“This man—she’s going to make him hers!”
Clinging to that thought, Su Wanqing tossed and turned under the covers, only drifting into a drowsy sleep in the latter half of the night.
Early the next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the yard was filled with the sounds of the older educated youths preparing to start work.
Su Wanqing immediately opened her eyes. Li Xiu, lying beside her, had also woken and was quietly dressing.
When the new arrivals gathered in the yard, Wang Jianjun, with dark circles under his eyes and yawning, was distributing tools to the older educated youths.
Seeing the newcomers, he took a moment to introduce a few people quickly.
“Everyone’s here, huh? Let me introduce you. From now on, you’ll all be living in the same courtyard.”
Wang Jianjun cleared his throat and pointed to a woman nearby, about thirty years old, with a gentle demeanor: “This is Chen Jing, she’s from Beijing.”
Chen Jing smiled warmly at them in greeting. Su Wanqing nodded politely, not overly enthusiastic, just storing this friendly face in her mind.
“There’s another female educated youth. She’s been at the health station these past few days with heatstroke but should be back tomorrow.”
“Her name is He Hua, from Heilongjiang.”
Wang Jianjun then pointed to a tall, thin man tucked in a corner: “This is Qian Ming, from Tianjin. He doesn’t talk much, so just ignore him.”
Qian Ming nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
Finally, Wang Jianjun’s gaze landed on a tall, lean man with slightly high cheekbones and a sharp, calculating glint in his eyes.
“This is Zhao Qiang, from Shandong.”
From the moment Zhao Qiang noticed Su Wanqing, his eyes never left her.
His gaze was bare, scrutinizing, and greedy—uncomfortably so.
He sized Su Wanqing up from her fair face down to her slender waist, then forced a self-confident smirk and spoke with a lewd tone:
“You’re pretty… but I wonder if this delicate skin can handle the work?”
“Watch your mouth.” Gu Yanshen took a step forward and blocked her, standing protectively in front of her.
Seeing Gu Yanshen’s imposing figure, Zhao Qiang didn’t dare provoke him and his voice softened considerably.
“I was just joking with Comrade Su.”
Li Xiu immediately frowned.
At that moment, the alert in Su Wanqing’s mind went off like a warning siren.
[Here he comes! Phoenix man Zhao Qiang! The kind who flatters superiors but preys on pretty girls. Wanqing, ignore him!]
[Last life, he bullied a female educated youth and got his leg broken by Second Brother. He also harbored resentment against Second Brother—his death isn’t unrelated.]
[Find an opportunity and get rid of him!]
A cold smile crept onto Su Wanqing’s face.
“Comrade Zhao, I don’t think that joke is funny.”
“You—”
The comment was a little justified; anyone who harmed the Su family could not escape unpunished.
Zhao Qiang’s face instantly flushed a deep purplish-red.
Even as an older educated youth, this new girl dared to shame him in public!
He couldn’t act in front of Gu Yanshen, but a flicker of resentment passed through his eyes.
“Fine… just wait.”
Gu Yanshen couldn’t protect this little brat 24/7 forever.
Seeing the tense atmosphere, Wang Jianjun quickly intervened: “Alright, alright! Older comrades, get to work! Newcomers, you can go to the town supply store today to buy some necessities. The team’s ox cart is leaving to haul goods; you can catch a ride at the village entrance.”
The older educated youths grabbed their hoes and set off in a long line.
When Zhao Qiang passed by, he cast a lecherous glance at Su Wanqing.
“Let’s go, we’re heading to town now.”
“Okay.”
Lu Zhenting ignored Gu Yanshen and immediately sidled up to Su Wanqing: “Comrade Su, let’s go to town together. I can watch out for you on the way.”
He planned to play the poor card, counting on her to pay.
Su Wanqing shot him a disgusted glance, calmly stepping back to create distance: “No need. I’m used to being alone.”
Just then, Gu Yanshen’s tall figure passed between them, blocking Lu Zhenting’s view, and silently walked out.
Lu Zhenting’s grin froze completely.
At the village entrance, the group boarded the ox cart heading to town.
The supply store was crowded.
Su Wanqing quietly queued and bought two bars of soap, a towel, and several notebooks.
“Wanqing, are you done?” Li Xiu asked, noticing her small purchases.
“Yes, all done.” Su Wanqing nodded.
Just as they were about to leave, her mental alert went off again, the messages flashing wildly with red, bolded text, making her eyes ache.
[Opportunity! Opportunity’s here! Wanqing, look at the herbal vendor in the corner outside the store!]
[See that dark, rough stone under his basket?]
[In the previous life, Lin Zhaodi accidentally bought this stone for fifty cents. Later, she discovered it was a top-quality Tianhuang stone! She sold it for a fortune, improved her life, and even used the money to return to the city!]
Boom!
Su Wanqing’s heart skipped a beat—Tianhuang Stone! The king of stones!
She forced herself to keep a calm expression, her face betraying no excitement.
To Li Xiu, she whispered: “Xiu’er, wait here. I’m going to check out the herbs over there.”
She slowly approached the old man’s herbal stall.
Squatting down, her gaze precisely fell on the dark stone under the basket.
She didn’t show interest immediately. First, she pointed to a bundle of honeysuckle and asked casually: “Grandpa, how much for this?”
“One dime a bundle,” the old man replied weakly.
“I’ll take two bundles,” Su Wanqing said.
As she paid, her gaze “accidentally” landed on the stone, her brows knitting slightly, carrying the characteristic curiosity and picky attitude of a city girl toward rural things.
“Grandpa, this stone… what is it for?”
The old man didn’t even lift his eyelids, answering casually: “Picked it up by the river, just used to weigh things down. It’s taking up space, I’ll throw it away soon.”
Throw it away?
Su Wanqing’s heart tightened, but her face remained expressionless.
She stood and gently nudged the stone with her shoe, her voice carrying a hint of spoiled heiress charm and mock puzzlement:
“Such a waste to throw it away. It’s dark and heavy. Grandpa, how about this—I’ll give you two more cents, and you sell it to me. I can use it to steady a wobbly table at home.”
Everyone froze.
Not just the old man, but passersby stopped and stared at her like she was crazy.
“This city girl’s brain’s okay?”
“Two cents for a stone to prop a table? Burning money or what?”
The old man’s cloudy eyes flickered with a glint. Afraid she’d back out, he quickly grabbed the money and pointed to the stone:
“Fine! Take it!”
Su Wanqing handed over the money without touching the stone herself, then casually called to Gu Yanshen from a short distance, her tone naturally spoiled yet self-assured:
“Gu Yanshen, you’re strong—come help me carry this.”
Everyone was stunned.
Gu Yanshen hesitated slightly but silently walked over, glanced at the ugly stone, then at Su Wanqing, and bent down to lift the heavy rock without a word.
Su Wanqing, holding her herbs, followed him contentedly. Surrounded by people staring at her like she was insane, she returned to Li Xiu.
Li Xiu looked at her in disbelief: “Wanqing, you… really spent two cents on that ugly stone?”
Su Wanqing nodded matter-of-factly, her voice low but carrying an unshakable certainty:
“It’s perfect for propping the table.”