“Tell me, am I going to have to go through this every single year like you do?”
In the supply and marketing cooperative’s finance department that afternoon, Ma Xiaomei watched Tian Tian bury her head in a pile of ledgers and grabbed her own hair in frustration. After working non-stop all morning, Ma Xiaomei’s patience had clearly run out.
Seeing this, Tian Tian put on a good-natured expression. “I’m not sure about that. This didn’t happen last year. There’s no helping it when leadership suddenly arranges things this year. If you don’t believe me, ask Fen—neither of us had to deal with this kind of work last year.”
At the next desk over, Xu Lifen put down her teacup and nodded slowly and deliberately.
“Comrade Ma, if you have a problem with this work, go talk to the leadership. Don’t disturb our work here.”
Ma Xiaomei, annoyed by her passive-aggressive tone, stomped her foot and headed out. She wanted to curse Xu Lifen out, but after two days, she still hadn’t been able to get the upper hand with her. Every time she argued with her, a leader would show up. It was downright eerie.
Watching Ma Xiaomei leave in defeat, Xu Lifen put on an understanding expression again. “Tian Tian, you don’t need to work so hard. Even though there’s a lot to do today, I’ll stay with you. I’m not afraid of working overtime until midnight. If it comes to that, you can just stay over at my place.”
“You’re so good to me, Fen. We started working here around the same time, but you’re the one who got a dormitory assignment. I’m so jealous.”
Xu Lifen waved her hand dismissively, putting on a modest act. “I just got lucky. I really owe it all to Section Head Xu. Let me tell you, Section Head Xu is such a good person. If he hadn’t put in a good word for me, that dormitory never would have gone to me…”
Tian Tian looked at Xu Lifen, who was unusually excited today, and thought there was something wrong with her head.
Listening to her go on about “Section Head Xu” this and “Section Head Xu” that, anyone would think she was his wife. Being so openly emotional about it—did she really think Tian Tian was already dead?
Thinking this, Tian Tian said, “Fen, I know Section Head Xu is a good person. But he’s already married. You should still be careful how you talk, or people might start gossiping.”
Xu Lifen instantly lost her composure, her eyebrows shooting up. “Who would dare!” After saying this, she caught herself and immediately put her pitiful, fragile mask back on.
Tian Tian pretended not to notice and kept going with a “this is for your own good” attitude. “Just a couple of days ago, I saw Section Head Xu shopping with his wife. They’re so lovey-dovey. Whatever his wife liked, Section Head Xu would just pay for it right away…”
As she spoke, Tian Tian watched Xu Lifen carefully. Sure enough, she saw her face change again. That jealous expression made Tian Tian shake her head inwardly. What a fool.
Section Head Xu’s kid was already old enough to buy soy sauce. What was she thinking, falling for someone like that? Was it because he was older? Or because he was ruthless?
Tian Tian wasn’t just guessing wildly. Based on the information she had, she’d deduced that Section Head Xu’s interest in Xu Lifen probably had something to do with her warehouse position. Also, judging by Xu Lifen’s behavior today, she clearly knew that today was the day they were going to frame Tian Tian.
What Tian Tian didn’t know was whether Xu Lifen realized that those rats wanted her dead.
But that didn’t interfere with Tian Tian’s plan. After all, Xu Lifen wasn’t a good person either.
So Tian Tian kept provoking Xu Lifen with words until she finally couldn’t take it anymore and made an excuse to leave the office.
Tian Tian immediately followed her out, saw her heading toward the Purchasing Department, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.
The next step required Ma Xiaomei’s help.
And Ma Xiaomei didn’t disappoint Tian Tian either.
After coming back from blowing off some steam elsewhere, Ma Xiaomei noticed Xu Lifen wasn’t there.
“Where is she?”
Tian Tian replied, “Xu Lifen? She just left. I think she went to the Purchasing Department.” As she finished speaking, she hesitated meaningfully.
As the daughter of veteran employee Sister Liu, Ma Xiaomei had naturally heard the rumors about Xu Lifen.
The gossip was that Xu Lifen was involved with someone from the Purchasing Department. The exact person wasn’t clear.
Ma Xiaomei’s eyes darted around. “Comrade Tian, I’ve got something to do. I’ll be right back.”
After confirming that both of them had left, Tian Tian didn’t waste any time. She made a few phone calls, then started packing up some of the ledgers.
These were the ones she’d spent all morning sorting through—the ones she thought were problematic.
But she hadn’t been packing for long before she heard a commotion break out outside. Tian Tian knew right away that her plan had worked. She quickly went over and locked the office door. By the time she’d finished packing the ledgers, the shouting outside was deafening.
From time to time, someone knocked on the door, but she pretended not to hear. They were probably trying to get her to come out and watch the drama. But Tian Tian really didn’t want to see it, especially since she was the one who had started it.
While the noise outside continued unabated, she carried her packed ledgers to the back window.
The layout of the supply and marketing cooperative was like this: the sales counters were in the front, and the office area was in the back. The finance department office had a back window. Climbing out the back window led to the cooperative’s perimeter wall. Over the wall was the main road.
Tian Tian climbed out the back window with her armload of ledgers and saw a head pop up over the wall. It was Niu Zai.
“You’re here. Catch.”
Without wasting any words, Tian Tian shoved all the ledgers over to him. Then she took a running start and hopped over the wall in a couple of moves. As she was coming down on the other side, she heard someone calling her name from the finance department.
“Go, hurry up.” The first one down from the wall, Tian Tian got straight onto the motorcycle parked at the curb, started it up, and revved the engine.
