Chapter 68

At six o'clock in the evening, Grandma Han prepared dinner, but none of the children came back. She sent Grandpa Han out to inquire. When Grandpa Han came back in shock, the people in Xujiawan had already left.

On the way back, Chu Jiujiu and others happened to see two elderly people who were anxiously looking for someone. Remembering that he had forgotten to tell them the whole story, Han Shengyi hurried over and told them everything before Grandma Han and Grandpa Han asked.

After listening, Grandma Han was silent for a while. She did not blame the children for acting on their own, nor did she scold Xu Jie and Xu Changhe for being good-for-nothings. She just looked around and found that there were no other villagers. Then, she raised her hand and beckoned Chu Jiujiu to come to her.

Holding Chu Jiujiu's warm little hand, Grandma Han turned around and looked at the other three children, "Let's go home. We'll talk when we get home."

Back at the Han family, this was Wen Xiuwei's first time in the bullpen. Like Chu Jiujiu before her, she curiously looked around for a while from outside. After walking in, she took in everything in the room with just one glance. To be honest, it was a bit beyond her expectations.

Because this place looks... actually quite good.

While in Shanghai, Wen Xiuwei had also seen cowsheds. There was one inside her high school, where former teachers were held. The new teachers were generally young or from well-connected families. The old teachers were sent to different places in batches, some to the countryside, some to stay in the school. Wen Xiuwei was terrified every time she saw the way they lived, because it was truly a place where thousands of people were trampled upon and thousands were hated. Sometimes people would be suddenly pulled out while sleeping and scolded.

Being scolded was considered the worst. Most of the time, I was beaten. I couldn't sleep well at night, and I had to work hard during the day, cleaning the toilets for the entire high school. If someone saw me, I would deliberately urinate on the teachers' hands.

Apart from the mental abuse, there was also the material abuse. Wen Xiuwei had never walked into those narrow coffin-like houses, but she had seen that those houses were definitely not as clean as where Grandpa Han and Grandma Han lived. Looking closely, Grandma Han's house was small but had everything she needed for daily necessities. As she looked at it, Wen Xiuwei curled the corners of her lips.

It seems the villagers of Qingzhu Village are truly kind. If it were their high school, these worthless pots and pans would have been snatched away by the school's thugs long ago. Even if they couldn't snatch them away, they would have smashed them. And they're doing this not to respond to calls from above, but purely to use the country and society as an excuse to satisfy their perverted hobby of insulting others.

…

When Grandma Han heard Chu Jiujiu say that she wanted to eat dumplings in the evening, she put all the steamed buns back under the cover and left the vegetables.

Pulling out the flour bag that Chu Shaocun had left at their house from under the bed, Grandma Han poured out a sufficient amount of flour and, while adding water, sighed deeply, "There's no peace anywhere. People are bullied by the lowly. The old are old, the young are young. This kind of life..."

Before she could utter the next word, Grandpa Han hugged Chu Jiujiu and said with a smile, "This kind of life won't last long. Jiujiu is so powerful that she can see through the other party's conspiracy and schemes by herself, and even turn the tables on them. Jiujiu, you are the next generation of female heroes!"

Chu Jiujiu smiled very happily after being praised by Grandpa Han. Grandpa Han rubbed Chu Jiujiu's hair, then raised his head and gave Grandma Han a slightly reproachful look.

The child is still young, so don't always say such discouraging words to him.

Grandma Han paused while kneading the dough. She felt that Grandpa Han’s idea made sense. She pursed her lips and said nothing more.

Because of her upbringing, Grandma Han was a very protective person. If her younger siblings were bullied, she would rush out and fight them, even if she was skin and bones at the time. After she grew up, became a mother, and her husband was in a high position of power, and the family was no longer bullied openly, this side of Grandma Han no longer showed. Later, the situation changed, and the childhood experiences began to replay themselves, but Grandma Han was already old. She wanted to protect her children behind her, but she was unable to do so.

Her son's death had devastated her for a long time. Then, with the arrival of Chu Jiujiu, she watched her grandson gradually become happier, and she slowly began to feel happier too. The hole her son had left in her heart could never be filled, but Han Shengyi, her only grandson, became increasingly important to her. Then there was Chu Jiujiu, the child who wasn't her granddaughter but was more than a granddaughter, and the little boy who spoke little but genuinely treated them both as elders. Grandma Han didn't want to see either of them end up being the victim of abuse again.

