Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Sorry, it’s easier to ask Buddha than to send him away…

"Look at her building a house, a bunch of gentlemen are gathered around to help and show their courtesy."

Qian Ying walked up the slope, chattering non-stop, "A man and a woman so close to each other, I don't believe they have nothing to do with each other."

Hao Fan chased away the flying insects. The slope was muddy, so he had to step on the weeds to avoid falling. He sighed and said, "She's separated now, so it's understandable that she's dating anyone."

Qian Ying scraped the sole of his shoe on a stone and chuckled, saying, "After all, she's getting married in the village. Unlike my daughter, she can join the army after this year. I'm also a soldier's family member. I'll see who treats me badly in the future."

Hao Fan thought about his future son-in-law and smiled faintly. "Platoon leader is great! There's still room for promotion. He's so young, if he continues to study, he might even become a company commander."

Qian Ying rolled his eyes at him and said, "What company commander? He should be at least a battalion commander!"

Hao Fan's words were rather conservative, but he actually hoped his son-in-law would become a high-ranking official. His chance to succeed in life depended on his son-in-law, and after they got married, the school leaders would have to give him some respect.

They walked up the hill, imagining their life after becoming an officer's son-in-law. Donkey carts were parked on the hill, and the fare to the bus station was five cents.

It was a ten-mile journey, and Qian Ying was reluctant to spend a dime, so she asked Hao Fan to walk with her to the bus station.

As I was walking along the road, I heard someone asking someone nearby: "Excuse me, is Captain Gu's home here?"

The other person was carrying a scented oil bottle and a basket of eggs woven from straw ropes, about ten in total. They must have been carefully selected; each egg was large, comparable to a typical duck egg.

The person he was asking about happened to be from Donghe Village. He had a good relationship with Wang Yang. His name was Xiao Hu, and he knew that he was talking about Gu Qingzhou.

"Yes, go three miles east and you'll see a dam. Cross the small bridge over the dam and go straight for two miles. Go inside and ask around; everyone knows where Captain Gu's house is."

In the past, whenever Gu Qingzhou was on a mission, fellow villagers would inevitably come to him to express their gratitude. Even if Captain Gu didn't accept gifts, they would still come. After a while, the people of Donghe Village got used to it.

"Captain Gu?" Qian Ying's ears pricked up. She nudged Hao Fan and asked, "Is there a captain in the village?"

Hao Fan vaguely remembered a regimental commander who had proposed marriage to Qingmei, but it hadn't happened yet. Qian Ying and Zhong Anhua had also come over, and Qian Ying must have gotten a platoon leader son-in-law and forgotten everything else.

Xiao Hu was also helping out at Qingmei's house, and this time he was out to buy lime powder. Wen Yan said, "Why not? Didn't you guys still talk to him?"

Qian Ying said immediately, "Is it the tall guy who speaks in a sarcastic tone?"

Xiao Hu was immediately unhappy: "What do you mean by that?"

Qian Ying said, "It's nothing interesting. I just wonder what kind of group leader would be out there helping widows build houses every day. It's hilarious to tell anyone about it. He looks only in his twenties, and yet he calls himself a group leader. He wouldn't even dare to brag like that."

She had just dreamed with Hao Fan that her son-in-law would be able to become a battalion commander in the future, and she didn't dare to think about becoming a regimental commander. This position usually belongs to people in their thirties or forties. How could he, a young boy, be a regimental commander?

Xiao Hu was not as eloquent as her. He stamped his feet in anger and said, "He is the leader. We all know he is the leader."

Qian Ying's eyes flickered between the sesame oil bottle and the egg, and he said, thinking he understood, "It's indeed good. It has some benefits."

Seeing that Xiao Hu was extremely angry, Hao Fan was afraid that he would act impulsively, so he pulled Qian Ying towards the bus station.

"I remember now. They were the ones who said they wanted to propose marriage but didn't give a cent of betrothal gift, right?"

