Chapter 77: Did Qin Fang ask you to do anything?

Miao Lingzhi was no fool—unless Qin Fang tried to steal her man’s job, she had no intention of picking a fight with her. What Miao Lingzhi didn’t know, however, was that by now she had already earned Qin Fang’s enmity; whether she liked it or not, trouble was coming her way.

The next day, Qin Fang and Su Liang again tried to shift their work onto Du Yong, only to find themselves separated from him. For a squad leader intent on making life difficult, nothing could be easier than assigning tasks directly to individuals. If you wanted to slack off, you’d need someone willing to cover for you.

Du Yong was relieved when he heard about the new arrangement—he had no desire to exhaust himself before even making it back to the city.

Thus, Qin Fang and Su Liang’s misery began. At first, Su Liang tried to act the man, taking all the work upon himself so that Qin Fang could idle behind him. But within half an hour, he was done for; his delicate hands quickly developed blood blisters. Just touching them stung, let alone working—he felt as if his life was slipping away. Helping Qin Fang with her chores was out of the question; he even hoped she might help him instead.

By noon, together they hadn’t managed more than a couple of square meters. Completing their assigned task seemed hopeless. When work ended, any trace of pride had vanished from their faces, leaving only dejection.

Xu Lin, who had spent most of the morning slacking off, walked past them in excellent spirits, unable to resist humming a revolutionary song. Oh, what a delightful mood she was in.

Those two wretches had hoped to be assigned to the same spot as her, to disgust her—but they could keep dreaming. Xu Lin was thriving in Wangzhuang Brigade: idling by day as she broke new ground, and by night, entering her space to open blind boxes and cultivate her abilities.

Time slipped by, and after a week, Xu Lin’s wood-type powers advanced rapidly from level one to level two. She was overjoyed, though she knew that the higher her abilities, the slower the progress would be. Still, she was young and had time—she maintained a calm and patient mindset.

But her peaceful days ended with a phone call. Yu Tong called to inform her that arrangements had been made and asked Xu Lin to extend her leave by a few days. Naturally, Yu Dan understood it was hard for Xu Lin, as an educated youth, to take leave, so County Chief Zheng himself called the brigade leader to request it. All Xu Lin had to do was collect her leave note and letter of introduction.

It was only then that Wang Facai realized Xu Lin had the county chief behind her; his gaze was complex as he watched her come for the letter.

Why is it, he wondered, that though everyone has connections, people can be so different? Thinking of Su Liang and Qin Fang, Wang Facai felt deeply frustrated—there was simply no comparison.

Xu Lin, in high spirits, returned to the educated youth dormitory. Seeing her radiant face, Qian Li laughed and asked, “Xu Lin, what good fortune has come your way? You look so happy.”

“Nothing much, I just got a few days off.” Xu Lin waved her leave slip. “I have some business to attend to at a friend’s house, so I won’t be back to the dorm for a few days.”

“Is that so? Then take care and have fun!” Qian Li smiled and looped her arm through Xu Lin’s. “You’ll need to pack, right? Let me help you.”

Xu Lin noticed Qian Li’s conspiratorial wink—she clearly had something to discuss. Very well, she thought, and invited her inside.

“Thank you,” Xu Lin said, opening the door and ushering Qian Li in. Spotting Qin Fang peeking out, Xu Lin rolled her eyes at her. Since everyone in the dorm knew she and Qin Fang were at odds, she saw no need to hide her dislike.

Once the door was closed, Qian Li could barely contain her excitement. In a low voice, she said, “Linlin, thank you so much. If you hadn’t given me advice, I’d have had no idea what to do.” She pulled out a letter and waved it. “My classmate replied—he said the matter I reported has been taken seriously by the authorities. They’ll be sending people to join the rural work teams, and he asked me to cooperate with Qin Fang in the open, to find out what she wants me to do. If she dares endanger national security, she won’t get away with it!”

With that worry off her chest, Qian Li was truly elated. Fortunately, Xu Lin had reminded her: if she couldn’t ask for help from her family, she should seek it elsewhere. She’d thought of an old classmate who’d joined the army. He had come through—he called her right away to reassure her.

It wasn’t that a spy’s daughter was necessarily evil, but one had to be vigilant.

“Linlin, do you know what? Qin Fang asked me to get close to you, to dig for information, and—most importantly—to find out where you keep your money. She’s not just bad; she’s a thief.”

Seeing Qian Li’s expression of disgust, Xu Lin laughed and teased, “Well, you don’t know how much money I have. If you did, you might be tempted yourself.”

“Not at all! My family may not be very rich, but I’ve never gone without. Besides, money I haven’t earned myself never sits right with me. I’d rather make my own.” Qian Li held up her palm. “See? These are my badges of honor.”

Although Qian Li had only been in the countryside a little over a year, her palms were already thick with calluses—badges of honor indeed. Her family had sent her plenty of money, but she’d never slacked off at work. She might not be as capable as the villagers, but among the educated youth, she was a top performer.

That was what Xu Lin liked about her. The girl was energetic, genuine, and hardworking—the kind of person who would never have a hard life, unless fate was particularly cruel.

Qian Li’s luck wasn’t the best, but it wasn’t the worst either. Qin Fang was merely one of life’s trials for her. Once past this hurdle, her life would flow smoothly.

“Yes, they’re your badges of honor,” Xu Lin agreed with a smile. “Has Qin Fang asked you to do anything?”

“She has. Besides getting close to you, she wants me to gather information in the village, especially about former landlords and capitalists.” Qian Li curled her lip. “I really don’t get her. Why does she want to know about those people? Do you think she’s planning to help them escape?”

“Not necessarily. Maybe she’s looking to profit from them somehow,” Xu Lin replied, sounding casual, though she was already forming her own suspicions. “So, have you found out anything?”

“I have. One of the village women told me that the Wangzhuang Brigade used to be tenant farmers for a landlord. The whole village together didn’t own a single plot of land. If it hadn’t been for the new era, they’d still be living those hopeless lives.”

“Really? That’s so tragic.” Xu Lin propped her chin on her hand. “Who could have been rich enough to buy so much land?”

“I heard it was the Xu family. Let me tell you, they’re not simple. Their influence in Qingshan County is huge. The land our brigade works is just a branch of the Xu family holdings. It’s said that four-fifths of Qingshan County belongs to the Xu family. Everyone else has to live at their mercy—they’re the local emperors, without a doubt.”