Su Qing gave Xie Jianhua a puzzled look. She hadn’t done anything—why was he being so stubborn?
But Xie Jianhua’s attitude didn’t matter. What mattered was achieving her goal.
She leaned in closer and suggested, "Why are you only targeting my brother for revenge? What about my dad? Don’t you remember how he kept forcing you to drink that night? The way he treated you—even I was furious!"
Xie Jianhua wasn’t just satisfied with Su Qing’s vengeful attitude now; he was downright shocked.
"That’s your father. Your biological father."
Hearing this, Su Qing’s eyes immediately welled up with tears. "You have no idea how much I envy you. You have responsible parents. I don’t."
No one could truly understand another’s pain. Xie Jianhua, raised by devoted parents, couldn’t fathom how low neglectful parents could sink.
She explained, "My dad is no good. Everyone outside thinks he’s a decent man, but at home, he ignores everything. And when he drinks, he hits people… I’ve always treated him as my father, but he’s never treated me like a daughter. Just thinking about what he’s done makes my chest ache…"
Su Qing clutched her chest, softly sobbing, fragile as if she might shatter.
Xie Jianhua, who had just claimed he wouldn’t fall for this, immediately pulled out his handkerchief and handed it to her. "Stop crying. You’re married now, and you have a job. They can’t hurt you anymore."
"But I just can’t swallow this anger," Su Qing said stubbornly.
She wiped her tears with the handkerchief and sighed. "Never mind. You wouldn’t understand. I’ll go talk to Mom—she’ll help me figure out how to get back at them."
"Don’t go blabbing to my mom," Xie Jianhua grabbed her arm to stop her, explaining helplessly, "She doesn’t want me hanging out with those guys."
Su Qing’s lips twitched. Of course. Troublemakers never won parents’ approval, no matter the era.
Even at 21, they couldn’t escape the classic "Stay away from them" lecture.
Some kids grew up to attend Tsinghua University; others ended up selling roasted sweet potatoes. Among the children from their neighborhood, not everyone landed respectable jobs—some inevitably turned to petty theft.
But they had grown up together, fought side by side against kids from rival streets. That bond wasn’t something you could just forget.
Though parents disapproved, these friends were fiercely loyal.
When Xie Jianhua suffered a setback in his marriage, his buddies immediately stepped up. Someone rigged a card game, and Su Lei nearly lost his pants gambling the night before.
"Your dad doesn’t gamble. We’ll just have someone rough him up a bit to vent your anger. He’s still an elder, after all," Xie Jianhua said. "I’ll arrange it with them. They’ll ambush him with a sack after I return to the army."
"That’ll do," Su Qing conceded, though not entirely satisfied.
She had just transmigrated here and was still unfamiliar with everything. She could always think of better revenge later.
For now, convincing Xie Jianhua to help her settle the score was good enough. With most of her resentment vented, Su Qing pulled open a drawer, took out some peanut candy, and crunched on it happily.
"Want some?" She offered a piece to Xie Jianhua enthusiastically. "Try it—it’s really good!"
Xie Jianhua glanced at the candy in her hand, then reluctantly bent down to take it with his mouth, tilting his head back to let it drop in.
Eating candy made his hands sticky, and he wasn’t particularly interested—he was just humoring her.
Su Qing looked at her hand, then at Xie Jianhua, wisely holding back her comment. She had expected him to take it with his hand—why use his mouth?
Hand-feeding was a privilege reserved for Wang Cuifen.
Su Qing secretly rolled her eyes, grabbed another piece of candy, and trotted off to find Wang Cuifen.
"Mom, have some peanut candy~"
"Ah~ so sweet!" Wang Cuifen savored the candy before asking, "Did you and Jianhua get the paperwork from the neighborhood committee? And did you mail the letter back to the educated youth station?"
"All done. It didn’t take long at all."
The impromptu wedding banquet had drained most of Wang Cuifen’s ration coupons. Without coupons, money alone couldn’t buy much fun in the shops.