Grandma Han was in a state of confusion, but others didn't share her thoughts. Chu Shao hadn't chopped a single piece of firewood today; the only use of his axe was to chop wood at Xu Changhe's house. Grandma Han's firewood was running low, so he returned to his own house and picked up the axe.

Han Shengyi sat in front of the stove, lighting the fire as he knew how. Chu Jiujiu and Grandpa Han were both sitting on the bed, talking in low voices. When Chu Jiujiu was with Grandpa Han, she was most like a child. She had encountered so many things today, and no one would bother them.

Wen Xiuwei looked around, grabbed a handful of vegetables, quietly picked and chopped them, and then prepared the stuffing according to her memory.

Coming out of her thoughts, seeing Wen Xiuwei's deft movements, Grandma Han couldn't help but be surprised, "Wen Zhiqing, you can also make dumplings?"

Wen Xiuwei laughed and said, "Look at what you said. Not only can I do it, I can do several kinds."

Grandma Han: "I took it for granted. It's mainly because few girls in the city, your age, can cook."

People in the city are not that busy. They can still find time to cook while going to and from work. Therefore, before getting married, city girls usually only know how to make fire and help out. The real work of preparing stuffing and cooking is still done by their mothers.

Wen Xiuwei nodded as she stirred the vegetable filling in the bowl vigorously. "You're right. Not many of my classmates can cook. I have an older sister at home who can't cook at all either. Usually, when she has to boil water, others have to do it for her."

When Chu Jiujiu heard Wen Xiuwei's words, she turned her head and said loudly, "What others? It's just you, Wen Zhiqing. You are just a servant to her. If I had a younger sister, I would never treat her like this."

Wen Xiuwei was stunned for a moment. She didn't seem to tell Chu Jiujiu that her cousin ordered her around. How did Chu Jiujiu know?

As soon as she saw Wen Xiuwei's expression, Grandma Han knew what she was thinking. She laughed meaningfully and said, "This little girl, you don't know, she has a photographic memory. She can remember everything you said for the rest of her life. Be careful, be careful when you speak in front of her. You never know when she might bring up what you said."

What Grandma Han said was clearly a reminder to Wen Xiuwei, but Wen Xiuwei only felt that it was a blatant show-off. It was normal for an old person to show off her granddaughter, but Wen Xiuwei always felt very subtle when looking at Grandma Han.

I just have this weird feeling of “What? If anyone wants to show off, it should be me.”

…

Wen Xiuwei's mood fluctuated wildly today. She used to hide it, but today she didn't think about it anymore. She had already left Xujiawan and would settle down in Qingzhu Village. Chu Jiujiu was warm and unreserved towards her, so she should treat her back with the same attitude.

Wen Xiuwei added another spoonful of salt to the vegetable filling and continued stirring. At the same time, she said softly, "Jiujiu is exaggerating a bit, but it's almost the same. My sister doesn't like me. Every time she talks to me, she asks me to help her with work and homework. Sometimes when her friends come over, I have to serve them tea and water and wait on them at the dinner table."

Grandma Han frowned when she heard this, "How can there be such a sister?"

Wen Xiuwei raised her head and curled her lips at Grandma Han, "My cousin is not my biological sister. I only saw her a few times when I was a child. After I grew up, I suddenly moved into her house and occupied her room. She felt resentful, so it's normal for her to react this way."

Chu Jiujiu had never heard of this before. She got off the bed and opened her eyes wide. "It's actually my cousin. Then Wen Zhiqing, why do you want to live with them?"

Wen Xiuwei was silent for two seconds before answering, "Because my parents are too busy, they have to go abroad for work. They used to go abroad often, but because it was always temporary, they would be back in half a month at most, and they would never go together, so they always put me in a neighbor's house. This time, they will be gone for half a year, so they sent me to my uncle's house in Shanghai."

When he heard the word "going abroad", Grandpa Han raised his head instantly and asked sensitively, "When did this happen?"

