Chapter 12: A Deliberate Targeting

Wu Guifen immediately stomped her feet in anger and slammed the hoe into the earth, sending clods of dirt flying several feet high.

“How dare you talk to me like that? You little temptress, I knew you were a handful!”

Su Xiaoyun fired back on the spot without hesitation. “Auntie, your words insult the educated youth and stir discord between intellectuals and peasants. I’m going to report this to the brigade office.”

“With the way you’re slandering me, not only will you have to write a self-criticism, but you’ll also have your work points deducted and your grain ration cut.”

“Tsk tsk, go ahead, keep talking.”

Though Wu Guifen’s face flushed red with rage, her bravado instantly deflated by more than half.

Her narrow, slanting eyes darted away guiltily. “Y-you’re making things up. I was just saying a few words. Why should I write a self-criticism or lose work points?”

Su Xiaoyun smirked faintly without much interest. “The gong signaling the start of work just rang once. The branch secretary should be at the brigade office. I’ll go have a look.”

Wu Guifen panicked, nearly falling backward in shock.

Seeing Su Xiaoyun about to leave, she hurriedly kicked off her straw sandals and ran out of the field, grinding her teeth, “I was just talking nonsense earlier. Educated youth Su, I’m sorry. It’s no big deal to bother the branch secretary over.”

“Better to keep things peaceful, right?”

Su Xiaoyun lifted the corner of her mouth and turned slowly. “Fine. Auntie, then pay me what you owe.”

At these words, Wu Guifen was dumbfounded. Feng Wanqing was also stunned.

“Pay what?” Wu Guifen instinctively clutched her waistband, cheeks flushing deeper than the wild mountain berries.

Su Xiaoyun’s lips curled into a faint arc. “Is your memory worse than that fool Daggen from the west village? Last week, we were assigned to weed the fields on the dam together. You were sore and aching, so I did three rows on my own.”

“But when it came time to record work points, you claimed four points for yourself, two more than me.”

“And the last time we carried water for irrigation, Wanqing did all the work, which amounts to one yuan.”

Hearing this, Wu Guifen wished she could just collapse on the spot.

Her fingers shook with fury as she cursed, glaring daggers with those slanted eyes almost shooting flames.

“You little wretch! You’re just after the money in my pocket!”

Su Xiaoyun’s gaze grew colder. “Since you’re unwilling, I’ll just report this to the branch secretary and see what kind of conscience you have for false reporting of work points.”

Wu Guifen felt a chill in her heart, clenching her fists tightly.

When did this damn girl become so sharp-tongued?

Could it be that getting dumped by Zhou Xuejun made her cunning?

Seeing Wu Guifen’s eyes darting nervously, Su Xiaoyun added calmly, “Wanqing and I have witnesses. The villagers and those kids from Huzi’s family can attest to it.”

“Since Auntie won’t let the matter rest, let’s go. There’s nothing more to say.”

With that, Su Xiaoyun turned and walked away, her slender figure full of resolve.

Not a second to waste!

“Wait!” Wu Guifen gritted her teeth, reluctantly turning back to untie her pants’ string and fish out some small change from her pocket. “Just eighty cents, no more!”

With a snap, she shoved the money into Su Xiaoyun’s hand.

But as if fearing she’d ask for the remaining twenty cents, Wu Guifen stomped her foot and retreated into the cornfield, mud splattering several feet behind her heels.

Feng Wanqing was amazed by Su Xiaoyun’s cleverness, turning her head with admiration. “Xiaoyun, you’re incredible. You actually managed to squeeze money out of Wu Guifen, the stingiest woman in the village!”

“That money’s enough to buy us a bowl of cornmeal!”

Su Xiaoyun stuffed the coins into her hand. “Keep it. From now on, we won’t be free beasts of burden.”

She would claim every penny she was owed, no less.

In the past, only Wu Guifen ever took advantage.

Not just these eighty cents—even eight cents wouldn’t be squeezed from that old woman’s grasp!

Feeling refreshed, the two strode quickly back to the educated youth’s quarters to put down their things.

“It’s getting late. Let’s head to work,” Su Xiaoyun said, pulling out two pairs of woolen gloves and brushing off the dust. “One pair each!”

Minutes later, they arrived at the edge of the fields.

The sun blazed fiercely, curling the edges of the corn seedlings lining both sides of the path.

The endless land and yellow slopes were wilted, withered wild grasses unable to hold soil, and the wind whipped up clouds of dust that filled the sky.

With little water for irrigation lately, the corn stalks were thin and stretched out, promising at least a thirty percent loss in harvest come autumn.

Kicking the soil with her toes, Su Xiaoyun felt no moisture at all.

Looking around at the desolate scene, her nose and throat burned with dryness.

The air was so parched that her lips cracked and whitened after just a short while outside.

Feng Wanqing raised a hand to shield her forehead. “This heat is unbearable. I wonder when we’ll get a heavy rain.”

Su Xiaoyun gazed at the cloudless sky stretching miles ahead, her heart sinking to the depths.

Rain—if it came—would still be a long way off.

As usual, the two headed together toward the eastern fields.

Several corn furrows were cracked wide enough to slip fingers through, the soil beneath crumbled like sand.

Su Xiaoyun pulled a piece of dark blue hemp cloth from her pocket and tied it over her head, rolled up her sleeves, and got to work.

Just pulling weeds and hoeing—women carry half the sky. No complaints, just hard work!

Only with more work points could they receive enough grain and money to survive.

Though she and Feng Wanqing worked side by side, they couldn’t talk much in the field or they’d be accused of slacking and get scolded.

Only then did Su Xiaoyun realize how severe the drought was here.

After several months without rain, the soil was dry and baked hard.

Every strike of the hoe revealed no trace of moisture.

“This land... has not a drop of water left.”

Like a dry rag, wringing it yielded no moisture.

Frowning slightly, Su Xiaoyun found the ground harder to dig as she went along.

After half an hour, she’d barely hoed half a furrow.

Just as she stopped to wipe sweat, she heard Yang Hongfu’s loud, coarse voice.

“Everyone, put in more effort! The drought has lowered the water table in our village wells.”

“The southern fields are doing well. Two teams will be sent to harvest the early corn!”

Turning, Su Xiaoyun saw Yang Hongfu standing at the field’s edge, his black cloth shoes planted firmly.

His straightened back shortened his jacket by several inches.

As Su Xiaoyun looked up, Yang Hongfu’s shrewd, cunning face lit with satisfaction. “Some of the women here are quite capable, no less than the village’s men and elders.”

“The weather is so dry with no rain at all. For the sake of the crops and the whole village’s livelihood, I’m assigning a few women to carry water from the Bee Pool.”

“Everyone, volunteer eagerly! This is dedication—something the county is encouraging!”

Though he said this, his eyes locked onto Su Xiaoyun without blinking. “I see educated youth Su isn’t quick in the fields; you're slow at weeding. At this rate, the weeds will suck up all the nutrients.”

“From now on, the water-carrying work is yours!”

Hearing this, Su Xiaoyun slammed her hoe down into the dry earth with a sharp sound.