After a round of emergency care, Xu Laidi finally woke up.
The moment she opened her eyes and saw Old bachelor Liu’s face looming over her, she let out a blood-curdling scream.
For a moment, she even wanted to pass out again.
Amidst her panic, she vaguely heard the voices of those around her.
“She fainted again? Quick, quick! Liu, give her some more of that… mouth-to-mouth resuscitation!”
Liu eagerly nodded and was about to lean in when Xu Laidi’s eyes flew open.
Fear filled her gaze, and there was no way she dared pass out again.
Mouth-to-Mouth Resuscitation, again.
The words combined into a terrifying premonition for Xu Laidi.
The village doctor checked her over and said, “She’s fine, but soaking in the river this long in the cold weather might give her a fever. Have her drink some ginger tea…”
The doctor continued explaining, but Xu Laidi couldn’t process any of it.
Shivering violently, she pushed old bachelor Liu away with all her might.
“Get away from me! You pervert!”
Liu grinned, revealing yellowed teeth. “Don’t worry, Xu Zhiqing. Tomorrow, I’ll head to the Zhiqing dormitory to propose to you.”
Xu Laidi screamed, “Who wants your proposal?! Get lost!”
She was utterly broken. No matter how cold her body felt, her anger burned hotter.
This wasn’t how things were supposed to turn out.
Even though she was shivering uncontrollably, she used all her strength to shove Liu away.
Liu wanted to argue but was persuaded by the onlookers.
“Let’s get Xu Zhiqing home first. She needs to warm up. There’s no point arguing about this now—settle it later.”
Realizing that everyone had seen him save her, Liu knew her reputation was ruined. She would have no choice but to marry him.
He stopped arguing and eagerly helped escort Xu Laidi back to the dormitory. Only then did he leave.
Xu Laidi lay in bed, wrapped tightly in blankets, her mind spinning.
“This isn’t how it was supposed to go. Where is Comrade Song? Why didn’t he save me?”
She muttered incoherently to herself.
From the side, Su Fang let out a mocking laugh.
“Trying to steal the chicken but losing the rice instead.”
The story of Xu Laidi’s fall into the river and old bachelor Liu saving her spread quickly through Ping’an Brigade. Naturally, the Zhiqing dormitory heard about it as well.
Gao Le animatedly recounted the events, while children who had been present also shared their observations.
“I saw it! She jumped into the river herself! Why would anyone take a bath in the freezing cold?”
The children, innocent and straightforward, recounted exactly what they had witnessed.
Song Wei, meanwhile, had used candy and snacks to bribe the children to keep Song Jing surrounded at all times.
Whether it was Gao Le, Zhao Su, or the kids, Song Jing was never left alone.
Xu Laidi’s poorly executed plan—to pretend she had sprained her ankle or slipped—was seen through by the sharp-eyed children who had run ahead.
After hearing Gao Le and the children’s accounts, the Zhiqing (educated youth) quickly pieced together Xu Laidi’s intention.
At first, they had felt sympathy for her—falling into the icy river was no small ordeal. But now, it was clear she had jumped in to manipulate someone.
Liu Linlin, standing at the dormitory door with hands on her hips, sneered loudly.
“Does she think no one knows what she was planning? Ugly and delusional! Thank goodness Comrade Song didn’t fall for it. Otherwise, he’d be stuck with that shameless woman!”
“And not wearing a coat in this weather? At first, I thought she was just strong enough to withstand the cold. Turns out she didn’t want to ruin her coat for her lousy scheme. Honestly, if you’re going to act, at least put some effort into it. Her intentions were written all over her face.”
Gao Le proudly added, “I stopped Comrade Song from jumping in. He almost got tricked. Sister Song told us before: if you see a girl drowning, never jump in to save her yourself.
“First, call for help or use a long branch to pull her out. The river here isn’t wide—you can reach her easily. Otherwise, if you save her, she or her family might latch onto you, and you’ll end up paying for it with your future. And never go alone to a villager’s house…”
Actually, these thoughts are somewhat morally questionable. After all, it’s a human life. In a morally upright mindset, most people would instinctively think to save someone in such a situation.
In the modern world Song Wei came from, she wouldn’t comment too much on such matters—if someone has the ability to save another, regardless of gender, they should do so.
But in this world, pulling someone out of the water, performing CPR, or administering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation are considered very intimate acts.
Even if the girl was truly innocent and had no ulterior motives, the village’s gossip alone could crush her reputation.
People might say, “Don’t care about gossip; just live your life happily,” but that’s easier said than done.
Living in a community, who can truly remain unaffected by others’ opinions?
The rescued girl might lose her reputation, be deemed “impure,” and become unable to marry into a decent family. Worse, the rumors could spiral and morally coerce the man who saved her into marrying her out of obligation.
And those who have ulterior motives may escalate things, making a scene, playing the victim, or even accusing the man of misconduct to pressure him into marriage while squeezing him for a hefty bride price.
It’s worth noting that in this era, accusations of misconduct were a criminal offense—they could lead to serious consequences.
At this moment, in Song Wei’s room, she sat with a stern expression on her delicate, pretty face, giving a lecture.
The subjects of her lecture? Her elder brother, Song Jing, and her partner, Lin Zhen.
The two grown men sat there, heads bowed, looking sheepish and not daring to argue.
“So, if something like this happens again, are you still going to lose your head and rush in blindly? If Gao Le hadn’t stopped you today, you would’ve jumped into the river!”
Song Jing obediently admitted his mistake: “I understand now. If this happens again, I definitely won’t act impulsively.”
His earlier reaction had been purely instinctual.
Song Wei understood this—most people in this era held a mix of open and traditional values.
Selflessness, justice, and heroism were deeply ingrained in people like Song Jing.
In dangerous situations, their first instinct was to help.
Song Wei didn’t dismiss their ideals, but she had her own priorities. She wanted her loved ones to stay safe, to avoid being manipulated or put in danger.
She thought of situations where people who had helped others ended up paying a heavy price—falsely accused, financially drained, and burdened with unnecessary troubles.
She knew her brother meant well, but in this world, reputation could be easily ruined by whispers and accusations.
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