Qian Ying laughed heartily as he walked. "How dare he say he's the regiment commander? Our city has such a large army, but there are only a few regiment commanders. Isn't he afraid of being exposed? I've long suspected that the people of Donghe Village are all fools who believe everything others say."

Hao Fan also felt that it was unlikely given her age, so he sighed and said, "You said Qingmei, she married a short-lived guy last time, and now she's getting together with a liar again."

The two of them arrived at the bus station and got off at the opposite side of the community.

The street has just been inspected and the management has been lax recently. There are seven or eight people sitting on the curb selling vegetables.

Qian Ying glanced at them one by one. March peas, leeks, and shepherd's purse were all very fresh and tender, costing ten cents a pile. There were also green dates that were about to go off the market, not in good condition, costing five cents a bowl.

She bargained with the seller and insisted on buying a bowl for three cents.

After buying something, he even exchanged the slightly larger item in another bowl with the one in his own bowl. It's so annoying to buy something like that.

Hao Fan used to think that she was a good housewife. After they got married, he found that she was indeed a good housewife. She even saved all her money on him, spending the minimum on food, drink, toilet paper and urination, and she never spent money on cigarettes or alcohol.

The remaining money was used to dress up Zhong Anhua. The mother and daughter wanted to marry into a good family and didn't want to marry a stinky old man like him.

Zhong Anhua was twenty-four, considered an older woman in the countryside and a late-marriage, late-childbirth woman in the city. If she didn't marry now, it would be hard to find a husband later.

Finally, the mother and daughter found an officer and were thinking about getting the marriage certificate as soon as possible.

After buying the big green dates, Qian Ying stuffed them into Hao Fan's hands and said, "Don't say I didn't buy you some fruit. Take it and eat it."

Before Hao Fan could sigh in admiration after receiving the large green dates, Qian Ying went straight to the nearby store. The items sold in the store were all commercial goods, beautiful in appearance and expensive.

Qian Ying bought the oranges that her future son-in-law loved without blinking an eye, and also spent a huge amount of money to buy expensive Chinese toon, a small handful costing one yuan and fifty cents, which was more expensive than meat.

Hao Fan only earned a little over 40 yuan a month and had to support his family. He couldn't even afford to buy meat, let alone Chinese toon.

"This is the first crop of Chinese toon. It smells more fragrant than other Chinese toon. My son-in-law loves it."

Qian Ying took the toon and smelled it, feeling very satisfied.

She then looked down and counted the oranges, four oranges.

Hao Fan looked on and said, "Buying so many? One for each person in our family?"

"What do you mean one for each person?" Qian Ying said, holding the orange. "Today is Tuesday. My son-in-law is back for four days, so I'll give him one a day."

Hao Fan was speechless.

A son-in-law is really half a son, and the mother-in-law loves him very much.

As they were crossing the street to enter the Teachers' College, a woman who didn't have a good relationship with Qian Ying waved to them.

Qian Ying pouted and said, "It's really amazing that she came to talk to me."

The other person had something urgent to tell Qian Ying, so Qian Ying walked over and said calmly, "Sister Zhang, why do you look like a thief?"

The middle-aged woman, known as Sister Zhang, was a retired teacher who couldn't tolerate any injustice. She felt Qian Ying had a problem with her character and often scolded her in front of others for not being able to raise her children. The two argued several times over this, and they later stopped talking to each other.

Qian Ying started out sarcastic. Sister Zhang held her breath and said, "You're really ungrateful. I asked you to come here for your own good. What's wrong with you?"

Qian Ying was a very sharp-tongued person, and her words always sounded aggressive. She waved the rare Chinese toon in her hands, saying with a forced smile:

"Why do you have to do this for my own good? Are you still worrying about my family? After retirement, are you feeling uncomfortable because you don't have students to discipline? Are you always trying to get your hands on other people's families?"

Sister Zhang knew that she was a mean person, but she never expected her to be so mean.

She controlled her temper and said, "If it weren't for the child, I wouldn't have spoken to you. I'm telling you, you've found a liar as your son-in-law. I'm telling you, he's a fake officer. Don't let your child marry him. Don't just follow the crowd. Open your eyes."

