Chapter 27 The Deceived Girl in the 1970s: Fake vs. Real Daughter Story (Part 27)

After being pulled out of the water for the second time, Feng Qingqing really lost consciousness this time.

Just as the team leader arrived, everyone rushed to send her to the hospital. Wang Jianjun picked her up and carried her onto the oxcart, intending to go along, but Zhang Jiabei grabbed him tightly, almost causing Feng Qingqing to fall off.

Wang Jianjun was genuinely furious. He glared at Zhang Jiabei and said, “Can you stop making a scene? Do you even understand the gravity of the situation? This is about someone’s life! If anything happens to her, that’s a human life on your hands. If it weren’t for you, would she have jumped into the river in the first place? Can you bear that responsibility?”

Zhang Jiabei screamed hysterically, “Was I the one who pushed her? She jumped in on her own—what does that have to do with me? Why did you run to save her without a second thought? She’s clearly pretending!”

Wang Jianjun looked at her with deep disappointment, as if questioning whether he had ever truly known her.

“Are you really this kind of person? Or was I blind from the start?”

Zhang Jiabei was shaken by that. After all, she had deliberately mimicked Feng Qingqing’s personality to get close to Wang Jianjun in her previous life. Now, hearing those words, her panic deepened, and she started blurting things out uncontrollably.

“Wang Jianjun, what are you trying to say? Just say it—you like her, don’t you?!”

Wang Jianjun ignored her and ran after the oxcart that had already taken off.

Zhang Jiabei chased after him frantically. She absolutely refused to let Wang Jianjun be alone with Feng Qingqing.

By the time Wang Jianjun arrived at the hospital, people saw Zhang Jiabei huffing and puffing behind him.

The team leader said, “Jianjun, you should head back first and get changed. Let’s wait until Comrade Feng wakes up before we talk about anything else.”

Wang Jianjun glanced at Zhang Jiabei and then down at his wet clothes. He nodded and turned around to leave, dragging Zhang Jiabei away with him.

Xiaoxiao saw Zhang Jiabei stumble and felt a twinge of secondhand embarrassment.

So much scheming to snatch this man, and this is what she ends up with?

With all her foresight from her past life, she could’ve lived a comfortable life just lying low. Why bother fighting over a man?

And it wasn’t like Wang Jianjun was the only good option out there. Xiaoxiao didn’t believe he was the best man in the world.

From what she knew, during this era, most men were pretty loyal. Because the cost of cheating was too high, most were serious about marriage. Finding a kind and reliable partner wasn’t that hard.

Plus, with the benefit of foresight, even a pig could be raised to success, much less an average man.

As the saying goes: Even a pig can fly if it catches the right wind.

Xiaoxiao shook her head and turned her gaze back to Feng Qingqing, who was still lying in the cart.

That woman’s tactics are no joke.

With all this drama, the commune would either try to send her back to the city, or if things went further, she might even marry Wang Jianjun and go with him as a military spouse.

Either way, she definitely wouldn’t have to stay in the countryside doing farm work.

Especially with Zhang Jiabei’s “help,” her second jump into the river made her look so pitiful that if she ended up marrying Wang Jianjun, no one would dare gossip.

In fact, most people would probably pity her—a beautiful, privileged young lady from a good family, reduced to marrying a divorcé because of tragedy.

Wang Jianjun, too, would likely treat her with extra tenderness out of guilt.

This is a textbook example of a multi-pronged strategy—she’s the real protagonist, alright.

Others were walking thorny paths with no exit, while Feng Qingqing? Every road led to Rome.

Even Xiaoxiao had to admit—she was a little jealous.

Then, to her dismay, the team leader looked over and said, “Comrade Ye, come with us to the hospital and help look after her for a bit.”

Just like that, Xiaoxiao was recruited.

She was only there to spectate, munch on some metaphorical melon seeds, and watch the show. Now she’d been dragged in.

She tried to refuse, but the team leader didn’t even give her the chance. And since all the other educated youth had avoided the scene, she was the only one standing up front.

Note to self: Never again be the closest melon-eater. Always watch from a distance.

Once they got to the hospital, the doctor said there wasn’t anything serious but advised two days of observation just in case she developed a fever.

The team leader turned to Xiaoxiao and asked, “Comrade Ye, can you stay tonight and keep watch?”

Xiaoxiao shook her head quickly.

“Team Leader, I’m… kind of a scaredy-cat. I don’t dare stay overnight in a hospital.”

She could help along the way—no problem. There were others around anyway. All she did was lend a hand when it was inconvenient for the male comrades.

But staying overnight? No way. She wasn’t about to lose sleep over someone she had no ties to.

The team leader offered, “We’ll count it as a full work point.”

The plan was to deduct it from Feng Qingqing’s points anyway—she likely wouldn’t complain.

But Xiaoxiao still declined. Did she look like someone desperate for a single work point? New Year was coming. Even if she was alone, she had a lot of delicious food to prepare.

Plus, with the whole village cooking meat, she could easily stockpile some for her space without raising suspicion.

Seeing her firmly shake her head, the team leader frowned but gave in.

“Alright then. Just help watch over her for now—I’ll go back and find someone else to switch with you later.”

Xiaoxiao nodded. That much she could do. She was still a good and helpful citizen, after all. Besides, if she kept refusing, it would look bad.

Since she was already there, a little longer wouldn’t hurt.

Seeing her agree, the team leader finally relaxed. Truth be told, he’d have had a hard time finding a woman to stay on such short notice.

He blamed himself—he had only pulled Xiaoxiao in because she was nearby when it happened. With someone jumping into the river twice and unconscious the whole time, there had been no time to think.

Xiaoxiao had no idea what the team leader was thinking.

If she had, she would’ve felt even more wronged.

She’d just been there to watch the drama—how did she end up drafted like this?

And since the team leader didn’t even give her time to say no, she couldn’t exactly volunteer to leave either, lest others accuse her of being cold-hearted.

One moment of hesitation and bam, she was shoved onto the oxcart.

If the team leader knew what she was thinking, he’d probably say, “I wish you had just refused then!”

Once the others left, Xiaoxiao sat beside the hospital bed, glancing at Feng Qingqing.

Let’s hope she doesn’t spike a fever while I’m here. That’d be a nightmare.

An older woman on the bed beside them turned and asked, “Young lady, what happened to this girl?”

Xiaoxiao replied calmly, “Nothing serious—she just fell into the water.”

The woman glanced at Feng Qingqing’s soaked hair.

“Ah, no wonder she’s still wet. Aren’t you her friend? You should dry her off. Otherwise, she’ll catch a cold.”

Xiaoxiao: …

Of course. I am the one stuck doing everything.

She sighed. But fine—she was a magnanimous fairy, after all. Even if Feng Qingqing had always made trouble for her, she did look quite pitiful right now.

Might as well help out.