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墨書 Inktalez
A new educated youth arrived in the village, named Su Muqing.
One day, while I was washing clothes in the yard, I heard a commotion at the village entrance. I looked up to see a crowd gathered around a stranger—a young woman dressed in a clean blue educated youth uniform, her hair tied up in a high ponytail, smiling brightly as she greeted everyone.
"This girl is really pretty!" Aunt Wang, standing next to me, exclaimed in admiration.
I wiped the soap suds off my hands and nodded. Indeed, this girl had delicate features and fair skin, looking much more vibrant than the girls in the village.
"I heard she came from the city and her family is well-off," Aunt Wang continued. "Her name is Su Muqing; it sounds like a cultured name."
I was taken aback. Su Muqing? Isn't she the female lead from the original story? Why is she here now? According to the plot, she should have a deep and unforgettable love story with Li Jianguo. My heart suddenly tightened.
In the following days, Su Muqing quickly established herself in the village. She was articulate and had beautiful handwriting, making her popular among the villagers. Especially the young men, who often visited her place to help fetch water and chop firewood.
What made me even more anxious was that I noticed her being particularly friendly with Li Jianguo.
One day, holding Little Bao in my arms, I went to the fields to bring lunch to Li Jianguo. From a distance, I saw Su Muqing standing on the ridge of the field, smiling as she chatted with Li Jianguo. He was wiping sweat from his forehead and also smiling back.
I stood there for a moment, unsure whether to approach them. Little Bao squirmed in my arms as I took a deep breath and decided to walk over.
"Jianguo, it's time to eat," I called out.
Li Jianguo turned his head, his eyes lighting up when he saw me and Little Bao. He quickly walked over. "You’re here! Just in time; I’m starving."
Su Muqing followed him over and smiled, saying, "So this is your sister-in-law? I've heard so much about how virtuous Captain Li's wife is; it’s nice to finally meet you."
Her voice was sweet, but her gaze swept over me with a hint of scrutiny.
"Hello, I'm Lin Xiaohui," I replied politely, but inside I was on high alert.
During lunch, Su Muqing kept chatting with Li Jianguo about new things from the city. Although Li Jianguo focused on eating, he occasionally responded with interest.
I lowered my head to feed Little Bao, but my heart felt like it had been turned upside down. Su Muqing was young and beautiful, knowledgeable and experienced, while I, despite having the advantage of space as a golden finger, knew that in this era, competition among women was not just about material wealth but also about spiritual allure.
On the way home, I remained silent. Li Jianguo seemed to sense something was off and asked, "What's wrong? Not feeling well?"
I shook my head. "I'm fine, just a bit tired."
Li Jianguo took Little Bao from my arms and said, "That Su Zhiqing is quite interesting. She mentioned that the 'Dazhai Spirit' is popular in the city and that our village could learn from it."
A pang of sadness hit me, and I forced a smile. "Yeah, she's well-informed."
In the following days, I noticed that Su Muqing found various reasons to appear before Li Jianguo almost every day. Sometimes she would ask about matters concerning the production team, other times she would borrow something, and occasionally she would come directly to my house under the pretext of wanting to see Little Bao.
I didn’t show any signs of unease; instead, I focused even more on taking care of my home. I cooked dishes that Li Jianguo loved, made new clothes for the children, and used resources from my space to help solve some minor issues for the villagers.
For instance, when Aunt Wang's elderly mother had a toothache, I prepared a herbal remedy for her; when Old Li's chronic leg pain flared up, I brought him a bottle of liniment. These small acts may have seemed insignificant, but they drew the villagers closer to me.
I understood that in this era of scarcity, solving practical problems was far more important than sweet talk.
However, it seemed that Su Muqing had also sensed my "threat." One day while drawing water from the well, I overheard several women gossiping.
"I heard that Lin Xiaohui used to be some big official's mistress in the city before being sent to our village."
"Is that true? She seems like such an honest girl."
"Su Zhiqing said so; she heard about it in the city. She also mentioned that no one knows who the father of Lin Xiaohui's child is."
My hand trembled, and the water bucket nearly slipped into the well. These words were clearly rumors spread by Su Muqing!
I didn’t argue on the spot but silently finished drawing water and returned home. That evening when Li Jianguo came back, I was about to bring up the matter when he spoke first.
"Today, someone in the village told me some gossip, speaking ill of you," Li Jianguo said with a frown. "I scolded that person. After all these years as husband and wife, I know who you are. Those people just talk without thinking; don’t take it to heart."
A warmth spread through me, and I nearly cried. "As long as you believe in me."
Li Jianguo patted my head. "Silly, of course I believe you. That Su Zhiqing may be sweet-talking, but I always feel something is off about her. When she comes over, don’t be too enthusiastic."
So Li Jianguo had seen through it all! The heavy weight in my heart finally lifted.
The next day, I ran into Su Muqing at the village entrance. She was still smiling brightly, as if nothing had happened.
"Good morning, sister-in-law! Where are you off to?" she asked sweetly.
I looked her straight in the eye. "Su Zhiqing, I don’t understand why you’re spreading those rumors, but please don’t do it again."
Her smile faltered for a moment before quickly returning to normal. "What are you talking about, sister-in-law? I don’t understand."
"You do understand," I replied calmly. "I don’t know what you’ve been through in your previous life, but here, everyone is just trying to survive. Instead of wasting energy on pointless conflicts, why not think about how to make life better?"
Su Muqing’s gaze flickered; she seemed surprised by my directness.
"And," I added, "Li Jianguo is my husband, and we have two children. No matter what your intentions are, please respect that fact."
With that, I turned and walked away, not giving her a chance to respond.
After that conversation, Su Muqing's rumors gradually subsided. She seemed to realize that her little tactics were ineffective against me and began focusing her energy on the work of the production team.
A few days later, the production team held a meeting to discuss the autumn harvest. During the meeting, Su Muqing proposed several improvement suggestions that were indeed insightful. I listened attentively and shared my own thoughts as well.
After the meeting, Li Jianguo said to me, "What you said today made a lot of sense; our team can give it a try."
I smiled and said, "I was just thinking about how to make everyone's lives a little better."
Li Jianguo patted my shoulder and replied, "That's what I like about you—you're so genuine."
Later that evening, after putting the children to bed, I sat in the yard gazing at the stars. This sudden "competition" made me realize an important truth: in this era, a woman's struggle is not just emotional but also about survival.
I must become stronger and more independent to protect my family and stand firm.
Not long after, a medical team arrived in the village to check on the villagers' health. Su Muqing suddenly fell ill and was diagnosed with severe anemia. After hearing the news, I hesitated for a moment but decided to take some herbal medicine for blood replenishment from my space and asked Li Jianguo to deliver it to her.
When Li Jianguo returned, he told me that Su Muqing was very touched and asked if it was my idea.
"Yes," I replied, "we're all from the same village; it's only right to help each other."
Li Jianguo smiled and ruffled my hair, saying, "My wife has such a kind heart."
I understood that true strength lies not in defeating one's rivals but in having the capacity to help those who were once opponents. Only with a strong enough heart can one remain unshaken by the tempests of the outside world.
That night, as I lay in bed watching Li Jianguo and the children sleep peacefully, I felt a deep sense of security. I believed that as long as I was strong enough, no one could hurt me or take away my happiness.
This belief would support me as I navigated this unfamiliar era, helping me move forward with greater stability and purpose.
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