Chapter 78 Meeting
"Oh, auntie, are you okay?" Liang Hui helped pick up the dishes and chopsticks. Fortunately, the old house was made of soil instead of cement, so the bowl was not broken.
Wang Lan's face darkened, and her eyes were filled with anxiety: "Dahui, what will happen if this gets out of hand?"
Liang Hui scratched his head and said, "Auntie, think about it, if this is just a misunderstanding, it's fine. But if it's true, then Brother Ma's career change will be in jeopardy. He may have to pay for his medical expenses in the future. If he finds a job based on his own ability in the future, it will also be a black mark."
"Then...what should I do?" Wang Lan was at a loss.
"Auntie, I just came to tell you something. My dad said that he agreed to Ye Xiaolin and her mother's request and will gather some prestigious elders in our village tomorrow. He will preside over the meeting in the courtyard of our brigade headquarters. Don't forget to invite Brother Ma over. As for Xiaomei, I think it's better not to let her know for the time being."
When Wang Lan heard about the meeting, sweat broke out on her back. Ever since the land was distributed to each household, the yard of the brigade headquarters had not been used, and nothing major had happened in the past few years that required a meeting.
It seems that Ye's mother is determined to make Qijun responsible, but what should Xiaomei do?
By the time Wang Lan came to her senses, Liang Hui had already left. Only then did she remember that Xiao Mei couldn't keep it a secret.
In the yard, Xiao Mei was imitating her mother-in-law by scattering a few handfuls of rice husks in the chicken coop and moving a small bowl of wheat bran. After finishing these tasks, she sat down in the main hall:
"Mom, what's wrong? What did Brother Hui say to you?" Otherwise, why would her face look so ugly?
Wang Lan slowly looked at her daughter-in-law, tears welling up in her eyes: "I'm sorry for making you suffer."
"I don't feel wronged. Brother Ma has never done anything wrong to me. Why should I feel wronged?" Ye Xiaomei has always thought that her mother-in-law is a very smart and capable woman. Why is she so upset now?
Wang Lan then breathed a sigh of relief and told him about the meeting.
Ye Xiaomei's heart sank. She hadn't slept a wink all night. If something so fictitious as this was brought to the forefront of a big meeting, then it would not only be a matter of distinguishing truth from falsehood, but even something that didn't happen would be made to seem real.
The next morning, the dilapidated courtyard of the brigade headquarters was packed with people; even a row of unemployed young men were riding on the wall.
Folks from far away came here in a crowd, carrying stools from their homes. Before the meeting even started, the crowd became lively.
"This story sounds corny, but Ma Qijun is quite capable, he got both sisters."
"That's right. I've always thought he was smart and steady, but I never thought he would be such a person."
"Isn't it? You said that if you married Ye Xiaolin, all the problems would be solved."
“If the Ma family doesn’t take responsibility, I will never forgive them.” Wang Minzhi and her mother-in-law Li Cuilan also arrived. As soon as they entered the door, they declared their sovereignty in an imposing manner.
Wang Minzhi carried three mats and stood at the front of the crowd. She helped Ye Xiaolin sit down first. There were two tables against the wall, which were reserved for the village chief and the director of the Women's Federation.
Everyone saw that Ye Xiaolin's face was pale, as if he could be blown down by a gust of wind. The folks sighed and shook their heads in distress.
"Don't be afraid, Xiaolin. We'll take care of everything for you."
Ye Xiaolin nodded sincerely and wiped away her tears of grievance.
It was almost noon when the village chief Liang Guodong came in with his hands behind his back and a teacup in his hand. Following him was Feng Chunlian, the director of the Women's Federation who was sent from the county to supervise the situation.
As soon as she sat down, Wang Minzhi threw herself on the table and started crying: "Director Feng, Village Chief Liang, you have to make a decision for my daughter."
Ye Xiaolin saw this and clenched his fists tightly, success or failure depended on this one move.
