Chapter 46 It Just Costs a Little More

Before heading to work, Su Jianjun first went to the educated youth point. Although he had settled Su Jianwei's matter last night, he still hadn't forgotten about Ma Zhiming.

He had skipped work for four days already, and wanting to slack off at the educated youth point without working was simply out of the question.

As soon as he reached the door of Ma Zhiming's dormitory, he heard a woman's voice from inside.

"Brother Zhiming, share some of your painkillers with me. Mine are all gone, and my whole body is aching."

Enduring the pain, Ma Zhiming said, "Xia'er, mine ran out yesterday too. I was actually about to ask you to help me get some more medicine from the clinic. The pain kept me awake the entire night."

Liu Caixia had also been kept awake all night by the pain.

At this moment, seeing that the door was open, Su Jianjun walked in and said with a dark face, "Neither of you is going to work—are you two courting?"

Liu Caixia quickly waved her hands. "Team Leader, we're not courting. It's just that my body has been aching these past few days, and hearing that Comrade Ma Zhiming just came back from the clinic, I wanted to borrow a few painkillers from him. You happened to arrive just as I asked."

She certainly didn't want the news of their relationship to spread so early; she still wanted to string along a few more targets.

Another educated youth had also shown interest in her, and his family's financial situation was much better than Ma Zhiming's, even though he wasn't as good-looking as Ma Zhiming.

Su Jianjun was now fully aware of their situation; the two of them were the ones caught in the tryst that night.

He looked at them with a sharp gaze and said, "Educated Youth Ma and Educated Youth Liu, I don't care if your pain is real or fake, you are supposed to go to work today. Many people have complained to me, saying the two of you are just faking it."

He then glanced at Ma Zhiming. "Educated Youth Ma, you've already rested for four days because of your beating. If you don't go to work today, I'll have no choice but to assign you to night-soil carrying next time. That's the rule in our village."

Tears instantly welled up in Ma Zhiming's eyes. "Team Leader, I'm really in pain. Look at my face, it hasn't recovered yet. Can't you let me rest for a few more days, please?"

Su Jianjun glanced at him. His eyes were sunken and his body had lost a huge amount of weight. Suppressing his inner feelings, he said,

"That's not up to me to decide. If it were really that serious, why didn't you stay in the hospital a few more days? If it were genuinely serious, the doctor wouldn't have let you be discharged. Out of the entire educated youth point, the two of you generate the most complaints. If you won't work, I'll just hand this matter over to the commune to handle directly."

Both Liu Caixia and Ma Zhiming knew that if they were really handed over to the commune, their next assigned location might be the Great Northwest—a place far harsher where simply surviving would be a question.

"Team Leader, I feel much better now. I'll go to work right away, saving you the trouble of making a trip to the commune. It's so hot outside, how tiring that would be," Liu Caixia said with a ingratiating smile.

Su Jianjun nodded. "Being able to recognize your mistakes and correct them still makes you a good comrade. Go ahead, your assignment for today is weeding."

Liu Caixia nodded with a sycophantic smile. "Alright, I'll go right now."

After saying that, she headed out. Hoeing fields meant she could get other male educated youths to help her out so she could still rest; it was just that her body genuinely hurt all over.

Seeing Liu Caixia leave, Ma Zhiming wiped the tears from his face.

"It's not that I want to make things difficult for you, it's just that so many people are talking about you," Su Jianjun said with a troubled expression. "A few days ago, someone even came to me reporting that you were messing around with male-female relations, doing that business outside with a female comrade late at night. I managed to suppress it all for you. Tell me honestly, did that happen or not?"

Ma Zhiming instantly recalled the scene from that night and stammered, "Nothing like that happened. I'll go to work right now." With that, he gritted his teeth and got up.

Su Jianjun said, "If you're really in pain, you can still rest. At worst, you can go carry night-soil in two days. That way, people won't talk about you anymore."

Enduring the pain, Ma Zhiming waved his hands frantically. "No need, no need. I feel much better."

Carrying night-soil was out of the question. If he did that, how could he ever find a woman to spend money on him? Besides, the others in the dormitory would surely kick him out.

Su Jianjun continued, "Very well then. Just maintain your previous work performance, and people won't gossip anymore."

Cold sweat poured from Ma Zhiming's entire body. "Alright, I... I'll go right now."

Dragging his exhausted body, Ma Zhiming dragged himself toward the village barefoot doctor's clinic.

He had to buy some painkillers before going to work.

Otherwise, when the pain flared up, he truly felt like he wanted to die.

After getting his medicine, just as he was preparing to head out to the wasteland reclamation area, he saw Su Wanwan and another female comrade walking ahead, chatting while carrying bamboo back baskets.

It looked like they had just finished turning in their work points.

He carefully scrutinized the woman walking beside Su Wanwan, and at a single glance at her clothes and shoes, he could tell she came from a very wealthy family.

He guessed this girl must be from the city. If he could seduce her, she would definitely be much better than Su Wanwan.

Besides, when Su Wanwan claimed she had fainted that night, he didn't even know if it was true or not, and the aphrodisiac he used could only be relieved by a man.

Chances were she really had been taken advantage of by some man first; she should be secretly thrilled that he was willing not to mind her past.

He combed his hair backward with his hand, but feeling it wasn't enough, he spat into his palm to smooth it down further, striking what he thought was his most dashing pose, tugged at his wrinkled clothes, and finally walked toward them.

"Wanwan, how is it that I've never seen the female comrade beside you before?"

Su Wanwan and Li Yuanyuan stopped in their tracks and looked at the person before them.

At a single glance, Su Wanwan saw right through whatever scheme Ma Zhiming was hatching in his mind.

Because that was exactly how it was written in the book—he was a thorough, shameless parasite.

She stepped forward to block Li Yuanyuan and said, "Since when did I get so close to you? 'Wanwan' is not a name you are privileged to use. Address me like that again and you won't like the consequences."

With that, she turned her gaze to Li Yuanyuan and said, "You go on ahead, I'll be right there."

Li Yuanyuan cast a sidelong glance at the unkempt person before heading toward the Su family home.

Seeing Su Wanwan dismiss the woman beside her, Ma Zhiming assumed the girl must want to be alone with him.

It just proved his charm was still quite potent.

After all, look how handsome he was.

Even if she didn't remember them dating before, he wasn't worried; if this woman could fall for him in the past, she could do so now as well.

Who could possibly resist being captivated by his charm?

He deliberately put on a pitiful expression and said, "You have no idea how much I've suffered during this period." Following that, he exaggerated and spun a yarn about everything that had happened over the past few days.

The more Su Wanwan listened, the happier she felt. Seeing Ma Zhiming looking completely emaciated and reduced to such a filthy, miserable state almost made her laugh out loud. Suppressing her smile, she nodded, "So you're saying you just went to get painkillers? And did taking painkillers do any good?"

Ma Zhiming nodded repeatedly. "Yeah." He even pulled out the painkillers he had just been prescribed to show Su Wanwan. "I don't know if it's because I've taken too many painkillers before, but taking them now still hurts terribly."

Su Wanwan knew that tomorrow would be the seventh day of the pain-infusing powder's effect, after which the pain would gradually subside. She had to seize this opportunity to make Ma Zhiming pay back the money.

An imperceptible curve touched the corner of Su Wanwan's lips before vanishing instantly. Feigning hesitation, she said, "I know of a kind of medicine that works immediately upon consumption, and the pain won't return afterwards. It's just a bit more expensive."

Hearing this, Ma Zhiming eagerly blurted out, "Then hurry up and get it for me!"

"Didn't you just hear me say this medicine is expensive? Besides, why should I get it for you? I don't even know you." With those words, Su Wanwan walked away.