The next day, Su Qingyue got up an hour earlier than usual.
She went to Pei Huaiye’s thatched hut to take a look, only to find the wooden door locked.
Left with no choice, Su Qingyue went to work at the supply and marketing cooperative. That day, she made a mistake in her calculations and even wrote the wrong price on the small blackboard.
First-grade white granulated sugar was eighty-eight cents per jin, but Su Qingyue had written it as one yuan eighty cents per jin.
For ordinary families, that price was far from cheap.
A burly man refused to let it go.
“I knew something was wrong the moment I saw it. White sugar was only seventy or eighty cents some time ago, and now it’s jumped to one yuan eighty?! That’s a whole yuan more!”
“One yuan can buy several jin of salt!”
“What’s going on with your Red Flag Supply and Marketing Cooperative? Call your director out—are you trying to cheat people?!”
The customers waiting in line began talking over one another, criticizing Su Qingyue for being careless at work.
Blushing, Su Qingyue bent slightly and apologized again and again. She pushed the net bag forward and said sincerely,
“Comrade, I’m sorry. I really did write the price wrong. This is the extra money—here’s your change. Please count it again.”
After seeing that group of customers off, Su Qingyue hurriedly corrected the prices on the blackboard.
Chen Yan asked with concern,
“Qingyue, you’re usually very careful. Did something happen today?”
“Sister Chen, I probably didn’t rest well last night. I promise I won’t make the same mistake again!”
Chen Yan’s expression turned serious. She looked around, then lowered her voice.
“Even though Director Zhang isn’t here, you should still write a self-criticism report in advance. Work is no small matter—you can’t be careless.”
Grateful, Su Qingyue said,
“Thank you, Sister Chen. I’ll write it after work—could you help me take a look at it later?”
Another clerk, Jiang Meng, had witnessed Su Qingyue’s mistake from beginning to end. A sharp gleam flashed in her eyes as she thought about how she would report this once Director Zhang returned.
Besides their daily duties, the clerks also had sales targets. Jiang Meng had originally been the most popular clerk at the cooperative.
Ever since Su Qingyue arrived, Jiang Meng had been overshadowed.
Su Qingyue was beautiful, sweet-voiced, and capable—everything sold fastest in her hands. Jiang Meng had long disliked her, and seeing her stumble today secretly delighted her.
The year-end “Outstanding Clerk” title definitely wouldn’t go to Su Qingyue now.
……
Pei Huaiye hadn’t slept all night and had gone to the base before dawn.
All the pent-up anger in his chest was vented on the training ground, leaving Yuan Guang and the rest of the men exhausted and groaning.
The usual basic drills were turned into high-intensity endurance training, and they were so tired they could barely get up.
Pei Huaiye, however, was full of energy. His camouflage uniform was soaked through with sweat, clinging tightly to his muscular body. His hair looked freshly washed, water dripping from it.
He brushed back his hair and barked coldly,
“Are you all useless? Get up!”
A suffocating pressure hung over the training ground. Yuan Guang struggled to his feet, his legs trembling. It was the first time he had ever seen the colonel this furious—and this broken.
Pei Huaiye’s face was dark with rage as he shouted,
“Keep training—two against one, sparring with me! You don’t eat unless you win!”
At his command, the soldiers exchanged tense looks. When the first man stepped forward, everyone else followed suit, joining the fight.
Before dawn had fully broken, fierce sparring erupted on the field. Amid the sounds of fists colliding with flesh, Pei Huaiye vented his emotions, his eyes turning vicious and feral as he fought.
At first, he handled it easily. As time went on, more and more bruises appeared on his body.
Yet he seemed to feel no pain at all, driven by the bitterness and suffocation in his heart to keep throwing punches.
Only when he was completely spent and pinned to the ground by two men—his face struck, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth—did the bout finally end.
The two soldiers apologized nervously and bolted toward the mess hall.
After training, Pei Huaiye went to the bathhouse.
He tilted his head back, letting cold water wash away the sweat and blood.
The moment he closed his eyes, Su Qingyue appeared in his mind—along with the thought that she had a fiancé. Pain and longing intertwined wildly in his heart.
