He and that director of the political department had a seventy-thirty chance.
He had already thought this time would come to nothing again, but unexpectedly, Qiao Wanyue appeared halfway.
“Wanyue, why did Qiao Shanshan force you to sign the transfer document?” Li Shan asked the question that had been on his mind.
Qiao Wanyue sat down. “Uncle Li, I truly can’t read.”
Li Shan froze. “What did you say?”
Even Wang Qi was shocked.
Qiao Wanyue smiled. “My parents favored others. I stopped going to school in the third grade. Even before that, they often made excuses for me to work, take leave, or skip classes. Aside from my own name, I barely recognize anything.”
She was talking about her past life.
“And when you signed your name?”
Qiao Wanyue smiled bitterly. “Isn’t it laughable? I would rather trust a stranger than believe my own sister?”
Li Shan and Wang Qi lowered their heads.
She continued slowly, “I may be illiterate, but I’m not blind. Uncle Li and Aunt Wang wouldn’t deceive me. You truly wanted to buy the job. My sister took advantage of my illiteracy to try to trick me. She knew I passed the exam by rote memorization. Even if I didn’t sell it, I wouldn’t be able to handle the job, and she would report me anyway.”
Wang Qi cursed inwardly. What kind of person was that?
Li Shan asked, “You willingly went to sign it—didn’t she feel anything was wrong?”
Qiao Wanyue replied, “Qiao Shanshan is used to oppressing me. She treats everything I have as her own. She took my husband and still wants my job. She’s confident she can control me, confident I’ll obey the Qiao family.”
Li Shan summed it up in one sentence.
Foolish without knowing it.
“What is the relationship between the Yang family and that political department director?”
Qiao Wanyue glanced at him and said, “Uncle Li, if you have time, investigate the director’s private connections. It might help you.”
She said no more.
It wasn’t that she was being mysterious—she simply couldn’t say too much.
Li Shan was a smart man. A little investigation would reveal everything.
Yang Aijiao and that so-called political director had once been lovers. He had transferred to this factory for her. Yang Aijiao didn’t necessarily love him—she simply enjoyed being pursued.
Later, the director’s wife discovered the affair. Yang Aijiao lost both her job and reputation.
She returned to her family home and acted arrogantly.
Yang’s mother had scolded her at the time. Though the details were unclear, it was known that Yang Aijiao had been publicly humiliated, paraded through the streets, and eventually sent back to her parents’ home by her husband.
So Qiao Wanyue didn’t know everything—only that there was an improper relationship between them.
But even a hint was enough to ruin the director.
Li Shan was overjoyed.
He had been struggling to find leverage against the political director.
It wasn’t that he wanted to destroy him completely—normally, promotions depended on merit. But that man had repeatedly tried to ruin him.
Take today for example—Qiao Shanshan caused a scene at the factory, accusing Li Shan’s daughter of taking someone else’s job. Instead of investigating, the director sent security to arrest Xiuxiu and force a confession.
If Qiao Wanyue hadn’t warned them, allowing Xiuxiu to hide at her grandmother’s house, who knew what she would have suffered?
They had even taken Li Shan away, intending to torture him for a confession. The director’s wife, a member of the Red Team, came personally to arrest people.
If Qiao Wanyue hadn’t warned him that the director and Yang Aijiao would join forces against him, he might not have believed it—but he prepared just in case and contacted his former superior in advance.
Otherwise, he would have been finished today.
“Xiaoyue, I won’t say thanks, but I’ll remember this. If you ever need anything, come to me. Xiuxiu likes you too—visit us anytime,” Li Shan said sincerely.
Qiao Wanyue smiled. “Uncle, it’s not that serious. I was just protecting myself.”
If Qiao Shanshan hadn’t been greedy,
she wouldn’t have fallen into the trap.
After chatting for a while, it grew late. Qiao Wanyue declined their offer to stay for dinner and left.
As evening fell, she walked lightly toward the outskirts of the city.
Old Yang was just about to flick his whip when he heard a crisp voice.
“Wait!”
Qiao Wanyue quickly climbed onto the cart.
There were already many people seated.
Only after she settled did Old Yang start the cart.
Most of the passengers were villagers, along with a few unfamiliar educated youths. Qiao Wanyue smiled slightly. They hadn’t expected the brigade leader’s daughter to greet them kindly, so they smiled back.
“You look very nice when you smile,” Qiao Wanyue praised.
The educated youths in their village seemed naturally fair-skinned. Even after months in the countryside, their delicate appearance remained pleasing to the eye.
They exchanged glances.
“You’re pretty too. Didn’t you buy anything?”
Seeing her empty-handed, they were puzzled.
Wasn’t she getting married tomorrow? Why hadn’t she bought anything?
Qiao Wanyue replied, “No. I won’t be able to bring anything anyway, so what’s the point?”
A trace of regret flickered in her eyes.
“Sorry,” one of them said softly.
The educated youths were polite, but the older women on the cart were not.
“Wanyue, I heard your sister and her man were caught kissing in the street today?”
“With Yang Huaiyuan’s pretty-boy looks, can he even satisfy Qiao Shanshan?”
The educated youths blushed.
They hadn’t expected the older women to be so bold.
Their words became increasingly explicit, and the young women lowered their heads in embarrassment.
Seeing this, Qiao Wanyue spoke up, “Aunties, watch your words—there are unmarried girls here.”
One of the women waved her hand dismissively. “Old-fashioned! Don’t you sleep with your husband after marriage?”
Qiao Wanyue: …
She might not even have a husband.
“But really, that’s too shameless—disgracing our brigade,” another woman finally steered the topic back.
Qiao Wanyue let out a breath of relief.
Finally.
Once gossip reached these women, it would spread through the entire town.
Would Qiao Shanshan, dressed in white for her wedding tomorrow, still be able to smile?
Qiao Wanyue curled her lips, in a good mood.
Her good mood lasted until she returned to the Qiao house—only to be met with a harsh scolding.
“You’re already grown—don’t you know to tell your parents before going out? We’ve been looking for you all day. You’re getting married tomorrow and still running around. If something happened outside, how would we explain it to the Lu family?
Embarrassing yourself is one thing—don’t drag the Qiao family down with you.
At your age, don’t you think before acting? So what if your man was taken? There are plenty of men. Was it worth arguing with your parents? Are your parents less important than a man?”
Qiao Xingwang stood at the door, pointing at her as he scolded.