Chapter 27: Wu Siqi and Kang Yuzhu Engage in a Brawl

"I didn't buy too much, you know." After speaking to the kindly farmer, Mu Wanguan did not forget to turn back and show off to Fang Yinnian.

She was boasting about her restraint—that she hadn't bought everything in sight. If this had been in the past, back when she was the only daughter of the Imperial Marshal, she would have cleared out all these little trinkets without a second thought.

Although Fang Yinnian didn't quite grasp the full meaning behind her words, the way she looked while showing off was vivid, adorable, and full of life.

Fang Yinnian freed his right hand, brushed a stray lock of hair from her forehead, and said dotingly, "It wouldn't have mattered if you had bought it all. We still have money."

"No! I need to save some money to buy comic books."

Fang Yinnian: "..." Never mind. He would find a time to see if he could ask someone to go to the city and pick up a few copies for her. Otherwise, if the girl kept fretting over it, she might actually start throwing a temper tantrum.

The two of them acted as if they were in their own world, huddled together in front of a dilapidated little stall, covered in bags and packages. Anyone who didn't know better would have assumed they were just villagers from some nearby hamlet helping others carry their goods.

Kang Yuzhu had circled the market over and over, even staying until her second brother came to pick her up, yet she still couldn't find the gentle, refined man. Finally, gritting her teeth, she decided to squat by the market entrance. She refused to believe she wouldn't find him.

Kang Yuzhu chewed on her handkerchief, staring at every person who passed by the entrance. In truth, she had seen the man and woman at the ramshackle stall, but she had already checked that area; it was just an old farmer selling vegetable seeds. The man she was looking for had a refined and gentle air—he was clearly a scholar, a man of culture. How could he possibly be at such a stall? Besides, a gentleman certainly wouldn't buy seeds; only country folk who had to till the land bought seeds. Even she, a rural girl, didn't want to work in the fields, so how could a city gentleman enjoy such things?

Therefore, Kang Yuzhu only gave them a fleeting glance before turning away in disgust. She even pursed her lips and muttered, "Bad luck." It was unclear who she was referring to.

Mu Wanguan and Fang Yinnian didn't hear her; they had finished their shopping and stood up to leave. Just as they were rising and turning away, Kang Yuzhu suddenly spotted a man standing in front of a second-hand book stall to the front-left of the market. He was dressed neatly, wearing a wristwatch, and possessed a refined demeanor. This man looked remarkably like the one from yesterday.

Kang Yuzhu’s eyes lit up instantly, and she sprinted toward him. At the same time, Mu Wanguan and Fang Yinnian turned and stepped out of the market. The sun was climbing higher; it was almost noon. When they returned to the assembly point, there were already quite a few people by the tractor, though not as many as in the morning. Most were educated youth, with only two or three older women who had come to catch a ride because they had bought too much to carry.

As Mu Wanguan and Fang Yinnian lifted their belongings onto the tractor, a kind-hearted older woman stepped in to help. "Oh my, you young newlyweds, why did you buy so much stuff? Are you new here?"

Fang Yinnian replied gently, "Yes, thank you, ma'am."

"What are you thanking me for? Aren't you two educated youth?"

"We are, but we're also factory employees." Seeing Fang Yinnian struggling to lift things onto the tractor one by one, Mu Wanguan felt it was too taxing. As she answered, she climbed onto the tractor to help him move the items.

"Factory employees?" The woman paused, and then another auntie behind her came over to lend a hand, helping Mu Wanguan place the items in the corner of the tractor so they wouldn't block the way.

The auntie asked, "Which factory are you from? Where did you come from?"

Mu Wanguan didn't answer; she glanced at Fang Yinnian. While she was naive, she wasn't truly ignorant. She knew well enough that some things could be said, while others could not.

Fang Yinnian smiled at her. After moving the goods, he jumped onto the tractor and used a wooden bucket he had bought to create a seat for Mu Wanguan. Seeing the sweat on her forehead, he handed her a handkerchief and replied, "We work at the Machinery Plant."

"Oh, technical workers. That’s a good job."

"Indeed." Seeing how attentive he was, the woman chuckled. "A good job and kind to your wife. If this young man weren't already married, I'm sure many girls would be interested in him..."

There was no way to respond to that. Fang Yinnian lowered his eyes, focusing only on Mu Wanguan.

On the other side, back at the market, returning to the moment Kang Yuzhu sprinted toward the man—

"Comrade, h-hello. Are, are you here to buy books too?" Kang Yuzhu ran to the book stall, acting coy and nervously tugging at her padded jacket. Suddenly, her brow furrowed as she looked at her sleeves, regretting that she hadn't worn the wool coat her aunt had bought from the provincial capital before the New Year. She had heard that only city girls wore such coats. It was incredibly expensive. Plus, the bright red wool made her skin look fairer; it looked exceptionally good on her and would have given her an edge. If only she had known—

"What do you think you're doing?!" Kang Yuzhu, still regretting her outfit, was suddenly yanked violently and sent reeling backward. Losing her balance, she stumbled several steps before barely managing to steady herself. She was about to look up to see who was reckless enough to pull her, but before her eyes could focus, a rush of air whistled past, followed by a loud *crack*—and a sharp, stinging pain on her cheek.

She had been slapped.

"Ah!"

"You damn bitch, how dare you hit me?!"

"I'll hit you if I want to! Who told you to be so shameless, coming over to cling to Comrade Xie?" Wu Siqi didn't hold back at all. It was just a country bumpkin, after all; hitting her was nothing.

Comrade Xie?

Kang Yuzhu held her face, forcing herself to suppress the urge to strike back. Was... was his name Comrade Xie?

Kang Yuzhu’s eyes welled up with a single tear, hoping to win the sympathy of the gentle man. She thought that if he could be so kind to a strange educated youth yesterday, surely he would pity her now that she had been hit for no reason. With this thought, more tears filled her eyes.

Just as she set her gaze on the refined man with the wristwatch, her face suddenly froze. Her pupils dilated, and as she lifted her head to look at Xie Wenhao—

"No, it's not him."

Kang Yuzhu’s face twisted with a mixture of malice and doubled disappointment. With a loud cry, she raised her hand and struck back with a heavy *smack*. She had slapped Wu Siqi right back.

Wu Siqi was stunned. After the shock passed, she reached out to grab and claw at Kang Yuzhu’s hair, and the two women began to brawl.

The surrounding crowd: "..."

Xie Wenhao, who had thought he was about to have a romantic encounter: "..."

"Damn it!"

"Stop fighting, stop it!"

"Break it up, the militia is coming—"

But the two were already crazed; they wouldn't listen to reason and couldn't even hear the people around them. Kang Yuzhu, in particular, was burning with rage. After waiting for a day and a night, the massive letdown of not getting what she wanted had driven her to fury. She had been pampered by her family since she was a child; what had she ever wanted that she didn't get? This was the first time—the first time she had ever met a man who matched her in looks, temperament, and likely family background. She had gone through such trouble to find him, only to be delayed by a fake, and how could she not be furious?

Furthermore, she had been hit. Even her own parents had never raised a hand to her.

"You bitch, I'm going to kill you!"

Kang Yuzhu raised her right hand and clawed viciously at Wu Siqi’s face...