Qian Ying immediately thought of Qingmei and the so-called 'Captain Gu'. This was exactly what she had suspected, and she couldn't help but say, "What can I do if the child insists on being with someone else? You know I can't control her."

Can't control it? How is that possible?

Seeing that she didn't seem to be considering Zhong Anhua at all, Sister Zhang said angrily, "I heard she just got out of labor camp. She was previously incarcerated for robbery. Why don't you try to persuade her? This is a lifelong matter."

There was something else she didn't say, but if a girl found a partner like this, her life would be ruined.

Although some people are starting to choose divorce now, who can guarantee that they will not be entangled by that kind of person after the divorce?

As she was talking and looking around, she saw someone getting off a car across the street from a distance. She looked closely and saw that it was the person Zhong Anhua was trying to reform through labor with.

It's a common belief in society that those who go to prison for petty theft and thievery will commit murder and arson upon release. Some prisoners don't call it "reform through labor" and instead claim to be pursuing further studies, which is truly shameless.

Fearing retaliation, Sister Zhang quickly said, "Anyway, I've given you this much warning. You must not tell anyone what I said. Go back and discuss what to do with Teacher Hao. You must not let the wolf into the house."

Letting a wolf into the house?

Qian Ying didn't know that her son-in-law had come. She kept thinking that Qingmei's life was not as good as Zhong Anhua's.

If she were to discuss it with Hao Fan, Hao Fan would definitely be soft-hearted. But what if Qingmei knew that the other party was a labor camp inmate and she refused to date him?

Thinking of Qingmei's current life and her arrogant mother, I felt a spontaneous sense of revenge.

"What did she say to you?" Hao Fan asked Qian Ying when he went upstairs. He knew that Sister Zhang and Qian Ying had a bad relationship, so it was strange that she came to see him today.

Qian Ying walked in front, her footsteps pounding on the steps. She said in a good mood, "Nothing, just asking when our daughter is getting married so that we can celebrate."

Hao Fan said, "What is she doing here? Our relationship isn't good, and our family has never given them any gifts."

Qian Ying changed the subject and said with a smile, "I've thought about it. When my daughter gets married, I'll invite Qingmei along. It's a big happy event after all, so I want her to share in the joy and save her from bad luck."

This is a very incoherent statement. I remember when Qian Ying left the house in the morning, she said harshly that she would never let Qingmei, the little devil, attend Zhong Anhua's wedding. How come she changed her mind after coming back?

When they got home, Zhong Anhua was trying on a bright red dress in front of the mirror. Qian Ying put down her things and praised her repeatedly, "My daughter is so lucky. This is the temperament that an officer's wife should have."

Before they had even closed the door, Platoon Leader Jia came in. He naturally praised Zhong Anhua and asked Qian Ying, "Did you see anyone talking to you at the gate of the community just now?"

Qian Ying smiled again when she heard this: "She's an old sister."

Platoon Leader Jia stood at the door, slipping off his shoes, hiding his deep gaze: "What did she say to you?"

Qian Ying said: "Tell me a joke."

Platoon Leader Jia pressed on: "Who is this about?"

Before Qian Ying could say anything, Zhong Anhua came over and helped him take off his coat, saying with a smile, "Who else can make my mother laugh? It must be my childhood sweetheart."

Platoon Leader Jia nodded thoughtfully.

Qian Ying casually asked him, "Has the marriage application been approved?"

Platoon Leader Jia pulled a document out of his pocket, handed it to Qian Ying, and said, "You can get the marriage certificate tomorrow, and then we can mobilize the food supply."

Qian Ying looked at the shy Zhong Anhua and said for her, "Okay, I'll give you the household registration booklet tomorrow morning. You can take it and go."

*** ***

Qingmei was building a house at home. When the house was halfway built, the radio announced that a spring mobilization meeting was about to be held, and everyone was asked to gather at the threshing ground after dinner.

It will take another half month to buy Qingmei's house, and the furniture is still not found.

She wants to take this opportunity to get some good wood to make furniture. She has been asking around for the past few days but hasn't made a decision yet.

