Chapter 274
“I understand,” Qian Siyu said, a bit embarrassed. She knew her previous thoughts were foolish, but sometimes her mind just wandered. Fortunately, everyone had just pointed out her mistake without showing any irritation.
“Then we’ll head back for now. Once we’ve caught Dong Jiaxuan, we can celebrate properly,” Tao Junlan said, eager to leave. She was most afraid that Dong Jiaxuan would sneak off to do something bad when they weren’t looking. If Dong Jiaxuan succeeded even once, it would embolden others in the production team to target the female educated youths. Therefore, the safest approach was to ensure Dong Jiaxuan never succeeded.
Ideally, they should catch her red-handed during her first attempt at wrongdoing.
“Alright, I’ll leave it to you then,” Su Xiaoxiao said with a warm smile, her eyes filled with anticipation. This made Tao Junlan and Qian Siyu even more motivated.
Su Xiaoxiao tried to see them off at the door, but Tao Junlan stopped her. “You’ve taken off your military coat and woolen clothes, so you should stay inside. It’s easy to catch a cold when you go from warm to cold. If you end up feeling unwell and have to catch a train, it’ll be a real hassle.”
“I’m not that frail…” Su Xiaoxiao began to protest, but the scent of traditional Chinese herbs wafting from the courtyard made her lose her resolve.
Resigned, Su Xiaoxiao agreed, “Alright, I’ll see you here. Make sure to keep warm and don’t catch a cold.”
“The military coat you gave us is very warm. We sweat even when we’re outside,” Tao Junlan said with a smile. She waved and bid farewell to Su Xiaoxiao.
After closing the door, Su Xiaoxiao heard Aunt Guo telling Tao Junlan and Qian Siyu, “You two don’t get proper meals at the educated youth dormitory. If the weather allows, feel free to come over anytime for a meal. We cook plenty each day; there’s no problems adding two more pairs of chopsticks for you.”
“Thank you, Aunt Guo,” Tao Junlan and Qian Siyu said in unison.
Su Xiaoxiao knew they wouldn’t visit frequently, given their busy schedules and the inherent distance. It made sense, considering she spent little time in the production team and had limited interaction with them.
Su Xiaoxiao turned to head back to the kang and found her brother, Su Hongchen, watching her with a smile.
“Why are you looking at me like that, brother? You’re making me uneasy,” Su Xiaoxiao said, rubbing her arms through her thick wool sweater as if she had goosebumps.
Su Hongchen ruffled her hair. “I think you’ve made a good choice this time. Your friends have good character and are trustworthy.”
“Of course, after being schemed against by Dong Jiaxuan and Pan Yongsheng, if I didn’t become more perceptive, I’d be the one paying for it,” Su Xiaoxiao said with a proud tilt of her chin.
Su Hongchen shook his head, half-amused and half-annoyed. He used to worry that his sister was too soft-hearted and would easily forgive those who hurt her. Now, he found himself concerned that she might think he wasn’t harsh enough in seeking justice.
“I’ll make a call to have someone from the local police station come over,” Su Hongchen said.
“Don’t let them arrest Dong Jiaxuan directly. She’s just thinking about doing something wrong, not actually done it yet. If you arrest her now, she might just end up sent to a labor camp for reeducation,” Su Xiaoxiao quickly interjected, standing in front of Su Hongchen to prevent him from acting impulsively.
She valued those who treated her well, and she would endure a bit longer to find evidence that would bring justice, rather than risking premature action.
“Don’t worry. I’ll have them come over discreetly so as not to alert Dong Jiaxuan,” Su Hongchen said, shaking his head with a mix of frustration and amusement. He never thought his sister would be worried he might not be severe enough.
“I’m going out to meet Tiewa and the others,” Jiang Yexun announced. He added, “I plan to sell my job to Luo Shanzhu. If I can get 1,200 yuan, that’s best, but I won’t sell it for less than 1,000.”
“Okay,” Su Xiaoxiao agreed, not questioning why Jiang Yexun wanted to sell the job to Luo Shanzhu, whom they disliked. She understood Jiang Yexun was vengeful and would find a way to deal with Luo Shanzhu for his improper actions.
Su Hongchen’s expression darkened as he heard Jiang Yexun’s plan to sell the job. “Why sell the job you’ve just gotten?”
He had previously mentioned going to Shanghai for work, which would have made it difficult to bring his mother. But now, since the commute to the city was just an hour, it seemed less of an issue.
Jiang Yexun raised an eyebrow, looking at Su Hongchen with a hint of disdain. However, he quickly masked his expression, knowing he had to maintain a good relationship with his brother-in-law.
“The job I was assigned is at a textile factory, which requires night shifts. The Jiang family isn’t reliable; if I’m not there at night, only Xiaoxiao and my mother will be left. With her looks, I worry about people with bad intentions. Also, the village is surrounded by mountains, and there are wild animals that might attack. I’m concerned that if I’m not around, the Jiang family might bully Xiaoxiao. These people are shameless, and I need to protect Xiaoxiao and my mother.”
Jiang Yexun’s reasons were sound, but Su Hongchen still frowned. “So how do you plan to support the family? Just by farming? Farming alone can barely support yourself, let alone a family or future children!”