Volume One, Chapter 10: A Turning Point in Father’s Work

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Once she found the chance, she would make sure to teach Su Wanyue another proper lesson.

After the two women left, the street suddenly seemed much quieter.

Su Wanyue had assumed Lu Zetao would leave with them, but to her surprise, he stayed behind.

She lifted her head slightly and lightly licked her lips. She had intended to ignore the man completely, pretending he did not exist.

Lu Zetao, however, had no intention of avoiding her.

He stepped forward, a complicated look in his eyes, and said directly to her, “Those two hundred yuan were given to your mother willingly. Consider them compensation for you, so you don’t need to pay me back.”

“When I married you, I didn’t ask for a single cent. When I leave, I won’t take a cent more than that either. Consider the money a loan. I’ll pay you back within six months.” Su Wanyue bit her lip tightly. Her eyes were filled with determination and stubborn resolve as she spoke firmly.

“How are you going to repay it?” Lu Zetao asked curiously, looking at her. He could not believe that this woman, who had always depended on him and taken money from him, could now earn that much with her own hands.

“That’s none of your concern.” Impatience flickered in Su Wanyue’s eyes. She had no desire to argue with him about the matter.

Her answer clearly took Lu Zetao by surprise once again.

The Su Wanyue of the past had always shamelessly asked him for money. She had never earned anything through her own efforts.

Selling wild chestnuts outside his hospital some time ago had been a novelty, at least.

But now that she had answered him this way, he suspected she was up to something.

In his mind, with her character, she would eventually have no choice but to come crawling back to him to clean up her mess.

“I already told you. You don’t have to repay the money.” Lu Zetao sighed helplessly. Then he turned around and began to walk away.

He no longer wanted to get entangled with Su Wanyue. Besides, Jin Sitian would graduate this year. It was time for him to pursue his own happiness.

“I told you too. I’m going to pay it back.” Su Wanyue stared at his retreating figure and called out loudly, her eyes filled with determination and resolve.

As far as Lu Zetao was concerned, he had completely run out of patience with Su Wanyue. All he wanted now was to rid himself of this burden that weighed on both his life and his work. The farther away from her, the better.

Lu Zetao fell silent.

He opened his mouth, as though he still wanted to say something, but in the end, he said nothing.

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He thought to himself, Whatever tricks that woman wants to play, let her play them.

He could not be bothered.

After wandering around the market for a while, Su Wanyue bought some glutinous rice flour and fruit. She planned to return home and try making glutinous rice balls without using a mold.

When she went to the river to wash clothes, she ran into a group of women from the village.

Some of them had fought with her when they were children. Others had been made to cry by her insults, while still others had been humiliated by her.

The moment she approached, the women, who had been chatting animatedly, fell silent as though someone had cast a spell over them. One after another, they turned to stare at her, their eyes filled with wariness and disgust.

Two of them were fairly familiar to her. One was Chen Rulan, the wife of Li Yunfei, with whom she had unexpectedly made peace with her stepmother, Liu Zilan, the last time they met. According to the original owner’s memories, Chen Rulan had actually been kindhearted and warm toward others, though she was somewhat narrow-minded.

The other was Wang Yanju, the wife of Doctor Huang, who worked in the same office as Lu Zetao and had a good relationship with him.

Su Wanyue had never spent much time with Wang Yanju. They had met only a few times, but her impression of the woman had been fairly good.

In her previous life, however, Su Wanyue had been unbearably conceited. Because Wang Yanju had been raised as a child bride, she had looked down on her and refused to associate with her.

“Little Ju, you came to wash clothes too?” Su Wanyue tried to make her voice sound as natural and friendly as possible. As she scooped water into her basin, she smiled and greeted Wang Yanju beside her.

“Mm.” Wang Yanju stopped moving. She lowered her head and answered softly, an unnatural and awkward look in her eyes.

Su Wanyue sighed inwardly and secretly complained about the original owner.

You really managed to offend every woman in the village, didn’t you? You don’t even have a single friend!

The awkward atmosphere made Su Wanyue feel bored as well. She scooped up enough water, carried the basin back into the house, and went inside to wash her clothes.

Once Su Wanyue had walked away, the women began whispering among themselves again.

“You know, she must feel guilty now that she’s lost her protector. When did she ever think we were worth noticing before? And just now, she actually took the initiative to greet Little Ju. What a shameless woman.”

“Of course she feels guilty. She used to rely on her pretty face to do whatever she pleased. She even tricked Doctor Lu into marrying her, only to be abandoned afterward. It serves her right.”

“Isn’t that the truth? I heard Jin Sitian is back. She’s a proper university student and Doctor Lu’s first love. She’s beautiful, has a wonderful figure, and, most importantly, she has a lovely personality. What do you think…”

“Could Doctor Lu and her…”

As they spoke, the women let out a series of low giggles, their laughter filled with mockery and gossip.

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While Su Wanyue was hanging out the laundry, Su Junye returned home from work at the production brigade.

His face was radiant with happiness, and he was carrying a small piece of meat along with several other things.

In those days of scarcity, for an ordinary farming family like the Su household, eating meat was an extravagant luxury.

Their daily meals usually consisted of little more than coarse tea and plain food. Only during festivals or holidays could they hope for a rare taste of meat, and even then, it was merely enough for a few bites. They could hardly ever indulge in a truly satisfying feast.

“Wanyue!” Su Junye spotted his daughter from a distance, and a brilliant smile instantly spread across his face.

He waved vigorously at her, raising his arm high in the air.

“Hey, Dad!” Hearing her father call her, Su Wanyue quickly looked up, surprise and curiosity shining in her eyes.

She quickened her pace and hurried toward him. With a sweet smile on her lips, she asked, “What’s the happy occasion today? You even bought meat.”

“I also bought the pastries you like. And yes, there’s wonderful news! Come on, let’s go inside and talk.” Excitement gleamed in Su Junye’s eyes. Eager to share the good news with his family, he strode lightly toward the house, his face glowing with happiness and pride.

The father and daughter entered the house, where the family gathered around an old, weathered round table.

“You all know that a textile mill has opened south of our village, right?” Su Junye asked with a smile.

At this, Liu Zilan and Su Wanyue both nodded.

“The mill needed workers. After speaking with the village chief, they came to our production brigade to choose people. It just so happens that I worked with textiles when I was employed out of town in my younger days, so they selected me!” Pride and confidence shone in Su Junye’s eyes.

Liu Zilan, however, did not quite understand the advantages. Confusion and worry still lingered in her eyes as she frowned lightly, seemingly lost in thought.

Su Wanyue, on the other hand, understood perfectly.

Working for the production brigade meant leaving home early and returning late every day, laboring through wind and rain. It was not only brutally exhausting, but also poorly paid. On top of that, they often had to endure arbitrary exploitation at the hands of the village chief and the other administrators. Life was extremely difficult.

The textile mill was entirely different. It was a proper enterprise with clearly defined working hours, and overtime came with additional pay.

More importantly, as long as a person had sufficient ability and talent, there were opportunities for promotion and higher wages. For their family, this was undoubtedly a rare chance to change their fate.

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