Chapter 120

He reached out to ruffle An An’s fluffy little head. An An instinctively leaned in to nuzzle against his brother, wrapping his arms around the one ruffling his hair like a tiny koala clinging to a tree branch.

Inside the space, the System watched its cub acting so shamelessly and turned its head away, unwilling to witness the disgrace. It truly didn’t want to admit this useless little thing was its own.

Even now, An An would still get excited just because he found a nest of bird eggs or because the weather was good and he could go out to play. He had absolutely no idea just how absurdly lucky he was.

The System had even started to suspect some kind of hereditary issue, trying to shift the blame from its cub onto Li Dazhuang.

Li Dazhuang was the same way. If you gave him a pig to raise for meat by the end of the year, he’d probably slaughter it the next day to make roast suckling pig.

Looking at Shitou, who was still upset over the broken engagement, the System could only sigh helplessly.

With their cub around, this guy’s good fortune was only just beginning!

When Shitou got home, he could see his mother’s face was dark with anger. She slammed things around while working, clearly venting her fury through the noise.

He quietly tidied up the yard and chopped the scraps to feed the chickens.

Three days later, rumors began to spread in the village. People said Shitou had fallen for a female Educated Youth, which was why he broke off the engagement.

Originally, many families had thought well of Shitou—he was honest and hardworking—and were willing to help arrange a match. But after hearing this, they immediately reconsidered.

Whether male or female, Educated Youths weren’t as capable as the local village boys and girls. They couldn’t carry or lift, and all they had going for them was a pretty face to charm the young and naive.

In the eyes of most elders in the village, anyone who fancied an Educated Youth had to be blind. Good looks didn’t put food on the table.

Auntie Li came back from doing laundry, fuming. She slammed the wooden washbasin down hard and rolled up her sleeves to hang the clothes.

At that moment, Granny Li was sitting in the courtyard sewing clothes for An An. At his age, kids were rough and tumble—his clothes barely lasted a few days before getting torn.

The little guy had come over with a tearful face, holding up his ripped shirt. Granny Li couldn’t even bring herself to scold him.

“What’s going on now?”

Granny Li looked up and asked. Just as she finished hanging the clothes, Auntie Li explained.

“They broke off the engagement, fine, I won’t make it hard for them. But now their family is spreading rumors in the village, saying it was Shitou who had a thing for that Educated Youth!”

Breaking off an engagement for an Educated Youth had already ruined his reputation. What family would still want to marry their daughter to someone like that?

Worse still, it might even affect Xiao Hua’s future marriage prospects. People would start wondering if the whole family was the same.

“No way, I have to go set the record straight.”

Granny Li grabbed her things and headed out. An An, who had been feeding the chickens, quickly picked up his little stool and trotted after his grandma.

There was an old tree in the village that had stood for many years. The elderly women who couldn’t do heavy work anymore often gathered there to sew or sort vegetables and chat about village gossip.

Right now, the hottest topic was how Li Family’s Shitou had broken off an engagement for a female Educated Youth.

Granny Li had barely sat down when someone sidled up, curious to hear the truth.

“Your grandson really fell for an Educated Youth? Which one? How come we never heard anything before?”

The village wasn’t that big—news traveled fast. If someone saw a local kid walking with an Educated Youth today, by tomorrow people would be guessing when they’d get engaged.

So when word got out that Shitou had broken off an engagement for an Educated Youth, everyone was shocked. After all, plenty of eyes were always watching that side.

Granny Li just shook her head, clearly unwilling to answer.

The others were dying of curiosity. They didn’t just want the truth—they wanted something juicy, something no one else knew, so they could spread it later.

The more Granny Li refused to talk, the more their curiosity burned.

One of the old ladies scooted her stool closer and lowered her voice.

“What really happened? I watched Shitou grow up—he doesn’t seem like the kind to back out of an engagement.”

That finally got a smile out of Granny Li. She tied off the thread on the mended shirt, and An An, sitting beside her, automatically reached out to take it, hugging it to his chest.

“This whole mess happened because we didn’t get the facts straight before the engagement. Turns out the girl had already agreed to marry that Educated Youth, but hadn’t told her family yet. You see how that led to such a big misunderstanding.”

Granny Li spread her hands in a helpless gesture. The old folks around her nearly pricked up their ears.

