled out a rolling pin and, with lightning-fast movements, struck the heads of the two smug people closest to her. The force was just right, and Li Yuhua and Zhang Cuilan collapsed to the ground, completely defenseless.

Seeing this, the three men immediately rushed over. Before they even got near Yang Mumu, she unleashed her ultimate move, suddenly extending the rolling pin and striking each of them with a blow at top speed.

Wow, this rolling pin was handy. It had an automatic umbrella handle structure; press a button and it would extend. A great weapon for an ambush.

The benefits of her great strength were also evident. One swing of the stick, and the three of them were sprawled on the ground. Another blow knocked them out to vent some steam. After gagging their mouths, two strikes dislocated their legs to prevent escape, and two more dislocated their arms. This time, the intention wasn't just to beat them up; it was to finish the fight quickly. Six strikes per person, and it was done.

In the time it took for a single encounter, the three men were completely unable to get up. With their eyes closed, they were tied up by Yang Mumu.

"So useless. With just this level of skill, you dare to come and prey on someone's family assets? Pathetic."

Yang Mumu clapped her hands, lifted all five of them, and dragged them away.

Since they all participated in plotting against her, they were all going to Yang Qianqian's room; the "triple-fold" was still waiting.

Opening the door to look, wow, a triple-fold, folding on and on!

Yang Mumu gained a deeper understanding of that bowl of water; these people were truly scum.

That works too. A ready-made attraction is right here; no need to go through the trouble.

Whoever gets a triple-fold and doesn't check in, she'll help them check in for free.

Yang Mumu withdrew her gaze and splashed water on all five of them to wake them up.

"Watch closely. I'm the fairest person; I never favor one over the other. Li Yuhua and Zhang Cuilan have just experienced it, and I'll let you three brothers experience it too."

"Mmph—mmph—"

Li Yuhua and Zhang Cuilan felt their hearts turn icy cold. Too ashamed to face anyone, they shook their heads while making muffled noises and quickly lowered their heads.

"I know, I understand. I'll ensure you're all satisfied and enjoy the ultimate experience. The first one I'll pick is Aunt Cuilan's husband, Zhao Bing."

Yang Mumu didn't care what they thought; she immediately stripped Zhao Bing bare and removed the gag.

She found a good spot, right in the center.

Zhao Yitian and Wu Erliu had noses even sharper than a dog's, and Yang Qianqian wasn't any worse; she grabbed them and folded them.

Just two sticks.

Zhao Bing let out a miserable scream: "Ah—"

Yang Mumu provided a real-time reminder: "Those who are sensible know that screaming out makes people even more excited, and it will also make people outside come running when they hear it."

Upon hearing the reminder, Zhao Bing shut his mouth in shame and anger, gritting his teeth tightly, terrified that he might let out a sound and attract people.

How could anyone miss such a beautiful scene? Second Uncle Yang Zhong and Zhao Bing moved to the best viewing position.

They watched together, making muffled noises non-stop.

Yang Mumu didn't care about anyone. The photographer went online, upholding a spirit of professionalism, risking getting styes in her eyes, working away with a "click-click" to ensure she captured their most "enjoyable" sides, acting like a heartless robot.

Five minutes later, the next one.

"Li Yuhua's ex-husband, Xu Qiang."

Yang Mumu pointed at him, and he shivered all over. Before he could even struggle, he had already been thrown into the center of the "four-fold." The beautiful photos were left behind, and just three minutes had passed.

"Work efficiency is getting higher and higher. My dear Second Uncle, it's your turn."

Second Uncle Yang Zhong shook his head frantically, struggling, his eyes filled with hatred and resistance. Yang Mumu felt like she was doing a madam's job, forcing good people into prostitution, pushing them to receive guests.

"Second Uncle, stop making those muffled noises. Once you're in there, I'll take the gag off for you; I won't let your mouth stay idle. Hey, for a grown man, you're acting all shy and awkward—it's unbecoming. You're really useless. Your niece here was kind enough to save you for last; the more people, the more you enjoy it. Look, five of them, yay! How great is that? Let your niece give you a hand. Off you go!"

The smile on Yang Mumu's face faded. With an expressionless face, she stripped him and threw him in, like peeling an egg—one every few seconds. She threw him in, still in the best position for the experience.

The five-fold screen became a six-fold.

In one word: snap, snap, snap.

Yang Mumu had finished shooting the new roll of film in her hand, so she quickly swapped in a new one. A little bit of extra work—she should work more; she, as a person, loves working the most and is the most professional.

"Yang Mumu, you little bitch, I'm going to kill you!" Second Uncle Yang Zhong landed among the crowd, cursing angrily.

"Hey, Second Uncle, don't call yourself a little bitch. I know your 'sword' is small and you're feeling ashamed of your inferiority."

Isn't this letting your 'sword' rest while you experience this?

If you scream out, could it be that you want more audience members to come and see how impressive you are? Shall I go out and call them for you?"

Yang Mumu turned around and started walking outside.

"You, ah—"

Second Uncle Yang Zhong kept his mouth tightly shut, looking like he was enduring humiliation, not just because he was afraid that Yang Mumu would actually do what she said.

But even more so because of the gap, that needle, ah~

Scared, he obediently kept his mouth shut, not daring to open even a tiny gap.

Yang Mumu stopped in her tracks and took pictures of the scene.

"Hey, that's right. Enjoy it, you should enjoy it properly. This is a once-in-a-century event, and it's free. I guarantee you'll profit."

After shooting what she wanted, Yang Mumu put away the camera with great satisfaction.

She turned her head to look at the terrified Zhang Cuilan and Li Yuhua.

"Mmph—mmph—"

The two huddled in the corner. Seeing Yang Mumu turn to look at them, they shrank into a ball in fear, shaking their heads frantically, signaling "no."

"Know fear now? When you were harming me, weren't you all arrogant and vicious? Why didn't you think that the tricks you intended to use on me would be used on you entirely? Catching in adultery, coercing, exploiting, cleaning up, and preying on family assets—what a great plan."

Today's performance was just to give them a taste of their own medicine and let the villains suffer the consequences of their own actions.

Now let's see who is preying on whose family assets.

"If you don't want to go back in and enjoy it, that's fine. Come with me to transfer the property ownership and continue with the previous agreement. Otherwise, not only will you have to go back and enjoy it, but those rolls of film will also appear where they should. It's very exciting in there—you know it yourselves. And I always keep my word, as evidenced by the last few ones."

By now, the two were scared out of their wits. Recalling the encounter just now made them even more terrified. Now, they only wanted to escape this place and end all of this.

This threat completely held their lifeline, and furthermore, seeing Yang Mumu's astonishing strength, how could they possibly resist or dare to have any other thoughts?

"Okay, okay, we'll transfer the ownership, we'll transfer it. As long as you don't make a scene and don't put us in there, we'll go transfer the ownership right now. We're going, quick."

7: Chapter 7 Two Houses in Hand

Yang Mumu dragged the two out of the room, locked it, and left a surveillance device behind. She took them to transfer the property deeds. She wasn't afraid of the people inside causing trouble, nor was she afraid of the two she brought with her causing trouble; the better part of the show was yet to come.

Unsurprisingly, the transfer of the two houses went very smoothly. The relationship between Yang Mumu and them made the transfer seem completely legitimate.

When asking for favors, sending a pack of fruit candies sped up the process. The clerk happily handled everything for Yang Mumu. After leaving the housing management office, the two courtyards were now Yang Mumu's personal property. The houses were secured.

Li Yuhua and Zhang Cuilan, by her side, didn't dare to cause any trouble and had to put on a smile. Yang Mumu linked her left arm with Li Yuhua and her right with Zhang Cuilan, carrying the pork and celery she had just bought, strutting down the street. When people greeted her, she greeted them back and even made the two beside her do the same.

"Aunt Wang, going home to cook? What are you eating today?"

"Uncle Zhang, taking food to Auntie?"

Aunt Wang stopped and said with a smile, "That's right, it's noon, time to go back and cook. Oh my, are you two in-laws exchanging gifts today? Eating well, I see! You bought pork and celery, and quite a lot too, must be two or three jin, right? Are you planning to make wontons or stir-fry it?"

Yang Mumu gave a shy smile and gave a tug on her arm. Li Yuhua put on a fake smile, "Hehe, half for stir-fry, half for wontons. Since we're inviting the in-laws for a meal, we naturally have to buy a bit more."

"That's great. Well, you carry on, I'm going back to cook. Her uncle is still waiting for me to bring him food."

Aunt Wang waved and hurried home, muttering to herself.

Li Yuhua and Zhang Cuilan reeked; there was a fishy, foul smell coming off them. She knew exactly what was going on the moment she smelled it. Ugh, how shameless, fooling around in broad daylight. Poor child, Yang Mumu. Her stepmother is a scoundrel, and the family she married into isn't any better—old and young are all bastards. Just the evening before last, she saw that Zhao Yitian and that vixen Yang Qianqian feeding each other in the corner. Ugh, shameless.

Aunt Wang looked back at Yang Mumu with sympathy. What a troubled child!

"Auntie, goodbye."

Having achieved her goal, Yang Mumu said her goodbyes and dragged the two of them back home.

"What exactly do you want? Didn't you say you'd give us the stuff once the transfer was done?" Li Yuhua couldn't hold back anymore, gritting her teeth and asking in a low voice.

Zhang Cuilan was also worried, "You aren't going to go back on your word, are you?"

"That was a previous promise. You broke the agreement yourselves, so how could I know you wouldn't back out halfway again? I have to keep some things for self-protection. Don't worry, as long as you listen to me, I won't treat you badly. From now on, the things will stay with me."

"You..."

Yang Mumu chuckled, closed the door, and dragged the two of them toward the room with the folding beds.

Zhang Cuilan swallowed her anger and immediately changed her tune, "Then you must keep your word. Keep the items, but you said you'd let us go."

"Let you go? Of course I will. I do business for money."

Yang Mumu dropped the two women and, like picking up chicks, dragged out the three limp but conscious grown men and threw them to Li Yuhua and the other woman.

"Oh, you look like you still haven't had enough."

The three men had been tortured severely. They were still conscious, but their souls seemed dead. Yet, like zombies, they rose up to glare at her.

"Glaring at me? Should I put you back in then?"

As soon as she said this, the three men were thrown back onto the folding beds.

The three men closed their eyes like the dead, tears streaming down their faces.

Zhang Cuilan's husband, with his delicate skin, was the first to break, crying and begging for mercy.

"I beg you, let us go. I was wrong. We won't curse at you, we won't glare at you anymore. We'll listen to you, I promise we'll listen to you. Please, I still have money. I'll give it all to you when I go back. I haven't received this month's salary yet, but it's about to be paid, I can give that to you too. I'll even write you an IOU."

"Fine, seeing as you're so sensible, I'll let you go." Yang Mumu dragged him out and tossed him to Zhang Cuilan.

The remaining two men went without saying; when suffering together, they were indifferent and stubborn, but once one begged for mercy and got a reward, everything changed. They couldn't hold on any longer, crying and begging for mercy, talking about how much money they had and what items they possessed, scrambling to write IOUs.

Yang Mumu dragged the remaining two out as well, snapped their dislocated arms and legs back into place, wiped her hands, and looked at Li Yuhua with disgust.

"Go clean those three up and get them changed. You two also reek, change your clothes too—it's bothering me. There are clothes in my parents' room. I keep my word, I'll let you go, as long as you listen. Remember, listen, otherwise, the five of you..."

The five of them understood what she left unsaid. There was no trace of their previous arrogance left, and they hurriedly nodded. "Okay, okay!"

Seeing her attitude change, the five people in front of her believed her words and a little smile appeared on their faces. Li Yuhua and the other woman happily led the three limping men to wash up.

As for the folding beds by the lake, they were long forgotten and ignored!

Laugh all you want; the happier you laugh now, the more miserable you will cry later.

The five people cleaned themselves up, changed into clean clothes, and appeared before her, looking neat and tidy. They all wanted to leave this humiliating place, but since Yang Mumu hadn't given the word, none of them dared to leave.

The examples of what happened when they didn't listen were still fresh in their minds.

Of course, there were exceptions. Li Yuhua glanced at that room, ultimately feeling sorry for her daughter, and whispered, "What about Qianqian and the others?"

The other four glared at Li Yuhua. How dare she mention that room? Did she really not want to live anymore?

Second Uncle Yang Zhong slapped Li Yuhua across the mouth. "Shut up! They haven't stopped yet. Do you want to get us killed?"

The dosage of that medicine was ten times the normal amount, and it was meant for cows; there was no way it could stop just like that. Judging by the looks of it, they must have consumed a lot. Until the medicine wore off, they wouldn't stop. If their old bones went back in there, they would die.

Yang Mumu threatened them bluntly once more, "Save your children, or save yourselves? Decide for yourselves."

"Save us, us, me." Second Uncle Yang Zhong was the first to speak, sounding impatient. The other three had nothing to do with him; their lives were none of his business.

"Save me." Li Yuhua's ex-husband, Xu Qiang, followed closely behind and raised his hand. It was just a little girl, what was there to save?

"Save me." Zhang Cuilan's husband, Zhao Bing, thought for a moment and then raised his hand as well. He could still have more children; keeping a good-for-nothing around would only damage his reputation.

8: Chapter 8 Catching Adultery!

Zhang Cuilan and Li Yuhua stammered, agreeing to save themselves with the help of the men.

"Fine, since you've all decided to abandon them, let's start catching the adulterers. Remember to be fierce and loud in a moment."

Yang Mumu went to leave the front door slightly ajar. She gave them a brilliant smile, then focused her breath and let out a miserable scream toward the outside.

"Ah! What are you doing? What are you all doing? How could you do this? Let go of me! Help! Catch the adulterers! Ahhh—"

As soon as the sound came out, the five people standing in the courtyard were stunned, their hearts filled with panic. Meanwhile, the nearby neighbors all heard it.

When the neighbors heard the continuous, miserable screams, they all ran out of their houses to find the source of the sound.

"That sound seems to be coming from the Yang family's place. Quick, let's go see. Something big must have happened."

Many people came running toward Yang Mumu's house.

"That sounds a bit like Yang Mumu's voice."

"It is her."

Aunt Wang, who was cooking at home, heard the voice and ran out. Hearing the discussions, she immediately recalled the smell she had caught from Li Yuhua and Zhang Cuilan earlier. Feeling excited, she wondered if that girl Yang Mumu had caught them in an affair. Clutching her spatula, she sprinted toward Yang Mumu's house, shouting as she ran:

"Oh my god, Mumu must have caught someone in the act... oh, I mean, something has happened!"

Aunt Wang was a well-known blabbermouth with a loud voice. Everyone running toward the Yang house heard her words, and they were all incredibly excited.

"Old Wang, do you have the inside scoop? What's going on? Tell us quickly! We're going to help Mumu. Save that child—just listen to how miserable those screams are. Poor kid!"

Aunt Wang shared the gossip while continuing to run, and she ran very fast.

"You have no idea. Today I ran into Mumu, Li Yuhua, and Zhang Cuilan going grocery shopping. Good heavens, Li Yuhua and Zhang Cuilan had that kind of smell on them. Also, Mumu's fiancé, Zhao Yitian, and that step-sister, Yang Qianqian, have been sneaking around for a long time. I caught them before! It was so embarrassing to watch—they were swapping spit! Zhao Yitian even reached out to eat the pastry crumbs off Yang Qianqian's lips. I was just about to find Mumu privately to talk to her about it, but who knew this..."

The onlookers listened with great interest, a chorus of whispers rising among them.

Auntie Qian, who had a sense of justice, said, "Oh my, I think I smelled it back then too. How truly shameless! Judging by the commotion, she must have caught several couples. Mumu is in danger; we have to run faster to save her."

"Right, run faster! Now that you mention it, I remember a few things too. I saw signs from that Li Yuhua before. Once, I saw her pulling and tugging with her ex-husband, and I also saw her getting close to Mumu's Second Uncle. Their eyes weren't right; they definitely have something going on. Engineer Yang's cuckold hat must be a meter high by now!"

At this point, all sorts of speculations arose, all leaning toward scandalous affairs. The more they talked, the more excited they became. After all, only this kind of drama was so captivating.

"Then let's hurry."

Everyone quickened their pace. Someone even volunteered, "I'll go to the Police Station to report it. You guys remember to describe the scene to me later!"

"Good, good, good! Hurry, hurry, hurry!"

At the same time, the words of Aunt Wang and the others were heard by all the neighbors along the way. People who hadn't intended to join the commotion were drawn in. For a moment, the entire street was empty as everyone ran toward one place.

The Yang residence.

"Yang Mumu, shut up! What are you trying to do? Do you want everyone to know? Endure it; we'll settle this privately." Li Yuhua roared fiercely with a broom in her hand, her heart full of worry. The money they had promised later hadn't been given to Yang Mumu yet; she should keep her promise, right?

Zhang Cuilan cried out, "You can't make a scene, don't be so loud! My son... Mumu, don't you like Yitian? Don't do this."

While playing along, she muttered to herself, 'It's fine, it's fine. It's still film rolls now. Even if she wants to say it, it will affect her own reputation. Yang Mumu is so smart, she should understand this and won't say anything.'

Second Uncle Yang Zhong and the others also comforted themselves this way.

If this got out, it wouldn't just affect them. Yang Mumu, who took the photos, would also be gossiped about. Tearing off the mask right then would affect her too. After all, they were technically the 'victims' and Yang Mumu was the 'perpetrator.' She would only use it to threaten them, not spread it. Yes, she definitely wouldn't.

Second Uncle Yang Zhong cleared his throat and shouted, "Don't let her run around!"

"Let go of me! Let go of me! I'm going to report you! Why should I endure your affairs? I won't! Let go of me! Help! Catch the adulterers! Someone's having an affair!"

Hearing Yang Mumu's words, Zhang Cuilan felt something was wrong, but she couldn't question it or dare to speak recklessly. She didn't want to provoke Yang Mumu and make her act without regard for the consequences.

Within two minutes, those living nearby had already reached the gate of the Yang residence.

Hearing the roars from the courtyard, they became excited. A swarm of people rushed in, many holding brooms, spatulas, and other tools.

Someone even shouted righteously, "Mumu, don't be afraid! We're here to save you! Let go of Mumu!"

Those focused on the main point looked around the courtyard with bright eyes, searching for movement.

"Mumu, tell us quickly, where are the adulterers? Where's the affair? We'll help you catch them and take them to the Police Station. Let's see who dares to hurt you!"

Suddenly, a crowd poured in. One group shielded Yang Mumu behind them, another stood in front of Li Yuhua and the other four to block them, and another group started searching the house.

The scene was extremely chaotic.

Seeing more and more people.

Yang Mumu didn't even need to say anything. In just a second, someone followed the sound and smell to find the place.

"Found them! Found them! They're in this room! Oh my god, this is so exciting!"

"Good lord, the smell in this room is absolutely foul. It's too intense."

Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted, "Officer Liu from the Police Station is here!"

9: Chapter 9 Sacrificing Family for the greater good

Yang Mumu slapped her thighs and wailed to the heavens, making a huge scene.

"God damn it, I saw they were having an affair at a single glance, but I never expected them to be doing it in broad daylight in Yang Qianqian's room, and... and three at a time. A threesome! Heavens, it's one thing that they betrayed me, but to humiliate me to this extent—my innocent eyes are going to go blind!"

What? What? Three, three of them?

The people who had arrived late with the Public Security Officer widened their eyes in shock. Officer Liu, in particular, was already thinking about his performance record; the half-year evaluation was coming up soon.

He had come to the right place!

Officer Liu stepped forward and asked, "Comrade Yang Mumu, tell me in detail."

Seeing the Public Security Officer, Yang Mumu went straight into reporting mode.

"Officer, I want to file a report. I'm reporting my stepsister and my fiancé for illicit relations. They even took drugs, and they were having a threesome with Wu Erliu. I came home from grocery shopping and found them like this in the room. They are still in that room right now."

Yang Mumu pointed indignantly at the room beside her.

"I wanted to come out and find you to help me seek justice, but my stepmother and the others told me not to make a scene and blocked me from reporting it. One of them inside is my stepsister, and one is my fiancé, and outside are some of my own relatives and friends. I never expected them to be like this. Come and see for yourselves; I'm so angry I could die."

Officer Liu glanced into the room from the doorway, frowned, and looked away. He instructed his two colleagues to go in and check, adding, "Control them. What kind of behavior is this?"

"What do you have to say for yourselves?" Officer Liu asked, looking at Second Uncle Yang Zhong and the others.

Hearing that Yang Mumu hadn't implicated them, Second Uncle Yang Zhong felt a huge wave of relief and secretly sighed. However, what Yang Mumu was saying now was very detrimental to them. For his own safety, he had to follow Yang Mumu's lead, sending those three in while distancing himself from the situation.

"That's not it, Officer. As Mumu's Second Uncle, how could I harm her? I wasn't stopping her from finding you; I wanted her to calm down and go directly to the Police Station. After all, when outsiders gossip, they'll talk about Mumu too. A bad reputation isn't good for a girl; she needs to be careful about these things. I'm also very angry about what happened today. As Mumu's elder, I came to discuss Mumu's marriage with the Zhao family, but I never expected to walk in and see that shameless scene with those three. Officer, please seek justice for our Mumu today."

Spectator No. 1 curled their lips: "You claim it's for Mumu's sake, yet you were blocking her so fiercely. You don't look like a good person to me. You're two-faced. How are you any different from Yang Qianqian and Zhao Yitian?"

Xu Qiang stepped forward directly. On the surface, he was pleading for leniency, but in reality, he was confirming the incident: "Officer, my Qianqian must have been momentarily possessed by the devil. She made a mistake this one time; she didn't truly want to ruin anything."

Aunt Wang, the group's mouthpiece, spat: "I saw those two hugging and kissing! That 'momentary possession' seems to happen quite often. Officer, they are definitely having illicit relations. I suggest you investigate Xu Qiang and Li Yuhua as well; their relationship isn't proper either."

Xu Qiang and Li Yuhua: "What nonsense are you spouting!"

Aunt Wang didn't back down: "Look at that, getting angry from embarrassment. They probably even threatened poor Mumu. Mumu is so pitiful; she was hurt by that so-called fiancé, and then stabbed in the back by her stepmother and stepsister. Who knows, maybe everyone is eyeing the property that Engineer Yang left for Mumu, trying to swallow her inheritance."

Many people listened and nodded in discussion. Officer Liu, in particular, took it to heart.

Yang Mumu silently gave Aunt Wang a thumbs up in her heart. Aunt Wang, you hit the nail on the head. However, she wasn't ready to expose these five people yet. The show would be much better if it were dropped when people were at their most relaxed.

Nearby, Zhang Cuilan sat on the floor, wailing in despair: "My child, how could you do such a thing? What am I supposed to do now!"

"I don't have such a disgraceful son." Zhao Bing bowed and apologized to Yang Mumu: "Mumu, our Zhao family has failed you."

He then turned to the Public Security Officer and said, "Officer, take them away."

The spectators were shocked: "Wow, Director Zhao is actually sacrificing his own kin for righteousness. What a rare sight!"

Officer Liu had finished most of his questioning. He had also found the relevant drugs in Yang Qianqian's room, as well as the prescription for mixing them. The testimonies from Li Yuhua and Zhang Cuilan—their own biological parents—directly cemented the nature of the case.

With the case settled, he took the people away and chased Zhang Cuilan and the others off, not giving them a chance to harm Yang Mumu.

They didn't need to be urged; they took off immediately, fearing that if they were even a step slower, they would be stuck in this den of horrors. Li Yuhua didn't even plan on staying here anymore and ran off with them.

"Everyone, disperse. Disperse now."

After Officer Liu shouted at the crowd, he turned to Yang Mumu and offered a few words of caution.

"You're the only one left in your house. Be careful and stay vigilant, especially regarding those relatives and your stepmother; they look suspicious. Keep a stick by your side when you sleep at night for self-defense. If anything else happens, remember to come to the Police Station and tell us. We are always happy to serve the people."

Yang Mumu felt a warmth in her heart and nodded: "Thank you, Officer. I'll remember that."

"Alright, we'll also arrange for more patrols in the area. We're leaving now."

Once the Public Security Officer left, the remaining spectators slowly began to walk out, while others stood in place, chatting.

"Hey, although today was exciting, Aunt Wang, how come we didn't see anything about those people you mentioned? Is what you said not true? Don't tell me you were lying to us."

Aunt Wang couldn't stand being doubted and was about to defend herself when she suddenly heard Yang Mumu say, "Why are there so many clothes here?" Her eyes lit up instantly. She rushed over, grabbed the clothes in the basin, inspecting and sniffing them, and then burst into laughter.

"Haha, I've found the evidence! Come quickly and smell the scent on these clothes. Look at what's stained on these garments. Check if these clothes belong to Li Yuhua and the others. Haha, I knew they were having an affair! They definitely are. No wonder these people were so quick to sacrifice their kin and run away—there's a huge problem here. Come over quickly!"

"Let me see, let me see."

Those who hadn't left all ran over to rummage through them, sniffing the scent.

"Oh my god, it's true! It's that exact smell, and the stuff on it too. Heavens, we missed so much!"

"I remember now! They must have changed their clothes. The clothes those men were wearing seemed to be the ones Engineer Yang used to wear, and that Zhang Cuilan was wearing something that looked like Li Yuhua's. My god!"

"They must have sacrificed their own kin just to cover up their own affairs!"

The spectators' imaginations ran wild, and they had already over-analyzed the situation. Their expressions were more shocked than the last. Oh my god, it seemed like they had stumbled upon something huge.

Aunt Wang was even more decisive; she picked up the basin of clothes and ran outside, shouting as she went. A crowd of spectators followed behind her, gesturing with immense excitement, looking as if they had seen the scene with their own eyes.

"Hey, Aunt Wang, what are you all doing!"

Yang Mumu shouted loudly from behind. Seeing everyone running out even more excitedly to spread the news, she was satisfied.

Let them taste the scraps of gossip first. Once she finished extracting the last bit of value from those people, the super explosive gossip would arrive immediately.

10: Chapter 10 Going Bankrupt to Save My Life

Yang Mumu locked the main gate, returned to the house, and based on the memories in her mind, retrieved the property deeds for this 600-square-meter courtyard from a hidden compartment in the wardrobe.

It was only in that scumbag's book that a 600-square-meter courtyard could exist; in reality, she would have been reported by jealous people and finished long ago.

Yang Mumu grumbled to herself while continuing to collect items; there was also 800 yuan and a bank passbook.

The 800 yuan was a pension given by the Machinery Factory after her father passed away in the line of duty.

When her father was on a business trip, he encountered a flood; in order to protect the factory's property and save the factory workers, he was swept away by the water himself.

He was never found, and the Police Station had officially determined the case and issued a death certificate.

Upon learning this, the factory took the initiative to issue this money.

Yang Mumu worked in the factory's finance department, so the money came directly into her hands.

Because she knew her stepmother secretly took money to give to her ex-husband, she didn't let her stepmother get her hands on it, intending to give her some money monthly for household expenses, but her stepmother always remembered it and only wanted to swallow it all.

The number on the passbook was even more astonishing: 99,000—this was exactly what they coveted most.

Yang Mumu's mother's family used to be wealthy; 88,000 on this passbook was her mother's dowry, and the remaining 11,000 was accumulated from part of her father's monthly salary.

Added to this house under Yang Mumu's name, it was all security left for Yang Mumu.

After her father passed away, her stepmother had her eyes on all of it.

She only knew about the portion her father had saved and didn't know about the rest, but even so, she had devised such a scheme to prey on the household; if she had known the total amount, Yang Mumu would likely have been long dead and gone.

Therefore, no one who hurt her would escape! They all had to go to hell.

Yang Mumu continued to pack up the valuables in the room; the radio, sewing machine, bicycle, and other items were all collected into her space.

She found 120 yuan and a watch in Yang Qianqian's room.

Finally, she rummaged through Li Yuhua's room, finding a watch, 360 yuan, several fabric and meat coupons, and the electric fan from her room, all of which were collected into her space.

"Done!"

With the valuables in the room mostly packed away, Yang Mumu clapped her hands and went to do the most important thing.

She entered her space, walked up to the lucky wheel, and began her pre-draw ritual, bowing to it.

She took a spirit tablet from behind the lucky wheel and placed it in front of her, with the words "Old Heaven" written on it.

"Old Heaven, your dear daughter is still missing tools for printing photos and photo paper; please bless me to draw them."

After bowing, Yang Mumu excitedly started to draw.

"I drew a plate of braised pork with potatoes? Hmm, okay, okay, at least I can keep the plate."

"A portion of white rice? This is good, this is good; dinner is sorted."

"A big bunch of bananas? Wow, is this a big bunch cut directly from a banana tree? It's big and fresh. Nice, nice; dessert is covered. One a day is enough for a month."

The lucky wheel refreshed, and Yang Mumu saw the item she needed at first glance.

Her fortune-making little hand gave it a spin.

"Low-profile version of Wind Fire Wheels rubber shoes? A thousand miles a day? Comfortable, no rubbing, not tiring. Oh my god, I'm rich, I'm rich!"

She spun it again. "Wow, I drew the photo printing gift package! Old Heaven, you are my father for ten thousand, ten thousand, ten thousand lifetimes!"

Yang Mumu was so happy she felt like she was flying, circling around the gift package.

The gift package was worthy of being called a big package; in addition to the enlarger, the developing and fixing chemicals were provided by the barrel.

The sink for washing photos was also prepared, quite large, and its height matched her perfectly, so she didn't need to bend over, and it even thoughtfully came with a suitable and comfortable chair for her to sit on.

There were twenty boxes each of photo paper in different specifications from 1 to 10 inches.

These photos would be enough for her to take for a lifetime.

Yang Mumu ate dinner and found a light-tight room in her space, using the basement as her developing room.

She moved everything to the basement with her mind, took out all the film rolls she had shot today, brought out the film developing toolkit, and started working.

Everyone was waiting to eat the big gossip, and the Public Security Officer was waiting to boost their performance stats, so photos were indispensable.

Whenever Yang Mumu thought about what was coming next, she felt even more motivated to develop the film, working overtime without wanting to stop for a moment.

Meanwhile, as Yang Mumu worked hard in her space, the gossipers outside were not idle either; they were diligently spreading rumors, and the talk had spread throughout the entire Machinery Factory, with people in more than half the city excitedly discussing it.

As for Xu Qiang and the other four, they passed every second in fear, living in nightmares even while asleep.

The moment they opened their eyes, they started scraping together money for Yang Mumu, with only one thought in their minds: pay up or die.

The hush-money IOU Xu Qiang had written to Yang Mumu to save his life was for 1,800 yuan.

He had written it easily at the time, but now he was in a miserable state trying to scrape the money together.

Not only did he empty out all his savings, but he even sold his job, and packed up all his family's valuables—like the radio and bicycle—to sell on the black market.

After selling everything, he checked the total: 1,642 yuan. The amount still wasn't enough.

Returning home and seeing the things in the room, he made a bitter face and packed up another round.

"Chairs, wardrobe, desk, big iron wok, coal, high-quality flour..."

After counting the money from selling everything, it reached 1,801 yuan, and he cried tears of joy holding the money.

"It's enough, it's enough."

Holding the money and looking back, only an empty house remained, with a rotten mat on the floor, and the house itself still belonged to Yang Mumu; the only thing that was his was that rotten mat.

He had to beg Yang Mumu to accept the money in his hands, not even daring to have thoughts of not giving it.

He was instantly heartbroken, beating his chest and stomping his feet, slapping himself twice in regret.

"I was truly possessed by a ghost back then, agreeing to go do that thing with Li Yuhua. Bankrupting myself to save my life, boo-hoo..."

At this moment, Li Yuhua wrapped her head up and snuck in, avoiding the gossipers outside.

As soon as Xu Qiang saw her, he grabbed her and beat her up, and the two started biting each other like dogs.

...

At Second Uncle Yang Zhong's house.

"Master of the house, you must be tired, sit down."

Liu Guizhi smiled cheerfully as she helped Second Uncle Yang Zhong massage his shoulders, then turned and glared fiercely at her daughter who was sweeping the floor, kicking her.

"Yang Zhaodi, don't you know how to pour water for your father? Are you blind? Pour the water, go cook, do you want to starve me to death? You're so insensible every single day. Tomorrow I'll marry you off to old widower Wu; at least I can get 200 yuan in bride price. Get lost!"

Yang Jinbao chimed in and cursed: "That's right, you money-losing goods, do you want a beating? Go cook, you're starving me to death."

Second Uncle Yang Zhong ignored everything, sitting there with his hand on his forehead, frowning and closing his eyes.

Yang Zhaodi lowered her head, hiding the hatred in her eyes, and silently went to pour water and cook.

"Master of the house, come, drink some water."

Liu Guizhi's expression changed rapidly; she snatched the tea and turned around, smiling as she handed it to Second Uncle Yang Zhong's mouth, and asked along the way: "How is it going with that little bitch Yang Mumu? Is it done? When can we get the money and the house? Our son is waiting to move in after he gets married, and we need the money to buy things for our son; it must be a grand celebration. By the way, we must also demand that sewing machine from Yang Mumu's house; it can save face for our son and I can use it too."

"Dad, it's settled, I want to live in the biggest room. The 'three rounds and one sound' cannot be missing, and the 'seventy-two legs' of furniture must be prepared too. Xiaohui said, without these things she won't marry, and her family wants..."

"Get out, all of you get out! Demand my ass, there's nothing left! It's all because of you, you turtle son, it's all because of you!"

Second Uncle Yang Zhong was furious. He threw the enamel cup in his hand directly at Yang Jinbao, and threw the lid at Liu Guizhi's face, scaring them both into running eight feet away.

Liu Guizhi tentatively spoke up: "Master of the house, you..."

"Shut your mouth! Go get all the money and coupons in the house, all of them, hurry!"

Second Uncle Yang Zhong covered his face with both hands, thinking about the money.

The final ransom he wrote down for Yang Mumu to satisfy her was 2,500 yuan.

His job at the cannery and Liu Guizhi's job at the textile factory could sell for about 1,800 together. This small, broken house could sell for about 300, and Yang Jinbao's radio could sell for 50. Tomorrow was payday, and together they could have 31. It wasn't enough, it still wasn't enough; they were short 319 yuan.

Second Uncle Yang Zhong pulled his hair in a rage and roared: "Where is the money? Did you bring it?"

"It's here, it's here."

Liu Guizhi ran over with an iron box, handed it over cautiously, and stood quietly on the side watching, not daring to say another word, fearing she would get beaten again.

Seeing this situation, Yang Jinbao had already quietly hidden back in his room.

Second Uncle Yang Zhong opened the box anxiously, hands and feet in a panic as he grabbed the money and coupons inside to count them.

11: Chapter 11: Rack of Brains to Raise Money for Daughter's Wedding

"Ten, twenty... one hundred and nine yuan, two mao, and five fen. How could it be so little? How..." Clutching the money, Second Uncle Yang Zhong gesticulated wildly and roared at Liu Guizhi, "I told you to bring all of it! All of it! Do you not understand human speech? Huh?"

Liu Guizhi shrank back, wiped the spit from her face, and muttered, "This is all of it. We said we had money to spend before, so we spent quite a bit eating meat, steamed buns, and dining out every day. Yesterday, I bought two pairs of the latest leather shoes for Jinbao, which cost thirty-five, and two new outfits for his partner, which cost thirty. That's sixty-five yuan in total."

"What? You spendthrift woman! Who told you to buy them? Yang Jinbao, get the hell out here with those shoes!"

Second Uncle Yang Zhong flew into a rage, slamming a stool as he roared.

"Dad... Dad, the shoes." Yang Jinbao walked out fearfully, clutching the shoes, and handed them over with trembling hands.

Second Uncle Yang Zhong pointed outside. "Get the clothes back for me, and take the shoes. Refund all of them! Go, hurry up and go!"

Yang Jinbao summoned his courage and said, "Dad, we can't... can't ask for the clothes back. If we do, Xiao Hui won't marry me."

"Marry my ass! If you don't get them back, don't bother coming back either. Get lost!"

Like a madman, Second Uncle Yang Zhong kept muttering, "Not enough, not enough. What should I do—"

Yang Jinbao looked to Liu Guizhi for help. Liu Guizhi pulled Yang Jinbao behind her and took a small, panicked step forward.

"Husband, what do you need the money for? Aren't we about to get a lot of money soon? Has something happened? How much do you need? We can figure it out together. Besides, we still have that money-losing girl at home. We can marry her off first to make up the difference."

Clatter! The sound of a basin hitting the ground rang out.

Yang Zhaodi hurriedly went to pick it up. The three of them all looked over. Liu Guizhi ran over, grabbed her by the ear, and started beating her, venting all her anger on her. "You dead girl! You can't even carry a basin properly. What else can you do? Girls are just useless!"

Second Uncle Yang Zhong's eyes lit up as he looked at Yang Zhaodi. A few days ago, a matchmaker had mentioned someone offering a two-hundred-yuan bride price. He had wanted to hold out for a higher offer, but now he couldn't wait at all. Two hundred yuan would do; wouldn't that make up the money?

"Stop. Zhaodi, come here."

Yang Zhaodi ran over and knelt before Second Uncle Yang Zhong, clutching his clothes as she wept and begged.

"Dad, I don't want to marry an old widower! Please don't marry me off. I have value, I can earn money! I found a temporary job that only wants young female comrades. I'm the only one in our family who fits. If you sell me off to someone else, you won't get a high price anyway. But if I go to work, I can make eight yuan a month, which is ninety-six yuan a year! I'll give it all to the family. If I marry out, this money will go to my husband's family, and our family will lose out big time, Dad!"

"You're right."

Second Uncle Yang Zhong felt a pang of intense pain at the thought of losing so much money a year. But he desperately needed money right now, and keeping an income stream at home would secure their future livelihood.

What should he do?

His mind raced, and he thought about selling the things in the house. But their belongings weren't worth much; fifty yuan would be a generous estimate. He was still about ninety-four yuan short. He couldn't raise enough, but if he couldn't, he would die.

Clutching his hair, Second Uncle Yang Zhong suddenly remembered another marriage proposal the matchmaker had mentioned. The son of that family was dying and wouldn't last two months. They wanted to find a wife to bring good luck to ward off the illness. But that family was poor and could only afford one hundred yuan, so he hadn't considered it at all back then. Now, however, one hundred yuan was just right. Once the money was pooled, there would even be a little left over. And once the guy died, he could just bring his daughter back. He would only lose two months of her wages. This was perfect, absolutely perfect!

The more Second Uncle Yang Zhong thought about it, the more excited he became. Making up his mind, he looked at his daughter in front of him. For the first time, he smiled at her warmly and explained his plan in a soft, gentle voice.

Yang Zhaodi's heart turned ice-cold as she listened. She was completely disappointed in this family, her heart filled with hatred.

Why? Why did they treat her like this? Just because she was a daughter? No, they were biased. They favored boys over girls and didn't treat her as a human being. It was all their fault. If there came a day...

Second Uncle Yang Zhong felt displeased when he saw his daughter remain silent, but he didn't show it on his face. He comforted her, saying:

"Daughter, don't worry. When the time comes, Dad will definitely bring people to fetch you back. They won't dare refuse to let you go. Just make sure you do a good job at your work."

Yang Zhaodi looked up, refusing to give up, and asked, "Dad, didn't you say Uncle's family has money? What about Cousin Mumu? Why are we..."

It was precisely because of that matter that her marriage had been delayed until now without any rush. Why was he in such a hurry all of a sudden?

"Shut up! It's decided. Guizhi, go find that matchmaker right now. Everyone, get moving! Do what you need to do, and get out!"

Clutching his shoes, Yang Jinbao ran the fastest, heading off to ask his Xiao Hui for the clothes back.

Liu Guizhi didn't dare say a word either, quickening her pace to find the matchmaker.

Yang Zhaodi stood up like a wandering soul and headed to the kitchen to cook.

Having figured out a way to raise the money, Second Uncle Yang Zhong breathed a sigh of relief. He paced around the room with his hands behind his back before starting to pack up things to sell. Raising the money was the priority; time was running out.

Zhao Bing's home.

The atmosphere in the room was extremely tense. Teacups lay shattered all over the floor. Zhang Cuilan and Zhao Bing, their hair disheveled like bird's nests, sat motionless in the middle of the room.

Zhao Bing complained, "To have a betrothal called off like this... This is the 'great' idea you came up with."

Refusing to take the blame, Zhang Cuilan immediately shot back, "This was your idea too! Don't blame everything on me. You agreed to it, after all. If you hadn't agreed, who would have dared to do it? Blame yourself!"

Zhao Bing's attitude softened slightly as he held his head in worry.

"It's useless to argue about this now. The priority is to quickly raise the money and get the film roll back. Yang Mumu is a lunatic. If we are a step too slow, who knows what will happen. Once those things are exposed, not only will our reputations be ruined, but we won't even be able to save our lives."

"I already gave her all of my pooled money. Selling my and Yitian's jobs, plus some of our household savings, only came to three thousand. Now it's your share, your thirty-two hundred. But there's barely any money left at home, and the house belongs to Yang Mumu now. We have no choice but to sell your job too."

Zhang Cuilan slapped her thighs, her face twisted in grief.

"But we can't sell it for thirty-two hundred yuan! How are we supposed to raise that much?"

"Even if we can't, we have to! Think about what happened today. Can we afford to let that get out? If you don't value your life, I still value mine!"

Zhao Bing hated Yang Mumu to the bone, but he could only obediently pool the money, counting on his fingers.

"Although my job in the HR department is a director position, it can only be sold as a regular HR job, which will bring in twelve hundred at most. This month's salary is sixty-one. How much money is left at home? Bring it all out and count it."

Zhang Cuilan didn't move. She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and shook her head. "There isn't much. I counted it earlier—only eleven hundred yuan. It's far from enough."

"Eleven hundred, twelve hundred, sixty-one... that adds up to twenty-three hundred and sixty-one. We're short by eight hundred and thirty-nine yuan. Eight hundred and thirty-nine. What else do we have?"

Zhao Bing muttered as he clawed at his hair. He slapped himself across the face, suddenly remembering something, and looked up at Zhang Cuilan.

12: Chapter 12 Money in Hand, Conflict Shifts

"Didn't we get quite a bit of gold and silver jewelry back when we joined the struggles against those people? Selling those should be enough."

Hearing this, Zhang Cuilan slapped her thighs and cried, "Oh, my goodness! Did that devil Yang Mumu calculate exactly how much money our family has? She's forcing us to empty out everything we have just to scrape it together. We went through so much trouble to get those things, and I haven't even had the chance to wear them yet!"

"Keep your voice down and shut up! Do you want everyone to hear you? Go get them quickly. The sooner we gather the money, the sooner we can get our things back. We'll always find the time and opportunity to take all of this back in the future." Zhao Bing squinted, staring ahead with a sinister look.

"Alright, I'll do as you say."

Zhang Cuilan wiped away her tears and ran to the inner room. A minute later, she came out cradling a box. She opened it, reluctantly touching the jewelry inside and the gold underneath before placing it in front of Zhao Bing, her eyes lingering on the box's contents again and again.

"Should we keep one or two pieces? Forget it, we're still far from the total amount. Gathering the money is what matters. Take them all."

"Alright, I'll head to the black market right now to get rid of them and collect my wages while I'm at it. You get the cash we have at home ready and wait for me to come back."

After giving his instructions, Zhao Bing put the box into a sack, cradled it, and walked out the door.

Three hours later, Zhao Bing returned with a tense face. When Zhang Cuilan saw him, she ran over.

"How did it go? How much did you sell them for?"

"Five hundred and ninety. Those bastards at the black market are just as black-hearted as Yang Mumu. I wore my tongue out just to get this much. When I didn't want to sell, they even tried to rob me. Shameless!"

Zhao Bing kicked a stool to vent his anger, took the money out of his pocket, and handed it to Zhang Cuilan to count.

Zhang Cuilan brought out the money they had at home, put it all together, and counted it, stamping her feet anxiously as she did so.

"What do we do now? We're still short by two hundred and forty-nine."

Zhao Bing fell silent for a moment, looking around the room and sighing, "What else can we do? We'll have to sell everything in the house that can be sold. After that, we'll temporarily move back to the production team's area to seek shelter. There are still one or two abandoned thatched cottages over there. Once we find an opportunity to get everything back, we'll move back here."

Zhang Cuilan gasped, nearly unable to stand. She held onto a chair to keep from collapsing to the floor, covering her face as she wept in grief.

"Ugh, how did it come to this? There's nothing left. Yang Mumu really calculated every single penny our family had. Heavens above, open your eyes and look! How could you tolerate such a devil in this world? Old Zhao, can we really get it all back?"

"We will definitely get it back. Don't worry, we must get it back." Zhao Bing couldn't bear to let go of all this either. He patted her shoulder to comfort her. "Rest for now. I'll take the things in the house to sell. For now, we just have to bear with that bitch Yang Mumu."

Zhao Bing emptied out their home, and in the end, he finally managed to scrape together 3,200 yuan.

At five o'clock the next morning, Yang Mumu stretched and emerged from her space, looking full of energy.

She flipped through a large stack of photos that she had rushed to develop yesterday afternoon, highly satisfied with her masterpiece.

"What a great shot. It's guaranteed to stun the entire city."

The agreed-upon time was five-twenty. Assuming those people had already gathered the money, Yang Mumu put the photos away. While drinking malted milk extract and eating boiled eggs, she took some time to check the monitor playback of the five people on the dial.

Seeing that the three men had also gone bankrupt with nothing left after gathering the money, she nodded in satisfaction.

It was well worth her effort to meticulously evaluate all their assets before making them sign the ransom agreement. It was incredibly accurate. She gave herself a five-star review and prayed to God the Father for his blessing so she could rake in more wealth.

At this moment, the five people coincidentally arrived at her doorstep. They were muffled up tightly, looking around furtively like thieves.

The money-deliverers had arrived.

Yang Mumu opened the door with a bright smile, welcoming the five miserable-looking people inside.

The lights in the room were off, and only a nearly burnt-out candle was lit. The flickering candlelight made the room look incredibly dim.

As soon as they sat down in the room, the five of them couldn't hold back anymore.

Second Uncle Yang Zhong was the first to step forward and say, "We've brought the money. Can you bring out the things in your hands now? The sooner we finish this, the sooner we can all be at ease."

"Second Uncle, you're still so impatient. If you don't show your sincerity, your niece's mind gets a bit foggy and her memory gets a bit poor. I just can't seem to remember where I put those things. Oh dear, I can't remember where the film rolls are at all."

Yang Mumu clutched her head, not even bothering to fake her expression as she smiled cheerfully at them.

Second Uncle Yang Zhong was furious. Suppressing the urge to fly into a rage, he pulled a stack of money out of his bag and handed it over.

"My 2,500 yuan is all here. Count it yourself, and don't accuse me of not giving you the full amount again."

Suppressing his anger and reluctance, Zhao Bing placed all his family's savings onto the table.

"My 3,200. I've counted it clearly, not a single penny is missing."

Xu Qiang, his face covered in dark bruises, stepped forward and pulled his share of the money from the inner lining of his coat.

"One thousand eight hundred, as promised. You can bring out the things in your hands now."

The five of them shifted their gazes from the money to Yang Mumu. Seeing her tossing the familiar rolling pin up and down in her hand while staring at them with a brilliant smile, their nerves suddenly twitched. Remembering yesterday's ordeal, they wiped the expressions off their faces, sat down quietly, and waited for her to make a move.

Yang Mumu tapped the rolling pin on the table, checked the money, and put it all into her bag. Then, she pulled out three rolls of film, the self-confession letters, and the IOUs.

All five of them grew excited, their eyes turning red particularly when they saw the rolls of film.

They didn't suspect that Yang Mumu had already developed the film and kept the photos for herself; there simply hadn't been enough time. Although they had been busy scraping money together yesterday, they had also been keeping a secret eye on Yang Mumu and hadn't seen her leave the house.

"The things you want are all here. There are only three rolls of film, but there are five of you. If I give them to three of you, two will always be left empty-handed and constantly threatened by the other three. I'm sure none of you would feel safe regardless of whose hands they end up in. After all, this is life-threatening evidence. For your safety, I'll help you eliminate this hidden danger. After letting you inspect them, I'll burn them right in front of everyone. Any objections?"

Hearing her words, the five of them actually found it very reasonable for the first time. It was better than escaping the wolf's den only to fall into a dog's kennel. Burning them was indeed the most appropriate option, as there would never be any evidence left. Furthermore, they didn't dare to resist in front of Yang Mumu anyway; seeing that rolling pin constantly swaying in her hand was a blatant threat and warning to them.

The five of them shook their heads in unison, agreeing, "No objections."

"Alright. To prevent any of the five of you from playing tricks and secretly swapping the items when you touch them, I'll hold them in my hand for you to inspect. Let's get this straight first: to prevent you from breaking your word and harming me again in the future, I must keep the IOUs with me as my own safeguard. Everything else will be burned."

This also made sense. The IOUs didn't matter much; they weren't life-threatening and couldn't really threaten them. As long as the other two things were dealt with, they could go back to their usual business.

The five of them looked at each other warily, and their wariness toward Yang Mumu lessened a bit more. Thus, they nodded and agreed again.

"Alright."

"Now, stand in a line. I'll walk up to each of you one by one so you can inspect them. You'd better keep a close eye on each other to prevent anyone from pulling tricks and swapping the items. If anything goes wrong in the middle, don't blame me."

Using psychological suggestion, Yang Mumu successfully diverted the conflict, leading the five of them by the nose as they stared at each other with mutual suspicion.

13: Chapter 13 A Substitution of the Beams and Pillars, A Letter of Accusation

When Yang Mumu stood before the first person, Second Uncle Yang Zhong, with the items, the other four stared intently at Second Uncle Yang Zhong, even leaning in close. They stood on all four sides of him, terrified he would pull some trick, for they all knew Second Uncle Yang Zhong was the least trustworthy and most dishonest among them.

Stared at so intensely, Second Uncle Yang Zhong felt extremely uncomfortable, not even daring to let his eyes wander. He nervously looked at the items in Yang Mumu's hands. Upon seeing the self-criticism letter he had written, his own handwriting, his personal seal, and the rolls of film, he nodded with certainty.

"Yes, this is it."

Yang Mumu then moved the items to the next person, repeating the process. Under the mutual surveillance and collective confirmation of the five, they all nodded to indicate that these were indeed the items they wanted.

Yang Mumu waved them over, "Come, all of you, come over. Let's have one final confirmation. Take a look."

The five of them confirmed once more, guarded against each other once more, and nodded once more. They were absolutely certain—there was no mistake.

Finally, they said in unison, "Burn it."

Yang Mumu nodded. She brought the brazier over, picked up the candle right in front of them, and burned the items in her hands one by one. She made sure each piece was reduced to ashes before burning the next, ensuring that absolutely nothing was left behind.

The firelight reflected on the faces of the five. Each of them beamed with joy, feeling incredibly thrilled and deeply satisfied.

The heavy stone weighing on their hearts was finally lifted; they no longer had to live under threat. The five of them let out a long sigh of relief, and a trace of blatant malice crept into their eyes as they stared at Yang Mumu's back.

When Yang Mumu stood up and looked at them, they didn't even have time to hide the malice in their eyes, and it fell right into her gaze.

Yang Mumu didn't say anything and just smiled, but the five of them were so startled that they hurriedly withdrew their gazes.

Second Uncle Yang Zhong even hurriedly spoke as he walked out, "Since both sides are square now, Mumu, you go ahead with your business. I, your Second Uncle, will head out first."

Yang Mumu, just you wait! You're going to get what's coming to you!

The others also quickly took their leave and slipped away one after another. Their steps were much lighter, and even their hurried movements exuded a sense of joy.

What the five of them were thinking was: it was time to figure out how to reclaim their property. The world was so big; could they really not handle a mere slip of a girl? That was impossible.

Despite going through such a major ordeal, the five of them remained incredibly confident that they would definitely get their money back.

They exchanged glances, preparing to gather together to discuss their plans.

Yang Mumu followed behind them, using her mind to control a bit of water in a cup inside her space, sprinkling it above the five of them. Some fell on their heads, some on their lips, and it silently entered their bodies through their saliva.

"It's starting to drizzle. Let's hurry back before it pours."

Zhang Cuilan felt a drop of water on her face, muttered softly, and quickened her pace to run outside. The other four also sped up, following closely behind.

Yang Mumu watched their retreating backs, a sinister smile appearing on her face.

Closing the door and returning to the room, she looked at the brazier, which had burned down to nothing but a bowl of ashes, and smiled again. She pulled a stack of items from her space—precisely the three rolls of film and five self-criticism letters that were supposed to have been burned just now.

The items were completely intact. Using her space, the dim candlelight, and all other favorable conditions, she had stealthily swapped them out while pretending to burn them.

What they looked at was real, but the self-criticism letters she burned were counterfeits she had made, and while the burned film rolls were real, they were actually filled with photos of herself.

Yet those fools, guarding against one another, had run off triumphantly, thinking they could now sleep easy and were already preparing to find an opportunity to murder her and take back their goods.

Did they think she didn't know? She saw right through them. None of them were any good; leaving them alive would only be a cancer on society.

It was time for her to make her move and clean them out completely. They would lose both their wealth and their lives. Now that she had the money, it was time to deal with the people.

Yang Mumu weighed the stack of photos in her hand. This was far from enough.

She entered her space and went to her darkroom. The entire room was hung with photos—all the fruits of her labor from yesterday, every single one developed by her own hands.

She had shot far more than three rolls of film—she had shot a ton. Out of ten rolls of film, only one new one remained unused. Excluding the ones she burned, she had shot a whopping six rolls.

At thirty-six exposures per roll, she had taken a total of 216 photos, with no duplicates. She had developed all of them, even printing extra copies of the more spectacular shots and deliberately aging a batch of them.

She had been incredibly busy all night, and the dark circles under her eyes had grown quite heavy.

Yang Mumu took down all the dried photos in the room and put them together with the previous stack. Good heavens, it was a whole box of photos.

She even admired herself for developing so many photos, especially since it was all done manually through traditional methods. Her hands were wrinkled from being soaked for so long.

Fortunately, it wasn't for nothing. After such high-intensity work, her developing skills were so proficient that she could do it with her eyes closed. She was fast and precise, having thoroughly mastered the craft.

Most importantly, she grew excited just thinking about the scene once these photos served their purpose.

With that thought, she got straight to work.

Yang Mumu immediately pulled out paper, pen, and ink, and began writing the letter of report. She was ambidextrous and could use both hands, so she switched to her left hand and wrote in a sweeping, fluid script.

She wrote about them gathering in a crowd, about their long-term illicit sexual relations, about how they even took photos of themselves as souvenirs, about their channels for buying aphrodisiacs, and so on.

In this era, preying on an heirless family wouldn't draw much official intervention, and attempting to harm her wouldn't get them killed. However, when it came to illicit sexual relations, the authorities were more than eager to crack down. Add in the drugs and organizing group debauchery, and they would absolutely face the full wrath of the law. Moreover, with such a terrible social impact, if they were caught red-handed, anyone could guess what the outcome would be.

And the scene they had co-starred in with her yesterday would also become proof of their desperate attempts to cover up the filthy things they had done.

If they tried to cry foul later and blame her, who would believe them?

After all, who could prove she did it, or what she had done? She was just a frail, weak female comrade who couldn't possibly overpower several large men, let alone eight people. She certainly couldn't force eight people to do this and that together.

But they themselves were solid, undeniable evidence.

Once Yang Mumu finished writing the letter of report, she put on her fast and effortless Wind-Fire Wheel rubber shoes, disguised herself, packed all the photos into her crossbody bag, left her space, and walked out the door.

Her steps were incredibly swift, as if she were riding a skateboard.

"Oh, these shoes are amazing," Yang Mumu thought, nodding in satisfaction as she set off to get down to business.

Six o'clock was the perfect time when everyone was waking up, preparing breakfast, and getting ready to go out.

Holding a pile of photos, she was busily engaged, dropping them off as she walked—one here, one there, one for this household, one for that family. She left a few extra at the homes of known gossip lovers, placed a whole stack at the entrance of the Machinery Factory, dropped a pile at the bustling Supply and Marketing Cooperative, and left a few more at the Grain Station.

High-definition face shots, entangled shots, compromising action shots, close-ups, and a few group photos.

Once the photos meant for public entertainment and gossip were all distributed, it was time for the official business.

She bundled the letter of report together with a large stack of photos and, when no one was looking, dropped them into the mailbox of the local neighborhood Police Station. The comrades coming in for the morning shift would see them as soon as they arrived.

After finishing all of this, she returned home and checked the time. It was only six-thirty; surprisingly, only half an hour had passed.

The Wind-Fire Wheel rubber shoes certainly did not disappoint. Traveling a thousand miles a day was no longer a dream; they were truly the ultimate footwear for fleeing, hiking, and running errands.

Having wrapped up everything, Yang Mumu locked the door and went back to sleep.

Meanwhile, just outside her walls, the scheme Yang Mumu had set in motion began to ferment, eliciting an extraordinary response.

For example...

14: Chapter 14: A Day of Gossip Frenzy for Everyone – Caught in the Act

Aunt Wang went out to buy groceries. Carrying her shopping basket, she arrived at the storefront only to spot something under the crack of the door.

"Hey, what's this? Photos?"

Picking them up out of curiosity, her mouth fell open in shock, and she gasped repeatedly.

"Oh my god, what on earth is all this? Good heavens, my eyes! Who is this disgusting piece of trash in here? How utterly shameless!"

Though her voice was full of shock and disgust, her hands didn't stop flipping through them at all. When she flipped to the back and saw who was in the photos, her jaw nearly hit the floor.

"Oh my god, oh my god! It's actually them! I knew they were having an affair! Ah, and it's not even just one person! Good heavens, there are so many people—"

Aunt Wang's morals were severely shaken, but her shocked voice was filled with the sheer excitement of consuming some major gossip. By the end, she even started critiquing them.

"Those godforsaken scoundrels! Li Yuhua is truly shameless! Haha, Zhao Bing's is so small, and that one is so ugly! Oh my god, there are others! Ahhh, Yang Qianqian and her dad Xu Qiang? And who is this? This is actually Second Uncle Yang Zhong and Xu Bing! Oh my mother, he, he, he—"

Hearing the commotion, Aunt Wang's entire family ran out: "Mom, what is it? What is it? Let me see, I want to see!"

"What is there for a kid to see? Go away."

Aunt Wang turned around and continued to flip through them excitedly, sharing them with her husband.

Her voice was so loud that even her neighbor's neighbors could hear her. Possessing a keen nose for gossip, they immediately picked up on the key points.

Some wanted to run over to look, but then they discovered something at their own doorsteps and froze in their tracks. A chain reaction ensued. At the same time and in the same area, everyone was screaming in shock just like Aunt Wang.

"Ahhh! This, this, this! Oh my god—"

Some didn't move, standing in their yards and calling out anxiously, "What happened? What happened?!"

"Huge news! Super huge news! Everyone, go look at your own front doors! If there's nothing there, run to the houses of the people who are screaming right now, or wait for me! I'll share them with you!"

Aunt Wang took a deep breath and shouted at the top of her lungs before excitedly running outside with the photos, determined to make sure everyone saw this massive piece of gossip.

However, once she stepped out of her house, she realized the world outside was even more "wonderful." There were even more moral-shattering photos, featuring even more pairings—male-female, male-male, female-female combinations, with different people, different genders, and different poses. They were endless and unimaginably abundant.

The entire street fell into a state of wild excitement, with crowds of people gathered everywhere, exchanging and flipping through the photos.

Aunt Wang immediately joined the exchange with her gossip sisters, searching for all kinds of "rare editions," determined to see every single photo.

Countless people had the same idea. People were wandering through the streets and alleys looking for photos everywhere. The street was even livelier than during the Lunar New Year, and everyone was happier, more excited, more thrilled, and more full of hope than during the holidays.

It was truly a national gossip carnival day.

Meanwhile, the officers on duty at the Police Station discovered the report letter and photos in their mailbox first thing in the morning, and immediately sent people to arrest the individuals in the photos.

The Public Security Officers searched every house one by one. They couldn't find anyone at the first few places, but finally, they heard noises inside Zhang Cuilan and Zhao Bing's home and deduced that everyone was inside.

To avoid alerting them and letting them escape, the Public Security Officers quietly raided the place, only to hear the group of people inside...

...saying in strange voices that they would kill Yang Mumu to snatch her money and house. They also heard some groaning and moaning. After waiting for a few minutes, only indescribable sounds remained.

Several Public Security Officers burst in and caught the five of them rolling and tangling together in a heap. Caught red-handed, the contents of the report letter were instantly verified.

Yang Mumu, who had just woken up from a nap, happened to see the scene of the Public Security Officers catching them red-handed on her lucky wheel, which made her incredibly happy.

"I didn't expect that sprinkling just a drop or two on their lips would have such a great effect. They really brought this on themselves."

Indeed, the liquid she had sprinkled had the exact same ingredients as the bowl of water Zhao Yitian had provided earlier. How could she have missed the drug in Yang Qianqian's room that the Public Security Officers had confiscated? When she spotted it earlier, she had stored a bit of it in her space, intending to use it on these accomplices.

Now it had come in handy, and it was still highly effective.

What she needed to do now was to add more fuel to the fire, making the wood burn brighter and turn to ash even faster.

And Yang Zhaodi was a fire with great potential.

Yang Zhaodi—"Zhaodi" meant "beckoning a younger brother." Once the brother was beckoned, the sister became a servant.

Yesterday, when she used the lucky wheel to review the surveillance playback of Second Uncle Yang Zhong's side, she had discovered that this cousin of hers was no simple character either. She had put her own urine in the cup of tea she handed to Second Uncle Yang Zhong, and the hatred in her eyes had almost materialized.

Just last night, Yang Zhaodi had been forced into marriage. Right now, she was at the house of the family who had paid 100 yuan to marry a wife for their son to ward off bad luck.

Yang Mumu tidied herself up and went out.

It was lively outside at this hour too, though because many people had gone to work, there were relatively fewer people on the streets. What remained unchanged, however, was that with every step she took, the gossip she heard was about the photos and those eight people—all of it filled with curses and ridicule.

Avoiding the crowds, she walked over to the vicinity of the house where Yang Zhaodi had been married off to ward off bad luck to check on the situation. She found that Yang Zhaodi was locked in a room and couldn't get out, and was currently trying to find a way to escape.

Finding the right opportunity, Yang Mumu saw that there was no one else in the house, so she climbed inside and violently smashed open the lock of that room.

Inside the room, Yang Zhaodi, who was sitting by the bed in despair and staring blankly, snapped out of it when she heard a loud commotion outside followed by the sound of a lock hitting the ground. Holding a pillow, she stood up, walked over slowly, and looked outside warily.

Lowering her voice, Yang Mumu called out softly into the room, "Cousin, are you in there? I've come to save you."

"Mumu?" Hearing the familiar voice, Yang Zhaodi looked pleasantly surprised. She threw down the pillow and ran over, replying eagerly, "I'm here! Mumu, I'm here! Quick, get me out of here."

Releasing her grip on the door latch, Yang Mumu pushed the door open and ran inside. She happily grabbed Yang Zhaodi's hand, ran out the door, and pulled her straight to the wall.

"Cousin, I overheard Second Auntie saying you were bought by this family as a daughter-in-law for a 100-yuan bride price. I didn't expect it to be true! I came specifically to save you. Quick, that family went out, and there's no telling when they'll be back. We have to hurry. I'll boost you up, you climb up first."

"Then how will you get up?"

"I'll be fine. I can step on the corner of the wall and climb up with a few tries. It's more important for you to get out first. If they come back, we'll get caught. Quick, don't dawdle."

Yang Mumu deliberately created a tense, self-sacrificing atmosphere, moving Yang Zhaodi once again to the point that her tears fell instantly.

Yang Mumu held her and gave her a hoist, lifting her onto the top of the wall. Instead of running, Yang Zhaodi reached out to pull Yang Mumu up. Yang Mumu took her hand to climb up, pulled her down as they jumped, and ran with her for a long distance before finally stopping.

The atmosphere of being a savior and offering timely help had been perfectly established. Now, it was time to get down to business.

15: Chapter 15: Schemes, Life is Like a Play, All About Acting

The place where Yang Mumu stopped with Yang Zhaodi was in the busiest area of the city. This was where the most people gossiped and where the voices were loudest. Everywhere, people were talking about today's major gossip. They didn't have to do anything; just standing there, they could hear all the news.

She specifically chose a spot right next to a crowd of gathered people before letting go of Yang Zhaodi's hand. She deliberately propped herself up on her knees, panting heavily, and then plopped onto the ground nearby, waving her hand.

"I can't do it anymore, I can't run. Let's take a break first. There are a lot of people here and it has paths leading in all directions, so it's very safe. Come sit down."

Yang Mumu had deliberately run very fast. She wasn't tired herself, but Yang Zhaodi was almost exhausted to the point of collapse. Her face was pale from running, and her braids had come undone. Hearing this, she immediately crawled over to sit and rest, untying her hair tie to prepare to re-braid her hair.

Once she sat down, the excited gossip coming from the mouths of the people nearby drifted straight into her ears.

"Have you heard? The people in these photos—Second Uncle Yang Zhong, Li Yuhua, Zhang Cuilan, Zhao Bing, and Xu Qiang—are completely finished. At Zhang Cuilan's house, looking exactly like they did in the photos, they were caught red-handed by the public security. They've all been taken away and locked up in the Police Station."

"Good grief, they just did it yesterday, and today this crowd gathered to do it again. They deserve to get caught! These photos make me sick just looking at them, so shameless! This time, they'll all have to eat a bullet, they won't survive!"

"And that's not all, you have no idea! When they were caught, while they were doing it, they were still planning to kill Yang Mumu to take her house and her money, preparing to take over her estate. That Second Uncle Yang Zhong is actually Yang Mumu's biological uncle. Who would have thought he'd be so venomous? He even teamed up with her stepmother to sign his niece up to go down to the countryside. She had such a good finance job at the Machinery Factory, but now she has no choice but to go down to the countryside."

"Hey, so they were even eyeing her job. What a poor child. Fortunately, these people got their retribution. Their affair was discovered, so at least the child can keep her life. It's really detestable. Look at these photos of theirs. If they wanted to do it, fine, but they even took photos as souvenirs. They deserved to be reported and arrested!"

Hearing this news, Yang Zhaodi turned her head in shock. With her hair disheveled like a madwoman, she rushed straight into the gossiping crowd, grabbed the speaker, and asked anxiously, "What did you say? Arrested? They were arrested? What photos? Can you tell me about it?"

"Hey, you don't know yet, girl? Let me tell you..."

"I'll tell you too..."

Seeing that someone actually didn't know about such huge gossip, several enthusiastic onlookers immediately surrounded her, eagerly sharing the details.

They held nothing back, telling her everything they knew.

Yang Zhaodi suddenly stood in the middle of the crowd, looking up at the sky and laughing maniacally.

"Retribution! Retribution, haha!"

"Hey, why does this girl look a bit familiar? Let me see?"

Someone ran over to brush the hair away from Yang Zhaodi's face, but Yang Zhaodi ran out of the crowd, grabbed Yang Mumu, and started running again.

An Auntie slapped her forehead and shouted:

"I remember now! Isn't that Second Uncle Yang Zhong's daughter, Yang Zhaodi? And the one she's pulling is actually Yang Mumu? Huh? Does this girl still not know that her second uncle is after her life and everything she owns? Why is she still with Yang Zhaodi?"

A kind-hearted person immediately shouted in the direction they were running: "Mumu, Mumu, don't be so foolish as to hang out with your cousin! Don't you know yet? It was just revealed that her dad wants to harm you! Since they're family, she might know about it too. Maybe she's eyeing your things and planning to harm you right now!"

How could these Aunties be so wonderful? They spoke right to the core of her heart.

Yang Mumu stumbled, looking utterly shocked. "Ah, Cousin, this...? You...? Is it true?"

"I won't hurt you, Mumu, believe me! I'm not a heartless creature like them. You came to save me today, so I will absolutely never let you down. I hate them to death too!"

Seeing the frantic expression on Yang Zhaodi's face turn to deep apology when looking at her, Yang Mumu knew she had succeeded.

Only after running to a secluded place did Yang Zhaodi stop. She grabbed Yang Mumu's hand and began to apologize.

"Mumu, I'm sorry. My dad really was always plotting to take your house and the money Uncle left you, and he wanted your job too. I knew all of it, but I couldn't stop it, and I didn't dare to tell you."

Yang Zhaodi lowered her head in guilt, paused for a moment, and then said:

"Firstly, I didn't dare. Secondly, I had my own selfish motives. I even secretly prayed that they would succeed, because if they had money to spend, they wouldn't target me or marry me off to just anyone for a bride price. At least it would buy me a lot of time to make plans for myself."

Yang Mumu angrily flung her hand away, fuming, "You... all of you... I never expected that my only remaining relatives in this world would plot against me like this!"

"Heh, I truly am their daughter. I am just as filthy, only thinking of myself, looking on coldly, and even condoning everything done to you. The funny thing is, I still overestimated my weight in their hearts. Only last night did I understand a truth."

Yang Zhaodi laughed self-deprecatingly, hatred spreading through her heart.

"No matter what, I would have been sold by them. Regardless of whether they had money, regardless of the time, and regardless of whether I had value. I was just a tool for them to order around and discard at will."

"Yesterday, my dad sold me overnight, and in the end, it was you, Mumu, who came to save me. I've wronged you, Mumu. I should have warned you sooner. Whether you forgive me or not, I will atone for my sins."

Whenever Yang Zhaodi tried to hold her hand, she would fling it away.

"How are you going to atone? I don't accept your apology! You had your difficulties; it's understandable that you didn't tell me. But you could have at least given me a warning, even a hint! It was all in vain that I rushed over overnight to stake out and rescue you when I heard you were sold!"

Yang Mumu looked at her with eyes full of disappointment and smiled mockingly.

"You heard it just now too. Your father and the others were reported for multiple illicit sexual relations. Your father won't be coming back. If he really dies, only your mother will be left to control you. Your life will be much easier than before, you should be so happy."

"And although your mother only loves your younger brother and treats you poorly, if you find an opportunity to get the household register and a letter of introduction, without your mother and brother, you can travel far away, leave this place of trouble, and live freely. Your father and these rumors won't affect you at all. Instead, you'll turn this misfortune into a blessing, break free from all of this, and live a better life."

Tears poured down Yang Mumu's face like rain. With red eyes, she poked her own chest and questioned through her tears:

"But what about me? What did I do wrong? Both my parents are dead, and I was signed up by my own relatives to go down to the countryside. I can't do my perfectly good job. Even if I take unpaid leave, I still have to stay in the countryside for a whole year before I can return. What do you expect me to do? How can I forgive you? It's not you and your brother going down to the countryside, nor is it your dad and mom. It's me! Me! I'm the one going down to the countryside! Who knows if I'll be sent to Northwest China and if I'll even survive to come back? I hate this! I actually saved my enemy's daughter!"

Yang Mumu stopped poking and started pounding, repeatedly beating her chest as she wailed and roared.

"Mumu, don't be like this, don't hurt yourself! Hit me, hit me. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Mumu!"

Yang Zhaodi grabbed Yang Mumu's hands, crying uncontrollably. She took all of Yang Mumu's words to heart and slapped herself hard several times. Finally, wiping away her tears, a fierce look appeared in her eyes as she stared into the distance.

"I hate myself too, and I hate them to death even more! I will make sure they never come back. Mumu, go back first and wait for my news."

With that, Yang Zhaodi ran off, filled with a heart of hatred.

Yang Mumu stopped crying and held back her tears. Watching her retreating figure, she calmly raised her hand to wipe the tears from her face. With curved eyes and a slight smile, she walked home with leisurely steps. Where was there even a trace of resentment or madness left on her?

Life is like a play, it all depends on acting. She really wanted to award herself a little golden statue.

Yang Mumu looked at the dial inside her space. She had placed a monitor on Yang Zhaodi earlier, and the screen now displayed the scene on Yang Zhaodi's end.

16: Chapter 16 The Ruthless Yang Zhaodi

She saw Yang Zhaodi return home and trick Yang Jinbao, telling him that his partner, Xiao Hui, was waiting for him in the park to go for a walk. That idiot Yang Jinbao grinned foolishly and ran out with a greasy smile.

Then, Yang Zhaodi turned around and tricked her mother, Liu Guizhi, into going out to ask around about Second Uncle Yang Zhong's situation.

When no one was home, she rummaged through the house, found the household registration booklet, and stole it.

Right after that, Yang Zhaodi went to the Educated Youth Office to sign both her mother and brother up as Educated Youth in Northwest China. She specifically instructed the clerk at the Educated Youth Office to send them to support the most arduous areas.

Finally, she breathed a sigh of relief upon learning that the place where Yang Mumu had been signed up to go to the countryside was under a Commune in northern Lu Province. At the same time, feeling too ashamed to face her cousin again, she turned around and signed herself up to go to the countryside as well, choosing Northeast China, the closest region to Lu Province among the options.

After leaving the Educated Youth Office, Yang Mumu saw her walk around the streets, asking around for information. After obtaining a lot of information and photos, she became extremely excited, entering a state of near-madness.

She didn't disappoint Yang Mumu at all; everything was progressing exactly as she had anticipated.

What surprised Yang Mumu was that Yang Zhaodi actually took out a few pieces of paper and letters from her hiding spot. They were letters exchanged between Li Yuhua and Second Uncle Yang Zhong, which actually discussed plotting to steal her family's property.

Yang Zhaodi then took out a pen and wrote a long report letter. Grabbing the evidence, her own letter, and several photos, she rushed straight to the Police Station, shouting the moment she saw anyone.

"I want to report them! Public Security Officer, I, Yang Zhaodi, daughter of Second Uncle Yang Zhong, am reporting Second Uncle Yang Zhong, Zhao Bing, Xu Qiang, Zhang Cuilan, Li Yuhua, Yang Qianqian, and Zhao Yitian under my real name for having affairs! I saw it with my own eyes. They are shameless—not just once or twice, but multiple times!"

As soon as she said this, the nearby onlookers smelled the drama and swarmed over, excitedly finding prime spots to sit and enjoy the spectacle.

Over by the lucky wheel, Yang Mumu also pulled out a handful of melon seeds and watched with great relish.

Yang Zhaodi raised her voice and began to speak fluently.

"At first, it was Second Uncle Yang Zhong and Li Yuhua. Later, Li Yuhua's ex-husband joined in, and eventually, Zhang Cuilan reluctantly joined as well. More and more people got involved later on. Why did they associate with each other? Because they all coveted my cousin's family's belongings!"

The Public Security Officer's eyes lit up, as if seeing his own glorious moment of ridding the people of an evil, racking up performance points, and getting a promotion and a raise. He called a colleague over to pour a cup of water and invited Yang Zhaodi to sit down.

"Please sit down and take your time."

Yang Zhaodi organized her thoughts again and continued her righteous report.

"I also want to report that the eight of them plotted together against my cousin. They wanted to get her house, the money my uncle left her, and the compensation from the Machinery Factory. They even wanted her job, and tried to make her commit a mistake so they could break off her engagement, which is why they secretly signed her up to go to the countryside!"

The Public Security Officer's pen flew across the notepad, barely keeping up with Yang Zhaodi's rapid-fire speech.

"Comrade, please speak a bit slower."

Understanding the officer's hard work, Yang Zhaodi slowed down her pace slightly, growing more and more confident as she spoke.

"Comrade, you have no idea. Yesterday, they wanted to set my cousin up. They specifically sought out that Wu Erliu and got hold of that drug. But that idiot Yang Qianqian took the wrong canteen. Not only did she drink it herself, but she also poured cups for Wu Erliu and Zhao Yitian."

"Then, she, Wu Erliu who liked her, and Zhao Yitian whom she liked, ended up sleeping together like that.

This group of people is usually completely debauched, and when they saw this, they excitedly joined in without a second thought."

"But as time passed, my cousin was about to return from asking for leave at the factory. However, the drug was too potent, and Yang Qianqian, Zhao Yitian, and Wu Erliu still hadn't woken up.

To prevent my cousin from discovering them and screaming—which would ruin their plan to seize her estate, threaten their safety, and disrupt their pleasure—they sent Zhang Cuilan and Li Yuhua to intercept and keep her occupied. The two of them took my cousin grocery shopping to buy enough time for the others."

At this point, Yang Zhaodi burst into laughter.

"But man proposes, God disposes. They ultimately underestimated the strength of the drug. Even after my cousin returned home, it still hadn't worn off. They only had time to tidy themselves up before those three were caught red-handed in bed by my cousin. She lost her temper on the spot and insisted on reporting them. They tried to stop her and wouldn't let her make a scene. Fortunately, the neighbors arrived in time to support her and brought you all in to settle the matter, allowing her to escape. Otherwise, I suspect they might have even harmed her on the spot."

"You know what happened next. To avoid getting implicated, they took the opportunity to throw Yang Qianqian and the other two under the bus to escape trouble themselves. These people are utterly detestable, full of lies, and constantly plotting. They only know how to shift the blame to others. You must rid the people of this evil!"

The Public Security Officer looked up and asked, "Comrade, do you have any other evidence?"

"I am the eyewitness. I saw and heard all of this with my own eyes and ears. I also have written evidence of their communication—letters they wrote and draft notes they used when plotting together are all here. I discovered these once when I followed my dad. I found an opportunity to steal them and keep them while he was trying to burn them."

Yang Zhaodi pulled several letters and draft papers from her pocket and handed them over.

"Comrade, look. The contents of these letters and drafts can prove they were planning to harm my cousin and seize her estate."

Seeing the solid evidence, the Public Security Officer felt a bit excited. After reviewing them, he put them into an evidence bag. He looked at Yang Zhaodi again and asked casually, "Second Uncle Yang Zhong is your father. Why would you report him?"

"If they dared to do it, why wouldn't I dare to report them? Precisely because he is my father, I should be the one to step forward. They are committing atrocious acts, while I am ridding the country of evil. The nation comes before the family. If the country is unstable, how can there be happiness in individual homes? We have both eyewitnesses and physical evidence, and they were even caught red-handed in bed!"

Yang Zhaodi answered loudly with a righteous and solemn tone, earning the deep respect of the Public Security Officer and the surrounding onlookers, who clapped and cheered.

"Good! Well said! Those people are cancers on our country and must be eradicated to rid the people of evil!"

"Rid the people of evil! Rid the people of evil!"

In this era, it was not at all unusual for family members to report one another; everyone was long accustomed to it. Since Yang Zhaodi had brought concrete evidence, and the outcome was what everyone desired, everyone was fully convinced and excitedly chanted slogans.

"Before, because of my cowardice, I was afraid of getting into trouble, and even more afraid that no one would believe such an absurd thing, so I didn't step forward immediately. I am very sorry. But this time, since you Public Security Officers caught them red-handed, I finally had the courage to step forward. It was you who gave me courage. Thank you."

Yang Zhaodi handed over the report letter she had written.

"Comrade, here is also a report letter I wrote myself, detailing everything I just said, word for word."

"Yang Zhaodi, what are you doing!" Liu Guizhi rushed in from outside in a rage, eyes spitting fire. She grabbed Yang Zhaodi and slapped her, starting a fight.

"Stop!"

The scene was in utter chaos, finally ending with Liu Guizhi being criticized and educated, and Yang Zhaodi severing her family relations.

Yang Mumu watched with great excitement from outside the screen, clapping her hands.

This Yang Zhaodi was indeed ruthless and smart. Mixing together rumors, guesses, lies, and truths, she had managed to reconstruct ninety percent of the actual truth.

Her report was robust and reasonable. She hadn't disappointed her at all, even overdelivering on the task.

Yang Mumu withdrew her gaze and took out the confessions they had signed back then, flipping through them.

It was time to deliver them to the Public Security Officers.

Taking advantage of the crowd at the Police Station, Yang Mumu seized the opportunity to leave three written confessions there. Before long, she saw a Public Security Officer discover them and excitedly hand five written confessions to Officer Liu.

At this moment, Yang Mumu glanced at the lucky wheel and saw that Yang Zhaodi had completely seen the light. She had already gone to the Municipal Revolutionary Committee, bringing a crowd of onlookers with her, and had found the director at the Revolutionary Committee to make another round of reports.

17: Chapter 17: The Highly Efficient Revolutionary Committee Director, Death Penalty

The Director of the Revolutionary Committee happened to be looking at the photos brought to him. Now, with the victim's daughter personally bringing evidence to report the crime, and so many indignant citizens arriving, he immediately realized that this matter had to be handled as quickly as possible. The impact was far too negative; otherwise, the higher-ups would surely step in to ask questions.

“How despicable! To think such shameless, disgusting people exist in our district. Let's go, we'll deal with them today.”

The director took this extremely seriously and acted with great efficiency. After appeasing the public, he immediately headed to the Police Station.

Of course, there was no shortage of onlookers following behind the director. There were many of them, and their numbers seemed to be growing. Seeing the crowd surrounding him and looking at him with trusting eyes, the director's vanity was greatly satisfied. Filled with a sudden surge of responsibility, he led the citizens quickly into the Police Station.

Yang Mumu mingled with the crowd and watched as the director found the chief of the Police Station.

The Director of the Revolutionary Committee grabbed the chief and said in a huff:

“What's the status of the three people arrested yesterday and the group caught this morning? Where are they? Why don't you hand them over to our Revolutionary Committee? This is outrageous! The impact is terrible. We must punish them severely to give the victim justice, and at the same time, set an example to serve as a warning and prevent such things from happening again. The mid-year evaluation is coming up soon, and this absolutely cannot affect our district's chances of being rated as exemplary.”

The director whispered the last sentence into the chief's ear.

“They're still in our station. Old Liu, don't be angry. This matter is simple.”

The chief called Officer Liu over and asked him to brief the director.

Once the director learned that the evidence was solid, with both witnesses and physical proof, and that they had been caught red-handed—plus five confession letters written by the criminals themselves—he thought, what are we waiting for? Close the case.

This was countless times better than the simple cases he had handled before that ended with just a single report. Handling this case would count as a major political achievement on his record. Moreover, this case involved so many aspects that he could even split it into several achievements when making his final report.

Later, he could use this case to organize warning meetings, give speeches, issue study and regulatory documents, and conduct other promotional activities. These would add up to several more achievements on his record. He wouldn't have to worry about having no practical work to do or no accomplishments to report for the entire year.

Excited by these thoughts, the director immediately discussed and agreed on a plan with the chief. Deciding on a joint operation, he immediately went outside to make an announcement to the public.

“Quiet, everyone, quiet.”

The chief announced first: “The incident involving the eight individuals, including Second Uncle Yang Zhong and Li Xiuhua, is of an extremely heinous nature with a major impact, and the evidence is conclusive. To make an example of them and serve as a full warning, they are all sentenced to death.”

The director then stepped forward and said: “Our Revolutionary Committee and the Police Station will work together. We will soon bring the eight criminals out for a public parade to read out their crimes to everyone. The execution will take place at 3:00 PM today at the East Parade Ground. All citizens are welcome to watch. We will also issue documents requiring all major factories to send representatives to witness the execution. Let this be a warning to everyone. Together, we will build a harmonious and stable society and bring glory to our country!”

“Great! Bring glory to our country!”

“Bring glory to our country!”

The slogans rolled out instantly. Everyone was shouting enthusiastically as if they had been injected with chicken blood. Yang Mumu, standing in the crowd, also joined in the shouting with tears of excitement in her eyes.

The director gestured with his hands in satisfaction, signaling them to stop. “Everyone, disperse for now. Go call your friends and family to watch the criminals' public parade.”

The crowd excitedly ran outside. Once out, they spread the news far and wide, shouting it aloud. Many people who heard the news gathered around, waiting outside the Police Station for the criminals to be brought out for the parade.

Many had already brought along photos, ready to mock and humiliate them to their faces. Some even gathered a bag of small stones in preparation.

Yang Mumu also mingled with the crowd and joined the action. When it came to gathering stones, she was determined to be the one who gathered the most.

A moment later, there was movement inside the Police Station.

“They're out! They're coming out!” shouted the onlookers standing near the entrance.

With the stones in her hand ready to be thrown, Yang Mumu looked up. The eight people were brought out bound tightly, their mouths gagged, and signs hanging from both their fronts and backs.

Officer Liu stood on a high platform, holding the documents to announce their crimes to the public. The moment he finished reading, someone in the crowd yelled, “Beasts!”

The crowd began to grow restless, and the cursing was non-stop.

“Shameless!”

“Disgusting!”

“Bah! Hideous!”

“Unworthy of being human!”

As anger escalated, those with photos in hand took them out and began mocking them.

Standing in the crowd, Yang Mumu did only one thing: she pulled a handful of stones from her pocket and threw them at the eight people in the middle, deliberately drawing their attention. She wanted them to see that she was doing perfectly fine, while they were about to go to hell.

When Second Uncle Yang Zhong and the other seven saw Yang Mumu standing in the crowd, smiling brightly at them, their eyes turned red with fury at the sight of their enemy. They were utterly enraged. She had swindled their money and then immediately turned around to report them! The eight of them were filled with rage and hatred, struggling incessantly.

“Mmph, mmph—”

They all wished they could hack Yang Mumu into a thousand pieces.

Their futile struggles in the center, with no way to fight back, only served to further stir up the crowd's emotions and incite public indignation.

“Hey, these criminals actually show no remorse! They really are wicked to the core. Hit them! Let's rid the people of this evil!”

“Rid the people of this evil!” Yang Mumu raised her hand holding a stone and shouted in agreement.

This shout and throw triggered a frenzy, drawing in even more people.

The mud and stones in the hands of the citizens were put to use, flying toward the eight criminals one after another.

As the eight criminals in the middle bled from their heads, the surrounding crowd grew even more excited.

The phrase 'rid the people of this evil' was on everyone's mind.

The comrades escorting the prisoners pretended not to see and let them throw. The Director of the Revolutionary Committee, who was standing nearby observing, was even highly satisfied with all of this, nodding repeatedly.

Only after the crowd had vented their anger enough did they have someone tie a long rope around the hands of the eight criminals again.

The other end of the rope was tied to the back of a truck, inside of which stood a row of armed comrades keeping a close eye on the eight. The vehicle started up, slowly dragging them through the streets, officially beginning the public parade.

18: Chapter 18 Execution, then a celebration with drums and gongs.

The Director of the Revolutionary Committee brought a stool to sit on the truck, shouting through a megaphone.

"Neighbors, everyone who hears this, come out and watch!"

"Today is the parade of eight criminals, including Second Uncle Yang Zhong and Li Yuhua. They are guilty of heinous crimes, deeply sinful, and utterly wicked. Not only did they engage in illicit relations, but they also conspired together to plot against their relatives' property with intent to murder, making them no different from murderers. They were caught red-handed by our comrades, which preserved the property of the masses, eliminated the danger, and protected the lives of the people. Now, they are being paraded through the streets as a public warning and will be taken to be executed by firing squad!"

