Chapter 20 He's Back

Chapter Twenty: He's Back

After seeing off two people who had tried to dissuade her from going to the countryside, Li Yue felt a chill run down her spine, and her brain felt like it was filled with a lump of paste, making it impossible for her to think.

After resting at home for a while, my cousin, though determined to be arduous in the countryside, was already excitedly packing her bags and rummaging through her wardrobe for clothes.

Li Yue couldn't help but rub her forehead: "Aren't you being a little too eager? Why are you so impatient to start clearing the land?"

My cousin continued rummaging through the clothes, saying without looking up, "It would be quite fun to go together. As far as I know, half of the people in our class are going."

"By the way, sis, is your sweater being sent today?"

Li Yue paused for a moment: "I'll mail it tomorrow. I still need to write a letter."

My cousin asked, "Did you tell Deputy Battalion Commander Ling about your trip to the countryside? Do you have his phone number?"

“There’s a phone, but I haven’t called.” Li Yue thought for a moment. “I can just write him a letter. Calling… long-distance calls are too expensive.”

It wasn't just the expensive phone call; she was more worried that he would try his best to stop her over the phone. Just like Shao Jiashu said, he was pacing around anxiously right now, but all he could do was worry helplessly. What could he say on the phone?

She sat at the table, took out a piece of paper, picked up a pen, but didn't know what to say.

It wasn't until evening that she wrote a brief and straightforward line:

Ling Jianwei, the sweater I sent you is finished. Also, I've gone to the countryside, to the Great Northern Wilderness. I'll write to you when I have time.

Li Yue put down her pen and sat down at the table to read the letter, wondering how he would feel upon receiving it.

He told her to slow down and not rush into a decision. But what could possibly change?

The following day, the formal registration for educated youth to go to the countryside began.

My cousin asked Li Yue if she should go to the neighborhood office to register.

Li Yue pondered all night without finding a clue, and only shook her head when her cousin asked her.

He told her to take a break, so she did.

Registration isn't limited to just this one day.

But when Li Yue accompanied her cousin to the registration point, she found the young people very enthusiastic, some full of fighting spirit, others worried. This sight moved her deeply. She had originally planned to mail a sweater today, but she simply wasn't in the mood. Leaving the registration point, she wandered the streets like a lost soul. By then, new slogans had been painted on the exterior walls of buildings, and banners were being hung up, everywhere promoting the idea of ​​educated youth going to the countryside.

With nowhere to go, Li Yue slunk home. Around 4 PM, two familiar faces arrived: the deputy director of the subdistrict office and Xie Hongping, a staff member.

Judging from their demeanor, it was clear they were there to try and change her mindset.

Li Yue murmured, "Deputy Director Liu."

There were other people at home. Deputy Director Liu looked at her with the expression of a homeroom teacher scolding a student and said, "Xiao Li, come out with me, I have something to tell you."

Li Yue followed her nervously to the open space, where the deputy director finally asked, "Xiao Li, why didn't you register today? I heard from your cousin that you wanted to postpone it?"

Li Yue replied, "Yes, I'd like to postpone it for a couple of days. Isn't there a time limit for registration?"

“Although there are no restrictions, the sooner you sign up, the more it shows your enthusiasm. You are a key person being monitored by the neighborhood. Now the country has issued a policy calling on educated youth to go to the countryside for reform. Your family background…” The deputy director paused for half a second, “You also know that the staff in your residential compound have indicated that you agree to go to the countryside. Why do you want to postpone it now?”

Li Yue's voice was low: "There's no reason, I just want to take it easy."

The deputy director sighed: "Will things change if we wait a couple of days? Besides, your situation is very special. Although you were abandoned in the country by your parents not long after you were born, making you a pitiful girl, the records in the neighborhood registration file clearly show your family's situation. To put it bluntly, your father is essentially a fugitive who has fled to avoid punishment."

Li Yue denied it: "He did not flee to avoid punishment. He made compensation and donated the factory and other things to the country. The country let him go."

The deputy director said helplessly, "That's true, but it's no different from fleeing, especially since he has a life on his hands."