Niu Zai, who had jumped down a moment later, could only hug the large bundle of ledgers as he sat on the back seat. He didn’t forget to complain: “I got the short end of the stick. Having a girl drive me around on a motorcycle. By tomorrow, everyone who knows me will be saying Niu Zai got chauffeured around by some pretty young thing.”
Tian Tian, already revving the throttle, burst out laughing at his words.
“Isn’t that right! Having a pretty girl like me drive you around—you must have been blessed in a past life!” With that, she shut her mouth and sped up.
Their destination: the Customs Anti-Smuggling Division.
Yes, even though the cooperative’s business fell under domestic trade, based on what she’d heard from Smugglers’ Row, the goods that Section Head Xu and his crew had stolen from the cooperative were all being sent to smuggling ships. Apparently, some went by water, heading north to other cities alongside smuggled goods. The rest went south on boats, directly to Southeast Asia.
When she had first considered reporting the matter, Tian Tian had thought about reporting it to the local police station. But after learning this information, she set her sights on the Anti-Smuggling Division instead.
First, because smuggling was exactly the Anti-Smuggling Division’s jurisdiction.
Second, in the county seat, relationships were complicated. No one could guarantee that the rats in the cooperative didn’t know someone at the police station. If she went to the police station and someone tipped them off, she might really end up dead.
Third, when it came to the Anti-Smuggling Division, Niu Zai’s boss had connections there. Yes, it was as bizarre as it sounded. She couldn’t say more, but Tian Tian was handing them credit on a silver platter. They would certainly want it.
And so, Tian Tian and Niu Zai successfully delivered the ledgers to the Anti-Smuggling Division. They stayed there to give their statements.
By the time they finished, it was already pitch dark outside. But she wasn’t worried about the rats escaping. Because while they were giving their statements, the Anti-Smuggling Division had already begun their operation. It was also during the statement that Tian Tian learned that Fatty Qiang, who had been arrested earlier, had already given up the cooperative’s smuggling route.
Even without her report, this case might have been investigated—or it might have quietly died. But with the evidence she provided, everything was different now.
As for why the cooperative’s crimes had never come to light in her previous life, Tian Tian suspected that the rats had engaged in some “public relations work.”
By that, she meant hosting dinners, giving gifts, inviting people for tea—that whole routine.
Anyway, as she was getting on the motorcycle to head home, she happened to see Section Head Xu and a few others being brought in, handcuffed.
“Whoa, who turned that guy into a punching bag?”
Tian Tian replied, “That’s the Section Head Xu I told you about—the one having an affair with Xu Lifen.”
Niu Zai immediately understood. He licked his teeth and let out a low hiss.
“Don’t be so dramatic. He’s a cheating scumbag. He deserved to get beaten into a punching bag by his wife.”
Niu Zai also knew the details of Tian Tian’s plan. Even Xu Lifen’s wife—Tian Tian had called him and asked him to notify her to come catch her husband in the act.
At the time, he’d thought, who would be bold enough to mess around at the supply and marketing cooperative? He’d doubted Tian Tian’s plan would work and figured he might end up having to play the hero. He never expected it to actually succeed.
“You’re something else!” Niu Zai gave Tian Tian a thumbs-up.
Tian Tian lifted her chin slightly. “I’m alright.”
The truth was, as soon as she decided to provoke Xu Lifen, she’d anticipated that Xu Lifen would have a “deep conversation” with Section Head Xu. That was simply based on her understanding of Xu Lifen—a deeply jealous woman. Once she heard how generously Section Head Xu treated his wife, there was no way she wouldn’t be eaten up with jealousy.
And when Xu Lifen got jealous, she used her body. Tian Tian had deduced that from the gossip she’d heard in her previous life.
With that in place, she arranged for Niu Zai to notify Section Head Xu’s wife to catch them in the act. And if she didn’t come, the mother-daughter duo of Ma Xiaomei and Sister Liu, who were already at odds with Xu Lifen, would serve as backup.
The result was as flawless as Tian Tian had planned.
By the next day, Tian Tian received a call from the electronics shop owner and learned that Section Head Xu and his crew hadn’t only planned to burn her alive along with the real ledgers. They’d also bought sleeping pills and arranged for Xu Lifen to put them in her dinner, to keep her from resisting.
If she hadn’t deduced the mortal danger she was in ahead of time, by now, she probably wouldn’t even have ashes left.
Thankfully, she was the one who won.
After taking that call, Tian Tian walked out of the village committee office and ran straight into Tian Xin.
Tian Xin’s eyes lit up. The moment she saw Tian Tian, she started shouting, “Tian Tian, I heard from my friend that someone was caught red-handed having an affair at the supply and marketing cooperative yesterday afternoon! The woman who got caught—she’s your good friend, isn’t she? Is that true?”
Early in the morning, the village committee was crowded with people. Hearing the words “caught having an affair,” everyone’s eyes snapped toward Tian Tian.
Seeing this, Tian Xin grew even more excited.
“I bet it’s your friend, that Fen or whatever her name is. Is that why you were too embarrassed to go to work today? You don’t have to be like that. Just because your friend got caught cheating doesn’t mean you’re that kind of person too!”
Tian Tian saw how gleeful she was and couldn’t be bothered to respond.
“Keep your mouth clean. Watch out for karma.”
Tian Xin was thrilled to have found Tian Tian’s weak spot. Hearing this, she immediately asked, “What karma?”
Just then, not far behind her, a villager was leading a few young men toward them.
As they drew closer, Tian Tian could already hear what they were saying.
“Look, there’s Tian Xin right there.”
Tian Tian watched the figures approaching, and the corners of her mouth curled up higher and higher.
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