Who would’ve thought there was such a shocking twist?

The one involved with the Educated Youth wasn’t the Li family’s son—it was the girl from the other family! No wonder they were so eager to break off the engagement.

If what Granny Li said was true, and after breaking off the engagement they still tried to pin the blame on the Li family—who would dare associate with people like that?

“Are you serious? It really wasn’t your Shitou?”

“Of course not.”

Granny Li denied it flatly. If this had all ended quietly, they might’ve swallowed their anger for the sake of reputation. But now that the other family had flung mud at them, if they didn’t fight back, people would think they were easy targets.

When it came down to it, your own family came first.

If the Zhu family hadn’t been so underhanded, the broken engagement would’ve just sparked a bit of gossip and then blown over.

But they’d gone out of their way to stir things up. No matter how mild-mannered Granny Li and Auntie Li usually were, they couldn’t swallow this insult.

“Really? Your Shitou never had any thoughts about that Educated Youth?”

Some still didn’t want to believe it. Granny Li simply stood up, took An An’s hand, and got ready to leave. Before walking off, she left them with one last line.

“Everything I said is true. My Shitou would never get involved with an Educated Youth. Just wait and see which family ends up with one.”

After Granny Li left, the old ladies exchanged looks and silently agreed not to spread the news just yet.

If one of those two families really did end up engaged to an Educated Youth, it would be far more satisfying than just hearsay.

As it turned out, the Zhu family had been too hasty. Less than half a month after the engagement was broken off, word spread that they were preparing to register a marriage with an Educated Youth.

When asked, they claimed their daughter had been heartbroken by the previous incident, and her father had seen potential in the Educated Youth, so they rushed to settle the marriage.

If Granny Li hadn’t clarified things earlier, people might’ve believed it.

But she had already told the village’s most gossip-hungry old ladies days ago. Those ladies had been waiting eagerly to share the news.

So when the Zhu girl’s engagement to the Educated Youth was announced, they wasted no time spreading it. Within half a day, the entire village knew.

The Zhu family was the last to find out. They were in the middle of preparing the dowry when the news hit, and it shocked Granny Zhu so badly she dropped everything.

“What? Who spread that? That can’t be true! How could it be true?!”

Someone had come over kindly to ask what was going on, but Granny Zhu grabbed their arm so hard it went numb. The person quickly shook her off and patted their arm.

“Everyone in the village is talking. What you did was really low.”

They had only come to confirm the story, but after seeing the Zhu family’s reaction, it was clear the Li family’s version was the truth. The Zhu family was obviously feeling guilty.

After that person left, the Zhu family panicked. Granny Zhu immediately headed to the Li household.

She remembered how much Granny Li and Auntie Li used to like her granddaughter. How had things turned so sour?

Didn’t they realize how damaging this rumor could be to her granddaughter’s future?

Granny Li was in the courtyard sorting vegetables. A few chickens gathered around her, waiting for scraps. Xiao An An squatted nearby, his chubby little hands deftly snapping off leaves.

When Granny Zhu showed up, Granny Li wasn’t surprised at all. She’d expected this visit the moment she started spreading the truth.

“What’s the meaning of spreading those rumors in the village? Are you trying to ruin my granddaughter?”

“Which part of what I said was a lie?”

Granny Li’s calm reply left Granny Zhu speechless. Her rage began to fade as reality set in.

No matter how you looked at it, their family was in the wrong.

Granny Zhu had objected at first, but the male Educated Youth had insisted that if they didn’t get together immediately after the broken engagement, it would damage their reputation. That’s how they came up with this foolish plan.

They’d assumed that since the Li family had liked their granddaughter so much, they’d just let it go. A few months later, who would even remember?

“But… but you didn’t have to do that. How are we supposed to live in the village now…”

Granny Li almost laughed in disbelief. An An placed the sorted vegetables in the basket, then stood up and gently patted his grandma’s back, murmuring in his soft little voice, “Don’t be mad.”

“You didn’t think about how Shitou would find a wife after what you did. So why shouldn’t we do the same?”

Granny Zhu clutched her sleeves, unsure how to respond.

She had truly been satisfied with the Li family before—few people, simple relationships, kind elders, and plenty of men to share the work. Life would’ve been good.

