Lin Zhen immediately grew alert.
What? Song Wei found the idea of not marrying “amazing”? That made him feel seriously threatened.
Hastily, Lin Zhen said, “She can think that, but you can’t!”
He was so flustered that his last word trailed off into a faint whine.
Song Wei smiled at him. “Got it, got it.”
Lin Zhen wiped off his imaginary sweat and cast a nervous glance at Song Jing.
Where did this “Unleash the Madness” idea even come from? he wondered. What if she decides to unleash it on me someday?
Just thinking about it made the burly man shiver.
Song Jing, catching his look, responded with an equally helpless expression. Don’t look at me; I have no idea.
The ox cart delivered them straight to the educated youth dormitory.
As soon as they arrived, they were greeted by a group of people who were waiting in the yard with a brazier.
“They’re back, they’re back!”
“Quick, step over the fire basin to ward off bad luck. What a run of misfortune this has been!”
Looking at the frail and emaciated Su Fang, Li Juan’s eyes turned red.
“Su Fang, come on, step over first and chase away the bad luck. May your future be brighter.”
This was a small ritual they conducted privately, sweeping them with pine branches to symbolically remove misfortune.
“Welcome back, Su Fang!”
Su Fang’s eyes welled up as she looked at the familiar surroundings and the people in the dormitory.
Before marrying into the Luo family, Su Fang never thought this dormitory, which wasn’t truly her home, would become a place she desperately longed to return to but couldn’t.
And now, she was back. Most people greeted her warmly, with no disdain or rejection.
Of course, there were a few exceptions, but she didn’t care about them.
Xu Laidi rolled her eyes as she cracked sunflower seeds, muttering to herself. She couldn’t understand why everyone was making such a fuss over Su Fang.
What good is she, anyway? Why did she even bother coming back?
Still, she didn’t dare cause trouble. After a past altercation with Liu Linlin and the others, where she had been ganged up on by three female educated youths with two male educated youths (Gao le and Zhao Su) even siding against her, Xu Laidi had learned her lesson.
And after hearing stories about Song Wei taking down a wild boar with her bare hands, she wasn’t about to tempt fate.
Su Fang stepped over the fire basin and stood still as the others swept her with pine branches. (Normally, they’d use mugwort or other herbs, but they didn’t have any.)
Song Wei and the others followed suit, stepping over the fire basin before gathering with the group.
Liu Linlin spoke up, her tone firm but warm. “Su Fang, don’t be afraid. If the Luo family comes looking for trouble, we’ll stand with you. We’re all in this together.”
The atmosphere in the dormitory had improved significantly since Song Wei’s arrival. Previously, disputes among the educated youth had been common. But after Song Wei earned their respect (and fear), the group had grown more cohesive.
Su Fang nodded, her eyes red as she expressed her gratitude.
She currently had nothing—no money, no clothes beyond what she wore, not even bedding.
The two wealthier educated youths, Gao Le and Zhao Su, immediately stepped up to help.
“My mom sent me two new quilts to keep warm. You can have one,” offered Gao Le.
“I’ll give you some food supplies,” Zhao Su added. “You’ll need it to get through this rough patch.”
Others pitched in as well, lending clothes, towels, and washbasins.
Watching this generosity, Xu Laidi grew envious, her jealousy practically written all over her face.
“What’s so special about her? I’m poor too—why doesn’t anyone help me?” she muttered bitterly. “It’s just a miscarriage. That’s not such a big deal.”
But her comments didn’t faze Su Fang anymore.
Ignoring Xu Laidi, Su Fang stood up, bowed deeply to the group, and said earnestly, “Thank you all, truly…”
She resolved to repay their kindness someday, even if it meant working harder to survive.
Su Fang had no money to rent a single room, even when the two young masters offered to help her, she refused.
“I’ll sleep in the shared dormitory,” she said firmly.
Xu Laidi sneered, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “So now you’re too proud? Haven’t you been enjoying all the help you’ve gotten?”
But Su Fang turned to her with a sharp, almost unsettling smile.
“Do you know why I chose to stay in the same room as you?” she asked sweetly.
Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she added cryptically, “You’ll find out soon enough, Xu Laidi. I hope we’ll get along well.”
Her words and demeanor carried a hint of madness that made Xu Laidi’s scalp tingle.
“You’re crazy!” Xu Laidi spat, tossing her sunflower seed shells at Su Fang’s feet before storming off.
Song Wei raised an eyebrow. That was fast. Su Fang’s already using what I taught her?
Tsk… or was she a little abnormal because of what she had suffered, but she just didn’t show it normally.
Either way, Song Wei found herself intrigued.
When Su Fang turned back to her, though, her expression softened into a shy, almost timid smile—an entirely different person from the one Xu Laidi had faced.
The others didn’t seem to notice anything unusual, instead focusing on helping Su Fang settle into the dormitory.
The shared female dormitory had been occupied solely by Xu Laidi until now. She’d treated the space as her personal territory, and it showed.
The room was a mess—dirty clothes piled high, trash scattered across the floor, and an unpleasant odor lingering in the air.
The group exchanged looks of disgust, but Xu Laidi seemed oblivious.
“Don’t touch my stuff,” she snapped defensively.
Liu Linlin couldn’t hold back her frustration. “Xu Laidi, what’s wrong with you? This is a shared space, not your private home!”
Xu Laidi sneered. “I have just as much right to this space as anyone else. If you don’t like it, too bad.”
Before an argument could escalate, Su Fang stepped in to calm Liu Linlin and the others.
“No need to bother. I’ll take care of it.”
Unfazed by the filth or the smell, Su Fang calmly chose a spot for her bedding—strategically neither too close nor too far from Xu Laidi.
Then, without hesitation, she swept all of Xu Laidi’s belongings off the kang bed.
“What are you doing? Those are my clothes!” Xu Laidi shrieked.
Liu Linlin and the others wanted to help, but were stopped by Song Wei.
Su Fang’s voice was light but carried an edge.
“Oh, these are your clothes? I thought they were trash.”
“Xu Laidi, please don’t hit me. I just got out of the hospital, and my body’s still weak. If I get hurt, you’ll have to pay for my medical bills.”
“Xu Laidi, are you angry? If you think what I did was wrong, let’s go find the brigade leader to judge.”
“I’ve been through a lot. Losing my baby, being beaten… the doctor even said my mind might not be quite right anymore. Who knows what I might do if pushed too far?”
Xu Laidi: ………..
Xu Laidi was about to lose her mind from anger!
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