【Disgust Points +30】

【Disgust Points +40】

【Disgust Points +50】

……

This was a classic case of going for wool and coming home shorn.

Watching Shen Nanchu being showered with applause and praised by the superiors, Tang Lina was fuming with rage.

What happened next nearly made Tang Lina explode.

Before the applause even died down, Liao Jun, the head of the cultural troupe, rushed onto the stage.

“Comrade Shen! It’s a waste for someone of your talent to stay hidden in the family quarters!”

He turned to Pei Zhengnian and said, “Captain Pei, lend us your wife for three months! We’re touring the troops for performances!”

Before Shen Nanchu could respond,

Liao Jun was already counting on his fingers, “The pay is at the sixth-tier artist level—78.5 yuan, plus performance bonuses, year-end rewards, and all sorts of benefits.”

This salary was a whole tier higher than Tang Lina’s.

Tang Lina gritted her teeth so hard they nearly cracked.

The noise in the auditorium suddenly dropped by half. 78.5 yuan! That was over 20 yuan more than Captain Pei’s salary!

Good heavens, Captain Pei’s wife was something else.

“Thank you, Director Liao.”

Shen Nanchu tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear,

“I’m a bit frail, you see. Can’t handle heavy work.”

The moment she finished speaking,

【Disgust Points +1】

【Disgust Points +2】

【Disgust Points +3】

……

Sister-in-law Niu Aihua poked Shen Nanchu in the back,

“Silly girl, working in the cultural troupe isn’t as hard as farming.”

“And think of all the red dresses you could buy with that money!”

Tang Lina had somehow squeezed her way to the front, her fake eyelashes fluttering like two black paintbrushes,

“Director Liao, don’t pressure her.”

She covered her mouth with a laugh, “Comrade Shen probably can’t handle the hardship. Our troupe starts practice at 5 a.m.”

Shen Nanchu smiled brightly, “That’s right, I’m quite the delicate flower.”

She suddenly leaned against Pei Zhengnian’s shoulder, “Especially when someone spoils me.”

【Disgust Points +1】

【Disgust Points +2】

【Disgust Points +20】

……

Tang Lina’s face turned green with fury.

That pretentious little—

“Besides, it’s not worth exhausting myself for such a small sum.”

Shen Nanchu genuinely felt tired and melted into Pei Zhengnian’s side.

Pei Zhengnian didn’t push her away, subtly adjusting his posture to make her more comfortable.

【Disgust Points +1】

【Disgust Points +2】

【Disgust Points +3】

……

“Seems Comrade Shen looks down on our sixth-tier salary and wants fourth-tier pay, just like you, Director!”

Tang Lina fanned the flames, eager to stir up more drama.

Liao Jun frowned, displeased.

He’d offered such generous terms, yet Shen Nanchu still refused.

Was she holding out for more money?

Greed knows no bounds.

“Comrade Shen, if you want higher pay, that’s possible. But you’d have to join the troupe officially and work your way up like everyone else.”

“Otherwise, our humble troupe might not be grand enough for someone of your stature.”

Tang Lina, standing nearby, smirked triumphantly.

Before Shen Nanchu could respond, Pei Zhengnian suddenly spoke up.

“Director Liao.”

“What gave you the impression my wife is after your troupe’s high salary?”

Pei Zhengnian’s voice sharpened,

“My wife was the star performer of the Beijing Cultural Troupe at fifteen. She played Wu Qinghua in The Red Detachment of Women for thirty consecutive shows—even the commander praised her.”

“Her salary back then was third-tier.”

Though the original hostess had her flaws, her career was impeccable. After getting involved with Pei’s elder brother, she’d climbed even higher.

The field fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.

“When our family moved to Wang Family Village and I was transferred to the Daliao Military District, she resigned from the troupe without hesitation to follow us.”

Pei Zhengnian recalled what Wang Jianguo had told him.

“In Wang Family Village, she dedicated herself to lifting the village out of poverty.”

“She refused to take a single work point until the village was prosperous.”

His gaze swept across the crowd,

“And yet, in your eyes, such a selfless comrade is reduced to a money-grubber?”

Liao Jun stayed silent, his face alternating between red and pale.

“Moreover,”

Pei Zhengnian’s voice was firm yet carried a hint of tenderness,

“My wife is currently nurturing the next generation of revolutionary comrades.”

“I, Pei Zhengnian, can provide for my wife.”

“She doesn’t need to work.”

Those last five words were lethal.

The military wives’ hearts fluttered.

“Director Liao, I appreciate the offer.”

Shen Nanchu’s voice was soft as cotton candy but crystal clear,

“Right now, I’m happiest being Comrade Shen Nanchu, wife of the Daliao Military District’s First Company—not the star performer Shen Nanchu.”

Suddenly, she grinned mischievously, “But if you’d like to see The Tea-Picking Girl Sends Her Soldier Brother Off to War next Army Day, I’d be glad to help.”

Amid the laughter, a voice rang out,

“Well said! That’s the spirit of a soldier’s family!”

It was Tang Jian, commander of the Daliao District, who had returned.

He glared at Liao Jun and Tang Lina,

“Learn from her sense of duty!”

“Stop reducing everything to profit.”

Liao Jun hung his head in shame.

Tang Lina’s face burned—not from embarrassment, but rage.

As the crowd dispersed, a path opened up.

Soldiers and wives alike looked at Shen Nanchu with newfound respect.

Shen Nanchu wanted to cry.

This was not the outcome she’d wanted!

……

The moonlight was bright on their way home.

After a few steps, Shen Nanchu stopped.

“Pei. Zheng. Nian.” She enunciated each syllable, “Who told you to interfere?”

Pei Zhengnian stiffened, “I couldn’t stand those people looking down on you.”

Before he could finish, Shen Nanchu jumped up to twist his ear, “Do you know how hard I worked to make everyone think I’m a lazy, good-for-nothing vixen?”

Her cheeks puffed with anger.

Now, the grand stage she’d set up was ruined—her Disgust Points vanished in an instant.

(╥﹏╥)

Suddenly, Pei Zhengnian crouched down.

Shen Nanchu snapped, “What are you doing?”

“Carrying you,” he muttered, “You said you couldn’t walk.”

Her red dress turned wine-dark under the moonlight. As she climbed onto his back, she deliberately blew into his ear.

Pei Zhengnian’s face burned all the way to his neck.

Thankfully, the night hid it from her.

“That Tang Lina… did she ever chase after you?”

“Don’t know.”

“Is she pretty?”

“Never looked closely.”

“Do you like her?”

“…No.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep