Huang Cuicui grew increasingly uncomfortable hearing this. With crackdowns becoming stricter over the years, she’d felt anxious even when her husband went to the black market just once every month or two, her heart tightening during farm work fearing something might happen.
Her in-laws worried about their daughter going but allowed their son to take the risk—didn’t they care about their own son?
“Mother, I don’t like how you’re saying this. Isn’t Junze your son too? If it’s dangerous for little sister, isn’t it equally dangerous for him?”
“And since I’m straightforward, I’ll say what’s on my mind. The money from selling this blueberry jam belongs entirely to little sister—it has nothing to do with Junze. Isn’t it wrong to make him take this risk?”
“Little sister, what do you think?”
Su Junze gave his wife a disapproving look. “Cuicui, what nonsense are you spouting? Little sister, don’t listen to your sister-in-law—she just worries too much about me and says things without thinking.”
“What does the blueberry jam money have to do with me? Little sister picked the blueberries herself, paid for the sugar and jars, and made the jam herself.”
Su Qingran wasn’t angry—her second sister-in-law was just concerned for Second Brother’s safety—but she wasn’t one to be easily swayed either.
She set down her bowl and said, “Second Sister-in-law, Father and Mother might have been inconsiderate and harsh earlier, but we’re family. You’ve eaten plenty of the game I’ve brought back before—is it fair to bring this up now?”
Huang Cuicui, who had spoken hastily in her anxiety, flushed with embarrassment when called out and didn’t say another word.
Su Qingran turned to Zhao Lanzhi. “Father, Mother, don’t worry—I disguised myself when going to the black market. No one would recognize me.”
Zhao Lanzhi’s expression softened somewhat, though she remained concerned. “Ranran, let’s not earn money this way. Besides, your jam might not even sell—”
Before she could finish, Su Qingran pulled out two Da Tuanjie bills. “Mother, I sold it all. Look.”
The Su family stared wide-eyed. Su Junze whistled. “Little sister, you’re something else!”
Su Hongshan said sternly, “No matter how much money you make, you can’t go again! It’s too dangerous!”
“Oh, Father, I only picked that many blueberries—who knows if I’ll find more next time? Don’t worry, I won’t go to the black market anymore.” Yeah right.
Su Qingran easily reassured her parents with a few words.
Soon, Su Qingshu’s voice came from the kitchen. “Father, Mother, dinner’s ready. Let’s eat.”
The Su household returned to its usual relaxed atmosphere. As Su Junze served rice, he asked, “Little sister, do you know what the villagers are saying about Lu Jingxuan?”
“Your little sister is close with that girl Zhi Qiu—she must have told her,” Zhao Lanzhi said, sitting beside Su Qingran as she picked up a piece of smashed cucumber and chewed it.
Su Qingran nodded. “She did tell me.”
“Lu Jingxuan brought this on himself!” Su Yuanfeng snorted coldly.
Su Junze found it strange. “Why hasn’t he returned to the military unit after all this time? Comrades Shi and Xie left days ago.”
Su Qingran lowered her head and scooped rice into her mouth. After such a major incident, how could Lu Jingxuan possibly be in any mood to return to his unit?
Qiao Manxue would never let him leave so easily—otherwise, how could she continue living in Su Family Village with her reputation in tatters?
In fact, she could guess Qiao Manxue’s thoughts—Lu Jingxuan was now her only lifeline.
But Lu Jingxuan wasn’t the type to be blinded by love either; otherwise, he wouldn’t have married her in her previous life.
She wondered if, without her as a shield in this life, these two could still be as passionately devoted to each other as they were in her past life.
Su Yuanfeng sneered, “He probably hasn’t given up on our younger sister yet. As long as she marries him, all those previous rumors will collapse on their own.”
Zhao Lanzhi frowned and warned, “Qingran, you must not soften your heart!”
Su Qingran laughed, “Mom, Lu Jingxue is already involved with that Qiao Manxue. How could I possibly go back to him?”
If this matter had been exposed in her previous life as well, would she have ended up in such a miserable state?
But there were no “ifs” in life. The fate she suffered in her past life was ultimately her own doing.
…
Su Yuanfeng was right. Lu Jingxuan was indeed still scheming to win over Su Qingran. He firmly believed that, given Su Qingran’s feelings for him, she wouldn’t give up on him so easily. As long as he sweet-talked her a few more times, she was bound to relent.
