Chapter 122 Going to the Countryside
"Mom, please teach me how to give acupuncture."
The first to speak was Xiao An'an, who was standing next to Zhiyuan.
She was so small, and standing next to her older brother Zhiyuan, she looked even more adorable and cute. When she looked up at Qiao Xingyue with her little head held high, she also had a lively and clever air about her.
Her bright, large eyes reflected boundless adoration for her mother.
"It was so satisfying when Mom stabbed the bad guys. I want to learn how to do it too!"
Ningning followed her sister's lead, raising her head and adding, "Mom, I want to learn how to prick needles too, to prick bad people."
An'an and Ningning stood on either side of their older brother Zhiyuan. Qiao Xingyue bent down, pulled the two children in front of her, and patted their heads one by one. "Want to learn acupuncture?"
"Fourth Aunt," Zhiyuan said excitedly, "I want to learn acupuncture too."
Then, Mingyuan, Chengyuan, and Boyuan all spoke up in unison, "Fourth Aunt, we want to learn acupuncture too."
Qiao Xingyue's gaze swept over the children one by one, and she said with a smile, "Okay, your fourth aunt will teach you acupuncture from now on. You've all seen what's happened at home these past few days. Today, your fourth aunt is going to tell you that we'll be going through a long period of hardship, and you'll all be going to the countryside with the adults. Once you get there, you might not be able to continue your studies. Even if there are schools in the places you're sent to, the conditions might be much harsher than in the city. You need to be prepared to endure hardship."
The eldest brother, Xie Zhi, nodded and said, "Fourth Aunt, as long as our family can be together, we are not afraid of any hardship."
"Good boy!" Qiao Xingyue patted Xie Zhiyuan's head. This boy is tall. In another year or two, he might even surpass her height.
She nodded and said with relief, "In short, we Xie family members must remember one thing: no matter what difficulties we encounter, we must be of one mind as a family."
The children nodded emphatically in unison.
Huang Guilan watched this scene with immense relief, her grateful gaze falling on Qiao Xingyue. "Xingyue, thank goodness this family has you. Otherwise, this family would have fallen apart."
Huang Guilan knew that if Qiao Xingyue hadn't been in the family, she might have agreed with Xie Jiang and her uncle's views and tried to persuade Liping and Xiuxiu to divorce their eldest and second sons.
In doing so, it may seem like the eldest and second sons' wives and children are thinking of the best interests of them, but in reality, it fails to teach the children the valuable spirit of facing difficulties head-on and working together as a family to overcome challenges.
“Xingyue, I think this is a good idea,” Huang Guilan continued. “After you go to the countryside, you can teach the children medicine, acupuncture, and the knowledge and culture of the future. Let them get to know what you’re talking about—airplanes, high-speed trains, computers, mobile phones, smart technology, AI—as early as possible. Let them learn while they work in the fields. They can learn knowledge and also develop a spirit of hard work and perseverance.”
Sitting in the armchair, Chen Suying was completely confused. She looked at Huang Guilan, then at Qiao Xingyue, and asked, "Xingyue, what did your mother say about high-speed rail and airplanes?"
Qiao Xingyue smiled.
Huang Guilan laughed, and then Shen Liping and Sun Xiuxiu also laughed.
In that cheerful laughter, there was no trace of the worry that the man in the house had just been taken away by the security department; instead, there was a sense of relief, like seeing the sun after the fog had cleared.
Chen Suying frowned, looking at her daughter-in-law and three granddaughters-in-law, quite puzzled. "Guilan, what's making you all so relaxed?"
"Grandma, there's something you don't know yet." It was Shen Liping who came to Chen Suying.
She turned back and glanced at Qiao Xingyue, who was standing in front of the children, her gaze pleading. "Xingyue, can I tell Grandma about that?"
Qiao Xingyue thought about it. Although the old lady had experienced a lot of hardships and was quite insightful and optimistic, she was actually the one who was most worried about the family's misfortune.
It would be a good thing if it could comfort the old lady.
She looked at the children and said, "Zhiyuan, take your younger siblings outside to play for a while."
Zhiyuan nodded and called his younger siblings out of the main room, leaving the old lady still sitting in the armchair, looking at Huang Guilan, Shen Liping, Sun Xiuxiu, and Qiao Xingyue with great confusion.
"What's going on? Why do you need to send the kids away?" the old lady asked, puzzled.
After smiling at the old lady, Shen Liping asked Qiao Xingyue, "Xingyue, can I tell Grandma now?"
"good!"
So, Shen Liping told the old lady that Qiao Xingyue had traveled from 50 years in the future.
