Chapter 3: Such Grand Officialdom

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Su Xiaoyun didn’t even lift her eyelids. “Yes, Yang Jinyue is kind-hearted. She knows very well what kind of person I am.”

Yang Jinyue felt there was an underlying meaning in Su Xiaoyun’s words, but before she could say anything, Su Xiaoyun had already clapped her hands and left.

Yang Jinyue: “?”

Why did Su Xiaoyun just leave? Didn’t Zhou Xuejun say Su Xiaoyun would definitely help her with the work? Was she going to have to finish harvesting the remaining half-acre of wheat all by herself?

The next day, after finishing her morning shift, Su Xiaoyun returned to the communal dormitory and began listing everything Zhou Xuejun owed her.

She carefully copied each item into a notebook.

Just as she finished writing, Feng Wanqing called out to her, “Xiaoyun, that shameless Zhou Xuejun is looking for you!”

Su Xiaoyun put down her pen. “Okay, I’m coming out now.”

“If you get confused again, I swear I won’t let you into the dorm, and I’ll give you a few lashes to teach you a lesson!”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry, I won’t—”

Su Xiaoyun grabbed the list and headed out.

It was obvious Zhou Xuejun had come because of Yang Jinyue. Everything unfolded just as Su Xiaoyun expected.

When Zhou Xuejun saw her, he shouted hoarsely, “Su Xiaoyun! Even if you’re causing trouble, there has to be a limit. Jinyue was cutting wheat yesterday and got her hands scratched by the awns—didn’t you even help her? You must come with me to apologize to her!”

“And why didn’t you help me with my work yesterday? This was an opportunity for me to train you, and you’re just being lazy!”

Yesterday, first Yang Jinyue had come to him, tearfully complaining that Su Xiaoyun refused to help with the work. Then the team leader of the production squad said Zhou had not done any of his assigned tasks, which delayed the team’s progress. He was docked work points and scolded.

He had been holding in his anger all this time and took advantage of the lunch break to confront Su Xiaoyun.

Su Xiaoyun sneered, “Everyone knows to take care of their own business—even children understand that. Don’t you?”

Zhou Xuejun was momentarily speechless before Su Xiaoyun continued, “From now on, I won’t help with your work anymore. I already made it clear yesterday: once you return what you owe me, we’re square.”

Zhou Xuejun seemed to hear the biggest joke of his life. “Su Xiaoyun, even messing around needs limits. That’s enough.”

Usually, Su Xiaoyun would be trailing behind him trying to please him—he didn’t believe she truly disliked him.

Su Xiaoyun sneered coldly. “Who’s in the mood to joke with you? Either return the money or the things—you choose.”

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Zhou Xuejun was reluctant to return anything and shamelessly said, “I don’t have them.”

“Then write an IOU.”

Su Xiaoyun didn’t indulge him at all. She spread out the list she had just compiled so he could see clearly every item he had taken and every penny he had spent.

Zhou Xuejun’s expression shifted slightly.

He didn’t expect Su Xiaoyun to be serious.

But he had no way to produce all those items and was unwilling to write an IOU.

“Are you really going to settle accounts with me?” he asked again. “You better think it through—you might regret it and beg me for forgiveness later!”

Su Xiaoyun ignored him and urged, “Enough nonsense. Sign quickly, or I’ll go find the party secretary to settle this! If you cheat me out of my money and try to shirk responsibility, it won’t just be about repaying money—you might end up in jail!”

Zhou Xuejun’s face turned pale and flushed repeatedly as he snatched the list from Su Xiaoyun’s hands. His hand gripping the pen turned white.

He didn’t know what drama Su Xiaoyun was acting out this time—probably jealous over Jinyue and taking it out on him. He was sure Su Xiaoyun couldn’t truly dislike him and would be crying for forgiveness within a couple of days. When that happened, he vowed to make up for the humiliation he suffered today.

After writing his name, he threw the list back at Su Xiaoyun.

Suddenly, Su Xiaoyun remembered something. “Oh, right, the silver bracelet my grandmother gave me before—you said you’d keep it safe for me. Return it now!”

Originally, when the Su family found their real daughter, grandmother was the only one who didn’t look down on her because of her identity.

The rest of the Su family sent the original daughter to the countryside, but grandmother firmly opposed it, and the stress triggered a heart attack that put her in the hospital. Later, they used grandmother’s fragile condition to coerce the original daughter into taking the real daughter, Su Wenqian’s place, in the countryside.

Before leaving, grandmother secretly slipped the original daughter a bracelet—it was her dowry and had accompanied her most of her life. Fearing she might never see the original daughter again, she left the bracelet as a keepsake.

Little did they expect that farewell would last a lifetime.

Hearing Su Xiaoyun ask for the bracelet, Zhou Xuejun’s face turned uneasy.

He had long ago given the bracelet to Yang Jinyue. If it weren’t for Jinyue saying she wanted a bracelet for her birthday, Zhou wouldn’t have thought to take Su Xiaoyun’s. After all, it was just one bracelet—whoever wore it didn’t matter.

Waving his hand to brush her off, he said, “Alright, alright, I forgot where I put it. I’ll look for it when I get home and give it to you later.”

“Fine. If you can’t return it by today, we’ll settle this at the police station!”

Zhou Xuejun muttered something and left.

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Work continued in the afternoon.

Su Xiaoyun cooked some cornmeal porridge and after finishing it, went back to the brigade to work.

As soon as she arrived, the squad leader approached her and said, “Xiaoyun, you don’t need to cut wheat this afternoon.”

Su Xiaoyun asked, “Then what’s my task?”

“Go clean the pigsty and shovel out the manure.”

As soon as the squad leader said this, the onlookers nearby burst into laughter.

Su Xiaoyun immediately caught Yang Jinyue’s triumphant gaze among the crowd.

No need to guess—this was Yang Jinyue’s doing.

Her father, Yang Hongfu, was the production brigade leader, and who did what task was decided by him. Since Su Xiaoyun had offended Yang Jinyue yesterday, she was now being made to suffer. Life was only going to get harder.

Su Xiaoyun grabbed a piece of scrap cloth and went to shovel manure in the pigsty.

By the time she finished, it was nearly dusk. When she went to the brigade to record her work points, everyone was holding their noses and avoiding her.

As she entered to find the recorder, Yang Hongfu, the brigade leader, was also there.

But he only glanced at Su Xiaoyun for two seconds and said nothing.

Su Xiaoyun walked to the recorder. “I’m here to record my work.”

The recorder nodded and was about to write, but Yang Hongfu stopped him. “Wait, how can you write seven points? Write five.”

The recorder was stunned. “But…”

At that age, twelve or thirteen, working a full day for the brigade was only worth five points. Su Xiaoyun had worked hard all day, so the brigade leader was clearly trying to make things difficult for her.

“Five points? Brigade leader, may I ask how you deducted those two points?”

Yang Hongfu snorted coldly. “Cleaning the pigsty isn’t hard work. What’s wrong with giving you two fewer points?”