Thinking of this, Lin Wanqiu stopped struggling and let Ye Wenshu's nails scratch bloody marks on her neck. She just gritted her teeth and endured it without making a sound.
Back at the educated youth settlement, Ye Wenshu was so emotional that she was almost exhausted. As soon as she entered the room, she collapsed onto the bed, covered herself with the blanket, and refused to speak.
Liu Mengyao stayed by the bedside, handing her water to wipe her face, while the others were busy with their own things, and no one gave Lin Wanqiu a second glance.
Anyone who gets close to a dishonest and two-faced person is only disgracing themselves.
Unable to bear this deliberate neglect any longer, Lin Wanqiu turned and rushed out of the educated youth settlement.
But when she walked on the village road, the villagers looked at her with strange eyes and pointed at her.
The village chief saw her from afar and called out to her with a stern face, "Lin, you educated youth! You students from the city, you've all been educated, don't you even understand basic manners and a sense of shame? You dare to steal! If it weren't for the military not pursuing this because you're educated youth, they would definitely have recorded it against you!"
Lin Wanqiu didn't expect that this matter would spread throughout the village.
Actually, when they were at the military gate, there were people from Hongqi Village among the onlookers. They drove back in an oxcart first and gave a vivid account of what happened.
Although Ye Wenshu was not a good person, knowing that Jiang Linchuan had a fiancée, she still went to ruin their relationship. In ancient times, she would have been drowned in a pig cage.
But the most despicable one is Lin Wanqiu, who deceived both sides.
If it weren't for her, this whole mess wouldn't have happened.
Lin Wanqiu bit her lip hard, forcing back her tears, turned and ran, rushing all the way to the river outside the village.
Although the cold wind stung her face, she didn't want to go back. She found a sheltered earthen slope and curled up to sit down.
The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt, and finally, tears welled up and streamed down her reddened cheeks.
She didn't think she had done anything wrong.
God is in the wrong!
Why did they give birth to her in that family that favored sons over daughters, leaving all the good things for her older and younger brothers?
Why was it that she was the one sent to the countryside, and assigned to such a desolate and cold place?
It's all because of God's injustice; it's just bad luck!
"Girl, why are you crying here all by yourself?" A deep, unfamiliar male voice suddenly came from behind.
Lin Wanqiu suddenly looked up and saw a well-dressed man standing not far away. He had a decent appearance and his eyes held just the right amount of pity.
"Here, wipe it off. It's cold here, you'll catch a cold if you cry for too long."
He handed me a neatly folded handkerchief.
Lin Wanqiu subconsciously took it, hastily wiped the tears from her face, her lips trembling, unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time.
The man sat down beside her, maintaining a polite distance. "If you're feeling pent up, just tell me. I'm tight-lipped and won't tell anyone else."
How could Lin Wanqiu dare to admit that she had lied to Ye Wenshu?
Faced with such a polite stranger, she instinctively wanted to cover up her own shortcomings.
"Yes... there was a soldier in the village who fell in love with a girl from our educated youth settlement, but that woman named Xu Xinghe interfered, and I ended up being blamed and misunderstood by everyone..."
She dared not mention Jiang Linchuan's name, but vented her resentment on Xu Xinghe, casually uttering that name.
Upon hearing Xu Xinghe's name, a cold glint flashed in the man's eyes. "You're still young; this little grievance is nothing. You'll understand in time, and the truth will come out eventually. What you can do now is to be yourself and not care too much about what others think. Otherwise, living in the eyes of others is too painful."
Listening to his gentle words of comfort, Lin Wanqiu felt much less aggrieved and couldn't help but ask, "Who are you? I've been in Hongqi Village for so long and I've never seen you before."
"I just arrived today. I volunteered to come to the countryside to be a primary school teacher in the village." The man smiled and extended his hand. "My name is Shen An."
After forging his identity, Xu Mingli deliberately used his connections to apply to go to the countryside, choosing Hongqi Village, a place that was neither too far nor too close to the military headquarters.
He could use his position as a teacher to easily find out about Xu Xinghe without arousing suspicion by getting too close.
To this end, he even sold all the few things he had hidden away to make money.
Although he didn't graduate from high school, he was more than capable of teaching children to read and do math in the village. His job was easy, and he could naturally integrate into the village.
This status is even slightly higher than that of a peasant, enough to live a comfortable and fulfilling life.
"So it's Teacher Shen." Lin Wanqiu suddenly realized, no wonder she spoke so tactfully.
She pulled her thin cotton-padded coat tighter around her, feeling the wind grow even colder.
If the weather weren't so cold, I might have been able to chat with this teacher, Ms. Shen, for a while longer.
“It’s getting late.” Xu Mingli stood up. “You should go back to the educated youth settlement soon. Nothing is more precious than your health. Going to the countryside is tough enough. If you catch a cold in this place where there is a lack of medical care, it’s no small matter.”
"Thank you, Teacher Shen, you are such a good person," Lin Wanqiu said sincerely, her gloom dissipating considerably.
Xu Mingli's lips curled into a meaningful smile. Yes, now, under the new identity of Shen An, he was seen as a good person by others.
Watching Lin Wanqiu walk away, wrapped tightly in her cotton-padded coat, Xu Mingli turned around and headed towards the accommodation arranged for him by the village chief.
It was a small house with only one bedroom, which Feng Qiushi had already tidied up.
As soon as he entered, Xu Mingli reached out and pulled her into his arms. The gentleness he had shown when facing Lin Wanqiu vanished instantly, replaced by a calculating look in his eyes. "Qiushi, you used to be a nurse. Go help out at the village clinic tomorrow. Remember, don't ask for wages. Just say you're doing your part for the villagers. That way, the villagers will have a good impression of you and won't suspect anything."
He paused, then kissed her forehead. "Take this opportunity to find out more about Xu Xinghe for me. What she did before, who she usually associates with, where she often goes, and how much Jiang Linchuan cares about her. We need to find out everything. Knowing your enemy is the key to victory!"
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