Zhao Xiaoxing went with her to the threshing ground, each holding a small stool. They were there for the show of model operas after the mobilization meeting.

Captain Jin asked the captains of each production team to count the number of people. When almost everyone had arrived, she stood in the middle of the threshing ground, cleared her throat, and started a meeting with everyone.

The meeting started out in a similar format to previous years.

Halfway through the drive, the entire Donghe Village was in an uproar!

In addition to holding a mobilization meeting, Captain Jin also announced two explosive news.

First, the dirt road in Donghe Village must be converted into a cement road!

Second, Donghe Village purchased three tractors!

All of these things cost a lot of money, and everyone was a little panicked at first, hoping they wouldn't have to sell everything they had. Later, when they learned that it was Chen Qiaoxiang's family who had embezzled the money, they were furious.

Many people cursed Chen Qiaoxiang's family, and some even praised her highly and anonymously handed over the stolen money.

The scene was in great disorder. Captain Jin kept saying "quiet" for a long time, and it took a long time before the scene quieted down.

Qingmei was quick-witted. She knew in advance that Donghe Village needed a tractor, and that with a tractor, there must be a tractor driver.

The selection of tractor drivers must naturally be from the common people of Donghe Village.

These days, there are so few people who can drive, and even fewer who can drive a tractor. Qingmei, aware of this, had encouraged Zhao Xiaoxing to sign up with her beforehand.

At first, Zhao Xiaoxing didn't want to do it. She had never even ridden a tractor, let alone driven one. Besides, it was a job reserved for men, so she didn't dare to sign up.

Qingmei encouraged her: "Think about the outstanding women from all walks of life you met on Women's Day. Do you want to be outstanding too? Do you want to be one of them again? Do you want to be one of the women who hold up half the sky?"

Zhao Xiaoxing immediately straightened her chest, thinking that there was not only a driver inside, but also a fighter pilot speaking to them.

If she can't fly a plane, she can probably drive a tractor, right? But after driving a tractor, I wonder if she'll have time to make clothes for others.

Qingmei added, "Driving a tractor won't affect your career. You only run it twice a year, once for spring plowing and once for autumn harvest. You earn twice as many work points as others. The rest of the time you can play with your needles and thread. How wonderful is that?"

Yes, wouldn’t it be a perfect career for her to earn money by driving a tractor?

Zhao Xiaoxing then became more determined to become a female tractor driver.

Captain Jin, who was standing in the middle of the threshing ground, finished telling the previous stories, and it turned out to be just as Qingmei had said, that he was openly selecting tractor drivers with the villagers.

Before the men signed up, Qingmei and Zhao Xiaoxing raised their hands to sign up first.

Everyone was very reserved. This job was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but they were also afraid of being accused of being too eager for advancement without considering the collective effort. If they raised their hands a moment too late, Qingmei and Zhao Xiaoxing would have taken the lead.

Captain Jin was naturally happy. She knew the source of the stolen money and encouraged her female compatriots to bravely demonstrate their abilities.

When I saw them raise their hands, I immediately asked someone to come over with pen and paper to register.

Zhao Xiaoxing can write her name. After writing her name, she looked up and saw several young men lined up behind her.

The person waiting to sign up behind her was none other than Huang Wenbi.

Huang Wenbi saw that she actually wanted to drive a tractor and said to his friends, "Anyone can sign up. What do you call this? This is just wishful thinking."

The two people next to him are also some weirdos. They don't have anything important to do on weekdays, and no one takes care of them at home. When good things happen to them, they like to try their luck.

Some men were indeed surprised to see a woman wanting to be a tractor driver, but they all kept it to themselves. Only they, thinking Zhao Xiaoxing was easy to bully, stood aside and made sarcastic remarks.

Unfortunately, they don’t know that Zhao Xiaoxing is no longer the Zhao Xiaoxing who was bullied by her husband’s family and had no love from her own family.

She has her own strong spiritual role model - Qingmei.

