It was still dark when Cuihua got up groggily.
Steam wafted from the big iron pot, and the aroma of rice wafted from within—Suizi was bustling around in her apron.
The rice was ready, and the poultry was fed.
Cuihua marveled at how efficiently Suizi managed everything both inside and outside the house.
"You're pregnant; you should sleep more. You don't need to work with me and Tiegen here."
"I've slept enough."
Indeed, she had.
Thinking of the scoundrel who had carried her into the house yesterday, Suizi felt her face heat up.
That fellow was so restless in his sleep.
His leg wrapped around hers, his hand—ugh.
With someone so untrustworthy by her side, it would be strange if she could sleep soundly.
"I'll visit the village chief later, I promised him corn cakes yesterday. I feel bad because he was injured due to our family matters."
"That sly fox, he wouldn't help if there wasn't something in it for him. Saying it's for you, but it's really for his son? You don't owe him any favors."
While Cuihua said this, she took out two one-yuan notes from her pocket and handed them to Suizi.
"Don't just bring cakes, buy a canned good too."
Yu Jingting hummed a tune as he exited the room, his cotton jacket unbuttoned, revealing the fingernail marks on his collarbone clearly.
Suizi hurried to help him button up, fearful that her mother-in-law might notice anything.
"You go with Suizi to see the village chief. The production team's accountant was transferred, and Suizi is educated; she could take over."
Seizing the moment his mother turned away, Yu Jingting swiftly kissed Suizi on the face. So soft.
"The production team will eventually dissolve. It's not very significant to curry favor now."
"Did you hear any rumors?" Cuihua asked.
"The neighboring villages have all held meetings; only our production team hasn't made a move."
"Have the other villages agreed to dissolve the production teams?"
"It's bound to happen; our village will hold a meeting within a month or two."
Suizi, listening to this mother and son, gained more respect for Yu Jingting.
He was always darting here and there, rarely staying in the village, yet he was well-informed and intelligent, his analyses spot on—the production team would dissolve next year.
"Focus on taking care of the baby, and leave the money-making to your man," Yu Jingting still attempted a touch but was slapped away.
Suizi gestured with her eyes for him to behave; her mother-in-law was right there.
Cuihua served the rice, unable to see their side. Yu Jingting pulled Suizi closer, pinched her waist, and rubbed it twice. As Cuihua turned around, he resumed his saintly composure—a clear, moonlit breeze on his face.
"I'm off to handle big things, be good at home, will you?"
Inside, Suizi spat figuratively—she, the least well-behaved in the house, had no right to tell her to behave!
Yu Jingting headed back to the room, grabbed a cloth bag, and touched Suizi once more, then hummed a tune and walked out.
"Where are you off to now? Eat your meal before you go!"
Calling after him was no use; he didn't turn around, infuriating Cuihua enough to stamp her feet and curse.
"Unrestrained and downright irresponsible!"
Suizi used to agree with her mother-in-law, thinking he was a loafer who was nowhere to be found each day—an idle person.
But now, she thought differently; knowing how to earn money to support the family is what mattered, and being a bit lecherous...that she could tolerate.
Suizi stood outside the courtyard of the village chief's house, peering through the window.
A metal basin covered the stove, the village chief sat on a stool, holding a bottle of wine, guarding the stove.
It looked like he was roasting potatoes. If he could eat roasted potatoes, then his injuries weren't severe—Suizi had her answer.
"Sir, are you home?" Suizi called out.
"I'm home," the village chief replied, but he didn't come out.
In the village, not coming out to greet a guest already showed a lack of enthusiasm.
Suizi went inside and placed the canned food and snacks on the kang, and the village chief glanced over, his expression softening somewhat.
Wang Cuihua had only asked Suizi to buy one can, but Suizi added some money and gathered a few more items.
"Now that you're here, why bring so much?" the village chief stroked the gifts, his mood improving greatly.
"Sir, it was because of my issue that you got hurt. I feel sorry about it."
The village chief smiled satisfyingly and then genuinely invited Suizi to sit down.
With the gifts appropriately given, the conversation also lightened a lot.
The village chief first exchanged pleasantries with her and talked about the handling of Lun Lamei. This morning, the Chen Family also had people come over wanting to downplay the issue. They were willing to accept the work points Suizi mentioned, just hoping not to send Lun Lamei away.
The village chief was extremely vexed.
Chen Kaide had come with the old village chief who had some distant relatives in the Chen Family. He couldn't refuse this favor, and keeping Lun Lamei in the village, whether Suizi felt disgusted or not, was truly suffocating for the village chief.
Just as he was drinking to drown his sorrows, Suizi came over.
"Sir, don't be upset on my behalf. As for my mother-in-law, that's settled. If Lun Lamei can't stay in Yang Village, just turn a blind eye to anything that happens later."
The village chief sensed an underlying meaning in her words. Were the old Yu Family mother and daughter going to deal with Lun Lamei? As long as he could get rid of Lun Lamei, he was more than willing to cooperate.
"Does your mother-in-law 'calculate' the days, when will her bad luck hit?"
"It's in these few days, definitely. There will be retribution. My mother-in-law said, if there's no blood, it just means she has to leave Yang Village."
The village chief looked at Suizi, so prim and proper, seriously relaying the message, and sighed how such an honest child ended up in the Yu Family, a den of tigers and wolves?
Little did the village chief know, it wasn't the old Yu Family mother and daughter plotting this time, but Suizi herself seeking revenge.
Look at her like this, who would believe she was scheming?
Hearing that Lun Lamei was destined not to stay, the village chief was elated.
"Suizi, our production team's accountant has left, would you like to come and take up the role?"
"Thank you, Sir, but I don't want to be an accountant. I would like to teach at the village elementary school. My sister-in-law's homeroom teacher has gone to have a baby, I can fill in for her for a few months."
"What?!!" The village chief was shocked.
Junior college graduate teaching primary school, isn't that using a cannon to kill mosquitoes?!
"The village would definitely welcome it, but would your mother-in-law agree?" The village chief thought this kind of "unambitious" choice couldn't possibly be conceived by the cunning Wang Cuihua.
"It's just substituting for a few months, there won't be any problem with my mother-in-law—didn't they say substitute teaching pays quite well?"
"True, but—" once you finish substituting, there won't be a spot left for the accountant in the village!
The village chief almost blurted this out, considering the canned Sticky Rice Cake as a favor.
Suizi naively said, "I'm not the only junior college graduate in the village."
Besides her, the only one was Li Youcai.
"Suizi, go home and discuss it with your mother-in-law first." The village chief only regretted that Suizi wasn't his own daughter, as he would definitely have shaken some sense into this foolish girl.
This was not the time for modesty and pretending to be Kong Rong giving up pears; missing this opportunity could be a lifelong regret!
Confident in her plans, Suizi was giving up a hot potato, not a pear.
After leaving the village chief's house, Suizi walked towards her home, quickly passing by Li Youcai's Courtyard.
Suizi bent down, picked up a stone, and threw it at Li Youcai's dog.
The dog, being tied up, howled loudly.
Hearing the barking, Li Youcai looked up and saw his dream goddess right on his street.
"Suizi! Wait up!" Li Youcai rushed out of the house.
Seeing this low-quality male, Suizi bit her lip, resisting the urge to kick him.
The real drama was just beginning.