A gentle breeze brushed against Shen Qiuqiu’s cheeks. She felt clusters of snow land on her. Gu Zhouye’s hand, which had been wrapped around her waist, instantly let go.
Gu Zhouye frowned at Shen Qiuqiu.
“Did you do this to Xiao Yi too?”
Gu Zhouye didn’t know why he said it — but he did.
Shen Qiuqiu smiled at the man who was clearly jealous. Grinning, she said, “If you’re curious, why don’t you go ask him?”
Gu Zhouye pushed Shen Qiuqiu away. He turned to look at the endless forest in the distance, his thick brows furrowed — clearly unhappy.
Shen Qiuqiu gave a little cough.
“Oh well. Someone’s going to divorce me once we’re back in the city anyway.”
Gu Zhouye frowned, about to say something, but voices echoed in the distance. Ding Rui came rushing up to them, shot a strange look at Gu Zhouye, and pulled Shen Qiuqiu aside.
“Qiuqiu, do you know what people in the brigade are saying about Gu Zhouye?”
Shen Qiuqiu’s heart skipped a beat. She remembered the look of resentment on Xiao Yi’s face this morning and had a pretty good idea.
“I think I know.”
Ding Rui leaned closer to Shen Qiuqiu.
“They’re all saying that Gu Zhouye used dirty tricks to get you.”
Shen Qiuqiu couldn’t help but glance at the tall man standing under the tree.
If anything, they had it backwards. She was the one who had used dirty tricks to get Gu Zhouye.
“Don’t listen to their nonsense. We’re clearly in love with each other.”
Ding Rui shook her head.
“But nobody here likes him. His family background is bad. He’s so gloomy and withdrawn. Your family are all cadres. How can you be with someone like him?”
The original character’s family conditions were pretty good, but she hadn’t exactly been well-liked. One older brother, one older sister, one younger brother — she was the one neither parent favored, which was why she got shipped off to the northeast.
“Why can’t I be with him? Let’s get back to work first. There’s bound to be something good to eat tonight.”
Gu Zhouye seemed to have overheard something too. The tension in his core relaxed. He picked up his gun and didn’t look at Shen Qiuqiu.
“I’m going back to work.”
The sun gradually sank westward. Shen Qiuqiu and Ding Rui spent the whole time trailing behind the hunting party, collecting the prey. Maybe luck was on their side — it took a whole truck to haul everything away.
By the time they returned to the forestry station, it was already dark.
The canteen had made stewed sauerkraut with pork bones. Meat was a rare sight in those days. The smell alone was intoxicating.
The forestry station canteen was huge — big enough to seat over a hundred people. Ding Rui dragged Shen Qiuqiu to get their bowls and line up for food. Since they had put in the work, they were given two generous meaty bones each, plus freshly baked cornmeal patties.
Shen Qiuqiu deliberately got two bowls — one of them piled high with bones.
They found a spot to sit down. Maybe it was bad luck, but the person next to them was Wang Lixia. Xiao Yi was nowhere to be seen.
Wang Lixia watched coldly as Shen Qiuqiu devoured her meat.
“Shen Qiuqiu, everyone already knows about you and Gu Zhouye’s shameful affair. I can’t believe you can still eat.”
Shen Qiuqiu let out a cold laugh.
“What’s the matter? Ate one of your own kind today, so you’re in a bad mood and starting to mouth off?”
Wang Lixia was very fair-skinned and quite plump. It took her a moment to realize that Shen Qiuqiu was calling her fat. She was absolutely furious.
She shot to her feet — but her companions stopped her.
Just then, the hunting party returned. Shen Qiuqiu quickly stood up and ran over to Gu Zhouye. Gu Zhouye was covered in blood, yet his handsome face was flushed bright red, steam rising from his body. When he saw Shen Qiuqiu running toward him, he still looked a little uncomfortable.
Shen Qiuqiu, however, took Gu Zhouye’s hand and led him to where she had been sitting.
She pointed at the steaming bowl of sauerkraut stew with pork bones.
“Eat up. It’s really good.”
Wang Lixia let out a cold snort from the side.
“Does she really think he’s some kind of treasure?”
Other than Xiao Yi, Bai Xueying, and the village chief, almost no one in Qingshantun knew that Gu Zhouye was supposed to return to the city. Shen Qiuqiu couldn’t be bothered to argue with Wang Lixia. She simply reached up and brushed the snow off Gu Zhouye’s head.
The two of them being so affectionate naturally drew quite a few stares.
Wang Lixia let out another cold laugh and went off to join the crowd to gossip.
Gu Zhouye frowned. He looked at Shen Qiuqiu, who was happily gnawing on a bone, and couldn’t help asking, “You really aren’t afraid of what people will say?”
Gu Zhouye’s father was a capitalist, which made his family background very bad. Most of the educated youths at the forestry station were unwilling to associate with him.
“Other people’s mouths are on their own faces. Let them talk.”
Hearing these words, Gu Zhouye was reminded of someone from his past who had said the same thing. But in the end, that person had still abandoned him.
Gu Zhouye lowered his head and fell silent. Seeing the hint of dejection in Gu Zhouye’s expression, Shen Qiuqiu let out a helpless sigh.
It was completely dark by the time they returned to Qingshantun.
The brigade was holding a meeting tonight. Shen Qiuqiu figured it would be about her and Gu Zhouye. She thought about going to rehearse their story with him, but then remembered how dejected he had looked during dinner.
So she didn’t go find him. Shen Qiuqiu went back to the educated youth dormitory for a sip of water, then headed toward the brigade office. But at the intersection, she ran into Bai Xueying.
Bai Xueying really lived up to her role as the female lead. In this era, she had a full, curvaceous figure. Her face wasn’t what you’d call stunningly beautiful, but she carried herself with a certain charm and grace.
No wonder she was the heroine of a spicy story. Bai Xueying noticed Shen Qiuqiu giving her a strangely lecherous smile and immediately grew wary.
“Comrade Shen Qiu, I know you’re trying to protect Gu Zhouye. But I suggest you think carefully. If you admit to what happened, you’ll never be able to marry Xiao Yi.”
Bai Xueying had an excellent reputation in the village. The original character had thought she was a kind and upright person, even confiding her feelings to Bai Xueying. She had trusted Bai Xueying’s advice and easily walked right into a trap, dragging Gu Zhouye down with her.
Shen Qiuqiu sized up Bai Xueying’s voluptuous figure and let out a cold laugh.
“How many times have you slept with Xiao Yi?”
Bai Xueying’s face went pale. She glared at Shen Qiuqiu venomously.
“What nonsense are you talking?!”
Shen Qiuqiu stepped closer to Bai Xueying, one step at a time.
“First time in the little grove. Second time in the forestry station warehouse. Third time at your place. That one was quite intense.”
The author who wrote this book was a real talent — all sorts of creative antics, even the positions were extremely novel.
Bai Xueying trembled all over. Shen Qiuqiu shook her head.
“You want to ruin my reputation with this incident. Fine — I’ll go all the way and drag you two down with me. The four of us can go to prison together. What do you think about that?”
None of this could be proven. Yesterday, when Bai Xueying brought people in, everything was already over. No matter how much she talked, it would just be about that one indiscretion. They were all young men and women. Even if they made a big deal out of it, at worst it would ruin their futures.
Seeing that she had made her point, Shen Qiuqiu was about to leave when Bai Xueying grabbed her arm.
“Do you really not like Xiao Yi anymore?”
Shen Qiuqiu leaned close to Bai Xueying’s ear.
“Let me tell you the truth — Xiao Yi can’t get it done. But Gu Zhouye? He’s got it.”