The night was as dark as ink. On the dirt road of the Red Flag Production Brigade, only the glow of the kerosene lamp in Lin Wanqiu's house flickered. Lin Moli was being pulled along by Shen Tingzhou, staggering forward. The rough dirt road hurt her soles, and tears mixed with cold sweat streamed down her cheeks, but she dared not cry out—Shen Tingzhou's hand was like an iron clamp, squeezing her arm painfully, while Lin Wanqiu followed behind, the beam of her flashlight always fixed on her, her eyes as cold as ice in the dead of winter, making her not even have the courage to look up.

The lights in the brigade headquarters were still on. Secretary Zhao was writing a work report at his desk when he heard footsteps outside the courtyard. He looked up and saw Shen Tingzhou leading the sobbing Lin Moli in. He frowned and asked, "Tingzhou, Wanqiu, what's going on? Why did you bring Comrade Moli here so late at night?"

Lin Moli, as if grasping at a lifeline, broke free from Shen Tingzhou's hand, rushed to Secretary Zhao's desk, and knelt down with a thud: "Secretary Zhao, please save me! I didn't mean it, I was just confused for a moment, please forgive me this time!" She cried and kowtowed, and a red mark quickly appeared on her forehead, making her look extremely disheveled.

Lin Wanqiu stepped forward, placing the packet of quicklime and the small shovel on the table. Her voice was calm yet carried an undeniable authority: "Secretary Zhao, look. Comrade Lin Moli has broken into my yard twice these past two nights, sprinkling quicklime at the base of my tomato seedlings and slashing the stems with a sickle, trying to destroy my tomato field. This is what she was holding when we caught her tonight, and the sickle she dropped in the greenhouse last time is also in my house. If you don't believe me, you can go and verify it."

Secretary Zhao picked up the bag of quicklime, smelled it, and then looked at the dirt on the small shovel. His face instantly darkened: "Comrade Jasmine, is what Wanqiu said true? Why did you do this? Comrade Wanqiu led the villagers to grow off-season vegetables and is a 'wealth leader' that the commune is focusing on supporting. What you did not only destroyed her hard work, but also dragged the entire brigade down!"

Seeing that she couldn't deny it, Lin Moli could only slump to the ground, crying, "I...I'm just jealous of her...She earns so much money, is valued by the commune, has Shen Tingzhou who dotes on her, and has such a well-behaved son like Nian'an...And what about me? I'm living under someone else's roof, and I can't even afford a new piece of clothing...I just want her to experience what it's like to suffer..."

"Jealousy is no excuse for your evil deeds!" Shen Tingzhou roared, his eyes filled with disgust. "Wanqiu earns money through her own hard work and skills. She's even willing to teach her fellow villagers her techniques so that everyone can get rich together. And what about you? Instead of thinking about changing your life with your own hands, you use such despicable means to destroy other people's hard work. Don't you feel ashamed?"

Looking at Lin Moli's wretched state, Lin Wanqiu felt no sympathy whatsoever. She recalled her past life when she first transmigrated, suffering mistreatment from her in-laws and being schemed against by relatives, unable even to get a decent meal. If it weren't for activating her spatial ability, she probably would have died in that cold winter long ago. The life she had today was earned through her own hard work, not by anyone's charity, and certainly not something that someone like Lin Moli, who was only capable of jealousy, could destroy.

“Secretary Zhao,” Lin Wanqiu said sincerely, “Comrade Lin Moli’s actions not only caused losses to my family, but also affected the village’s plan to promote off-season vegetables. I hope the brigade can teach her a lesson and let her know that there are consequences for destroying other people’s hard work. However, I don’t want to go too far. As long as she is willing to admit her mistake and compensate my family for the losses, I can let her off the hook.”

Secretary Zhao nodded and said to Lin Moli, "Comrade Moli, listen to what Comrade Wanqiu said. She has already been very forgiving. Apologize to Comrade Wanqiu now, compensate her for her losses, then pack your things and go back to your hometown in the countryside. Our brigade doesn't need someone like you who is only jealous and disruptive!"

Lin Moli knew she had no other choice but to wipe away her tears and kowtow to Lin Wanqiu: "Sister Wanqiu, I'm sorry, I was wrong. I shouldn't have damaged your tomato field. I'm willing to compensate you for the loss." As she spoke, she took out the only five yuan she had in her pocket and handed it to Lin Wanqiu—this was the pocket money she had just received this month, which she had originally planned to save to buy a piece of floral fabric, but now she could only use it to compensate for the loss.

Lin Wanqiu took the money without saying much. For her, money wasn't the most important thing; what mattered was making Lin Moli realize her mistake and prevent her from causing trouble again. She watched Lin Moli pack her things, looking dejected, without feeling a ripple of emotion—Lin Moli had chosen her own path, and she should bear the consequences.

The next morning, Lin Moli was sent back to her rural hometown by people sent by Secretary Zhao. Before leaving, she didn't say goodbye to anyone; she simply lowered her head, carried a tattered cloth bag, and silently left the Hongqi Production Brigade. When the villagers heard about this, they all gossiped, saying Lin Moli had brought it upon herself, and praising Lin Wanqiu for doing the right thing, showing both magnanimity and principle.

Aunt Li made a special trip to Lin Wanqiu's house to bring her a basket of freshly steamed buns: "Wanqiu, you did the right thing this time! Those people who are only jealous of others and cause trouble should be let go as soon as possible to prevent them from causing trouble in the village. Don't worry, if anyone dares to bully you again, we will all help you!"

Lin Wanqiu took the steamed bun, feeling a warmth in her heart: "Aunt Li, thank you. With everyone's support, I have even more confidence to promote off-season vegetables and help everyone in our village live a better life."

Shen Tingzhou also returned from town. He not only bought the timber and bricks needed to build the new house, but also brought back good news: "Uncle Zhou from the supply and marketing cooperative said that the county department store has signed a long-term supply contract with us. From now on, our tomatoes can be sold in the county every month, and the price will be two cents higher than when we sell them in the commune. In addition, Uncle Zhou also helped us contact the county cannery. They want to cooperate with us to make canned tomatoes, so that even if the season is over, we can still make money."

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