After setting an example, the Director handed the megaphone to his subordinates to loop this speech indefinitely, building up the atmosphere.

Everyone who heard it ran out, excitedly throwing stones and mud.

Some people who weren't so refined even brought chamber pots and dung basins to splash urine and feces.

Sitting on the truck, the Director was nearly knocked out by the stench, but not wanting to dampen the public's spirits, he plugged his nose, blocked his face with something, and let the crowd go wild.

Seeing that the Director didn't care, everyone excitedly got creative.

All kinds of feces and urine were thrown, though not in very large quantities.

Near the execution ground, passing by the house of a commune member who raised pigs, Yang Mumu gave them two fruit candies and borrowed a pair of manure buckets and manure.

She carried the manure over on a shoulder pole and splashed it on them. The eight of them were drenched from head to toe, standing there like eight manure-stirring sticks covered in feces.

"You black-hearted monsters! I was so good to you and trusted you so much, yet you all plotted against me! Ah, I'll drown you in manure!"

The onlookers were stunned, and a brief silence fell. Compared to her, their antics were child's play. Once they snapped out of it, many excitedly shouted to Yang Mumu:

"Mumu, splash more! Splash more! I'll help you!"

Everyone joyfully headed for the manure pits. Seeing this, the Director of the Revolutionary Committee, who knew how to please the crowd, immediately ordered the truck to stop so everyone could splash to their hearts' content.

He shouted to the crowd, "Don't take too much! Four buckets are enough. Our commune member friends need to save it for their private plots."

Knowing what these criminals had done, the commune member was filled with a sense of justice and waved his hand, saying, "Thank you, Director! My family has plenty of manure. If that's not enough, there's more at my grandma's and uncle's houses. Everyone, feel free to use it!"

But the crowd was very obedient and really only filled four buckets.

"Ah, how smelly!"

Director Liu fanned the air, then got off the truck himself. He eagerly trotted over to the four buckets of manure, grabbed a ladle, and scooped a ladleful onto each of the eight people.

The others lined up to splash the manure until all of it was used up.

Li Yuhua was still dazed and filled with hatred. She simply couldn't understand how things had turned out this way.

Weren't they discussing their plan this morning? How did they end up tangled together again and caught red-handed? What on earth happened? As soon as she woke up, she was at the parade, and she even saw those photos. Hadn't that bitch Yang Mumu's evidence been burned? How did so many photos appear?

No matter what, this was all Yang Mumu's fault. If not for her, none of this would have happened, and she wouldn't have ended up in this state.

Li Yuhua glared fiercely at Yang Mumu.

Yang Mumu responded by splashing a ladle of manure right onto her.

Second Uncle Yang Zhong was even more resentful. By right, he should have inherited everything, but instead, all the family property had gone to Yang Mumu. In the end, she had even tricked him. They hadn't even had the chance to defend themselves before ending up like this. Why?

He should have been more ruthless back then and killed her directly. Then none of this would have happened. He regretted not taking action.

His response was Yang Zhaodi running out of the crowd, splashing the last big ladle on him. Looking at her father covered in manure, she laughed heartily.

"Dad, you finally have your day! You didn't expect this, did you? From now on, I will live a good life, while you can only go to hell! Let me tell you, I was the one who reported you. I was watching you from behind, secretly gathering evidence against you, just waiting for the day I could send you to hell! Haha, I did it! I did it! And your favorite, Yang Jinbao, doesn't care about your life or death at all; he avoids you like the plague. This is your retribution! Retribution! Hahaha—"

Just as Second Uncle Yang Zhong struggled to his feet, hearing Yang Zhaodi's words, fury rushed to his heart. Choked by the manure, his eyes rolled back, and he lost consciousness, fainting away.

Getting back on the truck, the Director calmly called out, "Time to head to the execution. Let's go."

"Bang! Bang!"

After the gunshots, the eight criminals collapsed to the ground, finally paying the price for everything they had done.

The deafening gunshots served as a stark warning to the onlookers.

Yang Zhaodi stared blankly ahead, her eyes rimmed with red and tears, a smile of relief on her face.

Yang Mumu calmly withdrew her gaze and turned to walk back.

When she reached her front door, Yang Zhaodi ran over and bowed sincerely to her.

"Mumu, I know saying sorry is useless now. I signed up my mother, my brother, and myself to go to the countryside. In the future, I will use my actions to make amends to you. Thank you for saving me, thank you!"

With that, Yang Zhaodi stuffed something into her hand and ran off.

Yang Mumu opened it and saw a new shirt handmade by Yang Zhaodi, along with an apology letter inside.

Shrugging, she put them into her space after reading. Then, she personally made four silk banners, wrote two letters of thanks, and headed out.

Yang Mumu asked Aunt Wang and Auntie Qian for help. Beating drums and gongs, they carried the banners and letters of thanks to the Revolutionary Committee, followed by a crowd of onlookers.

"Comrade, we are here to express our gratitude to Director Liu. Thank you to him for upholding justice for the people and saving my life. He is forever the backbone of our people."

Aunt Wang cheerfully chimed in, "Yes, yes! Director Liu is a good director who actually gets things done for us."

"Wait a moment, I'll call him for you." The receptionist clerk didn't dare delay for a second and went to call him.

In his office, Director Liu heard the drums and gongs and peeked out from his door. Seeing that they were here to thank him and hearing the words of praise, his face lit up with a massive grin. Seeing the clerk running over, he adjusted his collar, retreated to his desk, and sat down to wait.

He thought to himself that Comrade Yang Mumu was a good comrade. He remembered that this child had been signed up to go to the countryside. He would put in a good word with the local authorities to take extra care of her so as not to disappoint such a good comrade.

Why wasn't he here yet? That Clerk Xiao Wu was running way too slowly. He would have to make him train his legs more; if any major event happened in the future, he would surely delay things.

19: Chapter 19, To wrap up

I need to ask Director Liu for a favor.

The clerk ran over in a hurry, knocked on the door, and called out, "Director, Director, someone outside is presenting you with a silk banner and a letter of thanks!"

"Understood. Clerk Xiao Wu, starting tomorrow, remember to run two laps around the Revolutionary Committee every day to exercise."

Director Liu stood up, patted Clerk Xiao Wu on the shoulder, composed his expression, and walked out with his hands behind his back. In truth, he was incredibly excited. This was his first time receiving a silk banner and a thank-you letter, let alone receiving both at the same time, complete with the beating of gongs and drums. Most importantly, he was receiving them in front of so many members of the public—how could he not be excited?

Behind him, Clerk Xiao Wu scratched his head in utter confusion. Had he done something wrong? Where did he mess up today?

As soon as Director Liu stepped out, Yang Mumu signaled the Aunties behind her to beat the gongs and drums. She then jogged up to Director Liu, holding two silk banners and a thank-you letter.

"Director Liu, I am Yang Mumu. Thank you so much for your help this time. You are the best leader for us, the people, our backbone, and my great benefactor. I made these silk banners myself. This one, 'Upholding Justice for the People,' is for the Revolutionary Committee, and this one, 'A Good Leader of the People,' is for you, Director Liu. I also wrote a letter of thanks to you, Director, to express my sincere gratitude. You must accept them."

Yang Mumu handed them over and bowed deeply.

Director Liu reached out to help her up. "Please stand up, young comrade. It's nothing; this is what we ought to do. Serving the people and upholding justice for them is our responsibility. I will accept this silk banner and thank-you letter on behalf of the Revolutionary Committee. Thank you for your trust as well. Your trust is the best affirmation for us, and we will certainly work even harder to serve the people."

"Great!"

The crowd outside all clapped and cheered, creating a warm and harmonious atmosphere.

After saying goodbye to Director Liu, Yang Mumu turned her attention to the Police Station.

Using the same routine, she led the group with gongs and drums to deliver silk banners and a thank-you letter.

Except this time, one banner was for the Police Station, one was for the Station Chief, and the thank-you letter was for Officer Liu.

This way, everyone would be happy, and the appreciation would be truly felt where it mattered.

When she presented the silk banner to the Station Chief, Yang Mumu also handed him the thank-you letter, thereby bringing Officer Liu to his superior's favorable attention.

"Chief, this thank-you letter is for Officer Liu. I want to thank him for bringing his men just in time yesterday, preventing the bad guys from succeeding and saving my life. Could you please pass it on to Officer Liu for me?"

"Alright, alright. I will certainly deliver it."

The Station Chief was very happy to receive the banner, and he was already thinking about rewarding Officer Liu. Today, he had basked in the young man's reflected glory.

"How about I call the kid over so you can give it to him in person?"

The Station Chief waved to someone to call Officer Liu over. "Xiao Liu, Comrade Yang is here to give you a thank-you letter. Come over and take it."

A smile broke on Officer Liu's serious face as he reached out with both hands to accept the letter. "Thank you for your trust, Comrade Yang. I will work even harder to serve the people and resolve difficulties for everyone."

Seeing that everyone was happy, Yang Mumu was happy too.

With the business finished, Yang Mumu asked Aunt Wang and Auntie Qian to wait for her outside. She then walked up to the Station Chief and said:

"Chief, there's something else I'd like to talk to you about."

"Alright, come with me to my office," the Station Chief agreed with a smile, holding the banner as he nodded.

Once inside, Yang Mumu took out the IOUs written by Li Yuhua and Zhang Cuilan, as well as the property deeds for both of their houses, and showed them to the Station Chief.

"Chief, to be honest with you, they were afraid I would find out about Yang Qianqian's matter. When Li Yuhua and Zhang Cuilan came to keep me calm, they didn't just buy groceries—they also went and transferred their houses to my name."

"This is because Li Yuhua had previously tried to borrow the money my mother left me to buy a job for Yang Qianqian so she wouldn't have to go to the countryside. I think that was also one of the reasons she plotted against me."

"Looking back, I was already a bit suspicious of them at the time, so I asked her to return the money. I didn't expect her to transfer the house directly to me. She probably figured she would get it back sooner or later anyway, so giving it to me temporarily was no big deal. Thinking about it now, it's truly terrifying."

"Also, regarding Zhang Cuilan. Zhao Yitian used to be my fiancé, and I spent a lot of money on him. That day, I demanded that Zhang Cuilan return the money Zhao Yitian had spent first, otherwise I wouldn't marry him, and I threatened to go back home. As a result, Zhang Cuilan immediately agreed to pay it back, but claimed she didn't have that much cash on hand. She wrote an IOU to stall for time. Li Yuhua, gloating on the side, suggested using their house as collateral and paying me back later by buying a job."

"So, Li Yuhua and Zhang Cuilan went together to transfer the houses to my name. I was suspicious at the time, so I didn't return the IOUs to them right away, saying I would give them back once I got home. But as soon as I got home, that incident happened."

Yang Mumu didn't mention anything else. Through her surveillance monitor, she knew that the drug's effects had been too intense, leaving that group utterly exhausted. They hadn't even had a chance to say anything after being arrested, and by the time they woke up, they were already at the public sentencing.

Now, she only needed to bring up the houses that had already been transferred, which could be easily verified.

Wiping away her tears, Yang Mumu continued:

"I only found out how despicable they were and how they treated me when I heard my cousin's report today. I am truly so grateful to you and the others, Chief. Thank you for saving my life, thank you so much. Chief, should I hand these IOUs over to you? What should I do about the houses?"

She stood before the Station Chief, bowing again and again.

"It's only right, it's only right. No need to thank us. You don't need to give us the IOUs; just keep them. The people are gone, so they're not of much use anyway. They owed you that money, so the houses are rightfully yours. Keep the property deeds safe."

The Station Chief helped her sit down, feeling deeply sorry for the girl. She had barely reached adulthood and yet had to face such terrible events and wretched people. Most importantly, these people were her own relatives and lover. Her parents were gone, and the only remaining family she had left had plotted against her with all their might. How hard must that be to accept?

"Thank you, Chief. Chief, they signed me up to go to the countryside, and now I'm an orphan again. Keeping these houses is of no use to me. Could I trouble you to help me rent them out? Including the courtyard house my father left me."

Yang Mumu requested with a look of utmost sincerity:

"The rent collected can be donated on my behalf to the orphans in our city's orphanage. Consider it a way to accumulate some blessings for myself and my deceased parents."

The Station Chief was stunned for a moment, deeply moved. What a good child!

"You poor child, your own life is so hard, yet you're still thinking about those children." He nodded in agreement. "Alright, I promise. The station will help rent them out for you."

After a brief thought, the Station Chief added:

"How about this: when the rent is collected, I'll mail half of it to you and donate the other half to the orphanage on your behalf. Looking at the deeds, two of your three courtyards are very large. If we divide them up to rent to multiple families, they should bring in quite a bit of money. As a child who grew up in the city, you'll probably have many expenses when you go to the countryside. This way, you'll have a source of income and won't have to live too poorly. Your parents' spirits in heaven will also rest easier seeing this."

"Thank you, Chief. I will do as you suggest then. Thank you so much." Yang Mumu pulled three keys from her pocket and handed them over. "These are the keys to the three courtyards. I'll give them to you first, and I'll trouble you with this after I head down to the countryside."

"It's no trouble at all, it's only right. Once they're rented out, I'll write to you and send you a copy of the lease agreements. Do you know your countryside address? Leave one with me."

The Station Chief put away the keys and asked casually.

"I don't know yet. I'm on my way to the Educated Youth Office to ask about the situation. Once I know, I'll tell you. If there's no exact address yet, I'll write to the Police Station to let you know after I arrive at my destination. Well, Chief, I'll be going now."

Yang Mumu took the opportunity to say her goodbyes.

The Station Chief nodded and personally escorted her out of the Police Station.

20: Chapter 20 Director Liu of the Revolutionary Committee Returns the Favor

In the office of the Director of the Revolutionary Committee.

Director Liu was admiring his banner and letter of appreciation, stroking his name on the banner, and liking it even more. He asked his subordinate standing nearby, "What did Director Li at the Police Station receive?"

Officer Wu's mind was sharp this time; he finally understood why his leader had asked him to run for exercise. He immediately told his leader the information he had gathered, carefully polishing his wording.

"Director Li only received a banner, and Officer Liu only received a letter of appreciation. Only you, Director, received both a banner and a letter of appreciation. In Comrade Yang Mumu's heart, her gratitude towards you is like a surging river—a unique expression of thanks. You are our role model, and we should all learn from you."

"Hmm. Tomorrow, I'll go find Old Li for a chat. As for the exercise, you can just do it at home."

Director Liu was satisfied, his eyes full of smiles as he nodded repeatedly.

Little Wu was happy and replied in a loud, clear voice, "Yes, leader! I will definitely exercise well at home and not let you down."

"Keep up the good work!"

Director Liu picked up his banner and hung it in the most conspicuous place. He tested it; once entering the door, you could see it immediately upon looking up. He was very pleased. What was the point of just seeing it himself? Of course, he wanted everyone to see it together, for only by learning together could they improve their professional abilities.

Immediately, Director Liu called everyone in for a brief speech.

"Everyone, take a good look. This is the honor of our Revolutionary Committee and the trust the people have in us. In the future, whoever receives a banner should hang it behind this one, so as to remind us to always serve the people."

Everyone immediately applauded and then replied, "Yes, we understand, Director. We will definitely keep in mind to serve the people!"

"Back to work."

Director Liu waved his hand with a smile and turned back to his office. The telephone rang; he picked it up and heard that his superiors had praised him after learning about the banner.

Director Liu hung up the phone, the smile on his face unstoppable.

He thought for a moment, picked up the phone, and called the director of the Educated Youth Office.

"Hey, Old Zhang, it's me, Old Liu. I just wanted to ask about Comrade Yang Mumu's situation regarding going to the countryside. You know, she's just a young girl who just reached adulthood, her parents are both dead, and she's been coveted by a pack of wolves and tigers. They even maliciously signed her up to go to the countryside. The poor girl has a hard life; our Revolutionary Committee really ought to stand up for her."

"Director, you are absolutely right."

On the other end, the director of the Educated Youth Office took out a notebook and pen, preparing himself.

Director Liu smiled and continued:

"Yang Mumu is a capable and good comrade. She is kind, sensible, and has worked in finance and as a cashier in the Machinery Factory's finance office. She is an advanced cadre. You need to keep an eye on where she gets sent to the countryside."

"Such a good comrade is best suited for an advanced collective dedicated to production. We must ensure that a promising Educated Youth like Comrade Yang Mumu can continue to contribute to our country's construction in the countryside by utilizing the knowledge she has learned. I'll come over to your place in a while to take a look."

The director of the Educated Youth Office listened to these words and quickly analyzed them in his mind.

"Kind-hearted" meant he should assign her to a brigade with a kind and easy-going captain, simple folk customs, and kind leaders.

"Worked in finance and as a cashier" and "continue to use learned knowledge to build the country" meant the assigned Production Brigade must be one with vacancies for brain-work positions like Accountant, Cashier, or Scorekeeper.

"Advanced collective dedicated to production" meant a Production Brigade with few troublemakers, strong productivity, plenty of grain, and good conditions.

"Coming to find him" meant the leader attached great importance to this.

The director of the Educated Youth Office quickly went through it in his mind and replied:

"Director, you are devoted to the country and the people. Rest assured, Comrade Yang Mumu is a good comrade. We will definitely ensure that after she goes to the countryside, she continues to shine and contribute in her position. Such talent is hard-won by the country and is exactly the kind of talent every advanced collective needs; it must not be squandered or wasted. I will go arrange it right now."

After hanging up the phone, the director of the Educated Youth Office scratched the hair around his Mediterranean-style bald spot, deep in thought.

Which province was Yang Mumu assigned to? Right, right, right, it was Lu Province. He had only just checked it this morning after hearing about it, and he had been on edge, fearing the higher-ups would blame him for dereliction of duty. Now this was great; it was a chance for him to make amends, and he had to handle it well.

Although the list had already been submitted and couldn't be retracted, the specific place of assignment could be changed. The province couldn't be changed, but which Commune and which Production Brigade hadn't been decided yet; he could still maneuver things on his end.

The director of the Educated Youth Office went out to find the officer in charge of sending Educated Youth to the countryside.

"Little Wang, bring me the relevant information on the Communes where the last batch of Educated Youth were assigned, especially the information on those Communes under Lu Province. Bring it all."

"Okay."

The director of the Educated Youth Office stood there waiting for the clerk to fetch them. Once he received the documents and carried them back to his office, he began to study which place would be best.

He selected a few potential places, wrote them down, and waited for Director Liu to decide, while also picking up the local map and documents to study them further.

Director Liu was in a good mood and, after putting down the phone, made a special trip over. When the director of the Educated Youth Office saw him arrive so quickly, he felt relieved that he had acted efficiently after receiving the call.

"Director, you're here. Please, sit."

The director of the Educated Youth Office took out his prized tea, brewed it, served it, and then handed over the documents he had organized.

"Director, look, these are the few Communes and Production Brigades I've selected. They are all quite good. During the winter, people can hunker down and stay warm. Some are near big mountains, where resources are abundant; others are by the sea, where I hear if you go early at low tide, you can pick up plenty of sea fish to eat. The resources there are also quite good. The captains are all kind, practical men who focus on production, and the Production Brigades are progressive teams that are frequently rated as advanced brigades in each Commune."

"Hmm, they look good to me. Are there any Production Brigades that are both near the mountains and face the sea, where one can go up the mountain or down to the sea to rest during the agricultural off-season, so as to better contribute to the construction of the Production Brigade?"

Director Liu flipped through the documents. Since he intended to help this young comrade, he had to find her the best one. After all, it was about standing up for the people and serving the people.

"Yes, the entire Red Star Commune is both near the mountains and faces the sea." The director of the Educated Youth Office turned to the Commune he had circled and highlighted, then took out a topographical map and pointed it out to Director Liu.

"Red Star Commune, Lu Province."

Director Liu suddenly remembered that he had a close university classmate working at that Commune. He liked Comrade Yang Mumu, who was so sensible, and he could even say a word to his old classmate to provide her with some extra care.

"This is the one. Call the Educated Youth Office at Red Star Commune and tell them. The specific assignment to which Production Brigade is handled by them, right? Give them a heads-up and tell them to choose a kind captain."

"I will also call their Revolutionary Committee to ask. They deal with the captains below often and know the situation on the ground best. We must assign a Production Brigade that is suitable for Comrade Yang Mumu."

Director Liu took a sip of tea, stood up, and said, "I still have some things to do, so I'll head back now."

"Alright." Director Zhang also tidied up and stood up: "Director, let me see you out."

Meanwhile, Yang Mumu saw the two Aunties home, returned the gong and drum, and then tidied up before heading to the Educated Youth Office.

Just as she walked to the entrance of the Educated Youth Office, she ran into Director Liu, who was walking out from inside.

Yang Mumu smiled and walked over to greet him: "Hello, Director Liu."

Director Liu nodded and said, "Comrade Yang, are you here to ask about going to the countryside?"

"Yes. I heard I had been signed up, but I didn't know anything yet, so I came to the Educated Youth Office specifically to ask about the situation. I want to plan ahead and prepare for going to the countryside. I must also learn from you, Director Liu, and be devoted to the country. In the countryside, I will also contribute to the country and do my part for rural construction."

Yang Mumu's emotions were high, and there was no look of dissatisfaction on her face, which delighted the director of the Educated Youth Office.

She wasn't here to cause trouble for him after all. She was truly a good comrade who must not be let down; he had to treat her well.

21: Chapter 21: The Location for Rural Areas Finalized and Work Handled

Director Liu laughed even heartier upon hearing this, "Comrade Yang has great ambition! Keep up the hard work. This is Director Liu of the Educated Youth Office. You can talk to him. I just came by to ask about your situation, and he knows all about it. I'll let him explain it to you in detail. I'll be taking my leave now."

"Alright, thank you, Director Liu. I will definitely work hard. Take care, Director, goodbye." Yang Mumu raised her hand to salute the director, watching him leave.

She was overjoyed. Sending the silk banner and appreciation letter had been the right move. It was well worth her effort to beat gongs and drums, parading around the family compounds of various municipal and provincial leaders, as well as the entrances of major office buildings, before finally delivering the banner to the Revolutionary Committee. This had struck right at the director's heart.

Director Liu had actually come in person to ask about her going to the countryside. With Director Liu looking into it, she was sure her destination wouldn't be bad.

After seeing Director Liu off, the director of the Educated Youth Office led Yang Mumu inside and showed her the information about the Communes he had just discussed with Director Liu.

"Comrade Yang Mumu, Director Liu came specifically to show his concern for your situation. He instructed us that we must not let a young comrade feel let down. It was our oversight that you were signed up to go to the countryside despite already having a job. We will definitely do our best to make it up to you. This Red Star Commune is quite good. Take a look. If you think it's alright, we'll settle on this place."

Yang Mumu flipped through the documents. It indeed looked quite good, and the more she read, the more satisfied she became.

The resources were incredibly abundant. She could go up the mountains to hunt, gather herbs, and pick mushrooms, and also go down to the sea to catch fish and shrimp. Beachcombing every day was not just a dream. Heavens! This was her dream life. This would do, it would definitely do!

Yang Mumu looked at the director of the Educated Youth Office in excitement and thanked him, "Thank you, Director. Thank you so much. You and Director Liu are truly people who stand up for the public. Let's settle on this place. I really like the Red Star Commune. With a red heart facing the motherland, I will definitely work hard and dedicate my own red star to building a better country."

"Great, Comrade Yang has high political awareness. Then we'll settle on this place."

The director of the Educated Youth Office was very pleased. No wonder Director Liu of the Revolutionary Committee liked this young comrade so much; he liked her a lot too. This made him feel that doing these things was worthwhile. The emotional value she provided made him very willing to help her.

Since the young comrade didn't make things difficult for him and even agreed to thank him with a smile, he would give her a bit more countryside supplies as compensation.

"Comrade Yang, since the destination is settled, I'll take you to collect your countryside supplies first."

"Alright, thank you for the trouble, Director."

Yang Mumu followed the director to the supply distribution area.

She received a pair of thermoses, two enamel washbasins, two sets of toiletries, four towels, two pairs of rubber boots, two pairs of cotton-padded shoes, two sets of bedsheets and quilt covers, two cotton-padded quilts, two heavy cotton-padded coats, two pairs of cotton-padded trousers, and a 100-yuan subsidy.

Her hands were completely full.

Director Zhang found two gunny sacks to pack her things, then helped her carry them out and tie them to her bicycle.

"The notice to go to the countryside will be issued in three days at most. Generally, after it's issued, comrades are given another three days to prepare. That means you still have six days. When the time comes, the Educated Youth Office will buy the tickets and send you all to the station together."

Seeing that this young girl was the same age as his own daughter, yet she was already left with no one to rely on or help her make plans, and now had to travel far from home to live in the countryside, the director of the Educated Youth Office felt a bit heavy-hearted. After all, the Educated Youth Office bore some responsibility for this.

So, he couldn't help but offer a few more words of advice.

"In the next few days, handle your affairs here as quickly as possible and buy what needs to be bought. After all, buying things in the city is much more convenient than in the countryside. Tastes vary across regions, so what we have here might not be available there. Plan everything out beforehand so you don't end up lacking everything once you arrive. If you miss the food from home, just write a letter to the Educated Youth Office, and this uncle will mail it to you."

"Thank you for the reminder, Uncle. I understand. I'll make sure to prepare everything I need. Uncle, I'll head back now."

Yang Mumu smiled gratefully, tied her things securely, mounted her bicycle, and waved to the director of the Educated Youth Office.

"Alright, go on."

Director Zhang watched her receding figure, felt a great burden lift from his shoulders, let out a long sigh of relief, and turned back to the Educated Youth Office.

As Yang Mumu rode her bicycle home, she pondered the remaining tasks she had to handle, planning her schedule for the next six days.

Her most important and urgent task right now was to handle her job at the Machinery Factory.

She had two options for her job.

One was to take a one-year unpaid leave of absence and return from the countryside to resume her work.

But her position was highly sought-after, and whether it would still be there when she returned in a year was a big question. Every position was filled. She estimated that by the time she came back, she would probably only be able to work as a general laborer on the production line, and she might not even be welcomed by the factory. What she feared most was the factory repeatedly claiming they couldn't free up a position, leaving her with no choice but to wait. Waiting indefinitely would turn into an endless unpaid leave, which was simply not worth it.

The second option was to sell the job outright. If she sold this job, she could still get a decent amount of money for it.

If she wanted to return to the city early in the future, she could always look for a job then. It wouldn't matter where; she could just buy one. Besides, she had her Golden Finger to draw items, so she wouldn't have to worry about anything after going to the countryside.

Worst-case scenario, she had plenty of physical strength, so earning work points to support herself shouldn't be an issue. Plus, there were resource-rich mountains and an even richer sea over there, offering infinite possibilities. She wouldn't starve.

With these thoughts in mind, Yang Mumu decided to sell her job. It was better to get her hands on the money first. Money was still very important, and a job position was only most valuable when the person was still there; once they left, things would grow cold.

Now she just had to think carefully about who to sell her job to.

Yang Mumu sifted through her memories, planning to spread some word to outsiders once she got back, determined to find a suitable candidate.

Aunt Wang's place would be a good spot to drop a hint.

Meanwhile, Director Zhang of the Educated Youth Office was sitting in his office writing reports when he suddenly remembered that Yang Mumu still had a job as a cashier in the finance department of the Machinery Factory to handle. This was an excellent job. It was the largest factory in the city, with great profits and even better benefits for its employees. Everyone was scratching and clawing to get in. Back then, Comrade Yang had scored first place to enter, which had made his daughter green with envy.

Why not scrape together some money to get his daughter a different job? The work as a female laborer at the Textile Factory where his daughter currently worked was not easy at all. Every day when she came home from work, she looked half-dead, which pained him to see.

The more Director Zhang thought about it, the more tempted he became. When the time came, he could sell his daughter's current job, add some money to it, and it would be perfect. It would also be cost-effective in the long run.

It just so happened that his daughter's birthday was coming up soon. Giving this to her as a gift would make her life much easier working in an office in the future, with no worries about food or clothing.

No, he had to go discuss it with his wife and tell Comrade Yang Mumu as soon as possible. That job was highly sought-after and wouldn't wait for anyone. He had to act fast!

Director Zhang put down his pen, closed the door, and hurriedly ran outside.

22: Chapter 22 Selling Jobs, Competitors

While Yang Mumu was cooking dinner in the kitchen, she heard a knock on the door.

It had to be news from the hint she had dropped to Aunt Wang.

She put down her kitchen knife and hurriedly ran out to open the door.

"Coming."

When she opened the door, she saw that it wasn't Aunt Wang, but actually the director of the Educated Youth Office whom she had just parted ways with. He was standing at the door with a smile on his face, accompanied by an unfamiliar middle-aged woman who was also smiling at her.

She opened the door wide and invited them in to sit.

"Director, do you have any other instructions? Is there something else regarding going to the countryside that hasn't been settled yet?"

Director Zhang waved his hand in slight embarrassment. "No, no, it's not about going to the countryside. Everything is fine on that end and moving along according to the normal procedure. Today, your Auntie and I came for a personal matter."

"Let me say it." Seeing Director Zhang dilly-dallying, his wife Liu Ying pushed him aside and said straightforwardly, "My girl, I heard you're looking to sell your cashier job at the Machinery Factory. We wanted to ask how much you're planning to sell it for. To be honest, I intend to buy it for my daughter, and the price is highly negotiable."

Just as she finished speaking, another knock sounded at the door, interrupting the conversation.

"I'm so sorry, Auntie Liu, Director Zhang. Let me go open the door first." Yang Mumu smiled apologetically, turning back to open the door.

Inside the room, Director Zhang and Liu Ying instantly felt a sense of crisis.

"It must be someone here to buy the job," Liu Ying glared at him in annoyance. "What a great opportunity you had back at the Educated Youth Office. You should have talked to her then, but you completely wasted it. Now the competition is so stiff. Ugh, you pig-head!"

"Yes, yes, it's my fault."

Director Zhang didn't dare talk back. If he hadn't gone back to consult her on such a major matter, he would definitely have been scolded even worse later. A woman's mind is as deep as the ocean floor.

Liu Ying craned her neck to look at the person coming in. Seeing an old acquaintance—Xia Hong, someone she didn't get along with at work—she was instantly filled with fighting spirit. She rolled up her sleeves, put her hands on her hips, and built up her momentum, saying to Director Zhang:

"In a moment, let me do the talking. You just stand to the side."

"Alright, you do it."

Sensing his wife's ready-to-strike aura, Director Zhang shut his mouth and sat obediently in his seat, sipping water.

As soon as Xia Hong walked in and saw who was in the room, her smiling face instantly stiffened. She crossed her arms over her chest and spoke sarcastically.

"Oh, Liu Ying, you're here too!"

Liu Ying sneered, sitting back down on the bench to sip her tea, looking entirely confident of victory.

"If you can come, Xia Hong, then of course I can come. In fact, I was the first to arrive."

The subtext was: Don't you dare try to snatch this from me; I'm not afraid of you.

Seeing the intense friction between the two and how they couldn't stand the sight of each other, Yang Mumu immediately had an idea.

She lagged behind by a couple of steps and leaned close to Aunt Wang's ear, whispering, "Auntie, go bring the other buyer here as well. If this goes through, I'll add another five yuan to your previous five-yuan commission. Be quick! Whether we can make an extra sum depends on this moment."

Aunt Wang's eyes lit up, as if she could already see the money. Ten yuan! That was more than half a month's salary. She absolutely had to pull this off. "Alright, I'm on my way. Wait for me, ten minutes."

Aunt Wang was highly motivated, running out as if she had wind beneath her feet.

Yang Mumu smiled faintly as she watched Aunt Wang depart. She then led Auntie Xia into the room to sit. Seeing her and Director Zhang's wife glaring at each other, unable to stand one another, Mumu chuckled inwardly. She lowered her head to pour tea, intending to stall for some time.

"Auntie Xia, have some tea. Please sit for a moment. I need to go to the kitchen to check on the fire. I'm still cooking, so I'll just change the coal and be right back. It'll be quick." Yang Mumu smiled apologetically at them.

"It's fine, go ahead. We're the ones who came at an inconvenient time." Liu Ying waved her hand. It was indeed their fault; the girl was home alone, and it was right when she was cooking. They had been too abrupt.

Director Zhang also nodded in agreement from behind.

Xia Hong immediately chimed in, "Yes, yes, Mumu, go ahead. It doesn't matter, it's only right for us to wait."

"Thank you for understanding."

Yang Mumu ran back to the kitchen. It wasn't entirely an excuse to stall; she really did need to check the fire, the pots, and the stove. Her steamed egg custard and rice couldn't be ruined.

She lifted the pot lid to check how the rice was steaming, inspected the burning coal briquettes, poked out the ashes from the bottom of the stove, and adjusted the fire. After lingering for about three minutes, she washed her hands, sensing that the timing was about right.

If she settled the matter of the job now, the rice would be ready by then, and it wouldn't be too late to come back and stir-fry the dishes.

When Yang Mumu returned to the main room, the two Aunties were still standing there glaring at each other, looking very much like fighting hens.

She greeted them:

"Aunties, please sit. Let's sit down and talk slowly. Since everyone is here for the same thing, let me first talk about my job."

Sitting down, Xia Hong said overbearingly, "Mumu, we already know the details about the job. Just tell us how much you're planning to sell it for. I want it."

Liu Ying couldn't stand her tone, exploding instantly: "Like hell you do! I was the first to arrive and haven't even spoken yet, and you want everything? Do you want shit too? I'll take one for you right now!"

Xia Hong, who had arrived later, was just as sharp-tongued and didn't hold back in cursing back.

"Liu Ying, since you're so capable, why don't you take a shit right here for me to see? Don't just talk and do nothing. You're exactly the kind of person who can't take a shit and blames the outhouse! So what if you were the first to arrive? You still haven't made the deal. You're just occupying the outhouse without taking a shit. Go on and beat it back home!"

"You're the one who should beat it! You..."

Yang Mumu was thoroughly disgusted by their vulgar bickering and hoped Aunt Wang would hurry up. The next instant, she heard a knock on the door and decisively interrupted their argument.

"Aunties, please speak nicely and stop arguing. This isn't a toilet. If you want to use the restroom, go to the left—it's right there on the left side of the yard. If you don't need to use it, let's talk business properly. I'll go open the door first."

The two bickering women stopped. Hearing the sound outside, they both grew alert and glared at each other in tacit understanding.

Both cursed inwardly at the same time: It's all your fault for wasting time. Now look what happened—another competitor has arrived.

Yang Mumu and Aunt Wang exchanged a knowing look. Having brought the person over, Aunt Wang quietly slipped away without entering.

Yang Mumu led the newly arrived Uncle Li into the room. The addition of this new person instantly changed the dynamic.

Before Uncle Li even sat down, he glanced at the other two families and turned to Yang Mumu, saying, "Name your price." Seeing how calm and composed the newcomer was, Xia Hong and Liu Ying secretly thought, Oh no. They exchanged looks and formed a tacit alliance, preparing to present a united front against the outsider.

The three parties looked at one another, each on their guard, and the atmosphere grew somewhat tense.

23: Chapter 23 Auction, Sold

This was exactly the effect she wanted. Yang Mumu picked up her teacup and took a sip, hiding the upward curve of her lips.

"Alright, since all three families have come with great sincerity, I won't beat around the bush. Everyone knows the situation with my job. It's easily one of the best positions in the city—top factory, top benefits, and highly sought after. You'll make your money back in less than a year, and once you have it, it's pure profit. I won't say much more and will get straight to the price: I won't let it go for less than 1,200."

Yang Mumu looked at the three families, waiting for the final outcome.

Uncle Li was the first to bid: "1,250."

Xia Hong quickly raised her hand: "I'll offer 1,300."

Once the bidding actually started, any alliances dissolved instantly, falling apart at the first strike.

Liu Ying grew anxious and blurted out a high price: "1,400, I'll pay 1,400."

Everyone turned to look at her.

Yang Mumu was overjoyed in her heart. The Director's family was indeed wealthy.

Uncle Li struggled internally for a moment before raising his hand: "1,410."

Liu Ying pressed on relentlessly, raising her hand again: "1,450 yuan."

Uncle Li calculated his budget in his head, lowered his hand, and said, "I give up."

Yang Mumu transformed into an auctioneer, looking at the two aunties. "Now that Uncle Li has withdrawn, Auntie Liu has bid 1,450 yuan. If no one else bids, this great job will go to Auntie Liu's family."

"I..." Xia Hong's face was filled with inner conflict. Just as she was about to speak, Liu Ying glared at her fiercely, ran over, and covered her mouth.

Yang Mumu asked, "Is Auntie Xia planning to bid more?"

"Mmph, mmph—" Xia Hong struggled violently.

"Can the two of us discuss this for a moment?" Liu Ying smiled embarrassedly at Yang Mumu, looking deeply apologetic.

Director Zhang also looked at Yang Mumu with a face full of apology, but he was utterly helpless when it came to his wife.

"Sure."

Yang Mumu didn't mind. She was already satisfied with this price, and it was good to do Leader Zhang a favor now.

Having received permission, Liu Ying quickly leaned close to Xia Hong's ear and softened her tone in apology.

"I'm sorry. The vegetables I planted back then really died because I didn't grow them well; it wasn't your chicken's fault. Please let me have this job."

Xia Hong stopped struggling and looked at her in surprise.

This was the first time she had ever seen this woman apologize. Originally, they didn't have any major conflicts and used to be friends. It was only because of some small misunderstandings that they fell out. After that, they would bicker whenever they met, saying increasingly hurtful things, which led to their current hostile relationship.

Now that the other party was apologizing, she felt a bit moved. However, she absolutely had to secure this job; her daughter was still waiting to return to the city.

Liu Ying seeing her expression, knew her concerns. She knew that Xia Hong had many children and many expenses, and that her family wasn't well-off. Buying this job would make their lives very tight.

So she whispered in her ear. The two of them reached an agreement: Liu Ying would sell her own daughter's current job to Xia Hong, while she bought this new one. Liu Ying's family only had one daughter, and the couple spent all their earnings on her. Since the daughter already had a job, the family faced little financial pressure and had relatively flexible funds.

This was a win-win solution for both sides.

Within a minute, they reached an agreement.

Xia Hong looked at Yang Mumu, raised her hand, and said, "I give up too."

Yang Mumu clapped. "Great! Since Director Zhang and Auntie Liu and I get along so well, I won't wait for the other comrades who haven't arrived yet, nor will I ask around. I'll make the deal with you. Congratulations, Auntie Liu and Director Zhang! 1,450, it's a deal. This job is yours."

"Excellent, excellent." Director Zhang and Liu Ying were beaming with joy, incredibly happy.

"Ah, what a pity my money wasn't enough. I couldn't secure such a great job, such a shame." Uncle Li sighed, forcing a smile on his face as he stepped forward: "Congratulations, Director Zhang. Congratulations to you both."

Director Zhang happily exchanged pleasantries: "I must thank you, brother. Thank you, thank you."

On the other side, Liu Ying pulled Yang Mumu into the house to hand over the money, fearing that any delay might lead to complications. What if someone else showed up to compete with her? It was safest to complete the transaction and secure the job first.

Fortunately, she had brought enough money to process it immediately.

Liu Ying took a stack of money wrapped in waste newspaper from her bag. After opening it, she pulled out a few ten-yuan bills...

"Mumu, this is 1,450 yuan. I'll give it all to you first. Please count it. While there's still half an hour before they close over there, let's go and get the job transfer procedures sorted out right now. That way, you can focus entirely on preparing to go to the countryside and get everything ready. Our city's Department Store has a lot of goods, so it's convenient to buy whatever you need. Once you go to the countryside, even going to a market will be very difficult, so you must be well-prepared."

"Auntie Liu, you're right. Let me count it first."

Yang Mumu took the money. Her muscle memory allowed her to count the cash rapidly, finishing in just a few seconds while verifying its authenticity.

"The count is correct, Auntie. Let's head over now." Yang Mumu was still thinking about her dinner. "I'll go tend to the fire under the pot first. You have Uncle go and get the person first. Let's split up to save some time."

"Right, right, you do that first, and I'll go tell your uncle." Liu Ying ran off joyfully to call him. The job was finally secured; she couldn't imagine how happy her daughter would be when she found out.

Yang Mumu put the money into her space and jogged to the kitchen. The steamed eggs and rice in the pot were already cooked. She tightly closed the air vent below, added more water under the steamer rack, and then shut the door to go out and handle the business.

The transfer process went smoothly and quickly. In less than an hour, the job at the Machinery Factory belonged to Director Zhang's daughter.

The girl was in a daze the entire time. It wasn't until she walked out of the Machinery Factory with the relevant documents that she truly believed it. She had actually become an employee of the largest factory in the city, and in the highly coveted role of a cashier.

She screamed with joy and hugged Yang Mumu tightly: "Ah! Mumu, thank you! I wish you all the best in the countryside!"

"Alright, I've received your blessings. Thank you, and congratulations on getting what you wanted. Your parents love you very much."

Yang Mumu was also happy. With another sum of money in hand, she had one more layer of security in this era. It was time to head back.

"Director, Auntie, I'll head back first. The pot on my stove shouldn't be left unattended for too long."

"Alright, take care."

After watching Yang Mumu leave, Director Zhang's family said happily, "Let's go home and stew a chicken to celebrate!"

After having dinner, Yang Mumu excitedly entered her space. She took out all the money she had obtained over the past two days, along with her original savings, to count them properly.

From Li Yuhua, she had extorted 1,100, plus the 360 found in the room, making it 1,460 yuan.

She had searched Yang Qianqian's room and found 120 yuan.

Zhang Cuilan: 3,000 yuan; Xu Qiang: 1,800 yuan; Zhao Bing: 3,200 yuan; Second Uncle Yang Zhong: 2,500 yuan.

She had fleeced a whopping 12,080 yuan from these scumbags alone.

Plus her father's pension of 800 yuan, the 1,450 yuan from selling the job, and the 210 yuan she originally had on her.

All this cash added up to 14,540 yuan.

And there was still 99,000 yuan deposited in her savings book.

After finishing her calculations, Yang Mumu's eyes sparkled. She was still a little wealthy woman, and she was as good at making money as ever.

She immediately sat cross-legged and spread the money all over the floor. Looking at the floor covered in ten-yuan bills, her heart was filled with pure joy. She grabbed handfuls of cash and tossed them in the air, then rolled over once, twice, three times on the money, laughing more and more happily with each roll.

"Oh my goodness, I have so much money!"

After rolling around, Yang Mumu sat back up, joyfully gathered the money, counted it bill by bill, and put it into her exclusive money box.

Finally, she kissed the savings book, placed it in the box as well, took a bath, and went to sleep happily clutching the box.

What do you do when you have money? Of course, you go on a shopping spree tomorrow!

24: Chapter 24 Going to the Countryside

With a few days left before going to the countryside, Yang Mumu spent her time shopping. She wasn't afraid of running out of money, but of not having enough supplies. Her spatial storage was right there, and she still had money in her pocket, so she absolutely could not let its storage capacity go to waste.

She purchased all kinds of local specialty foods, buying chopped chili peppers, salted vegetables, pickles, dried vegetables, and other dishes from various Aunties who were good at cooking. She also managed to buy two pieces of cured pork with a good mix of fat and lean. In the end, she even bought the recipes and preservation methods for these dishes, which the Aunties happily wrote down in notebooks to give to her.

She traded with someone for a bunch of various ration coupons and ran to the city's largest non-staple food store for another round of shopping, starting with seasonings.

The first and most important item was dried chili peppers. Her dishes could never do without them; they were an indispensable part of her life. She bought ten jin. Being dried, they didn't weigh much, so they filled a huge gunny sack.

She also bought two jin of various spices.

She also stocked up on other seasonings like salt and soy sauce to avoid having nothing to cook with during her first few days in the countryside.

She bought five jin of melon seeds, an absolute necessity for gossiping and making friends.

She skipped the fruit candies since she had won some before, but she bought one jin of White Rabbit creamy candies, planning to melt them in water to drink.

She went to the largest Department Store and bought whatever she needed, including sewing thread, knitting wool, and fabric.

With summer approaching, she specially bought two mosquito nets, several sets of summer clothes and pants, two summer quilts, and extra sets of toiletries and other consumables to store away.

Since she had money in her pocket, she bought a set of period-specific skincare products like vanishing cream and clam shell oil, as well as two bottles of Florida Water to prevent mosquito bites.

Next, she began to focus on stockpiling items for her health. Medicine was strictly controlled, and hospital medication couldn't be bought easily, but having an Educated Youth countryside assignment notice qualified her to buy certain medicines.

She made a special trip to the Educated Youth Office to get her notice, then immediately headed to the hospital to buy some Analgin, rubbing alcohol, gentian violet, mercurochrome, and iodine. These were rationed, so she couldn't buy much.

Yang Mumu didn't mind. She only needed a small supply; for the rest, she could rely on the lucky wheel lottery, and she was looking forward to finding wild herbs on the mountains even more.

She knew a bit about traditional Chinese medicine. After all, she had worked plenty of part-time jobs growing up, and selling medicinal herbs was one of them. To boost her sales and save money on medical bills, she had once learned some basic knowledge from an old Chinese medicine practitioner at a factory. She estimated she could pass as half a barefoot doctor in the production team, and finding herbs to treat minor illnesses herself wouldn't be a problem.

After returning, Yang Mumu took inventory and found she was mostly prepared. Walking out into the yard and seeing the empty ground, she immediately remembered that she should plant some crops in her spatial plot so she could have fresh vegetables to eat at any time.

So she went to the agricultural produce store near the Grain Station and bought some vegetable seeds to take back.

She stopped running around for the remaining two days. Yang Mumu started her farming life early, planning out the land, clearing the soil, and planting crops inside her space.

Fortunately, she didn't have to do it physically; she could control everything with her mind.

After drawing and writing with a pen, Yang Mumu brought a stool, sat in the yard inside her space, and began to act while looking at the empty ground before her.

First, she planned a patch of grassland as a natural breeding ground for the four chicks, and then she mapped out the farming land in her mind.

Sowing, watering, and fertilizing kept her happily occupied. Once she was done, she began decorating the small yard inside the space.

Before she knew it, the day to go to the countryside arrived.

At 7:00 AM, Yang Mumu packed everything in the house, including that mother and daughter's junk, into her space to use as kindling.

Then, carrying her pack, slinging a thermos over her shoulder, and holding her daily luggage bag, she walked to the Educated Youth Office to gather.

A large crowd had already gathered. There were Educated Youth heading to various rural destinations, as well as parents who had come to see their children off. The street outside the Educated Youth Office was packed to the brim.

Many parents pulled their children aside to give them parting advice. Everyone was teary-eyed, holding each other and weeping bitterly, unable to part. Some were so emotional that their wretched wailing echoed down the entire street, as if their lives were utterly hopeless, like they were being sent into a pit of fire.

Compared to the early years of the "Up to the Mountains and Down to the Countryside" movement, when the Educated Youth went voluntarily with passionate hearts and the assembly points were filled with burning enthusiasm and high spirits, now most of them were unwilling.

As time passed, batch after batch went down, but there was no policy to recall them. They grew older day by day, with no hope of return and no future in sight. Everyone was terrified that they would spend their entire lives in the countryside and never be able to return to the city.

Therefore, for families with more than two children, anyone of age who didn't have a job would be assigned to go to the countryside. The subdistrict office staff kept a close eye on this, coming to their doors to mobilize them when the time came. Without connections, they had no choice but to leave their hometowns.

Yang Mumu understood the emotions of the parents and Educated Youth very well. If she didn't know what would happen in the decades to come, she would probably be a little scared too.

Squeezing her way inside, Yang Mumu realized the crying on the outskirts was actually mild; the wailing in the center was non-stop, comparable to a funeral scene.

Standing alone in the middle of the crowd, Yang Mumu looked so different and out of place. She suddenly felt that having someone to cry with might actually be nice. Why did she feel so awkward?

To give herself something to do, Yang Mumu pulled a Yeerba out of her bag to munch on while watching her surroundings.

The young man standing beside her successfully caught her attention.

It was her first time seeing a guy cry so much. He was like a water tap come to life, tears streaming down in torrents. His wailing was incredibly loud, filled with misery and despair as he clutched his mother's hem and refused to let go.

"Mom, Mom, I don't want to go! I want to go home! I don't want to go to the countryside! Waaah, Mom—"

His crying was quite moving, but in the next second, she saw the Auntie opposite him trying hard to pull her clothes out of her son's grip, saying: "Son, I don't want you to go either, but you eat too much! I can't afford to feed you anymore! Go to the countryside and be self-reliant. I believe you can feed yourself."

The Auntie finally yanked her clothes back and happily turned to run, leaving behind only one sentence: "Son, go! The vast world awaits you! Write back once you've lost some weight!"

"Mom—" The young man stretched out a dramatic hand, crying miserably. "Mom, don't! I'll never get to eat your Yeerba again, or the spicy chicken, or the Shaobai! Mom, no—"

Yang Mumu was practically crying with laughter. This guy was too funny. She had thought he was sad to leave his parent, but it turned out his world was ending over a Yeerba. He definitely had a comical, goofy streak.

His voice was just a bit too loud. Yang Mumu looked down at the Yeerba in her hand, walked over, and patted his shoulder.

"Stop crying."

Seeing the Yeerba in her hand, the young man's eyes lit up.

Right in front of him, Yang Mumu stuffed the entire Yeerba into her mouth in one bite.

"I ate it for you. The Yeerba really tastes great."

The young man's tears stopped instantly. Eating a Yeerba right in front of him! Talk about rubbing salt in the wound!

In the next second...

"Huh?" After looking up and seeing who she was, the young man wiped away his tears. He didn't look like he had been crying at all, a complete contrast to his dramatic wailing just a moment ago. He stood up straight and approached Yang Mumu with a grin to greet her. "Sister Mumu, it's you! You like eating Yeerba too?"

Huh? Someone who knew her? Yang Mumu looked at him closely, searching her memory. A goofy friend who resembled a husky... Who was he?

25: Chapter 25 Friends Plus One

The male comrade excitedly introduced himself, "I'm Song Yan, a junior one year below you. When we were little, we used to play house together at the cannery. I was your little sidekick."

"Oh! I remember now. It's you, Little Yanzi."

In Yang Mumu's mind, a memory suddenly flashed of a little boy who didn't like to talk but loved to follow her around, often looking gloomy, and who frequently played her mute little guard and sidekick during their games of house.

That was back when the original owner's mother was still alive, and they lived in the family quarters of the cannery where her mother worked.

She looked at him now with a bit of disbelief. Had the gloomy boy turned into a dramatic goofball?

"Wait, weren't you a very shy kid before? No matter how much I teased you, you wouldn't say a word. How did you change so much? I didn't recognize you at first."

"Sigh, I didn't have my front teeth back then, so my speech leaked air. I didn't dare open my mouth because I was afraid of being laughed at by the other kids." Song Yan pulled a boiled egg from his pocket and handed it to Yang Mumu. "Sister Mumu, do you still have any Yeerba? I'll trade you for one."

What a rascal, he really was eyeing her Yeerba. Yang Mumu clutched the cakes in her bag and looked at him.

"I do." She pulled three Yeerba out of her bag, handed them over, and took the egg from his hand to peel and eat. "Here, eat up. I didn't expect you to still love Yeerba just like when you were little."

Three colors of Yeerba

"I just love this taste. It's so chewy and fragrant. It's a pity my mom kicked me out to go to the countryside, so I won't be able to eat it anymore. And those dishes... If I had known, I would have eaten less at home. Sigh, I might be the only Educated Youth who got kicked out by their parents for eating too much. Is being a little chubby really such a big deal? But this is so delicious! Sister, did you make this yourself? Where are you going for your countryside placement?"

Song Yan looked at Yang Mumu with anticipation. If they were going to the same place, wouldn't that mean he wouldn't starve? In the future, he could earn work points and trade them with Sister Mumu for food. He had no other hobbies; he just loved eating good food.

"I made them. You're not fat either, just a bit sturdy. You'll make great strong labor in the countryside, it suits you well." Seeing how tall and sturdy he was, Yang Mumu knew he would definitely earn plenty of work points and wouldn't starve. "I'm going to Red Star Commune in Lu Province. Where are you going?"

"That's great! I'm going there too." Song Yan was overjoyed and shouted excitedly, saying enthusiastically, "I hope we get assigned to the same place. I'm strong and can earn work points, so I promise neither of us will starve. Sister Mumu, we can look out for each other in the countryside. You protected me when we were little, now it's my turn to protect you."

"Alright, Little Yanzi, you protect me."

Yang Mumu nodded happily. It was quite nice to have an acquaintance with her, plus she'd have an extra person to watch her luggage on the train.

Song Yan smiled foolishly as he ate the Yeerba, no longer worried about having nothing delicious to eat. He would always be Sister Mumu's little sidekick.

By this time, everyone had arrived, and it was about time. A clerk from the Educated Youth Office came out and shouted, "Quiet down, comrades! We will now start distributing the train tickets. Keep them safe. We will be boarding soon. Say your goodbyes quickly. We depart for the train station in fifteen minutes."

Another wave of crying broke out in the crowd, and the sorrow of parting hung heavy in the air.

Yang Mumu was immune to this and just wanted to leave quickly so she could board the train and catch up on sleep. She was a bit tired from farming in her space for too long last night.

Having found his childhood friend, Song Yan no longer felt any sadness. As long as there was food, he didn't mind going to the countryside. Reunited with his friend, he was even a bit excited and proactively helped Yang Mumu carry her luggage.

The two of them eagerly went forward, picked up their train tickets, had large red rosettes pinned to them by the comrades from the Educated Youth Office, and climbed onto the large truck.

One after another, the other Educated Youths also put on their large red rosettes, wiped away their tears, climbed onto the trucks, and waved goodbye to their families.

Once the fifteen minutes were up, all the Educated Youths were on board, the trucks started up, and people below beat drums and gongs to send them off.

Yang Mumu found it novel. It was her first time experiencing being sent off by thousands of people. She suddenly felt very proud, a little excited, and even looked forward to going to the countryside.

This batch of Educated Youths was going to several different provinces, but since the Educated Youth Office bought the tickets collectively, the tickets for those going to the same destination were next to each other.

For convenience, the clerks organized them into groups on the way to the train station. Those who would be sitting together on the train were seated together now to get to know one another, so they could walk together once they reached the station. Since they were all heading to the same town, they could look out for each other on the train.

After the groups were organized, Yang Mumu was surprised to find that while there were quite a few people going to Lu Province, she and Song Yan were the only ones heading to Red Star Commune in Lu Province.

In that case, she and Song Yan might even be assigned to the same Production Brigade.

Song Yan nudged closer to Yang Mumu, pulled out his train ticket, and asked curiously, "Sister Mumu, where is your seat?"

"Carriage 2, Seat 40," Yang Mumu showed it to him.

"Ah, I'm right across from you, Carriage 2, Seat 45! Look!" Song Yan gesticulated wildly with excitement, waving his ticket as he handed it over.

Yang Mumu nodded happily. "That's perfect. When the time comes, we can take turns buying food or using the restroom, leaving one person behind to watch the luggage and seats."

"Sure."

Song Yan began to look forward to it. He really hoped he could be assigned to the same place as Sister Mumu. In an unfamiliar place far from home, having one more person meant having someone else to rely on.

The truck soon arrived at the railway station. Before they got off, the comrades from the Educated Youth Office gave a few instructions regarding safety precautions during the journey before letting everyone disembark.

Since they were headed to different destinations, the crowd dispersed upon getting off. Yang Mumu checked the time on her ticket and saw that the train they were supposed to take was just pulling into the station, saving them any waiting time.

"Sister Mumu, this is our train! It's here, let's go quickly."

Song Yan picked up the luggage and rushed forward to join the queue.

Yang Mumu followed closely behind. After squeezing through the crowd for a bit, she quickly boarded the train.

Looking around, there were quite a few comrades on board wearing the military green uniforms of the Educated Youth. They were all Educated Youths from various stops along the route, already chatting away, looking quite excited, and even gathering in groups to sing songs.

There were also many who boarded at the same time as them. These were all Educated Youths from various parts of their province who were going down to the countryside. They still looked a bit downcast, and some were reluctantly saying their final goodbyes to the parents sending them off.

26: Chapter 26 I've heard that people with big noses...

Yang Mumu ignored all that, focusing on finding her seat; sitting down was the priority.

Song Yan led the way in front.

"Sister Mumu, we've reached number 20. Our seats should be just a few rows away."

"Mm, that should be right."

In a few steps, they reached seat 40. There were three seats in a row with a small table in the middle, and three seats opposite them. Song Yan's seat, number 45, was indeed opposite her.

After Yang Mumu placed her large luggage on the rack and put her small, frequently used bag at her feet, she took a sip of water and discussed the issue of taking turns watching the luggage with Song Yan.

They had hard seats and would be sitting for several days. The key issue was that there was no direct train from their province to the city where they were going to be Educated Youth. They had to take a train to the railway station in the capital city of Lu Province, transfer to another train to reach the city, and then take another vehicle down to the county. The journey was quite troublesome.

It was important to rest well and keep their energy up.

It was good to have an acquaintance sitting together; at least resting would be much better than if she were alone.

After discussing it, Yang Mumu would rest in the morning, Song Yan would rest in the afternoon, and at night, Yang Mumu would take the first shift, and Song Yan would take the second.

Once decided, Yang Mumu took a thin quilt out of her bag, wrapped it around herself, and began to sleep.

The train traveled forward, and by the time it reached the Lu Province railway station, nothing had happened along the way.

Throughout the journey, Yang Mumu slept very well and was full of energy when getting off the train.

Song Yan, opposite her, was much the same, looking spirited as he carried his luggage and rushed after her toward the connecting train.

She thought, the train wasn't really a place where trouble often occurred; see, nothing happened.

After waiting for ten minutes or so at the station, the connecting train slowly pulled into the station.

This time, her seat was number 90, and Song Yan's was 96. They were in the same row again, with two rows of seats facing each other, which made it convenient to look after their luggage and such.

Once on board, they headed straight for their seats. When they reached the vicinity of seat 70, she was struck by a male comrade walking towards her from the front, and she couldn't help but take another look.

Goodness, he was a catch. His features were so bewitchingly beautiful, his profile a bit too deep, and he had a pair of captivating peach blossom eyes. That high, prominent nose was just perfect on his face.

I heard that people with big noses are also very strong in that area...

Sigh, what was she thinking? Stop it.

Yang Mumu shook off the thoughts in her head and looked for her seat. However, she realized that she and the male comrade opposite had stopped in front of the same row. The same row of seats? Army green clothes—an Educated Youth going to the countryside in the same place?

He looked even more handsome up close.

At 170 cm, she reached about the level of his nose, so the male comrade opposite must be around 182 cm.

The two of them turned their heads at the same time and locked eyes just like that, both flashing looks of astonishment in their eyes.

Gu Xingzhou, opposite her, froze for a moment before withdrawing his gaze. This female comrade was quite good-looking!

After a pause of one second, they both offered each other a polite, slight smile.

Looking at the seats, both of them raised their eyebrows at the same time.

Two people were lying horizontally across the two rows of seats. A middle-aged man was lying in the row with her seat, and a Middle-aged woman was lying in the row with Song Yan's seat—which was the row in front of the male comrade opposite. The two of them were sound asleep.

Oh, wow, speak of the devil. She had just said nothing happened, so was it going to happen now? Murphy's Law?

Yang Mumu saw the male comrade opposite gently tap the small table in the middle and politely call out, "Comrade, wake up, wake up."

The Middle-aged woman didn't open her eyes; her eyelids didn't even twitch.

"Why are there people lying on our seats sleeping?" Seeing that it was a man in the seats on this side, Song Yan pulled Yang Mumu aside and stepped forward himself, "Sister, let me wake them."

"Uncle, wake up, wake up, we've arrived at the station." Song Yan reached out and shook the middle-aged man lying horizontally on the seat.

The man turned over and continued sleeping, ignoring him. No one woke up.

Song Yan increased the force of his shaking and raised his voice to call out again, but still, no one woke up.

Yang Mumu's eyes turned cold. This wasn't a case of not waking up; they were bullying them because they were young and didn't want to wake up. Even someone in a dead sleep couldn't resist being shaken like that without waking.

Yang Mumu took a rolling pin out of her bag and struck the table in the middle with it.

With a "thud," it struck into people's hearts.

"Get up."

Gu Xingzhou temporarily lowered the hand he had prepared to lift the person, staring at her with sparkling eyes. This female comrade was actually quite cool!

Someone was looking at her with admiration, and others couldn't stay lying down anymore.

The two people lying on the seats were startled, their eyelids twitching. They swallowed and opened their eyes, pretending they had just woken up.

The Middle-aged woman sat up. Seeing that they were young people, she didn't move from her spot, continuing to sit in the seat with an impatient look, "What are you doing? Can't a person get some sleep?"

The lecherous middle-aged man got up and saw it was Yang Mumu, still wearing Educated Youth clothes. He looked at her with lecherous eyes, his expression even more arrogant.

This little lady is really something.

"I was having a good sleep and got woken up by you. You stinking wench, you have to apologize to me."

These Educated Youth are all thin-skinned; they wouldn't dare say anything, let alone cause a scene, heh heh~

While thinking this, his eyes roamed over Yang Mumu even more unscrupulously, and he reached out a lecherous hand, trying to take advantage of the position to grope Yang Mumu's thigh.

Yang Mumu grabbed the man's fingers and snapped them, then grabbed the man's clothes, lifted him up in one go, and threw him heavily to the ground: "Apologize to your grandma. You old pervert, you wanted to touch me and act like a hooligan? Pfft."

"Ah—"

With a "thud," the man was thrown heavily into the aisle by Yang Mumu, and his pig-like screams echoed throughout the carriage.

The lecherous man clutched his broken hand, rolling on the ground in pain. After getting up, he lunged at Yang Mumu again.

"You stinking wench, I'll beat you to death! You look like a vixen, clearly no good, I'll beat you to death, you bitch!"

Yang Mumu sneered, reached out and slapped him twice, then knocked him down again with the stick, leaving him lying on the ground unable to get up, howling in pain right there.

This action stunned everyone in the carriage. Goodness, this female Educated Youth is not to be trifled with. Look, that's what happens to people who cause trouble.

Suddenly, the Middle-aged woman behind let out a scream.

"What do you want to do? Are you hitting people? Ah—"

Yang Mumu turned her head and saw that the handsome male comrade had also lifted the Middle-aged woman up and thrown her out as well.

The Middle-aged woman stumbled back a few steps in the aisle before steadying herself. After realizing what happened, she sat on the ground and wailed: "Oh my! He's hitting a woman! Is there any justice? He's hitting a woman!"

Seeing the commotion over here, the Train Attendant came running over, shouting: "What are you doing? What is everyone doing?"

27: Chapter 27 Punishing the Perverted Seat-Hogging Man

Seeing the Train Attendant arrive, the old man on the floor tried to scramble up to complain, but Yang Mumu ran over first, and as she passed him, she stomped hard on his remaining good hand.

"Ahhh—"

The creep curled up, crossing his hands over his chest, unable to get up due to the pain.

"Comrades, you've finally arrived! You must stand up for me!"

Yang Mumu pinched her own hand, her wailing voice drowning out the man's screams, and she ran with red-rimmed eyes to the man who looked like the Chief Conductor to seek help.

"Comrade, it's that man lying on the floor. Seeing that I'm a young girl and an Educated Youth from out of town, he's been bullying me. He was lying on my seat. When I politely asked him to get up, not only did he refuse to move, but he also verbally insulted me. Here is my ticket."

After handing the ticket to the Chief Conductor, Yang Mumu pointed indignantly at the man on the floor and said:

"I also want to report him for sexual harassment. He… he not only touched my leg but also pinched my hand. Look, my hand is red from where he pinched it. He even tried to hit me afterward. Everyone saw it! Fortunately, I had a rolling pin with me for self-defense, or I would have been bullied. I traveled thousands of miles to support rural construction, but I never expected to encounter such a thing on the train. I want to ask, do people in Lu Province not welcome Educated Youth? Why target us for bullying?"

The Chief Conductor's expression turned serious. He couldn't let that reputation stick—who would dare say they don't welcome Educated Youth or that they bully them? He glared at the man on the floor; what trash!

Taking the matter very seriously, the Chief Conductor called two people to grab the man, then said kindly to Yang Mumu:

"Comrade, we welcome Educated Youth from everywhere to come to the countryside. His personal poor conduct does not represent all of us. Rest assured, we will definitely stand up for you. We strictly punish seat-hogging and sexual harassment; we will hand him directly to the Police Station for processing and will never tolerate any bad actors."

Yang Mumu wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and nodded, looking at the comrades with a trusting gaze.

"I believe the Train Attendants will stand up for me. Seeing how kind you all are, I know that friends in Lu Province welcome us Educated Youth. You are all good comrades who are kind and serve the people. Thank you, thank you!"

"This is just what we should do."

The Chief Conductor breathed a sigh of relief. If an Educated Youth from another province had an incident on their train, the repercussions would be huge. He glared fiercely at the man.

The creep's face turned pale from the pain. After being hauled up from the floor by the two comrades and realizing the outcome, he struggled and screamed.

"Let me go! I'm being framed! I didn't touch her, and my hand was broken by her! What right do you have to arrest me? Why don't you arrest her? Ahhh—"

"Comrade, I can testify that he was sexually harassing her. I heard it with my own ears and saw it with my own eyes," a strange voice shouted loudly.

Hearing this, Yang Mumu looked over and saw that handsome male comrade, offering him a grateful smile.

Song Yan snapped out of the series of events and hurriedly raised his hand to say to the Chief Conductor: "I can also testify. He was bullying people, sexually harassing them, and hogging three seats by himself. I even suspect he's evading his fare."

The Chief Conductor stood in front of the creep and shouted sternly: "Take out your ticket."

"I… I lost my ticket."

The man's voice immediately dropped, sounding quite guilty.

"But I'm innocent! I really didn't touch her. Look at what she did to my hand! I'm being wronged! You should be arresting her! She hit me—she hit me so hard!"

As he continued, he became more and more self-righteous.

Yang Mumu sniffled, her face full of defiance: "I'm just a young girl going to the countryside, and I was scared to death encountering these things. Isn't it right for me to defend myself? Does that mean we Educated Youth from out of town must just stand here and let you bully us? Comrades, listen to what he's saying! Do I deserve to be bullied just because I'm going to the countryside?"

"You bitch, you…"

The Chief Conductor was very angry and cut him off fiercely: "Shut your mouth! You hogged a seat, refused to leave, and sexually harassed someone, and you think you're in the right? If you didn't touch her, it's because the female comrade reacted quickly and had strong self-preservation skills. You deserved to be hit! And now you're spouting profanities? Gag him and take him away."

"Comrade, wait! I have a handkerchief to gag him with. It's a bit dry, let me go wash it."

Yang Mumu pulled out a tattered handkerchief. Under the bewildered gazes of the people, she turned and ran to the bathroom, wiped it randomly against the toilet bowl, and ran back to the Train Attendant holding the handkerchief between two fingers: "Comrade, the handkerchief is washed. Use this."

Those nearby saw the damp handkerchief covered in yellow grime and could even faintly smell the odor emanating from it.

The surrounding people immediately understood what it was and, covering their noses, slowly backed away.

The Train Attendant looked at the handkerchief in front of him with an indescribable expression, paused for a moment, then reached out and grabbed the only clean spot to stuff it into the mouth of the terrified and unwilling creep.

"No… mmm… mmmph—"

A female comrade nearby quietly gave Yang Mumu a thumbs-up with an admiring smile. Yang Mumu nodded at her and walked to her seat.

The creep was dealt with, but there was still the Middle-aged woman.

Yang Mumu shifted her gaze to the Middle-aged woman across from her, then looked at the male comrade sitting on the floor next to her.

She wondered what kind of surprise he would offer.

Gu Xingzhou watched Yang Mumu with bright eyes, his heart pounding wildly.

This female comrade is so wild—he likes her so much!!

Meanwhile, the Middle-aged woman sitting on the floor saw the man being taken away like that and felt a bit scared, thinking of backing down and just leaving. But then she caught sight of the watch on the male comrade's wrist—it looked extremely valuable; one like that would cost five or six hundred at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. Her eyes lit up with greed, and she lifted her bottom to leave but quietly sat back down.

One look at this Educated Youth told her he was a person with money in his pocket; leaving empty-handed would be too unwilling.

Thinking of the tickets in her pocket, her courage grew again. When the Train Attendant walked over, she grabbed the Train Attendant's pant leg with one hand and gripped Gu Xingzhou's pants tightly with the other, determined not to let this golden bun get away, and started wailing and screaming.

"Comrade Train Attendant, you must stand up for me! I have a ticket! I was just tired and lying down for a while. He could have just asked, and I would have let him have it, but he hit me! Oh, my waist hurts so much! My stomach hurts, too! He must apologize to me and pay for my medical expenses!"

Trying to scam him? Nice!

Gu Xingzhou was a bit excited. He had been on the train for so long and was getting bored; he hadn't exercised in a while, and it was time to move a little.

28: Chapter 28 Epilepsy

He handed his ticket to the Train Attendant for inspection and said angrily,

"Comrade, this is my seat. As soon as I came over, this Auntie was lying across my seat. I called out to her politely many times, but she didn't budge at all and just refused to wake up."

"After she finally woke up, she was just as arrogant as that male comrade from earlier. No matter how I asked, she wouldn't leave, so I just lifted her into the aisle. I didn't hit her, let alone push her. Everyone saw it. She's just trying to extort me. Let go of me."

Gu Xingzhou tugged at his pant leg and struggled a bit.

"I saw it. What this male comrade said is true." Yang Mumu raised her hand.

Song Yan also raised his hand. "I saw it too. No one hit her."

"Ouch! You're talking nonsense! They're in on it together! Ow, my lower back is broken! My back hurts so much! Oh, my goodness, ouch! You don't respect the elderly or cherish the young, and you're bullying a woman like me! You must compensate me for my back! Oh, it hurts so much, it's broken because of you! You must compensate me!"

The Middle-aged woman lunged forward, clutching his pant leg with both hands, hunching her back and crying out in pain repeatedly.

The Chief Conductor had a bit of a headache. He went over to pull her up and said in a firmer tone, "Get up first. We'll talk after you get up. Wherever it hurts, I'll have someone apply medicine for you. You two, come over and help her up."

The Middle-aged woman gripped Gu Xingzhou's pant leg tightly and wailed even more miserably, "Ah, it hurts so much! Don't touch me! My back is broken, I can't move! It'll only make the injury worse, it hurts—"

"Let go of me! Let go—"

Gu Xingzhou feigned impatience and struggled a few times. Pulling up his pants, he tugged at his pant leg again, quickly took something out of his pocket to wipe on his mouth, and then swayed a few times. With a loud cry of "Ah!", he clutched his heart and collapsed right onto the Middle-aged woman.

His head tilted back, his eyes rolled up, and foam foamed from his mouth. With his eyes and mouth askew, his whole body twitched uncontrollably, and his limbs flailed wildly in a fit, hitting the extorting Middle-aged woman with every strike.

"Ow! Comrade, look, he's still hitting me!"

After being hit several times, the Middle-aged woman pushed him off. When she looked down and saw his state, her face turned pale with fright.

"Ah! Madness! It's madness—!"

Screaming, she scrambled and crawled away from the floor to hide behind the Train Attendant, staring fearfully at the man on the ground.

The surrounding crowd was stunned by this sudden turn of events, unable to react.

Yang Mumu immediately ran over to help. She reached out to unbutton his collar to prevent abnormal breathing, only to see the man on the ground wink at her.

In an instant, Yang Mumu understood what was going on. For such a good-looking man, this was completely unexpected. He was truly willing to go all out, and his acting was incredibly realistic. In one word: wild!

After a second of eye contact, Yang Mumu cooperated with his performance. She tilted his head to one side, slapped her thigh, and shouted to the dazed Train Attendant:

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! This male comrade was driven into an epileptic fit by this Auntie! Comrade Train Attendant, I know a bit of medicine. Quick, go get a pair of chopsticks so the patient doesn't bite off his tongue! Quick, save this comrade! This illness can be fatal! Hurry—!"

Yang Mumu's gaze shifted back, and she sharply called out to stop the extorting Auntie, who was stepping backward in an attempt to flee.

"Auntie! Auntie, you lied to us about having a stomachache and a broken back, but you stood up perfectly fine and even triggered this comrade's seizure! If this comrade dies because of this, a life for a life means you'll face the firing squad! And now you still want to run? Quick, grab her!"

The Chief Conductor snapped back to his senses, grabbed the Middle-aged woman who was slipping away, and threw her to a nearby Train Attendant.

The Auntie's face turned deathly pale at the mention of the "firing squad". She waved her hands in a panic to deny it. "It wasn't me! I didn't anger him! I didn't! People with Epilepsy can't be cured anyway! It's incurable by nature, so you can't blame me if he dies from a seizure!"

"Hold onto her, don't let her run! We'll hand her over to the Railway Police later. To think someone would extort people on our train and even terrify someone like this. She must be severely punished!"

The Chief Conductor saw right through the Auntie's extortion attempt. Knowing now was not the time to deal with her, he glared at her and continued issuing orders.

"Also, Xiao Liu, run faster! Go to the dining car to get chopsticks, then bring the medical kit. Xiao Zhao, go to the front carriages and ask if any passengers have chopsticks or medicine for Epilepsy on them."

"Yes, sir!"

The two Train Attendants moved swiftly into action.

After giving his orders, the Chief Conductor shouted to the carriage, "Passengers, does anyone have chopsticks? Help save a life first!"

Song Yan hurriedly rummaged around and handed over a pair of chopsticks. "I do! I have chopsticks here! Use them quickly, don't let him hurt himself!"

"Comrade, here are the chopsticks." The Chief Conductor rushed to hand the chopsticks to Yang Mumu, then anxiously asked, "Comrade, do we need to help hold him down? Tell us how we can help, and we'll do it."

"No need to hold him down. If you try to pin him while he's struggling, you'll only hurt him. Just step back and leave enough breathing room for this comrade. He's already having trouble breathing, so don't crowd around and steal his air."

If they got any closer, they would discover that the white foam smelled like soap.

The Train Attendants immediately backed away and dispersed the crowd to clear an open space.

"There's nothing you can do to help right now, and there isn't much I can do either. We can only try to keep him from hurting himself. For now, we just have to wait until he finishes his fit and stops convulsing."

Yang Mumu placed the chopsticks horizontally into his mouth. To make the act completely convincing, she even wiped the foam from his mouth, tilted his head to the side again, loosened his belt, and gently held him down before shaking her head and saying:

"How things turn out depends on his fate, and on this Auntie's fate as well. If he dies, you'll die too, Auntie. If he doesn't, then it's both his and your good luck, and paying some money for his medical treatment might settle it. I'm just afraid of the worst-case scenario."

As soon as Yang Mumu finished speaking, Gu Xingzhou on the ground went into another round of violent convulsions.

The onlookers lamented with pity, "Oh dear, it looks grim. This comrade is convulsing so violently. That old woman deserves to die. Such a young lad is going to lose his life because of her. Back in my hometown, there was someone with Epilepsy who died right during a seizure. What a shame!"

"He was already sick, how is it my fault? I'll pay! I'll pay for his medicine, alright? If anyone has medicine, hurry up and give it to him! Yes, this young man is sick, so he must have medicine on him. Search him! You can definitely save him! I have money, I'll pay! You, female comrade, hurry up and search him, hurry!"

The Middle-aged woman panicked completely. Wrenching her hands free, she trembling pulled a handkerchief from her pocket, took a ten-yuan bill from it, and handed it to the Train Attendant beside her.

29: Chapter 29

"That female comrade, I beg you, please save him, save him, find his medicine! I'll give you money too, save me!" The Middle-aged woman stuffed the remaining money in her handkerchief to the Train Attendant, stamping her feet and crying out miserably.

Yang Mumu shouted at her:

"Now you know to be anxious! What were you doing earlier? You even extorted him and angered him into having a seizure! I told you it wouldn't work. Even if there's medicine, he has to finish convulsing before he can take it. Can't you see he's foaming at the mouth? Feeding him medicine now is harming him. If the medicine gets into his trachea, he'll die on the spot! He can only take the medicine himself after he wakes up. Train Attendant, please handle her; she's disrupting the patient too much."

The Chief Conductor roared at the Middle-aged woman, "If you don't know anything, keep your mouth shut! Stay still, and if you want to live, shut up!"

The Middle-aged woman covered her mouth, sitting on the ground with tears streaming down her face, her expression filled with regret.

What should she do? What should she do? She shouldn't have been so greedy for small advantages. She didn't want to die, boohoo!

No one else felt sorry for her. Pitiful people always have detestable traits. Everyone remained indifferent to her crying, only focusing on the male comrade on the ground.

Yang Mumu withdrew her gaze and looked at the man on the ground. Honestly, this male comrade's acting was absolutely superb. His condition was exactly like someone having an epileptic fit; even she, who only knew a bit of medical basics, wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't gotten close.

This male comrade was quite interesting!

After a moment, at the right time, the man on the ground slowed his convulsions, gradually stopped, and slowly opened his eyes. He choked slightly. Yang Mumu helped him take out the chopsticks and supported him to sit up. He immediately coughed a few times, looked at everyone, and asked in a weak voice:

"What happened to me?"

"He's fine, he's fine. The seizure is over. That's great."

"He's okay. The male comrade is conscious now. He'll live!"

Everyone around breathed a sigh of relief and cheered.

"He's awake, he's awake! Young man, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I didn't know you were sick. I'm so sorry, please forgive me! I'll compensate you, I'll pay!"

The Middle-aged woman smiled in relief as if she had just survived a disaster. She wiped the snot and tears off her face with her sleeve, scrambled up, snatched the money back from the Train Attendant, stuffed it into Gu Xingzhou's hand, and urged him anxiously.

"Quickly find your medicine and take it! Auntie is sorry, hurry up and take your medicine!"

"Cough, cough... Auntie, I really didn't hit you." Gu Xingzhou didn't move, looking at her as if he might stop breathing at any moment.

"You didn't hit me! It was me, I extorted you! I wanted to squeeze some money out of you, I admit it! Please stop talking and take your medicine first. I beg you, please just take your medicine first!" The Middle-aged woman cried and begged, truly terrified that if he said one more word and died, she would be finished too.

She now realized one thing: she was having the worst luck in eight hundred lifetimes today to have run into such a sick person. As long as this male comrade had any trouble, she wouldn't be able to escape today.

He was sick and yet still came to the countryside... Why wasn't he taking his medicine? She stared at the male comrade anxiously, wishing she could step forward to help him get his medicine. But right now, she didn't dare make any unnecessary movements, let alone touch him. She could only fret in vain.

Gu Xingzhou refused to do as she wished, continuing to speak feebly, "Train Attendants, you all heard that, right? She extorted me. Cough, cough!"

The Middle-aged woman nodded anxiously, "Yes, I extorted you, I extorted you! My ancestor, please just take out your medicine and take it!"

Gu Xingzhou gasped for air, tilting his head back as he struggled to breathe.

The Middle-aged woman slapped her own mouth, lowered her voice, and apologized humbly, "It's my fault. Don't rush, let's take it slow, take it slow."

Yang Mumu clenched her teeth, desperately holding back her laughter.

The Chief Conductor stepped forward to soothe him:

"Comrade, we will get justice for you. Don't worry, breathe slowly. Where is your medicine? We can help you get it, or let this comrade next to you who knows medicine help you. Taking your medicine is what's important right now."

"Thank you for your concern, I'll do it myself."

Gu Xingzhou propped himself up to rise, and Yang Mumu supported his arm to help him sit on the seat. Seeing a small puddle of foam on the floor, she squatted down and wiped it clean with the handkerchief in her hand.

The Train Attendant was somewhat touched. This female comrade was truly kind. He quickly said, "It's alright, comrade, we can clean this up. You should help check on this male comrade."

"It's just a small thing, and you all must be tired too."

The Chief Conductor was quite touched. This female comrade was really wonderful, still thinking of them.

Yang Mumu wiped it clean, folded her handkerchief, and stood to the side, watching Gu Xingzhou take a pill-like object from his pocket, toss it into his mouth, take a sip of water from his canteen, and swallow it.

She reached out to take his pulse and nodded to the expectant crowd, "As long as he doesn't get angered again, there shouldn't be any major issues. This illness cannot tolerate urgency, anger, or excitement. Getting excited easily leads to shortness of breath and triggers an epileptic fit."

Hearing this, the Middle-aged woman relaxed and slumped onto the ground, exhaling heavily. A slight smile appeared on her face as she murmured to herself in a low voice.

"He's fine, he's fine. My life is saved."

The Chief Conductor also let out a huge sigh of relief; he had been scared half to death. "It's good that there's no major issue. Comrade, you mustn't get angry again. Take care of your health. We will hand her over to the Railway Police right away. We must give her a good lesson and detain her for a few days so she learns her lesson. What do you think?"

Gu Xingzhou waved his hand. "How you handle things afterward is up to the Public Security Officers. I don't care, nor can I control it. I only know that I want a clean reputation, justice, and an apology."

"Understood." The Chief Conductor pushed the woman in front of him. Without needing to be told, the Middle-aged woman apologized on her own. She could accept being detained for a few days and apologizing, as long as she didn't have to pay with her life.

"I'm sorry, it's my fault. I shouldn't have deliberately taken your seat and refused to get up, even pretending to sleep. I shouldn't have falsely accused you of not calling me, and of pushing and hitting me. My waist isn't broken, my stomach doesn't hurt, and I didn't suffer any harm. It was all because of my greed and desire for money that I framed you. I'm sorry."

The Middle-aged woman bowed and was then led away by the Railway Police.

"Alright, alright, everyone return to your seats in an orderly manner. The train is in motion, so everyone please stay safe. Do not sit in seats that aren't yours. If you sit in an empty seat, you must yield it when the person arrives. Stop making noise, sit properly, and we will check tickets in a moment."

The Chief Conductor looked at the passengers crowded together and organized them. After the passengers settled down, he glanced at the pale-faced male comrade and sighed.

He had better go and coordinate a bit. It was too dangerous for him out here. What if he fainted from anger again? A human life was at stake, and he was an Educated Youth going to the countryside. If he died on their train, no one could bear that responsibility.

The Chief Conductor came over, greeted Yang Mumu and the others, asked them to help keep an eye on him, and then left in a hurry.

30: Chapter 30 The Awkward and Arrogant Young Lady

After Yang Mumu sat down in her seat, she took out her water canteen to have a drink and rest.

"Sister, you are my one and only sister from now on. You were so domineering today! I even said I'd cover for you after we went down to the countryside—that was so arrogant of me. Sister Mu, I'll listen to you in everything in the countryside from now on. Little Yanzi begs for your continued protection!"

Song Yan pulled a flatbread out of his bag and eagerly handed it over.

"Sister, eat a flatbread to tide you over. It'll be mealtime in a little while, and I'll go get food for you then."

"Alright, granted. Sister will still cover for you after we go down to the countryside." Yang Mumu tossed her hair, looking absolutely adorable. She happened to be a bit hungry, so she took the flatbread and started nibbling on it. The flatbread was a bit dry, so she washed it down with water as she ate.

Gu Xingzhou, who was sitting opposite them, also wanted to ask for protection. He cleared his throat to join the conversation, starting by cupping his hands in gratitude.

"Comrades, thank you for your help today. My name is Gu Xingzhou, and I'm an Educated Youth going down to the countryside at Red Star Commune in Qing City. Fortunately, I had your help. Thank you."

Song Yan heard this and turned to him in excitement. "Hey, you're going to Red Star Commune too? What a coincidence! We're going there as well. Maybe we'll even be assigned to the same Production Brigade. That would be such a wonderful twist of fate, wouldn't it, Sister Mu?"

Yang Mumu also looked at the male comrade in front of her in pleasant surprise. Hmm? He was going to Red Star Commune too? Gu Xingzhou? What a nice name. This was great; she could appreciate a handsome man every day from now on, which would definitely make her meals taste better.

She laughed heartily and waved her hand. "No need for thanks. My name is Yang Mumu, and the guy next to you is Song Yan. We're both going down to the countryside at Red Star Commune."

Song Yan grabbed Gu Xingzhou's hand and shook it happily. "Yes, yes, yes! Sister Mu and I are from the same hometown and have been friends since childhood. If the three of us get assigned to the same team, please look out for us in the future, and we'll take care of each other."

"It really is fate. We'll definitely look out for each other, definitely."

Gu Xingzhou was delighted and was just about to say more to get better acquainted, when a sudden, pleasantly surprised female voice from the side interrupted his flow.

"What? You're all going to Red Star Commune?" The female comrade in the seat next to Yang Mumu returned just in time to hear the words "Red Star Commune." She ran over and sat down with a face full of joy. "Me too, me too! I'm also going down to the countryside at Red Star Commune. My name is Xia Zhizhi—'Zhi' as in 'to know'. I'm from Shanghai. It's so nice to meet you all!"

"Hello, Comrade Zhizhi. My name is Yang Mumu, and it's very nice to meet you too." Yang Mumu happily reached out and shook her hand.

This female comrade was indeed the one who had given her a thumbs-up earlier. Her round face looked incredibly cute when she smiled. From the looks of it, she had a great personality too—a sweet girl who loved to smile. Who could dislike a sweet, smiling girl? She was like a little sun.

Xia Zhizhi's eyes lit up. She happily shook hands, leaned in a bit closer, and pulled Yang Mumu's arm, saying with great enthusiasm:

"Oh, oh, can I call you Mumu? You can just call me Zhizhi. I like you so much! You're so amazing. I was completely stunned when you lifted that bad guy up and threw him onto the ground earlier. That's exactly how bad guys should end up! You're a role model for us female comrades. You're so beautiful, and you even know how to treat illnesses. That's just too incredible. I hope I'll have the chance to become good friends with you."

"Flatterer."

A female comrade sitting opposite her rolled her eyes, but there was a hint of envy in her gaze.

Xia Zhizhi put her hands on her hips and smirked smugly at her. "He Yuan, I know you're envious of me, but you can't force these things. I'm naturally cheerful and popular, unlike a certain tsundere loner who can only play by herself. Just keep being envious!"

He Yuan avoided her gaze, raising her chin defiantly as she retorted, "Who—who's envious of you? What's there to envy about a little potato like you? In what way am I not better than you? Believe it or not, I'll..."

"You'll what?"

"I'll throw a mandarin orange at you."

He Yuan threw the mandarin orange she was peeling, landing it precisely in Xia Zhizhi's lap.

"Ouch, that hurts so much! As compensation, I'll take care of this mandarin orange for you." Xia Zhizhi wasn't upset at all after being hit by the orange; instead, she happily held it up and shook it.

"You're shameless!" He Yuan stamped her foot in anger.

But she only stamped her foot in place without doing anything else.

Yang Mumu immediately looked at this Comrade He Yuan with curiosity. This person was quite interesting; the way she threw the orange didn't look like she was trying to hit someone, but rather like she was giving a gift.