Qingmei was younger than her, but she had walked the path ahead of her. He showed her a different kind of sky, brought her into contact with the outstanding female comrades in the city, and let her know that women also had their own strengths, and none of them were inferior to male comrades, and some were even more outstanding!

After being influenced by her surroundings these days, she doesn't think there is anything wrong with being a tractor driver.

"Why can men be tractor drivers but women can't? Why do you think women are unfit to be tractor drivers?"

Zhao Xiaoxing blocked their way, stiffening her neck and saying, "In the village, all the jobs that pay high work points are always taken up by you men. For the same work, men earn eight work points, while women earn six. Why is that?"

The Zhao Xiaoxing of the past would never have said such a thing. She worked just as hard as men before. There were many men who slacked off at work. She worked more than them but earned less than them.

Qingmei stood quietly beside her and let Zhao Xiaoxing speak for herself this time, so that she would dare to stand up.

Huang Wenbi crossed his arms and said, "Can you please stop bringing up the past? Captain Jin has already applied for equal pay for men and women this year. You'll both get eight work points."

Zhao Xiaoxing said, "The tractor driver gets sixteen work points."

Huang Wenbi smiled contemptuously and turned his head to the brother next to him and said, "This person has a big appetite. She really thinks she can do anything just because she is a heroine."

Those people laughed in unison.

Qingmei looked at Zhao Xiaoxing's increasingly red face and finally spoke up, "A hero is a hero, regardless of gender. Just like a tractor driver, as long as they drive well, they are all tractor drivers, regardless of gender."

Huang Wenbi looked at Qingmei nonchalantly, without any sign of trying to get her to stay. This time, he sneered and said, "Okay, since you've already signed up, let's see what you can do."

Zhao Xiaoxing shouted, "What's the big deal about being a tractor driver? Not only do I want to be a tractor driver, I also want to go to college in the future."

Huang Wenbi's face froze. Some people in the village had already known that he had been expelled from the Workers and Peasants University. He thought Zhao Xiaoxing knew about it too and took her words as a provocation.

He said coldly, "If you could be a tractor driver, you wouldn't have to add oil to the tractor. I'd lick the tires for you."

Zhao Xiaoxing also smiled coldly and said, "Okay, we'll see."

After Huang Wenbi and the others left, Zhao Xiaoxing cried out, "Oh my god!" and rushed over to hug Qingmei, saying, "I actually got into a fight with a bunch of guys."

Qingmei smiled and said, "You behaved very well today. I'll give you a fried egg as a reward tonight."

Zhao Xiaoxing said happily, "Then it needs to be fried in a lot of oil." She took Qingmei's arm and said, "What do you use tractor oil for?"

Qingmei said, "It's used to lubricate the machine, making it run more smoothly."

Zhao Xiaoxing said, "How do you know everything? I wish I knew everything like you do. Oh, and you said you could teach me how to drive a tractor. Go back and teach me! I'm determined to get rid of Huang Wenbi."

Qingmei also doesn't want Huang Wenbi to get this job.

It takes six people to take turns driving three tractors. There are at least seventy or eighty people in Donghe Village vying for this job. Huang Wenbi cannot be complacent.

Many people from Donghe Village signed up, but few knew how to drive a tractor. Qingmei decided to ask Captain Jin what type of tractor to buy so she could train Zhao Xiaoxing.

Anyway, she can drive and knows everything about driving. She understands the models and the operating principles. She can let Zhao Xiaoxing simulate driving at home in advance.

Captain Jin told the applicants, "The tractors will be delivered next Tuesday. People from the tractor factory will provide training for everyone for a week. The six best drivers will be selected as tractor drivers."

Huang Wenbi knew that Captain Jin was leaning towards Qingmei, so he asked in front of everyone, "How do we select the candidates? You can't just choose whoever you want, right?"

Captain Jin knew that no one would be convinced by his claim that someone was the real person, so he simply said, "We'll hold a meeting and vote when the time comes!"

Huang Wenbi and the others were satisfied now, and smiled provocatively at Qingmei and Zhao Xiaoxing.

