Ruan Liuzheng followed behind him.
She first comforted herself mentally—at least the target wasn’t some ugly toad, right?
Otherwise, if she had to talk to a toad-like man and then turn around and feel disgusted enough to throw up, she really couldn’t guarantee she would complete the mission.
This target had a slightly fierce, world-weary face. Looking at him gave off a strong, almost overwhelming masculine tension.
She could still accept it.
The two walked one after the other. Ruan Liuzheng accidentally failed to keep up with Xie Jinghuai’s pace.
Thud.
She bumped right into him.
Xie Jinghuai wore a dark expression, looking down at the slightly reddened tip of her nose.
His tone was stiff:
“The front is the place. Go by yourself.”
As he spoke, he casually placed her bag into her hands.
Ruan Liuzheng’s small hand brushed across his palm like a feather, unintentionally.
She looked up and smiled sweetly.
“Thank you, Comrade Xie.”
Xie Jinghuai’s fingers stiffened slightly. He turned and walked back toward the station.
Sister-in-law Chen, seeing him return, quickly asked:
“How is Doctor Ruan? Is she okay?”
Xie Jinghuai replied calmly:
“Don’t worry, sister-in-law. She has already safely arrived at the commune meeting point.”
Jia Weihua said with a teasing smile:
“I just saw it. Doctor Ruan seems to be headed to Jinshan Commune, right? If I remember correctly, that’s exactly the same commune you’re assigned to?”
Xie Jinghuai lifted the things on the ground, glanced at him coldly, and said in an indifferent tone:
“So what? I won’t be especially taking care of her.”
Jia Weihua: Fine, fine. You’re noble, you’re great. I’m just a vulgar man!!
Sister-in-law Chen couldn’t help but laugh from behind.
“Xiao Xie just hasn’t figured it out yet. Political Instructor Jia, you’ll have more to worry about later.”
Jia Weihua: Having kids who don’t listen is really worrying.
On Ruan Liuzheng’s side, she had successfully found the Jinshan Commune team without encountering any ridicule.
The responsible staff member checked her information and said she was assigned to the subordinate Zhengyang Production Brigade.
Since everyone had to travel to Shuangshan Town together, she was told to first board the transport vehicle carrying arrivals, and once they reached the town, the brigade’s ox cart would pick her up.
When she got on the bus, she nearly lost it from the jostling. She quickly found something to cover her mouth, sat by the window, and closed her eyes to rest.
She was thinking—by now, Shen Rongrong should have received her “gift,” right?
No choice. Since Shen Rongrong was so vicious, she would have to be even more vicious to teach her a proper lesson.
At this moment, the Shen family was in chaos.
“Mom! Mom! I don’t want to go to the desert! I don’t want to go to the farm! Waaaaah—”
Shen Rongrong cried as she lay on the sofa.
Shen mother was furious beyond words. When the street office people came yesterday, she had been completely stunned.
She hurriedly brought gifts trying to ask for help, only to be told that Shen Rongrong was on a “key monitored list” and nothing could be done.
Shen mother was dumbfounded. She tried every connection she had to investigate, only to discover that it was entirely her daughter’s own wrongdoing.
“Cry, cry, cry! Who told you to secretly register Ruan Liuzheng in the first place?”
Shen Rongrong’s eyes were red:
“I just couldn’t stand her… I didn’t… I didn’t—”
Shen mother didn’t expose her true intentions. She was angry at her daughter’s incompetence, and even more angry at Ruan Liuzheng, that ungrateful white-eyed wolf.
Suppressing her discomfort, she could only say:
“Your father is already trying to find people to help.”
Shen Rongrong continued crying hysterically, hating Ruan Liuzheng to the core.
Bitch. Villain.
Just thinking about being forced to go down to the countryside made her even more devastated.
Then, with a creak, the door opened.
A middle-aged man in a military-green uniform walked in with a dark expression.
“Old Shen? How is it?”
Shen Aiguo stared sternly at Shen Rongrong sitting on the sofa. “I’ve told you many times—don’t provoke Ruan Liuzheng. Why didn’t you listen?”
Facing his dark expression, Shen Rongrong instinctively felt afraid. Her lips trembled for a long time, but she couldn’t say a word.
Mother Shen glared at her and stepped forward to pull Shen Aiguo’s arm. “Children at this age always like to compare things. Liuzheng is pretty, Rongrong just got jealous for a moment.”
Shen Aiguo’s eyes flickered. After a moment, he said seriously, “Going down to the countryside can’t be avoided. I’ll arrange for you and Ruan Liuzheng to be in the same place.”
“I’ll say this again—you are not to cause trouble for Ruan Liuzheng.”
Mother Shen nudged Shen Rongrong’s arm. “Your father is talking to you.”
Shen Rongrong reluctantly snorted. “Mm.”
Shen Aiguo turned to Mother Shen and instructed, “Prepare two sets of supplies later—one for each girl.”
Mother Shen nodded repeatedly. “Got it, don’t worry. I watched Liuzheng grow up too. I won’t mistreat her.”
“Alright, there’s still work in the brigade. I won’t be coming home today.”
Mother Shen gently saw him out and closed the gate.
When she returned to the main room, she saw Shen Rongrong lying there crying.
“Why are you crying? Your father cares about you too, that’s why he even asked leaders to help.”
Shen Rongrong said with a bitter face, “I feel like Ruan Liuzheng is his real daughter.” In anger, she stormed back to her room.
Mother Shen shook her head helplessly. She really had spoiled the child too much.
Shen Aiguo’s kindness toward Ruan Liuzheng—how could she not understand it?
Back then, Ruan Liuzheng’s mother had left behind a signed and fingerprinted promise from Shen Aiguo, and that document was still in someone else’s hands.
If he treated Ruan Liuzheng badly, it would be handing over leverage to others.
In her room, Shen Rongrong grew angrier the more she thought about it. The angrier she got, the itchier her face became.
The more she scratched, the worse it felt.
When she finally scratched it—
A sharp, piercing pain shot through her.
She looked in the mirror.
And immediately fainted.
“Ahhh—!”
Her face was covered in black spots.
Mother Shen was startled by her scream and rushed in. Her heart tightened. “Rongrong, what’s wrong?!”
“Mom… Mom, I must have some strange illness!”
At that moment, Shen Rongrong looked just like someone in total despair.
The mother and daughter hurried to the hospital. Even the man chewing bones at the entrance was so frightened he ran away.
“Doctor, please check my daughter!”
The male doctor was startled. Good heavens—he had never seen such an ugly woman before.
Shen Rongrong cried even harder.
“Waaahhh—”
After a full round of examinations, nothing abnormal was found.
Mother Shen had no choice but to drag the crying Shen Rongrong home. In the end, she couldn’t take it anymore and knocked her out before taking her back.
No matter how much Shen Rongrong cried or made trouble, it was useless. She was forced onto the train heading to Heilongjiang Province.
Everyone who saw her avoided her, thinking she had some contagious illness.
Shen Rongrong, proud as she was, silently cursed Ruan Liuzheng in her heart, vowing that once she arrived, she would make her pay.
Because she knew something about Ruan Liuzheng’s secret that others did not.