Chapter 750 - 746: Kicked Out

「The threshing ground.」

Everyone was dumbfounded when they saw the machine before them.

They watched as the wheat was fed into the rollers. By the time it came out, the grains had been separated from the stalks, clean as a whistle.

It was an even cleaner separation than when they threshed it by beating the stalks with all their might.

"Gu Zhiqing is incredible."

In that moment, even those who had been resentful couldn’t help but admire Gu Jiaojiao.

If she had the skills to get out of manual labor, they were more than happy to let her.

From now on, no one was to say a single bad word about Gu Jiaojiao in their presence. If they heard anyone do so, they’d make sure that person regretted it.

Those who had the machine easily earned several work points.

Meanwhile, the thirty-odd households that had badmouthed Gu Jiaojiao grumbled and toiled all day. After working themselves to the bone, they had only managed to earn five work points.

Li Hongmei looked at the blisters on her hands and burst into tears of frustration.

Her original job had just been to sort the seeds, which was relatively easy work. But this time, the brigade leader had assigned her to digging pits.

It was back-breaking work. After just half a day of swinging a hoe, her hands were covered in blisters. The pain made Li Hongmei wail.

Unfortunately, not a single person sympathized with her.

Li Hongmei cried for a while. When she saw everyone heading back, she knew it was time to return for a meal.

But as soon as she returned, she was driven out by Chen Ruoyu.

"We have no room for shameless people like you in the educated youth quarters. From now on, you’ll cook for yourself. We’re eating separately."

Humiliated because of Gu Jiaojiao during the day, only to come back and be bullied by her fellow educated youths—Li Hongmei finally snapped.

"By what right? I contribute my share of the grain! Why can’t I eat?"

"By what right? By the right of you being a petty, backstabbing, ugly, and vicious person." Chen Ruoyu usually couldn’t be bothered with Li Hongmei, but she had gone too far this time. Chen Ruoyu wasn’t about to indulge her.

Li Hongmei hated being called ugly more than anything. She pointed a finger right in Chen Ruoyu’s face and started screaming insults.

"You think you’re so high and mighty? You’re nothing but Gu Jiaojiao’s little lapdog! If you hadn’t been kissing up to her, would you have gotten that teaching job? Gu Jiaojiao isn’t even here right now; she can’t see this little show you’re putting on for her."

The other educated youths in the quarters fell silent in an instant.

Li Hongmei had crossed a line with that remark.

But Chen Ruoyu just laughed. "So what if I kissed up to Gu Jiaojiao? At least I could. Could you? Someone like you wouldn’t even get the chance to try."

"Weren’t you the one trying to kiss up to Gu Jiaojiao all day before? Too bad for you, you got nothing for your efforts. At least I landed a teaching position."

Li Hongmei: ...

’Damn it, how can this woman be so shameless?’

’She couldn’t take it anymore!’

Li Hongmei flailed her arms and lunged at Chen Ruoyu.

Luckily, there were plenty of other educated youths nearby who immediately pulled them apart.

But this didn’t change the outcome: Li Hongmei was now an outcast.

Li Hongmei collapsed onto the floor and started crying, a truly pitiful sight.

Recalling how kind Li Hongmei had been to him, Hu Ziqiang couldn’t help but frown.

"Aren’t you all going a bit too far? Li Hongmei just misspoke..."

He hadn’t even finished his sentence before his portion of grain was tossed outside.

"You’re out, too."

Hu Ziqiang: ...

"Wait, I just..."

The next moment, Hu Ziqiang was shoved out of the kitchen, and the door was slammed shut in his face.

’Seriously?’ Hu Ziqiang thought. ’Does Gu Jiaojiao really have that much influence? I can’t even try to be a peacemaker?’

Unlike the indignant Hu Ziqiang, Li Hongmei’s eyes lit up the moment she saw him emerge with his grain. She scrambled up from the ground and threw herself at him.

"Ziqiang, I knew you loved me! You’re so good to me."