Qiao Wanyue carried a hoe on her shoulder and walked over to Zhou Wenwen.
Without saying a word, she began hoeing the ground.
Zhou Wenwen looked down at her from above, clearly impatient. “Hurry up and work. I’m telling you, this entire row of weeds is yours. Finish it quickly, or I’ll report you to the team leader for slacking off.”
Clang—
The next second, the hoe swung straight toward Zhou Wenwen’s forehead.
Instantly, blood spurted out.
Zhou Wenwen screamed, clutching her head as she spun in place, wailing.
The people nearby weren’t frightened by the blood, but by her piercing screams.
Her head was covered in blood as she spun wildly.
“Qiao Wanyue, you’re killing me!”
Qiao Wanyue seemed to come to her senses, putting on a shocked expression. “Wenwen, how were you so careless? What happened to your head? Why is it bleeding? Quick—take her to the big hospital, or she’ll die soon!”
The others immediately dropped their hoes, thinking Zhou Wenwen was on the verge of death.
But when they got closer, they saw that the wound was only the size of a fingertip. Their expressions turned cold at once.
It was just a small wound—was there really a need to make such a fuss?
Working people were used to all kinds of cuts and bruises. As long as it wasn’t life-threatening, they would simply use some wild herbs from the fields—green with thorns and purple flowers—crush them, and apply them to the skin to stop the bleeding.
A kind villager quickly found some and prepared to apply it to Zhou Wenwen.
But Zhou Wenwen refused, pointing at Qiao Wanyue. “This is all your fault! Hurry up and take me to the hospital!”
Qiao Wanyue looked innocent. “Wenwen, I was hoeing just now. You were standing in front of me—I didn’t see you there.”
Her voice sounded pitiful and wronged.
Someone nearby couldn’t stand it anymore. “Wenwen, it’s just a small wound. Put some herbs on it and it’ll be fine. Why make such a big deal out of it?”
Zhou Wenwen snapped angrily, “It’s not your injury, of course you don’t feel the pain!”
The woman who had spoken was originally trying to help, but being scolded made her unhappy. She sneered, “The blow you gave Wanyue this morning was far worse than this. By the time you reach the hospital, your wound will already be healed.”
Zhou Wenwen froze.
The events of the morning flashed through her mind.
She had deliberately struck Qiao Wanyue on the head with a hoe. A wound the size of a bowl immediately appeared on her forehead, and Qiao Wanyue fainted on the spot. Someone suggested taking her to the town hospital.
What did she say then?
“What’s the fuss? It’s just a bump. Such bourgeois lady behavior.”
At that moment, no one dared touch Qiao Wanyue.
They were afraid of being labeled as “bourgeois,” which could be life-threatening.
After Qiao Wanyue woke up, Zhou Wenwen had mocked her a few more times. Qiao Wanyue seemed dazed, muttering nonsense. She endured until the end of the workday, and even as the wound on her head scabbed over, she never mentioned going to the hospital.
She was taking revenge.
Qiao Wanyue was definitely taking revenge.
Zhou Wenwen and Qiao Shanshan had been high school classmates.
Zhou Wenwen wasn’t as fortunate as Qiao Shanshan. She didn’t have a father who was a team leader, didn’t get assigned a job after graduation, and didn’t secure an iron rice bowl. She could only return to the countryside to work, yet she often slacked off.
She was frequently assigned to the same group as Qiao Wanyue, ordering her around to do all the work.
She reaped the benefits without effort.
Zhou Wenwen was furious.
But she didn’t dare say anything more.
It was a fact that she had hit Qiao Wanyue that morning—now the girl had come to her senses.
Clutching her forehead, she spoke through gritted teeth, “Qiao Wanyue, I won’t let you off.”
Qiao Wanyue curled her lips.
She kicked Zhou Wenwen hard in the chest.
That kick carried all her strength—and all her personal resentment.