But her granddaughter said the Educated Youth was from the capital, with well-off parents, and promised to arrange jobs for both her and even Granny Zhu if they ever returned to the city.

City jobs! How could that compare to Shitou, who earned meager Work Points from labor?

So Granny Zhu’s heart wavered. She even convinced herself it was the right choice. After all, who didn’t want a better life?

She figured if the Li family had the same opportunity, they’d make the same choice.

But things hadn’t gone the way they hoped. Instead, the entire village now knew, and they had become a laughingstock.

An An kept patting his grandma’s back, worried she might get too worked up. From time to time, he shot fierce little glares at Granny Zhu.

Just then, the door—previously shut—was pushed open. Shitou came in, face beaming with excitement.

“Grandma! I got hired by the county Furniture Factory! I’m officially a worker now!”

He had kept the Worker’s Certificate tucked safely in his shirt pocket the whole way home, guarding it like a treasure. Now he finally pulled it out and handed it to his grandma with pride.

Inside, a bright red stamp marked the page, along with the name of the county’s Furniture Factory.

“How did this happen?”

Granny Li carefully wiped her hands on her clothes before taking the certificate. Once she confirmed it was real, she gave Shitou a hearty slap on the shoulder.

“Good boy!”

Shitou scratched his head and laughed sheepishly, his ears turning red from the praise.

Granny Zhu was still standing there, stunned speechless. How could Shitou possibly become a factory worker? She was even more desperate than Granny Li to know the answer.

Shitou had been floating on air the whole way home, still not quite believing it himself. He squatted down and pulled An An into a hug, finally grounding himself in reality.

He’d heard from the Production Team Leader that the supply store in town had just gotten new stock—hair ties for girls, toys for boys.

Shitou had saved up some money and ration tickets. With Xiao Hua’s birthday coming up, he wanted to buy a few things to make his siblings happy.

On the way back, he’d run into a middle-aged couple carrying a five- or six-year-old child who seemed to be asleep.

Spending so much time with An An, Shitou immediately sensed something was off. He followed them and got someone to call the police.

Sure enough, they were child traffickers—and that child turned out to be the only son of the Furniture Factory’s boss.

After the meeting, the man, grateful and having heard that Shitou had once studied carpentry for a while, gave him a spot at the factory—one originally reserved for his own nephew. Just like that, Shitou became a full-time worker.

He came home a bit late that day, having been busy sorting out the paperwork. Only after everything was finalized did he rush back.

“This is great news—fantastic news! Tonight we’re killing a chicken to celebrate!”

Just as those words were spoken, a chicken happened to strut past An An’s feet. With lightning speed, he reached out, grabbed it by the legs, and tugged it back with all his might, hugging the plumpest chicken tightly to his chest.

The sight had Granny Li laughing so hard she nearly doubled over. Shitou scratched his head and chuckled along.

Everyone in the family was overjoyed—everyone except Granny Zhu, who didn’t say a word and simply turned and left.

Shitou watched her retreating figure and only then realized, belatedly, that she was his fiancée’s grandmother.

Granny Li might not have known the exact details between the Zhu family and that educated youth, but she was old enough to guess the general idea.

Clearly, they’d looked down on Shitou for being just a diligent boy from an ordinary family, no match for an educated youth from the city—someone who might even return there one day.

But now her Shitou had made something of himself. He’d become a factory worker on his own merit. The Zhu family must be regretting their decision so much they could practically taste bile!

The more she thought about it, the more delighted Granny Li became. She gave Shitou a hearty slap on the shoulder, took the chicken from An An’s arms, and, gripping its wings, called for Shitou to fetch a knife from the kitchen.

When the rest of the family returned that evening, they could smell the aroma of chicken from a distance. Li Dazhuang pushed open the door and couldn’t wait to ask:

“Ma, why’d you kill a chicken? Did an eagle get it again? Or did something bite it?”

Granny Li came out of the house and rolled her eyes at him.

“I killed it. What, I can’t?”

“Of course you can! We’re in for a treat tonight.”

Li Dazhuang set down his farm tools, washed his hands, and rushed over to scoop up his son. An An wrapped his arms around his father’s neck and said in his soft, milky voice, “Thank you for your hard work,” instantly melting away all of Li Dazhuang’s fatigue.

This little rascal really knew how to sweet-talk people!