As for sending Xie Jianhua and Su Qing on dates—strolling in the park or watching movies—Wang Cuifen didn’t see the point.
After pondering for a while, she made a decision. "Now that things at home are settled, and you’re free today with Jianhua here, you two should study!"
Studying was good. Studying was meaningful.
"Study?!" Su Qing’s mind buzzed, stunned. Wang Cuifen was every bit the traditional parent—never missing a chance to push education.
"Yes! Qingqing, you’re still young—this is the perfect time to learn. In the future, society will belong to the educated. If you don’t study now, you’ll regret it later." Wang Cuifen’s tone grew firmer as she spoke.
Without checking where Xie Jianhua was, she shouted, "Xie Jianhua! Come here—I’ve got a task for you!"
"What is it?"
"I’ve dug out your younger siblings’ elementary and middle school textbooks. Your job today is to teach Qingqing. She’s starting from scratch, so be patient—no scolding!" Wang Cuifen instructed sternly.
The original Su Qing had dropped out of elementary school years ago, so Wang Cuifen naturally assumed she was barely literate.
She held Su Qing’s hand, speaking gently, "No rush. Take your time—study as long as you need. Even if it takes ten years, I’ll support you all the way to university!"
Su Qing believed her. Wang Cuifen had already supported her youngest son, Xie Jiankang, through four years of retakes until he finally got into college.
When it came to her children, Wang Cuifen gave everything she had.
Now that she treated Su Qing as her own, she would spare no effort for her too.
Before her death, Su Qing had lived comfortably, but Wang Cuifen wanted more for her. Knowing how valuable a college degree would be, she was determined to see Su Qing earn one.
Wang Cuifen’s grand plan left Su Qing visibly panicked.
She had never planned on going to college. Her dream was to ride the wave of economic reform—start a small business, buy some land, build houses, wait for demolition payouts, and then retire early to a life of leisure.
Her laid-back ambitions clashed hard with Wang Cuifen’s strategic vision.
Su Qing clung to Wang Cuifen’s arm, whining, "Mom, I’m not smart. If I can’t study well, you won’t give up on me, will you?"
Nothing was impossible for those who gave up. If she played the fool, surely Wang Cuifen wouldn’t force her to improve.
"Who says you’re not smart? You’re brilliant!"
But even after years of retakes, some still failed college entrance exams. Wang Cuifen steeled herself and vowed, "Even if you don’t get into university, it’s fine. I’ll take care of you—you’ll never live worse than anyone else!"
"Aiya~~" Su Qing was speechless, resting her forehead on Wang Cuifen’s shoulder with a soft whimper.
How could her mother-in-law be like this? It almost made her want to cry.
Wang Cuifen gently patted Su Qing’s back, comforting her, "Good girl, don’t be afraid. Studying isn’t that hard. Let’s just give it a try first. We can’t give up before even starting."
The warm moment between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was abruptly interrupted when Xie Jianhua chimed in, "Mom, getting into Worker-Peasant-Soldier University depends on work unit recommendations."
Before he could finish, both Wang Cuifen and Su Qing shot him disapproving glares.
The look in their eyes made Xie Jianhua feel utterly out of place standing there.
"As if anyone doesn’t know Worker-Peasant-Soldier University relies on recommendations," Wang Cuifen retorted sarcastically.
Xie Jianhua took a deep breath and explained, "What I meant was, studying and reading aren’t necessary. It’d be better for Su Qing to focus on doing well at work and securing a recommendation."
"You’re so short-sighted. The Worker-Peasant-Soldier University system has only been around for a few years. Back in the day, people got into university by taking exams, and mark my words, it’ll go back to that someday!" Wang Cuifen sniffed proudly. "Your mom here may not have studied much, but I’m still sharper than you. You’ve got a long way to go before you can match me."
Su Qing nodded in agreement. "Exactly, exactly."
