《She Lives without Regret in This Life》 Chapter 1 - Chapter 1: Chapter 001 Lady Shen Chapter 1: Chapter 001 Lady Shen Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Sheng Ning, I heard you¡¯ve been in prison before? We are a Five-star Hotel, serving only the elite. We absolutely can¡¯t hire someone with a tarnished background,¡± the HR manager, a fashionably dressed woman with exquisite makeup, said. Although she tried hard to put on a virtuous face, the disdain in her eyes revealed her true intentions. Sheng Ning was a cleaner at this hotel; she worked diligently every day just to survive. Now she knew it was time for her to leave. Countless times, whenever the boss found out she had been in prison, no matter how well she had performed before, they would mercilessly fire her. The HR manager said insidiously, ¡°Although we are firing you, because you hid your past, we can¡¯t offer you any severance.¡± Sheng Ning clenched the cloth in her hand. Her hands, covered with countless small cuts from years of labor, hurt badly whenever they touched water. ¡°Manager, I understand. Thank you for the care all this time,¡± Sheng Ning smiled humbly. Her once straight back had already hunched slightly. She smiled at the HR manager, then turned to leave. The woman was taken aback by her sudden smile and couldn¡¯t help but blurt out, ¡°It¡¯s clear that when you were young, you must have been a beauty. No wonder there were those rumors.¡± Sheng Ning¡¯s hand paused on the door handle. Before she could react, the door, not fully closed, swung open. Outside, many hotel colleagues were gathered. Seeing the crowd, the woman became even more excited and proudly revealed the information she had found out. ¡°I heard that when you were young, you were with the General Union Dance Troupe. Because of your looks, you had a questionable lifestyle, got pregnant out of wedlock, and had an abortion. You caused a scandal and were kicked out of the General Union Dance Troupe. You went to prison for ten years for injuring someone. Is that true?¡± Sheng Ning¡¯s body trembled uncontrollably, and a tear fell from her already clouded eyes. She wanted to scream that it wasn¡¯t true, but who would believe her? ¡°Am I right?¡± It was true that she had been in prison, which Sheng Ning could not deny. If she could be reborn, she would never have been so foolish. ¡°Yes!¡± Hearing her answer, the colleagues around her all changed their expressions. Sheng Ning didn¡¯t look at them; she already knew what their eyes would be like. Leaving the hotel¡¯s logistics department, she walked towards the parking lot, carrying her simple belongings and stumbling along. At a turn, she was almost hit by a car, the screeching brakes startling her awake. It was a special car from the Research Institute. Anyone riding in it must be of high status. She quickly got up in fear, and the driver¡¯s assistant hurriedly got out to check on her. ¡°Are you okay? You weren¡¯t hit, were you?¡± Sheng Ning shook her head. It was her own carelessness; she couldn¡¯t blame others. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± ¡°You look terrible. Do you want to go to the hospital?¡± the assistant asked with concern. Sheng Ning shook her head and refused. The car¡¯s back window rolled down, revealing a well-maintained face. The elegant woman inside called out to the assistant, ¡°Xiao Cao, since she said she doesn¡¯t need help, she really doesn¡¯t. We are in a hurry!¡± ¡°Yes, Lady. I¡¯m coming,¡± Xiao Cao smiled apologetically at Sheng Ning. ¡°Sorry, our lady is unhappy. I must go now.¡± Among Xiao Cao¡¯s words, Sheng Ning only remembered one, ¡®Lady¡¯. She watched the woman in the car with blank eyes, filled with boundless hatred. It was Qin Cuifen, her once best friend. Everything wrong she had done was connected to her. She had become the wife of a researcher? Chapter 2 - Chapter 2: Chapter 002: Return to 1983 Chapter 2: Chapter 002: Return to 1983 Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Qin Cuifen inside the car felt Sheng Ning¡¯s gaze and turned her head, looking at her strangely. They hadn¡¯t seen each other in decades, and Sheng Ning had aged so much that she was unrecognizable. Qin Cuifen only felt that she looked familiar but couldn¡¯t recall where she had seen her before. Just as Qin Cuifen turned her head, Sheng Ning happened to see the man sitting next to her. Shen Jianguo? ¡°Mr. Shen, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Xiao Cao apologized to Shen Jianguo, then got into the car and started the engine. The sudden news made Sheng Ning¡¯s vision go black. She was terminally ill and had already given up on treatment. Now, she was just dragging herself along in agony, unable to withstand any shocks. The car roared away, and Sheng Ning collapsed in despair. Following behind the car was another black jeep. The jeep made a sudden stop, and a tall, imposing middle-aged man jumped out of the front passenger seat. ¡°Captain Xu!¡± the driver screamed in panic when he saw him get out of the car. The middle-aged man picked up the collapsed Sheng Ning and, upon seeing her face, furrowed his thick eyebrows. Sheng Ning was already at death¡¯s door. She struggled to open her eyes, and when she saw the man holding her, her pupils suddenly dilated. Was it Xu Qigang? ¡°Are you Sheng Ning?¡± Xu Qigang said, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the hospital.¡± An endless sorrow welled up inside Sheng Ning. Shen Jianguo didn¡¯t recognize her, and Qin Cuifen didn¡¯t either. In the end, it was the man she had once broken off an engagement with, Xu Qigang, who recognized her! With a complicated expression, Xu Qigang carried her into the car. Another middle-aged man who had been sitting in the back seat moved to the passenger seat. ¡°To the hospital.¡± ¡°Yes, Captain Xu.¡± They turned the car around and headed towards the People¡¯s Hospital. ¡°Qigang, it¡¯s rare to see you so kind-hearted.¡± ¡°She is Sheng Ning!¡± Xu Qigang sighed. The man in the passenger seat¡¯s eyes widened in shock, pointing in the direction they had come from. ¡°Sheng Ning? Then just now, Shen Jianguo¡­¡± ¡°Jianguo didn¡¯t recognize her!¡± After all these years of longing, he didn¡¯t recognize her. In the winter of 2016, Sheng Ning breathed her last in the arms of the man she once missed out on. The grand auditorium was bustling with people, all dressed in attire from the 80s. Sheng Ning blinked, looking at the packed auditorium, momentarily unsure of where or when she was. She remembered she had terminal cancer and died in Xu Qigang¡¯s arms. But how did she end up here just by blinking? Suddenly, she saw a large banner in the auditorium that read, ¡°Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival of 1983.¡± The words hit her like a thunderbolt, leaving her dizzy and disoriented. Had¡­ had she returned to 1983? Sheng Ning stood bewildered in the aisle of the auditorium. The exemplary comrades of the General Union were there to watch the Mid-Autumn Festival gala. Many workers saw her and showed shy expressions, lowering their heads because they felt too embarrassed to keep looking but couldn¡¯t resist the urge to sneak a peek. At eighteen, Sheng Ning hadn¡¯t yet experienced the hardships, difficulties, and torment that awaited her. She was like a budding rose, delicate and tender, as if she could burst into bloom at any moment. She was stunningly beautiful, and her naive gaze was irresistibly endearing. The auditorium was large, and many workers were secretly observing this girl who had suddenly appeared. Sitting among the crowd, Xu Qigang also saw Sheng Ning. His dark, thick eyebrows were tightly knit, and a wave of inexplicable anger flashed through his heart. The person next to him nudged him lightly with an elbow and teased, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Do you know her?¡± Xu Qigang shook his head; he didn¡¯t know her, but she seemed familiar. Chapter 3 - Chapter 3: Chapter 003: Unappreciative Chapter 3: Chapter 003: Unappreciative Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Oh my god! Sheng Ning, what are you doing here?¡± A round-faced girl ran over in a panic. When she saw the packed auditorium, she became so shy she couldn¡¯t lift her head. Sheng Ning regained her composure and uncertainly said, ¡°Hong Mei?¡± ¡°The performance is about to start, and the captain couldn¡¯t find you backstage and was about to explode.¡± Zhang Hongmei grabbed her hand, ready to drag her away. Zhang Hongmei had done a lot of manual labor since she was young, and she was very strong, making Sheng Ning¡¯s hand hurt from her grip. It was only now that she felt the reality of her rebirth. ¡°What are you doing at the front? The General Union doesn¡¯t allow people to come to the front, especially when you might bump into someone important and get into trouble.¡± Sheng Ning remembered why she had come to the front; she wanted to find Xu Qigang to make her stance clear that she would never marry him. Her father from her hometown had written, saying he wanted to marry her off to a friend¡¯s son, which had left her in a panic. Back then, she was young and arrogant, relying on her beauty and dreaming of becoming a phoenix. Under the instigation of Qin Cuifen, she shamelessly ran to the front during the gala to find Xu Qigang and make him give up. In her past life, this caused quite a scene since many leaders were present. Xu Qigang was a hero, just returned from a rescue mission in the Southern Border. He was infamous as the Living Yama, and the girls in the General Union Dance Troupe were terrified of him, not daring to lift their heads when they saw him. In her past life, just hearing Xu Qigang¡¯s name made Sheng Ning tremble all over; she never considered the marriage seriously, as it was her father who had humbled himself to ask for it. Sheng Ning felt a painful ache in her heart, an overwhelming guilt that almost drowned her. She remembered that in her past life, it was her step-sister who had married the village chief¡¯s foolish son, giving Sheng Ning the chance to join the General Union Dance Troupe. But she had ended up in a miserable situation because of her own actions. Having waited a long time in the backstage without any trouble, Qin Cuifen couldn¡¯t sit still anymore and secretly ran to the front. As soon as she arrived, she saw Sheng Ning, who was the center of attention, and her heart burned with resentment. Hmph! No matter how beautiful you are, Shen Jianguo¡¯s infatuation with you, she would make sure to ruin your reputation, turning you into a street rat. Qin Cuifen hid the cunning in her eyes, straightened her neatly braided pigtails, and walked up with a concerned expression. ¡°Ningning, how did it go? Did you say it?¡± Qin Cuifen asked anxiously. Sheng Ning¡¯s spirit was reignited, and her previously bewildered eyes began to shine brightly. By this time, they had already reached the hall¡¯s exit, but many workers were still secretly glancing at her. Seeing her bright eyes, even Xu Qigang, who had a strong will, couldn¡¯t help but take another look. ¡°Say what?¡± Sheng Ning stared at Qin Cuifen without blinking. ¡°Of course, that you will absolutely not marry Xu Qigang!¡± Qin Cuifen said as if it was a matter of course, a slight disdain and hidden anticipation at the corner of her mouth. Sheng Ning, this fool, did not know what was good for her. She had found out a long time ago that he was the top rescue expert in the country, the captain of the War Wolf Rescue Team, who had saved countless people from the brink of death. If Xu Qigang hadn¡¯t been born in a rural area, even she would have wanted to marry him. Sheng Ning had always overshadowed her, so even if she couldn¡¯t get him, she would never stand by and watch Sheng Ning marry such a good man. Sheng Ning tilted her head, studying Qin Cuifen. ¡°My father only sent a letter asking for my opinion. I don¡¯t even know who Xu Qigang is.¡± Qin Cuifen excitedly said, ¡°I know!¡± ¡°Cuifen knows?¡± Qin Cuifen cursed inwardly; she had been too careless and did not expect Sheng Ning, with her pig-headedness, would start to think things over. But it was fine. Even if she didn¡¯t fall for it now, when the performance began, she had even more tricks up her sleeve. Returning to the backstage from the front, Sheng Ning was indeed harshly scolded. She had just joined the General Union Dance Troupe this year and was not good at getting along with others, so no one defended her when she was scolded. Chapter 4 - Chapter 4: Chapter 004: Roll Call and Reprimand Chapter 4: Chapter 004: Roll Call and Reprimand Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Fortunately, most people nowadays were still very simple and honest. If it were changed to later, someone would definitely be eager to step on her. Although she was scolded, Sheng Ning still couldn¡¯t help but laugh. The feeling of being able to start over was really nice. In this life, she would absolutely not be as selfish and shallow as before, fighting for things that never belonged to her. Thinking of the warm embrace before dying, Sheng Ning¡¯s lips curved into a warm smile. In this life, she would never miss that cold, silent, intimidating, yet warm man again. Qin Cuifen looked at Sheng Ning and felt that something was off. The lineup for the General Union¡¯s gala was very strong, with even the high-ranking officials of the General Union attending personally. Leaders of the General Union Dance Troupe were also seated at the front, watching. Backstage grew increasingly busy with the passage of time. Sheng Ning had only been in the General Union Dance Troupe for less than a year. She liked to slack off during training and had poor relationships with others, so she originally did not have the opportunity to perform. But because she was beautiful, with snow-white skin and delicate like a rose, her big, watery eyes shone brightly. Even if she was otherwise useless, her presence could bring some face to the General Union Dance Troupe. In modern terms, she single-handedly raised the overall attractiveness of the troupe. Her dance troupe was subordinate to the General Union, still a far cry from the Cultural Department¡¯s Qianjin Dance Troupe. The latter represented the country in overseas performances, and tonight¡¯s main performance was handled by the Qianjin Dance Troupe. Their General Union Dance Troupe¡¯s leader, Wenyin, came from the Cultural Department and had been at odds with the Qianjin Dance Troupe¡¯s main leader since they were young. ¡°Tonight¡¯s performance is crucial, whether our dance troupe can bring pride to the General Union depends on you all,¡± Wenyin, a woman around forty years old, dressed impeccably, her hair neatly coiled into a bun. Her lips were slightly thin, and her sharp eyes made her seem very stern and unapproachable. Seeing Wenyin made Sheng Ning excited inside. In her previous life, after being expelled from the General Union Dance Troupe because of the incident, the only one who came to see her off was Wenyin, who usually looked at her with the most disdain. ¡°Especially you, Sheng Ning. If you embarrass me again this time, I¡¯ll send you back home.