Chapter 78: Educated Youth Who Abandoned His Wife and Child – 9

Brigade Leader Su pursed his lips. “Mingyue just brought it back and said it was from Shen Xiuyan.”

Liu Yanyun frowned. “That child shouldn’t be accepting something so valuable. Have her return it immediately.”

Originally, Brigade Leader Su had also intended for Su Mingyue to give it back. After all, it wasn’t every day they got to eat meat like this—even once a year was rare.

Not to mention this came from a state-run restaurant. He’d only tasted it once while on official duty, and the flavor had stayed with him ever since.

But now, knowing Shen Xiuyan had his sights on his daughter, he had no intention of returning the gift.

Whether the guy was sincere or just pretending, it didn’t matter—he wasn’t going to let Shen Xiuyan have an easy time.

Not only was he going to eat the meat, he was going to eat it with relish and without guilt.

“No need. We’re eating it tonight,” Brigade Leader Su said, a suffocating anger rising within him. “Anyone who dares covet my daughter has to pay the price. The more he pays, the easier it’ll be to see whether he’s genuine or not.”

Only when the heart bleeds will the fox reveal its tail.

Liu Yanyun seemed to be thinking along the same lines. “Alright, I’ll go heat it up. You go call your daughter for dinner.”

At dinnertime, Su Mingyue nervously stirred the rice soup in her bowl.

Ughhh… could they just give her a straight answer? This waiting-in-limbo was torture—how was she supposed to eat?

Brigade Leader Su acted like he hadn’t heard her thoughts and placed a piece of meat in her bowl. “Daughter, why are you sitting there dazed? Eat up.”

Su Mingyue was snapped out of her thoughts. Embarrassed, she picked the meat back out of her bowl. “Dad, Mom, you two eat. I already ate earlier this afternoon.”

“You already ate?” The two of them stared at her in disbelief.

After all, the lunchbox Mingyue had brought back contained quite a bit of meat. And now she was saying she’d already eaten some? Just how much had Shen Xiuyan spent on this?

Su Mingyue nodded sheepishly. “I couldn’t resist at the time… accidentally ate half of it. The rest is for you guys—I’ll pass.”

Brigade Leader Su: “……”

Liu Yanyun: “……”

Good grief. And this was only half?

If Shen Xiuyan really was after something from their family, well—let him. Just getting to eat this much meat made it worth it.

Besides, as far as they could see, their family really didn’t have anything worth scheming for.

What they didn’t know was that if it were the original soul in this body rather than Shen Xiuyan, the “thing” he was after would be far more long-term.

Who would have thought an educated youth could be so calculating? Even before the order to return to the city was issued, he’d already picked out his target—and conveniently set his sights on the daughter of the Brigade Leader.

That was some long-term planning.

In these innocent times, no one could have guessed it.

Liu Yanyun and Brigade Leader Su exchanged a look, each seeing shock reflected in the other’s eyes.

Brigade Leader Su took a deep breath. “Eat. We’re only enjoying this thanks to you. If you don’t eat, how can we?”

Though a bit bitter inside, he couldn’t deny it—this was the happiest he’d been in half a year.

The meat was delicious…
—

After dinner, Liu Yanyun made her way to Su Mingyue’s room in the dark.

The village still didn’t have electricity and relied on oil lamps, though most people were too frugal to light them except during holidays.

Seeing her mother show up, Su Mingyue was surprised. “Mom? Why are you here?”

Liu Yanyun said, “Sit. I want to talk with you.”

Su Mingyue grew nervous—here it was. Her mother was finally delivering the ultimatum.

“That educated youth Shen really wants to marry you?”

“Mm.” Su Mingyue hunched her shoulders and nodded.

“Alright. Then tomorrow, have that Shen fellow come over. I want a word with him.”

Su Mingyue stiffened. “Mom, whatever you want to say to him, you can tell me first.”

Liu Yanyun saw her nervous face and rolled her eyes. Children grow up and don’t need their mothers anymore, huh?

“Look at your expression. What, you think I’m going to eat him? I just want to understand him a little—see if he’s really serious about you two.”

Su Mingyue let out a sigh of relief. “Okay. I’ll call him over tomorrow. But you and Dad have to promise—you mustn’t make things difficult for him.”

“Fine, fine. Got it. Look at you, all spineless. I really don’t know what that Shen boy sees in you.”