Wen Xiuwei smiled bitterly: "Four years ago."

Four years ago, Wen Xiuwei's parents both went abroad. They didn't know how lucky they were to have escaped a disaster that they would have definitely not been able to avoid if they hadn't left. But they also didn't know that their daughter was so unlucky. Because she stayed in the country, she was first ordered around by her relatives, and then sent to the countryside. After that, she suffered a series of misfortunes.

Later, the two of them finally returned from abroad. Wen Xiuwei was nowhere to be found at her uncle's house. They searched the village where she had been sent, but the people there were terribly secretive about her name. China was so vast, and Wen Xiuwei was lost in the ocean. They couldn't find their daughter, and their daughter, disillusioned with them, didn't want to look for her parents anymore.

Chu Jiujiu didn't react much when she heard Wen Xiuwei's words. She couldn't think of the domino-like effects, but Grandma Han knew this best. Her expression when she looked at Wen Xiuwei instantly became sympathetic.

"My dear child, you must have suffered a lot. Your uncle and his family didn't send you away. You are lucky."

Having both parents abroad is a sensitive matter. It is not easy for Wen Xiuwei's uncle to withstand the pressure.

Hearing this, Wen Xiuwei wanted to sneer, but she held it back. Lowering her eyes, she explained, "It's not that they didn't want to send me away, but at that time, they didn't dare to send me away. As long as I went out, I would be questioned. They hid me at home, and later moved with me and enrolled me in school to cover up. They always told others that I was their biological daughter. That's why I came to the countryside to replace their biological child."

Chu Jiujiu opened her mouth wide, never expecting that there was a hidden story behind this!

Putting down the bowl of stuffed vegetables, Wen Xiuwei raised her head and said to the others, "Because of this, my uncle and my mother always tell me that I owe them too much. But when my parents sent me there, they gave them 500 yuan, and my father also bought their jobs for them. For four years, I worked like a slave for them. No matter what they asked, I agreed to it. I even came to work in the countryside. I think I should have paid it back."

When she said the last sentence, Wen Xiuwei's expression was obviously excited. She was a very restrained person, so as soon as she finished speaking, she controlled her emotions again. Feeling that she had spoiled the fun of Grandma Han and others, she pursed her lips and stopped talking. Grandma Han raised her old hand and slowly smoothed the hair on Wen Xiuwei's temples.

"Yes, you are right. You have already paid back what you owe them. You don't have to listen to them anymore."

Chu Jiujiu whimpered and jumped off the bed. She hugged Wen Xiuwei and patted her back gently, just like Wen Xiuwei did to her during the day. "Don't cry, don't cry, Weiwei. It's okay. It will be okay."

Wen Xiuwei wanted to cry at first, but after being patted like that, she smiled and said, "Who are you calling Weiwei? You're so disrespectful."

Grandpa Han sat on the bed, looking at the three women below with a smile. "Whether it's Weiwei or Jiujiu, in the eyes of an old man like me, they are all children! Okay, today I'll let you see my dumpling-making skills. Come on, both of you, move aside. Grandpa Han will make dumplings for you today!"

He moved his butt and was about to sit next to Grandma Han. Grandma Han didn't even raise her eyelids and said, "Get out of the way and don't make trouble."

Grandpa Han: “Okay!”

Chu Jiujiu: “…”

Wen Xiuwei: “…”

Grandpa Han, you are so spineless.

…

Although Grandma Han didn't want Grandpa Han to make trouble, everyone still made dumplings together in the evening. Grandma Han was the fastest, followed by Wen Xiuwei, and then Chu Shao. The rest of the people just participated, especially Chu Jiujiu. The dumplings she made had no wrinkles, like a big glutinous rice ball. The first one to bloom when put into the pot was the one that bloomed.

Fortunately, in this era, dumpling soup is a delicacy that must not be wasted. It doesn’t matter if it is scattered, it will eventually end up in everyone’s stomach.

Grandma Han had said before that unless she had Alzheimer's disease, the three children would never have a day off, but tonight, she overturned her own statement. Upon hearing that there was no need for classes tonight, Chu Jiujiu screamed and rushed back home quickly.

Grandma Han wanted to hit her when she saw her from behind, but she ran too fast and Grandma Han couldn't catch up with her at all.

