Chapter 352 Terrified to Kneel
Zhao Lujun's words made Shen Lingyu very uncomfortable.
"How do you expect her to help me? Is she obligated to help me? And who told you that? Zhao Lujun, can't you have some backbone? Hasn't she helped me before?"
"You say she won't help me? Then how did I end up in the vegetable-growing class?"
Zhao Lujun said, "You came with the main force, what does it have to do with her?"
Shen Lingyu poked his chest with a sneer and said, "Whether they helped me or not, I know perfectly well. They didn't owe me anything. If you think I'm suffering, why didn't you have the ability to transfer me away from Dahe in the first place? Why don't you feel sorry for your own incompetence? You can't really blame others."
Zhao Lujun had never seen her so agitated. He quickly said, "Okay, okay, it's my fault. I'm incompetent. Don't be angry. I just think she's just all talk."
Shen Lingyu angrily retorted, "How come I never realized you were this kind of person before? You want others to help you, but why don't you think about what you can offer them? You only want to take, not give. Who would want to associate with someone like that?"
"Isn't it helping me to buy scarce items from the supply and marketing cooperative? Isn't it helping me by talking to me a few more times so that others can see it?"
Zhao Lujun said, "That's not what I meant. What I meant was..."
Shen Lingyu said firmly, "That's exactly what you mean! Tell me, did you hear it from Zhao Dongmei?"
Zhao Lujun nodded honestly: "That's what she just said."
Shen Lingyu said, "She's a gossip. If you talk to her again, don't come looking for me again."
Zhao Lujun: "Hey, really? We're all from the same hometown..."
Shen Lingyu spat and said, "Aren't you a snob? We're from the same hometown, why don't we go and flatter Song Lubai? What's the point of you associating with her? Do you two have some kind of shady relationship?"
Zhao Lujun was unsure which rebuttal to make first.
If he were a snob, he would have gone to flatter the regimental commander's family long ago.
If he had an illicit relationship with Zhao Dongmei, he wouldn't have kept bothering Shen Lingyu.
Zhao Lujun was so angry that his chest hurt. After turning around a few times, he put his hands on his hips and said, "Fine, I'll listen to you. I won't talk to her anymore. But Shen Lingyu, I'm not a snob. If I were a snob, I wouldn't have come here to suffer for you."
Shen Lingyu said, "Don't tell me it's for my sake. Did I ask you to come? Don't try to impose your suffering on me. Forget it, I'm not going to get married."
"You feel like you've suffered for me even before we're married. Do you want me to feel indebted to you and be your slave in the future?"
Zhao Lujun felt that the more he spoke, the less clear his words became, so he hurriedly explained, "What I mean is that I have no feelings for Zhao Dongmei. I came here for you."
The two argued louder and louder by the canal, until it caught the attention of Squad Leader Cao.
"Shen Lingyu, it's time to get back to work."
The conversation between the two ended unhappily. Zhao Lujun watched as Shen Lingyu turned her head away without looking back, and regretfully kicked the stone under his feet away.
He shouted, "Shen Lingyu, I love you, and I will marry you no matter what."
Everyone else started to jeer when they heard this, but only Shen Lingyu understood the threat in the voice.
After Zhao Lujun left, everyone teased Shen Lingyu while they worked.
Shen Lingyu worked silently, and gradually, everyone realized something was wrong, and the teasing and joking stopped.
Shen Lingyu is in a dilemma. She is afraid that if she doesn't marry Zhao Lujun, he might do something, but the thought of marrying him makes her feel very resistant.
Just a moment ago, she thought that no matter what, Zhao Lujun killed two men who had done bad things to her because he liked her.
But now, she feels that her views clash with Zhao Lujun's, and that the two are not suitable for each other.
They worked until almost dark before Squad Leader Cao led the way back.
Shen Lingyu returned to the shed with a shovel and saw Zhao Dongmei sitting there sewing shoe soles while holding a child in her arms. She called out, "Zhao Dongmei, come with me for a moment, I have something I want to tell you."
Zhao Dongmei stood up, puzzled, and followed Shen Lingyu to the jujube tree on the other side of the house.
We were quite far from the crowd, so Shen Lingyu cut to the chase: "You keep telling people that Song Lubai's mother was divorced twice, that she's ruthless and broke someone's leg. Now all the girls in the class are gossiping about her behind her back. Why are you saying all this?"
Zhao Dongmei's face burned bright red.
She reveled in the curiosity others felt about her relationship with the regimental commander's wife when she spread gossip, and the pleasure that came from it. By speaking ill of Zhang Cui, she wanted others to believe that like mother, like daughter, that Zhang Cui was not a good person, and that Song Lubai was no better.
She told so many lies that she even started to believe them herself.
She never spoke ill of Song Lubai directly, but Zhao Dongmei felt a sense of satisfaction whenever she heard others' malicious speculations stemming from her lies.
She never expected anyone to ask her that question to her face.
She stammered, "I...I was telling the truth."
Shen Lingyu said, "The truth? Okay! Let's go ask the regimental commander's wife together."
Shen Lingyu wanted to take Zhao Dongmei with her, which made Zhao Dongmei panic.
"How can you do this? I didn't even say anything!"
Shen Lingyu said, "I didn't say anything. Because of what you said, everyone is gossiping in the fields now, and some of the things they're saying are really nasty. And you just didn't say a word and that's it?"
Zhao Dongmei retorted, "What do I care what others say? I'm just stating the facts."
Zhao Dongmei was filled with fear. Song Lubai was the regimental commander's wife, and she didn't know how she would handle the situation if Song found out.
Shen Lingyu said, "Just you wait. I'll tell Song Lubai when she comes here next time."
She brings up other people's family affairs; with just her mouth, who knows if what she says is true or false?
Shen Lingyu thought Song Lubai was a good person because Song Lubai was willing to help her. As for Song Lubai's mother, she didn't know her and didn't know whether what Zhao Dongmei said was true or false, so she just ignored it all.
Shen Lingyu turned to leave, and Zhao Dongmei was so frightened that she knelt down.
"We're from the same hometown, why are you treating me like this?"
Shen Lingyu couldn't accept her kneeling, so she walked away and said, "We're all from the same hometown. Do you think it's right for you to spread gossip like this? You're like a gossipy woman in a movie, talking about this and that every day to get attention. Zhao Dongmei, if you keep saying those things, even if I don't tell Song Lubai, they'll eventually reach her ears. Just you wait."
Zhao Dongmei finally breathed a sigh of relief.
However, secrets don't stay hidden forever. While working, Feng Xiaolong overheard people discussing the "relative" relationship between Zhao Dongmei and Song Lubai.
"Old Feng, your wife has this connection with the regimental commander's family. Why don't you try to get in touch with them? If you had even a little bit of connection, with your experience, you could easily have become our captain, right?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
