ARC 2: Stepmother in the Seventies ✦ c71~116 (46)
✦ 26
Translator: InkyDragon (https://inkydragontranslation.wordpress.com)
“I’m not exceptional, just naturally strong and willing to put in the effort. I only know how to work hard.” Gu Shi Chu modestly replied to the brigade leader.
The brigade leader chuckled. “‘You’re too modest, Gu Shi Chu. You’re naturally strong, that’s true, but it’s your hard work that truly shines. Keep it up!:
Gu Shi Chu, acknowledging the praise with a shy smile, went to the granary, oblivious to the stir her achievements had caused.
Whispers began to circulate among the villagers.
“How can one girl earn more work points than several grown men? Surely the leader made a mistake!” grumbled a voice laced with suspicion.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” a calmer voice countered. “Work points are tallied daily. You think the record keeper’s blind? Gu Shi Chu’s been a force to be reckoned with lately. Shows up every day, completes every task perfectly, hardly takes a single break. It adds up.”
As the murmurs continued, envy crept into the voices of those who struggled to make ends meet.
“Tsk tsk, she’s just a young girl, yet she receives so much money and grain. Must be feasting like a king every night.”
“True, that haul will keep her comfortable,” another chimed in, a hint of wistfulness in their voice. “Especially after her father passed. It’s like she’s risen from the ashes, stronger and sharper than ever. Maybe losing him spurred her on?”
“Hold on,” a voice cut through the speculation, laced with sarcasm. “Are you jealous? Because if you think losing a parent makes you work harder, maybe you shouldn’t wish that ill on your own folks, huh?”
The curious individual’s face flushed red. “Rotten tongue!” they roared, fury boiling over. “Cursing my father to die? I’ll beat you black and blue!”
…
Gu Shi Chu hastily carried her allocated grain back to her home, but the news of her generous distribution spread like wildfire, and soon, many people began to covet her.
A group of matchmakers, eyeing her wealth and grain, swooped in, hoping to snag her as a prize catch. They saw her as a golden goose, capable of providing a strong labour force and a steady supply of money and grain for their families.
Though Gu Shi Chu’s outrageous conditions for blind dates had scared people off in the past, they thought she might have mellowed with time. After all, didn’t everyone have a sense of luck? They hoped she’d lower her demands, making her a more attainable prize.
But Gu Shi Chu remained unmoved. Instead, she raised her conditions, citing her impressive work points from the previous year as proof of her shrewdness and capability. Her new demands were steeper than ever, and would-be suitors were once again deterred.
Age, she declared, mattered little as long as one remained valuable. This bold tactic proved remarkably effective, once again sending potential suitors scurrying away with her daunting conditions.
Meanwhile, a group of idle and dishonest ruffians in the village had their sights set on Gu Shi Chu. They were lazy, earning few work points, and jealous of others’ successes. They were all about shortcuts and easy pickings. To them, Gu Shi Chu, a seemingly weak woman alone with a wealth of grain and money, appeared like a plump sheep ripe for the fleecing.
Sharp-mouthed Second Dog Li (李二狗) and full-faced Fatty Cui (崔胖子)i, two ruffians with a history of trouble, crossed paths and hatched a plan to target Gu Shi Chu. One was a thirty-something bachelor, and the other was a freeloader who lived off his parents and siblings. Together, they hoped to make a big profit off Gu Shi Chu’s good fortune.
- “李” (Lǐ): This is a common Chinese surname that means “plum” or “plum tree”. It is associated with beauty and the coming of spring.
- “二” (Èr): This character means “two” and is often used to indicate the second child or the second in a sequence.
- “狗” (Gǒu): This character means “dog”.
- “崔” (Cuī): This is a Chinese surname.
- “胖子” (Pàngzi): This term means “fat person” and is not typically used as a name; it is a colloquial term that describes someone who is overweight.
Second Dog Li rubbed the sleep from his eyes, wiped his nose, and carelessly flicked a glob of snot onto the ground.
