Lin Jiaojiao looked at the tall man who had suddenly stepped in front of her, blocking her view of Liu Quan and the others. She narrowed her charming fox-like eyes in confusion.
Then, all of a sudden, she smiled sweetly and threw Gu Tingzhou a flirtatious wink.
“Not as handsome as you.”
Gu Tingzhou’s already dark expression instantly darkened even more.
Yet the tips of his ears turned so red they looked ready to bleed.
“Comrades, over here! This is the place! There are people committing indecency here!”
Suddenly, a noisy commotion erupted outside the room.
Everyone immediately turned toward the door and saw several people wearing red armbands entering the guesthouse.
Leading them was the same middle-aged woman Lin Jiaojiao had watched leave earlier.
Seeing the sweat dripping from the woman’s forehead from rushing over, Lin Jiaojiao silently praised her efficiency.
“Comrades, look! They’re the ones behaving indecently. They haven’t even finished putting on their clothes!”
As soon as the woman entered, she pointed directly at the two people still wrestling on the bed.
The moment the inspectors saw the half-dressed pair—who had scratched each other so badly that their faces were nearly unrecognizable—they immediately rushed forward.
Startled, Liu Quan and Lin Miaomiao instantly froze.
Lin Miaomiao let out a shrill scream.
Ignoring everything else, she frantically grabbed her clothes and hastily threw them on.
Liu Quan remained silent but quickly jumped off the bed, picked up his clothes, and dressed himself.
Fortunately, the inspectors didn’t immediately use force.
Only after the two had finished dressing did they restrain them and escort them away.
Once they were taken away, the crowd that had gathered to watch the spectacle gradually dispersed.
Only Lin Jiaojiao and Gu Tingzhou remained.
Along with Li Xiaoyan.
Li Xiaoyan cast Lin Jiaojiao a complicated glance before quickly slipping away with the crowd.
Without even guessing, Lin Jiaojiao knew she had gone to report the incident.
After all, being caught in such a scandal was considered a serious offense in those days. Once convicted, spending five or six years behind bars was almost inevitable.
As Lin Miaomiao’s loyal follower, Li Xiaoyan would never stand by and do nothing.
Lin Jiaojiao wasn’t worried in the slightest.
Because from the very beginning, she had never intended for the two of them to actually remain imprisoned.
Liu Quan’s father worked for the local committee.
Pulling someone out of jail wasn’t difficult for a man with his connections.
However, no matter how influential he was, he still needed a legitimate excuse.
And Lin Jiaojiao had already provided Liu Quan with exactly that.
If he wanted to avoid prison, he would naturally follow her hint.
Once he used that excuse, his fate would become permanently tied to Lin Miaomiao’s.
She would then walk the very same path the original Lin Jiaojiao had suffered in the novel.
That had been Lin Jiaojiao’s true objective all along.
She wanted Lin Miaomiao to reap what she had sown.
“Aren’t you afraid your parents will come after you once they find out?”
Gu Tingzhou looked at the calm and composed Lin Jiaojiao with curiosity.
Based on what she had told him earlier and the clothes she was wearing, it wasn’t difficult for him to tell that her life in the Lin family had been miserable.
If her parents discovered what had happened today, they certainly wouldn’t let her off easily.
Yet what puzzled him was that she didn’t seem frightened at all.
“They’re probably too busy to settle scores with me right now.”
She was telling the truth.
If her scumbag father and stepmother learned that their precious daughter had been arrested, they would be scrambling to rescue her.
They wouldn’t have the time to deal with Lin Jiaojiao.
After saying that, she smiled brightly at Gu Tingzhou.
“Comrade Gu, shouldn’t you head back to your unit and submit your marriage application now?”
“So eager?”
Gu Tingzhou raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile tugging at his lips.
Lin Jiaojiao didn’t feel embarrassed in the slightest.
Instead, she smiled bitterly.
“Of course. You’ve already seen what my family is like. If I don’t marry you and move to the military compound as soon as possible, it won’t be long before those people devour me whole.”
