Ruan Tang felt flustered, her palms sweating.
She clutched the hem of her clothes and tentatively asked, “I don’t know where the household register is. How about you come back tomorrow?”
Ruan Tang tried to negotiate with them.
But they were there on assignment—how could they easily leave?
“Don’t try that stalling tactic with us. Whether you fill out this form or not, you’ll be assigned to the countryside tomorrow.”
“If you fill it out properly now, you can still get a 300-yuan subsidy. If you wait until tomorrow when it’s enforced, you won’t get a single cent, and we’ll charge you with contempt for policy and evading countryside duty.”
Ruan Tang panicked completely, her eyes reddening with anxiety.
“I don’t have contempt for the policy! Everything I said is true!”
Just then, Cai Xiaolan emerged from the room, acting familiar as she linked arms with Ruan Tang.
She advised earnestly, “Tangtang, you were already on the list for countryside assignment. By rights, you should have gone long ago, but who knows what connections you used to avoid the last assignment?”
“See, the staff have sharp eyes—they saw through your little tricks right away. So stop struggling pointlessly. If you cooperate, you can at least get the compensation!”
Ruan Tang shook off her hand, furious. “Stop spreading rumors! I didn’t go to the countryside because I was getting married. What connections are you talking about?”
Cai Xiaolan covered her mouth and giggled. “Alright, no connections then. Why are you so worked up?”
“Could it be a guilty conscience?”
As long as Ruan Tang went to the countryside, Su Jincheng would have no other choice. By then, Wu Mengzhi would surely agree to let Su Jincheng marry her.
Ruan Tang was fuming, about to retort, when the man interrupted.
“Enough, all of you. Hurry up and sign this. Don’t delay my work.”
Ruan Tang hid her hands behind her back, stepping back several paces, refusing to sign.
She couldn’t sign this form—once she did, she would have to go to the countryside no matter what. No other solution would be possible.
But the Youth Office staff had no intention of letting her off. They actually forced her to sign.
The female comrade tightly gripped Ruan Tang’s hand, forcibly shoved a pen into it, and then held Ruan Tang’s hand to sign the application form.
Terrified to the extreme, Ruan Tang resisted with all her might.
The male colleague frowned at the scene and stepped in to help.
“Don’t touch me!” Ruan Tang screamed, kicking wildly. “Get away! What you’re doing is illegal!”
This was the scene Jiang Ye witnessed when he arrived.
He leaped off his bicycle, ignoring it as it clattered to the ground, and charged at the man, delivering a fierce kick.
“Damn it, you’re asking for death!”
Jiang Ye was drenched in sweat, his eyes blazing with fury, putting all his strength into the kick.
The man was sent flying, tumbling several times from the momentum. The woman, seeing this, immediately released Ruan Tang.
It all happened too suddenly. Ruan Tang, who had been struggling, couldn’t regain her balance in time and fell straight backward.
Jiang Ye quickly grabbed her arm, pulling her forcefully into his embrace.
Ruan Tang was stunned, but once she realized what happened, she clung to Jiang Ye as if he were her lifeline, bursting into loud sobs.
Though she had said she’d go to the countryside if necessary, when they forced her to sign, the memories from her dream felt as real as if they had actually happened. She was both terrified and panicked.
Jiang Ye looked down at the girl crying her heart out in his arms, feeling a sharp, aching pain spread through his chest.
“Don’t be afraid, I’m here. Our Tangtang won’t be sent to the countryside.”
He patted her back while comforting her.
“Who are you? What’s your relationship?” The man climbed up from the ground, rubbing his buttocks while grimacing and asking.
Jiang Ye held Ruan Tang with one arm and pulled out his household register and introduction letter from his pocket with the other hand, displaying them before the men.
With an expressionless face, he said, “Open your dog eyes wide and see clearly what our relationship is.”
During these times, marriage required an introduction letter from the neighborhood committee. The reason Jiang Ye had arrived so late was because he first went home to get the household register, then went to the neighborhood committee to obtain the introduction letter.
When Monkey told him that the troublemakers were from the Youth Office, he guessed someone was targeting Ruan Tang for revenge. Therefore, this matter couldn’t be resolved peacefully through mere discussion anymore.
Call him despicable or say he was taking advantage of the situation—today, he was determined to get this young girl registered under his household register.
The two men from the Youth Office examined the documents carefully and fell silent.
It was clearly written that the two were prospective spouses going to get married, stamped with the neighborhood committee’s official seal.
But letting them off like this made him feel unsatisfied.
So he snarled viciously, “You assaulted a public official. That’s illegal. I’m going to report you.”
Jiang Ye snorted coldly, “Go ahead and report me. Then we can thoroughly discuss how the Youth Office can force someone to sign against their will.”
Hearing this, the man’s arrogance immediately deflated. Their actions were indeed against regulations.
“Then… then you have to pay for my medical expenses. Look, my hand is bleeding from the fall, and my leg is scraped. The bone inside hurts terribly too.”
As he spoke, he pulled up his pant leg to show Jiang Ye his injuries.
Jiang Ye stared at his wounds and said, “Too light.”
Before the man could understand what he meant, Jiang Ye had already released Ruan Tang and punched the man in the face.
Followed by a blow to the stomach.
Jiang Ye used him as a punching bag, raining down punches and kicks.
The man howled in pain.
“I… I won’t dare, wuwu, won’t dare anymore…”
Jiang Ye only stopped when he had vented his anger.
He clapped his hands and said to the man on the ground, “You want me to pay your medical expenses? Go get treated. Remember to bring the receipt, or I won’t reimburse you.”
The man lay on the ground, nearly dying of anger.
“You, you… ssshh, it hurts so much… don’t… don’t push people too far…”
Jiang Ye: “Heh, you brought this on yourself. Coming here asking for a beating—if I didn’t oblige, wouldn’t that be poor hospitality?”
The man was so angry he nearly spat blood.
Just then, Ruan Fu and Ruan Mu hurried back.
Jiang Ye instantly dropped his rogue demeanor and stood obediently beside Ruan Tang.
Tears still glistened in Ruan Tang’s eyes. She glanced sideways at Jiang Ye and somehow understood his cue.
So Ruan Tang started crying again, throwing herself into Ruan Mu’s arms and sobbing, “Mom, they bullied me! They forced me to go to the countryside and made me sign by holding my hand. Wuwu, if Jiang Ye hadn’t arrived in time, they would have forcibly sent me to the countryside.”
“Wuwu, Mom, I was so scared! I thought I’d never see you again!”
Although Ruan Fu and Ruan Mu sometimes favored their son, that didn’t mean they didn’t care about Ruan Tang.
Hearing this, Ruan Fu became furious and kicked the man’s butt several more times.
He continued cursing under his breath.
Jiang Ye raised an eyebrow in surprise, mentally giving his future father-in-law a thumbs up.
So he’s not that stubborn after all!
The woman could tell at a glance that things had gone wrong, but she also knew it was time to leave.
So she helped the man up and prepared to go.
But Cai Xiaolan jumped in again, “Is that it?”
If Ruan Tang didn’t go to the countryside and stayed, she would remain a threat.
She could snatch Su Jincheng away at any moment.
So she had to be sent to the countryside.
The woman looked her up and down and asked, “What’s your name?”
Cai Xiaolan crossed her arms, lifted her chin, and said, “I’m Cai Xiaolan!”
“That’s right.” The woman nodded, then took a piece of paper from her crossbody bag and slapped it directly onto Cai Xiaolan’s chest.
“Remember to report to the countryside in a week.”