Miss Yu Decides To Change Her Fate After Being Reborn

by Usui Takumii

not mine, readwn novel.

4. 61 to 80

The two of them were in no hurry to go down the mountain. Instead, they discussed the new products they were going to supply this time.

Yu Bing squatted on the ground and wrote on the ground with a tree branch. After a while, she raised her head and said, "I saw that some of the sugarcane fields have already ripened, and some look like they can only be harvested a month later. It just so happens that we can extend the supply time. After all, it's quite time-consuming to process sugarcane. We can't handle too many at once."

Seeing this, Xiao Sheng also squatted down and turned to look at Yu Bing. "For convenience's sake, if this batch of goods is handed over once every three days, how much do we supply each time?"

Yu Bing said the pre-calculated number, "20 pounds! We have to process at least 400 pounds of sugarcane for 20 pounds of brown sugar."

Xiao Sheng nodded. "Now, the brown sugar on the black market is one yuan for those without stamps. I'll try to negotiate to bring the price down to 0.7 yuan."

The two of them decided on the supply of brown sugar and began to discuss smoked meat products.

Xiao Sheng had never heard of this before, so it was basically Yu Bing who arranged it.

The cooking period for smoked meat was relatively long. Yu Bing and Xiao Sheng explained their considerations. "These meat have to be marinated for 3 to 7 days first and dried for 3 to 7 days. After the water is dried, it will be smoked for about 8 hours. It will take at least 10 days to half a month. I suggest that the prey be processed after they reach a certain amount."

Xiao Sheng didn't expect smoked meat to be so troublesome. He frowned and said, "But I often only catch one prey every three to five days. How long do we have to save them before we can smoke them even once?"

When Yu Bing heard this, she couldn't help but feel vexed. She propped half of her face with her hand as she looked at Xiao Sheng. "Has no one been further into the mountain? Perhaps there will be larger animals like wild boars? Even if there are no wild boars, there should be more small animals in sparsely populated places, right?"

Xiao Sheng pondered for a moment before saying, "Then let's set up a trap at the depth of the sugarcane field and expand the hunting range from left to right. I'm afraid we'll enter the Fog Forest if we're not careful."

Yu Bing repeated curiously, "The Fog Forest?"

Seeing this, Xiao Sheng told Yu Bing about the legend that no one came out alive after entering the Fog Forest. Yu Bing was intrigued. In her previous life, she had never heard of this legend. "Then does anyone know where the Fog Forest is?"

Seeing that Yu Bing was interested, Xiao Sheng continued, "No one probably knows anymore. This is a legend that has been passed down by word of mouth since hundreds of years ago. I only know that an ancestor erected a monument outside the Fog Forest to warn future generations to prevent anyone from entering by mistake."

Yu Bing guessed that Xiao Sheng only knew this much, so she didn't ask further. After looking at the size of the wooden house, she said, "Then let's make 300 pounds at once! This place is large enough to parch all of them."

When Xiao Sheng heard Yu Bing's bold words, he couldn't help but smile and say, "Then we have to hunt a pig so you can showcase your skills quickly."

Yu Bing ignored Xiao Sheng's teasing. After all, one had to have a goal. After discussing, the two of them decided that in order to have meat to smoke as soon as possible, they had to expand their hunting range.

Then, the two of them took the samples and went down the mountain. Xiao Sheng took advantage of the day off to go to the county city openly. After finding Brother Qiang, he discussed the price and supply time.

Ever since he started working with Yu Bing, Xiao Sheng had saved money much faster. This time, he prepared to buy some pastries for his siblings.

When it was Xiao Sheng's turn, the salesperson looked impatient when she heard that he wanted to buy pastries. However, when she saw Xiao Sheng's handsome face, she immediately became more patient. "They're already gone. The next batch will arrive five days later. Isn't there still half a month until the Mid-Autumn Festival? Now, whenever the pastries are back in stock, they'll be sold out two hours later. If you want to buy them, you better arrive before we open the door."

Xiao Sheng didn't even realize that the Mid-Autumn Festival was coming up. When he heard the salesperson's words, he suddenly had an idea and ran out of the supply company to look for Zhao Quan.

When Zhao Quan saw that Xiao Sheng was looking for him, he immediately greeted him warmly, "Brother Quan, why are you looking for me at this time?"

The two of them were familiar with each other, so Xiao Sheng went straight to the point. He smiled and said, "Brother Quan, I wanted to ask you if the prices of pastries on the black market are higher than usual during the Mid-Autumn Festival?"

When Zhao Quan heard this, he knew that Xiao Sheng was trying to get a feel for the market, so he said, "It's indeed a little high. It's the Mid-Autumn Festival, so people have to visit family and friends. Why? Do you have any new ideas?" After saying that, he raised his eyebrows and smiled.

Xiao Sheng revealed a smile. "I secretly learned how to make a sort of pastry recently. I thought that if the price was good, I would make some for you to sell during the holidays. I secretly learned it for a long time and wasted a lot of materials in the process!"

Seeing that there was more business, Zhao Quan hugged Xiao Sheng's shoulder with one hand and said with a smile, "The market price isn't bad these few days. If you have goods, provide them early on. Otherwise, you'll miss this wave of popularity."

When Xiao Sheng heard this, he didn't hesitate and directly set a time with Zhao Quan. When he delivered the vegetables and loach soup tomorrow, he would bring the pastries over for him to try.

When Xiao Sheng rushed to Yu Bing's house excitedly, Yu Bing and Jiang Chun were making honey osmanthus wine.

Seeing Xiao Sheng enter the kitchen with a smile, Yu Bing smiled and teased, "Why do you look so happy? Did they raise the price for you this time?"

Xiao Sheng crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame. He raised his eyebrows and said softly, "The price didn't increase, but I got it for 0.7 yuan. I even accepted another deal."

Yu Bing unscrewed the bottle cap and placed it in the shade. "You gained a lot this time. What business deal?"

Xiao Sheng entered the kitchen and sat on the stool. "Doesn't everyone want to give gifts during the Mid-Autumn Festival? This year, the supply of snacks isn't good, so the black market will be doing very well! The prices will be higher than usual."

Seeing that the two of them were discussing selling goods, Jiang Chun immediately carried a small wooden stool and sat in the courtyard opposite the door. She took the beans she wanted to eat tonight to peel.

When Yu Bing heard this, she was very tempted. This was a short-term business, and the profit would be higher than usual. She would have to work a little harder during this period of time, but it wouldn't delay supplying other goods. It was indeed a good choice to earn extra money.

Yu Bing also found a stool and sat down. "We have to use flour for pastries. I took food stamps to the supply company to buy 15 pounds."

Xiao Sheng estimated the amount of flour at home and said, "My family still has 30 pounds left. Let's see what we can do first. We'll see the price they give after tasting it tomorrow. If it's worth it, I'll think of a way to get some elsewhere."

Yu Bing felt that Xiao Sheng had thought it through, so she didn't say anything else. As for the new product, she thought for a while before saying, "Can you get milk? If you can, we'll make pumpkin cakes. If you can't, we can only make pumpkin sponge cakes."

Xiao Sheng had only eaten sponge cake before, so he asked about the difference between the two curiously.

Yu Bing continued to explain patiently, "Pumpkin cakes are more exquisite. They look translucent and have a faint milky fragrance. However, pumpkin sponge cakes are more ordinary. I can only add two eggs to increase the taste and flavor. I'll also add some honey osmanthus wine that I marinated today to improve the flavor."

Xiao Sheng hesitated for a moment when he heard this. In the end, he could only say helplessly, "The milk has to go to the farm in the suburbs of the county, but the farm isn't available to the public. I can't get it now. Let's make sponge cake."

Because Jiang Chun didn't know how to make pastries, she woke up at 2 a.m. the next day. Jiang Chun learned how to make pumpkin sponge cake from Yu Bing while making loach soup. This way, the two of them could take turns making them.

Yu Bing cut off a piece of the pumpkin that Xiao Sheng had brought and then peeled it and cut it into thin slices before putting it into a plate. She steamed it for 15 minutes with a large fire. Then, she added an egg, a suitable amount of white sugar and salt, and stirred them with the pumpkin paste. After adding flour, she added a little yeast powder and stirred it into batter before covering it with a steamed cloth.

An hour later, she took out a large bowl and brushed oil onto the bottom of the bowl. She poured the batter into it and waited for half an hour. Then, she placed it in a pot of cold water and steamed it for half an hour. After the finished product was brought out, Yu Bing removed the dough and cut it into a square. Then, she gently brushed a layer of marinated honey osmanthus wine on the surface and placed it in a lunch box for Xiao Sheng.

In the county city.

Zhao Quan was trying out the pumpkin sponge cake. He first tasted the sweetness of the honey osmanthus in his mouth, then chewed a few times and realized that there was a faint egg aroma amidst the sweetness of the pumpkin. The texture was rich. He raised his eyebrows and asked, "Are there eggs in here?"

Xiao Sheng had already eaten when he received the goods, and he knew the recipe for the sponge cake, so he nodded affirmatively and said with a smile, "I put eggs in it. Not only are there eggs in my cake, but there's also osmanthus wine made from wild honey. It's nutritious. Be it giving gifts during the holidays or eating it yourself, the taste and quality are much better than those sold elsewhere."

Zhao Quan was a shrewd businessman. He could tell that the sponge cake Xiao Sheng was holding was indeed unique in the county. However, he only smiled faintly and said, "The taste isn't bad. At the moment, ordinary pumpkin cakes in the market sell for 0.47 yuan per catty. Yours can be sold for 0.6 yuan at most. I don't earn much. I'll take 0.15 yuan and give you 0.45 yuan per catty."

Before Xiao Sheng came, he calculated that the cost was 0.3 yuan per pound. He could only earn 0.15 yuan according to Zhao Quan's price.

However, this pastry took longer to make than loach soup, so he said to Zhao Quan with a bitter expression, "Brother Quan, this honey is wild. There are even eggs added. The nutritional value is very high! It's really not worth all the trouble to make unless the price is higher than 0.5 yuan a catty."

Xiao Sheng's counteroffer was also within Zhao Quan's expectations. Didn't business rely on barter? Zhao Quan was in no hurry to reply. He lowered his eyes and pondered over it.

Xiao Sheng was in no hurry. He stood at the side and waited for a reply.

Seeing this, Zhao Quan knew that Xiao Sheng wouldn't back down. Hence, he quickly thought about the supply direction and the price increase caused by the holidays. After confirming that he could sell it at a higher price, he agreed to Xiao Sheng's price.

The two of them agreed to supply 20 pounds a day until three days before the holidays.

This was because at this time of the holiday, all the pastries would have already been sent to relatives and friends. It was just right to stop supplying them at that point.

After a break, a new round of work began.

