Pei Huaiye’s expression was gloomy as he placed the canned mandarins onto the ox cart and returned to the village with a cold face.
The next day, Yuan Guang went to report work to Pei Huaiye. Seeing the cans still sitting on the table, he joked,
“Colonel, why are they still here? Why didn’t you give them to Su Qianqian?”
Pei Huaiye had barely slept all night, dark circles shadowing his eyes.
In a low voice, he said, “Help me find out whether people in the village have been talking badly about Su Qianqian behind her back.”
All night long, Pei Huaiye’s mind had been filled with the image of the woman he loved when she was angry—that cold, disgusted look that seemed to pierce straight through him. He had seen that kind of look countless times in the Pei family.
He had woken repeatedly from nightmares the night before, his heart aching so badly he could barely breathe.
Yuan Guang went to the fields to ask Dai Xiaohong whether anyone had been bullying Su Qianqian.
Sitting under a tree, Dai Xiaohong shook her head repeatedly.
“No one dares bully her!”
Who would dare provoke the chief of staff’s daughter?
Yuan Guang set down his water bottle.
“That’s good. By the way, has Su Qingyue ever bullied you?”
Dai Xiaohong froze.
“Su Qingyue? How could she bully me?! We don’t have much interaction. Doesn’t she live at the end of the village?”
Yuan Guang scratched his head.
“What do you mean? Isn’t she an educated youth? Don’t you see each other every day? If she doesn’t live in the educated youth compound, why would she live at the village tail?”
Dai Xiaohong suddenly realized something.
“Oh! Comrade Yuan! Actually, the one who bullied me on the train wasn’t Su Qingyue—it was Su Qianqian.”
She pointed toward Su Qianqian working in the distance.
“Look, it was her! She deliberately said her name was Su Qingyue back then.”
Yuan Guang looked over.
“That’s right! She’s the short-haired female educated youth from the train! You’re saying her real name is Su Qianqian?!”
Lowering her voice, Dai Xiaohong said,
“Exactly. She’s so overbearing that no one dares bully her. And she even badmouthed Pei Huaiye behind his back, saying he wasn’t worthy of her.”
Yuan Guang jumped to his feet!
Cold sweat broke out down his back.
“Thank you, Comrade Dai. I have to go!”
As he ran, he realized that both he and Colonel Pei had made a very serious mistake.
Panting heavily, Yuan Guang rushed to Pei Huaiye’s house and relayed Dai Xiaohong’s words exactly as they were.
Pei Huaiye’s pupils shrank abruptly, his expression cold as a deep, frozen pool.
“You’re saying I got the name wrong?! The girl in the jeep back then was named Su Qingyue, and the domineering educated youth on the train was Su Qianqian?”
Yuan Guang nodded.
“That’s right. So all those times you sent the cans to the educated youth compound—you completely got the wrong person!”
Like a startled wild leopard, Pei Huaiye bolted forward. The wind howled against his face. Thinking of all the grievances Su Qingyue had suffered because of him, his heart felt as though it were being viciously clenched, leaving him breathless and suffocated.
And all of it—he had caused with his own hands!
*Smack!*
Pei Huaiye slapped himself across the face.
He ran to the Su household at the village tail, only to find the door locked—Su Mingqiang’s entire family had gone to work in the fields.
He then rushed to the fields, searching for that slender figure, but couldn’t find her anywhere. Nor did he dare rashly ask her family.
With no other choice, he went to explain everything to Xiang Jianming.
“Captain Xiang, I made a mistake last time!
“I thought Su Qingyue’s name was Su Qianqian, so I asked you to give her lighter work. From now on, restore things to how they were.”
“And Su Qingyue is a kind, generous, beautiful, and lovely girl. Tomorrow I’ll hand the wild boar over to you—please arrange lighter work for her.”
Captain Xiang stroked his chin, taking a long moment to react.
“That explains it. I thought something was strange.”
He laughed and shook his head.
“You kid—even names can get mixed up! Besides, Su Qingyue doesn’t even need to earn work points anymore. She’s been working at the Red Flag Supply and Marketing Cooperative for days now.”
Pei Huaiye’s steps halted once more. His face turned frighteningly cold.
Only then did he realize how little he actually knew about Su Qingyue. He hadn’t truly tried to understand her at all.
Relying solely on his so-called passionate feelings, he had arrogantly thought wrong and done wrong again and again.
His dark eyes clouded over. Pei Huaiye wiped the sweat from his face at random, then urgently harnessed the ox cart and rushed toward the county’s Red Flag Supply and Marketing Cooperative.
Yuan Guang sat on the cart, feeling like his stomach was about to be shaken out.
“Boss, slow down! Don’t exhaust the ox!”
Pei Huaiye ignored him, cracking the whip to urge the ox onward. A journey that normally took an hour was completed in just half an hour.
Before Yuan Guang could even get down, Pei Huaiye tossed him the whip.
“I’m going to find someone. Watch the cart!”
Pei Huaiye sprinted to the cooperative entrance and immediately spotted Su Qingyue at the third counter.
She wore a light blue floral dress. The cinched waist accentuated her slim waist and rounded hips, giving her a graceful figure. Her elegant swan-like neck was fair and smooth; the skin on her arms and calves was creamy and tender. A few loose strands of hair framed her delicate ears, adding a different kind of charm.