After registering, those who have something to do can leave first, and those who have nothing to do can sit and wait to watch the model opera movie.

Zhao Xiaoxing likes to watch the battlefield medical worker Bai Ru in "Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy".

Zhao Xiaoxing likes Bai Ru very much because of her integrity, courage, warmth and kindness. In her eyes, Qing Mei is just like Bai Ru, a character who brings her strength and courage in the face of adversity.

Whenever this movie was shown, she would drag Qingmei over to watch it. Today was no exception. Although she was angry with Huang Wenbi, she still sat down and watched the movie obediently.

Halfway through, Bai Ru finally came out.

Zhao Xiaoxing shook her head and said along with the lines, "I want to fight with my comrades and contribute my own strength to the cause of liberation!"

As she spoke, she changed the words. Bai Ru's image was displayed on the big screen, and she followed the lines, saying, "I want to fight alongside Comrade Qingmei and contribute my own strength to the cause of women in Donghe Village!"

Qingmei looked at her deeply and felt that Zhao Xiaoxing seemed to have suddenly awakened.

People who used to revolve around their parents-in-law now dare to fight for their own jobs among men. This change is huge.

After watching the normal movie, many children imitated the classic dialogue between the protagonist Yang Zirong and Zuoshandiao on the way back.

Qingmei found it interesting and asked, "Why are you blushing?"

Zhao Xiaoxing, a true fan of "Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy," immediately responded with the following sentence: "Refreshed!"

"Why is it yellow again?"

"Anti-cold wax."

After saying this, the two of them burst into laughter, and many people along the way looked over.

Seeing that it was them, he responded with a gentle smile.

The folks in Donghe Village are generally good, with only a few who are not so good, but they do not affect the good atmosphere of the entire village.

Qingmei was taken care of by many fellow villagers in her previous life, both openly and secretly. Although she has few opportunities to interact with them in this life, she remembers their kindness in many things.

This time, we're building houses to provide better food as a way of repaying everyone. This is also why we support the road construction and tractor purchases.

The two of them returned to Zhao Wuhe's house to rest. Zhao Wuhe was not at home for the past two days. The weather was fine, so she went to Beijing to visit Gu Qingzhou's grandmother and would be back the day after tomorrow.

Gu Qingzhou went back to the army temporarily and took Zhao Wuhe with him.

The next day.

The radio broadcast the clear voice of a male educated youth reading, starting each day with quotations from great men.

Qingmei had recently stopped digging the canal and had taken leave to build a house at home. Zhao Xiaoxing followed suit and didn't go either.

They were busy at home when suddenly a little sister came running over and shouted from a distance, "Xing'er! Go to your in-laws' house quickly! Your mother-in-law called Captain Jin over and is telling tales about you behind your back!"

Complain?!

The brick in Zhao Xiaoxing's hand fell to the ground and almost hit her foot.

Qingmei patted her and said, "Don't be afraid, I'll go with you."

She and Zhao Xiaoxing both wondered if they had gone too far recently, causing Sun Qiaoxiang to have an emotional backlash and want to fight to the death with Zhao Xiaoxing.

When she arrived at Li's house, Qingmei realized that she had overthought.

Sun Qiaoxiang specifically called Captain Jin to her home, not to say bad things about Zhao Xiaoxing behind her back.

Zhao Xiaoxing is different now. She doesn't dare to say bad things, but she wants to divorce and get rid of Zhao Xiaoxing's oppression. She has to secretly call Captain Jin home, and the family members talk to each other about their consciences.

Tears welled up in Sun Qiaoxiang's eyes. "My eldest daughter-in-law is the best to me. She's always been so kind to me. She's always been there to take care of our two paralyzed children, and she even works outside to support us. We can't bear to go on like this, so we're thinking of asking Captain Jin to make the decision and convince Zhao Xiaoxing to divorce my eldest son."

Li Xianjin lay on the kang and looked at the ceiling. He really couldn't eat bran porridge anymore. He would rather lick his elbow than eat that stuff.

He couldn't move, but the tone of his voice showed his desperate plea: "My mother is right, she is so good. I can't drag her down any longer."

