Chapter 289: Chapter 287

The middle-aged man pulled the young man aside and said gently, “Young people tend to be impulsive, Wang Liansheng, don’t mind. But what Xiao Liu said is also true; without evidence to prove your innocence, we have no choice but to consider your bribery allegation as established.”

Wang Liansheng still retained a smile on his face, saying, “I have it with me, would you like to come with me and get it?”

The middle-aged man smiled amicably and gestured for Wang Liansheng to specify the location so that the young man could fetch it.

Wang Liansheng was too lazy to even smile: are they afraid he’ll run?

He unfastened a key and tossed it over: “The top drawer on the left side of my desk, there’s a blue notebook.”

The young man took the key and hurriedly left.

…

The place where Hongling was working to support agriculture was called Sancha Village, less than ten kilometers from Huicheng. The terrain was flat, land fertile, suitable for growing grain and cotton crops.

Hongling’s team was a nursing class composed entirely of girls, half assigned to help farmers pick cotton and the other half to help harvest peanuts.

Neither task was too exhausting. The two friends said they had never picked cotton before, so Hongling joined them in the cotton-picking group.

Locally, cotton was picked using bundles folded and tied around the waist, forming a semi-enclosed cloth bag where picked cotton was placed, then sent to the field end to be put into larger containers.

The host didn’t have many bundles, so Hongling, without hesitation, tied her school uniform around her waist as a substitute: “You two can put it in here.”

The two friends happily agreed and dashed toward the fluffy white cotton.

Many cotton bolls had already ripened and cracked open, the cotton inside bulging, appearing soft and beautiful. The girls, intrigued, reached out to pick, only to find they managed to get half while the other half remained inside the cotton boll.

Hongling smiled and corrected them: “Gently tug, don’t break; be careful not to get caught on any fragments… Breaking or getting tangled in leaves will affect the cotton’s quality, which can result in downgrading when selling, lowering the price.”

The two girls experienced farm work for the first time and were also learning for the first time that picking cotton required attention to so many details, they felt a bit embarrassed but laughed back at Hongling and resumed picking, considerably more cautious now.

Each girl moved along a row of cotton while Hongling tended to two rows, also looking after her two friends, lending a hand for any missed patches.

Even so, Hongling’s speed remained a bit faster than the other two; once she got ahead, she’d turn back to help her two friends pick more.

The three chatted and laughed while moving forward, the atmosphere harmonious, no one feeling tired.

Elsewhere, Du Bing was assigned to the peanut-picking team. Wearing high-heeled shoes, she stepped into the peanut field, her foot immediately stuck in a small pit for digging peanuts, twisting her ankle. Stumbling, Du Bing nearly fell.

Carefully walking, Du Bing kept her eyes firmly on the ground, wary of numerous tiny traps, but her sprained ankle ached considerably, causing her to walk with a limp.

After busying themselves for more than two hours, with the sun rising toward the peak, the leading teacher blew the whistle to gather everyone and head back.

Farmers, grateful for their assistance, tossed some peanuts, sweet potatoes, and bean pods into the truck.

Hongling gave her school uniform a shake, without putting it on, merely tied it around her waist.

Suddenly, a friend walking beside her chuckled. Hongling turned to look, and her friend whispered, “Look at Du Bing, she’s limping.”

Hongling glanced over and saw Du Bing indeed walking with a limp, appearing a bit comical.

Her friend laughed: “Look at Miss Du in her state, can’t really strut like a peacock now, hehe…”

Her voice wasn’t particularly quiet, and Du Bing, who had walked over, naturally heard it.

“Wang Hongling, you really are a gossiping, lying village girl!” Du Bing glared at Wang Hongling, loudly scolding.

Hongling didn’t like to stir up trouble, but Du Bing’s continuous targeting annoyed the young girl.

Always shy and quiet, Hongling’s face turned cold as she looked at the disheveled Du Bing and said, “I don’t know why you keep targeting me, but I don’t want to hear it again.”

Du Bing saw her rebut and suddenly laughed, as if hearing something particularly amusing: “What about saying it again? Do you have the guts to hit me?”

Hongling’s gaze darkened slightly, and she calmly responded: “Du Bing, I have never troubled you, but your constant targeting is merely due to jealousy over the abundant love I receive from my parents and relatives. I advise you, such jealousy will only breed rot in your heart, twisting your character and making your face ugly and behavior laughable. How does it impact me at all?!”

“Wang Hongling, how dare you…” Du Bing unconsciously attempted to curse back but stopped abruptly, anger causing her to directly throw the water bottle she was holding.

Although Hongling hadn’t been specifically trained by Ling Chengyan, she had learned some self-defense moves. Seeing the water bottle thrown over, she pulled her friend aside to dodge. The iron bottle brushed past them, hitting the truck with a loud bang.

The leading teacher, Mr. Wang, had boarded the truck, impatiently got off to check the situation, and happened to witness this scene.

Wang Hongling stood with her back to the driver’s cab, while Du Bing stood opposite. As the teacher approached, seeing Du Bing’s angry face, he was about to inquire when Du Bing abruptly turned away.

“Du Bing!” The teacher called out, forcing Du Bing to stop.

Hearing this, Hongling felt as if she’d found a savior, quickly pulling her friend behind Mr. Wang.

Hongling’s entrance exam scores were the highest in this targeted admission class; she diligently studied, united with classmates, and respected teachers, earning a good impression from teachers. However, Du Bing was proud due to her family’s good conditions, as Hongling’s friend noted, like an arrogant peacock, and not very respectful toward school teachers.

When nothing was amiss, teachers wouldn’t cause a ruckus, but facing many students and a farmer being embarrassed by his student, Mr. Wang was quite angry.

“Du Bing, did you hear that? I told you to stop.” Mr. Wang shouted sternly.

The nearby students and farmers heard Mr. Wang’s shout, all directed their gaze at Du Bing. Now, she couldn’t pretend not to hear, and limping, didn’t want so many people staring.

She could only halt, not returning, but stood there with furrowed brow, asking, “Teacher, what’s the matter?”

This attitude showed no sign of recognizing her mistake, making Mr. Wang angrier. He stepped forward a few paces, standing before Du Bing and questioning, “Why did you throw a water bottle at your classmate? The school’s rules clearly state respect for teachers and unity among classmates. And you? Do you show any respect toward teachers or unity among classmates with such behavior?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep