Chapter 79 Collapse Her words sounded just like something a villainous second female lead would say…

Qian Haishen went to the Tonggan production team and knocked on the Li family's door, but no one answered.

He glanced at his watch. At this time, the villagers should all be in the fields. Qian Haishen wondered to himself, "Did Li Rou go to work in the fields as soon as she returned to her parents' home? And what about Qianqian? Is she in the fields too?" He was sure he could bring the mother and daughter back. Wasn't life in the city a hundred times better than doing farm work in the countryside?

Qian Haishen then went to the fields, but there wasn't a soul in the vast farmland.

However, Qian Haishen heard some noise and followed the sound. He finally saw people busy by the river at the foot of the mountain. He also saw the Li family members, including Li Rou.

Just as Qian Haishen raised his hand to call for help, a dark figure suddenly darted out from the bushes beside him!

The large black dog rushed out and barked fiercely at Qian Haishen. Caught off guard, he staggered backward and fell to the ground. From this angle, the dog looked even more terrifying, and he froze, afraid to move.

The people who were busy building the hydroelectric power station building all turned to look when they heard the barking of the dog, and saw Qian Haishen's disheveled state.

"brown sugar--"

Li Rongshi immediately strode over. He couldn't help but pat the black dog's head, silently praising it before stopping Hongtang's barking. When he looked up at Qian Haishen, his expression darkened, and he asked irritably, "What are you doing here?"

Seeing that the country folk were making a spectacle of him, Qian Haishen quickly got up from the ground, feeling ashamed and angry. He couldn't help but speak with a hint of irritation, "Second brother, what's wrong with the dog you keep at home? Why isn't it leashed?"

"This is my fourth sister-in-law's dowry dog, I have no say in it." Li Rongshi's anger flared up as he looked at the person in front of him. "If you have nothing to say, get out of here!"

Qian Haishen quickly grabbed Li Rongshi, who was about to turn and leave, and said, "Second Brother, I've come to take Xiaorou and Qianqian back."

Seeing the situation, Li Ming knew that there would be some arguing for a while, so he looked apologetically at the other members of the Tonggan production team and said, "I'm sorry, my family's matter will take up some time. Everyone, please take a rest."

Everyone said it was alright, and that Captain Li and his family should go ahead and handle things; they didn't need to rest and could continue working.

The villagers didn't rest, but between work they couldn't help but glance at the Li family members out of the corner of their eyes, their faces beaming with excitement: "Is that the man who's missing an egg? You really can't tell from his appearance!"

Qian Haishen looked at his father-in-law, mother-in-law, elder brother, and sister-in-law who had come over besides Li Rongshi. He felt a little weak. Even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake. He suddenly didn't have the confidence to take Li Rou and Qianqian back.

However, these family members were Li Rou's source of confidence. She didn't hide behind her parents or her brother and sister-in-law, but walked straight up to Qian Haishen, looking him directly in the eye, and asked, "What are you doing here? Here for a divorce?"

Qian Haishen reached out to pull her, but Li Rou dodged him. He felt annoyed at being embarrassed, but forced a smile and said, "Stop it, Xiao Rou, let's talk about it at home—"

“That’s your home, not mine,” Li Rou interrupted him. “This is my home.”

Li Rou knew what nonsense Qian Haishen was going to spout, so she didn't bother listening and said directly, "I won't leave. From now on, you can come live with our production team, and we can continue living together."

Qian Haishen immediately retorted, "How can that be? I'm not from here, I don't know anyone here—"

He was silenced by the sarcastic smile that appeared on Li Rou's lips.

"So you knew too..." Li Rou smiled self-deprecatingly, without any sadness, more like she had seen the truth again.

Disheartened, she didn't want to talk to Qian Haishen anymore, so she turned around and left, thinking she might as well go back and move two stone bricks.

"Xiaorou, listen to me. I can't just give up my good job as a projectionist. My parents are still in the city. Let's go back to the city and live there..." Qian Haishen tried to chase after her, but Li Rongshi pushed him against his chest to block him.

Li Rongshi's eyes were full of impatience. "Stop bothering my sister. She doesn't want to live with you anymore, and she won't go to live in the city anymore."

Qian Haishen glanced at the faces of the people in front of him in shock. No one objected; they had all agreed to Li Rou's reckless actions!

“The divorce is a must,” Li Ming, as the patriarch, said. “Since you’ve come all the way from the city, my youngest daughter-in-law should already be in the city communicating with the women’s federation people there…”

Zhong Ying was indeed standing in front of the Women's Federation staff. She extended a hand and said calmly and politely, "Hello, I am the women's team leader of the Xiatonggan Production Team of Liuzhang Commune in Chaolan County. I am here today to discuss the divorce between Li Rou, a female member of my production team, and Qian Haishen from the county town."

The women from the Women's Federation were stunned by Zhong Ying. In the past, the women they had received had been crying and complaining, but they had never seen anyone with such an imposing presence before.

By the time they came to their senses, they were already reading the letter Zhong Ying had handed them.

The document clearly states the woman's identity, the reasons for the marital breakdown, and the parties' claims for divorce.