Director Feng quickly helped Wang Minzhi up and said, "Don't worry, as long as the situation is true, I will definitely take care of it for you."
"Eh? Where are the Ma family members?" Liang Guodong stretched his neck and looked around for a long time but couldn't find the protagonist: "Who is that? Goudan, hurry up and go to the Ma family and invite them over."
As they were talking, Wang Lan walked in with her head down and a wave of discussion immediately broke out in the room.
"I used to think Wang Da Laba had a way of educating children, but I didn't expect that he taught such a bad boy."
"Of course not. We don't know how Ma Qijun got into the military academy."
Every word hit Wang Lan's heart.
Seeing that Wang Lan no longer had the courage she used to have, Ye Xiaolin raised his chin. It was clear that he was halfway to success, but why didn't Ma Qijun come?
"Wang Lan, you sit here." Liang Guodong pointed to the front row, right next to the Ye family: "Where are the Qijun people?"
Wang Lan sat down slowly and said uneasily, "He is working in the county. My daughter-in-law went to notify him. He should be here soon."
Liang Guodong nodded and whispered to Feng Chunlian beside him: "Why don't you do a public survey first."
Feng Chunlian nodded and said, "Fellow villagers, please be quiet for a moment and listen to what I have to say."
Instantly, the scene fell silent: "Those of you who know the situation and can prove that Comrade Ma Qijun and Comrade Ye Xiaolin are dating, including the progress of their relationship, please tell us the details one by one."
The news of Ma Qijun coming out of the cowshed that day had long been widely spread. The five or six people who saw it with their own eyes were like a blower, inciting more than 20 people to say that they had seen it with their own eyes.
The villagers who knew the family well often saw Ye Xiaolin going in and out of the Ma family. At that time, everyone could prove that Ye Xiaolin had become the future daughter-in-law of the Ma family.
"Wang Lan, as Ma Qijun's mother, are these things true?" Feng Chunlian's expression was serious. The most common cases she handled every year were conflicts between couples. This kind of thing had happened before, so she was obviously very familiar with it.
Wang Lan felt like she was sitting on pins and needles, and she looked back at the door from time to time: "It is true."
"That's the truth." Feng Chunlian picked up a pen and started writing and drawing on the notebook.
Squeak! The sound of a bicycle brake was heard, and Ma Qijun put one foot on the bicycle leg and strode in.
"It's coming, it's finally here."
The villagers immediately became very excited, as if the show was officially about to begin.
"Uncle Liang, Aunt Feng." Ma Qijun limped forward and greeted them first, then turned around to look at Ye Xiaolin.
Ye Xiaolin's eyes seemed to be slightly evasive, and Wang Minzhi quickly poked her daughter with her elbow. It had come to this critical moment, and they couldn't show any sign of retreat.
"Tell me, here are the confessions of the villagers." Feng Chunlian turned the notebook over to him.
Ma Qijun glanced at it casually and couldn't help but frowning: "I haven't done anything, but you guys are talking about it as if you saw it with your own eyes."
“…”
"How is that possible? We've been together for so many years."
"Yes, I saw them both in the bullpen."
"Quiet down for a moment." Liang Guodong couldn't stand it anymore. They were all chattering in a meeting, as if they were having a group quarrel.
Ye Xiaolin stood up slowly, tears in her eyes: "You know what you have done. You have the courage to do it but not the courage to admit it. Are you still a man?"
At this moment, the sound of the tractor suddenly stopped. Everyone turned around and saw Ye Xiaomei jumping down from the carriage. She then helped Ma Juaner and pulled her into the courtyard.
His young wife looked quite serious today, but a girl's serious expression always made people feel funny. When he saw his wife coming, he supported his knees and sat next to Wang Lan.
"Why didn't you come back with Xiaomei?" Wang Lan asked her son in a low voice.
"She asked Liang Hui to drive the tractor and told me to ride back first because she had something else to do." Ma Qijun answered hastily.
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