Chapter 06
You Even Earn Points for Roasting People
“Is that her?”
“Yeah, that’s her. The educated youth from the city. Her name is Su Wanqing.”
“She doesn’t look all that special. Lu Shiyan actually likes her?”
“Who knows? I heard she talked to Lu Shiyan for quite a while at the threshing ground just now, and he even smiled at her.”
“He smiled? Lu Shiyan can smile?”
“It’s true. Quite a few people saw it.”
“Tch. What’s so impressive? She just knows how to dress up. Look at that skirt she’s wearing. It’s so short her calves are showing. Shameless.”
“Exactly. What decent girl dresses like that?”
Su Wanqing slowed her steps as she listened to the gossip behind her. A smile slowly spread across her face.
She turned around and looked at them with a bright smile.
The women hadn’t expected her to turn back. They froze instantly, the words stuck in their throats.
Su Wanqing looked them up and down.
Every one of them wore dull gray jackets, their hair tied up carelessly. Their faces were tanned a dark reddish brown from working in the fields, and some even had sunspots.
“Ladies,” Su Wanqing asked with a smile, “what were you just saying? I didn’t hear clearly. Why don’t you say it again?”
The women exchanged awkward glances.
No one answered.
“Not talking anymore?” Su Wanqing nodded. “Then let me say it for you. You were saying my skirt is too short and that I’m shameless, right?”
Still no one spoke.
Su Wanqing smiled.
“I wear short skirts because I want to. I have the figure to pull it off. Do you?”
She walked a couple of steps forward until she stood in front of the girl at the front, looking her up and down.
The girl instinctively stepped backward.
“Your skin is so dark. A dress wouldn’t look good on you anyway.” Su Wanqing sighed sympathetically. “No wonder you always wear long pants. You’re trying to hide your flaws.”
“You…!”
The girl’s face turned crimson, too angry to speak.
Su Wanqing turned toward another girl.
“And you. Those spots on your face… nothing can cover those, can it? If I were you, I wouldn’t bother dressing up either. It would only make me look even uglier.”
“Su Wanqing, you’ve gone too far!”
“How have I gone too far?” Su Wanqing blinked innocently. “I’m just telling the truth. You were gossiping about me behind my back. Why can’t I say a couple of things back? You’re allowed to set fires, but I’m not even allowed to light a lamp?”
The women were so furious their faces turned green, but none of them knew how to argue back.
Su Wanqing smiled and waved her hand.
“Alright, I’m done talking. I need to go back and eat. I still have work this afternoon. You all carry on chatting. Keep gossiping if you like. I don’t mind.”
With that, she swayed away.
Behind her, the women stomped their feet in frustration.
“What kind of person is she?”
“Shameless!”
“Come on, let’s go reason with her!”
“Reason about what? How are you supposed to argue with the things she just said?”
Their faces were bright red with anger, yet there was nothing they could do about her.
Only after walking some distance away did Su Wanqing burst into laughter.
[Ding! Detected that the Host has successfully maintained the ‘Villainess Supporting Character’ persona. Excellent roasting performance. Reward: +10 points.]
Su Wanqing was overjoyed.
This system was amazing.
It even rewarded her for roasting people.
She didn’t know what the points were for yet, but she figured she’d find out sooner or later.
When she returned to the educated youth dormitory, the courtyard was quiet.
She pushed open the door.
Several people were eating. They all looked up when they saw her.
Zhang Hongying snorted, lowered her head, and continued eating without acknowledging her.
Su Wanqing couldn’t have cared less.
She walked over to her bed and pulled a cloth bundle out from beneath her pillow.
Inside were biscuits and a can of fruit she had taken from her storage space the previous night.
She sat on the edge of the bed, opened the biscuit package, took one out, and bit into it.
Crunch.
The crisp sound immediately drew everyone’s attention.
Liu Weihong swallowed.
“Su Wanqing, where did those biscuits come from?”
