Meng Yu tilted her head.
Even Zhou Sinian couldn’t help but frown.
Meng Duoyue had been recommended to the town propaganda team by the village chief, and the recommendation letter was still in this man’s hands. Yet he hadn’t even looked at it and already labeled them as people who “used connections”?
“Comrade…”
“Do you even realize what you’re saying?”
At that moment, Zhou Sinian only had these two words in his mind: it’s over.
Unfortunately, it was already too late to stop her.
The middle-aged man clearly hadn’t expected Meng Yu to talk back to him like this. His gaze toward her instantly became even more unfriendly.
But Meng Yu showed no fear at all.
She had never suffered injustice in the modern era, and even in this relatively simple and cautious time period, did she really think she could be bullied?
If she lost the job, she would just go home and lie down. The propaganda team was never her only option.
“Is that hostile look of yours meant to kill me?”
“If you’ve got the guts, why don’t you try it?”
A direct confrontation!
The man’s expression had originally been extremely ugly, already planning to make things difficult for her.
But who would have thought this woman’s attack power would be this strong?
Kill her?
Who would dare?!
“Don’t talk nonsense!” the man hurriedly stepped back.
He was afraid she might actually die right there and he would get blamed for it.
Zhou Sinian raised an eyebrow slightly.
This approach was straightforward—even reckless—but surprisingly effective.
Meng Yu noticed his reaction and her mockery deepened.
“Whether I’m talking nonsense depends on what you do next. So, can we take a look at the introduction letter now?”
In truth, she didn’t expect this man to properly understand the recommendation letter anyway.
Not that she was a snob, but this man was petty and wore his emotions on his sleeve—his achievements in life probably ended there.
Still, since the letter was already in his hands, she didn’t feel like wasting more effort.
The middle-aged man looked at the letter, then at her.
Reluctance flashed in his greedy eyes.
“Fine, I can take a look, but—hey?”
Before he could finish, the letter was snatched from his hand.
He was momentarily stunned, not understanding what just happened.
Meng Yu handed the letter to Zhou Sinian, then glanced at the man.
“You don’t seem like a troublesome person, but touching my introduction letter makes it feel dirty.”
With that, she turned and walked out.
Zhou Sinian followed closely behind.
“You… you just wait! You’ll never step foot inside the propaganda team!”
Damn it!
If she got in, how was he supposed to keep his position here?
Meng Yu didn’t even spare him a glance.
He wasn’t worth it.
The two of them didn’t leave the propaganda team grounds. Instead, they found a quiet shaded corridor and waited idly.
Zhou Sinian played with the recommendation letter, then glanced at her.
“What?”
She clearly didn’t like his look—half teasing, like she was some strange creature.
Seeing her slightly irritated expression, he shook his head.
“You’re too bold.”
Meng Yu snorted.
“You’re worried he’ll make things difficult for us?”
Zhou Sinian shook his head again.
“Not really. But the king of hell is easy to meet; petty officials are hard to deal with. If someone below blocks you, things get troublesome.”
He paused, thinking about how she always stirred up trouble without realizing it, and added patiently:
“Outside, try not to cause trouble.”
That only made her more unhappy.
It sounded like she was the one looking for trouble.
“Let’s get one thing straight—it was him who started targeting us without understanding the situation. I came here to contribute to the country, not to be someone’s punching bag.”
She lifted her chin slightly.
“Besides, my musical skills are very high.”
She wasn’t putting others down—she was simply stating her own capability.
Zhou Sinian hadn’t expected her to be this arrogant.
But considering the secrets she might be hiding, he didn’t argue further.
They waited like that until noon passed.
At lunchtime, Zhou Sinian took her out to eat, thinking that since she had been barely surviving on a few bites a day since marrying into the Zhou family, she must be used to poor food at home.
So he brought her to a state-owned restaurant.
But just before entering, she grabbed him.
“What’s wrong?”
He looked at her, then at the restaurant.
“We should just buy two buns instead.”
She did want to treat herself a little, but everyone else in the Zhou family was still working in the fields. How could she shamelessly eat at a restaurant with him?
She truly couldn’t do something like that.
But Zhou Sinian immediately understood her thoughts.
Not completely heartless, at least.
Still, he firmly pulled her inside.
“Let’s go. Before we left, Mom told me to bring you something good to eat.”
Given her tiny appetite, even the old lady in the Zhou family worried she might starve and bring trouble to them.
Hearing that her mother-in-law had specifically instructed him, Meng Yu felt touched.
The restaurant was crowded at lunchtime. Even in this era of frugality, there were still people with money, so it was packed.
They had to share a table.
The dishes today were braised pork and stewed river fish. Zhou Sinian ordered both, plus stir-fried greens and white rice.
Meng Yu swallowed repeatedly, eyes practically glued to the food.
She was starving and craving it badly.
This body was too weak and lacked oil and nutrition. No matter how much the Zhou family tried to nourish her, it was like a drop in the ocean. And the food was simple rural fare—she was picky, so she burned through energy faster than she replenished it.
“Soon. Just wait a bit,” he said calmly.
She felt slightly embarrassed.
She wasn’t someone greedy for food, but his reassurance only made her more self-conscious.
At the next table sat two young women who looked well-off.
They didn’t show any contempt toward her rural clothes or her obvious swallowing of saliva.
Because they were both currently in distress.
“What should we do? I’m so anxious I can’t take it anymore!”
One girl with twin braids sounded like she was about to cry.
The other quickly comforted her.
“Don’t worry, after lunch I’ll take you to the west side of town. I heard there’s a craftsman there—he’ll definitely fix your instrument!”
At the word “instrument,” Meng Yu, who had been waiting eagerly for food, suddenly straightened up.
Her gaze locked onto the two women across from her.
Zhou Sinian also paused.
He instinctively looked at her first.
He knew very well how much the word “instrument” meant to her.
And sure enough—when he saw her focused, intent gaze fixed on the two women, he knew she had clearly heard their conversation.