After the first snow, farm work in Qingshan Village gradually came to a halt, and everyone began preparing for the winter.
Yu Wenjiang's paperwork for going to the countryside had not yet reached Qingshantun, but he already considered himself a member of the educated youth team.
In addition to taking care of his elder brother these days, he also shoveled snow and collected firewood with the male educated youth every day, living, eating, and working together.
In addition, he and Chen Kai would help Xie Yuyao and Yang Shumei fetch water every morning and fill the water tank.
In his words, "My eldest brother raised the funds, and my two older sisters contributed the majority of the money. I'm just doing my part to express my gratitude, so please don't refuse."
Xie Yuyao and Yang Shumei had no choice but to let him go.
Yu Wenjiang mistakenly believed that Chen Kai was helping the two out of friendship, completely unaware that he had taken away Chen Kai's "job".
Normally, Chen Kai and Zhao Jianbin would take care of their water usage, but now that Yu Wenjiang has joined them, Chen Kai feels ashamed to be taking such a small share.
That noon, he found Xie Yuyao and said he had something to discuss.
Xie Yuyao followed him to an open space outside the courtyard, a vague guess forming in her mind.
Seeing that no one was around, Chen Kai said in a low voice, "Thank you, educated youth. Now that we have Wenjiang, you don't need to give me any more food. Don't worry, I will still fill the water tank with Wenjiang."
As expected, Xie Yuyao, who had guessed his words, smiled and asked, "What do you think of Yu Wenjiang?"
"Diligent, quick-witted, and with a sweet tongue." Chen Kai pondered for a few seconds before giving his opinion.
"If you were to work with him to sell things at the market, would you be able to coordinate well?" The monthly market day is in a few days, and with winter approaching, there will definitely be a lot of people.
She had originally planned to have Yu Wenjiang sell braised meat at the market, but after listening to Chen Kai's suggestion, she included him in the plan as well. Since Yu Wenjiang was unfamiliar with the area, the two of them would work together better.
Chen Kai chuckled, "No problem, whatever you want to sell, we'll help you set up a stall."
As they were talking, Xie Yuyao saw a person riding a bicycle toward them with a box strapped to the back of the bicycle; it was a postman.
Xie Yuyao already knew that parcels had to be picked up at the commune post office, while ordinary letters would be delivered to the countryside by postmen. However, sometimes for small parcels, kind-hearted couriers would help deliver them if they could carry them themselves.
"Comrade, there's a letter from Xie Yuyao, a former educated youth. Is she at the educated youth compound?" The postman stopped beside the two of them.
Xie Yuyao was surprised: "It is me, give it to me."
The sender and address on the envelope were those of the original owner's father. It's unclear what he wrote back about several months later, but it was certainly not just a simple expression of concern.
Without saying a word, Xie Yuyao tore open the envelope and started reading.
Her expression grew increasingly indifferent, and finally she folded the letter with a cold smile.
Looking up and seeing Chen Kai still waiting to the side, she composed herself and continued the conversation she hadn't finished: "Tell Yu Wenjiang in private that I'll make some braised dishes on market day, and you two can take them to sell. Come to the backyard the night before to discuss the details."
"Okay," Chen Kai replied, a hint of worry in his eyes.
It was obvious that the letter contained something that upset her, but she didn't say it, and he didn't feel comfortable asking. He hoped she could handle it.
Back in the backyard, Xie Yuyao pulled out a chair and sat down, rubbing the envelope in her hands.
The letter begins by recounting the longing and concern her family members have for her, and only after most of the letter does she mention their purpose.
It turns out that the youngest son of the head of the pharmaceutical production department, who lived in the same alley, was looking for a wife and somehow ended up asking the original owner's parents about it.
The letter was to urge her to return to Beijing to go on a blind date with Section Chief Luo's youngest son.
Section Chief Luo promised that once the two hit it off, he would pull strings to give her a position in the factory and transfer her back to Beijing.
However, Xie Yuyao learned from the original owner's memories that the blind date was fat as a ball since childhood, and even more fat accumulated on his body as he grew up.
Spoiled by his family, he completely let himself go, and whenever he saw a pretty girl flirting with or harassing her, the original owner wished she could avoid him.
At the beginning of the year, there were rumors that he got a girl pregnant, and that his parents eventually settled the matter with money.
Such a person, and the original owner's father actually wanted to match her up.
Look at the words between the lines; they either praise the man and his family for their various virtues or express pity for her suffering in the countryside. Now that the opportunity to return to the city is before her, she must seize it and looks forward to a reunion soon.
If the reason the original owner was sent to the countryside in the first place was because her parents favored boys over girls and had to sacrifice their daughter for the sake of their eldest son's happiness, she could barely understand it.
Since that job belonged to the original owner's mother, she could give it to whomever she wanted.
This time, her father's schemes really disgusted her. He claimed it was for her own good, but it was clearly a ploy to get close to his boss, Section Chief Luo, and pave the way for his own career.
For his own selfish interests, he didn't hesitate to push his daughter into a pit of fire. Such a person is unworthy of being a father!
When Zhao Honghui arrived at the educated youth settlement, he saw her with an angry expression, her fingers tightly gripping the envelope as if she wanted to pierce the letter.
He knocked on the door and strode in: "Yaoyao, who sent a letter?"
Upon hearing the familiar voice, Xie Yuyao turned her head and looked at Zhao Honghui with complex emotions in her eyes. She stood up and handed him the envelope in her hand.
Zhao Honghui took the letter and deftly pulled out the paper to read it.
The more he looked, the darker his face became. Although he didn't know what kind of person Section Chief Luo's son was, he had seen Yao Yao's investigation file and knew how her parents treated her.
The more sincere the words, the more likely they are to conceal an ulterior motive.
After putting down the letter, Zhao Honghui took Yao Yao's hand and gave it a gentle kiss. "I want to ask Ye Xingchang to find someone to investigate that Section Chief Luo. If he has done anything illegal or against regulations, we will not let him get away with it."
His words surprised Xie Yuyao. Logically, shouldn't she be nervous, angry, or depressed? Why would she target Section Chief Luo?
Xie Yuyao leaned against the edge of the table and said jokingly, "Shouldn't you be expressing your feelings to my so-called parents and going to propose marriage at this time?"
“I’ll propose marriage if you want,” Zhao Honghui said earnestly.
"I don't want to, they don't deserve it!" Xie Yuyao told him about the deeds of Section Chief Luo's son, as well as rumors about Section Chief Luo and his wife secretly selling positions.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Honghui's face was filled with anger. "Without the position of section chief, let's see how they can still cause trouble!"
"I didn't expect your reach to be so long, extending all the way to Beijing, a city thousands of miles away," Xie Yuyao teased with a smile.
Suddenly, her smile froze, her eyes narrowed, and she stared directly into Zhao Honghui's eyes. "Have you done something that I can't know about?"
Feeling guilty, Zhao Honghui glanced up and coughed lightly, covering his mouth with his hand.
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