In fact, Grandma Han misunderstood. Chu Jiujiu was so excited not because she finally had a day off, but because Wen Xiuwei was going to stay at her house tonight.

Chu Shao took out the extra quilts from the cabinet. The quilts in the cabinet were all new. He rolled up his own bed in the master bedroom and took it away. Then he spread the new quilt next to Chu Jiujiu. Holding his own quilt, he reminded the two of them before leaving: "Remember to turn off the oil lamp before going to bed and close the windows. The wind is still cold at night. Qingzhu Village is closer to the mountains, and fog will roll in in the morning. Close the windows and the humidity in the room will be less."

Chu Jiujiu repeated over and over again, "I know, I know. Grandpa, go to sleep now. We should sleep too!"

Wen Xiuwei was tidying the bed sheets. When she heard the call of Grandpa, she turned around in surprise and asked, "Jiujiu, what did you call Chu Shao?"

Chu Shao froze, and so did Chu Jiujiu. She usually acted as she pleased at home, but today she had forgotten to change her ways. With her back to Wen Xiuwei, Chu Jiujiu swallowed nervously. Turning her head back, she looked innocent and bewildered. "Huh? I called him Chu Shao. What did you hear?"

Wen Xiuwei was stunned for a moment, "I heard it as..."

She closed her mouth and shook her head. "It's okay. I heard it wrong. I'm too tired today. My brain is not working the same as usual."

After saying that, Wen Xiuwei took the new bamboo tube that Chu Jiujiu gave her. She smiled at them both, then went out to rinse her mouth and wash her face.

It was not until she walked out that Chu Shao and Chu Jiujiu relaxed. After relaxing, the first thing Chu Shao did was to pat Chu Jiujiu's shoulder. He lowered his voice to a very low level, almost speaking in a breath.

"What are you thinking about!"

Chu Jiujiu looked devastated. She whispered, "I forgot! It's okay. She won't suspect anything. Grandpa, don't worry."

Chu Shao glared: "Stop calling me grandpa!"

Chu Jiujiu: "Okay, okay, if you don't want to call me that, then don't. I don't understand why you're reacting so strongly. Even if I call you ancestor, she won't really believe it."

Chu Shao: “…”

Chu Shao, caught off guard by Chu Jiujiu, held his breath and went to make the bed in the small bedroom. Since moving into this house, the small bedroom had finally been used by someone else. He swept the dust off the bed, spread out the bedding, and then turned around and got on the bed. Not long after, he fell asleep.

Chu Shao fell asleep without any pressure, but Chu Jiujiu next door was excited for a long time. After blowing out the lights, she wanted to talk to Wen Xiuwei. Wen Xiuwei also coaxed her. The two chatted in low voices in the dark until they felt sleepy and fell asleep face to face.

A night passed, and when I woke up in the morning, there was a drizzle and the air was fresher than usual.

When Chu Jiujiu got up, Wen Xiuwei was gone. After changing her clothes, she ran out and found that Chu Shao had just gotten up. They were standing in front of different doors, looking at Wen Xiuwei busy at the stove with a dazed look on their faces.

Wen Xiuwei served the stir-fried pickled cabbage and beans, turned around, and smiled at the two people. "Good morning, I saw the chickens outside are laying eggs again. Do you want scrambled eggs or omelets?"

Without answering Wen Xiuwei, Chu Jiujiu turned her head to look at Chu Shao beside her. Unexpectedly, Chu Shao was also looking at her.

At this moment, the grandfather and grandson finally had the same thoughts.

It's so nice to have a woman at home. "A child with a grandmother is like a treasure," this saying is so true!

…

The Chu family was incredibly warm and cozy, but outside, things weren't quite so harmonious. Ding Yiming received a notice from the team early in the morning, agreeing to swap positions with the educated youth from Xujiawan. Everyone at the educated youth camp was having lunch, but before Ding Yiming could even get excited, he heard Ma Wenjuan ask the newcomer in disbelief, "Xujiawan? The Xujiawan you called yesterday?"

Ding Yiming was stunned. "What's calling?"