¡± Wenyin¡¯s eyes swept around before finally landing on Sheng Ning. She distrusted this girl the most, though she saw her potential amidst her usual behaviors. Wenyin¡¯s warning was quite merciless, even harsh. Qin Cuifen was ready to watch a good show, but Sheng Ning simply nodded with a smile, which finally prompted Wenyin to leave satisfied. After Wenyin left, their dance group leader Lu Xiaoshuang wore a stern face and gave Sheng Ning a sharp look too. Hah! With a look like that, she was obviously a seductress. They all heard about Sheng Ning¡¯s promiscuity back home, that she came to the General Union Dance Troupe because she couldn¡¯t get married due to her tarnished reputation. Did she really think their General Union Dance Troupe was such a chaotic place? Lu Xiaoshuang was absolutely not going to allow such a disreputable woman to stay here. Sheng Ning ignored Lu Xiaoshuang¡¯s glare. Her thoughts were all consumed by Xu Qigang now, so how could she care about anything else? In her previous life, she was too fixated on winning or losing, fighting with Qin Cuifen, and stirring up trouble with Lu Xiaoshuang, only to end up with such a tragic outcome. In this life, she wouldn¡¯t fight or compete. But if anyone dared to frame her again, she would return the favor tenfold. The brief meeting concluded, and ahead, the hosts¡¯ lively voices and the enthusiastic applause from the audience could be heard. The workers were sincere people, their applause thunderous, making one¡¯s blood boil with excitement. Sheng Ning and the others were changing clothes in a remote area, far from the stage. Additionally, their General Union Dance Troupe couldn¡¯t compare to the Qianjin Dance Troupe, so naturally, they wouldn¡¯t be opening the performance. Chapter 5 - Chapter 5: Chapter 005 The Show Begins Chapter 5: Chapter 005 The Show Begins Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Fortunately, most people were still quite honest. If it had been later, there would surely have been someone eager to step on her when she was down. Though she had been scolded, Sheng Ning couldn¡¯t help but smile. The feeling of being able to start over was wonderful. In this lifetime, she would not be as selfish and shallow as before, fighting for things that did not belong to her. Thinking of that warm embrace before she died, a warm smile spread across Sheng Ning¡¯s lips. In this lifetime, she would never miss that cold, silent, intimidating, yet warm man again. Qin Cuifen looked at Sheng Ning and felt that something was amiss. The lineup for the General Union¡¯s gala was exceptionally strong. The top officials of the General Union were all present, and several leaders from the General Union Dance Troupe were sitting in the front row watching. The backstage became increasingly busy as time passed. Sheng Ning had only been in the General Union Dance Troupe for less than a year. She usually liked to slack off during training, and didn¡¯t get along well with others, so she didn¡¯t have many performance opportunities. But because she was beautiful, with snow-white skin and rose-like tenderness, her large, sparkling eyes added brilliance even if she had no other redeeming qualities. She could still bring some face to the General Union Dance Troupe. In modern terms, she was a one-person visual upgrade for the troupe. Her song and dance troupe was under the General Union, but it was still far behind the Cultural Department¡¯s Qianjin Dance Troupe. They represented the country in overseas performances. Tonight¡¯s main show was arranged by the Qianjin Dance Troupe. Their General Union Dance Troupe¡¯s leader, Wenyin, was from the Cultural Department and had heard that in her younger years, she had always clashed with the head of the Qianjin Dance Troupe. ¡°Tonight¡¯s performance is crucial. Whether our dance troupe can bring honor to the General Union depends on you all,¡± Wenyin was a woman around forty years old, impeccably dressed, with her hair neatly pinned into a bun. Her lips were slightly thin, and her sharp eyes made her seem very stern and unapproachable. Sheng Ning felt a surge of emotion upon seeing Wenyin. In her previous life, after she got into trouble and was expelled from the General Union Dance Troupe, Wenyin was the only one who came to see her off, even though she usually looked down on her the most. ¡°Especially you, Sheng Ning. If you embarrass me again this time, I¡¯ll send you back to your hometown,¡± Wenyin glanced around, finally fixing her eyes on Sheng Ning. She was most worried about this girl. She disapproved of her usual behavior but acknowledged that she had potential. Wenyin¡¯s warning was direct and harsh. Qin Cuifen was ready to enjoy the drama, but Sheng Ning just smiled and nodded, which pleased Wenyin. After Wenyin left, their dance group leader, Lu Xiaoshuang, who had been sternly watching Sheng Ning, gave her a glare. ¡°Pah! Just look at her. She¡¯s a vixen,¡± she thought. They had all heard the rumors, Sheng Ning had been known as a loose woman back in her hometown and couldn¡¯t get married due to her bad reputation, so she joined the General Union Dance Troupe. Did she really think the General Union Dance Troupe was some kind of place for any sort of mess? She would never allow such a woman to stay here. Sheng Ning ignored Lu Xiaoshuang¡¯s hostile gaze. Her mind was entirely on Xu Qigang. In her previous life, she had been in a bad state of mind, anxious to win and quarrel with Qin Cuifen and Lu Xiaoshuang, which led to her miserable end. In this lifetime, she would not fight or compete for anything. But if anyone dared to frame her again, she would retaliate twice as hard. The brief meeting ended, the host¡¯s animated voice and the audience¡¯s enthusiastic applause could already be heard from the front. The workers were sincere people. The applause was thunderous and made one¡¯s blood boil with excitement. Sheng Ning¡¯s changing area was secluded and far from the stage. Besides, their General Union Dance Troupe couldn¡¯t compare with the Qianjin Dance Troupe; the opening performance naturally didn¡¯t feature them. Chapter 6 - Chapter 6: Chapter 006: Astonishing Talent Chapter 6: Chapter 006: Astonishing Talent Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Half a month ago, this little girl boldly confessed to him. At that time, he thought, where did this wild girl come from, with such audacity? Although he coldly rejected her, he was actually a bit pleased inside. ¡°Next, we will present a dance performance, ¡®Butterfly Lovers,¡¯ by the General Union Dance Troupe,¡± the emcee in a long dress introduced with a passionate voice. Sheng Ning took a deep breath, suppressing the nervousness in her heart. She hadn¡¯t danced in many years. Although she still remembered the ¡®Butterfly Lovers,¡¯ and the basics were still there, once she stood on stage and looked at the dense crowd below, her legs suddenly began to tremble with nervousness. Because of her outstanding appearance, she was temporarily placed in the center. Qin Cuifen was insanely jealous. Seeing Sheng Ning¡¯s nervous look, she wore a smug expression. The two of them were from the same hometown and grew up together. No matter where they went, he always looked like an ugly duckling. Although she pretended to be good friends with Sheng Ning on the surface, she actually hated her to death deep down. She dreamt of trampling Sheng Ning underfoot. Hmph! Let¡¯s see you keep being arrogant. You¡¯ll be embarrassed soon enough. As the music started, Sheng Ning¡¯s body moved freely with the rhythm. The talent embedded in her soul and blood allowed her to enter a state of complete absorption without thinking or even needing to think much. This feeling was indescribably wonderful. The beauty she missed in her previous life, she regained in this life. Sheng Ning¡¯s dance moves were both precise and full of spirit. Immersed completely in the dance, her face showed a graceful and pure charm. She transformed from a sharp, thorny wildflower into a delicate rose and a radiant orchid. ¡°Wenying, you¡¯ve nurtured a good talent.¡± The union leader in the front row specially called Yang Wenying, who was originally seated at the back, to the front. ¡°Cultivating talent for the country is my duty.¡± Yang Wenying had her doubts though, and as she looked at Sheng Ning on stage, her eyes nearly popped out in disbelief, losing all her usual seriousness. She knew how mediocre Sheng Ning was. Today, having her on stage was merely to save face and fill in the numbers. Initially, Yang Wenying was already satisfied with discovering the capable, intelligent, and talented Qin Cuifen. But Sheng Ning¡¯s sudden display of astounding talent pleasantly surprised her. ¡°Congratulations, Wenying,¡± a gentle female voice said. It was Su Yun, the head of the Qianjin Song and Dance Troupe, who had a higher title than hers. Seeing Su Yun, Yang Wenying felt full of dislike and ignored her, turning around directly to leave. With the beat of the music, Sheng Ning¡¯s dance moves became increasingly proficient, and her coordination with others was flawless. ¡®Butterfly Lovers¡¯ was a highly challenging dance drama, one the troupe originally couldn¡¯t perform. It was Yang Wenying¡¯s determination to compete with Su Yun that made her forcefully order it, pushing them to their limits. Now, under Sheng Ning¡¯s influence, everyone danced better and better, and naturally, they felt happy. While others were pleased, Qin Cuifen was not. She tried her best to put on the most perfect smile and pose in the most appealing way, but she was still overshadowed by Sheng Ning¡¯s brilliance, making her the ugly duckling. Red with hatred, from childhood to adulthood, it was always the same. No matter how hard she tried, Sheng Ning¡¯s fox-like face would steal all the attention. In fact, Qin Cuifen wasn¡¯t ugly, even better-looking than most girls who came from the countryside. Chapter 7 - Chapter 7: Chapter 007: Tearing off the Skirt Chapter 7: Chapter 007: Tearing off the Skirt Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°¡±¡± When she was young, she loved being beautiful, was better at dressing up than Sheng Ning, and had a sweeter mouth. She had no idea how much better her social relations were than Sheng Ning¡¯s, yet she only focused on Sheng Ning¡¯s face. Qin Cuifen thought of Shen Jianguo, who was watching from the audience, and her heart burned with even more hatred. He was the son of a leader, of high-ranking descent but without any bad habits. He studied hard at the research institute and was highly competent. From the first day she saw him, she secretly fell for him. However, despite her deliberate efforts to create chance encounters, his gaze never once fell on her. What made it worse was that that wretched Sheng Ning also liked him. What woman wouldn¡¯t like a man as excellent as Shen Jianguo? So Qin Cuifen blamed everything on Sheng Ning, which only intensified her hatred for her. As she thought about it more, Qin Cuifen became possessed by her thoughts. Just as the dance was about to end, she surreptitiously threw the soybeans she had prepared under Sheng Ning¡¯s feet. While dancing, Sheng Ning¡¯s foot slipped, and the traumatic experiences from her previous life flooded her mind. She was terrified, seeing herself humiliatingly fall, breaking her ankle, and recklessly tearing at Qin Cuifen in front of everyone on stage. No¡­ she swore she wouldn¡¯t repeat the same mistakes in this second life. Sheng Ning¡¯s body uncontrollably tumbled forward. As the world spun, she tried to steady herself with the agility she had learned in prison. But unexpectedly, someone forcefully pushed her from behind. She fell off the stage just as she was about to make a perfect finale, causing the audience to gasp. As she fell off the stage, she saw a strange smile appear at the corner of Qin Cuifen¡¯s mouth. Sheng Ning felt unwillingness in her heart. As her body lost control, she gathered all her strength into her feet and grabbed Qin Cuifen¡¯s skirt. A ripping sound was heard at the same time she fell. Yang Wenying, in the audience, was both angry and anxious. Watching Sheng Ning fall, she almost called her assistant for help, but she saw several of the originally seated leaders stand up. Before she could see clearly, a tall figure moved the fastest and leaped off the stage within a few steps. However, the incident happened so suddenly, and he was too far away, so he didn¡¯t manage to catch the girl who had fallen. As she hit the ground, Sheng Ning felt a piercing pain in her ankle, and she wanted to cry. The music in the auditorium also stopped. If it weren¡¯t for the General Union leaders being present, the place would have exploded in chaos by now. Such an important gala had never seen such a serious mistake. Their Song and Dance Troupe¡¯s reputation was utterly ruined. Qin Cuifen put on a face full of panic. Her recent action of pushing Sheng Ning couldn¡¯t escape so many sharp eyes. Fortunately, the lighting in the hall was dim during the performance, so she could completely deny it. ¡°Sheng Ning, are you okay? I¡­ I wanted to pull you up,¡± Qin Cuifen said, crying pitifully with tears. Hahaha¡­ make a scene! Go crazy, scream¡­ let everyone in the union see how shallow, how mean-spirited a woman with a pretty face can be. Qin Cuifen triumphantly shouted in her heart. Qin Cuifen hadn¡¯t had time to wipe the smile off her face when she suddenly felt a breeze and a chill below. Countless eyes in the audience stared at her in shock, and there were clear sounds of gulping. Qin Cuifen put her hand down to check and then screamed hysterically. She¡­ she was only wearing panties below, her pair of fair and slender legs exposed to the air. It turned out that Sheng Ning had taken the opportunity to tear off her skirt when she fell off the stage. ¡°¡±¡± Chapter 8 - Chapter 8: Chapter 008: It Hurts a Lot Chapter 8: Chapter 008: It Hurts a Lot Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°` ¡°Sheng Ning, you¡­¡± Qin Cuifen wished she could swallow Sheng Ning alive. She wanted to rush down the stage and tear that b***h¡¯s face apart. ¡°Ah¡­ how could this happen?¡± The people from the General Union Dance Troupe looked at the scene in astonishment, momentarily too flustered to know what to do. ¡°Cuifen, get back quickly.¡± As the captain, Lu Xiaoshuang was the first to regain her senses. Fortunately, she stopped Cuifen; otherwise, Qin Cuifen, whose reason had been destroyed, would have unhesitatingly fought Sheng Ning. In the auditorium, what was once silence erupted into chaos. Qin Cuifen¡¯s mind went blank; she couldn¡¯t even think to hide behind the stage. She was doomed. She was utterly doomed now. In front of so many people, wearing only underwear. No matter what, the label of misconduct was definitely going to be pinned on her, and with so many people seeing her, how could she continue in the dance troupe? Qin Cuifen¡¯s vision darkened, and she fainted on the spot. Fortunately, Yang Wenying arrived just then, her eyes showing clear displeasure as she looked at Sheng Ning before personally covering Qin Cuifen with clothes and having her sent to the hospital. Sheng Ning¡¯s heart fluttered under Yang Wenying¡¯s gaze, but she didn¡¯t regret what she had done. Qin Cuifen wanted to harm her; in this life, she refused to be the mindless idiot manipulated and betrayed by others. Everyone was busy attending to the fainted Qin Cuifen, and no one paid attention to Sheng Ning, who had fallen off the stage and was struggling to get up. She clung to her foot, feeling relieved in her heart. The more attention one received at a time like this, the more embarrassing it was. Qin Cuifen would no longer be able to stay in the dance troupe, and she herself feared that she would be punished too. ¡°Are you okay?