Wait, He Yuan? Why did she have the same name as the second-tier villainous supporting female character who sent money and supplies to the male lead in that period novel written by the scumbag?

That shouldn't be. She had changed her destination for going down to the countryside, and she hadn't spotted anyone around who looked like the male or female lead.

Yang Mumu looked around, then turned her gaze back to He Yuan. Yes, it must be a coincidence, just a coincidence.

He Yuan turned to Yang Mumu and said fiercely, "What are you looking at? If you keep looking, I'll hit you too."

As soon as she finished speaking, a mandarin orange fell into Yang Mumu's lap. It was indeed thrown by He Yuan from diagonally opposite her, who still wore an angry expression on her face.

Yang Mumu laughed as she held the orange. "Thank you for the mandarin orange. I really like eating them."

He Yuan raised her voice slightly to deny it. "Who gave it to you to eat? I was hitting you! Hitting you, do you understand? Who cares what you like to eat!"

Heh, did she think a louder voice would hide her bluffing?

Yang Mumu teased her along. "Yes, yes, yes, you were hitting me, hitting me. Please hit me with more of these things in the future. I really like this method, so make sure you do!"

Seeing the teasing smile on her face, He Yuan turned her head away in embarrassment and anger, letting out a cold snort. "Hmph!"

Yet right after her snort, she pulled four White Rabbit milk candies out of her bag and threw them into Yang Mumu's lap, then closed her eyes to sleep as if she knew nothing about it.

"This?" Yang Mumu stared blankly at the candies on her lap, then laughed even more merrily. "Haha, Comrade He Yuanyuan, I'm starting to like you a little."

Yang Mumu distributed the candies. Four candies, exactly one for each person.

How interesting. She wasn't some difficult person at all; she was clearly Santa Claus bearing gifts—oh, no, Santa Sister.

What an awkward and tsundere young lady. If she wanted to give an orange, she could just do it openly. If she wanted to be friends, she could just say so. Yang Mumu was more than happy to be friends with such a generous beauty.

He Yuan wasn't wearing the standard Educated Youth uniform. Instead, she wore a brand-new Dacron outfit. Looking at this attire and those fair, tender hands, Yang Mumu knew her family must be well-off, and she was a child who had grown up pampered. After all, she threw around mandarin oranges and White Rabbit milk candies so casually.

Being so awkward was really fun.

Hearing Yang Mumu's words, He Yuan, who was pretending to sleep with her eyes closed, let her lips curl up slightly. She rolled over to face the outer side of the aisle.

She was actually feeling shy. Yang Mumu smiled, peeled a White Rabbit milk candy, and popped it into her mouth.

Xia Zhizhi whispered a good word for her rival in Yang Mumu's ear.

"Sigh, Mumu, don't mind her. That's just her personality. She seems awful on the surface, but she's actually just simple-minded. She wants to make friends but can't bring herself to lose face. She doesn't have any bad intentions."

"I understand, I don't mind. I really do like her a bit now; she's quite fun." Yang Mumu's mood brightened. This girl wasn't bad, and she even had a bit of a humorous side.

The three newly met Educated Youth seemed decent so far. If they were assigned to the same place, life wouldn't be boring in the future. There were beauties of all styles, all with high looks—truly a feast for the eyes.

Gu Xingzhou watched and learned silently from the side, committing it to heart. He was only a step away from taking out a little notebook to write it down.

So she likes this kind of personality. Note taken, note taken.

The more Gu Xingzhou looked at Comrade Yang Mumu now, the more he liked her. How could someone be so interesting? Her looks and personality hit right at his heartstrings. This trip to the countryside was totally worth it.

At the same time, he felt a bit anxious and a sense of urgency. Comrade Yang Mumu's attention had been completely captured by the others. It wouldn't do if they reached their destination and he barely got to say a few words to her.

He had to find opportunities to talk more.

How could he quickly catch her eye?

31: Chapter 31 Group Upgrade

Gu Xingzhou looked at the male comrade beside him who was solely focused on eating pancakes. This comrade, named Song Yan, was an old friend of Comrade Yang Mumu and seemed very easygoing. He needed to build a good relationship with him; it would be a perfect breakthrough to gather information and get familiar with them.

"Brother, which province did you guys come from?"

The tool-man Song Yan had no idea he was just being used as a stepping stone. He replied foolishly, "Us? Chengdu, Sichuan Province. Sister Mu and I are both Chengdu born and raised. What about you, brother?"

"I'm from Beijing."

"Whoa, the capital! Sister Mu, he's an Educated Youth from the capital."

Song Yan excitedly shared everything he learned with Yang Mumu, then pulled Gu Xingzhou over to ask curiously, "Brother, have you been to Tiananmen? Have you seen Chairman Mao? I want to visit the capital so badly. Sister Mu, when we were kids, we even said we'd go to the capital to see Chairman Mao."

Yang Mumu nodded as she dug this memory out from the depths of her mind. It was another thing they had said while playing house.

"Yes, I remember. The capital is a great place!"

Gu Xingzhou was getting into it and was about to continue when he was interrupted again. This time, the Chief Conductor, who had left earlier, had returned to speak with Gu Xingzhou.

He felt a bit frustrated. Why did someone always suddenly appear just when he was about to start a conversation?

Helplessly, he took a sip from his water canteen and listened to the Chief Conductor.

Seeing that his face looked a bit pale, the Chief Conductor's heart began to race in fear again. He hurriedly said, "Comrade Gu, to make it easier for you to get better rest and preserve your health, we have specially upgraded your seat to a sleeper berth in a private compartment."

Gu Xingzhou was stunned. "Just me? That doesn't seem appropriate."

Sigh, he had overacted. If he left the group now, wouldn't he lose out on several days of close-range interaction and getting to know them? That wouldn't do.

"Comrade, actually, I'm not sick, *cough, cough*—"

Gu Xingzhou choked on his water—really choked—but in the Chief Conductor's eyes, this was a terrifying sight. *Oh no, please don't pass out!*

"Yes, yes, yes, you're not sick."

"I really am not sick!"

"Yes, yes, you really aren't sick. Comrade Gu, don't worry, please don't worry. I believe you're not sick."

The Chief Conductor didn't believe a single word. Mentally ill people always said they weren't sick and hated it most when others said they were.

He turned a pleading gaze toward Yang Mumu, the comrade who knew how to treat Epilepsy:

"Comrade Yang, please have a look."

Yang Mumu wanted to laugh when she saw the Chief Conductor's expression. Suppressing her amusement, she reached out to help pat Comrade Gu's back to ease his breathing, then checked his pulse.

"He's fine. Train Attendant, don't worry, he's fine."

Only then did the Chief Conductor relax slightly, though his heart was still in his throat. Right now, he just wanted to get this man settled. He spoke rapidly, "No, of course you won't be the only comrade. We will arrange for a comrade who knows how to treat illnesses to look after you. Rest assured, we will safely escort you off the train."

Turning around, the Chief Conductor looked at Yang Mumu and pleaded sincerely, "Comrade Yang Mumu, could our train crew temporarily hire you as our temporary medical staff? We are worried that if Comrade Gu has another seizure and no one is by his side, it might endanger his life. Rest assured, we will help move you into the private compartment as well."

This time, it was Yang Mumu's turn to be stunned.

"This... doesn't seem appropriate. I only know a little bit of the basics, and I don't have a medical license."

"That doesn't matter. You just need to help keep an eye on Comrade Gu and provide simple assistance like you did when he had his seizure earlier. We will pay you a wage." The Chief Conductor's gaze was earnest, and his eyes even held a hint of pleading.

"Alright. There's no need to pay me, and don't worry about the temporary medical staff title either. I'll just help look after a fellow comrade going to the countryside from the same Commune as a helpful citizen."

Although she loved money, she believed in earning it properly. This money wasn't right, and she would feel guilty taking it.

However, accepting a cabin upgrade was perfectly acceptable.

"Little Yanzi, give me all your luggage. It'll be much more convenient for you to put them in the compartment too."

"Okay, okay, okay, I'll move them right away." Song Yan was the happiest. He stood up in absolute delight and grabbed the luggage from the overhead rack.

The Chief Conductor was relieved. He called over two Train Attendants to support Gu Xingzhou on either side and escorted him to the prepared compartment. No matter how much Gu Xingzhou insisted he could walk on his own, the Chief Conductor wouldn't allow it, insisting that he must be supported.

The Chief Conductor thought that they couldn't let Comrade Yang Mumu work so hard all by herself. Besides, the compartment had four beds, all of which were vacant, and it wouldn't be appropriate for just the two of them to be inside.

So he simply upgraded Song Yan's cabin as well.

Then the Chief Conductor realized that having two men and one woman in the compartment wasn't ideal either. There was still one empty berth left, which could accommodate one more person.

Seeing that the female comrade beside Comrade Yang Mumu seemed to get along well with them, and learning that she was also an Educated Youth going to the countryside in the same region, the Chief Conductor upgraded Xia Zhizhi as well. Both would act as Comrade Yang Mumu's temporary assistants, taking her directions and taking shifts to watch over Gu Xingzhou.

Because of Gu Xingzhou's "Epilepsy," their entire group had received a collective cabin upgrade. They had earned their way into a luxurious four-person private compartment, and they were even begged to go—the kind of offer they couldn't refuse.

This was a real-life version of "when one person ascends to heaven, even their dogs and chickens rise with them."

For the first time, the idiom had been literalized.

Even Yang Mumu found it absurd thinking about it. Who would believe this if she told them? But it was truly satisfying and made her very happy.

Gu Xingzhou, the main instigator, had already been supported and carried into the compartment first, while the three "dogs and chickens" happily packed their luggage behind him.

He Yuan looked at them with envy. She wasn't envious of their private compartment—she could afford to pay for an upgrade herself—but rather, she envied how they could stay together and got along so well.

Xia Zhizhi felt a bit sympathetic. Carrying her luggage, she walked over to Yang Mumu to ask for her opinion, "Mumu, can we let He Yuan squeeze in with me?"

Yang Mumu looked over at the tsundere He Yuan, who was squinting and stealing glances at them. She really was rather awkward.

"I don't mind. Ask the others, and then ask the Train Attendant. If they agree, then it's fine."

"Okay, okay, I'll go right now. Thank you, Mumu, you're so nice!"

Feeling the mandarin orange in her pocket, Yang Mumu stopped Xia Zhizhi, "Never mind, I'll go ask."

Unsurprisingly, as soon as Yang Mumu spoke up, both Gu Xingzhou and Song Yan agreed. She then negotiated with the Chief Conductor on the grounds of having one more person to help with care, and the Chief Conductor readily agreed as well.

The Chief Conductor was delighted. Having an extra person to help take shifts looking after him for free without needing to add another berth was a win-win situation. Most importantly, as long as Comrade Yang, who had expertise in Epilepsy, was there, everything was fine.

Yang Mumu walked back to the anxious Xia Zhizhi. "It's done. Let's go ask her first if she wants to stay with you."

"Great! Mumu, you're amazing." Xia Zhizhi then worriedly added, "I just don't know if He Yuan will want to share a bed with me."

Yang Mumu walked straight up to He Yuan and got right to the point, "He Yuan, do you want to come with us?"

"Ah?"

He Yuan, who had been feeling a bit down just a moment ago, froze. Her mood instantly brightened. She hadn't expected Yang Mumu to come back and invite her. At this moment, she saw a light in Yang Mumu that was even more dazzling than when she had dealt with the bad guys. This time, the light was warm, making her yearn to draw closer.

She asked cautiously, "Can... can I?"

"You can," Yang Mumu nodded to her reassuringly.

Xia Zhizhi stepped over and added, "If you're willing to squeeze into one bed with me, that is."

Remembering how she used to bicker with Xia Zhizhi, He Yuan looked at her with a slightly awkward expression. Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz as she mumbled, "I... I'm willing to."

"Alright, pack your bags, we're upgrading!" Yang Mumu clapped, to everyone's delight.

Across these six seats, except for the empty ones, all five of them were getting a collective cabin upgrade. Very nice!

"Yeah, thank you guys."

A smile appeared on He Yuan's face as she quickly packed her luggage. She wasn't as awkward as before, happily following them into the compartment.

Girls' friendship is just that beautiful, and it comes so quickly!

32: Chapter 32 Dividing the Loot

Just after Yang Mumu and the others left, the train arrived at a station, and someone came to fill the remaining empty seat in the two rows of six seats they had originally occupied.

After sitting down, a man dressed in the clothes of an Educated Youth looked at the empty seats around him. For some reason, he felt a sudden sense of loss, as if he had misplaced something, which made him feel quite uneasy.

"What's going on? Could it be that I haven't rested well lately because of all the traveling? Yes, that must be it."

After a while, many other Educated Youths arrived nearby, and people also filled the seats behind him. When he looked over, his eyes lit up, and his sense of loss vanished instantly. Turning around like a social butterfly, he began greeting the other Educated Youths, casting intentional yet subtle glances at the female comrade in the back row. He even organized everyone to introduce themselves, which was followed by singing, filling the carriage with laughter and joy.

Meanwhile, it was even happier inside the compartment. The upgraded conditions were obvious; compared to the hard seats from before, they felt like they were in heaven now.

The compartment was spacious, with four sleeper berths arranged as two sets of bunk beds. Yang Mumu slept on the top right bunk, while Xia Zhizhi and He Yuan shared the bottom right bunk. Gu Xingzhou, acting as the protagonist with Epilepsy, slept on the bottom left bunk, and Song Yan took the top left bunk.

The compartment also had a door. Once it was shut, it was peaceful and quiet without any disturbance, forming a sharp contrast with the noisy hustle and bustle outside.

After bringing them in, the Chief Conductor said a few words and left. When he returned, he brought them five boxed meals and thoughtfully placed down a thermos filled with hot water.

"Comrade Yang, I'll leave things here to you. I must trouble you to take care of him. Just call us if anything happens; we will be patrolling this area frequently. You don't need to worry about meals; we will deliver them right on time. We'll leave Comrade Gu in your hands."

Seeing this VIP treatment, Yang Mumu accepted it all without the slightest embarrassment. "Alright, thank you, Comrade Attendant. Rest assured, leave things here to me. Don't worry, you can go ahead with your work."

"Great, with your reassurance, I can put my mind at ease." After settling everything, the Chief Conductor felt much more relieved. But as he reached the door to close it, he saw Gu Xingzhou sitting up. His heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly ran back. "Comrade Gu, please lie back down and rest. Don't get up just yet so your condition can stabilize. If there's anything you need, just tell me and I'll help you."

"I'm just getting a drink of water, don't be nervous." Gu Xingzhou picked up his cup and took a sip. "See? I'm fine. Comrade Attendant, go ahead and attend to your work."

"Alright, alright, drink slowly, drink slowly." The Chief Conductor only felt safe leaving after seeing him lie back down. "I'll head back to work then. Comrade Yang, I'll leave him in your care. I'm off."

Once the door was completely shut and the man had left, Yang Mumu let out a long breath, latched the door from the inside, and sat down by the small table.

"My goodness, this Chief Conductor is too hospitable and thoughtful. He even got our meals and hot water ready. What a nice guy." She waved to the others. "Come over, everyone, let's distribute the food. We can talk after we eat. I'm starving."

Gu Xingzhou was the first to spring down from his bed, taking the first boxed meal from Yang Mumu's hand.

"Thanks. He really is hospitable. I wanted to walk by myself, but they wouldn't even let me and insisted on supporting me all the way here."

Xia Zhizhi looked at him in surprise. "You... Comrade Gu, is it really okay for you to jump around like that?"

Taking his own food, Song Yan turned around and chimed in upon hearing this, "Yeah, Brother Zhou, don't collapse again. It would be too exhausting for Sister Mu."

"Sigh, I already told you guys I'm not sick, but you still didn't believe me. I have intermittent episodes, but I don't actually have Epilepsy. I only 'fall ill' when I run into scoundrels. Got it?" Gu Xingzhou patted Song Yan on the shoulder and explained.

"Huh? You're really not sick?"

Except for Yang Mumu, everyone else voiced their doubts in unison, looking at Gu Xingzhou skeptically with the exact same expression as the Chief Conductor—completely unconvinced.

He Yuan said, "But you looked really terrifying back then, foaming at the mouth. I once saw an Epilepsy patient, and they looked exactly like that."

Yang Mumu was so amused that she almost spat out her food. Seeing how honest and naive everyone was, she realized Gu Xingzhou's acting was truly top-notch.

"Comrade Gu, you are truly amazing."

"Sigh, it's merely a matter of practice."

Gu Xingzhou was in a great mood. Seeing that the others still didn't get it, he didn't elaborate further. If they didn't understand, so be it. At least Comrade Yang understood him and had cooperated with him so well. As expected, Comrade Yang was one of a kind.

"I won't say much else. All you need to know is that I'm not sick."

Song Yan might not understand the details, but he knew that following Yang Mumu and Sister Mu would always lead to the good life. Seeing that his Sister Mu was certain this brother wasn't sick, then he wasn't sick. He didn't need to know any other inside details.

"Understood. Thanks, Brother Zhou. Today, it was all thanks to you and Sister Mu that we could punish those bad eggs, stay in such a nice compartment, and even get free boxed meals. Thank you. Regardless of whether we end up in the same countryside location, we are friends from now on. If you ever need anything, just let me know and I'll do whatever I can to help."

"Great, we're friends from now on, and friends who have gone through thick and thin together at that. May our friendship last forever." Gu Xingzhou loved hearing this. He raised his canteen and looked at everyone. "Come, let's raise our cups and make a toast—to our meeting today, and to our friendship!"

Although the other two female comrades were still somewhat bewildered, they were sensible enough not to press further. They also raised their cups with bright smiles to express their gratitude, both of them being especially grateful to Yang Mumu.

After the meal, Gu Xingzhou pulled Yang Mumu aside, took out the money given by the Middle-aged woman, and handed it to her.

"Here is the money, thirty-six yuan and fifty cents in total. It's all the money that Middle-aged woman gave."

Yang Mumu instantly grew interested. She opened it up and counted, "Hey, we both put in the effort, so let's split it fifty-fifty."

Recalling the notes he had taken earlier, Gu Xingzhou suggested, "There are three ten-yuan 'ten-yuan bills' notes in here, which makes it hard to split evenly. How about this: you did more of the work, so you take twenty, and I'll take sixteen-fifty?"

"Alright, then I won't stand on ceremony."

This was Yang Mumu's favorite part. She took two of the ten-yuan notes, stuffed them into her bag, handed the rest back, and said happily:

"If there's ever another job like this, count me in. You throw a fit, I go wild, and we'll have Epilepsy together. We'll make money and ruin those bad elements at the same time."

The Comrade Gu before her really had a personality that didn't match his looks at all. He was straightforward, willing to completely let go of his image to act crazy, and had absolutely no vanity. He was totally her cup of tea, and this was definitely a friend worth making.

"Deal, absolutely." Feeling excited, Gu Xingzhou extended his right hand.

Yang Mumu shook it, and they smiled at each other. "Pleasure doing business with you."

Having divided the spoils, there was still a long way to go before they reached the final station. With plenty of time on their hands, just sitting there all day would be too boring.

So, everyone gathered together to chat, draw grids to play board games, and so on.

He Yuan also pulled out a lot of dried meat from her bag to share, while Xia Zhizhi brought out some peanuts and melon seeds.

Song Yan was the most extravagant; he pulled out a link of sausage that had already been cooked at home, placed it in his lunchbox to warm it up with hot water, and then sliced it to share in the middle.

Gu Xingzhou actually produced a bottle of Arctic Ocean soda, pouring a sip into everyone's cup.

Seeing so many things on the table with only fruit missing, Yang Mumu simply reached into her bag, grabbed a handful of the crisp local plums she had bought back home, and distributed them to everyone.

Sitting together, they ate, chatted, and got to know one another.

Of the five people in the compartment, He Yuan was the only quiet one who rarely spoke.

The others were all somewhat chatty and outgoing, so the conversation flowed incredibly fast as they gradually became familiar with one another. Eventually, even He Yuan was drawn into the discussion. Although she seemed a bit aloof, awkward, and tsundere at first, she became quite talkative once they got to know her.

Brought together by the compartment, her relationship with Xia Zhizhi transformed from bickering arch-rivals upon first meeting to friends, even though they couldn't instantly break their old habits and still spoke to each other with a bit of awkwardness.

The deepest impression He Yuan left on Yang Mumu was that she was quite generous—no, extremely generous.

She had finally experienced the joy of being showered with wealth by a rich young lady; sugar-coated bullets were truly too corrupting.

He Yuan offered all kinds of snacks, freely gifted brand-new beautiful hair ties, and casually handed out chocolates that could only be bought at the Friendship Store.

What left the deepest impression on Yang Mumu during this time, however, was in the evening when He Yuan took out a fountain pen and leaned over the bed to write a letter home.

33: Chapter 33 The Sky Has Collapsed!

As she climbed onto the bed to sleep, she saw it and said casually: "He Yuan, your fountain pen is quite pretty. I'll go buy one another day. Oh, your handwriting is so beautiful! Have you practiced Liu Zongyuan's regular script? This is amazing writing."

"Thank you!"

He Yuan blushed after being praised, feeling very happy. As she lowered her head to continue writing her letter, she added one more sentence at the end.

"Mom and Dad, I've made a friend named Yang Mumu. She is very good to me and often praises me. Don't worry about me, everything is well!"

After finishing the letter, He Yuan took a new fountain pen and a notebook out of her bag, wrote a blessing in the notebook with her own hand, and gave it to her along with the notebook.

If you refused, she would even get angry and say, "There's no reason to take back a gift that's been given. If you don't want it, throw it away." I don't know if others like this generous, bossy young lady side of her, but Yang Mumu absolutely loved it.

We were originally not meant to be, but it's all tied together by money.

With money being thrown around like this, all her little flaws were automatically ignored. So what if she was a bit tsundere when speaking, or a bit too blunt? It wasn't a problem at all; as long as she liked it, that was fine.

On one side was the bossy young lady falling for me, and on the other was the sweet, warm-hearted Xia Zhizhi, who was the joy of the journey, always telling jokes that kept her laughing uncontrollably.

The Educated Youths she had met so far seemed decent based on initial contact; her first impression wasn't bad.

Yang Mumu thought this train ride was the best experience yet.

Looking around the compartment was also a feast for the eyes. The room was full of good-looking people. Even Song Yan, though a bit sturdy, was decent overall, and his appearance was handsome; being slightly chubby didn't affect his looks at all.

With the Train Attendants coming over from time to time to check on them, they arrived at their destination very happily.

When getting off the train, the Chief Conductor led two Train Attendants to line up and see them off. Finally, he even specifically dispatched a comrade to safely escort them to the passenger bus heading to Red Star Commune. Only after seeing their bus start up did he wipe the sweat from his forehead and leave happily.

"Mission accomplished, and I can even go home for a trip!"

Two hours later, the bus stopped at the Red Star Commune station.

"Red Star Commune, we've arrived!"

The conductor shouted. Yang Mumu woke up from her doze. Her body wasn't fully awake yet, but her consciousness was, and the words blurted out: "Getting off."

She hurriedly shook awake He Yuan and Xia Zhizhi, who were leaning on her left and right sides.

"Time to get off, hurry up."

"Hmm? We're here? Okay, okay." The two opened their eyes and hurriedly stood up to grab their luggage.

Yang Mumu turned to look at the two male comrades, who were still sound asleep with their heads tilted back. She ran over and shook them vigorously: "Gu Xingzhou, Song Yan, wake up quickly!"

The two male comrades had been playing chess very late last night, so they were sleeping very soundly on the bus. Fortunately, Yang Mumu was strong, and one shake was enough to wake each of them.

Gu Xingzhou and Song Yan hurriedly stood up and grabbed their things.

Yang Mumu, carrying large and small bags, was the first to run off.

The other four got off after her. They were the only five getting off at this stop. After they finished, the bus closed its doors and left, leaving a trail of exhaust fumes behind.

The other four looked at Yang Mumu guiltily, looking a bit embarrassed.

They really didn't expect to be such heavy sleepers; not a single one of them heard the announcement for the stop.

Gu Xingzhou was even a bit annoyed; would this leave an impression that they were unreliable?

Yang Mumu didn't have any other thoughts, she just ruthlessly mocked them: "Was the six-piece chess game fun? Haha, you guys are hilarious. Not a single one of you woke up. I'm still the reliable one. This trip to the countryside would fall apart without me. Let's go, to the Commune. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can catch up on sleep."

"Right, right, get to the place sooner and rest sooner."

The four cheered up and picked up their luggage to chase after her.

When they arrived at the Commune, they realized they had arrived early. Only the five of them were there. They had taken a special passage at the train station and were sent by a special car to the bus station next door, so they were one step ahead of the others.

Yang Mumu went to greet the comrade at the Educated Youth Office, stored their luggage there, and went to the State-run Restaurant for lunch.

Song Yan and the other three followed behind.

Yang Mumu specifically took out her lunchbox to pack a portion for dinner. The other four copied her, taking out their lunchboxes to get dinner packed as well.

After Gu Xingzhou packed his, he ran out of the State-run Restaurant first. When Yang Mumu and the others finished packing and came out, they saw Gu Xingzhou standing at the door, pushing a brand-new bicycle and waving happily at them.

Song Yan ran over in shock: "Whoa, Brother Zhou, you went to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative and bought a bicycle?"

"I've been saving money and coupons to come here and buy one. It'll be convenient for going to the countryside later; we can put the luggage on it." Gu Xingzhou patted the back seat and looked at Yang Mumu, "Mumu, later you can all strap the large luggage you're carrying onto my bike. I'll push the bike, and everyone will be much more relaxed."

"Alright, I won't stand on ceremony then."

Yang Mumu thought about the bicycle she had in her space. If she had known, she would have brought that bike to the countryside. Now she had to wait for an opportunity to take it out later. A miscalculation, a miscalculation.

Xia Zhizhi thanked him happily: "Then I'll say thank you in advance too. Once again, I'm benefiting from you guys."

He Yuan looked at the bike in front of her, nodded, turned around, and walked into the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. In less than a few minutes, she also pushed out a bicycle.

The only two bicycles available at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative were now here.

"Ah! Sister Yuan, you're too domineering! You bought a bicycle too? Oh my god!"

Song Yan's jaw was about to drop. Is this the happiness of having money and coupons in your pocket?

Although he didn't buy it, he was so happy just looking at it, feeling a sense of honor; these two were his friends too!

Xia Zhizhi was envious. When would she be able to spend money so freely?

He Yuan looked at them, patted the seat, and said seriously: "You can also put the extra luggage on my bicycle. Let the two bicycles carry all the luggage, so we can all walk empty-handed."

"He Yuan, you're still the best." Yang Mumu gave a thumbs up. She really admired her way of spending money. Yang Mumu took a long coil of rope out of her bag and waved it at them, shouting happily: "Let's go, let's go, let's tie up the luggage!"

"You guys are so thoughtful. Sister Mu, you actually brought so much rope."

"Why else would I be your sister? Hurry up."

With the rope and sacks provided by Yang Mumu, the five of them perfectly tied all the large luggage onto the two bicycles. Each person only carried a small bag and a water bottle. Finally, after deciding to take turns pushing the bikes in order, they walked toward the gathering point, the Commune gate.

Many people had already arrived outside. After waiting a few minutes, the cadre from the Educated Youth Office took out a list to take roll call. After confirming everyone had arrived, they began to assign the specific locations for going to the countryside.

"The first group is for the Educated Youths of the Haha Production Brigade. Everyone, please listen carefully. When your name is called, answer 'here' and step out."

Yang Mumu was amused by the name of this Production Brigade. Could it be that the people living in this Production Brigade were all very happy, which is why it was called the Haha Production Brigade?

"Yang Mumu!"

Before Yang Mumu could even stop grinning, she heard her name. She immediately suppressed her laughter and ran out.

"Here!"

"Song Yan, Gu Xingzhou, Xia Zhizhi, He Yuan..."

Four happy "Here!"s rang out. The four of them ran over like the wind and stood by Yang Mumu's side, their faces beaming with smiles, feeling incredibly excited.

Yang Mumu happily exchanged glances with them.

"Li Jianhua, Wu Xiuli, Liu Qingwan, Lu Qianyao. All of the above are for the Haha Production Brigade. Next is the Xiangqian Team..."

The hee-hee and the not-hee-hee were only a second apart. Upon hearing the last two names read by the cadre, Yang Mumu stopped hee-hee-ing completely.

What? Liu Qingwan? What? Lu Qianyao? The sky has fallen!

34: Chapter 34 The plot of is so compelling,

is it really the male and female leads?

Liu Qingwan? Isn't that the name of the female lead in that book?

A native of the 1970s, a stubborn and aloof beauty, she was the real daughter who had been found and brought back. Yet her entire family only favored the fake daughter. As the real daughter, she was targeted at every turn by the fake daughter, and her family brainlessly sided with the fake one. Fearing that she would eventually take everything back, the fake daughter even signed her up to go to the countryside.

Liu Qingwan took her revenge on the spot, beat up her entire family, and signed the fake daughter up to go to the countryside as well.

The name Lu Qianyao was even the name of the scumbag who had rejected her—or rather, whom she had rejected—back in modern times, which also happened to be the name of the male lead in the book written by that scumbag!

Yang Mumu was shocked and looked over in disbelief to verify.

The female comrade walking over had willow-leaf eyebrows, almond eyes, a stubborn and resolute face, two long braids, and an aloof, quiet temperament.

The description "stubborn and aloof beauty" from the book instantly flashed through Yang Mumu's mind.

She looked exactly like the female lead herself.

Turning her head, she looked at the male comrade walking over from the other side.

Was this really that scumbag himself?

This man looked exactly like the male colleague she had rejected in modern times—a bright, handsome face, with a warm smile often hanging on his lips, but secretly a massive scumbag who dated eight women at the same time.

Had he transmigrated here too? Had they both transmigrated into this book?

No, even though her countryside destination had changed, they still ran into each other. Was the power of the plot really this strong? The two original countryside destinations were thousands of miles apart, yet they still ended up together.

Hadn't she failed to see the male and female leads on the train? What happened on the train was different from the plot in the book. She had thought they had broken free from the book's constraints.

But it was one thing for He Yuan's name to match; for these two names to match as well meant there was no way it was just a coincidence.

At this moment, Lu Qianyao ran a few steps to catch up with Liu Qingwan, whom he had already gotten to know on the train, and walked side-by-side with her. The two of them were chatting familiarly and getting along quite well, with Liu Qingwan responding with a smile on her face.

As Lu Qianyao walked closer and saw that all the Educated Youths in this brigade were beautiful, his eyes lit up slightly. When his gaze shifted and landed on Yang Mumu, who was surrounded by the others, his eyes shone even brighter. His eyes darted over to her frequently, and he even led Liu Qingwan over to stand very close to Yang Mumu.

Yang Mumu caught his approach out of the corner of her eye and decided to take the initiative to test the waters. She could find out whether they were the male and female leads from the book just by asking.

Yang Mumu clapped her hands and called out:

"Hello, comrades! We'll all be comrades in the same Educated Youth Courtyard from now on. While we wait for the captain to arrive, why don't we introduce ourselves so we can get to know each other? What do you say?"

After saying this, Yang Mumu fixed her gaze on Lu Qianyao. She had deliberately refrained from introducing herself by name.

If this were indeed the scumbag who had transmigrated from modern times, he would definitely be shocked to see her familiar face even without her mentioning her name, and his expression would surely change.

But other than admiration and a burning gaze in his eyes, the man opposite her showed absolutely no expression of recognizing an old acquaintance, let alone any trace of anger.

Whether he knew her or not was still somewhat uncertain; she had to test him further.

"Sure!" Song Yan was the first to chime in, agreeing with Yang Mumu. "I'll go first. I'm Song Yan, from Chengdu, Sichuan Province. I just turned eighteen."

Gu Xingzhou didn't manage to be the first to respond to Yang Mumu, so he scrambled to be the second to raise his hand.

The newly arrived female comrade pursed her lips as she looked at the man who raised his hand. This guy looks way too pretty; he definitely won't be good at physical labor. I need to find someone who can work.

Once she went to the countryside, there would be no going back. For the sake of her future, she couldn't marry a local villager; she had to find an Educated Youth to marry. She had to start scouting now, and the first guy from Chengdu seemed decent enough.

"I'm Gu Xingzhou from Beijing, nineteen years old."

Upon hearing his introduction, her expression changed instantly. Her burning gaze fell upon Gu Xingzhou. A comrade from Beijing! No wonder he's so handsome. With that watch, his family must send him plenty of allowance. Even if he doesn't work, he won't lack food. Life will be much easier in the future.

She excitedly raised her hand to introduce herself, her eyes fixed directly on Gu Xingzhou as she spoke.

"I'm Wu Xiuli from Shaanxi Province, eighteen years old. I can cook and sew. If you ever need your clothes or pants mended, I can help."

Feeling uncomfortable under her gaze, Gu Xingzhou frowned and took small steps to stand behind Yang Mumu, pulling Song Yan diagonally in front of him to block her view.

Yang Mumu didn't pay attention to what he was doing. After Xia Zhizhi and He Yuan finished their introductions, she focused her attention on the other two.

"I'm Li Jianhua, from Shanxi Province, nineteen years old."

When it was Liu Qingwan's turn, Yang Mumu listened intently.

"I'm Liu Qingwan from Guangzhou, nineteen years old."

Perfect! Her background was confirmed; it matched the female lead's background written in the book.

Yang Mumu looked at the last person, whom she was currently paying closer attention to, and heard him say, "Lu Qianyao, from Chongqing, Sichuan Province, nineteen years old."

Nice! It was the male lead's background, which matched the background of the fiancé after Yang Mumu and Yang Qianqian swapped marriages in the book.

She had to probe a step further.

Yang Mumu raised her voice slightly to introduce herself, closely observing the changes in Lu Qianyao's expression.

"I'm Yang Mumu from Chengdu, Sichuan Province. 'Yang' as in the sun, and 'Mumu' as in bathing in the sunlight. I'm eighteen years old."

Lu Qianyao was taken aback for a moment, and then a delighted smile spread across his face. "Comrade, your name is Yang Mumu?"

"Yes. Why? Is there a problem with my name?" Yang Mumu asked him in return.

"No, there's no problem. I just suddenly remembered a childhood friend of mine named Xu Qianqian. I heard that after her mother remarried and took her to Chengdu, she had a younger sister named Yang Mumu."

Yang Mumu looked at him and said slowly, "Oh, that's me."

"You really are sister Mumu! I didn't expect us to be assigned to the same place. What a stroke of fate."

Lu Qianyao's reaction confirmed to Yang Mumu that this person did not know her and was not the scumbag she had beaten up.

Seeing the way the male comrade was looking at Yang Mumu, and noticing that he wanted to say more, Gu Xingzhou instantly felt a sense of crisis. He stepped out from behind Yang Mumu again, cutting in front of him, and said, "The Production Brigade leader seems to be waving over there. Let's head over first and chat when we get to our destination."

Yang Mumu nodded, withdrew her gaze, and followed him forward.

However, her mind was racing with thoughts.

These two were definitely the male and female leads of the book. He Yuan was the second vicious female supporting character in the book, while she herself was the number one, most vicious female supporting character.

Even though she had changed her countryside destination after coming here, it hadn't prevented her encounter with the book's protagonists.

What did this mean? It proved the sheer power of the plot.

Would she end up following the plot of the cannon fodder female supporting character, ultimately failing in her malicious schemes, falling into the sea to drown, and ending up in a shark's belly?

35: Chapter 35 Planning to Learn to Swim

She herself didn't know how to swim. Although she had fallen from a high-altitude pendulum ride into a river before transmigrating, she had ultimately drowned.

Yang Mumu shuddered at the thought. Although she could guarantee that she wouldn't stir up trouble, she couldn't guarantee whether she would be pushed along by the plot when story nodes arrived, or if she would be forced to exit the story at a death node.

Plot nodes—this was a major issue worth noting; it concerned her life!

Although she could hide in her space, she couldn't stay in it forever if she fell into the sea.

No, the first task after getting settled is to learn how to swim. She must learn!

"Do you two know how to swim?" Yang Mumu asked, looking at He Yuan and Xia Zhizhi. "I heard that the place we're being sent to is very close to the sea, and I want to learn how to swim."

Xia Zhizhi and He Yuan both shook their heads. "I don't know how."

"I don't know how either." Song Yan joined in, shaking his head.

"I do, I do." Gu Xingzhou pushed his bicycle over, stepping happily with his head poking out.

"But you're a male comrade, you can only teach me." Song Yan laughed heartily and reached out to shake Gu Xingzhou's hand. "Brother, I'll leave the Swimming lessons to you from now on."

Yang Mumu didn't mind. In the modern era, there were so many male coaches and swimsuits were quite thin. But this era was different; if such close contact between a man and a woman was seen by someone with ill intentions and reported, it would be game over.

However, learning some theoretical knowledge from him was still fine.

She looked at Gu Xingzhou and requested, "Since you know how, could I trouble you to write down some precautions for Swimming and the essentials of learning how to swim? Could I take a look at a written version? I'm thinking that if the Production Brigade is close to the seaside, there should be girls in the brigade who know how to swim. I'll find someone to learn from then."

Hmm, add a small sub-goal after heading to the countryside: find and befriend girls who know how to swim.

"Of course you can. I'll write it for you once we arrive. I'll make sure to write it in detail."

Gu Xingzhou happily agreed, and thinking of another opportunity to increase contact, he proposed, "You can also take a washbasin, fill it with water in the Educated Youth Courtyard, and practice holding your breath by submerging your head. You and Song Yan can do it together, and I'll supervise you from the side and help you time it. Besides, even without water, you can practice some postures and movements first. Once you find someone to guide you, you'll be able to get the hang of it quickly after practicing a little in the water. How about that?"

This suggestion was good. Yang Mumu quickly agreed, "Okay, okay, thank you, Gu Xingzhou. I'll listen to you."

He Yuan was tempted upon hearing this, "Then I'd like to learn how to swim too."

"Learning is good. Mastering a new skill might come in handy at some point."

Yang Mumu looked at her affirmatively. As the second villainess, it was also necessary for her to learn. Who knows, she might trigger a plot where she falls into the water for some reason.

If a scenario occurred where both the first and second villainesses fell into the water at the same time, and she knew how to swim while He Yuan didn't, she might easily be dragged down by the one who couldn't swim and perish.

Thinking of this plot, Yang Mumu patted her shoulder with a firm expression. "You must learn."

"Hearing you all talk about it, I want to learn too." Xia Zhizhi also became interested.

Gu Xingzhou said happily, "Alright, I'll write a document then, and the rest of you who want to learn can copy it yourselves."

"Okay, thank you, thank you!" The two female comrades thanked him repeatedly.

The matter of learning to swim was thus happily decided. Yang Mumu was no longer worried; as long as she solved this fatal weakness, she would be invincible.

She had her space and her combat skills. She believed in heaven; she was not the cardboard cutout Yang Mumu from the book. She had her own thoughts and principles, and the foolish act of fighting over a man and courting death would never happen to her.

Since she had transmigrated and held the script, no one would be able to control her.

The encounters written in the previous extras could be changed, so the subsequent plot could definitely be changed as well. She would completely rewrite the routine-like encounters of being the villainess, break this plot, and write her own path with her own actions.

Yang Mumu looked at the captain before them, who was honest, simple, and smiling as he waved at them. A villainess would usually stir up trouble at this moment to make the captain feel disgusted with her.

What was the plot written in the book again? She insisted on sitting on an ox cart already piled high with luggage. Lu Qianyao righteously accused her, then took some of his own luggage down to clear a spot for her to sit—giving a stick and then a sweet date, making her feel grateful, while the captain became even more disgusted with her, and his favorability toward the male lead increased significantly.

Later, seeing that Liu Qingwan was too tired to walk, Lu Qianyao, in order to gain Liu Qingwan's favor, discussed it with the captain and carried some luggage himself, clearing a spot for her as well.

This was the plot point where the female lead began to develop feelings for him.

But the captain now shouldn't be the captain from the book, right? Because she didn't see an ox cart, and the captain didn't have anything on him. Yang Mumu looked at everyone covered in luggage and just wanted to laugh out loud.

Sure enough, there were benefits to changing the Production Brigade; even the smallest butterfly wings could flap and cause some changes.

Now she wanted to see how Lu Qianyao would win the favor of her, the captain, and the female lead, and then make her be despised by the captain.

The captain was a kind-looking middle-aged uncle. Seeing this group of Educated Youths approaching, there wasn't a trace of disgust on his face. However, he reined in his smile, his face becoming a bit more serious. He tapped his pipe, put it away, took out a notebook, and said:

"I am the captain of the Haha Production Brigade, Zhao Xiangdong. Welcome to our Haha Production Brigade. Now, come over one by one to report your names. It's getting late, and once I confirm everyone, I can take you back."

"Okay."

As each Educated Youth went up to report their name, the captain checked them off in the notebook.

Yang Mumu was the last to come forward to register. Seeing this name, the captain recalled the instructions given to him by the Commune leaders and the leaders of the Educated Youth Office, and he managed to force a smile on his face.

Yang Mumu approached with a full smile. Seeing the pipe beside the captain, she thought for a moment and took a pack of Feima brand cigarettes from her space. When shaking hands with the captain, she slid it into his hand. It was very fast; no one saw it.

"Captain, Yang Mumu reporting for duty."

Zhao Xiangdong squeezed the item and calmly put it into his pocket. The smile on his face became more genuine. As expected of someone the leaders had mentioned, he had to take care of her.

36: Chapter 36 Being a Scorekeeper

"Good, good, good! You look very energetic, child. Our Haha Production Brigade needs cheerful comrades like you who love to smile. I heard you used to be a cashier at the Machinery Factory and were an administrator there. Our brigade happens to be short of a Scorekeeper. Would you be willing to come to our village committee to be a Scorekeeper?"

Originally, Zhao Xiangdong hadn't paid much attention to this comrade whom the leader had specifically mentioned. He only wanted to casually appease the leader, at most arranging some light farm work for her when she started working.

But now, after meeting her face-to-face, he immediately understood why the leader had specifically told him to take care of this comrade. The leader indeed had foresight. If he were a Commune leader, he would like her too; in fact, he already liked this Comrade Yang very much now.

In that case, he might as well do the leader and this comrade a favor by giving her this good job. Besides, this comrade was someone with practical abilities, which would also benefit the brigade's work.

"Captain, I am willing." Yang Mumu's eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously, spouting pleasantries effortlessly: "I will do my best to use the knowledge I have learned to contribute to the construction and development of our Haha Production Brigade, and follow your lead, Captain."

The captain burst into a hearty laugh, his mood instantly brightening.

"Good, excellent, you have ambition! Once I go back, I will write up the report and submit it to the Commune Revolutionary Committee. I'll notify you once it's finalized. From then on, you will be our brigade's Scorekeeper, and I will brief you on the relevant work arrangements."

"Thank you, Captain. I'll keep that in mind."

Yang Mumu was delighted. The first hardship of the vicious female supporting character going to the countryside had transformed into good fortune and career luck.

Meanwhile, the other Educated Youths were dumbfounded, each with a different expression on their faces.

Gu Xingzhou smiled and gave Yang Mumu a thumbs-up, genuinely happy for her.

Song Yan was overjoyed. He danced with joy as he ran to Yang Mumu's side, cheering in a low voice, "Sister, Sister Mu, you are my sister for life! I'm sticking to you forever. Ah, you're so amazing, my sister!"

He then looked back at Gu Xingzhou, He Yuan, and Xia Zhizhi, saying, "How is my Sister Mu so amazing?"

He Yuan looked at Yang Mumu with admiration. "If she weren't amazing, how could she be your Sister Mu? Your Sister Mu will always be your Sister Mu. I wish I could learn even half of her skills."

Xia Zhizhi smiled and chimed in from the side.

Isn't it just smiling? What's the big deal? I can smile too. Wu Xiuli stared at Yang Mumu with jealousy. Why did Yang Mumu get to be the Scorekeeper when she was the last one to go up?

At the same time, she felt extremely annoyed. Had she known earlier, she would have smiled as hard as she could when she went up. Maybe then, the Scorekeeper position would have been hers.

Li Jianhua looked like he had just missed out on a billion dollars. So this was the true meaning of the name "Haha Team"?

Liu Qingwan had no interest in the Scorekeeper job and wasn't envious at all. She withdrew her gaze after a brief glance.

Lu Qianyao looked at Yang Mumu with an unreadable expression, his thoughts unknown, before the corners of his mouth curled upward.

Yang Mumu accepted all these looks—whether good, bad, or ambiguous—with a slight smile, remaining silent. She stood there confidently, not caring what they were thinking; she wasn't afraid at all.

The captain took in all the expressions of these Educated Youths, gaining a preliminary understanding of their characters. He grew even fonder of Yang Mumu, as he liked children who weren't afraid of difficulties.

Putting away his notebook, the captain shouted, "Alright, all nine Educated Youths of our brigade are here. Now, grab your luggage and follow me back to the brigade!"

Seeing that the other Production Brigades had all brought ox carts to pick up their people, while theirs was the only brigade with nothing, Wu Xiuli found it hard to accept as she looked at her piled-up luggage. However, not daring to speak up in front of the captain, she egged Li Jianhua on to speak.

Li Jianhua also had a lot of things, so he quickly asked, "Um, Captain, I see the other brigades have ox carts for luggage. Where is our brigade's ox cart?"

Wu Xiuli followed up, "Yeah, Captain, are we walking by ourselves?"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. You came at just the right time. It's the busy farming season right now. Planting peanuts, planting cotton, and sowing corn all require plowing. All five oxen in our brigade have been taken to plow the fields. Originally, we had an old ox specifically for pulling things, but unfortunately, it collapsed from exhaustion yesterday and couldn't get up, so we had to let it rest today. You'll have to carry your own luggage; just think of it as early physical training."

The captain shook his head as he sized up their physiques.

"With physiques like yours, if you don't get some exercise first, none of you will be able to do any real work when you start. This is just our daily routine. Carrying luggage and walking is considered light work. When we deliver the public grain, we have to carry hundreds of catties of grain to the Commune on shoulder poles. Let's go. Our brigade is relatively close to the Commune. Let's head back early; the brigade is busy."

The group instantly wilted, looking completely listless.

Even Liu Qingwan frowned.

"Don't worry, you have me," Lu Qianyao whispered beside her.

On the side, Yang Mumu silently enjoyed the drama. This guy was starting to exude charm to win the female lead's favor. Too bad the female lead didn't seem to care and was just focusing on picking up her luggage.

The captain smiled, having gotten his way, and leisurely walked ahead to lead the way with his tobacco pipe resting on his shoulder.

If he didn't make these Educated Youths walk properly, they would have too much energy and start causing trouble once they reached the Educated Youth Courtyard, which would affect their work.

Lu Qianyao picked up his luggage and warmly called out to everyone, "Let's go, let's go! We've traveled thousands of miles to the countryside to support rural construction. I believe we are all excellent and can definitely do it. We have each other to help along the way. If anyone can't carry their things, just say the word, and others can help out."

Li Jianhua echoed his words, "Brother Lu is right. We can definitely do it. Mutual help!"

Yang Mumu rolled her eyes. Who agreed to mutual help? He sure loved to make promises on behalf of others.

The captain of the Haha Production Brigade was so smart; Lu Qianyao wouldn't be able to win any favor with him this time either!

The biggest winner this time was her, Yang Mumu.

Yang Mumu was in a great mood. She and Xia Zhizhi stood on the left and right sides behind He Yuan's bicycle, securing the luggage while lending a hand to push the bicycle forward. He Yuanyuan held the handlebars in front to steer, taking a few quick steps to catch up and walk closely behind the captain.

Gu Xingzhou and Song Yan pushed a bicycle together, following behind Yang Mumu and the others.

Wu Xiuli saw Gu Xingzhou pushing a bicycle past her, and her eyes went wide.

A bicycle? And a brand new one at that? Wow, this Educated Youth Gu is really rich! Haha, he's the one, he's the one!

Grinning widely, she picked up her luggage and followed, chanting to herself like brainwashing: "Mutual help, mutual help!"

If she got tired later, couldn't she just take the opportunity to ask Educated Youth Gu for help, so they could interact more?

Wu Xiuli stared ahead, giggling foolishly, as she ran with her luggage to a spot slightly diagonally ahead of Gu Xingzhou and walked forward.

37: Chapter 37 Wu Xiuli's actions and thought process are abnormal.

Before they had even walked for half an hour, Wu Xiuli could no longer carry her luggage.

She looked left and right, and seeing that no one else had stopped, she gritted her teeth and forced herself to keep walking in order to leave a good impression on Gu Xingzhou. She planned to walk a bit longer and wait until someone else complained about being tired before saying anything.

However, she gradually fell behind, dropping back behind Gu Xingzhou's bicycle.

Unwilling to accept this, she gritted her teeth again and jogged forward, determined not to fall behind.

Yang Mumu heard the noise and glanced back. Seeing a female comrade running up with her things, she couldn't help but admire her perseverance.

This comrade is pretty impressive, gritting her teeth and running up just to not fall behind.

The next moment, she saw that Comrade Wu Xiuli couldn't take it anymore. She stopped and looked back.

Wu Xiuli casually wiped the sweat from her face and leaned in close to Comrade Gu. With a smile in her eyes, she squeezed her voice into a high, delicate pitch and said, "Comrade Gu, is this your bicycle? It's brand new. Did you just buy it at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative?"

As she spoke, she leaned closer and closer, almost pressing herself against Gu Xingzhou.

Oh, so she's trying to strike up a conversation. Well, Comrade Gu is handsome and has money in his pockets, buying a bicycle just like that. That's indeed very attractive.

Yang Mumu adjusted her posture while holding her luggage, keeping an eye on the diagonal rear. She felt a bit excited; the journey was boring, so this was the perfect chance to enjoy some light gossip.

Gu Xingzhou frowned. Without a word, he silently wheeled his bicycle away to put some distance between them.

Wu Xiuli was stunned for a moment, but then she thought to herself: It's normal for a male comrade from a well-off family to be quiet. It just shows that Comrade Gu is shy and doesn't fool around—he's a good man.

A smile returned to her face as she walked over.

"Comrade Gu, I heard that it's easy to tear your clothes and pants in the countryside. What I said before about knowing needlework is true, and my skills are excellent. If any of your clothes or pants get torn in the future, you can bring them to me. I'll mend them for you and guarantee you won't even see the seam."

"No need, thank you. I can mend them myself." Gu Xingzhou pushed his bicycle faster, leaving Wu Xiuli behind.

Getting a response made Wu Xiuli even more excited. She jogged to catch up, calling out as she ran:

"Is that so? You're really amazing, Comrade Gu, being able to mend things yourself. There aren't many male comrades like you left."

As Wu Xiuli ran over, she saw a stone on the ground and hatched a plan. She deliberately pretended to sprain her ankle and fell toward Gu Xingzhou.

"Ouch, my foot!"

Gu Xingzhou reacted quickly, pushing his bicycle forward with a sprint. Wu Xiuli stumbled before barely managing to steady herself.

"Are you okay?" Lu Qianyao shouted.

The Team Leader looked back when he heard the noise, but having seen this sort of thing all too often, he turned back around, puffing on his pipe and ignoring it completely.

Embarrassed and annoyed, Wu Xiuli stamped her foot, caught up in a huff, took a deep breath, and forced another smile.

"Comrade Gu, I'm fine. I just stepped on a small stone and slipped. It's nothing serious, but my leg hurts a bit, and I can barely carry my luggage now. Comrade Gu, can I put some of my luggage on your bicycle?"

Since she refused to take a hint, Gu Xingzhou stopped being polite. His face turned cold as he said:

"No. What does you deliberately stepping on a stone and pretending to fall have to do with me? What does you not being able to carry your things have to do with me? Stay away from me, you smell bad."

The other Educated Youth looked over curiously, their eyes filled with scrutiny, and some even showed signs of disgust.

Wu Xiuli felt as if she had been struck by lightning; her world was crumbling. She never expected Gu Xingzhou to say such a thing. In shame and anger, she sniffed herself.

I don't smell bad?

Is he lying to me?

Could it be that Educated Youth Gu is secretly paying attention to me? Did he say that on purpose to get my attention?

It must be! Educated Youth Gu is shy and doesn't like to talk. I must have talked too much, making him self-conscious, which is why he acted like this. After all, there are too many people here, so it's inconvenient and he needs to avoid suspicion. Yes, I should speak less and be more mindful.

Wu Xiuli's grief turned to joy. Clutching her clothes with one hand and touching her face with the other, she smiled narcissistically.

She knew she was incredibly charming. In the past, people from well-off families had pursued her, but she had rejected them all.

Looking at the people ahead, Wu Xiuli picked up her luggage and ran to catch up. She felt no resentment toward Gu Xingzhou at all; instead, she was very happy.

Men are just like that, a bit duplicitous and prone to minor temper tantrums. He probably just couldn't bring himself to let me put my luggage on his bike with everyone else watching.

Yang Mumu watched in sheer amazement, unable to comprehend what was going through Wu Xiuli's head or how her mind worked. Shaking her head, she withdrew her gaze and focused on walking.

After Wu Xiuli stopped talking, she quickly grew tired again from carrying her luggage. She felt thoroughly disgruntled and increasingly irritable. Looking up, her eyes landed on the three people pushing the bicycle ahead, and she was instantly filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred.

She saw Yang Mumu stop by the roadside to drink from her water bottle, completely empty-handed without any luggage, looking comfortable and relaxed.

Looking down at herself, laden with heavy bags, she felt an intense sense of injustice.

Why did she get to be the team's Scorekeeper the moment she arrived? Why did she get to walk empty-handed without carrying any luggage?

Her eyes darted around as she deliberately veered to the side, pretending not to see the road or the person ahead. She planned to bump into Yang Mumu with her shoulder as she got close, causing the water to splash onto Yang Mumu's face.

Out of the corner of her eye, Yang Mumu saw Wu Xiuli coming to bump into her. Instead of dodging, she continued drinking. When Wu Xiuli collided with her, the water in the bottle splashed straight out.

Wu Xiuli was more than half a head shorter than her, making her the perfect target. The water splashed directly over Wu Xiuli's head, leaving her completely drenched like a drowned rat.

Yang Mumu stumbled a step and beat her to the punch, turning around to demand unhappily, "What are you doing? I was already standing by the roadside drinking water, and you still bumped into me? Did you do it on purpose?"

Water dripped from Wu Xiuli's face, which had turned pale with anger. Seeing everyone staring at her, she swallowed her pride, lowered her head, and apologized.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going. It's my fault."

Yang Mumu was somewhat surprised to see her being so sensible and showing restraint. It seemed Wu Xiuli did have some brains after all.

"Watch where you're going next time. Don't keep bumping into people. It's a good thing it was just me drinking water here. If someone else had been holding a knife, you'd be finished."

"I know. Thank you for the reminder."

Wu Xiuli walked on, carrying her luggage with annoyance, reflecting on what exactly had gone wrong and why nothing was going her way.

While she was lost in thought, she stopped making any other moves and just walked quietly while reflecting.

After another half an hour of walking, Li Jianhua couldn't take it anymore. He dropped his luggage, collapsed onto the ground, and cried out, "I can't go on, I can't go on! Team Leader, let's take a break. I can't catch my breath."

Seeing Liu Qingwan beside him drenched in sweat with a flushed face, Lu Qianyao also called out, "Yeah, Team Leader, let us rest for a bit."

Seeing that the Educated Youth behind him were indeed exhausted, the Team Leader stopped and agreed.

"Fine, we'll rest for ten minutes. We must leave when the time is up. At your snail's pace, if you rest for too long, we won't even get there by tomorrow."

"Alright, alright. Thank you, Team Leader."

Lu Qianyao put down his luggage, sat on the ground, took out a fan to cool himself off, and fanned Liu Qingwan as well.

This time, Liu Qingwan didn't refuse. She was simply too hot, so she sat down and fanned herself, abandoning her usual poise.

Yang Mumu was fine. She only had a small bag and a water bottle on her. Walking this distance only made her feel a bit warm; she wasn't tired at all, and her expression didn't even change.

However, turning to see that He Yuan and Xia Zhizhi looked quite tired, she quickly put down the bicycle kickstand so they could sit on the side and rest.

Yang Mumu took out her water bottle and took a few sips. Seeing He Yuan rubbing her legs and massaging her ankles, she knew He Yuan's feet must be very sore.

Her exposed heels were red.

Yang Mumu walked over to the bicycle to unload the luggage.

"Mumu, what are you doing?" He Yuan stopped her. "Why are you unloading your luggage? Isn't it better to just push it along?"

"I'm not unloading all of it, just taking some of my things off to free up the bicycle seat. Yuanyuan, you can ride the bike and slowly follow us later so you won't get tired. From what the Team Leader said, the way is still quite far."

"Then the other two can carry the unloaded luggage, and we can take turns riding the bike. How about that?" He Yuan thought for a moment, let go, and suggested.

"Sure."

Both Yang Mumu and Xia Zhizhi agreed.

They had thought it wasn't far, but no one expected that they still hadn't reached the end after walking for an hour.

The three of them began to rearrange the luggage on the bicycle, looking forward to riding it soon.

On the other side, the tension on Wu Xiuli's face finally gave way to a smile. Someone had finally called for a break. The luggage in her hands slipped to the ground as her strength gave out, and she collapsed onto it.

Just as she collapsed, she remembered Gu Xingzhou nearby. She forced herself up to fix her appearance, sat down like a lady, and stole a glance at Gu Xingzhou. The more she looked, the more handsome she found him, and the more beautiful she found the bicycle. How grand she would look if she could ride a bicycle like that!

38: Chapter 38 Equality Creates Flight for All

Gu Xingzhou keenly felt a gaze. Looking over, he found that the female comrade who had previously harassed him, attempted to fall into his arms, and even pretended to sprain her ankle was staring at him. He glared back at her fiercely, turned around with his back to her to park, and cleared his bicycle seat just like Yang Mumu and the others had done.

Oh my god, Educated Youth Gu looked at me! Does he like me too? Is he clearing a spot for me to load my luggage? Wu Xiuli cupped her face, grinning foolishly in that direction like a lovesick girl.

The team leader kept track of the time. When the time was up, he snuffed out his leaf tobacco, tapped his pipe, stood up, and shouted, "Get up, get up! Time's up. Hurry up and get moving, we still have ten li of road to walk."

"Ah! It's still that far? How long is that going to take, Team Leader?" Li Jianhua cried out in misery as he looked at the luggage beside him. It was fine when they weren't stopping, but having to pick them up again after a break was absolutely torturous.

"At your pace, it'll take an hour. Hurry up, grab your luggage, and stop dawdling." The team leader cast a sideways glance over. Li Jianhua didn't dare to wail anymore; he shut his mouth and obediently picked up his luggage.

After Lu Qianyao picked up his own luggage, he eagerly tried to carry Liu Qingwan's as well, but Liu Qingwan waved her hand in refusal.

Just then, a loud voice drew everyone's attention.

"Educated Youth Gu, you cleared this empty spot for me, didn't you? I'm putting my luggage on it now, so don't be shy."

Wu Xiuli took her luggage and tried to place it on the bicycle seat that Gu Xingzhou had gone to great lengths to clear.

Gu Xingzhou's face darkened. He pushed her luggage away and sat down on the seat with a thud.

"Who gave you permission to put it there? This is the seat I cleared so I could ride. Can you not understand human speech? How many times do I have to tell you? Carry your own luggage. Am I your father or your grandfather? Why should I carry your bags for you? And don't come near me again. I don't like you. Scram!"

After snapping at her, Gu Xingzhou turned around, raised his hand, and looked at the team leader.

"Team Leader, I want to report her for harassing me. As a female comrade, she has repeatedly tried to lean against me to take advantage of me. I've told her so many times not to get close, but she never listens. You need to step in and handle this."

Since the report had been made right in front of him, the team leader couldn't pretend to be deaf and dumb. He cleared his throat and criticized her sternly, "Educated Youth Wu, you are a female comrade. You should cherish your own reputation. You came to the countryside to work, not to cause trouble. Educated Youth Gu also went to a lot of trouble to clear his seat, and he's still carrying things in his hands right now."

Wu Xiuli lowered her head and remained silent.

Yang Mumu thought she was going to explode the next second, but instead, she picked up her luggage and walked away.

Stopping in front of them, she looked at He Yuan and said, "Can I put my luggage on your bicycle? I really can't carry it anymore."

Seeing that she looked a bit pitiful, He Yuan hesitated on whether to agree and turned to Yang Mumu and Xia Zhizhi for help.

"It's only right for the male comrades to ride bicycles. Who told them to have handles between their legs? I'm just letting them off easy. But you, as fellow female comrades, are different. We aren't that delicate. Can you please help me carry it?"

Hearing these last words, He Yuan's face turned cold. Pitiful, my foot! What 'handles between their legs' nonsense, and 'women aren't delicate'—it was all utter bullshit.

"No. I am quite delicate, and I need to ride my bicycle. You, on the other hand, are different. Since you aren't delicate, carry your own luggage."

Wu Xiuli cried out, "You... how can you be like this?"

Yang Mumu felt like her ears had been polluted. She stared at her in shock. How was this Wu Xiuli becoming more and more absurd? What kind of logic was this about being "delicate" or not? Did her family have some precious male heir to coddle, or had she been brainwashed?

Wu Xiuli glared back fiercely. "What are you looking at? What's so great about you being empty-handed and able to load your luggage? You're just lucky enough to hitch a ride on someone else's bicycle. What is there to be so smug about? Stop looking at me!"

How baffling. Yang Mumu rolled her eyes. Refusing to indulge her, she snapped back.

"Yes, I have this good fortune and you don't. Why is someone willing to let me load my luggage but not you? Isn't it just because my luck is better than yours, and I'm more delicate than you? That's why I can go empty-handed and you can't. Our fates are different; you simply can't compare. Besides, who's looking at you? I'm looking at a pig!"

"You, you..." Wu Xiuli was left speechless. Once she realized what was said, she shrieked in exasperation, "Are you calling me a pig?!"

"Oh, what an injustice! I didn't call you that; you're the one calling yourself that. I really was just looking at a pig. Why are you so eager to fit the description?"

Just as Wu Xiuli was about to fly into a rage, Yang Mumu pointed toward the horizon.

"Look over there. Doesn't that cloud on the horizon look like a pig staring with wide eyes?"

Wu Xiuli obediently turned her head to look in the direction of her finger. She actually saw a cloud that looked like a pig. This made her even angrier, but she had nowhere to vent her frustration. No one was taking her side, and no one would carry her luggage. The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. In the end, she could only throw her luggage onto the ground, throwing a wild tantrum and weeping.

"You're all bullying me! Everyone is bullying me! You have no sympathy at all! Didn't we agree earlier that we would help each other carry luggage when we got tired? But now, none of you will carry mine! Waaah—"

The team leader was thoroughly annoyed. Every time a new batch of Educated Youths arrived, there was always some drama. When they had an ox cart before, they fought over who got to ride it. Now that they hadn't brought the ox cart, they were making a fuss over the luggage. Were these Educated Youths out of their minds? Crying and wailing just to go to the countryside—they were going to cry all their good luck away.

He stepped forward and roared, "Shut up! What are you crying for? Who's bullying you? Aren't you the one making a scene? Go find whoever promised to help carry the luggage. We're only halfway there and you're already throwing a fit. Who are you trying to show off to?"

Lu Qianyao's expression turned sour, and he shrank back. He was the one who had said those words, but who could have known someone would actually make a scene? The key issue was that none of these people were willing to help, not giving him face at all.

"Team Leader, I remember now! It was Educated Youth Lu who said it." Hearing this, Wu Xiuli wiped away her tears and stood up happily. She carried her luggage over and placed it in front of Lu Qianyao. "Educated Youth Lu, I'll have to trouble you to help me carry my luggage then. You can't just carry Liu Qingwan's luggage and not help me, right?"

Wu Xiuli glared hostilely at Liu Qingwan.

Everyone's gaze shifted once again from Wu Xiuli to Lu Qianyao.

Liu Qingwan looked at Lu Qianyao with a hint of doubt in her eyes. She now realized that what he had said earlier was just him being generous at others' expense. She picked up all her luggage herself and said, "I'll carry my own luggage. I didn't ask him to carry it."

Now it was Lu Qianyao's turn to want to cry. Looking at Wu Xiuli's luggage piled in front of him, he wished he could just die.

Why did he have to open his big mouth? Now look what happened. Not only did he fail to leave a good impression on everyone, but he also lost face in front of the team leader.

Yang Mumu almost burst out laughing. Wu Xiuli was truly running over everyone indiscriminately.

With so much luggage, it looked like Wu Xiuli didn't want to carry a single piece of it. The male lead was certainly going to have an exhausting time now!

"Educated Youth Lu, say something!" Wu Xiuli urged.

She really didn't want to carry her own luggage anymore. There were still ten li left, and even walking was a struggle. No matter what, she was going to make Lu Qianyao carry her luggage today. Who told him to say those words in the first place?

"The team leader said so himself: whoever said those words should be the one to carry it. You're not trying to back out, are you?"

The team leader narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at him without saying a word.

Today's matter really had to be resolved by this kid, just to teach him a lesson.

"How could I? Since I said it, of course I meant it. We agreed to help each other, so I will definitely help you carry your luggage."

Suppressing the displeasure in his heart, Lu Qianyao smiled at her and picked up all of Wu Xiuli's luggage in front of everyone.

Adding his own luggage to the pile, it was absolute torture. A mask of pain settled over his face.

His weak frame was completely useless. His face flushed bright red, his veins popped, and he swayed several times before finally stabilizing himself.

His entire body was covered by the luggage, to the point where neither his head nor his feet could be seen. All one could see was a pile of luggage shuffling along, sinking lower and lower.

Oh my, how tragic!

Yang Mumu had no sympathy; she actually really wanted to laugh. This was the consequence of trying to show off while being too proud to back down.

The team leader looked seriously at everyone and said:

"Alright, the matter is settled. Everyone, move quickly now. If anyone causes any more trouble, you can spend the night on the mountain, and I'll come back to pick you up tomorrow. If you end up being eaten by wild boars or wolves by then, you won't have to do farm work in the countryside anymore. How wonderful! Once I report it, you can all be carried back to the city."

39: Chapter 39 Arrival at the Battalion

Once the Captain said this, the timid Educated Youths stared fearfully at the surrounding mountains and forests, feeling uneasy and not daring to stay in place.

Li Jianhua carried his luggage and ran the fastest.

At this moment, Wu Xiuli had nothing in her hands. She walked with her hands behind her back, looking smugly at everyone. She specifically walked in front of each person to show off before lifting her head high and walking forward, perfectly capturing the expression of a petty person who had achieved their goal.

"Hey, who wants to put it on their own bike? Educated Youth Lu is so good at helping others."

"Idiot," the Captain roared angrily. "Whoever makes another sound can get lost. Keep moving!"

Wu Xiuli's smug expression vanished. She was scared like a quail, honestly lowering her head to walk, not daring to say another word.

With the Captain keeping things in check, Wu Xiuli didn't cause any more trouble along the way.

It was only when Lu Qianyao was too tired to walk that he asked Wu Xiuli to take back some of her luggage.

Wu Xiuli squeezed her legs and arms, then bent over and said uncomfortably, "Oh, Comrade Lu, my legs hurt so much, and my hands hurt too. I'm afraid I still can't carry the luggage. Could you please help me for a while longer? We should help each other, right? You should help me a bit more."

She used the excuse of mutual help to block him, refusing to reach out her hands at all, and even moved two steps away while speaking.

Lu Qianyao was burning with rage. Seeing her mean expression, he wished he could step forward and slap her twice.

He even wanted to throw all the luggage on his back onto the ground right now and not care about anything.

But out of concern for his reputation, and remembering what the Captain had said earlier about causing trouble, he didn't want to leave a bad impression on the Captain again. He was also afraid of offending the Captain and being targeted later. When the Captain looked over again, he had no choice but to swallow his pride and suffer the loss himself.

He gritted his back teeth, suppressing his anger, and said, "Fine, Comrade Wu. Remember to tell me when you are no longer tired."

After saying this, he picked up the things again, not daring to drop a single piece.

"Definitely, definitely. When I'm not tired, I will definitely come and tell you. I will definitely carry my own luggage. Thank you, Comrade Lu, thank you."

Wu Xiuli spoke nicely at times like this, nodding with a smile. But once she turned around, her face was filled with nothing but disdain for Lu Qianyao, and a lot of it at that.

He couldn't even carry this little bit of stuff, yet he pretended to be strong, just like a pig with green onions stuck in its nose. How hypocritical.

Look at that physique; it's just too pathetic.

Yang Mumu raised an eyebrow. Look at Wu Xiuli; who said she was stupid? After throwing a tantrum, she was always the ultimate beneficiary. She was actually quite shrewd when it came to getting benefits for herself.

Poor male lead has become a camel. Haha, it's fun to watch.

After these few small episodes, the road to the countryside finally became quiet, and they arrived at the Haha Production Brigade peacefully in an hour.

"We've arrived. The village below is our Haha Production Brigade."

A gentle breeze blew towards them, dispelling the heat on their bodies and the irritability in their hearts, making the whole person feel comfortable. Yang Mumu relaxed her brows, put down her luggage, and looked forward.

The place where they were standing was on a highland. Below were scattered, well-arranged villages built against the mountains. The east and north sides were occupied by dense mountains, forming a natural barrier surrounding the village.

To the south were plots of farmland filled with wheat. Looking out, it was a golden wave of wheat. In the wheat fields, the busy figures of Commune Members could be vaguely seen, harvesting the early-ripening batch of wheat.

To the west was an endless blue ocean, with surging waves crashing against the cliffs on the shore. Their location was closest to the western coast, and they could vaguely hear the sound of the waves.

Yang Mumu took a deep breath and could even feel a hint of the ocean in the air.

Coming to the countryside in a place like this is really not bad. The Director of the Educated Youth Office and the Director of the Revolutionary Committee did not lie to her.

If she didn't have to work, she didn't know how wild she could be in this Production Brigade.

Going up the mountain for Hunting, going down to the sea to catch fish and turtles—just thinking about this life makes one look forward to it.

Xia Zhizhi hadn't seen such a scene in the city and couldn't help but exclaim, "It's so beautiful!"

Seeing the village before her, He Yuan also smiled. This village looked very nice; living in the countryside here should be pretty good, right?!

Seeing everyone smiling and praising, the Captain was very proud. In a good mood, he pointed to the village below to introduce it and took the opportunity to give a reminder.

"The mountain behind our Production Brigade is called Da Dong Mountain. There are some large wild beasts in the mountains, and black bears are not unheard of. You had better not go deep into the mountains. Recently, wild vegetables have come out, so just stick to the outskirts for digging wild vegetables and activities."

"The westernmost side of the Production Brigade faces the sea, where there is a tidal flat. When the tide comes in, you can go there and try your luck, but you must go early. If you go late, there won't be anything left, and it's a pure waste of time."

"So don't be afraid after coming to our Production Brigade. As long as you are diligent and willing to work, you won't starve. Everywhere can provide you with something to make a living. Our Production Brigade is the best in the Red Star Commune. We also organize people to go fishing in the sea from time to time, and our side businesses are quite good. If you are obedient and capable, you won't lack food. The work is easier than other brigades, and you can earn more money."

After the Captain finished speaking, the Educated Youths cheered.

"We can even earn money!" Li Jianhua raised his hand excitedly. "Captain, I will definitely work hard."

Song Yan was also greatly encouraged. "Sister Mu, did you hear what the Captain said? We came to the right place. It's really great. There are side businesses to earn money. This assignment to the Production Brigade is good."

"It is quite good."

Yang Mumu had a new understanding of the Captain.

At the beginning when receiving the Educated Youths, the Captain gave them a show of force, and upon arriving at the Production Brigade, he gave them a reassurance, coaxing everyone to be extremely happy, as if they had been given a shot of adrenaline.

It's no wonder the Captain could manage such a large team; he is the Captain after all. Experience really does count.

"Alright, everyone pack up your luggage, let's enter the village."

When the Captain called out this time, all the Educated Youths were even more enthusiastic. Lu Qianyao, carrying the luggage of two people, walked faster without complaining of fatigue. Thinking that he could unload the things as soon as they arrived, he felt even more motivated.

When they arrived at the Production Brigade, it was exactly time to finish work. There were Commune Members everywhere on the road. Seeing the Captain bringing a group of Educated Youths in, they all looked over curiously.

The two bicycles in the group were particularly eye-catching.

The Commune Members' eyes lit up when they saw them.

"Yo, the conditions of the Educated Youths who came this time are really good. Two bicycles, and they're brand new. This is the first time I've seen people bring bicycles on their first day of coming to the countryside."

There was a lot of discussion about the bicycles, and even more about the people.

"Look quickly, that male Educated Youth is carrying too much luggage. This looks like moving house."

"Didn't you see that female Comrade next to him with her nose in the air, empty-handed? Look how smug she is, you can even see her nose hair. It must be that he is carrying it for her. Maybe the two of them are in a relationship, haha!"

Wu Xiuli covered her nose with her hand in shame and anger, glaring at the people talking over there.

Lu Qianyao was furious when he heard these words. Who was in a relationship with Wu Xiuli? She was a rogue and a scoundrel. During the whole journey, she didn't lift a finger to help carry her own luggage. She wasn't pretty, but she had high expectations.

Lu Qianyao hated Wu Xiuli to death. He had never met such a shameless bitch.

He hurriedly explained, "Aunties, you misunderstood. She and I are not in a relationship. She just has a sore foot, so I'm helping her carry her things."

As a result, the more he explained, the less anyone listened.

People only believe what they see and turned to look at the other Educated Youths.

Lu Qianyao was so angry that he gritted his teeth and stared at Wu Xiuli in front of him, his eyes full of hatred.

Liu Qingwan was close by. From her angle, she could just see half of Lu Qianyao's face. Seeing the ferocious expression on his face and his vicious eyes, she was scared and moved away from him. As a result, she stepped on a stone, stumbled to Yang Mumu's side, and staggered.

Yang Mumu was watching the drama, and after seeing this, she reached out and pulled her up to prevent her from falling.

"Be careful."

"Thank you."

Liu Qingwan smiled gratefully. After standing up, she followed behind Yang Mumu, determined to keep a distance from Lu Qianyao.

Yang Mumu, who had been watching the drama, couldn't help laughing. Look at Lu Qianyao, he was still unaware. The female lead already disliked and feared him, yet he was still there gritting his teeth in hatred.

At this time, another Auntie said, "That female Educated Youth pushing the bicycle looks so, what's the word, right, expensive. That bicycle must be very expensive. Riding it must be cool."

Yang Mumu glanced to the left. Wu Xiuli heard this and glared unhappily at He Yuan.

She wouldn't let her put her luggage on it, what a load of crap about it being expensive. Once she was with Educated Youth Gu, she would also have a bicycle to ride. Who cared about her bike?

The expressions of hatred on these two people were somewhat like a "couple's style."

"Look quickly, look! The female Educated Youth in the lead is the most delicate and beautiful, and she is also tall. Even in the same Educated Youth uniform, she wears it the best. With her arrival, she will probably mesmerize a large group of men in our Production Brigade. In the future, the strong young men in our brigade will have some excitement!"

A group of men and Aunties stared at Yang Mumu as if watching a monkey performance.

40: Chapter 40 A Warning

Hearing the Aunties talk about her again, Yang Mumu wasn't shy at all. Instead, she smiled and nodded to greet the Aunties who stared at her as they passed by.

"Hello, Aunties!"

Her smile warmed their hearts, instantly winning over the Aunties.

"Oh, this Educated Youth has such a good personality, so generous and natural. Not bad, not bad. She seems easy to get along with and will definitely be popular. I like this girl."

"If you like me, Auntie, then I must come over often to chat and play with you when I have time! My name is Yang Mumu. What is your name, Auntie?" Yang Mumu grabbed two fruit candies from her pocket and handed them to the little grandson standing next to the Auntie. "What a cute little boy. Here, have some candy."

"Oh my, quickly thank Sister Mumu."

The Auntie beamed with joy. No wonder people said this young girl was the prettiest; a good person with a beautiful heart is naturally beautiful. The more she looked at the girl, the more she liked her.

"I knew you looked familiar! Turns out we share the same surname. My name is Yang Tian. Mumu, you and I are truly destined to meet. You must come over to play often! My house is not far in front of the Educated Youth Courtyard. Let me point it out to you—that yard with the whitewashed walls is my home. You must come visit me!"

Auntie Yang Tian leaned in and whispered in her ear:

"You've just arrived in the countryside, so you must be short on everything. There's no one in this brigade I don't know. I'll take you to get what you need."

Yang Mumu's eyes lit up, and she thanked her, "Then I'll thank you in advance, Auntie. As soon as I put my luggage down, I'll come over to chat with you."

"Good, good, go on then. You must come!" Auntie Yang Tian waved warmly.

Wu Xiuli cast a disdainful glance at Yang Mumu, not understanding why she was sucking up to a village woman. Birds of a feather really did flock together—she had zero taste!

"She's so beautiful, this girl. She has a good heart, loves to smile, and has the absolute best personality," Auntie Yang said, pulling the person next to her to praise her.

She really has no taste. Good heart, my foot! Wu Xiuli rolled her eyes and kept walking.

Meanwhile, the Aunties who liked to look at young men stared passionately at the male comrades.

As Gu Xingzhou passed by, they even teased him, "Hey, the male Educated Youth pushing the bicycle is also very good-looking. His build looks so sturdy. I wonder what he looks like shirtless, hehe~"

Another Auntie chimed in, "Won't we find out once he starts working? Haha, let's find an opportunity to see if we can get a feel."

An even bolder Auntie joked, "Why wait until work? Isn't now a great opportunity? He's coming over~"

Gu Xingzhou dodged slightly as the Aunties drew near, saying with a smile, "Don't even think about it, Aunties. This is only for my future wife to see, and only she gets to touch!"

An Auntie took a fancy to him. "Oh my, this lad is not bad! He has a good personality too. Whoever marries you will be blessed!" He even had a bicycle to ride. With such good conditions, she had to consider him for her own daughter.

Yang Mumu watched with amazement. Male comrades weren't safe either! Rich and good-looking male comrades were even more in danger! Looking at how those Aunties' hands almost touched him, it was a good thing Gu Xingzhou reacted quickly.

Seeing that these old women had no filter, that their jokes were going too far, and that they even wanted to touch the guy on the spot, making everyone feel uneasy, the Captain immediately waved his hand to shoo them away: "Alright, stop crowding around here. Those who should go back, go back. Don't block the way. What does this look like?"

Only then did the Commune Members restrain themselves slightly, moving a bit further away as they watched, laughed loudly, and gossiped.

Following past custom, the Captain led them to the Production Brigade's office to collect their grain.

The grain for the Educated Youths' first year in the countryside was uniformly distributed by the state. Each person received 45 catties of grain per month, which was delivered to the Production Brigade in fixed amounts, and the Educated Youths collected it monthly.

It wasn't until the second year that the state stopped distribution, and the Production Brigade took over. Once the Educated Youths worked and earned work points, the brigade would distribute grain to each Educated Youth based on those points—distribution according to work, the more you work, the more you get.

Therefore, the Captain did not dislike these Educated Youths. Although they were a bit difficult to manage, the brigade didn't have to provide their grain, the state even paid for their housing construction, and they brought in extra hands to work for the brigade. Free labor was very useful during the busy farming season.

It just so happened that this batch arrived during the busy farming season, when labor was needed everywhere.

Anyone could do at least some work. In days spent racing against time and the weather, no extra help was turned away. In any case, for the Production Brigade, the benefits outweighed the drawbacks.

As for how much grain the brigade would actually distribute to each Educated Youth in the first year, and whether it would be given in full, that depended on the situation of each brigade leader.

The Haha Production Brigade was an advanced brigade every year. Not only did it have the highest grain yield in the entire Commune, but its side businesses were also well-run. The brigade was prosperous and had no shortage of grain, and since Zhao Xiangdong was an upright man, he wouldn't covet the small amount of grain meant for the Educated Youths.

However, those who needed a warning still had to be given one. It was already the busy farming season, and he didn't have that much time to deal with troublesome matters.

Zhao Xiangdong looked at the nine Educated Youths who had arrived today. He had kept a close eye on everything that happened on the road.

It was clear at a glance who was restless and who was causing trouble.

Zhao Xiangdong led them to the grain-weighing area. "Line up over here to collect your supply grain."

For the 45 catties of grain, Yang Mumu was the first in line. What she received was 10 catties of wheat, 10 catties of cornmeal, 10 catties of sorghum flour, 10 catties of sweet potatoes, and 5 catties of millet.

The Educated Youths behind her did the same. After signing their names, they all smiled and thanked the Captain.

When it was Lu Qianyao's turn, the Captain gave him 10 catties of wheat, 10 catties of cornmeal, 5 catties of sorghum flour, 15 catties of sweet potatoes, and 5 catties of millet.

Lu Qianyao was a bit dazed when he received his share. His was also 45 catties, but he had 5 fewer catties of sorghum flour and 5 more catties of sweet potatoes than the others.

Before he could speak, the Captain said, "There isn't much sorghum flour left, so I replaced it with sweet potatoes. Kid, don't talk so big in the future. Being realistic is what's most important. Learn a lesson from today's events."

Lu Qianyao's heart skipped a beat when he heard this, instantly realizing that the Captain was giving him a warning.

Even if he made a fuss, it would be useless. The Captain distributed according to the rules; the grain standard was the same, but the specific types of grain and their amounts within that standard were entirely up to the Captain.

What he needed to do now was to avoid displeasing the Captain any further.

"Captain, I understand. I will remember this lesson. In the future, I will be realistic and do things in a down-to-earth manner."

Lu Qianyao nodded obediently and accepted the arrangement. After speaking, he carried his grain and stood to the side.

When it was Wu Xiuli's turn, she received 10 catties of wheat, 5 catties of cornmeal, 5 catties of sorghum flour, 5 catties of millet, and 20 catties of sweet potatoes.

Wu Xiuli immediately threw a tantrum on the spot.

"Captain, why do I have the most sweet potatoes? It's not fair, I won't accept this!"

The Captain half-raised his eyelids to look at her. "Think it's too much? Fine, you said it yourself, so I'll listen to you. I'll give you 10 catties of sweet potatoes instead. Sign first."

"Okay."

Wu Xiuli nodded in agreement, picked up the pen to sign her name, and smiled triumphantly at everyone. Look at that, I'm still the capable one.

Yang Mumu and the Educated Youths standing nearby blinked and said nothing, with only one thought in their minds: Wu Xiuli is finished!

Wu Xiuli hadn't realized it yet. She turned around and gave Lu Qianyao a disgusted look. What a spineless man.

Lu Qianyao sneered back without saying a word. Just wait and see. Even a powerful dragon cannot crush a local snake, yet a tiny loach dares to jump around.

The next moment, the Captain took back the ten catties of sweet potatoes, packed up the grain with the Accountant, and closed the door.

Wu Xiuli panicked and rushed forward to block the door. "Wait, Captain! What about my five catties of sorghum flour and cornmeal? You haven't given them to me yet!"

"You said so yourself that you didn't want them. As a captain who is good at listening to the opinions of the Commune Members, I naturally had to fulfill your request."

"Captain, you can't do this to me, you can't!" Wu Xiuli crawled over, grabbing the Captain's trouser leg and crying out.

Zhao Xiangdong kept a straight face, looked down at his pant leg, and said in a harsh voice:

"In the future, work honestly for me. Stop causing trouble, holding the brigade back, and delaying the work progress. Remember to come collect your grain next month."

Hearing "next month," Wu Xiuli froze. Her hands slowly let go, and she sat on the ground crying, completely devoid of hope.

She gradually began to understand why Lu Qianyao hadn't made a fuss.

Next month's grain would still be distributed by the Captain, and so would every future distribution. As long as she stayed in the brigade, she would be under the Captain's control. The Captain was the most powerful person in the entire brigade.

"Captain, I'm sorry. I know I was wrong."

"It's good that you know your mistake." The Captain's expression softened slightly. Walking ahead with his hands behind his back, he said, "Let's go, I'll take you to the Educated Youth Courtyard."

The Educated Youths behind them looked at one another, well aware in their hearts that the Captain was a man of means, and he was killing the chicken to warn the monkeys.

Yang Mumu looked at the Captain's back: No wonder he's the Captain of this Production Brigade! To be the leader of an advanced brigade, one definitely needs to have some real capability.

41: Chapter 41: I'll start working as a scorekeeper the day after tomorrow.

No one paid any attention to Wu Xiuli on the ground; they all marked their respective grain, packed it up, and moved it onto the cart provided by the Production Brigade leader.

Lu Qianyao glanced at her and threw all of Wu Xiuli's luggage in front of her.

"Now that we've arrived at the Production Brigade, I'm also exhausted. I don't need your mutual help; I just need you to carry your own luggage."

After saying this, Lu Qianyao noticed that the Production Brigade leader standing in front waiting for them showed no reaction, so he quietly let out a sigh of relief.

To regain some favor, he actively went to push the cart, and while he was at it, he was able to put his own luggage on the cart to make things easier for himself.

The others didn't go over to compete with him, giving him this opportunity to show off.

Wu Xiuli, trailing behind, looked left and right. Seeing that no one was coming to comfort her, let alone help her up, and no one was asking if she needed to put away her grain, she felt very aggrieved.

Seeing that they were about to push the cart away, and that the Production Brigade leader had glanced at her, Wu Xiuli was so scared that she didn't even dare to pout. She scrambled up from the ground, moved her grain onto the cart, and silently picked up her luggage, following behind with her head bowed.

Seeing that both of them had quieted down, Zhao Xiangdong smiled with satisfaction. It was nothing new for Educated Youth to cause trouble; which Educated Youth didn't act up when they first arrived? He had seen plenty of it and had dealt with it many times.

However, as the Production Brigade leader, he had to establish his authority over them from the very beginning. Only if they knew to fear him could he manage the team well, and only then would his words be effective with them in the future.

No one spoke along the way, and they soon arrived at the Educated Youth Courtyard.

The Educated Youth Courtyard was a set of houses built on a plot of wasteland specially cleared by the Production Brigade. Recently, many older Educated Youth had married Commune Members and moved out, leaving many rooms vacant. It was perfect for the new Educated Youth to move in, so the Production Brigade didn't need to build new ones.

However, the houses were much newer than those the Commune Members lived in; they were mud-brick houses that had only been built a few years ago.

Two rows of houses stood in the Educated Youth Courtyard. The courtyard was very large, and several Educated Youth were working inside.

The Production Brigade leader called over two Educated Youth—one male, one female. They looked a bit older, and their skin was a healthy wheat color, matching the color of the local soil.

Yang Mumu didn't need to ask to understand that they must have been sent down to the countryside for a long time; they were Educated Youth who had already taken deep root in the Haha Production Brigade.

"This male comrade is named Wang Jiajun, and he is the person in charge of the male Educated Youth. If you male Educated Youth don't understand something, ask him. The person in charge of the female comrades is this comrade Liu Guilan. From now on, they will explain all matters regarding the Educated Youth Courtyard to you."

