Li Yuanzhao and Shen Hanyang saw Song Yan and Jiang Xiaoxiao and launched into another round of complaints.

In the morning, Dong Mingming strangely couldn't get up to pay her bill.

While Shen Hanyang was cooking, Gao Weijie eagerly took out his own food.

As a result, Dong Mingming still had no food to eat this morning.

Song Yan looked at Li Yuanzhao and Shen Hanyang with great sympathy. To her surprise, Dong Mingming came to find Song Yan when the group leader called them to rest.

"Hello, are you Song, the educated youth? I'm Dong Mingming, the new educated youth." Dong Mingming seemed quite polite at first glance.

What does this person want? Song Yan immediately became alert. "It's me. Is there something you need?"

Dong Mingming felt a pang of resentment towards Song Yan, who was about the same age as her. They were both sent-down youth, so why didn't they share the same fate? She'd heard that Song Yan used to be useless and incompetent at everything. "Look at her now," she thought, "she goes to work every day and comes home to a house where her mother-in-law cooks meals for her."

Dong Mingming suppressed her thoughts. "I just came from home and I'm not used to staying at the educated youth settlement. I'd like to do what Jiang Xiaoxiao did and share a meal with you, is that okay? I can bring my food to your house."

Song Yan thought she had misheard. She glanced at the expressions of the people around her. They all wore the same look of shock and disbelief. That meant she hadn't misheard.

Song Yan's expression turned serious: "Who told you that Jiang Xiaoxiao and I are partners?"

“It was a fellow villager who told me. Did she lie?” Dong Mingming asked.

The female educated youth usually worked in the same group. Dong Mingming was not far from Song Yan, and next to Dong Mingming was Da Zhuang's wife.

Song Yan looked at Da Zhuang's wife and sneered.

Da Zhuang's wife is now quite regretful. She did want to upset Song Yan, but she didn't expect Dong Mingming to just go and confront him so directly. Shouldn't she have tried to build a relationship with Song Yan first, and tried to win him over?

"I didn't say anything. I just said that Jiang Xiaoxiao would have a ready-made meal when she went back, and that she would be eating at your house. I wasn't lying, was I? I didn't tell her to go to you," Da Zhuang's wife hurriedly explained.

Ignoring Dazhuang's wife, Song Yan turned to Dong Mingming and asked, "Are you the same as Jiang Xiaoxiao?"

Jiang Xiaoxiao has been taking me to and from school since I started school. When I entered junior high, our home was farther from school, so she rode her bicycle and took me to and from school. Even her own younger brother has to walk; are you like her?

When I first went to the countryside, I didn't know how to cook, so she did all the chores for me. My hands got blisters, and she washed all my clothes.

I currently have an elderly person and two children at home. Except for times like now when I'm very tired, she helps with all the housework.

Dong Mingming, let me ask you, in what way are you similar to her? Who gave you the audacity to say you're the same as Jiang Xiaoxiao?

Song Yan was saying this to everyone. Her family is better off than most in the village now. She can even go hunting and fishing occasionally. Jiang Xiaoxiao gets to enjoy all that, and some people are bound to be envious. Song Yan doesn't want anyone gossiping about her in front of Jiang Xiaoxiao.

Like Da Zhuang's wife, are you envious? Want to come to my house to take advantage? First, you need to have a relationship with Jiang Xiaoxiao and me.

Although these acts of kindness were received by the original owner of this body, it also shows that Jiang Xiaoxiao is a grateful and kind girl. It is because Song's father saved her that she has always been so good to Song Yan.

Jiang Xiaoxiao is a good girl, so of course Song Yan can treat her well. Besides, with her help, things are much easier at home. It prevents Song Yan from being overwhelmed with housework. Song Yan doesn't feel like he's helping Jiang Xiaoxiao; it's a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Dong Mingming didn't know what to say. She wanted to say, "That's because I didn't know you before." But she didn't dare say it. Everyone around her was staring at her with unfriendly expressions. She didn't understand what she was doing bothering these people. But if she didn't say anything, Dong Mingming wouldn't be satisfied.

"I didn't eat breakfast yesterday, and I had corn porridge for lunch. I didn't eat breakfast this morning either. I'm so hungry. I just want to ask you to help me," Dong Mingming said, her head down.

That's a nonsensical statement, as if someone is starving her.

Li Yuanzhao objected: "Dong Mingming, did the brigade lend you any grain?"

"Borrowed it!" Dong Mingming didn't understand why Li Yuanzhao asked that.

"You have hands and feet, right?" Li Yuanzhao continued to ask.

Dong Yingying was stunned and didn't know how to answer. Who doesn't have hands and feet?

Li Yuanzhao didn't want to be branded as bullying the new educated youth, nor did she want to take the blame for anyone. "Did everyone hear that? She has food, she has hands and feet. Huang Guoqing and Pan Bo can gather firewood for her to burn. She says she hasn't eaten? Isn't that a joke?"

"I'm new here, and I can't cook. Can't you help me?" Dong Mingming's voice wasn't loud, but it was clear that she was very aggrieved.

Dong Mingming thought that at least people would persuade Li Yuanzhao to put up with her after hearing this!

Unfortunately, no one said a word.

Dong Mingming was a little stunned. In the past, playing the victim would always work. What happened this time?

Song Yan had no idea what she was thinking. If he did, he would have told her: You didn't expect Li Yuanzhao to have such prestige among the villagers.

Li Yuanzhao was furious: "Help you? How can we help you? When you first came, we cooked for you with our own food, and what did you say? You complained that our food was bad."

I said we were all female educated youth taking turns cooking. What did you say? You said you couldn't cook and couldn't learn.

At this moment, Shen Hanyang also arrived.

Shen Hanyang: "Dong Mingming, Gao Weijie asked you to watch the pot yesterday, but you went to sleep inside. This is a private matter between us, so I won't say anything and leave it to you. But how can you be so lazy and slack off when you're working for the collective? Look at you, you even managed to sow seeds outside the fields, and we have to redo it!"

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