His cheek still hurt as he spoke.

Yesterday, because he said something bad about Zhao Xiaoxing, his mother rushed over and started beating him left and right. After beating him, she realized that Zhao Xiaoxing was not at home.

The whole family was shocked when they saw Zhao Xiaoxing. It was easy to invite a Buddha, but difficult to send him away. Who could have imagined that this situation would come to this?

All the delicious food and drinks at home went into Zhao Xiaoxing's stomach. The only old hen in the house didn't dare to lay eggs when she saw Zhao Xiaoxing, for fear that she would stew them with mushrooms.

She was living a life of luxury and no longer cared about her family!

Qingmei accompanied Zhao Xiaoxing outside the door and listened for a while, then said to her, "What do you think?"

Zhao Xiaoxing placed her hands on her belly and spoke slowly, "If they had given me a chance to live, I wouldn't have aborted the baby. It's too late to regret now. I'm not the same Zhao Xiaoxing anymore. I won't let them control me."

As she spoke, she turned her head and looked at Qingmei in the night: "Will you think I'm bad? Will I become a cruel and vicious person like Sun Xiufen?"

Qingmei came over and hugged the trembling Zhao Xiaoxing. "No matter how much a person changes, the things in their bones never change. Whether it's the Zhao Xiaoxing of the past, the Zhao Xiaoxing of the present, or the Zhao Xiaoxing who will drive a tractor in the future, in my heart you are you, and nothing has changed."

It was Zhao Xiaoxing who treasured the discarded medicinal residues from others, was reluctant to drink them herself, and gave them to her sick Qingmei like a treasure.

It was Zhao Xiaoxing who couldn't eat dumplings during the Chinese New Year, but she was not afraid of being beaten and scolded by her in-laws, but she still stole some meat filling and noodles so that she and her grandmother could have a good New Year.

It was Zhao Xiaoxing who had a home but had to pick bird food from the cracks in the trees just to fill her stomach.

...

"Go ahead. I'll support you no matter what you do. I'll always be by your side." Qingmei held Zhao Xiaoxing's hand and said, "I believe in you."

Zhao Xiaoxing sniffed habitually, and said with a simple smile, "I knew you understood me best in this world."

Qingmei watched her go in and followed a few steps behind her.

Sun Xiufen continued to say to Captain Jin, "I feel so sorry for my daughter-in-law. She has such a hard life living in a family like ours. Captain Jin, you're also a woman, you know how bad this kind of family is for her. I want to love and protect her. We all treat her like family. Please persuade her to divorce Li Xianjin. She has a better life ahead of her."

Qingmei stood by the door frame and suddenly said, "Shouldn't it be family?"

Only then did Sun Xiufen and Li Xianjin realize that they were actually standing at the door. Sun Xiufen was so scared that her legs were shaking and she sat down on the ground.

Captain Jin couldn't bear to watch her anymore and pulled her to sit on the kang. She had been crying for so long, and she must be old and not energetic enough.

Not only Captain Jin but also Secretary Wang were at home. Secretary Wang had long heard about what the Li family had done and that both daughters-in-law were bullied by them.

Qingmei has grown up now and wants to separate from them.

There is also Zhao Xiaoxing who is close to Qingmei and regards Qingmei as a role model. She should also choose to divorce and separate the family, right?

Captain Jin turned around and saw Zhao Xiaoxing glaring at Sun Xiufen and Li Xianjin with a stern face.

Sun Xiufen quickly stood in front of Li Xianjin. Li Xianjin turned to the wall with only his neck that could move, not daring to look at Zhao Xiaoxing.

Li Laoer was sleeping without breathing, and his whole body was stinking. Now there was no place for him to speak in the house.

Captain Jin walked up to Zhao Xiaoxing and asked, "Your mother-in-law and Li Xianjin both want to divorce you, hoping to stop burdening you. What's your opinion? Can you tell us in front of everyone?"

Captain Jin thought the same as Secretary Wang: Zhao Xiaoxing would definitely be eager to leave the Li family, as this place was like a hell.