After reading it aloud word by word, the women's federation officer, a woman in her fifties, adjusted her glasses, exchanged a glance with her colleague, and then spoke to get back on track, "Okay, we have a general understanding of the situation. Actually, it's not serious enough to warrant divorce yet. We will cooperate and help mediate—"

Deng Xia, who entered the room with Zhong Ying, exclaimed, "No need for mediation! What's the point of having a man who can't have children?"

The women's federation staff were all dazed. The words sounded so familiar; they seemed to have heard them a few days ago, though the original words back then were something like, "What's the point of having a woman who can't have children?" They never imagined that one day the subject of those words would be men...

Officer Zhang couldn't help but ask, "Could there be some mistake somewhere?"

“That’s right, I heard Qian Haishen say it himself, and the person involved said it with his own ears. He has a problem.” Zhong Ying smiled. “He and his parents deliberately committed marriage fraud.”

Deng Xia and her daughter worked together, "There's no mistake. If you don't believe me, you can call this guy surnamed Qian over for a checkup and see if he only has one egg!"

The elderly Qian couple were called to the Women's Federation for mediation. As soon as they entered, they heard a loud voice shouting something about "an egg".

When the women's federation staff saw the two, all they could think about was "an egg," mainly because they had heard it so many times that they had been somewhat brainwashed.

Qian's mother hurried along. When she saw Zhong Ying and another unfamiliar middle-aged rural woman, she immediately glared at Zhong Ying, whom she recognized, and scolded, "What, it's you again? What are you doing here to cause trouble again?!"

“I’m here to talk to you about the divorce,” Zhong Ying said calmly.

Mr. Qian couldn't help but frown. "This is a family matter, and it has nothing to do with you."

“How can it be none of my business?” Zhong Ying laughed. “When you kept calling him a ‘dead man,’ didn’t you ever think that he was my husband, your daughter-in-law’s own brother?”

Hearing this, the people nearby all looked at the elderly Qian couple. So there was some grudge between them! Really, how could they say such hurtful things!

Li Linshi felt a sweet warmth in his heart and couldn't help but glance at Zhong Ying.

Deng Xia's eyes blazed with fury as she looked at the elderly couple. She knew they had kicked her daughter out of the house late at night, and her fighting spirit immediately surged with anger. "Is it because you two are so wicked that your son wasn't born a complete man? He's missing an egg and still comes to ruin a perfectly good girl. No wonder you're all so wicked! You only have one egg and you still want a boy? You blame the soil for the bad seed. We who toil in the fields wouldn't do that!"

Although Mr. and Mrs. Qian looked down on their daughter-in-law for being from the countryside, Li Rou was gentle in nature. This was the first time they had faced the fierce and shrewish nature of a rural woman. She kept saying things like "not a complete man" and "missing an egg," exposing all the things they had been trying to hide.

Mother Qian was so angry she was panting, "You, you're talking nonsense!"

"Let's see what it's made of, let's take it out for a spin, let's see what it's like to have one testicle or two." Deng Xia was fearless, deeply understanding that facts speak louder than words.

Zhong Ying and her mother exchanged glances, and Zhong Ying secretly gave Deng Xia a "well done" look.

If these words came from Zhong Ying, the Qian couple would attack her, shifting the focus from Qian Haishen's problem to criticizing her for being a young widow who said such things. But if her mother said them, there would be no such problem. So Deng Xia is essentially Zhong Ying's mouthpiece, and the mother and daughter seem to have a telepathic connection, working together quite well so far.

Mr. Qian remained defiant, saying, "My son personally went to pick up his wife from her parents' home today, so what divorce is there to speak of! Besides, why would someone take off their pants to prove themselves just because of a false accusation!"

“He can’t bring her back,” Zhong Ying said, pointing to the letter in the hand of the Women’s Federation officer. “It was written by my sister herself; she wants a divorce. According to the principles of divorce under the Marriage Law, if one party insists on a divorce and mediation fails, the divorce must be granted. Now we are not accepting mediation because the man deliberately concealed his own problems and intentionally committed marriage fraud.”

Zhong Ying then looked directly at the women's federation staff and said, "This is a time when these pitiful women comrades need the most help from their class sisters. Are you still going to speak up for a disabled man and advise him to reconcile rather than separate?"

What can the comrades from the Women's Federation say when she puts them on such a high pedestal?

Seeing that the situation was turning bad, Mr. Qian immediately interjected, "Our family doesn't want a divorce! These are all lies fabricated by the woman!"

Qian's mother quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, comrades from the Women's Federation, you must stand on our side and help mediate. Why should a perfectly good young couple get divorced!"

Zhong Ying looked at the two of them, her beautiful, bright eyes narrowing slightly, and said threateningly, "Uncle and Aunt, do you want Qian Haishen's secret to be known by everyone?"

After saying that, Zhong Ying was stunned for a moment. Her words sounded too much like the lines a villainous second female lead would say.

Mr. and Mrs. Qian were intimidated by Zhong Ying for a few seconds, but then they dismissed her words. What big talk did this country girl have? This was the county seat, where they had lived for decades, not her rural backyard! Trying to threaten people on their turf—how ridiculous!