Li Yue bit her lip hard and retorted, "That was an accidental fire. Nobody expected that it would burn and kill an employee who was putting out the fire."

“But that was a precious life. Such a serious production safety accident occurred. As the owner of the factory, your father should bear full responsibility. Running away is the worst thing to do. If they leave, you will become the target of public criticism. We are advising you to go to the countryside for your own good. If you reform yourself, the people will look at you differently.”

Li Yue had always known about their family's affairs, which was something that had always been a source of her hidden worry.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, only one of the Li family's factories remained: a towel and bedding factory. One morning, a fire suddenly broke out in the workshop, and a worker tragically died while trying to put out the fire.

At that time, it was a sensitive period, and the Li family was also called capitalists. Because of this incident, Li's father had a vague feeling that someone was trying to harm him. Staying here would only lead to greater disaster, so he had the idea of ​​going to the United States to reunite with his father and brother.

Little Yue'er was only six months old, with a very weak immune system, and she was currently ill. If they went on the journey, she might die en route. Therefore, they left Li Yue in China, entrusting her to her cousin's parents. At that time, her cousin's parents only had one son, her older cousin Du Qingyun, and it took them two more years before she gave birth to their second daughter, Du Qinglan…

Knowing that her father had committed murder and that her own position was awkward, Li Yue didn't want to consider personal matters during this special period, finding it troublesome.

She had already prepared herself mentally to stop struggling, but unfortunately, she encountered Ling Jianwei.

Faced with the deputy director's questioning, Li Yue could only say, "I know all this."

The deputy director was also helpless and finally said, "I have other things to do. Let Xiao Xie talk to you."

She said this and left directly. Li Yue and Xie Hongping exchanged a glance.

This time, Xie Hongping came to find Li Yue partly for official business and partly for personal reasons.

She didn't want to deny it.

Xie Hongping was initially overjoyed to learn that someone was trying to match her with Ling Jianwei. She had met Ling Jianwei once and had a good impression of him, but he stood her up on the day of the blind date.

When they met later, he was tricked by his father into going. He frankly said that he wasn't considering personal matters and was just there to meet a friend.

Despite this, Xie Hongping still admired him and wanted to try harder. Then, one day when she returned to the compound, she heard that he had brought a girl back with him. The girl's name was Li Yue, and she lived in the machine tool factory's residential compound. Coincidentally, she had just been assigned to work at that street office and learned about Li Yue's background.

Now, Xie Hongping looked at the beautiful girl, smiled, and decided not to hide it any longer, saying directly, "I actually met you a long time ago. On the day I went on a blind date with Jianwei, I noticed that he kept looking at you."

Li Yue was extremely surprised; it turned out that Xie Hongping had also noticed her.

“I’ve also heard from people in the compound that you two are close, but I think it’s rather selfish of you to think that Ling Jianwei can help you avoid going to the countryside.”

Li Yue's face darkened: "What do you mean?"

“Uncle and Aunt Ling don’t know about your family situation. If they did, do you think they would agree to help you?” Xie Hongping originally wanted to be sharp, domineering, and bossy, but looking at her, she couldn’t help but soften her tone and sighed, “Besides, what kind of time is this? Everyone is living cautiously and dares not let their guard down. If they use even a little bit of their privileges, his father might also be punished.”

“You’re not in the compound, so you might think that people inside can have whatever they want, but that’s not true. Even some of the children of the compound are now being sent to the countryside.” She said in a heavy tone, “So I think you’d better not drag others down with you because of your own problems.”

Li Yue bit her lip. Of course she knew the stakes involved, and it was precisely because she knew that she didn't want to affect or implicate others.

Seeing that she had nothing to say, Xie Hongping pressed her advantage: "Also, when he came back to visit his family some time ago, he kept driving his father's car to find you. Although he claimed to be helping his father or picking him up and dropping him off, anyone with eyes could see that he was abusing his power. Fortunately, he returned to the camp quickly, otherwise, if it had gone on for a while, others would have found something to use against him."

Li Yue fell completely silent.

