Chapter 52: Gu Weidong’s Revenge

Chapter 52: Gu Weidong’s Revenge

"You took his family's jade pendant as well?"

Wo Yongbing was genuinely unaware of this matter.

This was because Miao Cuilan had given the jade pendant to Wo Yueying privately after the engagement.

Considering the value of the jade pendant, she gave it to Wo Yueying in private, fearing the two daughters-in-law might covet it.

When Gu Weidong mentioned it, the Wo family looked confused, clearly unaware of the jade pendant.

Wo Yueying initially tried to lie, claiming the jade pendant had been confiscated, but Gu Weidong had already seen through her intentions and preemptively stopped her, leaving her with no way to excuse herself.

"If you refuse to return it, I won’t hesitate to ask the police station to mediate. I’m confident that wherever we go, my family will be in the right. Your family, Captain Wo, is known for being reasonable. You wouldn’t want to make things difficult for us, would you?"

Gu Weidong's tone was light, but the threat was unmistakable.

Before Wo Yueying could respond, Wo Yongbing turned around, glaring at his daughter angrily.

"If you’re told to return it, then do it. Why are you hesitating? You refused to marry him, so why are you still holding onto his things? Don’t you have any shame? I do!"

Under everyone’s gaze, Wo Yueying lowered her head, her face contorted with anger. She hated Gu Weidong to the core. After a long pause, she mumbled in a voice barely audible.

"The jade pendant isn’t here with me. I... I sold it."

As soon as she spoke, everyone present erupted in shock.

Especially Wo Yongbing, who was incredulous at what he had just heard.

"What did you say? Sold it? To whom did you sell it? Are you out of your mind? That was a family heirloom left by his grandfather. You sold it without a word? Do you have any sense?"

Wo Yongbing was so angry he felt his lungs would explode. He had always believed that he had lived an upright life, whether as a militiaman going into battle or as a farmer working the land. He had never slacked off. But now, the good reputation he had built over a lifetime was about to be destroyed by his unfilial daughter, Wo Yueying!

The Gu family was also furious.

Miao Cuilan's gaze toward Wo Yueying was like daggers, and the other members of the Gu family were equally indignant, not expecting Wo Yueying to behave so shamelessly.

The elderly village elders who accompanied them were speechless, their expressions hard to read. Especially Murong Ah Po, who had been an old neighbor and friend of Gu Weidong's grandfather. When she had returned from the war-torn Shen City to the northeastern Kaoshan Village, it was Gu Weidong's grandfather who had personally gone south to bring her back. Murong Ah Po remembered this kindness her whole life.

"Wu family's girl, that jade pendant was the most precious item to Gu Qingping when he was alive. You think you can just casually mention you sold it and expect to just brush it aside? Even if the Gu family agrees, this old woman of mine won't."

"Where did you sell it, to whom, and for how much? You need to explain every detail!"

Wu Yueying knew there was no turning back once the arrow had been shot, and she decided to throw caution to the wind, stubbornly retorting:

"Anything their family gave me is mine now, and it wasn't said that I couldn't sell it. I was short of money, and I met a peddler at the market and sold it to him."

"I don't know the peddler, and it's been too long to remember his appearance. I've already spent the money. If you want compensation, just tell me how much, and I'll write an IOU. When I earn money in the future, I'll pay you back!"

Gu Weidong wasn't surprised at all by Wu Yueying's answer. After all these years, her selfish, foolish, and malicious nature had never changed. Even if she got another chance, she still wouldn’t repent. She truly believed that everyone in the world had to indulge her!

Gu Weidong, both amused and angry, couldn’t be bothered to waste any more words on Wu Yueying. He turned directly to Gu Weibei behind him and said,

"Xiao Bei, go to the town police station. Tell them we're filing a report because our family heirloom has been sold off. I wonder if this counts as theft. Ask the comrades at the police station to come to the village."

At this point, Gu Weidong gave a meaningful look, implying something as he said,

"I heard just yesterday that a certain educated youth from Jicheng, Jian, also brought a family jade pendant."

"When the police comrades arrive, I'll ask them to inquire about it. I’ll take a look as well, just out of curiosity, to see if all family jade pendants look alike. I wonder whether Comrade Jian's family jade was registered with the Revolutionary Committee."

"If it wasn’t registered, it would be considered the private possession of prohibited items, remnants of feudal culture and old ideas."

Wu Yueying's face suddenly turned deathly pale, staring at Gu Weidong in shock and panic.