Yu Bing went to the county city early in the morning to explore the land and transport goods. When she finished her work in the morning, she saw Song Jian and the people from the Agriculture Bureau appear at the agricultural base in the suburbs.

Yu Bing thought that Song Jian was probably here to visit and ask about the base plan of the Agriculture Bureau, so she didn't take the initiative to drive over to greet him. Instead, she drank a mouthful of water before preparing to start the car and drive home.

At this moment, Song Jian's mirthful voice came from behind her. "You didn't even greet me when you saw me?"

Yu Bing hurriedly turned around and realized that Song Jian was standing behind her alone. She hurriedly explained, "Brother-in-law, I saw that you were busy just now, so I didn't go up because I was afraid of disturbing you."

Song Jian knew that Yu Bing was deliberately avoiding suspicion for the sake of his reputation, so he naturally wouldn't fuss over it. He lowered his glasses and smiled gently. "I came here to consult people on the plan for planting crops at the base. The second reason is that friday is Little Treasure's full-month baby shower. You can go over directly from the county after work. As a godmother, you have to find time to come to the house for a meal that day."

When Yu Bing heard this, she smiled and replied, "I definitely have to go on such an important day. Then I won't stand on ceremony. I'll go freeload a meal."

Song Jian smiled brightly and said, "We all treat you as family, so don't stand on ceremony. By the way, your village doesn't have a village chief now. Is everything okay?"

When Yu Bing heard the question, she was suddenly stunned. To be honest, without the Sun family in the village, Yu Bing felt that the He Mountain Brigade was much more peaceful. "Everything is quite good. I hope that the new village chief can lead us to focus on work instead of doing things that compromise unity."

Yu Bing could tell that the Song family's father and son were practical officials. After all, she was also a member of the He Mountain Brigade, so she directly said her hopes for the new village chief.

Song Jian nodded and said with emotion, "Yes, working hard and raising the people's standard of living is what everyone wants the most."

Then, he asked casually, "Yu Bing, do you have anyone you want to choose? In ten days, we'll go to your village to witness the election."

When Yu Bing heard this news, she was shocked. "In ten days?!"

Song Jian raised his eyebrows and nodded. "There will probably be an announcement in your village on Thursday for those who want to sign up to participate. The entire village will vote next Wednesday."

Yu Bing processed this for a moment and continued to ask, "It's quite imminent then. Brother-in-law, I'm going back to the village now. Do you want to come with me? It's on the way."

Song Jian smiled and waved his hand. "I still have to go to the Agriculture Bureau later. You can leave first."

After the two of them said goodbye, Yu Bing drove the tractor back to the village.

Yu Bing took a shower after running at night before slipping into the Xiao family's house.

When Yu Bing saw Xiao Li and Xiao Lin working in the courtyard under the moonlight, Yu Bing stuffed two candies into their hands.

After thanking her, the two of them carefully placed the candy in their mouths.

After Xiao Li put it in her mouth, she said in surprise, "This is orange-flavored candy."

Xiao Lin hurriedly said, "This is apple-flavored!"

Yu Bing smiled. "This is the fruit candy I bought previously. There are flavors of all kinds of fruits."

This was the first time Xiao Li and Xiao Lin had eaten it, so they felt intrigued. They had only eaten malt candy before and only tasted mint candies for the first time after meeting Yu Bing. Now, they were amazed to discover fruit candy.

Children's happiness was that simple. A little piece of candy could make them happy for a long time.

Yu Bing looked up and realized that Xiao Sheng wasn't around. She asked Xiao Lin, "Xiao Lin, where's your brother?"

Although they were in their own courtyard, Xiao Lin still covered his mouth with his hand and whispered, "My brother didn't even eat before going into the mountain to set a trap for the animals."

After Yu Bing chatted with them for half an hour, Xiao Sheng returned with sweat all over his face.

Xiao Lin hurriedly poured a bowl of water and handed it forward. "Brother, drink water!"

Xiao Sheng took it and finished it in one go. Only then did he see Yu Bing. "Why did you come?"

When Yu Bing heard this, she smiled and asked, "Can't I come even if there's no reason?"

Xiao Sheng smiled helplessly and said, "I didn't mean that. You usually don't come if you have nothing to do."

These words made Yu Bing blush. Every time she came to the Xiao family's house, she seemed to have a motive. Fortunately, with the cover of the night, Yu Bing subconsciously ignored the embarassment. "Xiao Lin said that you haven't eaten yet. Eat first and let's talk while eating."

The two of them entered the kitchen together. Xiao Sheng took off the bamboo lid that blocked the small insects, revealing the food inside. There was a large bowl of sweet potato rice, a plate of stir-fried bitter melon, and cold cucumber.

Yu Bing watched as Xiao Sheng ate a large mouthful before saying her purpose. "If the village wants to choose a new village chief, who do you want to choose?"

When Xiao Sheng heard Yu Bing's question, he ate as he pondered over it. "I can roughly guess a few people who are most likely to sign up for the election, but I don't want to choose any of them."

When Xiao Sheng heard Yu Bing's question, he ate and thought for a while. "I can roughly guess a few people who are most likely to sign up for the election, but I don't want to choose any of them."

When Xiao Sheng saw Yu Bing asking so eagerly, he swallowed his food and raised his eyebrows at Yu Bing. "You look so curious. Do you want to sign up?"

The most important things in Yu Bing's life were to stay healthy and earn more money. At the same time, she would let the scumbag, slut, and the people who harmed her suffer retribution. She wanted to make up for the good fortune she didn't enjoy in her previous life.

Yu Bing looked back at Xiao Sheng and said calmly, "I don't have that much time. However, if you sign up, I can vote for you. I can also help you get Jiang Chun's vote."

To Xiao Sheng, earning money to treat his sister's eyes was the most important thing. He didn't have the time or energy to care about the rest.

When Xiao Sheng heard this, he looked at the bitter gourd and picked up a piece with his chopsticks. He slowly said, "I don't have that much time either. I don't even have enough time to earn money. You don't have to be so conflicted about your vote. It won't play a key role."

When Yu Bing heard this, she pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. "My vote might not make a big difference, but this vote can express my attitude! To me, this is a very serious matter. Moreover, if we can choose a village chief who is competent, isn't it better than finding a troublemaker like Sun Wang?"

After saying that, she sat beside Xiao Sheng and stuck her head out. She imitated Xiao Lin by covering her mouth with her hand as she said softly, "If we can choose a bold person who helps our village develop and thinks of the big picture, we might not have to be so secretive. Most of the cadres like to talk about policies now, but can mere policies put bread on the table?"

The two of them were so close that Xiao Sheng could smell the fragrance of the jasmine soap on Yu Bing after she showered.

After Yu Bing finished speaking, she saw Xiao Sheng staring at the table in a daze. She stretched out her hand and waved it in front of Xiao Sheng's eyes. "What are you thinking about? Did you hear me?"

Xiao Sheng came back to his senses. His Adam's apple bobbed as he said dryly, "I'm listening. Find a village chief who's willing to do business."

Yu Bing nodded in admiration. "The summary is spot on! Although our village isn't so poor that people starve to death, the number of times most villagers can eat meat all year round can be counted with two hands. They only eat vegetables every day."

Xiao Sheng recalled Yu Bing's words and felt that she made sense. Everyone was too poor now, so something must be done. Because of public policy, many people couldn't even raise a few more chickens to eat eggs.

If anyone found out that they had secretly sold things, they would definitely be reported.

However, if everyone was involved in these side hustles, they would be in the same boat, just like when Yu Bing was called over to eat the bowl of rabbit meat after she discovered him.

The best case scenario would be that the village chief would lead everyone to find a way to get rich. Then, everyone would be able to earn money openly.

Xiao Sheng suddenly thought of someone. "Actually, there's someone who fits the requirements you mentioned, but he definitely won't sign up for the election."

Yu Bing hurriedly asked, "Who is it?"

Xiao Sheng looked at Yu Bing fixedly. "Uncle Jin, your disciple Wu Qing's father."

Yu Bing thought of the limping man she saw that day. "Why won't he sign up? Why don't we convince him?"

Xiao Sheng glanced at Yu Bing and continued eating.

Seeing this, Yu Bing poked Xiao Sheng's arm. "Speak!"

After Xiao Sheng finished his last bite of rice , he looked at Yu Bing helplessly. "I can't tell you why."

Yu Bing frowned as she looked at Xiao Sheng. She thought about it for a moment and said, "It's fine if I don't know. Then… then why don't you convince him?"

Xiao Sheng lowered his eyes and thought about what Yu Bing had said before. He whispered, "I'll try!"

When Yu Bing heard this, her eyes lit up. "All the best! Tell me more about Uncle Jin."

Yu Bing had a good impression of Uncle Jin before. After hearing from Wu Qing that Uncle Jin was a retired soldier, she had an even better impression of him. Now that she heard from Xiao Sheng that Uncle Jin met all the conditions she mentioned, Yu Bing was even more curious about Uncle Jin. Xiao Sheng was a reliable and smart person in Yu Bing's eyes. There were very few people who could obtain his approval.

Xiao Sheng thought for a moment and said slowly, "Actually, many people in the village are indebted to Uncle Jin and Uncle Jin's father. The Wu family was the largest landlord in this village in the past. Later, in order to support the unification of the country, they sold many assets to support the front line."

"Not long after this incident, there was another flood in the village. That year, there was no harvest, and many villagers' houses were washed away. Not only did the Wu family exempted two years of rent, but they also opened a warehouse to distribute grain to save the villagers of the He Mountain Brigade. Everyone survived those two years with difficulty. If not for the Wu family's actions at that time, many people wouldn't have survived that natural disaster."

"Uncle Jin is the only descendant of the Wu family. In order to protect the country, he resolutely joined the army. Later, after the war was won, Uncle Jin advised his father to support the country's nationalization policy and take the initiative to hand over his land. Their family has a very good reputation in Jiangning County."

"Later, Uncle Jin retired from the army because of an injury. The country arranged a job for him in the county city, but because of some reasons, Uncle Jin refused and returned to the village. One year, there was a famine, but Uncle Jin brought the villagers through it. However, I was still young at that time, so I don't know what Uncle Jin did exactly, but I know that if Uncle Jin had participated in the village chief election back then, Sun Wang wouldn't have had a chance."

Yu Bing supported her chin with one hand and listened with relish. "So the key to this matter is whether Uncle Jin wants to be the village chief."

Xiao Sheng nodded.

After confirming that Xiao Sheng would talk to Uncle Jin as soon as possible, Yu Bing went home.

The next day, after lunch, Xiao Sheng went straight to Wu Jin's house.

When he entered, he saw Wu Jin's mother taking off her shoes. Xiao Sheng smiled and went forward. He greeted politely, "Grandma Wu, I'm looking for Uncle Jin."

When Grandma Wu looked up and saw that it was Xiao Sheng, a smile immediately appeared on her gentle face. "Ah Sheng, you're here. Uncle Jin is in the courtyard at the back."

