"You’re the ones who drove me to this. You reap what you sow. Now, it’s your turn to taste the bitter fruit," Su Qing said with a faint smile.

But in Old Su’s eyes, Su Qing’s smile was demonic. A sliver of regret pricked her. ’I should have listened to my eldest son and just ignored her for a while. That girl has gone completely insane, she doesn’t even acknowledge her own kin anymore.’

’Just you wait. When my eldest son comes up with a good plan, we’ll teach this wretched girl a lesson.’

With that thought, Old Su took a deep breath, gave Su Qing a long, hard look, then turned and went home with her basin. A short while later, Tian Aixiang appeared, holding a basin and silently joining the back of the line. Su Qing glanced at her but paid it no mind. ’If the Su Family wants meat, they can pay for it like everyone else.’

Besides the villagers, the educated youth also came to buy meat. Su Qing saw Tan Qingjuan. Standing next to her was another female educated youth, Yu Xiaojuan, though the male educated youth was nowhere to be seen.

Tan Qingjuan watched Su Qing with a complex expression. Liang Fushan hadn’t sought her out in days, leaving her feeling uneasy. She had even wandered around the outskirts of his village twice without catching a glimpse of him. And since Liang Fushan had asked about Su Qing that day, her dislike for the girl had only grown. The problem was, each time she saw Su Qing recently, her old impression of the girl was completely shattered.

’I’m so afraid of losing Liang Fushan,’ Tan Qingjuan thought. ’I have no money, I’m not pretty, and I can’t go back to the city. But I refuse to marry just any old farmer.’

’Liang Fushan, on the other hand, is handsome, and his family even has a house made of red brick and tile. He’s the best prospect I have right now. At the very least, I wouldn’t have to worry about money.’

’Most importantly, I’ve already given myself to him. If I can’t marry Liang Fushan, what will I do? If anyone finds out, won’t they call me a tramp?’

’A tramp like that could never have a good future.’ The mere thought of it sent a chill through Tan Qingjuan’s heart, strengthening her resolve to marry Liang Fushan no matter what.

The other educated youth, Yu Xiaojuan, kept her head slightly bowed, stealing curious glances at Su Qing from the corner of her eye. She’d never had much interaction with Su Qing, and seeing her behavior today, she couldn’t help but purse her lips. ’If only I had been able to... back then...’

’Oh, forget it. It’s been so long. I should just focus on getting through the here and now.’

Su Qing’s act of threatening someone with a knife sent a fresh wave of shock through the crowd. They truly felt she was a different person now. But aside from a few who grumbled to themselves, most people were understanding. After all, with relatives like hers, you had to be tough, or you’d just get bullied into the ground.

As for the few who were grumbling, they didn’t dare say anything out loud. They still wanted to buy boar meat from Su Qing, after all. ’What if we piss her off and she refuses to sell to us?’

Mr. Jin was a fast worker, and soon, all the pork Su Qing had for sale was gone. Su Qing had also set aside the twenty pounds of boar meat for Zhang Youcai and the three five-pound portions for the others who had helped.

Although Er La Niang was unhappy that her family only received twenty pounds of boar meat, the threat of Zhao Youcai’s severe work-point penalty kept her in check. She could only purse her lips in resentment and keep quiet.

The Old Su Family had been too far back in line, so by the time it was her turn, Tian Aixiang could only buy some bony scraps and offcuts. Tian Aixiang glanced at the meat in her basin, then shot a look at Su Qing before turning and heading back to the Old Su Family’s home without a word.

A few of the women who were helping Su Qing clean up whispered to her, "That third aunt of yours is probably bottling up some nasty ideas. You’d better be careful."

"Mm, I’ll be careful," Su Qing said with a smile, thanking the women for their concern.

Once everything was put away, Su Qing locked her courtyard gate and went to work with the other women. Of course, all the leftover boar meat and pork ribs had been quietly stashed in her dimensional space, along with the few hundred yuan she had received when the family property was divided. ’Now that I have this space, it’s definitely the most secure place for my things.’

After work that afternoon, Su Qing went to deliver five pounds of boar meat each to Zhao Youcai’s and Wang Xuehong’s homes.

This time, Wang Xuehong was home. When he saw Su Qing arrive with five pounds of boar meat, he said, "You should keep this for yourself. We have meat at home."

Before Wang Xuehong could finish, Pang Xiaofang snatched the meat from Su Qing’s hands, grinning. She laughed and said to her husband, "The girl brought this for us out of the goodness of her heart, and you’re turning it down? You’ll hurt her feelings."

Wang Xuehong shot Pang Xiaofang a glare. "How can we take something from a child?"

"This is a token of Su Qing’s appreciation. Isn’t that right, Su Qing?" Pang Xiaofang turned to ask her.

Su Qing smiled and said to Wang Xuehong, "Secretary Wang, it’s just a small token. Please accept it. You know I got a lot of meat today, and I’ve kept plenty for myself. Please don’t refuse."

"You..." Wang Xuehong paused for a moment, then relented. "Alright, I’ll accept it. But don’t let it happen again. You’re still just a girl. Focus on getting your own life in order first, you don’t need to be thinking about bringing me gifts."

Finished, he turned to Pang Xiaofang. "Go get the girl some snacks and things to eat."

Pang Xiaofang was clearly reluctant. She muttered, "What snacks and food do we have in the house?"

"You—" Wang Xuehong was furious at his wife’s words. Just as he was about to retort, Su Qing quickly interjected, "Secretary Wang, please don’t stand on ceremony with me. I still have to make a trip to the Brigade Leader’s house, so I’ll be going now."

With that, she hastily said her goodbyes and left.

Wang Xuehong wanted to get some food for Su Qing himself, but she had already run off. Thinking back on Pang Xiaofang’s behavior, he was absolutely fuming. He stormed back into the house and glared at his wife. "Are you really that petty? Is life easy for that girl, Su Qing, living all by herself? She brings meat over and you just take it? And after accepting all that meat, you can’t even spare a single snack for her? Have I ever let you go cold or hungry? Why are you so damn stingy?"

Not to be outdone, Pang Xiaofang glared right back at him. "What’s wrong with taking a little meat? It’s just meat! Su Qing said herself that she has plenty left over, so why can’t I accept it? So what if I married the Village Secretary, does that mean I’m not allowed to accept a gift? You tell me, I’ve been with you all these years, have you ever given me a good life? We have no money, we have no nice things! All you have are your lofty principles and your reputation for being incorruptible! Have you ever stopped to think that we’re a big family? What good is that measly subsidy of yours?"

"You!" Wang Xuehong was choking with rage. "How is this life so unbearable? Have you gone without food all these years? Has our family been unable to survive? If things are so bad, then how have you managed to sneak so many things to your parents’ house? Did you think I didn’t know? I just chose not to say anything!"

"I... so what if I give my family a few things?" Pang Xiaofang’s confidence wavered at his words. "You’re the Village Secretary, and you’re going to bicker over a few little things? Isn’t my father your father-in-law? How can you be so petty?"