Chapter 123: The Award Ceremony

Qian Li was busy lavishing praise on Xu Lin’s transformation and beauty when Wang Facai’s voice rang out from the edge of the fields. Two law enforcement officers were trailing right behind him. Wang Facai was waving at Xu Lin as he called out, his smile so wide that his molars were visible—a far cry from the dejected figure he had been earlier that afternoon.

As the other educated youths and villagers noticed more law enforcement officers entering the village, some frowned, some grew curious, and others scurried toward the edge of the fields. The speed at which they moved made it clear that these were the village’s resident gossips.

“Calling for you? Is something the matter?” Qian Li asked.

“I have no idea. I’ll go see.” Xu Lin brushed the dirt from her gloves and stepped onto the field ridge. After exchanging glances with the others, Qian Li followed close behind.

Qin Fang and Su Liang were working not far away. Seeing Xu Lin being quietly protected and followed, Qin Fang’s face turned green with envy. Her system had already issued her a new mission, and because of it, she was now heavily in debt with system points. However, these new mission targets were proving far too difficult to win over. She had tried to use her feminine charms, but instead of gaining much favor, she had caused Su Liang’s affection for her to plummet. It had nearly fallen below the passing threshold!

Whenever her affection score dropped below the passing mark, Qin Fang not only suffered an electric shock as punishment, but her charm was also affected. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say that her appearance would revert slightly to its original state. After all, her current beauty was built entirely on points; the better she completed her missions, the more beautiful she became. If her mission performance was poor, her appearance suffered, though Qin Fang didn’t understand why. She had already spent points to redeem her looks; why couldn’t they just last forever?

Qin Fang didn't understand, and she wanted to demand an explanation, but the system was too overbearing, simply stating that the final right of interpretation rested solely with the system. Yet, Qin Fang didn't dare turn against the system because she knew all too well that without its help, she was nothing. Or rather, she was just the daughter of a spy.

Qin Fang’s malicious gaze followed Xu Lin for a long way until curiosity finally drove her to trot along to watch the spectacle. As she passed Huang Zishu and Lin Zihan, she shot them a provocative, fluttering look, a bold gesture that earned her only eye-rolls in return. The system felt it couldn't bear to watch; in this day and age, reputation was everything, and Qin Fang’s behavior would only mark her as a harlot. A loose woman! Sighing, the system resigned itself to protecting its chosen host, crying internally as it did so.

“Host, these two men are cold-hearted and detached. It would be better to target the people in the shed rather than them. What do you think?”

“I think that’s fine, but is it useful?” Qin Fang grumbled inwardly. Those people in the shed were extremely vigilant and ignored her overtures completely. Any gifts delivered in person were never accepted. As for the things she left secretly, they acted as if they didn't know, and instead of her favorability rising, it dropped even further. This had made Qin Fang afraid to approach them, terrified that if she appeared too often, the little favor she had left would be wiped out entirely. If it dropped into the negatives again, she would be subjected to electric shocks.

Amidst these internal mutterings, they finally reached the edge of the fields, and Qin Fang’s expression darkened further.

“Comrade, this is the educated youth Xu Lin. Comrade Xu is a fine comrade, indeed—she works exceptionally well, and every task assigned to her is completed thoroughly,” Wang Facai said, pointing at Xu Lin and beaming so hard his eyes turned into slits, his entire being radiating joy. “Comrade Xu, this is Captain Tu Hai, and this is Officer Pang Luo. They are from the county bureau.”

“Comrade Tu, Comrade Pang, hello,” Xu Lin said, greeting them with a smile, showing no signs of stage fright. A quick glance at their faces told her they were upright men, not the sort of treacherous characters. Tu Hai, in particular, carried a significant aura of merit, which meant he had performed many virtuous deeds.

“Hello, Comrade Xu,” Tu Hai and Pang Luo replied with smiles. Their attitude was warm; it was clear they had come to announce good news. As they stood talking at the edge of the field, Tu Hai looked around and noticed many villagers gathering, so he suggested to Wang Facai, “Shall we hold the ceremony in that wasteland over there?”

“Of course, that works!” Wang Facai agreed readily, happy to cooperate. If they went back to the village to hold a formal meeting, a great deal of time would be wasted traveling back and forth. They could get plenty of work done in that time. Holding it in the nearby wasteland was much better; as soon as the awards were handed out, they could return to the fields to resume their work immediately.

“Comrade Xu, don’t be nervous. We’ve come today to present you with an award.” Once they had agreed on the location, Tu Hai turned to explain, with Pang Luo nodding in agreement beside him. It was indeed an award ceremony—the amount of the prize was secondary; what mattered was the organization issuing it. This award had come directly from the capital, as well as from the railway department; every certificate carried significant weight. Whether for future employment or further studies, this award would be a massive boost for the young comrade.

“Thank you, I’m not nervous,” Xu Lin replied with a smile, wondering where the reward had come from. Si Zhan shouldn't have been in a position to issue awards. Could it be about the incident on the train?

With this suspicion in mind, she was ushered into the center of the crowd. Tu Hai stood beside Xu Lin and loudly announced the purpose of their visit, recounting Xu Lin’s brave and righteous actions on the train. It was no exaggeration to say that Xu Lin had single-handedly changed the fates of many. Had she not intervened in time to stop those criminals, there was no telling how many people would have died in that incident. Had she not stepped in to treat the elderly passenger, countless people on that train would have been held responsible and punished.

Tu Hai didn't know exactly who it was that Xu Lin had saved, but that didn't dampen his excitement. This was an award from the capital! The prize money was secondary; the significance was what mattered. Xu Lin, however, had her eye on the money. After receiving the certificate and hearing that the reward included eight hundred yuan and a stack of ration coupons, her lips curled into a smile. Eight hundred yuan! Eight hundred yuan that she could spend openly—just the thought of it was wonderful. In addition to the cash, there were sugar coupons, grain and oil coupons, and industrial vouchers, which made many in the crowd turn green with envy.

Qin Fang stood in the crowd, her face twisted with jealousy. She hadn't expected that a single trip out would earn Xu Lin commendations from the capital. A certificate and prize money—what kind of achievement could have earned that? Why wasn't that glory hers? If she had earned such an achievement, perhaps the stigma of being a spy’s daughter would be erased. She felt such hatred.

But before Qin Fang’s resentment could fully brew, Tu Hai continued with the awards—this time from the railway department. It was another “Righteous and Brave” award, accompanied by five hundred yuan and more coupons. Looking at that thick stack of wealth, the group of envious onlookers grew even larger. Du Yong, standing next to Qin Fang, looked even more wretched than she did. He had planned to incite everyone to elect him as the team leader after the harvest, but with Xu Lin causing such a stir, what would he do if she decided to run?