After bathing, he returned to the dormitory and pulled a letter from beneath his pillow. Inside was the marriage application report he had been preparing to submit.
But now, everything felt meaningless. Without hesitation or regret, he tossed the report into the trash and walked out without looking back.
Yuan Guang frowned when he saw this. He knew the boss truly liked Su Qingyue, but he hadn’t expected her to have a fiancé.
No wonder the colonel was so heartbroken.
It turned out that even the toughest, most iron-blooded soldier was just an ordinary, fragile man when it came to love.
Thinking of all the misunderstandings between the two, Yuan Guang sighed. After a moment’s thought, he picked up the marriage application and locked it away in the cabinet.
After handling their tasks, Yuan Guang and Pei Huaiye went together to the police station.
They worked in coordination with the station. As soon as they entered, Liu Qiang greeted them and proactively updated them on the case.
Frowning, he said,
“It’s troublesome. Zhou Wenfang has changed her testimony, and Su Qianqian is flatly denying that she instigated Zhang Jun. Since the circumstances are relatively minor, we have to proceed with civil mediation first and see what the parties involved are willing to do.”
Yuan Guang was taken aback.
“What about the server from the state-run restaurant? Have you found her?”
“Don’t even mention it—she resigned yesterday and went back to her hometown.”
Pei Huaiye narrowed his eyes.
“Send me her information. Where’s her hometown?”
Liu Qiang handed over the record.
“She went back to a neighboring province. We’ve already sent people to look for her.”
Pei Huaiye’s brow furrowed. The current situation was unfavorable for Su Qingyue.
He and Yuan Guang gave statements as required, acting as witnesses.
Just as they stepped out of the police station, they saw Su Qingyue being led over by an officer.
Her eyes lit up.
“Comrade Pei!” She glanced around before speaking cautiously. “Thank you for saving my life. May I invite you to dinner this evening?”
Her gaze was filled with expectation and apology. Pei Huaiye pressed his lips together, his jawline hard and sharp.
“It was nothing. No need.”
With that, he got into the jeep with Yuan Guang.
The air inside the vehicle was oppressive. Yuan Guang barely dared to breathe. He stole several glances at Pei Huaiye—only to be caught.
“If you can’t drive, get out!”
One minute later, Yuan Guang had “gotten out” and moved to the passenger seat, while Pei Huaiye took the driver’s seat, immediately turned the jeep around, and headed back to the police station.
Yuan Guang bit his lip, trying hard not to laugh out loud.
……
Su Qingyue hadn’t expected Pei Huaiye to be so cold and heartless—he hadn’t even given her a chance to explain.
Her chest felt clogged with discomfort, and her eyes reddened.
“Comrade Su, do you understand what I just said?”
Officer Liu had asked several times before she finally snapped back to attention.
“Ah? Oh—sorry. Please say it again.”
“Since Zhang Jun did not cause you actual harm, the case does not constitute a criminal offense. For public security punishment, we will criticize and educate him, impose a fine, and detain him. The length of detention will be determined after the case review is completed. At the same time, his factory will downgrade his position. However, his family has applied for civil mediation, so we need to ask for your willingness.”
Su Qingyue’s gaze was firm.
“I do not agree to civil mediation. Whatever punishment applies should be carried out.”
“Alright. We respect your decision.”
She asked again,
“Then how will Su Qianqian and Zhou Wenfang be dealt with?”
Liu Qiang repeated what he had told Pei Huaiye earlier.
“It should be within the next couple of days. Once there’s a result, we’ll notify you.”
Su Qingyue thanked him, then hurried back to the cooperative to write her self-criticism.
Chen Yan had already gone home, so she placed the report into the drawer.
“Jiang Meng, thanks for covering the shift. I’m heading out.”
Jiang Meng smiled.
“It’s nothing.”
Summer days were long, and it happened to be summer vacation. With strong public demand, the Red Flag Supply and Marketing Cooperative extended its hours. Clerks took turns staying on duty for one hour between six and seven in the evening.
After Su Qingyue left, Jiang Meng’s face darkened instantly. She pulled open Su Qingyue’s drawer and took out the self-criticism report.