CHAPTER 103: CHAPTER 103: COURTESY BEFORE FORCE

「Zhiqing Point」

Deng Xiaojie almost picked the vegetables bare. "Why can Chuyunyi get away with being lazy at the village health clinic? It’s just not fair."

Cui Aiju scooped a ladle of water into the vegetable-washing basin. "Enough. She earned her place at the clinic with her skills. There’s no unfairness in that."

She was quick-tempered and refused to be taken advantage of, but she also knew what was what. Chuyunyi understood medicine; how could they compare with her?

Deng Xiaojie had hoped Cui Aiju would share her resentment. She was taken aback when Cui Aiju suddenly switched sides. "Cui Aiju, what do you mean by that?"

Cui Aiju rolled her eyes. "If you think it’s unfair, go complain to the brigade leader. Don’t take it out on me."

Deng Xiaojie tossed the vegetables in her hand. "Cui Aiju, you wish! Expecting me to lead the charge for you? Do you take me for a fool?"

Cui Aiju gave a scornful smile. "Think whatever you want."

Having said that, she grabbed some grain and began to get busy.

Seeing that Cui Aiju ignored her, Deng Xiaojie was left fuming and took it out on the remaining vegetables.

When Cui Aiju finished kneading the dough and came in, ready to stir-fry the vegetables, she saw that most of them had ended up in the slop bucket. "Deng Xiaojie, what on earth are you doing?"

This shout jolted Deng Xiaojie back to her senses. She realized there were hardly any vegetables left in the basin. Looking down at the slop bucket at her feet, she said, "I got distracted; it wasn’t on purpose. I’ll go pick some more right now."

But when she went to the field, she saw they were all too small to be picked.

Her expression turned melancholic for a moment. Then, she raised her eyes and saw the vegetable plot not far away.

The once weed-ridden plot was now neatly tended, and the vegetables were well cared for—much better than the vegetables on their own private plot.

She glanced around, saw no one, and then hurried over. Stepping directly into the fenced plot, she worried about being seen. While picking, she damaged quite a few vines and only stopped after filling more than half the basket with the larger vegetables.

When Cui Aiju saw the basket full of vegetables, she was a bit puzzled. The vegetables in our private plot have grown surprisingly well these past few days, she thought. I didn’t expect there’d still be some ready to pick.

Seeing that it was getting late, she didn’t dwell on it and hurried to get to work.

When Yunyi finished work and got home, she thought, It’s so hot. I’ll prepare a cold cucumber salad and steam some eggplant.

But as soon as she brought her basket to the field, she discovered someone had visited her private plot. Seeing the damaged vines made her face turn cold.

She walked a few steps forward. Upon seeing the rubber shoe prints on the ground, she knew what had happened. Not many commune members in the brigade wore rubber shoes. Only those at the Zhiqing Point, who received subsidies and coupons from their families, would buy them. Plus, she had watered the scallions near that area this morning. Though it wasn’t muddy enough to get one’s shoes caked in mud, the ground was soft enough for the footprints to be quite clear. Indeed, it was just as she had suspected.

Liu Chenglin’s voice came from behind, "What are you looking at?"

Turning around, Yunyi saw Liu Chenglin standing there with a flat woven basket. "Someone has been through here and damaged quite a few vines."

Liu Chenglin pondered for a moment, then glanced towards the Zhiqing Point. "What do you want to do?"

Yunyi turned and walked away. "Naturally, we’ll start with politeness before moving to discipline."

It might seem like a small thing, but this private plot is now allocated to me and Liu Chenglin. Before, those seedlings were nearly choked by weeds. I’m the one who meticulously tended to them, even trading with villagers for mature compost to make them grow so well. How dare those people from the Zhiqing Point come and pick our vegetables without a word, and even rip the vines to shreds? I can’t just let this go without teaching them a lesson. If they had asked politely, it would have been fine; Liu Chenglin and I can’t eat all these vegetables ourselves anyway. But to come uninvited and then maliciously destroy things? That’s unacceptable.