¡± A deep voice sounded above her. ¡°I¡­¡± Sheng Ning looked up and saw Xu Qigang¡¯s young and handsome face. She had wanted to say she was fine, but it turned into, ¡°It hurts¡­¡± Her eyes pitiful, like a soft and cute little animal. Xu Qigang squatted down, extending a big hand to examine her ankle, and indeed saw that it was red and swollen like a steamed bun. His sharp eyebrows furrowed into small mountains for some unknown reason. When he touched it, Sheng Ning whimpered in pain, causing Xu Qigang, a hardened man, to break into a light sweat. Shen Jianguo also approached, ¡°Comrade Sheng Ning, are you alright?¡± Hearing Shen Jianguo¡¯s voice, Sheng Ning lifted her tearful face and silently lowered her head again. Sitting on the ground, Sheng Ning tugged at Xu Qigang¡¯s sleeve and said pitifully, ¡°Take me to the hospital! My ankle seems to be broken.¡± Xu Qigang looked at her pale, slender ankle, not even as thick as his wrist, swollen like a radish, and his face was full of fierce intention. ¡°Can you walk on your own?¡± Xu Qigang asked expressionlessly. Sheng Ning sneaked a peek at him and whispered, ¡°No, it hurts too much to walk.¡± Xu Qigang helped her up, his eyebrows knitted and a trace of fierce fury flashing in his eyes. He was a veteran who had survived mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Even the slightest impatient expression from him was enough to scare people away. Sheng Ning would be lying if she said she wasn¡¯t afraid, but thinking of everything from her past life, she didn¡¯t want to be like she was then. Because of selfishness and cowardice, she missed out on a genuinely good man. ¡°Aren¡¯t you someone who trains every day?¡± Xu Qigang clearly doubted her physical ability. ¡°Yes!¡± Sheng Ning stubbornly bit her lip. She could have tried harder to stand up, but she didn¡¯t want to anymore. ¡°Carry me there.¡± How could this person be so cold and hard, like a stubborn stone? ¡°` Chapter 9 - Chapter 9: Chapter 009 Questioned Chapter 9: Chapter 009 Questioned Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Xu Qigang looked slightly astonished. Luckily, his skin was of the honey-colored kind; otherwise, one could surely see the scene of Huo Yan blushing. ¡°Comrade Sheng Ning, let me take you,¡± Shen Jianguo offered proactively. ¡°No need!¡± Xu Qigang said coldly, then directly picked her up in a bridal carry. As they left, he instructed Zhou Hong, ¡°I¡¯ll take her to the infirmary. In a moment, help me inform Old Li.¡± ¡°Alright, alright¡­ you go ahead!¡± At the hospital, an examination revealed a fracture. A cast had to be applied. ¡°This injury must be properly treated, or it will seriously affect your dancing in the future,¡± the doctor advised sternly after realizing they were from the Song and Dance Troupe. Xu Qigang remained silent throughout, his serious face showing no expression, which frightened Sheng Ning into not daring to utter a word of pain. By this time, Yang Wenying had already finished dealing with Qin Cuifen¡¯s matters and rushed over, since they were all in the same hospital. ¡°Captain Xu, thank you. I can take it from here,¡± Yang Wenying said as she saw Xu Qigang off, then turned to look at Sheng Ning. She held a high position in the Song and Dance Troupe. She had merely observed Sheng Ning in the past and had heard many negative rumors about her. Today was their first real interaction. Upon closer inspection, her appreciation grew. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Sheng Ning, clutching her knees, apologized cautiously. ¡°I embarrassed us, it¡¯s my fault. I will change and train doubly hard in the future.¡± This was her sincere thought. In her reincarnated life, she only wanted to turn over a new leaf and live honestly. Yang Wenying saw her sincerity, and her sharp gaze softened slightly. However, the matter of her tearing Qin Cuifen¡¯s dress couldn¡¯t end just like that. ¡°Let me ask you, was Qin Cuifen¡¯s dress incident truly an accident?¡± Yang Wenying¡¯s heart leaped at the mention. If it wasn¡¯t an accident, the girl before her had an incredibly malicious mind. Qin Cuifen¡¯s future in the Song and Dance Troupe was thoroughly ruined. Sheng Ning¡¯s formerly meek expression turned unusually serious, ¡°Regiment Commander, in that situation, it wasn¡¯t something I could control. I was dancing fine when someone pushed me. In desperation, I tried to grab something to avoid falling, and I didn¡¯t expect it to turn out this way!¡± Yang Wenying caught the part about someone pushing her, and her eyes became exceptionally stern. ¡°You¡¯re saying someone pushed you?¡± ¡°Exactly! I don¡¯t know who it was, but with so many people in the audience, surely someone must have seen it.¡± She couldn¡¯t believe that with so many workers below, no one would notice the minor actions above. As long as Qin Cuifen dared to persist against her, she would expose her as the instigator. Yang Wenying squinted her eyes, and after a moment said, ¡°We will investigate this matter thoroughly. Take good care of your injury.¡± ¡°Thank you, regiment commander, but what about the upcoming consolation performance?¡± Yang Wenying sighed, ¡°We¡¯ve lost so much face this time that all subsequent performances have been ordered to stop.¡± ¡°What?¡± Sheng Ning widened her eyes in shock. It had never been this severe in her previous life! ¡°Regiment Commander, it¡¯s my fault. I¡¯ll take full responsibility. Please don¡¯t involve others.¡± She couldn¡¯t drag everyone else down with her. Yang Wenying¡¯s slight dissatisfaction also gradually faded. Acknowledging responsibility showed she had a sense of duty, and someone with such a sense of duty was worth cultivating. ¡°I will handle this matter,¡± said Yang Wenying before turning to leave. Sheng Ning sat on the bed, watching her exit. Chapter 10 - Chapter 10: Chapter 010: You Have Gained Some Ability Chapter 10: Chapter 010: You Have Gained Some Ability Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Captain, please take care.¡± After Yang Wenying left, Sheng Ning was alone in the hospital room. From the moment of her rebirth until now, she had been in a state of high excitement. Once she relaxed, she fell into a drowsy sleep. The next day, she woke up to the sound of girls chattering. Zhang Hongmei saw her open her eyes and quickly sat by the bed. With a concerned look on her rosy cheeks, she asked, ¡°You¡¯re awake? Are you hungry? I got breakfast from the cafeteria for you.¡± Saying this, she took out a black iron box with the words ¡°General Union Dance Troupe¡± on it. ¡°Here, there are steamed buns and porridge.¡± ¡°Do you even have the face to eat?¡± Sheng Ning¡¯s hand, holding the lunchbox, was suddenly knocked to the ground by a forceful wave. Lu Xiaoshuang looked at her arrogantly and angrily said, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. If it wasn¡¯t for you, how would we have embarrassed ourselves so much?¡± ¡°Captain, this can¡¯t be blamed on Sheng Ning. We all saw¡­¡± Zhang Hongmei tried to speak but gradually fell silent under Lu Xiaoshuang¡¯s piercing gaze. ¡°Zhang Hongmei, you¡¯ve become quite bold, haven¡¯t you? You¡¯re just a newcomer and from the countryside at that. Do you have the right to speak here?¡± Lu Xiaoshuang was eloquent and from the city, usually holding herself above others, especially disdaining those from rural areas. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ It¡¯s my fault.¡± Zhang Hongmei¡¯s eyes reddened with fear as she kept apologizing. She tried to stand up and bow, but Sheng Ning pulled her back. ¡°Lu Xiaoshuang, what are you doing? Making a fuss early in the morning?¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking me what I¡¯m doing? Why don¡¯t you ask yourself what good deeds you¡¯ve done?¡± Lu Xiaoshuang looked at Sheng Ning with contempt, her almond-shaped eyes almost burning with anger. ¡°You are the reason Qin Cuifen was embarrassed. You¡¯re the reason we can¡¯t face anyone outside. It¡¯s all because of you¡­¡± In the conservative 1980s, such shameful incidents would lead to everyone gossiping behind their backs. Even though it was a misunderstanding, the General Union Dance Troupe¡¯s strict management couldn¡¯t prevent gossip in an all-women environment. What happened last night had already spread throughout the union by today. On their way to the hospital, others, hearing they were from the General Union Dance Troupe, looked at them with peculiar expressions. Lu Xiaoshuang, naturally proud, had never been treated like this before. Talking about it brought her to tears. The others who came along also had poor expressions, but most came from average backgrounds and didn¡¯t dare to stir up trouble, so they didn¡¯t take the lead. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! But I didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± Sheng Ning had only thought of paying back in kind at the time and didn¡¯t realize it would implicate others. Feeling a bit guilty, she hurriedly got out of bed and clumsily stepped down to sincerely apologize to everyone, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I dragged everyone down. I¡¯m really sorry, I truly didn¡¯t mean for this to happen.¡± Her sincerity left Lu Xiaoshuang with nothing more to say. They all knew deep down that Sheng Ning¡¯s actions were unintentional in a moment of urgency. After all, Qin Cuifen wasn¡¯t a good person either, always trying to outshine others, yet her family background and looks were inferior to Sheng Ning¡¯s. ¡°Xiaoshuang, don¡¯t blame Sheng Ning anymore. She¡¯s already apologized.¡± ¡°Yes, we were all on stage at the time. She is indeed innocent.¡± Seeing Sheng Ning¡¯s sincere attitude, the others joined in to mediate. ¡°Hmph! I won¡¯t argue with you this time.¡± Lu Xiaoshuang, feeling awkward, snorted and took the others to Qin Cuifen¡¯s room. Only Zhang Hongmei stayed behind. After everyone else left, she diligently cleaned up the mess on the floor and then took out a steamed bun wrapped in oiled paper from her pocket. She gave an apologetic smile to Sheng Ning, ¡°Go ahead and eat!¡± Chapter 11 - Chapter 11: Chapter 011 Chapter 11: Chapter 011 Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Did you know that I wouldn¡¯t get to eat that meal just now?¡± Sheng Ning looked at her in astonishment. She hadn¡¯t expected Hong Mei, who seemed so honest, to have such a shrewd mind. ¡°I guessed it. The Captain¡¯s expression was awful the whole way, and this time our General Union Dance Troupe has lost a lot of face.¡± Everyone was now shifting the blame onto Sheng Ning. She would be lucky to escape unscathed. ¡°But Sheng Ning, you¡¯re amazing. I thought for sure you would clash with the Captain, but I didn¡¯t expect you to calm her down with just a few words.¡± Sheng Ning gave a bitter smile. This skill had come from all the hardships she¡¯d faced. When it was time to yield, she had to yield. She used to be foolish, clashing with others and ultimately ruining her reputation, making everyone avoid her. She accepted the bun, biting into it slowly. Even without any pickles, she still felt happy. ¡°Sheng Ning, do you know who brought you to the hospital?¡± Her hand holding the bun paused, and an unnatural smile appeared on her face. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°The Living Yama!¡± Mentioning this, Zhang Hongmei¡¯s face turned pale, and she looked at Sheng Ning with admiration. ¡°Sheng Ning, you¡¯re very brave. You¡¯re the only girl in our entire Dance Troupe who dares to talk to the Living Yama. And you¡­ you even dared to let him carry you!¡± Sheng Ning was amused by her expression. ¡°My foot was injured, if he didn¡¯t carry me, should I have crawled over myself?¡± Zhang Hongmei blushed deeply. ¡°Sheng Ning, how could you be so bold?¡± Sheng Ning ignored her, finishing the bun in a few bites. She then picked up the kettle from the nightstand and poured a cup of water for herself and Hong Mei. She didn¡¯t just want him to carry her, she wanted him to kiss her too! Thinking of this, a blush appeared on Sheng Ning¡¯s face. She turned her head just in time to see a tall, sturdy man walking past the window. He looked so familiar! Ignoring the pain in her foot, she climbed down from the bed amidst Zhang Hongmei¡¯s cries of surprise. Holding onto the door frame, she saw the man¡¯s silhouette disappear around the corner. The man had a tall and broad-shouldered figure, estimated to be about 1.9 meters tall. His broad shoulders and narrow waist were perfectly accentuated by his well-fitted clothes. It was Xu Qigang. What was he doing at the hospital? Qin Cuifen¡¯s ward was at the end of the hallway, where two other young comrades were also staying. When Lu Xiaoshuang led a group of people into the room, the two comrades¡¯ eyes lit up. Qin Cuifen was still lying on the bed with her eyes closed, tears streaming down. She looked like she¡¯d been crying for a long time. In fact, she wasn¡¯t unconscious, but in that situation, she had no choice but to pretend. ¡°Alright, you¡¯re fine. You can be discharged now.¡± During the routine morning rounds, the Doctor had checked her and immediately issued an order for her discharge. ¡°Doctor, I feel very uncomfortable. I¡¯m dizzy, and my stomach hurts a lot,¡± she said weakly, her face pale. She had lost so much face, how could she go back like this? Now she had to pretend to be ill, no matter what, to get through this difficult time. It was all Sheng Ning¡¯s fault; she couldn¡¯t let it go just like that. The Doctor saw her pale face and reluctantly agreed to her request for hospitalization. After the Doctor finished speaking, Lu Xiaoshuang couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and started to reproach loudly. ¡°Qin Cuifen, do you think you can just hide here?¡± ¡°Sister Xiao Shuang, why are you here?¡± Qin Cuifang feigned surprise as she looked at her. ¡°Are you here to see me?¡± Lu Xiaoshuang swallowed hard, feeling she had picked a bad day to leave the house. The person behind her gently tugged at her sleeve and whispered, ¡°Sister Xiao Shuang, let¡¯s go back! The General Union hasn¡¯t issued a notification about this incident. If we cause a scene, we¡¯ll be the ones in trouble.