Volume One, Chapter Three: I’ve Come to Sign Up for Rural Assignment

The moment she thought about how, once Shen Ruzhi was sent to the countryside, her family would move to Hong Kong to enjoy a good life—a place where no one knew she had ever lived in the village—she would no longer be a country bumpkin, but the cherished jewel of the Shen family.

As for Shen Ruzhi, she deserved to be tormented by the villagers, to be abused and beaten, just like those trafficked women locked up in pigsties, suffering at will, their fates determined by the whims of others.

"Cousin, if you like it, you may have it," she said.

Shen Ruzhi feigned overwhelming joy. "Cousin, really? That's too much! You shouldn’t have. Why don’t you take it off and let me try it on, see if it fits?"

Wang Yaoyao’s face grew ashen, but she still forced a smile. "Of course."

After all, she could only show off for three days.

Shen Ruzhi took the watch, examining it closely—it was a fine piece. "Cousin, I’ll go shopping now. I have to buy so many things for the countryside. I’ll be leaving in three days."

"Alright."

As she watched Shen Ruzhi walk away, Wang Yaoyao clenched her fists so tightly her knuckles whitened, her eyes sharp and venomous, as if she could flay Shen Ruzhi alive just by staring at her back.

That watch, worth 265 yuan, was the most valuable thing she owned.

And the 538 yuan—she would get it all back, every bit. She couldn’t let Shen Ruzhi get off so easily. On the day she left, she’d have her parents arrange for someone at the train station to steal the money back.

Shen Ruzhi returned to her room first, packing her clothes, shoes, bags—every valuable item—into her private space.

In her previous life, Wang Cuilian had only allowed her to take two old garments to the countryside, claiming it was to avoid drawing too much attention and inviting trouble.

But what happened? All her things ended up on Wang Yaoyao.

Then, holding the watch, she went to the counter. "Hello, I’d like to sell this watch."

As soon as the attendant saw that Shen Ruzhi had brought in a rare Shanghai-brand model, she welcomed her enthusiastically.

"Hello, miss. Are you sure you want to sell this watch? This model was transferred here from Shanghai—it’s no longer available," the saleswoman said with a bright smile.

"Yes. How much can you offer?"

The saleswoman replied, "Miss, the retail price for this watch is 265 yuan. It doesn’t look worn at all—it must be nearly new. Do you have the receipt? If you bought it recently, I could offer a higher price."

Just a few days ago, a wealthy lady had inquired about this watch. As it was a bulk-order model, it had since been discontinued and was out of stock.

That lady had liked it so much, she’d offered the saleswoman a fifty-yuan finder’s fee if she ever came across one for sale.

Fifty yuan—almost a month’s salary.

Shen Ruzhi said, "I don’t have the receipt with me, but I bought it just last year. How much can you give me?"

The saleswoman could see Shen Ruzhi was in a hurry and smiled. "How about 233 yuan, miss? After all, it’s been worn for over a year, and you don’t have the receipt..."

"Alright, 233 yuan," Shen Ruzhi agreed immediately. She wanted nothing to do with anything Wang Yaoyao had worn—not even to tuck it away in her private space.

The saleswoman had only been testing her with the offer, knowing that watches like this were in high demand; she’d even have accepted the original price. To her surprise, Shen Ruzhi agreed so readily—beyond the fifty-yuan fee, she could still turn a tidy profit.

Afraid Shen Ruzhi would change her mind, she quickly handed over the cash. "Here you go, that’s 233 yuan."

Taking the money, Shen Ruzhi went to the registration office for youth volunteers heading to the countryside. "Hello, comrade, I’d like to sign up to go to the countryside."

"Name, please, and your family address."

After confirming her details, the staff member said, "Miss, given your family circumstances, you’re not required to go to the countryside, regardless of the number of children. Are you certain you want to sign up?"

The chill in Shen Ruzhi’s eyes deepened. So in her last life, she never needed to go, but they insisted on sending her away, just to keep her from disturbing their good days.

"No, not me. It’s my cousin, Wang Yaoyao. Her family received the notice—she’s the one who needs to go. I’m here to register for her."

"One moment please—Wang Yaoyao, correct?"

"Wang Yaoyao is indeed on the list. She’s due to leave in three days but hasn’t come to register. Where is she? Why hasn’t she come in person?"

Shen Ruzhi composed herself and lightly tapped the desk. "Comrade, you don’t know. My cousin is a very enthusiastic young woman. The moment she heard she could go to the countryside, she was overjoyed. She’s been busy preparing for days and simply forgot to come. She just asked me to sign her up."

"I see. Your cousin has quite the progressive spirit. Most people cry and beg to avoid going, but she’s eager."

"Comrade, my cousin’s father is outside waiting for me. He’s a bit hard of hearing—could you please loudly let him know I’ve registered for her? He always worries I’ll mess things up. I might be unreliable day-to-day, but I never fail when it matters."

"No problem, it’s a good thing to volunteer."

"Thank you."

Li Yong was one of Shen Zhongguo’s men. Shen Ruzhi knew he’d be waiting outside—Shen Zhongguo was a deeply suspicious man, trusting no one completely, not even Wang Cuilian, but he did trust Li Yong.

As Shen Ruzhi stepped out, the staff member called out loudly to Li Yong, "Don’t worry! Shen Ruzhi has registered!"

He made sure to shout directly into Li Yong’s ear, just in case he couldn’t hear.

Li Yong was momentarily stunned by the volume, but since the man had said so, there was no need to double-check.

"Alright, got it."

Seeing that Li Yong was convinced, Shen Ruzhi smiled slyly and got into the car.

"Miss, didn’t Master and Madam tell you to buy supplies for the countryside? Why didn’t you?" Li Yong asked as he drove.

Li Yong was in his forties, honest and taciturn, always a reliable aide to Shen Zhongguo.

"I bought them. Spent a bit of money. I’ve left them at the station for convenience—easier to pick up on the way."

"Yes, yes, Miss is always so thoughtful." Li Yong kept his eyes on the road, a hint of disdain flickering in his gaze. A true young lady, too lazy to even carry her own things—Miss Yaoyao is far more sensible.

Shen Ruzhi sneered, looking out the window. She had to hurry to pack everything from the basement into her private space—and squeeze as much as she could from the Shen family over the next three days.

She now had 2,771 yuan. With her savings, she’d have at least 3,000!

In three days, when the staff came for Wang Yaoyao and she failed to appear, the Shen family would have no choice but to claim her back.

To be safe, she needed to prepare a paternity test between herself and the Shen family.

The results could be out in as little as two days. Tonight, she had to get their hair samples for the test and find the basement entrance.