Chapter 11

temples wearily: "No, Li Yan is very honest in these aspects. He would never take revenge on you because of me."Although Li Yan wasn't really a good husband, nor a good father.Though he worked diligen...Ning Yuan looked at her and said, "If there's only one five-dollar bill left in your box, it's mine!"

Tang Zhenzhen was extremely angry and took out five yuan from the cookie tin: "Ning Yuan, you're talking nonsense! This five yuan for the big steel mill is mine. Do you have that much money!"

This five-dollar bill printed with the image of a large steel mill was hers. She kept it specifically in a box, separate from the scattered few cents and dimes she usually carried around on her person.

If she hadn't trusted those hangers-on who lived together but only fawned over her, she wouldn't have left her box unlocked.

Who knew Ning Yuan, this little follower, would actually turn things upside down!

Ning Yuan smiled faintly: "My family can send me longevity biscuits and white rabbit candies, of course I have living expenses."

This statement instantly caused everyone to look at each other in astonishment, and they began whispering amongst themselves.

"That's right, it wouldn't be surprising if Ning Yuan's family sent her such high-end cookies and candies, even five yuan wouldn't be strange."

"Who stole from whom"

The educated youths lived, worked, and ate in the village without spending money. But each month, their families would give them two or three yuan for living expenses to buy things like soap, matches, and salt.

Five dollars is quite a lot.

Huang Xuehong was also a little dumbfounded. Instinctively, he pointed at Ning Yuan and imitated Rong Zhaonan's tone from before: "Words without evidence are meaningless! Do you have any proof"

Tang Zhenzhen also sneered, waving the five-dollar bill in her face: "That's right, do you have evidence Or are you going to call it, and it will agree with you People like you who hang out with bad guys..."

Before she could finish her words, Ning Yuan took the opportunity to snatch the money from her hand and waved it in front of her face.

Tang Zhenzhen was both shocked and angry: "You dare to rob..."

The next moment, Ning Yuan held up the money and said to everyone, “Look closely, there’s still my name on these five dollars! I wrote it because I was afraid of losing the money!”

Everyone's gaze immediately focused on the five yuan in Ning Yuan's hand.

As expected, the pattern on the bottom right corner of the five-dollar bill featuring a steelworker reads "Ningyuan".

Everyone was stunned. This money really agreed to Ning Yuan!

The villagers' eyes, even when looking at Huang Xuhong and Qin Xiaoxia, held a strange look.

"So this money really belongs to the young people from the countryside!"

"Isn't this like the thief crying 'catch the thief' The evidence is in someone else's hands, you have none, and yet you accuse others of stealing from you..."

The male educated youths were also surprised by this strange reversal. They looked at each other, dumbfounded. Their team's most beautiful flower turned out to have such a bad character

Tang Yan's face flushed red and then white, reaching out to grab it: "How is that possible When did you put your name on my money!"

Ning Yuan immediately took a step back, coldly throwing back the previous sentence: "You dare to rob!"

Tang Zhenzhen was furious and reached out to grab it again: "Give it back to me! That's my money! My money!!"

Li extended a hand and gripped her shoulders, his face grim and unsightly —

"Tang Zhiqing, are you done making trouble Randomly accusing and labeling people is a crime!"

Tang Zhenzhen looked at the disdain in Li Yan's eyes, her delicate face flushed red, her chest rising and falling.

She desperately wanted to scream — "You bunch of idiots, she's the one who framed me! The money is mine, it's mine!!"

But the gazes of those around her, even Qin Xiaoxia's, held her arm.

Tang Zhenzhen's tears came down instantly, and she choked up with grievance: "Li Yan... Li Fushuji... I understand. Perhaps I got it wrong. My five dollars is in Tan Xiaoxia's study book."

Qin Xiaoxia felt Tang Zhenzhen's fingers pinching her arm, making her gasp in pain. She could only nod: "Yes, yes, yes... I remember. There are five dollars of Zhenzhen's in my study notebook."

This excuse is so lame.

But... this matter caused a big stir. For the educated youths hoping to return to the city, it wasn't a good thing.

Li Yan glanced at Ning Yuan and then at the crying Tang Zhenzhen: "Return the money to Ning Zhiqing, and apologize for the misunderstanding. The brigade can treat you as a first offender and not record it."

Tang Zhenzhen's fingertips were white with how tightly she was gripping her hands, almost to the point of bleeding. But she knew she couldn't... she couldn't collapse right there, nor could she snatch the five yuan back from Ning Yuan's hand.

She forced a smile onto her face that was worse than crying, and said to Ning Yuan: "Ning Yuan, I'm so sorry... Can you forgive me"

Ning Yuan looked at her calmly: "Be a good person and have fewer crooked thoughts, or you'll lose both your wife and your soldiers."

This morning, when she took the cookies and candies, she guessed that Tang Zhenzhen's personality wouldn't give up easily.

So, she wrote her name in an inconspicuous place on the five-dollar bill beforehand.