¡± Chapter 12 - Chapter 12: Chapter 012 Discharged at the Same Time Chapter 12: Chapter 012 Discharged at the Same Time Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The person speaking and Lu Xiaoshuang both came from the city, and the two were closer than the others. Hearing her say that, the anger in Lu Xiaoshuang¡¯s heart gradually subsided. She understood in her heart that Qin Cuifang was not as easy to deal with as Sheng Ning, the idiot. She needed to be more careful. ¡°Cough, cough¡­ I came to see you. I want to know how you feel having harmed everyone,¡± Lu Xiaoshuang said sharply, still feeling unhappy. ¡°Sister Xiao Shuang, it¡¯s not my fault; it was Sheng Ning¡­¡± Qin Cuifang looked aggrieved, speaking in a hesitant manner. But her meaning was clear¡ªthe real culprit was Sheng Ning. ¡°I¡¯m also a victim. I wish I were dead.¡± ¡°Qin Cuifen, we don¡¯t like hearing that,¡± someone said disdainfully, unable to stand Qin Cuifen¡¯s two-faced behavior. ¡°You kept saying you and Sheng Ning were good friends, and you asked us to take care of her. Is this how you treat a good friend? We just came from Sheng Ning¡¯s room, and she didn¡¯t act like you.¡± Qin Cuifen nearly ground her teeth to pieces. How had Sheng Ning, that little tramp, changed so much? ¡°Alright, let¡¯s allow her to recuperate here. We¡¯re leaving this afternoon anyway, and she¡¯ll stay here alone,¡± Lu Xiaoshuang said and was about to walk away. Qin Cuifen suddenly lunged from the bed, grabbing her and pleading bitterly, ¡°Sister Xiao Shuang, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t want things to be this way. I really am innocent. Please don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯ll do anything you want.¡± ¡°You wish. You¡¯ve ruined us all, and now we¡¯re too ashamed to say we¡¯re from the General Union Dance Troupe.¡± Lu Xiaoshuang, showing disgust, tried to shake off Qin Cuifen¡¯s grasp, but her movements were too large. Unexpectedly, a slap landed on Qin Cuifen. The loud smack shocked everyone in the room; Qin Cuifen held her burning right cheek, pitifully saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sister Xiao Shuang. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you dodge?¡± Lu Xiaoshuang looked at her hand in confusion, not expecting to slap Qin Cuifen. She had deliberately moved forward, so how could she dodge? ¡°Sister Xiao Shuang, I don¡¯t blame you. It¡¯s my fault for implicating everyone. I¡¯ll do anything to calm everyone down.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, stop pretending. I¡¯m getting annoyed just looking at you,¡± Lu Xiaoshuang said, though she didn¡¯t continue to mock her. ¡°The union asked us to check on you. When can you be discharged? If you can leave, come back with us.¡± ¡°I can leave now.¡± A large group came bustling in and left bustling out. Feeling guilty about hitting Qin Cuifen, Lu Xiaoshuang busily helped her with the discharge procedures and had teammates support her. What was initially an inspection turned into an escort for a discharged patient. Lu Xiaoshuang¡¯s expression remained sour the entire way. Sheng Ning¡¯s foot injury, confirmed to have no other issues, also led to her discharge. Zhang Hongmei, afraid they would argue, didn¡¯t take the union¡¯s car. The two waited for a vehicle at the hospital entrance. Cars from the General Union passed frequently, and the two, having little money, hoped to catch a Song and Dance Troupe vehicle. ¡°Sheng Ning, why don¡¯t you sit?¡± Zhang Hongmei asked dumbly, seeing her face reddened under the blazing sun. ¡°No need, I can stand,¡± Sheng Ning shook her head, leaning on crutches. She had a bone fracture that hurt initially but felt much better now. The detailed plaster cast was primarily due to her being a dancer. It was crucial that her foot didn¡¯t suffer any lasting damage. Chapter 13 - Chapter 13: Chapter 013 Hitching a Ride Chapter 13: Chapter 013 Hitching a Ride Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The two of them stood at the hospital entrance for half an hour. When Sheng Ning was feeling dizzy from the sun, a black jeep stopped in front of them. ¡°Comrade Sheng Ning,¡± Shen Jianguo jumped out of the car and looked at her kindly. ¡°Mr. Shen, what brings you here?¡± Zhang Hongmei was delighted and nudged Sheng Ning with her elbow, whispering, ¡°The one you like has arrived.¡± Sheng Ning smiled bitterly. It turned out that the news of her once liking Shen Jianguo had spread so widely that even Hongmei knew. But she no longer liked him; the mere thought that he would eventually marry Qin Cuifen made her uneasy. ¡°I was just passing by on business.¡± In truth, he had come specifically to see her. Ever since she boldly confessed to him last time, her image had dominated his mind, torturing him every moment. At first, he thought he must be crazy; otherwise, why would he think about an eighteen-year-old girl day and night? Last night, when he watched her fall from the stage, his heart had stopped. It was then he realized he had fallen for this bold girl. Shen Jianguo¡¯s eyes burned with admiration as he looked at her. How could she be so beautiful and so lovable? In the sunlight, Sheng Ning¡¯s fair and tender skin was flushed, and her big, watery eyes seemed to hold a thousand words. Shen Jianguo¡¯s tough heart slowly softened. ¡°Let me take you home.¡± Sheng Ning unconsciously bit her tender lip and nodded in response to Zhang Hongmei¡¯s expectant look. The jeep roared past the hospital entrance. Xu Qigang, who was speaking with the hospital leaders in the yard, caught a glimpse of Sheng Ning¡¯s profile. ¡°Hey! Shen Jianguo, Shen Jianguo¡­¡± The hospital¡¯s dean shouted after the departing jeep. Unfortunately, it was too far for them to hear. ¡°That kid said he came to see me. Why did he leave without even meeting me?¡± The dean stomped his feet in frustration. Only then did he notice that the Living Yama seemed in a bad mood. ¡°See, I was so upset that I got confused.¡± The dean shook his head. ¡°Captain Xu, you have to come to the hospital for a check-up every month. This is a direct order from the leaders. If you keep putting it off, don¡¯t blame me for reporting you.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Xu Qigang nodded. His stern and handsome face made people want to avoid him. ¡°Alright, alright, I won¡¯t nag. You all howl when it comes to rescue missions, but coming to the hospital is like taking your life.¡± The dean stopped nagging, sent Xu Qigang off, and led his people inside. Xu Qigang, known as the Living Yama, was famous in the rescue world. He had just returned from a major rescue mission, and the Rescue Association treasured him. It was understandable¡ªhe was incredibly capable, led the country¡¯s first official rescue team, and had no bad habits. He was a talent for the country. The dean had heard that even though Xu Qigang came from a rural background, many leaders wanted him as their son-in-law. The dean sighed internally at the thought of Xu Qigang¡¯s icy face that seemed to never melt. It was now the era of reform and opening up, and social trends had changed. Young women liked the type like Shen Jianguo; ordinary people would be scared to death upon seeing Xu Qigang. Shen Jianguo drove the two women to the entrance of the General Union Dance Troupe. When they were still a thousand meters away, Sheng Ning hurriedly asked to stop. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Shen Jianguo frowned as he looked at her. Chapter 14 - Chapter 14: Chapter 014: The Hypocritical Sisters Chapter 14: Chapter 014: The Hypocritical Sisters Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Let us get off here, it¡¯s not good for the comrades to see us.¡± Sheng Ning bowed her head, not looking at Shen Jianguo. ¡°Alright!¡± Shen Jianguo knew she made sense, but he couldn¡¯t help feeling hurt. Just a week ago, she had boldly confessed to him! How come she wouldn¡¯t even look at him now? He wanted to ask her if he had done something wrong, but was afraid of scaring her. So, he pursed his lips and drove away after dropping her off. ¡°Sheng Ning, didn¡¯t you like Mr. Shen?¡± Zhang Hongmei asked, supporting her as they walked. ¡°Many people like him, what am I?¡± After all, she once genuinely liked him, and now even though she didn¡¯t love him anymore, it was hard to face him with indifference. Rather than this, it would be better not to see him at all in the future. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s good that you understand.¡± ¡°Do you also think I¡¯m not good enough for him?¡± Sheng Ning turned her head, looking at Zhang Hongmei intensely. Stared at by her eyes, Zhang Hongmei dumbly nodded. ¡°Sigh! If only I had known earlier.¡± If she had seen things clearly in her previous life, she wouldn¡¯t have ended up as she did. Recovering from her injury was very boring. Sheng Ning, with a cast on her right foot, didn¡¯t dare to be careless. In her previous life, she had aggravated her ankle injury by horseplaying carelessly, leaving her with aftereffects that caused unbearable pain during rainy days. The area where the General Union Dance Troupe was located was empty, everyone was gritting their teeth through intense practice. Qin Cuifen also carefully followed the group, practicing dances late into the night every day. Only Sheng Ning stayed in the dormitory all day due to her injured foot, unable to go anywhere. During the day, she had to limp to the canteen to get food. There were many rumors outside, and she knew without asking what they were saying. It was just like her previous life, when something happened, she was trampled into the dust. Now it was a bit better, with Qin Cuifang explaining everywhere, playing the pity card, so the harsh words had lessened. When Sheng Ning heard Zhang Hongmei mention Qin Cuifen¡¯s matters, a trace of a cold smile appeared on her face. There hadn¡¯t been any clear orders from the organization regarding this incident. Qin Cuifen was so anxious that she had a cold sore, busying herself with various displays. Sheng Ning had seen through it and couldn¡¯t care less. ¡°Sheng Ning, have you eaten?¡± That afternoon, Qin Cuifang, unwilling to give up, came to Sheng Ning¡¯s dormitory again. In the room, Sheng Ning was reading a book. ¡°You never read before. What made you start reading now?¡± Qin Cuifen glanced at the densely written pages, finding herself unable to recognize any of the characters. ¡°To gain knowledge,¡± Sheng Ning kept her head down, looking disinterested. With only a junior high education, she suffered greatly in society in her previous life due to her lack of education. Moreover, she thought of Xu Qigang, who although also came from a rural background, later attended the National Security University Advanced Command System. To be worthy of him in the future, she must study hard. ¡°Do you still want to go to college?¡± Qin Cuifen¡¯s eyes were as sharp as needles. ¡°What do you want from me?¡± Sheng Ning closed her book, having lost interest in reading. Since the party, she had hardly spoken to Qin Cuifen. They both came from the same place and grew up together. She once considered her the best friend. Now, seeing through everything, Sheng Ning¡¯s heart bled with hatred, leaving no room to continue being sisters. ¡°Ningning¡­¡± Qin Cuifen smiled as she sat on her bed, ¡°Even though I got dragged down by you in this incident, I won¡¯t blame you. What can I say, we are best sisters!¡± Chapter 15 - Chapter 15: Chapter 015: Face-to-Face Confrontation Chapter 15: Chapter 015: Face-to-Face Confrontation Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°¡­¡± Ha ha ha¡­ She really had never met anyone thicker-skinned than Qin Cuifen. ¡°Ningning, I haven¡¯t blamed you, you¡¯re not still being petty, are you?¡± Qin Cuifen asked generously. Ha ha ha¡­ What a high-sounding reason, as if ignoring her meant being petty and narrow-minded. Sheng Ning looked up, her gaze passing through the window, clearly smelling the familiar scent of Yashuang in the air. In the countryside, only hair oil was used, the upscale Yashuang lotion could only be used by people like Lu Xiaoshuang. Thinking of this, Sheng Ning smiled, her flower-like smile making Qin Cuifen¡¯s jealous heart bleed. ¡°Cuifen, we are good friends, we grew up together, of course I wouldn¡¯t blame you.¡± ¡°Ningning, in this matter I¡¯m obviously the victim¡­¡± ¡°Alright! I need to rest now, aren¡¯t you rehearsing today? I¡¯ve heard the National Day performance task is very heavy.¡± Qin Cuifen, seeing her goal achieved, left satisfied. At the door, she couldn¡¯t help but smile. Unfortunately, Sheng Ning¡¯s next words made her stop in her tracks, stunned. ¡°Cuifen, when will you return my bracelet?¡± Sheng Ning asked leisurely. Qin Cuifang hastily adjusted the sleeve on her left hand, hiding a stylish and unique silver bracelet. ¡°Cuifen, you¡¯ve borrowed it for so long, do you plan on not returning it?¡± A gasp sounded from outside the window, Qin Cuifang¡¯s face turned pale, she turned back trembling and said, aggrieved, ¡°Sheng Ning, what are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Sheng Ning took a deep breath, really infuriated by Qin Cuifen¡¯s shamelessness. The more you argued with this kind of person, the more excited they got. ¡°Fine, go ahead and train!¡± She decided it was better to not bother about the bracelet left by that woman. ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll go now. If you need any help, feel free to find me any time.¡± A hint of triumph flashed in Qin Cuifang¡¯s eyes as she left with a smile. That silver bracelet on her wrist, she had put in great effort to deceive it from Sheng Ning, she would never return it even if she were beaten to death. Upon exiting the girls¡¯ dormitory, Qin Cuifen was immediately surrounded by her group of girlfriends. ¡°Cuifen, you¡¯re such a good person.¡± ¡°Exactly, I hate Sheng Ning¡¯s arrogant attitude.¡± ¡°She treats you so badly, yet you still consider her a good friend, you¡¯re really foolish.¡± Amidst everyone¡¯s chatter, Qin Cuifen maintained a faint smile. Her plain clothes were accentuated by her ample chest, making people almost nosebleed. She wasn¡¯t as pretty as Sheng Ning, nor did she have fair skin, but she had a bigger chest! Qin Cuifen subconsciously puffed out her chest, humbly saying, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t misunderstand Sheng Ning, she had a tough childhood, I understand her.¡± What did ¡°had a tough childhood¡± mean, and what did ¡°I understand her¡± imply? This was up to everyone to interpret themselves. ¡°Cuifen, you¡¯re so pitiful, you¡¯ve been tolerating her since childhood.