“Not hard at all. So, Ma, what made you decide to kill a chicken today? Something good happen?”

An An covered his mouth and giggled, nodding enthusiastically. Seeing his expression, Li Dazhuang grew curious. He carried An An inside and lowered his voice.

“What good news? Tell me. I promise I won’t tell your grandma.”

An An waved his hand firmly. When it came to this kind of good news, it had to be his big brother who told them himself.

“Hiding things from your own dad, huh?”

With that, Li Dazhuang plopped An An on the bed and started tickling his armpits mercilessly, making the boy laugh until tears streamed down his face.

Only when it was time for dinner was he finally rescued. Before heading out, Li Dazhuang made sure to wipe the tears from An An’s face.

During dinner, Granny Li had Shitou officially announce the big news.

They’d guessed something good had happened when they smelled the chicken, but they hadn’t expected it to be this big.

A factory job in the county?

That was a spot people would fight tooth and nail for—and Shitou got in? As a full-time worker?

Granny Li knew it was a lot to take in, so she brought out the Worker’s Certificate she’d been keeping and let everyone see it for themselves.

Back in the day, their production team had organized literacy classes. Most of them had learned a few characters, and they could all recognize the red official stamp on the certificate.

“He really became a worker…”

Such a huge event in their family—normally, even during New Year’s, they’d save part of a chicken for the next meal. But tonight, they finished the whole bird in one sitting.

Now that their Shitou had become a worker, what was one chicken? The good days were just beginning!

Li Dazhuang wasn’t the type to keep things to himself. Plus, he’d practically watched Shitou grow up. As Shitou’s elder, he’d heard plenty of villagers mocking him after the broken engagement.

But now that Shitou had turned things around and become a full-time worker, those people who had waited to laugh at him couldn’t even catch up if they tried.

Granny Li and Sister-in-law Li might still care about saving face and not making too big a fuss, but not Li Dazhuang. He wanted the whole world to know how amazing his nephew was.

While out in the fields weeding with others, someone from the village brought up the recent events.

Even after it was clarified that it wasn’t Shitou who had been interested in the educated youth, but rather the Zhu family’s daughter, many still felt the Zhu family wasn’t wrong—wasn’t it because Shitou was just too unpromising?

That kind of talk nearly made Li Dazhuang blow a fuse.

“Haven’t seen Shitou at work lately. Is it still because of that whole mess? Honestly, it wasn’t even that big a deal. There are plenty of girls in the village. Just have your ma and your sister-in-law help you find one.”

“Shitou’s still young. No need to rush. But if he’s skipping work over this, that’s too petty. How’s he going to handle life later?”

After saying his piece, the man turned to get back to work. He figured Li Dazhuang wouldn’t want to talk, but to his surprise, Li Dazhuang grinned widely and asked:

“How do you know my Shitou won’t need to work in the fields anymore?”

“Hey, we said we’d keep this low-key. Who spilled the beans?”

The man looked utterly confused, his mouth opening but no words coming out. Before he could speak, Li Dazhuang continued:

“Yeah, yeah, he’s young—but he’s already a county factory worker. He hasn’t even reported in yet, and he’s already done with field work. What are we going to do about that, huh?”

A factory worker?!

The man was stunned. Becoming a worker these days wasn’t easy—that was a golden rice bowl. When you got old, your kids could even inherit your position.

He had a relative in the city who had spent over a hundred yuan and still couldn’t buy their way into a factory job.

If it were him, he wouldn’t be working the fields either. Monthly wages, ration tickets, holiday bonuses from the factory—much better than scraping by in the dirt.

“Are you serious, Li Dazhuang? You’re not just bragging, are you?”

They all lived in the same village. Everyone knew how much pull the Li family had—or didn’t have.

If they really had the connections to get into a city factory, why would the Zhu family have broken off the engagement for the educated youth?

“Why would I lie? Tch. Some people really are blind, can’t see how capable my nephew is. At his age, without relying on family, he earned a full-time worker spot all on his own. How many in our village can say the same?”

With that, Li Dazhuang went back to work. He couldn’t slack off—if the Production Team Leader caught him loafing, he’d lose work points.

Before, he just thought Shitou was old enough to shoulder responsibility, so he had An An get close to him—easier to mooch off a relative later, just like he used to mooch off his parents.