She never expected Gu Weidong to guess so quickly where the jade pendant had ended up and even to have the police investigate Jian Ming. If Jian Ming were to be arrested by the police, the truth about the jade pendant would be exposed. Even with several mouths, Jian Ming wouldn't be able to clear his name. If a criminal record was left, his chances of attending the worker-peasant-soldier university would be ruined.

Wu Yueying didn't dare to lie anymore. She immediately cried out in desperation,

"Don't call the police! I'll tell you! I was just joking! I didn't sell the jade pendant. A friend of mine thought the design of the jade pendant was beautiful and borrowed it to study the pattern. I’ll go get it back and return it to you right away!"

News of Wu Yueying and Jian Ming had spread like wildfire, and everyone in the village knew about it. Gu Weidong’s words were so direct that it was as if he was pointing a finger at Wu Yueying and scolding her. Anyone with a bit of sense could understand the implication.

Thus, Wu Yueying’s lame excuse to cover up her actions was useless. Everyone present realized that Wu Yueying had given the Gu family's jade pendant to Jian Ming!

This was truly the height of absurdity. Not only had she been two-timing, but she had also given her ex-fiancé's engagement token to her new lover. It was baffling and beyond comprehension. At this point, even the Wu family felt ashamed and wished they could sink into the ground and vanish.

Because back then, Old Master Gu had lost his life saving Wu Yueying, and ever since, Wu Yongbing's wife had always felt looked down upon in front of the Gu family. She couldn’t speak up confidently, and out of guilt, she deliberately distanced herself from Miao Cuilan and didn't interact much with the Gu family. Only by doing so could she find some peace of mind and maintain a superficial calm.

However, she never expected that her daughter's continuous actions would cause her carefully constructed facade of toughness to crumble. The eyes of the Gu family fell upon her like loud slaps, making her feel humiliated and unable to hold her head high.

Seeing her daughter's self-righteous and unrepentant attitude, Wu Yongbing was trembling with rage. Before anyone could react, he lunged forward and delivered a sharp slap across Wu Yueying’s face.

"Now, immediately, go and bring back the jade pendant! Otherwise, don't ever call me Dad again. I, Wu Yongbing, have no shameless daughter like you!" he roared.

Wu Yueying, incredulously clutching her swollen cheek, felt a mix of anger and shame. She glared at Wu Yongbing with resentment, bit her lip, and clenched her fists tightly. Her gaze swept over everyone in the room, and then she turned and ran out.

Once Wu Yueying ran out, the Wu family felt as if they were being grilled.

Wu Cong and Wu Min, the two brothers, were extremely exasperated with their sister.

Their wives were even more disgusted with this unreasonable sister-in-law, and they exchanged a secret glance, wishing this mad sister-in-law would get married far away as soon as possible.

If Wu Yueying dared to bring a husband into their family, these two daughters-in-law would definitely demand a split of the household, each asking for a plot of residential land in the village, building their houses as far away from this sister as possible.

Originally, they thought Wu Yueying would return in at most half an hour, but to everyone's surprise, the Gu family waited at the Wu family's house for over two hours. By the time it was around 8 or 9 PM, when most households in the village had already turned off their lights and gone to bed, and the elderly people invited by the Gu family were yawning incessantly from tiredness, the Wu family’s young lady finally returned, moving slowly and leisurely.

As soon as she entered and saw that the Gu family was still there, Wu Yueying’s expression paused for a moment, and she sneered at Gu Weidong.

"What's there to be so arrogant about? It's just a jade pendant. I don’t even want this trash. Here, take it back!"

Saying that, Wu Yueying reached into her pocket and pulled out an object, pretending to throw it at Gu Weidong.

"Wu Yueying!"

"If you dare to throw it, I'll make sure you end up in prison. If I don't, I won't be surnamed Gu!" Gu Weidong shouted fiercely at the same moment, immediately realizing what she was about to do.

Wu Yueying’s hand froze mid-air, her eyes filled with resentment and unwillingness as she looked at Gu Weidong.

This action almost scared the Wu family out of their wits, their hearts leaping into their throats.

Even before Wu Yongbing could say anything, Wu Cong and Wu Min had already rushed forward, grabbing the jade pendant from Wu Yueying’s hand, afraid she would cause more trouble if left to her own devices.

This is their family heirloom jade pendant. If it were to be damaged, even bankrupting their entire family wouldn't be enough to compensate for it!