After finishing her story, she turned and went back to the small hut near the cow shed.

Tang ZanZan listened to her sarcastic remarks, feeling like she wanted to rush up and slap Hua Ning Yuan's face.

But it was Qin Xiaoxia who pulled her back. She gritted her teeth, turned around with tears in her eyes and covered her face before hurrying away.

Huang Xuehong watched Tang Zhenzhen run away, unwillingly muttering to herself, "Ning Yuan splashed me with dirty water..."

"Secretary Li, that... I'll take Xuehong to take a bath first!" Qin Xiaoxia smiled at Li Yandong and dragged the stench-ridden Huang Xuehong away.

All the parties involved are gone, Li Yan glanced at the other spectators, the young intellectuals and villagers: "Everyone, disperse."

The squad leader spoke, and everyone looked at each other in confusion. Some whispered amongst themselves about the situation while others dispersed.

Li Yan looked at Rong Zhaonan, his face cold and hard, "Treat Ning Zhiqing well, do not bully or oppress women. Study the leader's thought well, the team will check your ideological transformation situation at any time!"

Rong Zhaonan lowered his cold and deep eyes, letting out a light sneer: "Yes..."

The key point of what this young deputy secretary is saying is — treat the educated youths sent down to the countryside well, otherwise it means ideological transformation isn't thorough enough

The little agent is quite charming and capable, very good at deceiving people.

Li Yan looked at Ning Yuan, his expression softened a lot: "Ning Zhiqing, Bai Yi came from the commune this afternoon, she should be here to bring you living expenses. She's waiting for you in the production team office."

Bai Yi is Ning Yuan's aunt, living in the neighboring village. Although they belong to different villages, they are under the same commune administration. Bai Yi also played a role in bringing them together.

Ning Yuan's body stiffened when she heard her aunt's name. She nodded nervously, her heart racing: "Okay."

Li Yan nodded, leading Ning Yuan to prepare to leave, as if Rong Zhaonan didn't exist at all.

Rong Zhaonan watched them walk away with a few red-armband members.

Ning Yuan's great aunt

He pushed his old black-rimmed glasses up his nose coldly and followed silently.

This is a chance to get to know what your so-called 'wife' is really like, isn't it

......

Ning Yuan followed Li Yan, the two of them walking silently along the way.

Li Yan wanted to ask her why, even though they had been getting along for days and agreed to meet again as a couple, she was now changing her mind.

Yet, I felt like saying anything would be pointless, especially with other people around.

Ning Yuan had no intention of paying attention to Li Yan. She knew her aunt must have come over as soon as she heard she was married.

Her mother was only cold to her, while her aunt was strict and had strict rules for her.

When she was a child, no one at home had time to look after her. Every summer and winter vacation, they would send her to her aunt's house to work as a laborer.

She was responsible for following her aunt's instructions to do housework. But even if a few drops of dishwater splashed on the sink and weren't wiped, or if she spoke a little louder.

He had to be scolded loudly — he was unruly, wrote a reflection, no food, and was beaten with a grim face.

Her mother, however, thought it was teaching her manners and even wanted to give her away to her childless aunt. It was only because her father saw how much she cried that he refused.

This time, when she was assigned to this village, her mother said that she was lucky to have relatives there to look after her and gave all the living expenses they had given her to her aunt.

If you want two dollars and fifty cents for monthly living expenses, you have to work as a laborer at your aunt's place.

Then, he continued to be punished frequently.

So, she had always been afraid of this aunt who claimed to be her second mother in her past life. She was almost like a shadow over her childhood.

Unless she absolutely had to go for living expenses, she would rather stay at the countryside re-education camp than go to her aunt's oppressive home.

The only thing her aunt had ever done for her in her past life that she was grateful for was introducing Li Yan as a potential partner.

Later on, I found out that after they started dating, my aunt's two sons - her eldest cousin - were transferred to work at the commune.

After she and Li Yan got their marriage certificate, her little cousin successfully obtained a military draft quota from their hometown.

This was all done by Li Yan because of his aunt's pressure.

And from then on, Li Yan started to bother her, feeling that it was bad for him. He was an upright person and rarely acted in his family's self-interest.

As a result, he firmly refused to help her transfer out of the silk weaving factory where she worked three shifts a day, standing for ten hours at a time.

Even though she suffered miscarriages several times due to exhaustion, he believed it was all part of glorious labor – her duty.

He owes her and her family nothing.

Ning Yuan pulled the corners of her lips in an expressionless manner.

Suddenly, she got married in this lifetime, completely ruining her domineering aunt's plans. What would the aunt do

In her heart, there was a secret, liberating sense of pleasure.

Even, I really want to see my aunt's angry expression.

Rong Zhaonan quietly stood in the shadows of the trees, watching Ning Yuan's expression, a thoughtful look on his face.reddened her eyes and took out her jade green biscuit tin."All of my belongings are in this cookie tin, and even a heirloom jade pepper is missing! It vanished this morning when we were working in the...