Early the next morning, Wen Shufen dragged Song Yating out of the house and headed straight to the director’s office at the Steel Factory.
“Director, we’re Song Zhiyi’s family,” Wen Shufen said with a forced smile.
Director Fang, seated behind his desk, lifted his eyelids and adjusted his glasses. “Comrade Song Zhiyi, yes, I know her. What can I do for you?”
“Well, you see, I heard that Zhiyi has been accepted for a job at the Steel Factory, but she’s already married to my fellow villager’s son. I have a younger daughter here, Yating,” she paused, pointing at Song Yating beside her. “Since Zhiyi is married, we can’t let the job opportunity go to waste. Do you think Yating could take her place?”
Song Yating quickly straightened her posture, putting on an obedient and well-behaved expression.
She even took out the fake job assignment notice that Song Zhiyi had given them.
“Director Fang, my sister thinks marriage is more important. I’m different—I love working!”
After hearing this, Director Fang’s expression turned cold.
He put down his pen, leaned back in his chair, and gave the mother and daughter a sharp, scrutinizing look.
Earlier, Song Zhiyi had come with Peng Luwei and warned him that her stepmother and stepsister had been eyeing her job and would likely come to cause trouble.
“Wishful thinking!”
Wen Shufen’s smile froze on her face. “Director, what do you mean?”
Director Fang made a dismissive gesture. “What do you think this Steel Factory is? Coming here with a fake document to report for duty? How audacious! No wonder Comrade Song Zhiyi came to the factory in person to arrange for a replacement.”
It was a fake document?!
And Song Zhiyi had already been here?
Both Wen Shufen and her daughter were stunned.
“She’s a young woman, yet she’s far more responsible than the two of you!” Director Fang snorted. “She said her family forced her to marry into the countryside, the bride price had already been paid, and she had no choice but to go. She voluntarily gave up her job to Peng Luwei, who is capable and in need. The person she chose also performed well in the assessment, and she sought the opinions of the office director and myself.”
“I could see that despite her young age, she spoke and acted with clarity and reason. Her family forced her to give up her job—she must have had her reasons. Now, after seeing you two, I understand everything!”
Director Fang’s gaze fell on Song Yating, filled with undisguised contempt.
“Our Steel Factory needs workers who are capable of doing the job, not just anyone who can be shoved in! This comrade, buying fake documents, slandering her own sister without any basis—she has no manners at all. Go home and let your mother discipline you properly!”
Song Yating’s face instantly flushed a deep, ugly red, burning with shame and anger, wishing she could find a hole to crawl into.
At the same time, she hated Song Zhiyi even more for making her embarrass herself at the factory today.
She had clearly played them!
And her mother was so foolish! She had given her ten thousand yuan!
Now they had lost both the bride and the soldiers—suffering a double loss.
Wen Shufen was left speechless, her face alternating between pale and flushed with anger.
“Forget about the job! I’m being lenient by not reporting you for buying fake documents! Get out now, I’m busy!”
Director Fang issued his dismissal, and the mother and daughter could only slink out of the office in disgrace.
Fuming with anger, they had just reached the factory gate when they bumped into a young woman wearing a brand-new work uniform, her face brimming with smug satisfaction.
“Well, if it isn’t Song Zhiyi’s stepmother?”
The one who spoke up was Peng Luwei, who had taken over Song Zhiyi’s job.
Song Yating was already fuming, and seeing her only made her angrier: “So you’re Peng Luwei? You’re the one who stole the job?”
“What do you mean ‘stole’?” Peng Luwei crossed her arms and lifted her chin. “Song Zhiyi didn’t want it herself. The factory director personally agreed to give it to me. The paperwork is all in order—it’s perfectly legitimate!”
“You’re lying! You definitely fought my sister for it!” Song Yating shrieked. “I’m going to report you!”
“Go ahead!” Peng Luwei laughed, unafraid. “Let’s see who believes someone who bought a fake certificate!”