The person who notified them left after making the announcement. Seeing that Ding Yiming still didn't know, Ma Wenjuan quickly told him what happened last night. "I also heard from the villagers that in order to let Wen Zhiqing stay, they wanted to replace him with someone from our village. I thought it was just a rumor. We can't push our Zhiqing into that big fire pit. I didn't expect it to be true. How could they do this to you? No, I'm going to ask the team leader."

Ding Yiming was already dumbfounded. Seeing this, Ding Boyun stopped Ma Wenjuan and said, "Don't look for him anymore. The captain is not such an unreasonable person. Why would he choose Yiming for no reason? Yiming, did you do something?"

As soon as this question came out, everyone looked at Ding Yiming. He was stunned by the news, so he didn't care about anything else at this moment and told the truth directly, "I, I went to see the captain yesterday morning and told him that I wanted to go to Xujiawan to exchange experiences, but I didn't know such a thing happened in Xujiawan!"

Ma Wenjuan: “…”

"Why are you going to Xujiawan? They don't have any experience there. Tell me, what are you thinking? Now, the team has sent you a notice, you have to go."

Ding Yiming panicked. He quickly looked at Ding Boyun and said, "Brother, I don't want to go anymore. The captain of Xujiawan is so powerful. If I switch with Wen Xiuwei, he will definitely hate me. If I go there, I will definitely suffer the consequences. Brother, please help me talk to the captain and don't let me go!"

Ma Wenjuan: "But if you don't go, Wen Zhiqing won't be able to replace us. We already have six educated youth in our village, and with Wen Zhiqing, that's seven. We've already exceeded the quota by a lot. Also, the team leader made an agreement with Xujiawan in front of the whole village yesterday. If you don't go, it will be very embarrassing for the team leader."

Ding Boyun's face turned pale. He also felt that this matter was very tricky. "You agreed yesterday, but suddenly said you couldn't go today. The team leader wouldn't agree. I guess by now, the application has already been submitted to the commune. Just switch. There's no difference between Qingzhu Village and Xujiawan. You're a male educated youth, so you don't have to worry about what they do to you. If you go, you can also save Wen Zhiqing. Wen Zhiqing is the one who really can't go back."

Speaking of Wen Xiuwei, Ma Wenjuan nodded in agreement, "That's right, if Wen Zhiqing goes back to Xujiawan, I don't think she'll ever come out again in her lifetime."

Seeing the two of them singing the same tune, Ding Yiming suddenly became anxious. "What does Wen Xiuwei's life or death have to do with me? In order to save her, you are going to sacrifice me! How can you be so magnanimous? Ma Wenjuan, since you want to save her, then you should go to Xujiawan!"

Ma Wenjuan was stunned by his sudden change in attitude. She put down her arms and looked at Ding Yiming in confusion. "Didn't you bring it up first? You wanted to go to Xujiawan. I haven't thought about leaving Qingzhu Village. If you didn't want to leave, the captain wouldn't have sent you there. I saw you running to Xujiawan the day before yesterday. Something there has hooked you. Since you've been hooked, then go ahead. Don't drag me into this. I've always been a quiet person and don't have any evil thoughts."

Ding Yiming: "Who are you saying has evil intentions?!"

Ma Wenjuan laughed sarcastically, "You, I already knew about you killing the sheep."

Ding Yiming's breathing stagnated, and he immediately looked at Ding Boyun, "You told her?!"

Ma Wenjuan snorted, “Don’t look at your brother, someone heard you talking to your brother.”

She didn't say who it was, but Ding Yiming looked around at everyone present, and only Du Shuting had her head down, looking extremely guilty.

She was frightened by what Ding Yiming said that day and couldn't sleep all night. Then she heard everything Ding Yiming and Ding Boyun talked about.

Ding Yiming was furious. He stood there, his chest heaving, looking like he was looking for someone to settle a score with. Du Shuting was terrified and wanted to run but didn't dare. Ma Wenjuan wanted to protect Du Shuting and became hostile to Ding Yiming. Ding Boyun looked at these people, frowned, and shouted, "That's enough!"

With a tired sigh, Ding Boyun said, "This is all your own fault. You can't blame anyone else. I told you a long time ago that life in the countryside isn't as easy as you think. Hard work is the only way. You didn't listen to me, and now there's nothing I can do. Go pack your things, and I'll take you to Xujiawan."

