Time-Travel: The Tragic Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Character Makes a Comeback
CHAPTER 32: The 1970s Naive Supporting Girl (32)
By the time Cao Guangzhu and the others returned, two hours had already passed.
After running around for an entire day and night, they were exhausted to begin with. The moment he got home and saw people from the Inspection Office waiting there, Cao Guangzhu nearly jumped in shock.
When he learned that Jiang Xiaoli had caused yet another major incident, he almost fainted on the spot.
The Inspection Office staff had already grown impatient from waiting. After giving a brief explanation, they immediately asked him to come along to the county Police Station.
Cao Guangzhu did not even have time to eat. He hurriedly grabbed his bicycle and rushed toward the county with them once again.
Seeing this, Song Susu went to the brigade office and made a phone call to Uncle Li.
She explained that everything on her side had been settled and that she planned to return to the city the next day.
With Jiang Xiaoli in trouble, the Jiang family would not escape responsibility either. The punishment they deserved was inevitable, and the matters here could finally be considered resolved.
On the other end of the line, Li Yanlong sounded delighted. The two children had been sent to the countryside for several days, and now they were finally coming back.
He immediately said he would arrange the necessary procedures and reminded them to stay safe on the journey home.
……
The next morning, Cao Guangzhu only returned around late morning, looking utterly worn out.
The moment he stepped through the door, he shouted for water. Aunt Gao hurried around, pouring him a drink while also bringing out food for him.
He gulped down an entire bowl of water in a few loud swallows, then collapsed onto the wooden chair in the courtyard and started slurping his noodle soup noisily.
Aunt Gao watched him with both concern and sympathy. She lowered her voice and said, “Slow down, you’ll choke. By the way, what happened to that girl from the Jiang family?”
Cao Guangzhu swallowed a mouthful before replying, “Jiang Xiaoli’s life is basically ruined. That girl’s got nerves of steel. She actually teamed up with outsiders to smuggle and resell electrical appliances. The amount involved reached thirty thousand yuan. The ringleader got sentenced to thirty years. Luckily, she had only just joined them, so she ended up with ten years.”
Aunt Gao sighed, her face full of pity. “Ten years… by the time she gets out, she’ll already be an old maid. And with a prison record, what decent family would still want her?”
Jiang Xiaoli had once been considered one of the prettiest girls in the village. Aunt Gao had even thought about introducing her to her nephew Cao Xiaojun before. Thinking back now, she felt a chill of lingering fear.
“I still need to make a trip to the Jiang house later,” Cao Guangzhu continued. “All the money Jiang Xiaoli earned has to be returned, and there’s compensation to pay too. Lately all the bad luck keeps landing right on my head…”
Inside the house, Song Susu was tidying up while quietly listening to their conversation.
Jiang Xiaoli receiving a ten year sentence was well within her expectations.
After all, at this stage, the female lead had not yet become deeply involved in the business. If she had not gotten mixed up in such serious illegal profiteering, she might not even have been sentenced that heavily.
In her previous life, no one reported it, allowing Jiang Xiaoli to exploit loopholes and accumulate quite a fortune.
But later on, those people were still arrested. The female lead withdrew halfway and narrowly escaped disaster. The reason was simple. The electrical appliances they sold were defective goods. Buyers paid high prices, only for them to break after a few days of use.
Public complaints quickly piled up, and in the end, the entire group was arrested in a neighboring county.
Song Susu packed a few simple necessities for the journey, then brought her younger brother along to say goodbye to the brigade leader’s family.
Aunt Gao glanced at the tiny bundle in their hands and immediately broke into a wide smile. “Oh my, you siblings have only stayed a few days. Why not remain a little longer?”
Song Susu smiled politely. “Things back home have already been settled. This trip was mainly to say goodbye to everyone. It’s about time we head back.”
The moment Cao Guangzhu saw her, his temples started aching again. He waved his hand impatiently and said, “There’s been too much chaos lately. I’ll head to the brigade later and issue your return approval papers. I’ll also transfer your household registration while I’m at it. You two should go back to the city as soon as possible.”
One trouble after another had piled up these past days. Sending them off sooner would at least give him some peace of mind. Otherwise, who knew what unexpected mess might happen next.