The two brothers gripped the jade pendant tightly and examined it meticulously. When they handed it over to Miao Cuilan, they remained on edge. Until they received confirmation from the Gu family that the jade was intact, neither of them dared to relax.

Miao Cuilan checked the jade pendant and, seeing no signs of damage, finally felt relieved. Just as she was about to put the jade in her pocket, Gu Weidong suddenly reached out and said to his mother,

"Let me see it, Mother!"

Gu Weidong wasn't being overly cautious. This jade pendant was made of top-quality suet jade, something people were avoiding at the time, but which would be hyped up to sky-high prices twenty years later.

Had he not seen that interview with the so-called Wall Street elite in a domestic magazine years ago, he wouldn't have known that Wo Yueying had given away the jade pendant years ago!

So at this moment, Gu Weidong was extremely cautious, fearing that the jade pendant might have been swapped by the sneaky Jian Ming!

As soon as Gu Weidong got his hands on the jade, Wo Yueying's expression turned uneasy, looking guilty as she nervously watched his every move.

This made Gu Weidong even more certain that Wo Yueying and Jian Ming had returned the jade so readily because there was something fishy going on.

This jade pendant had been handed down by his grandfather, Gu Qingping. The jade was as smooth and dense as freshly cut mutton fat, pure, and translucent. Its texture was so fine and white that it was extremely rare and valuable.

In the past, Gu Weidong had wanted to retrieve the jade from Wo Yueying to have it appraised at the Jicheng auction house, but each time, Wo Yueying's antics prevented it. Eventually, Wo Yueying had made a big scene about divorcing him, and Jian Ming had shamelessly published a photo of the jade in a magazine. That was when Gu Weidong realized that his family's heirloom had become another person's property!

Now, after carefully examining the jade pendant, Gu Weidong couldn't see anything outwardly amiss.

Although he was always cautious, he wasn't knowledgeable about jade. After examining it for several minutes and finding no anomalies, he decided to take it back for the time being.

By the time the Gu family had escorted the elders who came to witness the situation back home, it was nearly 10 PM. At this hour, Ye Qing was in the kitchen making malt sugar.

When she went to the countryside, she had used all her sugar rations to buy candies and snacks. However, she hadn't bought any brown or white sugar because she believed she could manage that on her own.

Over the past few days, she had secretly planted a batch of wheat and glutinous rice in her private plot, harvesting about a hundred jin of each. Though it wasn't much, it was more than enough to make malt sugar.

The process of making malt sugar was relatively simple and easy to handle. After using her special ability to catalyze the malt, she mixed it with glutinous rice and fermented it in a jar for a day. As the malt and glutinous rice turned sugary, it was time to filter out the juice and boil the sugar in the evening.

Just as she had brought the sugar syrup to a consistency where it could form a flag and was about to remove the fire from the stove, she was planning to take two pieces of sugar syrup for Murong Ah Po and Wang Chunhua to try, when she heard some noise outside the yard.

Ye Qing quickly called out, "Ah Po, Aunt Wang, is everything settled? Oh, you're back just in time. I've just finished cooking the malt sugar, and it's about to be taken off the stove. Come and taste how sweet it is!"

Gu Auntie had been cursing all the way back from the Wo family and was still in a bad mood. But upon hearing that Ye Qing had sugar to share, she wasted no time. Supporting Murong Ah Po, she headed straight to the kitchen. As they entered, she took a deep breath:

"Ye Qing, you can even make malt sugar? This smells so good, and even without tasting it, I know it must be delicious!"

Ye Qing also felt quite proud of herself. She had only watched videos on how to make malt sugar before and had a general idea of the process. Surprisingly, her first attempt in this new world was a success.

Ye Qing cooled two lumps of sugar syrup in cold water until they formed sugar blocks, and then stuffed them into the mouths of Ah Po and Aunt Gu.

As soon as the malt sugar entered her mouth, Ah Po's eyes crinkled into a smile, unable to hide her joy, and Aunt Gu's eyes widened in astonishment:

"This sugar is really delicious, sweet and fragrant, just as good as the sugar cubes bought at the market!"

Ye Qing smiled. She had thought about using beets to make sugar. Sugar from beets doesn't require fermentation; you just crush the roots into juice, which is simpler than making malt sugar. However, she didn't have any beet seeds on hand. Next time she went to town, she definitely planned to ask at the agricultural station.