"I'm only giving you one day to settle in and rest. You must start work the day after tomorrow. Remember this: no one is allowed to delay the start of work. If anyone doesn't show up on time for work, they will be sent back. Don't blame me for not warning you if you get assigned to the Great Northern Wilderness."

The Production Brigade leader's gaze swept over every Educated Youth, resting emphatically on Lu Qianyao and Wu Xiuli.

"Yes, Production Brigade leader." "We will definitely start work on time."

The Educated Youth nodded in unison, their voices loud and clear, taking it to heart. No one wanted to be sent back, only to be sent off to the northwestern deserts to reclaim land and plant trees.

"Alright, that's about it." The Production Brigade leader's expression softened, becoming a bit more amiable. "Guilan, Jiajun, you two take them to get settled."

"Very well, Production Brigade leader." Wang Jiajun greeted the male comrades, and Liu Guilan greeted the female comrades.

Yang Mumu had just lifted her foot to follow when she was called back by the Production Brigade leader behind her. "Mumu, wait a moment. I still have some things to tell you."

Yang Mumu stepped back two paces and returned to the front of the Production Brigade leader, saying with a smile, "Production Brigade leader, please go ahead."

Seeing the smile on this child's face, the Production Brigade leader felt his own mood improve, and he spoke with a smile on his face as well.

"Let's go over to the side to talk."

Wu Xiuli looked back and saw the Production Brigade leader smiling at Yang Mumu, feeling jealous.

Why did the Production Brigade leader smile so happily at Yang Mumu, make her the Scorekeeper, and call her Mumu, while for her, Wu Xiuli, it was all about grain shortages, yelling, and warnings? They were all from the same batch of Educated Youth; what gave her the right? Wu Xiuli began to resent Yang Mumu.

Meanwhile, the Production Brigade leader took Yang Mumu to the side to explain the matters regarding the Scorekeeper position.

"Mumu, the day after tomorrow you will start directly as the Scorekeeper for the Production Brigade. Before you arrived, our Production Brigade's Accountant was handling the Scorekeeper's work. Now that it's the busy farming season, it's really too much to handle. It will be even busier in a couple of days after the wheat harvest is in full swing—there will be work everywhere. Take advantage of these few days, which are relatively less busy, to start early and get accustomed to it. Our Accountant will also be there to guide you and help you get the hang of the Scorekeeper's work as quickly as possible."

"Alright, Production Brigade leader. Then what time do I start work the day after tomorrow? What is the process? Please tell me first."

"Since it's nearly summer and the busy farming season, the assembly time for our Commune Members to start work has been moved up to 6:30. The staff in our Production Brigade office must arrive at the office fifteen minutes early to prepare. On a normal day, arriving around 6:15 is fine, but the day after tomorrow, come a bit earlier—arrive at 6:10 so the Accountant can hand over the work to you."

"Okay." Yang Mumu took out her notebook and noted it down while nodding. The Production Brigade leader was very satisfied with her work attitude and liked this young woman even more. She was sensible, proactive in her work, and had the makings of someone who could accomplish big things; he was relieved to hand over the Scorekeeper position to her.

The Production Brigade leader continued with a kindly smile on his face: "The work content for the Scorekeeper position isn't much. It consists of three main parts: recording work hours, calculating work points, and supervising the Commune Members' work attendance."

"In the morning, register the names of those who report for work, record the start time, and then record the work point values in the register based on the attendance of the Commune Members. The work is the same at noon and in the afternoon, and during the wheat harvest, you'll have to add an evening shift. During these times, you will patrol the fields to check on the Commune Members' work. You'll do this once in the morning, once at noon, and once in the evening. That's about it for the work. There are standards for exactly how many points to record for specific tasks, and the Production Brigade has relevant materials. When the time comes, you can refer to them and get familiar with them. After a while, you'll remember them. That's about it."

"Understood, Production Brigade leader. I will work hard to familiarize myself with it and get the hang of it as soon as possible." Yang Mumu closed her notebook and assured the Production Brigade leader.

"Alright, let me tell you about the benefits. The Scorekeeper gets 10 work points per day, and an additional subsidy of 420 points per year. When meat is distributed during the Chinese New Year, you'll get a larger share, and you can also take home things like offal. Sometimes the Commune above will issue some supplies, and the Scorekeeper gets a share too. That's roughly the situation."

"Okay, Production Brigade leader, I have remembered everything. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to serve the Production Brigade. I will definitely do my best." Yang Mumu said with a firm expression and a serious look. She was very satisfied with this; the Scorekeeper position was equivalent to being part of the Production Brigade's leadership team, had a high social status, and didn't require doing manual labor in the fields. The work points were secondary.

"Alright, I've explained everything that needed to be explained. You should go back. You've traveled so far to come to the countryside, so you must be tired. Get settled early and have a good rest. I need to head back too." The Production Brigade leader waved his hand and left.

"Take care, Production Brigade leader." After watching the Production Brigade leader leave, Yang Mumu turned and returned to the Educated Youth Courtyard. Just as she stepped into the courtyard, Liu Guilan happened to come out of the kitchen and greeted Yang Mumu enthusiastically upon seeing her.

"Educated Youth Yang, you're back. Come over here quickly; let me tell you about the situation in the Educated Youth Courtyard privately."

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Educated Youth Liu." Yang Mumu took two fruit candies out of her pocket and handed them to Liu Guilan. "Have some candy; let's talk while we eat."

"Oh my, then I won't stand on ceremony. Thank you, Educated Youth Yang. You don't have to be so polite either. I'm older than you, so just call me Sister Guilan. I'll call you Mumu. Come on, let me take you around our Educated Youth Courtyard."

Liu Guilan's smile was absolutely radiant as she affectionately took Yang Mumu's arm and walked forward, entering the kitchen behind them first.

"Mumu, the room at the front is the shared kitchen for our Educated Youth Courtyard. We do all our cooking here. Considering the working hours, we older Educated Youth basically find people to team up with to take turns cooking, and we also take turns gathering firewood. You can consider whether you want to team up with someone. Let's go inside and take a look."

Walking inside, a female comrade happened to be cooking in the kitchen. As luck would have it, they saw the female comrade wipe her nose with her hand and flick it onto the ground, then casually wipe her fingers on her pant leg and switch the spatula to the hand that had just wiped her nose to continue stir-frying the food.

Yang Mumu stared at this scene, her expression one of utter bewilderment and disgust.

In an instant, she didn't even want to touch the pot or the spatula; every utensil in the kitchen was now cast in a shadow of doubt. Let alone teaming up to cook—who knew if any of the Educated Youth had washed their hands after wiping their bottoms before cooking.

42: Chapter 42 A Big Slap

Liu Guilan saw this and shouted, "Xia Tian, how many times have I told you? Can you please wash your hands before you start cooking? Who are you trying to gross out? You aren't the only one who uses that spatula."

"Got it."

Xia Tian, looking like a seasoned slacker, replied perfunctorily. She still didn't wash her hands and continued stirring the food in the pot. While she was at it, she glanced up at Yang Mumu, feeling a bit interested.

"Yo, this must be the new Educated Youth. Do you want to share meals with me? I just happen to be on my own."

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm cooking for myself and don't plan on sharing meals."

Yang Mumu smiled, waved her hand, and politely declined.

Just kidding. From this moment on, she had developed a germaphobic streak. She couldn't use this spatula at all; she had seen a bit of this Educated Youth's snot on the wooden handle. Judging by what she said to Liu Guilan, this wasn't just a one-time occurrence—it was a habit.

If she were to use this spatula to cook, she would feel like she was using a poop scoop, and she wouldn't be able to eat a single bite.

She would have to find an opportunity to take her stove out of her space and use it; she would cook with her own equipment.

"You really won't share? I cook really well. Two people working together makes the work easier." Xia Tian wouldn't give up. During the busy farming season, cooking alone was too tiring, and finding a partner to take turns with would be easier.

"No thanks, I brought my own pot and plan to cook on my own. Thank you."

"Educated Youth Xia, I'll share with you."

Wu Xiuli walked in holding a few sweet potatoes and said mockingly, "Educated Youth Xia, don't bother asking her to share. She looks down on us. As soon as she arrived, she climbed up the social ladder and became the Scorekeeper. How could she possibly look down on us other Educated Youth? Who knows how much she despises us. Just look at what she said—bringing her own pot to cook. We all share the big kitchen, but she wants to be special. It's simply a bourgeois style. And she's supposed to be our proletariat Scorekeeper? Sooner or later, she'll be dragged down from that position. She…"

Before Wu Xiuli could finish her sentence, Yang Mumu strode forward and slapped her hard across the face. As Wu Xiuli lifted her face, Yang Mumu backhanded her again, leaving the marks of a hand on both sides of her face, which swelled up in welts.

Wu Xiuli dropped the sweet potatoes, covered her swollen face, and stumbled back a few steps. "Ah! Yang Mumu, you hit me! I'm going to tell the team leader. The team leader said no causing trouble!"

"I hit you because you deserved it, and I actually went easy on you."

Yang Mumu flexed her wrists and pressed forward step by step, causing Wu Xiuli to back away in terror.

Seeing that the new and old Educated Youth in the Educated Youth Courtyard had all run over to watch upon hearing the commotion, Yang Mumu slapped Wu Xiuli twice more and deliberately raised her voice. "I hit you again. If you're going to tell the team leader, you'd better hurry. The position of Scorekeeper was personally appointed by the Team Leader, which means the Team Leader approves of me. I am a socialist progressive youth with a pure background, and I'm always rated as an advanced individual wherever I go. Yet, in your mouth, I've become someone who climbs the social ladder with a bourgeois style. Are you implying that the Team Leader is a bourgeois?"

"Do you need me to drag you to see the Team Leader, or shall I go for you?"

"No, no, that's not what I meant! I was wrong, please don't go. I really know I was wrong!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Xiuli was so scared that she sat down hard on the ground, waving her hands in panic. Seeing Yang Mumu lift her foot to leave, she scrambled over to grab her leg.

If Yang Mumu went out to tell the Team Leader today, she would really be finished. She didn't want to be sent back and deported to the Northwest.

"Don't go, don't go tell the Team Leader. It was my fault. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Please don't go. My mouth is foul, my mouth deserves to be hit."

Wu Xiuli slapped herself while crying and begging for mercy.

"Remember these slaps today. Whoever talks nonsense again, I will hit them every time I see them, and after I hit them, I'll send them to the Team Leader. To think you dared to slander our Team Leader, who serves the Commune Members! As a member of the Production Brigade, I have a responsibility to uphold the dignity of the Team Leader. My slaps are always ready."

Yang Mumu held up her hand. Wu Xiuli hurriedly nodded and retreated to the side, covering her painful face and looking at that hand with fear.

Gu Xingzhou looked at Yang Mumu with bright, shining eyes, his gaze full of stars. It was over; he had completely fallen in love with this woman! She was exactly his type.

The other new and old Educated Youth watched in stunned silence. Looking at Wu Xiuli's swollen, pig-like face and listening to those words, they all silently came to a conclusion in their hearts.

This Yang Mumu could not be provoked. Her combat power was off the charts, her temper was explosive, and most importantly, she was the Scorekeeper. She was not to be trifled with at all.

The new Educated Youth didn't understand, but the old ones knew best. The Scorekeeper held the lifeblood of the entire production team; she recorded all the work points. If you offended her, she could be a bit strict when evaluating points after work, and you'd be doomed. It was just a matter of a single word from the Scorekeeper. If she said you didn't work well and deducted a few points, or made you redo the work, you wouldn't be able to refute it.

Liu Guilan stepped out and pointed at Wu Xiuli, saying, "Wu Xiuli, you deserved that hit. How dare you slander our Team Leader? The Team Leader appointed Mumu as the Scorekeeper, which means Mumu is excellent. If you're jealous of her, don't cause trouble here in our Educated Youth Courtyard. If you make trouble again, I will truthfully report you to the Team Leader."

"Alright, everyone disperse now and get back to your own business."

Because the candy Yang Mumu gave her had worked its magic, Liu Guilan thought she should privately inform the Team Leader about Wu Xiuli slandering the Team Leader as a capitalist today.

"Mumu, let's go. I'll take you to see the rest of the place. I haven't finished showing you around yet."

"Okay, let's go, Sister Guilan."

Yang Mumu resumed her smiling face and linked arms with Liu Guilan as they walked out of the kitchen.

As soon as she stepped out, she heard Xia Tian's voice shouting inside.

"You idiot! Don't drag our Educated Youth Courtyard down with your nonsense. You want to share meals with me? In your dreams! I'm afraid I'd die of stupidity if I ate your food. Get out!"

"Xia Tian is just a bit unrefined, but she's actually a good person with an easygoing personality."

Liu Guilan heard the voice from the kitchen and said this to Yang Mumu with a smile. Then, she pointed out the bathing area and the toilet, and while she was at it, she pointed out a large plot of land next to them to Yang Mumu.

"This is our Educated Youth Courtyard's private plot. Whoever clears the land owns it. Each person can have a maximum of one-tenth of a mu. You can grow grain or vegetables; it's up to you, and no one will interfere."

As she spoke, Liu Guilan walked into one of the plots, picked four eggplants and a handful of chili peppers, and handed them to Yang Mumu.

"Take these. You just arrived, and you don't have any fresh vegetables to eat tonight, so just have these. When you finish them, come find me to pick more. I grew the vegetables in this plot, and there's plenty to eat."

"Sister Guilan, then I won't stand on ceremony and will accept them."

Yang Mumu saw that there were indeed many vegetables in her plot and had an idea. She took the eggplants, leaned into her ear, and whispered, "But you don't need to do that later. I want to seriously discuss something with you. It will take a while for the land I clear to grow vegetables—at least two months or so. During this time, if I want to eat fresh vegetables, could I trade things with you for them? I brought a lot of things to the countryside, and this would work too."

Yang Mumu rubbed her thumb and index finger together.

Liu Guilan's eyes lit up. Seeing that she was serious, she nodded in agreement and lowered her voice to a level only the two of them could hear. "Alright. Do you have any brown sugar? I want some for when I'm on my period. If you have it, two taels of brown sugar will cover your vegetables for two months. If not, just give me one yuan."

Yang Mumu readily agreed and shook hands with her. "Brown sugar it is. I'll bring it to you in a while."

"Good." Liu Guilan was beaming with joy and pulled Yang Mumu toward the house. "Come, Mumu, let me take you to see the rooms. Our rooms are large shared sleeping platforms (kang). They're heated, and three people share a room. Some of the old Educated Youth have left or gotten married, so there are quite a few empty bunks now. The other new Educated Youth have already chosen their spots."

"Right now, there's one room that's missing one person, and there's also an entire room next to it that's empty. I heard from the Team Leader that they plan to have another batch of Educated Youth come in a while, and they will move in then. But for now, you can live alone. Which one do you choose?"

Liu Guilan opened the doors and pointed to the two rooms.

One was a three-person room with one bunk left, and the other was an empty three-person room. Obviously, she chose the latter.

"Then I'll stay in the empty room here for now."

Yang Mumu walked into the room and looked around. There were windows in the front and back, so the lighting was very good, but there was a musty smell inside from the room being closed for too long.

She went to open the front and back windows to ventilate the room and let the air circulate to dissipate the smell. When she opened the back window, she saw a small, detached house behind it. The house looked newer than the ones in the Educated Youth Courtyard.

"Hey, Sister Guilan, what is that small house over there?"

43: Chapter 43 Wang Qiuyu's House

Liu Guilan looked in the direction she was pointing.

"Over there? That is the house Wang Qiuyu built herself. She is also an Educated Youth in our Educated Youth Courtyard. As soon as she arrived, she built a hut over there to live in. But she's getting married soon and is moving out of the Educated Youth Courtyard."

Hearing this, Yang Mumu asked curiously, "Getting married? Is she marrying one of the Commune Members in our team?"

"No, the partner she found is from the town in our Commune. He has a formal job in town and eats rationed grain. Her marriage can be considered as having one foot in the city. In the future, she won't have to be an Educated Youth in our team doing manual labor, and her life will be much better."

Liu Guilan's voice was full of envy. The term 'returning to the city' had been weighing on her heart. She had come to the countryside at seventeen and was now twenty-three. For six years, the moment she opened her eyes, it was work, non-stop, endless manual labor.

When she first arrived, she was as fair-skinned as the Educated Youths before her, but now her skin was dark and yellow, her fingers rough, and covered in calluses. She dreamed of returning to the city, but unfortunately, she wasn't pretty and didn't have any great skills. She longed for life in the city but didn't want to marry the Commune Members, so she could only continue working honestly in the Educated Youth Courtyard. Regarding Wang Qiuyu, while she envied her, she also sincerely wished her well.

"Wang Qiuyu is also capable. Not long ago, she found a temporary job at a textile factory in town. After getting married, she will have a town household registration. With a household registration, she can maneuver her job into a permanent position, and she won't ever have to come back."

Hearing this, Yang Mumu became interested. Going to the city to be a worker? Not coming back? Then, did she not want her house anymore?

"Sister Guilan, where is Wang Qiuyu now? Is she at work or doing farm work? Do you know when she will return to the Educated Youth Courtyard? I have something to discuss with her."

Liu Guilan had received favors from Yang Mumu, so she didn't ask what she needed her for and just told her everything she knew in detail.

"She started working in town yesterday and comes back every day after work. Looking at the time, she should be back soon. If you want to find her, you have to go to her place. She dug a small path that leads directly to her house in the back. It goes around from the side of the Educated Youth Courtyard; she doesn't pass through the Educated Youth Courtyard."

After obtaining the information she wanted, Yang Mumu pulled Liu Guilan to sit down. "Alright, thank you, Sister Guilan. You sit for a moment; I'll go to the next room to get my luggage and bring you your things."

"No rush, take your time, I have time." Although Liu Guilan said there was no rush, she sat down with a smile and waited for her in the room.

Both were straightforward people. Yang Mumu ran back with her luggage and didn't dawdle. She took out a large piece of brown sugar, used a kitchen knife to cut off a chunk, then pulled a small steelyard from her parcel and weighed the brown sugar in front of Liu Guilan until it was heaping. Even though it was a little over half a tael, she didn't cut any back.

Liu Guilan was beaming with joy. This new Educated Youth was someone she could get along with; she wasn't the type to be petty or take advantage of others. She took the wrapped brown sugar and said:

"Mumu, I see you have a small pot. If you want to cook on your own, I have a beat-up little stove that I'm not using right now. I can just lend it to you to use. You can return it to me once you buy a new one."

Yang Mumu was overjoyed. Giving away some benefits appropriately was really effective. She hugged Liu Guilan and gave her a 'good person' card.

"Sister Guilan, you are so kind. I won't stand on ceremony with you then. Thank you, thank you! I'll go buy a stove tomorrow and return yours as soon as I get it. Thank you so much."

Liu Guilan wasn't worried that Yang Mumu wouldn't return it. Just based on the fact that she generously gave her the extra brown sugar, she wasn't worried at all.

"Alright, alright, no need to rush. It's busy farming season recently, so I've been cooking with Wang Zhijun. He has a small stove, so I don't need this little stove for now. You can buy one whenever you have time. I'll move it out for you in a bit. You go ahead and tidy up; I won't disturb you."

"Okay, Sister Guilan, thank you."

After watching her leave, Yang Mumu began to fetch water to tidy up the room.

Gu Xingzhou walked out from the row of houses opposite and happened to see Yang Mumu living in the room with the open door across the way. He was pleasantly surprised, turned back into his room, and pulled up Song Yan, who was sitting on the kang resting.

"Your Sister Mu lives across from us. Let's go, let's go help."

"Wait, let me grab a rag."

Song Yan took a rag, and Gu Xingzhou carried a bucket of clean water as they ran over.

"Mumu, we'll help you tidy up."

Seeing them, Yang Mumu asked curiously, "Did you finish tidying up your side?"

Song Yan twirled the rag, "Sister Mu, we're all done over there."

"We live in the same room, so it's fast when two people clean together."

Gu Xingzhou was observant and quick at work. He brought over the pole for sweeping spiderwebs from his side and, in a few strokes, cleaned the ceiling for Yang Mumu.

"I didn't expect you, Gu Xingzhou, to be such a dab hand at chores. Thank you."

Seeing his practiced movements, Yang Mumu could tell he hadn't done this little in the past and began to see him in a new light. He was handsome and could do housework; this comrade was actually quite good.

"Don't mention it, we're friends." After being praised, Gu Xingzhou felt wonderful inside and had even more motivation to work. Like a peacock spreading its tail, he actively tackled every chore, washing and scrubbing, even competing to do the work, and he did it quickly and well.

Looking at the brand-new room, Yang Mumu felt as if she had found a 'snail boy'. She hadn't even lifted a finger much, and the room was already clean. The wooden frames of the windows had even changed from their original dark brown to a normal wood color.

"Impressive!"

Yang Mumu gave him a thumbs up. With this ability, he could go work as a cleaner in the future.

"You should air out the bedding before laying it down; it's still a bit damp." Gu Xingzhou smiled. "It's getting late. I'm going to take out our dinner to heat it up. Where is your lunchbox? Let me heat it up for you too. I picked up some dry firewood behind us on the way to the Educated Youth Courtyard; it'll come in handy."

Song Yan's stomach immediately growled. He clutched his belly and nodded. "Yes, yes, yes, together! I'm so hungry. It's still Brother Zhou and Sister Mu who are thoughtful. We followed Sister Mu and packed food from the State-run Restaurant, so we don't have to go through the trouble of cooking now. With Brother Zhou's firewood, it's perfect; we won't be at a loss for anything."

Yang Mumu thought about that spatula and just couldn't do it.

"You guys wait." She handed the small iron pot to Gu Xingzhou. "I borrowed a stove; let's use this to steam it."

Just as they were speaking, Liu Guilan came over, stood at the doorway, and said:

"Mumu, I've put the stove at your door. Oh, right, the person behind you is back. I just saw her riding a bicycle over."

"Okay, thank you, Sister Guilan."

Yang Mumu stuck her head out to look towards the back window, but couldn't see or hear anything. The privacy was excellent.

This house was built well and was very suitable for her to live in.

Yang Mumu took her lunchbox out of her bag and handed a steaming rack to Song Yan.

"Then I'll trouble you two. The stove is at the door. You take the pot and move the stove to the edge of the Educated Youth Courtyard to heat it up first. I have something to take care of; I'll be back in a while."

After taking two steps, Yang Mumu stuffed the eggplant and chili peppers that Liu Guilan had given her into the pot Gu Xingzhou was carrying.

"Steam the eggplant and chili peppers along with it. We'll eat them together later. Trouble you."

"You go handle your business." Gu Xingzhou nodded. "Leave this to me. Shall I mix the eggplant together while I'm at it?"

"Sure, do whatever you like."

Yang Mumu closed the door, and Gu Xingzhou and Song Yan carried the stove and the pot to get started.

He Yuan came out of the room next door. Seeing this, her eyes lit up, and she hurriedly said, "Mumu, can I also use your pot to heat up some food?"

"And me, Mumu." Xia Zhizhi also ran over and said.

The two of them had seen the kitchen area; the stove was pitch black, and the sanitary conditions of the kitchen were truly worrisome. They really didn't want to cook over there.

He Yuan was calculating that tomorrow she would ride her bike to town to buy a stove, and buy some pots, bowls, and ladles to use.

"Sure, go ahead and use it. But there isn't enough firewood, so you'll have to figure out a way yourselves."

"Thank you, Mumu."

He Yuan and Xia Zhizhi thanked her happily and turned to go find firewood.

Watching their retreating figures, Yang Mumu walked towards the back of the Educated Youth Courtyard.

Walking to the front of the small house, she saw the Educated Youth named Wang Qiuyu sitting in front of the door washing vegetables. She was a woman with short, ear-length hair and a very capable demeanor.

Yang Mumu walked up with a smile and took the initiative to greet her. "Hello, Educated Youth Wang. I am the new Educated Youth who arrived today, Yang Mumu."

"Hello, hello, come over and sit."

Wang Qiuyu looked up and saw her. She was stunned for a moment, but after reacting, she enthusiastically brought over a stool to invite Yang Mumu to sit.

She stared at Yang Mumu without blinking.

"Educated Youth Yang, you are really beautiful. You are the prettiest woman I have ever seen. Do you have something you need from me?"

"Thank you, you are very pretty too. I heard you are getting married. Congratulations!"

After sitting down, Yang Mumu didn't sit idle and helped her wash the vegetables.

"Thank you." Wang Qiuyu grabbed Yang Mumu's hand. "Hey, you just sit; I'll do it myself."

"It's fine, I'm just sitting anyway." Yang Mumu got straight to the point. "Educated Youth Wang, I came over because I wanted to ask, after you get married, are you transferring this house?"

44: Chapter 44 Future Housing Confirmation

Wang Qiuyu paused, moved her stool closer, and said, "You want this house?"

"Yes, I won't hide it from you. I had originally planned to build a separate house for myself, but I didn't expect to see that there was already a house in the back. It just so happens that I know you are moving to the town, so I specifically came to ask you. If you want to exchange it, you can exchange it with me."

Yang Mumu looked at her very earnestly as she spoke.

Seeing her sincerity, and more importantly, that she was pretty and very pleasing to the eye, Wang Qiuyu replied straightforwardly:

"Let's exchange. I've lived in this house for two years and have taken good care of it. But as soon as I leave the Educated Youth Courtyard, this house will definitely be rented out by the team leader. I might as well exchange it before I move out. At least I can choose a good owner for the house. If I exchange it with you, I'd be very happy."

Yang Mumu's face lit up with joy, "Thank you. If I move in, I will also take good care of it."

"Come on, let's go in. I'll show you the house first."

Wang Qiuyu pulled Yang Mumu up and walked into the house, introducing the house as they walked.

"This house is 52 square meters and is divided into two rooms. The left side is the bedroom, which is 25 square meters. There is a heated kang, so it won't be cold in winter. The right side is a 27-square-meter kitchen, and there is a stove built inside."

"It's so big? The room is also laid out very well. I like it."

As soon as Yang Mumu stepped into the room, she saw that although there were many things, they were all arranged very neatly. It looked very comfortable, and one could tell at a glance that she was a girl who loved cleanliness.

Seeing this, Yang Mumu was very happy. She really liked this kind of house, and she wouldn't have to work too hard to tidy it up when she moved in.

Wang Qiuyu was happy to hear this; what she was most proud of was the room she had decorated herself.

"It's great that you like it. At that time, the desk and bedside table can be left for you. I won't move the wardrobe either, I'll only take these few trunks. If you like these pieces of furniture, you can keep them all, and you don't need to find someone to remake them."

Yang Mumu saw that everything was very new. She didn't need to make new ones, and making new ones would take time and be very troublesome. It would be better to buy these pieces of furniture together; they had been used, but they didn't have any strange smells.

"I like them very much."

"Okay, let me take you to see the kitchen."

Wang Qiuyu pulled Yang Mumu toward the kitchen next door.

The kitchen also looked very good. The stove top was actually built with a layer of blue bricks, and the stove surface was very clean. The row against the wall had a stove surface where seasonings could be placed, and behind it were two small stove holes for antimony pots. On the right, there was only one large stove hole for a large iron pot.

"When the time comes, the cupboard and water vat can be left to you, but I have to take the two antimony pots and the large iron pot. The stove hole for the iron pot can hold up to 10 inches, and the two small stove holes have a maximum diameter of 30 centimeters. You can just buy them within those sizes."

Yang Mumu was also very satisfied with this kitchen. Although the house was small, it had everything needed. She was very willing to live here for a few years. If she added some utensils and decorated it herself, it would be a perfect little snail home.

"Then let's discuss how to exchange. I can take over all the large furniture you don't want to take with you."

"Okay, let's sit here and talk."

Seeing that she really liked it and wasn't pretending, Wang Qiuyu spoke truthfully after sitting down.

"At the time, it cost me 85 yuan to make this furniture and build the house. Now I've lived here for two years, and the furniture has been used. I still have to take the trunks. The more I see you, the more I like you; you're very pleasing to the eye, so I'll give you a discount. How about 50?"

Yang Mumu looked at everything inside and outside the house and saw that it was all good. Calculating it, Wang Qiuyu didn't lie to her, and the price she gave was indeed an honest one.

After weighing it, Yang Mumu readily agreed.

"Okay, I'll give you a part of the deposit first."

As she spoke, Yang Mumu began to take money out of her pocket and put 25 yuan on the table.

Wang Qiuyu didn't take it but waved her hand, "Wait a moment. I still have to tell you something. I'm getting married in a few days, and I have to live here for 10 more days before I can move out. This is a hard condition. If you agree, we'll finalize it."

Ten days wasn't long. It was busy farming season recently, and a small house like this couldn't be built in ten days.

Yang Mumu nodded in agreement.

"Okay, I can accept that."

"Oh, Mumu, you are too good. Okay, that's settled then."

Wang Qiuyu smiled, put the money on the table into her pocket, and went to get paper and a pen to write a simple contract.

"I'll write you a note. Tomorrow we can go to the captain to register first. When I leave, I'll hand the keys over to you. You can give me the rest after you check the house."

"Okay."

Both sides signed, shook hands in a friendly manner, and Yang Mumu picked up the note and walked out.

"Qiuyu, I won't disturb you cooking then. I have to go back for dinner too. If you need anything, just come to the front to find me. I'm living in the room behind your house."

"Okay, you can come to the back to find me if you need anything too. Take care."

Wang Qiuyu was very happy to have solved this big matter of the house.

Yang Mumu was also very happy to have her future accommodation settled. It only took 20 minutes in total, but it was a matter that made everyone happy.

Returning to the courtyard, she saw at a glance that Gu Xingzhou and the other three had set up a small table by the side of the courtyard, and in front of the table was a small stove with a fire burning.

He Yuan was the first to spot her and waved at her enthusiastically.

"Mumu, come quickly. The food has just been heated up, and we can eat."

Yang Mumu ran over quickly. Gu Xingzhou immediately took the lunch boxes that were steaming on the pot and placed them on the table, and also put the mixed eggplant in front of Yang Mumu.

"Mumu, I chopped up the steamed chili peppers and put them into the eggplant, added minced garlic, and drizzled some hot oil over it and mixed it all together. Do you think this works?"

"It works, it works perfectly. This is exactly how I wanted it done. Let me taste it."

Seeing the eggplant and smelling the aroma, Yang Mumu's eyes lit up. She picked up her chopsticks and took a bite, and her eyes lit up even more. It was delicious; it was the taste she wanted to eat. How was it made so perfectly to her taste?

"Is it good?" Gu Xingzhou looked at her expectantly.

Yang Mumu nodded vigorously and picked up another chopstick full to eat, "Gu Xingzhou, the food you make has the taste of a mother's cooking. It's delicious."

The smile on Gu Xingzhou's face stalled for a second.

A mother's taste? Fine, as long as she likes to eat it, mother is mother. He would make it for Mumu again in the future.

"Eat more."

"You guys sit down and eat too. You all want to eat eggplant, right?"

Seeing that they didn't refuse but were embarrassed to take too much, she picked up a pair of clean chopsticks again and put quite a bit into everyone's bowl.

"Eat. You guys did the work, I provided the food and tools, that's fair. Don't be embarrassed to take it, everyone taste Gu Xingzhou's cooking."

"Thank you, Mumu."

He Yuan took a jar of meat sauce out of her pocket, took a spoon, and scooped two large spoonfuls into everyone's lunch box.

"It's the meat sauce my mom made. You should all try it; it's very delicious."

Song Yan's eyes squinted with a smile: "I get to share the good fortune of everyone here. Thank you to everyone present. You will all be my brothers and sisters from different parents from now on. Eat."

The table was filled with laughter as they ate.

Wu Xiuli stood by the house holding two boiled sweet potatoes, looking at that side jealously. Her eyes were red, and she bit into the sweet potato heavily as if to vent her anger.

Why, when they were all Educated Youths who came to the countryside, could they get along so well and sit together eating rice, vegetables, and meat, while she could only sit here eating sweet potatoes?

Turning her head, she saw Lu Qianyao holding a jar of canned meat a few meters in front of her, handing it to Liu Qingwan, and Liu Qingwan was actually refusing him.

Wu Xiuli felt even more unbalanced. He gave her meat and she didn't want it? What was she being so high and mighty about?

She lived in the same room as Liu Qingwan; why didn't he give it to her instead of only giving it to Liu Qingwan to eat?

The fact that Lu Qianyao could take out canned meat meant that Lu Qianyao's family conditions were also decent. Why didn't she try to develop something with him too? Cast a wide net; there would always be one that worked out.

Wu Xiuli chuckled, glared hatefully at Liu Qingwan from behind again, took a sweet potato, opened the door, and ran out. She took the canned meat from Lu Qianyao's hand; it could be said that she snatched it.

"Liu Qingwan doesn't want it, I do. Educated Youth Lu, give it to me. I really like eating canned food."

Wu Xiuli stuffed the sweet potato in her hand into Lu Qianyao's hand, deliberately blinked her eyes at Lu Qianyao with feigned shyness, and her voice became a little affected.

"Educated Youth Lu, this is the sweet potato I boiled myself. Here, for you to eat!"

What, what? What was Wu Xiuli saying?

Yang Mumu, whose gossip radar was very sharp, caught the drama here immediately. She turned her lunch box in one direction and ate her meal with relish, preparing to watch a dinner-time show.

45: Chapter 45 A fight broke out at the educated youth compound.

Lu Qianyao was stunned by this sudden turn of events. He looked down at the sweet potato in his hand, then at her, seeing the strange, mocking expression she was making at him, and immediately recalled the indignity of being forced to carry her luggage earlier today.

He angrily threw the sweet potato back at Wu Xiuli.

"Who would want to eat your sweet potato? You cooked it yourself? I find it dirty."

After saying this, he snatched back the canned meat she had taken from him and wiped it vigorously with his handkerchief in disgust.

"I wouldn't give you my canned meat even if I were feeding a dog. Whether you like it or not is none of my business. Disgusting."

Wu Xiuli hadn't expected Lu Qianyao to flare up and turn on her. Compared to his obedient, submissive, and hardworking demeanor from the morning, this was completely unappealing to her.

She instantly lost interest in Lu Qianyao. A single can of meat didn't necessarily mean he was rich. She immediately wrote him off in her mind and felt resentment and disdain for his shouting at her.

She retorted angrily, not giving him any face at all.

"Lu Qianyao, how dare you treat me like this? Even Liu Qingwan doesn't want you. I'm doing you a favor! How is the sweet potato I cooked dirty? I already gave you a sweet potato—what more do you want? Don't be ungrateful."

"Look at whether Liu Qingwan even pays attention to you. You have some nerve, fawning over her like that; don't you find it embarrassing?"

Wu Xiuli was like a fan who had stopped being a fan and turned into an anti-fan; once she stopped loving him, she had to kick him while he was down.

Yang Mumu saw how Wu Xiuli's attitude toward Lu Qianyao had suddenly reversed, and she was even cursing at him—it was completely different from her attitude when she was cursing at Gu Xingzhou, which left Yang Mumu somewhat confused.

She turned to look at Gu Xingzhou beside her and muttered, "Could it really be a matter of looks? Do good looks have this kind of use?"

Gu Xingzhou was close by and heard her. Although he didn't know what she meant, it didn't stop him from gleaning a piece of information from it.

Mumu likes his face!

He touched his own face and thought.

Use his face to seduce her in the future? Hmm, that can be added to the list of possibilities.

Meanwhile, Yang Mumu shoveled a mouthful of rice and continued watching the show in front of her, her gaze turning to the other party involved.

Liu Qingwan, who had been dragged into this, hardened her expression. "Wu Xiuli, make your scene if you want, but why drag me into it? Did I provoke you? I think it's your mouth that stinks. If your mouth stinks, then stop talking."

"Your mouth stinks! Your whole family stinks!" Wu Xiuli had been dwelling on being called smelly by Gu Xingzhou that morning. Now, hearing Liu Qingwan call her smelly, she lost her temper, rushed over, grabbed Liu Qingwan's hair, and clawed at her mouth.

"Ah! Wu Xiuli, I'll kill you!"

Liu Qingwan screamed and stopped holding back. She grabbed Wu Xiuli's hair in return and began clawing and hitting her, abandoning all decorum.

The two women were entangled, pulling each other's hair, clawing at each other's mouths, pinching throats, and biting faces. They were striking viciously, pushing clawing, pinching, hitting, pulling, and kicking to the extreme.

This sudden situation was something no one in the entire Educated Youth Courtyard had expected.

Oh my god! A fight broke out.

The rice in Yang Mumu's mouth dropped out in shock. This, this, this—it was scarier than when she slapped people.

"Wu Xiuli, stop it! Don't fight!" Lu Qianyao realized what was happening and circled around the two, shouting anxiously.

"Damn you, Lu Qianyao! Why are you only yelling at me? This is all your fault. Get over here!"

In her anger, Wu Xiuli freed one hand and dragged Lu Qianyao into the middle of their fight, hitting him too.

"You little punk, don't think you can just stand on the sidelines! Damn it, I'll kill you!"

Wu Xiuli clawed at Lu Qianyao's face. Her fingernails were long, and she left a long red scratch.

(⊙o⊙) Wow, Wu Xiuli is something else! She even knows to pull a man into the fight.

The next second, she saw Liu Qingwan take advantage of the chaos to reach out and give Lu Qianyao a hard scratch.

"Ah, Wu Xiuli, stop it, you bitch!" Lu Qianyao's hair was being pulled, his head tilted back, his waist bent, and he couldn't break free.

Pfft, Wu Xiuli took the blame for that one.

Yang Mumu shoveled down her rice, seeing it all clearly.

"Pfft, you want me to stop? You cursed at me and still expect me to stop?" With that, Wu Xiuli clawed at him twice more.

Liu Qingwan also dealt a dirty blow.

Alright, alright, now they were both ganging up on Lu Qianyao. The number of times they hit each other decreased, while the number of times they hit Lu Qianyao doubled.

Hit him! Hit him hard!

The male lead, who was modeled after a scumbag, was also someone who attracted bees and butterflies. In the book, he provoked quite a few people and had plenty of female confidantes, ultimately picking only one flower from the myriad blossoms.

He even smugly told Liu Qingwan that he had given up an entire forest for her and belonged only to her.

Pfft, he was a scumbag at heart, a huge scumbag. He was just a character written by that jerk who used to pursue her to satisfy his own selfish desires. He deserved a beating!

Yang Mumu silently cheered them on in her heart.

The others in the Educated Youth Courtyard were stunned. How did the three of them end up fighting like this?

"Stop fighting! Stop fighting! Everyone, stop!"

Liu Guilan and Wang Jiajun came running over, shouting.

But neither dared to step forward to break up the fight. The three were locked in such a fierce struggle that it was terrifying, and everyone was afraid of getting caught in the crossfire.

However, these words were completely useless. No one listened, and no one stopped.

The situation slowed down slightly. Wang Jiajun stepped forward to intervene and turned to shout in the direction of Yang Mumu and the others, "Everyone, come over and help pull them apart!"

Yang Mumu felt a bit excited. Breaking up a fight? She loved that. She hadn't finished beating up that scumbag back then.

Her eyes landed on Lu Qianyao. She set down her lunch box, rubbed her hands together, and went over with them to break up the fight.

Lu Qianyao, who was currently being beaten, shivered inexplicably, feeling uneasy.

The next instant, Yang Mumu had already run over. While shouting "Stop fighting, stop fighting," she took the opportunity to slap Lu Qianyao a few times. There was nothing more fun than fishing in troubled waters.

For a moment, Lu Qianyao was wailing as he was beaten. He was full of questions—why was he getting hit more now that the people breaking up the fight had arrived?

Liu Guilan saw that it was really hard to make them stop. She immediately remembered that Wu Xiuli was afraid of the team leader coming, so she shouted, "Do you want me to go get the team leader before you'll let go? Wu Xiuli!"

"Fine, I'll let go! But we're all fighting, so why are you calling only my name? If they don't stop, am I supposed to stop on my own and just take a beating? Call Liu Qingwan and Lu Qianyao too!"

Wu Xiuli said this while still pushing.

Before letting go completely, she slapped Lu Qianyao across the face again and then backhanded him, leaving a red scratch from his chin to his throat.

Wu Xiuli felt satisfied instantly. Slapping others was indeed satisfying; she didn't blame Yang Mumu for wanting to slap her.

"Let go at the same time." Liu Qingwan didn't want to fight her anymore and shouted.

"I'll count to three. Whoever doesn't let go, I'll hand over to the team leader to deal with."

Liu Guilan signaled to the other Educated Youths who were helping to break up the fight, telling them to pull the three parties apart once they stopped. Only after receiving their acknowledgment did she start counting.

"Three, let go."

Wu Xiuli reluctantly let go, looking at her fingernails with lingering desire. She thought to herself that she should grow them out; if she had nails like these, she would have the advantage in future fights.

Liu Qingwan also let go of the hand she was using to pry at Wu Xiuli's head.

The three were pulled apart and stood in three different positions, glaring at each other.

Yang Mumu looked over and saw a small cut on the corner of Wu Xiuli's mouth. The hair on her forehead looked like it had been shaved by a ghost, leaving a bald patch, and that lock of hair was lying on the ground at Liu Qingwan's feet.

Liu Qingwan had a red scratch on her neck, her two braids had come undone, and only two buttons remained on her shirt; the rest had fallen off. There were also quite a few red scratch marks on her body.

Lu Qianyao was the most miserable. He was clutching his waist, limping, and his face was covered in countless red marks. Some of the scratches were even starting to bead with blood, with the flesh slightly torn.

Wu Xiuli picked up the sweet potato from the ground, lifted her chin, and snorted coldly at Lu Qianyao and Liu Qingwan equally.

"Who wants your canned meat? Lu Qianyao, don't think I don't see why you're fawning over Liu Qingwan. Do you see her wanting your stuff? You think too highly of yourself. I don't even like you; you reek of hypocrisy from head to toe. Pfft, what a piece of work."

After saying this, Wu Xiuli took the sweet potato and turned to go into the house.

46: Chapter 46, The Woods: What's the plot?

"What are you, you..." Lu Qianyao pointed at Wu Xiuli angrily, scolding her, but was interrupted by Liu Qingwan's cold and resolute voice.

"Lu Qianyao, I'm telling you, don't come near me in the future. No matter what your intentions are, whether you like me or if I've misunderstood, I'll put it out there today: I, Liu Qingwan, will absolutely never like you. I'd rather like a pig than like you. Stay away from me. I don't care for your things, I don't need you to like me, and even having you near me makes me feel sick!"

After finishing this tirade, Liu Qingwan turned and headed back to her room, lifting her foot to stomp hard on his as she passed Lu Qianyao.

"Awoo—" Lu Qianyao clutched his foot and hopped around, limping even worse, his eyes dark and terrifying.

He Yuan stood to the side, frowning as she looked at Lu Qianyao with disgust, completely devoid of any affection.

Yang Mumu observed this and calculated.

The female lead took the initiative to break things off, He Yuan is disgusted, and she herself doesn't like Lu Qianyao. Without her and He Yuan, the two vicious female supporting characters, causing trouble, the relationship between the male and female leads is breaking down? The plot has collapsed to the point where it's unwatchable; not a single thing has proceeded as planned.

Does that mean the plot points regarding her ending are also broken and gone?

It's better if they're gone; even if they aren't, she's not afraid. Let's wait and see; she'll dismantle the plot as it comes.

The big show was over, and everyone dispersed, still wanting more, to go about their own business.

After eating and washing up, Yang Mumu returned to her room to make the bed. She didn't take out many other things to display; it was only for ten days or so, and taking them out meant having to pack them up again, so she decided to just take things out as she needed them.

Once the bed was made and the door was closed, she lay down and slept comfortably.

* * The next day.

The first thing Yang Mumu did after getting up and eating was to go find Wang Qiuyu.

Wang Qiuyu pushed her bicycle and patted the back seat. "Come on, sit behind me, hold on tight. I have to go to work after we get to the Production Brigade, so we need to be quick."

"Okay."

Yang Mumu wasn't coy; she just sat on it, grabbed Wang Qiuyu's clothes, and Wang Qiuyu zoomed off.

When they arrived at the Production Brigade, the captain was sitting in the office writing documents.

Wang Qiuyu was very direct, stepping forward to explain their purpose to the captain. When the captain saw that it was Yang Mumu, he agreed without a second word.

"Alright, I'll register it for you here. And Wang Qiuyu, you and Yang Mumu write a house transfer note. Write it in front of me, and I'll act as a witness for you."

"Okay, thank you, Captain."

Wang Qiuyu refined the note they had written privately the night before and rewrote it in front of the captain. Both parties signed it, and the captain added his own name at the bottom and stamped it with the village seal.

There were three copies: one for Wang Qiuyu, one for Yang Mumu, and one for the Production Brigade to keep on file.

The captain took the note and emphasized again: "Alright, from now on, this house belongs to Yang Mumu. Mumu, if you return to the city in the future, this house will revert to the Production Brigade."

"Okay, understood."

"Go ahead, there's nothing else."

As soon as the captain said that, Yang Mumu and Wang Qiuyu said goodbye and left, and she took a ride on Wang Qiuyu's bike to the town.

It took them about 2 hours to walk here yesterday, but now it only took 40 minutes by bicycle.

After calculating this, Yang Mumu bought some vegetables, fruits, and meat at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, then found a secluded place to take out the bicycle, stove, large iron pot, small antimony pot, basins, and other items from her space. After tying everything down, she rode the bicycle back.

Just as she reached the town entrance, Yang Mumu saw Lu Qianyao walking over and suddenly remembered the plot from the original book where "Yang Mumu" went to town to buy supplies on her first day.

"Yang Mumu" had stumbled into the black market by accident, but as soon as she entered, the small task force cracking down on the black market arrived.

People inside started running for their lives, and "Yang Mumu" took off running too, running blindly in any direction, until she ran into the woods behind the black market. As she passed under a large poplar tree, she tripped over something, and when she looked down, she saw it was a gold bar.

"Yang Mumu" took the gold bar out of the woods and happened to run into Lu Qianyao, her fiancé who she had swapped with. She told Lu Qianyao about it and took him back to the large poplar tree. As it turned out, the more they dug under the tree, the more they found, and eventually, they unearthed a box of gold bars and some other treasures.

Lu Qianyao said to leave it there and bury it deeper, and he would take her back to dig it up when they returned to the city. But he turned around, came back, and secretly dug it up himself. After returning to the Educated Youth Courtyard, he built a separate room and hid the items in the ground under his bed.

He claimed it was for safety that he moved the items to his side, and that he would share them with "Yang Mumu" when they returned to the city later.

These items became the capital for Lu Qianyao to get rich after the Reform and Opening-up, while "Yang Mumu," the only person who knew about the treasure, ended up dead, with a large part of the reason being Lu Qianyao.

Although she had changed locations for her time in the countryside, the protagonist was here, so wouldn't the event of delivering equipment to the protagonist follow?

She would absolutely not allow Lu Qianyao to get that batch of gold bars and treasures. She had to eliminate any possibility of it, not for anything else, but for the gold bars, and of course, to sabotage the plot and change her fate.

She had an inexplicable premonition that this plot point was very likely to happen, so she had to go and check.

Yang Mumu turned the bicycle around, following the points in the plot, and sure enough, she found the black market in a bridge culvert not far from the town entrance, and there was a forest behind it.

She looked around, put away the bicycle, and seeing Lu Qianyao enter the black market, Yang Mumu ran quickly toward the forest behind it.

She had to be fast; in the book, "Yang Mumu" met Lu Qianyao as soon as she left the woods, so her time was tight.

If they were there, she had to find and dig them up before Lu Qianyao came over.

After Yang Mumu entered the woods, she followed her intuition and ran in one direction. Before long, a thick and tall poplar tree appeared in her line of sight.

She stared at the tree in front of her with wide, shocked eyes and ran over to touch it.

"Holy cow, there really is such a big tree in this forest. Then..."

Were the items there? Being tripped meant it was sticking out; it had to be like a stone to cause a trip.

Yang Mumu circled the tree and found a raised spot in the front area. She brushed away the dry leaves covering the surface and underneath was a raised lump of mud growing in the ground.

She squatted down and started breaking it; it came off with a light tug. She held both ends and squeezed, the mud on the outside crumbled, revealing the gold bar wrapped inside.

Good heavens, it really is a gold bar!

At this moment, she didn't wait another second, immediately taking out a shovel and a hoe she had brought from home from her space and started digging.

She hadn't dug many times with the hoe before she felt resistance below.

She dug with her hands, revealing the items below.

Dollar signs flashed in Yang Mumu's eyes as she looked down, sparkling.

As expected, she really dug up a wooden chest, and a big one at that.

By estimation, it was sixty centimeters long, forty-five or six centimeters wide, and twenty centimeters high, with a large moth-eaten hole in the upper left corner of the chest.

Presumably, the piece of gold bar that was exposed outside had fallen out from that opening.

"What's in this crappy little forest? Why do I keep feeling restless, wanting to come here? It's strange."

Suddenly, Yang Mumu heard a muttering voice.

47: Chapter 47 Making a Fortune

"Is that Lu Qianyao's voice? Did he come so quickly?"

Yang Mumu sped up her movements, tucking everything into her space, filling in the hole, and covering it with nearby leaves.

The moment she saw the top of Lu Qianyao's head, she entered her space.

"Strange, why does my heart feel increasingly flustered? There are waves of disappointment. It was like this on the train last time, and it's like this today. Could it be that there's really something wrong with my heart?"

Lu Qianyao walked over, clutching his chest with an unpleasant expression. He didn't want to curse himself, so he quickly denied it.

"No, no, no. My heart should be fine. It must be because I haven't rested well. I've been too tired lately, and I even ran into a nuisance. I must have been infuriated. Being both tired and angry makes the heart uncomfortable; it must be that."

Seeing that there was nothing in this wilderness, he became even more irritable and turned back.

"Forget it. I'll go to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative to buy some things, then go back and get some good rest. I have to work tomorrow; I can't offend the Team Leader again. Sigh, I'll send the Team Leader some things when I get back to smooth things over, otherwise, I'll definitely be given a hard time tomorrow."

Inside the space, Yang Mumu watched Lu Qianyao sigh and shake his head as he left. After waiting a while and seeing no one, she finally came out of the space.

The instant she landed, she saw that Lu Qianyao had turned back. In that split second, she entered the space again, perfectly avoiding Lu Qianyao.

Fine, so Lu Qianyao has a psychic connection to these things? Is he feeling flustered and uncomfortable? Well, he'll have plenty more opportunities to feel flustered in the future.

Lu Qianyao circled the area again, found nothing, and left listlessly: "Sigh, there really isn't anything here. What a crappy place!"

Yang Mumu didn't come out of the space this time. She controlled the space to follow behind Lu Qianyao until they reached the fork in the road leading to the Commune and the Production Brigade, where they parted ways.

Lu Qianyao went to town, and Yang Mumu returned to the Production Brigade. She found a deserted spot, took out her bicycle, and rode toward the Production Brigade.

On the road, Yang Mumu multi-tasked, riding her bike while checking the box of treasures she had dug up, which was sitting in the yard of her space.

Opening it, the contents dazzled Yang Mumu's eyes. No wonder the Lu Qianyao in the book snuck back to dig these things up. Who wouldn't be envious? Only the "Yang Mumu" who was deliberately molded by that scumbag to provide him with equipment would have told Lu Qianyao about these good things.

The box was full of treasures; there wasn't a single inch of space wasted on worthless junk.

It could be divided into two halves. The side affected by moths was filled with large, solid gold bars—the kind that weighed 312.5 grams each.

If this were in the era she came from, at 618 per gram, each one would be 193,125 yuan—over a hundred thousand. How many could there be in half of this box?

Yang Mumu counted them joyfully. There were exactly 40 of them, which meant 7,725,000 yuan.

Oh my god, I'm rich, I'm rich! I've made a fortune!

Her mouth opened wider than an egg, and she couldn't close it.

Looking at the other half, it was filled with various jewelry and necklaces, including emerald jade bracelets, jade pendants, and some antique vessels.

Seeing that some of the pearls had been moth-eaten, Yang Mumu felt terrible, but as she picked them up and examined them one by one, she smiled again.

Fortunately, only the top strings of pearls were moth-eaten; those underneath were perfectly preserved. The other items hadn't been bumped or scratched either, and the jade pieces showed no cracks. Everything was in great condition.

These jade treasures were all high-quality items. The texture of the emeralds was all above waxy grade, with ice grade being the majority. Even now, these would all be valuable items.

It was completely normal for Lu Qianyao to become the richest man in this era with this box of items. Even a pig standing in the wind with these things could inflate to an incredible degree.

Now, sorry, but these things belong to her.

Having obtained a stash of treasures and changed the plot, Yang Mumu was in a great mood. She packed the items away and rode her bicycle swiftly toward the Production Brigade.

As soon as her bicycle appeared in the Production Brigade, it stirred up another round of discussion. Many people in the brigade looked at Yang Mumu with even more fervent eyes, wishing they could stick to her.

They were all muttering to themselves that this Educated Youth was not only good-looking but also had money in her pocket. Whoever married her would surely be rich. Some families with single children began to calculate in their hearts.

Yang Mumu was unaware of this and didn't care about those gazes. Upon returning to the brigade, she went to the Production Brigade to buy tools like hoes, sickles, dustpans, and shovels.

Although she had them in her space, those had to be kept for farming inside the space. The ones bought from the brigade would be used outside. As a Scorekeeper, she didn't need to work the fields herself, but she had to tend to her private plot.

After putting things away, she looked around the house and realized she was still missing daily necessities like bamboo baskets, wooden buckets, and brooms. She remembered what Aunt Yang had told her when she arrived yesterday.

She had seen someone at home when she passed by just now, so Yang Mumu locked her door and went to Aunt Yang's house.

Just as she walked outside the courtyard, Aunt Yang was sitting under the eaves binding a broom with sorghum stalks. Seeing her come, she stood up warmly to greet her.

"Mumu, hurry in. I was just thinking of you, and here you are. If that doesn't mean we're fated, I don't know what does. Come over and sit."

"Thank you, Auntie. I've been thinking of you too."

After sitting down, Yang Mumu looked at the broom in Aunt Yang's hand and asked directly: "Auntie, the broom in your hand is tied so beautifully. Do you have any extras? I'd like to trade for two."

Aunt Yang was overjoyed. She put down the half-finished broom and pulled Yang Mumu inside while talking.

"Oh my, you said it right and asked the right person. I'm not bragging, Auntie, but in our brigade, the brooms I tie are the best, the most durable, and the easiest to use. I guarantee you can use them for years without any problems. I have plenty of brooms at home. Come, I'll take you to see them."

"Whatever else you need, just tell Auntie. If I don't have it here, I guarantee I'll take you to the family with the best craftsmanship in our brigade to trade."

"Then I won't stand on ceremony with you, Auntie. I also need bamboo baskets for vegetables, and I'd like to trade for a multi-layered large steamer—the kind that can be used for steaming buns and rice. I also want to trade for a few wooden buckets and large wooden basins for washing clothes and vegetables, and so on."

Yang Mumu rattled off a list of names in one breath, and the smile on Aunt Yang's face grew even wider.

"We have it all, we have it all. Look, it's all in this room. You pick what you want."

Aunt Yang took her to a room specifically for storing tools, where many items were displayed, all of them new.

Yang Mumu picked them out one by one. Besides the things she had mentioned to Aunt Yang at first, she also picked out other items when she saw them.

She took two carrying baskets: one tightly woven basket for holding things without gaps, and one large, loosely woven basket for carrying firewood.

She also got two wicker baskets for holding things.

Seeing dried gourds placed on the side, she picked two larger ones to make gourd ladles for scooping water.

Aunt Yang saw her taking the gourds, so she ran over, took out a bag, and handed it to Yang Mumu: "Mumu, here is some dried loofah sponge. Do you want one? It's really good for scrubbing pots and washing dishes."

"Yes, Auntie, you reminded me. Give me two."

Yang Mumu took two, and seeing a small brush for cleaning pots on the side, she took one of those too.

She turned and picked out two large winnowing baskets for drying things, one small winnowing basket, and two reed-woven mats.

Having gathered most of the things, she basically got everything she needed at Aunt Yang's house.

The only things missing were the square wooden cabinets for storing cotton batting and small boxes.

Yang Mumu pointed at the pile of things on the ground and said: "Auntie, that's all. How much should I trade for it?"

"Alright, alright, let me see."

Aunt Yang was so happy her eyes narrowed into slits. This Educated Youth was indeed someone from a well-off family; she had picked through almost everything here. It had been a long time since she'd met such a big customer. She was a child worth befriending, so she would have to give her a discount.

48: Chapter 48: Acquiring Household Furniture, Worthy of Making Friends

"We hit it off, so Auntie will give you a discount. Let's make it 4 yuan in total."

For so many large items, four yuan wasn't unreasonable. Yang Mumu nodded and readily took 4 yuan from her pocket to hand over.

At the same time, she asked: "Auntie, do you know where I can have some boxes made? I want to have a few boxes made to store clothes and cotton quilts."

Auntie Yang clapped her hands and laughed, "Mumu, you've asked the right person. I'll take you there. My big brother is a carpenter and the best one in our Production Brigade. More than half the people in the brigade get their furniture made by him. Young people getting married and moving into new homes love to find him. If I take you, I can get him to give you a discount—a 'family price' that Educated Youth would never get."

"Then I'll thank you in advance, Auntie. Auntie, it's time to get off work; let's go now."

Yang Mumu was too lazy to go through the trouble herself, and it was convenient to have an acquaintance lead the way.

"Alright, just leave these things here with Auntie. I'll help you take them to the Educated Youth Courtyard later. I have a flatbed cart at home, so it's easy to haul things."

Yang Mumu agreed and, arm in arm with Aunt Yang, went to her big brother's house.

Aunt Yang's big brother didn't live far away. It took fifteen minutes to get there, and just as they arrived, he was returning with a hoe.

"Big Brother, let me introduce you. This is the new Educated Youth in our Production Brigade, Yang Mumu. She's from our own clan. She wants to have some cabinets made, so I specifically brought her to you. You must give her a 'family price'."

Aunt Yang leaned in close to her brother and whispered, "I heard from the Brigade Leader that she will be our brigade's future Scorekeeper, and this Educated Youth is a very good person."

Upon hearing this, Aunt Yang's big brother looked at Yang Mumu with a full face of smiles and said: "Making cabinets, huh? Alright, since she's someone my sister brought, and we're from the same clan, I'll definitely give a 'family price'. Come in with me."

"Thank you, Uncle Yang."

Yang Mumu followed behind Uncle Yang into the backyard, selected the wood, and decided to have two 100*50*46 storage boxes made from camphor wood.

She also wanted a large cabinet that could hold several cotton quilts. The total cost for all materials and labor was 7 yuan.

Aunt Yang's big brother thought that giving her this price wouldn't result in a loss. The wood came from the trees on his own firewood mountain. Although he gave a "face-saving price," it only cost him time and craftsmanship.

Compared to working a day for one work point worth three cents—even if he earned a full ten work points, that was only thirty cents—he could earn these 7 yuan in just six or seven days by working on the boxes during his rest time. It was definitely a big profit.

Yang Mumu thought that in the city, having these things made would require furniture coupons, and camphor wood—the most popular choice for weddings—would be even more expensive. It would definitely cost more than this.

Neither side would lose out; it was a good deal for both.

She calculated it in her heart and, without saying anything else, readily paid the 7 yuan.

When Uncle Yang saw Yang Mumu out, he reminded her: "Seven days at most. I'll have the boxes delivered to the Educated Youth Courtyard then. But you can't tell anyone about this price. The price I charged those other Educated Youth was double. If anyone asks, just tell them the double price."

Yang Mumu nodded happily and smiled: "Alright, Uncle. I definitely won't let a word slip. Thank you, Uncle. If any new Educated Youth want to have these things made, I'll definitely recommend them to you."

This straightforward promise made Uncle Yang happy too.

"Good, good. Then Uncle will thank you in advance. I'll definitely make sure you can use the boxes on time."

Leaving Uncle Yang's house, they returned to Aunt Yang's house to get the items. Aunt Yang personally helped her deliver them to the courtyard.

"Mumu, remember to help Auntie promote things too, okay?"

Yang Mumu held Aunt Yang's hand and promised loudly: "Alright, Auntie. I'll definitely help you promote. Given our relationship, if anyone asks, I'll recommend you first. Though whether they go or not isn't something I can decide. But in the future, if I lack anything, I'll come to you to pick it out."

"Good, good, good. Auntie will head back then."

Aunt Yang's face wrinkled with smiles, and she happily pushed the cart back.

Yang Mumu moved everything into the room and organized them one by one, placing the dustpans and baskets against the wall.

Just then, He Yuan and Xia Zhizhi, who had gone out to buy things, returned. Seeing the items she had organized, they ran over curiously to ask.

"Mumu, you thought of everything. I didn't even think to buy these things. Where did you get these items? I want to go buy some too."

He Yuan touched the broom with her left hand and the dustpan with her right, feeling incredibly fascinated.

Yang Mumu immediately kept her promise and recommended Aunt Yang to them.

"It's at the house with the whitewashed walls not far from here. They share my surname. I exchanged them at Aunt Yang's place. Her big brother is a carpenter and can make cabinets."

"Alright, I'm going to go exchange for some right now."

He Yuan didn't hesitate at all. After knowing the location, she turned around and prepared to go shopping.

"Wait for me, I'll go take a look too." Xia Zhizhi called out from behind and followed.

Liu Qingwan, who had just returned from talking to the team leader about building a separate house, also went over to exchange for things after seeing what they had moved.

A short while later, when Gu Xingzhou and Song Yan passed by and saw this, Yang Mumu made the same recommendation, and they went to buy some as well. Li Jianhua heard from behind and followed them up.

Finally, even Lu Qianyao, who had returned dejected, went to exchange for a broom.

Seeing him return carrying a broom with that expression, Yang Mumu wanted to laugh; he looked a bit like a "broom star."

Over there, Aunt Yang and her brother received several large orders in succession, all asking for the same items Yang Mumu had bought. They were beaming with joy.

In just this short while, Yang Mumu had promoted them and brought in so much business, allowing them to earn quite a bit. In their hearts, they liked Yang Mumu even more sincerely.

This child was worth befriending; she really helped out and really did the promotion. They had to send something over to show their gratitude.

Tit for tat, after Aunt Yang finished her work, she personally sent two winnowing baskets to Yang Mumu to show her gratitude.

Uncle Yang thought to himself that he had to work overtime to get her boxes and cabinets done early, and then use the remaining wood to make a shoe rack to give to this child. What a good child; she had to be treated well.

Holding the winnowing baskets, Yang Mumu also mentally categorized Aunt Yang as someone worth befriending.

The next day, on the first day of work, Yang Mumu arrived at the Production Brigade exactly on time.

And when the Brigade Leader introduced her to the Production Brigade's Accountant and handed over the Scorekeeper work, she was somewhat surprised when she realized who the Accountant was.

49: Chapter 49

Yang Mumu took the initiative to go up and greet him, humbly asking questions about the Scorekeeper position, and affectionately called him Uncle Xiang.

After receiving the answers, Yang Mumu had a sudden realization and said with a smile, "Uncle Xiang, you are the teacher I should learn from. Your explanation was so clear; I understood it right away. If I had tried to figure it out on my own, I'm afraid I would have scratched my head until it broke without coming up with anything. I really need to learn more from you; my mind feels much sharper now."

Yang Mumu's act of belittling herself while elevating him made Accountant Xiang Qianjin beam with pride; he couldn't stop smiling, and he was absolutely delighted.

He laughed heartily and said kindly to Yang Mumu, "Aunt Yang said you were a clever child and that she felt a strong connection with you. Seeing you today, it's certainly true. I think you are a smart and good child. Uncle will help you get a clear handle on the work. If there is anything you don't understand, just come and ask Uncle. I believe your brain is sharp, and you will surely get the hang of it quickly."

Yang Mumu nodded readily, "Thank you, Uncle. If there's anything I don't know, I will definitely come and ask you. I'll need you to look after me in the future."

"Alright." Accountant Xiang Qianjin was very willing and immediately pulled Yang Mumu over to explain more, "Come, let me tell you about the registration issues later, and how to determine the assessment of work points after they finish their tasks."

With the pillow talk from Aunt Yang and Yang Mumu's cleverness and ability to speak well, Accountant Xiang Qianjin told her everything he knew, explaining things clearly and thoroughly. He even told her about some precautions and how to deal with certain Commune Members who were old slickers, truly treating her like a close junior.

Yang Mumu took her notebook and wrote all of this down, nodding from time to time. She looked at Accountant Xiang Qianjin with a serious and studious expression, which greatly satisfied his vanity. He talked to Yang Mumu as if he had been injected with chicken blood, and only stopped reluctantly when the Captain reminded them that it was time to start work.

"Mumu, Uncle will tell you more later. If you encounter any problems, just write them down, and Uncle will give you a targeted explanation."

"Thank you, Uncle. I've noted that down."

Yang Mumu put away her notebook, and the Captain called her over to stand by his side.

When most of the people had arrived for work, the Captain took a gong, struck it, and shouted, "Everyone, quiet down. Before we start work, I'd like to introduce someone. This newly arrived Educated Youth Yang Mumu was once a cashier at the Machinery Factory and an advanced individual in the factory. Considering that our Production Brigade has many small teams, the position of Scorekeeper lacks capable people. Therefore, we have specially applied to the Commune for Comrade Yang Mumu, an outstanding individual, to be our Production Brigade's Scorekeeper. Today is her first day on the job. She will primarily be responsible for the members of the first team, who are about to start harvesting wheat. In the future, the work of the production team Scorekeeper will all be handed over to her, and the Accountant will focus on the accounting work for the Production Brigade."

"Now, everyone welcome Comrade Yang Mumu." After the Captain finished speaking, he pushed Yang Mumu in front of him.

The Captain and Accountant on the stage took the lead in applauding, and Aunt Yang below the stage led the Commune Members in clapping. For a moment, applause rang out continuously.

Wu Xiuli curled her lips in dissatisfaction, but she didn't dare to speak up and clapped her hands listlessly.

"Thank you everyone. I am very happy to become a member of our Haha Production Brigade. I am the newly appointed Yang Mumu. In the future, I will need everyone's mutual help to develop our Production Brigade better and better together. I will strive to become a qualified Scorekeeper and serve everyone. Thank you."

As she finished speaking, another round of loud applause rang out.

However, when the applause died down, a dissatisfied Commune Member in the crowd said in a sarcastic tone, "Why should she, an outsider Educated Youth, become the Scorekeeper on her first day at the Production Brigade? I am a native of this brigade, why can't I be one? She's just a little girl; I'm not convinced."

The voice was not quiet, and it was particularly prominent in the moment the applause stopped. Everyone looked curiously in the direction of the voice.

Yang Mumu looked over upon hearing the sound and saw a middle-aged man with a beard speaking. He was somewhat sturdy, and his build was not much different from Song Yan's.

Aunt Yang was now blindly fond of Yang Mumu and couldn't bear for others to speak ill of her. She was the first to stand up and point at the man's nose, scolding him, "Liu Min, you, a person who hasn't even attended a few days of literacy class, why are you unconvinced by Educated Youth Yang? Educated Youth Yang not only has a high school diploma, but she has also worked as a cashier at a large factory. You can't do anything; you have to count on your fingers for ages to figure out 1+1, and when you write your own name, it's always missing strokes. You still want to be a Scorekeeper? Are you still dreaming, talking in your sleep, or sleepwalking? You don't even weigh how much you are worth. You are not worthy, so don't even think about it."

"I'm not worthy, but is she worthy? She's just a little girl. What's the use of looking good? It can't be eaten as a meal. She doesn't have an ounce of flesh on her and no strength in her hands."

Liu Min looked at Yang Mumu with disdain, full of contempt.

"Tell me, how will she have the energy to measure how much work the Commune Members have done? How will she assess work points? If she encounters a team breaking stones, sometimes the Commune Members want her to lend a hand, but she won't be able to help at all. And she still wants to be a Scorekeeper? Can she endure hardship? Don't let her start complaining about being tired the moment she touches something."

This older brother had previously gone to the Captain to say he wanted to be the Scorekeeper, but because of his personal ability, he was flatly rejected by the Captain and was not considered at all.

If the work of the Production Brigade's Scorekeeper were handed over to him, it would be ruined. The Captain was not that muddled.

However, the Captain didn't speak now; he wanted to see how Yang Mumu would handle it. The Commune Members in this Production Brigade would sooner or later have to be handled by Yang Mumu herself; otherwise, it would be difficult to convince the masses and carry out the work.

There were also many Commune Members below watching the show.

In the Educated Youth Courtyard, some were watching the children, and some were nervous.

Yang Mumu saw it all.

She ignored everyone, ran over like a gust of wind, and slapped Liu Min twice on the spot. "Slap! Slap!" The clear and loud sound echoed in everyone's ears. Everyone looked on in astonishment; no one had expected this turn of events.

However, before they could react, Yang Mumu had already lifted Liu Min up and thrown him heavily onto the ground. He was thrown five meters away, lying there coughing, and then she stepped on him.

Gasps of shock rang out all around.

"If you aren't convinced, shut your mouth. Do I need you to question me? Calling me a little girl left and right—if you can't learn respect, I will teach you what respect is."

She pressed her toes down hard, and Liu Min cried out in pain, roaring, "Awoo, it hurts! Get your foot off me, damn it!"

Yang Mumu's eyes turned cold, and she picked him up and threw him out again like trash. Before he could get up, she grabbed his leg, flipped him over, and let his back have another intimate encounter with the ground.

She raised her foot, and just as she was about to step on him, before she could even press down, Liu Min on the ground hugged his leg and begged for mercy repeatedly.

"I've learned it, I've learned it! Educated Youth Yang, I'm sorry. I was still dreaming and talking in my sleep. I will be respectful, I am convinced, I won't question you anymore. You are powerful, you are definitely capable of being the Scorekeeper. Educated Youth Yang, please just let me go like a fart, I beg you."

50: Chapter 50 Establishing Authority Through Honesty

Yang Mumu looked at him and asked, "Are you truly convinced?"

Liu Min nodded hurriedly, raising his hands as he said, "I'm truly convinced, it's true, really, absolutely true. From now on, I will never question your ability again, and I will never speak recklessly. I swear to the Chairman that everything I've said today is not half a lie."

"Fine, I believe you."

Yang Mumu released her foot and watched as Liu Min scrambled away quickly. She withdrew her gaze and looked at the surrounding Commune Members with smiling eyes, saying:

"If there's anything to be said, let's bring it up at this meeting today. Whoever is not convinced by me being the Scorekeeper can stand up now, and we can have a good discussion about it."

Seeing the smile on her face, the surrounding Commune Members retreated two steps in even greater fear, smiling obsequiously at Yang Mumu.

Gu Xingzhou looked at Yang Mumu with bright, sharp eyes and took the lead in shouting, "We are all convinced."

The others also gathered the courage to wave their hands and say, "Yes, no, no, we are all convinced. Educated Youth Yang, you are knowledgeable and very suitable to be the Scorekeeper of our Production Brigade; no one is more suitable than you."

Wherever Yang Mumu's gaze fell, those Commune Members would hurriedly nod in agreement.

"Yes, yes, yes, Educated Youth Yang, you are the most suitable, we are especially convinced."

Some Commune Members even shouted, "Whoever isn't convinced, I will be the first to disagree. Educated Youth Yang, don't worry, I'll help you keep an eye on them."

With this authority established, everyone present was convinced; no one dared to stand out.

Just kidding, Liu Min was a tall, burly man weighing at least 180 or 190 catties, yet in the blink of an eye, he was lying on the ground.

They saw it clearly; the process of Liu Min being lifted and thrown, then lifted and thrown again, and finally stepped underfoot, was incredibly smooth. Educated Youth Yang didn't exert any effort at all; she didn't break a sweat, nor did she catch her breath.

No one in their Production Brigade had ever been able to lift a person so easily.

What did this mean? It meant that Educated Youth Yang had astonishing strength; a single punch might even kill them.

Look at that great strength combined with a fiery temper; who could beat her, who would dare offend her, and who would dare not be convinced?

Because of this single incident, the Commune Members who originally had some opinions and only dared to grumble in their hearts now had no such thoughts.

Previously, quite a few Commune Members had thought about finding Yang Mumu to be their wife or daughter-in-law, but they all gave up on that idea.

Everyone looked at Yang Mumu with an expression of honesty, hoping to be spared.

Meanwhile, the Captain felt a pang of regret in his heart. Why did he only just discover that Educated Youth Yang had such strength? She was a natural at manual labor; with this strength, she would probably be the fastest at completing any task. Being a Scorekeeper now was a waste of her talent.

Sigh, well, that was fine too. There were plenty of people to do farm work. At worst, he could apply for more Educated Youth to come down. Then there would be people; batches after batches of Educated Youth coming down, growing faster than chives. There was no shortage of people to do physical labor.

However, it was hard to find someone who could do the job of a Scorekeeper well in the Production Brigade and also command respect. With this girl showing her hand, the Scorekeeper job was definitely hers. With ability and methods, the team would be easy to lead in the future. It was settled.

Thinking this, the Captain smiled again, becoming increasingly fond of Yang Mumu.

The Captain shouted sternly to everyone, "Alright, since everyone is convinced, then in the future, don't speak recklessly like Liu Min. Be respectful to Scorekeeper Yang. If anyone acts outwardly compliant but inwardly disobedient, I will never tolerate it. I will deal with anyone I catch. Do you hear me?"

"We hear you."

"Understood."

The Commune Members answered actively, being very sensible. The Captain was very satisfied; he nodded and waved his hand, giving a final warning.

"Alright, start registering for work. Everyone, work diligently. I'll say this first: when Scorekeeper Yang is patrolling, if she catches anyone not working diligently, she can decide how to handle it herself. Don't come to me, and don't blame Scorekeeper Yang for being heartless. Everyone knows my methods and knows Scorekeeper Yang's ability. This is all part of our duty. Remember that, and go to work."

While the Captain was speaking, Yang Mumu was already sitting at the small table, holding the roster and recording the time each person clocked in for work.

Compared to the past when people would always cut in line while queuing for work, or chatter incessantly, now no one spoke. Their movements were much sharper; one by one, they finished registering and ran off with their tools. They were especially cooperative, and the work progress was much faster than just a little bit.

The Captain watched with satisfaction. Yang Mumu worked easily, and before long, she finished registering.

"It's been a long time since the work was done this quickly."

Accountant Xiang Qianjin stood up, stretched a little, took a sip of water, and said:

"Let's go, Mumu. Uncle will take you to patrol the mountain, show you all the land of our Production Brigade, and tell you which is our brigade's land and what is planted where, so you can have an idea in your mind. Later on, you can patrol by yourself."

"Alright, then I'll trouble you, Uncle Xiang."

Yang Mumu took the roster and followed behind Accountant Xiang Qianjin, walking towards every piece of land in the Production Brigade. After wandering around for a lap, Accountant Xiang Qianjin returned to the team to do the accounts. After sitting down to rest and drinking a few mouthfuls of water, Yang Mumu put on her straw hat and walked towards the mountain, starting a new round of patrol.

The people slacking off in the fields saw Yang Mumu coming, and the speed at which they scrambled up was so fast; they picked up their sickles and started working.

The younger Commune Members whispered to their companions who were also slacking off.

"Yang the Madwoman is here, work quickly. I don't want to end up beaten as miserably as Liu Min."

"Ah, she's here, she's here."

The Commune Members were all frightened by Yang Mumu, to the point of being terrified at the mere mention of her name.

Yang Mumu heard that remark and shrugged. Was she that scary? They were really timid. However, the nickname "Yang the Madwoman" sounded pretty good; it sounded powerful just hearing it.

Yang Mumu pretended not to hear them talking. She glanced at them a few times, looked at the registry in her hand again, and then left.

The people who were looked at felt uncomfortable all over after not being called out. Everything felt wrong, and they felt uneasy in their hearts. They didn't dare to slack off at all; whenever they wanted to slack off, they would think of those few glances, and the speed of their work would increase even more.

While working, one of them stood up in shock: "No, what did those few glances of hers actually mean? Did she deduct work points, or did she remember my name? My voice wasn't loud when I spoke, was it?"

The companion next to him, cutting wheat, looked up and replied: "If she deducted work points, she would call you. If she didn't call you, that means she didn't deduct work points."

This made the young man even less happy; he pulled a long face and lightly slapped his own mouth.

"This damn mouth, I would rather she deduct work points than have her remember me. Please, definitely don't remember me!"

After shouting a few times, he worked even harder, fearing that she might come back and catch him.

Meanwhile, Yang Mumu, who was being thought of by others, was already standing in another place, with Liu Qingwan standing in front of her.

She ran out with a pale face, clutching her stomach, and whispered in Yang Mumu's ear: "Scorekeeper Yang, my stomach is a bit uncomfortable. I'm going to use the restroom over there and will be back in a while."

Yang Mumu saw her pale lips, a sign of her period coming, and nodded, saying: "Fine, go ahead, and stay safe."

"Okay, thank you."

Liu Qingwan clutched her stomach, bent over, and ran quickly into the nearby forest.

Yang Mumu stood behind, watching her back, and suddenly thought of the plot in the book, unable to help but widen her eyes.

51: Chapter 51 The Wild Boar King

In the book, on Liu Qingwan's first day of work, she had her period. She went into the woods to use the toilet and change her sanitary pad. Just as she finished and was ready to return to the fields to continue working, a massive wild boar weighing over 300 jin suddenly charged out from the mountain forest ahead—the Wild Boar King of the mountains.

Liu Qingwan was knocked to the ground by the charging boar. The Boar King's gaping maw was right before her eyes, and the stench from its mouth and the hot air it puffed out hit her directly in the face. It was only two centimeters away from biting her. At this critical, life-or-death moment, Lu Qianyao ran over, picked up a stone, and threw it at the boar, attracting its attention.

He lured the boar to a disused manure pit not far away. There was no manure in it, but it was filled with water. The pit was quite deep, and once the boar fell in, it couldn't climb back out.

It was precisely because of this incident that Liu Qingwan's affection for Lu Qianyao increased significantly. He not only won the beauty's heart but also used the boar to earn great praise from the entire Production Brigade, and used the pork to win the favor of both her, the villainous supporting female character No. 1, and He Yuan, the villainous supporting female character No. 2.

The most crucial point was that she, as a reader, had a god's-eye view. She knew that this wild boar that had run out was actually discovered by Lu Qianyao when he was slacking off at work and had wandered deep into the forest, where he found a wild boar den with the boar eating grass in front of it. He wanted to eat the boar's meat, so he hid behind it to launch a sneak attack. However, the attack failed, and instead, it caused the boar to go on a rampage, chasing Lu Qianyao out from the depths of the forest.

Because Liu Qingwan had been in contact with Lu Qianyao while working, she had his scent on her. Therefore, the pursuing boar mistook her for Lu Qianyao, which was why she was knocked down, injured her leg, and almost ended up in the boar's mouth.

Lu Qianyao running out to attract the boar was merely him reluctantly cleaning up his own mess out of consideration for Liu Qingwan. Yet, it ended up becoming his achievement, making him a great hero in the Production Brigade for eliminating a pest. Everyone who got to eat the meat was grateful to him, which attracted quite a few romantic interests.

Thinking of this, Yang Mumu realized that since the small forest plot could happen, then this major plot point where their feelings heated up rapidly and Lu Qianyao established his persona would definitely happen too.

But now, the male and female leads had a falling out. Because of what happened that day, Lu Qianyao still held a grudge and wasn't very satisfied with Liu Qingwan, so he might not necessarily save her.

Yang Mumu looked at Liu Qingwan, whose back was still faintly visible ahead, and hurried to follow.

This was a human life, after all. Just in case, she should go take a look; she could also take the opportunity to intercept a boar.

When she ran over, she happened to see the wild boar running out from the depths of the forest and charging toward Liu Qingwan.

Liu Qingwan was already scared silly; she stood frozen in place, watching helplessly as the wild boar approached her.

That bastard—his heart truly isn't good. He really didn't come to clean up the mess he caused; he didn't even bother to give a warning.

"Get out of the way, Liu Qingwan!"

Yang Mumu shouted loudly. Liu Qingwan snapped back to reality, immediately bent down, and rolled to the side, dodging the boar's attack.

Yang Mumu rushed toward the boar at top speed. Just as the boar was about to attack Liu Qingwan again, she grabbed its tail and dragged it backward.

The boar was annoyed and turned to attack Yang Mumu.

Gu Xingzhou, who had run over quickly after hearing Yang Mumu's shout, saw this scene and yelled, "Mumu, be careful!"

At the same time, he rushed over and slashed at the boar's back with a sickle, drawing its fire.

Yang Mumu grabbed its tail again and pulled hard, restraining its movements.

She punched the boar's rump, but since the rump was pure meat and thick-skinned, it had little effect on the boar. She couldn't subdue it immediately; the Wild Boar King in a frenzy had astonishing combat power and was in a state of agitation.

Yang Mumu reached out a hand to Gu Xingzhou: "Gu Xingzhou, give me the sickle."

"Okay."

Gu Xingzhou didn't hesitate at all to hand the only weapon in his hand to Yang Mumu. Once Yang Mumu got the sickle, she struck the boar's tailbone with all her might, splitting the bone with a single blow. Feeling the pain, the boar became even more frantic and thrashed about.

She did a sliding kneel, sliding in front of the boar's head, and slashed down again. The boar's head was split open, revealing the brains inside; blood and brain matter flowed out together.

Gu Xingzhou pulled a dagger from his person and coordinated with Yang Mumu. The sharp dagger sliced through the boar's throat, and blood gushed out.

Song Yan had just run over from the communal water station provided by the Production Brigade, holding an empty enamel basin as a weapon. Seeing that both of them were safe and the situation was under control, he let out a sigh of relief. Upon seeing the flowing blood, he thought of blood tofu and immediately handed the basin over.

"Sister Mu, Brother Zhou, don't waste the blood. Use the big basin to catch it."

Gu Xingzhou doted on him, so he pulled his hand away to take the basin and placed it under the bleeding wound on the boar's neck to catch the gushing blood.

The boar's strength began to wane. Yang Mumu took the opportunity to pin the pig to the ground, preventing it from moving. As more and more blood flowed out, the boar stared in the direction Lu Qianyao had left, its large pig eyes wide open, dying with a grievance.

If one were to ask why Yang Mumu went through all that trouble to kill the wild boar instead of learning from Lu Qianyao in the book and luring it into a trap.

That was because the plot had changed. While there was a pig, there were no disused traps.

Moreover, meat tastes better when the boar dies after all its blood has drained out. With her strength and combat power, she wasn't afraid of a single pig.

Yang Mumu used the sickle to cut the wound on its neck a bit wider, trying her best to drain the blood from the boar's body completely.

The people who had run over upon hearing the commotion arrived at the scene only to see a terrifying sight.

They saw the miserable boar lying on the ground with its head split open and its rump also split open, and they saw the even more ferocious Yang Mumu. The sickle in her hand was still dripping blood, and those drops of blood dripped into their hearts, making them even more afraid of Yang Mumu.

For some reason, they always felt that they would be the boar pinned to the ground by Yang Mumu, dying with a grievance.

They thought in their hearts with great tacit understanding: Don't provoke her, absolutely don't provoke her!

The male youth who had called Yang Mumu a 'madwoman' was even crying.

It's over, he was finished. The boar had been split open and killed; his end wasn't far off. No, he had to think about how to curry favor and win back a little goodwill. Wuwu, he didn't want this!

Of course, there were also female comrades who ran over and saw the scene of Yang Mumu splitting the pig, thinking it was very cool and liking it very much.

There was also a group of female comrades gazing at Gu Xingzhou, who was catching the blood, with hearts in their eyes.

"Mumu, are you okay?" Liu Qingwan climbed up from the ground and ran to Yang Mumu's side to ask with concern.

"I'm fine. Are you okay? Did you injure your leg?"

Yang Mumu took the towel Gu Xingzhou handed her, wiped the blood off her face, and tilted her head to look at Liu Qingwan's leg, showing some concern.

"I'm fine, the wild boar didn't hurt me. I was just scratched a little by the branches on the ground; it's nothing serious. Thank you. If it weren't for you today, I would have died in the wild boar's mouth." Liu Qingwan held Yang Mumu's hand, expressing her gratitude.

"I'm glad you're okay."

Yang Mumu saw that her leg was indeed just scratched a bit, with a very small cut. Compared to the fracture in the book that had left her bedridden for a month, this wound wasn't worth mentioning; she would suffer much less.

Nodding, she withdrew her gaze and looked at the people standing around, saying:

"Hey, what are you all standing around for? Those who haven't finished your work, hurry up and get to it. Do you want to fail your tasks and have your work points deducted? Those who have finished, tell me, and I'll go measure and record your work points. What's the meaning of standing here? Do you want me to help you do your work?"

"Going now, going now."

Most of the onlookers were scared away after hearing this, daring not to covet anything, and turned back to work.

While some were afraid of Yang Mumu and ran away, there were, of course, those who stayed because they coveted the pork; their greed often outweighed their fear.

Wu Xiuli was one of them. She stepped forward to take a closer look at the pig. Seeing how big it was, her eyes went straight, and she said without any politeness:

"Yang Mumu, this pig belongs to the Production Brigade; it needs to be distributed for everyone to eat, right? I must have a piece of fat meat."

The Commune Members who had stayed behind saw an Educated Youth stepping up, so they immediately chimed in.

One of the Aunties watched the meat greedily, unable to take her eyes off it, and said urgently:

"This mountain forest is indeed our collective property, so logically, the pig is also collective property. It must be distributed. Educated Youth Yang, you need to hand over the pig for everyone to share. Give it to me; I'll help you distribute it. I'm the best at dividing meat."

Someone didn't want her to take advantage and argued, "Pah, I can divide meat too. Educated Youth Yang, I'm the one who's really good at dividing meat. Let's divide the meat right now."

52: Chapter 52 Then I'll "compensate" you with one.

Receiving a look from Yang Mumu, Song Yan quietly backed away and ran off to find the team leader.

"Everyone shut up! Did you kill this pig? Why are you worrying about it for us? When my knife goes down, it makes a big gash; do I need you to divide the meat? My things are mine to decide."

Yang Mumu roared. Before her words even faded, the sickle in her hand slashed down onto the pig's back. A large gash opened up on the pig's back, and as she pulled the sickle out, the blood and flesh it brought with it splattered onto the faces of the people surrounding them who were coveting the pork.

"Don't think I don't know the rules of the Production Brigade. Whoever kills the pig has the right to decide how it's handled, as long as they distribute some meat. How much meat is distributed is up to me, and the portion to be distributed is handled uniformly by the team leader. Are you planning to ignore the brigade rules and disregard the team leader?"

Wu Xiuli, who was standing closest, felt the warm blood flowing down her face. She reached up to touch it and found the blood was mixed with bits of meat. She was so frightened on the spot that she screamed loudly.