Ding Yiming: "Why? I won't go! You're my brother, why are you so mean? You want me to go to Xujiawan so badly, are you trying to get rid of me?"

Ding Boyun frowned. Before he could say anything, Ma Wenjuan started firing like a machine gun. "We all saw what your brother did to you. You didn't obey, so who can you blame? Do you think we were the only ones who knew you killed the sheep? The team leader and his men are real farmers, they are much more perceptive than you, and they are not telling you anything because they are giving you face! You destroyed public property, and you are greedy for your own benefit. It would be strange if they wanted to let you stay. When you get to Xujiawan, try to change your bad habits, then maybe one day you can come back!"

Yu Jianqing and Du Shuting didn't say anything, but from their expressions, it was clear that they supported Ding Boyun. Feeling isolated, Ding Yiming became even angrier. At this time, Ding Boyun raised his head and said to him, "You are young and have just come to the countryside. I think of you as my younger brother and have always taken care of you. I never thought something like this would happen, but there is nothing I can do. If you really want to cut your losses in time, then go to Xujiawan. Don't worry, I will mention it to the leaders of the commune in a while, and then I will plead with the team leader. It won't be long before you can come back."

Ma Wenjuan felt a pang of sadness when she heard this. Why didn't she have such a good brother? Good people really don't get rewarded. Ding Yiming is such a scum, but he still has a brother who follows him around to clean up his mess. Li Yan has reached the point where everyone hates her, but she still married into the city and became a relative of a leader.

Although she said she didn't care on the surface, Ma Wenjuan was still heartbroken by Li Yan's showing off. She had nothing and could only rely on herself for everything. When would she be able to get through this?

Standing aside, Ma Wenjuan began to feel sad about her fate, while over there, Ding Yiming had already lowered his head after what Ding Boyun said. After all, he was just a young man who had just turned eighteen. Although he always did bad things, his mind was still immature. When something really happened, he was more afraid than anyone else.

After being comforted by Ding Boyun, Ding Yiming dejectedly accepted his fate of going to Xujiawan, packed up his things, and went to the educated youth site in Xujiawan with Ding Boyun. Because the incident had just happened yesterday, several educated youth were now staying with Luo Shuyang.

Seeing Ding Yiming coming, everyone looked at each other in confusion. No one showed a welcoming look. Even Sun Yuqin looked worried. Ren Shengli took down all the things he had left on the upper bunk. Ding Boyun put Ding Yiming's luggage on it, turned around and went out, asking Luo Shuyang: "I only found out what happened this morning. Wen Zhiqing will live in our village from now on. Don't worry, we, the Zhiqing, will take good care of her."

Luo Shuyang sighed, "Thank you. It's a good thing she didn't come back. Now even the few of us are afraid that Captain Xu will retaliate."

Ding Boyun: "No, this matter has nothing to do with you."

That being said, Xu Changhe is a man who will take revenge on anyone he wants. What if he thinks that it was these educated youths who knew about the incident but didn't report it, which is why his son suffered so much? That would be terrible.

After comforting Luo Shuyang a few more words, Ding Boyun left, leaving Ding Yiming alone, sitting in the men's dormitory with a gloomy look on his face.

Luo Shuyang was able to get herself a teacher at Xujiawan Primary School, which shows that she is indeed capable. And what she said is not wrong. Xu Changhe is angry, and since he can't catch Wen Xiuwei, he will probably target these educated youth who are closest to Wen Xiuwei.

However, as the saying goes, brine can make tofu stronger, and one thing can conquer another. No matter how bad Xu Changhe is, there are even worse people above him who are watching over him. For the time being, he dare not act rashly.

In the middle of the night, Xu Jie's operation was completed. He lay in the ward and was in a coma for two days and two nights before he finally woke up. When he woke up, he could not remember what happened. He could only hear his mother crying in his ear.

Annoyed by the crying, Xu Jie's temper immediately flared up, "You're crying! Shut up and stop crying!"

