"My teeth hurt so much, my ears hurt, and my head hurts too..."

"My throat hurts, I think I have tonsillitis..."

"I..." Another female educated youth opened her mouth but didn't dare to say it. She had hemorrhoids...

Li Juanmei wiped her face, feeling it was also a bit oily. She gave a silent, cold laugh, then said angrily, "How can I not feel uncomfortable? I burned through three briquettes of coal, the air is so dry, it's no wonder I'm so angry. The oil on my face could fry a dish!"

The female educated youths froze, their screams caught in their throats.

They looked at each other, and saw the same disbelief in each other's eyes.

Last night, they kept their eyes tightly shut as they listened to her struggles and sobs as she was carried out of the yard like a sack.

They all pretended not to know anything. Firstly, they harbored resentment towards the rich, and secondly, they were all alone in the countryside. Meddling in other people's business meant that they would be the next ones to suffer!

But this didn't stop them from quietly and happily using the stove.

Originally, Li Juanmei stingily covered most of the stove's vent, so that only a little heat was radiated. It burned from night until dawn, consuming only one coal briquette.

Now they open the vents halfway, feeling the heat quickly fill the entire room, and in the warm comfort, they adjust their mindset and fall asleep comfortably.

Why is Li Juanmei still safely in bed at this moment?

It's impossible that they didn't notice when she came back.

And which woman wouldn't feel like she's dying after experiencing something like that?

But she showed no sign of anything amiss, and even seemed concerned about the two extra lumps of coal they had used.

The sky was already bright, and the morning light shone through the thick window paper. Li Juanmei's fair and beautiful face showed a hint of anger, and her dark eyes shone brightly, but there was no bitterness or reluctance in them.

While several female educated youths were questioning their existence, Li Juanmei got up with a hum, washed up, put her belongings in her trunk, locked it, and left.

Stepping outside, she exhaled a soft breath, gazing at the peaceful and serene rural scenery, her heart filled with a mixture of coldness and burning passion.

"Comrade Li, you're up so early!" The village's infamous "street-cursing king," whom even the village chief feared, greeted her from afar with a broad smile.

Li Juanmei trembled, looked at the rising sun, and forced a smile as she nodded, "Hello, Aunt Fan."

"Oh, city girls are so sensible and polite, look at how soft-spoken they are."

As they entered, Aunt Fan winked at her and whispered to Li Juanmei, who felt a chill run down her spine, "Don't be afraid, girl. From now on, Aunt Fan will protect you and make sure no villain in the village will dare to come near you!"

“My aunt married into Bainanzhuang, and her granddaughter is a daughter-in-law of the Tang family.”

Seeing Li Juanmei's puzzled look, she smiled and explained, "The Tang family is Ke Laosi's in-laws, now you understand, right?"

"Last night, Lian Wen, who is Ke Yuanda's mother, personally knocked on my door and told me to take good care of you. Make sure you don't get bullied by those wicked people in the village."