"Ah—"

"Shut up!"

Yang Mumu raised her sickle and glared. Memories of the slap she received the day before yesterday flooded back into Wu Xiuli's mind. She immediately covered her mouth, clamped it shut, not daring to wail. She stepped back in terror, turned on her heels, and ran, not daring to linger.

The two Aunties who were arguing just a moment ago were also intimidated. They looked at the sickle in Yang Mumu's hand with fear, terrified that it might land on them in the next second. They hurriedly stood further away, and their mouths quieted down, not daring to argue anymore.

They muttered in their hearts: Educated Youth Yang has only been here for one day; how does she know the private, unwritten rules of the Production Brigade?

Knowing that Yang Mumu was not someone to be trifled with, that she understood the rules, and that she was capable, they tucked away their little schemes, said they were going to work, and ran off.

However, the pork was simply too tempting, and there were still some who refused to give up and stood rooted to the spot.

Maybe if they stayed here while it was being divided, they could get a bit more meat for themselves. Everyone wanted to eat a bite of meat, and even more so, they wanted to eat more meat; they couldn't bear to just give up.

An Auntie with slanted, upturned eyes rolled them with malicious intent and began to play the sympathy card. She grabbed Yang Mumu's thigh and wailed:

"Educated Youth Yang, please give me a little more meat. My family hasn't eaten meat in a year; we haven't touched even a drop of fat. My little grandson is so thin he's just skin and bones, and the elderly in my family have withered away so much they're unrecognizable. They're staggering when they walk, and I can barely walk steadily myself. My family is so miserable. Please, have some mercy and give me more. Do a good deed, and my whole family will be grateful to you."

"Li Chunhua? Educated Youth Yang probably won't be able to shake her off now. She's the most notorious shrew in our Production Brigade. If she wants to take advantage of someone, there's no one she can't exploit. She even managed to claim the eggs from her neighbor's chicken coop as her own by making a scene, and the neighbors even had to pay her five yuan in medical expenses."

Some Commune Members muttered behind their backs.

"Who's to say otherwise? I take a detour whenever I see her family. The whole lot of them are scoundrels and rogues."

Is that so? Gu Xingzhou looked at the person at Yang Mumu's feet. Can she out-shrew him? Can she beat Mumu in a fight?

Yang Mumu looked around. It seemed like no one was left outside, but in reality, many pairs of eyes were secretly watching the situation from the shadows.

If even one person succeeded, Yang Mumu believed that many more would immediately come running to do the same thing.

Human greed knows no bounds, and people are prone to following the herd; such is human nature.

"Your family can't afford meat?" Yang Mumu asked softly, a smile hanging on her lips as she leaned down.

The Auntie thought there was a chance and revealed a smile, nodding vigorously. "Yes, yes! Educated Youth Yang, I beg you. I know you are the kindest. Please give me a little more meat."

"None of my business. Just because your family is miserable doesn't mean you're right. Am I your father or your mother? Did I eat your rice? Why should I care? Let go."

The smile on Li Chunhua's face froze, but she didn't let go; instead, she grabbed on even tighter.

"I won't let go. Educated Youth Yang, for the sake of how pitiful I am, just give me a little more. I don't want much, just give me that pig's head extra."

"This Li Chunhua is too shameless, asking for the pig's head too."

"You won't let go, right? Fine!"

Yang Mumu raised the sickle in her hand and slashed down without hesitation, slicing off more than half of Li Chunhua's braid.

"Ah—"

Seeing the hair on the ground, Li Chunhua screamed and pulled her hand back. Realizing she was serious, she scrambled away as fast as she could, rolling and crawling to get away from Yang Mumu. She stood far away and pointed at Yang Mumu, cursing loudly.

"You little bitch! Isn't it just asking for a bit more meat? How can you be so heartless? With your attitude, you're still a cadre of our Production Brigade? You have no sympathy at all! I don't care; you cut my hair today, you must compensate me for my hair. One ten-yuan bill—no, two ten-yuan bills! Otherwise, I'll bring my whole family to come after you."

"Then I will "compensate" you with one braid."

Yang Mumu looked up at her with half-lidded eyes and threw the sickle from her hand. In the next instant, the only remaining braid on Li Chunhua's head was severed right at the hair tie.

"You..."

Li Chunhua's voice came to an abrupt halt, stuck in her throat. She felt her head become lighter, and when she looked down, the other braid was lying there on the ground.

"Ah—"

She screamed and ran away in terror.

The other Commune Members standing there also looked at Yang Mumu in terror. They swallowed hard and stepped back a few more paces, not daring to have any more little schemes.

One has to be alive to eat the pork, after all.

Someone, fearing they might be beaten, gave a warning: "Educated Youth Yang, Li Chunhua's family is full of rogues. Her daughter, son, and husband will definitely come to find you together. They will certainly make a scene for compensation and come to harass you every day until they get money. Other Commune Members have suffered from them before."

53: Chapter 53 Wild Boar Allocation

Upon hearing this, Gu Xingzhou took a box of matches from his pocket. In front of everyone, he struck two matches and threw them onto the two braids on the ground. With a whoosh, the braids caught fire and burned to ashes.

"Come on, I love messing with people the most."

Yang Mumu kicked away the ashes of the two braids, letting them scatter in the wind. She curled her lips and looked at the Commune Members who hadn't left yet, saying:

"What evidence does she have to prove that I was the one who cut her hair, hmm?"

"And even if she proved it, so what? I did it for her own good, to save her some time for work, so she wouldn't blame her long hair for delaying her when she's lazy at work. Do you need me to help you cut your hair short too? Should the male comrades shave their heads?"

The surrounding Commune Members trembled and waved their hands repeatedly: "No need, no need."

"Then get to work!" Yang Mumu roared sternly, "Do you need me to invite you?"

The remaining Commune Members scattered like birds and beasts, quickly running off to work.

As for the pork, they didn't dare to harbor any ideas about it; it was better to honestly wait to be allocated their share.

Yang Mumu looked around again and roared: "Those peeking, is your work done? Do you want me to record your work points?"

Hearing themselves called out, the pressure mounted, and they retracted their heads and ran back to the work site.

Liu Qingwan looked at Yang Mumu with admiration; she also wanted to learn from Mumu.

Gu Xingzhou was talking with Yang Mumu.

At this moment, Song Yan ran over with the captain. Seeing the large wild boar lying on the ground, the captain's eyes showed a hint of relief.

If such a large wild boar had run out and hurt someone, or trampled the crops, neither would be good. Fortunately, it had been killed, reducing the safety hazard significantly.

After the relief, the captain smiled, the wrinkles on his face deepening, and he praised Yang Mumu.

"Mumu, you child are truly remarkable. You took down such a big pig without even getting a scratch. Well done. You can be considered the hero of our Production Brigade for eliminating this pest. Now that it is the season for harvesting wheat and planting peanuts, with so many people and so much grain, if it weren't for you, I'm afraid both people and crops would have been ruined by the pig."

"Captain, this is what I should do. Protecting the property of the Production Brigade and the safety of the Commune Members is my duty. However, this pig was killed by Gu Xingzhou and me together; he also contributed a great deal."

Yang Mumu pointed to the wound on the pig's neck and told the captain about what Gu Xingzhou had done.

The captain nodded, gave a thumbs up to Gu Xingzhou, and praised him, "Little Gu, well done, thank you for your hard work."

"Thank you for the praise, Captain. Anyone who saw it would have helped; it was the right thing to do."

Gu Xingzhou's words made the captain nod in satisfaction. This kid is alright; he is someone capable of getting things done.

The captain then turned his head to check on Liu Qingwan, and only felt relieved after learning she was fine.

Liu Qingwan thought for a moment and then said to the captain: "Captain, this pig appeared here suddenly. When it ran out, it was in a crazed state. I was almost hurt by it, but fortunately, Mumu arrived in time to save me, otherwise I would have been bitten to death by the wild boar. You must investigate this; wild boars do not appear here for no reason, and they certainly don't come out in a crazed state."

The captain looked at Yang Mumu with an inquiring gaze, and Yang Mumu nodded.

"It was in a crazed state. Such a large pig must be the wild boar king from the mountains. This place is on the edge, so it's quite suspicious that it ran here while crazed for no reason."

Gu Xingzhou added speculatively from the side: "Could it be that someone provoked it, causing it to run out and hurt people?"

"Hmm, in previous years, even if wild boars came down to find food, they would come when no one was around. These things are very clever; they know to steal food from the fields. Generally, if there is food, they won't hurt people, but that only happens in early spring. In this season, there is plenty of food in the mountains, so they don't lack anything. Wild boars rarely come down. There is indeed a big problem here."

The captain thought seriously and said: "I will investigate this thoroughly. It must be that someone slacked off during work today and went into the mountains, provoking this thing."

The captain's first target was the newly arrived Educated Youth. Others knew that there were big beasts deep in the mountains and that going in alone was very dangerous, so they usually wouldn't go in easily. Only the newly arrived Educated Youth didn't know anything, wouldn't listen even when told, and were ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth, insisting on going in themselves until they suffered a loss to believe it.

"Mumu, tell me about the situation of your patrol, and which places you haven't patrolled yet."

"Captain, when the incident happened, I had already patrolled many places. The front areas are basically fine; everyone is at their posts. Only the few places in the back haven't been patrolled yet."

She told the captain all the places she hadn't patrolled yet. With the scope narrowed down, the captain immediately determined the direction to start the investigation.

After speaking, he asked the Accountant Xiang Qianjin, who had just run over, to go and check the situation of those plots of land and ask a few casual questions.

Yang Mumu also felt some admiration for the captain; he understood things instantly. It was no wonder he had been re-elected as captain for so long; he truly had some ability.

After giving the instructions, Accountant Xiang Qianjin went to get busy. The captain looked at Yang Mumu and said:

"Alright, let's take the pig back first. For today, leave the work points recording to your Uncle Xiang Qianjin. You just handle the pig and clean up the blood here to avoid attracting other animals from the mountains."

"Alright, I'll listen to the captain."

Yang Mumu, Gu Xingzhou, and the others cleaned up the scene, tied up the pig with vines, and carried it back to the Production Brigade headquarters.

Yang Mumu took the initiative to bring up the issue of pork distribution and asked: "Captain, should this wild boar be handled according to the Production Brigade's rules? I heard the rule is that whoever kills the wild boar has the right to handle it, and they only need to give some meat to the Production Brigade."

"Yes, you are the heroes who eliminated the pest for the Production Brigade. Follow the brigade's rules. You two can allocate some meat to the brigade; how much or how little is up to you two. The lion's share belongs to you two."

The captain said readily. Compared to saving the brigade's grain and protecting the personal safety of the Commune Members, the meat was a small matter. He didn't care much about the meat, nor was he lacking that bit of meat to eat.

And if Yang Mumu and Gu Xingzhou hadn't taken down this pig today, let alone the meat, the Production Brigade's property would have suffered a severe impact, and production matters were a big deal.

Thinking of this, the captain added: "You two just tell me how to distribute it, and I will solve the rest. Leave the work of butchering the pig to me; if any Commune Members are dissatisfied, I will handle them."

Gu Xingzhou and Yang Mumu looked at each other, and he handed the decision-making power to her: "Captain, I will listen to Mumu. We will distribute it however she says."

When the captain arrived, the two had already mentioned the distribution of the meat on the side; their ideas were in agreement.

"Alright." The captain looked at Yang Mumu, waiting for her to speak.

Suddenly, a few people ran over from the side. Among them, a woman shouted miserably while running: "Captain, you must uphold justice for my mother! Captain, Yang Mumu cut off my mother's hair! Look, it's all cut off!"

54: Chapter 54 A Family of Rotten Beggars, Stealing the Show

Li Chunhua ran over with a head of hair that looked like it had been chewed on by a dog. She didn't say a word, just wiped away her tears and cried.

Her daughter did all the talking for her.

Looking at her hair, Yang Mumu knew that this woman had done some DIY work on it after going back. Her own handiwork was actually quite neat—a clean, single cut; a half-princess-cut hairstyle worthy of having.

Whenever the Brigade Leader saw their family, he felt incredibly annoyed. Every Production Brigade always had a few pieces of "rat droppings," and their family was exactly that. You couldn't reason with them; threats, warnings, and punishments were all useless. You couldn't send them to the Police Station either, because, despite being shameless and thick-skinned, they never committed any major crimes.

They slacked off at work but would earn just enough work points to guarantee their basic survival so they wouldn't starve. Their family was dirt poor, and they had a foul reputation, but they didn't care at all. When a person has no shame, they are invincible. They would act like hooligans in the Production Brigade to make a little extra money to improve their lives, and they had actually managed to survive until now this way.

If you tried to discipline them, they would agree readily, but next time they would go right back to acting like hooligans, leaving others to suffer in silence. Threats didn't work either; they were simply a cancer to the brigade.

Everyone in the brigade avoided their family.

Now this family was causing trouble again, and it looked like they had set their sights on Yang Mumu. For a moment, the Brigade Leader thought that this family might have finally kicked a metal plate this time.

Yang Mumu was clearly a capable person with the means and the nerve to go all out; this family probably wouldn't be enough for her to beat up.

The Brigade Leader was somewhat happy. He would have to lend a hand today; it was time to clean up this family and purge the ranks.

Seeing Li Chunhua's hair, he couldn't help but laugh out loud. He composed his expression and said sternly: "What is it again? Can't you just settle down? What kind of trouble are you causing now? Who in the Production Brigade doesn't know about your family's business? Are you trying to act like hooligans and extort someone again?"

Yang Mumu glanced at the Brigade Leader. Since the Brigade Leader had this attitude, she knew how to proceed.

Li Chunhua's daughter, Wang Xiaoxiao, rolled up her sleeves, put her hands on her hips, and argued with the Brigade Leader: "Brigade Leader, how can you be like this? This is clearly the fault of the new Educated Youth, Yang Mumu. Look at my mom's hair—can this be seen in public? Everyone can testify that Yang Mumu did this. She must apologize to my mom today and compensate her. How much good food did it take to grow this hair? Now it's just gone, and all that money has gone down the drain. She must compensate my mom for all the things she ate!"

"That's right, she must compensate us today! Look at my mom; she's been so scared by you all that she's not mentally normal anymore. She's gone a bit silly now, so you also have to pay for my mom's medical expenses."

The person chiming in was the sloppy man standing to Li Chunhua's right: her son, Wang Daqiang. His hair was filthy to the point where it had matted together with dirt, forming thick, greasy strands—it was like having a mop on his head.

Without even getting too close, Yang Mumu could already smell the stench coming from him.

As his eyes lit up and he approached her, ready to grab her hand and act like a hooligan, Yang Mumu kicked him. "Trying to act like a hooligan? I'm reporting you."

Wang Daqiang lay on the ground, rubbing his butt in pain, feeling dazed. He hadn't expected the female Educated Youth across from him to suddenly lift her foot and kick him, let alone kick him away. After realizing what happened, he pointed at Yang Mumu and roared: "You stinking wench, you dare to hit me!"

"Son, are you okay? Son!" An even sloppier middle-aged man, with a thick layer of grime behind his ears and on his neck—Li Chunhua's husband, Wang Zhuangshi—ran over and wailed while grabbing his son.

Seeing his dad arrive, Wang Daqiang made a tearful face, pursed his lips, and pointed at Yang Mumu to complain: "Dad, she hit me."

"Lie down, lie down quickly! Pretend you were beaten up!" Wang Zhuangshi whispered in his son's ear, pressing his son down toward the ground with force.

Wang Daqiang understood in a second. He immediately cooperated, lying down and howling: "Ah, it hurts so much! Dad, I'm not going to make it! I think my tailbone is broken."

Wang Zhuangshi looked at the Brigade Leader with a pained expression and said: "Brigade Leader, look! Educated Youth Yang dares to hit my son right in front of you. He must be severely injured! She must compensate us today—pay for medical treatment and pay for meat to nourish his body. He'll probably have to lie in bed for months and won't be able to get up. I only have this one son! You can't be hurt, my son!"

Wang Xiaoxiao also ran to his side, kneeling and crying out: "Brother, you can't be hurt! You're the second pillar of our family! Our family can't go on without you! Brigade Leader, you have to stand up for us! She cut my mom's hair and now she's beaten my brother. You all saw it with your own eyes; you can testify for me!"

She pointed at the others and said.

He Yuan and Xia Zhizhi, who had just finished work and rushed over, saw the people on the ground and heard what they were saying. They suddenly thought of the fate of those two scoundrels who had tried to extort people on the train.

They stood in the back to watch, feeling reassured, and even looked at the family on the ground with some sympathy.

The last person who tried to extort people like that had ended up paying money and going to jail.

Yang Mumu said quietly behind the Brigade Leader: "Brigade Leader, how about I help you clean up the rat droppings?"

"Sure, feel free," the Brigade Leader nodded in agreement, determined to clean things up.

Yang Mumu blinked, reaching an agreement with the Brigade Leader in private.

She cracked her knuckles, glanced at Gu Xingzhou and Song Yan, and walked to the front. Looking at the clumsy acting of Li Chunhua's family, she asked with a smile: "Is that so? I don't remember hitting anyone. Who are you people, coming here to extort?"

"That's exactly what it is—extortion."

"I only see your family coming to cause trouble and extort people."

Gu Xingzhou picked up the thread, looked at the family making the accusations, and said: "Who knows if your mom cut her own hair? I remember your mom's hair was perfectly fine on her head when she left. Also, just now, I saw your brother acting like a hooligan. What? Now the people acting like hooligans want to extort meat and money? I'm going to report you to the Police Station for being hooligans, clean out the cancer, and have you sent to be shot."

"You, you all..." Wang Xiaoxiao was so angry at being accused in return that she was speechless. "Scoundrels!"

"Heh, who are you calling a scoundrel? Oh! You guys are indeed scoundrels; I see it now." Song Yan nodded with a grin, "I also only see you making unreasonable trouble, attempting to act like hooligans, and maliciously extorting others."

He Yuan quickly chimed in: "I think they have great self-awareness, knowing to admit they are scoundrels. When we were working, I saw this Auntie trying to openly snatch meat. She didn't get it and ran off in a huff. Back then, she had a full head of hair—everyone saw it. In just this short time, it's become chewed up by a dog, and you say Mumu cut it? But Mumu has been with the Brigade Leader the whole time preparing the pork. You are slandering her with empty words!"

Xia Zhizhi nodded excitedly: "It's slander, I saw it clearly."

The other Commune Members who had finished work also couldn't stand this family, and wanting to get on the good side of Yang Mumu, they all nodded in agreement.

That young man, Zhao Weimin, who had called Yang Mumu "Crazy Yang" while at work, saw his eyes light up. The opportunity to curry favor had arrived, so he took the initiative to stand out and accuse this family.

"Li Chunhua, haven't you caused enough trouble? Now you're coming here to slander our brigade's Scorekeeper? I clearly saw Wang Daqiang acting like a hooligan and falling down himself, yet you dare to pin the blame on our Scorekeeper Yang? Get up! You're still lying there trying to extort people? I'm going to the Police Station to report you, and I'm going to report you to the Revolutionary Committee!"

After saying this, Zhao Weimin ran off.

Gu Xingzhou looked at this young man in surprise. Hey, how did someone else pop up and steal his show?

"I'm going to report them too! I saw him acting like a hooligan with my own eyes; I'm a witness!" Seeing that this guy was running so fast—he was about to steal all the spotlight—Gu Xingzhou quickly finished speaking and ran after him.

55: Chapter 55 Rectification

"Hey, you all come back! Get back here, damn it—"

Seeing that no one was listening, Wang Daqiang's expression changed drastically. He scrambled up and launched himself off the ground to grab them.

"Don't go! I didn't harass anyone! I didn't! Stop! Mom, Dad, little sister, hurry up and chase them!"

Wang Zhuangshi, Wang Xiaoxiao, and Li Chunhua were all startled and immediately followed behind to give chase.

"Come back! Come back! Don't go!"

Seeing the whole family rushing off in pursuit, Song Yan immediately charged out to distract them. "Don't forget me! I'm a witness too, and I'm going to report this as well."

Wang Zhuangshi turned around to grab Song Yan, while the others continued to chase Gu Xingzhou and Zhao Weimin.

Yang Mumu ran toward the road, shouting, "I am the victim! My report will be the most effective!"

"No, don't!" Wang Daqiang hurriedly turned back to chase Yang Mumu.

The family was running around in a frenzy, sweating profusely but failing to catch anyone; they were always just a hair's breadth away from grabbing them.

Yang Mumu pretended to slip, slowing down just enough to let Wang Daqiang, who was chasing from behind, grab her hand.

"Ah! Wang Daqiang is harassing me again! Help! Help!"

While Yang Mumu screamed in terror, her hands and feet flailed about as if she were struggling. In reality, her face showed no fear, and she was openly striking Wang Daqiang in the most painful, hidden spots on his body.

Today, she was going to make this family regret their actions; she wanted them to suffer for their greed, to tuck their tails between their legs, and to detour whenever they saw her in the future.

"Ah! Stop! Stop it, I tell you! I wasn't trying to harass you! I wasn't!"

Wang Daqiang jumped around trying to dodge, but he didn't manage to avoid a single blow. He grimaced in pain, howling in agony.

"Ah! Wang Daqiang has harassed me twice! You're not human! Take that for harassing me! Beat the dirty pervert to death!"

Yang Mumu shouted loudly as she struck him; her high-pitched shrieks completely drowned out Wang Daqiang's voice, and he was being completely beaten by her one-sided assault.

Over on Gu Xingzhou's side, he had been accidentally caught by Li Chunhua and Wang Xiaoxiao. The moment they touched his body, Gu Xingzhou collapsed to the ground, rolling around and howling in pain.

"Ah! You're hitting me! Heavens! There is no justice! Li Chunhua, you are an elder with no shame, touching my chest! And Wang Xiaoxiao, as a female comrade, you're bullying a weak Educated Youth like me! Not only did you touch my hand, but you also hit me! Oh, my purity! It hurts so much, I'm going to die!"

"Yo, how could Li Chunhua do that? At her age, she's still touching a young man's chest? That's called what, being..."

He Yuan added, "Auntie, it's called being an elder with no shame."

Aunt Yang nodded, "Right, right, right, an elder with no shame. What a shameless old hag. It's bad enough that they're hooligans who extort people, but the son harasses a female Educated Youth, the daughter gropes a male Educated Youth, and even the old mother wants to take advantage and harass a handsome male Educated Youth! And the daughter even knocked him to the ground and hit him! How shameless! They're all old perverts; they should be taken away and shot!"

"It wasn't me! I didn't! I didn't touch his chest! I didn't!"

For the first time, Li Chunhua experienced the bitterness of being falsely accused. Hearing the word "shot," she panicked, waving her hands repeatedly and stamping her feet as she hurriedly defended herself.

"I didn't touch him either! I didn't hit him! He fell on his own! I didn't hit anyone!" Wang Xiaoxiao also explained in a panic, her face filled with anxiety.

Usually, she was the shameless one who extorted others; she was always the one to fall to the ground first and scream first. She never expected this male Educated Youth to scream first. She only wanted to extort some goods; she didn't want to lose her life because of a report accusing her of harassment.

Thinking of this, Wang Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes, sat down on the ground, and started rolling around and making a scene.

"Heavens! I can't go on living! I can't live anymore! It's one thing for this male Educated Youth to frame me, but you people from the same Production Brigade are also framing me! I can't go on! I'm going to die! I'm going to die! Don't stop me!"

Song Yan rolled his eyes, "Nobody is stopping you! Why don't you actually do it!"

Wang Xiaoxiao glared at him, then moved closer to Gu Xingzhou and screamed desperately, "Educated Youth Gu! When I die, I will come for your soul first! It's all because you framed me that I'm dying! It's all your fault! You will go to hell with me!"

"Oh, heavens! How can there be such a wicked person? You harass me and then curse me to die? I, I..."

Gu Xingzhou stood up, clutching his chest and gasping for air. After stuttering "I, I..." a few times, he collapsed next to Wang Xiaoxiao and convulsed, saying, "You... you caused my attack! You pay with your lives!"

After saying this, his stomach turned, and he vomited all over Wang Xiaoxiao's face and body.

"Ah! What are you doing!" Wang Xiaoxiao screamed as she stood up, reaching out to hit Gu Xingzhou.

Gu Xingzhou vomited again, this time directly onto her head. The vomit flowed down from her head. He seized the opportunity to flail his arms, acting as if he were having a seizure, hitting people. With his other hand, he grabbed Wang Xiaoxiao while convulsing, and foam began to spill from his mouth again.

"Ah! You lunatic! Lunatic! Let go of me! Let go!"

Wang Xiaoxiao had never seen anything like this before. She tried to run but couldn't; her clothes were being tightly clutched by the other person. Every time she reached out to hit him, she ended up being the one hit and grabbed. She didn't manage to hurt him at all. Terrified by his distorted face, crooked mouth, and the foam spilling from his lips, and seeing the filth all over her body, she burst into tears.

"Let go of me! Let go! I was wrong! I won't hit you, I won't scold you! Just let me go! Wuwu~"

The Epilepsy made its official debut in the Production Brigade, terrifying all the Commune Members, who collectively took a step back.

"Let go of my daughter! Let go!" Li Chunhua went to help her daughter, but she ended up covered in vomit herself and was hit several times.

Wang Zhuangshi had just managed to drag Zhao Weimin back. When he looked back and saw his son howling in pain, and his daughter and wife being grabbed by someone having a seizure and covered in vomit, he hurried back, rushing first to help his most important son.

"Ah! Wang Zhuangshi is harassing me too! Heavens! All perverts deserve to die! Beat the dirty pervert to death! Beat the dirty pervert to death!"

As soon as he got close, he was met with a barrage of shouting and a violent beating from the crazed Yang Mumu, who was flailing her fists.

Wang Zhuangshi was in excruciating pain all over. Abandoning his son to save himself, he covered his head and ran away. Seeing his daughter screaming over there, and noticing that the person was just grabbing people and didn't seem to have much fighting power, he went over there to help.

Just as he got close and crouched down to pull someone away, a large arm swung at his face, followed by a heavy kick that landed right on the sensitive part between his pants.

"Ah!" Wang Zhuangshi let out a miserable shriek. His face turned red, his neck veins bulged, and he clutched his crotch, hopping around in agony as if doing a disco dance.

With a pained expression, he hopped over to Gu Xingzhou, raising his foot to retaliate.

Gu Xingzhou convulsed and rolled away, leaving Li Chunhua in his place. Wang Zhuangshi's kick landed squarely on Li Chunhua's face, knocking out her front teeth on the spot.

Li Chunhua covered her swollen mouth, scrambled up, and went to hit Wang Zhuangshi. "Ah! Wang Zhuangshi, what are you doing? How dare you hit me!"

The two began to brawl.

Because of the injury to his crotch, Wang Zhuangshi couldn't fight back and began to beg for mercy.

"Chunhua, it's not my fault! Blame that Educated Youth! It's him! It's all his fault!"

The two stopped fighting and approached Gu Xingzhou again.

At this moment, Song Yan was supporting Gu Xingzhou. Gu Xingzhou wasn't spitting foam anymore; instead, he spat a large mouthful of blood directly forward, hitting all three members of the family.

Xia Zhizhi shrieked in alarm, "Heavens! You didn't just beat and scold Educated Youth Gu until he had an attack, you also beat him until he vomited blood! Oh my god! He has Epilepsy; if he vomits blood, he could die! You'll all be shot! There's no escaping this!"

One of the Commune Members said, "This family is in big trouble now. That Educated Youth is vomiting blood—there's so much blood! You'll have to pay with your lives!"

As soon as the mention of taking a life came up, and seeing the blood continuing to pour from Gu Xingzhou's mouth, the whole family lost their nerve. They all stopped fighting and shook their heads in terror.

"It has nothing to do with us! It's not our fault! We didn't hit him! We didn't!"

The family of four prepared to run away, but the Captain watched them with a cold expression.

He shouted to the surrounding Commune Members, "Catch that family! We must give the two Educated Youths an explanation for what happened today. If someone really dies, we're sending them to the Police Station to face the firing squad."

56: Chapter 56: Terrified, Kneeling on the Ground

He walked up to the four of them, who were shivering and looking ghastly.

Wang Zhuangshi felt like the sky was falling. He never expected that his usual tactics of playing the rascal wouldn't work today, and that things would escalate to this point. If a life were lost, his whole family would be finished.

He collapsed onto the ground and knelt before the Production Brigade Captain, begging for mercy: "Please, no, Captain. We really didn't hit him. We don't know why he suddenly started coughing up blood. Captain, please let us off. We won't ever dare to do this again."

"That's right, we won't dare to again. This whole thing today shouldn't be blamed on us. We're the ones who suffered, Captain!" Li Chunhua mustered up the courage to point at her hair and shouted.

"Is there anything your family wouldn't dare to do? I saw with my own eyes that you hit someone. Not only did you come up here acting like hooligans, but you also tried to extort them. Didn't Wang Daqiang break his tailbone? How is it that he was able to jump eight feet high later, with a back better than people who were standing?"

After speaking to Wang Daqiang, the Production Brigade Captain looked at Li Chunhua and said: "Li Chunhua, you still dare to bring up your hair? It's obvious you cut it yourself with scissors. You're at such an age, yet you don't even know how to wash your hair. It reeks to high heaven—who are you trying to suffocate? How do you have the nerve to use your hair to make a scene? Even if it were cut for you, it would be doing a good deed for the Production Brigade and providing a benefit to the Commune Members. Can your family try to be a little cleaner and have some shame? Haven't you realized that the entire Production Brigade dislikes your family?"

"Today is entirely your family's fault. All you do every day is try to extort people. Now you've caused trouble, haven't you? Everyone in the Production Brigade can testify that you were acting like hooligans. If we send you to the Revolutionary Committee, none of the four of you will escape facing a firing squad."

The Production Brigade Captain spoke viciously. The family of four had not cared much about his earlier words, but the last part terrified them. Thinking about what the others had said earlier, the four of them realized that everyone in the Production Brigade thought the same way as the Captain. If they were sent to the Revolutionary Committee, everyone would surely testify to report them. Panic and fear instantly gripped them, and they knelt, kowtowing and crying for mercy.

Wang Zhuangshi kowtowed until his head made a thumping sound: "Captain, don't send us to the Revolutionary Committee. Don't send us there, please, definitely not. As long as you don't send us to the Revolutionary Committee, we'll do whatever you say. We promise to be honest and obedient from now on."

"Whether I send you there or not isn't up to me. You need to ask the people you bullied. Educated Youth Gu is still lying there, his life or death uncertain. I believe you understand the simple principle that a life must be paid for with a life!"

The hearts of the Wang family of four sank to rock bottom. They cried, each looking more wretched than the last, their faces filled with despair. They didn't even want to defend themselves anymore.

The Production Brigade Captain continued: "And Educated Youth Yang is our Production Brigade's Scorekeeper, a cadre approved by the Commune. You even acted like hooligans towards her. If she wants to pursue this and send you to the Revolutionary Committee, do you think you'll survive? Harassing a cadre and obstructing a cadre's work—with labels like these, where do you think your lives will end up?"

The Production Brigade Captain's words completely stunned the family of four. Being hit with such serious accusations terrified them into a stupor, and they collapsed on the ground, regretting their actions.

"Especially Wang Daqiang and Wang Zhuangshi, who were acting like hooligans. Everyone here is a witness for Educated Youth Yang. You two, think carefully about what your fate will be."

What else could happen? Once they were sent to the Revolutionary Committee, the charges would be confirmed immediately. Perhaps within an hour, they would be facing a firing squad.

Wang Daqiang and Wang Zhuangshi, who had been singled out, were scared to the point of wetting themselves. A pool formed on the ground, and the people around them covered their noses in disgust and backed away.

"What shameless people. Wetting their pants in front of so many people—it's mortifying."

The father and son had no mind to listen to what others were saying; they looked anxiously through the crowd to find Yang Mumu.

When Wang Daqiang saw Yang Mumu, he hurriedly shifted his direction and kowtowed toward her, apologizing and begging for mercy.

"Educated Youth Yang, I'm sorry. It's my fault, it's all my fault. Please show mercy and let me go. I beg you, spare my miserable life. I'll do whatever you want, just don't report me. Please, I beg you. I'll make my mom apologize to you. It was all her, she misled us, that's why we came to extort you. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please let me go!"

While begging, he pulled his mother, Li Chunhua, to his side and pushed her head down so she would kowtow and apologize with him.

Yang Mumu watched them quietly without speaking. There wasn't even an expression on her face; she was exceptionally cold.

"Please let us go. We'll listen to you from now on and will absolutely never do something like this again. Educated Youth Yang, I'm sorry, we know we were wrong. We really know we were wrong!"

Wang Zhuangshi was begging in despair. Seeing that Yang Mumu was unmoved, he had no choice but to slap himself to beg for mercy. As he slapped himself, he looked up and saw that Yang Mumu still had a blank expression on her face—no one was forgiving him, no one cared. He turned, using one hand to slap himself while reaching out with the other to slap the other three members of his family.

Li Xiaoxiao, while being slapped, knelt facing the direction of Gu Xingzhou and apologized: "Educated Youth Gu, I'm sorry. We didn't know you were ill, we didn't know your health was poor. Please forgive us too. You can hit us, woohoo, Educated Youth Gu—"

Gu Xingzhou leaned weakly against Song Yan and said nothing.

After the faces of the family of four had been beaten into swollen pig heads, Yang Mumu spoke leisurely.

"If you want me to forgive you and not report you to the Revolutionary Committee, it's not impossible."

With that one sentence, the family of four saw hope. They stopped crying, shuffled forward on their knees, and looked at Yang Mumu with shining eyes.

As the head of the household, Wang Zhuangshi was the first to kneel forward and raise his hand in a pledge.

"Educated Youth Yang, tell us what to do, we'll listen to you. Whether you want us to work like oxen and horses, or if you want us to pay compensation, we're willing to do it, as long as it doesn't cost us our lives."

Seeing that Gu Xingzhou hadn't expressed his stance, and knowing that her life and her daughter's life depended on Gu Xingzhou, Li Chunhua's mind raced. She hurriedly nodded in agreement: "Yes, yes, yes, Educated Youth Yang, we're willing to do anything. And Educated Youth Gu over there, just say the word. We'll listen to you both. We are very sincere; we truly want to resolve this matter well."

57: Chapter 57 Compensation, Conclusion

"I remember you asking me for money, and asking me to pay your medical expenses. How much was it back then? Right, I remember now, you said you wanted two ten-yuan bills, and pork too, right?"

Yang Mumu looked at Li Chunhua and asked with a smile.

Wang Zhuangshi glared fiercely at Li Chunhua; it was all this woman's fault for running her mouth all day.

He turned his head and smiled ingratiatingly at Yang Mumu: "Educated Youth Yang, it was all her idea. It has nothing to do with me. I was trying to stop her the whole time, not letting her come and do such shameful things, but she insisted. I'm sorry, it's my fault for not keeping her in check."

Yang Mumu chuckled softly. Her eyes darted over and she saw Wang Daqiang looking at his mother with hateful eyes, while Wang Xiaoxiao was also staring at Li Chunhua with eyes full of blame.

"Mom, it's all your fault!"

Li Chunhua received the gazes of her other family members and felt unhappy.

It was clearly the whole family's idea, so why were they pushing all the responsibility onto her now?

She gave a bitter smile, swallowed her grievance, and looked at Yang Mumu while slapping her own mouth: "I was just spouting nonsense. Educated Youth Yang, please don't hold it against me. I apologize, I apologize to you. My mouth was itching, it's all my fault!"

"Is that so? Then I also remember your whole family saying you wanted me to pay money, wanted me to pay for medical and nutritional expenses. Are your mouths also itching?"

Yang Mumu looked at the other three. This family was truly a family; when disaster struck, they all flew in different directions. At this moment, they were actually starting to shift the blame.

"It's itching, it's itching. We were wrong, our mouths deserve to be slapped."

The remaining three also slapped themselves in pain, not daring to hit themselves lightly for fear.

"I don't care if your mouths are itching or not, you need to follow through on what you said."

Yang Mumu's expression was icy, and her voice was chilling.

"Since you've said so much, I won't make things difficult for you. Just pay up, according to what you said. Pay me for medical expenses and mental distress, twenty per person, plus nutritional supplements and meat."

"However, I don't want the meat anymore. I'll fold that into the cost for you, making it thirty yuan per person. There are four of you in the family, so that's one hundred and twenty. Pay it all. Otherwise, I'll go report you immediately for molesting me and beating me."

"Look at how badly I was injured when I resisted. My fingernails are broken, my hands are all red, and my wrists feel like they're about to break. This is enough for you to pay another twenty in medical expenses. It'll take a lot of nutrition for my fingernails to grow back, and healing my hands will cost even more good things. So, let's add another ten for nutritional expenses. That makes one hundred and fifty in total. Not a single cent less. Hand it over."

"This..."

Wang Daqiang looked at her so-called injuries, then aggrievedly touched the injuries on his own body that were throbbing with pain, and was about to cry.

This was clearly left from when she beat him hard, and now she was using it to extort money from him. How could Educated Youth Yang be such a person? She looked like such a pretty girl, but her heart was so wicked.

Wang Daqiang only dared to mutter in his heart; he didn't dare to show a hint of his thoughts.

"And mine. I can also choose to let you off, but you harmed me until I was nearly dead. If you want me not to report you, then you have to pay my medical expenses, nutritional expenses, compensation for missed work, and mental trauma fees. We are all Commune Members of the same Production Brigade, so I won't ask for too much from you. Let's also call it one hundred and fifty."

Although Gu Xingzhou's voice was weak, everyone heard him clearly.

The watching Commune Members were gloating; this family had kicked an iron plate today. They deserved it!

"You, you are robbing us!" Wang Xiaoxiao couldn't hold back, stood up, and cursed angrily.

"Cough, cough—"

Gu Xingzhou coughed violently, gasping for air, and another mouthful of blood spewed out.

"Oh my god, Brother Zhou, are you okay? Please don't die."

Song Yan pointed at Wang Xiaoxiao and cursed: "What are you doing? You scared my Brother Zhou! His illness is easily fatal when startled. If you scare him to death, there will be no room for redemption for you; you'll be facing a firing squad. You still want to beg for mercy? Beg for nothing."

"Wang Xiaoxiao, what exactly are you trying to do?" The Production Brigade Captain roared sternly.

The Captain was worried. He didn't think this Educated Youth Gu was faking it at all; that blood looked too terrifying. If he really died, the impact would be extraordinary, and no one would be able to wash their hands of it.

"It seems your family is unwilling to pay. Then I'll just go report you to the Revolutionary Committee. I tried to show you mercy, but you didn't want it, so forget it!" Yang Mumu turned and started walking away.

"No, Educated Youth Yang, that's not what we meant. We didn't say that. We'll pay, don't go."

Wang Zhuangshi anxiously called out to stop her. Seeing her stop and look over, his hanging heart dropped a centimeter, and he smiled ingratiatingly: "It's Wang Xiaoxiao who is ignorant. I'll discipline her."

He turned his head and glared at Wang Xiaoxiao with a livid face, looking like he wanted to eat her. He swung a huge slap across her face to teach her a lesson.

"What have you done? Do you not want to live? If you don't want to live, the rest of us still do. Or how about we don't pay for you, and send you alone to the Revolutionary Committee, while we pay the money and go home, huh?"

"Dad, no, no, I don't want that. I was wrong, I know I was wrong." Wang Xiaoxiao shook her head, crying, and pulled on Wang Zhuangshi to beg for mercy.

This time she was scared out of her wits, terrified that her family would abandon her and let her face a firing squad alone.

"Apologize."

After Wang Zhuangshi roared at her, he looked at Gu Xingzhou and said humbly: "Educated Youth Gu, I'm sorry. It's Wang Xiaoxiao's fault. It's my failure to discipline her. We'll pay, we'll definitely pay."

Wang Xiaoxiao held her face and apologized frantically to Gu Xingzhou: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's my fault, wuwu, I didn't mean it. One hundred and fifty is not too much, it's not too much. We'll pay, we'll pay!"

"Now his illness is even more serious because of you. Your one hundred and fifty isn't enough anymore. You have to add more for medical expenses." After Song Yan finished speaking, he looked at Gu Xingzhou to ask for his opinion: "Brother Zhou, how much more should we add?"

What? Adding more money? The Wang family's sky collapsed into ruins, and they were as devastated as if they were mourning their parents.

"Cough, cough." Gu Xingzhou coughed twice, looked at the gazes they were casting, and said slowly: "Then let's add another twenty for medical expenses. One hundred and seventy."

Li Chunhua sat on the ground, regretting it so much her intestines were turning green, muttering: "One hundred and fifty, one hundred and seventy..."

At this moment, the Captain stood out and looked at the Wang family, asking: "What do you say? Choose compensation, or choose to go to the Revolutionary Committee? If you don't choose compensation, then we won't dawdle. I'll personally take people to escort you there."

They said they would pay, but it was painful when they actually had to cough up the money.

Where would their family get so much money!

But if they didn't pay, they'd have to pay with their lives.

"Make a decision quickly." The Captain's voice was full of pressure.

Yang Mumu waved her hand: "Captain, forget it. Just send them to the Revolutionary Committee."

"We choose compensation, compensation! We'll pay right now." Wang Zhuangshi shouted anxiously.

Yang Mumu looked over to where the pig butcher was already taking out the pig fat; she needed to wrap things up quickly and go eat wild boar meat.

She looked at them and said: "Fine, then pay. The pig is almost butchered. Don't delay us in distributing meat. Be quick, don't dawdle. If you dawdle again, we'll handle it by sending you to the Revolutionary Committee."

Wang Zhuangshi rummaged through his pockets, looking at them in a dilemma.

"But, I want to pay, but our family's entire fortune combined doesn't add up to this much money. We can't take it out all at once. What should we do, Educated Youth Yang, Educated Youth Gu, Captain?"

Wang Zhuangshi had lost the heart to struggle; he was completely docile. Fearing being misunderstood, he specifically emphasized and explained.

"Really, believe me, I truly want to pay, I want to pay. I'm just asking for a way for our family to pay it off and resolve today's matter."

Seeing that he no longer had the guts, Yang Mumu nodded and wrapped things up according to the plan in her mind.

"That's easy to handle."

58: Chapter 58 A Win-Win Situation

Everyone in the Wang family looked at Yang Mumu, their hearts filled with worry and fear about the unknown.

"Pay as much as you can now, and write an IOU for the rest. You will earn it back by working. Based on ten work points per person per day, that's 30 cents a day per person. For a family of four, that's 1.2 yuan a day. Excluding the winter season, let's count your working time as 270 days a year; your family can earn 324 yuan."

"My 150 and Gu Xingzhou's 170 add up to 320, which leaves 4 yuan remaining. So, one year is enough time. Write the final repayment date on the IOU as this day next year."

"At the end of each year, after calculating the work points, the money your family earns will be transferred directly to pay off our debt. Your family must work hard every day; all four of you must earn 10 work points daily. Otherwise, I will come to your door every single day to collect the debt, and how I collect it will depend on my mood."

Yang Mumu cracked her knuckles, the sound echoing in the hearts of the family of four. The places where they had been beaten seemed to ache even more—a torturous pain.

Wang Daqiang had been beaten the most and was in the most pain. Now, looking at those slender fingers, his whole body seemed to ache.

If this happened every day, he would die!

With a look of agony on his face, Wang Daqiang hurriedly agreed: "Okay, okay, I agree. Educated Youth Yang, I'll listen to you. I will definitely work hard, earn ten work points every day, absolutely earn ten points to pay back the debt. We'll do exactly as you say."

Wang Zhuangshi pondered this. This wouldn't work; they would starve to death.

He looked at Yang Mumu cautiously and made a request:

"Educated Youth Yang, could you give us a bit more time, extend it a little? You see, our family of four needs to eat. If all the work points we earn in a year go to paying off the debt, our family won't have anything to eat; we'll starve to death. At least leave us some food, let us eat just enough to stay alive!"

"Why can't you do the math? The one-year period starts from now. You've already worked for several months before this; don't you have the work points you earned previously to live on? When settling accounts at the end of the year, we'll only deduct the work points you earn in the second half of the year. One year will be up on May 29th next year, and won't the work points you earn in the second half of next year be yours again? Are you brainless?"

Yang Mumu looked at him with disdain.

"Besides, you have money to pay back some now, so it won't even take a year to pay it off. Isn't that thoughtful of me? I've considered everything for you. As long as each of you works hard and earns 10 work points, not only will you not starve, but you'll also be able to pay off the debt. Then we'll be square. We can part on good terms, or if we can't part on good terms, then that's that."

Yang Mumu's voice turned cold. "Now, send someone back to get the money. Don't waste time. Don't make me say it a second time."

As soon as she got angry, the Wang family members opposite her panicked. The other three tugged anxiously at Wang Zhuangshi's clothes.

"Yes, yes, I'm stupid for not thinking of that. I agree, I agree."

Wang Zhuangshi told Li Chunhua to go back and get the money. Li Chunhua covered her swollen, pig-like face and ran back, moving very quickly, not daring to stop for a step.

The Production Brigade leader nodded silently on the side; the more he thought about it, the more he felt that the method Yang Mumu suggested was excellent.

In this way, this family of troublemakers was dealt with, and they would have to work desperately from now on, which meant fewer people causing trouble. It also served as a warning to other Commune Members, stabilizing the Production Brigade completely. It was truly a win-win situation for many. This girl was impressive!

The Production Brigade leader cleared his throat and stepped forward to back her up:

"This is a good method; let's do as Educated Youth Yang said. The Production Brigade will act as a witness and supervise the records. We will tell you regularly how much debt has been paid off each month. At that time, I will also arrange for your family to do work that can earn 10 full work points. As long as you are willing to work and work hard, earning 10 full work points a day won't be a problem, and you will definitely be able to pay off the external debt as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Production Brigade leader."

The remaining three members of the Wang family stood up and nodded obediently to express their thanks.

They didn't dare to have any other thoughts.

The surrounding Commune Members dared not have any bad ideas either, and they all kept today's events in mind.

Many people peeked at Yang Mumu and Gu Xingzhou. These two newly arrived Educated Youth were each more difficult to mess with than the other—one was fierce at fighting and smart, and the other was a sickly weakling.

The few people left in the Production Brigade who still had designs on Yang Mumu were all gone.

Young girls who had a crush on Gu Xingzhou were also scared off by this crazy illness.

Wu Xiuli looked at Gu Xingzhou with even more disdain, mentally removing him from her list of potential marriage candidates.

Someone with such a serious illness was not worthy of her. Any children they had would also be sickly. Bah! It was a waste of her time. Fortunately, she discovered it early; she had to cut her losses in time.

That Song Yan beside him wasn't bad; her primary target could be changed to him.

Wu Xiuli looked at Song Yan, who was supporting Gu Xingzhou, with gleaming eyes; the more she looked, the more satisfied she was.

Song Yan shivered and sneezed.

"Who's cursing me?" Surely something dirty had its eyes on him; he felt a chill in his heart.

He looked around, hugged Gu Xingzhou, and moved closer to Yang Mumu. Suddenly, he felt full of security and was relieved.

On this side, Li Chunhua left quickly and returned just as quickly.

After Yang Mumu, Gu Xingzhou, and the pig butcher finished discussing how to cut the meat, Li Chunhua ran over holding a small cloth bag the size of a palm.

In front of everyone, she reluctantly took the money out of the money bag and handed it to the Production Brigade leader first.

"Production Brigade leader, there is 52 yuan here. This is all the savings we've managed to scrape together over these years. It's all here; I haven't kept a single cent."

As Li Chunhua spoke, tears streamed down her face, and she looked at the money in the Production Brigade leader's hand with heartache.

It was all her own fault. Why had she provoked such jinxes, lunatics, and crazy people? She had encountered them all. Boohoo.

Wang Zhuangshi, Wang Daqiang, and Wang Xiaoxiao also looked at the money with teary eyes.

A Commune Member in the brigade rolled their eyes and scolded: "What are you crying for? What's there to be reluctant about? We are the ones who should be crying. Think about how many good things and how much money you've swindled through deception. Serves you right! You should be treated like this."

They were not surprised at all that this lazy family could produce this much money.

"Alright, those crying stop, and those talking, be quiet."

The Production Brigade leader roared, then divided the money in his hand into two portions.

"I'll divide this 52 yuan into two portions of 26 yuan each, 26 for Yang Mumu and 26 for Gu Xingzhou. After the deduction, the Wang family still owes Yang Mumu 124 yuan and owes Gu Xingzhou 144 yuan. Accountant of the Production Brigade, make a note of this. Bring paper and a pen. The Wang family will write out an IOU. Any Commune Members present who know how to write their names, come up and act as witnesses; write your names in the witness column."

"Good!"

The surrounding Commune Members cheered. Those who had been swindled by the Wang family before were in a great mood. Today, it was like helping them vent their anger. Wicked people are dealt with by wicked people; it felt good.

When Accountant Xiang Qianjin brought the paper and pen over, he whispered something in the Production Brigade leader's ear. The two nodded tacitly and continued with what they were doing.

59: Chapter 59 Punishing Lu Qianyao

The IOU was written up in quadruplicate.

The four members of the Wang family signed their names at the bottom first, and then the captain signed his own name in the witness column.

The Commune Members who had suffered at the hands of the Wang family were even more eager to step forward to sign as witnesses; seeing this family suffer a setback made them excited and happy.

Of course, one's own happiness is doubled when it is built upon the misery of one's enemies.

The captain tidied up the copy kept by the Production Brigade and looked at everyone to make a final announcement.

"Alright, since both sides have reached an agreement, and the two Educated Youth comrades are kind enough not to send your family to eat lead, then your family must strictly carry out the agreement."

"If your family ever does something like this again, affecting our Production Brigade and our Commune Members, your family will no longer be allowed to live in the Production Brigade. You can roll off to another Production Brigade, or I will send you directly to the farm for labor. I mean what I say and do what I say. Everyone, take this as a warning. Do you hear me? Do you understand?"

"Heard, understood."

The four members of the Wang family answered with their heads lowered, followed by the Commune Members shouting the same words.

"Alright, the matter with the Wang family is temporarily concluded for today. Now, let's talk about the wild boar."

Speaking of this, the people below started to get excited, their eyes eagerly looking at the meat being cut on the chopping board over there.

At the very least, they would be able to get a mouthful of soup.

"Before Educated Youth Yang and Educated Youth Gu say how to distribute the meat, I have something to say first."

The captain turned his gaze to Lu Qianyao, who was standing on the side.

"Educated Youth Lu, please step forward."

Lu Qianyao's heart skipped a beat, and he was panicked, but he forced himself to calm down, looked up at the captain, put on a slight smile, and walked in front of the captain.

"Captain, what do you need me for?"

Yang Mumu raised an eyebrow and looked at Lu Qianyao.

It seems the captain has found something out; he found the culprit so quickly.

"Where did you go when you were at work this morning?"

The captain asked in a serious tone.

Lu Qianyao was a bit nervous facing the captain, his fingers clutching the seams of his trousers, his voice not very steady.

"I didn't go anywhere. I... other than working, I only went to the bathroom halfway through, and then went to get a drink of water."

"Did you go to the bathroom deep in the forest? And did you go right in front of the wild boar?"

The captain angrily threw the small strand of thread that Accountant Xiang Qianjin had handed to him in front of Lu Qianyao.

"You tell me you went to the bathroom? This was found on the path where the wild boar passed. Take a good look. Is this the thread from your clothes? You didn't even know to sew your clothes before lying; there's a torn hole on the back hem right there, glaringly obvious, who wouldn't see it?"

Lu Qianyao's heart sank; he tugged at his clothes and reached back to touch the hem of his shirt, and sure enough, he felt a torn hole there.

His breathing suddenly became rapid.

Sigh, I was careless.

Since it had come to this, Lu Qianyao lowered his head and admitted his mistake.

"Captain, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I was just afraid you would scold me, so I hid it. I won't dare to do it again. From now on, I will work seriously when I'm on the job and will never be distracted. I was wrong."

"You still have the nerve to say that? You don't work seriously, you run off to provoke a wild boar, and when it goes crazy, you just run away. Why don't you just fly to the sky? You didn't know to shout to let nearby people know so they could avoid it, or if they were capable, they could help?"

"You ignored the wild boar that ran out; do you know you almost caused a disaster? That wild boar almost hurt Comrade Liu Qingwan. Hurting people or damaging crops are big deals; ten of you wouldn't be enough to pay for it."

Liu Qingwan knew the hidden truth about the wild boar and glared angrily at Lu Qianyao, "Lu Qianyao, I didn't expect you to be this kind of person. I'll remember this."

"I'm sorry, Captain, Qingwan. I didn't know why it turned out like this. I was scared by the wild boar at the time, my mind went blank, and I only thought about saving my life, so I didn't consider so much. I'm sorry, I know I was wrong, I didn't mean to, I am willing to accept punishment."

Lu Qianyao knew that saying anything else at this time would be superfluous; he could only apologize. The most important thing was to bring down the captain's anger.

"Your work points for today will be deducted. Starting tomorrow, Lu Qianyao, you will go carry manure to fertilize the peanut fields in the morning, and in the afternoon, you will pull the plow for land reclamation. You won't get any of today's wild boar meat."

The captain's voice remained angry as he stated the punishment directly, and then he turned his head to add a sentence to Yang Mumu, who was standing beside him.

"From now on, Lu Qianyao's daily work point evaluation criteria will be carried out according to the strictest requirements."

"Okay."

Yang Mumu understood the underlying meaning of the captain's last sentence.

The strictest requirements meant being extremely strict; any little thing could become a reason for him to be deducted points. For example, if the manure poured on each cluster of peanuts wasn't even, deduct points.

Or for example, if the plowed soil was in chunks that were too large, deduct points and make him rework it to break them into smaller pieces within the same day.

The judgment was based on subjective will, entirely up to whatever Yang Mumu said, and then she would carry out the deduction, ensuring it was within the rules while leaving no room for argument.

Lu Qianyao's expression turned ugly after hearing this; there wasn't a shred of good impression left with the captain.

This meant that he would be doing heavy labor in the future, but he would absolutely not be able to get the maximum work points every day; it would all depend on Yang Mumu's judgment.

What should he do?

Building a good relationship with the captain and Yang Mumu was urgent; he didn't want to be sabotaged continuously.

Lu Qianyao composed himself, lowered his head, and agreed, "Captain, I understand, I accept the punishment."

Seeing that he was so sensible, the captain couldn't be bothered to talk to him anymore; the pork was more important now.

"Go stand aside, I'm annoyed just looking at you. If you do this again, it won't be such a light punishment. I'm keeping track of everything you've done."

After saying this, the captain turned his head and changed his expression, putting on a faint smile as he looked at Yang Mumu and Gu Xingzhou.

"Mumu, Xingzhou, let's talk about the meat distribution now. We were interrupted before, and now that everyone is here, since you two killed the pig, you decide how to distribute it."

Gu Xingzhou was standing on the side, supported by Song Yan, and upon hearing the captain's words, he coughed weakly and waved his hand.

"Listen to Mumu."

The main event had arrived; everyone was looking at Yang Mumu expectantly, praying in their hearts that she would distribute more meat to them.

Yang Mumu nodded and stood facing everyone.

"I heard the Production Brigade's rules are that the meat is ours to dispose of as we please, and we only need to give some meat to the Production Brigade as a gesture. Usually, it's just taking some meat to make a pot of meat soup for the whole brigade, and that's it. We were thinking of going with the flow and just distributing a little meat for soup."

Hearing this, the Commune Members of the Production Brigade looked disappointed and stared at the meat on the table with reluctance.

Meat soup was fine too; after all, the meat was killed by others. The key was that the two who got the meat were not to be trifled with: one was a ruthless character who could go crazy at any moment, and the other was a lunatic who could go mad at any time.

The Commune Members were all thinking this in their hearts.

Yang Mumu saw that the suppression was enough; it was time to lift them up.

"But Educated Youth Gu and I just had a little discussion. After interacting with the Commune Members of the Production Brigade today, we found that everyone has been quite good to us. To thank the Commune Members for their welcome and tolerance, we are prepared to take half the pig out to distribute to everyone."

"This pig is big and has a lot of meat. Before you came, we weighed it. After removing the pig hair and offal, the net weight was exactly 300 catties. That means 150 catties of meat will be taken out to distribute to everyone. This meat will be divided equally by the captain, so every household can get a small piece of meat to take home."

60: Chapter 60 Different Situations of Meat Distribution

As Yang Mumu finished speaking, the Commune Members below instantly erupted in excitement. Bright smiles appeared on their faces, and their eyes were filled with enthusiasm. Everyone's favor for Yang Mumu and Gu Xingzhou increased tenfold, and they applauded one after another to express their gratitude.

"Thank you, Scorekeeper Yang. Thank you, Educated Youth Gu."

A Commune Member happily said from below: "These two Educated Youths are really the best. They are so generous, bringing out half a pig just like that. Look, now that we've helped them, we all have meat to eat. From now on, I fully support both of these Educated Youths."

"Me too. I'm a person who knows how to be grateful; I know who's good and who's bad. From now on, whoever in the Production Brigade tries to bully these two Educated Youths is going against me. If anyone refuses to cooperate with Scorekeeper Yang's work in the future, then don't blame me for being impolite—I'll bring my whole family to vent for Scorekeeper Yang."

"And our family too."

With mouths filled with food and hands holding gifts, many Commune Members echoed their agreement.

Yang Mumu waved at everyone: "Alright, I won't say much more. Let's start distributing the meat now. Everyone, line up to collect your share and take it home to cook."

"Alright!"

The Commune Members cheered and trotted over to line up in front of the cutting board to collect their meat.

Every comrade who received meat praised Yang Mumu and Gu Xingzhou, with compliments flowing out freely.

When it was Li Chunhua's family's turn, sporting their swollen, pig-head-like faces, to line up for meat, Yang Mumu didn't give them any.

"Sorry. I'm a petty person. Anyone who has hurt me shouldn't expect to get anything from my hands. I won't give any to you, period. This is only fair to the Commune Members who have helped me."

Gu Xingzhou, sitting on a stool to the side, lifted his eyes to look over and said coldly:

"I feel the same way. I'm even more vengeful. Reaching a reconciliation is one thing, but making me sick with anger and then expecting to eat meat? You can weave a net and go fish in the latrine. There's plenty of meat in there, and plenty of fat, white maggots too."

Li Chunhua's family didn't dare make a peep. They retracted their hands, lowered their heads, and walked away quickly, limping as they slunk back home.

After Li Chunhua left, the next person in line was none other than the Commune Member who had refused to accept Yang Mumu as Scorekeeper that morning: Liu Min.

Yang Mumu looked at him, chuckled softly, and raised an eyebrow slightly. Liu Min was so scared his legs went weak. He clutched the spot where he had been hit that morning and bolted out of the line to stand on the side.

The temptation of meat was still strong, and he held onto a glimmer of hope. From the side, he looked toward Gu Xingzhou in front and asked tentatively: "Educated Youth Gu, my meat, can I...?"

Gu Xingzhou half-lifted his eyelids to glance at him, looking him up and down with disgust in his eyes: "What 'your meat'? You don't have any meat. That's my meat. You bullied an Educated Youth from our Educated Youth Courtyard and still want meat? Bullshit. Get lost, there's no share for you."

"You..." Liu Min was about to retort angrily, but seeing Yang Mumu glance over, his momentum withered. He shrank his head and turned to walk away, muttering: "If you won't give it, then don't. Who cares? Wild boar meat isn't even that good. It tastes terrible."

Auntie Yang didn't hold back and retorted: "Liu Min, you deserve not to get any meat. Just because you can't eat it, you say it's not good? No matter what, it's better than the wheat bran cakes at your house. You'll just have to watch us eat meat. You'd better remember this lesson, or you'll keep watching us eat meat while your family goes back to eat dregs."

"Hahaha!"

The Commune Members behind laughed loudly. Liu Min's elderly father was so angry that he grabbed a shoulder pole and started beating Liu Min from behind.

"I'll teach you to mess around all day! You've ruined our chance at meat! You good-for-nothing, I'll beat you to death, you prodigal son!"

His elderly mother picked up a long-unused yellow chaste tree branch and chased after this middle-aged "filial son," starting a mixed-gender tag-team beating.

"Mom, Dad, I know I was wrong! Stop hitting me! I'm old enough to have children of my own, give me some face... Ah, it hurts! Stop it, my dear parents!"

Liu Min howled in pain as he ran, causing everyone to burst into laughter.

The line continued. With only two people left, it was almost Zhao Weimin's turn. He moved forward with trepidation. Liu Min was just ahead of him, and he wondered if he would suffer the same fate.

He would never dare to badmouth people behind their backs again.

Zhao Weimin regretted his loose tongue while at work. Looking up, he saw Yang Mumu smiling in front, and he didn't even want the meat anymore. When his turn came, he consciously stepped aside to move to the edge.

"Hey, Zhao Weimin, not taking your meat?" Yang Mumu called out, picking up the meat from the cutting board and handing it over. "Hurry up and take it, don't waste time."

Zhao Weimin's eyes lit up instantly. He looked at Yang Mumu excitedly and asked: "Can I get meat too?"

Yang Mumu pushed the meat forward: "Isn't the meat right in front of you? Take it. Thank you for speaking up for me earlier; I remember that. I've always been someone who distinguishes between gratitude and grudges. Whoever is good to me, I will be good to them."

"Thank you, thank you." Zhao Weimin happily took the meat and then sincerely apologized: "Also, Scorekeeper Yang, I'm sorry. I spoke ill of you while at work. I apologize to you."

Yang Mumu knew what he was apologizing for and nodded magnanimously: "Alright, I accept your apology. Work diligently from now on and do a good job."

"Okay, I will. I'll definitely work diligently from now on."

Zhao Weimin happily ran home with the meat. He had to suck up to this Scorekeeper Yang more in the future. She was a really good person, not holding a grudge against him. Following capable people meant having meat to eat, haha.

His outcome was different from Liu Min's. In the future, if anyone said anything bad about Scorekeeper Yang, he would be the first to object.

Seeing the different situations for these people collecting meat, the other Commune Members understood one truth and knew even better how to get along in the future.

Gu Xingzhou watched all of this and silently listed this young man as someone to keep an eye on.

Wu Xiuli was burning with anxiety in the back, her eyes full of worry, her fingers nervously twisting.

None of the people who had provoked Yang Mumu and Gu Xingzhou received any meat. Would she not get any either?

She stepped forward with a nervous heart. Before she could hear Yang Mumu and Gu Xingzhou's voices, she heard the Brigade Captain's words first.

It was no surprise: there was no share for her. The Brigade Captain knew everything about the trouble she had caused in the Educated Youth Courtyard over the two days since she arrived.

The Brigade Captain scolded her severely, gave her a warning, and then waved his hand impatiently.

"Go on, get out of here."

Wu Xiuli tucked her tail between her legs. Gone was the arrogant attitude she had when questioning the grain distribution earlier. She wiped away her tears and left the line with her head down.

At that moment, she suddenly understood that in this Production Brigade, only those with strength and power held the right to speak, and unfortunately, she had offended all of them.

61: Chapter 61 Lu Qianyao, I have a letter for you

Wu Xiuli began to reflect on her own actions.

If she wanted to live peacefully in this Production Brigade, she had to make some changes. Just look at how neither she nor Lu Qianyao had fared well.

Just then, Wu Xiuli retreated to Lu Qianyao's side and glared at him fiercely. Lu Qianyao glared back, and they both looked at each other with disdain.

Yang Mumu glanced at them, then withdrew her gaze to continue distributing the meat.

Once the meat was distributed, everyone thanked her again before happily carrying their portions home to cook.

Yang Mumu and Gu Xingzhou's half of the meat was also cut into strips. Song Yan borrowed a cart to help push it back, while Yang Mumu carried the blood curd that Song Yan had been longing for.

Gu Xingzhou, the "patient," was being looked after by the others in the Educated Youth Courtyard, with Wang Zhijun and Li Jianhua helping him walk back.

As the elder brother of the Educated Youth Courtyard, and having received some of his meat, Wang Zhijun asked with concern: "Xingzhou, you vomited so much blood today, are you sure you don't want to go to the town's health center to get checked out?"

"It's nothing, no major issues." Gu Xingzhou didn't intend to explain. Let them think whatever they wanted; he didn't care.

Song Yan, listening to Wang Zhijun's words from the side, suppressed a laugh and glanced at the water canteen hanging on Gu Xingzhou.

Yang Mumu looked down at the basin in her hands. The blood had just solidified into blood curd. Half an hour ago, it had been fresh, hot blood, and the level of the blood curd was slightly lower than when it had first been collected in the basin.

It was no surprise; the blood Gu Xingzhou had vomited was actually wild boar blood. When Song Yan went to help Gu Xingzhou, he had even helped cover up his little trick.

Xia Zhizhi, carrying her small portion of meat, happily walked over to Yang Mumu.

"Mumu, we've benefited from you and Educated Youth Gu again today. Thank you. I really admire your reaction speed. If I had encountered what happened today, I definitely would have been stunned and just let them push me around."

"Same here. The money in my pocket would probably already be in theirs. You guys are too amazing; I need to learn from you."

He Yuan looked at Yang Mumu with admiration. She liked this friend more and more; this kind of personality and ability to act were exactly what she lacked most.

The other Educated Youth also came over to express their thanks, everyone carrying their meat with joyful expressions on their faces.

"You've thanked us so many times already. No need for thanks; we're all in the same Educated Youth Courtyard. Let's go, let's head back and cook the meat."

Yang Mumu greeted everyone with a smile, and the group happily returned to the courtyard to cook lunch. They were having an extra meal today.

Except for a few individuals, for everyone else, today felt like the New Year. The smell of meat wafted from the rooms, and there were fewer children playing outside; they had all gone home to wait by the stoves.

Yang Mumu and Gu Xingzhou had a lot of meat, so they started to prepare it as well.

The wild boar fat was split half and half between Yang Mumu and Gu Xingzhou, and the two decided to render the oil together.

Gu Xingzhou provided the firewood and was responsible for cutting the fat and fatty meat, while she provided the pot and was responsible for using the spatula to render it.

It was getting late, and it was close to the time to start work, so it eventually turned into Song Yan, He Yuan, and Xia Zhizhi bringing their own rations to join in and cook this lunch together.

They had all set up their own pots and stoves, and five stoves were lined up side-by-side, all lit at the same time.

Yang Mumu and Gu Xingzhou's pots were both used for rendering oil, Xia Zhizhi's pot was used to cook rice for the five of them, He Yuan's pot was used for stir-frying, and Song Yan's pot was used for boiling blood curd and making soup.

The other Educated Youth in the courtyard also grouped up in twos and threes to cook their meals together.

Liu Qingwan was cooking by herself. She carried a bowl of fried meatballs and two bottles of canned fruit over and handed them to Yang Mumu.

"Mumu, thank you for saving my life today. I don't have much to offer as thanks, but these meatballs are ones I just made, and the canned fruit was made from peaches grown in front of my house before I came to the countryside. I hope you don't mind."

Yang Mumu saw the expectant look in her eyes, which also held a hint of nervousness, so she reached out to take the items and smiled at her.

"It looks delicious. Alright, I'll accept it."

A happy smile appeared on Liu Qingwan's cold face.

"If you like it, I'll make more for you next time. I used to work at a cannery, so I know how to make all kinds of canned goods, and I'm even better at cooking various dishes. From now on, I'll make them for you."

She remembered that the book stated the female lead's cooking was exceptional. That dog of a man, Lu Qianyao, had enjoyed quite a lot of blessings in the book, eating the female lead's cooking every day.

Yang Mumu nodded happily: "Sure, I love eating, I'll definitely have a taste when I get the chance."

Gu Xingzhou looked up after hearing that. Why did people always want to steal his job?

He shoveled the twice-cooked pork with garlic sprouts out of the pot in a few strokes. As he carried it to the table, he shouted toward Yang Mumu to grab her attention: "Mumu, the dish is ready, time to eat."

"Coming."

Yang Mumu replied.

Liu Qingwan, being sensible, said first: "Mumu, hurry up and eat. I have to go back to eat too. I'll let you taste other dishes next time."

She was very happy to have befriended Yang Mumu today. Liu Qingwan thought that she had gained from this misfortune; she finally had a friend in the Educated Youth Courtyard.

"Alright, you go ahead. I need to taste those meatballs you made."

Yang Mumu gently shook the plate in her hands as she walked toward the table with the dish. Looking at the fragrant meatballs, she couldn't wait to taste the craft that was said to be on par with the master chefs at the city's State-run Restaurant.

"Hurry, hurry, sit down and let's eat."

Yang Mumu beckoned the others to sit at the table. Today's dishes were exceptionally rich; every single one was meaty, either stir-fried with pure meat or stir-fried with pork cracklings. It smelled incredible.

Gu Xingzhou quietly placed his stir-fried twice-cooked pork and stir-fried cabbage with pork cracklings in front of Yang Mumu, then pretended to be adjusting the spacing of the dishes on the table, moving Liu Qingwan's fried meatballs further back.

In order to serve soup to Yang Mumu, he first ladled the blood curd and meat slice soup into everyone's bowls.

"Come on, have a sip of soup first to moisten your throat."

"Oh my god, it smells so good. Today's meal is too sumptuous. Sister Mu, I toast you with this bowl of soup." Song Yan picked up the soup, ready to dig in.

Yang Mumu pushed her soup forward slightly, "Let's all do one together."

The others quickly picked up their bowls, clinking them together happily, and expressed their gratitude for the day.

"Quick, taste how the stir-fried meat with garlic sprouts I made turned out. These are the tender garlic sprouts that Aunt Yang gave us on the way back."

After setting down his bowl, Gu Xingzhou was quick to pick up the communal chopsticks and serve a portion of the dish to everyone, successfully ensuring that Yang Mumu was the first to eat his cooking.

"Mmh, delicious, delicious. Your cooking always suits my taste perfectly."

Hearing Yang Mumu's words, he felt happy and satisfied.

So what if someone wanted to steal his job? His cooking was the one that best suited Mumu's taste. Through the few times they had eaten together on the train, he knew exactly what dishes and flavors Mumu liked—she preferred strong flavors and spicy food. He had learned Sichuan cuisine, and he always tailored his cooking to Mumu's preferences.

He didn't even mind that Yang Mumu's second bite was Liu Qingwan's meatballs; his position could not be shaken.

However, while he was eating, his eyes still unconsciously drifted over to her.

Yang Mumu took a bite, her eyes lighting up. She lowered her head and took another bite, finishing the meatball in two bites before picking up another one.

She even recommended it to the others: "These meatballs are good too, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. You guys should try them."

Were they really that good?

Gu Xingzhou was now in a competition mode; he picked one up and ate it.

Alright, he had to admit they were indeed delicious.

But he could make them even better; Gu Xingzhou began planning to practice making fried meatballs later.

While they were eating deliciously over here, Wu Xiuli, over there, was eating sweet potato porridge with salted vegetables. Smelling the aroma of pork filling the entire courtyard, she truly couldn't swallow her food. She felt terrible and regretted her actions deeply.

She glared fiercely at Lu Qianyao. She blamed him for a part of her current predicament.

Lu Qianyao, sitting not far away with his bowl of dough drop soup, didn't even want to acknowledge her. He was lost in his own melancholy, contemplating life.

"Is Lu Qianyao here? Lu Qianyao, there is a letter for you."

Looking up, they saw a postman standing at the gate, calling into the Educated Youth Courtyard.

"I'm here."

Lu Qianyao ran over to collect the letter. Seeing the return address and the sender's name, he glanced with surprise at Yang Mumu, who was sitting in the courtyard eating.

62: Chapter 62 Are you even speaking human language?

Lu Qianyao didn't even wait to go back inside his room; he stood in the courtyard and quickly tore open the letter to read it.

The postman hadn't left yet and started calling out again: "Is He Yuan here? There's also a package for you."

"Coming, coming!"

He Yuan put down her chopsticks and hurried over.

Her package was the largest one hanging on the postman's bicycle, and once it was taken down, the comrade postman's bike felt much lighter.

Many people in the Educated Youth Courtyard saw the comrade postman standing there sorting through packages and not leaving yet. Wondering if they might have letters or packages of their own, they all carried their rice bowls and gathered around. Especially the new Educated Youths—not a single one was left behind; they all went over.

The comrade postman nodded with a smile and said: "Yes, yes, yes, come over quickly. This time there are quite a few packages and letters for the Educated Youths in your Educated Youth Courtyard. It's a good thing you went to the post office yesterday to leave a detailed address. The packages just arrived today, and thinking it's inconvenient for you to come to the Commune, I happened to be heading down to the countryside, so I brought them all for you."

"Thank you, comrade postman." He Yuan imitated the method Yang Mumu had used before to build rapport with people and took out two White Rabbit creamy candies to thank the comrade postman.

The postman held the candies in his hand, feeling happy. This person was sensible. "How about this: from now on, whenever I see a package for you, I'll deliver it to you personally so you don't have to make a separate trip to the post office."

"Then thank you so much, comrade!"

He Yuan smiled happily and turned her head to look at Yang Mumu with admiration.

She really needed to learn more from Mumu; this was so effective, it was her first time experiencing it.

Yang Mumu gave her a thumbs up, smiling with a look of gratification.

For some reason, she felt a sense of accomplishment—she had changed the haughty young lady.

Song Yan stepped forward again and asked the comrade postman: "Comrade, is there any letter or package for Song Yan?"

"Song Yan? Yes, yes, yes, there is a large package for you."

The comrade postman handed him a large black package, reached inside to feel around, and pulled out a pack of sausages.

"Hey, my mom saved up meat coupons again and made sausages for me. Sister Mu, I'll boil one right now, let's slice it up and have a taste."

"Alright, I love Auntie's sausages too. I'll make some sausages tomorrow as well; I've already brought back the pig intestines today."

Yang Mumu had already figured out how to handle the meat. It had to be made into cured meat and sausages to keep for a longer time. Once she got the house, she would hang all the meat above the stove to smoke it. Smoked cured meat tasted much better than air-dried meat.

Gu Xingzhou quickly said: "I have seasonings over there. Mumu, let's do it together; I want to make some too."

Wu Xiuli was listening from the side, feeling envious and hungry—her eyes had already landed on the piece of sausage Song Yan had taken to boil.

So Song Yan's family was quite well-off. With so many sausages, how many meat coupons must they have saved up to buy them? To take such good meat and just make it into sausages to send to Song Yan—his family's conditions must be excellent for his parents to be willing to spend money on him.

Song Yan also had a strong physique, and she saw today that he was capable at work. Plus, he didn't have any conflicts with her. In this Educated Youth Courtyard, he turned out to be the most suitable person for her.

Such a partner wouldn't be bad. Hmm, she would set him as the primary target for now and find opportunities to interact with him later.

A lovesick smile appeared on Wu Xiuli's face as she stared fixedly at Song Yan, becoming more satisfied the more she looked.

Yang Mumu turned around and saw the creepy smile on her face. She shuddered, looked away, and moved to the postman's side to ask if there was any mail for her.

"Yang Mumu, yes there is."

Yang Mumu took the letter and looked at it; it was indeed the rental contract for the house sent from the Police Station, along with a letter from the station chief.

Inside was also a money order.

There were 6 households living in her small courtyard, at 3 yuan per month for each household, making it 18 yuan for 6 families.

The house she got from her wicked stepmother had 2 households living in it, at 4.5 yuan per household per month, which was 9 yuan a month.

The small courtyard she got from the scumbag's parents had 5 households, at 3 yuan per household per month, which was 15 yuan a month.

In total, that was 42 yuan per month. Leaving half for the orphanage, Yang Mumu would get 21 yuan. The station chief had collected six months of rent in advance, so the amount written on the money order sent to her was 126 yuan.

Underneath the money order was a thank-you letter written to her by the director of the orphanage.

Yang Mumu opened it to read, and suddenly felt someone standing beside her, blocking her light.

She looked up and saw Lu Qianyao standing beside her, holding a letter and looking at her with excitement.

"You're blocking my light."

Lu Qianyao stepped in front of Yang Mumu and said eagerly: "Mumu, I have something to tell you."

Yang Mumu put away the letter and looked at him: "Speak your mind. And don't call me Mumu; you and I aren't close enough for that."

"Look at this letter." Lu Qianyao hurriedly pointed to the open letter in his hand, his emotions high. "It's a letter Yang Qianqian sent earlier. My mom received it and forwarded it here to me. She told me in the letter that the engagement has been transferred to you. You are now my fiancée; we are an engaged couple!"

"What? Fiancée?"

Gu Xingzhou had just come out after putting away his package when he heard the most crucial three words. His eyes widened, and he cast a cold gaze toward Lu Qianyao, his eyes full of hostility, clearly spelling out three words: Are you worthy?

He carried a stool and sat down where he could clearly hear what was being said, staring fixedly at Lu Qianyao.

He wanted to hear what this was all about. He had never seen anyone claim a fiancée halfway through; why didn't he react when he first came to the countryside?

"Heh!" Yang Mumu laughed. "Are you even speaking like a human?"

63: Chapter 63 Outright Robbery, Seeking Death

"No, what I'm saying is true."

Lu Qianyao grew anxious, pointing urgently at a few lines of text, the letter almost touching Yang Mumu's face.

"Look, it's written clearly right here. She even said she gave you the token of our childhood betrothal. It's that… um, little horse woven from bamboo. She said you really liked that little horse and that it's with you."

A little horse? I'm a big horse then. Trying to secure a wife with a piece of junk little horse, he's got some nerve dreaming like that. Gu Xingzhou silently complained in his heart. The more he looked at Lu Qianyao, the more he disliked him, and he really wanted to punch him.

Yang Mumu, however, began searching through the pile of items stored in her space the moment he mentioned it.

She actually found a palm-sized little horse inside the wooden chest she had collected from the original owner's room. It was woven from thin bamboo strips, and the horse's head was crooked—it was quite ugly.

Based on the memories in her mind, this horse was indeed a gift from Yang Qianqian, who claimed she had made it herself. She said it was her favorite, and now she was giving her favorite little horse to the original owner as a birthday present.

Bullshit! So this thing was a betrothal token; what an eye-opener.

Yang Mumu tossed the little horse from her space into the fireplace in the courtyard within her space and set it on fire.

Back in the Educated Youth Courtyard, Yang Mumu slapped the hand in front of her away.

"Look at what, you asshole? Get lost. Are you brain-damaged or just have a growth on your brain? You can actually say such bullshit about transferring a marriage engagement? Go find whoever you think is your fiancée. A little horse token? I'll slap the earwax right out of you."

Lu Qianyao felt some anger, his hand gripping the letter tightly. Thinking of his situation in the team, Yang Mumu's job in the team, and the punishment the team leader had given him today, he forced down the fire in his heart. His hand holding the letter relaxed slightly, and he looked at Yang Mumu with an expression full of hurt.

"Mumu, you are my fiancée; that is an indisputable fact. Your stepmother agreed, and my parents agreed. Both our families have reached a consensus. Even if you don't admit it, you are still my fiancée."

"Fiancée your grandfather. Can't you understand human language? Get lost."

Yang Mumu slapped Lu Qianyao on the right cheek, knocking his head sideways.

Lu Qianyao kept his head turned, covering his face, forcing himself to endure the anger in his heart. He looked helplessly at Yang Mumu and shouted:

"Mumu…"

Gu Xingzhou, who was sitting on the side, could no longer tolerate it. He stood up and slapped Lu Qianyao hard on the left cheek, balancing it out for him.

"Sigh, why is there a mosquito here? I helped you swat it. That's the good thing about summer coming soon—there are too many mosquitoes. You can hear them buzzing everywhere. It's annoying and disgusting. I believe I can swat it to death with one slap."

Lu Qianyao felt the burning pain on his face and looked at Gu Xingzhou furiously.

"Gu Xingzhou, you!"

"Huh? You want me to help you swat mosquitoes again? Alright then, I'll help you one more time." As he spoke, Gu Xingzhou slapped him again. "Listen, after I helped you swat it, there's no more mosquito sound. You should thank me."

Yang Mumu smiled at him. Well done!

Gu Xingzhou blinked. No big deal!

Lu Qianyao stumbled back two steps, covering his face with both hands, staring at Gu Xingzhou with hatred. This wasn't swatting mosquitoes; this was trying to beat him to death.

He raised his fist and rushed over to hit him.

Just as he was about to get close, Gu Xingzhou clutched his chest, collapsed on the ground in pain, and gasped for air.

"Ouch, I feel so unwell. I… I can't catch my breath."

"Ah, Educated Youth Gu, are you okay!"

Wang Zhijun hurried over to help him up and roared at Lu Qianyao: "Lu Qianyao, don't you know he's a patient? What are you doing? Do you want the team leader to scold you again?"

Having just eaten pork, there was no way they would just stand by and watch trouble being stirred up here, so they all accused Lu Qianyao.

Lu Qianyao had rushed over furiously with his fist raised but swung at nothing. Listening to their words, he clenched his fist and looked at the person on the ground rolling his eyes at him. He was furious, but he didn't dare touch him.

Unable to find a place to vent his anger, he saw a bench nearby and took it out on that, kicking the bench hard to vent his emotions.

With a crash, the bench fell apart.

Gu Xingzhou, who was being supported, saw the state of the bench and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. "Lu Qianyao, I bought this bench for 10 yuan. Pay up."

"Are you robbing me!" Lu Qianyao was furious. This broken bench was going to cost him 10 yuan? It was clearly robbery.

"I bought it for 10 yuan. If you break my things, you have to pay for them." Gu Xingzhou's eyes clearly said, "I am robbing you," as he held his hand out in front of him.

Liu Guilan spoke up: "Educated Youth Lu, how about I go call the team leader to come and help you judge this?"

Lu Qianyao's expression turned ugly. In the current situation, even a fool would know whose side the team leader would take if he came.

"Wait, I'll go get it." He gritted his teeth as he said this, went into the room to take out 10 yuan, and handed it to Gu Xingzhou with a bad attitude. "Is that good enough now?"

Lu Qianyao took a deep breath, turned his head to look at Yang Mumu again, and revealed a slight smile. "Mumu, let's continue…"

Should have hit him harder. Gu Xingzhou stared at his back with malicious eyes and spoke sarcastically:

"You are quite funny. Everywhere you go, you rush to make decisions for others. Now you're even arrogantly claiming a fiancée. You know that's her stepmother; can she make decisions for Mumu? You just open your mouth and want to be Mumu's fiancé? Why don't you look in a mirror and see what kind of ghost you look like?

If you really can't afford a mirror, just take a piss and look at your reflection in that. The puddle will be big enough to fit your face. Take a look at yourself—do you even deserve her?"

Lu Qianyao could no longer tolerate Gu Xingzhou. He couldn't hit him, but surely he could scold him? He scolded back unhappily.

"This is a matter between the two of us; what does it have to do with you? Who asked you to shoot your mouth off?"

Song Yan stood over to help with the verbal sparring: "You know it's your own business, yet you still force others? Someone like you is coveting my Sister Mu? It's impossible even in the next eight hundred lifetimes."

"In this lifetime, she is! This is an unchangeable fact. By the order of parents and the words of the matchmaker, she is a proper, legitimate fiancée." Lu Qianyao puffed out his chest in defiance and argued.

Yang Mumu stood up, a cold smile on her face, and asked him: "Do you know where the stepmother you speak of is now? Do you know where your fiancée Yang Qianqian is?"

"Aren't they in Chengdu?" Lu Qianyao didn't care about those two; he only cared about what was in front of him. "Mumu, our parents said we should get married as soon as possible. I'm thinking we should write a letter to our families, find some time to get married first, and then visit both sets of parents when we get time off later."

"Then I'll be kind enough to tell you. Because they wanted to harm me, because they tried to force a relationship on me and scheme against me, their whole family has now eaten a bullet and gone to hell. If you want to visit her, go down there and find her yourself. As long as you go down there to visit, maybe I'll consider it."

Yang Mumu kicked him, sending him sprawling against the wall of the Educated Youth Courtyard, and then reached out to grab his throat, her voice icy. "Do you want me to see you off? I don't mind sending one more person down."

"Cough, Mu… Mumu…"

Lu Qianyao looked at Yang Mumu with a lovestruck expression.

Courting death.

Yang Mumu's fingers slowly tightened.

64: Chapter 64 Revenge should be taken on the spot

Lu Qianyao felt secure in the knowledge that he had backing; he didn't believe Yang Mumu would actually try to kill him. It was highly likely she was just trying to scare him, definitely wanting to give him a show of force so he would listen to her in the future.

He was very confident that Yang Mumu liked him, because the letter said so—she loved him to death.

A trace of smugness flashed in Lu Qianyao's eyes, but then he felt his breathing becoming obstructed again. He looked into Yang Mumu's eyes and asked: "You... don't you like me... Yang Qianqian said... you especially like me, and every day... you must hold that little horse to fall... asleep. Is that horse now... on the bed in that room...?"

"Is that so? The person you're talking about is Yang Qianqian, who has already gone to hell, not me. I only treat you like this." Yang Mumu gave a ruthless smile and tightened her grip on his neck even more, cutting off his breath.

Lu Qianyao felt as if his lungs were about to explode. His face turned a flushed, liver-colored red, veins bulged, forcing him to open his mouth to gasp for air.

"You... really don't like me?"

"It's obvious. I only like strangling you to death."

The response he received was Yang Mumu's hand tightening further, making him feel increasingly suffocated.

He felt like a dying fish, unable to breathe a single bit of air. The agony of suffocation made him panic completely.

Only at this moment did he truly believe that Yang Mumu did not like him.

She was for real—she really wanted to strangle him!

He understood even more clearly that in her eyes, he was really nothing. No, to be more precise, he had never even been in her eyes at all.

Intense suffocation and pain washed over him. Lu Qianyao was terrified; he was afraid he would truly be strangled to death. His neck felt like it was clamped in a vice, and no matter how he struggled, he couldn't break free.

He reached out with both hands to claw and hit her, but Yang Mumu restrained both his hands with her other hand, and her legs pressed down so firmly that he couldn't move even a little bit.

Lu Qianyao despairingly felt the blood in his body slowing down; he was about to suffocate to death.

He gave up struggling, and a weak, intermittent voice came out as he begged Yang Mumu for mercy: "Please... let... me go. I won't... talk... nonsense... anymore..."

It's easy to invite a god, but hard to send one away. Did he think he could just provoke her and expect her to let him go so easily? Was it really that simple?

"Tell me, why should I let you go? There's no benefit to me. You spread rumors that I like you and am your fiancée, which affects my reputation at all times. It wouldn't be excessive even if I killed you."

Yang Mumu didn't let go of his throat, but she didn't continue to tighten her grip, leaving him a little leeway. She glanced at him sideways with a cold smile.

"Besides, if I just let you go like this, wouldn't I lose face? It would be like letting others dictate what happens, and it wouldn't be fair to the Wang family from before."

Lu Qianyao immediately understood what Yang Mumu meant.

For the sake of his life, he hurriedly said: "I... I apologize... I... will pay... you money. Please... let... let me go!"

