Chapter 122: Does Du Yong Have a Problem With Me?

Compared to the first time Xu Lin saw Hu Changming, she almost failed to recognize him this time. The refined scholar’s aura was completely gone; he had grown so thin he looked skeletal, and his legs had not healed properly, leaving him with a pronounced limp. He did not return alone, but was escorted back by law enforcement officers. His wrists were shackled in silver cuffs, and he walked with his head bowed, his spirit and vitality utterly extinguished.

The officers paraded Hu Changming to the center of the courtyard and began to proclaim his crimes, using the opportunity to educate the other educated youths on the importance of obeying the law and observing social decorum. They warned them not to assume that peeking at someone else’s mail was a trivial matter; it was, in fact, an infringement on privacy and a criminal act. The villagers following behind, while aware that Hu Changming had broken the law, were surprised to learn that merely reading someone else's letters was also a crime. They began whispering among themselves. Wang Facai stood at the front of the crowd with a grim expression; he had no desire to witness such a public legal lecture.

Although Hu Changming had forfeited all his family assets as compensation, his criminal liability was not reduced, and he was sentenced to five years of labor at a farm. This sentence was handed down without even accounting for any potential espionage activities. Had he truly been found colluding with others, he would have been in even deeper trouble.

Hu Changming left the Wangzhuang Production Brigade pelted by rotten vegetables. Before his departure, he cast a deep, lingering look at Du Yong. That glance was so complex that Du Yong dared not meet his eyes, letting his gaze drift elsewhere.

During the afternoon shift, Du Yong tracked down Xu Lin and Han Hong, who were working in the fields. He led with a remarkably guileless smile, one so broad that Han Hong was forced to stop his work and look at him, asking, "Educated Youth Du, is there something you need?"

"Heh heh," Du Yong kept up his rustic grin, scratching the back of his head with a look of feigned embarrassment. Amidst the expectant gazes of Han Hong and Xu Lin, he finally asked, "So, do either of you have any intention of running for team leader?"

Xu Lin rolled her eyes internally, finding Du Yong’s display of simplicity entirely fake; this man was nothing if not calculating. Han Hong let out a dry laugh. "We are both new here; we haven't even mastered basic farm chores yet. How could we possibly consider competing for the position of team leader?" He turned to look at Xu Lin. "Right, Educated Youth Xu?"

"Mm-hmm, exactly," Xu Lin agreed, signaling clearly that she had no interest in the role.

"Is that so? Actually, you both could compete. Whether you're a new or veteran educated youth, everyone has a chance."

Despite his words, Du Yong changed his tune. "However, the veteran youths certainly understand more and are better suited for the position." Seeing that neither Xu Lin nor Han Hong offered any objection, he continued, "I’ve been an educated youth in Wangzhuang Brigade for eight years, and I..."

For the next ten minutes, Du Yong rambled on about how much blood, sweat, and toil he had poured into his time here, and how much he had contributed. He emphasized that now that he was older and more experienced, he could better look after his brothers and sisters. He claimed he had the confidence to manage the entire dormitory and protect the interests of the educated youths, ensuring they would not be bullied by the villagers.

At the mention of youths being bullied, Xu Lin’s eyelids twitched; she felt there was a hidden meaning behind his words. Although she hadn't been here long, she understood that the Wangzhuang Brigade was quite tolerant of the educated youths. As long as they didn't go too far, Wang Facai usually turned a blind eye. He also kept the villagers in check, urging them to minimize interaction with the youths and strictly forbidding any schemes regarding forced marriages. Listening to Du Yong, however, one would think the youths and the brigade were at irreconcilable odds. He was clearly trying to sow division, which would benefit no one. If he truly fostered such antagonism, the brigade would likely tighten its requirements, and the ones to suffer would be the youths themselves.

Xu Lin, uninterested in Du Yong’s drivel, turned to help Qian Li with her work, leaving Han Hong to deal with him alone. Seeing Xu Lin walk away, Du Yong’s expression darkened, a flash of annoyance crossing his eyes—a detail that made Han Hong shake his head in disbelief. He couldn't fathom where Du Yong found the audacity to carry on like that. He, too, had no desire to waste time; if he didn't finish his task today, his work points would be docked. He eventually found a pretext to send Du Yong away, stating clearly that he had no preference for who became team leader.

Failing to secure Han Hong's explicit support, Du Yong left with a look of frustration, shooting a glare at Xu Lin as he departed.

Xu Lin, who was working beside Qian Li, blinked her peach-blossom eyes and whispered, "Does Du Yong have a grudge against me?"

"No, he just has a grudge against pretty women," Qian Li explained with a smile, noticing Xu Lin’s confusion. As it turned out, Du Yong was both a superficial man obsessed with appearances and a chauvinist. When he had once dated a rather pretty educated youth, he had started off normally enough, but eventually, he began dumping all his dirty clothes and shoes on her to wash.

He also refused to cook or clean, leaving all the domestic labor to her. Initially, the girl endured it for the sake of love, but how long could love last amidst such exhausting toil? Especially when the effort was entirely one-sided, her feelings gradually faded. Without the veil of affection, Du Yong’s true nature was exposed: average-looking, penniless, yet burdened with supporting his family, and completely lacking in empathy or romantic gesture. Although he was strong and a good worker, once they were officially together, he stopped helping her with her tasks after finishing his own, yet still expected her to cook and clean for him.

What was the point of a relationship like that? Once she saw through him, she broke it off decisively, eventually marrying a soldier visiting the neighboring brigade and moving away with him, leading a quite comfortable life. Ever since, Du Yong had held a grudge against beautiful women, labeling them hypocritical and gold-digging. As for those who weren't attractive, they simply didn't exist in his eyes.

Xu Lin was speechless after hearing this. "Who did you hear this from? I've never heard this story before."

"It certainly wasn't from our group of youths. That happened during Du Yong’s first year here; none of the current youths know about it. I heard it from one of the village aunties a couple of days ago. That former educated youth returned to visit relatives with her husband, which is how the aunties started chatting about that old affair."

Xu Lin touched her small face, smiling with mock vanity. "So, in other words, I'm just too pretty, and that’s why Du Yong resents me."

"That’s for sure," Qian Li said, touching her own face as well. "Ever since I started using the whitening cream you made, I feel like my skin has improved significantly."

After praising herself, Qian Li praised Xu Lin, and she meant it sincerely. Over the past half month, Xu Lin’s skin had become even fairer. Not only that, but her face had filled out; she was no longer dark and thin, and even her height had grown quite a bit. The current Xu Lin was a little fairy, a world of difference from when she first arrived—one was heavenly, the other mundane, with no comparison to be made.