¡± Sending off Qin Cuifen, Sheng Ning peacefully tended to her injury, retrieving a letter from her father from the cabinet according to her past life¡¯s memory. Looking at the crude letter paper and her father¡¯s scrawled handwriting, Sheng Ning¡¯s tears fell uncontrollably. How many years had it been, two whole lifetimes, she never thought she would have the chance to see her father again! The letter¡¯s content was simple, her father had arranged a marriage for her and wrote to ask her opinion. He was also a comrade and very excellent. Between the lines, her father¡¯s satisfaction and appreciation for her future husband were evident. He clearly wanted to agree but didn¡¯t forget to ask her opinion in the letter. Chapter 16 - Chapter 16: Chapter 016 Rejected Chapter 16: Chapter 016 Rejected Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She appeared in front of the grand hall because she received a letter from her father. Believing Qin Cuifen¡¯s words, she ran ahead to find Xu Qigang, wanting to humiliate him thoroughly. Thinking of her disgraceful behavior in her past life, she felt the urge to slap herself hard. Not to mention that the two families had not yet been engaged, even if they were engaged, what qualifications did she have to humiliate others? In her past life, her reputation was ruined, and she ended up miserably. Qin Cuifang did not recognize her, and Shen Jianguo, who had vowed to marry no one but her, did not recognize her. In the end, it was Xu Qigang, whom she had humiliated, who recognized her. Thinking that she had died in her past life in Xu Qigang¡¯s warm embrace, Sheng Ning laughed through her tears. In this life, she would no longer pursue anyone out of opportunism. What if Xu Qigang came from a poor background? She wanted to marry him and wholeheartedly be a good wife. Sheng Ning picked up a pen and started to write back to her father. First, she wrote in the letter that everything was fine and told him not to worry and to take good care of himself. Then she directly stated that she liked the marriage arrangement very much and would leave everything to her father to decide. After sending the letter, Sheng Ning anxiously waited. She waited until her leg healed but still did not receive a letter from her father. Worried, she wrote another letter and sent it back. This time, she received a reply within half a month. Reading her father¡¯s letter, Sheng Ning was dumbfounded! She never expected such a result! What did it mean that the man did not like her? What¡­ What was wrong with her? Sheng Ning was so anxious that she almost cried. Holding the letter, she could not understand how Xu Qigang could be so heartless to her. Was she not beautiful enough, or was her character not good enough? That¡¯s it! It must be because of her bad character. Her reputation was bad, and her temper was worse, so Xu Qigang disliked her. He used to be a cold-faced demon, now the captain of the rescue team, with limitless prospects, so it was normal for him to look down on her. Sheng Ning secretly bit her teeth and vowed to make herself better. ¡°Sheng Ning, you¡­¡± Zhang Hongmei looked at her, wanting to say something but did not dare to. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Sheng Ning, living in the lower bunk, looked up at Zhang Hongmei on the upper bunk with her delicate and beautiful face. She was initially living with Qin Cuifang in the same dormitory. Since she returned from the party, she had requested to move in with Zhang Hongmei, which made Qin Cuifen gnash her teeth in anger. Looking at Sheng Ning¡¯s small face, Zhang Hongmei was momentarily distracted. She silently scolded herself before asking, ¡°Are you being petty with Qin Cuifen?¡± Petty? That was definitely not a nice thing to say. Only those who were mean-spirited and selfish would be called petty. ¡°No!¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you live with her? You used to be so close,¡± Zhang Hongmei said enviously. Both from rural areas, Qin Cuifen and Sheng Ning were close and excellent. Zhang Hongmei was the only one who was rustic and lacked presence, and people looked down on her. Sheng Ning could not say that she was reborn and knew Qin Cuifen harbored ill intentions, so she avoided her. However, she did care a lot about Zhang Hongmei, her only friend in her past life who had no ill intentions toward her, so she seriously explained, ¡°Because I want to be friends with you more. Do you not welcome me?¡± In the General Union Dance Troupe, everyone looked down on Zhang Hongmei, and no one wanted to live with her. Fortunately, there was an empty room, so Zhang Hongmei lived alone. After returning from the party, Sheng Ning arranged her bed and moved into Zhang Hongmei¡¯s room. Away from Qin Cuifen, she even felt the air was wonderful. Chapter 17 - Chapter 17: Chapter 017: A Major Demerit Once Chapter 17: Chapter 017: A Major Demerit Once Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Zhang Hongmei noticed Sheng Ning¡¯s aggrieved expression and awkwardly apologized, ¡°Sorry, that¡¯s not what I meant. I¡¯m actually very happy that you can move in with me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re happy.¡± She was deeply afraid of losing even a friend like Hong Mei, so she cherished her all the more. Sheng Ning¡¯s right leg fracture had completely healed, and the next day she was summoned by Yang Wenying¡¯s assistant. ¡°G¡­ General.¡± Yang Wenying usually was very stern; everyone in the General Union Dance Troupe was afraid of her. Before entering the room, Sheng Ning carefully fixed her uniform to ensure nothing was amiss, mustering the courage to knock on the door. Once inside, she greeted dutifully, but under Yang Wenying¡¯s critical gaze, she felt increasingly insecure. She kept her head very low, looking like a little wife who had been reprimanded. Yang Wenying secretly observed her, seeing Sheng Ning with her head bowed and an embarrassed, cautious look. In the end, she didn¡¯t scold her. Thinking about the recent rumors in the General Union and several comrades subtly probing her for information gave her a headache. This girl is nothing but trouble. ¡°How long have you been in the General Union Dance Troupe?¡± Yang Wenying asked stiffly. ¡°More than half a year.¡± ¡°There¡¯s an assessment at the end of the year.¡± ¡°Y¡­yes.¡± For some reason, she always felt inexplicable anxiety in front of Yang Wenying. Considering her usual performance, at the end of the year assessment, she probably wouldn¡¯t qualify to stay in the General Union Dance Troupe. In her past life, she had racked her brains and finally had Shen Jianguo make an exception for her to stay. It had made Yang Wenying very unhappy at the time. In this lifetime, she didn¡¯t necessarily have to cling to the General Union Dance Troupe. If she couldn¡¯t continue there, she could be assigned to logistics, or go to the union hospital. Yang Wenying noticed she didn¡¯t seem worried about the end-of-year assessment and let out a cold smile. ¡°Last time, you embarrassed us at the party, so you¡¯ll be given a major demerit. You¡¯re forbidden from participating in any activities or training for a month.¡± ¡°What about Qin Cuifen?¡± Yang Wenying cast an inscrutable glance at her, sternly saying, ¡°Comrade Sheng Ning, take care of your own matters first. Who gave you the right to inquire about others¡¯ affairs? To speak bluntly, this could be considered unauthorized probing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I know I was wrong!¡± ¡°Alright, go back and reflect. Don¡¯t come back until you receive notice.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Sheng Ning saluted, then silently turned and left. Deputy leader Qiu Bai happened to come in and curiously asked, ¡°She didn¡¯t make a fuss?¡± ¡°No!¡± Yang Wenying shook her head. Sheng Ning¡¯s reaction had also surprised her! ¡°Did the sun rise in the west?¡± Qiu Bai joked, not believing it, and even went out to check, making the usually stern Yang Wenying laugh. ¡°Sheng Ning is acting too unusual.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that she¡¯s not causing trouble. If she had made a fuss, she might have been directly expelled.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it was Sheng Ning¡¯s fault, though?¡± Qiu Bai felt it was unfair for her. Previously, she didn¡¯t like Sheng Ning, but today¡¯s behavior made her see her in a new light. ¡°The incident did happen, and a major demerit can¡¯t be avoided. What happens next depends on her.¡± The news of Sheng Ning¡¯s major demerit quickly spread throughout the General Union Dance Troupe. Zhang Hongmei was so worried that she started crying. Qin Cuifen also brought a group of her new good friends to see her, smiling sweetly and looking gentle. ¡°Sheng Ning, why didn¡¯t you stand up for yourself?¡± Qin Cuifen, seemingly unaware of Sheng Ning¡¯s displeasure, continued to provoke. ¡°There¡¯s less than a month until National Day, the performance at the War Wolf Rescue Team. Missing it would be such a pity.¡± Chapter 18 - Chapter 18: Chapter 018: Looking for the Living Yama Chapter 18: Chapter 018: Looking for the Living Yama Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Sheng Ning stared straight at her, as if trying to find a flower on her face. ¡°That old witch, Yang Wenyin, she¡¯s definitely suppressing you on purpose because she can¡¯t stand how pretty you are.¡± Sheng Ning gave a cold laugh. How could she have been so brainless in her previous life to believe Qin Cuifen¡¯s words? Even ignoring that Yang Wenyin was nearly twenty years older than her, her social background alone was not something Sheng Ning could contend with. It was already bad enough that Qin Cuifen pushed her on stage, but this time, she wanted to destroy Sheng Ning completely! If she didn¡¯t make a fuss, she might have a chance to stay on, but causing a scene would mean she¡¯d be packing up and leaving instantly. ¡°Cuifen, what do you think I should do?¡± Sheng Ning asked, distressed. ¡°Of course you should go demand justice from that old witch!¡± Qin Cuifen¡¯s disdain became more pronounced. In the past, she would hide her contempt in front of Sheng Ning. Now she didn¡¯t even bother. This bitch, just a clueless pig, wouldn¡¯t even know how she died after being played to death by Qin Cuifen. ¡°I¡¯m too tired today, let¡¯s talk tomorrow!¡± Seeing that Sheng Ning was indeed swayed by her, Qin Cuifen left triumphantly. As she walked, she despised Sheng Ning inwardly, wondering how she had the nerve to say she was tired when she didn¡¯t even train regularly. Truly shameless, she must be dreaming if she thought she was a city person! Just a country bumpkin. Despite being penalized, Sheng Ning felt sad. She lost out on training and performance opportunities. From now on, Qin Cuifen would be the one at the top. In her previous life, she would never have stomached this and would have fought Qin Cuifen for dominance. But now, having experienced so much, she was no longer the foolish person she once was, blindly following others¡¯ instigations. Early the next morning, Sheng Ning was awakened by the reveille. Zhang Hongmei was long gone from the room. She was diligent and pragmatic, fearing she couldn¡¯t stay with the General Union Dance Troupe. She was always the first to get up, cleaning and tidying the place until the dance practice room was spotless. With nothing to do, Sheng Ning tidied up her things. Following the address she had gotten from the reception office yesterday, she went to find Xu Qigang. She wanted to ask him face to face why he didn¡¯t want to marry her. With only five yuan left, Sheng Ning transferred buses three times, and finally asked a driver at the station who drove a procurement vehicle. ¡°Hello, is Xu Qigang here?¡± The person she asked was Liu Chun, around sixteen or seventeen. He was so shy at the sight of Sheng Ning¡¯s delicate beauty that he couldn¡¯t lift his head. But as soon as he heard the name Xu Qigang, he became energetic. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re looking for our Captain?¡± My god! Even Captain Huo Yan had girls seeking him out? And such a pretty one? Liu Chun¡¯s eyes brightened instantly as he looked at Sheng Ning in her plain cotton clothes, clean and neat despite their age. He guessed she was from the Captain¡¯s rural hometown and eagerly asked, ¡°Miss, are you our Captain¡¯s sister?¡± She must be, or why would a girl be looking for the Captain? Sheng Ning felt embarrassed, ¡°I¡¯m a fellow villager of your Captain.¡± She wanted to say she was his fianc¨¦e, but her father¡¯s letter was clear: Xu Qigang had refused the engagement. ¡°Not the Captain¡¯s sister?¡± Liu Chun shook his head regretfully, then widened his eyes in shock. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re our Captain¡¯s wife?¡± Sheng Ning¡¯s face suddenly turned red, looking exceptionally beautiful. ¡°Not¡­ not yet!¡± ¡°Then you must be the future sister-in-law.¡± Chapter 19 - Chapter 19: Chapter 019: Efforts and Others Chapter 19: Chapter 019: Efforts and Others Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio From the train station to where Xu Qigang¡¯s rescue team lived, it took a whole hour of bumping along before they arrived. Sheng Ning was almost shaken apart, her exquisite and delicate face pale white. Liu Chun was in high spirits today. There was a fairy-like girl sitting in his car! Even the way he pressed the accelerator had more zest than usual. When they arrived at the gate of the rescue team, Liu Chun flashed a big, toothy grin at the guard on duty. ¡°Stop for inspection!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Liu Chun obediently stopped the car. He was Xu Qigang¡¯s assistant. Usually, he didn¡¯t have to handle buying supplies, but today the cook responsible for it was sick, so the captain had assigned him the task temporarily. The War Wolf Rescue Team was particularly strict with inspections. Especially when the unfamiliar face of Sheng Ning appeared, she immediately drew attention. She naturally knew the place was strictly managed, so she got out of the car voluntarily and thanked Liu Chun. ¡°Thank you for bringing me here today. I won¡¯t go inside; please ask Xu Qigang to come out.¡± When the soldier on duty heard the captain¡¯s name, his ears slightly twitched, and although he looked straight ahead, his eyes were gleaming. ¡°Alright! Wait here.¡± Liu Chun drove the car inside and then couldn¡¯t wait to rush inwards. ¡°Captain, captain¡­¡± His loud voice was howling, making those who were in a meeting laugh out loud. Xu Qigang¡¯s face was ashen, imposing a sense of murderous intent. Just as the meeting was ending, Zhou Hong stood up to announce the dismissal, then walked out, pulling Liu Chun by the ear back in. ¡°You rascal, don¡¯t you want to stick around? No respect at all. Tonight, you¡¯re not allowed to eat dinner and have to run two kilometers.¡± Liu Chun was completely focused on the girl and didn¡¯t care about anything else. He cried out, ¡°Captain, there¡¯s a girl, a girl¡­¡± ¡°What girl?¡± Zhou Hong was about to leave, but upon hearing this, he came back. Liu Chun wiped his sweat and said, ¡°Captain, someone from your hometown is here to see you. Good heavens, she¡¯s really pretty.¡± Zhou Hong¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Instructor, she¡¯s not here for you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t joke around. If she were here for me, I wouldn¡¯t be so happy!¡± Zhou Hong used to be a bit of a playboy before joining Xu Qigang¡¯s War Wolf Rescue Team. After joining, he was put through the wringer by Xu Qigang, and from then on, he held deep respect for him. Zhou Hong was resourceful but also a worrier. Before he retired, Xu Qigang¡¯s nickname, the Living Yama, was well-known in their district. Zhou Hong had considered finding him a girl from another district, but at the beginning of the year, during the district-wide competition, Xu Qigang beat the Southern District hero so badly that even his own mother wouldn¡¯t recognize him. The nickname Living Yama spread even further. Twenty-nine years old, and still, no young woman dared speak to him! Wasn¡¯t that enough to make one anxious? How could the captain being single make the subordinates feel comfortable taking wedding leave? ¡°Who is it? How old? Pretty?