Whatever Qiao Xingyue told her, she told the old lady the same thing, describing it vividly. Qiao Xingyue told Shen Liping about those future scenes once, and she remembered them all. The future world she described was as lifelike as if it were right in front of her.
Shen Liping also talked about the future policy direction, and then patted the old lady's hand to comfort her, "Grandma, our family will no longer be burdened by our class background. Class background will no longer be a rigid threshold for enrollment, recruitment, enlistment, or joining the Party. Class background will completely disappear from the historical stage."
As the old lady digested what Shen Liping had relayed, just when Huang Guilan and the others thought she didn't believe Qiao Xingyue had transmigrated, the old lady slapped her thigh hard, "I knew our Xingyue was extraordinary! It turns out she has a soul from the future! I see, I see!"
The old lady's enlightened gaze fell on Qiao Xingyue, and she beckoned to her, "Xingyue, come here, come to Grandma."
Qiao Xingyue walked over and sat on the small stool next to the armchair. The old lady pulled her hands over and asked, "Grandma, do you really believe what I said?"
"Why wouldn't I believe you?" The old lady held her hand kindly. "Grandma believes every word Xingyue says. Xingyue, you are the lucky star of our Xie family. With you here, the Xie family will always be united. It's a pity that Grandma can't see the peaceful and prosperous future you described. Even if I can't learn about the future of our country through you, my life will not have been in vain."
Sitting on a small stool, Qiao Xingyue looked up at the old lady who had weathered many storms, her body hunched, her face full of wrinkles, her head full of silver hair, yet her eyes were still bright and alert, as if she were looking up at a star that would never go out.
"Grandma, the future strength and prosperity of our nation will be bought with the blood of you revolutionary predecessors."
"It is also thanks to the hard work and dedication of you outstanding younger generations that we have achieved this."
"Grandma, you've suffered a lot in your life, and even in your old age you still have to come to the countryside with us to suffer. You've worked so hard."
"What are you saying? Didn't you say that as long as the whole family is together, that's better than anything else?"
"Don't worry, Grandma, we will take good care of you and be filial to you after we go to the countryside. There are ten men in our family who can work."
With my father-in-law, the five Xie brothers, and four grandsons, that makes ten men.
They are all laborers.
As long as you have labor power, you can earn work points and get grain; you won't starve.
Qiao Xingyue continued, "And then there are our granddaughters-in-law. I know medicine, my eldest sister-in-law is very knowledgeable, and my second sister-in-law grew up in the countryside and has a lot of skills. What kind of talented people don't we have in our family? Don't you think so, Grandma?"
The old lady patted Qiao Xingyue's hand, beaming from ear to ear, "Yes, yes, yes, everyone in our family is talented."
Seeing the old lady smile, Qiao Xingyue felt relieved.
...
A week later, there was still no news from Xie Zhongming, the men of the Xie family, or Chen Shenghua.
Even asking around is not allowed.
They only said they were being interrogated.
The Chen and Xie families received notices to be sent to the countryside for reform, with their destination being the Tuanjie Production Brigade, a remote mountainous area in Kunming.
It is said that the Xie family's eldest uncle and third uncle's families were sent down to the Northwest.
The Xie and Chen families were going to the Tuanjie Production Brigade, which was located in a remote mountainous area of Kuncheng. The area needed land reclamation and construction, and therefore required labor.
So, the Xie and Chen families were sent to the train station.
Before leaving, Xiao Songhua prepared some supplies for the Xie and Chen families, including medicine, brown sugar, lard, flour, rice, money, tickets, and some food for the train journey. Neither the Xie nor Chen families could take these with them, except for Chen Jiahui.
Except for Chen Jiahui, everyone else in the group had to undergo a body search before leaving.
Xiao Songhua saw Chen Jiahui and the others off at the train station. Chen Jiahui had a thousand words she wanted to say to Xiao Songhua, but in the end, she choked up and could only say, "Songhua, when I return to the city, I will definitely repay you."
Chen Jiahui's eyes were blurry with tears, filled with gratitude.
Standing in front of Chen Jiahui, Xiao Songhua stood ramrod straight, the epaulets on his military uniform making him appear even more upright.
His gaze fell on Chen Jiahui's reddened eyes, his Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and his hand, raised in mid-air, suddenly stopped, his knuckles clenched white.
After a long while, he finally pulled out a neatly folded handkerchief from the pocket of his military uniform jacket. His fingertips trembled slightly, and he handed it to Chen Jia with a pained expression. "Chen Jia, wipe yourself!"