"It's a shame there are no hawthorns or wild fruits. Otherwise, with this consistency, we could make sugar-coated haws," Ye Qing said.

At this point, the other two kids from the Gu family squeezed into the kitchen, demanding a taste and continuing the conversation where Ye Qing had left off:

"Hawthorns and wild fruits? There are plenty of them in the back mountain at this time of year. Ye Qing, if you want to eat them, we can help you pick some tomorrow!"

Upon hearing this, Ye Qing perked up.

She had been wanting to go into the mountains for some time but had been too caught up in recent events to make time. Now that Gu Weinan and Gu Weibei mentioned it, she was definitely tempted.

"If you’re going into the mountains, count me in. But tomorrow might not work for me. Tomorrow, I need to go to the military farm to assist a cow with delivery. How about the day after tomorrow? By then, I’ll be free and can join you in the mountains. I need to prepare herb packs for your older brother's medicinal bath, so I have to find the necessary herbs in the mountains."

The two siblings were fine with it. They had taken a half-month break for the autumn harvest to help out in the village, so they had plenty of time. Delaying it a day or two wasn’t a problem.

Ye Qing packed the cooled malt sugar and stuffed large chunks into Gu Weinan and Gu Weibei's mouths. Just as she was about to withdraw her hand, Gu Weidong entered.

He was about to ask if there was any left for him when his mother interrupted:

"No need to give any to Weidong. He doesn’t like sweets. Last time, his boss gave him some malted milk powder, and he found it too sweet and cloying."

Gu Weidong: ...

He glanced at the packed malt sugar beside Ye Qing, awkwardly withdrew his hand, and then said to Ye Qing:

"Do you know anything about jade?"

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Ye Qing was at a loss. "Huh?"

Gu Weidong took out the jade pendant from his chest and said succinctly:

"This is our family heirloom jade. I just got it back from the Wu family, but something feels off, though I can't quite put my finger on it. If you know anything about jade, could you help me take a look?"

How could Ye Qing know anything about jade? But when she saw the jade pendant Gu Weidong pulled out, its lustrous and smooth surface caught her eye. Even in the dim light of the kerosene lamp, it seemed to emit a faint, captivating glow. She couldn't resist reaching out to examine it.

However, as soon as she held the jade, Ye Qing felt something strange.

Her senses were sharp, and she thought she detected a faint sour smell. Uncertain, she brought the jade pendant close to her nose for a closer sniff.

This time, Ye Qing was sure. The sour smell was definitely coming from the jade pendant.

"Was this jade pendant soaked in white vinegar? Or did it get contaminated with sweat, which is why it has this sour odor?" Ye Qing couldn't help but ask.

At her words, everyone in the room was taken aback.

Gu Weidong had been so focused on checking for any damage to the jade's appearance that he hadn't considered its smell. Now, reminded by Ye Qing, he immediately brought the jade to his nose and sniffed it.

With this sniff, he knew Ye Qing was right.

"I'm not sure what was put on it, but there's definitely a sour smell."

Ye Qing immediately replied, "That's something to be careful about. Jade is primarily composed of calcium magnesium silicate. This type of mineral is particularly vulnerable to acids because it can undergo a chemical reaction with acidic substances, causing the surface to erode, become rough and porous, and lose its shine. Once the jade's texture is damaged, it loses value."

The few people in the room understood Ye Qing's explanation despite the chemical terms.

Everyone immediately stopped eating the malt candy, and their faces all darkened.

Gu Weidong's face darkened frighteningly, and his fists clenched in anger!

He thought, given Wu Yueying’s typical behavior, she wouldn’t return it willingly. Sure enough, his suspicion was confirmed. The jade pendant had been tampered with!

These two were really ruthless. If they couldn’t get it, they’d destroy it. No one in his family knew much about jade. When they got it back, they wouldn’t notice any issues and would store the jade properly.

This meant the acidic substances would stay on the jade pendant. After some time, the jade would likely be ruined beyond recognition!

Seeing the reactions of the Gu family, Ye Qing realized they were even more clueless than she was. She quickly went into the house to find some soap, preparing a small basin of mild soapy water. Cautiously washing the jade pendant for a while, she ensured the sour smell was gone before rinsing it several more times with clean water.

"Acidic substances should be neutralized with alkali. The main component of soap is sodium fatty acid, which forms a weak alkaline solution when dissolved in water. In cases like this, it's best to clean the jade with a weak alkali, but after cleaning, you need to rinse it several times with water to ensure no alkali residue remains."

