Miao Yanâs voice became sharp.
"Impossible! No way could she be a secretary! Iâve known her since we were kids; the family has five or six sisters and a brother, and theyâve never sent her to school for even a day. Sheâs just a typical rural woman, illiterate! How could she be a secretary?"
Jiang Lai didnât waste her breath, looking at the village secretary with a sigh.
"Secretary, this scorekeeper has a personal vendetta going on, how do you plan to resolve this? Or should I report it and have someone come down to sort it out?"
"Itâs small stuff, just young girls talking nonsense. Miao Yan! If you donât shut up, you wonât be the scorekeeper anymore!"
Miao Yan was deeply offended. She was supposed to be working in the town, and wouldnât have returned to this dump if her parents hadnât wanted her closer. Now, irritated by the secretaryâs words, she left red-eyed.
"Fine, I wonât do it! Canât believe anyone can come here and be a secretary! Iâll go to town and ask my classmates if an uneducated country woman can eat commodity grain as a village secretary!"
The village secretary was green with anger.
If she werenât a high school graduate and not related to the Miao Family, he wouldnât have bothered talking to her.
Jiang Lai watched the drama, observing the secretaryâs complex and helpless expression.
"Donât mind it. Iâll arrange for a new scorekeeper to adjust the lost points. Youâll work in our village office, so if you face any inconvenience, just let the village know."
The village secretary was curious about Jiang Laiâs identity too.
Without Miao Yanâs comments, he knew Jiang Lai hadnât attended school and was illiterate, making it impossible for her to be his secretary.
But she had been specially assigned by the county to hold a position here without needing to do anything, with a salary funded from the county that was higher than his own as secretary.
With such impenetrable backing, the secretary wisely kept his questions to himself and just followed orders.
The village chief was a bit worried, seeing Jiang Lai walking out with her husband. He whispered.
"Miao Yanâs family has ties in town. What if they report it and send people to investigate?"
"Jiang Lai was directly assigned by the county. Weâll do whatever weâre told, since the village doesnât have to pay her anyway."
Just a nominal secretary position.
Outside, Jiang Lai calmly looked at Xie Jian and explained proactively.
"Recently, I helped the county secretary with something, and he thought I was talented, so he arranged a job for me in the village to save me from field work."
Xie Jian looked at Jiang Lai. His nature kept him from asking much, but Jiang Lai always communicated openly to prevent any misunderstanding or suspicion between them.
He was curious what could Jiang Lai do to help the county secretary but instinctively trusted her. She seemed capable of anything.
Being her husband, Xie Jian often felt useless, even todayâs issue was resolved by her.
He always thought his abilities could give Jiang Lai a good life, but now, he realized he only had brute strength, unworthy of Jiang Laiâs brilliance.
"What are you thinking? Wondering if youâre not worthy because Iâm so impressive now?"
Xie Jian was startled inside.
"Yes."
"Indeed..."
Jiang Laiâs hesitation made Xie Jianâs heart plummet. What if she left him? He wasnât prepared for it, couldnât accept it at all.
Because he liked Jiang Lai too much.
Her every move, every smile, sulk, or scold stirred his heart; it felt as if heâd been waiting for her all his life, now finally having found her, looking at Jiang Lai was like gazing at a rediscovered treasure.
He didnât know how to voice this to Jiang Lai, so he expressed it through actions.
But now, Jiang Lai didnât need him anymore.
"You big fool, always overthinking without saying a word. If we ever part ways, it will surely be because you donât tell me anything."
"I tell you everything."
"Told everything?"
Jiang Lai looked at him seriously.
Xie Jian paused for a while, then slowly spoke.
"Yesterday in the woods, I saw Jiang Jinbao bullying Yu Mian, and I beat him up."
"Did you kill him?"
"I didnât go that far."
Jiang Lai chuckled.
"Good heâs not dead, killing is illegal, we canât do such things."
Xie Jian looked at her in disbelief, confirming she wasnât angry, not even slightly upset.
"But...heâs your brother, your family."
"Since I married you, my only family is you. With you, I have a home, okay?"
Only family...
Hearing her words, Xie Jianâs hands shook slightly, eyes reddening.
Heâd never heard such touching words.
Jiang Lai watched the tough man almost shedding tears because of her words, realizing they might have hit him too hard, she reached out.
Xie Jian lowered his head.
Under the low eaves, Jiang Lai reached out and patted his head, her hand hurt from his prickly hair.
"Alright, this matter is behind us, letâs go home."
ââ
The Jiang Familyâs precious treasure was beaten, news spread through the village, now after harvest when everyone wasnât busy, it was a time to savor the gossip.
Jiang Jinbao was usually the apple of the Jiang Familyâs eye, something precious enough to fear melting if held too close or falling if held too far, each sister doted on their brother, even giving him the best against their own childâs wants.
Now that Jiang Jinbao was beaten unconscious, sent to town hospital by a tractor staying there for seven days before slowly recovering and returned tightly bundled in a cart.
Many watched along the way, most enjoying the spectacle.
At seventeen or eighteen, Jiang Jinbao didnât study or work, in these times when food was scarce he was fat and white, standing at 165 cm and weighing over 170 pounds, a rare fatty in the village.
He loitered and loved stirring trouble, from fighting to theft to teasing young girls, leading to village girls avoiding him, fearing misfortune.
Jiang Jinbao wanted a wife, wanted good food, a big brick house; it required money. Money came as each of his four sisters married for cash, thus Jiang Family built a brick house, and Jinbao ate meat at every meal, growing ever fatter.