Song Wei didn’t expect there to be so much gossip about Xu Laidi.
It seemed that Xu Laidi caused just as much trouble—if not more—than she did.
The aunties clearly didn’t have a favorable impression of Xu Laidi.
It was understandable.
Who would like someone who constantly looked down on others, took advantage of everyone, and always had a long-winded argument to justify herself?
Song Wei could cause trouble too—she had gotten into her fair share of fights since arriving at Ping’an Brigade.
But at least she was fair and reasonable.
With her good looks, strong work ethic, and cheerful demeanor, she had built a reputation for herself.
She wasn’t one to take advantage of others, and she was even generous at times. The village kids adored her.
Additionally, she had a way with words and could easily join in on village gossip, which helped her fit in seamlessly.
So, while Song Wei caused her share of trouble, people generally had a positive opinion of her.
“Song Zhiqing, you need to keep an eye on your brother. Don’t let Xu Laidi trick him,” one of the aunties warned.
They couldn’t bear the thought of such a good man falling into Xu Laidi’s clutches—it would be infuriating.
Song Wei smiled and nodded.
Standing up, she stretched lazily. “Aunties, I’m going to find my brother now. Take your time.”
With a full basket of cabbage strapped to her back, she headed off.
Song Wei had a gut feeling that Xu Laidi might pull something today.
She just didn’t know when or how it would happen.
As she walked along the path near the river, her sharp ears caught the sound of something splashing into the water.
The next moment, children’s frantic voices rang out.
“Help! Someone fell in the water! Xu Zhiqing fell in!”
The cries spread like wildfire, reaching those working in the nearby cabbage fields.
Everyone immediately dropped what they were doing and ran toward the river.
By the time Song Wei arrived, only Song Jing, Heidan, and Gao Le were at the riverbank.
In the water, Xu Laidi flailed about, screaming, “Comrade Song, save me!”
It didn’t take Song Wei long to realize that this wasn’t an accident—Xu Laidi had jumped in herself.
In the freezing cold, Xu Laidi was truly ruthless toward herself.
“Brother, you can’t jump in! If you do, your reputation will be ruined!”
As a soldier, Song Jing’s first instinct was to jump in and save her.
But Gao Le held him back with all his strength.
“Don’t jump! If you save her, you’ll be tied to her for the rest of your life!” Gao Le, well-versed in the warnings Song Wei had drilled into him, wasn’t about to let Song Jing fall into the trap.
Song Jing froze, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. “Find a branch or something!”
Gao Le nodded quickly. “Right, look for a long, sturdy branch! Kids, go find one!”
In the water, Xu Laidi seethed internally. Gao Le was ruining everything!
“Cough, cough… Comrade Song, please save me! I can’t swim—I’m going to drown!”
By now, more and more people had gathered. Gao Le and the others found a branch and extended it to her.
“Grab the branch!” they urged.
But Xu Laidi didn’t reach for it. She continued screaming for Song Jing to save her.
Although she could swim a little, she had gambled on the cold water to make her act convincing. Now, her lips were turning purple, and her strength was rapidly waning.
Song Jing’s jaw tightened. Sweat trickled down his forehead. “I can’t swim. Grab the branch and climb up!”
Though he could swim, he refrained, mindful of the warnings.
Suddenly, someone jumped into the water with a loud splash. Before anyone could see clearly, the person had already reached Xu Laidi.
Feeling herself being grabbed, Xu Laidi thought Song Jing had finally come to her rescue.
But when she turned her head, she was met with the sight of an older, rough-looking man grinning with yellowed teeth.
A shrill scream escaped her lips as she struggled violently.
“Let go of me! Get away! Blub… blub…”
The man held on tightly, and fear of drowning quickly overpowered her resistance. Clinging to him, she let him drag her to safety.
On the riverbank, the villagers erupted into chatter upon recognizing the man.
“Isn’t that Liu the bachelor?”
“Wow, he sure acted fast! Liu’s already in his thirties and still hasn’t found a wife.”
“What was Xu Zhiqing thinking? We gave her a branch, and she didn’t grab it. Now look at her!”
“What else could she be thinking? Didn’t you hear her calling for Comrade Song? She was waiting for him to jump in!”
It was clear to everyone that Old Bachelor Liu had his own motives.
He and his elderly mother had come to Ping’an Brigade as refugees. Poor, lazy, and unattractive, Liu hadn’t managed to find a wife despite years of trying.
His mother had sought out countless matchmakers, but their family’s circumstances were so dire that even the poorest families wouldn’t accept them.
“Why did Xu Zhiqing fall in, anyway?” someone asked.
Though curious about the details, they quickly formed a human chain to pull Xu Laidi and Old Bachelor Liu to shore.
By the time they got her out, Xu Laidi was unconscious and pale from the cold.
“Why is she dressed so lightly?” someone asked, noticing her thin clothing.
In the freezing weather, she wore only a couple of layers—far too little.
The villagers exchanged puzzled looks.
“Was she trying to catch a cold? And why was she near the river to begin with?”
“What do we do? Should we take her to the hospital?”
“Step aside! The village doctor is here!”
The doctor examined her briefly. “She needs CPR and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. I can guide you, but someone else has to do it.”
Though the doctor knew first aid, performing it on a young woman could ruin his reputation.
“I’ll do it!” Old Bachelor Liu volunteered eagerly, his excitement barely contained despite his shivering.
Meanwhile, Song Wei pushed through the crowd to stand by her brother.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
Song Jing nodded, though his expression was complicated as he looked at Xu Laidi.
“She did this on purpose, didn’t she?”
As a soldier, he quickly pieced together the details now that the situation had calmed.
Song Wei nodded. “Most likely. But it’s not your problem anymore.”
For the first time, Song Jing felt the full weight of human scheming.
When Old Bachelor Liu began administering CPR, Song Jing merely watched impassively.
“Let’s go,” he said at last.
Song Wei instructed Heidan and the other children to take her brother home. She, however, stayed to watch the drama unfold.
Song Wei couldn’t help but marvel at how things had turned out.
All she had done was warn Gao Le and Zhao Su to keep an eye on Song Jing and prevent him from being alone with Xu Laidi.
Everything else—the rescue and subsequent drama—was pure coincidence.
If nothing else, Xu Laidi’s sheer bad luck was almost poetic.
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