"Is that so?" Yang Mumu squeezed hard again.

"Don't, I, I... have money..."

Lu Qianyao remembered that when he went to get money for Gu Xingzhou just now, he had casually shoved the remaining money into his pocket. He immediately signaled towards his right pocket to Yang Mumu.

"In my... pocket, you take it..."

Yang Mumu released one of his hands and signaled with her eyes for him to take it himself.

Lu Qianyao didn't dare to play any tricks. With trembling hands, he urgently reached into his pocket, pulled out the money, and stuffed it all into Yang Mumu's hand, a look of reluctance in his eyes.

It was a total of 62 yuan, the only money he had left from when he came to the countryside.

"Compensating... you. This is my... all... money. It's all... compensation for you. From now on, I... will never dare... to spread... rumors about you again. We have no... relationship."

"Remember today's pain. If I ever hear another word like that from your mouth again, don't blame me for not holding back."

Yang Mumu released his throat, but as she was leaving, she slapped him once before backing away.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

A deep pinch mark was left on Lu Qianyao's neck. He sat on the ground, defeated, clutching his neck and coughing incessantly, his mouth open as he gulped in air.

He looked at Yang Mumu's retreating figure, a trace of hatred flashing deep in his eyes, though it vanished in an instant.

Everyone in the Educated Youth Courtyard was stunned, watching Yang Mumu's dashing retreating figure with admiration and envy.

If only they could be that formidable!

He Yuan and Xia Zhizhi were silently learning, but then they realized they didn't have that kind of fighting prowess and couldn't do the same, so they shook their heads regretfully.

But they could become good sisters and latch onto her.

The two of them happily chased after Yang Mumu.

Liu Qingwan looked at Yang Mumu with admiration.

Yang Mumu reminded her of her own feelings of wanting to take revenge before coming to the countryside. Why did she subconsciously overlook Lu Qianyao and fail to deal with him?

Liu Qingwan turned her head to look at Lu Qianyao, who was sitting against the wall. Her expression was unfriendly; she prepared to put the essence of "revenge on the spot" that she had just learned into practice.

She ran over and, using all her strength, gave him four big slaps.

"This is what you owe me for provoking the wild boar. I'm returning it to you now. You got off easy. If you provoke me again in the future, I won't let you off lightly. Someone like you isn't worthy of anyone in the Educated Youth Courtyard. A toad wanting to eat swan meat—bah, you don't deserve it!"

After hitting and scolding him, the pent-up frustration in Liu Qingwan's heart completely vanished. As expected, whenever something makes you uncomfortable, you should hit back; you shouldn't make things difficult for yourself.

Lu Qianyao lay miserably on the ground, his mind wandering, not knowing what he was thinking.

Once Liu Qingwan left, Wu Xiuli, who also had a grudge against Lu Qianyao, came over. She walked over, gloating and mocking him.

"Bah! Serves you right! How thick-skinned are you to claim Yang Mumu as your fiancée here? Not to mention that someone as formidable as her wouldn't look at you, even I don't think much of you. With that pathetic look of yours, you're not even as good-looking as that sickly Gu Xingzhou. Even if I were to choose him, I wouldn't choose you as a husband. Of course, I don't think much of either of you."

"Then I'm very grateful that you don't think much of me." Gu Xingzhou was happy now and didn't hold it against her; he turned around to help Yang Mumu and the others tidy up the tables, chairs, benches, and the stove.

He took out the ten yuan and leaned in close to Yang Mumu, whispering: "Come on, let's split the money, let's split the money. The ten yuan we just got thanks to you—half each, five yuan."

In front of everyone, he quickly stuffed the money into Yang Mumu's hand.

Yang Mumu took out the money from her bag and looked at him.

"This money is all yours. Let's see how things go this afternoon; I'll discuss something with you then."

Gu Xingzhou waved his hand and darted away. Yang Mumu nodded, put all the money away, and the two of them shared a tacit, secret smile.

Then, Gu Xingzhou seriously took out a large bag of various seasonings and said: "I've brought out the seasonings. I ground them all into powder at home before, so they can be used directly. We still have some time now, so let's marinate the meat; if we leave it until the afternoon, it will go bad."

65: Chapter 65 Partnering to Do Big Things

"Fine, you provide the seasonings, and I'll provide the salt."

Yang Mumu took out a large bag of salt and placed it to the side. The two squatted by the stove, scooping up hot water to wash the meat, then took the meat out to coat it with salt and seasonings.

Song Yan, Xia Zhizhi, He Yuan, and even Liu Qingwan came over to help. It didn't take long before all the meat was prepped and marinating in the basins, just waiting for them to return after work in the afternoon to hang it up.

During the afternoon work shift, when Yang Mumu was patrolling near Gu Xingzhou's area, she lowered her voice as she passed by him and said:

"I found the location of the wild boar den that Lu Qianyao provoked. There are still two boars in that cave. How about we team up and secretly deal with them after work this afternoon? I know someone in the black market who can take the meat. How about we split the money we get fifty-fifty?"

Yang Mumu had also been thinking about checking out the wild boar den; it would be a way to get rid of a pest for the Production Brigade, and they couldn't let the wild boars come down and ruin so much grain in the fields.

She blinked and agreed. Lowering her head, she pretended to write in her notebook with a pen, whispering back:

"Fine, let's go after work. We'll meet at the place where we fought the wild boar today."

The two reached an agreement. Yang Mumu continued walking with her notebook, loudly praising the comrades in that field: "Everyone is doing a great job. I'll go bring over the boiled water; everyone have a drink and take a break before continuing to work hard."

"Alright, thank you, Scorekeeper Yang."

The Commune Members working there responded happily and worked with even more energy.

After work, Yang Mumu finished her tasks, greeted the Captain and Uncle Qianjin, and turned to leave. She avoided the crowd and entered the mountains. Along the way, she took out the basket and wood-cutting knife she had prepared from her space, put them on, and then headed towards the meeting spot.

When she arrived, Gu Xingzhou was already waiting there. Seeing her, he stepped out from behind a tree. He also carried a basket on his back, but hanging by his side was a bow and a quiver of arrows. The arrowheads were actually made of refined iron and were very sharp.

In this era, iron was the most precious commodity. If hunters in the mountains used bows and arrows, they basically used wooden arrowheads they carved themselves, which were very crude in style.

"You know how to shoot a bow?" Yang Mumu asked, touching the bow and arrows he was carrying with some surprise.

It was an old thing, with a bit of a patina, looking like something he used often.

"I do. I learned from my grandfather when I was a kid, and I'm quite accurate. I saw that the Commune I was sent to had many mountains and thought I might need it, so when I came to the countryside, I specifically wrapped this thing in my quilt and carried it over with me."

Gu Xingzhou smiled, patted the arrows at his side, and looked at the forest ahead.

"Look, I can use it today. Let's go, into the mountains."

"Alright."

Yang Mumu gazed inside with a determined expression. She didn't say much, wanting to get it done early and go back to rest before it got completely dark.

Gu Xingzhou led the way, pointing out the terrain as they walked while also picking up dry firewood.

Halfway there, Gu Xingzhou stopped in front and pulled Yang Mumu to his right, protecting her. "Wait, there's a snake!"

Yang Mumu poked her head out to look to the left and happened to see a snake with yellow horizontal and vertical stripes mixed with black spots hanging on a branch ahead. The snake's body was as thick as three fingers.

"Oh, this rat snake is really fat."

Yang Mumu's eyes gleamed, and she swallowed her saliva. Her mind went back to when she was a child in the orphanage, starving with nothing to eat, and she had caught a rat snake in the fields to satisfy her hunger. She had eaten it as roasted snake segments back then, and just rubbing a bit of salt on it had made it taste incredibly delicious—it was the most profound memory of her life.

She missed that taste a little.

"It's fine, I'm not afraid; it's not venomous." Yang Mumu waved her hand at him, her eyes bright as she stared at the snake and moved forward a bit. "I kind of want to eat roasted snake."

The snake felt threatened and slithered away to escape.

"Fine, then we'll eat it. Wait for me a second."

Gu Xingzhou smiled dotingly, pulled out an arrow from his side, and shot it. It was fast, ruthless, and accurate, piercing the snake's seven-inch mark as it tried to flee. The snake struggled a few times and then stopped moving.

When shooting the arrow, he even deliberately adjusted his position to face Yang Mumu at his best-looking forty-five-degree angle.

Yang Mumu was indeed struck by how handsome he looked; she was stunned, her mouth opening as wide as a duck egg. She exclaimed: "My god, you're amazing! This isn't just 'quite accurate,' you are clearly extremely accurate! You're a pro! You can shoot so accurately even when the snake is running—so cool!"

Yang Mumu looked at him with eyes full of admiration. Who would have thought that someone who looked like a vase would do things that had nothing to do with being a vase? It was completely beyond her expectations—so cool. She loved it when good-looking people had this kind of contrasting personality.

This suddenly made Yang Mumu curious about the friend in front of her. She wondered what other skills he had that would amaze her, and she felt a sense of anticipation.

Gu Xingzhou was happy to hear this, and seeing her reaction made him even happier; he revealed a joyful smile.

Very good, keep it up.

He praised himself in his heart, ran over to pick up the snake, and lightly waved it in front of Yang Mumu.

"Thanks for the compliment. The rest isn't important, as long as I hit the target. We have snake segments to roast now—how about we roast them after we deal with the wild boar?"

Gu Xingzhou asked for her opinion.

Yang Mumu looked at the sky and nodded, "Alright, let's keep going. Let's deal with the pig before considering anything else."

Gu Xingzhou put the snake into a cloth bag before placing it into his basket, and the two continued walking.

Yang Mumu saw many medicinal herbs on the ground and felt a bit regretful. It was getting late, so she would just have to find an opportunity to dig them up later.

She took out her notebook and, as she walked, drew the locations of the medicinal herbs in it, using trees as reference points to mark the key spots.

Seeing this, Gu Xingzhou silently helped her remember them in his heart as well.

The two walked very quickly, and before long, they arrived in front of the wild boar den.

Nearby, there was quite a lot of wild boar dung, and there was even a pile of fresh pig excrement on the side of the cave entrance. It could be said that the air near the cave faintly carried the smell of a Pigsty, drifting into their noses with every breath.

Yang Mumu looked at the small cave on the left and the large cave on the right in front of them. Both cave entrances showed traces of wild boars having lived there, and occasionally, she could hear grunting sounds coming from inside.

"We're here, this is it. Inside the large cave is a very large sow, even bigger than the boar from today, probably weighing over three hundred jin. Inside the small cave is a boar, about two hundred jin or so. Getting both pigs out should fetch a good amount of money."

Gu Xingzhou pointed to the two caves and introduced them in a low voice.

"Let's use smoke. We'll take them one by one. Let's deal with the big one first, and then deal with the small one after we finish?" Yang Mumu said while cutting the green cogon grass nearby.

"I'll listen to you. I'll go to the cave entrance to start the fire, and you wait here. Let's aim for a clean kill."

Gu Xingzhou looked at the cave entrance ahead, took out the dry firewood he had brought, and mixed it with the grass Yang Mumu had cut, tying them into bundles. He stopped only after tying several bundles of mixed dry and wet grass.

He carried the bundles of grass and walked toward the cave entrance.

"Be careful."

Yang Mumu whispered a warning, her eyes focused intently on the movement ahead.

Not a few minutes later, there was a big commotion. A black shadow rushed out of the cave wildly. Seeing the size of this massive thing clearly, Yang Mumu's eyes widened.

Heavens, it's not a wild boar!

66: Chapter 66 Things in the Wild Boar's Cave

What came out was a large wild ox.

The size of this wild ox was larger than the two of them, Yang Mumu and Gu Xingzhou, combined.

Yang Mumu didn't have time to think; she grabbed her knife and dashed out, sliding under the ox's neck in a low crouch, and slashed hard at its throat with the knife in her hand.

"Moo—" The wild ox let out a miserable cry and charged madly toward Yang Mumu.

Gu Xingzhou, holding his bow and arrows, nimbly circled to the front of the ox, drew his bow, and quickly fired two arrows, striking the ox squarely in both eyes.

Fresh blood flowed from the ox's eyes, obstructing its vision. Unable to see its target, it rampaged through the woods, crashing into trees repeatedly, which accelerated the blood flow from its neck.

The wild ox clearly didn't have much strength left; its movements slowed significantly, and it looked unsteady, on the verge of collapsing.

"Good chance!" Gu Xingzhou had just spoken when he heard movement from the cave nearby and shouted, "Mumu, let's attack from front and back. We must be quick; there's movement in the wild boar's cave."

"Okay."

Gu Xingzhou rushed forward, stepped onto a tree for leverage, jumped onto the ox's back, pulled out his knife, and slashed hard at the ox's head, splitting it open.

Yang Mumu rushed to the front of the ox's head, cracked her knuckles, gripped the arrows stuck in the ox's eyes, and with a burst of strength, thrust them forward until they were buried to the hilt in the ox's head. Yang Mumu then pushed the knife Gu Xingzhou had slashed in with even deeper.

After waiting two seconds, Gu Xingzhou pulled out both the knife and the arrows Yang Mumu had pushed in, and ox blood sprayed everywhere.

With a "boom," the ox collapsed and gradually stopped breathing.

With the wild ox dealt with, neither of them had time to rest before they heard movement behind them. Turning to look at the wild boar charging out, they exchanged a glance, rushed forward in sync, and followed the method they used that morning to handle wild boars: one grabbed the tail, while the other slit its throat to drain the blood.

That's how pigs are slaughtered—hold them down, slit their throats, and drain the blood; once the blood is drained, the pig is dead.

The wild boar was much smaller than the wild ox, so dealing with it wasn't as strenuous as the ox. Having experience and working in tacit cooperation, they had the two-hundred-catty wild boar dead in less than 10 minutes.

Only then did the two of them dare to stop and catch their breath.

While cleaning up the two pieces of prey at the scene, they chatted.

"Impressive. I didn't expect you to be so strong." Yang Mumu gave him an appreciative thumbs-up.

"You're the one who's truly impressive. When I first met you, I felt you were extraordinary and very capable. But I didn't expect to discover a new side of you every day, all of them so impressive. I've never met a girl like you before; you're very likable." Gu Xingzhou smiled, being direct and speaking his mind to her face.

Hearing him praise her made Yang Mumu happy, and she smiled and shook her head. "Whether I'm likable or not doesn't matter. Other people's opinions are just fleeting clouds; as long as I can live well myself, that's what's most important."

Gu Xingzhou loved her even more. This was exactly how he felt, so he nodded in agreement.

"You're absolutely right. I agree with your point of view. I've also never taken other people's opinions or gazes to heart."

"I can tell. You're also the first person I've met who is so unique. Most of the good-looking men I've met in the past have been pretentious; they wouldn't have such a huge contrast like you do. That Epilepsy act, the way you were willing to go all out, beats ninety-nine percent of people. Haha, that time on the train, I was almost fooled by you." Yang Mumu couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The more they chatted, the happier they became. They felt increasingly compatible, had great rapport, shared many of the same ideas, and their relationship took a step forward.

In Yang Mumu's personal opinion, the two of them had upgraded from ordinary friends who collaborated to cause trouble and make money into good friends who deeply appreciated each other.

Gu Xingzhou was very excited. Take it slow; eventually, they would upgrade from good friends to the next level of a more intimate relationship.

While chatting, they had already tied up the pig and the ox on the ground with hemp rope. The blood had been completely drained, and the blood on the forest floor had been dealt with as well.

Yang Mumu looked at the ox; it was probably over nine hundred catties, with thick fur and large horns.

But she was a bit curious that what was expected to be a pig had turned into an ox.

"Didn't you say there was a large wild boar inside the big cave? How did it turn into a large wild ox? Such a huge one—we've really hit the jackpot this time."

"What I saw before was indeed a large wild boar, but it was eating grass in front of the cave entrance at the time."

Mentioning this made Gu Xingzhou feel a bit strange too. As he recalled what he had seen earlier, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind, and he remembered a detail.

"I remember now. The wild boar I saw had some wounds on its feet, and its tusk seemed to be broken; it looked like it had just come back from a fight."

Yang Mumu walked around the wild boar and pointed at a wound on the ox's belly that looked like it had been gouged by a wild boar's tusk. "It must have fought with this wild ox. The ox came back for revenge at night; look, it still has some bite marks on its body."

Gu Xingzhou took out a flashlight and leaned in to look. Yang Mumu also leaned in to carefully examine the wound. They both agreed that it was definitely a wound caused by a wild boar's teeth. They looked at the big cave simultaneously and said in unison, "Could that pig have died inside the cave?"

Gu Xingzhou shone his flashlight into the cave. "I'll go in and take a look."

Yang Mumu also pulled out a flashlight and shone it toward the other cave. "Then I'll go check the smaller cave to the side."

Gu Xingzhou picked up the two knives from the ground and handed one to Yang Mumu. "Be careful; if anything happens, call out."

"You be careful too."

After saying that, Yang Mumu walked straight into the cave. This cave was small, and the entrance was half-blocked by tree vines hanging down from above, so Yang Mumu could only enter while half-bent over.

The inside of the cave smelled terrible. It was half damp and half dry. The damp part was full of excrement, and it was clear that the dry side was where the wild boar slept; there was even some dried grass spread on the ground there.

She shone her flashlight around and suddenly discovered a few yuan shikai silver dollars under the pile of dried grass. She squatted down to pick them up, and the more she rummaged through the dried grass, the more yuan shikai silver dollars she found.

"Yo, there's treasure in the wild boar's den!"

Yang Mumu excitedly rummaged through the stinky pile of grass, picking up a large handful of yuan shikai silver dollars inside, along with some paper money. It had all been used by the wild boar to line its nest. The paper money was rotten beyond repair and useless, but the yuan shikai silver dollars could still be used. Once cleaned of the dirt and rust, they would be good as new.

She excitedly took out a cloth bag to store them and continued rummaging through the pig's nest. Finally, underneath the highest part of the grass pile, she dug out a broken chest with a missing plank, inside of which were quite a few yuan shikai silver dollars.

"It looks like they fell out of here. To think the wild boar used it as a pillow! Ha, I'm rich!"

Yang Mumu dug further down, her eyes suddenly lighting up as she gazed at the things underneath.

67: Chapter 67 Open the door, open it way too wide!

Yang Mumu grabbed a handful, and with a rough glance, she could see many different kinds of coins inside—a huge variety!

Her eyes widened in shock. This half-broken box was filled with coins. They weren't counted individually; they were measured by weight, looking much like the piles of coins sold at antique markets.

However, this pile before her, both in feel and texture, was clearly the real deal.

Yang Mumu grabbed the coins and flipped through them roughly.

Tianxian Tongbao, Baoning Tongbao, Tiancheng Tongbao—each one worth over a thousand in later generations. Here, there was one, two... a whole pile! It had to be worth tens of thousands at the very least.

This one is a Kaiyuan Tongbao, five yuan.

Just as Yang Mumu was about to set it aside, she suddenly noticed the pattern on it. Her eyes widened, and she quickly brought the coin under the light to examine it closely.

This, this looks like a gilded, engraved Kaiyuan Tongbao! Just one is worth nearly a hundred thousand!

Yang Mumu was getting excited, so she quickly put this one away separately into a newly retrieved coin pouch.

As she dug deeper, she became even more shocked. There were several sets of both the "Great Five Emperors" coins and the "Small Five Emperors" coins.

"What is this? Tai… Taixia Zhenxing."

"Is this the coin that is the earliest in our country to have both the national title and the reign title cast together?"

It was extremely rare, a coin once valued by the collector's market at over 4.6 million.

Yang Mumu's hands were shaking as she held the coin. Just this tiny little coin was worth an entire apartment. It had to be stored separately; she absolutely had to get a box for it to have its own room.

She kept digging and saw another great treasure. "My god, this is a Daqi Tongbao!"

The first type of Southern Tang currency minted by Li Bian, the founding emperor of the Southern Tang. A single coin could fetch millions in later generations!

This one needs a luxury suite; I must give it the proper treatment.

Yang Mumu's face flushed with excitement, and she felt dizzy. She wouldn't even dare to dream of this—coins worth millions, just lying here in a wild boar den, used as bedding. Wild boars really know how to live!

Yang Mumu opened the box containing her bankbook and placed this coin inside first, planning to move it out later after she found Uncle Yang to make a box for it.

She looked at the pile of treasures on the ground and stored everything, coins and boxes alike, into her space to examine later.

After collecting the boxes, Yang Mumu used her flashlight to carefully search every corner of the boar den, tapping on the walls. By now, she couldn't even smell the stench of pig feces; she was in a state of pure euphoria.

Sure enough, she wasn't disappointed. She found more coins, including Great Qing Dragon coins. The biggest surprise was finding a Great Qing "Reversed Dragon" one-yuan pattern coin in a crack between the stones!!

This piece was also a treasure worth two or three million.

Yang Mumu's face was beaming. Whose collection of treasures was this? They were all such good items; she almost missed them.

She was so glad that she had lived in an era with advanced internet, where she loved watching short videos, especially the live streams of a major antique coin appraisal streamer. She had learned quite a bit of knowledge, which kept her from missing these great treasures today.

To borrow a phrase from the streamer, "Authentic, this is so authentic!"

Like she had been injected with adrenaline, Yang Mumu overturned the wild boar den from top to bottom again. She didn't even skip the damp pile of pig feces and urine, using a stick to rake through it.

Seeing that she hadn't come out for a long time, Gu Xingzhou ran in with a flashlight, calling out anxiously, "Mumu, are you alright?"

Yang Mumu was happily digging with her butt in the air, holding two newly unearthed Qianlong Tongbao coins covered in pig feces. She looked at the rushing Gu Xingzhou with a joyous face and held them up for him to see. "Huh? I'm fine. Looking for treasures. Look, big treasures."

Gu Xingzhou stared blankly at the scene before him. From his perspective, in a messy pile of pig feces, a young girl with a little bit of pig feces on her face was poking the pile with a wooden stick in one hand, while holding a lump of pig feces in the other, smiling like a flower as she told him she was "looking for treasures."

Huh? What did she say? Treasure? Isn't that pig feces? Is the pig feces in her hand a treasure? If Mumu says it is, then it is.

"You have pig feces on your face, let me wipe it off for you." Gu Xingzhou's eyes held a helpless yet doting smile. He took out a handkerchief to wipe the pig feces off her face, then spread the handkerchief out.

"Put the 'treasure' in your hand on the handkerchief, I'll hold it for you."

"Hey, don't you disbelieve me, it really is a treasure. Look, what is this?" Yang Mumu saw that he didn't take her seriously, so she wiped the coins on his handkerchief and pointed at the copper coins, saying, "Look, it really is money. From the Qianlong era. And not just any ordinary Qianlong Tongbao—one is a Baoquan large-sized coin, and the other is a Baoquan large-sized mother coin. You shared money with me before, so I'll give these two to you. They will definitely be worth a lot in the future, you keep them."

One was worth about thirty thousand; these two would sell for sixty thousand. They weren't cheap items.

Once cleaned, the appearance of the coins came into clear view for Gu Xingzhou. He shone his flashlight and stared in surprise at what was in his hand. It wasn't just a lump of pig feces; there were actually things wrapped inside the pig feces.

Gu Xingzhou clutched his forehead and laughed, "This place is too dark, my eyes must have deceived me. I thought you were holding a lump of pig feces!"

"I was wondering why you were stunned. Haha, I'm not that gross to play with pig feces. I discovered there were quite a few coins in this cave, so I was specifically digging around here." Yang Mumu lifted the pouch hanging on her body that contained the yuan shikai silver dollar and shook it. "Everything in here is the yuan shikai silver dollar I found in this cave. Come quickly and help me search, and we'll split them later."

She had intentionally not put this bag of coins into her space. Having spent so much time, she needed to take something out as an explanation.

"Alright, I'll help search." Gu Xingzhou nodded with a smile, grabbed a small wooden stick from the boar den, and started digging through the pig feces with her.

In the end, they found four more copper coins. Once they had finished searching and were sure there was nothing left, Yang Mumu pulled Gu Xingzhou out of the treasure-filled boar den.

As soon as they were out, Yang Mumu looked toward his large cave, her feet itching to move that way. "Is there anything on your side? Have you searched it? Why don't we go in and look? Maybe there's something there too."

"The big wild boar did collapse in the cave, and I dragged it out and tied it up over there. I haven't actually searched the cave, let's go take a look."

Gu Xingzhou followed behind Yang Mumu into the cave and searched this side as well. Unfortunately, while this cave was big, it wasn't useful. Besides grass and feces, there was nothing else.

Walking over to the two pigs and one cow, Yang Mumu kept her word and brought out the yuan shikai silver dollar to split, along with the two Kangxi Tongbao, one Yongzheng Tongbao, and one Qianlong Tongbao they had found together in the pile of feces.

Gu Xingzhou waved his hand and refused. "I only want the two you gave me earlier. The rest are all yours."

These two were the first gift Mumu had given him, and he had to keep them well; the rest weren't important. He remembered he still had a big box of yuan shikai silver dollar. If Mumu liked them, he would have to find a chance to go back and get them, and give them all to Mumu.

"Alright, then I won't stand on ceremony." Yang Mumu wouldn't refuse. Since he didn't want them, she would accept them all. She put away the yuan shikai silver dollar and looked at the three pieces of game on the ground.

"Let's start working on these. If we wait any longer, we'll probably attract wild beasts from the mountain."

Gu Xingzhou looked at the green lights glowing ahead, the corners of his mouth curling up: "Mumu, your mouth is blessed. Look, they're here. Let's collect another haul before we go!"

68: Chapter 68 The End of the Work

Yang Mumu looked at the wolves surrounding them in front and behind. There were five gray wolves, all with eyes glowing green, growling at them.

"We must bag this harvest."

She pulled the rolling pin she had drawn from the lucky wheel out of her basket with one hand, and held a firewood chopper in the other.

Gu Xingzhou held his bow and arrows. The two stood back-to-back. He nocked an arrow and said in a low voice:

"Action."

"Mm."

Before the wolves could close in, the two made their move. Gu Xingzhou fired two arrows at once, hitting the mark with both.

Yang Mumu moved both hands in unison. The rolling pin extended; one strike per wolf, and one slash to the throat for each.

The five wolves weren't enough for the two of them to handle; they all fell to the ground.

Yang Mumu took out a handkerchief to wipe her tools, then went to help Gu Xingzhou retrieve his arrows. Once the tools were cleaned and the scene cleared, they tied the five wolves together in a string. Looking at this scene of a great harvest was gratifying.

"Work finished."

Gu Xingzhou shouldered his basket and bow, looking at the pile of prey on the ground, and discussed with Yang Mumu how to get it sold.

"My plan is for us to go through the mountains and transport the goods to the mountain near the entrance of the Production Brigade. I found a hidden cave there. We'll put the meat inside first. I'll take some of the goods to town and bring the buyer back directly so they can transport it away themselves. During this time, you should go back to the Educated Youth Courtyard to rest. If anyone asks, at least you can provide cover. How about it?"

"Alright, let's do that."

Yang Mumu agreed, and the two began to move.

Gu Xingzhou went to push out the handcart he had hidden nearby earlier, and they loaded the ox and the wolves onto it.

As for the two pigs, Yang Mumu used branches and vines to weave something like a large mop; it was very wide at the bottom, with sacks and wild grass tied underneath as padding, and handles tied together at the top. They tied both pigs onto the vine mat, and one could easily pull them away by the handle in front.

Both Gu Xingzhou and Yang Mumu had great strength, and the tools made moving things even easier. Gu Xingzhou pushed the handcart while Yang Mumu pulled the pigs; they even swapped tasks halfway, and both found it quite effortless.

Before long, they arrived at the hidden cave Gu Xingzhou had mentioned.

Yang Mumu discovered that Gu Xingzhou's bicycle was also stored there, and she looked at Gu Xingzhou with even more admiration.

"I didn't expect you to be so thoughtful; you've prepared everything."

"I came to place it while you were registering your work points. I figured we would definitely have a harvest, so I left the bike here first."

While talking, Gu Xingzhou pulled out two sacks, put all five wolves inside, and tied them to the bicycle.

Yang Mumu saw him pull a packet of black pot soot from his bag and smear it across his face. His entire face turned pitch black, and when he spoke, revealing his white teeth, it looked just like that toothpaste commercial.

This disguise was quite interesting.

He pushed the bicycle out of the cave and said to Yang Mumu:

"I'll take this batch of wolves over first. The other items will stay here for now. You head back first and wait for good news from me."

"Alright, go ahead, and stay safe."

Yang Mumu waved and watched his retreating figure. Once he was out of sight, she stored the items inside the cave into her space.

Although the cave was hidden, it was better to be safe than sorry.

After packing everything away, Yang Mumu tidied herself up and returned to the Educated Youth Courtyard to check the situation, as agreed.

The courtyard was very quiet. The veteran Educated Youth were busy washing up and mending clothes, preparing for work tomorrow. The new Educated Youth were exhausted from their first day of work and were lying on their beds, rubbing their legs and hands to relax. Only one or two were wandering outside.

Yang Mumu wasn't worried at all about anyone being suspicious. They had already established their cover: Gu Xingzhou's excuse was going to town to buy things, and Yang Mumu's was that she had too much wild boar meat and not enough firewood to smoke it, so she went into the mountains to collect firewood.

She walked in openly. The load of firewood on her back was substantial; it towered high above her basket, and it was all high-quality firewood like thick, dry branches.

The people in the courtyard saw Yang Mumu returning with a full load of firewood and praised her for being capable. They even asked where she had found so much good firewood. This wood would be useful for the winter; after burning, it would leave charcoal that could be used for heating in the winter.

Yang Mumu casually brushed them off, and whenever they asked for the location, she would just say, "Guess."

The others gave a dry laugh and let their imaginations run wild.

Lu Qianyao came out after washing up, saw Yang Mumu, and covered his neck, avoiding her.

Yang Mumu looked at him and smiled, curling her lips. "It's good that you've learned your lesson. Remember this for the future: don't provoke me. I won't show any mercy."

Lu Qianyao clutched his basin and scurried back to his room.

Song Yan, who was washing clothes, said to Yang Mumu: "Sister, your lunch is being kept warm in the pot. Remember to eat it. Brother Zhou's food is also being kept warm with it. Don't let the fire go out; keep it warm."

"Okay."

Yang Mumu put all the firewood from her back into her own firewood storage area.

After coming back, she simply boiled hot water in the pot on the stove, and while she was at it, she boiled extra for Gu Xingzhou's portion as well.

Taking advantage of this time, Yang Mumu took her lunch box out of the pot and ate her meal.

After a quick wash outside, she went into her room and closed the door. She lit a kerosene lamp in the room and extinguished it a while later, so in everyone else's eyes, she had already gone to sleep.

In reality, she was all prepared, calculating the time, as Gu Xingzhou would be back soon.

At this time, the Educated Youth Courtyard outside had quieted down significantly. No one was wandering outside anymore, and several rooms had turned off their lights to sleep.

She entered her space and controlled it to move out through the crack in the door, leaving the Educated Youth Courtyard.

Upon arriving at the cave, she released all the items. She squatted inside for a while, and Gu Xingzhou rode back. Seeing that she hadn't left, he felt a bit of heartache.

"Why didn't you go back? It's so dark here by yourself."

"I went back once, but I was worried about you. How is it on your end? Has the person arrived?"

Yang Mumu looked at him and asked.

"They're here, over there. Don't worry, they're reliable. I used to go to the Military Unit where my dad was stationed for training. He's a friend I met back then in the Military Unit; it's been many years."

It was hard to tell that Gu Xingzhou was a second-generation military kid; no wonder his combat ability was so high and his sense of strength so impressive. So that was why he had been trained since childhood.

However, while Gu Xingzhou said they were reliable, he pulled out the pot soot again and handed it to Yang Mumu.

"There are many people and many opinions; it's best if you smear some on."

"Okay."

Yang Mumu grabbed a handful of pot soot and smeared it messily across her face. Only after her face was evenly covered so that she was unrecognizable did Gu Xingzhou nod with relief.

"It's evened out. Let's move the goods over."

Five people came from the other side. The leader was a big guy with bulging muscles named Liu Feng, known as Brother Feng. This was the friend Gu Xingzhou had known before.

After Gu Xingzhou dropped the items on the ground, the people from the other side took over.

They weighed the goods and calculated the payment, getting busy.

No one asked any extra questions or said a single extra word; they kept their heads down and did their own work.

The big wild boar was 330 jin, the small one was 250 jin, and the wild ox was indeed close to a thousand jin, weighing 958 jin.

Gu Xingzhou and Yang Mumu discussed the price with Liu Feng on the side; the prices in the black market were quite high.

In the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, pork required meat coupons, and prices varied depending on the cut, ranging from 0.4 to 0.7 yuan per jin, while beef sold for over 0.75 yuan.

In the black market, pork without meat coupons sold for 1.3 to 1.7-1.8 yuan, and beef sold for over 2 yuan per jin.

Considering these prices, and the fact that the pigs and ox hadn't been gutted or dehaired,

in the end, both sides settled on a price of 0.9 yuan per jin for a whole pig, including hair.

The whole wild ox was also priced without deboning or dehairing, at 1.4 yuan per jin.

69: Chapter 69 Creating Opportunities

The five wolves that Gu Xingzhou brought along initially weighed a total of 295 jin, and the price was decent.

Although wolf meat wasn't a mainstream meat, it was nourishing and rarely seen on the market, so the price was acceptable.

Brother Feng offered them six mao per jin.

Yang Mumu agreed after hearing this.

Once all the prices were settled, Liu Feng took out the money on the spot, readily started making the payment, and read out each item one by one for them.

"The pigs total 580 jin, at nine mao per jin, which comes to 522 yuan."

As he read out each item, Liu Feng began counting the money for that transaction right in front of them, and after counting it, he handed it to Gu Xingzhou.

"522, all right, you can count it again yourselves."

Gu Xingzhou handed the money to Yang Mumu.

Yang Mumu loved counting money, and she was fast at it, which helped her distinguish real from fake.

She didn't stand on ceremony and started counting the money immediately.

After counting it in a few moments, she nodded at them.

"It's correct."

The person keeping accounts for Brother Feng picked up the notebook again to check the next item.

"The cow totals 958 jin, at one yuan and four mao per jin, for a total of 1341.2 yuan."

This was a large amount, but Brother Feng had come well-prepared after receiving the news from Gu Xingzhou.

As one of the top figures in the entire county, his pockets were certainly not short of this payment.

After counting the money, this time he handed it directly to Yang Mumu.

Holding one hundred and thirty-four ten-yuan bills in her hand felt substantial, a solid stack of cash.

Yang Mumu finished counting in less than a minute, and only after tucking it into her pocket did she smile and nod at them.

"The wolves total 295 jin, at six mao per jin, that's 177 yuan. The total for this time is 2040.2 yuan."

After Brother Feng handed the final 177 yuan to Yang Mumu, he looked at the two of them and said with a smile, "If you have anything else in the future, come to me. The price will definitely be the highest, and I won't delay payment. It's always goods delivered and payment made on the spot."

"Brother Feng, rest assured. We're like brothers, so there's no need to stand on ceremony. If we have anything good, you'll be the first person we think of. I don't trust anyone else, only you, Brother Feng. I know your character, and I trust you completely."

Gu Xingzhou nodded, speaking polite pleasantries, but his eyes revealed sincerity, which made Liu Feng very happy.

"Haha, good. I'll be off with the goods. These things need to be processed as soon as possible. We'll meet again next time you come to town."

"All right, take care, Brother Feng."

Gu Xingzhou waved his hand, and Yang Mumu, acting like a tool, nodded and waved along.

She only withdrew her gaze after watching them load everything onto the cart and leave.

"Come, come, come, let's split the money. 1020.1 yuan each! Heavens, no wonder they say hunters are the richest people in every Production Brigade. Relying on the mountains to eat off the mountains really is profitable. Haha, we're rich!"

Yang Mumu excitedly took out all the money and counted out half to hand to Gu Xingzhou.

"Let's partner up more often in the future, and go up the mountain to hunt whenever we have time."

That cow was truly amazing; one cow earned enough money to buy a job position.

If they could get a few more, just thinking about it was exciting.

Yang Mumu looked at Gu Xingzhou and said, "We must go up the mountain more often. We can't waste our abilities. Most importantly, what we're doing is also considered eliminating pests. With fewer of those big beasts, the Production Brigade will be much safer come winter and early spring."

It wasn't just Yang Mumu who was excited; Gu Xingzhou was too.

The money didn't matter; what mattered was this person.

"Good!"

Gu Xingzhou nodded readily, his lips curled high.

He couldn't have asked for more.

This way, he could have more time alone with Mumu to cultivate their relationship.

With time, wouldn't their feelings for each other slowly develop?

The more he thought about it, the happier he became, his mouth curling up like a pout.

"Mumu, let's set a time. How about tomorrow?"

Although Yang Mumu was very tempted, she still had some reason left.

"That's a bit too soon. Tomorrow won't work. If we return so late every day, it's easy for people at the Educated Youth Courtyard to overthink things. Plus, it's busy farming season recently. How about this: let's wait until the busy farming season is over before going again?"

"We can see when to go later, especially after wintering begins; there will be plenty of time then. I've also heard that the brigade organizes Hunting trips into the mountains. When the brigade isn't going, we can go on our own."

"All right."

Gu Xingzhou wasn't discouraged and agreed readily.

The time spent together while Hunting hadn't met his imagined expectations, but that didn't stop him from thinking of new ways to spend time together.

As long as he wanted to, he could find ways to squeeze in time to build rapport and cultivate their relationship.

He immediately thought of the Swimming manual he had finished writing but hadn't given to Mumu yet.

Hey, they had agreed to teach them the theoretical knowledge, so why not start now?

Spending time in a group was still spending time together; as long as he had the heart, sparks would eventually fly.

"By the way, Mumu, that Swimming manual is finished. I'll give it to you tomorrow morning. We can start learning in our spare time from tomorrow. We can also let Song Yan and the others copy the manual."

"Really?"

Hearing this, Yang Mumu became even more excited.

For the past two days, she had been busy settling her affairs at the brigade, and the Swimming matter hadn't been implemented.

Now, it was finally on the right track to start learning this life-saving skill.

"Thank you so much. You're so kind. Even though you've been so busy these past few days since arriving here, you still remembered to help me write the study manual. Thank you so much."

While grateful, Yang Mumu was also moved.

This person was truly sincere and really took her matters to heart.

"All right, we'll do as you say. I'll tell them the good news tomorrow morning, let them copy the manual first, and once it's copied, we'll start learning together."

Thinking about going into the water to catch fish, Yang Mumu looked forward to learning to swim even more.

"You're welcome. As long as I can help you, it's good."

Gu Xingzhou saw the gratitude in her eyes and felt wonderful inside, secretly encouraging himself in his heart.

Keep it up, Gu Xingzhou. Your future wife is right in front of you. Go for it!

When the two of them walked quickly to the back hill of the Educated Youth Courtyard, they stopped.

To avoid suspicion and to keep up the excuse for going out, Gu Xingzhou let Yang Mumu go back first, while he waited there for half an hour before returning.

"All right, I'll head back first. I've already boiled the hot water, and Song Yan helped you heat the meal in the pot. Later, you can come directly to my door and take it off the stove. After you're done, please help me bring the stove into your room and give it to me tomorrow morning."

"Hmm, go ahead. Be careful."

After Yang Mumu finished giving him instructions, she left first, feeling reassured.

Returning to the Educated Youth Courtyard, she followed the same steps as when she left, using the space to enter the courtyard and slip into her room.

After entering the room, she didn't leave the space again.

She first went to the kitchen in the space to boil water for a bath, changed her clothes, and then returned to the kang to sleep.

Shortly after coming out, she heard the sound of Gu Xingzhou picking up the pot at the door.

Feeling relieved, she closed her eyes and began to sleep.

The next morning at work, while recording work points, Yang Mumu took the opportunity to ask Aunt Yang about which young girl in the brigade knew how to swim.

"Mumu, you've asked the right person. My daughter knows how. Her name is Xiang Yang, and she's had excellent Swimming skills since she was a child. She often swims in the sea. My daughter is currently in the second year of junior high at the Commune middle school and is living on campus. She'll be back for summer vacation in a few days. I'll have my daughter teach you then."

"Good, good, good. Aunt Yang, you are the best Auntie I've met since I came to the countryside. Thank you, Auntie."

Yang Mumu thanked her affectionately, "If there's anything I can help Xiang Yang with when she's back, just let me know."

Aunt Yang was smart and knew that it would be good for her daughter to be on good terms with the young Educated Youth in front of her, so she smiled and replied: "Haha, then I'll thank you on her behalf first. It's good for you young girls to play together more. She'll be bored when she comes back for vacation. I don't expect her to earn work points; whenever you have time, she can teach you. My daughter is a very lively girl, and you two will definitely get along."

"All right, thank you, Aunt Yang."

After saying this, Yang Mumu gave a light cough and immediately became serious.

She took out her notebook and said while recording: "I've seen the work you've done; it's been completed very well. The work assigned for the morning has all been finished. Cutting wheat is worth eight work points a day in total, and I've already recorded it for you—4 points for the morning."

After finishing recording here, Yang Mumu nodded at them, took her notebook, and walked to the next person, preparing to check on Lu Qianyao's work situation.

Yesterday, the team leader specifically said to keep an eye on him while he worked and to be strict.

Aunt Yang watched her retreating back happily.

It really hadn't been a waste to dote on this child.

Time to finish work and go home to cook!

Aunt Chuntao, who was paired with Aunt Yang, was also happy.

They were the first to be recorded, so they could go home early today without worrying about work points.

She liked Yang Mumu even more in her heart.

The two aunts happily packed up their things and left low-key, very sensibly.

Meanwhile, Yang Mumu had already arrived at Lu Qianyao's side to inspect his work.

70: Chapter 70 gives a reward

Gu Xingzhou was out reclaiming land, digging away. It was almost time to knock off for lunch, but he hadn't finished the tasks assigned for the morning; there was still over a fen of land left to clear.

There was no need for Yang Mumu to be strict; he wasn't doing the work well on his own. The Production Brigade leader walked over, saw his progress, and walked over with a deeply furrowed brow.

"Lu Qianyao, you need to adapt to the work as soon as possible. If everyone slacked off like you, how would we grow any crops? Hurry it up."

Lu Qianyao didn't look unhappy after being scolded. He nodded, bowed, and replied with a smile, "Production Brigade leader, I will adapt as soon as possible. Today is my first day digging, so it's inevitable that it's not quite right and I haven't mastered the technique yet, which makes my movements much slower. Rest assured, I will continue to work hard and will definitely get better at it."

He decided to change his current situation first. As for Yang Mumu, he didn't believe that once he became better and wealthier, Yang Mumu, who loved money, wouldn't come crawling back to him.

How to become wealthy? First, he dreamed last night that there was treasure somewhere in the sea; he needed to learn Swimming and find a chance to check it out. Second, his face was decent enough; once his reputation improved, he believed that he...

The Production Brigade leader didn't know his true thoughts; seeing his cheerful and cooperative attitude, the leader's own attitude softened a bit.

"According to the rules, you can either finish the work yourself, or you can leave when the time is up but lose points. There are five minutes left until work ends; you choose."

Lu Qianyao pointed to the undug land and said, "Production Brigade leader, I will finish digging this land before leaving. It's my own fault for not doing the work well, and I should finish the tasks I was assigned this morning before I go back."

"Scorekeeper Yang, please come back to check and record the points when you come to work this afternoon. I will definitely have it done by then." Lu Qianyao spoke to her with a fawning smile, as if nothing had ever happened between them.

Yang Mumu raised an eyebrow in surprise. Interesting. Lu Qianyao was indeed worthy of being the male lead; even after his brain broke, he could still turn things around. Having discovered that being forceful didn't work, he was now resorting to soft tactics.

She had to admit, this was a good move; the Production Brigade leader responded better to soft tactics than hard ones.

Look at the Production Brigade leader—his expression had shifted from stern to softer, and a faint smile even hung on the corners of his mouth.

Zhao Xiangdong's expression had indeed softened quite a bit. As long as the other party had a good attitude, admitted their mistakes quickly, worked actively, and was good for the Production Brigade, he was quite tolerant and wouldn't make things too difficult.

His attitude softened, and he patted his shoulder, saying:

"That's the right way to think. In the future, when you do things, you must consider the Production Brigade more. You are now an Educated Youth in our Production Brigade; if something goes wrong with the Production Brigade, you won't benefit either. You must keep past events in mind and ensure they never happen again. As long as you are dedicated to contributing to our Production Brigade, no one will make things difficult for you. Alright, you may continue working."

"Mumu, make a note of this. Come check when you come to work in the afternoon. Let's go; let's go see how the Wang family is doing."

"Alright, Production Brigade leader."

Zhao Xiangdong walked forward with his hands behind his back.

Yang Mumu took a glance. Lu Qianyao nodded at her with a smile and had already lowered his head, earnestly starting to work. There wasn't a single complaint, and he looked much more honest.

Was he planning to turn around his image in the Production Brigade? Whatever he was planning to do, as long as he didn't come to provoke her, it was fine. She would cross that bridge when she came to it.

Yang Mumu shrugged and followed the Production Brigade leader to check on the place where the four members of the Wang family were working.

Upon arriving, Yang Mumu and the Production Brigade leader didn't go over. They stood far away to observe what it was like when no one was supervising.

The result didn't disappoint them; they saw a different side of the four members of the Wang family, having bid farewell to their lazy, slacking ways, or the times they would simply skip work.

Now, the whole family was working diligently. Each one was more active than the next, and their movements were quick. They were running to dump stones and mud, and the water reservoir was already more than half dug.

"Wang Daqiang, run faster! Bring the basket over quickly! I don't want that lunatic Yang to come knocking because we didn't earn enough ten work points. I don't want to be beaten up every day. That lunatic hits hard and painfully; she says what she means and does what she says. It hurt me to death, hurry up!"

Li Chunhua dug energetically while urging her son on.

"Coming, coming!" Wang Daqiang, having suffered deeply and knowing the pain best, shuddered, ran faster, and increased the speed of his work.

Hearing Li Chunhua's words, Wang Zhuangshi and Wang Xiaoxiao also put in extra effort. The whole family had been scared witless by Yang Mumu and didn't want to be beaten up that evening.

The original two or three-day deadline now looked like it could be finished in a day and a half. Everyone was working hard to pay off their debt and ensure they could eat, terrified of wasting even a moment; if they didn't earn those 10 work points, the whole family would suffer.

The Production Brigade leader watched the scene before him, nodding with satisfaction and smiling, then turned to look at Yang Mumu to praise her.

"Mumu, you really are something. I've never seen this family like this before. In the past, they feared nothing, were useless at everything, and were number one at acting shamelessly and making a scene. Heh, I never expected that nowadays they could keep up with the 'Model Workers' of the Production Brigade. Your method is great; I must give you a reward!"

"Production Brigade leader, this is all my duty. I am also very happy to be able to help them turn over a new leaf and make the Production Brigade better and better. This is the very meaning of coming to the countryside for development. Besides, the reason this succeeded is entirely thanks to your wisdom, Production Brigade leader. Without your help, this wouldn't have been possible."

Yang Mumu spoke modestly and took the opportunity to compliment the Production Brigade leader. The leader listened happily, in a great mood, and decided in his heart to give her an extra reward.

71: Chapter 71 Never expect to get along amicably in this lifetime

A promise of a reward was as good as done. As soon as the captain finished speaking, he took Yang Mumu back to the Production Brigade. He took out a new enamel mug as big as a face from the storeroom, along with two new towels, and handed them to Yang Mumu.

"Mumu, this is your reward. Take it. I've never seen a child as smart and capable as you. Not only did you help the Production Brigade deal with a tricky troublemaker and protect the safety of the Production Brigade, but you also managed to get the hang of the work in just two days on the job, doing it properly without a single mistake. This is a reward you deserve."

"Thank you for your affirmation, Captain. I will definitely continue to work hard." Yang Mumu happily accepted this affirmation. "Captain, I'll go and register now."

"Go ahead."

Watching Yang Mumu's retreating figure, the captain felt that he was truly wise; he had chosen this Scorekeeper well.

When work ended in the afternoon, Yang Mumu finished registering and packed up her things to return to the Educated Youth Courtyard, preparing to go back and learn Swimming theory from Gu Xingzhou. However, she hadn't walked very far when she saw Lu Qianyao walking sneakily toward the right on his own.

What was he going to do?

Yang Mumu was a bit curious. Seeing the person in front look over, she took a quick step and hid behind a tree to the side.

Still looking around? Yang Mumu prepared to follow him to see what he was up to.

Following him led all the way to the seaside, a rather remote place. There were many reefs here, and the waves were slightly larger than in other places.

Yang Mumu recalled the content of the book. There didn't seem to be a similar plot, or perhaps she had skipped over it when reading?

Yang Mumu looked at Lu Qianyao. He was standing on a reef, looking around, jumping from one reef to another, seemingly searching for something.

Suddenly, he stood on a huge reef and looked at the sea below. The sea level was three or four meters below the reef he was standing on, and a small reef was exposed on the surface of the sea. The exposed reef was in the shape of a moon.

Upon seeing that reef, Lu Qianyao's face showed joy, and his emotions were somewhat agitated.

"It's really there! That dream must be true; there's definitely a treasure."

Yang Mumu was some distance away from him, and with the loud sound of waves crashing against the reefs, she couldn't hear what he was saying. But seeing the movement of his lips and the shift in his emotions, she roughly guessed that there was something down there.

Yang Mumu looked at the reef in the sea, deep in thought. What could it be? It was a pity that she didn't know how to swim, otherwise, she could go down and take a look.

She still needed to learn how to swim early. When she needed to use it but couldn't act, it was too frustrating!

She kept her gaze on Lu Qianyao. Lu Qianyao didn't move either; he just looked at that stone happily for a while, then left reluctantly. He would take a few steps and turn back to look a few times, until he couldn't see the reef on the sea anymore before he stopped turning back. He left the seaside and walked toward the Educated Youth Courtyard.

Could it be that Lu Qianyao didn't know how to swim either? What exactly was down there?

After thinking about it, Yang Mumu also hurried back to the Educated Youth Courtyard.

When she arrived at the Educated Youth Courtyard, Gu Xingzhou was waving and calling to her in the courtyard.

Standing beside him were Song Yan, Xia Zhizhi, and He Yuan. In front of them, basins had already been placed, and next to them were the small stoves they used for cooking.

"Mumu, come over quickly. We're going to learn about Swimming-related knowledge while cooking."

"Coming, wait for me."

Yang Mumu hurriedly ran back to her room, moved her stove out, borrowed the fire from their stove to steam her rice, and she also took out a basin filled with water to prepare.

"Take out the booklets. I'll lecture while you look at the booklets. The most important thing about Swimming is to be bold; don't be afraid, don't panic..."

Gu Xingzhou, the only comrade who knew how to swim, happily began his teaching journey. Yang Mumu and the other companions listened intently.

After hearing the teaching over here, Liu Qingwan also wanted to learn. Seeing everyone learning while cooking, she also quickly went to move her stove into the courtyard to cook, taking the opportunity to sit in on the class.

Seeing that they all had study booklets in their hands, Liu Qingwan, for the sake of the booklets and in order to continue following them to learn, took out Dragon Beard Candy to share with them and requested to join.

Thus, Liu Qingwan borrowed the notes in Yang Mumu's hand, obtained Gu Xingzhou's consent, and moved her stove into their row, joining their study group.

"Learning to swim requires..."

Lu Qianyao, carrying the leftover sweet potato porridge from noon that he had just heated up, came out of the kitchen and just happened to hear the words "learning to swim." He glanced over there.

Yang Mumu was sitting opposite the big kitchen. After seeing him, she subconsciously paid attention to him.

Seeing him carrying the bowl and walking closer and closer to their location, his eating speed slowed down significantly. He found a spot that was neither too close nor too far, just close enough to hear clearly, squatted down, and slowly shoveled rice into his mouth. He didn't make a sound while drinking porridge, clearly listening carefully to their conversation.

It was confirmed: Lu Qianyao didn't know how to swim but really wanted to learn. There must be something he really wanted to get under that stretch of water.

Yang Mumu suddenly had an urge to learn before he did, so she could go down and see what was going on.

When their rice was cooked, Gu Xingzhou stopped lecturing and let everyone stir-fry a dish in the middle, then continue after eating.

Meanwhile, Lu Qianyao put down his empty bowl, walked over to find Gu Xingzhou, and said very humbly: "Xingzhou, can you let me see the Swimming booklet you wrote?"

Gu Xingzhou looked him up and down. "You? No. I won't even mention you eavesdropping on my lecture from the side, and you still want the booklet I wrote? Dream on."

"I'll give you canned meat too." In order to learn how to swim, Lu Qianyao suppressed his anger and put on a kind and friendly smile to apologize. "And I apologize for my bad attitude toward you before. I hope you won't hold it against me. I was just brain-dead at the time. We are all comrades in the same Educated Youth Courtyard, and I really hope we can get along."

"It's impossible for me and you. No matter if you give me meat or anything else, or even kowtow to apologize to me, it's impossible for me to get along with you. Don't even think about it in this lifetime." Gu Xingzhou was impervious to reason, displaying his dislike for him completely and unreservedly on his face.

Regardless of how friendly Lu Qianyao's attitude was, he would always remember that this guy was pining for Mumu. Don't think he didn't know; he was hiding it well now, but in his heart, he was still thinking about her.

Men understand men best; people or things that cannot be obtained will always be stuck in the heart, impossible to forget for a lifetime.

He saw through Lu Qianyao's hypocritical performance at a glance.

Wu Xiuli, who was on the side, heard those words and saw how Lu Qianyao was treated, so she silently stepped back. She had originally wanted to go up and join in to have more contact with Song Yan, but seeing this now and thinking about how she had also provoked Gu Xingzhou before, she didn't dare to go up. She continued to sit on the side and watch silently, learning from Lu Qianyao's lesson.

She had to take it slow; improving her relationships with everyone had to be a gradual process. Previously, she had been too aggressive, offended many people, and suffered quite a bit. She had to change herself. Living a good life was the most important thing. Don't act out, don't act out. Wu Xiuli reminded herself: don't cause trouble! Don't end up in as bad a situation as Lu Qianyao.

Meanwhile, Lu Qianyao was furious and hated Gu Xingzhou in his heart, but considering the need to change his current unfavorable situation, he had to maintain his new persona on the surface. He wasn't angry at all and smiled faintly.

"Fine."

After saying this one word, he turned and left, his face calm as if nothing had happened.

Upon returning to his room, his face darkened.

Gu Xingzhou had humiliated him like this; he had remembered it. When he had the chance, he would definitely pay it back.

Hmph, it wasn't like Gu Xingzhou was the only one who knew how to swim. He didn't believe he couldn't find someone who knew how to swim in the entire Production Brigade. Someone would always like canned meat.

As for listening to Swimming knowledge, it was a public area; he had ears and feet. Walking over to listen like today was just the same. If they didn't agree, what could they do to him?

But thinking of Gu Xingzhou's attitude toward him, he continued to be angry.

The Educated Youth Courtyard, however, was filled with joy. Yang Mumu gave Gu Xingzhou a thumbs up, praising him for doing a great job.

The others all declared that they would never let anyone see the study booklets they had copied.

Gu Xingzhou didn't want such a disgusting person to learn from him, so he said to them: "Tomorrow, let's eat first and then study. We'll study in a separate place so Lu Qianyao can't eavesdrop."

Yang Mumu had the same intention and suggested: "Then let's all go to my office at the Production Brigade to study. It's quiet there and won't disturb the other Educated Youth."

"Fine, let's do it there." Gu Xingzhou readily agreed, looking forward to tomorrow.

72: Chapter 72 The Ultimate Fantasy of a Loser

The next afternoon after work, Lu Qianyao finished his tasks and returned to the Educated Youth Courtyard to prepare dinner early. While cooking, he waited for Gu Xingzhou to return and start the lesson, occasionally sticking his head out to check the situation and pay attention.

But when he finished cooking and brought the food out, intending to eat while eavesdropping on Swimming knowledge, he walked out only to see Gu Xingzhou and the others moving their stove to the innermost corner of the courtyard to cook.

Most importantly, they were simply sitting there watching the fire in the stove and cooking. No lesson was being given. The topics they were chatting about were all gossip from the Production Brigade—pure small talk, without a single word regarding the topic of Swimming.

Lu Qianyao didn't believe they had finished learning after just one session, so he continued to squat in the courtyard and wait. He waited until Gu Xingzhou and the others had finished eating and went to wash the dishes, but there was still no progress. He immediately realized that Gu Xingzhou was doing this on purpose, not wanting him to listen.

Lu Qianyao glared at them resentfully and stood up angrily. However, his legs had gone numb from squatting, and he stood up too quickly. He stumbled and fell forward onto the ground with a loud thud, landing face-first in the dirt.

It startled those inside the rooms, who ran out, and everyone in the courtyard looked over.

Liu Guilan ran out and shouted, "What happened? Did a wall collapse? It was so loud."

Yang Mumu had just looked over when she witnessed a dramatic scene.

When a person is unlucky, bad things often come one after another. This saying was perfectly embodied by Lu Qianyao.

He saw the bowl in Lu Qianyao's hand fall to the ground and shatter, shards flying up. One piece flew onto his face, scratching it and leaving a long mark, from which a few beads of blood instantly welled up and trickled down.

Then, in his anxiety to scramble up from the ground, his knee accidentally pressed onto a shard nearby the moment he stood up. His knee honorably followed the same path as his face, getting cut and bleeding. Injury upon injury, he looked rather disheveled and quite pathetic.

Lu Qianyao's expression was almost as shattered as the broken bowl on the ground. Seeing everyone around him staring at him with wide eyes, and with Wu Xiuli even covering her mouth and snickering on the side, he felt even more awkward and uncomfortable. He had lost all face and ran into the room with his head bowed.

"Hey, Lu Qianyao, remember to bring a broom out and sweep up the bowl shards. It's the middle of summer, what if someone comes back barefoot and cuts their feet? Hurry up and clean it up!" Liu Guilan shouted at his back.

"I know."

Lu Qianyao paused his steps, his face flushed with embarrassment, and he felt even more displeased. Suppressing his emotions, he replied and hurried to get the broom and dustpan to clean up the shards of his bowl.

After cleaning up, he walked into his room without a moment's delay, having absolutely no desire to stay outside.

Wu Xiuli laughed loudly and mercilessly in the direction of the room where he lived.

"Hahaha, it's hilarious! To trip and fall on flat ground, break a bowl, and then get cut in several places by the bowl—I've never seen such an unlucky person. Surely even the heavens can't stand it. It's killing me!"

Inside the room, Lu Qianyao felt like killing her when he heard that.

Just wait, all of them. He had noted down everyone who treated him badly now.

Yang Mumu couldn't help but smile, withdrawing her gaze and exchanging a knowing look with her five companions. They all saw the playfulness and schadenfreude in each other's eyes.

A world where the scumbag gets hurt had been achieved, bringing joy to them all.

Over the next few days, after eating, Yang Mumu would take them to her office. Gu Xingzhou taught very earnestly, and since everyone was smart, they learned quickly. He had already started teaching them how to position their hands and what posture to use to paddle through the water while Swimming.

On the other side, although Lu Qianyao hit a wall learning Swimming at the Educated Youth Courtyard, relying on the few cans of meat and pastries left in his bag, he gradually built good relationships with some people in the Production Brigade. By occasionally helping others with small tasks, he also tried to change his image in the Production Brigade and improve his current situation.

Thus, after several days of effort, he successfully found a Commune Member in the brigade who knew how to swim to teach him Swimming.

Yang Mumu had many opportunities to wander around and had free time, so she kept a close watch on his movements.

She knew his learning progress and knew that the Commune Member wanted to get more good things out of him, so he was deliberately dragging out the pace of teaching him Swimming.

She even knew his daily whereabouts.

At the crescent-shaped reef by the seaside, Lu Qianyao would go to check every other day, and Yang Mumu would follow behind him every time to watch his actions.

She saw that he was very excited every time he looked at that rock, and he would always mutter a few words while gazing in that direction before leaving.

The things he muttered were either about himself becoming wealthy, or curses directed at them—especially cursing her and Gu Xingzhou, with the most directed at Liu Qingwan and Wu Xiuli.

She had originally thought that this person had really become smarter, realized his mistakes, and was actively changing his situation.

Who knew that when she and the team leader went to record his work points, he would put on such a good act—obedient, sensible, smiling, and respectful. It was all just a facade of friendliness and turning over a new leaf in front of others. Once they left, he would curse people and hate them behind their backs; she had heard him do it several times.

This person even wanted to rely on the things under the water to turn his life around and become someone with money in his pocket. He kept muttering about using the persona of a big spender to win people over, and even wanted to attract her to throw herself into his arms.

Look, he is sitting on the rock ahead right now, muttering about how in the future he will make her act like a dog, serving him tea and water, and fawning over him.

Truly the ultimate fantasy of a loser.

Yang Mumu gazed at the reef in the sea and curled her lips into a smile.

She really wanted to see the look on his face when he learned Swimming, went into the water, and discovered there was nothing there. That scene of all his efforts being in vain would surely be quite a sight.

73: Chapter 73 Predicting the Baby's Dream?

During this time, Lu Qianyao's learning progress had only just begun, and he hadn't learned much. However, her progress was incredibly fast. During the days he was busy building relationships and looking for someone, she had already nearly finished learning the theoretical knowledge and memorized it well. Moreover, she could already hold her breath underwater for over six minutes.

Tomorrow, Aunt Yang's daughter Xiang Yang was coming back on holiday. Yang Mumu planned to get to know Xiang Yang first before starting her in-water practice, so she could go check out what Lu Qianyao was eyeing as soon as possible.

Just as Yang Mumu was thinking, she suddenly heard some movement from Lu Qianyao's side. He was about to leave. She quickly dodged into her space. As he passed by her, she heard him muttering to himself.

"Sigh, I have no money in my pocket, and my supplies are almost gone. I still need to entice someone with things to teach me Swimming. Heavens, can you let me have another good dream tonight to help me solve this small..."

"...problem first? I still can't get to the treasures down there right now!"

Lu Qianyao looked a bit troubled, pinning his hopes on dreaming of other places with treasures.

He even clasped his hands together, making a wish with high hopes, "I hope I can dream of it tonight. I definitely will."

After muttering, he ran toward the Educated Youth Courtyard with a determined look, planning to head back, clean up, and get to bed early on the kang.

So he knew there were treasures down there because of a dream? He really had the treatment of a male protagonist in a book. A dream that predicted the future, or rather, a Precognitive Dreaming of Treasures—wasn't this just another kind of Golden Finger?

In that case, could she just follow behind Lu Qianyao and pick up the leftovers in the future?

Yang Mumu emerged from her space, rubbing her chin as she watched his retreating figure, thinking happily to herself.

If he really had the ability of Precognitive Dreaming of Treasures, then she wouldn't stand on ceremony. Rather than letting him get it and target her, she would gladly take it first and drive him to despair.

Haha~ Just thinking about it made her happy.

Yang Mumu planned to pay close attention and see if Lu Qianyao really had that ability.

After returning to the Educated Youth Courtyard, she saw Lu Qianyao casually throwing together some dinner before grabbing his clothes to wash up, humming a tune in high spirits.

By the time Yang Mumu had finished her dinner, washed up, and stepped out of her room, Lu Qianyao was nowhere to be seen outside.

Yang Mumu simply sat back inside her room, reading her high school Chinese textbook.

He Yuan walked over with a plate of sliced fresh sweet melons, eating as she asked curiously,

"Did Lu Qianyao do a great job today and get praised by the team leader? Or was he scolded? He's been humming songs and looking in a great mood. Just now, Wu Xiuli stepped on his foot, and he didn't even get angry. He actually smiled and told her it was fine. Weren't they always at each other's throats before? The sun must have risen from the west today."

As she spoke, she proffered the sweet melon in her hand toward Yang Mumu.

"Mumu, come, have some sweet melon. I traded with an Auntie in the production team for it today. I personally went to her field and picked the biggest and best one. It's very sweet."

"It is quite sweet."

Yang Mumu took a piece with a seed in it and ate it, putting that single seed into the soil of her space to give it a try.

"As for Lu Qianyao, he wasn't praised. He's still the same as always—if he can't finish his work, he works overtime on his own, and if he doesn't want to do it, his work points get deducted. He's probably run into something good."

Gu Xingzhou walked over with a plate of wild grapes that were so purple they looked almost black, handing them to Yang Mumu.

"It might not be a good thing. I'm just afraid he's plotting something bad. I just passed by their room and saw that Lu Qianyao was already asleep on the kang."

"He went to sleep this early? That really is early." Xia Zhizhi walked over with sliced tomatoes for everyone to share.

Only Yang Mumu smiled knowingly. Lu Qianyao was eagerly hoping to fall asleep early so he could have that sweet dream—the very dream he had prayed for.

Liu Qingwan also sat down with a plate of mung bean cakes, shaking her head with utter disdain. "He is extremely hypocritical. I can't even be bothered with him."

Yang Mumu didn't think much of the others' comments, but hearing Liu Qingwan, the female protagonist of the book, say this made her really want to laugh.

Lu Qianyao could still maintain a decent image among the Commune Members, but none of them here bought into his act at all. The clear-headed female protagonist was even more disgusted by him.

"Who cares about him." Yang Mumu didn't want to talk about him. She looked toward the door and changed the subject, asking Gu Xingzhou, "How come I haven't seen Song Yan come out to enjoy the cool air and sit for a bit? That's not like him. Where is he?"

"Sigh, he's been annoyed to death by Wu Xiuli these past few days. She always finds opportunities to get close to him, strike up conversations, and rush to help him with small tasks. He's already spoken to her about it, and she did listen, but she only kept a slightly wider distance and toned it down a bit. She still stands not too close but not too far, showing concern, and occasionally brings him wild vegetables and fruits she finds on the mountain."

Gu Xingzhou shook his head helplessly, speaking on Song Yan's behalf.

"Even after he rejected her, she would just nod and agree with a smile, not getting angry at all, and she always greets him with a smiling face whenever she sees him. He's a bit annoyed and doesn't want to see Wu Xiuli, so he's just lying in his room and doesn't want to come out. He and I cook together, and today was my turn, so I brought his food right to him. After washing up, he just slipped back into his room. He asked me to let you know that he's going to lay low for a while and try to come out as little as possible during his free time."

"Heh, a grown man like him is actually hiding. Hanging out with us, he hasn't learned a single thing. What a waste."

Yang Mumu shook her head helplessly.

She found it even more bizarre. Wu Xiuli's targets were shifting way too fast. It had only been nine days since they arrived in the countryside, and she had already cycled through several people. Today, it was young Song Yan's turn.

Gu Xingzhou pushed the plate of grapes a bit closer to her. "We've already set an example for him before. As for the rest, he'll have to figure it out himself. In these matters, one has to make their own decisions to grow in the future and know how to solve problems when they arise."

The other three listeners all nodded silently, recalling how the two of them had handled those troublesome matters before, taking notes like crazy.

"You're right." Yang Mumu casually picked up a grape and ate it. "The grapes are really sweet. Where did you find them? Let's go cut a vine tomorrow and plant it in our private plot to see if it takes."

Gu Xingzhou felt happy inside. Looking at her with a smile, he said, "I'll bring a vine back for you after work tomorrow. There are still several small vines there; I can dig up one with roots."

"Sure."

Yang Mumu and the others sat for a bit longer, eating and chatting, before everyone headed back to their respective rooms to rest.

The next morning, Yang Mumu saw that Lu Qianyao was in an even better mood today. A faint smile lingered on his lips, and a trace of excitement flashed in his eyes from time to time.

"Did he succeed?"

Yang Mumu instantly felt a bit expectant. Confirming whether there was something beneath the Crescent-Shaped Reef by the sea would take some time, but if Lu Qianyao had any other moves today, it would happen right before her eyes and would be much more worthy of attention. Whether he could actually dream of treasures would depend on today's situation.

When work started, Yang Mumu patrolled around Lu Qianyao's work area a few more times to keep a close eye on his situation, but she didn't see him make any moves.

She figured he would probably wait until after work in the afternoon when there were fewer people around to go.

So, Yang Mumu continued her patrol. When she reached Gu Xingzhou's field, Gu Xingzhou whispered to her, "Lu Qianyao is acting a bit strange today. I paid attention to him while drinking water, and noticed his eyes are constantly scanning the surroundings as if searching for something. Both times I drank water, he was doing it. Keep an eye out when you patrol near him; let's hope he isn't trying to pull some new stunt. I'll watch him at other times too, and after you go register the work points, I'll keep a close eye on him as well."

Yang Mumu admired Gu Xingzhou's perceptiveness. He was incredibly observant to have noticed the anomaly so quickly. She nodded.

"Alright, I think he's acting a bit different too. He's unusually excited today. Keep a close eye on him when I'm busy."

After reaching an agreement with Gu Xingzhou, she headed to the next area to patrol. When she passed by the spot where the Production Brigade provided boiled water, she walked over and took a good look around but didn't find anything special. Shrugging, she continued her patrol, not dwelling on it—she would just follow the person of interest.

Finally, the long-awaited time to finish work arrived.

74: Chapter 74 Lu Qianyao's Operation

Yang Mumu watched Lu Qianyao, who had finished registering, put down his pen and hurry off in the direction of the Educated Youth Courtyard.

Gu Xingzhou registered right after him, exchanged a glance with Yang Mumu, winked after finishing his registration, and walked away. He followed Lu Qianyao back to the Educated Youth Courtyard at a moderate distance.

Watching their retreating figures, Yang Mumu was not in a hurry.

It was the peak time for finishing work, so there were many people here. With Commune Members rushing to finish work everywhere nearby, anyone causing a scene would be very conspicuous.

No matter how unintelligent Lu Qianyao might be, he wouldn't choose this time to go after some treasure. He would likely choose a time like before when he went to the seaside, after this peak period. Moreover, with Gu Xingzhou watching him from the shadows, any move Lu Qianyao made would still be detectable.

She continued to work diligently, carefully registering every single person.

When Yang Mumu finished her work and returned to the Educated Youth Courtyard, she found Lu Qianyao still there, squatting and eating. This person liked to cook extra at noon to cover his evening portion as well, so he could just heat it up after returning from work. Thus, Lu Qianyao was already eating.

Yang Mumu walked over to her stove, which was right next to Gu Xingzhou's stove that had already been lit, and asked about the situation with her eyes.

Gu Xingzhou shook his head slightly, indicating that he had discovered nothing.

Fine then, it seemed Lu Qianyao was quite patient.

Yang Mumu glanced at Lu Qianyao out of the corner of her eye and saw him collecting the burlap sack he had washed and hung out to dry at noon after he finished washing his bowl.

Looking at the burlap sack and the arc of the smile on Lu Qianyao's lips, combined with her observations of him today and the occasional snippet of conversation she overheard, Yang Mumu had some guesses about his "dream." She had a good idea about what might be in that area that could help him solve his current urgent problems.

Yang Mumu withdrew her gaze, washed her hands, kneaded some dough, and seriously set about making sliced noodles to eat. After finishing dinner, she didn't wander around the courtyard.

She called Xia Zhizhi, He Yuan, Liu Qingwan, Song Yan, and Gu Xingzhou to go out for a walk to digest their food, and while they were at it, to consolidate their Swimming knowledge, leaving some space for Lu Qianyao.

As it was getting dark and the area outside the courtyard was very quiet, Lu Qianyao snuck out of the Educated Youth Courtyard.

Yang Mumu and the others were taking a walk not far behind the path that was the only way to get to the area where the boiled water was stored for work.

From here, they could see people on the path, but it wasn't easy for people on the path to see them.

Gu Xingzhou saw Lu Qianyao's figure. After exchanging a look with Yang Mumu, they began their performance. He pointed over there and said curiously:

"Hey, isn't that Lu Qianyao? Where is he going in such a rush?"

"Let me see." Yang Mumu walked over with small steps and craned her neck to look. "It really is him. Why does he look like he's looking around? Is he looking for something?"

The two of them sang in harmony, attracting the others behind them to run over and look as well.

Xia Zhizhi stood to Yang Mumu's right, stretched her head out, and stood on tiptoe. Finding she still couldn't see, she grabbed Yang Mumu's hand and jumped to get a better view, finally catching a glimpse of him.

"It really is Lu Qianyao, and he seems to be looking for something."

Song Yan ran over and looked in that direction, feeling a bit anxious when he saw Lu Qianyao's current position and actions.

"Oh no, I hope he hasn't spotted the raspberry vine I found on the slope down there. My raspberries aren't red yet! I've been watching them for days and even covered the vine with wild grass. I was waiting for them to turn red so I could pick them. There's a small patch that would fill a bowl! He better not pick them!"

"Raspberries? Pick one for me to try when you get them; I've never had one before," Xia Zhizhi said, pleasantly surprised.

"Sure, let me tell you about those raspberries..."

"You're getting off track. Talk about Lu Qianyao." Yang Mumu reined in Song Yan's topic, feeling a bit helpless. The good rhythm had almost been derailed by this foodie.

"Right!"

Xia Zhizhi nodded in agreement and looked over again, just in time to see a different scene, and said excitedly.

"Hey, look, look! After he squatted down and stood back up, he actually had a shovel in his hand. He must have hidden the shovel there beforehand!"

"Keep your voice down, don't let him hear you." He Yuan gently patted Xia Zhizhi on the shoulder, looking towards Lu Qianyao with some worry, and speculated, "He isn't going to do something bad, is he? He even brought out a shovel. What should we do now?"

"Let's go and see what he's up to. The wild boar incident before nearly cost me my life in the jaws of a wild boar. I don't know what kind of trouble he's causing today that might hurt one of us. He has a prior record; no matter how well he behaves on the outside now, I can't forget what happened before. I must go and see."

Liu Qingwan stared coldly at Lu Qianyao ahead, her hand gripping the leaves next to her tightly as she spoke.

Yang Mumu looked at her and nodded. "Then let's go take a look. We'll feel more at ease, and we can prevent any trouble before it happens. Besides, there are so many of us, we don't have to fear anything."

"Mm, that makes sense. Let's go."

Gu Xingzhou walked in front, followed by a string of people walking over. As they walked, they kept an eye on the movements ahead. After getting closer, they would take a step and then check on him, hiding from Lu Qianyao in front to prevent him from discovering them early.

Lu Qianyao was feeling quite excited and didn't notice at all that there was a string of people standing in the shadows watching his actions.

He carried the shovel to a slope about one hundred meters diagonally in front of the area where the boiled water was kept and stopped. The excited expression on his face grew even more intense.

He looked around for a scene similar to the one in his dream, and finally walked to a slightly flatter area on the slope that had rocks. After walking a few steps, he stopped and stood behind a tall cypress tree.

He was seen squatting down excitedly, using his hands to move the stones underneath, and then digging in the soil there.

Song Yan muttered curiously in a low voice, "What is he doing? He's kicking dirt back with his legs like a dog covering up its poop. It doesn't look like he's doing anything bad; it looks more like he's actually digging for something."

"Why don't we go over and help him; then we'll know."

Yang Mumu watched Lu Qianyao over there take out a burlap sack, place it to the side, and then take out a shovel and start using it, Yang Mumu nudged Gu Xingzhou to exchange a look, then stood up with a smile and walked generously in Lu Qianyao's direction.

75: Chapter 75 Lu Qianyao Collapses

"Hmm, let's go and help take a look."

Gu Xingzhou stood up with a start and followed closely behind.

Song Yan looked at the two of them in shock. Shouldn't they be watching secretly? Why did they run out?

Although he didn't understand, he also stood up and followed behind.

Liu Qingwan was more direct; she rushed over and suddenly shouted, "Lu Qianyao, what are you doing here?"

She took the flashlight she had in her pocket, placed it under her chin, and let her hair hang down to scare him.

In the quiet night, Lu Qianyao was digging the soil intently. Upon hearing this shout, he was so scared that his soul nearly left his body. He looked up and saw a terrifying figure, screaming in terror.

"Ah, a ghost!"

While screaming, he scrambled backward in fear, rolling and crawling.

Liu Qingwan was very satisfied with his reaction. She swung the flashlight hard at him and said, "You're the ghost! Why are you digging your own grave in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"

As the light flashed, Yang Mumu saw that the crotch of Lu Qianyao's pants was a darker color. There was also a deep stain on his butt as he crawled, and the darkened area on his blue pants was clearly a mark left by urine.

Was he scared into peeing his pants?

Yang Mumu looked at the person on the ground with disgust. He was supposed to be a male lead, how could he be scared into wetting his pants? His courage and bladder control were pathetic—his kidneys must be bad!

The others saw it too, and their eyes were filled with disgust.

Liu Qingwan still held a grudge about the previous wild boar incident, so she didn't give him any face at all. She pointed directly at his crotch and mocked him, "You're such a grown man and you still wet your pants? A three-year-old is better than you."

Lu Qianyao's heart pounded violently. He covered his crotch with his hands, glared angrily at Liu Qingwan, and opened his mouth, wanting to curse back.

If she hadn't scared him on purpose, would this have happened?

But he glanced at the spot he had just been digging. He didn't want these people to know what was underneath. Now was not the time to tangle with them; getting rid of them as soon as possible was the best choice.

So, he closed his mouth and said calmly, "Don't scare people randomly in the future. Scaring people can literally scare them to death. You guys go now; I won't hold this against you."

Liu Qingwan didn't buy it and continued to ask, "You won't hold it against me, but I will hold it against you. What are you doing here secretly all by yourself? What bad thing are you planning to do to harm people again?"

"I'm not as malicious as you think. The wild boar incident earlier was my fault, and I apologize to you again."

Lu Qianyao was getting anxious, trying to think of an excuse, when he suddenly saw a medicinal herb he recognized that he had dug up. He hurriedly lifted it out of the mud and said:

"I just have a cold today, my throat is uncomfortable, so I'm digging some herbs here to take back and consume.

What's wrong with that? Are you not allowed to let me dig for medicine? You want to control me digging herbs to eat? You're overstepping your bounds! You said it had nothing to do with me and forbade me from approaching you, so why are you approaching me now? Could it be that you've fallen for me?"

"Who likes you? My eyes aren't blind yet." Liu Qingwan retorted angrily, embarrassed.

"If you don't like me, why are you controlling me digging for herbs, and why haven't you left? Do you want me to hold your hand and dig for herbs with you? If you like that, I don't mind. I actually quite like you. Why don't you stay and be my partner? We can dig together. I'm being sincere."

Lu Qianyao used a provocation tactic, looking at Liu Qingwan with a greasy expression, deliberately trying to disgust her.

As he spoke, he also stood up and moved closer to her.

"You're shameless!" Liu Qingwan had never seen someone so shameless; she ran away in anger.

Lu Qianyao felt a bit happy; he had finally managed to chase them away.

Yang Mumu saw this and curled her lips into a smile. Enjoy it while you can; you'll be crying soon enough.

Liu Qingwan was still a bit too thin-skinned and a bit too impatient.

Yang Mumu ran over, grabbed her hand, and patted her gently, signaling her not to be agitated and to calm down.

Gu Xingzhou walked from the darkness to in front of Lu Qianyao, picked up the shovel on the ground, and started digging. "I've been sick for a long time and have become somewhat of a doctor myself; I know some medicinal herbs. I'll help you dig."

"I'll help you dig too, I have sharp eyes." Song Yan ran over with a thud, grabbed a wooden stick, and nimbly squatted down to move stones and dig mud.

"You, why are you two here too?" Lu Qianyao turned his head and saw the two who had run out continuing to dig in the spot he had been working on. His breath tightened in panic, and his heart nearly stopped. He quickly ran over and shouted, "Don't anyone move! I'll do it myself."

Yang Mumu, having whittled a stick with a knife, also ran over from the darkness and shoved Gu Xingzhou aside with her hip.

"No need to be polite. We'll help you dig. We're all in the same Educated Youth Courtyard; helping to dig for medicine is the least we can do. I know a bit about medical theory; I guarantee I'll help you gather all the herbs to treat your sore throat."

"Why are you here too!"

Lu Qianyao was so shocked that his voice became shrill. He was going crazy; he never expected anyone to come, and they kept coming out one after another, and they were all such difficult people.

"We're here to help too. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can go back and rest."

Xia Zhizhi shouted, pulled He Yuan along, and ran over excitedly with the branches they had just found. She pushed Lu Qianyao, who was trying to crowd toward the hole, out of the way, forming a small perimeter around a two-meter area in the center, with each person digging a section of the ground.

"No, I'll do it myself! You don't need to help me, really!" Lu Qianyao stamped his feet anxiously outside the crowd, bending over and trying to shove his head through the gaps to get inside.

"I'm a bigger person, so I won't hold a grudge; let me help you too." Liu Qingwan returned and pushed Lu Qianyao, who was just about to squeeze in, away again.

"Ah!"

Having been pushed out several times, Lu Qianyao grabbed his hair and screamed in a breakdown on the spot, feeling anxious and miserable in his heart.

Where did these people pop out from! It's over, it's over! His treasure! He hadn't dug it out yet!

Don't let them dig up the treasure! Please!

Lu Qianyao's eyes welled with tears as he prayed desperately in his heart.

The next second, Yang Mumu shouted in surprise while holding a wooden stick.

"Oh my god, everyone come quick and see what I've dug up while looking for herbs! I actually dug into a big rat hole! Oh my god, there's so much grain, so, so much!"

"Where? Where? Let me see, let me see." Gu Xingzhou raised his voice and ran over excitedly.

"Song Yan, go quickly and call the captain to come and handle the grain! There's too much!"

Yang Mumu's voice was filled with joy. She was genuinely surprised; it really was a big rat hole, and the amount of grain underneath was visible to the naked eye.

Oh my, Lu Qianyao's Precognitive Dreaming of Treasures is truly awesome. She was starting to look forward to the things underneath.

"Okay, I'll go call the captain right now." Song Yan smiled and glanced at Lu Qianyao, then ran off excitedly.

Ah!! That was all his grain! It should have all been his! Lu Qianyao kicked the mud on the ground frantically, slapping his thighs in anger.

No, he had to take advantage of the chaos while there were many people around to keep something for himself. His dream indicated that there were other things inside this rat hole.

Thinking of this, Lu Qianyao suppressed the anger in his heart and looked at the exposed rat hole, thinking urgently about what to do next.

76: Chapter 76 The person is about to break.

As Lu Qianyao pondered, he saw Gu Xingzhou and Yang Mumu pulling more and more things out of the rat hole, and he felt incredibly anxious.

He lay on the ground, peering at the situation in the rat hole through the gaps between Yang Mumu and the others.

He clicked on his flashlight and took a look. In the blink of an eye, he saw a piece of dark blue fabric tucked in the middle of a pile of wheat ears about ten centimeters from the entrance, swaying faintly.

Yang Mumu was busy putting the wheat grains from the entrance into a sack. As the grains were scooped out bit by bit, the grains and wheat ears inside, along with the blue fabric, surged outward together.

He widened his eyes, his heart in his throat.

"Oh my god! Could this be the thing from my dream? It's about to come out!"

He couldn't let them pull it out like this. That was his rightful treasure, a gift from the heavens!

Lu Qianyao lunged straight toward the rat hole, covering it with his body, and frantically clawed at the mud at the entrance with both hands.

"I'll help you dig, I'll help you."

He reached his hands into the hole to dig. When he touched the object inside, his heart swelled with joy. He began dragging it out, trying to use his body to shield his movements, intending to quietly slip the object into his pocket.

The moment the object was dragged out, Yang Mumu pressed down on his hand and shouted in surprise, "Oh! Lu Qianyao, don't move yet. I found something. Let me see what it is? It looks like a piece of fabric, a tattered sleeve cover. Let's see what this rat has been hiding."

While she held him down, Gu Xingzhou stepped forward, grabbed a corner of the item, snatched it into his own hands with lightning speed, and opened it right there.

Lu Qianyao watched helplessly as he was discovered, held down, and had the item snatched from his hands. The whole process took only a few seconds, and he was left stunned.

He opened his mouth to lash out, but remembering his recent misfortunes and his current situation, he forced himself to swallow the words that were already on the tip of his tongue, swallowing this bitter pill.

"Oh? You found a sleeve cover? I didn't even see it. Who would have thought we'd dig a sleeve cover out of a rat hole? Heh heh!"

Lu Qianyao put on a nonchalant face, acting as if he knew nothing, but inside, he was dying of pain, his heart dripping with blood.

But he couldn't claim he had found it. On the surface, Yang Mumu had found the rat hole, and she had found the fabric too; he was just someone helping to dig.

He didn't even dare to yell. He was completely powerless and could only seethe with rage internally.

As he lowered his head to look at the rat hole, a mask of agony twisted his face.

He was filled with such regret! His heart ached with agony! The treasure he had dreamt of! It had just slipped away from him like that.

Yang Mumu observed Lu Qianyao's expression. Seeing his unhappy, constipated look, she felt delighted; this was exactly the feeling she wanted—to snatch the prize right in front of him and leave him feeling stifled.

After Gu Xingzhou took the item, he squeezed it, glanced at Lu Qianyao on the ground, and said loudly on purpose, "Hey, Mumu, there seems to be something in here. It feels a bit thick. My god, there's even money!"

Lu Qianyao snapped his head up to look, his eyes filled with longing and pain. "Sob, it's mine, that's mine!"

Lu Qianyao reached out a trembling hand, staring at the money in Gu Xingzhou's hand, tears streaming down uncontrollably. "No! My money!"

"What? Really? Let me see." Yang Mumu leaned in to look, and the others also stretched their heads over, shining their flashlights to see.

"Whoa, there's actually a ten-yuan bill in here. Thank goodness, it only has tooth marks on it and wasn't chewed to pieces."

Hearing there was ten yuan, Lu Qianyao felt heartache, but at the same time, he was a little happy. This wasn't the amount he had dreamt of, which meant this was only a part of it; there must be more inside the hole.

He looked at the rat hole with relief, let out a long breath, and reached out to dig again. It must be inside, there must be more, and what's inside must be his.

Seeing his actions, Yang Mumu knew his dream wasn't over yet and this wasn't the final haul, so she silently squatted down and began putting the grain mixed with mud that he dug out into a sack.

Gu Xingzhou kept the money and helped hold the sack, while Liu Qingwan used a shovel, and with Xia Zhizhi and He Yuan, dug the hole larger, clearing away the surface soil.

For the moment, no one stopped Lu Qianyao. Let him dig; it would be more entertaining when the light of hope in his eyes was extinguished.

Yang Mumu and Gu Xingzhou kept their eyes fixed on him. If he wanted to pull any tricks under their noses, Lu Qianyao would need some real skills or a Golden Finger that could work without anyone noticing.

Before long, Yang Mumu noticed that Lu Qianyao's digging hands had slowed down. Although he was trying his best to suppress his expression, the subtle changes in the fine lines on his face gave him away to Yang Mumu.

She had taken a few psychology classes and was quite sensitive to these things; Lu Qianyao was feeling happy again—he had touched something inside.