Xiao Sheng entered the backyard with familiarity. When he saw Wu Jin repairing the stool, he shouted, "Uncle Jin."

When Wu Jin turned around and saw Xiao Sheng, he casually pointed at the stool beside him and turned around to continue repairing. "Ah Sheng, sit. Why are you looking for me?"

After Xiao Sheng sat down, he thought about how to bring it up to Wu Jin.

From the corner of his eye, Wu Jin saw Xiao Sheng hesitate to speak. He smiled and took the initiative to say, "Tell me. I want to see what's so difficult for you to bring up."

Xiao Sheng looked at Wu Jin and probed, "Uncle Jin, Sun Wang has been captured. The village will definitely choose a new village chief."

Wu Jin paused and put down the stool in his hand. "You want me to run for village chief?"

Xiao Sheng thought for a moment and nodded firmly. "Uncle Jin, I know you're not interested in power and have more important things to do, but have you ever thought that this isn't a long-term solution?"

"What if the new village chief is a villain who's good at exploiting his power? Moreover, the Sun family has been indebted to you, so they help you get the permission slip to leave town every quarter. But can you guarantee that you can get the permission slip from the new village chief? If you can't get them, what will happen to the people you have to take care of?"

Other than the Wu family, Xiao Sheng was the only person in the village who knew that Wu Jin was selling local specialties with his comrades. Xiao Sheng was able to enter this industry because Wu Jin had brought him along.

Five years ago, when Xiao Li had a high fever that didn't subside. Xiao Sheng borrowed a lot of money to bring Xiao Li to the hospital for treatment, but even after spending all the money, Xiao Li's fever didn't subside. He was unwilling to return to the village to borrow money. At that time, only Wu Jin was willing to lend him money. It was all thanks to this money that Xiao Li could stay in the hospital for two more days until her fever subsided.

Wu Jin was Xiao Sheng's benefactor. Xiao Sheng suggested this for the sake of Wu Jin since he hoped that he would be safe.

After all, the path Wu Jin took was much more dangerous than his. These days, when one left their residence, they might face the risk of having their luggage checked at any time.

This was especially so for long-distance trains. They loved to check if anyone was carrying a lot of food. Once they were discovered, they would be arrested and investigated. Once they were convicted of using the opportunity to seek personal gain, their lives would be screwed.

When Wu Jin heard Xiao Sheng's words, he fell silent. After a few minutes, he said, "After I left the army, the country arranged for me to become the director of security at the milk factory. Do you know why I resigned after refusing and returned to the village?"

This was the first time Xiao Sheng had heard Wu Jin mention the reason for returning to the village. Back then, many people didn't understand Wu Jin's actions. After all, between being a cadre in the city and an ordinary farmer, everyone would choose the former.

Xiao Sheng thought for a moment before replying, "To earn money?"

Wu Jin pursed his lips and revealed a lonesome smile. "That's only one of the reasons. The most important thing is that I don't want to wear a public official's uniform but do things that are inconsistent with national policy."

When Xiao Sheng heard this answer, the expression on his face became ambivalent. A trace of confusion flashed across his eyes as he looked at Wu Jin. "Uncle Jin, but the current policy makes it so that we might not even be able to eat our fill. Why should we carry it out? Could it be that wanting to eat our fill, eat meat, and wear warm clothes in winter isn't right?"

Xiao Sheng's words struck a chord with Wu Jin. Looking at the boy in front of him who had been shouldering the heavy responsibility of his family since he was 13 years old, he reached out and rubbed the top of Xiao Sheng's head. He said gently, "Of course, it's not wrong to want to eat your fill and wear warm clothes, but you have to know that no matter if it's a person or a country, there will be times when they take the wrong path and do something wrong. Now, our country has taken the wrong path. I believe the leaders will definitely realize the problem and correct it, so we have to wait patiently."

Xiao Sheng looked at Wu Jin quietly and said slowly, "But the reality is that none of us know when the mistakes will be corrected. However, the conflict of supply and demand will always exist before that. Many people in the village are not in good health and go to the hospital for treatment. Everyone says that it's caused by malnutrition. What caused the malnutrition? Isn't it just hunger?!"

"Uncle Jin, in order to fight for power with the security director, Liu Bao, Sun Wang had done many things that harmed the interests of our village. I don't believe you don't know. After Sun Wang is toppled, Liu Bao is the most likely to be chosen. He's slightly better than Sun Wang and can be considered fair, but he has always been conservative. He doesn't have the ability to lead the villagers to a good life."

Wu Jin looked down at the ground expressionlessly. After a long while, he said in a low and hoarse voice, "I need to think about it."

When Xiao Sheng heard this, he knew that there was a chance. He thought for a moment and said, "Uncle Jin, if you become the village chief, you might be able to find a balance between leading the villagers to become rich and improving the economy under the current policies. Isn't this more reliable than running around all day?"

Wu Jin smiled when he heard this and looked up at Xiao Sheng. "You're becoming more and more eloquent!"

Xiao Sheng smiled when he heard this. He had already said what he needed to say, so he stood up and said goodbye to Wu Jin. He turned around and saw Wu Qing, who was looking at him in a daze not far away.

Wu Qing came back to his senses and smiled as he went forward to greet him. "Brother Sheng!"

Xiao Sheng looked at Wu Qing and patted his shoulder before leaving the Wu family's home.

Although Wu Qing didn't hear everything, he could tell why Xiao Sheng was here.

After Xiao Sheng left, Wu Qing walked to his father's side and squatted down. "Dad, I think Brother Sheng is right. Didn't you always say that we have to look at the long-term development? I think what Brother Sheng said is the long-term development you mentioned."

Wu Jin was indeed persuaded by Xiao Sheng, but he didn't expect his son to take Xiao Sheng's side so quickly. He glanced at Wu Qing and said with mock anger, "Don't be a lobbyist for Brother Sheng. I'll consider it seriously myself."

He smiled foolishly when he heard this. He was persuaded by Xiao Sheng's words mostly because he was worried about his father.

Every time his father went out to get the goods, he and his grandmother would be on tenterhooks, especially since his grandmother couldn't sleep well at night. If only they could find a different path like Brother Sheng said!

It was late at night. Wu Jin took out a metal box from the bottom of the bentwood box. When he opened it, there were a few bills and a notebook, as well as a few photos.

Wu Jin took out one of the group photos and approached the kerosene lamp. In the photo, there were 30 men in military uniforms. This was the most comprehensive photo of the entire platoon.

Before Wu Jin retired from the army, he was a platoon leader. After that war, less than 10 people out of the 30 people survived. Wu Jin also retired from the army after being injured at that time.

Some of the comrades who sacrificed themselves came from poor families. They had elders and children at home. Without men to support them, their lives would be more difficult than others.

After Wu Jin retired from the army, he discussed it with the other two comrades who had retired from the army and returned to the village. The place where the three of them were located was very far apart. One's hometown was rich in mushrooms and worm grass, while the other's hometown was rich in dates and walnuts. These were all dry goods that were convenient to carry and keep.

Wu Jin was in charge of collecting the goods and returning to City H to find a way to sell them. After the bus fare was deducted, the rest of the money he earned was basically sent to the families of his comrades who were having trouble making ends meet.

He made the trip twice a year. He was quite lucky and had only been caught once in all these years. It was all thanks to his vigilance that he was not caught.

Wu Jin looked at these slightly yellowed photos and thought of the "new path" Xiao Sheng had mentioned today. In the end, he decided to sign up for the village chief election.

On Thursday morning, Liu Bao's voice sounded from the village's broadcast.

"Good morning, villagers. We will now issue a major announcement. Due to the vacancy of the He Mountain Brigade's village chief position, the commune's leaders have decided to hold a village chief election at 3 PM next Wednesday at the rice field in front of the village committee. The three with the most votes will be chosen as final candidates. After the commune's leaders review, the village chief will be chosen among the final candidates. Those who are interested in registering, please register with Director Zhao and me today. After reporting to the commune tomorrow, the village committee will stick the candidate list on the notice board. Please pay attention. Today's broadcast ends here. Thank you."

The villagers who were working in the fields were not very surprised when they heard the radio announcement. After Sun Wang left, they would definitely choose a newcomer. However, everyone had their own thoughts on who to vote for.

"Which people do you think will sign up?"

"Director Liu, the Director of Security, will definitely sign up. the accountant Mr. Wei will probably sign up too."

"Hey, Director Zhao, are you going to sign up or not? If you sign up, I'll definitely choose you. Didn't Hua Mulan sing that song? Who said that women are inferior to men?!"

"That's right. Director Zhao, sign up as well to represent our women."

Zhao Lin originally didn't want to participate in the election, but she couldn't resist the encouragement of the female comrade beside her, so she agreed with a smile. "Alright, I'll sign up and join in the fun. On behalf of our female compatriots, I'll say a few words at the meeting to fight for women's rights."

The field was especially lively today. Everyone was actively discussing who would participate or encouraging the villagers they thought highly of to sign up.

When she got off work at noon, Yu Bing happened to return to the village. The scorekeeper saw Yu Bing and kindly reminded her that her letter had arrived in the office yesterday. Yu Bing thanked her and stopped the car by the roadside. Then, she walked into the village committee to get the letter.

At this moment, Yu Yan was looking for a letter in the envelope in her office. After finding it, she took it out and casually glanced at it. She happened to see Yu Bing's letter beside her letter.

Yu Yan's hand moved faster than she could react. By the time she reacted, she had already placed her letter aside and picked up Yu Bing's letter.

This was the first time Yu Yan had seen the Yu family's address clearly. She reached out and gently stroked the words on it.

"This is my family's home address!" Yu Yan thought excitedly.

She tried to memorize every word of the letter.

The person who sent the letter was Yu Pan. Yu Yan guessed that it was her sister and immediately felt a sense of intimacy.

She smiled and looked at the letter again and again, imagining that this was a letter her parents and siblings had specifically sent because they missed her.

"What are you doing with my letter?"

A soft voice sounded from behind Yu Yan.

"Ah!" Yu Yan was so startled that she shouted and jumped up. Zhao Lin, who was working at the side, looked up at the two of them.

Yu Yan turned around and saw Yu Bing smiling at her. She hurriedly patted her chest and scolded angrily, "Yu Bing, what's wrong with you?!"

Yu Bing looked at Yu Yan innocently. "I saw you holding my letter, so it's normal for me to ask. Moreover, why did you take my letter?"

Yu Yan's eyes flickered when she heard this. She felt a little unnerved, but pretended to be calm as she replied, "I took the wrong one!"

Zhao Lin put down her pen and walked over. "What happened?"

Seeing this, Yu Yan immediately replied, "It's fine, Director Zhao. I took the wrong letter."