But now? Shitou had really made something of himself!

That only solidified Li Dazhuang’s plan to have his son cling tightly to Shitou’s coattails. He didn’t dare do anything that might upset his sister-in-law.

News of Shitou becoming a factory worker spread quickly through the village. Many didn’t believe it, thinking the Li family was just bragging.

Some who were close to the Zhu family even went to the Production Team Leader, demanding he put a stop to this vain, show-off behavior.

The Team Leader, annoyed by the crowd gathered outside his door, waved them off.

One person backed away while shouting, “If everyone in our production team were like the Li family, we’d all be a bunch of liars!”

The Team Leader, his head pounding, grabbed the loudspeaker and shouted:

“No one’s lying. It’s true. I personally approved the transfer!”

“Now get out of here! Don’t you people have work to do?”

After the Team Leader confirmed it himself, most people stopped doubting—but some still couldn’t believe it. How could it be possible?

One particularly bitter person squeezed to the front and asked:

“Shitou’s just like the rest of us. Why does he get to be a worker?”

Before this, most had thought Shitou was just an average guy. Now, they couldn’t help but think: if he could do it, why couldn’t they?

The Production Team Leader, eager to get home, had no patience for their questions. He shoved his way through the crowd and tossed back one sentence:

“If you want to be a worker, go get the spot yourself. I’ll approve it too!”

In other words—if you’ve got what it takes, no one’s stopping you. But if you don’t, stop dreaming.

Most villagers were just jealous, but the Zhu family—aside from the girl herself—were genuinely miserable.

If they’d had a factory worker as a son-in-law, maybe they could’ve gotten a foot in the door too. After all, Shitou hadn’t been any different from them before.

Looking at their bitter expressions, anyone unaware might’ve thought Shitou had stolen their spot.

The furniture factory in the county was known for its great benefits. After his first month on the job, Shitou brought home both money and ration tickets. Before returning, he’d secretly bought a pound of candy from the supply co-op.

When he got home, he handed the candy to An An and told him to share it with Xiao Hua.

Granny Li made sure her hands were clean before accepting the money and tickets. In front of everyone, she declared she’d split the money in two.

Half would be used for daily expenses, the other half she’d save for Shitou’s future wedding.

No one objected to the arrangement.

Everyone understood An An’s unique position. After all, Shitou had initially rescued the factory manager’s son specifically to buy toys for An An. The family almost unanimously assumed this opportunity was connected to An An.

Even Sister-in-law Li discussed with Elder Brother Li at night whether they should be even nicer to An An, to repay the little fellow.

At that moment, An An and Xiao Hua were crouched in the courtyard around a stool, with the candy placed between them.

Though the family doted on An An, their means were limited. Even during New Year’s, they might not get such good treats.

As the candy sat between them, An An couldn’t help drooling several times. He sucked in hard to keep it from dripping.

He was in charge of dividing the candy. He placed one piece in front of himself, then gave one to his sister. Then one to his brother, then another to his sister.

As the pile grew in front of Xiao Hua, the imbalance became obvious.

A flicker of confusion crossed An An’s face. He thought hard but couldn’t figure out what was going wrong.

Li Dazhuang, feeling a bit stuffy indoors and knowing his parents had once favored him and now favored his son, stepped outside to get some air.

He witnessed the whole candy-splitting process and saw the bewildered, innocent look on his son’s chubby face. He nearly wanted to knock on the boy’s head.

Was this really his son? How could he be so dumb?

If it were him, Xiao Hua’s share would’ve been his in a heartbeat.

But not An An. Even when shortchanged, he didn’t realize it. Though his movements grew hesitant, he still carefully placed the candies down.

Once he was sure the distribution was fair, his actions became confident again.

Since it was Shitou’s wages, Shitou had to be present. After everything was arranged, he came out to the courtyard. An An and Xiao Hua dragged him over to share the candy.

Seeing the pile of sweets, Shitou froze. After a moment, he smiled, pulling his brother and sister close, his voice hoarse as he whispered, “Thank you.”

To the rest of the family, he was already a grown man—a factory worker.

But in the eyes of his younger siblings, he was still one of them. Even candy couldn’t be shared without including him.

