The other educated youth who returned with Ma Huijuan all looked at Jiang Ning with inquisitive expressions.
Today, Jiang Ning didn't wear her usual beige floral dress. Instead, she wore a collared polyester top and black pants, looking much more plain.
Not yet aware of the specifics, a few people became onlookers.
Only Yang Lili, who lived next door and was relatively close to Ma Huijuan, found Ma Huijuan's words rather harsh and coldly retorted:
"Jiang Ning, we're all educated youth who came here together, how can you make false accusations against someone without any evidence!"
However, she was quickly proven wrong by Ma Huijuan:
"Ningning, I just borrowed your things for a bit, it's not like I'm not going to return them, why are you making a fuss about it?"
Jiang Ning's appearance and demeanor were completely different today, I don't know what happened to her.
She doesn't speak as gently as before; she speaks like a shrew.
It's just taking a little something from her. She's done it like this before, and nothing ever happened. Why won't she do it now?
Lin Chen must have found out, which is why he made her do this.
Marrying a peasant man will shrink your horizons!
She'll probably be completely controlled by men from now on, and she'll never be able to go back to the city.
Feeling embarrassed at being humiliated, Yang Lili's expression changed, and she tried to salvage the situation by saying, "Even if we took it, we can just return it. There's no need for such a big fuss, making things awkward for everyone!"
Jiang Ning sneered. What was Yang Lili trying to prove by playing the sisterly love card? She was the one who loved gossiping behind people's backs.
Because her family also worked at the steel mill, she knew some of her family's situation, so it was she who spread the news that her father was the deputy factory director.
She had originally tried her best to please him, but after being rebuffed, she deliberately contacted Ma Huijuan in an attempt to drive a wedge between the two who had once been close.
Ma Huijuan also spoke ill of her behind her back quite a bit.
"Yang Lili, what business is it of yours? You'd better wish yourself well and make sure no one sees the world classics you're hiding under your pillow," Jiang Ning said dismissively.
Yang Lili stared in disbelief, her hands trembling:
"How...how did you know?"
"Of course it was Ma Huijuan who said it."
Yang Lili glared at Ma Huijuan: "With such poor character, no wonder she steals other people's things!"
Then he ran into the room like a madman to deal with the books.
In those days, world classics were considered poisonous weeds, and if discovered by the brigade, one would be publicly criticized.
The two male educated youths, Sun Wenjie and Yang Xu, exchanged a glance and spoke in a sarcastic tone:
"Jiang Ning, how come you've turned into a country bumpkin so soon after getting married? You're so petty and gossipy. I told you not to associate with those country bumpkins!"
These two educated youths were older educated youths who had arrived earlier than Jiang Ning. They looked down on the country folk. When several beautiful new educated youths arrived, they immediately took a liking to Jiang Ning, who was the most beautiful and wealthy.
Unfortunately, Jiang Ning didn't take them seriously at all and instead married a rough country man.
Jealousy can distort a person's character. They didn't necessarily want to speak up for Ma Huijuan; they just wanted to annoy Jiang Ning.
Jiang Ning chuckled inwardly. These two looked down on country folk, but in the end, they still married village girls.
One was tricked by the brigade leader's daughter and forced to stay, where she had children and never went to the city again; the other was caught stealing chickens and dogs and sent to a farm for labor reform.
"You don't know yet, do you? My husband is now the militia company commander of the commune. If you still want to go back to the city, then shut up and get out of here!"
Jiang Ning said lightly.
If educated youth wanted to return to the city, they still needed approval from above. If the militia company commander made things difficult for them, their lives would be over.
The two men said they were trembling with fear and knew it was not a safe place to stay, so they quickly made their escape.
Ma Huijuan's expression changed drastically, and she immediately changed her ingratiating tone:
"Ningning, it was my fault. I shouldn't have taken your things while you were away. I ate those eggs, and I shared the beef sauce and White Rabbit candy with everyone. I also took some clam oil and used it. There's still a lot left, so I can give it back to you... We're best friends, so please forgive me this time." As she spoke, she reached out to take her arm.
Jiang Ning dodged away, looking at her with an unfriendly expression:
"You're using my things as a favor? And what about all that food you ate? Are you going to give it back to me? Spit it out? Unless you apologize to me in front of the whole village!"
"What?" Ma Huijuan looked at her with some surprise.
Why is the person I used to have such a good patron now?
Apologizing in public would make the educated youth lose all face, and she would definitely be pointed at and talked about in the future.
Tears streamed down her face instantly.
Captain Gao Qiang, who happened to be passing by, saw this and walked over with a dark face.
"What happened? Jiang Zhiqing, did you make Ma Zhiqing cry?"
Sobbing, Ma Huijuan explained, "Captain Gao, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have borrowed Ningning's things and not returned them. Now she's calling me a thief and insists I apologize in public..."
Gao Qiang had been humiliated at the Lin family's house that morning, and his anger hadn't subsided yet, so he spoke in a condescending, bureaucratic tone:
“Jiang Zhiqing, I’m not trying to criticize you, but as an educated youth, it was one thing for you to be undisciplined and not work before, but how can you treat your revolutionary comrades like this now?”
Well, another one asking for a slap in the face.
She replied calmly, "So Captain Gao means to just let it go like this? Fine, give me twenty yuan, and I'll consider everything as if I sold it to her. Otherwise, I'll report it to the police and have them thoroughly search where my things went!"
Gao Qiang was stunned. Had this girl gone mad? She even wanted to call the police.
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