Chapter 45: Li Shiru's Scheme

Chen Wei and Li Cuiping were carrying night soil together; because they resented each other, they walked and traded blame, each thinking it was the other's fault, which got them both punished, and as they argued they started fighting.

Just as they were fighting fiercely, someone accidentally knocked over the dung bucket, spilling all the dung, leaving both of them covered in feces and maggots.

Now they no longer had the heart to fight; while screaming, they vigorously shook off the dung and worms from their bodies and hurriedly ran toward the river at the village entrance.

The onlookers seeing this all scattered far away, afraid they would get dung splashed on themselves.

After Li Shiru came running out of the clinic in tears, she originally wanted to confide in Chen Wei, after all Chen Wei was her only friend here.

But before she reached the field, she saw two figures reeking of dung, covered in feces, running toward her at full speed.

Li Shiru frightened, quickly stepped aside; after the two ran past her, she realized that the person just now, covered head to toe in dung, was actually Chen Wei and Li Cuiping.

Thinking of Chen Wei covered in dung and maggots, Li Shiru could no longer hold back and vomited outright, only stopping after she had brought up last night's meal.

At this point Li Shiru no longer had the desire to confide in anyone; she walked alone to the Zhiqing Dian, thinking of today's humiliation, she secretly vowed in her heart that she would not sit and wait for doom, but would surely find a chance to take revenge.

Su Ruo thought that by not teaching her medicine she could suppress her, but Li Shiru absolutely could not let Su Ruo have her way.

She absolutely could not end up like the village peasants, spending her life toiling in the fields.

Su Ruo just has a job! Li Shiru will surely find work too, and then we'll see how smug Su Ruo can still be.

Li Shiru was scheming in her mind about how to find herself a job, and didn't notice someone walking toward her.

"Li Zhiqing, are you alright?"

Upon hearing the voice, Li Shiru looked up and saw Wu Xiaofeng's dark face, and a feeling of disgust immediately rose in her heart.

Wu Xiaofeng is dark and thin, with several black moles the size of soybeans on his face; if it were the original Li Shiru, she wouldn't even glance at someone like him.

But now things are different; Li Shiru has no backing here, so the initiative shown by Wu Xiaofeng coming to her makes him her best target to exploit.

Although Wu Xiaofeng is ugly, he has a great father! His father is the Brigade Accountant, second only to the Battalion Commander and the Branch Secretary in the village.

Thinking this, Li Shiru quickly lowered her head, hiding the disgust in her eyes.

Seeing Li Shiru like this, Wu Xiaofeng recalled what he had just heard, assumed she was still upset about not being able to study medicine with Su Ruo, and immediately comforted her:

"Li Zhiqing, don't be upset; actually not becoming a doctor is no big deal. You're educated and good‑looking, so you'll surely find a job later."

Li Shiru knows best how to use her advantages to stir a man's protective instinct; by the time she lifted her head again, her eyes were already brimming with tears.

She said with a face full of grievance: "I really don't know what I did wrong to make Su Ruo dislike me so much. Clearly we are both Educated Youth who came to the countryside together; we should help each other, but Su Ruo not only refuses to teach me medicine, she even humiliates me in front of many people, I……"

Li Shiru burst into tears after saying that.

Wu Xiaofeng already liked Li Shiru; seeing her cry made his heart ache terribly, and he also felt a surge of anger toward Su Ruo.

He immediately said in consolation: "Shiru, don't be sad; Su Ruo is just a village doctor, nothing special. She actually dared to treat you like this—I will surely find a chance to vent your anger for you."

Li Shiru looked at Wu Xiaofeng with tear‑filled eyes and asked: "Brother Xiaofeng, really? Will you really avenge me?"

Wu Xiaofeng had just said that on impulse, but now faced with Li Shiru's admiring gaze, he could not help but seriously consider how to avenge her.

But for the moment he truly couldn't think of a good plan.

Seeing his hesitation, Li Shiru immediately said: "Forget it, Brother Xiaofeng, you'd better not trouble yourself; Su Ruo is now not only a village doctor but also favored by the Battalion Commander and the Branch Secretary, and I don't want you to get into trouble because of me."

Wu Xiaofeng, hearing Li Shiru call him "Brother Xiaofeng," felt his bones go weak, and seeing her pitiful, pleading look, his male instincts surged, and he said:

"What's there to fear? Even if Su Ruo is formidable, she's still just an Educated Youth; my dad is still an accountant! Rest assured, I will definitely help you, give that low‑born girl a good beating, and vent your anger."

Thinking this way, Wu Xiaofeng also formed a plan; someday he would go to the county, round up his buddies, and together they would deal with that little girl Su Ruo—it would be no trouble at all.

Li Shiru immediately looked at Wu Xiaofeng with admiring eyes and said: "Brother Xiaofeng, you're really great, but you must promise me to take care of yourself; I can endure some grievance, but I don't want you to get into trouble because of me."

To win a smile from the beauty, Wu Xiaofeng declared solemnly: "Shiru, rest assured; Su Ruo is an Educated Youth with no backing—dealing with her will take just a moment. Leave this to me, and wait for my good news."

After Li Shiru had gone back and forth with Wu Xiaofeng for so long, waiting for exactly those words, seeing her goal achieved, a flash of delight crossed her eyes; since Su Ruo dared to humiliate her, she would certainly make Su Ruo pay the price.

When Li Shiru lifted her head again, she had resumed her gentle, lovable demeanor, and she said to Wu Xiaofeng: "Brother Xiaofeng, thank you!"

Wu Xiaofeng gazed at Li Shiru, catching the faint fragrance from her, and wished he could pull her straight into his arms.

But he knew that under public eyes he couldn't do that, and he also feared his actions would frighten Li Shiru, so he could only restrain himself.

Wu Xiaofeng secretly made up his mind: he must quickly win Li Shiru's hand, and if he could marry her, his life would be worthwhile.

After Li Shiru spent a while longer going back and forth with Wu Xiaofeng before leaving, when she returned to the Zhiqing Dian, Chen Wei had already prepared the meal.

Upon seeing Chen Wei greet her to eat, Li Shiru instantly recalled the scene of Chen Wei running past her covered in dung, and a wave of nausea hit her.

She struggled to suppress it, so she didn't vomit, forcing down her nausea and said: "You go ahead and eat; I have no appetite." Then she turned and went into the room.

Li Zeyu thought his sister was upset because she couldn't study medicine, so he said: "Leave some food for her; let her eat when she gets hungry."

Chen Wei liked Li Zeyu, so she naturally had no objection to his suggestion; after nodding in agreement, she sat down to eat with Li Zeyu.

But Chen Wei didn't notice that as soon as she sat down, Li Zeyu immediately furrowed his brow.

Although Chen Wei had already taken several showers, the dung smell on her still would not go away.

Before, when they were far apart it was fine, but now sitting at the same table, the stench from Chen Wei made Li Zeyu's breathing somewhat difficult.

Li Zeyu stubbornly suppressed his nausea, ate two biscuits, then left on the pretext of going to see Li Shiru.

Just as Li Zeyu entered the room, Li Shiru could no longer hold back and told him what she had seen today—Chen Wei covered in dung and maggots.

"Brother, whenever I see Chen Wei now I feel nauseous; I will never eat her cooking again."

Li Zeyu was also feeling nauseous to the point of inability, especially thinking that he had just actually eaten those biscuits made by Chen Wei with her dung‑soiled hands, which made him even more nauseous; he struggled not to vomit, tightening his brows and saying:

"But we don't know how to cook; if we don't partner with Chen Wei, how will we manage our meals in the future?"