Chapter 418: Seventies: The Mature Husband 18

Tang Wan soon learned about the village Party secretary deliberately making things difficult for Xue Xingtong.

She didn't need to ask to know that it must have been that Chen Cheng woman. She had failed to seduce Tongtong and, humiliated and angry, had simply used her family's power to suppress him!

In this era, even the power held by a production team leader was considerable when it came to ordinary people, let alone a village Party secretary.

With nothing more than a stroke of his pen, he could record five work points for work that should have earned you ten. When it came time to distribute grain, the labor you had worked so hard at for more than half a year might only earn you enough food to last half a year—or even just a few months!

And given Tongtong's family background, if he dared to show dissatisfaction or raise any objections, there probably wouldn't be a single person in the entire village willing to stand on his side. They might even think he deserved it!

This was practically forcing someone to their death!

But although Tang Wan was furious, she also knew that people who deliberately made things difficult for others behind their backs weren't easy to deal with in the short term.

Fortunately, conditions at this time were already much better than they had been in the 1950s and 1960s. The country was gradually developing, and as long as one could find a way to make money, even with fewer work points, it was still possible to support oneself.

……

Carrying a hoe and wearing a straw hat, Tang Wan headed toward the plot of land assigned to her.

This time, the land assigned to her was also the kind of red soil that was particularly difficult to dig.

Before this, because she was relatively wealthy and generous, the village had always assigned her the easiest work.

For things to suddenly become like this, it was obviously impossible for Chen Cheng not to have had a hand in it.

Thinking of this, Tang Wan sneered inwardly.

She refused to believe it!

With Chen Cheng's narrow-mindedness and poor temperament, could she really live happily with someone like Huo Shaoting for the rest of their lives?

In the original plot, after Chen Cheng was reborn, she chose to follow Huo Shaoting to his military posting. At the time, she had gotten into plenty of conflicts with the women in the military compound and even caused Huo Shaoting to lose a promotion opportunity.

If Huo Shaoting hadn't later earned major military merits and risen through the ranks again, who knew how long he would have been suppressed by the husbands of the women Chen Cheng had offended?

Huo Shaoting hadn't said anything at the time, but deep down, he naturally knew who had caused him all that trouble.

And in the original plot, the reason Chen Cheng's medicated cosmetics company was able to flourish was also largely because of Xue Xingtong's business acumen. This time, without Tongtong's help, Tang Wan wanted to see whether this reborn woman could still become a successful businesswoman!

Besides, as the saying went: A leopard cannot change its spots!

In Tang Wan's eyes, Chen Cheng was lazy and selfish by nature, always fond of taking shortcuts and exploiting opportunities. Even if she lived another lifetime, that nature of hers wasn't something she could easily change!

……

But Tang Wan hadn't expected that when she reached the patch of red soil she was supposed to dig, more than half of it had already been dug up.

Xue Xingtong wasn't wearing a straw hat either. He was still wearing those same straw sandals, with his trouser legs and sleeves rolled high, revealing limbs that were thin yet full of strength.

“Tong… Xue Xingtong, why are you here? I can do it myself.” Tang Wan hurriedly walked over.

Hearing her voice, Xue Xingtong, who had been working with his head down, immediately looked up at her.

Then, with a calm expression and a low voice, he said, “It's because of me that you were assigned this difficult-to-dig plot of land, so I have a responsibility to help you solve the problem.”

Not to mention, I still haven't repaid you for the roast duck and meat from last time.

Hearing this, Tang Wan hurriedly waved her hands. “What does this have to do with you? It's just certain people being petty! You still have the work of three people in your family to do. I'll take care of the rest myself.”

“It's fine. I dig quickly. Go rest over there.” With that, he swung his hoe and continued digging the soil.