Yu Bing stared into Yu Yan's eyes and revealed a faint smile. "Do you think it's fine to yell at me after you took the wrong letter? I saw that you looked so emotional when you took my letter. I was frightened since I thought you were going to take my letter away."

When Yu Yan's thoughts were exposed, she immediately retorted, "Who said I took your letter?! Stop slandering me!"

Yu Bing tilted her head and looked at Yu Yan with a frown as she said, "I didn't slander you. I just said I thought you were going to take my letter away with me. Moreover, you did take the wrong letter and shout at me."

The letter box was placed on the table beside Zhao Lin's desk. She usually kept it. When she took it out at work, she would lock it back in the cabinet after leaving the office.

Zhao Lin saw Yu Yan's abnormal reaction and looked at her suspiciously. Then, she said slowly, "Alright, it's a small matter. You can just apologize."

Yu Yan widened her eyes when she heard this. "Why should I apologize?"

Why should she apologize? If not for Yu Bing, she wouldn't have been sent away!

This letter would have been sent to her. Yu Bing wouldn't even receive this letter!

Zhao Lin couldn't stand Yu Yan's behavior to begin with. She looked healthy, but when it came to work, she would always look for substitutes.

Yu Bing was different. Although she was thin, she was a dilligent worker and drove such a heavy tractor with ease. Her son often praised Yu Bing at home.

Hence, when Zhao Lin heard Yu Yan's retort, she felt even more uncomfortable. She took the letter from Yu Yan's hand and handed it over after confirming that it was Yu Bing's. She said to Yu Yan sternly, "Is it that difficult for you to apologize to someone after taking the wrong letter? You're really unreasonable!"

When Yu Yan saw Zhao Lin's angry expression, she felt that the entire world was going against her. However, she knew that she couldn't offend the villagers if she wanted to continue to live here, so she looked at Yu Bing and said reluctantly, "I'm sorry."

Yu Bing smirked slightly as she said softly, "It's okay."

Yu Yan took the letter she had placed at the side and left angrily.

Yu Bing thanked Zhao Lin and left the office. Looking at Yu Yan's back, Yu Bing suddenly had a new idea. Since Yu Yan was looking for trouble, Yu Yan should not blame her for beating her at her own game.

After returning home, Yu Bing opened the letter and quickly browsed through it. Her family found out that Jiang Chun had sent 20 pounds of apples and a jar of honey back home. They asked Yu Bing why she didn't send them, and asked her to send all the rations she could send home.

Jiang Chun's parents wished they could bring everything they could to Jiang Chun, so after Jiang Chun obtained something, she would naturally want to send it home.

The Yu family was the exact opposite. They wished that Yu Bing would send all her rations back home every month at her own expense. Moreover, Yu Bing was certain that even if she did this, the Yu family wouldn't remember her kindness.

Yu Bing pursed her lips. She knew it. Why would the Yu family take the initiative to send her a letter? As expected, they had a motive. If it wasn't for the sake of setting a trap for Yu Yan, she wouldn't have bothered to reply to this letter.

Yu Bing quickly wrote the letter and placed it aside. She planned to send it from the county city tomorrow so that Yu Yan could see the reply quickly.

At the thought of this, Yu Bing couldn't help but smile evilly. She couldn't wait to see Yu Yan's expression when she saw the reply.

After the excavation mission was completed on Friday morning, Yu Bing drove the tractor straight to the Song family's home to attend the baby shower.

Yu Bing had just reached the door when she heard the lively laughter inside. She raised her hand and knocked.

Song Li opened the door.

"Yu Bing, we were waiting for you. Everyone is here!" Song Li hugged Yu Bing's shoulder and smiled as she entered the living room.

Mrs. Song was busy in the kitchen. Mr. Song and Song Jian were drinking tea and talking with a middle-aged man in the living room. Wang Yun and a young man were sitting at the side and playing with Little Treasure.

When Wang Yun saw Yu Bing, she smiled and held her hand as they walked into the living room. "Dad, Brother, this is my god sister, Yu Bing."

With that, she turned to Yu Bing and introduced, "Yu Bing, this is the first time you've seen my family. My father is from the Food Bureau. My brother, Wang Wei, is a small official in the government."

Yu Bing greeted everyone one by one. The Wang family's father and son secretly sized Yu Bing up. They realized that although this girl was young, she was very graceful and composed. Her eyes were clear, and she didn't seem like a scheming person. They had a good impression of her.

Wang Qing went forward excitedly and said to Yu Bing, "Thank you so much! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to see my daughter. I wouldn't have had the face to see my deceased wife after I die!"

Wang Wei followed behind his father and thanked her with a smile. "Yu Bing, thank you for saving my sister."

When Yu Bing saw the harmonious family relationship of the Wang family, she replied with a gentle expression, "Please don't be so polite. Previously, Sister Yun, Brother Song, Uncle Song, and Auntie Song have thanked me a few times already. Anyone would have helped if they encountered this matter. It's just that I happened to encounter it this time."

The Wang family's father and son had already found out about Yu Bing's personality from Wang Yun, so they stopped being polite.

Wang Qing said to Yu Bing kindly, "We're family. Wang Yun has acknowledged you as her sister, so you can call me Uncle Wang. Wang Wei will be your brother. You came all the way to our province to help build a village, so if you encounter any difficulties, come find Wang Yun!"

Yu Bing smiled and nodded as she said jokingly, "Uncle Wang, I won't stand on ceremony then."

Wang Yun hurriedly said, "That's how it should be!"

Seeing this, Yu Bing took out a zodiac card she had specifically found someone to make with silver. She handed it to Wang Yun with a smile. "This is a one-month-old gift for Little Treasure. I can't afford gold, so I can only use silver instead."

Wang Yun took it and saw that on one side of the zodiac card, there was the zodiac symbol, and on the other side, there was a happy child. Wang Yun liked it very much. "What's the need for gold? The child is still young. It's not good to keep too expensive a gift, so silver is just right!"

Everyone chatted and laughed in a harmonious atmosphere. After dinner, Yu Bing sat for a while before bidding farewell.

When they got off work at night, everyone passed by the notice board and saw the new list of candidates for the village chief position. There were a total of seven people.

The security director, Liu Bao, the female director, Zhao Lin, the accountant, Wei Zhen, Wu Jin, and the three village team leaders, who were Lin Qiang, Zhao Gui, and Yue Fei.

Although they were all from the same village and were very familiar with each other, the announcement still gave a simple description of the candidate's situation. Firstly, it was a standard requirement for the public announcement, and secondly, it was for the young people who had just arrived at the He Mountain Brigade and didn't know the situation in the village.

Yu Bing leaned forward and saw Wu Jin's name. She raised her eyebrows and gave Xiao Sheng a thumbs up. "You're quite capable!"

Xiao Sheng glanced at Yu Bing with a faint smile.

The scene of the two of them interacting happened to be seen by Yu Yan, who was standing in front of the noticeboard.

Although Yu Yan and Yao Nian had become much closer these few days and she had some feelings for Yao Nian, compared to Xiao Sheng, one was like a high mountain flower that people couldn't help but look up to and want to conquer, while the other was as gentle as water.

Yao Nian's gentleness alone could indeed attract her, but compared to Xiao Sheng's aloofness, Yao Nian seemed as plain as a glass of water.

Yu Yan saw Xiao Sheng's smile from the side and the jealousy in her heart began to spread. She suddenly thought of a plan. She stared at Yu Bing from the corner of her eye and scolded softly, "B*tch! Shameless!"

Yu Bing was close to Yu Yan, so she naturally heard everything clearly. However, Yu Yan didn't name her, so she couldn't say anything. She wouldn't go forward to be scolded.

However, Yu Bing ignoring Yu Yan agitated her even more. "You seduced another man even though you have a fiancé. What a slut!"

She was practically naming her. At this moment, there were not many people surrounding the noticeboard. There were only 20 or so people. Because of Yao Nian spreading the word, everyone knew that among the people present, only Yu Bing had a fiancé.

A few gossipy middle-aged women immediately felt the tension between the two of them and quickly turned their gazes to them.

Xiao Sheng knew that Yu Yan was hinting at something, but he couldn't say anything. Otherwise, it would only cause gossip. Moreover, he knew that Yu Bing could deal with such people who caused trouble for no reason.

Yu Bing turned around and looked at Yu Yan coldly. "You feel uncomfortable if you don't cause trouble for a day, right?"

Yu Yan gritted her teeth and said hatefully, "I'm just telling the truth. If you dare to do it, why are you afraid of others saying it? You're pretending to be chaste."

Yu Bing clenched her fists and said calmly, "What did I do? Tell me. If you can't tell me the truth, I'll report you to Director Liu and Director Zhao for slander!"

Yu Yan glared at Yu Bing and snorted. "Fine, I'll say it. I'm not afraid of you! You clearly have a fiancé, but you still flirt with other men all day long and even took in two disciples. Who knows if those disciples are learning how to drive a tractor or actually sleeping with you?! You spend all day…"

Before Yu Yan could finish speaking, she was hit by the handle of the tractor. Although she dodged in time, she was still hit.

This was an iron product. Even if she was just slightly hit, Yu Yan still felt the pain.

Yu Yan screamed and immediately ran to the side to hide behind a woman. However, she continued to say, "You don't dare to let me say it, right? You're a slut who likes to hang around with men all day long. You're the only woman who goes to the county to train drivers. I think you're probably no longer a virgin!"

The more Yu Yan spoke, the smugger she became and the louder she shouted.

Yu Bing was so angry that she wanted to chase after Yu Yan and beat her up. However, she knew that she couldn't be rash at this time. If she was led by the nose by Yu Yan, even if she defeated Yu Yan, the rumor would spread.

In this day and age, moral conduct was very important. If one were to sleep around, they would be paraded on the streets to be publicly condemned.

So she had to dispel this rumor now.

Yu Bing looked at the surrounding crowd and shouted, "Please help me call Director Liu and Director Zhao! Someone is slandering me. I want to find some higher ups to uphold justice for me!"

The contrast between Yu Bing's capableness and her thin figure made many people admire her very much. In addition, after Yu Bing became a tractor driver, every time she encountered villagers on the way, she would bring them along. She was polite and had a good temper. Most of the villagers had a good impression of her, so as soon as Yu Bing shouted, someone went to help call for help.

Yu Yan originally only wanted to throw out the topic to agitate Yu Bing into arguing with her. After all, messy relationships were the best after-meal topics, and the most ambiguous topics as well.

As long as Yu Bing started an argument with her, once everyone saw enough and left, someone would naturally help her add fuel to the fire. As the saying went, the law couldn't be enforced when everyone was an offender. When the rumors spread, it would be difficult for Yu Bing to completely turn the situation around.

However, Yu Bing didn't fall for Yu Yan's trap. Now, she was determined to find the village staff to interfere. Firstly, she wanted to prove her innocence and secondly, she wanted everyone present to see the entire process clearly.