Seeing how straightforward he was being, Song Susu nodded with a faint smile. “Thank you very much. Sorry for the trouble, Brigade Leader Cao.”
“It’s fine, no need to be polite. Wait until I finish eating, then come with me to the brigade’s office.”
……
Half an hour later, Song Susu and her younger brother left the village riding on Wang Fugui’s donkey cart.
Meanwhile, Cao Guangzhu had rushed over to the Jiang family to clean up the aftermath. He ordered them to cough up three hundred yuan in compensation. The entire family wailed and cried, nearly tearing the household apart on the spot. The daughters in law argued loudly, neither willing to take responsibility for the elderly parents. The clanging and shouting drew plenty of neighbors over to watch the drama unfold.
Just as the donkey cart reached the village entrance, they ran into Guo Juan, who was carrying a hoe over her shoulder.
She had been assigned work at the back hills that day and had started before dawn. Only now was she returning. Covered in dust, exhausted and starving, she looked utterly miserable. The moment she spotted Song Susu and her brother sitting comfortably on the donkey cart, jealousy and irritation instantly flared in her chest.
“Song Susu, why are you running around every day instead of working in the fields? Is this the attitude a sent down youth should have? Believe it or not, I can report you!”
Song Susu originally did not plan to respond. But compared to ignoring her, provoking her clearly felt more satisfying. She smiled brightly and said, “My awareness isn’t that high. I’m heading back to the city soon anyway. Since your awareness is so impressive, you should stay here and keep gaining experience through hard work.”
Guo Juan stared at her in disbelief and hurried alongside the cart, still gripping her hoe. “That’s impossible! How can you go back to the city? On what grounds?”
“I was never supposed to be sent down in the first place. If I want to go back, I just go back. As for you… well.”
After saying that, Song Susu stretched lazily, looking completely relaxed. “Ah, my luck really is amazing.”
Song Yuanchao chewed on a stalk of dogtail grass, swinging his legs as he chimed in, “Big Sis is lucky. Some people aren’t so fortunate. Working in the fields every day ages you ten years in just one.”
“Ah! Both of you shut up!”
Guo Juan completely lost it, screaming like she had gone mad.
Song Susu added casually, “If you’re scared of being lonely, I can go back and swap Song Lili to come down here and keep you company.”
“Ahhh! Why! That’s not fair!”
Guo Juan stomped her feet on the spot, shouting herself hoarse in fury.
Seeing things escalating, Wang Fugui quickly cracked his whip and urged the donkey forward, muttering, “Let’s go, let’s go. Wouldn’t want them throwing hands in a minute.”
Hearing her yell about fairness, Song Susu let out a cold scoff. “Song Susu never wronged you, yet you kept bullying her just to stand up for someone else. Was that ever fair to her? This is just karma catching up.”
The donkey cart picked up speed, gradually leaving Guo Juan farther behind. She remained standing there, still crying and throwing a tantrum like a madwoman.
Song Susu no longer spared her another glance. Resting her head against their small bundle, she gazed leisurely at the clear blue sky and drifting white clouds above.
The abusive man had been dealt with. Jiang Xiaoli had received the punishment she deserved. The Jiang family was now broke and buried in debt, and their days ahead would only grow harder.
Song Susu’s life had finally restarted on a new path.
On the original owner's wish list, only one thing remained: finding a good match.
Her next goals were simple. Return to the city, buy a house, prepare for the college entrance exam, and along the way, find a suitable life partner.
——
In the county town, outside the guesthouse, Lu Tingxiao stepped out of the car and sneezed twice in quick succession.
He Jun, standing behind him, couldn’t resist teasing, “Looks like some girl’s been missing you, Commander Lu.”
Lu Tingxiao shot him a sharp look. “Stop talking nonsense. Watch your mouth.”
He Jun chuckled, jumped out of the car, and closed the door. Then he leaned in and asked, “Commander Lu, those people are still keeping an eye on us nearby. We’ve been casting our net for a while now. Think we can close it tonight?”
Lu Tingxiao’s face remained unreadable. He pulled out his ID while replying, “Depends on the situation. No rash moves without my order.”
“Yes, sir.”
The two of them walked into the guesthouse, showed their IDs, and booked two single rooms.
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