Su Qingyue had a pair of beautiful peach-blossom eyes. Usually gentle and bright, they now sparkled with warmth and liveliness as she smiled and spoke with customers, poised and generous.
Customers lining up—men and women, young and old alike—were deeply drawn to her. Some even turned back to look again after finishing their purchases.
Pei Huaiye stood at the entrance, staring at Su Qingyue at work like a husband gazing longingly at his wife. The tension and unease in his heart slowly eased.
“Comrade, this fabric pattern really suits you. You’ve got big eyes and fair skin—whether you make a Lenin jacket or a dress, it’ll look great.”
“Oh, you’re too sweet. Then I’ll add two more feet of fabric.”
“Comrade, welcome back next time!”
Su Qingyue lifted her smiling face to see the customer off. When her gaze swept over Pei Huaiye at the door, it instantly cooled.
She pretended nothing had happened and focused back on her work.
Pei Huaiye took a deep breath, went to the counter, bought six cans, and queued up at the third stall.
Su Qingyue pressed her red lips together and said fiercely,
“That’ll be six yuan and one canning coupon.”
Pei Huaiye handed over the money and coupon. Su Qingyue lowered her head, packed the items into a net bag, and handed it to him.
Pei Huaiye pushed the bag back toward her.
“These are for you.”
Su Qingyue’s beautiful eyes flashed with anger, her small face stern.
“Comrade Pei, please don’t interfere with my work!”
Pei Huaiye reined in his emotions, took the bag, and retreated to the entrance of the cooperative, silently watching her work.
Being stared at all afternoon made Su Qingyue uncomfortable all over.
As soon as she got off work, she headed toward the station, her small face taut and expressionless. Pei Huaiye followed and stopped her, his throat bobbing as he spoke with difficulty.
“Qingyue, I’m sorry. Please listen to my explanation.”
Su Qingyue frowned slightly, her voice icy.
“There’s nothing between us that needs explaining.”
Passersby cast curious, gossiping looks their way. Pei Huaiye blocked those unfriendly gazes, sticking closely behind Su Qingyue.
Seeing they were about to reach the station, Pei Huaiye suddenly pulled her into a deserted alley.
He boxed her in so she couldn’t leave. When Su Qingyue looked up and saw his fierce expression, she was startled.
All the pent-up grievance and sadness surged up at once. Her nose stung, and two lines of hot tears slid down her soft cheeks.
At a loss, Pei Huaiye fumbled out a handkerchief and clumsily wiped her tears.
Su Qingyue tilted her head away deliberately, her small mouth puckering as tears pattered down.
“Y-you bullied me…”
Seeing her reddened eyes, Pei Huaiye felt as if his heart had been punched, dull and unbearably painful.
With reddened eyes, he apologized, forcing his voice to be as gentle as possible.
“I’m sorry, Qingyue. I came to apologize.
“When we met again after leaving the capital, I heard you ask at the post office if there was a parcel for Su Qianqian, so I thought your name was Su Qianqian.
“I deserve it. I didn’t take the initiative to ask your name—I was too self-righteous!
“When I came back from a mission a few days ago and couldn’t find you, I gave the cans to the educated youth compound for Su Qianqian.
“So it was all a misunderstanding!
“From beginning to end, I only wanted to give *you* the cans and the wild chicken!
“I’m sorry, Qingyue. I’m an idiot. A bastard!”
As he finished speaking, Pei Huaiye grabbed Su Qingyue’s hand and slapped it against his own face.
“Hit me, scold me—anything is fine. Just don’t ignore me!”
Su Qingyue was stunned after hearing everything. Her brows knitted together.
“Su Qianqian is from the same village as you. How could you not know her?”
“Su Qianqian used to be called Su Qingqian in the village. I never connected the two.
“I don’t have good social skills and never take the initiative to greet female comrades. I truly never looked at her properly.
“I always had someone pass along the cans. If I’d seen her in person and known she wasn’t you, I definitely wouldn’t have given them to her!”
Su Qingyue knew about the name issue. She herself had changed her name back from “Su Yueyue” to “Su Qingyue” after learning her true identity.
Seeing that Su Qingyue had calmed down, Pei Huaiye cautiously used his fingertip to wipe her tears.
She never would have imagined that such a misunderstanding could be caused by a mix-up of names. Glaring at him gloomily, she said,
“How do I know you’re not lying to me?”
Her nose and eyes were red, and the way she glared at him lightly made her look both pitiful and adorable.
Pei Huaiye’s heart itched unbearably. He pulled her into his arms.
Patting her hair, he said patiently,
“Yuan Guang can testify. When I get back to the village, I’ll take the cans and the wild chicken back!”
Su Qingyue glanced around nervously, her heart jumping into her throat. Unable to break free from his embrace, she opened her mouth and angrily bit down on Pei Huaiye’s arm.
Pei Huaiye hissed in pain, letting out a muffled groan. The pressure of her teeth gradually loosened, replaced by a fleeting sensation of softness and moisture.
In an instant, it felt as though flames spread everywhere. Pei Huaiye tensed his arm muscles, his voice hoarse.
“Is that enough? If not, bite harder.”