Su Mingyue grinned sheepishly. “I don’t know either.”

“What?” Liu Yanyun narrowed her eyes. “You don’t know?”

“Mm…” Su Mingyue nodded, lacking confidence.

Liu Yanyun’s heart tightened. See? She’d pried it out of her.

She probed gently. “Then… is he good to you?”

“I think so?” Su Mingyue tilted her head. Then, as if remembering something, she pulled a small bottle from the cabinet. “Mom, look.”

Liu Yanyun took the bottle and held it near the window to examine it in the moonlight.

“……”

At first glance she was fine, but on closer look her hands went limp—she almost dropped it.

Trembling, she placed the bottle gently on the bed like it was a sacred relic.

“Is this… Snow Cream? Where did you get this???” She covered her mouth in disbelief. “Don’t tell me Shen gave you this too?”

Su Mingyue nodded.

Liu Yanyun was momentarily speechless. She reached out and patted her daughter’s head. This girl really was a fool blessed with foolish fortune.

And she still had the nerve to feel insecure? Still had the gall to say “he’s probably good to me”?

If Shen Xiuyan wasn’t good to her, Liu Yanyun would be the first to object.

This was beyond good—it was too good.

Who gives gifts this expensive during courtship? She’d thought that meat was already the peak, but no—there was something even more outrageous waiting around the corner.

Not a single woman in the entire village had received Snow Cream as part of their wedding dowry.

This stuff was considered a novelty even in the city. And she had just touched it?

“Mom?” Su Mingyue tilted her head, confused.

Liu Yanyun shot her a look. “Don’t talk. I need to go digest this.”

If someone gave her a bottle of Snow Cream, she wouldn’t even hesitate—she’d marry him on the spot.

“Huh?” Su Mingyue blinked her big eyes. What was going on with her mom?

Liu Yanyun didn’t respond. She floated out of the room like a ghost in a trance.

She had to go tell the old man about this earth-shattering discovery.

This day had just been way too exciting.

Originally, in Liu Yanyun’s eyes, Shen Xiuyan had only scraped a passing grade. But in an instant, he leapt straight to full marks.

After giving such an expensive gift—if he still didn’t like her daughter, then either they were crazy, or he was.

Liu Yanyun went back and told Su Brigade Leader about it. After hearing her out, he fell into deep thought.

In the end, feeling agitated, he dug out the old tobacco pipe he’d quit for years and, under the cover of night, took a few heavy puffs.

Once the pipe was emptied, he let out a sigh and made a decision: “We’ll see tomorrow. If the two kids are really willing, then let’s settle it.”

“Sigh, that’s what I was thinking too.” Seeing that he had finally come around, Liu Yanyun was all smiles.

Call her pragmatic if you want, but in this day and age, if a man is willing to generously gift something like Snow Cream and you still don’t grab hold of him—now that would be true stupidity.

This wasn’t the time to worry about whether he could work or not. With that kind of thoughtfulness, life wouldn’t turn out too badly.

After all, who doesn’t want their daughter to live a good life?

At this moment, Shen Xiuyan was lying on his bed, dreaming sweet dreams.

Whatever he was dreaming about made him smack his lips a couple of times, and then break into a silly grin.

After smiling, he even mumbled faintly, “Marriage… wife, you—you’re so pretty…”

He had no idea that the Snow Cream he gave today had done him such a huge favor.

Meanwhile, the educated youth living across the hall from him woke up in the middle of the night needing to pee. As he passed by Shen Xiuyan’s door on the way to the latrine, he vaguely heard laughter coming from inside.

The night was quiet and deep, every corner seeming to conceal a pair of watching eyes. Paired with that eerie laughter—it was bone-chilling.

The educated youth jumped in fright, his urge to pee vanishing on the spot.

Taking a deep breath, worried that something might’ve happened to Shen Xiuyan, he silently recited his belief in atheism while mustering his courage to peer through Shen Xiuyan’s window.

Luckily, none of the terrifying scenarios he had imagined had occurred.

No ghosts, no gods—just Shen Xiuyan lying spread-eagle on his kang bed, sleeping soundly.

That faint smile on his face shimmered under the moonlight, flickering in and out of view.

The youth shook his head. Just what kind of dream could make someone so happy that they laughed in their sleep?

Truly, an eye-opening experience.