Zhou Wenwen fell backward, one leg lifting into the air—
Suddenly, Qiao Wanyue’s eyes reddened. She sniffed softly. “Wenwen, what did I ever do to offend you? Why are you trying to frame me?”
Zhou Wenwen, who had just fallen: ?
Then she saw Qiao Wanyue collapse stiffly onto the ground.
To the others, it looked like Zhou Wenwen had tried to kick Qiao Wanyue and ended up falling herself.
Everyone hurried to help Qiao Wanyue up, pointing at Zhou Wenwen. “Zhou Wenwen, if you keep causing trouble, I’ll report you to the team leader. Wanyue treats you like a sister, yet you bully her again and again. Don’t think you can push her around just because she’s easygoing.”
Their neighbor, Aunt Taohua, could no longer stand it.
“Aunt Taohua, it was Qiao Wanyue who kicked me—”
“Shut up. I saw everything. You’re still trying to bully Wanyue!”
Zhou Wenwen had never suffered such injustice. Something she hadn’t done was being pinned on her. When she looked up, she saw Qiao Wanyue smiling provocatively at her. Her mind exploded, and she no longer cared about her injuries.
She lunged at Qiao Wanyue.
Grabbing her hair, she dragged her to the ground.
No one expected Zhou Wenwen to attack.
Qiao Wanyue narrowed her eyes.
Pinned beneath Zhou Wenwen, a glint flashed in her gaze. In her previous life, Yang Huaiyuan had often beaten her, so she had learned a few self-defense techniques. She twisted Zhou Wenwen’s arm behind her back and punched her in the chest.
Before Zhou Wenwen could react, Qiao Wanyue grabbed her hair with one hand, dragged her off, and then—
beat her mercilessly, as if trying to kill her, shouting, “Wenwen, I know you like Yang Huaiyuan!
I never thought of breaking you two apart!”
The villagers who wanted to stop the fight were stunned.
Qiao Wanyue and Yang Huaiyuan were supposed to marry in three days.
Zhou Wenwen liked Yang Huaiyuan?
And the two of them were together?
What shocking gossip was this?
By the time they came to their senses, Qiao Wanyue had already finished beating her. Zhou Wenwen lay on the ground, barely alive.
Only half a breath remained.
Aunt Taohua moved closer to Qiao Wanyue. “Girl, is she okay?”
She had originally wanted to sneak in a few kicks during the fight. She had long been fed up—Zhou Wenwen always slacked off during work, even lazier than the newly arrived educated youths. Qiao Wanyue not only had to do her own work but also Zhou Wenwen’s.
She couldn’t stand it anymore.
But Qiao Wanyue hadn’t given her the chance—she had taken Zhou Wenwen down all by herself.
“She’s fine, Aunt.”
Aunt Taohua carefully tugged at Qiao Wanyue’s arm. “Girl, are you alright? Why do I feel like you’ve changed a lot today?”
She felt uneasy. Qiao Wanyue had changed too much.
In the past, she always endured everything silently. Even when scolded, she swallowed all her grievances.
Qiao Wanyue hid the excitement in her eyes and lowered her head, speaking softly, “Aunt, Qiao Shanshan and Yang Huaiyuan have already registered their marriage. They sent my ID to Lu Yunzhou—I’m going to marry him.
They even want me to give my job to Qiao Shanshan.”
Aunt Taohua sucked in a sharp breath.
No wonder.
If it were her, she would have burned the Qiao family down.
That couple from the Qiao family was extremely biased. If Lu Yunzhou were truly a good match, how could they possibly give the marriage to Wanyue? Most likely, something was wrong with him, and they feared the army’s blame.
So they came up with such a despicable scheme of swapping marriages.
“Girl, then what will you do?”
Qiao Wanyue gave a bitter smile. “They’ve already registered their marriage, and I’ve already registered mine with Lu Yunzhou. What else can I do?”
She lowered her head, her shoulders trembling.