The first round of matches ended without a clear conclusion and on bad terms.

After leaving the Women's Federation, Zhong Ying and Deng Xia went to the supply and marketing cooperative. First, they ordered the water turbine, and then they bought half a pound of loose fruit hard candy at the candy and pastry counter. Zhong Ying had to ask Yu Jing to exchange grain for the candy coupons.

Deng Xia watched as her daughter bought another large sheet of white paper, cut it into four smaller sheets at the guesthouse, and started painting with the paints and brushes she had brought. Deng Xia couldn't quite understand what her daughter was trying to do.

"The Qian family doesn't agree to a divorce, what should we do?" Deng Xia worried. "You still have the mind to paint."

Zhong Ying shook her finger mysteriously, "This is no ordinary painting." It was "material" that she was going to specially make for Qian Haishen.

After a moment's thought, Zhong Ying quickly sketched an eye-catching title and illustrations on the paper, while saying, "Mom, can you help me color them? Color this part red. We need to finish these before we leave tomorrow..."

——

Qian Haishen went alone and returned alone. The Li family showed him no mercy in front of those outsiders and did not allow him to stay overnight. Qian Haishen was also annoyed and stayed at the town's guesthouse for one night before hurriedly returning to the county town.

As for the complaints filed by Qian's parents, Qian Haishen, like his parents, didn't take Zhong Ying seriously. What could a girl in her early twenties possibly do?

Qian Haishen continued to go to and from get off work at the film management station as usual.

Several young children were running and playing in the yard, nearly bumping into Qian Haishen and his colleagues who were on their way home from get off work.

“These boys are really something,” Qian Haishen frowned, his gaze falling on the girls playing jump rope on the other side, thinking of his daughter Qian Qian. “Girls are so much easier to deal with.”

But then, Qian Haishen heard the nursery rhyme the girls were singing as they jumped around, and he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

"Add a sea cucumber and an egg, and you'll eat it even if you have no teeth; inferior seeds will bear no fruit, and all your efforts will be in vain..."

A colleague found it amusing, saying, "Who wrote this nursery rhyme? At first listen, I thought it was about you, Qian Haishen."

Qian Haishen couldn't laugh. "Adding sea cucumber to the front"—isn't that just Qian Haishen from the Qian family?! "No teeth" is calling him shameless! The following sentence is almost a direct accusation that he only has one egg and therefore can't have a son!

Qian Haishen was afraid that his colleagues would think too much about it and then think of him, so he quickly pulled the person forward, saying, "They're just kids, they're just singing nonsense."

The girls, left behind by them, got tired of jumping. They pulled a fruit candy from their pockets and popped it into their mouths. Ah, life is so wonderful!

Although Qian Haishen felt guilty, he calmed down with the comfort of his parents. People who didn't know the inside story wouldn't even think about him. That country girl's tricks were nothing special.

But just two days later, Qian Haishen stared in horror at the paper posted on the bulletin board outside the film management station, which still stood out among all the movie posters.

"Hey, I thought it was a poster for a new movie, but it's just a science magazine." My colleague stroked his chin, staring at the eye-catching headline "Caring for Men Starts with Me," and then seeing the smaller print below, "Beware of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, Pay Attention to Reproductive Development Problems, Combat Infertility..." He exclaimed in surprise, "Can we men really have so many health issues that require our attention?"

Qian Haishen panicked and rushed over to tear the paper off. "I don't know who scribbled this on, it must be nonsense!"

Qian Haishen's colleague was surprised by his extreme behavior and muttered, "Is it just scribbling? It looks pretty convincing..."

Shortly after the two left, a young man wearing a red armband stood in front of the bulletin board. Upon looking at it, he angrily exclaimed, "Just as the Women's Federation comrades said, someone is maliciously sabotaging the organization's propaganda work!"

He angrily put up a new poster.

When Qian Haishen left work, he couldn't help but glance at the bulletin board again and saw the poster with the eye-catching title. He had clearly torn it down!

How many people walked past or stopped in front of the bulletin board that day, and how many of them had heard that nursery rhyme?

Qian Haishen broke out in a cold sweat, his face pale, as if he could already see his future colleagues pointing and whispering about him... In a panic, he tore the paper off again and crumpled it into a ball.

But the next day, when he came to work, he was there again! The poster was up on the bulletin board again, like a threat closing in!

Qian Haishen pictured Zhong Ying's face, but instead of her pretty features, he pictured her sinister and malicious expression, as if she were a cat playing with a mouse, toying with him with ease.

How could this be? How did she do that? She's just a country girl!

Qian Haishen felt a sense of fear of being ruled. He even started to have wild thoughts. A few days ago it was nursery rhymes, these days it's propaganda posters, will it turn into a radio announcement in a few days? Will it just tear off his fig leaf?

Qian Haishen was so frustrated that he was on the verge of a breakdown. He had nothing to lose, and he couldn't beat that girl!

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Author's note: Zhong Ying: It's just a simple matter of being treated like a Japanese person.