“What are you talking about? How dare you insult my daughter! It’s only right that Zhiyi’s job goes to her sister. You clearly snatched it by force!” Wen Shufen stepped in front of Song Yating, pointing at Peng Luwei’s nose and shouting.
Just then, Peng Luwei’s mother and younger brother happened to arrive with a vegetable basket.
Hearing this, Peng’s mother immediately set the basket down and planted her hands on her hips. “Who’s bullying my daughter? Trying to steal her job? Pah!”
As she spoke, she pulled an egg from the basket and smashed it onto Song Yating’s head with a splat.
Yellowish egg white dripped down Song Yating’s carefully styled hair, sticky and reeking of a fishy odor.
“Ah—” Song Yating screamed in shock.
“You still dare to curse!” Peng Luwei’s brother also grabbed an egg and hurled it hard at Wen Shufen.
For a moment, chaos erupted at the factory gate.
Workers watching the commotion pointed and whispered. Wen Shufen and Song Yating were covered in egg, looking utterly disheveled.
The mother and daughter returned to the Song household in a sorry state. Just as they turned into their own alley, they were blocked by a man and a woman.
The two blocking the way were middle-aged, their faces dark and grim.
A tall, decent-looking young man stood behind them.
It was the Xie family.
But today wasn’t the day for the bride’s return visit—why wasn’t Song Zhiyi with them?
Wen Shufen looked awkward. Covered in filth and stinking, she forced a smile uglier than crying.
“Sister Lan, let’s talk inside.”
But Xu Lan couldn’t contain her anger and immediately started yelling.
“Shufen, where is Song Zhiyi? Don’t you hide her! She ran away from the wedding and completely humiliated our Xie family! This marriage is off—give back the bride price we paid!”
“Ran away from the wedding?!”
That wretched girl not only sold her job and took ten thousand yuan from her pocket, but she also didn’t go through with the wedding?!
How outrageous!
Wen Shufen, already seething with anger, felt her rage surge to her head as she was publicly confronted for repayment.
“Repay the money? Your son slept with my daughter, and you won’t take responsibility, yet you still want the money back? No way!”
Mr. Xie’s face instantly turned ashen. “What nonsense are you spouting!”
“Nonsense?” Wen Shufen went all out, raising her voice even louder. “Everyone knows my daughter went to Beiqiao Village to get married. Now that she’s missing, you say the wedding’s off? How do I know you didn’t hide her yourselves? And now you’re asking for the bride price back?!”
With her outburst, she suddenly seemed to have the upper hand. Neighbors around them began looking at the Xie parents differently.
“Bullying people and not paying up—what kind of people are they?”
“Exactly, if you sleep with a girl, you have to take responsibility!”
The Xie parents trembled with rage, pointing at Wen Shufen and even blurting out things they shouldn’t have said.
“Wasn’t this your idea! Making my son sleep with your daughter!”
As soon as these words were spoken, the neighbors nearby began to murmur and discuss.
Now everyone knew that the village chief’s family of Beiqiao Village had conspired with Song Zhiyi’s stepmother to drug an innocent young girl and force her into marriage. They were all watching the drama unfold, saying these two families were inhuman.
Xie Xingwen, who had remained silent all along, suddenly spoke up, his voice low and calm.
“Auntie, has Zhiyi never returned to the Song family?”
Wen Shufen was taken aback, then replied with resentment, “Return? That wretched girl stole our money—over ten thousand yuan—sold her job at the Steel Factory, and has long since run off to who knows which remote mountain valley to live in comfort! She left our whole family to clean up her mess!”
Xie Xingwen lowered his eyes, concealing the turbulent darkness swirling within.
It seemed Song Zhiyi would not be returning to the Song family. Now, the most important thing was to return to the military unit and secure the marriage certificate.
Once the marriage certificate was obtained, she would be his wife.