Lu Qianyao had indeed touched something. He felt around in the hole a few more times and was certain it was money. He was extremely excited. "Should I stuff it into my sleeve, or hide it in the mud nearby and come back for it later?"

While Lu Qianyao was racking his brain trying to figure out how to get what he had just touched out quietly without being discovered, Yang Mumu gave Gu Xingzhou a look.

Gu Xingzhou received the signal and immediately reached out, grabbed Lu Qianyao by the back of his collar, and hauled him aside.

"Lu Qianyao, no need to go through the trouble of digging anymore. The captain is here with people."

Before Lu Qianyao could even react, he was already sitting on the ground to the side. The thing he had just touched was dragged out along with his movement. Because he had been yanked away so suddenly, he didn't manage to grab it, and it landed right at the entrance of the hole, appearing clearly before everyone's eyes.

Lu Qianyao looked at the money scattered at the entrance. He felt like he was falling apart, his life devoid of meaning. "It's over, it's all gone!"

"Whoa, this rat sure knows how to hide things. We've dug out so much more money!"

Yang Mumu and her companions excitedly squatted down to pick up the money, counting as they went. Lu Qianyao felt like he was going to vomit blood hearing it. With a mournful face, he had to hold it all back when the captain approached with his group, hiding his unhappiness and pretending to be very happy.

"It's okay, if it's gone here, there will be other times. I'll just dream more when I go back." Lu Qianyao comforted himself, wanting to take this opportunity to gain some favor, and walked up to the captain with a smile.

"Captain, you're here! Look, we discovered so many things. This was only discovered because I came here to dig for medicinal herbs."

Song Yan didn't give him any face and said, "Since when did you discover it? Sister Mu discovered it. Stop trying to take credit for yourself. You sneaking over here doesn't necessarily mean you were here to dig for herbs."

"Get aside." The captain pushed him away with disdain and walked to Yang Mumu's side with a smile. Seeing the grain on the ground, his eyes lit up. He grasped her hand, saying excitedly and happily, "Haha, Mumu, you really are a great contributor and a good cadre for our team! You've found us such a large rat hole and so much grain. I'll definitely nominate you for Outstanding Individual and Outstanding Cadre this year."

77: Chapter 77 Seven Bargains in Five Days

Seeing the starkly different attitudes the Production Brigade leader had toward him versus Yang Mumu, Lu Qianyao felt a chill settle deep in his heart.

Everything was ruined; the grain and the money had slipped through his fingers, and instead of any reward, he had only earned disdain.

His grain! His money!

Lu Qianyao roared internally, feeling incredibly miserable, standing dejectedly on the sidelines as he watched the smile on the leader's face.

He hated Liu Qingwan to the core, casting a vicious glare in her direction.

If it weren't for her shouting, if it weren't for her sudden appearance, how could so many people have been drawn here? How could his things have become public property? These were all gifts from the heavens meant for him!

Sensing his gaze, Liu Qingwan quickly turned her head and caught him red-handed, staring right back at him without a hint of fear.

Lu Qianyao withdrew his gaze and then resentfully stared at the group including Yang Mumu and Gu Xingzhou.

He would remember this; he would find a chance to settle the score later.

Finally, Lu Qianyao let his eyes fall back to the rat hole.

Wuu, what a waste!

Yang Mumu, however, completely ignored his plight, pulling the leader over to the rat hole and pointing at the grain in Gu Xingzhou's hands.

"Leader, I just got lucky and found this. Leader, come take a look; we've already filled more than half a sack with grain—corn, wheat, and beans. Although it's mixed with a lot of mud and impurities, there should still be plenty of food once we clean it. Most importantly, there's more in the hole below. Have everyone dig it out a bit to see how much is actually down there. We have few tools on hand and couldn't dig it out properly, so we can't see the full extent of it."

"Whoa, it looks like we've found the rat headquarters for our Production Brigade. To think they stored so much grain!"

The leader looked at the rat hole in surprise and directed the two Commune Members behind him.

"You two, dig along this rat hole and see how much grain we can pull out of it today."

"Mumu, you all stand aside and watch for now. Once it's dug out, you can come and collect the things."

"Alright, Leader."

Yang Mumu and her friends stepped back a few paces and watched the leader and his men dig.

They didn't realize until they started digging; as they followed the winding path of the rat hole, they struck gold. The more they dug, the more they found. The area beneath the tangled cypress roots had been hollowed out by the rats and was packed full of grain.

Yang Mumu took the sacks the leader brought over, and with her friends' help, they packed the grain. It took four whole sacks to empty all the grain from the rat hole.

At the same time, as they dug further into the rat hole, they found some money—a fair amount of loose change, and even a few ten-yuan bills. Adding that to the money found at the beginning, the total came to 53 yuan, 4 jiao, and 3 fen.

Seeing this result, the leader's face crinkled into a smile, and the two Commune Members were overjoyed. This trip hadn't been in vain.

Yang Mumu and her friends were even happier that what they had done tonight was so meaningful.

Only Lu Qianyao, seeing all this, felt a knot of frustration in his heart; he was heartbroken to the point of death.

It was all supposed to be his! He could let the grain go, but that was so much money!

"According to the rules of the Production Brigade, if a large amount of items is found in a rat hole, half goes to the Production Brigade, and the remaining half is split between the people who found it and the people who dug it out. We'll clean the grain and split it later, but we'll split the money now. I'll make the call: everyone gets 3 yuan. Come, come, take your share."

The leader held the money, happily handing it out to each person.

"Thank you, Leader."

Yang Mumu took the money and thanked him happily.

The others who received money also thanked him happily.

When the leader reached Lu Qianyao, Lu Qianyao held out his hand, waiting to receive the money, but the leader turned and walked away when he was still two steps away from him.

Lu Qianyao looked at his empty hands, then looked at the money in the others' hands and their smiling faces. He hurriedly called out to the leader:

"Wait, Leader, I… I haven't received mine yet."

"Oh, you?" The leader turned his head, looked him up and down, and replied while looking him in the eyes, "You don't get any."

Lu Qianyao suppressed his dissatisfaction and asked in a slightly softer tone, "I was one of the ones who found it too!"

The leader glanced at him and scoffed, "You? Coming out in the middle of the night with a shovel—are you saying you were really here to dig for herbs, or were you hoping to keep something for yourself? Do you need me to spell it out?"

Originally, if Lu Qianyao hadn't asked about it, the leader had intended not to dwell on it and just let the matter pass. But since Lu Qianyao had no self-awareness, the slightly improved impression he had of him vanished instantly. He would need more tempering in the future.

Oh no, he'd offended the leader again! His damn mouth.

Lu Qianyao reined in his slightly rebellious expression and lowered his head to apologize.

"Alright, Leader, I understand. I accept it. But I want to say one thing: I really did come to dig for herbs."

Lu Qianyao picked up the tool/grass he had been using from the ground, nodded at the leader, and slunk off toward the Educated Youth Courtyard, feeling dejected.

"Leader, we'll be heading back now, too." Yang Mumu greeted the leader from his side.

The leader waved his hand, "Alright, you all go back quickly. It's getting late, get some rest. Come back to get the grain tomorrow after you've cleaned and sun-dried it; that should be by the day after tomorrow."

"Alright, thank you, Leader."

The group thanked him in unison, bid the leader farewell, and left.

Once they were far away from the leader, Liu Qingwan laughed heartily.

"We really gave Lu Qianyao a hard time today; it felt so good! I have to thank you, Mumu. I almost fell for his provocation back there, and I would have missed seeing him get shunned by the leader later!"

"Haha, all that work Lu Qianyao put into building his image in front of the leader these past few days was for nothing; he's right back where he started." Song Yan puffed out his chest, "That's all thanks to me, when I found the object, I restored the 'truth' of what happened."

"You're the best."

Liu Qingwan gave him a thumbs up and a grateful smile, which left Song Yan stunned. Liu Qingwan felt a bit unnatural under his gaze and shyly looked away.

When he realized what he was doing, he awkwardly shifted his gaze, the tips of his ears turning quietly red.

How had he only just realized that Liu Qingwan was actually quite pretty?

Xia Zhizhi was still nodding along, giggling foolishly to herself.

"Right, restoring the truth is exactly what Lu Qianyao deserved. Who told him not to sleep in the middle of the night and run around with a shovel? And he just happened to be caught by us. Haha, we are his retribution."

He Yuan said, "This is my first time doing something like this, and I'm still a bit excited. I really didn't expect that going for a walk would lead to such an interesting event."

Yang Mumu and Gu Xingzhou exchanged a glance behind them, their eyes filled with smiles, keeping their accomplishments to themselves.

Especially Yang Mumu, who had controlled the entire situation and was secretly feeling delighted inside.

She had confirmed that Lu Qianyao's prophetic dream about the treasure was real, intercepted his prize, and destroyed the good image he had been rebuilding in front of the leader. Perfect!

Yang Mumu decided to keep a close eye on him from now on.

And so, over the next five days, she followed right on his heels and picked up seven windfalls.

And Lu Qianyao's expressions were incredibly entertaining; his reactions were quite a sight to behold.

78: Chapter 78 I'll Give You a Sparrow

The first time it was a pheasant. The second time it was ginseng. The third time it was a nugget of gold dug up from the ground.

The first three times, she had used her space to quickly collect those items a few seconds before he could find them, leaving absolutely nothing behind.

"How could there be nothing?"

Having found nothing all three times, Lu Qianyao was incredibly agitated.

Lu Qianyao went to get them eagerly every time, only to return full of disappointment. Every time he came up empty-handed, breaking down to the point of doubting his life and himself.

He couldn't help but wonder, was the dream he had fake?

Or perhaps, because he hadn't obtained the items from his first dream, it had displeased the heavens, causing them to intentionally take the items back as punishment?

Lu Qianyao scratched his head, doubting his life and himself, but the incident with the rat hole the first time made him firmly believe in the reality of his dreams.

So much so that Lu Qianyao obsessed over dreaming every day; every time he finished work and returned to the Educated Youth Courtyard, he would go straight to sleep, sleeping for the sole purpose of dreaming.

After dreaming the fourth, fifth, and sixth times and going to look, Yang Mumu reaped a full harvest, while Lu Qianyao again gained nothing.

This led him to the point of obsession, going to sleep without even eating dinner.

Seeing how tense he was, Yang Mumu worried he wouldn't be able to sleep, which would prevent him from dreaming and thus affect her collection of the "treasures" from his dreams.

Thus, when he was on the verge of despair, Yang Mumu gave him a little taste of sweetness.

For the seventh time, she let him succeed a little, leaving some things behind for him: she didn't pick three mushrooms and didn't take two small sparrows with injured wings.

As for the two plump wild deer that were supposed to be lying there, she had already put them into her space and was nursing them with some medicinal herbs.

It was the first time in days that Lu Qianyao had found something, and he was completely thrilled.

"Heavens, there really is something! This time there really is! It's accurate, the dream is real!"

Seeing him as happy as a child, holding the sparrows as if they were rare treasures, Yang Mumu watched the two wild deer grazing leisurely on the lawn and couldn't stop laughing inside her space.

"That's right, I remember there should have been other things in the dream. Although I couldn't see clearly what they were, they should have been big items. Oh well, there's always a gap between dreams and reality; it's good enough that it's accurate. Hahaha, there are still two more, tonight I'll have roasted sparrow and roasted mushrooms with porridge."

After muttering this, Lu Qianyao happily took the sparrows, plucked their feathers, and started a fire to roast them.

He was so happy over just two small sparrows and a few mushrooms; he was really easy to please.

If he knew that there were originally two deer there, he would be absolutely devastated.

It seems this dream wasn't very precise either.

While Lu Qianyao was roasting sparrows and mushrooms outside, Yang Mumu was roasting the pheasant from her first haul inside her space; she had already marinated and steamed it, just waiting for this moment to roast it.

By the time Lu Qianyao's sparrows were roasted, Gu Xingzhou suddenly appeared.

"Eh? Lu Qianyao? What are you doing here?"

Lu Qianyao was startled; seeing him appear gave him a headache. How did he get discovered by this lunatic?

"Oh, just roasting sparrows here~"

He hurriedly stood up, ran over to cover his mouth, looked around, and lowered his voice:

"Keep your voice down, don't make a scene. I'll share one sparrow with you."

This lunatic was someone who didn't follow the beaten path; if he didn't give him one, he would definitely go tell the team leader.

Lu Qianyao had no choice but to painfully take off one of the sparrows skewered on the branch, along with the mushroom used to separate the two pieces of sparrow meat, and wrapped them in a prepared banana leaf.

He kept this portion for himself and reluctantly handed the remaining sparrow and mushroom still on the skewer to Gu Xingzhou.

Gu Xingzhou accepted it without hesitation and smiled, patting him on the shoulder.

"Since you're sharing a sparrow with me, I won't stand on ceremony and will accept it. Don't worry, my mouth is exactly the size of a sparrow, it'll be sealed tight. I'm a man of my word."

"Fine."

Lu Qianyao's expression improved slightly. He nodded, stuffed the wrapped food into his pocket, used his knife to cover the fire on the ground with dirt, picked up his basket of firewood, and hurried away.

He was afraid that if he stayed here to eat the sparrow, he would choke; watching Gu Xingzhou made him lose his appetite.

Inside the space, Yang Mumu watched Lu Qianyao's retreating figure, shaking her head with a smile.

How miserable! The sparrow he had finally obtained had now been looted by Gu Xingzhou, and one of his mushrooms had also been snatched away. Hahaha, why is he so miserable!

Gu Xingzhou arrived just in time, haha!

Outside, Gu Xingzhou watched him run away as if avoiding a plague god, shrugged indifferently, took out chili powder and Sichuan peppercorn powder from his bag, and sprinkled it on the sparrow meat. He also cut some banana leaves to wrap the meat and put it in his pocket. Then, seeing a cluster of wild green onions growing on the ground, he dug them up, planning to take them back to stir-fry with the cured meat he had made a few days ago.

Hehehe, I'll send it to Mumu; she will definitely like it.

Gu Xingzhou smiled happily at the sparrow and wild green onions in his hand, and ran towards the Educated Youth Courtyard with them.

Seeing that they had both left, Yang Mumu looked at the roasted pheasant in her hand, then came out of the space and returned to the Educated Youth Courtyard.

At dinner time, Gu Xingzhou brought over a plate of stir-fried wild boar with wild green onions and a spicy roasted sparrow, happily thrusting them into her hands.

"Mumu, this is cured meat stir-fried with wild green onions I dug up on the mountain, and the sparrow was snatched from Lu Qianyao. I brought some for you, hurry and taste it. The sparrow is best eaten while hot. I specifically sprinkled it with my special chili powder, hurry and eat."

Yang Mumu was a little moved; she hadn't expected Gu Xingzhou to save the entire sparrow for her without eating any himself.

She broke the sparrow, which was about the size of a rice ball, in half and stuffed one half into Gu Xingzhou's hand.

"Let's each have half the sparrow and taste it together."

"Okay."

Gu Xingzhou looked at the sparrow meat in his palm, feeling sweet inside. This was given to him by Mumu; Mumu must like him too, otherwise she wouldn't treat him differently.

First she gave him two copper coins, now she gave him sparrow meat to eat. Hehehe, happy!

His imagined happiness completely made him forget that he had been the one to give the sparrow meat away in the first place; he only remembered that from this moment on, the sparrow meat was Mumu's special treatment for him.

"Is it good?"

"Mmm, very good. The chili powder makes it very fragrant. Wait for me a moment."

Yang Mumu ate the sparrow meat in one bite, then turned around, went inside to take out a small portion of chicken, covered it with a bowl, and handed it over.

"This is a pheasant I got when I was watching Lu Qianyao. Take it back and eat it with Song Yan, keep it discreet."

"Alright, I'll head back now. You go in and eat quickly; the stir-fried meat with wild green onions is great with rice while it's hot."

"Sure, I'll go get a bowl of rice right now. I love the dishes you make the most; the wild green onions must be even more fragrant."

Yang Mumu's words made Gu Xingzhou even happier.

As long as she likes eating it, that's fine.

He carried the small portion of chicken and walked back, his mood exceptionally surging.

Thanks to Lu Qianyao's friendly assistance; thanks to Lu Qianyao's recent strange behavior, his relationship with Mumu had advanced by leaps and bounds, with plenty of tacit understanding. Now their relationship had reached a new level.

He could feel that Mumu treated him differently; she only gave him sparrow meat to eat, only gave him pheasant meat. These were all special treatments, hehe!

He had to cook more and send it over, go up the mountain more often to get delicious things to make. Mumu liked to eat, and he had to firmly capture Mumu's stomach.

Gu Xingzhou clenched his fists and cheered himself on!

79: Chapter 79 Moving to a New Home

After he left, Yang Mumu went over and brought half a portion of meat to He Yuan and Xia Zhizhi, and Liu Qingwan also sent over a roasted chicken wing.

She had eaten quite a bit of their food previously, so now that she had meat, she wanted everyone to have a taste and share in the joy of getting these "treasures" for free from Lu Qianyao's precognitive dreams.

When she returned, Yang Mumu was carrying a bowl of sliced meat soup that He Yuan had insisted on giving her, while her other hand held the scrambled eggs given by Xia Zhizhi and the twice-cooked pork with fermented black beans packed by Liu Qingwan.

Looking at the delicious dishes on the table, she nimbly went to the pot, filled a bowl of rice, and sat down to eat.

Having a few friends is truly wonderful; she could eat a greater variety of dishes. With this kind of give and take, they were all friends worth keeping for the long term.

Over there, Lu Qianyao was eating roasted sparrow, experiencing the joy of getting something for free for the first time. After finishing his meal, he lay down on the bed to dream again.

Yang Mumu continued to watch him, following his every move.

Every one of his precognitive dreams featured her.

Later on, Yang Mumu didn't leave him anything at all; she wouldn't let a single feather pass without plucking it.

Another five days passed, and Yang Mumu had intercepted him seven times, mostly taking various wild game from the mountains, such as wild vegetables, wild fruits, mushrooms, and meat like wild rabbits.

Yang Mumu took them back and secretly shared them with her friends; they had all gained a bit of weight, while Lu Qianyao had grown visibly thinner.

Although he slept a lot every day, his spirit was getting worse and worse.

This was because he had been running around searching for five days, yet he hadn't managed to get a single thing.

And furthermore, because when he went back to sleep, he no longer had any dreams; his nights were dreamless.

The next day, while working, Lu Qianyao muttered to himself, looking very agitated.

"What's going on? Why have I stopped dreaming? Could it be that the dreams I had before were all fake? Was I overthinking it? Is it normal not to have dreams now?"

"No, why did I have them that time with the sparrow and the mushrooms? This must be a test from the heavens. It must be because I didn't fish out the things from below. Yes, that must be it. I have to keep learning Swimming, I must keep learning."

Lu Qianyao quickly comforted himself, his mind occupied with learning Swimming.

Yang Mumu had just walked nearby and happened to hear these words.

Stopped dreaming? That's fine. She had spent all her energy over the past two weeks on Lu Qianyao; although getting things for free was fun, it was also draining.

The house behind hers had long been ready to move into, but she had delayed moving because of this matter.

Also, the matter of learning Swimming with Xiang Yang hadn't been put on the agenda yet. Xiang Yang had been back for several days already. She had to learn this skill; her original intention was to acquire an extra life-saving skill.

With these thoughts, Yang Mumu continued her patrol, preparing to observe Lu Qianyao a bit longer.

After observing for two days, she was certain that Lu Qianyao was no longer having dreams.

Looking at the lively litter of newborn rabbits in her Little Space, as well as the wild horses and deer grazing leisurely with their heads down, and the silly roe deer under the tree, she felt satisfied.

All the living spoils were here, and she felt satisfied enough to stop.

It was time to get busy with the two things she had set aside earlier.

After finishing work in the afternoon, Yang Mumu returned to the Educated Youth Courtyard and began moving.

Gu Xingzhou, Song Yan, Xia Zhizhi, Liu Qingwan, and He Yuan all came to help her pack her things and move boxes and various household items.

When He Yuan walked into her house and saw the layout inside, her eyes lit up.

"Mumu, this house of yours is really nice. It has everything, and it's kept so clean and beautiful; you don't even have to worry about much. I'm going to talk to the team leader and pay to build a house like yours. This house is really great, no worse than staying in my own home. I don't want to live with Wu Xiuli at all anymore; she grinds her teeth and snores at night, I can't stand it anymore."

The more He Yuan thought about it, the more she felt that building a separate house to live in alone, like Yang Mumu did, was very suitable. She said happily, "Yes, I'll go talk to the team leader tomorrow. What do you all think?"

"That's doable. When the time comes, I'll introduce you to the uncles from the team who helped me build my little room and set up the stove."

Liu Qingwan stood at the door excitedly, pointing at her room, and strongly recommended it. "Look at my little room; it was built in 15 days. Although it's not as big as Mumu's, it's really comfortable to live in alone. The privacy is great; it's a Little Space that belongs only to me, without being affected by the noises my roommates make. I'll be moving in after airing it out for another two days."

He Yuan excitedly grabbed Liu Qingwan's hand and said, "Good, good, good, Qingwan. Then I'll have to trouble you to introduce me tomorrow. I'll start handling this matter tomorrow morning. I want to build a house with the same layout as Mumu's, too. I'll build it on the empty plot to the right of Mumu's, so we can be neighbors in the future."

Liu Qingwan readily patted her chest and said, "Sure, leave it to me. I just finished, so I'm familiar with the process. If there's anything you don't know, just come and ask me, and I'll explain it to you."

Yang Mumu suggested to her, "Yuanyuan, while you are building your house, you can live in the room I'm currently staying in. Anyway, no new Educated Youth have arrived yet. Once I finish moving, you can quickly move your things in. After your house on my right is built, you can move in there. That way, it'll be a perfect transition, and you'll be comfortable."

He Yuan nodded vigorously.

Gu Xingzhou, who was carrying a large cabinet in with Song Yan, heard their conversation. He looked at the empty plot on the right, and then his gaze landed on the empty plot to Mumu's left, lingering for a moment.

This plot of land would be very suitable for him to live on, and it would be more convenient to spend time with Mumu in the future. Yes, that's it, he decided. He would go talk to the team leader in a little while.

"Mumu, where should I put this big box for your cotton quilts?"

Yang Mumu hurried to the front to lead the way, "Over here, to the right of the wardrobe. I've already cleared the space; just put it against the wall."

"Okay."

The two of them carried the cabinet over, and Yang Mumu also reached out to lift the front of the cabinet, adjusting its position against the back wall.

"Okay, like that."

Yang Mumu packed the cotton quilts from the bed into the cabinet, then stacked the two small boxes for her knick-knacks on top of the large cabinet.

She clapped her hands, looked at the room which was almost ready, heaved a sigh of relief, and said to He Yuan, "The big items have all been moved over; only the bedding is left to be packed. I'll go wrap it up and bring it over now. Yuanyuan, do you want to move into the room I'm staying in now? If you do, I'll help you move your things over."

"Mumu, your suggestion is great! I'll move, I'll go move now." He Yuan looked at Xia Zhizhi and asked, "Zhizhi, do you want to move with me? Let's do it together; that room is really uncomfortable to live in."

"Okay, let's move together." Xia Zhizhi clapped her hands in agreement.

"Great, let's go move things."

The two of them ran excitedly toward the front courtyard. Yang Mumu and Liu Qingwan walked slowly, arm in arm, to help Xia Zhizhi and He Yuan pack.

Gu Xingzhou didn't want to get involved. He was thinking about the wild rabbit he had brought back from the mountains today and was preparing to cook a good meal to capture Mumu's stomach, so she would never forget him and wouldn't want to be apart from him.

When they reached the front courtyard, Liu Qingwan went into the room next door to help pack. Yang Mumu headed toward the room she was staying in, preparing to pack her bedding, when he called out to her.

"Mumu, I'll go ahead and start cooking dinner. By the way, how do you usually like to eat rabbit?"

"As long as there are chili peppers, I like rabbit however it's cooked. However, tonight, to celebrate me moving into my new home, let's eat together. My newly bought large iron pot hasn't been seasoned yet; you all can come and help me season it."

Yang Mumu invited them. The things she had "freeloaded" from Lu Qianyao weren't finished yet; it was the perfect day to use those things to celebrate and share them together.

Having a new opportunity to interact, he naturally wouldn't let it pass and immediately agreed, "Sure, I'll go cook. I also got some things on my end. Can I go over now and use your stove?"

"Sure, you and Song Yan go ahead; I'll come over as soon as I finish packing up here." Yang Mumu handed him the key to the kitchen.

Song Yan was happy at the thought of being able to eat the food Gu Xingzhou cooked. He patted his chest and said, "Sister Mu, don't you worry. I'll help Brother Zhou, I'll tend the fire for him. You all just take your time packing, no rush. We'll call you when it's ready."

Yang Mumu waved her hand, "Okay, the kitchen utensils and such are all in the cupboard that was just moved over. Go on, I'm looking forward to the meal you make."

Gu Xingzhou and Song Yan went back to get some of their own rations and vegetables, then ran excitedly toward Yang Mumu's kitchen.

80: Chapter 80 Gu Xingzhou's Thoughts

By the time Yang Mumu finished helping Xia Zhizhi and He Yuan move everything and returned to the back room, Gu Xingzhou had already stir-fried a spicy diced rabbit, a mushroom stir-fry with meat, and a cured meat stir-fry with garlic sprouts.

The rice in the aluminum pot at the back was almost steamed, with a sausage steaming on top.

"Oh my god, it smells so good! Gu Xingzhou, you're amazing. You managed to make so many dishes in such a short time. It's such a feast!"

Yang Mumu ran over, drawn by the aroma, her eyes shining as she stared at the dishes on the table.

"Wait, I still have half a fresh wild chicken here. Let's stir-fry that too. You're such a good cook, we can't let this skill go to waste."

Yang Mumu ran to the cupboard, took out half a chopped and marinated chicken from a basin underneath, and handed it to Gu Xingzhou without ceremony, looking at him with great anticipation.

"How do you think we should make this chicken?"

"Shall I make spicy chicken for you?" Gu Xingzhou was in a pleasant mood, his voice sounding upbeat.

"That works, I'll leave it to you. It's already been washed and salted. No need to stir-fry the cabbage; Liu Qingwan is doing that over there."

"Alright."

Yang Mumu's eyes curved into crescents as she smiled. She placed the basin on the stove, consciously went to wash the chili peppers, helped out, and once finished, stood beside Gu Xingzhou watching him cook.

She praised him as she watched, providing full emotional support, which made Gu Xingzhou feel overjoyed. With a constant smile on his face, he cooked with even more enthusiasm, wishing he could cook for Yang Mumu for the rest of his life.

Gu Xingzhou checked the rice steaming in the aluminum pot at the back and said, "Mumu, the rice is ready, and this dish is about done. Go call them."

As he spoke, he picked up a piece of chicken and handed it to her, "Taste it first."

Yang Mumu tasted a piece of chicken; it was very flavorful.

"It's delicious, it's ready. I'm going to call them."

Eating the meat, she ran out happily.

Song Yan was happily stoking the fire in front of the stove, watching the spicy chicken stir-frying in the wok, swallowing his saliva as he smelled the spicy aroma.

"I'm so lucky today. Brother Zhou, whoever marries you in the future will be blessed. This dish smells amazing. I thought I'd starve to death after coming to the countryside, but I didn't expect to meet Sister Mu and you. I'm even going to gain weight! Haha, I'm so happy. It would be great if I could eat Brother Zhou's cooking for the rest of my life."

Upon hearing Song Yan's last sentence, Gu Xingzhou shuddered with disgust and said dismissively, "Just keep dreaming. A lifetime of my cooking belongs to my future wife; you can at most come over for a bite."

"Then I'll have to become good friends with your future wife so I can keep coming over for meals."

Song Yan thought happily that he must butter up his future sister-in-law so he could come over for meals often.

Gu Xingzhou shook his head at him, "You can expand your thinking a bit; be more creative."

Song Yan touched his head, looking confused, "Huh? What do you mean?"

"It doesn't have to be becoming friends later; she could already be a good friend. Then wouldn't it be even easier to mooch a meal? Don't you think?" Gu Xingzhou began to lead Song Yan on.

"Already a good friend? But how would I know who you're going to marry in the future? That's a bit tricky!"

Song Yan scratched his big head; his head was a bit itchy, as if he were growing a brain.

"Are you actually stupid or just acting dumb?" Gu Xingzhou looked at him with an exasperated expression and spelled it out, "Who are your good friends right now?"

Song Yan's brain suddenly clicked into gear, and he looked at Gu Xingzhou in surprise.

"You, you, you like Sister Mu?"

Yang Mumu was halfway there when she remembered that there was still half a marinated wild chicken in the cupboard that hadn't been steamed or sliced, so she ran back to tell Gu Xingzhou.

Just as she reached the doorway, she heard Song Yan's words, which made her heart tremble in shock. She immediately stopped and leaned against the wall behind the door, listening to the conversation inside.

Her mind was racing with what Song Yan had just said. Gu Xingzhou liked her? How had she never noticed?

"Your brain finally worked for once. Do you want to eat my cooking in the future?"

"I do want to, but I won't betray Sister Mu." Song Yan looked at him warily, "Don't even think about making me your undercover agent. I will always be Sister Mu's little brother. No matter how many delicious meals you make for me, you can't bribe me."

"If I let you be an undercover agent, I'm afraid you'd only make things worse for me."

Gu Xingzhou rolled his eyes at him and said it clearly.

"I just want you to be a middleman. Be there when you should, and be self-aware enough to leave when you shouldn't. When I suggest something, just chime in and agree. Who asked you to be an undercover agent? If you were so easily bribed to betray Sister Mu, I wouldn't even ask you, understand?"

Song Yan looked at the spicy diced rabbit in the bowl and gestured for Gu Xingzhou to give him some.

Gu Xingzhou scooped two portions of meat for him, and Song Yan nodded happily as he ate the meat.

"Oh, like that? Fine, that works. But if Sister Mu doesn't like you, I won't help you create opportunities."

"Deal, that's our agreement then." Gu Xingzhou smiled and reached out to high-five him, while reminding him, "Don't go blabbing about it. Everything has to wait until Sister Mu agrees to date me before you can say anything. Remember, keep your mouth shut."

Song Yan covered his mouth, "Understood, I promise to keep it tight. That's Sister Mu we're talking about; in front of Sister Mu, everyone else has to step aside."

Upon hearing the answer from inside, Yang Mumu felt a bit unsettled. Gu Xingzhou actually liked her? When did he start feeling this way?

She then heard Song Yan teasing Gu Xingzhou inside, "No wonder you're so different towards Sister Mu. You can smile at Sister Mu, but you show a cold and heartless face to everyone else."

81: Chapter 81 One person plays two roles

The more Song Yan talked, the more he carefully recalled the differences in how Gu Xingzhou treated them; how had he only just realized that something was wrong with this situation?

He looked at Gu Xingzhou excitedly and said:

"I've figured it out, Brother Zhou. You treat us friends who are a bit closer with a bit of a smile when we gather for Swimming, but I've now realized that you always exude a faint sense of detachment."

"You are only attentive to Sister Mu's affairs, and the smile you have after seeing Sister Mu is exceptionally sincere—it's a very real smile, a face full of infatuation."

"Is that so?" Gu Xingzhou touched his face, not having noticed these changes in his own smile.

"Yes, the smile on your face just now when you were talking to Sister Mu about the spicy chicken was very obvious. The corners of your mouth wouldn't come down. Look, look, the corners of your mouth are still curled up right now; you must be thinking about Sister Mu. Haha, my eyes are too sharp."

Song Yan pointed at the corners of his mouth with one hand and slapped his thigh with the other, as if he had discovered a new continent, excitedly talking about his discovery.

Yang Mumu shifted her position and secretly peeked inside, discovering that the corners of his mouth from the side were indeed curled up.

Was it really as Song Yan said?

Song Yan continued to speak.

"And another thing, every time we sit together to eat, I notice you quietly moving the delicious dishes, the dishes with lots of chili, in front of Sister Mu. You watch her take a bite, and only after you get a 'delicious' from Sister Mu do you eat happily yourself."

"Is that so? I didn't expect you to be so observant." Gu Xingzhou admitted this. "I made it for Mumu in the first place; you guys were just incidental."

"Incidental is fine, incidental is fine; I get to mooch an extra bite to eat."

Song Yan wasn't unhappy; on the contrary, he was very happy. How many good things had he eaten by basking in Sister Mu's light?

"I also love to eat, so I unintentionally observed your actions. I thought you were trying to steal my position as the little brother, but I didn't expect you to have this idea. Now I can rest easy; I'm still Sister Mu's number one little brother, and I can continue to mooch food by following Sister Mu, hehe!"

Song Yan even proudly puffed out his chest, his face full of pride.

Outside, Yang Mumu stopped listening at this point and turned to walk to the front of the Educated Youth Courtyard to call people.

Gu Xingzhou's heart skipped a beat. He subconsciously glanced at the doorway, feeling a bit panicked in his heart.

What kind of reaction would Mumu have after knowing?

Walking toward the front courtyard, Yang Mumu was pondering everything Song Yan had just said and began to recall the scenes and moments of everyone eating together before, focusing on...

It seemed to be like that; it all matched up with what Song Yan said.

Before, she was carefree and didn't feel anything, but with it all pointed out one by one, she immediately felt how different Gu Xingzhou was toward her. Indeed, from the beginning until now, Gu Xingzhou had always been very natural, relaxed, and loved to smile when he was with her.

Gu Xingzhou truly revealed his liking for her in the details, and he was indeed very good to her; whatever delicious dishes he cooked, he would bring some over for her.

Then what should she do?

Yang Mumu thought, touching her slightly burning face.

In her mind, she played two roles, one asking questions and the other answering.

Mumu No. 1 asked coldly: "Do you like Gu Xingzhou?"

Mumu No. 2 thought for a moment: "I don't dislike him. I like his face and his cooking, and I like his personality too. It seems to be a little more than pure appreciation."

No. 1 gave a multiple-choice question: "If Gu Xingzhou liked someone else, what would you do?"

"A. Sad, B. Unhappy, C. Happy, D. Doesn't matter."

No. 2 replied: "'Doesn't matter' is impossible, 'sad' doesn't quite reach it, 'unhappy' is a little bit there. Unhappy because I won't be able to eat delicious food at any time, and I would be melancholy that someone who is very compatible with me is drifting away."

No. 1 asked further: "Then if Gu Xingzhou asked you to be his partner, would you be repulsed? If not repulsed, would you accept?"

Mumu No. 2 pondered for a while and replied: "Thinking about it this way, I really don't feel repulsed. Gu Xingzhou is quite good to me, has a good family, is generous to me, his personality is very much to my taste, the dishes he makes also suit my taste, and when encountering things, he coordinates with me. With just one look, we know what the other means. The key is that he is handsome, handsome, handsome—his face is good-looking. The children would be ahead of the starting line from birth. It seems that being in a relationship with him is really not bad; it's worth a try."

At this moment, Yang Mumu suddenly saw the light. Her mind became clear, her whole person felt refreshed, and her heart calmed down. The turbulent waves she felt when she first knew Gu Xingzhou liked her were completely gone.

Let everything take its natural course! If there's no rejection, then just go with the flow and experience it. People still need emotions; whether it's seizing the day or a long-lasting relationship, time will give the answer.

"Time to eat!"

Yang Mumu was in a very good mood. She called her little friends one by one to eat, her tone overflowing with happiness.

"Coming, coming."

The three little friends responded actively and began to move.

Xia Zhizhi ran over with a plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and Liu Qingwan happily ran to Yang Mumu with a plate of stir-fried wild bracken and pan-fried tofu.

He Yuan ran out of the room excitedly, holding four bottles of Arctic Ocean soda in her hands.

Yang Mumu waved at them vigorously: "Let's go, eat."

"Okay."

The four of them walked happily toward Yang Mumu's small house.

"Too much money to burn!" Wu Xiuli walked out, saw this, muttered in a low voice, and then walked to the kitchen to cook with envy in her eyes. She somewhat hoped that new Educated Youths would come; she also wanted a friend.

No, why would she need a friend? If she took down Song Yan, wouldn't she have a companion?

Wu Xiuli was full of drive, cheering herself on.

She would definitely take him down! Having spent so much time together, Song Yan should also have feelings for her. Should she be more proactive and find a time to talk about the matter of being in a relationship?

On this side, Song Yan inexplicably shivered. Seeing Yang Mumu and the others coming, the feeling of discomfort in his heart disappeared. He stood up happily and tidied the table to prepare for the meal.

"Hurry, hurry, everything is ready. The celebration of Sister Mu moving into her new house starts now. Come and sit down quickly."

"Coming."

As the host, Yang Mumu still went to the stove to carry some dishes as a gesture. She very naturally took the spicy chicken and spicy rabbit diced from Gu Xingzhou's hands and smiled at him.

The feeling of panic in Gu Xingzhou's heart was instantly dispelled by this smile, and he also smiled.

In this situation, he could advance further later, attack a few more steps—he could be more direct!

He said to Yang Mumu, who had put down the dishes and was preparing to serve the rice: "You sit; I'll serve the rice."

"Okay, you serve it."

Yang Mumu went to pull out the chopsticks, and the food was soon all set on the table.

Everyone was very enthusiastic about eating and moved quickly. He Yuan also took the cups and poured a glass of Arctic Ocean soda for everyone.

Everyone sat happily around the table, waiting for Yang Mumu to speak.

Yang Mumu had nothing to say; eating was the most important thing. She directly waved her hand and shouted: "Start eating!"

"Okay!"

Everyone picked up their chopsticks and began to take action.

Just as Yang Mumu picked up her chopsticks and looked at the table in front of her, she immediately noticed that the spicy chicken and spicy rabbit diced were placed right in front of her.

Hmm? She clearly remembered the location of these two dishes before; they weren't in front of her.

When were they moved over?

She immediately thought of Song Yan's words from before: "Put the delicious dishes in front of her, and watch her eat first."

Yang Mumu looked up and sure enough saw Gu Xingzhou's attentive gaze. Seeing her look over, he smiled at her and reached out to pick up chicken and rabbit diced for her into her bowl.

"Eat."

This was the first time he had picked food for her. To be honest, Gu Xingzhou was a little nervous, but he looked at her with a smiling face.

82: Chapter 82 Liu Qingwan Wants to Suddenly Replace the Male Lead?

"Okay."

Yang Mumu turned her head and immediately caught Song Yan, who was sitting next to her, casting a secretly excited gaze in her direction.

That look seemed to be saying, "See, see? I told you so."

Yang Mumu kicked Song Yan, who was sitting beside her, under the table and said through gritted teeth, in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Focus on eating your meal."

"Alright, alright, alright!" Having been caught, Song Yan quickly lowered his head to eat his own food, feeling happy to himself.

Yang Mumu picked up some food from her bowl and ate it, saying happily, "It's delicious. The food Xingzhou made is truly so good; I love eating it the most. Everyone, eat more, try these dishes. They were all made by Xingzhou. Song Yan tended the fire, and I didn't lift a finger. His cooking level is as steady as always; it's too delicious!"

She recommended the food sincerely while eating, and Xia Zhizhi and the others nodded, agreeing that it was delicious, their chopsticks unable to stop.

Yang Mumu mainly watched Gu Xingzhou's reaction and saw the brilliant smile on his face completely. Song Yan hadn't exaggerated at all; it was truly a "worthless" smile. He kept smiling, unable to lower the corners of his mouth.

In summary, this person must be deeply in love with her; this smile was just too good-looking.

Oh no! She had been bewitched by his good looks.

She rubbed her eyes, withdrew her gaze, and buried her head in her food, feeling a bit of joy in her heart.

Hmm, for the sake of his good looks, she could try approaching him with a different kind of feeling to see if they were suitable for dating. She would just observe him with the eyes of a potential future partner.

"How about we raise a glass to celebrate? Meeting you all is simply my good fortune. Thank you, thank you. I'd like to propose a toast to everyone."

Song Yan picked up his water glass, using water in place of wine to lead the toast, and looked at Yang Mumu, saying, "Congratulations to my Sister Mu on moving into your new home. Thank you for the hospitality. We will be best friends for life."

He Yuan immediately raised her water glass and said, "And me too. I also want to be best friends with you all for life. This is the first time I've had so many friends. Taking advantage of the happy occasion of Mumu moving into her new home, I also want to thank everyone for your tolerance toward me, not minding my awkward personality. Thank you."

Her personality now was much livelier compared to before, and she understood much more, all due to the influence of these friends. She was very grateful in her heart.

Her previous friends were not sincere toward her; they purely treated her as a free Supply and Marketing Cooperative, getting things from her for nothing while bad-mouthing her behind her back. It wasn't until she went to the countryside that she realized that true friends help each other, have mutual give and take, tolerate each other, and are happy when they are together.

She really liked this feeling and especially hoped they could be friends for life.

"I also want to be friends with you all for life," Xia Zhizhi also quickly raised the glass in her hand and said happily.

Liu Qingwan raised her glass with a smile, "Count me in. Although I only started interacting with you all later, being with you is genuinely comfortable. We are definitely going to be friends."

Yang Mumu looked at these friends and found that she quite liked them. After a month of contact, they were all decent people. She stood up with her glass and clinked it with theirs.

"Alright, then let's all be well in the future. I hope we can be good friends for a lifetime. May our friendship last forever. Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

Everyone ate this meal with joy.

Throughout the meal, Yang Mumu clearly felt that Gu Xingzhou was treating her differently, and it was becoming more blatant. He helped her serve rice, and whenever he saw the water in her glass was running low, he would refill it. He also picked up food for her with increasing ease.

After the meal, they sat together cracking melon seeds and chatting. Gu Xingzhou sat to the side, listening to them chat while shelling melon seeds. After shelling them, he held a large handful of melon seed kernels and quietly touched Yang Mumu's hand from under the table.

Yang Mumu curiously opened her hand and received a large handful of melon seed kernels. She looked at him with surprise, and seeing that she didn't refuse, a spring-breeze-like smile hung on Gu Xingzhou's face.

She accepted them happily. It seemed that Mumu didn't have no feelings for him either.

Gu Xingzhou was greatly encouraged and didn't hear a word of what Song Yan was chatting to him about. When Song Yan asked him for some melon seed kernels, he just moved the melon seeds in front of Song Yan over to his own side, lowered his head, and continued shelling them, his heart focused only on pursuing his future wife.

Yang Mumu watched him shell the melon seeds, initially thinking everyone would receive a handful of kernels. However, after the second handful was shelled, he quietly placed it in her hand again. She then realized it was exclusively for her, and she ate many handfuls all by herself.

Gu Xingzhou quietly shelled melon seeds for her, and Yang Mumu silently ate the kernels without making a fuss. The two of them had perfect tacit understanding, their moods carrying a faint sense of novelty and happiness.

Yang Mumu felt inexplicably thrilled by this secretive behavior of them doing little things under the table in front of all their friends!

Comrade Gu Xingzhou had truly become bold and straightforward today. Had he become so different after chatting with Song Yan?

When Song Yan finished chatting and turned back to look at the melon seeds in Gu Xingzhou's hand, reaching out to ask for some, Gu Xingzhou slapped his hand away. There wasn't a single kernel, and he grabbed a handful of shells and put them in his hand instead.

Song Yan wasn't annoyed; he just looked at him with a motherly smile, then looked at Yang Mumu, knowing exactly what was going on in his heart.

He was particularly excited; he was the only one who knew this secret, and no one else did.

Haha, Brother Zhou was too smooth. He had just finished talking before the meal and started taking action. Oh my god, the feeling now was completely different. Why did he feel even more excited than the people involved? Watching this was just too happy!

Gu Xingzhou glared over and warned him in a low voice by his ear, "Restrain yourself. Do you still want to eat the food I make or not?"

"Yes, yes."

Song Yan immediately withdrew his gaze, stopped looking at him, and continued chatting with everyone.

His gaze touched on Liu Qingwan sitting opposite him, and his brain turned. He also followed suit, shelling melon seed kernels, serving tea and water. However, he didn't dare give them to just one person, but to everyone, taking care of everyone, though he gave Liu Qingwan the most kernels.

Ever since Yang Mumu heard Song Yan and Gu Xingzhou chatting that morning, which led her to notice the different details in how people interacted to analyze their feelings, she had become enlightened, subconsciously paying more attention to the subtleties of everyone.

At this moment, while chatting, she noticed Song Yan's differential treatment.

Yang Mumu took a look at Song Yan, then took a look at Liu Qingwan, and discovered a new world. Her enthusiasm for "eating melon" (gossiping) soared, and she paid more attention to the interaction between the two. The more she looked, the more interesting it became.

The look in Song Yan's eyes when he looked at Liu Qingwan was clearly different; there was light in his eyes, and whenever she spoke, he would look at her very earnestly.

And Liu Qingwan also seemed to have some different feelings for Song Yan. She was amused to no end by Song Yan's antics. When their gazes accidentally met, there was obvious shyness on their faces, and the tips of their ears and cheeks were red to varying degrees.

Wasn't this the differential treatment Song Yan himself had talked about? The two of them definitely had different feelings for each other, haha!

Is Liu Qingwan about to change the male lead?

83: Chapter 83: The commotion started

Yang Mumu suddenly realized that Lu Qianyao had not had any prophetic dreams in the past few days. Could this be the reason? The reason for his weakening protagonist halo.

She had heard a saying: in female-oriented novels, only the man acknowledged by the female lead is the male lead. Since the female lead despised Lu Qianyao, he was definitely not the male lead.

That book was a female-oriented novel to begin with, and now that Liu Qingwan's affections had shifted, the protagonist halo atop Lu Qianyao's head was naturally fading away.

My god, a sudden change of the male lead is highly likely!

Yang Mumu scratched her head in shock.

She increasingly felt that this was also a reason for Lu Qianyao's decline.

Thinking about it, this matter had no downsides for her, only benefits.

She would not harm Liu Qingwan now; they were still good friends. Hehe, from now on, she would silently watch the drama and eat some dog food, watching how Liu Qingwan and Song Yan got together.

Watching others date is very sweet, and watching the newly minted male lead and the female lead date must be even sweeter!

Yang Mumu lowered her head, glanced at the interaction between the two, and covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.

"I'm going to cut this melon, you guys keep talking."

Yang Mumu picked up the melon from the table, using the excuse of cutting it to go to the kitchen to have a laugh. It was better not to let them discover her watching the drama from the sidelines with an "auntie smile" on her face.

"I'll help you." Gu Xingzhou had been keeping an eye on Yang Mumu and followed her over, saying with a smile, "Have you noticed something different about Song Yan?"

Yang Mumu raised her eyebrows at him in surprise and nodded with a smile, "Yes, I was just thinking about Song Yan. I wonder what he thinks about the situation with Wu Xiuli."

"About that, it's probably soon. He's getting more and more annoyed. When he reaches his limit, he'll explode; he just needs a trigger to push him over the edge."

After saying this, Gu Xingzhou gave Yang Mumu a look and glanced at Liu Qingwan opposite them. Yang Mumu understood immediately and gave him a thumbs-up under the table.

"You seem to observe things very carefully. Have you also observed something about me?" Yang Mumu asked jokingly.

She had a feeling that this person had figured it out; otherwise, he wouldn't have changed so quickly. Before, he had been silent and subtle like spring rain, but now his approach was very aggressive!

Gu Xingzhou admitted it outright and answered straightforwardly, "I did sense a difference, and I think you've also noticed a difference in me. You have always been observant and good at finding details when it comes to things you care about."

Yang Mumu shrugged and chuckled, "Uh-huh? Guess whether I noticed or not?"

"I guess you did."

Gu Xingzhou smiled happily and said very seriously, "You actually have quite a strong defensive heart toward others. You have a certain sense of proportion and boundaries with others and friends, but once you accept someone, you become significantly softer."

"I can feel the change in your attitude toward me. You didn't refuse when I gave you sunflower seeds; in the past, you definitely wouldn't have taken them. So I'm making a bold guess that not only are you not repulsed by me, but you also know my intentions."

"Your analysis is spot on. I've discovered that you're really sharp; your insight is astonishing." Yang Mumu liked his mind somewhat; smart people were her type.

"Because I care, my gaze unconsciously follows you, which is why I can sense even the slightest change in you."

When Gu Xingzhou spoke, he wasn't actually as calm inside as he appeared on the surface. At this moment, the way he was rubbing his index finger and thumb together was a sign that he was very nervous.

He looked into Yang Mumu's eyes, his gaze as firm as if he were reciting a party declaration.

"May I pursue you, Mumu?"

Yang Mumu, on the contrary, relaxed and joked with a smile, "Aren't you already pursuing me? Did I misunderstand? Should I go peel those sunflower seeds and return them to you?"

"No, no, hehe, I am pursuing you. I understand what you mean now. I will work hard to pursue you and strive to become your partner soon, dating with the goal of marriage."

Gu Xingzhou was smiling foolishly at this moment, looking a bit like a handsome big idiot.

Yang Mumu was amused by her own thought and said to him, "If you want to be my partner, it depends on your performance. I won't have someone who treats me poorly as my partner."

Gu Xingzhou nodded excitedly, "Mm-hmm, okay."

"This face is truly good-looking, and it looks even better when you smile." Yang Mumu gave him an appreciative look, clicked her tongue, and walked outside carrying the fruit.

Gu Xingzhou was stunned, then smiled even more happily. He washed the knife and cutting board on the stove and went outside in an extremely wonderful mood.

Everyone sat for a while longer. Having eaten their fill and chatted enough, and seeing that it was getting late, everyone prepared to return to their rooms to rest.

Yang Mumu lived alone in the back and didn't need to leave, while the other friends had to head toward the front courtyard.

Gu Xingzhou looked at that plot of land on the left, his eyes firm, having made up his mind.

He had to find the team leader tomorrow morning; he must get the house repaired over there as soon as possible. Being close means getting the best opportunity; staying nearby would make it easier to spend time together. If he stayed in the front courtyard, it would immediately reduce many opportunities to be with her, which would be too painful.

"We're leaving. Don't see us off. It's getting late, go back to your room and rest." Gu Xingzhou waved his hand.

"Alright, I'll just stand at the doorway and watch you go."

Yang Mumu nodded to everyone and stood at the doorway watching until everyone had gone far away and was out of sight before closing the door to wash up.

Just as she finished washing up, she heard a commotion in the front courtyard. The sound was very noisy. She opened the door and listened intently, hearing Wu Xiuli's voice, and then Song Yan's voice.

"Hmm? They're causing a scene? Did it happen so quickly? Could it be the critical point of explosion and the trigger that Gu Xingzhou mentioned?"

She couldn't hear clearly from the back and didn't know exactly what had happened. Yang Mumu put on a jacket, closed the door, and ran to the front to see what was going on.

The front courtyard was in an uproar. Song Yan looked furious, and standing opposite him was a flushed Wu Xiuli.

Friends Gu Xingzhou, Xia Zhizhi, He Yuan, and Liu Qingwan were sitting in a row on small stools on the side, acting as onlookers, watching Song Yan in front.

Seeing her arrive, Gu Xingzhou waved at her, moved a small stool he had specially prepared for her from behind him, placed it next to himself, and patted the seat.

When Yang Mumu saw this, she ran over to him, sat down, and began to inquire about the situation.

"What's going on? Why the commotion? You're his roommate, do you know?"

"I have a rough idea. It started when we left your place. We were spotted by Wu Xiuli as soon as we came out. I guess she was unhappy seeing Song Yan chatting and laughing with us. Nothing happened at the time, though; she just snorted at us and left."

Gu Xingzhou tilted his head and told Yang Mumu everything he knew from the beginning.

"After Song Yan came out from his shower, Wu Xiuli blocked him at the door of our room, wanting to speak privately. Song Yan refused, telling her to say what she had to say and not to bother him. Then Wu Xiuli said she wanted to date him, and that's when the trigger happened."

Gu Xingzhou lowered his voice for the last sentence. As soon as the words "trigger" were mentioned, Yang Mumu understood the meaning of his words instantly.

"And so, the commotion started."

Yang Mumu blinked in understanding.

Xia Zhizhi, who was sitting nearby, pulled on Yang Mumu and said, "Mumu, you don't know, Liu Qingwan and I thought it was getting late, so we agreed to go to the bathroom to shower together. Just as we came out with our basins, we happened to hear Wu Xiuli say she liked Song Yan and asked him to date her. We were stunned on the spot; it was so shocking."

"Then we saw Song Yan get angry, so we sat here intending to watch before going to shower. Right, Liu Qingwan?"

84: Chapter 84 Cannon Fodder

Yang Mumu wanted to laugh when she heard this; how could it be such a coincidence? As expected, whenever it involved the female lead, things would always get a bit dramatic.

Before the male and female leads even realized they had different feelings for each other, a classic cannon fodder character like Wu Xiuli would appear to push things along, helping them recognize their true feelings or see something different in the other person.

She suddenly felt a twinge of regret that she hadn't witnessed that scene.

But now, hearing Zhizhi call out to Qingwan made her—someone who already sensed the budding romance—find it quite amusing. It was basically a case of accidentally hitting the nail on the head.

"Oh, right." Liu Qingwan replied casually, her attention clearly focused on the two people in front, watching them intently.

It wasn't a huge deal, and Wu Xiuli wasn't much of a threat. Yang Mumu sat back and watched Song Yan, curious to see how he would handle this.

If he didn't handle this well, she reckoned Song Yan's little crush would be doomed, and he could forget about ever winning over Liu Qingwan.

Matters of the heart require one's own effort; no one should interfere with the romantic destiny of others. It was better for them to just watch from the sidelines.

Up ahead, Song Yan looked at the Wu Xiuli standing before him, his expression one of unprecedented annoyance as he said:

"What exactly do you want? I said I don't like you. I don't like you, period. Can you please stop forcing yourself on me with your wishful thinking? You are really annoying, and you make me disgusted. I have never met a female comrade like you who refuses to listen to reason."

"Tell me what you like about me, and I'll change it, okay?"

"You can't change it, because you yourself are just so attractive to me. I just don't understand, what is so bad about me? What right do you have to reject me." Wu Xiuli said, lifting her head confidently.

"I look decent, my needlework is pretty good—I can even mend the holes in your pants for you. I'm virtuous, and I can cook well. I'm good at everything. What could you possibly be dissatisfied with?"

"Could it be that you like those people who just have a pretty face and can't do anything? I don't believe you're such a shallow person. Are you just shy or embarrassed? Tell me."

"I am exactly that shallow. Shy, my foot! I can cook, I can sew, I have hands to do work and a brain to learn. I don't need you here bossing me around. What you do is none of my business; I don't want to know, and I don't care."

Song Yan felt a sense of helplessness for the first time. This person really didn't understand plain language; she was both narcissistic and overconfident.

This Wu Xiuli must be mentally ill. It was the same with Brother Zhou before; even reporting her didn't work, and she just continued on her own way. How did she eventually give up? It seemed to be after she saw Brother Zhou having an episode. And she didn't dare provoke Sister Mu anymore, because she was afraid of getting beaten up. Song Yan instantly grasped the essence of the situation.

Wu Xiuli stood with her hands on her hips, looking completely unconvinced as she said:

"You really don't care? Then why are you always so polite when you reject me, and why have you never scolded me? The people around me, when they reject someone, they scold and hit them—that's what a rejection looks like. You treat me like this and still say you don't like me? I don't believe you. You..."

Song Yan was so angry he laughed. He decided to stop being polite. He picked up the foot-soaking bucket beside his feet and splashed the near-full bucket of water right into her face.

Wu Xiuli's words came to an abrupt halt. She stood there, stunned, as water dripped from her hair and body. She was soaked through, looking like a drowned rat.

Yang Mumu and the rest of the onlookers swallowed hard in shock. He was quiet until he wasn't—what a spectacular move.

Without waiting for her to speak, Song Yan put down the bucket, furious, and said sternly:

"I have clearly rejected you every single time. I said I didn't need you, I didn't need you. I just don't like you, and there is no other reason."

"You've never encountered a civilized person rejecting you, so you don't understand what rejection is, right?"

"Then I'll reject you using the method you mentioned. I'm a civilized person, so I didn't hit or scold you when rejecting you. If that made you unable to understand, it's my fault—blame my high standards, blame me for not understanding how abnormal people think. Do you understand now? I don't like you, I don't need you, and I will never, ever like you in this lifetime."

Song Yan's voice was heavy. Wu Xiuli's expression was awful, and the water on her face made it impossible to tell if it was foot-soaking water or tears.

He showed no pity and continued his warning: "Stay away from me from now on. If you come and pester me again and refuse to listen, I will splash you every time I see you. I have a mental illness, and when I go crazy, I splash people indiscriminately. Splashing people isn't against the law. Don't blame me for being rude and not giving you any face then. Hmph, don't blame me for not being polite when you've refused to act with dignity!"

Song Yan picked up the bucket with a cold face and turned to walk away.

"Pah! Who likes you? Don't be full of yourself. Look at your pathetic state—big and burly, yet you have no manners. Who would care for you? Look at how full of yourself you are. Get lost! I don't like you anyway."

Wu Xiuli didn't need him specifically; hearing this, she flew into a rage, turning from a fan to a hater, and tried to shift the blame. She grabbed a handful of mud soaked by the water from the ground and threw it at Song Yan. After cursing and throwing it, she took off running toward the bathing area.

"You'd better not." Song Yan didn't pursue her. He let out a sigh of relief. Given Wu Xiuli's reaction, based on past experiences, this meant the matter could be considered resolved.

Talking to someone who couldn't understand reason was truly agonizing. Song Yan shook his head and looked at the row of friends in front of him, smiling helplessly at everyone.

"Finally stood your ground. Not bad." Gu Xingzhou patted his shoulder in praise.

"I was thinking of you guys. Thanks to you and Sister Mu setting the example, otherwise I really wouldn't have known when I'd be able to get rid of her or how to solve it properly. It was just so annoying."

Song Yan subconsciously glanced at Liu Qingwan's reaction. Seeing the smile on her face, he felt reassured. As long as the outcome was good and she didn't misunderstand him, that was all that mattered.

"Sorry for making a scene for you all to watch."

Yang Mumu observed silently from the side, her eyes darting left and right, focusing on the reactions of Song Yan and Liu Qingwan. She successfully found some sweet crumbs in the interaction.

When Song Yan said the last sentence, his eyes were fixed on Liu Qingwan, as if he were speaking only to her. And Liu Qingwan naturally smiled and picked up the conversation.

"It's fine. Before, Lu Qianyao wouldn't stop pestering me, and I was so annoyed back then. It's good to make a scene; once they get the message, they won't come to bother you again."

85: Chapter 85 A Person's Name Matches Their Character

Liu Qingwan felt a sense of relief in her heart.

"When things and people you don't like push their way toward you, the more you drag it out and avoid them, the worse it feels. I know that from experience."

"Yeah, right, Qingwan, you're absolutely right. It's thanks to what happened today. I've been avoiding people for so long, but I won't have to anymore. The more you hide, the more they push their luck."

Song Yan stood there excitedly, with only the person in front of him in his eyes.

Xia Zhizhi and He Yuan watched Song Yan and Liu Qingwan talk as if no one else were there, treating them like thin air. They sensed something was up and shared a silent, knowing smile.

Yang Mumu stood to the side, so excited she was practically squirming. The joy of being a bystander was good, but the thrill of shipping a real-life couple was even better; even the smallest hint of romance was enough to thrill a 'shipper' like her.

Standing beside Gu Xingzhou, she whispered, "See that? There's definitely something going on between those two."

"Yeah, I see it. There's something, but they still have a long way to go and need to work at it." Gu Xingzhou nodded and looked at her affectionately. "The same goes for me."

"Hey, you..." Yang Mumu looked at him with a helpless smile. "Fine, a long way to go. Keep it up! I'm going to bed!"

His gaze was a bit too seductive, and his eyelashes were quite long and curled.

Yang Mumu waved her hand and left.

Lu Qianyao stood by the window, taking everything in. He stared resentfully at Yang Mumu's retreating back, then cast a sinister glance at Liu Qingwan, who was talking to Song Yan.

Why? Others could do it, but he couldn't. Even his dreams were gone.

Why on earth was everything leaving him!

Lu Qianyao pounded the bed in frustration, his mind racing.

He had to learn how to swim as soon as possible to go down and get the treasure there.

Meanwhile, Yang Mumu was also thinking about finding Xiang Yang to learn Swimming. Back in her room, she rummaged through her Space for suitable clothes and pants for the water.

She pulled out a slim-fitting blue top and pants. She had made them using a sewing machine in her Space at night over the past few days. Using Dacron fabric, which didn't absorb water, they were a form-fitting set specifically designed for learning to swim.

The next morning, while on patrol during work, Yang Mumu took the opportunity to speak with Aunt Yang.

"Auntie, does Xiang Yang have time this afternoon? I want to hang out with her after work and learn how to swim."

Aunt Yang moved to Yang Mumu's feet, bending over to cut wheat. She looked busy from a distance, but she was actually crouching in the wheat field, looking up at Yang Mumu as they chatted. She replied cheerfully.

"She does. The girl's at home doing homework and has been talking about playing with you for ages. I'll go back at noon and tell her. She'll come find you after you finish work this afternoon."

"Great. While I'm with Xiang Yang, I can also ask her if there's anything she doesn't understand in her studies. I might be able to help. Auntie, I'll be going now."

Aunt Yang was even happier to hear this. This was why she always said she shared a special connection with Mumu in the Educated Youth Courtyard.

"Good, good, off you go!"

With the plans made, Yang Mumu didn't linger and continued her patrol in a great mood.

After work that afternoon, Yang Mumu saw a young girl with dimples waving and running toward her, shouting happily as she ran:

"Sister Mumu, I'm here! I'm coming!"

Just like her name, Xiang Yang was truly as bright as the sun. She had a round face, and her smile was like a vibrant sunflower.

Just looking at her, Yang Mumu felt a sense of liking for her; her first impression was very positive.

A bright smile also appeared on her face as she waved and called out, "Xiang Yang."

"Sister Mumu, I finally get to meet you! My mom talks about how nice and pretty you are every day, and seeing you today, it's true. Just standing here, I feel like this whole area is glowing. You're incredibly beautiful."

Xiang Yang affectionately took Yang Mumu's arm, showing no sense of being a stranger. She was as natural and close as if she were seeing an old friend.

"You certainly have a way with words. Aunt Yang said you've been doing homework lately. How's it going? Is there anything you're stuck on? I can take a look. If you ever need help with your schoolwork, just ask. If nothing else, I'm very familiar with doing homework."

Facing such a lively girl, Yang Mumu also warmed up quickly, and they began chatting enthusiastically.

"Thanks, Sister Mumu. I'll definitely come bother you if there's something I don't understand later, but let's not talk about that today."

Xiang Yang said excitedly:

"Sister Mumu, didn't you want to learn to swim? I'll take you somewhere quiet and secluded. It's a great place to learn. That's where I learned by splashing around when I was little. I'll take you there."

"Okay, let's go there then." Yang Mumu cupped her hands in a playful salute. "Little Teacher Xiang, please take good care of me."

Xiang Yang instinctively straightened her back, tilted her head up proudly, and laughed happily.

"Haha, definitely, definitely! Come on, follow Little Teacher Xiang. I'll have you taught before dinner today. It's very simple."

With that, she excitedly pulled Yang Mumu toward her secret base.

Upon arriving, Yang Mumu discovered it was a limestone cave about four hundred meters from the sea. Inside the cave was a shallow pool filled with a mixture of underground river water and seawater.

"The tributary below this pool leads straight to the sea, but don't worry, the pool is very safe. The tributary is just a small channel, so dangerous big fish can't get through—only some small fish and shrimp.

The deepest part in the middle of the pool is only about three meters, and the edges are very shallow, making it perfect for you to learn. I'll be right there to protect you, so you can splash around as much as you want. After paddling a few times, you'll get the hang of it and learn."

Xiang Yang walked to the inner side of the pool and pointed down excitedly:

"Sister Mumu, I even placed a few long, large stones here to make a step. If you get tired of Swimming, you can sit here and lean against the side to rest. When you sit, the water level comes right up to your shoulders. There's also a hole in the roof of the cave, so sunlight can shine down. The water is lukewarm and very comfortable."

Xiang Yang pinned up her two braids, took off her shirt to reveal a sleeveless undershirt and shorts underneath, draped a white towel over her shoulders, and ran down happily.

Once in the water, she waved excitedly at Yang Mumu and shouted:

"Sister Mumu, hurry up and try it! It feels so good!"

"Coming, coming!"

Seeing her looking as comfortable as if she were in a hot spring, Yang Mumu was inspired. She changed out of her outer clothes and happily entered the water, sitting down next to Xiang Yang.

The water, which had been warmed by the sun all day, was still quite warm. Sitting in it really did feel like being in a hot spring.

"Ha, let's play!" Seeing her sit down, Xiang Yang happily splashed water at her.

"Hey, that's not fair! You started without waiting for me."

Yang Mumu also splashed water back at her, happily playing in the water. As someone who couldn't swim, all of this was quite novel to her.

After playing for a while, they sat on the stones to rest, preparing to start the Swimming lesson in a bit.

While sitting on the stone, Yang Mumu happened to catch a glimpse of something.

"Oh! Xiang Yang, look! There are two fish over there. They look like Groupers, and they're pretty big!"

Yang Mumu pointed at the fish underwater to the right in surprise. She grabbed the cloth bag she used for her clothes from the shore and lunged toward the fish.

86: Chapter 86 You will be my idol for life!

Yang Mumu acted with lightning speed, pressing down firmly to pin one fish securely before tossing it onto the bank. She then chased the other for a few steps, catching it just as it brushed against the edge of the cloth bag.

The entire process took less than two minutes; neither of the two fish escaped, and both were left flopping and flipping on the bank.

After witnessing this sequence of events, Xiang Yang was stunned. She stared at Yang Mumu in shock, then looked at the two fish jumping high on the bank and clapped excitedly, exclaiming.

"Wow, Sister Mumu, you are truly amazing! You caught two fish just like that. Heavens, this is my first time seeing someone so skilled at catching fish with their bare hands. Both of these fish are quite plump, probably weighing two or three catties each. I've never caught one even once while Swimming, you're incredible!"

Yang Mumu shook the cloth bag in her hand and said modestly, "I used this bag to catch them, so it doesn't really count as catching them with my bare hands!"

"If you didn't use a fish spear, it counts as catching them with your bare hands. It's very impressive. I've never seen anyone with your speed. Sister Mumu, you are truly my idol!"

Yang Mumu placed one of the fish into the bag, added some water, and held it half-submerged in the pool in front of Xiang Yang. She opened the mouth of the bag slightly and said to Xiang Yang, "Come on, reach in and grab it quickly. From now on, you'll also be someone who has caught a fish with their bare hands; you are your own idol."

"Haha, thank you, Sister Mumu! Then I'll definitely give it a try!"

Xiang Yang excitedly reached her hand into the bag to grab the fish. Yang Mumu shook the bottom of the bag from the outside, causing the fish to struggle and flap its tail. It splashed water onto Xiang Yang's face, making her feel even more like she was truly catching a fish, which made her even more excited.

"I caught it! I caught a fish! Haha, I caught it!"

Yang Mumu provided plenty of emotional validation, praising her, "Wow, you're so great! You caught such a big fish. Incredible, incredible! Quick, where is your bag? Bring it over and put it inside, don't let it get away!"

"Here, here! By my clothes!"

Xiang Yang was laughing uncontrollably from being coaxed. She brought her bag over, hugged the fish in her hands, and placed it inside, feeling completely satisfied.

"I've finally experienced the joy of catching a fish! From now on, I can say that I've caught a fish with my bare hands while Swimming too! Sister Mumu, you are just too kind. My mom was wrong—you aren't just kind; you are very kind, you're wonderful! I'm so happy!"

After saying this, she prepared to pour the fish from her bag back into the bag in Yang Mumu's hand.

Yang Mumu pressed down on her hand, pushed the bag back toward her, and smiled gently, "This fish is yours. You are the one who caught it."

Xiang Yang pushed the fish back, appearing somewhat anxious, "Sister Mumu, I can't do that. You caught it; it's your fish. I can't take it."

Seeing this reaction, Yang Mumu knew that this little girl was a good person. She pushed the fish back and pretended to be angry, "Take it. You're teaching me how to Swim, after all. This is a fair exchange, and we're having fun together. If you don't take it, I won't learn from you anymore, and I won't come play with you."

"In that case... then I'll take it. Thank you, Sister Mumu! Really, you will be the idol I worship for the rest of my life. I like you so much!"

Xiang Yang was overjoyed. She had been successfully won over by Yang Mumu's charisma and genuinely liked her immensely.

She touched the fish in her hand over and over, feeling incredibly happy.

To thank Yang Mumu, she prepared to teach with 120,000 percent of her effort, pouring all her energy into it.

She tied a knot in her bag, threw it by the side of the pool, and, feeling as energized as if she'd been injected with adrenaline, grabbed Yang Mumu's hand and said heroically, "Sister Mumu, come on! Let's start learning to Swim now. I will definitely teach you in the shortest possible time."

"Alright, then I'll rely entirely on Teacher Little Xiang."

Yang Mumu also put the fish on the bank into a bag, added a little water, tied a tight knot, threw it by the pool, and began to learn to Swim from Xiang Yang.

Xiang Yang explained the details to her, demonstrated a lap herself, and then slowly began to guide Yang Mumu through floating and sinking, explaining the key points and keeping a close eye on her situation at all times.

After Yang Mumu had been learning from her for an hour, she prepared to try it on her own. Xiang Yang even took a large bamboo pole that had been left there and threw it into the water.

"Sister Mumu, I'll watch you from the side. If you feel uncomfortable in the water, just grab the bamboo pole and lie on top of it. The pole is large, so it can float."

This was essentially the equivalent of a lifebuoy. With this thing nearby, Yang Mumu felt a bit more at ease.

"Alright, understood. Let's start now."

She took a deep breath and swam on her own. Although she had learned all the theory from Gu Xingzhou, it was her first time Swimming by herself, and she was a bit afraid of the unknown. Her mind went blank, and she started flailing her arms in a doggy paddle.

The result was that after sinking and swallowing a few mouthfuls of water, she was pulled up by Xiang Yang and placed onto the bamboo pole.

Xiang Yang comforted her softly, "Sister Mumu, don't be anxious. Relax. Just pretend you aren't in the water. Swim boldly; I'll be behind you to protect you. This time, I'll tell you what to do as we swim."

"Mm, okay. I'll try again."

Yang Mumu calmed her heart. She had been able to hold her breath for seven or eight minutes before, and the knowledge was all in her mind; she refused to believe she couldn't learn it.

She went for it in one go and started Swimming.

Xiang Yang spoke up from the side from time to time.

"Open your arms outwards, relax. That's it, that's it. Float up. Ah, Sister Mumu, you're Swimming! Try to swim forward a bit."

Xiang Yang tried to quietly let go, not protecting her, and let her swim on her own.

Once Yang Mumu overcame her psychological hurdle, she suddenly got the hang of Swimming. She paddled and paddled, and she began to swim. Although she kept turning in circles and didn't get very far, it was still a huge step forward.

When she swam to the bank, Xiang Yang clapped.

"Sister Mumu, you're amazing! I let go this time, and you were Swimming entirely on your own. I wasn't supporting you. Keep practicing for a while, and you might be able to swim smoothly in the water soon. Come on, rest for a bit before Swimming again."

"No rest. While I have the feeling for it, I'll swim some more. I want to learn as soon as possible."

Yang Mumu made up her mind; she wouldn't rest until she learned. She could already feel that if she just swam a bit more, she would be able to master it.

Most importantly, Lu Qianyao was obsessed. Now that he didn't have any goods, the Commune Members weren't willing to teach him. He had decided to just try Swimming randomly in the shallower water. She had heard him muttering about it this afternoon.

Yang Mumu believed that in his current state, Lu Qianyao was capable of doing such a thing just to get goods.

She had a premonition that Lu Qianyao, who still possessed some of his male lead halo, would definitely learn quickly, and she couldn't let him succeed.

Based on her observations over the past few days, this person's intentions weren't very upright; once he gained power, he was prone to doing disgusting things.

Thinking of this, Yang Mumu calmed her mind even more and went into the water to swim, recalling the techniques Gu Xingzhou had taught her as she began to swim.

87: Chapter 87 A Fatal Incident?

With this swim, she truly grasped the knack. She was no longer waving her arms for ages while spinning in circles; she successfully swam two meters away. Although her speed was a bit slow, she was able to keep going as she swam.

At least she wouldn't choke on water anymore.

Xiang Yang cheered from the side, "Sister Mumu, you're amazing! Oh my god, you learned it in such a short time! You learned so fast—you're truly my idol."

Yang Mumu had become immune to Xiang Yang's praise. Whenever she showed the slightest improvement, Xiang Yang would look at her with an expression of pure admiration and gush with compliments, much like the kindergarten teachers from later generations praising children; the stream of praise never ceased.

She smiled at Xiang Yang and continued to swim. Having just learned, her interest in Swimming was high, and she didn't want to stop at all.

Seeing her Swimming so freely, Xiang Yang joined her, Swimming by Yang Mumu's side. Later, she took the lead, gradually increasing the speed based on how well Yang Mumu was Swimming.

By the end, Yang Mumu's speed had increased as well.

From initially feeling her limbs heavy and her body clumsy, constantly sinking, and not knowing how to move her arms and legs, she now felt light and agile—her limbs becoming increasingly flexible. She had never felt so free and unburdened.

She felt like a free fish Swimming in the water, drifting with the current, feeling comfortable and happy.

Having grown bolder after learning to swim, she saw quite a few fish and shrimp in the pool and began chasing them with Xiang Yang. They swam down the ditch connected to the pool and spotted plenty of fish and shrimp.

She dug a small pit on the bank to temporarily hold the two rockfish they had caught earlier.

The two cloth bags became their tools for catching fish.

Whenever they spotted fish or shrimp, the two would drive them toward the narrowest tributary below the pool. Yang Mumu even took a piece of dry food out of her pocket—a corn cake she had just won from the space turntable.

Though it looked like a cake, it was actually bait for fish and shrimp—and a highly effective one at that. Once the fish and shrimp smelled it, they would be captivated and follow it.

She broke off a piece and crushed it, which proved very useful for luring the fish and shrimp.

Xiang Yang would run down with the bag, using it like a net to block the opening, waiting for the fish and shrimp to swim into it.

Working together, they actually caught quite a few small fish, shrimp, and crabs.

Seeing that it was getting dark in the cave, Yang Mumu checked the time. It was already around eight o'clock in the evening, so she reluctantly stopped.

"Xiang Yang, that's enough for today. Let's go, we can come back and play tomorrow."

"Alright, alright, right away! I'll just move the stones I used to block the opening down there."

After finishing, Xiang Yang ran over carrying a small bag of fish and shrimp, while the bag in Yang Mumu's hand was stuffed full.

"Sister Mumu, we were so lucky today! I've never seen so many fish and shrimp before; this is a first! It's all thanks to you, Sister Mumu, that we're bringing back such a big bag. Haha, I had so much fun today. Thank you, Sister Mumu!"

She knew that without Sister Mumu today, she wouldn't have caught a single fish; the fish and shrimp were just too fast. Only someone with Sister Mumu's quick reflexes could have caught them and successfully driven them down.

"What are you thanking me for? This is the result of our joint effort. Plus, I learned how to swim today! Little Teacher Xiang, you're quite impressive—you taught me so quickly. You deserve the credit for being the best today."

Yang Mumu was not stingy with her praise and gave her a thumbs-up.

Hearing the praise, Xiang Yang pursed her lips, her eyes curving into crescents. After listening, she waved her hand modestly.

"Haha, just average, average. Little Teacher Xiang doesn't have any great skills; it's all thanks to your good comprehension, Sister Mumu! My dad said you learn things quickly, but I didn't expect it to be this fast. I fully believe it now! I admire you so much, Sister Mumu! You learn everything so fast. You completely mastered Swimming in just a short time today and were even Swimming so quickly. Amazing!"

"We're both amazing."

Yang Mumu smiled and dumped all the fish and shrimp onto the open ground, then beckoned to her.

"Come, hurry over. Let's divide up the fish and shrimp in the bags before we head back. We're going to deep-fry these little fish and shrimp."

The fish and shrimp they had caught later were truly tiny; the largest fish was only about two fingers wide. They were perfect for deep-frying—one bite each.

"Alright, alright! Deep-fried fish and shrimp are my favorite, though they use up too much oil. Still, I'm going to pester my mom to make them for me today no matter what. It's going to be absolutely delicious!"

Xiang Yang ran over, drooling, her mouth already watering. Looking at the fish and shrimp before her, she imagined how they would look when cooked, causing her to salivate even more. She swallowed, poured the fish and shrimp from her hands into the pile, and the two began to sort them.

"One for you, one for me; one for you, one for me..."

The two happily finished dividing up the small fish, shrimp, and crabs, each filling half a bag. Then, they added the two-catty rockfish they had caught at the beginning. With a mix of small and large, they could consider it a successful trip.

After changing out of their wet clothes and packing them away, Yang Mumu picked up the fish and shrimp and beckoned to Xiang Yang, "Let's go, time to head home. Today was a perfectly wonderful day."

Xiang Yang linked her arm with hers, and they walked out happily, carrying their haul.

"Let's come back and play tomorrow! Sister Mumu, how about I accompany you to swim a few laps every time from now on?"

Yang Mumu couldn't have asked for anything better. What was the point of Swimming here alone? It was only fun to swim with a friend.

"Of course! With you here, I can swim with peace of mind. Otherwise, I'd be afraid that if something happened to me, no one would know. You're my Little Teacher Xiang, and you're very important to me—I can't do without you."

"Haha, alright, alright! I'll go and wait for you tomorrow."

Xiang Yang skipped along as they walked.

The two happily emerged from the cave, chatting as they walked toward the Production Brigade.

Just as they reached the Production Brigade, Yang Mumu heard a commotion up ahead. A crowd had gathered, and everyone looked very anxious.

"My child! My child! Don't scare your mother! Please, wake up!"

Yang Mumu heard a heart-wrenching wail.

Yang Mumu asked in confusion, "What's going on?"

Xiang Yang said, "Isn't that Auntie Guihua?"

"Guihua, move aside for a moment. Gangzi still has a breath. Don't panic—saving him is what matters most."

"That's right, everyone step back a bit. Gangzi will be fine."

Was this a life-or-death situation?

Yang Mumu and Xiang Yang exchanged a glance and ran toward the crowd.

88: Chapter 88 Lu Qianyao Drowns

"What's wrong? What happened?" Xiang Yang shouted as she ran.

Someone replied, "Someone fell into the water!"

Yang Mumu pushed through the crowd and saw two soaking wet people lying on the ground. One was Auntie Guihua's son, Gangzi, a child of eleven or twelve.

And the other was Lu Qianyao.

Yang Mumu looked at the Lu Qianyao lying on the ground in surprise. Did he get into trouble because he went swimming recklessly?

Auntie Guihua, who was nearby, saw Yang Mumu arrive and, as if seeing a lifeline, her eyes lit up as she lunged over to grab Yang Mumu's hand and plead.

"Scorekeeper Yang, I heard you know a bit of medicine. Please, save my Gangzi! I beg you, save him."

Aunt Yang was worried that Yang Mumu would be blamed if she couldn't save him, and that the family would hold a grudge against her. She said worriedly, "Guihua, Mumu isn't a barefoot doctor. Why don't you pat the water out of Gangzi and wait for the barefoot doctor to come!"

"The barefoot doctor lives in the next team's village; who knows how long it will take for him to get here. By then, my Gangzi will truly be beyond saving."

Auntie Guihua gripped Yang Mumu tightly, refusing to let go, her eyes pleading,

"Mumu, I beg you, save my son. I can accept whatever the outcome is; I won't blame you. I just beg you to save him. It's like treating a dead horse as if it were alive—just give it a try!"

"Auntie Guihua, get up. I only know a little bit, but I can try. Don't waste time. Everyone, move aside—back up a meter."

Having received Auntie Guihua's word, Yang Mumu shoved the bag she was carrying into Xiang Yang's hands, pulled Auntie Guihua aside with one hand, pushed away others blocking the path, and quickly ran to Gangzi's side to examine him.

He still had faint breathing; that made things easier.

Yang Mumu's movements were swift and agile. She cleared the foreign objects from his mouth and nose, unbuttoned his collar, and began pressing on his chest to start CPR.

The surrounding crowd watched with curiosity and started whispering.

"What is she doing? Will that work?"

"Don't let her kill him; Scorekeeper Yang will be the one to suffer. I don't believe that if their son dies, they won't blame others."

Auntie Guihua felt as if the sky was falling, and hearing the crowd whispering like that made her anxious and afraid.

She saw that Yang Mumu's actions were systematic and orderly, not chaotic at all. She trusted Yang Mumu, and fearing that the surrounding people would distract her from saving her son, she shouted angrily, "Shut up, all of you! Scorekeeper Yang is saving my son. Our family isn't so heartless and ungrateful. If something really happens to my son, it's just his fate. No one is allowed to speak!"

"Quiet down, everyone, clear out."

The captain walked over and shouted. When he got closer and saw Yang Mumu performing the rescue, he felt a bit more relieved.

The train conductor on the train had once called the team to ask about Gu Xingzhou's condition and had mentioned that Yang Mumu knew a little bit of medical skills to save lives.

She should be fine.

The captain turned his head and saw Lu Qianyao, whom no one was paying attention to nearby. Although he didn't really like this person, he was, after all, an Educated Youth in their team. It was a human life, so he couldn't just ignore it.

He prepared to call over someone to follow suit and try to save him; whatever the outcome, it would depend on his own luck.

"Whoever watched the whole process, go and save Lu Qianyao. Follow Mumu's techniques and steps."

The Widow Qian from the team looked at Lu Qianyao's young body, her eyes rolling around. This physique was fine for farm work, and most importantly, he was young and could be squeezed hard for labor. It wouldn't be bad to find such a stepfather for her son.

She curled her lips into a smile, raised her hand, and stepped forward. "Captain, I watched the whole thing. I'll save him."

"You?" The captain looked her over suspiciously, then seeing that no one else was willing to step forward to save him, he nodded and waved his hand. "Fine, fine, you do it. Watch how they do it over there, don't just mess around on your own."

"Don't worry, Captain. I remember exactly how Scorekeeper Yang did it. I definitely won't mess around."

Although Widow Qian had ulterior motives, her intention to save him was real. She went over to Lu Qianyao's side and learned from the checks Yang Mumu had done earlier, helping to clear his airways.

Her cleaning was very rough; she just messed around a bit and considered it done. She glanced at Yang Mumu's side, then folded her hands and began to press.

At this step, she was completely lost. She just pressed down mimicking the appearance, unable to control the force properly, and feeling a bit panicked inside. She just pressed casually; as long as it looked the part, whether she made it worse or not wasn't something she cared about.

Others didn't pay much attention to Lu Qianyao's side; their eyes were all fixed on the side where Yang Mumu was performing the rescue, holding their breath.

Auntie Guihua was silently shedding tears on the side, staring nervously at her son.

As Yang Mumu continued to press, the person on the ground showed some reaction.

"Cough, cough... pfft..."

Gangzi choked out some water, his complexion turned rosy, and he slowly opened his eyes.

Yang Mumu shook her hands and helped Gangzi sit up.

"He's awake, he's awake!"

"Scorekeeper Yang is really capable! He looked like he was about to stop breathing, but now he's been saved."

The onlookers all crowded around to watch and breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Auntie Guihua lunged over and hugged her child, crying, "Wuwu, Gangzi, you scared your mother to death."

"Mom, I'm fine!"

Gangzi coughed once, then held Auntie Guihua's hand and smiled. After catching his breath, he stood up on his own and hopped around a couple of times to reassure his mother.

Auntie Guihua saw that her son was truly fine, wiped away her tears, took off her cloth shoe, and started hitting him, scolding him as she struck his bottom.

"You stinky brat, why did you go play in the water? I told you so many times not to go into the water! You're not even as tall as five piles of cow dung, yet you learned to go into the water? I'm going to beat you to death today, you disobedient child."

Gangzi got hit once on his bottom, dodged, and hid behind Yang Mumu, running around in front of and behind Yang Mumu and the captain, shouting as he ran.

"Ah! Mom, stop hitting me, stop it! I won't play by the water anymore, I won't dare to do it next time. This time I was actually saving someone! Mom, I'm a big hero, I saved someone, don't hit me!"

The captain held her back. "Alright, Guihua, the child just woke up and his body is still weak. He's learned his lesson this time, so stop hitting him."

Auntie Guihua then put her shoe back on, wiped her hands, turned around, and grasped Yang Mumu's hands, thanking her fervently.

"Mumu, thank you so much today. If you hadn't been here, I can't imagine what the outcome would have been. Gangzi likely would have had an accident."

Yang Mumu waved her hand. "It's nothing. Meeting is fate. Being able to save Gangzi is also Gangzi's own good fortune."

"No, without you, there would be no Gangzi today."

Auntie Guihua's eyes were filled with emotional tears as she beckoned to Gangzi.

"Come here and thank your Sister Mumu. If it weren't for your Sister Mumu saving you, would you stinky brat still be able to stand here and dodge my shoe? Hurry up."

"Sister Mumu, thank you!"

As soon as Gangzi came over, he bowed sincerely to Yang Mumu.

Yang Mumu helped him up and patted his head. "Don't try to be a hero in the future. You're just a child; if you see someone drowning, just call for an adult."

"I know, thank you, Sister Mumu." Gangzi also remembered the person he had saved. "Yay, where is the person I saved? He didn't have an accident, did he?"

At this moment, everyone remembered to check on Lu Qianyao. They dispersed the crowd and looked behind them.

Widow Qian was already exhausted, her arms aching unbearably. She sat slumped on the ground, not wanting to move. When the captain looked over, she panted exhaustedly.

"Captain, it's no use. I can't do it. I tried my best."

The captain sighed and looked at Yang Mumu, saying, "Mumu, go take a look at Lu Qianyao and see if you can save him. If you can, please save him."

"Alright, I'll take a look."

Just as Yang Mumu approached Lu Qianyao and before she had time to crouch down to look, Lu Qianyao suddenly opened his eyes, spat out a mouthful of water, and along with it, a seashell that had been stuck in his throat was ejected.

"Cough, cough, cough—"

Lu Qianyao looked at the circle of people around him and was startled.

"Holy crap, who are you people? Why are you surrounding me?"

89: Chapter 89 A Suspected Old Friend?

Yang Mumu's nerves were instantly pricked upon hearing this, and she looked at the person on the ground with an inquisitive gaze.

Lu Qianyao, still on the ground, hadn't yet processed what was happening. He looked at the people before him, feeling a sense of familiarity mixed with strangeness. When his gaze shifted to the right, his somewhat unfamiliar expression turned into astonishment.

"Yang Mumu?! Why are you dressed so dowdily?"

His voice cracked. He looked Yang Mumu up and down, still laughing audaciously.

"Look at those two big braids. What era is this to still be wearing your hair like that? It's laughable. What? Are you too poor to afford food lately?

