Chapter 06 This is a real and complex world!

Zhu Mingli's complexion changed instantly as she suddenly stood up, her back breaking out in a cold sweat, "Qiao Qingyu, you're talking nonsense, I didn't curse at you!"

Qiao Qingyu nodded hastily, "Yeah, I thought about it afterward and figured that the words shouldn't be for cursing, so I came here to reflect on my mistake. I'm really sorry for causing you such distress!"

Zhu Mingli: "..."

Whose distress? Qiao Qingyu, you dare to scheme against me!

Shen Fen stared at the frantic Zhu Mingli, knowing full well her ulterior motives. Although Qiao Qingyu wasn't a match for He Xiuyu, that didn't give her the right to insult Qiao Qingyu.

Her expression turned stern and she spoke sharply, "Zhu Mingli, did you say those words?"

Zhu Mingli looked at Shen Fen and flinched. After all, Shen Fen came from a teaching background, and her severity somehow instilled a wave of fear in Zhu Mingli.

She moved her lips but was unable to utter a word. Qiao Qingyu obviously started to feel nervous and scared, "Director... Shen, do those words really mean to insult someone, then..."

Hesitating for a moment, tears of injustice welled up in her eyes, "Then let's just pretend Staff Zhu never said such things. After all, I was the only one in my family at the time."

She bowed her head and silently twiddled the hem of her clothes.

What more did Shen Fen need to understand? She commanded harshly, "Zhu Mingli, apologize to Qiao Qingyu!"

Zhu Mingli felt extremely embarrassed, "I..."

"Zhu Mingli, as a staff member and as a culturally educated person who finished high school, you cannot possibly be unaware of the real meaning behind those words. So, apologize right now!"

Zhu Mingli burst into tears, pushed her chair aside, and ran out of the office covering her mouth.

Shen Fen's face darkened even more; she was the leader here, and this blatant disrespect was simply intolerable.

She turned to the dumbfounded Sun Aizhi, "Go and tell Zhu Mingli that she can come back to work when she apologizes. Otherwise, she won't have a place here anymore."

Were they really going to fire Zhu Mingli?

Sun Aizhi, scared, hurriedly ran out to find Zhu Mingli.

Qiao Qingyu wiped away her tears, still keeping her head lowered and silent, yet her heart remained undisturbed. No matter how flawed the original owner was, aside from affecting He Xiuyu, she hadn't wronged anyone else. Regardless of Zhu Mingli's feelings toward He Xiuyu, she had no right to insult Qiao Qingyu with such words.

The original owner was no fool; she was quick-tempered, how could she not have recognized the insult at the time and thus had retorted back.

But she hadn't thought about seeking justice for herself.

Zhu Mingli was a staff member, and her actions represented more than herself.

Shen Fen calmed herself down, then pulled Qiao Qingyu to sit beside her, sincerely saying, "Qiao Qingyu, I'm truly sorry; I wasn't aware that Zhu Mingli had said such things to you. You should have come to me at that time, I would have dealt with her strictly!"

Qiao Qingyu lifted her head and sniffed, then showed a forced smile to Shen Fen, "Director Shen, it's actually all my fault. If I were educated, I wouldn't have been unsure whether those words were meant to insult me. I really regret not continuing my studies back then..."

She then spoke with a soft voice full of longing, "If there were a study class, I'd definitely be the first to sign up."

"Study class?" Shen Fen looked thoughtfully at Qiao Qingyu.

"Yeah, right after liberation, our Harvest Commune once held one. I heard that some people even obtained a middle school graduation certificate from the study class."

"Is that so? Aren't those study classes just for illiteracy elimination?"

"I'm not sure about the details; I only heard it from the adults at home." Qiao Qingyu didn't intend to continue, some things were better left implied. She looked up at Shen Fen with her watery, large eyes, filled with admiration, "Director Shen, thank you so much. You're truly a fair and impartial leader!"

Shen Fen's mood completely lightened, and her voice softened unbelievably, "If you have any difficulties in the future, come find me."

"Sure, if there's an issue, I'll definitely come to you first."

Qiao Qingyu made a few more polite comments before leaving the office. After she had gone, Shen Fen began to reflect sentimentally. A village girl without much education married an esteemed and privileged man—was this a stroke of good luck or not?

She then thought about the study class that Qiao Qingyu mentioned.

After sipping some tea, she assessed the educational level of the women in the base housing complex. She had to admit, there were not many with a high level of education.

Some were even less educated than Qiao Qingyu.

It seemed that organizing a study class was indeed a great idea. Shen Fen's enthusiasm flared up; she was a teacher by trade, and if the leaders agreed, she could get the study class started right away.

Filled with excitement, she made a call to the base's logistics leader.

Meanwhile, Qiao Qingyu, having just left the office and intending to go directly to the Xiaxi Commune market, was stopped on the road by a jeep that came driving up from the direction of the base.

A girl in a trench coat stepped out of the car and stood in front of Qiao Qingyu. The wind tousled her hair as she glared at Qiao Qingyu with a chilling gaze, her clenched fists trembling slightly.

Qiao Qingyu was taken aback—wasn't this the main female character, Su Yunyao?

From the look of hatred in those small eyes, she must have been reborn!

But why had the timeline advanced?

Qiao Qingyu smoothed her hair and silently recollected the storyline. Su Yunyao was deeply in love with He Xiuyu, bordering on obsession.

Especially since He Xiuyu and his father had simply returned to their hometown for a visit and ended up getting married, to a villager no less. For her, it was like a bolt from the blue.

She had thought she would be He Xiuyu's bride.

Naturally, she and Qiao Qingyu were like fire and water. She had ruined Qiao Qingyu's life, and Qiao Qingyu had nearly ruined her reputation. In the end, they were like sworn enemies.

Indeed, neither of them were easy to deal with.

Although memories of the original plot quickly flashed by, Qiao Qingyu knew that the original character and He Xiuyu had indeed spent a lifetime together.

Even if they were worlds apart and never had children.

However, in the life where the main female character was reborn, the original character exited the stage rather early.

Because she had actually sold He Xiuyu's niece for a piece of soy-sauce-marinated beef, and by the time the child was found, her limbs had been broken...

Enraged, He Xiuyu nearly strangled Qiao Qingyu to death.

Qiao Qingyu fled and then was torn apart and eaten by a pack of wolves...

Thinking of this, Qiao Qingyu's gaze grew heavy as she looked at Su Yunyao. In the life without rebirth, although there were conflicts and clashes, everyone had lived to an old age.

But in this reborn life, there was death and crippling—yet the main female character advanced triumphantly, developing aerospace technology ahead of its time and laying a solid foundation for China's aerospace industry.

At the end of the book, she and He Xiuyu got engaged.

The author didn't write about their wedding, concluding the story with their engagement.

But now, even though she was in the book, she knew this wasn't a simple world made of text.

This was a real and complex world!