He specifically requested a few extra days of leave from the army, determined to win Su Qingran over before he left—preferably by securing their engagement.
Over the next few days, Su Qingran kept running into Lu Jingxuan everywhere. He even had the shamelessness to approach her and spout nonsense.
Although she drove him away every time, to outsiders, it looked as if the two of them were still entangled.
Su Qingran was thoroughly annoyed. Wherever she went, people would ask if she had reconciled with Lu Jingxuan. Even when she explained, no one believed her—after all, her past pursuit of him had been witnessed by everyone.
Su Junze was so furious he rolled up his sleeves, ready to storm the Lu Family and beat up Lu Jingxuan, but Su Qingran stopped him. She believed the one who should be most anxious right now was Qiao Manxue.
Knowing Qiao Manxue as she did, Su Qingran was certain she would never be content to remain a hidden mistress.
So, Su Qingran deliberately seized an opportunity to visit the Zhiqing Point one evening after work.
“Comrade Su?”
The Educated Youth were all eating dinner. Since the weather was hot, they had set up a long table in the courtyard. Xi Jiani looked up and saw Su Qingran holding a basket. “What brings you to the Zhiqing Point?”
Su Qingran lifted the basket in front of her. “My mother said you Educated Youth wanted to trade for eggs with her, so she asked me to deliver them.”
Xi Jiani, the female Educated Youth leader, stood up and took the basket. “Comrade Su, please wait a moment.”
As she went to her room to fetch the money, Zhang Ping glanced at Qiao Manxue, who was staring intently at Su Qingran, and suddenly spoke up, “Comrade Su, I heard you’ve reconciled with Comrade Lu?”
The others turned to look at Su Qingran, some of their eyes shifting between her and Qiao Manxue, who kept her head down, her expression unreadable.
“Who told you that?” Su Qingran chuckled inwardly. This Zhang Zhiqing was really playing right into her hands.
“That’s what everyone is saying. Is it true?” Zhang Ping pressed on relentlessly.
Su Qingran merely smiled and didn’t answer the question, but her reaction successfully led everyone present to misunderstand.
Qiao Manxue bit her lower lip, her hands clenched tightly. To avoid suspicion lately, she and Lu Jingxuan had hardly seen each other. She had originally planned to find a way to make him marry her the next time they met.
She had grown utterly weary of the life she was living, but never expected Lu Jingxuan would still want to marry that wretched Su Qingran—he simply had no intention of marrying her!
She wasn’t ignorant of the facts: her poor class background would harm Lu Jingxuan’s future if he married her. But after all she’d been through, her heart was already in turmoil.
If Lu Jingxuan truly loved her, what did it matter if she was the daughter of a capitalist family?
In the end, he was still selfish!
She knew about Lu Jingxuan’s recent efforts to please Su Qingran. Now she wasn’t sure if he had fallen for Su Qingran again. If that were the case, would there still be a place for her once they married?
A flicker of panic surfaced in Qiao Manxue’s eyes.
“What are you all talking about?” Xi Jiani emerged from the room. Representing the Zhiqing Point, she had exchanged for ten eggs with Zhao Lanzhi—four cents per egg—and handed forty cents to Su Qingran.
“Nothing much. I’ll be going now,” Su Qingran replied.
Just as Su Qingran took the money and prepared to leave, Zhang Ping suddenly spoke up, “Comrade Su, may I have a word in private?”
“Of course.”
Zhang Ping hesitated for a long while. She felt certain Qiao Manxue and Lu Jingxuan were involved somehow. Comrade Su was a good person, and after much deliberation, she decided to offer a warning.
The two walked out of the Zhiqing Point together and continued a dozen steps further before Zhang Ping finally said, “Comrade Su, I believe the relationship between Qiao Manxue and Comrade Lu is definitely not simple. You’d do well to be cautious.”
Su Qingran was surprised; she hadn’t expected Zhang Ping to caution her. “Zhang Zhiqing, why do you say that?”
“I don’t know, I just feel it. Whether you believe me or not is up to you.”
Zhang Ping felt somewhat agitated. The way Qiao Manxue looked at Lu Jingxuan wasn’t innocent, but without evidence, she didn’t know how to explain it!
Su Qingran smiled. “Thank you, Zhang Zhiqing.”
“You believe me?”