Do you need me to help you? Beg me. If you beg me, I'll help you. You're an orphan; it's not shameful for someone who can't afford to eat or dress well to beg for help. Besides, you probably did it often when you were a kid."

A suspected old acquaintance? No, it was certain. The person before her was that big scumbag. He exposed himself the moment he arrived; he really was as stupid as ever.

Yang Mumu looked at him as if he were an idiot: "What nonsense are you spouting? Lu Qianyao, if your brain isn't working right, go to the health center."

Xiang Yang retorted protectively: "What's wrong with braids? If they bother you, then gouge your eyes out so you don't have to look! Look at your own outfit; that's what's truly hideous. Who do you think you are to talk about us like that?"

The surrounding Commune Members also pointed at Lu Qianyao, looking at him strangely.

"Could this Lu Qianyao have been choked silly by the water? What kind of gibberish is he saying? Why can't I understand what he's talking about?"

"Exactly. Scorekeeper Yang is wearing clothes made of the most fashionable Dacron fabric. How is that not good-looking? Have you noticed how rich Lu Qianyao is? Look at what he's wearing himself, yet he has the nerve to talk about begging him for help. He's dreaming!"

Lu Qianyao noticed the strange expressions on these people. Their attire and appearance, their skin tanned like farmers, and the fine lines on their faces all showed they weren't from the city. But he didn't take it to heart, assuming these people were actors Yang Mumu had specifically hired to prank and mock him.

He shook his head and looked at the people around him, smiling mockingly.

"Am I wrong? What's with this getup of yours? Is it retro? No one dresses like this even for retro style. Old farmers in the countryside don't even wear this anymore; it's long out of fashion. I myself am dressed..."

As he spoke, he raised his arm, and upon seeing the fabric of his clothes, he was too shocked to speak. He quickly looked down at himself.

He discovered that his clothes were of a similar style to those around him. He repeatedly looked up at the people around him to compare, confirming that he was dressed the same as them; the only difference was that he was soaking wet.

Lu Qianyao felt a bit panicked and suspicious. He stood up, full of anger, and looked at Yang Mumu, the only person he had a grudge against. He walked up to her and demanded loudly:

"Yang Mumu, what kind of trick are you pulling? What did you do to me? Why am I wearing this ugly outfit too? What exactly are you trying to do to me? Why am I wet?"

He even reached out viciously to grab Yang Mumu.

Gu Xingzhou, worried about Yang Mumu, had come out specifically to see if she had returned. He arrived just in time to hear these words and witness Lu Qianyao's brainless display. Before Lu Qianyao's hand could reach her, he rushed forward and shoved him away unceremoniously.

"Lu Qianyao, you turtle's grandson, is your brain flooded with water? Did water get in there? You jumped into the sea because you were too ugly to be seen, so why are you acting like a fool here and trying to shift the blame onto others?"

"Oh, I get it. Too much water got in, and your brain short-circuited. Let me help you drain the water out of your head so it doesn't delay work tomorrow. Don't worry, I'll leave you a bit of brain matter."

Gu Xingzhou looked at him with disdain, stepped forward, grabbed his head, tilted it downward, and shook it vigorously with his ear facing the ground to drain it.

"I don't think we even need to leave him any brain matter. It was a waste for my son to save his life, only to save a bad seed. He's such a grown man, yet he needed a child to save him from drowning, and now he's here acting crazy and trying to hit people? Shake him a few more times."

Auntie Guihua, who hadn't found a place to vent her anger, rushed over cursing, grabbed Lu Qianyao's head to shake it, and at the same time openly pinched him a few times and slapped his head a few times as if she were patting a watermelon.

If it weren't for this person, her son wouldn't have suffered this ordeal. Now that he had been saved, he didn't even show gratitude. If it weren't for Mumu's treatment methods, this man would have died, yet he dared to speak ill of Mumu. He deserved a beating!

"Ah, you shrew! What are you doing? Stop it!"

"You dare curse my wife? See how I deal with you!" Auntie Guihua's husband, Zhao Youcai, rolled up his sleeves and rushed over to help.

Lu Qianyao was beaten miserably, wailing loudly.

Gu Xingzhou felt he had beaten him enough, so he simply stepped aside and handed Lu Qianyao over to Uncle Youcai, letting the couple finish the job.

He stood next to Yang Mumu and asked with concern: "Mumu, are you okay!"

"I'm fine. It's Lu Qianyao who has the problem."

Yang Mumu shook her head, admiring Lu Qianyao's miserable state, and quietly flexed her fingers.

She was pondering when to put a sack over this dead scumbag tonight and beat him up again. With the enemy right in front of her, she couldn't hold back; she had to beat him again.

The captain was watching from the side and didn't intervene for the moment, only speaking up when the beating went too far.

"Alright, alright, a lesson is enough."

"Yes, Captain." Auntie Guihua and her husband stopped and stood to the side.

Lu Qianyao was beaten into submission, his face bruised and swollen, nose bleeding. He huddled to the side, covering his face, having completely lost his initial arrogance and air of superiority.

"Serves you right, ptooey!" Xiang Yang spat at him.

The captain called Gangzi over to him, then looked at Lu Qianyao and asked: "Lu Qianyao, let me ask you, why did you and Gangzi have an accident at the beach today? What exactly happened?"

Gangzi raised his hand and looked at the captain.

"Uncle Xiangdong, I saved him. Today, Gou Dan and I were catching crabs at the beach, and then we saw him in the water yelling for help. That's when I went to save him, but he grabbed onto me tightly. We both ended up choking on water, and that's how the accident happened."

Gou Dan, who had been named, ran out with his head down, looking a bit scared at his parents, then at the captain, and said:

"Uncle Xiangdong, at the time I told Gangzi not to go and to go call for people first. Gangzi saw him swallow several mouthfuls of water and, seeing he really couldn't make it, went over to save him. But I clearly saw that this Educated Youth Lu had run into the sea to swim around on his own. It was he who caused Gangzi to choke on water."

"Lu Qianyao, what do you say to that?" the captain asked, looking at Lu Qianyao.

However, after hearing the two children's words, Lu Qianyao clutched his head, which felt like it was about to explode, with a pained expression.

90: Chapter 90 I felt like dying.

What's going on?

Yang Mumu moved to the front row to look at Lu Qianyao. Seeing him now, he looked very much like she did when memories were first imported into her brain when she first arrived.

Some Commune Members watched, feeling unsettled, hugging their arms and whispering, "Could he have been possessed by a water ghost? Plenty of people have drowned in that sea!"

Another Commune Member patted the person to remind them, "What nonsense are you spouting? We're breaking the Four Olds now; do you have a death wish? You can't just say things like that, though he does look a bit like it, talking nonsense as soon as he woke up."

The captain heard it all, but he didn't believe in any possession. He was more inclined to think that the Lu Qianyao in front of him was putting on a show to avoid being held accountable, acting crazy and playing dumb.

"Lu Qianyao, stop putting on an act for me. Every single day you only know how to cause trouble. You don't know how to go Swimming, yet you still went into the sea. If you want to die, don't drag our team's Commune Members down with you. They nearly lost their own lives trying to save you. Are you complaining that there isn't enough farm work? All you know how to do is stir up trouble. Speak!"

Seeing that Lu Qianyao not only didn't answer his questions but was putting on an act again, refusing to listen or acknowledge him, the captain was furious.

He said angrily, "Not talking, huh? Still acting, huh? Fine. Starting tomorrow, your work quota will be doubled. If you don't finish it, you won't get any work points!"

The people around watched the show, looking at Lu Qianyao with schadenfreude.

After the captain finished speaking, Lu Qianyao's head finally stopped feeling dizzy and painful, but the information he received in his brain made him wish he were still in pain. He peeked up at the furious captain, and his head "ached" even more.

Heavens, what had he just done! What kind of nonsense had he said? He had offended the captain again. This was too hard; just let him die again!!

Yang Mumu watched his mournful face and smiled, enjoying the show.

Now that the scumbag had received his memories, he probably felt like dying.

However, based on her understanding of the scumbag, he still had some ability to handle interpersonal relationships, so she would just watch the show and see his next performance.

Lu Qianyao held his head, walked over to the captain, and smiled ingratiatingly.

"Captain, I'm sorry. It was my fault. My brain was truly flooded just now. For a moment, I couldn't tell if I was in a dream or if I had already died, and I spouted a lot of nonsense. I admit my mistake, I apologize. It was my fault."

Lu Qianyao nodded and bowed, apologizing obsequiously. He even slapped himself a few times, then continued to look at the captain with a smile, explaining his venture into the sea.

"Captain, I accept the punishment. Going Swimming in the sea today was me having a screw loose; I was driven crazy by the heat. I originally just wanted to splash some seawater at the edge to cool off, but I didn't expect a huge wave to roll over and drag me into the deep water. That's why I choked on water and called for help."

Lu Qianyao raised three fingers to his head, trying to get through this crisis by belittling himself.

"I won't have a brain cramp and go into the sea casually again. Captain, I promise. I know you are doing this out of concern for me, worrying about my safety. Thank you for your criticism and education. I will correct myself. Please supervise me."

"Fine, as long as you know you're wrong, just work hard later."

"Definitely, definitely."

Lu Qianyao let out a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his face. This meant he wasn't holding a grudge anymore, right? Haha, there was no leader he couldn't handle. Lu Qianyao, oh Lu Qianyao, you are as impressive as ever.

Seeing the hint of pride and smugness on Lu Qianyao's face, Yang Mumu couldn't help but sigh. The scumbag was as naive, narcissistic, and even more confident in his mediocrity as ever.

Although the captain wasn't angry anymore, he was already completely disappointed in him. He had no good impression of him and wouldn't forgive him easily. He turned to give Yang Mumu instructions for tomorrow's work.

"Mumu, starting tomorrow, Lu Qianyao's work quota will be doubled. Send him to dig canals. The work points remain the same. Make sure you record it properly."

When the captain finished speaking, the smile on Lu Qianyao's face froze. His mouth opened slightly, wanting to say something but stopping. The thanks he was about to say were stuck in his throat.

"Alright, Captain." Yang Mumu held back a laugh, appreciating the change in Lu Qianyao's expression.

The captain looked at Lu Qianyao, "Work hard. If it weren't for Gangzi and Mumu saving you today, you wouldn't be here anymore."

Lu Qianyao reacted quickly, hanging a smile back on his face. Endure for a moment and the seas will be calm; he would endure.

He walked up to Gangzi to thank him.

"Gangzi, thank you so much today. Thanks to you saving me, brother thanks you for saving my life."

Gangzi didn't appreciate it and turned his face away, "Hmph, you hit my mom and dad, and you scolded Sister Mumu. I don't like you. I won't save you ever again."

Lu Qianyao gritted his teeth, forced himself to swallow that frustration, and bowed with a smile, "It's brother's fault. Brother apologizes to your mom and dad. Big Brother, Big Sister, I'm sorry. I was ignorant and didn't appreciate your kindness."

Auntie Guihua had enjoyed the fight and couldn't stand him yelling at Gangzi, his savior. She folded her arms and said sarcastically, "When others thank someone for saving them from drowning, they at least bring 20 eggs to show gratitude. You not only didn't thank us but even hit us. I can't afford that kind of treatment."

Lu Qianyao covered the injury on his mouth, listening to her push her luck. He was gnashing his teeth with hatred inside, but on the surface, he smiled and nodded, "That was all a misunderstanding. How could I not know proper etiquette? I am sincerely apologizing, and I will bring eggs to thank you for saving my life."

Auntie Guihua pulled Yang Mumu to her side, "And there's Mumu. If it weren't for Mumu's treatment method, you would have lost your life long ago. You must give more eggs."

Lu Qianyao looked at the identical-looking Yang Mumu in front of him, unable to bring himself to apologize.

Was she really the Yang Mumu from reality? Or the Yang Mumu from his book? How had his life and the world of the book become so unrecognizable?

Yang Mumu looked at him, raised an eyebrow, and smiled.

"What? Does my role as a savior not count? You can't even bring yourself to apologize and show some gratitude?"

Gu Xingzhou, standing to the side, chimed in to the captain, "Captain, I think he wasn't just talking nonsense earlier; those were his real reactions. We should carefully investigate his identity. Those words sounded significant!"

Gu Xingzhou looked at the Lu Qianyao in front of him with a probing gaze, feeling that he was somewhat different from before.

The captain's gaze also changed, looking at him with the same probing intensity.

"No, how could that be? I was just thinking about how to properly thank Mumu and was considering how many eggs would be appropriate."

Lu Qianyao inwardly shouted that it was bad. He quickly waved his hands, smiled reluctantly, and lowered his noble head to Yang Mumu.

"Mumu, thank you for saving me. I will bring 30 eggs to formally thank you. Also, I'm sorry, I said too much nonsense earlier. Please don't hold it against me; my brain was just clogged with water back then."

"But I *do* want to hold it against you, what now?"

Yang Mumu remained unmoved. She wanted to test if this person had any trump cards or a Golden Finger, so she deliberately picked a fight.

"I was subjected to a barrage of inexplicable words from you for no reason. Although I don't understand why you said that, your tone and expression were full of mockery, and you even told me to beg you."

"Even if the water in your brain has been cleared out now, your tofu-dregs brain matter is still there. I took what you said to heart, and I was terrified. I'm still feeling lingering fear and dread even now."

91: Chapter 91: Almost seduced by beauty

Lu Qianyao was furious at her punchable expression, but turning his head, he saw the Team Leader and a crowd of Commune Members staring at him. Especially the Team Leader's stern expression and icy gaze, which immediately made him afraid to lose his temper. He extinguished his anger, put on a smile, and continued to apologize humbly.

"I'm sorry, Mumu, it's my fault. I'm sick in the head and talk nonsense."

Seeing that Yang Mumu didn't speak, just smiled at him, he steeled his heart and slapped himself a few more times, saying:

"I am truly sorry to you. How about I compensate you with 5 yuan for mental distress? No, 20 yuan. I sincerely apologize for my mistake."

"Since you are apologizing so sincerely, and considering we are all Educated Youth from the same Educated Youth Courtyard, I accept your apology."

Yang Mumu reached out her hand, intending to shake his.

"Good, good, thank you for your forgiveness." Lu Qianyao relaxed and also smiled, reaching out his hand to shake hers.

Yang Mumu took the opportunity to plant a surveillance device on him.

Seeing that the matter was resolved, the Team Leader waved at everyone and shouted: "Alright, it's getting late, and it's pitch black outside. Let's disperse. Go back to your homes and do whatever you need to do."

As soon as Lu Qianyao turned around, his face fell, and he walked towards the Educated Youth Courtyard with a dark expression.

Xiang Yang walked over to Yang Mumu's side, handed her the bag she was carrying, her eyes full of admiration.

"Sister Mumu, how are you so amazing? I really need to learn from you. You know medicine and can save people, and you have a silver tongue. Look at how dark Lu Qianyao's face is."

"It's a small matter, you'll learn slowly. Let's go, we need to hurry back. These fish can't wait any longer; the water in the bag is almost leaking out. If we wait any longer, all our hard work this afternoon will go to waste."

Yang Mumu patted the bag and ran to the nearby paddy field to add some water to the bag, saying hurriedly:

"Xiang Yang, I have to run a bit. I see that a whole bunch of fish are already turning belly-up."

Xiang Yang's gaze fell on the bag, and she suddenly remembered that the fish inside were lacking water. She also hurriedly went to get some water and then followed, breaking into a run.

"Right, right, right, we need to get back quickly. Let's run."

"Don't run too fast; it's almost impossible to see the road now. Watch your step; I'll shine a light for you."

Gu Xingzhou shouted and took a flashlight out of his bag, chasing after them.

After Yang Mumu parted ways with Xiang Yang, she and Gu Xingzhou stopped running and walked slowly, happily sharing the results of the day with him.

"Today, I learned Swimming with Xiang Yang. Thanks to the Swimming knowledge you explained to me before, and the fact that I practiced holding my breath beforehand, I was able to learn to swim right away today. I even caught quite a few fish."

Yang Mumu opened the mouth of the bag and held it out in front of Gu Xingzhou.

"Look, there's even a big grouper, though it's a bit dehydrated and oxygen-deprived; it's half-dead now. We'll have to cook it as soon as we get back."

"Wow, Mumu, you're amazing. This is too impressive; you learned so fast, and you actually caught so many fish."

Gu Xingzhou smiled happily, glad for her. Looking at the fish in the bag, he took the bag from her and suggested:

"How about you give the fish to me? I'll help you cook them. Just tell me how you want to eat them."

Yang Mumu readily let go of her hands, smiling like a cat that had stolen a fish.

"Haha, I was waiting for those words. The fish is all yours. I like your cooking the best. I want to eat steamed grouper, braised small mixed fish, deep-fried… oh my, there are too many things I want to eat. You decide how to make them; I like whatever you make."

"Alright, leave it to me. I guarantee I won't waste the ingredients you caught. Let's walk faster; fresher fish is better."

Gu Xingzhou happily carried the fish and looked at Yang Mumu, asking softly: "Shall we run again?"

"Run."

Yang Mumu took the flashlight from his hand, lit the path ahead for them, and ran happily towards her cottage. She didn't go through the front courtyard but took the small path that Wang Qiuyu had cleared from the back directly to the cottage where she lived.

When opening the door, she looked at the empty space on the right side of the house and saw that materials had already been placed there. She smiled, "Is Yuanyuan that fast? The construction materials are already placed there."

Then, the flashlight swung to the empty space on the left side of the house. She not only saw a pile of construction materials but also saw several upright posts. She couldn't help but widen her eyes and walked over to look curiously.

"Huh? Who built this side? Is the frame already set up? This is too fast, right? Xingzhou, do you know who built this?"

Gu Xingzhou looked over there and nodded, "I know, it's me."

"It was actually you? This speed is too fast. At this rate, I'm afraid you'll be done in five or six days."

Yang Mumu breathed a sigh of relief. If her neighbor was him, that would be very nice. There wouldn't be any messy, incompatible people as neighbors to affect her mood, and most importantly, mooching off his culinary skills would be very convenient.

It wasn't fast, not fast at all. He wished the house could be finished today.

"It could be even faster. I just want to move over as soon as possible; living next to you gives me peace of mind."

Gu Xingzhou was very close to her, his voice magnetic. He looked at Yang Mumu with focused eyes and a smile, his brows and eyes filled with a touch of gentleness and lingering affection, revealing strands of romantic feelings.

Yang Mumu was dazzled. She took two steps back, shifted her gaze unnaturally, and entered the house with the key, feeling slightly flustered.

This person's smile was too unfair. Those peach-blossom eyes were exceptionally alluring when he smiled. His eyelashes seemed to have a life of their own—curled, lifted, and long. Added to the affection in his eyes, it seemed like he could look at a dog with deep devotion.

No, that was insulting herself.

It should be that the deep affection in his eyes, combined with that face of his, who could resist?

She was almost seduced by beauty.

It's no wonder King Zhou of Shang loved Daji. When a good-looking person uses all their might to charm you, who wouldn't love them? Anyway, she did.

Yang Mumu patted her face to calm down. She took out the wooden bucket, the basin, and two knives, handing one to him.

"Kill the fish."

"Okay."

Gu Xingzhou went to get two small stools, sat down, and began to kill the fish.

He discovered another incredible point: Mumu seemed to have no defense against his smile. It seemed he needed to smile at Mumu more often and seduce her from all angles.

Now, it was time to use his culinary skills to seduce her.

Gu Xingzhou brought out his skills, his hands moving with the knife to kill the fish and cook the meal.

Yang Mumu helped out, while Gu Xingzhou took charge of the cooking. He made the steamed grouper and braised small fish that Yang Mumu wanted, coated some small fish in flour and deep-fried them, and finally made a fish soup.

After seeking Yang Mumu's opinion, the remaining small fish were salted and turned into dried fish.

When the dishes were all on the table, he waved to Yang Mumu, who was tending the fire, "Mumu, wash your hands and eat."

"Okay, coming."

Yang Mumu ran to wash her hands excitedly, served two bowls of rice, brought them to the table, pulled Gu Xingzhou to sit down, and couldn't wait to pick up her chopsticks and start eating.

"Oh my, oh my, this is so delicious! Delicious, a delicacy of the human world!"

Yang Mumu squinted her eyes in happiness, sighing in praise. This was a completely genuine expression of her feelings, absolutely not the type to say everything she ate was delicious.

"If you like it, eat more. If you want to eat anything else next time, tell me, and I can make it for you."

Mumu ate happily, and Gu Xingzhou cooked happily. He just loved making delicious food for Mumu. Seeing her face full of satisfaction as she ate the dishes he made, and the good feedback she gave every time, he only felt happy and joyful, making him want to cook even more.

After the meal, Gu Xingzhou washed the dishes with her before reluctantly saying goodbye and leaving.

He took the small path to loop out, circled back to the main road in front of the Educated Youth Courtyard, and returned to the Educated Youth Courtyard from the front.

Yang Mumu ate to her satisfaction and was very full. She liked Gu Xingzhou even more. She walked around inside and outside the house to digest her meal and, by the way, checked the surveillance playback of Lu Qianyao, pressing fast-forward.

"Huh?"

Replaying to a certain point, Yang Mumu heard something interesting, stopped her hand, canceled the fast-forward, and watched intently.

92: Chapter 92 Does Lu Qianyao Have a Golden Finger?

The footage in the video showed Lu Qianyao talking to himself on his way back.

The content of that monologue was the key point, so Yang Mumu listened to it again.

"What kind of transmigration is this? When others transmigrate, it's always at the beginning of the story before anything has happened. I, on the other hand, transmigrated after the story had already started! But Transmigration Deity, why did you make me lose my memory? Why did such a cliché trope as amnesia have to happen to me? What is going on?!"

In the video, Lu Qianyao was kicking stones on the road in anger, his emotions very manic.

"What difference does this make from transmigrating to the end of the story?!"

"Everything has been messed up, the plot is in shambles, the location has changed, the female lead has run off, several female supporting characters have run off, the people in the brigade hate me, the people in the Educated Youth Courtyard loathe me even more, and as for the female lead and supporting characters, don't even mention them—I've already made enemies of them all."

"I've even offended the damn brigade leader several times; I have so many troubles now that I can't even handle them. What's the point of letting me recover my memory now?! Just let me die! Why let me recover my memory? Now it's even worse, it's effectively starting in hell mode. Sob, let me die, die!"

Lu Qianyao was so angry he slammed his hands together.

"Where exactly did it go wrong?"

Yang Mumu heard Lu Qianyao mention her in the very next second.

"Right, it must be Yang Mumu. The situation with Yang Mumu is too different from the novel; the outcome for the stepmother's family is completely opposite. It must be that little bitch Yang Mumu who transmigrated along with me. It must be her changes that have caused me to end up in this state. It's definitely that!"

He wasn't entirely stupid; he had guessed it was her.

Yang Mumu continued watching.

What was Lu Qianyao going to do?

"Sigh, so what if it is? I've already exposed myself; we both have leverage on each other. Heavens, why did you make me lose my memory? And why delay the recovery? Even if I had recovered when I opened my eyes this afternoon, that would have been fine. But within a few minutes, I exposed myself, offended the brigade leader, and in the end, I have to provide eggs and pay compensation!"

According to what Yang Mumu knew, Lu Qianyao currently had no money or eggs, so how he would pay compensation was a question worth pondering.

"Damn it, other people have heaven-defying Golden Fingers when they transmigrate, but I have nothing! If I had known, I would have created a Golden Finger for myself back then. Why did I have to go for a male-oriented grassroots counter-attack style? Ahhh! This is killing me!"

No Golden Finger? She pitied him for a second.

It seemed the Transmigration Deity didn't give a Golden Finger to everyone.

Without a heaven-defying Golden Finger, this person was even less to be feared.

Just as Yang Mumu was feeling relieved and continued watching, she saw Lu Qianyao touching himself all over, looking for a Golden Finger.

"Ah, there is one!"

Lu Qianyao excitedly touched the mole on the web of his left hand and found a space.

Yang Mumu pulled up a chair and sat down, watching Lu Qianyao's Golden Finger in the video on the lucky wheel with a solemn expression.

This slap in the face came too quickly. The Transmigration Deity really did give a Golden Finger to every single transmigrator, one by one, didn't they!

This scumbag had quite a lot of Golden Fingers; before it was Precognitive Dreaming of Treasures, and now a space?

Yang Mumu was considering 'sacking' him.

She stood up, looked around, found a sturdy, large sack, placed it on the table, and kept her eyes on the video.

Lu Qianyao muttered curses under his breath, "Damn it, I only transmigrated with a useless one-cubic-meter space. What kind of bullshit space is this? It's more like a small box."

Having a one-cubic-meter space was already pretty good; he was still unsatisfied!

"Huh? There's something inside?"

Lu Qianyao pulled out an egg.

"An egg? Only one egg?"

Lu Qianyao tapped the mole with his right hand again.

"Huh? There's a timer on it. Does this mean it refreshes every two minutes? Let's wait and see."

Yang Mumu opened her eyes wide, watching the scene inside, and fast-forwarded to two minutes later.

"One more second to go, what will there be?"

Lu Qianyao rubbed his hands in anticipation and tapped the mole. A second later, she saw him holding another egg in his hand. He was holding an egg in both his left and right hands; it was confirmed, it was a newly produced egg.

"Tch, it's just an egg again. Can it only restock eggs? Oh well, forget it. I'll make do with it; at least it's free."

Lu Qianyao still wore an expression of reluctance.

This expression made Yang Mumu really want to go in there and slap him a few times.

This was just 'making do'?

"Refreshing every two minutes, I can save up enough eggs tonight to deliver the thank-you eggs I promised in front of the brigade leader. Later, I can save up more eggs to sell for money. Ha? This actually seems not bad."

Lu Qianyao in the video had a sudden realization. Looking at the eggs in his hands, he started thinking long-term and excitedly planned for the future.

"A one-cubic-meter space can hold about five or six hundred eggs, right? Keep saving eggs to trade for money. With eggs, there's money, and with money, I can have a better life. The previous issues are no longer issues."

"Haha, once I have money, I'll have everything. I can also rope in the brigade leader to build a good relationship, and I can rope in others too. Won't life become comfortable? Life will be sweet."

"By the time the College Entrance Examination is restored, I should have saved quite a bit of money, so I'll have startup capital. Once the golden era arrives, even pigs can fly. The female lead and supporting characters ran off, so be it. Will I lack women after I have money? Moreover, once I'm rich, it's not impossible to get the female lead and those supporting characters. Haha, I'll be the big male lead of my own story."

With a clack, the enamel cup in Yang Mumu's hand was crushed flat.

Dammit, this gave Lu Qianyao a shelf that can automatically restock, and for free! The lucky wheel in her space requires her to spend her own savings to draw, yet this piece-of-shit scumbag gets it for free, for nothing, for absolutely nothing!!

"Right, there's still that dream from before. I still need to learn Swimming and diving as soon as possible. I still need to check out the things under the sea. There should be something down there; I have to go get it. For some reason, I have a premonition that the thing below is very important to me; it should be something very good."

Lu Qianyao muttered to himself while stroking his chin, and then excitedly began to take out eggs and store eggs.

It made Yang Mumu green with envy.

"Knock, knock, knock—"

A knock on the door interrupted Yang Mumu. She paused the monitor, exited the space, and opened the door to take a look.

The person she wanted to punch was right in front of her.

It was Lu Qianyao!

93: Chapter 93 A Dark and Windy Night

"What are you doing?"

Yang Mumu crossed her arms and leaned against the door, staring at him with eyes so chilling they made Lu Qianyao shiver involuntarily, leaving him feeling uncomfortable and a tiny bit afraid.

Hey, what's there to be afraid of? He's a grown man, what's there to fear from her?

Lu Qianyao suppressed his emotions, stepped forward, and held up a large bag of eggs, offering it to her with a forced smile.

"Mumu, sorry for disturbing you so late. I came to thank you and bring you some eggs. I've gathered all 30 eggs, they're all here. You can count them."

Yang Mumu took the eggs and inspected them. Each one was large and uniform in size—undoubtedly commercial eggs from feed-fed chickens. She shook one; it was quite fresh.

These were the eggs Lu Qianyao had gotten from his automatic restocking cabinet.

Although not as nutritious as free-range eggs, in this era of scarcity, these eggs were still a good commodity.

Besides, in this day and age, there was no distinction between free-range and commercial eggs. Large ones with a good appearance could fetch an extra penny at the Commune's agricultural products store. Most importantly, they were free—undoubtedly a massive Golden Finger, a huge fortune.

She felt a sudden urge to get her hands on that cabinet.

Yang Mumu continued to watch Lu Qianyao with a cold gaze.

"The eggs are fine, but what about the money you owe me?"

"The money is ready, it's all here. See?"

Lu Qianyao hurriedly and readily took 20 yuan from his bag and handed it over.

Now that he had the eggs, he would be even wealthier in the future. The money his sweetheart back home had sent him today—giving it away was fine; he didn't feel the pinch. There would be plenty more later. The most important thing now was to smooth things over and stop losing favor points in front of the team leader.

He would make Yang Mumu pay later. She had rejected him both in the modern world and here. Once he became the richest man, she would be the first one he'd deal with.

"You've counted them, right? I've brought you both the items and the money. This is to thank you for saving my life and to express my apologies—for this time and all those previous times."

Lu Qianyao handed over the remaining five yuan and said with a smile:

"I hope you won't hold a grudge against me in the future. Can we reconcile?"

"Reconcile? Sure."

That was impossible. He was already plotting to mess with her, the female supporting character, once he got rich; how could she pretend nothing had happened?

Yang Mumu curled her lips into a smile, took the money, glanced at the black mole on his hand, and extended her left hand.

Lu Qianyao looked at it, then extended his own left hand to shake hers, giving Yang Mumu a self-satisfied smile: "We've reached an agreement. Let's look after each other and help one another in the future."

"We'll certainly look after each other." Yang Mumu shook his hand back, aiming for the crook of his thumb—the most convenient spot—and inadvertently pressed her thumb onto that mole.

It felt slightly raised?

Before she could feel it properly, Lu Qianyao quickly pulled his hand back, nodded at her, and bid her farewell.

"I won't disturb you any longer. You rest well, I need to go back and rest too. I still have to work tomorrow."

After saying this, Lu Qianyao turned and left, the corners of his mouth curling up. He raised his left hand to sniff it, a lecherous smile spreading across his face.

Smells so good!

Although Yang Mumu in this era dressed a bit dowdily, her face was as beautiful as ever. He hadn't been able to pick this flower in his past life, but in this life, he would definitely find a way to touch her.

Gu Xingzhou saw this scene of him sniffing his hand, and his face darkened. He stared intently at Lu Qianyao; if looks could kill, Lu Qianyao would have been killed thousands of times over.

Gu Xingzhou had originally gotten up to use the bathroom but discovered the sneaky Lu Qianyao carrying eggs, so he followed behind him to keep an eye on him and prevent him from causing trouble.

Seeing this, Gu Xingzhou clenched his fists.

Damn it!

His urge to beat someone up reached its peak.

Over there, Yang Mumu wiped her left hand in disgust, closed the door, and went to fetch water to wash it.

Returning to her space, Yang Mumu looked at the sack on the table, sneered, and picked it up.

Lu Qianyao was disliked by the others in the Educated Youth Courtyard, and since there were extra empty rooms on the male Educated Youth side, she remembered that he lived in a room by himself.

Alone!

She glanced at the weather forecast displayed on the lucky wheel.

Gale, yellow alert.

Late at night.

It was a dark and stormy night. The gale had arrived, blowing the trees until they swayed precariously and wailed, comparable to the intensity of the fierce winds when Tang Seng reached Yellow Wind Ridge and was swept away by the demon wind.

Wearing a mask and holding a sack, Yang Mumu ran to the outside of Lu Qianyao's room, entered, and headed straight for the kang.

Amidst the thunder and lightning, a figure was cast in front of Lu Qianyao's kang.

Yang Mumu didn't see it, and her protruding backside collided with the other person's waist.

Both were startled. Yang Mumu turned around alertly and grabbed the other person's hand. The other person quickly pulled her closer to his body, his elbow swiftly pressing against her chin.

Just as they were about to fight, a flash of lightning illuminated the room. Because they were so close, Yang Mumu saw the details of the eyes of the person who was masked, leaving only their eyes visible.

With long eyelashes and a pair of peach-blossom eyes, she recognized at a glance that this person was Gu Xingzhou.

Gu Xingzhou also had his suspicions. As he lowered his head, his nose happened to press against Yang Mumu's neck, and he caught the refreshing, mint-like scent that belonged to Yang Mumu.

Their eyes met, confirming each other's identity. They shared a smile, released each other's hands, and with the same thought in mind, turned together to look at the person sleeping soundly on the kang, holding their sacks.

Seizing the opportunity, Gu Xingzhou stuffed the rag in his hand into the mouth of Lu Qianyao, who was snoring with his mouth open on the kang, and simultaneously quickly pulled a sack down over his head.

"Mmph—"

Lu Qianyao struggled, half-asleep and half-awake.

Gu Xingzhou covered his mouth, pressed the rag in, and once again restrained his hands.

Yang Mumu was quick-witted and also pulled the sack in her hand over his head.

The two exchanged a glance, dove in, raised their hands, and delivered a vicious beating.

Outside, the gale raged with thunder and lightning. A heavy rainstorm was about to hit, and wild cats in the fields were wailing miserably, their cries echoing incessantly.

Inside the room, Yang Mumu had beaten him enough and knocked the person under the sack unconscious with a punch.

She grabbed Lu Qianyao's left hand, pulled out a fruit knife, and without blinking an eye, dug the tip of the knife into that mole.

No matter what, she had to dig this mole out today to see what it was all about.

"Nngh—"

Lu Qianyao woke up in pain. Just as he let out a sound, Gu Xingzhou raised his hand and struck the head covered by the sack, knocking him out again with a chop.

Yang Mumu had dug out the surface of the mole and lifted the knife to continue digging at the root, preparing to pull it out by the root.

"Let me help you."

Gu Xingzhou pulled out a sharp dagger, its blade gleaming coldly under the illumination of the lightning.

It was a well-sharpened, high-quality knife.

With a swift strike, the flesh on the crook of Lu Qianyao's thumb, along with the root of the mole, was completely sliced off and hung on the tip of the knife.

The image of Lu Qianyao lowering his head to sniff his hand flashed through his mind; he had sniffed more than just the crook of his thumb.

A cold glint flashed in his eyes. With another wave of his hand, he sliced off the skin from the thumb, index finger, and the entire connected crook area—all the places Lu Qianyao had sniffed—and he didn't spare the same patch of skin on his right hand either.

With a whoosh, the wind blew the window open, bringing in a wave of dampness.

Gu Xingzhou whispered in Yang Mumu's ear: "The heavy rain is coming soon, let's go."

"Mm."

Yang Mumu put away the knife, pulled up the two sacks, and gathered the rag. Gu Xingzhou followed behind, dealing with the footprints and traces inside the room. The two of them fled together, each returning to their own room.

With a whoosh, the heavy rain came down, scouring the earth.

94: Chapter 94: Ten dollars was totally worth it!

After returning to her room, Yang Mumu took the knife out of the space and looked at it; the blade still had the skin from Lu Qianyao's web of his hand, along with the black mole, attached to it.

She brought the knife up to her eyes and examined it carefully.

She couldn't tell anything from it.

She reached out and touched it; she still didn't feel anything, but there was a slight tactile sensation.

She touched it again, and the black mole was wiped away.

A single black dot appeared on her fingertip.

Yang Mumu gently rubbed the black dot between her fingers and discovered that it wasn't a mole at all; it was a hard particle similar to black dregs. She didn't know what material it was, but it definitely wasn't a mole.

She rubbed it again, but the thing was so small that it disappeared after being rubbed.

Yang Mumu stared at her fingertip in shock. How did it just disappear? What was going on?

"In this situation, did I manage to get his Golden Finger or not? The thing is gone."

Forget it, regardless of whether I got it or not, the beating today was satisfying.

Yang Mumu glanced at the surveillance footage on the lucky wheel. She would wait until he woke up later to check the situation before deciding what else to do.

Let's draw a prize before going to sleep today.

Yang Mumu took out the spirit tablets of the God of Wealth and Heaven, bowed to them, washed her hands, and stood before the wheel in anticipation.

She was in a good mood today, so she decided to do a ten-draw.

She pressed the button nervously.

The first draw: she got a seafood cooking toolkit, which was very practical for her recent life.

The second draw: she got the best partner for fishing, a fishing net and a net bag.

The third draw: she got a Swimming tutorial video.

Yang Mumu looked at the small video on the small screen in the center of the wheel. She didn't really want it. Could she return the gift and draw again?

This gift had arrived a bit too late. She couldn't get it no matter how hard she tried before, and now that she had learned it, it appeared. What was the use of it? It was a pure waste of her one yuan.

Sigh, she might as well keep it for consolidation.

She continued drawing. The fourth draw: she got a 30-square-meter food preservation warehouse that could keep food fresh permanently; once put inside, it would always remain as it was.

In other words, hot meals put inside would still be hot when taken out; they wouldn't get cold, let alone rot.

Oh, this is good. It's equivalent to a permanent large refrigerator, an eternal refrigerator, and it's huge.

Yang Mumu clicked "take out," and the preservation warehouse stood on the right side of the house in the space, connected side by side.

She ran in excitedly to take a look. On the surface, it looked no different from an ordinary room; she couldn't see anything special.

Let's test it then.

Yang Mumu carried the hot water from the pot inside and placed it there, then went back out to continue drawing.

The fifth draw: she got a Phoenix brand electric fan. This was good; it was just too hot recently, and this small house had electricity connected, so she could use it.

Yang Mumu put it away, planning to find an opportunity to take it out and use it later.

The sixth draw: she got another learning video, a boat driving tutorial. That was fine too; she was bored at night anyway, and after reading high school textbooks, learning some different skills would just be a form of relaxation.

The seventh draw: she got yet another learning video. This time it was a diving tutorial, and it was an "enlightenment" type—it poured the knowledge directly into her brain.

Yang Mumu's dimming eyes lit up again.

This is good; she needed it right now.

She couldn't wait to take out this gift and pressed the button; a ball of light shot straight into her forehead.

Yang Mumu closed her eyes and felt the knowledge entering her brain, merging with her memories. When she thought about diving, the relevant knowledge surged forth.

She just needed to familiarize herself with it more in the future and use it flexibly; once she practiced enough, it would be knowledge she had truly mastered.

"The gift this time is amazing."

Yang Mumu was very satisfied; she blew on her hands and continued drawing.

The eighth draw: she got the entire set of "Self-Study Series on Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry," obtaining all seventeen books at once.

"Oh my, this is really great. Since I drew them, I don't have to go around looking for books at the recycling station anymore. It's easy to find one or two, but it's really hard to collect all seventeen."

Yang Mumu touched the books; they were old and very suitable for taking out to read.

The ninth draw: this time she actually drew a big item, a small fishing boat. The appearance was also antiqued, full of a sense of the era.

Yang Mumu widened her eyes in surprise. She placed the fishing boat in the courtyard, walked around it several times, and then jumped onto the boat to touch and examine it.

"My god, this is so cool. Now the destined death in the book is just trash. I know Swimming, I know how to dive, and I have a fishing boat. I'm not afraid of going into the sea, and I can go fishing. A fishing boat is an asset!"

"Exchanged for one yuan, it's such a great deal."

Yang Mumu now looked at the learning video in the center of the wheel and smiled happily.

"I just drew the boat driving tutorial video, so now it can all be put to use. Learn, I must learn it well, haha!"

After the joy, Yang Mumu went to draw the last time. This time, she drew a special skill called "Watch Your Words and Actions."

She leaned in to read the small note above it.

"This skill can 'silence' someone. By setting keywords, you can make the target unable to speak about relevant content. It's an excellent skill for confidentiality."

"Usage method: Touch. By touching the target, you can implant the skill, which will take effect on them."

"Amazing, Little Wheel, to let me draw such a good thing."

Yang Mumu patted the wheel and looked at this special skill, feeling quite excited.

"Isn't this a skill tailored for Lu Qianyao? It will prevent him from speaking about her time travel from the modern era in the future. Ha, this ten yuan was well spent today; I can sleep peacefully now."

She looked at the things she drew today one more time and went to sleep in a great mood.

The next morning.

"Ah, my hand! Who did this? Ah—"

A miserable scream echoed through the Educated Youth Courtyard.

Yang Mumu was washing up with the pot of hot water stored in the preservation warehouse. Hearing the familiar voice, she revealed a triumphant smile.

It was obviously Lu Qianyao who had woken up and discovered that the skin on his hand had been cut.

Yang Mumu finished washing up and sat at the table drinking fish fillet porridge. Watching Lu Qianyao on the monitor—who was questioning his life, going mad with rage, and clutching his waist while screaming in pain—her mood became even better.

"Who the hell did this? My hand, my mole, right, my Golden Finger, the eggs, the eggs."

Inside the monitor, after venting his anger, Lu Qianyao remembered his treasure and sat on the kang, anxiously touching the web of his hand that had already scabbed over.

Yang Mumu watched intently; she also wanted to know.

A few seconds later, Lu Qianyao became manic, repeatedly poking the place where the mole had originally been; he didn't stop even after poking it until it bled.

He seemed not to see the bleeding; his force grew stronger and stronger. He muttered angrily, his voice carrying a hint of pleading.

"Golden Finger, Golden Finger! Come out quickly! The eggs, where are my eggs? Don't scare me, come out, come out!"

95: Chapter 95 One person can support ten evil sword immortals

As he poked and prodded, Lu Qianyao collapsed weakly onto the kang and began to cry, looking somewhat desperate.

"It's over, it's all over. It's gone, it's not there, it's all gone. Why is it gone?"

He stared at the bleeding web between his thumb and index finger on his left hand, ignoring it, his face filled with resentment.

"Can a Golden Finger just be lost like this? That shouldn't be right, it shouldn't be like this. Who did this? Who took my Golden Finger? Who was it!!"

The thin quilt Lu Qianyao was gripping in his hands was torn apart. The last two words he shouted were filled with monstrous resentment; one person could support ten Evil Sword Immortals.

He hadn't been this angry or resentful when the skin on his hand was sliced off, but now that he had discovered his Golden Finger was missing, the rage in his eyes was almost tangible, ready to erupt.

Outside the screen, Yang Mumu was happy, focusing on a different key point.

Hmm? Is the Golden Finger really gone? Did she destroy it? Haha, this is just too satisfying!

Having briefly possessed a Golden Finger, tasted its benefits, and then lost it, never to find it again—tsk, that feeling, just thinking about it is agonizing; it would drive anyone to a mental breakdown!

Yang Mumu pitied him for one second, while tears of laughter were about to stream down her face.

Serves him right for being cocky and fantasizing about people!

Yang Mumu ate an extra bowl of porridge while watching the mealtime video.

Things that don't belong to her, if she can't have them, she'll destroy them. She wasn't that obsessed with a Mother Hen Golden Finger anyway.

When it was time to work, Lu Qianyao went to work with his hands wrapped in cloth bandages, but his eyes darted sinisterly at everyone, as if everyone looked like the person who had sliced his skin and stolen his Golden Finger.

When he saw people he held a grudge against, that gaze became even more terrifyingly scary, fixedly staring at them.

For instance, when he walked up to Yang Mumu, she could clearly feel the scrutiny of his gaze.

Yang Mumu looked up at him naturally, acting as if nothing was wrong, and tapped on the table in her usual business-like manner to urge him along.

"Sign in quickly, there are people behind you. Don't delay everyone's work time."

Lu Qianyao pondered, wanting to take a closer look at Yang Mumu's hands, so he raised his hand and spread it out in front of her.

"Look, my hand is injured and I can't hold a pen. Could you please help me sign in?"

"Is your hand really injured or just pretending? I'll have to take a look."

Yang Mumu grabbed his hand to examine it, but in reality, she had already applied the special skill she had drawn the previous night onto Lu Qianyao.

Prohibitions had already been entered into the turntable.

It prohibited Lu Qianyao from speaking about her affairs in the modern world, prohibited him from talking about her transmigration, and prohibited any speech that didn't fit this era or her current identity and background.

Everything was done silently; Lu Qianyao didn't notice a thing, even thinking he was brilliant for finding an excuse to take a close look at her hands.

Yang Mumu had finished everything she needed to do, while he was still intently staring at her hands, checking every inch of her exposed skin, but he saw no black spots or moles.

It wasn't her either? Who exactly was it? Where on earth did the Golden Finger go?

Lu Qianyao felt anxious inside, having absolutely no leads.

Yang Mumu waved her hand impatiently: "Fine, I'll sign for you. Move aside, don't block the people behind you."

After Lu Qianyao walked to the side, his eyes remained fixed on everyone passing by him, searching for black moles, seeing everything as if it were the Golden Finger.

Whenever he saw a black spot on anyone, he would try to find an opportunity to touch it.

The people in the Educated Youth Courtyard were scrutinized from head to toe; Gu Xingzhou, Liu Qingwan, and Wu Xiuli were all given a hard look by him, but he gained nothing.

He was completely desperate.

Where did the Golden Finger go? Wuwu~

Yang Mumu watched and couldn't help but laugh; this person was as desperate as ever.

Be desperate, the more desperate you are, the better you can continue to be desperate.

Lu Qianyao was panicking on his endless path of searching for the Golden Finger and the culprit.

Yang Mumu and Gu Xingzhou, the two culprits, were completely unaffected, their emotions terrifyingly stable as they went about their business in an orderly fashion.

Gu Xingzhou went to the Production Brigade again to ask the brigade leader about people who knew how to build houses, preparing to spend money to hire ten more middle-aged men to return to the Educated Youth Courtyard to help him build his house during their free time.

Adding the original two, that made twelve people.

The brigade leader, thinking of his wallet, offered some advice.

"Educated Youth Gu, your house is almost done with two people working on it, and it won't take long to finish. Since no new Educated Youths are coming, there's no need to be in such a rush, and no need to waste money hiring so many people to build it."

To him, it was very necessary. Finishing it sooner meant moving in sooner, becoming neighbors with Mumu sooner, having more time and opportunities to spend with Mumu, and being able to keep an eye on perverts like Lu Qianyao to prevent them from harming Mumu.

For him, there were only benefits to finishing the house as quickly as possible.

Gu Xingzhou smiled at the brigade leader and waved his hand: "Brigade Leader, it's fine. Moving my stoves, dining tables, and seasonings in and out is a hassle. I want to move into my own house as soon as possible to save some trouble and save quite a bit of time. Spending a little money doesn't matter, and since I'm hiring people from our own Production Brigade, it's not a loss either way."

"Alright, since you've said so, I'll give you a recommendation. Our Production Brigade has quite a few skilled craftsmen. I'll recommend the best batch of people to ensure you can move in as soon as possible."

The brigade leader nodded readily and recommended 10 of the most highly skilled Commune Members from the brigade to him.

Gu Xingzhou brought the 10 newly hired middle-aged men back to the Educated Youth Courtyard to build the house. He looked at all the men, clapped his hands, and shouted: "Uncles, feel free to build at your fastest speed. As long as you maintain quality and quantity while keeping up the speed, I'll increase your pay—one yuan extra on top of the original base."

"Alright!"

The men were like they had been injected with adrenaline, heads down and working immediately, each one more serious than the last. Their movements couldn't just be described as efficient; they were rapid, like they had been set to double speed—in a word, fast.

Gu Xingzhou nodded with satisfaction, then turned and went back to the front courtyard to start cooking.

As for Yang Mumu, after finishing work in the afternoon, she went Swimming with Xiang Yang as usual and practiced the newly learned diving skills in her mind.

Must say, the knowledge imparted through divine inspiration was really useful; it was exactly like something she had memorized herself. When she used it, it came to her naturally. Without equipment, she dove shallowly; the water was shallow, so it was doable.

On the way back, she even caught a soft-shelled turtle to take home.

She had achieved the accomplishments of Hunting on the mountain and catching turtles in the water.

Yang Mumu happily carried the turtle back to the Educated Youth Courtyard. By the moonlight, she glanced at the houses on either side; He Yuan's only had the pillars erected, while Gu Xingzhou's already had half-meter-high walls.

"Whoa, this speed is fast!" It was comparable to riding a rocket.

Yang Mumu shook her head happily, opened her kitchen door, and went in with the turtle.

The recent summer harvest had been tiring, so tonight she would stew some soft-shelled turtle soup to nourish herself and reward her hard work, and she could even send a ladle of soup to each of her friends to taste.

The rice was steaming, and just as she put the turtle in the basin, Gu Xingzhou knocked on the door and entered with a solemn expression. He stood before her and said: "Mumu, I have something major to discuss with you."

Yang Mumu was startled by his expression, put down the knife in her hand, stood up, and her expression also became serious. "What is it? Tell me."

Gu Xingzhou looked outside, closed the door, pulled Yang Mumu to sit down, leaned close to her ear, and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear: "About last night, when we went to that thing, well, just now I discovered something super strange."

Upon hearing this, Yang Mumu quietly shrouded the kitchen with her space, isolating the sound inside. Although the voice was very low, she tried her best to avoid eavesdroppers; it was absolutely safe. "What strange thing?" Yang Mumu pressed, already having some suspicions in her heart.

96: Chapter 96 Could it be mushroom poisoning?

"I've discovered something really strange on me. It's not big, maybe a Little Space about a cubic meter in size, and there's an egg inside it."

Gu Xingzhou pointed at the empty air in front of him, his expression deeply puzzled.

"It's right here. It's been hovering in front of me. It's just an egg, and it's quite large. When I was cooking dinner tonight, I wanted to make tomato scrambled eggs, and this egg suddenly appeared right in front of me. It gave me quite a scare."

Heavens, isn't this that Golden Finger that was on Lu Qianyao?

It transferred to Gu Xingzhou? Amazing.

Yang Mumu looked where he was pointing, but didn't see anything.

Was there really a space and an egg in front of him?

She was very interested, so she shifted her feet to get closer, looking curiously at the empty space in front of him while talking to Gu Xingzhou.

"Really? And then what? Have you discovered anything else?"

"It's real. It's still here right now. But I've noticed that no one else can see this egg; only I can. Every time I take a step, the egg moves a step with me. The distance doesn't change. It looks like something growing out of me, extending outwards. It's very strange; I've never encountered such a bizarre thing before."

Gu Xingzhou was almost beginning to doubt his own sanity because of this egg.

Suddenly, he remembered the mushrooms he had stir-fried.

Looking at the lunchbox on the table, he said with a sudden realization: "Mumu, do you think I might have mushroom poisoning? I picked a few mushrooms this afternoon and cooked them when I got back tonight. I tasted a slice of mushroom while stir-frying it. It must be that mushroom giving me hallucinations."

Gu Xingzhou successfully convinced himself.

Although he felt in his heart that it had some connection to what happened last night, what he was seeing was just too bizarre, and the answer of "mushroom poisoning causing hallucinations" was within his realm of understanding.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt it was the case.

"It must be that. Mumu, don't eat those blue-staining mushrooms. I suspect I've eaten something that messed up my brain; I must have been poisoned."

Saying this, Gu Xingzhou took out the lunchbox he brought, placed it on the table, found the dish of stir-fried mushrooms with pork, opened it, and poured it into the stove hole.

Yang Mumu could smell the fragrance and knew that the mushrooms were cooked very well.

She hurriedly grabbed his hand and snatched the mushrooms away.

"Hey, don't dump it! Although blue-staining mushrooms have trace amounts of toxins, they can be eaten once cooked thoroughly. It shouldn't be mushroom poisoning; this stuff is edible."

"It's not poisoning?"

Gu Xingzhou looked distressedly at the egg hovering in front of him.

"Why is it that only I can see this thing, and none of you can? Mumu, can you see it?"

Yang Mumu placed the dish into the pot behind her to warm it up, pulled Gu Xingzhou to sit down, and continued, "I can't see it, but haven't you tried reaching out to grab the egg?"

"I've tried. I can't grab it. It looks very real, but in reality, I can't touch it. My hand just passes right through the middle, grabbing only air. That's why I suspected I had mushroom poisoning."

Gu Xingzhou reached out in front of Yang Mumu and poked at the air, then held out his empty hand in front of her.

"Look, it's like flowers in a mirror or the moon in the water—something false. Looking at it like this, it really seems like something I imagined."

It can be seen but not used? What does that mean?

Yang Mumu was a bit confused.

Could it be that she and Gu Xingzhou broke the Golden Finger when they were cutting it last night?

This is way too fragile. What kind of Golden Finger breaks so easily?

Could it be a knock-off product from some back-alley workshop?

"I believe your brain is fine, and you aren't poisoned."

Yang Mumu felt his pulse.

"Your pulse is strong and steady, healthy as an ox. There's no problem, so it shouldn't be a hallucination. Point it out to me—where is the egg? Be specific. Circle the egg with your fingers so I can see."

Yang Mumu stared at the space in front of him; she really wanted to see what was going on.

Gu Xingzhou nodded, stretched out both hands, and at a position about twenty centimeters from his chest, he overlapped his thumbs and index fingers to circle a round shape the size of an egg.

"It's right here."

Yang Mumu pinched her fingers together and reached out to grab at the circle he had made, but she grabbed empty air; there was nothing there.

Gu Xingzhou shook his head helplessly.

"That's it. I can't grab it. I don't know what kind of thing it is."

"You didn't see anything this morning, and it only appeared when you mentioned an egg. If you can see it, then logically it should exist. It's just that this thing is truly strange."

Yang Mumu recalled the mole she had removed last night, which vanished after she took it off.

That must have been part of the Golden Finger as well; perhaps she really did break it last night.

She remembered that last night she had used her right hand to pinch it with her fingers, and after rubbing it twice with her thumb and index finger, it had disappeared.

"Widen the circle a little, and I'll try again."

Yang Mumu lowered her left hand, switched to her right, and reached out with the two fingers she had used to rub the black spot.

She still didn't touch anything.

That shouldn't be right, should it?

That thing last night should have been half the parts of the Golden Finger.

"What on earth is going on? Can you still see it?"

Yang Mumu clicked her tongue, circled around in front of Gu Xingzhou to look, and scratched her head, pondering a viable solution.

"I can still see it."

Gu Xingzhou looked at the egg, which was still hovering in front of him.

He took a step to test it, and it still followed his movement.

"Well, that's strange. It can't be that you can only look but not touch, right?"

Gu Xingzhou whispered his guess, "I haven't actually become mentally ill, have I? Hallucinating something into existence."

Yang Mumu was amused by his scaring himself.

She was very clear about the authenticity of this thing; after all, the thirty eggs Lu Qianyao brought over last night were still sitting on the cupboard.

"Impossible. Your Epilepsy was fake, and besides, Epilepsy doesn't cause hallucinations. Don't doubt yourself; the problem lies elsewhere. You're healthy enough to kill an ox."

Gu Xingzhou was touched, looking at Yang Mumu with moist eyes.

Only Mumu always trusted him unconditionally and was willing to believe his words.

"Mumu, it's fortunate that you're here, otherwise I wouldn't know who to tell about this."

"I actually suspect this thing has to do with Lu Qianyao from last night. Lu Qianyao has been acting strange today, as if he's looking for something. I suspect what he's looking for is this."

"Hmm, that's indeed possible. You must hide it well; don't let Lu Qianyao find it. We'll figure it out ourselves. Since he's looking for it, it shows that this thing is something good."

Yang Mumu took the opportunity to remind him, looking at the space in front of him, "Let's study it."

97: Chapter 97 What the hell did you just say?

If the Golden Finger could be dug out, it must be usable for them; they just hadn't found the right method yet.

Yang Mumu refused to believe she couldn't handle this thing.

She must have missed some detail; she needed to think about it again.

Gu Xingzhou could see it but couldn't take it, which meant part of the Golden Finger's components were with Gu Xingzhou, and the other part was with her. Could they get it if they combined the two?

"Make a circle with your hand, and I'll try again."

Yang Mumu rested her left hand on Gu Xingzhou and reached out with her right hand, still using those two fingers.

As soon as her fingers reached the spot where the egg was circled by Gu Xingzhou, Yang Mumu was startled to discover that her fingertips felt a tangible touch.

A smile appeared on Yang Mumu's face. "Xingzhou, I touched it."

"What? You really touched it?"

Gu Xingzhou looked at her in surprise, then looked in front of him, feeling quite shocked.

He saw that Yang Mumu's fingers were indeed touching the egg, not just passing through it like his hand did when he tried to touch it.

This was truly a real egg!

Yang Mumu nodded excitedly and lifted her hand.

Following her movement, Gu Xingzhou immediately saw the egg inside the space in front of him move upward along with her motion.

After it left this restricted space, an egg was pinched between her otherwise empty fingers, right before their eyes.

Yang Mumu could also see the egg now.

She placed the egg in front of Gu Xingzhou and said excitedly:

"Quick, try to see if you can touch it. I can see the egg now. This egg is really big, and it just came out like that."

Gu Xingzhou hurriedly reached out and poked the egg gently. This time, it didn't pass through the middle like before; instead, it actually made contact.

He grabbed the egg to test it again.

"I can! I can touch it!"

"It seems this thing requires both of us to get it out. You can see it, and when I touch you with one hand, I can touch and take out the things inside."

Yang Mumu put the egg into the mesh bag on the table that held their lunch boxes. Remembering that Lu Qianyao had a two-minute refresh cycle, she reminded Gu Xingzhou.

"Check the space where the egg was and see if there are any changes."

"Let me see."

Gu Xingzhou moved his gaze away from the egg and looked at the space in front of him, looking somewhat surprised.

"Huh? Mumu, this Little Space is showing a time—20 minutes. What does this mean?"

Why is it 20 minutes? Shouldn't it be 2 minutes?

Yang Mumu was a bit puzzled. "Are you sure you read it right?"

Gu Xingzhou looked again and nodded.

"It's definitely 20 minutes. There's a big black number, 00:20, where the egg used to be. What will happen after 20 minutes?"

It seemed the damage to the Golden Finger wasn't just limited to that; the refresh time had changed from 2 minutes to 20 minutes.

That was fine; it wasn't a big problem. 20 minutes wasn't long, and they were already happy to have the Golden Finger in their hands.

She finally got to experience getting free eggs; it was truly a happy thing.

"20 minutes. My rice is just steamed. Let's eat dinner while we wait and see what happens."

"Okay."

Gu Xingzhou provided the dishes, and Yang Mumu provided the rice. The two tidied up and sat down to eat together.

At the dinner table, Yang Mumu pointed to the turtle nearby and said, "I caught a turtle today. I originally planned to make soup, but it looks like I'll have to keep it for the night and stew it tomorrow. Everyone can have a drink then."

Gu Xingzhou immediately took on the job. "I'll help you stew it tomorrow; I'm quite good at making soup too."

Yang Mumu didn't act coy. "Alright, it's really good to have you. I don't even have to worry about cooking anymore."

"As long as you like it, I can make anything. I can cook for you for a lifetime, only making what you love to eat."

Gu Xingzhou gazed at Yang Mumu with affection, taking every opportunity to confess his feelings.

Yang Mumu didn't back away; instead, she stepped forward and, following his lead, expressed her attitude with a smile.

"Alright, then you must remember these words and show it with actions. A lifetime is very long, composed of countless 20-minute intervals; it's not an easy thing to achieve."

Gu Xingzhou was very excited to hear this. "Mm-hmm, I know. Empty words are proof of nothing; anyone can say anything. I will prove it with my actions."

Yang Mumu picked up some mushrooms that he loved and put them in his bowl, then picked some for herself to eat.

When it came to food, she and Gu Xingzhou were very compatible. The dishes she loved, Gu Xingzhou loved too, and what Gu Xingzhou loved, she loved as well.

"I can feel everything you do, and I will keep it in my heart. Hurry up and eat; twenty minutes will pass quickly."

"Mm, okay."

Having these words meant more than anything. Today, his biggest gain wasn't that strange egg, but the fact that it created more opportunities to spend time with Mumu.

This was the most worthy value that strange thing had created for him.

He knew Lu Qianyao was good luck for him, always creating opportunities for him.

He couldn't let him down. He had to keep up the good work and continue trying hard. He must make Mumu fall in love with him, unable to leave him, and thinking about everything related to him.

Gu Xingzhou was in high spirits, his love-struck brain taking over. He planned to go back and write a letter to his chef friend to properly learn cooking skills, and then go back to organize his own things to be ready to bring them out at the right time.

If he weren't afraid of scaring her, Gu Xingzhou would have wanted to bring everything he possessed and offer it to Yang Mumu right now.

Gu Xingzhou, you cannot be too impatient. Take it one step at a time. First, pursue her to be your partner; once she is your partner, everything will be easy to talk about. A wonderful life is waving at you.

After comforting himself, Gu Xingzhou looked at the time on the mysterious Little Space in front of him, feeling even happier. This was his ready-made red thread of fate.

He could see it, Mumu could touch it, and only when the two of them were together could it work. If this wasn't the matchmaker, what was? Haha, it was just too perfect!

20 minutes was enough for Yang Mumu and Gu Xingzhou to finish dinner and tidy up the pots and pans, then sit back at the table to watch the egg and the time in the space.

Gu Xingzhou was also a bit curious, calling out the time: "Two seconds left."

Yang Mumu moved her stool and sat upright, looking at the space in front of him.

"One second."

"Zero seconds."

"It appeared!"

"Mumu!" Gu Xingzhou looked at the words above, his expression crumbling for a moment. "Twenty... old turtle eggs?"

"What kind of egg did you say came out?"

"Old turtle eggs?"

Yang Mumu turned her head to look at the old turtle lying in the basin. Was there a connection?

It was surprisingly different from Lu Qianyao's side. On Lu Qianyao's side, it was all chicken eggs, and after the two-minute refresh, it was the same egg—every round was like that, with no exceptions. But for them, it had completely changed.

Well, if it changed, it changed. Maybe it varied from person to person, or maybe the Golden Finger really was broken by her. But it was a good change; what she wanted was something different, something fresh. The key was that it was free.

Yang Mumu accepted it well. She rolled up her sleeves, happily preparing to touch the old turtle eggs.

"You say it, and I'll take them. It'll be perfect to stew them with the old turtle tomorrow."

"Okay!"

Gu Xingzhou turned to the side and consciously raised his hand, preparing to let her hold onto him.

As a result, Yang Mumu reached out at the same time and missed his hand. Her left hand was originally intended to rest on his shoulder, but because he turned to the side, her hand landed directly on his chest that had turned toward her.

Hmm? It felt pretty good!

Yang Mumu looked at his firm chest, and her hand couldn't help but rub it, then give it a squeeze.

98: Chapter 98 is quite captivating!

It wasn't soft; he had pectoral muscles!

Yang Mumu's eyes lit up, and she furtively moved her gaze downward, taking a look.

Could he have abdominal muscles too?!

Her hand moved faster than her brain. While her mind was still wavering, her hand had already moved downward and touched him.

Oh~ this, this, this, he really does have abdominal muscles!

She counted them one by one from the top down.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight...

When she reached the eighth one, Yang Mumu's brazen hand was pressed down.

Yang Mumu's brain, previously dominated by hormones, instantly cleared. Her face immediately burned, and she lowered her head in embarrassment, not daring to look up at him.

How shameless, just so shameless. What did I just do? Yang Mumu felt annoyed, but at the same time, she savored the memory.

Her hand, still being held, honestly rubbed against him again and gave a squeeze.

Ha, I have to say, the feel is really good. He actually has an eight-pack! An eight-pack!

No wonder his pulse is as strong as an ox!

"Mumu, are you satisfied?" Gu Xingzhou lowered his head, leaned close to Yang Mumu's ear, and whispered, his deep voice laced with seduction.

The hot breath he exhaled made Yang Mumu's ear itch, and her face grew even hotter.

Yang Mumu flusteredly let go, shook her hand, and gave him a light push as if trying to cover up her tracks.

"What are you talking about? Did something happen? Hmph, you're shameless!"

Yang Mumu stubbornly refused to admit it. She had just acted like a hooligan, and now that the person involved had caught her and asked, she was actually turning the tables on him!

The next second, she heard Gu Xingzhou let out a low chuckle. He moved behind her, and his magnetic, seductive voice drifted softly into her ear.

"Mumu, you're burning bridges. Your behavior just now wasn't like this at all. You touched me all over from top to bottom, and you were even reluctant to stop. Do you want to be able to touch me whenever you want in the future? If so... you'll have to take responsibility for me."

When he said the last sentence, his voice carried a hint of grievance.

Is he trying to kill me with his flirting skills?

Yang Mumu patted and touched her burning face, then furtively looked up and saw that the tips of Gu Xingzhou's ears were as red as if they were bleeding, and his face was also flushed with a deep crimson.

It was obvious that the person in front of her was incredibly shy inside; he was just pretending to be calm while saying those things to her.

He looked uniquely handsome. It was a sight not usually seen—paired with his handsome face and great physique, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a feast for the eyes.

It's a bit soul-stirring!

Yang Mumu felt a bit excited. Instead of being flustered, her heart calmed down, and her face stopped burning. She reached out again, grabbed him, gave his chest a light pat, and teased:

"How do you want me to take responsibility? Your physique is not bad; it's not soft, but not too hard either... It's just right. Keep it up. I don't like it if your muscles all merge into one, I still like your physique just as it is now."

Gu Xingzhou's face turned even redder, flushing all the way to his neck. He was very shy and embarrassed, but even more so, he was happy. His heart blossomed with joy, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

He looked into Yang Mumu's eyes, very earnestly, and answered her words openly and honestly, his voice steady.

"As long as you like it, that's good. I will continue to maintain my physique and will never let you down. You can check it anytime. As for how you should take responsibility... Mumu, I want to ask for a proper status."

Gu Xingzhou was humbly asking for a status, his bright eyes filled with anticipation.

His little expression really hit the mark for Yang Mumu, but she decided to wait a little longer.

Ambiguity is intoxicating. In this era, the tension before having a formal status is very exciting. Only without a formal status could she see so many different sides of Gu Xingzhou. It was very special, and it made her dopamine levels soar higher; the thrill was just different.

"Then you just keep thinking about it; I'm not in a hurry. We'll discuss it later."

Yang Mumu was like a scumbag who pulls up their pants and refuses to acknowledge anyone; she didn't want to give him a status, she just wanted to enjoy the moment more.

Gu Xingzhou looked at her with a pitiful expression. His eyes were still bright. He was a bit dejected, but not disappointed, and he quickly accepted the answer.

He cheered himself on in his heart, resolving to try harder.

"Alright, I will keep working hard until you are willing to give me a status. Come on, let's start feeling for the soft-shelled turtle eggs."

Having pumped himself up, Gu Xingzhou was full of energy, his voice full of drive as he opened his arms to Yang Mumu.

"You're quite good at cheering yourself up. Not bad."

Yang Mumu placed her hand on him. Seeing his body tremble, she deliberately teased him and flirted a little.

"You female hooligan!"

Gu Xingzhou's voice was doting and helpless. He wasn't even shy anymore; he shook his head and didn't mind her hand.

If she wants to touch, let her touch. Anyway, in the future, it will be exclusively hers.

He needed to exercise more when he got back to maintain it. Since Mumu liked it so much, he had to make use of this physical attraction and strive to seduce her.

Yang Mumu only stopped her mischievous hand after she had satisfied her craving. She wiped the lecherous look off her face and placed her left hand demurely on his shoulder.

"Tell me, where are they? Let's start getting them now. Twenty eggs—we can each eat quite a few."

"Alright, I'll lead you. Just listen to my instructions."

Gu Xingzhou grabbed her left hand, pulled her into his embrace, and wrapped his arm around her, letting her lean entirely against him. Then, he grabbed her right hand and reached it toward the twenty soft-shelled turtle eggs in the space.

"Right here. Open your hand downward and grab."

His clear voice was gentle and comfortable, pleasant to the ears.

Hey, he's making progress. He actually took the initiative to pull her into his arms and flirt back. This feeling wasn't bad—it gave off the vibe of a domineering CEO.

Yang Mumu really liked this domineering side of him; she was growing fonder of Gu Xingzhou. Having someone with multiple interesting facets and such high plasticity was a huge win for her.

This Golden Finger of Lu Qianyao really isn't bad; it has given her so many extra surprises.

Not bad, not bad!

She relaxed her body and leaned back, happily opening her hand to grab a large handful from the space.

She grabbed five of them in one go.

Yang Mumu looked curiously at the eggs in her hand. She had only ever eaten small bird eggs and wild chicken eggs of this type; she had never eaten turtle eggs before.

"I wonder if these little eggs will taste good after they're boiled."

Gu Xingzhou hadn't eaten them either and didn't know if they would be fishy. He suggested, "Then should I braise them with star anise?"

Yang Mumu hadn't eaten braised food in a long time. Hearing the suggestion made her mouth water with craving.

"Alright, let's braise them. How about we go to the mountain again tomorrow to see if we can get some wild pheasant to braise with them?"

Gu Xingzhou unconditionally agreed to everything Yang Mumu said and nodded with a smile:

"Alright, leave the wild pheasant to me. I discovered a pheasant nest earlier, and there was a wild egg inside. I was thinking of waiting for it to lay a few more before getting them, but I'll bring it back tomorrow as well. Tell me if there's anything else you want to braise."

99: Chapter 99 Exploiting Freebies

"Let's braise some vegetables, and maybe some pig's head meat too. We haven't eaten that wild boar head from before yet; braising it should make it taste even better, so let's do that all together."

Gu Xingzhou's braising skills must be excellent. Yang Mumu drooled just thinking about it, feeling very excited about tomorrow's braised dishes. She reached out her hand and gestured to Gu Xingzhou, saying:

"Come on, let's continue. There are still fifteen eggs left."

"Hmm, alright."

Guided by Gu Xingzhou, Yang Mumu grabbed five eggs each time, finishing them all in four turns.

After finishing, Gu Xingzhou looked at the Little Space and widened his eyes in surprise, "Mumu, the time has changed to two minutes this time. It's shortened. What a strange thing!"

"Huh? Why did it change again? What exactly is the logic behind this thing?"

Yang Mumu looked ahead with some confusion. How did the time change back? This Golden Finger is really quite strange after being broken.

"We must figure out this pattern tonight. If we can't, I won't be able to sleep."

Gu Xingzhou laughed, "You still need to sleep. We'll study it for at most another hour; we can study it slowly later. We shouldn't ruin our health for this thing."

"You're right. If there are no results after an hour, we'll study it again tomorrow. This thing isn't going anywhere, and even if it did run off, we wouldn't be at a loss. It doesn't affect us much anyway. No rush, I'll listen to you."

Although she said there was no rush, as she lowered her head and checked the time, Yang Mumu started urging him.

"There are only a few seconds left until two minutes are up. Take a look quickly."

"Alright!"

Gu Xingzhou was amused by her.

Mumu, she really is cute!

"Let me see. There's one second left. Time's up."

Gu Xingzhou shifted his gaze over, looking at the items inside with some surprise.

"Mumu, it's actually a bag of spice mix, right here."

He grabbed Yang Mumu's hand to reach for it, and a bag containing a mixture of many spices appeared in her hand.

"It really is a spice mix. There must be two or three jin here; it can be used quite a few times. Take a look at the time displayed inside now?"

Yang Mumu looked at Gu Xingzhou and asked, having a slight guess about this pattern.

Gu Xingzhou: "It's 20 minutes now."

"Just as I thought."

Yang Mumu looked at the spices in her hand, lost in thought.

"I think I might have found a pattern."

The eggs on Lu Qianyao's side appeared because he urgently needed eggs at that time. The soft-shelled turtle eggs and spices here were also because of her words. The items that appear all have some connection to their reality.

As for why it was always eggs on Lu Qianyao's side, refreshing every two minutes, while here it refreshes different things based on what is happening in reality, with different refresh times...

Yang Mumu attributed this reason to the Golden Finger being damaged, while at the same time, the process of being damaged had effectively fully activated the Golden Finger.

It's similar to the catfish effect, a change caused by the invasion of an outsider activating internal vitality.

"I also understand the pattern now. There are 20 minutes left, shall we give it a try?"

Gu Xingzhou suggested excitedly, looking forward to exploring the patterns of this new thing.

"Let's try." Yang Mumu agreed, thought for a moment, and said: "I'll go catch some crabs tomorrow when I go Swimming. Can you stir-fry spicy crabs for me?"

Gu Xingzhou immediately cooperated, replying very seriously:

"Spicy crabs? I can try, but there aren't many dried chili peppers left. Still, I can stir-fry them with less, it'll just be a little less spicy. If only we had some lotus root, I could stir-fry that in as a side dish; the flavor of the dish would definitely be delicious."

"Hmm, you're right. It would be even better if we added some cucumber, but it's a pity the cucumbers I planted in the field have only just started to bloom."

Yang Mumu and Gu Xingzhou exchanged glances, and the two began to discuss the side dishes and ingredients to stir-fry with the crabs. They listed a whole series of vegetables.

The 20 minutes passed quickly while they were chatting.

When they stopped and checked the time, it had already entered the final three-second countdown.

Both of them looked at the center simultaneously, reaching out their hands, ready to grab the items.

Once the three seconds passed, Gu Xingzhou was overjoyed to see the items in the center, exclaiming excitedly: "Mumu, it's true! It's just as we guessed. Inside are vegetables, many different kinds. Not only the ones we mentioned, but some others too."

Yang Mumu was surprised: "Really? Quick, take them out and let's see."

Gu Xingzhou held Yang Mumu's hand and quickly reached into the location of the vegetables.

"The vegetables are scattered inside. Let's get the cucumbers first."

"Alright."

Yang Mumu reached her hand in, and working together, they took all the vegetables out.

Gu Xingzhou took a look at the time and found the pattern.

"Mumu, it has changed back to 2 minutes. One round of 2 minutes, one round of 20 minutes, repeating like this. This must be the pattern of the time."

"Hmm, that's just about the pattern. The things that appear are exactly what we need."

Looking at the pile of vegetables on the ground, Yang Mumu found this matter inexplicably familiar. Thinking about it, oh, isn't this just like mobile big data monitoring?

Every time you want to eat something, you always end up seeing the very thing you were thinking about while scrolling through videos. It's quite magical.

Big data tries to tempt you into buying things, but this one is truly pure freeloading... isn't it?

Yang Mumu voiced this concern.

Gu Xingzhou also became concerned, "I just worry that there's no such thing as a free lunch in this world. I always feel like these things must be exchanged for something."

Having said that, Gu Xingzhou worriedly took Yang Mumu and turned her around to check: "Mumu, do you feel any discomfort anywhere?"

"I don't, everything is fine. Do you feel any discomfort in your body, or is there any problem anywhere?"

Yang Mumu asked back with concern. Since this thing is mainly on him, the impact should be greater.

But, in reality, she wasn't worried in her heart. She had a premonition that this thing wouldn't do them any harm; it was just a simple Golden Finger and wouldn't cause any damage.

"I'm also fine at the moment, it's just that this thing is a bit of an eyesore in front of me. It would be great if it could be put away."

As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Xingzhou saw the space in front of him disappear.

"Oh? Mumu, the space has disappeared."

Yang Mumu recalled the situation when Lu Qianyao used it at the time and said: "It must have been put away. Try saying 'appear' and see."

"Appear."

Gu Xingzhou thought it made sense, so he listened to Yang Mumu and said it. Whoosh, the space appeared again.

"Mumu, another two-minute time limit is up, and it has changed back into eggs inside. It seems that when we don't have any specific needs, the things that appear are eggs."

Although she had a premonition that it wasn't a bad thing, Yang Mumu still suggested: "Then let's not take anything for now. Let's observe for two days to see if taking the things inside will have any impact on our bodies, or if there will be any changes."

"Alright, then I'll head back first. You get some rest."

Seeing that it was getting late, Gu Xingzhou greeted Yang Mumu and left quietly, returning to the front yard.

Over the next two days, Yang Mumu and Gu Xingzhou both observed the changes in their bodies, as well as the changes in that Little Space.

As a result, nothing happened, and they didn't discover anything. The eggs just lay there in the Little Space without being taken, and there was nothing strange about it.

This was even more satisfying than winning a lucky draw for one yuan.

Consequently, Yang Mumu and Gu Xingzhou let themselves go.

Every day, they found opportunities to huddle together and fleece the Little Space, getting quite a lot of daily necessities and various vegetables.

The two of them were having a blast fleecing it, and their relationship heated up rapidly.

Meanwhile, Lu Qianyao, who had provided them with the Golden Finger, was still doubting life and searching everywhere. He didn't even have the heart to learn Swimming anymore; every day, he went to interact with the various Commune Members in the Production Brigade, looking at the moles on their bodies, using that as an excuse to touch them, searching for the Golden Finger he was constantly thinking about.

Every day he was there playing 'Elimination', ruling people out one by one.

There were many people in their Production Brigade, so the investigation was going to take Lu Qianyao quite a lot of time.

Lu Qianyao looked quite haggard, and he had even started losing hair.

But the Golden Finger had become a demon in his heart; he wouldn't give up until he finished checking everyone.

100: Chapter 100: It's almost turning into a Mediterranean Sea!

During Lu Qianyao's crazy phase, while Yang Mumu was "fleecing," she tried to look under the Crescent Reef over there, only to discover that the underwater situation was complex, the waves were too big, and there were strong currents, requiring strong diving skills to get down there.

Therefore, she wasn't in a hurry and went back to studying. Anyway, Lu Qianyao's mind was elsewhere right now.

In the following days, apart from working and learning various skills, Yang Mumu spent her time peacefully "fleecing" with Gu Xingzhou. The feeling of getting something for nothing was exceptionally happy.

After a month, they had fleeced countless times and gotten many things.

One day, on a whim, Yang Mumu flipped through the playback of the monitor placed on Lu Qianyao.

As she flipped through, she was a bit shocked and discovered a strange thing.

Yang Mumu zoomed in on the video and found a problem with Lu Qianyao's hair.

A month ago, there was still a bit of hair sticking out in the middle of his forehead, forming an M-shape. But flipping to the last page, which was today's video, and comparing the two, the change was huge.

Heavens, the bit of hair that stuck out in the middle was gone, and the M-shape had turned into a "~" wave shape!!

That's a bit ridiculous!

She randomly flipped through the later videos and saw that the hair sticking out in the middle of his forehead was indeed decreasing bit by bit over time, very quickly, and his entire hairline had receded by a circle.

She hadn't seen him pull his hair out, nor had she seen him shave his hairline. Was this hair loss too ridiculous?

Yang Mumu felt it was a bit strange. It just so happened that there was plenty of free time after dinner, so she clicked on every day's video to watch, and then clicked on the videos from the beginning, middle, and end of the month to compare.

Upon looking, Yang Mumu discovered another strange point.

The time points in the video where Lu Qianyao's hair decreased were a bit peculiar!

Basically, it was always at dinner or lunch time. Once this time point passed, she would find in the subsequent videos that the tuft of hair in the middle of Lu Qianyao's forehead was sparser than before.

Yang Mumu was bored, studying someone else's hair changes here; she found it funny herself.

Just after laughing, she rubbed her chin, her mind turned, and a flash of inspiration crossed her mind, reminding her of something.

Wait, this time point seems to be when she and Gu Xingzhou were together "fleecing" that Little Space.

Oh my god! This, this...

Yang Mumu pointed at Lu Qianyao's hair, widened her eyes, and exclaimed.

"There is no free lunch in the world. My Golden Finger was exchanged with money. Could the Golden Finger I got from Lu Qianyao be using Lu Qianyao's hair as currency?!"

"What we are fleecing isn't wool, it's Lu Qianyao's hair. Pfft, if this is true, it's too funny!"

The more Yang Mumu thought about it, the more she felt it was possible; otherwise, why would his hair be thinning so fast?

She and Gu Xingzhou had been fleecing too frequently and too ruthlessly during this period. The speed of hair regeneration couldn't keep up with their speed of fleecing, causing the hairline to recede by a circle?

"It must be like this. Haha, I'll know after verifying it."

Yang Mumu left the space and ran towards the left side of her house. Gu Xingzhou's house was already built, and he had moved in, so it was very convenient for her to find him. She dashed over from the side, arriving in a minute.

As soon as Gu Xingzhou opened the door, Yang Mumu went in and shrouded the place with her space to isolate the sound in the room, getting straight to the point: "I have a new guess about that thing on you."

"What guess?"

Gu Xingzhou closed the door, pulled Yang Mumu to sit down, and went to pour a glass of water.

"I just discovered that Lu Qianyao's hair has become sparse, and it's not just a little bit. His hairline has moved back by a large circle, turning from a big M into a horizontal small S."

Yang Mumu reached out and traced a small wave on her own hairline.

"You said, could it be that the thing we have is exchanged using Lu Qianyao's hair? Didn't we get that thing after hitting Lu Qianyao before? Do you think it's possible?"

Gu Xingzhou carefully recalled Lu Qianyao's hair and how he looked on the first day they met, and was shocked to find that his hair had indeed changed drastically as Yang Mumu said.

"It seems his hair is much less. There is no free lunch in the world, and there will be some price to pay sooner or later. Neither of us is affected, and that thing came from Lu Qianyao. Your analysis is very reasonable, this possibility is very high!"

Yang Mumu really wanted to verify it, rubbing her hands and looking at Gu Xingzhou: "Shall we try it?"

"Come, let's try."

Gu Xingzhou was also interested.

The two began to fleece the things inside the Little Space vigorously.

When the time came, they took things out, 2 minutes plus 20 minutes, equivalent to a big round every 22 minutes.

After 11 big rounds, Yang Mumu went back to rest.

The next day, she would fleece a bit when there was time in the morning, fleece a bit when they met while working, fleece things for two hours during lunch, and fleece for four and a half hours after dinner.

After a week of high-intensity fleecing, Yang Mumu and Gu Xingzhou stopped and turned to look at Lu Qianyao.

Yang Mumu specially chose leisure and washing time to visit the front yard and chat with friends like Xia Zhizhi.

During this time, Lu Qianyao wore a straw hat while working, his expression was gloomy every day, and he was quite hostile towards her. Whenever he saw her getting along well with the team leaders and Commune Members, the look in his eyes wasn't right.

She couldn't see his head, and didn't pay much attention. Plus, they had moved to the back, and she was deliberately avoiding people to verify the result, so she hadn't seen how Lu Qianyao's hair was for this whole week.

Yang Mumu thought, a week had passed, and the changes in Lu Qianyao's hair should be visible.

Gu Xingzhou came out of hiding from Song Yan's room, walked to Yang Mumu and whispered: "He went to take a bath, it's been a while, he should be coming out soon."

As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Xingzhou said: "He's out."

Yang Mumu looked in the direction of the bathing area, her pupils shrank, and she whispered in shock.

"My god, in just one week, he's almost become a Mediterranean!"

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The 70s Villainess Just Wants Peace v1

1: Chapter 1: Transmigrating to the 1970s, Don't Run Away, You Trash!

2: Chapter 2: Abusing the Scum, the Cheat Code Arrives

3: Chapter 3 The Diligent Triple Fold

4: Chapter 4 Stud!

5: Chapter 5: Luring the fish out of their hole, the big fish arrives! Get ready to pull the plug and eat them!

6: Chapter 6: The Photographer is Online, Let's See Who Eats Whom and Who Gets No Fortune

7: Chapter 7 Two Houses in Hand

8: Chapter 8 Catching Adultery!

9: Chapter 9 Sacrificing Family for the greater good

10: Chapter 10 Going Bankrupt to Save My Life

11: Chapter 11: Rack of Brains to Raise Money for Daughter's Wedding

12: Chapter 12 Money in Hand, Conflict Shifts

13: Chapter 13 A Substitution of the Beams and Pillars, A Letter of Accusation

14: Chapter 14: A Day of Gossip Frenzy for Everyone – Caught in the Act

15: Chapter 15: Schemes, Life is Like a Play, All About Acting

16: Chapter 16 The Ruthless Yang Zhaodi

17: Chapter 17: The Highly Efficient Revolutionary Committee Director, Death Penalty

18: Chapter 18 Execution, then a celebration with drums and gongs.

19: Chapter 19, To wrap up

20: Chapter 20 Director Liu of the Revolutionary Committee Returns the Favor

21: Chapter 21: The Location for Rural Areas Finalized and Work Handled

22: Chapter 22 Selling Jobs, Competitors

23: Chapter 23 Auction, Sold

24: Chapter 24 Going to the Countryside

25: Chapter 25 Friends Plus One

26: Chapter 26 I've heard that people with big noses...

27: Chapter 27 Punishing the Perverted Seat-Hogging Man

28: Chapter 28 Epilepsy

29: Chapter 29

30: Chapter 30 The Awkward and Arrogant Young Lady

31: Chapter 31 Group Upgrade

32: Chapter 32 Dividing the Loot

33: Chapter 33 The Sky Has Collapsed!

34: Chapter 34 The plot of is so compelling,

35: Chapter 35 Planning to Learn to Swim

36: Chapter 36 Being a Scorekeeper

37: Chapter 37 Wu Xiuli's actions and thought process are abnormal.

38: Chapter 38 Equality Creates Flight for All

39: Chapter 39 Arrival at the Battalion

40: Chapter 40 A Warning

41: Chapter 41: I'll start working as a scorekeeper the day after tomorrow.

42: Chapter 42 A Big Slap

43: Chapter 43 Wang Qiuyu's House

44: Chapter 44 Future Housing Confirmation

45: Chapter 45 A fight broke out at the educated youth compound.

46: Chapter 46, The Woods: What's the plot?

47: Chapter 47 Making a Fortune

48: Chapter 48: Acquiring Household Furniture, Worthy of Making Friends

49: Chapter 49

50: Chapter 50 Establishing Authority Through Honesty

51: Chapter 51 The Wild Boar King

52: Chapter 52 Then I'll "compensate" you with one.

53: Chapter 53 Wild Boar Allocation

54: Chapter 54 A Family of Rotten Beggars, Stealing the Show

55: Chapter 55 Rectification

56: Chapter 56: Terrified, Kneeling on the Ground

57: Chapter 57 Compensation, Conclusion

58: Chapter 58 A Win-Win Situation

59: Chapter 59 Punishing Lu Qianyao

60: Chapter 60 Different Situations of Meat Distribution

61: Chapter 61 Lu Qianyao, I have a letter for you

62: Chapter 62 Are you even speaking human language?

63: Chapter 63 Outright Robbery, Seeking Death

64: Chapter 64 Revenge should be taken on the spot

65: Chapter 65 Partnering to Do Big Things

66: Chapter 66 Things in the Wild Boar's Cave

67: Chapter 67 Open the door, open it way too wide!

68: Chapter 68 The End of the Work

69: Chapter 69 Creating Opportunities

70: Chapter 70 gives a reward

71: Chapter 71 Never expect to get along amicably in this lifetime

72: Chapter 72 The Ultimate Fantasy of a Loser

73: Chapter 73 Predicting the Baby's Dream?

74: Chapter 74 Lu Qianyao's Operation

75: Chapter 75 Lu Qianyao Collapses

76: Chapter 76 The person is about to break.

77: Chapter 77 Seven Bargains in Five Days