Yu Yan panicked a little. After all, she would be exposed. She couldn't prove that there was something wrong with Yu Bing's moral conduct in front of the village staff, so she mustered the courage to shout, "Forget it! You still have the cheek to call the director and the others over? If I were you, I would have run home. I don't want to be with a promiscuous woman like you lest you taint my innocence!"

With that, she turned around and wanted to leave. Yu Bing immediately went forward and grabbed Yu Yan's arm. She glared at Yu Yan and said fiercely, "Don't even think about leaving before the director comes! Why? Are you afraid and want to run away after creating a rumor?"

Seeing this, Yu Yan knew that it was probably impossible for her to escape. Hence, she struggled free from Yu Bing's grip and said loudly, "I won't leave. I want to see how you'll distort the truth later!"

The two directors arrived very quickly. When Director Zhao saw that it was Yu Yan again and thought of how his family's dinner would be delayed again, he said impatiently, "Yu Yan, why is it you again?! What's the matter this time?"

Yu Yan pretended to be aggrieved as she said, "I just said a few words to Yu Bing, but she got upset and insisted on looking for you."

When Yu Bing heard Yu Yan's words, she snorted and frowned. "Yu Yan, your ability to gloss over the important things is really superb!"

After saying that, she turned around and stood upright in front of the two directors. She looked at the two of them firmly. "Director Liu, Director Zhao, in front of so many people, Yu Yan slandered me for sleeping around with men!"

When Director Liu heard this, he frowned and said sternly, "Yu Yan, this matter is quite serious. You have to show evidence!"

How could Yu Yan have any evidence? She could only take it one step at a time. She crossed her hands and said, "Director Liu, Yu Bing has a fiancé, right? Everyone in the village knows that ever since Yu Bing became a tow truck driver, she has been hanging out with men all day long, whether she's training or taking in disciples."

Yu Yan mentioned what everyone could see for themselves.

When Yu Bing heard this, she knew what Yu Yan was up to. She retorted calmly, "Yu Yan, are you living in a feudal society? Our country has long entered an era where men and women are equal. This is written in the law. Stop spreading your feudal thoughts!"

The current state policy was based on anti-imperialism and anti-feudalism, while imperialism and feudalism were based on the notion that women had low status.

Yu Yan was so frightened that she hurriedly retorted, "I'm not feudal! Don't slander me!" She was afraid that if she didn't retort, she would be labeled as a counterrevolutionary.

Yu Bing smiled faintly and glanced at everyone. "Let's put aside the fact that my parents and colleagues only joked about the arranged engagement before I was born. I want to ask everyone, is there a problem with women being drivers?"

"No problem!" The surrounding women immediately replied loudly.

After Yu Bing heard this, she continued, "It's inevitable for men and women to come into contact with each other. Yu Yan, according to you, as long as there are more men than women on the job, there's a problem with moral conduct?"

Yu Bing's rebuttal came one after another. Yu Yan was making something out of nothing to begin with, so at this moment, she was flustered by the question. Her lips moved a few times, but she didn't answer in the end.

However, Yu Bing wouldn't give her a chance to evade the question. She raised her voice and asked, "Yu Yan, as long as there are more men than women on the job, there's a problem with moral conduct?"

Yu Bing's questioning made a thin layer of sweat appear on Yu Yan's nose. If her answer was yes, then she would be going against all the working women. However, if she denied it, wouldn't it be equivalent to taking the initiative to admit that she was deliberately looking for trouble with Yu Bing?

Yu Yan didn't respond directly. She only stared at Yu Bing as she said, "Yu Bing, don't twist my words to divert attention from the topic at hand. I'm not talking about anyone else. I'm talking about you!"

Yu Bing's eyes were cold as she stared at Yu Yan and slowly asked, "Then show me the evidence! You said that there's something wrong with my moral conduct. When I asked you to show me the evidence, you talked about the nature of my work. Now that I'm talking about the nature of my work, you're talking about my moral conduct again."

"While everyone is here, just say it. What are you trying to say since you're circling around these two questions?"

These words directly exposed Yu Yan's intention to blur the lines between moral conduct and work nature in front of everyone.

The people who were feeling a little confused also understood that Yu Yan was indeed causing trouble.

Because it was an argument between two females, Zhao Lin, as the female director, took the initiative to step forward to preside over the situation. "Yu Yan, if you can't produce evidence, then you're slandering her."

When Yu Yan heard this, her clenched fists loosened and clenched again. She raised her head to look at Zhao Lin and started a new round of sophistry. "Director Zhao, I can't produce evidence now, but that doesn't mean that Yu Bing has no problems, right?"

Yu Bing was amused by Yu Yan's shameless retort. She lowered her eyes for a moment and thought of an idea. She said to Yu Yan, "Yu Yan, there's money in the letter my family sent me, but I didn't see it after opening it. I suspect that you took it. After all, my letter went through your hands yesterday."

Yu Yan immediately widened her eyes and pointed at Yu Bing. "You're slandering me! I only took a look at your letter. I didn't open it. Director Zhao was also present at that time. Don't slander me."

Zhao Lin was stunned for a moment when she heard this. Then, she said, "Let me make it clear first. I only saw you reading Yu Bing's letter. When I took it from you, I only looked at the recipient on the front of the envelope to confirm the ownership of the letter. However, I didn't check if the back seal had been opened. I don't know if it had been opened or not!"

"I really didn't open the letter. Yu Bing, you have to have evidence to slander me!" Yu Yan panicked when she heard this and blurted out contradictory words.

Yu Bing looked enlightened and said, "Oh! You also know that evidence is important."

Yu Yan was completely speechless now. She could only stomp her feet in anger.

Liu Bao had been watching from the side, so he could tell what was going on. He came out and said sternly, "Yu Yan, since you can't produce evidence, you're slandering her! You're also destroying internal unity. You have to apologize to Yu Bing and write a self-reflection report of a thousand words tomorrow. If I find that it's not sincere enough, you'll have to write another one!"

After saying that, he looked around and said loudly, "Whoever dares to do such a thing in the He Mountain Brigade will have their work points deducted!"

After Liu Bao finished speaking, he even glanced at Yu Yan with a warning look in his eyes. After all, he was in charge of the village's matters for the time being. If anything happened, he would be responsible.

After the farce ended, Yu Yan glared at Yu Bing with anger.

Yu Bing smiled at Yu Yan and shrugged without caring about her hostile gaze.

Yu Bing felt relaxed after dealing with Yu Yan. After all, Yu Yan's hatred for her had never dissipated in her previous life or now. If she cared, it would only make her feel uncomfortable.

Yu Bing walked to the roadside and started the tractor.

The engine was successfully started. Yu Bing asked the villagers loudly, "I'm driving home. Those who need a ride, get in the car quickly!"

The villagers who lived further away from the village entrance climbed into the cars one after another. Accompanied by the sound of the tractor moving forward, Yu Yan watched as Yu Bing drove away with a car full of people. The flesh of her clenched fists was scratched by her nails.

The next morning, after work, Yu Yan reluctantly finished her self-reflection and walked out of the radio room to meet Yao Nian.

Yu Yan lowered her head slightly. Her eyes were slightly red, and her fragile appearance made her look quite pitiful. When Yao Nian saw this, his heart fluttered, so he took the initiative to go forward and say gently, "Yu Yan, are you alright?"

Yao Nian handed the handkerchief forward. Yu Yan took it and wiped her tears as she thanked him.

As long as Yu Yan thought of her apology to Yu Bing in front of the entire village, she felt depressed, ashamed, and resentful. She felt that everything had gone wrong since she met Yu Bing. She couldn't help but think about whether her decision to come to build the village was right.

Yu Yan had come to the countryside to take revenge on Yu Bing and use Yu Bing to bring her home. She wanted the Yu family to regret their decision to send her away when they saw such an outstanding person like her. Then, they would help her torture Yu Bing!

However, the reality was that Yu Bing's life was getting better and better. Even her gentle and considerate fiancé had specifically transferred to this village for her.

Yes! Fiancé!

Yu Yan looked down at the handkerchief in her hand and suddenly had another plan.

Yu Yan lowered her head and said in a low voice, "Yesterday, I saw Yu Bing and Xiao Sheng talking very close. The two of them seemed very intimate. At that time, I felt bad for you, so I went forward to expose Yu Bing's affair. It's my fault for being too impulsive. I was in a hurry to say it before I even got the evidence."

Yao Nian frowned. "Xiao Sheng?" He had only been in the village for a short time and didn't know many people.

Yu Yan explained gently, "It's the neighbor who lives beside Yu Bing. There are four families at the foot of the mountain, but the remaining two families are closer to the village and are still some distance away from the foot of the mountain. I realized that Yu Bing and her neighbor are quite close."

Yao Nian remembered the muscular man with tanned skin. He was indeed handsome. At the thought of this, his gaze turned cold.

Yu Yan raised her head and looked at Yao Nian with sparkling eyes. "You're so good to Yu Bing, but she's still dissatisfied and messed around with another man!"

Yu Yan's tone carried a hint of indignation for Yao Nian. After saying that, she hurriedly covered her mouth with an awkward expression.

Yu Yan lowered her hand that was covering her mouth and bit her lower lip slightly. An embarrassed smile appeared on her face. "Yao Nian, you won't blame me for being nosy, right? Sigh, this is just how I am. I can't bear to see anyone doing immoral things, so I couldn't help but say a few words."

Although Yao Nian didn't like Yu Bing, he was a male chauvinist. He could despise and abandon Yu Bing, but Yu Bing couldn't do anything to let him down.

Moreover, the entire village knew that he was Yu Bing's fiancé. If Yu Bing really flirted with another man behind his back, wouldn't that mean he was cuckolded? The more he thought about it, the uglier Yao Nian's expression became.

Yao Nian forced a smile with a stiff expression. He looked at Yu Yan and said calmly, "You were thinking for my sake. Why would I blame you?"

When Yu Yan heard this, she was secretly delighted.

Men couldn't tolerate their women being involved with other people's men. As long as she seized this opportunity, she would definitely be able to make Yao Nian and Yu Bing fall out. This way, Yu Bing would suffer.

Yu Yan changed the topic. "I'm not saying that Yu Bing is bad. I just think that it would be good if she could change her behavior. It might be better if you guys could discuss it in private. I'm still an outsider. I kindly reminded her yesterday, but she didn't accept it, so we had an argument."

It was best to talk quickly and have a big fight after that!

That way, Yu Bing would feel like she wasn't trusted by her fiancé!

At the thought of this, Yu Yan felt better.

Yao Nian only nodded and didn't say anything else.

Ever since he quarreled with Yu Bing over the apprenticeship, Yao Nian had not helped chop wood and fetch water anymore. Yu Bing also had not taken the initiative to look for him. From this, it could be seen that Yu Bing didn't care about him at all. What was the point of talking?! He would only embarrass himself if he went!

