Chapter 58: The Fierce and Rugged Man Who Was Abandoned After Being Toyed With (10)

Zhao Qiming was the captain of the production brigade and had to oversee everything, big or small, let alone such egregious behavior.

Among the educated youths present, who hadn't received a higher education? Even in anger, physical violence was unheard of.

He hadn't believed it at first when he heard about it, but now that Jiang Shuyao's arm was pinched to that extent, he had no choice but to believe it.

"Captain, I didn't do it! I've been wronged!"

Hearing this, Yang Rongrong panicked. Disregarding her damp hair, she grabbed the corner of Zhao Qiming's jacket to explain.

"That bitch Jiang Shuyao is lying! I didn't hit her at all, and she almost pushed me down!"

A bitch?

Zhao Qiming couldn't stomach such insulting language and immediately retorted, "Educated Youth Jiang said many people saw it. You can't deny it."

"She demands that you apologize to her in front of the entire production brigade."

"Me? Apologize?"

Yang Rongrong raised her voice a few decibels, pointing at herself in utter disbelief.

"Why should I apologize? She almost pushed me down!"

Knowing her temperament and wishing to avoid a prolonged entanglement, Zhao Qiming said, "Then let the others bear witness and see whose fault it really was."

To be honest, Zhao Qiming felt they were all educated youths in the same brigade, seeing each other day in and day out; there was no need to blow things out of proportion.

Yet Jiang Shuyao refused to back down, declaring that if Yang Rongrong did not apologize, the matter would be reported upward.

With policies gradually being refined nowadays and at such a critical juncture, Jiang Shuyao's father was a commune cadre. A formal complaint would ruin not only Yang Rongrong, but spell trouble for him as well.

Outside the female educated youths' dormitory.

Zhao Qiming summoned the female educated youths who had witnessed the whole incident, along with the two parties involved, to inquire about the sequence of events.

Shuyao had just finished washing up, wearing a loose short-sleeved shirt and mid-length trousers rolled up to her knees, revealing her slender, delicate arms and calves.

Her damp hair fell loose behind her, making her fair, delicate face look even more breathtaking in the night.

"Captain! I really didn't hit her! Jiang Shuyao is lying!"

Pointing at Shuyao, Yang Rongrong argued with a flushed, desperate face.

Ye Xiu returned to the dormitory after eating at the cafeteria, and only learned what had happened upon hearing the other educated youths discussing it.

She hadn't expected Jiang Shuyao to be serious, blowing the matter out of proportion and leaving Yang Rongrong with no way out.

Since they had already fallen out, she naturally stood by Yang Rongrong.

"That's right, I also feel that Rongrong wouldn't hit anyone. She's been down in the countryside for over a month now, and everyone knows what kind of person she is; she'd never do something like hitting people."

Ye Xiu spoke with a gentle, soothing tone, forming a stark contrast to Yang Rongrong.

She was quite smart and knew well that heated arguments now would only prove counterproductive.

It was better to calm emotions first. Jiang Shuyao relied on her pretty face to throw her weight around in the brigade, and sooner or later, someone who couldn't stand her would step forward to deal with her.

"Are you implying that I pinched this bruise on myself?"

Shuyao finally spoke, her crisp, clean voice ringing out with undeniable clarity.

On her fair, slender arm, a gruesome, bluish-purple mark bloomed starkly.

Upon seeing it, Yang Rongrong swallowed hard with a guilty conscience.

She knew very well how much strength she had used.

Back then, blinded by rage, her mind had been filled with thoughts of how wonderful it would be if she could just strangle her, causing her to lose all sense of proportion.

Yet, regardless of anything, she was just a woman; how much strength could she possibly have?

How could it look this severe?

That bitch Jiang Shuyao must have played tricks on it.

Stretching out her neck with a sarcastic tone, Yang Rongrong said, "I didn't pinch you at all. Who knows, maybe you pinched yourself just to win sympathy! You're the delicate flower of the production brigade, after all; I should be currying favor with you instead."

"If that group of male educated youths found out, wouldn't they curse me to death?"

Her words were laden with insinuation, steering the topic toward an improper relationship between Shuyao and the male educated youths.

Not only was Yang Rongrong educated, but there were plenty of sharp-eyed people in the brigade as well.

Soon, a witness chimed in, "But I saw it just now, too. You really did pinch Educated Youth Jiang, and quite hard at that."

With someone breaking the ice, others who couldn't stand Yang Rongrong's behavior chimed in as well.

"That's right, stop talking blatant nonsense here. So many people outside the dormitory saw it at the time—you actively cornered Educated Youth Jiang and wouldn't let her return to her room, and now you claim she hit you?"

Yang Rongrong hadn't expected that even with Jiang Shuyao's terrible reputation, people would still take her side.

Glancing at Shuyao's soft, pale hands resting at her sides—hands that clearly had never done any heavy labor—she put on an expression of fighting for everyone's justice and raised her voice.

"I cornered her because she slacked off and refused to work again today! People like her are simply parasites in the brigade. If we condone this, who will be willing to go work in the fields in the future?"

"Haven't we been in Shiyao Village for a month now? When has she ever done any work? Does she really think she's some pampered young miss?"

Working in the fields wasn't even supposed to be their job to begin with. If the hope primary school hadn't been built yet, would she have been worked to such exhaustion?

If she could, she would have loved to fake illness and slack off just like Jiang Shuyao.

These days, her face had been tanned yellow and rough, and her hands had developed plenty of calluses and dead skin.

Yet what about Jiang Shuyao?

She didn't have to do a thing, ate better than her, lived better than her, and had so many men swarming around her to curry favor.

It was simply unfair!

At that moment, a female educated youth who had listened to the exchange spoke up weakly with a hint of doubt.

"But isn't someone else taking care of Educated Youth Jiang's plot of land? When I came back just now, I saw a tall, handsome man weeding her field. He looked awfully handsome."