Gu Tingzhou believed every word.
The Lin family might not have time to bother with her now.
But once Lin Miaomiao was released, Lin Jiaojiao’s situation would undoubtedly become much worse.
The thought of this bright yet frail young woman being hurt by that family caused an inexplicable ache in his heart.
“All right. I’ll do as you say and submit the marriage application immediately. But…”
He looked at her seriously.
“I can’t just take you away like this. A marriage without the blessing of your elders… for you…”
Before he could finish, Lin Jiaojiao interrupted him with a smile.
“You’re overthinking it. Even if this is only a marriage of convenience, proper etiquette still has to be observed. You still need to propose and offer a bride price before marrying me.”
She paused.
“The only difference is that the elders you’ll be meeting won’t be my scumbag father and stepmother, but…”
She suddenly stopped speaking.
After a moment’s thought, she smiled.
“You should submit the marriage application first. Leave everything else to me.”
“I’ll explain the details when the time comes.”
Seeing how confident she was, Gu Tingzhou didn’t ask any further questions.
Instead, he reached into his pocket, took out several ten-yuan bills along with a stack of ration coupons, and handed them to her.
Lin Jiaojiao raised an eyebrow.
“Commander Gu, we’ve only just met, and you’re already giving me so much money. Aren’t you afraid I’ll run away with it and leave you with nothing?”
Gu Tingzhou shook his head.
“I’m not afraid.”
“I believe you won’t run.”
In this era, traveling anywhere required an official introduction letter.
Even if Lin Jiaojiao wanted to run away, she wouldn’t get very far.
After placing the money and coupons in her hand, he turned and walked toward the door.
But before leaving, he suddenly stopped and looked back.
“I’m staying next door.”
“If you need anything, come find me anytime.”
With that, he strode away.
Watching his tall, upright figure disappear into the distance, Lin Jiaojiao lowered her gaze to the money in her hand.
A satisfied smile slowly spread across her lips.
It seemed the powerful ally she had found in a hurry was actually a genuinely good man.
After leaving the guesthouse, Lin Jiaojiao stopped by the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some food before heading to the family residential compound of the steel factory.
After the original owner’s mother passed away, her scumbag father had married his current wife.
From the moment her stepmother entered the household, the original owner had lived like a servant.
She did the hardest work.
She ate the least food.
During the 1970s, when food and clothing were scarce, going hungry was common for most families.
But the Lin family was different.
There were three wage earners.
Her father worked at the soap factory and earned forty-five yuan a month.
Her stepmother worked at a food processing factory and earned thirty-five yuan.
The original owner herself worked at the textile factory, earning twenty-seven yuan each month.
Together, the family brought in nearly one hundred and seven yuan every month.
The factories also distributed ration coupons regularly.
In that era of shortages, this was considered a very comfortable income.
Their family wasn’t lacking in either money or coupons.
Going hungry should never have been an issue.
Yet every good meal was reserved for Lin Miaomiao.
The original owner could only eat whatever leftovers remained.
If there were plenty of leftovers, she ate more.
If there were almost none, she simply went hungry.
Although she had a job, nearly all of her wages were confiscated by her stepmother.
Even after developing stomach problems from chronic hunger, she couldn’t afford to buy herself food.
Fortunately, her uncle’s family, who worked at the steel factory, secretly helped support her whenever they could.
Otherwise, she probably would have starved to death long ago.
Yet after years of manipulation by her stepmother and Lin Miaomiao, the original owner remained distant from the very relatives who genuinely cared for her, despite accepting their help.
Looking down at her own painfully thin body—so skinny that even at twenty years old she barely had any curves—Lin Jiaojiao didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
But now that she had taken over this body, she would certainly repay her uncle’s family for the kindness they had shown the original owner.
“Well, well… isn’t this Lin Jiaojiao?”
“What kind of wind has blown a spoiled young lady like you to this godforsaken place?”
A mocking voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts, pulling Lin Jiaojiao back to reality.