Her father was good at everything, but when it came to work on the production team, he was strict to a fault. As the team captain, he always led by example and refused to let family ties get in the way. Even the easier jobs her family occasionally received were the result of Xu’s mother fighting tooth and nail for them—he never bent the rules willingly.
Xu’s father constantly worried that any good fortune would stir up trouble at home. If anything beneficial came his way, he’d hide it from the family, terrified Xu’s mother would pester him endlessly or cause a scene.
Just like last time—when a position opened up, he knew the second brother could’ve qualified, but he kept it secret and instead let someone else in the village get the opportunity.
Now this teacher recruitment could determine her second brother’s entire future. Xu Ying refused to believe her father wouldn’t help his own son this time.
Hearing his daughter’s probing question, Father Xu’s face darkened. “From now on, you’re not allowed to eavesdrop on our conversations.”
Xu Ying stuck out her tongue and glanced toward her mother.
Xu’s mother instantly flared up. “Oh, so you whisper near my daughter’s ears and now you blame her for overhearing? Shameless! Bah, take that!” She pretended to spit in disgust.
Father Xu stiffened, looking both annoyed and embarrassed. “You unreasonable woman.”
“Dad, what’s this about teacher recruitment? Can my second brother go?” Xu Ying pressed eagerly.
Seeing that the conversation was out in the open, Father Xu could only explain: “The recruitment hasn’t been finalized yet—it’s just an exam for now. Anyone who’s graduated junior high can take it. If he passes, he can go.”
Xu Ying’s eyes lit up with joy. Her second brother had always been a strong student in primary school. It was only near the end of junior high that his grades slipped, but he’d still made it into high school.
Elementary-level content would be no problem for him. As long as he brushed up during this period, he’d be fine.
Their Xujia Village wasn’t big, maybe twenty or thirty households, but very few had junior high graduates. Besides her second brother, there were only three or four others—the rest were educated youths assigned to the village.
She had great confidence in her second brother and vowed to supervise him herself.
“Then Second Brother qualifies! Mom, don’t let him do farm work for now—just let him study at home!” Xu Ying said happily.
Xu’s mother hesitated. “Daughter… teaching’s a good job, isn’t it? It’s easy work, and you get paid. Why don’t you go instead?”
Xu Ying immediately shook her head. “No way, Mom. I hate looking after kids. Teaching them would drive me crazy. I’d blow a fuse wasting brainpower like that.”
Xu’s mother, seeing her daughter’s refusal and imagining the rowdy boys in the village, realized they’d probably provoke her daughter’s temper. With that, she nodded.
She decided to let the second brother focus solely on studying.
Neither Xu’s mother nor the second brother objected.
As for Xu’s eldest sister-in-law, she quietly agreed as well. She knew her husband wasn’t cut out for teaching—he simply wasn’t clever enough.
Besides, the family hadn’t split their household yet. Any money the second brother earned would still be handed over to her mother-in-law. And her mother-in-law would, naturally, use the money to support the family’s shared needs.
To be honest, this arrangement was fine with her. It wasn’t like they were salaried workers, tied to a factory shift every day. As farmers, they were only busy a few months each year. The rest of the time, no matter how hard they worked, they barely earned enough work points to scrape by.
She and her husband had two sons. The work points they earned couldn’t even feed the four of them.
So she wholeheartedly supported the plan.
Xu’s mother was pleased when she saw her eldest daughter-in-law staying silent. What she liked most about this daughter-in-law was how little trouble she caused—unlike other village women who fought their mothers-in-law all day long.
After breakfast, Father Xu headed off to work as usual with the team.
Xu Ying wasted no time running over to the Lu family’s house. Whether Lu Daya had been studying or not, Grandma Lu had always pushed her to go to school. But after Grandma Lu passed away—before Daya could finish junior high—her mother pulled her out of school the moment the funeral ended, claiming the tuition was a waste.
Xu Ying thought: If my second brother could pass the exam, then Daya definitely could too. She had always ranked in the top three of their class.
Even after she dropped out, their teacher had visited the Lu family again and again to try convincing Mother Lu. But Mother Lu wouldn’t budge, even scolding the teacher for meddling.
“Sister Daya! Sister Daya! It’s me, Xu Ying!” Xu Ying shouted loudly from the courtyard gate.
After a while, Sister-in-law Lu came out holding her baby. When she saw it was Xu Ying, her eyes flickered warily. “Oh, Yingying, what do you need? Daya went to the fields to work. If it’s something important, just tell me—I’ll pass it along when she gets back.”
Xu Ying smiled sweetly. “Thanks, Sister-in-law, but I’ll go find Daya myself in the fields.”
Before Sister-in-law Lu could stop her, Xu Ying had already turned and sprinted away. Sister-in-law Lu stomped her foot in frustration. “That cheeky little thing!”
“Cheeky little thing!” her toddler echoed gleefully.
Xu Ying ran fast, but by the time she reached the fields she was gasping for breath. Her body was still weak—she wasn’t used to running this far.
In the distance, Chen Yanran spotted her immediately as she paused from her work. Without Dong Wenzhong by her side these past few days, Chen Yanran had grown noticeably more haggard.
She rushed over excitedly. “Brother Wenzhong! Brother Wenzhong! Look—it’s Xu Ying!” she called.
Dong Wenzhong’s head snapped up. “Where?” he demanded eagerly.
Chen Yanran pointed at Xu Ying making her way toward them. “See? I knew she couldn’t stay away. I told you she’d come back.”
Dong Wenzhong’s heart raced. His eyes shone with tears. These past few days had been miserable: he’d been stuck with the hardest jobs, eating the worst food, and the other educated youths had started bullying him openly since Xu Ying stopped helping him.
Finally, she was here. He straightened his posture and put on what he imagined was his most charming smile, waiting for her to approach.
Other workers in the fields noticed too, murmuring among themselves. “Didn’t she say she wasn’t interested in Dong Zhiqing? Why’s she running over here again?”
“Who knows? Maybe Dong Zhiqing really does have a way with women—she’s wrapped around his finger.”
Hearing this, Dong Wenzhong’s smile widened smugly. See? Even they could tell. He was irresistible.
But as Xu Ying neared him, she didn’t slow down. She ran right past without even glancing at him.
“Daya! I need to talk to you. Let’s go under the big tree,” Xu Ying called, grabbing Lu Daya’s hand and pulling her away.
Lu Daya blinked in confusion, pointing to herself. “Me? You’re looking for me?”
“Of course!” Xu Ying beamed, tugging her toward the shade.
Dong Wenzhong froze in place, utterly stunned. His hopeful smile collapsed. His fists clenched tight, his face darkening as he glared at Xu Ying’s retreating figure.
Chen Yanran’s mouth hung open. “Why… why’d Xu Ying just leave like that?”
Then it hit her: if Xu Ying was really gone for good, no more eggs… no more drumsticks…
A pang of dread settled in her chest.