"This kind of top-quality jade is most averse to acid and alkali, as the damage to its surface is almost irreversible. If acidic substances are left on the surface and not cleaned, over time, the jade will likely be ruined."

While washing, Ye Qing couldn't help but explain to the Gu family.

After washing, Ye Qing carefully dried the jade with a towel. She examined it thoroughly under the oil lamp and finally breathed a sigh of relief before handing it back to Gu Weidong.

"It must not have been submerged for long. There's no damage to the jade. Fortunately, we discovered it early; had we waited longer, it could have become troublesome."

"That vile pair! They lack decency and still dare to play these vicious tricks behind our backs. Brother, we can't let them off so easily!"

Gu Weinan, with her short temper, was like a lit firecracker, rolling up her sleeves and preparing to storm out to confront them.

But before she could rush out, Gu Weibei grabbed her by the collar.

"What's the hurry? With so many men in the family, do we need you to take the lead? What happened between Brother and Wu Yueying is now old news. There's no need to make a bigger fuss and become the laughingstock of the entire village!"

These words didn't sit well with Gu Weinan. "If we don't parade them through the streets, that's already mercy on our part. Are we supposed to just stay silent after taking such a huge loss? Why should we let them off so easily? It's too cheap for them!"

Gu Weibei couldn't help but sigh. "What’s the point of having a brain if you don’t use it? Brother always says you’re suited for the military, but if you join, you’ll probably end up as a frontline soldier your whole life—muscle-bound but mindless!"

"Even if we go to them for an explanation, do you think they'll admit it? We can't provide evidence for just a faint acidic smell. If we make a big deal out of this, the villagers might think we’re making a mountain out of a molehill. We might end up being seen as the unreasonable ones."

Gu Weinan was stumped and looked at Gu Weibei, then back at Gu Weidong.

"So, can we just let this slide?"

A trademark innocent smile appeared on Gu Weibei's face.

"What can be done? As a girl, you should stay out of this. Go brush your teeth and sleep after you finish your candy. Do you really see yourself as a fierce woman? Let me tell you, if you keep acting like this, you won’t find a husband in Qingshan Town, and maybe not even in the entire Jiaotan County!"

Enraged, Gu Weinan chased after Gu Weibei and started hitting him.

"How can you talk like that? Do you even remember I’m your older sister?"

As an outsider, Ye Qing naturally couldn’t get involved, but she noticed a gleam in Gu Weidong’s eyes and guessed he was also planning something. Though she didn’t know exactly what Gu Weidong planned to do to Jian Ming and Wu Yueying, if he sought revenge, it wouldn’t be a harmless prank—it would be far from a harmless prank.

Ye Qing couldn't help but silently mourn for those two, thinking they had really messed with the wrong person. Why pick a fight with Gu Weidong, the reckless fighter of the Gu family? This guy was someone who would disregard his own safety for a mission. No matter how scheming they were, could they really outsmart him?

Once the malt sugar had cooled down enough to touch, Ye Qing poured the syrup out of the pot and quickly pulled and stretched it in her hands. She stretched the golden syrup into long white strips, then used scissors to cut them into roughly equal pieces. She then formed them into round balls, and the malt sugar pills were now ready.

Ye Qing packed about a jin (approximately one pound) of the candy into a paper bag and pressed it into Aunt Gu’s hands, urging her to take it home. Aunt Gu, of course, felt embarrassed and refused, but Ye Qing’s words left her speechless.

"If you won't even accept this small token, how could I possibly ask for your help with something bigger?"

With that, Ye Qing shoved the large bag of malt sugar into Gu Weidong's arms, giving Aunt Gu no chance to refuse.

As he looked at the white sugar pieces in the paper bag, Gu Weidong silently swallowed his saliva. Turning into the night, he pinched a piece of candy and stuffed it into his mouth before anyone—especially the other three at home—could catch him. He then quickly closed his mouth, acting as if he hadn't just taken a piece of candy.

After finishing the malt sugar and cleaning up the kitchen, Ye Qing also completed the acupuncture treatment for Murong Ah Po. By then, it was already very late. After washing up, Ye Qing was about to pour the dirty water into her private vegetable plot when she saw three shadows dart across the neighboring yard.

Ye Qing halted for a moment, then pretended not to have seen anything and went inside.

As soon as she saw those three shadows, she knew exactly what was going on.

