Chapter Sixty: Playing the Fool
Liang Manxiu jumped up almost immediately after them. She wrapped a scarf around her neck, put on a cotton-padded coat, and headed outside. Lin Wanwan, who was sleeping next to her, squinted and muttered something under her breath when she saw that Liang Manxiu was not dressed properly before heading outside.
"Go outside to use the outhouse. Put on your clothes so you don't get cold."
"Okay, go to sleep!"
Liang Manxiu turned her head, whispered something, and left the room, not caring whether she heard her or not.
After the weather got cold, some people would skip dinner and go to bed on the kang (heated brick bed) to save food. As a result, by dusk, there were hardly any chimneys in the village smoking.
Liang Manxiu followed the two people cautiously, not daring to get too close, for fear that they would discover her.
About ten minutes later, Wang Yanhong and Zhang Shujuan saw the person in the grove at the west end of the village. The person was wrapped up like a ball, and because it was dark, they couldn't see who it was at all.
"Is anyone following you?"
"Oh, don't worry, we'll be very careful. Besides, it's so cold now, we'll be on the bed as soon as it gets dark, who's going to take care of us then!"
"That's right, that's right, we're being careful!"
Zhang Shujuan always listened to Wang Yanhong. She looked around nervously as she said this, and even a gust of wind made her shrink back in fear.
"Did you bring the money and belongings?"
"No rush, let's talk about the recent situation first."
Wang Yanhong brushed her wind-blown hair aside and whispered, "Recently, when Shen Yuzhu isn't working, she stays at home or goes to see her sister. She's still the same as before, spending money like water. Shujuan and I saw her ask someone to buy a lot of things for her sister. Hey, are you going to give her money or not? If you don't, don't ask us for anything in the future. The village doesn't give holidays, so where else can she be if she's not in the village?"
The man said sternly, "You're not trying to fool me, are you? I heard she went to the provincial capital today?"
Wang Yanhong's eyes darted around and she quickly coaxed, "I was just thinking of waiting until you give us the money before we talk about it. Yu Manman, if you still want us to ask about the future, you'd better give us the money and the things right away. Otherwise, don't expect us to do anything for free."
Yu Manman pulled down her scarf, glared at the two of them resentfully, and handed them twenty yuan, along with a small bundle.
Inside were some brown sugar snacks and menstrual pads. The two of them were about to leave with the things when Yu Manman grabbed Wang Yanhong's arm.
"Wait a minute, you guys figure out a way to hide this thing in Shen Yuzhu's house, and then try to lure the villagers there."
Wang Yanhong raised an eyebrow and opened a small bag that Yu Manman handed her. Inside was a pair of smelly men's shoes.
What do you mean by that?
"Don't worry about it, just do as I say. You'll get your share of the benefits once it's done."
Wang Yanhong wasn't stupid; she could tell at a glance that this was an attempt to frame Shen Yuzhu and ruin her reputation. She had already realized that Yu Manman and Qiao Nianyu were not good people when they came to her and Zhang Shujuan last time.
Especially Qiao Nianyu, who is also a thousand-year-old fox spirit. When she started playing the same old tricks with her, she pretended to be a weak and innocent girl. Seeing how generous the two of them were, she simply agreed. Anyway, they didn't get along with Shen Yuzhu.
It's just helping to keep an eye on people, what's wrong with that?
Liang Manxiu, who was not far away, could not hear their conversation very clearly, but she could see what they were holding and felt that they were plotting something big.
"That won't do. You said before that you'd pay us to keep an eye on Shen Yuzhu, but now you're plotting something really bad and want us to be the ones to stick our necks out. You're trying to get rid of us with just a little money? That won't do."
"That's right, that's right, it can't be."
Wang Yanhong's voice was seductive.
"Comrade Yu, Shen Yuzhu's fiancé is a soldier. Her in-laws often send her things, which shows how much they cherish her. You want me and Shujuan to frame her without even mentioning a price, just wanting us to do this despicable thing. Sorry, we can't do it."
Yu Manman cursed them inwardly for being ungrateful. After thinking for a moment, she threw them a hundred yuan, ten ten-yuan bills. She had already coaxed and scared Qiao Nianyu into giving her a hundred and fifty yuan, and she had given away a hundred and twenty yuan in one go. She only had thirty yuan left. She was freezing to death after the trip. It was really not worth it.
"Take the money and get it done for me, or else, hmph, you'll be sorry."
Yu Manman turned and left angrily. She and Qiao Nianyu were ostracized by the research institute staff and reprimanded and punished by Professor Yao because of what happened last time. They were unable to participate in the new research.
If we don't save face, then this trip to Heilongjiang Province will have been for nothing.
After she walked away, Wang Yanhong quickly divided the money, keeping seventy yuan for herself and giving fifty yuan to Zhang Shujuan.
"Yan, Yan Hong, we really... if this gets discovered, we'll be in deep trouble!"
Wang Yanhong chuckled, "Fool, who are you playing with? You heartless, rotten piece of trash. I do dislike Shen Yuzhu and am jealous of her good life, but that little bit of jealousy isn't enough to ruin her reputation. We don't have any deep-seated hatred for her, so why frame her? Wouldn't it be better to just live our own lives peacefully?"
"Yeah, whether she's unlucky or not, we still won't be able to eat meat."
Liang Manxiu, who had been on tenterhooks nearby, did not let her guard down because of their words. What if Wang Yanhong was treating Zhang Shujuan like a second fool?
"Yan Hong, throw these shoes away, they're really unlucky."
"No, let's take leave tomorrow and go to the garrison to remind Shen Yuzhu's fiancé that no matter what, they are educated youth who went to the countryside together. It won't do us any good if Shen Yuzhu's reputation is ruined. I think those two women, Yu Manman and Yu Manman, will do it again if they don't succeed the first time. It's good that we can do them a favor this time."
"We don't know where the garrison is, and we can't get in."
Wang Yanhong lowered her eyes and was thinking when she heard this faint voice.
"I know."
"!!!"
Wang Yanhong/Zhang Shujuan: "......."
A ghost! There's a ghost!!!
The next day, the three of them went to the brigade leader's house to ask for leave and took an oxcart to the county town. None of them had a good look on their faces; each one looked gloomy.
Last night, Liang Manxiu couldn't hold back and beat up the two of them. She wasn't as strong as Zhang Shujuan, but she fought like she didn't care about her life. She held a stone in her hand and kept hitting Zhang Shujuan and Wang Yanhong with it.
The stubborn fear the ruthless, and the ruthless fear the reckless.
The two men were terrified and kept begging for mercy and apologizing, promising never to try anything with Shen Yuzhu again. Liang Manxiu finally gave up.
When they finally returned, Wang Yanhong and Zhang Shujuan were only relieved that Liang Manxiu had only beaten them up and hadn't taken their money.
When Wang Yanhong suggested sending the shoes to the garrison troops, she actually had her own agenda. She thought that by currying favor with Shen Yuzhu, she could ask for her help in the future. However, she didn't expect that Liang Manxiu would find out about it.
That woman's fierce! She came right up and gave her a good beating. Her chest still hurts!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
