Chapter 42: Some Jokes Should Never Be Made Lightly

The two bumbling young men beside Lin Xiaodou were busy currying favor with Zhang Lian at the moment.

“Comrade Zhang Lian, don’t cry. It’s just an orange. I’ve got a can of orange preserves here—take it, it’s yours!”

“I’ve also got some fruit candies. My mother bought them for me. Try one—they’re really sweet.”

Soon enough, in front of Zhang Lian were set a jar of fruit preserves and a handful of candies.

Her muffled sobbing stopped instantly.

She lifted her delicate, pitiful face. When her gaze swept over the precious treats before her, a spark of delight flashed in her eyes.

Lowering her head shyly, she murmured in a coquettish tone, “Thank you, you’re both so kind.”

“No problem!” The two young men grinned foolishly, their ears blushing in unison.

Lin Xiaodou: …

Well, who knew the “good person card” could be handed out like this? No wonder Zhang Lian’s reputation as a classic damsel wasn’t undeserved.

Seeing how popular Zhang Lian was, Chu Ling couldn’t hold back.

“Some people really have a lot of nerve—always freeloading and taking advantage.”

Zhang Lian’s eyes flickered. With a smile, she retorted, “Lingling, you have such a quick temper—you always say the opposite of what you mean. I understand you.”

As she spoke, she pushed the jar of preserves toward Chu Ling. “Here, you have the preserves. You love orange preserves more than anyone—I bet you’ve been craving them.”

Her words left no doubt—she was mocking Chu Ling’s greed.

The two young men shot Chu Ling disapproving glances.

Chu Ling’s breathing quickened with indignation. “Who wants your preserves? Take them away!”

Chen Guang frowned, trying to mediate, “Lingling, don’t throw a tantrum. You’re making a scene.”

Chu Ling clenched her teeth, saying nothing more.

She was still too emotional. Whenever she saw this pair of scoundrels, she couldn’t help but lose her temper.

She needed to hold back—at least until they reached the countryside, then find a way to deal with them.

Seeing Chu Ling defeated, Zhang Lian’s eyes brimmed with satisfaction.

“Sorry for the spectacle, everyone. Let me share some fruit candies with you.”

Smiling, Zhang Lian stood and distributed the candies.

Lin Xiaodou received one as well.

One had to admit, Zhang Lian was adept at offering others’ gifts as her own. No wonder the heroine was so thoroughly deceived in her past life.

Compared to Zhang Lian, the difference was staggering.

If the heroine didn’t have her protagonist’s aura, she might never win against Zhang Lian in this lifetime.

As for the squabble between those two, Lin Xiaodou simply watched, entertained and indifferent, as long as it didn’t involve her.

But her peace was short-lived.

The next morning, trouble found her.

…

The green train had only hard seats.

Leaning against the backrest, Lin Xiaodou spent a drowsy night, waking with aching hips.

Taking advantage of the early hour, she quickly pulled a washbasin and toothbrush from her woven bag and headed to the restroom.

Once the door was locked, she slipped into her storage space.

Inside, she took a quick, refreshing bath.

Seeing that the clothes she wore last night were soaked with sweat, she changed into a fresh outfit before leaving the space.

When she returned to her seat, the others were just waking up.

Zhang Lian’s eyes lit up at the sight of Lin Xiaodou’s clothes. “Comrade Lin, is that really Dacron you’re wearing?”

Chu Ling, for reasons unknown, was suddenly irritable toward Zhang Lian. So Zhang Lian decided to ignore her and chat with someone else—she figured Chu Ling would soon seek reconciliation, since she had no other friends in this unfamiliar place.

As for Lin Xiaodou, Zhang Lian hadn’t paid much attention to her the day before—quiet, unassuming, dressed plainly.

But now, early in the morning, Lin Xiaodou wore a new outfit—clearly high-quality and expensive.

This suggested Lin Xiaodou’s family was well-off.

Since they were headed to the same countryside assignment, Zhang Lian decided to get closer—there might be benefits to reap.

Smiling, Zhang Lian addressed Lin Xiaodou, “That style looks so nice. Where did you buy it? If I get a chance, I’d love to buy one myself.”

If only Lin Xiaodou would give her the outfit—she really liked it.

Lin Xiaodou noticed the greed in her gaze.

She smiled lightly, replying offhandedly, “Oh, I bought it at the largest department store in the capital—eighteen yuan eighty cents each.”

“Ha!” Chu Ling couldn’t help but snicker. “Zhang Lian, with your family’s finances, could you ever afford clothes that expensive? Forget eighteen eighty—you probably don’t even have eight eighty to your name.”

Zhang Lian bit her lip, her expression sour.

Her family was indeed poor, living in a rundown shantytown on the outskirts of the capital.

Her mother had four daughters before finally giving birth to a son—Zhang Lian was the fourth, with three older sisters.

The eldest and second had been hastily married off, the third went to the countryside last year, and now it was her turn.

To survive, she’d always tagged along after Chu Ling, hoping for scraps, enduring Chu Ling’s ridicule.

She hadn’t expected Chu Ling to keep disparaging her, even now.

She would remember this grievance!

“I’m not like you. My family’s just ordinary workers, we eat plain food and can’t afford expensive things. You’re all bourgeois princesses—blink and you buy several new outfits. Of course I can’t compare!”

The room fell silent.

That was a hefty accusation. If the Red Youth League overheard, they'd single her out for criticism—maybe even parade her publicly.

The worst part was Lin Xiaodou, who was innocent but now implicated.

She was just a bystander, now dragged into trouble.

This had to be clarified, or the consequences could be severe.

Lin Xiaodou retorted immediately, “Comrade Zhang Lian, what are you saying? Since when does wearing nice clothes make someone a capitalist? By your logic, the department stores and supply cooperatives that sell expensive clothes shouldn’t exist—they should all shut down. But since they’re still open, it means the top leaders support them. Your thinking is dangerous. Are you rebelling against the leadership, or dissatisfied with their decisions?”

If anyone could slap a label, so could she.

Zhang Lian was outmatched.

Hearing this, Zhang Lian’s face turned ghastly pale.

“Don’t say that! That’s not what I meant! I was just joking!”

This accusation was far heavier than hers had been.

She absolutely couldn’t bear it.

“Some jokes should never be made,” Lin Xiaodou said with a cold smile. “Otherwise, disaster comes from careless words—you might not even know how you lost your life.”