Zhao Xiaoxing glanced at Li Xianjin, her eyes full of disgust.

Perhaps her gaze was too painful for Li Xianjin, so he turned his head back and murmured, "I beg you, please let me go...let yourself go."

Zhao Xiaoxing walked to the edge of the kang, looked down at him and said, "Do you still remember how you married me to the Li family?"

Li Xianjin was so drunk and merry that he didn't remember anything about that day. He only remembered how he felt at the time: he just felt like he had someone to serve him.

Zhao Xiaoxing knew he wouldn't remember, so before Li Xianjin could explain, she sat on the edge of the kang and began to recall, "We haven't spoken yet. Your family heard I could work, so they sent someone to propose to my family a week in advance. They said it was a 50-yuan gift, but they were short on money so they had to pay it on the wedding day. My mother agreed."

No one discussed these matters with her.

Li Xianjin suddenly remembered and said quickly: "I, I am not——"

Zhao Xiaoxing said, "On the day of our wedding, you only gave my mother ten yuan, and you knelt before her, saying you would live a good life with me, and you vowed to treat me well."

At this point, Zhao Xiaoxing sneered, "The day after we got married, you made me do all the dirty work at home, and you took the money given as gifts and went out drinking for a month. When you were not at home, I had to take care of my parents-in-law and I dared not neglect them at all. For ten yuan, I bought a long-term worker and didn't have to feed him enough. What a bargain."

Secretary Wang couldn't help but ask, "Are you still human?"

Li Xianjin had nothing to say and stared blankly at the ceiling.

Zhao Xiaoxing suddenly smiled. She walked over and touched Li Xianjin's forehead, which scared Li Xianjin so much that he shrank his neck.

Zhao Xiaoxing stroked his hair like she was petting a puppy and said, "It's okay. I love you."

Normally, Zhao Xiaoxing couldn't bring herself to say this, but now, in front of Captain Jin and Secretary Wang, she spoke fluently, "Because I love you, I don't count all the sacrifices I've made. I've served your family for six and a half years, and I have no regrets. You used to say, 'Once I marry into your family, I belong to them in life and their ghost in death.' Now that my in-laws are facing difficulties, how can I just walk away?"

Sun Xiufen almost couldn't catch her breath. She understood what Zhao Xiaoxing meant and pointed at her and said, "You, are you going to get a divorce or not?"

Zhao Xiaoxing turned to look at her and said, "Grandma, I love you too. You've been so good to me. I haven't been able to have children with your family, and now I finally have a grandson, but he miscarried. I'm sorry for your family, but I love you."

Captain Jin frowned and looked at Secretary Wang.

Secretary Wang is young and thoughtful. Seeing that two members of the Li family were paralyzed and one grandson was not born, he couldn't help but think that it was retribution for the bad things his family had done. Otherwise, why didn't other families have the same problem?

Qingmei stood by the door frame, with only Zhao Xiaoxing in her eyes.

She remained silent, but as long as she was here, Zhao Xiaoxing had enough courage to speak her mind.

This is the trust and confidence that Qingmei gave her.

Sun Xiufen's words were trembling as she said in disbelief, "What do you mean?"

Zhao Xiaoxing felt Qingmei's gaze, she turned her head and smiled at Qingmei, then turned her gaze to Sun Xiufen again.

She glanced at Sun Xiufen and then at the trembling Li Xianjin, and smiled faintly: "What else can it mean? I won't divorce you, I absolutely do not agree to divorce. I will serve you all my life, I will take care of your whole family until the end of their lives."

Sun Xiufen screamed, "You're crazy! You're crazy! You want to take revenge on our entire family! You're so cruel!"

Li Xianjin collapsed and burst into tears. If possible, he would kneel down and beg Zhao Xiaoxing to divorce him!

Just then, boom!

A sound.

Sun Xiufen was so stimulated by Zhao Xiaoxing that she could not sit still and fell face down to the ground and fainted.

Zhao Xiaoxing looked at Qingmei cunningly and blinked.