It was a dark and windy night, and the three men of the Gu family were preparing to go out and do something.

The next morning, before Ye Qing had even gone to work, Meng Jia rushed over with a look of schadenfreude. As soon as she entered the house, she excitedly delivered some explosive news.

"Last night, Jian Ming and Liu Mei were caught messing around in the haystack! This morning, they were caught in the act!"

Ye Qing's hands froze for a moment as she looked up in shock at Meng Jia.

"What?"

Seeing that Ye Qing didn't believe her, Meng Jia began to excitedly gesture and explain.

"It's true! This morning, as everyone was heading out to work in the fields, the two of them—whether they were too deeply asleep or not—didn't wake up even when people started working. Their snoring gave them away, and when the villagers lifted the haystack cover, guess what they saw? The two of them, disheveled and hugging each other. It was so embarrassing that several female educated youth had to cover their eyes."

Ye Qing couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth.

She had guessed that the three men went out to do something last night, but she didn’t expect them to pull off such a stunt.

Listening to Meng Jia's vivid description, Ye Qing could easily imagine how chaotic the scene must have been.

She wondered, though, after all the trouble over the past few weeks—the hunger strikes, the self-damaged reputation, and the meticulous efforts to break off the original engagement—only to have the carefully selected "promising candidate" snatched by Liu Mei, would Wu Yueying be furious to the point of madness?

"Is this considered bullying? How can such indecent and morally corrupt behavior be allowed to go unchecked in the village?" Ye Qing was somewhat curious.

Meng Jia immediately replied:

"How could that be? This happened right under everyone's noses. With such obvious misconduct between a man and a woman, how could the village officials possibly turn a blind eye? They were caught on the spot, and now the villagers are all calling for those disgraceful individuals to be paraded through the streets as an example!"

What Ye Qing was more curious about was Jian Ming and Liu Mei's reactions:

"Did they confess?"

At this, Meng Jia found it amusing:

"Jian Ming didn't confess. He kept crying out that he was innocent, saying he spent the night at a villager's house and someone knocked him out and stuffed him into the hay stack. He claims he was framed."

"But his denial was useless. Liu Mei has already confessed, saying she and Jian Ming have known each other since childhood and were already engaged. She said this incident happened because they couldn't control their feelings. Since there is no designated place for young intellectuals in the village, they never had any private time together. They felt they had no choice but to seek intimacy in the hay stack."

"She also said that both sets of parents have already tacitly approved of their relationship. The reason they haven't registered their marriage is that they plan to return to their hometown during the New Year to celebrate their wedding."

"Jian Ming is almost driven mad with anger, cursing Liu Mei, but she insists they are dating. No matter how hysterically Jian Ming curses her, she remains submissive, acting like a long-suffering wife, which only further confirms their illicit affair."

"Right now, Captain Wu and the old Party Secretary are in a meeting, discussing the outcome of the punishment for Jian Ming and Liu Mei. The commune members are no longer interested in working and are all gathered in a cluster at the village entrance, discussing this matter."

Ye Qing found it increasingly amusing and almost burst out laughing right there.

It was absolutely the case that Jian Ming and Liu Mei had been knocked out and stuffed into a haystack by the three Gu siblings, with the intent to tarnish Jian Ming's reputation.

By common sense, the best way for Liu Mei to extricate herself would be to accuse Jian Ming of rape. That way, Jian Ming would be branded as a disgraced rapist for life and would never be able to clear his reputation.

However, Ye Qing suspected that even the three Gu siblings hadn't expected such a bizarre turn of events. Jian Ming was indeed claiming innocence, but Liu Mei, in a desperate bid to cling to him, had shamelessly fabricated a story that they were a couple in a relationship.

With the village in such turmoil, Jian Ming would soon realize the gravity of the situation. If he didn’t want to be labeled as a hooligan, his only option would be to swallow his pride and go along with Liu Mei’s version of events.

Ye Qing’s guess was spot on. After doing their mischief last night, the Gu siblings had gone back home and slept like logs. This morning, Gu Weinan and Gu Weibei had eagerly gotten up and joined the group heading to the fields, but in reality, they were just there to watch the drama unfold.

However, their expressions quickly changed from excitement to shock and bewilderment, as they were completely dumbfounded by Liu Mei, the 'extraordinary woman.'

The sister and brother were so stunned that they couldn’t recover even after returning home from watching the spectacle. They didn’t even know how to explain the situation to their older brother.

