Ruling the Historical Romance Novel as the Female Supporting Character-Chapter 204: Only a White Lotus Truly Understands Another White Lotus

However, after gaining her daily points, Su Yijia was like a heartless scoundrel, promptly standing up and pushing Qin Kaize back home.

"It’s too late. Let’s go back and rest early. The kids will probably be very energetic tomorrow, and we might spend the whole day at the river."

Qin Kaize thought it was still early, and they could stay a bit longer. But in a blink, Su Yijia was out of sight, her hurried tone unmistakably revealing a sense of retreat.

---

Early the next morning, the village loudspeaker sounded the work bell.

Su Yijia sensed that the educated youths sleeping on either side of the kang had already gotten up.

She tried hard to open her eyes, but after a brief struggle, she fell back into a deep sleep.

The second bell rang, signaling the villagers to have breakfast; otherwise, they would have to work on an empty stomach.

Su Yijia stretched out under the blanket and then inched out of it like a caterpillar.

Elderly people tend to sleep less, so before the bell even rang, Grandma Lin had already gotten up and prepared breakfast for their group.

When Su Yijia lifted the curtain and squinted at her shoes on the floor, a warm towel covered her face.

"If you’re tired, why not sleep a little more?" Grandma Lin rubbed her face, asking with concern.

The village starts work very early, especially in the summer, at six o’clock in the fields.

They had gotten used to this time at the farm, but Jiajia, having grown up in the city, was not used to it at all.

"I’m not tired, just lazy," Su Yijia took the towel and rubbed her face roughly.

Once fully awake, she cuddled up to Grandma Lin like a spoiled kitten.

Wu Xuezhen, who came in to get bowls, rolled her eyes dramatically at the scene.

Such pretense! A married woman acting like she’s still a child who hasn’t been weaned.

Yanking the bowl and chopsticks off the table, she stormed out, only to misstep on the stairs and fall flat on her face, breaking the bowls.

Already feeling her life was miserable, Wu Xuezhen now felt even more wronged. With her heart and chin aching, she started crying.

Ding Xiaoyu hurried to comfort her, "Don’t cry, you’ve cut your lip. Go rinse your mouth."

"What’s the point of rinsing? It’s all because of some jinx that I’m having such bad luck," Wu Xuezhen muttered angrily under her breath.

She thought she was being quiet, but the cold, sharp gazes from Gao Huabin and others in the courtyard all turned towards her.

Ding Xiaoyu felt the prickling sensation of being under scrutiny and quickly covered her mouth. She wanted to apologize but feared that speaking would confirm Wu Xuezhen’s superstitious slander.

She had no choice but to drag her back to the other female educated youths’ room.

Fortunately, Wu Xuezhen realized her mistake and pressed her lips tightly, even swallowing the blood.

The older educated youths had also heard the commotion and were furious.

"Wu Xuezhen, what’s wrong with you lately? Ever since the inspection team arrived, you’ve been in a foul mood. Haven’t you noticed that even the villagers avoid offending them? Do you want to get all of us in trouble?"

The educated youths already had a hard life, constantly facing the villagers’ disdain. Now, the village’s future well-being depended on the inspection team.

If Wu Xuezhen offended them, the villagers would blame all the educated youths. Their days in the village would become even more unbearable, and their chance of returning to the city would be slim, not to mention the possibility of just surviving peacefully.

"I... I just can’t stand Su Yijia with her capitalist princess act. Didn’t you see her all dolled up, attracting all the men’s attention the moment she arrived? She’s already married, so why is she still so shameless?! And you all don’t know what happened yesterday. She had her clothes washed by her grandmother, which is bad enough, but then a male comrade who isn’t even her husband ended up washing them too! She even had that same guy help her cook and prepare food... Why marry a cripple if she expects men to do everything for her? I can see right through her; that cripple must be rich and powerful, and she’s just vain. This morning, she slept in until the second bell and then cuddled with her grandmother. Disgusting!" Wu Xuezhen fumed.

The other female educated youth felt uncomfortable hearing this. Initially, they thought Wu Xuezhen was simply jealous of a prettier newcomer, but now they began to believe Su Yijia might indeed be problematic. They knew of another woman in the village whose husband had broken his leg a few years back. He could still move his upper body, talk, eat, and dress himself, but within a month or two, his wife was exhausted and aged beyond her years. In contrast, Su Yijia, whose husband was in even worse condition, seemed to live like an unmarried girl. Especially troubling was having other men help with intimate tasks like washing clothes.

"But that’s their business. If someone’s willing to help, it’s none of your business to tell the inspection team how to behave," Ding Xiaoyu retorted, irritated.

"Why not? If she has conduct issues, I can report her," Wu Xuezhen retorted, lifting her chin defiantly.

Several female educated youth scoffed at her.

"Give it a rest! Any of us might have the right to report her, but you have the least right. Over the years, haven’t the village men done plenty of chores for you? Do you remember what you said? You said they insisted on helping you and you refused, but they wouldn’t listen. How do you know Comrade Su didn’t refuse too?"

Wu Xuezhen’s face flushed, either from anger or embarrassment, unable to retort. She knew deep down that she despised Su Yijia because they were the same. Both relied on men’s help, yet Su Yijia managed to live like a pampered princess, surrounded by educated and promising men. Meanwhile, she had only dirty, smelly peasants around her, and her rewards were mere eggs or sweet potatoes. Even the most decent male educated youth had eyes for Su Yijia since her arrival. What did she lack compared to Su Yijia?!

"Enough, Wu Xuezhen. Remember, just because the village men circle around you, don’t forget your own worth. If you anger these inspectors, not only will the villagers not spare you, but we educated youths won’t either," the older educated youth warned coldly.

Wu Xuezhen pressed her lips tightly, refusing to speak. Only she knew whether the warning had sunk in.