Xie Hongping said, "What I'm telling you isn't meant to criticize you. I just hope you'll think it over carefully. Uncle and Aunt Ling are very kind, and Ling Jianwei is young and promising with a great chance of promotion. If something goes wrong with you... I don't want to see a bad situation happen."

"..."

Li Yue had no idea how Xie Hongping ended her conversation and left. She just stood there in the cold wind, sniffing, watching the other woman's departing figure.

The consequences of her not signing up weren't over yet. Later that evening, her uncle came home rather late. Instead of eating, he sat down and said to Li Yue with a serious expression, "The factory leaders called me over and asked me to persuade you to go to the countryside. They said that given your background, if you don't go, I might not even be able to keep my job."

After being subjected to a series of provocations, Li Yue was no longer emotionally agitated. Looking at her uncle, she couldn't help but ask, "Did someone go to the factory and say something?"

My uncle said, "I don't know, but that's what the factory leaders said. Did you resist today?"

“No,” Li Yue said calmly, “I didn’t resist, I just haven’t registered yet.”

My uncle sighed: "Going to the countryside isn't a big deal. Qingqing is going to the countryside too. Now so many eyes are on you. If you don't go to the countryside, the other children from working-class families who don't want to go will be even more upset."

"I will sign up tomorrow," Li Yue said in a low voice.

The atmosphere at home was oppressive all night, and Li Yue remained silent.

As I was going to bed that night, my cousin said, "It will take another week to get the assignments and train schedules arranged. We should be able to leave around New Year's Day."

Li Yue asked her cousin, "Qingqing, do you really want to go to the countryside?"

"Of course, it's good to get some exercise, and besides, you get paid for it. You reap what you sow, and it's better than staying at home all the time."

She has a good attitude and is very hardworking. Li Yue nodded: "In that case, it's good for her to train herself."

"Do you want to sign up?"

"What else can we do but report it? Just watch your dad lose his job?"

Cousin: "Hmm, that makes sense."

"What about Deputy Battalion Commander Ling? Didn't you say he wanted you to take some time?"

When people are helpless, all that's left is a numb laugh. Li Yue said calmly, "Deputy Battalion Commander Ling is thousands of miles away. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't do anything about it."

After speaking, he fell silent for a moment.

There's nothing to regret; she was just one of the countless educated youth sent to the countryside.

However, upon hearing news of Ling Jianwei, a sliver of hope and expectation still lingered in her heart. Although this hope was like a faint candle flame in the wind, easily extinguished by a stronger breeze, she wouldn't let her own affairs affect anyone else, especially Ling Jianwei.

The next day, Li Yue wrote her name and other information on the registration form. Xie Hongping was also at the registration point. She glanced at her with a complicated expression, but simply said in a businesslike manner that she would wait for the departure notice.

After lunch, Li Yue put the sweater in a cloth bag and also tucked a simple letter inside, intending to mail it to Ling Jianwei at the post office.

However, as soon as she stepped onto the main road of the residential compound, she spotted a familiar figure walking hurriedly toward her with long strides.

Li Yue froze instantly, thinking she was seeing things. She rubbed her eyes, but the face in front of her became clearer and clearer. She couldn't help but blurt out, "Ling Jianwei."

That was the first time she had called him by his full name, her voice clearly tinged with surprise: "Why are you back?"

Ling Jianwei looked at her wearily, her voice low and hoarse: "Where are you going?"

Li Yue opened the cloth bag and smiled casually, "I was just about to send you a sweater. This sweater is finished. I don't know if it will fit you."

"Have you finished sending them?" The man's voice was cold, and his eyes grew even more unfathomable as he looked at her.

Li Yue said blankly, "I'll come back after I finish sending it."

The man's already sculpted features appeared even more aloof: "And then you went to the countryside?"

His questioning made her feel weak and her throat dry. Li Yue lowered her eyes and stood frozen in place. She swallowed first, then nodded: "More or less. I've registered and am waiting for arrangements."

As expected… the man’s eyes darkened, and his voice grew even colder: “Didn’t I tell you to wait?”

“But…” Li Yue murmured. She took a deep breath, raised her eyes, and met the tired and weary gaze of the man who was clearly angry.

Li Yue pursed her lips, unable to utter a single word.