Xiao An’an slipped into his room, crouched by the window, and sneakily waved at his dad. Li Dazhuang, chewing on a blade of grass, followed him in.

An An’s share was already smaller than Xiao Hua’s, and now he split it again—though the new halves were slightly uneven.

He tucked the bigger portion into his pocket and pushed the smaller one toward Li Dazhuang.

“Don’t let Grandma see.”

“Got it.”

They both knew Granny Li would scold them if she found out.

But now they had a little secret just between the two of them. An An looked down and grinned sweetly. Even though the remaining candy didn’t fill both his pockets, he was still just as happy.

Li Dazhuang stared at the little dimple on his son’s cheek for a long moment, then snorted and swaggered back outside with his usual carefree air.

The Zhu family broke off the engagement with the Li family because of that male Educated Youth, but after everything that happened later, the marriage didn’t go through anyway.

What’s more, once word got out, the Zhu family ended up just like the old Li family—no one wanted to marry into them, and their reputation took a nosedive.

At the county factory, the factory director basically called the shots. He was already forty-three this year, and his son had been born when he was forty, so naturally, the boy was treated like a treasure.

Shitou didn’t think it was a big deal, but the factory director had always kept him in mind.

After Shitou joined the factory, the director looked after him regularly.

At first, the other workers weren’t too optimistic about Shitou, who had joined halfway through. But after the director came by a few times, the atmosphere shifted almost overnight.

Shitou had indeed studied woodworking for a while, but compared to the work at the Furniture Factory, he still had a long way to go. He learned a lot on the job, and the veteran craftsmen were all willing to teach him.

Sometimes, if Shitou worked too late and there wasn’t much food left in the cafeteria, the factory director would even invite him home for a meal.

Seeing how well Shitou was doing, Li Dazhuang felt two things: first, he was reassured that his son had latched onto a solid connection; second, he couldn’t help but feel annoyed—this little brat really had no sense! Why didn’t he ever think about his own father?

Late at night, An An was half-asleep when someone suddenly picked him up and sat him upright. Instinctively, he leaned back, trying to burrow back under the covers, but his father held him firmly in place.

Eventually, after being jostled awake, An An blinked up at his father with teary eyes.

“What are you doing…”

“Come on, tell me properly—why did you help your brother become a worker, such a great opportunity, and never once thought of your old man? If your dad became a worker, wouldn’t that be even better than your brother?”

If he were a worker too, he’d be the most respected man in the village.

The more Li Dazhuang thought about it, the more he couldn’t resist the urge to pinch his son’s chubby cheeks.

An An rolled over and burrowed into his father’s arms, mumbling sleepily.

“Don’t know… wasn’t me…”

“Wasn’t me, An An didn’t do it.”

Looking at his son curled up like a little calf, Li Dazhuang couldn’t bring himself to scold him anymore. He tucked him back into bed and pulled the blanket up snugly.

It wasn’t just Li Dazhuang who had mixed feelings—Sister-in-law Li, Elder Brother Li, and Shitou all felt the same.

No matter how you looked at it, Li Dazhuang and An An were the closest, yet the first one to become a worker had been Shitou.

The whole family of three shared the same thought. Only Xiao Hua was genuinely happy for her brother and didn’t overthink it.

For several days, whenever they saw Li Dazhuang coming home from the fields with a hoe slung over his shoulder, they all felt a pang of guilt.

After Shitou became a worker, they started hearing more about the position.

They had thought it was just a stable job with good benefits, but it turned out people in the county were willing to pay hundreds of yuan for it—and still couldn’t get in.

Shitou had always been honest and simple-minded. They didn’t believe he had suddenly become sharp or just happened to get lucky. Truth be told, it was all thanks to An An.

That day, after a long day of weeding, Li Dazhuang came home carrying his hoe and started complaining about his aches and pains, hoping his mother would find something for him to snack on.

An An was sitting on the swing, and instinctively reached into his pocket, touching the last piece of candy he had. His face showed a hint of hesitation.

Just then, Sister-in-law Li walked over. Li Dazhuang was just about to change his tune for the sake of his son’s future when he heard her say:

“Dazhuang, you really have been working hard lately. How about… taking a few days off to relax?”

“I’ve saved up some money and ration tickets. I’ll ask Mother for a bit more later. Why don’t you take An An into town and buy a few things?”