¡± ¡°Oh my god! She¡¯s very pretty. Captain, you should go quickly! Don¡¯t let her stand in the sun.¡± When Xu Qigang heard that someone from his hometown was looking for him, he remained indifferent, his face still cold. He bent over and seriously studied the sand table in the office, repeatedly doing simulated analyses in his mind. Zhou Hong and Liu Chun were both excited, but Xu Qigang¡¯s expression stayed flat, completely ignoring their conversation. Sheng Ning waited at the gate for an hour, but still didn¡¯t see Xu Qigang. The September autumn sun beat down on her, making her dizzy, her pink cheeks flushed red. ¡°Miss, would you like to come inside and sit?¡± Finally, someone couldn¡¯t bear to see her standing there any longer and invited her in. Chapter 20 - Chapter 20: Chapter 020: Dont Want to See Her Chapter 20: Chapter 020: Don¡¯t Want to See Her Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Sheng Ning shook her head, ¡°No thanks.¡± She was just feeling irritated and had a strong desire to see him, so she came impulsively. Now, left standing at the door, though a bit dizzy, her heart had calmed down. The calmer she felt, the more miserable she became. It seemed as if her newly set goals were about to be shattered before they even had a chance to come to fruition. She wanted to give up, wanted to turn around and leave, but the thought of Xu Qigang¡¯s warm embrace before his death made it hard for her to let go. Sheng Ning gritted her teeth, squatted by the door, and hugged her knees tightly. ¡°Miss, our captain is in a meeting, you¡¯d better go back.¡± Liu Chun said, scratching his head apologetically. Sheng Ning stood up, forced back her tears, nodded, and said, ¡°I understand.¡± Xu Qigang didn¡¯t want to see her, she knew that. Of course! How could a cold man like him meet with just any woman? If he came out to see every woman who looked for him, wouldn¡¯t she cry even more? Understanding this, Sheng Ning¡¯s sense of grievance disappeared. She smiled at Liu Chun instead, no longer looking pitiful as before. ¡°Heh heh heh¡­ I¡¯m glad you¡¯re not angry.¡± Liu Chun said awkwardly, scratching his head. ¡°I¡¯m not angry, I came too abruptly. Don¡¯t worry, even though I look so pitiful now, one day, I will make Xu Qigang beg me to come back.¡± Sheng Ning spoke with great ambition. Liu Chun gave her a thumbs up, ¡°Miss, if you can really make our captain beg you, you will be the person I admire the most.¡± ¡°That¡¯s called an idol.¡± ¡°Fine! Idol it is. So how are you going back? There¡¯s no transportation at this hour.¡± ¡°No problem! I can walk back.¡± Liu Chun had taken leave to come out and tell her the news, so he couldn¡¯t stay long. After saying a few words, he hurried back inside. Sheng Ning saw that the sun was about to set, she didn¡¯t want to waste any more time, so she walked towards the city. In the 1980s, the countryside was still desolate. It took her two hours to reach the city. Her feet were covered in blisters by the time she reached the train station, and it was already dark. Exhausted, she skipped dinner, bought a ticket, and caught the last train home, falling asleep on the train. In the middle of the night, Sheng Ning woke up from a nightmare. In the cramped carriage, many people were resting. She lay on the table, her arms numb. She found a piece of clothing to wrap around herself, got up to pour a cup of hot water, and felt much better after drinking it slowly. She dreamt of her past life again, scenes like nightmares haunting her. Shen Jianguo¡¯s hurt voice, Meng Ping¡¯s sinister gaze¡­ all of it made her shudder. Holding the cup, she broke out in a cold sweat despite the hot weather. In the second half of the night, Sheng Ning couldn¡¯t fall asleep. The green train sped through the wilderness, and by dawn, it reached Tong¡¯an County. Sheng Ning¡¯s hometown was here. A small, inconspicuous town in northeast China. She got off the train, counted the money in her pocket, and had a cup of soy milk. She spent one yuan on a bus ticket to the town. In her previous life, it was this time when her stepsister married the town mayor¡¯s foolish son. This time, she would reclaim the lost time. The bus was a rickety, old vehicle commonly seen in rural villages. There weren¡¯t enough seats, so many villagers placed their market purchases on the floor as makeshift benches. Chapter 21 - Chapter 21: Chapter 021: Unbearable Reputation Chapter 21: Chapter 021: Unbearable Reputation Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Sheng Ning had nothing with her and squeezed into a small corner after getting on the bus. The people around her were all intentionally or unintentionally looking at her. ¡°Whose girl is this, so pretty!¡± an older woman exclaimed. ¡°Yo! Isn¡¯t this the girl from Sheng¡¯s third family?¡± someone from the same village as Sheng Ning recognized her at a glance. ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to be in the General Union Dance Troupe? Why are you back? Don¡¯t tell me you got kicked out? Hmph¡­ People like you deserve to be expelled.¡± Sheng Ning had her head down the entire time, not wanting to be recognized by her neighbors. Hearing the malicious words now, she turned her head to look at them, her eyes filled with anger. ¡°Auntie, this is slander!¡± ¡°What did you say? You called me auntie?¡± The speaker was a young woman who appeared to be around thirty. Probably not used to doing farm work, her skin was noticeably fairer than the average rural person. ¡°Isn¡¯t it? Calling you auntie isn¡¯t wrong, is it?¡± Sheng Ning turned her head, blinking her innocent big eyes at the people around her. ¡°Mm-hmm! That¡¯s right! Xiao Zhang, you¡¯re already thirty. A seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl calling you auntie is a sign of respect,¡± the people around agreed. ¡°That¡¯s right, she didn¡¯t call you wrong!¡± The young woman, feeling the most insulted when called old, got angry. Sheng Ning calling her auntie now was implying she was old and outdated. Seeing the people siding with Sheng Ning, she angrily rolled up her sleeves, ready to pull her hair. ¡°You shameless little bitch, you dare come back! See if I don¡¯t tear your mouth apart.¡± ¡°Auntie, this is a public place, please mind your manners.¡± Sheng Ning finally remembered, wasn¡¯t this young woman Mrs. Zhang who lived at the east end of the village? A rural widow, who had not done farm work for years. The reason why could easily be guessed by anyone with a brain. It was said that even the village chief eagerly helped her with farm work! ¡°Yes, Xiao Zhang, you can¡¯t hit her.¡± After all, it was a public place. Mrs. Zhang hadn¡¯t even reached Sheng Ning yet when she was nearly thrown off balance by a lurch of the bus. With so many people on the bus, Mrs. Zhang couldn¡¯t reach her and eventually had to give up, resorting only to taking verbal jabs. ¡°How dare you talk back, bitch? After half a year outside, you think you¡¯re tough. Someone like you is a disaster wherever you go¡­¡± Mrs. Zhang cursed non-stop, vividly recounting the slanders spread in the village. Accusing her of seducing men from a young age, not studying properly, sleeping with teachers, even having an abortion at fourteen! In the conservative and traditional rural areas of the eighties, such gossip could drown a person. The unfamiliar passengers on the bus looked at Sheng Ning with strange eyes. Some whispered among themselves, their sharp words stabbing at Sheng Ning¡¯s heart like knives. What did she ever do wrong? Just because her mother ran off with a man when she was young, did she have to bear such a vile reputation all her life? ¡°Hmph¡­ Feeling guilty? Can¡¯t say anything back?¡± Seeing Sheng Ning stay quiet, Mrs. Zhang grew even more pleased with herself. Sheng Ning suppressed the searing hatred in her chest, took a deep breath. After calming down, she looked at Mrs. Zhang with pity and said helplessly, ¡°Auntie, you have the village chief and the Village Chief protecting you in our village, so I dare not say anything. But for what you¡¯ve done, I believe one day the village chief¡¯s wife and the Village Chief¡¯s wife will find out.¡± Chapter 22 - Chapter 22: Chapter 22 Ruthless Counterattack Chapter 22: Chapter 22 Ruthless Counterattack Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°You¡­ What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Widow Zhang¡¯s face turned pale. She glanced cautiously at the man sitting in the back of the truck, wishing she could skin Sheng Ning alive. ¡°What did Zhang Fang say? The village chief and the Village Chief are defending her?¡± The middle-aged woman who had previously praised Sheng Ning¡¯s beauty suddenly had a gleam in her eye. She knew Widow Zhang; they were both from the same ten miles and eight villages. In her excitement, she blurted out the name directly. Gossiping, she pressed on, ¡°This sounds so strange, two men defending a widow, she must have some skills!¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± The truck erupted into laughter. Zhang Fang jumped in anger and quickly put on a pitiful face, pretending to be miserable, ¡°Let me explain, everyone, this is completely untrue. It¡¯s all made up by that little bitch Sheng Ning. She has a terrible reputation in the ten miles and eight villages. She can¡¯t stand others being better off, so she¡¯s deliberately slinging mud.¡± Hmph! The little bitch, after half a year, her mouth has become sharper than before. She used to insult her countless times, and every time Sheng Ning would just cry and scream. Now she¡¯s become this fierce? Zhang Fang had suffered a great loss and now looked at Sheng Ning with a hint of apprehension. Sheng Ning had a faint smile on her face as she looked at Zhang Fang, but the cold gleam in her eyes was as sharp as a needle. In her past life, she was burdened with these bad reputations, which shaped her character. In this life, she was going to let everyone know she was not to be messed with. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I shouldn¡¯t have called you ¡®auntie¡¯ just now. You look so young and have such fair skin, how could you be an auntie? I should have called you ¡®big sister.''¡± ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± Zhang Fang¡¯s ominous premonition grew stronger. Sure enough, following Sheng Ning¡¯s words, everyone in the truck noticed Widow Zhang¡¯s unusually fair skin. How could this be the skin of someone who did farm work all year round? Even the village chief¡¯s wife looked older than Zhang Fang. ¡°It seems this little girl is right.¡± ¡°Without the protection of the village chief and the Village Chief, how could she maintain her looks so well? She clearly doesn¡¯t do farm work.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a widow, but she lives better than most women.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, most women only have one man to do farm work. She has two!¡± The murmurs of the crowd surged into Zhang Fang¡¯s ears like a tide, and she frantically tried to explain. But no one was listening, and no one responded to her words. As the saying goes, good news never leaves the house, but bad news travels a thousand miles. In the countryside, there¡¯s not much entertainment, so people pass the time with the rumors about various families. Whether it was someone having an affair, a younger brother-in-law falling for his sister-in-law, a certain household¡¯s girl eloping with someone, or some man going out for drinking, gambling, and frequenting brothels. Such rumors could be discussed for months, and the more they spread, the more exaggerated they became. Zhang Fang having an affair was nothing special. A widow having an affair was not uncommon in the countryside. But her having an affair with two men at once, now that was shocking. ¡°I didn¡¯t! I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Seeing that her explanations were useless, Zhang Fang desperately lunged towards Sheng Ning. ¡°You little bitch, explain yourself! I¡¯ll tear your mouth apart for talking nonsense, I¡¯ll make you pay.¡± When someone is filled with hatred, their strength is extraordinary. Zhang Fang managed to push through the crowd and rushed straight at Sheng Ning, grabbing her hair. She used all her strength and yanked Sheng Ning up, causing her so much pain that tears welled up in her eyes. Chapter 23 - Chapter 23: Chapter 23 Feeling Timid Near Home Chapter 23: Chapter 23 Feeling Timid Near Home Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Her hair was being pulled, but Sheng Ning did not fight back. Instead, she calmly said, ¡°Sister Zhang, if you don¡¯t let go of me, we won¡¯t need to go back to the village. We could go straight to the police station, how about that?¡± When Widow Zhang heard about going to the police station, she got scared and didn¡¯t dare to use much force, freezing in place. The man who had been sitting at the back of the car had already stood up and squeezed to the front. Upon hearing Sheng Ning¡¯s words, he quietly stopped his actions. What a bold and composed girl with a meticulous mind. A trace of amazement appeared in the man¡¯s eyes. ¡°Sister Zhang, if you don¡¯t let go, I can report you. If you get caught, you¡¯ll be detained,¡± Sheng Ning added. Upon hearing the word ¡°detained,¡± Zhang Fang immediately loosened her grip. She couldn¡¯t afford to be caught. If she got arrested, where would she put her face? The bumpy car ride finally came to a halt. The driver impatiently opened the door and said, ¡°We arrived, all of you get off quickly.¡± Sheng Ning, who had felt like she was living through years on that car ride, quickly jolted off the vehicle, clutching her meager belongings. By the time the man wanted to look for her, she had already disappeared. From the town, it wasn¡¯t far to Sheng Ning¡¯s house, only about a half-hour walk. Coincidentally, today was market day, and the streets were bustling. Sheng Ning walked along the path that felt both familiar and unfamiliar, her emotions in turmoil. After decades away from her hometown, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath of the fresh air, and could almost smell the scent of nostalgia. After crossing a small bridge over a winding stream, she could see the poplar trees at the village entrance and the two broad threshing grounds on the east and west sides. Sheng Ning¡¯s house was at the west end of the village, very close to the threshing ground. Standing under the poplar trees, she could clearly see the wide-open door of her home. Standing at the threshing ground, Sheng Ning suddenly felt a pang of apprehensiveness as she neared her home. Thinking about her past life, she covered her mouth and sobbed uncontrollably. Tears streamed down her face, and her crying became almost hysterical. Even in her past life, when she¡¯d been sentenced to prison, she hadn¡¯t cried like this. ¡°Ningning, what¡¯s wrong?