“Over there! Hurry!”
A group of young women laughed and chatted as they ran ahead, followed by several educated young men. In no time, they arrived at the registration site.
“This is where we’re supposed to register, right?” one of the girls asked.
The speaker was a female student wearing a blue school dress. She had a neat bob haircut that reached her ears. Although the sun had tanned her skin a little, her features were quite attractive.
“Yes, this is the registration point. And you are…?”
“My name is Xu Li. I’m here to register. You’ll all get to know me from now on.”
She spoke with complete confidence and composure, as though the position of Women’s Director was already hers.
The villagers didn’t dislike educated youths, but they weren’t fond of Xu Li’s overly familiar attitude. She carried herself as if she possessed a natural sense of superiority.
“Y-Yes, you’re here to register?” Accountant Xiao Li stood up from beneath the tree.
Xu Li hurried forward and reported her name so Accountant Li could write it down.
The others weren’t particularly noteworthy, but standing directly behind Xu Li was Yuan Jinfeng.
Yuan Jinfeng stood very close to her—far closer than ordinary friends would.
“Lin Yi? It’s you? You’re registering too?”
Only then did Yuan Jinfeng seem to notice Lin Yi.
Lin Yi had been about to leave, but he stopped her.
“What a coincidence.”
The corners of Yuan Jinfeng’s lips curled upward, his brows full of smug satisfaction. Above his head, a line of black text bounced into view.
【See? You thought I wouldn’t be able to find another woman without you?】
Lin Yi turned her face away. She couldn’t care less. Once she’d thrown something away, she had no interest in what became of it—or who he found afterward.
Seeing that she remained indifferent, Yuan Jinfeng continued,
“Xu Li is registering for the Women’s Director election. You’re registering too. When the time comes, you two…”
“It’s fine. The more capable person should win. If Xu Li is better than I am, I’ll congratulate her.”
Lin Yi smiled calmly.
She had only signed up for fun in the first place. But now… things had actually become a little interesting.
After finishing her registration, Xu Li walked over and looked at Lin Yi warily.
Her eyes shifted between Lin Yi and Yuan Jinfeng.
【Could this be Yuan Jinfeng’s ex-girlfriend?】
Xu Li instantly became tense.
“My name is Xu Li. I see you’ve registered too. I guess we’ll be competitors from now on.”
She extended her hand for a handshake, but Lin Yi pretended not to notice.
Xu Li felt awkward for a moment, but then she remembered that Yuan Jinfeng was with her now, and her confidence immediately returned.
No matter what, he had chosen her.
“If I become the Women’s Director, since you’re Jinfeng’s friend, I’ll definitely look after you.”
She appeared generous, speaking from a position of superiority.
Lin Yi smiled faintly.
“Then thank you in advance.”
Even after she had walked a long distance away, she could still hear the couple whispering behind her.
“Was that really your ex-girlfriend? You never told me she was that pretty.”
“How could she compare to you? If she were really that beautiful, why wouldn’t I have chosen her?”
“Then I’ll definitely become the Women’s Director. I’ll prove I’m better than her…”
Their voices gradually faded into the distance.
Lin Yi let out a quiet snort.
Those two are pretty amusing.
She had stopped caring about Yuan Jinfeng a long time ago, yet the two of them were the ones obsessing over the past.
When Lin Yi got home, she discovered that Meng Juan was there as well.
Meng Juan was discussing something with the family.
“Big Sister-in-law, you’re here?”
Lin Yi smiled as she wheeled her bicycle into the east room and locked it away.
Meng Juan looked a little embarrassed when she saw her.
With one glance, Lin Yi noticed the words bouncing above Meng Juan’s head.
Oh?
Lin Yi smiled.
So Meng Juan wanted to run for Women’s Director.
Then just say it.
She had been beating around the bush for ages without saying anything useful.
“Lin Yi, you just came back from the village. Did you hear anything?”
Rather than saying it herself, Meng Juan wanted Lin Yi to bring it up.
Lin Yi replied, “Isn’t the village holding an election for Women’s Director?”
What was there to hide? Everyone already knew about it.
Yet Meng Juan insisted on making someone else say it, as though that somehow made her look clever.
The moment Lin Yi mentioned the election, Meng Juan grew visibly nervous.
“Our family has always been at the forefront of everything. And Second Brother used to be an officer in the army. We should respond positively too, shouldn’t we? Maybe… someone from our family should participate…”
【Pick me! Let me do it!】
She was only one step away from blurting out her own name.
Liu Huilan interrupted her.
“Our family certainly can’t fall behind in this matter. I think Lin Yi should register. I think she’s the right person!”
“Mom!”
Meng Juan nearly exploded with anxiety.
She wanted everyone to nominate her.
She wanted to be an official.
She had even dreamed about becoming one the night before and had been so excited that she barely slept.
“Isn’t Lin Yi… unsuitable?”
What she meant was that Zhou Lixing had died, making Lin Yi a widow. In people’s eyes, widows were looked down upon. How could a widow run in an election?
Liu Huilan replied,
“Why isn’t she suitable? Lin Yi is educated. She can read and write. She’s also done a lot of good things in the village these past few days. The villagers have all been praising her to me. I think she’s perfect.”
From the side, Zhou Xiangdong nodded.
“I think so too.”
Meng Juan and Zhou Lijun’s expressions instantly turned ugly.
But they knew it was the truth.
Lin Yi had graduated from high school.
Meng Juan hadn’t even finished elementary school. She hadn’t studied in years, and she had long forgotten the few characters she’d learned in second grade.
What qualifications did she have to run in an election?
Just two days ago, she had even been making a scene about not letting Yingzi go to school.
Now she’d been thoroughly slapped in the face.
Without schooling and without literacy, she didn’t even qualify to participate in the election.
Meng Juan suddenly realized this herself.
Her cheeks burned with embarrassment.
No matter how unwilling she was to admit it, she had to acknowledge one fact:
Lin Yi was better than her.
After all, Lin Yi had an education.