Without even looking up, Su Wanqing answered,
“Someone gave them to me.”
“Who gave them to you?” Zhang Hongying asked sarcastically. “Don’t tell me it was Lu Shiyan. He lives in the cowshed. How could he possibly have biscuits?”
Only then did Su Wanqing raise her head. Smiling sweetly, she replied,
“That’s right. Lu Shiyan gave them to me. So what? What’s wrong with living in the cowshed? He has biscuits. Do you? Quit looking down on people.”
Zhang Hongying was left speechless.
Su Wanqing deliberately took another loud, crunchy bite.
Zhang Hongying slammed her bowl onto the table.
“I’m not eating anymore!”
She stood up and stormed out.
Liu Weihong glanced at Zhang Hongying’s back before turning to Su Wanqing.
“Su Wanqing,” she said quietly, “don’t keep arguing with her. You all live in the same room. It’ll be awkward if things get too tense.”
Su Wanqing looked at her.
“When did I argue with her? Isn’t she the one who’s always targeting me for no reason? Am I not even allowed to tell the truth?”
Liu Weihong opened her mouth, but couldn’t think of anything to say.
After finishing the biscuit, Su Wanqing opened the can of fruit, scooped out a piece with a spoon, and popped it into her mouth.
It was sweet.
Delicious.
This storage space was truly wonderful.
Whatever she wanted to eat, she had it.
That afternoon, before going back to work, Su Wanqing changed her clothes.
She put away the skirt and changed into a clean pair of trousers.
She still wore the same floral blouse, but this time every button was fastened neatly.
It wasn’t because she wanted to change.
After sitting outside all morning, the mosquitoes had almost eaten her alive.
After thinking it over, she decided trousers were the better choice.
When she arrived at the threshing ground, Erhu had already replaced both the table and the chair.
The table was taller than the one she’d used that morning.
The chair even had a backrest.
Although old and worn, it was much more comfortable.
“Comrade Su, what do you think?” Erhu asked with an honest smile, scratching his head.
Su Wanqing sat down to test it, then nodded.
“It’s great. Thank you, Brother Erhu.”
The moment Erhu heard her call him “Brother Erhu” in that sweet voice, his face immediately turned bright red.
“T-That’s good. You sit here. I’m going back to work.”
He turned to leave.
“Brother Erhu.”
He stopped and looked back at her in confusion.
Su Wanqing reached into her pocket, took out two White Rabbit milk candies, and handed them to him.
“Here. Thanks for helping me.”
Erhu stared at the candies with wide eyes.
White Rabbit milk candies were expensive at the supply and marketing cooperative.
He was lucky if he got to eat them once or twice a year.
“H-How can I accept these?” he waved his hands. “I only moved a table. There’s really no need.”
“Take them.”
Su Wanqing stuffed the candies into his hand.
“They’re nothing special. Why are you being so polite?”
Erhu clenched the two candies tightly.
His face was now as red as a monkey’s backside.
“T-Then… I’ll accept them. Thank you, Comrade Su!”
As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around and ran off even faster than he had that morning.
Su Wanqing smiled and shook her head before sitting down to prepare for work.
The afternoon was even busier than the morning.
She spent the entire afternoon recording work points until her hand became sore.
By the time the sun began setting, fewer and fewer people remained.
Su Wanqing packed up her things, ready to call it a day.
When she looked up, she saw Lu Shiyan standing not far away again.
This time he wasn’t carrying his hoe.
He stood there empty-handed, quietly watching her.
Su Wanqing waved at him.
Lu Shiyan walked over.
“You changed chairs?”
He glanced at the chair she was sitting on.
Su Wanqing nodded.
“Brother Erhu replaced it.”
Lu Shiyan frowned.
“Erhu?”
“That’s right.” Su Wanqing deliberately smiled. “He was so helpful. Better than you. When I ask you to do something, I have to wait. When I ask him, he gets it done immediately.”
Lu Shiyan’s face darkened once again.