¡± a middle-aged woman¡¯s voice sounded from behind her. Sheng Ning turned back in disarray to see her stepmother, Shen Luhua, standing right behind her. At this time, Shen Luhua hadn¡¯t yet endured the pain of losing her daughter from her previous life. At forty years old, she wore her hair meticulously neat and had a gentle elegance that was uncommon among rural women. Sheng Ning knew that when her stepmother didn¡¯t smile, she was actually a very serious person. With thin lips that took on a sharp, cold look when not smiling. ¡°Ningning, why have you come back? Why are you crying?¡± Shen Luhua asked anxiously, seeing her stepdaughter cry without saying a word. For this stepdaughter, Shen Luhua was always extra cautious. Being a stepmother was no easy task, and she had learned this firsthand with Sheng Ning. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Besides these three words, Sheng Ning couldn¡¯t think of what else to say. ¡°Don¡¯t stand at the door, come home with me quickly. If your father knows you¡¯re back, he¡¯ll be very happy.¡± After Sheng Ning joined the Song and Dance Troupe, she hadn¡¯t written any letters home. Although her father didn¡¯t say anything, he would often stand at the threshing ground looking out. Half a month ago, two letters had arrived, both related to the marriage. The content had made the old man very happy, but the Xu family¡¯s attitude had suddenly changed, making the old man so angry he lost his appetite. Shen Luhua¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t quiet, and everyone in the yard heard it. The first person to run out was her stepsister, Sheng An. Sheng An was only a year younger than her and had healthy, glowing wheat-colored skin. Chapter 24 - Chapter 24: Chapter 024: Younger Sister Sheng An Chapter 24: Chapter 024: Younger Sister Sheng An Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°` Sheng An was only a year younger than her, with healthy, glossy wheat-colored skin. A high nose bridge and heroic eyebrows. In today¡¯s aesthetic standards, she didn¡¯t look beautiful; many people in the village even said she was ugly behind her back. But in the future, she would definitely be a goddess who could captivate both men and women. When Sheng An saw her, her eyes flared up immediately, and she aggressively said, ¡°Why did you come back? How dare you come back?¡± ¡°An¡¯an, don¡¯t talk to your sister like that,¡± Shen Luhua scolded unhappily. ¡°Mom, at this point, are you still protecting this troublemaker? Don¡¯t you think she hasn¡¯t harmed me enough?¡± Sheng An¡¯s voice trembled as she spoke, glaring at Sheng Ning as if she wanted to devour her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, An¡¯an,¡± Sheng Ning apologized guiltily. In her past life, she only met Sheng An once before she died. At that time, Sheng An¡¯s body was sent back by the town chief¡¯s family. But all the uncles and elders said that a married daughter, especially an adopted one, shouldn¡¯t dirty the Sheng family¡¯s ground. They wouldn¡¯t let Sheng An¡¯s corpse enter the house no matter what. The harsh and venomous insults would anger anyone who heard them. Sheng Ning still clearly remembered Sheng An¡¯s emaciated body lying in a coffin at the village entrance. She never took a step into the house, even in death. ¡°You¡­ why are you looking at me like that?¡± Sheng An felt uncomfortable under her gaze. The fierce look she had wore down, and she even took a step back. After stepping back, she felt embarrassed and rushed to Shen Luhua, pulling her arm. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t bother with her. Let¡¯s go.¡± She said, pulling Shen Luhua towards the farmland behind the village. ¡°An¡¯an, don¡¯t be so stubborn.¡± Shen Luhua, seeing her stepdaughter finally come back, felt she must treat her well as a stepmother. Otherwise, if the rumors of her being harsh spread, the family would have no good reputation left. ¡°Mom, am I your real daughter, or is she?¡± Sheng An jumped up in anger, glaring hatefully at Sheng Ning. Her black and white eyes slowly welled up. ¡°You always tried to please her since we were kids. The best food, the most fun things, you always gave them to her first. When it was busy on the farm, I did all the house chores. She wanted to join the Song and Dance Troupe, so you made me marry the town chief¡¯s fool just to pull strings and send her there. What more do you want? Do you really have to drive me to death to be satisfied?¡± Sheng An¡¯s words were like a blunt knife, cutting into Sheng Ning¡¯s heart, leaving it bloodied and raw. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, An¡¯an.¡± Shen Luhua felt deeply pained for her daughter. At that moment, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to comfort her stepdaughter, so she could only apologize, ¡°Ningning, you should go home and rest first. I¡¯ll come back and make something delicious for you.¡± ¡°Delicious? We can barely keep the pot boiling.¡± Sheng An said bluntly. Shen Luhua smiled awkwardly. The family was indeed too poor. To pull strings and send Ningning to the General Union, they had sold everything they could. Now they were just waiting for the autumn harvest, or else the whole family would go hungry. ¡°Mom, you go ahead. My sister is not in a good mood; don¡¯t worry about me,¡± Sheng Ning said, wiping her tears with her sleeve, smiling at her stepmother who she once deeply disliked. She realized she had been such an idiot. Such a good mother was a blessing she had earned through many lifetimes. In her past life, she hadn¡¯t treasured her well, but this time, she would definitely be a filial daughter and a qualified sister. Shen Luhua widened her eyes in disbelief at her words, and even the furious Sheng An looked at her in shock. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll go back and cook first. Come back early!¡± Sheng Ning smiled gently. The sharp look she used to have was gone. When she looked at Shen Luhua, her eyes were warm and kind, making one feel especially comfortable. ¡°` Chapter 25 - Chapter 25: Chapter 025: The First Time Calling Mom Chapter 25: Chapter 025: The First Time Calling Mom Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Ah? Oh! Okay, okay, okay.¡± Shen Luhua snapped out of her daze. She had hoped for this for over a decade. It was the first time her stepdaughter called her mom, and she was overjoyed. Until she turned to the back of the house and walked in her family¡¯s vegetable garden, Shen Luhua still felt unreal. ¡°An¡¯an, pinch me and see if I¡¯m dreaming.¡± Sheng An said with disappointment, ¡°Mom, is this all your ambition? She called you mom once, and you¡¯re this happy. I call you every day, and you never even give me a piece of cloth for new clothes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the first time Ningning called me!¡± Shen Luhua said contentedly. ¡°Mom, you¡¯re so biased.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Ningning¡¯s had a hard time growing up. If you had someone point at you and call you a vixen every day, could you bear it?¡± Shen Luhua scolded sternly, with a serious face. ¡°If it were me, I would definitely tear their mouth apart.¡± Of course, she couldn¡¯t bear it. Only that fool liked playing with Qin Cuifen. Sheng An¡¯s most hated person was Qin Cuifen. She had never seen anyone more disgusting. ¡°If you were like that, you¡¯d be scolded even worse. Getting Ningning into the Song and Dance Troupe is the only way out. Otherwise, her life would be ruined.¡± Having such a mother was really heartless. ¡°Then won¡¯t my life be ruined if I marry that fool?¡± Sheng An felt hateful. If it weren¡¯t for her mom¡¯s soft heart, she would never have agreed. What made her angriest was that Sheng Ning dared to come back at this time. She knew she was about to get married. She came back to see her joke, didn¡¯t she? ¡°Anyway, mom, I¡¯ll never forgive Sheng Ning in this lifetime.¡± Sheng An sneered, leaving Shen Luhua and running off alone to find Xiao Hong from the village chief¡¯s family. Sheng Ning looked at the familiar house. The mottled walls were pasted with yellowed old newspapers. There was a Baxian table in the main room, made by her father when she was a child. The left side room was her parents¡¯ room, and the right was hers and her sister¡¯s. The house was small. She and An¡¯an shared a bed, with something placed in the middle as a clear boundary, like the Chu River Han Border. Thinking of her past ignorance, Sheng Ning blushed with shame, wishing she could slap herself. This time, she had decided that her sister could absolutely not marry into the village chief¡¯s family. As Sheng Ning stood in the main room, lost in thought, Sheng Laosan came over from the pigsty at the back of the house. Seeing his eldest daughter inside, he was startled. ¡°Ningning, why are you back?¡± Sheng Laosan almost dropped his smoking pipe. He was an old comrade, later injured and retired due to a leg injury. He roughly knew the situation of the Song and Dance Troupe; the city wouldn¡¯t give them a holiday at this time. Unless something went wrong. ¡°Dad¡­¡± Sheng Ning wiped her tears, but they slid down one by one. She stood there dumbfounded, her body trembling, unable to move. ¡°Why are you crying? Did you feel wronged at the General Union, or did someone bully you?¡± Sheng Laosan asked helplessly. He had always been an honest man, who suffered losses without complaint. He had always been diligent and conscientious. Pulling strings for Sheng Ning to get into the Song and Dance Troupe was the most shameful decision of his life. To this day, he didn¡¯t know the truth behind Sheng An¡¯s engagement to that fool. Actually, the village chief¡¯s family was in good condition, the most prominent in ten miles and eight villages. His foolish son wasn¡¯t bright, but no bad rumors surrounded him. In the countryside, as long as there was food, nothing else mattered. Sheng An¡¯s engagement sparked envy among many in the village. But Sheng Ning knew it was a pit, a trap. The fool had a volatile character and severe domestic violence issues. Chapter 26 - Chapter 26: Chapter 026: Who Said That? Chapter 26: Chapter 026: Who Said That? Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Did something happen at the Song and Dance Troupe? Don¡¯t cry, tell us and we¡¯ll figure it out together.¡± Sheng Laosan was certain it had to be something wrong with the Song and Dance Troupe. Although he was unhappy inside, seeing his daughter crying so sadly, he didn¡¯t say anything. His daughter was stubborn and saying too much wouldn¡¯t help either. ¡°It¡¯s noon, I¡¯ll call your aunt back to cook.¡± Sheng Laosan had always wanted his daughter to call Shen Luhua ¡°Mom,¡± but every time he mentioned it, his daughter would cause a huge commotion. Later, he gave up. ¡°Dad, no need, I¡¯ll cook.¡± Sheng Laosan was already halfway out the door. He hesitated and turned back at his daughter¡¯s words, ¡°What did you say?¡± Sheng Ning¡¯s face turned redder, out of shame. ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll cook,¡± Sheng Ning said and walked straight into the kitchen. In the low adobe house, the cement stove was wiped very clean, showing that Shen Luhua was a very tidy person. Sheng Ning rummaged around the kitchen, but there wasn¡¯t much food, just a few ordinary radishes and some chives. These were common in rural vegetable gardens, and there wasn¡¯t even a bit of meat. This time back, everyone in the family had become thinner. It must be because the days were too hard, and they hadn¡¯t had meat for a long time. In her previous life, Sheng Ning didn¡¯t know how to cook at all. After being released from prison, she went to a housework training class and worked in a Five-star Hotel. She got along well with the chefs in the back kitchen, and because she was diligent, she learned a lot of cooking skills. Originally, she planned to open a small restaurant after she couldn¡¯t continue working at the hotel. Unfortunately, after being diagnosed with cancer, she gave up on the idea of opening a restaurant. ¡°Are you sure you can do it?¡± Sheng Laosan¡¯s voice came from outside the kitchen, ¡°The rice is in the jar, can you find it?¡± ¡°Dad, I can do it, I learned everything at the Song and Dance Troupe,¡± Sheng Ning replied loudly after collecting her thoughts. ¡°The Song and Dance Troupe is truly a great place, it can train anyone,¡± Sheng Laosan sighed as he walked out of the house. Halfway down the road, he remembered that his daughter went to the Song and Dance Troupe, not the cooking class. How could she have learned to cook? He hoped that she wouldn¡¯t burn down the kitchen. Thinking this, Sheng Laosan quickened his pace to find his wife to come back and cook. There was a small shop at the east end of the village where villagers liked to sit under the big jujube tree at the shop¡¯s entrance to chat. Today, there were a lot of people gathered under the jujube tree. Many who came back from the market didn¡¯t even take their purchases home. They couldn¡¯t wait to gather around. ¡°Let me tell you, Zhang Fang is really cunning. Poor Qi Mei was so kind to her. She even dared to seduce a married man.¡± The speaker was Qin Cuifen¡¯s second aunt. Qi Mei, who she mentioned, was the village chief¡¯s wife and also the women¡¯s director of the village. Qi Mei had always been the envy of many women in the village. Now, hearing that Widow Zhang had seduced her husband, some women were gloating, some were watching gleefully, and some couldn¡¯t wait to run to Qi Mei and mock her. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s true?¡± ¡°Yes! None of us in the village have heard about it.¡± ¡°Xiao Erhei, do you really not know or are you pretending not to?¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯ve heard about it, but no one dared to say it so clearly!¡± There¡¯s no wall in the world that doesn¡¯t let the wind through. Villagers had long been gossiping in private, but nobody dared to publicly talk about it because of the village chief¡¯s reputation. ¡°You don¡¯t know, Zhang Fang¡¯s face was quite a sight back then, it was so awful!¡± ¡°Who said that?¡± Chapter 27 - Chapter 27: Chapter 027 I am that kind of person Chapter 27: Chapter 027 I am that kind of person Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°There, their daughter.¡± The middle-aged woman pointed at Shen Luhua standing in the crowd and said disdainfully, ¡°Who else but their shameless big girl could say such things?¡± Shen Luhua, who had originally just wandered over out of boredom, instantly became the target of everyone¡¯s scorn. ¡°Old San¡¯s wife, so your big girl has returned.¡± An ambiguous laughter immediately echoed around. ¡°That wretched girl is just like Widow Zhang, no wonder she dared to speak out!¡± Shen Luhua¡¯s face turned red with anger, ¡°Shut up, all of you. Just love gathering to gossip, a bunch of gossipy women.¡± She had often heard people speaking ill of her stepdaughter before, but back then, the stepdaughter refused to call her mother, so to avoid dragging her younger daughter into it, she pretended not to hear. But today was different. Since her stepdaughter called her ¡°mother,¡± she had to be a proper mother. She had to stand up and defend her daughter¡¯s reputation. Cough, cough¡­ although her daughter had no reputation to speak of in the countryside. The surrounding people were stunned by her outburst and took a while to react. ¡°Who are you talking about? You remarried, and you still have the nerve to talk about others? I don¡¯t think you¡¯re any good either.