“Can the two of us handle it?” he asked hesitantly. “Should we call more people?”
Fatty Cui wrinkled his nose in disgust and turned away, repulsed by the gesture, and sneered. “Are you soft in the head, Second Dog? Two grown men versus a girl? You think we need help with that? Besides, the more people involved, the smaller our share. Are you willing to share?”
The mention of sharing sparked a sudden change in Second Dog Li’s demeanour. “You’re right, Fatty. Two’s a crowd. We can handle it ourselves. I don’t want to share with anyone else.” His eyes gleamed with greed. “Let’s figure out how to get our hands on that girl’s money and food without lifting a finger.”
The two scoundrels began to scheme, their minds working overtime to devise a plan to seize Gu Shi Chu’s possessions without doing any actual work.
As they plotted, Second Dog Li’s thoughts turned to more personal matters. “Hehe, she’s a strong one, that girl. Maybe we could… persuade her to come along with the loot. I wouldn’t mind a wife with some spirit.”
Fatty Cui’s eyes lit up with a similar idea, his mind recalling Gu Shi Chu’s radiant face and graceful figure, which even her thick cotton jacket couldn’t conceal.
A sudden rush of heat coursed through his body, and he muttered, “Damn, that girl is a looker. Wonder what it’d be like… I wouldn’t mind a taste either.”
Second Dog whipped his head around, irritation twisting his features.
“Hey!” he barked. “I spotted her first, you can’t compete with me!”
Fatty Cui, a bully by nature, scoffed. He was used to getting what he wanted, especially from women. “So what? I like her too! And I definitely wouldn’t mind a little taste. You gonna stop me?”
The tension between them escalated, their anger simmering just below the surface. “I’m already in my thirties, finally hoping to find a wife, and you really want to compete with me…” Second Dog Li growled.
“If it’s a competition you want, then let’s compete. Do you think I can’t compete with you?” Fatty Cui sneered, his voice rising.
Their words fueled the fire, and soon they were at each other’s throats, their anger boiling over into a full-blown fight.
In their conversations, both men saw Gu Shi Chu as a prize to be claimed, a possession to be wrestled over. They bartered over her like they were haggling at the market, completely oblivious to the fact that she wasn’t an object to be owned.
Their brawl, fueled by greed and bruised egos, ended with a lopsided compromise.
They agreed that Second Dog Li would allow Fatty Cui to “taste” Gu Shi Chu, while Fatty Cui would receive a slightly smaller share of the spoils. They divided the profits sixty-forty, with Second Dog Li taking the larger share.
With their evil plan hatched, the two scoundrels began plotting the best time to strike.
Meanwhile, blissfully unaware of the danger lurking, Gu Shi Chu continued her routine. She diligently studied with Zhang Wei Hong and spent cosy evenings in the warm embrace of Ji Ming Tao. Life was smooth and carefree, leaving her feeling relaxed and content.
As the winter tightened its grip on the village, driving most people indoors, it became eerily quiet. Gu Shi Chu’s house, nestled at the village’s edge away from the centre, seemed like the perfect target. Second Dog Li and Fatty Cui’s confidence grew, convinced that fate had handed them a golden opportunity.
On this particular night, Gu Shi Chu was snuggled up in Ji Ming Tao’s embrace, fast asleep.
Ever since she voiced her dislike for venturing out in the biting winter nights, Ji Ming Tao had taken it upon himself to visit her. After their romantic trysts, he would often linger until dawn. Sometimes, even without any intimate activity, he’d simply stay the night, content to share her warmth beneath the same blanket.
With a handsome man willingly coming to her doorstep, Gu Shi Chu saw no reason to refuse. The warmth of having someone by her side on a cold winter night only added to the comfort. Thus, she turned a blind eye to Ji Ming Tao’s increasingly frequent overstays.
─── ❖ ── ☆ ── ❖ ───
( )………( )
(๑✪ᆺ✪๑)
Please check out my other translations~!
In Virtual Reality [COMPLETED]
Novels | Inky Dragon Translations 
Leave a comment