When Gu Weidong finally understood what had transpired, he was so shocked he thought he had misheard."

However, soon he was sitting on the edge of the kang, shaking all over. He was so elated that he nearly rolled around on the bed but had to suppress his laughter to avoid aggravating his sutured wounds, enduring it with great effort.

"Big brother, what are you laughing at?" Gu Weinan asked, perplexed.

Feeling extremely pleased, Gu Weidong asked with a raised eyebrow,

"What was the purpose of what we did last night?"

The two little ones replied in unison, "Of course, to teach Jian Ming a lesson, preferably by sending him to prison!"

Gu Weidong chuckled, "I think this outcome might be even more painful for him than going to prison."

"Why is that?" Gu Weinan and Gu Weibei looked confused.

"Jian Ming's goal in getting close to Wu Yueying was to use her as a stepping stone to get the admission letter for the worker-peasant-soldier university, which would allow him to return to the city, right?"

"Now that Liu Mei has caused trouble, there's no chance for him and Wu Yueying anymore. The path to the university is now blocked. To ensure Wu Yueying gives up, Wu Yongbing might even try to solidify Liu Mei and Jian Ming's relationship."

"At that point, to save himself, Jian Ming will have no choice but to marry Liu Mei. Once they register their marriage, Wu Yueying will end up with nothing, like trying to scoop the moon from the bottom of a well."

"After all their scheming, they've gained nothing and even ruined themselves. Isn't this the most painful punishment for them?"

There were two other funny aspects that Gu Weidong couldn't mention for the time being.

Liu Mei is said to have a paranoid personality disorder, making her stubborn, jealous, overly suspicious, and prone to paranoid delusions. Once someone like that falls for you, it's like being stuck to tough toffee; you'll never be able to shake them off in this lifetime.

This was going to be a disaster. Given Liu Mei's pathological need for control, Jian Ming was in for a rough time.

As for Wu Yueying, based on the timeline, this foolish woman had probably already given herself to Jian Ming both physically and emotionally to secure him. That child from a past life may have already been conceived in her womb.

If Jian Ming and Liu Mei register their marriage, Wu Yueying would have to find a new, cheaper father for her child. But this time, without Gu Weidong as a fall guy to take the fall, Gu Weidong was eager to see what Wu Yueying would do next.

It must be said, Gu Weidong's analysis was spot on.

As for Jian Ming, who had charmed his daughter to the point of distraction, even resorting to suicide by hanging and starvation to resist her arranged marriage, Wu Yongbing had no liking for him at all.

Wu Yongbing was more than eager for this male educated youth to start a family with another woman. Once they were married, it would sever Wu Yueying's hopes. Therefore, this incident actually played right into Wu Yongbing's hands.

Thus, when the villagers were clamoring to parade Jian Ming and Liu Mei through the village as a public spectacle, Wu Yongbing, as the production team leader, actually sided with these two educated youths.

Captain Wu stated solemnly that it was not easy for the young urbanites sent to the countryside, and the villagers should show some understanding and lend their support. Especially in cases such as Liu Mei and Jian Ming, their situation was indeed excusable. As long as they went to the town to get their marriage certificate processed and officially became a married couple, the brigade would turn a blind eye. They would be spared from the public shaming parade and only be subjected to some labor punishment.

The news of Wu Yueying loudly proclaiming she would marry Jian Ming had long spread throughout the village. Everyone in the village knew about the affair between Wu Yongbing's daughter and Jian Ming—and that it had all happened before her engagement to the Gu family was officially ended.

Now that Wu Yongbing had spoken, the villagers grasped his intentions. However, since Wu Yongbing was the captain of the village, and this incident involved two young urbanites, which had nothing to do with the villagers, they were willing to give Wu Yongbing face.

As a result, instead of being paraded through the village, Liu Mei and Jian Ming were given ideological education by the brigade cadres. Jian Ming ultimately admitted to being in a relationship with Liu Mei. Under Wu Yongbing’s urging, Wu Cong was assigned to drive the ox cart and escort the two to the town to get their marriage certificate processed.

When Wu Yueying, who had slept in until the sun was high, heard the news, Liu Mei had already returned, holding the marriage certificate. She was so elated she seemed to float all the way back, even showing the certificate to everyone in the village.

Seeing Liu Mei holding the marriage certificate and Jian Ming trailing behind, looking utterly dejected, Wu Yueying collapsed to the ground, nearly driven mad with rage.