¡± The middle-aged woman spat viciously, looking at Shen Luhua as if looking at something disgusting. ¡°Second Aunt Qin, you should watch your mouth.¡± ¡°Watch my mouth for what? Look at yourself. Don¡¯t put on airs like you¡¯re from the city. Sheng Laosan¡¯s first wife was a sent-down youth from the city, too! Didn¡¯t she end up running away with someone¡­¡± Second Aunt Qin was a famously shrewish woman with a sharp tongue that never lost an argument. Her most glorious record was quarreling with her mother-in-law, sitting on a small bench at her door without eating or drinking, cursing for three days and nights. From eighteen generations of ancestors to her in-laws and her maiden family, no one escaped her curses. In the end, she successfully angered her mother-in-law to death. This glorious record remained unbroken for ten years and made her an infamous figure in the ten miles and eight villages that no one dared to provoke. Shen Luhua¡¯s face turned pale with anger, but she knew how formidable Second Aunt Qin was, and Ningning was friends with Second Aunt Qin¡¯s daughter, so she was afraid of upsetting Ningning. ¡°Mom, are you alright?¡± Sheng An, who was playing with the village chief¡¯s brat, heard the commotion from afar and came over with the village chief¡¯s wife and the brat. ¡°Mom, why argue with people like her? Can you out-argue her?¡± Sheng An snapped, showing no friendly face. She hated Qin Cuifen and, by extension, hated Second Aunt Qin even more. ¡°People like me? People like me? You stinking girl.¡± Second Aunt Qin knew Old San¡¯s wife was no match for her, and she became even more aggressive. ¡°People like you, how would I know? Don¡¯t you know yourself?¡± ¡°You stinking girl, don¡¯t think that just because you¡¯re connected to the town mayor, you can do whatever you want.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha¡­ I¡¯m doing whatever I want?¡± Sheng An sneered coldly, dragging Shen Luhua away, ¡°Mom, let¡¯s not bother with her.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t go!¡± Second Aunt Qin grew even more smug and was about to stop them when she saw the village chief¡¯s wife standing next to Sheng An with a dark expression. Qi Mei was short, and standing behind Sheng An, she hadn¡¯t been noticed by many people. So they hadn¡¯t realized she was there too. Second Aunt Qin deflated as soon as she saw her, like a punctured ball. Chapter 28 - Chapter 28: Chapter 028 Azure Dragon, White Tiger Chapter 28: Chapter 028 Azure Dragon, White Tiger Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The village chief¡¯s wife, the key figure of all the gossip, arrived, and the excitement would certainly escalate. But neither Sheng Ning nor her daughter had the heart to watch the scene. On their way back, they happened to run into Sheng Laosan, who had come out looking for them. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, daughter? Who made you angry?¡± Sheng Laosan had always treated Sheng An as his own daughter over the years. Because his eldest daughter was willful and spoiled, he felt more guilty toward his younger daughter. ¡°Sheng Ning went to the General Union, and Sheng Laosan cherished Sheng An even more.¡± ¡°Did someone say something unpleasant again?¡± ¡°No, Dad, why did you come out?¡± Sheng An thought her father would be excited and fussing over Sheng Ning now that she was back. She felt a bit sour at first, but seeing her dad come out to look for them immediately made her smile broadly. Shen Luhua noticed her daughter¡¯s little thoughts and originally wanted to scold her. But when she thought about her stepdaughter calling her ¡®Mom,¡¯ she couldn¡¯t help but chuckle foolishly. ¡°Lao San, how could you leave Ningning at home alone? It¡¯s mealtime; let¡¯s go home and cook.¡± ¡°Oh! Alright, alright.¡± He had come out specifically to find his wife to cook. After getting familiar with the kitchen, Sheng Ning first steamed a pot of white rice, then cleaned and chopped some radishes. She took the last bit of lard from the oil container and made her specialty: radishes in meat sauce. Although there was no meat, the lard could still suffice. Using firewood, she slowly stewed it, and soon, a tempting aroma that made the mouth water wafted through the air. Leeks were easy to prepare. First, they were blanched, then quickly stir-fried with hot oil for two or three seconds. Adding the right amount of salt, the dish was ready. Because she controlled the heat well and stir-fried quickly, the simple stir-fried leeks looked vibrant and tasty. After finishing everything, Sheng Ning felt it wasn¡¯t enough, so she ran to their vegetable garden and picked two cucumbers. She came back, cut them into pieces, crushed some garlic, and mixed it with vinegar to make a simple and refreshing cold cucumber dish. The hotel where Sheng Ning used to work excelled at Sichuan and Huaiyang cuisine. Every dish Southern people made looked exquisite and was full of color, aroma, and flavor. So, she wasn¡¯t very good at the Northeastern mixed stews and was better at making Southern dishes. ¡°Lao San, are you home?¡± A rough voice came from the yard. Sheng Ning wiped her hands with her apron and hurried out. In the yard stood a middle-aged man in his fifties, tall and burly, looking particularly intimidating. He was a typical Northeastern man, the kind with a Left Green Dragon tattoo on one arm and a Right White Tiger on the other. When the man saw Sheng Ning, his face immediately blossomed into a smile. Unfortunately, he looked so fierce that his smile often scared a group of children crying. Sheng Ning¡¯s expression was calm as she curiously asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Huh? You didn¡¯t show a scared expression?¡± Xu Xianxiong¡¯s fierce eyes were full of surprise, but he grew more satisfied with Sheng Ning. He had chosen Sheng Ning as a wife for his son purely because he had heard she was beautiful. I mean, which man doesn¡¯t like good-looking women? His son, almost thirty, hadn¡¯t married yet. In the past few years, they had no time to talk about marriage, being on the battlefield. Now that they could finally marry, they of course wanted the most beautiful girl. Even though he was scorned countless times for this decision, Xu Xianxiong remained firm. ¡°Marry a virtuous wife¡± was all nonsense. Unfortunately, his son was unwilling. Xu Xianxiong wanted to rush to the rescue team and beat that brat up. Leaving such a beautiful wife behind, he would regret it someday. ¡°¡­¡± Should she act very scared? She wondered if there was still time. Chapter 29 - Chapter 29: Chapter 029 Villain Village Chapter 29: Chapter 029 Villain Village Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°You must be Sheng Ning, right? I am Xu Qigang¡¯s father.¡± Xu Xianxiong burst into laughter, his laughter so powerful that it frightened the pigs in the backyard. ¡°What?¡± Sheng Ning¡¯s face turned red embarrassingly. So he was Xu Qigang¡¯s father. Now he finally understood where Xu Qigang¡¯s ¡°Living Yama¡± nickname came from. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Don¡¯t I look like him?¡± ¡°Yes, you look very much alike.¡± ¡°Nonsense, that brat can¡¯t compare to my good looks.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sheng Ning was speechless. What an inexplicable confidence! Xu Qigang was definitely much better looking than him. Upon returning home, Sheng Laosan heard Xu Xianxiong¡¯s voice from afar. He hurried inside and was relieved to find that his daughter was not scared. The initial intention of this arranged marriage was solely based on Xu Qigang himself. As for his father, well, it was hard to describe¡­ ¡°Your daughter is pretty good, too bad our brat doesn¡¯t have the fortune.¡± As soon as Xu Xianxiong saw Sheng Laosan, he patted him on the back with a hand as large as a fan, almost knocking him over. ¡°Take a seat inside, take a seat inside.¡± Sheng Laosan led him into the living room. Sheng An gave Sheng Ning a glare and went back to his own room. Shen Luhua smiled at Sheng Ning appeasingly, ¡°Ningning, could you call An¡¯an to help me? I will cook.¡± ¡°No need Mom, I¡¯ve already cooked.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shen Luhua stared at her, stunned. She had disliked cooking since childhood, often breaking things or throwing tantrums, when did she learn how to cook? Shen Luhua¡¯s shock was evident, making Sheng Ning bow her head, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sorry for being immature before. Can you forgive me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, it¡¯s not your fault.¡± Shen Luhua¡¯s hands trembled with excitement, ¡°I¡¯m already very happy that you call me Mom.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mom!¡± Sheng Ning looked up and flashed a brilliant smile. Her rosy and beautiful face made Shen Luhua feel dizzy, and she did not even realize when they entered the kitchen. When she came to her senses, Shen Luhua couldn¡¯t help sniffing the dishes on the stove, ¡°Smells good, Ningning, you cook better than me.¡± Shen Luhua¡¯s cooking was already considered good in the village, but in this era¡¯s rural areas, as long as one had enough to eat, taste wasn¡¯t much of a concern. Sheng Ning¡¯s lips curled slightly. She lacked the necessary ingredients and seasonings, or else it would be even tastier. While the mother and daughter prepared the dishes and chopsticks, Xu Xianxiong and Sheng Laosan began chatting in the living room. Xu Xianxiong had primarily come today to apologize for his son¡¯s behavior. The arranged marriage had been settled, and the brat hadn¡¯t opposed it. With his personality, that was considered consent. Who knew that after the Mid-Autumn Festival, he would call with a very firm refusal. Xu Xianxiong had gone to the town¡¯s supply and marketing cooperative to take that call, and almost died of anger upon hearing his son¡¯s tone. Given the brat¡¯s fierce demeanor, cold and hard nature, it was already fortunate for him to find a wife. Moreover, Xu Village had such a bad reputation that girls from decent families wouldn¡¯t dare marry into it. Speaking of Xu Village, it was notoriously poor and known as ¡°Villain Village¡± within ten miles and eight villages. Xu Xianxiong, when younger, was a famous rascal and thug. Young and married women would avoid him, and he only married at thirty. After starting a family, Xu Xianxiong became honest and started making an effort to support his family, but his old habits didn¡¯t change. His glare alone could make people tremble. At the end of the year, the production team¡¯s distribution had to be delivered to his home. It was hard to compare who had a worse reputation. Those who avoided them wouldn¡¯t gossip behind their backs. With Zuo Qinglong and Right White Tiger backing him up, they could scare anyone to death. Chapter 30 - Chapter 30: Chapter 030: A Green Hat Chapter 30: Chapter 030: A Green Hat Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio So when Xu Qigang left that year, the whole village, and even the entire township, celebrated with gongs and drums to send him off. Although Little Yama wasn¡¯t as tough as his father, he was even colder. One look from him could scare even his father into silence. Just looking at him was intimidating. Later, it turned out that the people¡¯s judgment was accurate. According to the county office, on the Southern Border Battlefield, Little Yama was a formidable figure who charged into battle, causing the enemy to flee in fear. Even after he was forced to retire due to injuries, he didn¡¯t become discouraged. Instead, he and some of his retired teammates formed a rescue team. It was also the first official rescue team in our country. ¡°Lao San, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s our family that has wronged you. When that brat comes back on leave, watch me beat him to death.¡± Sheng Laosan got up and poured a bowl of plain water for Xu Xianxiong, then said, ¡°It just means they were not meant to be together. As parents, we can¡¯t force it.¡± ¡°I always thought the girl from your family was good. If she could marry into our family, I wouldn¡¯t make her do farm work.¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Sheng Laosan¡¯s old face reddened with embarrassment since his daughter didn¡¯t know how to do farm work at all. ¡°Let¡¯s just forget about this. You don¡¯t need to feel guilty.¡± ¡°Exactly. Anyway, my sister is used to being rejected in proposals.¡± Sheng An came out of her room just in time to hear this and quickly added on. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? That¡¯s your sister, how could you say that about her?¡± Although it was true, Sheng Laosan still frowned, unhappy that Sheng An spoke like this in front of outsiders. Sheng An had already felt wronged being forced by her own mother to marry one of the Fools and, coupled with Sheng Ning¡¯s return, she had become increasingly sharp-tongued. Now, hearing her father talk like that about her, tears immediately started to fall from her eyes. Yet, stubbornly, she retorted, ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. Go ask around these ten miles and eight villages who would dare to marry her? They probably wouldn¡¯t even marry her before getting cheated on.¡± ¡°You¡­ That¡¯s totally over the line.¡± Sheng Laosan, furious, raised his smoking pipe and swung it at Sheng An. Xu Xianxiong quickly intervened to stop him. Hearing the commotion, Sheng Ning and Shen Luhua ran into the room, their eyes wide with shock. Sheng An, caught off guard, took two hits, which hurt her so much that her face turned pale. Sheng Ning, seeing her like that, was also terrified and quickly stepped in front of Sheng An. ¡°Dad, why are you hitting her for no reason? Can¡¯t we talk about this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your fake concern.¡± Sheng An pushed Sheng Ning away and glared at her like a fighting cock. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you¡­¡± ¡°An¡¯an!¡± Shen Luhua suddenly scolded loudly, startling everyone present. Whatever Sheng An was about to say, she swallowed it back under Luhua¡¯s stern gaze and dashed out in anger. ¡°An¡¯an, come back for dinner! Where are you running off to?¡± Sheng Ning wanted to chase after her but was pulled back by Shen Luhua. ¡°Let it go. Let her cool down. She¡¯ll be fine once she calms down.¡± ¡°That ungrateful girl, how old is she? Her words are so harsh!¡± Sheng Laosan panted heavily with anger. He had been left with lingering health issues from his past injuries, including a bad leg that caused him to limp. As a result, his health had been poor for years. In winter, his whole body would be in such pain that he couldn¡¯t get out of bed. Obviously, this argument had hit him hard. Shen Luhua quickly went to support him, fearing his health would worsen from the anger.