Chapter 188
When Jiang Yexun shot her a cold, stern look, she got scared and involuntarily swallowed.
“I… I didn’t mean any harm. I just wanted to remind you all not to do anything wrong,” Wang Fenlan hurriedly explained.
Two or three women nearby, who couldn’t tolerate it, spoke out. “Educated Youth Su came from a big city, her brother is a cadre in the army, and her parents are both workers. It’s none of your business how she dresses.”
“That’s right! Who can’t see through your intentions? You want to get beaten up by your man again,” another woman taunted.
Wang Fenlan felt utterly embarrassed and skulked away with her basket in hand. But the icy glare she received made her feel as if she was being targeted by evil spirits. Her pace quickened, and in her haste, she stumbled over the rocks on the ground.
This was a barren land littered with stones they had been clearing for days. As she fell, her face met a sharp stone, and blood filled her mouth. She cried out in pain, and when she opened her mouth, two teeth fell out.
The onlookers, both men and women, couldn’t help but laugh. “Fenlan, we’ve told you to watch your mouth. Now, you’ve lost your teeth. You’ll have a whistle in your speech from now on.”
Furious at the remark, Wang Fenlan glared at the person who spoke. However, even though she knew that it was Jiang Yexun’s intimidating look that made her fall, she didn’t dare approach him. She endured this humiliation with frustration, feeling that her face was thoroughly lost.
But the scorekeeper reprimanded, “No slacking off during work; if you don’t complete the task and run back home, you’ll lose three days’ worth of pay.”
Terrified of losing pay, Wang Fenlan dared not move. With her head held high, she continued working while enduring the mocking gazes from everyone.
Jiang Yexun watched his little educated youth working and he advised her softly, “Remember to wear two pairs of gloves, go easy on yourself. Blistered hands can be excruciating, so don’t push yourself.”
“Brother Yexun, you need to wear gloves too,” Su Xiaoxiao said, gazing up at him, her eyes sparkling.
Jiang Yexun waved it off. “I don’t need to. My hands are full of calluses; handling these rocks is a piece of cake.”
“No, your hands are too rough. It stings when you touch me,” Su Xiaoxiao said softly, making sure it could only be heard by him.
Jiang Yexun was taken aback by her words, and he immediately understood her implications, and his ears turned red. “Alright, I’ll wear them!” he promptly agreed, fearful that his little educated youth might say something unfiltered again.
The scorekeeper, observing their intimate conversation, divided them and allocated tasks nearby. They were supposed to dig a one-meter-deep pit with a small hoe, fill it with stones from the soil, and then refill the hole with the excavated earth.
It was an exhausting task, and no other production team was willing to let their workers engage in such labor. If someone got injured, applying again for a higher position would be an arduous process.
Although Su Xiaoxiao’s strength was growing, her skin was getting more delicate. Even with two layers of gloves, her palms were starting to burn and hurt from the relentless work.
Seeing her in such a state, the women around thought she was slacking off and gave each other knowing looks. If she were their daughter-in-law, they would have trouble tolerating her. If she continued to work so poorly, they’d probably end up killing the wasteful woman.
But as the son of the head of the production team had already reserved this girl, they had no choice but to behave. They dared not cast even a glance at Su Xiaoxiao.
As they contemplated, Team Leader Jiang hurriedly arrived, followed by several officers in police uniforms. Everyone was startled.
“Oh my, has someone committed an offense?” someone asked hesitantly. Even though the sentence was in question, their eyes immediately darted to Su Xiaoxiao and Jiang Yexun.
Within the production team, if something happened, everyone would be aware of it. Only the son of the production team leader and Su Xiaoxiao, who recently departed, were exceptions.
However, when Jiang and his entourage approached, they discovered they had guessed incorrectly.
“These police officers seem to be smiling. Surely, nobody has caused any trouble,” a woman quickly defended Su Xiaoxiao and Jiang Yexun.
Su Xiaoxiao immediately looked at the person who spoke and gratefully smiled at them.