Why was women’s status so low?

In ancient times, feudal ethics restricted women from becoming officials or doing business. Now in the new society, national rhetoric emphasized that “women can hold up half the sky.” Zhang Cui could earn her own money – ‘Zhang’s’ was built from nothing through her own efforts. Of course, when Xia Ziyu was in high school, the Xia family provided monthly living expenses for the mother and daughter in the county town, but Zhang Cui subconsciously overlooked this money.

She only knew that she had started ‘Zhang’s’, and when her husband Xia Changzheng came to the county to help, he just rode his bicycle to the meat processing plant to pick up supplies. The rest of the time he acted like a leisure boss, being flattered by the small vendors delivering ingredients to the shop, drinking and chatting idly, and doing nothing productive. ‘Zhang’s’ could function just fine without Xia Changzheng.

Zhang Cui had stayed quiet before out of years of habit, wanting to give face to her husband.

But her personality was completely different from Liu Fen’s. When Xia Changzheng raised his hand against her, Zhang Cui could no longer contain her anger!

She earned the money, yet Xia Changzheng dared to hit her.

How could the meager help of her brother Zhang Manfu and sister-in-law Jiang Lianxiang in the shop compare to Xia Hongxia, who was lazy and spent all day flirting with male students from First Middle School?! When business was good, Zhang Cui didn’t mind spending money each month to keep Xia Hongxia around, just to placate the Xia family. After New Year’s, when ‘Zhang’s revenue dramatically decreased, Zhang Cui and Xia Changzheng couldn’t figure out how to turn things around – what else could they do but send the idle workers home?

When Xia Hongxia returned home, the entire Xia family turned their guns on Zhang Cui.

Fire her family members and hire Xia Hongbing and Wang Jingui to help in the shop? And bring her mother-in-law to enjoy life in the county too?

Her mother-in-law was nothing but trouble, always wearing blackface as if everyone owed her money! Principal Sun probably hadn’t forgotten about her making a scene outside the school last time – seeing her mother-in-law around would only remind him.

Xia Hongbing had always been harder to fool than Xia Dajun and had become addicted to gambling in the village. Wang Jingui, true to being Xia Hongxia’s mother, was even lazier than her daughter.

And these were the people they wanted in the shop?

Zhang Cui felt the business couldn’t continue – if they wanted to seize the shop, then no one would have it!

Zhang Manfu led the Zhang family to make trouble at the Xia household, following his sister’s instructions to give Xia Changzheng a beating. Without the reckless Xia Dajun around, the Xia family’s fighting power was greatly weakened. Zhang Cui’s family thought that if they didn’t teach the Xia family a lesson, how could Zhang Cui continue supporting her natal family? They beat them mercilessly.

How could the people of Dahe Village intervene in this in-law dispute? Couples fight and makeup, and if they helped beat up the Zhang family, it would be awkward once Zhang Cui and Xia Changzheng reconciled. After the Zhang family’s fight in Dahe Village, the conflict between Zhang Cui and Xia Changzheng grew increasingly intense, with both harboring real anger toward each other.

With the Zhang family helping in the shop, they barely opened for a few days before Mother Xia brought Xia Hongbing and his wife to make trouble.

After two incidents, even the remaining regular customers felt it wasn’t worth coming anymore, and business naturally declined further. When Zhang Cui took a few days off, the Xia family seized the opportunity to take over the shop, but Xia Hongbing and Wang Jingui couldn’t cook at all. Wang Jingui’s poor cooking skills offended customers.

Furious, Zhang Cui brought her family to wreck the shop once more.

“So you see, after all this back and forth, since the last time the shop was wrecked, they’ve been closed for several days now.”

Huang’s Sister was the happiest about Zhang’s closure.

Xia Xiaolan hadn’t expected the Xia family to be so effective… She felt complicated emotions – that feeling when you think certain people have reached rock bottom, yet they manage to break through that limit and show an even worse side, refreshing Xia Xiaolan’s understanding!

They were truly stupid, both foolish and malicious.

With such poor family values, even having a university graduate wouldn’t change how foolish and malicious the others remained.

The foolishness was in cutting off their livelihood, the malice in ensuring that if they couldn’t have something, neither could anyone else. With both families taking turns wrecking the shop, Xia Xiaolan’s original goal of making ‘Zhang’s’ unsustainable had been achieved much earlier and more dramatically than she’d expected – she’d thought it would take at least a few months.

“Now that Zhang’s can’t continue, even if they clean up and reopen, business won’t be the same as before. Auntie, others will want to enter this business – you should plan.”

Xia Xiaolan didn’t elaborate further, as she still needed to visit the school.

After being absent for a month or two, Xia Xiaolan was first caught by Chinese teacher Qi:

“Student Xia Xiaolan, complete this test paper first, right here in the teacher’s office.”

Teacher Qi handed her a test paper.

Once caught by the Chinese teacher, how could other subject teachers not give Xia Xiaolan their test papers too? By the time she finished the papers and left the office, several hours had passed, and Xia Xiaolan practically fled in panic.

Only after running out of the office did she remember she’d come to ask about the preliminary examinations. Recalling how she’d nearly been torn apart by several teachers, Xia Xiaolan shuddered.

“Student Xiaolan?”

A male voice called out. Xia Xiaolan turned to look – he seemed familiar.

Oh, she’d seen him during the entrance exams, the one who’d been eagerly pursuing Teacher Sun. What was his surname again?

“Hello, Teacher Zhao!”

She remembered now – his surname was Zhao.

Though Xia Xiaolan hadn’t visited the school often, she’d seen Teacher Zhao walking with Sun Tian. Were they dating? Xia Xiaolan instinctively disliked this Teacher Zhao – his gaze was improper, with wandering eyes. However, she quite liked Teacher Sun. Sun Tian was a righteous and enthusiastic young female teacher; during the scene at the school gate last time, Sun Tian had been the first to stand up in support of Xia Xiaolan.

Zhao Gang tried hard to appear gentle.

He had no chance with Xia Xiaolan. After the incident on the fourth day of the New Year, this was Xia Xiaolan’s first visit to school. If the other teachers hadn’t caught her for tests, Zhao Gang would have missed seeing her entirely.

“Student Xiaolan, you can’t slack off in your studies. Don’t rely on your good grades as an excuse not to come to school. All the teachers care about you…” Zhao Gang rattled on, while Xia Xiaolan had nothing to say to this teacher who, though not middle-aged, was already quite sleazy.

As Zhao Gang talked, he kept gesturing, seeming to create opportunities for physical contact with Xia Xiaolan when he got excited. At first, Xia Xiaolan thought she was imagining things, but when she moved back slightly, Zhao Gang stepped closer, his gaze slowly moving from her face downward, finally settling on her chest, thoroughly disgusting her!

How could Sun Tian like someone like this?

Perhaps it was because Sun Tian was too shy, while Teacher Zhao was thick-skinned.

And this thick-skinned man was trying to flirt with her?

Xia Xiaolan wasn’t being oversensitive – Zhao Gang’s behavior was truly creepy, forcing his awkward attempts at flirtation.

Zhou Cheng had raised Xia Xiaolan’s standards for aesthetics, and after nearly a year with her current appearance, she had grown accustomed to her looks. Besides Zhou Cheng, many had shown interest in her, but Zhao Gang was completely unremarkable – Xia Xiaolan would have to be blind to be interested in him.

What made it worse was that he was still pursuing Sun Tian.

How could someone as unfaithful as Zhao Gang be worthy of Teacher Sun? Xia Xiaolan’s face darkened:

“Teacher Zhao, we’re not very familiar with each other. Excuse me, I need to go to Principal Sun’s house.”