Yao Nian didn't really want to marry Yu Bing. He only wanted to use her to get a driver's position before thinking of a way to kick her away.

Initially, he wanted to take it slow, but according to the current situation, he had to speed up. Otherwise, if Yu Bing was really shameless enough to get together with that uncultured farmer in the village, he would really become a cuckold in the eyes of others!

Thinking of the contempt that might appear in others' eyes, Yao Nian felt terrible.

Another few days passed.

At 1 PM, when everyone had finished lunch and was about to take a nap, Yao Nian arrived at the small courtyard at the foot of the mountain to look for Yu Bing.

After Yu Bing opened the door, Yao Nian immediately put on a smile and looked at Yu Bing gently. "Yu Bing, I have something to tell you. Come out for a while."

Yu Bing said impatiently, "Let's talk here. I'm about to rest."

Yao Nian continued to speak gently, "Yu Bing, I'll only take a few minutes of your time. I really have something important to tell you!"

No matter how Yu Bing refused, Yao Nian insisted on Yu Bing going out for a few minutes.

Yu Bing didn't know what Yao Nian was up to, but when she saw Yao Nian's fishy move, she was a little curious, so she pretended to be impatient and agreed. "Just a few minutes. Even if you can't finish your words, I'm coming back."

Yao Nian hurriedly smiled and said, "Alright. It won't take long. I won't delay your lunch break."

"Then wait for me for a while." Yu Bing closed the door and followed Yao Nian out after a minute.

Yao Nian brought Yu Bing to the small forest at the back of the mountain. Yu Bing frowned slightly and quietly followed a few steps behind to pick up a small stone with a sharp corner.

After walking for two minutes, Yu Bing said to Yao Nian impatiently, "Why do you have to walk so far? I'm not going any further. I don't care about what you have to say!" With that, she walked back.

Yao Nian immediately secretly gestured to the people in the forest and stopped Yu Bing. "I'll say it now. I just want to bring you to the forest to cool down."

Seeing this, Yu Bing stopped and looked at Yao Nian. "Alright, let's talk here. Why are you looking for me?"

Yu Bing stood with her back facing the forest at the back of the mountain. Yao Nian lowered his head and looked at Yu Bing. "Yu Bing, I came to apologize to you today. I didn't have a good attitude when I spoke to you about the apprenticeship that day. I hope you can forgive me."

Yu Bing looked at Yao Nian suspiciously. Yao Nian taking the initiative to apologize was indeed very fishy. However, she said calmly, "I didn't take it to heart. I accept your apology. If there's nothing else, I'll go back first."

From the corner of his eye, Yao Nian saw two sneaky figures quietly approaching the two of them from the forest. He hurriedly thought of an excuse to stall for time. "There's another thing. Aren't the two of us engaged? I was wondering if I should write a letter home and let our parents discuss whether we should have an official engagement ceremony."

Just as he finished speaking, Yu Bing heard a rough voice behind her.

"Are you two here to make out?"

The sudden voice startled Yu Bing so much that she turned around and immediately stood to the side. Her sharp gaze shot towards the two masked men.

The two of them were about the same height. The person who spoke was a thin man.

Another slightly plump man chimed in wretchedly, "Bro, this woman is quite good-looking. Why don't we enjoy ourselves this afternoon?"

At this moment, Yu Bing was thinking of a solution. There was no one on the road at noon, and her house was the closest. However, at this distance, even if she shouted, Jiang Chun wouldn't hear a word.

Just as she was feeling anxious, she saw Yao Nian stand in front of her and say righteously to the two masked robbers, "Who are you guys? How dare you guys try to break the law in broad daylight?!"

The tall and thin man laughed sinisterly as he said fiercely, "I'm the law. Pretty boy, move aside obediently. If you leave this woman behind, I can let you leave safely! Otherwise, I'll definitely make you suffer today!"

When Yao Nian heard this, he snorted and said solemnly, "You shameless people! Even if I have to risk my life, I won't let you touch my fiancée!"

With that, he clenched his fists and assumed a combat posture.

The tall and fat guy immediately let out a mocking laugh and stared at Yu Bing with a lecherous gaze. "Little beauty, wait for us to beat this pretty boy down first before we play with you."

Yu Bing didn't say anything and only looked at the two masked men coldly. From their figures and voices, she guessed that they were not villagers of the He Mountain Brigade.

At this moment, Yao Nian turned to look at Yu Bing and whispered, "I'll hold these two back now. Hurry up and run home! Don't worry about me. I'll look for you at your house when I'm out of danger."

When Yu Bing heard this, she already understood what was going on. It turned out that this was a show orchestrated by Yao Nian! The title of the show was 'The Hero Saves The Damsel In Distress'!

Yu Bing was so certain because it was impossible for a selfish person like Yao Nian to sacrifice himself for others, let alone her.

Yao Nian didn't know that Yu Bing had seen through his act before it was even finished. If Yao Nian was dealing with an innocent girl with insufficient social experience, this act definitely would have made her loyal to him. Unfortunately, Yu Bing was a little fox in sheep's clothing. An old soul who had experienced his and Yu Yan's schemes lived in this 18-year-old body.

Yu Bing pretended to be afraid and swallowed nervously. She said to Yao Nian, "Yao Nian, I'll help you. There are two of them. If I stay here, you'll have another helper."

Yao Nian's expression froze. Then, he said gently, "I just wang you to be safe. Their target is you. If you run away, they'll just beat me up. It'll be fine!"

The two masked robbers saw the two of them whispering and were wondering why things were different from what they had discussed. Why wasn't the girl running away? Was she really going to fight?

Just as they were hesitating about whether or not to go forward, they heard the girl say, "We're not afraid of you! Come at us if you have the guts!"

The two of them were idle hooligans from the outside village. Usually, they were just petty thieves that stole food and livestock. At most, they would threaten meek people to extort money.

To put it bluntly, they bullied the weak and feared the strong. When they encountered tough people, they didn't dare to take the initiative to provoke them. Therefore, the two of them had not committed anything serious crimes so far.

Yao Nian had said that they only needed to scare her, so the two of them accepted this task. They didn't want to fight. If they made a big deal out of it and were caught, they would be sentenced to labor reform. A few yuan wasn't worth sacrificing their future for.

Just as they were hesitating, they saw Yao Nian's meaningful glance. The two of them understood that Yao Nian wanted to do it real. The tall and fat man secretly asked the tall and thin man, "Bro, are we going to fight? If we don't do it well, the other party might say we didn't do a good job and refuse to pay. If we do, I'm afraid…"

The tall and thin man thought for a moment and said, "Let's go! We waited here for half an hour in advance, but no one passed by. This place is very remote. We can let him run away after he shows off. It's not worth it to be beaten up for such a small fee."

The fat man nodded.

Hence, the two of them ran towards Yao Nian. Just as Yao Nian was about to move forward, he saw Yu Bing suddenly jump forward from the side. She took out a rolling pin from the sleeve of her long-sleeved shirt and hit one of them in the head!

Then, she threw another stone at another person's face. Then, she turned around and ran. As she ran, she shouted, "Yao Nian, run!"

Seeing this, the veins on Yao Nian's forehead twitched. However, since things had already reached this stage, he could only follow Yu Bing and run.

The masked thugs, who had been beaten up, were stunned and looked at each other. It was impossible to chase after them. The two of them decided to silently retreat into the forest and wait for Yao Nian to come and settle the bill.

Yu Bing pursed her lips to hide her smile. After she ran into the house and was about to close the door, she saw that Yao Nian wanted to follow her in. She held the rolling pin in her hand and pressed it against Yao Nian's shoulder as she slowly said, "You're here to thank me for saving you, right? You're welcome! I'm going to bed now. You should go back."

Without waiting for Yao Nian's reaction, she closed the door and locked it before entering the house.

Yao Nian frowned as he stared at the tightly shut courtyard door in fury. Yu Bing was completely unpredictable. It was supposed to be the hero saving the damsel in distress, but the plot was completely different now.

Yao Nian could only return to the forest to pay them first. But after he went to the forest, the two hooligans would want him to pay more than the agreed amount. The reason was that they had agreed that they would only appear to scare her. In the end, Yao Nian added a beating scene at the last minute. This wasn't in the script.

Hence, the two of them demanded more money. Yao Nian was afraid of revenge, so he didn't dare to refuse.

In the end, he paid twice the agreed price.

Yao Nian had suffered a double loss, but he also confirmed Yu Bing's indifferent attitude towards him. A gloomy look flashed across his eyes.

The next day was Wednesday. At three o'clock in the afternoon, the entire village gathered on the rice field in front of the village committee. The five leaders represented by President Song came to the commune.

The seven candidates waited to go on stage to give their speeches. After the villagers voted, the top three candidates were Liu Bao, Wu Jin, and Zhao Gui.

Liu Bao's speech revolved around the current state policy and how to carry out the tasks assigned by the country more effectively.

As a female candidate, Zhao Gui's speech was about how to increase the enthusiasm of the villagers and obtain greater harvests in agricultural activities.

Wu Jin was more pragmatic than the first two. The central theme of his speech was simple and crude. He hoped to create a new countryside and improve its people's living standards in the long term!

However, when the votes were announced, Yu Bing was still a little surprised. She truly realized the veracity of Xiao Sheng's words. "If Uncle Jin had participated in the election for the village chief back then, Sun Wang would have had nothing to do with the position!"

The entire village had 693 votes. Wu Jin had 356 votes, which accounted for half of the votes.

After the results were out, President Song concluded the meeting and said that the commune would have a period of observation for the candidates and would officially issue the appointment notice next Friday.

After the meeting ended, Yu Bing was led to the stone bench beside the public noticeboard by President Song.

Yu Bing looked at President Song in confusion. "Are you looking for me, Uncle Song?"

President Song smiled gently. "Yes, I saw that you voted for Wu Jin too. You've only been here for a few months. I'm a little curious why you chose him among so many people."

Yu Bing didn't know why President Song would ask her, but she still expressed her opinion truthfully. "I think Uncle Jin is a compassionate person. Although I haven't been here for long, I've heard about some things the Wu family and Uncle Jin have done. There's no doubt about his character. His past experience has also made his horizons and outlook different from those who have stayed in the village for their entire lives."

"I believe that he will definitely be able to lead the villagers to build a new countryside with higher living standards. Moreover, I admire his moral code!"

With that, Yu Bing asked President Song, "Uncle Song, you also know about the Wu family's righteous deeds, right?"

President Song was born and raised here, so he naturally knew. "I know. The Wu family is a famously benevolent family in Jiangning County."

Yu Bing smiled at President Song and said, "Uncle Song, I think if Uncle Jin is elected, he will definitely be a good village chief. Firstly, the possibility of him being corrupt is too low. After all, a greedy person will not do anything to help others. Moreover, I think many of Uncle Jin's ideals are the same as yours. You guys are both practical people. He is also a soldier and is very efficient! In conclusion, I think you can really consider Uncle Jin."

"Of course, the other two are also very outstanding, but from their speeches, I believe you can see the limitations of their horizons and grasp of the overall situation. I can only say that among the three candidates, Uncle Jin is the best choice."

When President Song heard this, he glanced at Yu Bing. He had specifically looked for Yu Bing to talk about this after the meeting ended because he admired Yu Bing and wanted to listen to her opinion.

President Song had to admit that Wu Jin was a good choice, but such a radical person might not be suitable for this position in this era. If Wu Jin was a pioneer, the other two candidates were defenders.

Rather than saying that President Song was worried that Wu Jin would not do well, it was better to say that he was worried that Wu Jin would be too radical!

In this era where policy restricted development in all aspects, if one wanted to really lead a small village's economic development, it was impossible to completely follow the national policy. One had to step into the grey territory or even cross the red line!

As the president of the commune who managed the five villages, President Song was a doer, but this doer would at most jump between gray and white. He didn't dare to cross the red line, so he had to consider these three candidates carefully.

President Song was silent for a moment before looking at Yu Bing. "I can tell that you really admire Wu Jin's philosophy, but we still have to hold a meeting to discuss this matter."

They naturally had to be cautious when choosing the village chief.

Seeing this, Yu Bing didn't say anything else. She opened her canvas tote and took out the pastries wrapped in oil paper. "Uncle Song, the Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon. Thinking that you would be coming today, I made some pastries for you to bring back for your family to try."

President Song took them and placed them in his briefcase with a smile. "Since you're so considerate, I won't stand on ceremony. You don't have any relatives here, so come to our house for dinner on the Mid-Autumn Festival."

Yu Bing thought of Jiang Chun, so she refused. "There's no need, Uncle Song. My roommate and I agreed to spend the night together. Her family lives in the same courtyard as mine, and we have no relatives here. We can accompany each other."

President Song didn't force her anymore. The two of them chatted for a while before parting.

Time passed quickly. The pumpkin cakes were supplied for 10 days in a row. After Yu Bing and Jiang Chun finished dinner, they arrived at the Xiao family's house. Tonight, the three of them were prepared to calculate the dividends during this period and settle the bill.

Xiao Sheng carried a metal box and placed the kerosene lamp on the table. "We've been working together for a while. Let's settle the accounts during the Mid-Autumn Festival so that we can distribute the money."

These words struck a chord with Yu Bing. She looked at Xiao Sheng with sparkling eyes.

During this period of time, in order to keep up with nutrition, Yu Bing had been eating an egg every day and meat every week. Only 50 yuan of the money she had brought previously was left. It was impossible for her not to be anxious.

Xiao Sheng opened the metal box and took out an exercise book. "This is the account book. Every transaction is accounted for. Take a look and see if there's any problem."

Yu Bing and Jiang Chun took the notebook and wrote for a long time.

When Yu Bing saw the last number, she nodded in satisfaction and looked up at Xiao Sheng. "There's no problem with the accounting. It's very clear."

Compared to the calm Yu Bing, Jiang Chun was a little excited. She didn't expect to earn so much in just a few months.

Jiang Chun had always felt ashamed to accept the share that had been set previously.

She was only helping to cook things. Firstly, she didn't have any innovative ideas, and secondly, she didn't have the courage to expand her network. Therefore, all she could do was work hard. The more she did, the better she felt. Therefore, she had never calculated how much profit she had made.

Seeing this, Xiao Sheng reported the number again. "After deducting the cost, the profit from this batch of jam is 532.6 yuan, the loach mustard soup is 18 yuan, and the pumpkin cake is 40 yuan for 10 days. You can hire someone to run errands for you for 5 yuan a month."

With that, she looked at Yu Bing and Jiang Chun. "Yu Bing and I will split the profits from the batch before Jiang Chun joined 30-70. For the batch after Jiang Chun joined, we will split it 40% for me and 30% for each of you. In the end, I will get 258.6 yuan, Yu Bing will get 174.8 yuan, and Jiang Chun will get 152.2 yuan."

Xiao Sheng moved the money that had been divided in advance to the table in front of the two of them.

Yu Bing picked up the money and started counting skillfully.

Jiang Chun's eyes widened as she stared blankly at the thick stack of money in front of her. "Oh my god, this is almost half a year's salary of an ordinary worker!"

Yu Bing was amused by Jiang Chun's reaction. "Work hard. There will be more in the future!"

Jiang Chun looked at the smiling Yu Bing and then turned to look at the calm Xiao Sheng. She nodded vigorously. "In the future, I'll do whatever you guys say!"

Yu Bing noticed from the corner of her eye that Xiao Lin, who was sitting at the side, was looking at the money in his brother's hand with sparkling eyes. She couldn't help but smile and say, "We've already given you the money for running errands. We can't refuse to pay you for picking firewood and doing chores just because you're one of us. I want to give Xiao Lin five yuan a month!"

Xiao Lin hurriedly shook his head when he heard that. "I don't want money. If it weren't for you, our family wouldn't have been able to earn this money. It's only right for me to help!"

It was said that children from poor families matured earlier. Their sensibility and ability were forced out by the harsh realities of life.

Yu Bing smirked slightly as she rubbed Xiao Lin's buzz-cut hair. "That's different. Without your brother, Jiang Chun and I wouldn't have been able to earn this money."

Jiang Chun nodded in agreement. "Little Bing is right. You should be rewarded for your hard work."

When Yu Bing heard Jiang Chun's agreement, she took out two yuan and placed it on Xiao Lin's table. "For convenience's sake, I'll pay two yuan this time, and each of you will pay one and a half yuan. Next time, we'll get our shares after deducting the labor costs."

Xiao Sheng glanced at the 2 yuan and took out 0.5 yuan to return to Yu Bing. Then, he took out 2 yuan and handed it to Xiao Lin. "Since we've decided to give it to him, I should be the one giving it to him."

Yu Bing raised her eyebrows and smiled without saying anything. Jiang Chun also took out 1.5 yuan and gave it to Xiao Lin.

Seeing the five yuan in front of him, Xiao Lin was overjoyed. He placed the money in Xiao Li's hand. "I made money too!"

Xiao Li smiled and said, "Second Brother, you're so impressive!"

Yu Bing was very envious of the Xiao family's siblings' relationship. Although they were poor, they would think of each other no matter what. This was something that she could only dream of in her two lifetimes.

Under the dim yellow light, Xiao Sheng's usually stern expression softened.

Yu Bing suddenly thought of the new trap the two of them had dug, so she asked, "Xiao Sheng, have you found any prey on the mountain recently?"

When Xiao Sheng heard the question, he frowned imperceptibly. "In order to kill them in one large batch, we can only catch them alive, so it's a little difficult. So far, we've only caught three pheasants and two hares."

"Previously, a large animal probably entered a trap. Unfortunately, the pit wasn't deep enough, so it escaped. I'll dig a few larger traps tomorrow."

Yu Bing thought for a moment and looked up. "If you can't hunt any poultry, it's fine if you can get fish. In any case, they can both be smoked. The most important thing about smoked meat is that it can be preserved for an entire year. It's also convenient to eat, so as long as it's meat, it's fine."

Xiao Sheng nodded thoughtfully.

Seeing that the night was getting darker, Yu Bing bade farewell to the Xiao family with Jiang Chun and left.

Xiao Sheng watched the two of them return to the small courtyard next door before turning around and entering.

Yu Bing returned home and lit the kerosene lamp.

Jiang Chun took out the money from her pocket and looked at it again. She ran to Yu Bing's side and widened her eyes as she whispered, "Little Bing, pinch me! Why do I still feel that it's unreal?"

Yu Bing smiled and pinched Jiang Chun's arm. "Does it feel real now?"

After feeling the pain, Jiang Chun revealed a silly smile and nodded vigorously. "It feels real!"

As she looked at Yu Bing, Jiang Chun's smile faded slightly, and her eyes teared up. She said seriously, "With this money, my father can recuperate. My mother doesn't have to try to borrow money from everyone all the time. Thank you, Little Bing!"

Yu Bing thought of how Jiang Chun had left before she could report back in her previous life, and her expression became a little ambivalent. She held Jiang Chun's hand and slowly said, "Chun Chun, no matter where, in school, in the courtyard, or anywhere else, you've always been the one protecting me. Now, I'm very happy that I can finally help you!"

When Jiang Chun heard this, she only thought that Yu Bing was grateful for their friendship since they grew up together. She didn't think much of it and held Yu Bing's hand tightly as she said, "You always secretly hide things for me to eat. I treat you well because you treat me well too!"

Yu Bing smiled and stopped thinking about the past. After all, this life was already different.

Yu Bing took out the money from her pocket and slapped it on her hand. Then, she raised her eyebrows at Jiang Chun. "In the future, I'll help you earn a lot of money! We can go to the county to buy some meat during our break tomorrow. The Mid-Autumn Festival will be the day after tomorrow. We should celebrate too!"

Jiang Chun looked at the money in her hand and was in a good mood as she smiled at Yu Bing and said, "Alright! Let's celebrate this time."

The next morning, a lot of people were already waiting at the village entrance. Yesterday, Yu Bing had applied to the village committee to use the village tractor to send the villagers to the county city. She had also suggested that the village staff charge each person 20 cents.

This price was just enough for a round trip. At most, the village would lose the gas money. However, they were from the same village after all, so there was no need to be so calculative.

The tractor driver could refuse the task of transporting people to the market. After all, the driver drove to assist in agricultural production. However, Yu Bing felt that there were many things to buy during the festival. There was only one ox cart in the village, so it definitely couldn't accommodate many people. Anyway, she had to go to the county city to buy things, so she took the initiative to make this suggestion.

Yu Bing parked the car and called for everyone to queue up and get into the car. Then, she asked Jiang Chun to help her collect the money.

"Hey! Auntie Kang, you only gave enough money for one person when you brought three children. You're taking up the space of four people!"

"Da Lianzi, my two children are as thin as bean sprouts. How much space can they occupy?! What's the point of being so calculative over children?"

Yu Bing turned around and looked at the three children brought by Auntie Kang. A half-year-old was being carried on her back. One of them was five or six years old, and the other was more than ten years old. Yu Bing said with a serious expression, "Those who can be carried on your back can be ignored, but those who occupy seats have to be accounted for. The children will be charged 10 cents for half a stamp."

Yu Bing's words were very reasonable, so the two of them didn't argue anymore. The people who brought the children into the car later also followed this rule.

Yu Yan, who was passing by, mocked, "Do you think this is your own car? You're giving them a ride and demanding a fee! What a show off!"

Some people who brought their children to the market felt upset when they found out that they had to pay half a stamp per child. At this moment, when they heard Yu Yan's words, they immediately added, "That's right! This is the village's car. Why should you charge us just because you want to?!"

Yu Bing, who was about to turn the joystick, paused and chuckled. Yu Yan was really relentless. She really took advantage of every opportunity to sow discord.

She turned around and said loudly to the villagers who were queuing up, "This is indeed a car from the village, but tractors are used for agricultural production! I wasn't asked to send people to the market. Since you don't agree with the rules, everyone can take an ox cart or walk there. I won't drive this car today."

The moment she said this, the people who wanted to sit in the car focused their gazes on Yu Yan and the person who had complained just now.

"Yu Bing, ignore them! We're willing to pay. Paying 20 cents for a ride is worth it. Other villages' transportation is more expensive than ours!"

"That's right. Some people are just troublemakers. Why do they have to ruin such a good thing?!"

"Those who think it's expensive, don't ride it. Don't delay our time!"

"That's right. This ride is very cheap. The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon, and there are many people visiting the market today. If we don't go early, we won't be able to snatch the meat. We can get there early by taking this car. Yu Bing, this fee is very reasonable."

"Yu Yan, you're not going, so you came to cause trouble for us, right?! Will you feel better if you watch us walk there?!"

…

Yu Yan was so angry that her eyes turned red. She glared at Yu Bing.

Liu Bao was also planning to visit his relatives in the county today, so he came to the entrance of the village to get a ride. "What are you doing? I heard you guys arguing from afar!"

Liu Bao walked forward from afar and looked at Yu Yan. "Yu Yan, what did you say to cause public anger?"

It wasn't long after Yu Yan finished writing her self-reflection, so when she saw Liu Bao, she was a little wary and hurriedly said, "I didn't say anything, Director Liu. I have something on and have to leave first!" With that, she ran away dejectedly.

Liu Bao looked around expressionlessly and said solemnly, "If Yu Bing hadn't kindly gone to the village to apply, do you think you would still have a chance to argue about the fees?! Do you guys want a ride or not?!"

With that, he took out his fare and got into the car. Yu Bing hurriedly went forward and said, "Director Liu, thank you for upholding justice!"

Liu Bao waved his hand indifferently and smiled. "It's what I should do. You're thinking for the sake of the villagers, so I can't let you be wronged by some ingrates."

That day, Liu Bao had seen the scene of Yu Bing and President Song talking in private. Over the past few days, he had been wondering if the two of them were related. Otherwise, why would the position of the tow truck driver happen to go to Yu Bing? From the looks of it, the two of them were quite familiar with each other.

Liu Bao decided to go to the commune some other day to ask about it.

With Liu Bao taking the lead, no one dared to say anything else and they got into the car in an orderly manner.

It was also because of Liu Bao's explanation that the villagers of the He Mountain Brigade had a better impression of Yu Bing.

Not every family was willing to fork out 20 cents. After all, this bus fare could already buy a few eggs and a few taels of meat. Therefore, everyone squeezed together and took the bus away.

After entering the county city, Yu Bing parked the car in a guarded place and went to the supply company with Jiang Chun.

Yu Bing bought some pork bones, pork belly, red dates, cinnamon, and other dry goods.

Just as she was about to leave, she saw a cake mold. Yu Bing hurriedly asked the staff, "Hello, how much is this cake?"

The salesperson glanced at Yu Bing and replied aloofly, "This cake is a new product introduced by our supply company. It's 70 cents a piece."

Jiang Chun couldn't help but say in surprise, "It's quite expensive. It's 20 cents more expensive than what's sold in our city!"

When the salesperson heard this, she knew that this was an intellectual who was here to build a village, so she said, "There's no choice. The manpower, resources, and transportation expenses for the things that the city transports to our small mountain village are all costs."

Yu Bing bit her lower lip and looked up at the salesperson. "Do many people buy it?"

The salesperson sighed. "10 pieces were stocked. It's been left there for two days. Everyone who saw it asked. After hearing the price, only three people bought it!"

Yu Bing's eyes flickered and she smirked. "Give me a piece and a pound of fruit candy."

The salesperson immediately perked up and grinned. "Alright, I'll pack it for you now! Finally, the fourth person bought it!"

The salesperson quickly wrapped it in oil paper and handed it to Yu Bing. When she packed the candies, she even gave her a few more.

When the two of them came out of the supply company, they returned with a full load.

After returning home, Yu Bing couldn't wait to open the bag to taste a piece. She realized that the cake mold was hard and dry. It was too sweet, a little greasy, and the taste of eggs was too overpowering.

Yu Bing walked into the room with the cake. "Chun Chun, try it. What do you think?"

Jiang Chun took a bite and said, "It's quite delicious, but the fishy taste is a little overpowering."

When Yu Bing heard this evaluation, she frowned. Could it be that her expectations were too high?

Hence, Yu Bing took the rest to the Xiao family. The three Xiao siblings' conclusion was similar to Jiang Chun's. Xiao Lin even felt that the cake was very delicious. Yu Bing could only blame it on the fact that no one had ever eaten a better dessert.

So that night, Yu Bing made a simple version of soufflé.

Xiao Sheng came to the kitchen and saw a piece of cake that looked like what he had eaten in the afternoon in front of Jiang Chun. However, it wasn't exactly the same. He smiled and sat down. "Is this another new product you made?"

Yu Bing nodded vigorously. "This is called a soufflé. It's also a dessert from overseas. However, mine is considered a simplified version. Unfortunately, there's no butter. Otherwise, it would taste even better!"

Under Yu Bing's expectant gaze, Xiao Sheng and Jiang Chun took a bite together. Their eyes immediately lit up.

Xiao Sheng looked up at Yu Bing and recalled the taste just now. He said, "This cake tastes smooth and delicate."

Jiang Chun couldn't wait to express her opinion. "It tastes soft, sweet, and tender! It has a cloud-like texture."

Yu Bing supported her chin with one hand and looked at the two of them proudly. "Guess what the ingredients are?"

Xiao Sheng had only eaten his first piece of cake this afternoon. He didn't understand this at all, so he looked at Jiang Chun.

When Yu Bing made it just now, she specifically didn't let Jiang Chun be present, but Jiang Chun judged based on her years of experience in the kitchen, "There must be eggs, flour, and sugar in the cake. These should be the most basic ingredients."

Yu Bing revealed a mysterious smile. "I only used three eggs, a little salt, some sugar, and a little vegetable oil."

Xiao Sheng and Jiang Chun both revealed shocked expressions.

Xiao Sheng then reacted. "How much did you buy that cake this afternoon for?"

Yu Bing replied, "70 cents, but it's been on shelf for two days, and only 4 pieces have been sold."

Seeing this, Jiang Chun immediately said, "Our cost is so low, so we must have the advantage in price."

Yu Bing smiled and said, "That's right. Three eggs can make twice the amount of cake I bought today. It's equivalent to saying that a piece of soufflé only needs 1.5 eggs."

Xiao Sheng looked at the remaining half of the soufflé and smirked. "I'll go to the county tomorrow."

The next day, Xiao Sheng brought back good news. In the small county, everyone was most familiar with Western-style pastries like cake and bread, but not many people had heard of soufflé before. Xiao Sheng used its sense of rarity and unique taste to negotiate the price to 1.5 yuan.

Yu Bing's business was thriving, while Yu Yan's life was getting worse.

Ever since Yu Yan began to realize that food could be used to bribe others to work for her, she became more and more lazy. Although her adoptive parents would send some packages over from time to time, without Sun Yu, she became more and more short of money.

Previously, in order to ostracize Yu Bing, she had specifically made preparations in advance. Unexpectedly, Yu Bing didn't want to come at all, but she couldn't take back what she had already given out.

There wasn't much food left recently, so Yu Yan chose to give them to those who did farm work for her. She didn't want to get sunburned. The people who worked on the ground looked very rough. Yu Yan couldn't stand looking like them, so she chose to cook on her own. After all, it was fine to cook once or twice a month.

Yu Yan was barely scraping by, so it was naturally impossible for her to be as generous as before. This time, she had offended her roommate and fellow townsmen, Xu Ling.

Yu Yan and Xu Ling lived in a three-person room. Because Yu Bing was unwilling to stay in the dormitory, there was an empty bed.

Previously, the two of them had agreed that each of them would take turns cleaning. Today, it was Yu Yan's turn to clean. Xu Ling walked around the dormitory. As she ate the melon seeds she had obtained from Yu Yan, she threw the melon shells wherever she went.

After Yu Yan swept her gaze back and forth a few times, she straightened her back and looked at Xu Ling angrily. "Xu Ling, what are you doing?!"

Xu Ling glanced at Yu Yan from the corner of her eye and threw another melon seed shell on the ground. "What do I want to do? I want to eat melon seeds."

Yu Yan threw the broom to the ground and stared at Xu Ling as she asked, "I'm sweeping the floor. Why did you throw one seed after another? What do you mean by throwing them everywhere?! Do you have any manners?"

Xu Ling sneered and said meaningfully, "Then do you have any manners? Why didn't you fulfill the promise you gave me before? Are you trying to swindle me?"

Yu Yan pursed her lips and said coldly, "I've been short on money recently, but you've eaten a lot of my food before, right?"

Xu Ling snorted again. "You promised! Before you moved in, you agreed on these benefits."

When Yu Yan heard this, she was furious, so she replied indignantly, "But I asked you to ostracize Yu Bing back then. Didn't you fail to do so?"

Xu Ling continued to eat melon seeds. "That's because Yu Bing didn't move in. This has nothing to do with me. Besides, I really have ostracized her. I haven't even spoken to her much."

Yu Yan gritted her teeth and shouted, "Do you think that's what I mean by ostracization? Stop playing dumb! I want her to stay in the dormitory and let everyone ostracize her!"

Xu Ling couldn't help but roll her eyes and say calmly, "You can't even get her to move into the dormitory. It's useless to talk about that. Anyway, you have to keep your promise."

Yu Yan was so angry that she sat on the bed. "I don't have it now. I can barely fill my stomach myself!"

Xu Ling wasn't angry. She only stared at Yu Yan and said, "Then be prepared."

When Yu Yan heard this, she naturally knew what she meant. It was none other than what she had hoped that they would do to Yu Bing back then. Yu Yan was angry and anxious. Xu Ling had been in the village for five to six years, so she had more connections than her. How could a newbie like her win?

Yu Yan gritted her teeth and could only give in. "I've already written to my parents to send something over. I'll give it to you when I get it."

Xu Ling stopped throwing the melon seed shells and retracted them in her palm. "You could have said that earlier. I'll go next door to play for a while. Hurry up and clean up." With that, she left the dormitory.

Yu Yan stared fiercely at Xu Ling's back. Her cold gaze was like that of a snake hiding in a dark corner while waiting for an opportunity to strike.