He usually treated his mother like this, and his mother didn't think there was anything wrong with it. Seeing Xu Jie wake up, she hurried out to call a doctor. Xu Jie's third sister handed him a glass of water. Just as she was about to pass it to Xu Jie's lips, he suddenly raised his hand and spilled the water on his third sister, "You idiot, can't you help me up!"

His third sister was frightened by being yelled at. She pouted in grievance and put the water cup to the other side. At this time, Xu Jie felt a piercing pain in his arm. Soon after, his other senses also recovered. There was no place on his body that did not hurt. At that time, pain-relieving injections were not so developed and the treatment of burns was relatively backward. Therefore, no matter how much pain Xu Jie felt, he could only bear it himself.

Xu Jie began to scream in pain, but the more he screamed, the more painful the wounds on his body became. After the doctor came, he finally calmed him down. Enduring the pain and listening to the doctor's description of his condition, Xu Jie couldn't believe his ears.

"Tell me, what did you cut off of mine?"

…

Xu Changhe stayed in the village for the whole morning and came to the hospital in the afternoon. When he heard that his son had woken up, he didn't smile. As soon as he arrived at the door of the ward, he heard the howling of a pig being slaughtered coming from inside.

"I'm going to kill her! Kill her! I'm going to chop off her legs, pull out her intestines, and dig out her eyes! Ahhhhhhh, bitch, bitch! Kill her!"

Xu Changhe flung the door open and saw Xu Jie, agitated, trying to sit up from the bed. His wife and daughter were pressing down on him, and because he had so many wounds, the more they pressed, the louder Xu Jie screamed. Unable to bear it any longer, Xu Changhe slammed the door.

“Stop it!!!”

His shouting didn't stop Xu Jie from making trouble, but when Xu Jie saw him, it was like he saw his lifeline. He cried and shouted, "Dad, you have to avenge me. I can never marry again. It's all that bitch Chu Jiujiu's fault. She locked me in the boiler room. I just wanted to have sex with her, but she wanted to kill me! Kill her, I want to kill her with my own hands!"

Xu Changhe: "I told you to stop making trouble! Are you afraid that the whole hospital can't hear what you did?"

Xu Jie shuddered and dared not speak again. Seeing his son's miserable appearance, Xu Changhe was also very distressed. He closed the door of the ward and walked to Xu Jie. Xu Changhe clenched his fists, his face full of viciousness.

"Son, don't worry. This is our Xu family's vengeance, and I will definitely avenge it! But not now. The deputy director forbade me to cause trouble at this time. Wait, wait until the dam is closed, and I will lead people directly to Qingzhu Village and arrest Chu Jiujiu, Wen Xiuwei, and that Chu Shao. I will torture them to death! Chen Daming, he thought he could stop me with just a few ordinary people, but if he pushes me into a corner, I will kill him too!"

Xu Jie was extremely excited by what he said. He imagined Chu Jiujiu and Wen Xiuwei lying dead on the street. Even his wounds didn't hurt that much anymore. Xu Changhe felt even more distressed when he saw this. He sat down beside Xu Jie's bed and began to promise him all the good things he would buy him. Xu Jie's third sister heard this and felt that such a father and brother were terrible, but she was also extremely jealous.

Xu Jie is already inhuman, but his father still loves him so much. Why, why, why can't she be a boy? She also wants to have good things and live like a human being.

…

Xu Changhe was very rude when speaking in front of his family. He told Xu Jie all the conditions that Chen Dazhu had promised him, including how much money he would be given, and his future job in the city, etc. He emphasized that even if Xu Jie's place was gone, he could still go to the city to be an official and become a superior person.

This should be the only good news Xu Jie heard after waking up. On the other side, in the Revolutionary Committee not far away, Chen Dazhu was also talking about this matter with Chen Sanzhu.

Chen Sanzhu: "Brother, are you really planning to let Xu Jie come to the city to work?"

Chen Dazhu: "There's nothing wrong with my brain. Xu Changhe is really sick. His son is so useless, yet he treats him like a treasure. Even if we gave him those benefits, he would have wasted them. It's better for us to take them ourselves and save him from spending them on Xu Jie."

Chen Sanzhu: "Will Xu Changhe be happy with this?"

Chen Dazhu sneered, "Not happy? If you're not happy, I'll just shoot Xu Jie and see if he's still happy."