Chen Jiahui took the handkerchief from Xiao Songhua and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.
A strong scent of mothballs wafted into Chen Jiahui's nostrils from the soft handkerchief. She carefully held the handkerchief that belonged to Xiao Songhua.
Xiao Songhua added:
“Jiahui, I didn’t marry you for your gratitude. I was worried that you would suffer in the countryside with Mom and Dad. Don’t worry, I will send you a telegram as soon as Dad, Uncle Xie, and Zhongming and the other brothers have any news.”
Chen Jiahui nodded with satisfaction.
Fortunately, Xiao Songhua got married to her, so she didn't have to go to the countryside for reform due to her family background.
Chen Jiahui went to the Tuanjie Production Brigade in the Kuncheng mountain area as an artist; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to take any of the supplies that Xiao Songhua had prepared for her.
Xiao Songhua, the Yang brothers from Jiangbei, and Zhang Hongmei and Jiang Degui saw the Chen and Xie families off at the train station.
The train they were going to take was parked on the tracks.
Looking at the long, green train, Qiao Xingyue helped the young Chen Suying up and comforted her, "Grandma, although the place we're going to is a remote and impoverished area, we'll only stay there for four years at most, and we'll be able to return to the city soon."
Chen Suying nodded, looking at the Xie family descendants standing in front of her. Although they were going to the countryside for reform, they were all in high spirits, and she also cheered herself up.
Saying goodbye is always sad.
Zhang Hongmei, in particular, was closest to Huang Guilan and Wang Shufen in the compound. However, she witnessed both of their families being sent down for reform and re-education. Before leaving, she gave them many words of advice and instructions, her eyes filled with tears.
Huang Guilan cleared her throat and smiled optimistically, "Hongmei, don't worry, in a few years we will definitely be exonerated and we will definitely be neighbors again."
“Good people will surely be rewarded. Guilan and Shufen, your two families will definitely be exonerated.” Zhang Hongmei’s eyes were red from crying.
Jiang Degui's gaze swept over Xie's grandmother, Huang Guilan, and Wang Shufen, and he said, "As soon as there is any news about Old Chen and Old Xie, I will have Songhua and Beiyang send a telegram to you. Don't worry, they will not be sentenced."
The only thing the Xie and Chen families were worried about was how the higher-ups would deal with Xie Jiang and his son, as well as Chen Shenghua and the others.
They're going to the Unity Brigade for reform now, but there's still no news about these people. I'm so worried.
But they had no choice but to board this green train bound for Kaikun.
The group sat in one train carriage, looking out for each other.
More than ten people traveled by train for a day and arrived in Kunming.
After a long bus ride, they arrived at the township commune under the jurisdiction of the Tuanjie Brigade.
The office had two long tables, and a row of slogans were written on the snow-white walls: Grasp revolution, promote production, prepare for war and serve the people; Dig deep tunnels, store up grain, never seek hegemony; Never forget class struggle.
The person who received us at the commune was Officer Liu, a middle-aged man with dark skin and a stern face. He sat in the commune's office.
He put down the broken enamel cup he was holding and glanced at the Chen and Xie families one by one.
Then, putting down his enamel mug, he spoke in a harsh tone, "You're from Jincheng, sent down for reform?"
That harsh tone sent a chill down everyone's spine.
Huang Guilan spoke first, "Officer Liu, we are from Jincheng. My name is Huang Guilan."
The clerk glared at Huang Guilan and then looked at the handwritten registration information, which included Huang Guilan's identity information, especially her husband's family, the Xie family, which used to be the richest family in Jincheng. Although the Xie family's businesses had successfully completed the public ownership transformation reform, the Xie family was a capitalist family that everyone hated before.
So, Officer Liu spoke to Huang Guilan in an even harsher tone, “Comrade Huang Guilan, and all of you, remember this: from today onwards, stop thinking about those scheming ideas and start working hard! Only when you get rid of your spoiled and arrogant attitude can you be considered a true member of the cooperative and live up to the organization’s arrangements.”
These hurtful words chilled everyone's hearts even further.
I knew that going to the countryside for reform would be met with cold stares and backbiting, but I never expected to encounter such a setback as soon as I arrived.
Huang Guilan felt terrible and was about to speak when Qiao Xingyue pushed through the crowd, walked up to Huang Guilan, and called out, "Officer Liu, is that you?"
Officer Liu glanced at Qiao Xingyue, his expression shifting from serious to surprised, then to delighted. "Dr. Qiao, it's you! What are you doing here? Weren't you in Shantang Town?"
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