Chapter 116 The Xia family is just naive...
The Xia family is just naive, not stupid.
Lin Qiuyue brazenly encouraged Xia Jing to go to the countryside as an educated youth, didn't she think about the consequences? Wasn't she afraid that this good marriage would fall through? Was she so confident that the Xia family couldn't do without her?
When Xia Jing was persuaded by Lin Qiuyue to sign up, she didn't think too much about it. She didn't think about what she would do in the countryside or how long she would stay. She just wanted to make her parents proud and to contribute to her best friend's job.
Yu Jiajia was also helpless. Did the Xia family have some kind of constitution that attracted bad women?
The decision to send Xia Jing to the countryside is basically final, unless something changes that happens to Section Chief Xia and Accountant Hu, forcing Xia Jing to stay in the city to take care of them.
Yu Jiajia grabbed Xia Jing's hand: "The steel mill will hold skills training classes for educated youth. There are three kinds: tractor handling and maintenance, scientific pig farming, and barefoot doctor training. You're not strong enough to drive a tractor. There's no need for scientific pig farming either; the members of Hongcheng Brigade went to Xiangyang Commune to learn it. You should sign up for the barefoot doctor training. After you go to the countryside, I'll find a way to make you a barefoot doctor."
Xia Jing's eyes were brimming with tears. "Jiajia, I've caused you trouble."
Yu Jiajia: "This is no trouble at all. I just feel sorry for you. In the future, you should think things through more before making any decisions, and not make them on a whim."
Accountant Hu was also moved and thanked Yu Jiajia repeatedly. After Yu Jiajia's analysis, she wasn't so afraid anymore. Being a barefoot doctor in the Hongcheng Brigade, with the Cheng family protecting her, she would definitely be safe. After a year or two, when the situation stabilized, perhaps she could bring Jingjing back.
Moreover, Hongcheng Brigade is nearby, so she can often go to see Jingjing and bring her back frequently.
With the matter settled, Accountant Hu felt less anxious and took his leave with Xia Jing.
Grandma Yu: "This family is so naive, yet they always attract trouble! They should find a capable and shrewd person to protect this whole family."
Cheng Xiuying seemed to be deep in thought. Actually, the Xia family was quite nice. Her parents-in-law were easy to get along with, and her sister-in-law was easy to fool. However, she still needed to see what kind of person Xia Lei was.
After hearing about Xia Jing's situation after getting off work, Yu Jiamin was so frightened that she forgot to eat and rushed to find Qin Zhaozhao.
People who lack common sense are easily fooled; don't go to the countryside without understanding anything.
There's nothing good about the countryside.
The Xia family didn't even cook dinner; who would be in the mood to eat?
Even though Xia Jing had planned out her options, she still had to go to the countryside.
Hu Shulan gave her son Xia Lei a good beating, saying, "You've really ruined Jingjing's life!"
Xia Lei was also in great pain. He never imagined that Lin Qiuyue would do such a thing. In his eyes, Lin Qiuyue was filial to her parents and loving to her brothers. When she came to the Xia family, she was gentle and generous, and considerate and thoughtful towards Jingjing.
He would not allow anyone to harm his family.
“I’m going to sign up tomorrow too. I’ll go to the countryside with Jingjing and I’ll protect her.”
Hu Shulan was so angry she almost fainted. "Are you trying to drive me crazy? You can protect Jingjing, yet you're bewitched by some vixen?"
Actually, Xia Lei can't be blamed for this. Lin Qiuyue was introduced by Hu Shulan's aunt. Hu Shulan thought she was pretty good, so she let her son try to develop a relationship with her.
Xia Lei didn't have high requirements for his wife; he just needed someone pleasing to the eye, filial, and capable. Lin Qiuyue fit the bill perfectly, so he nodded in agreement and even set a wedding date.
Hu Shulan hated herself for being blind. She had been deceived by Xia Nian'er and almost caused Jingjing's death. Now, she had been tricked by Lin Qiuyue into signing up to go to the countryside.
She hugged Xia Jing and said, "My poor Jingjing."
Xia Jing said, "Mom, it's just going to the countryside, I can do it. I'll be a good barefoot doctor! It's close by, so I think you can come back. You can come and see me too." She then said to Xia Lei, "Brother, please don't do anything foolish! You work hard! After I go to the countryside, I'll still be waiting for you to support me."
Hu Shulan was heartbroken: "If you also sign up to go to the countryside, I'll die. Don't contact Lin Qiuyue anymore, our family can't accept a daughter-in-law like that. I'm going to settle accounts with Hu Shufang."
If it weren't for Hu Shufang's introduction, I would never have met such a scoundrel.
Xiahou De silently smoked, his lungs pounding with rage.
Hu Shufang had no idea that Lin Qiuyue was this kind of person. When she heard that Xia Jing had been tricked into going to the countryside, she also cried. "What kind of thing is this? She seemed like a good person before, but she can't even tolerate her sister-in-law."
Children don't understand, but adults certainly do. No matter how eloquently you describe it, going to the countryside is just suffering.
It's only rural people who are desperate to move to the city; no city dwellers are going to the countryside.
Hu Shufang was an accountant at the supply and marketing cooperative. She thought Lin Qiuyue was a good person, which is why she helped introduce them.
She led her eldest sister directly to Lin Qiuyue's house, intending to criticize Liu Qiuyue.
Lin Qiuyue looked completely innocent and praised Xia Jing for her progressive thinking, calling her a commendable comrade who was brave, advanced, and conscious.
She acted all righteous and knowledgeable, which made Hu Shulan laugh in exasperation. "The countryside is so nice, why don't you go to the countryside as an educated youth?"
Lin Qiuyue: "I do not meet the requirements for going to the countryside."
Lin Qiuyue's mother didn't think Lin Qiuyue was wrong either. She smiled and said, "We were originally supposed to get married on October 1st, but now that we've encountered the matter of going to the countryside, why not take advantage of this time to get married? Since the time is tight, we don't need the 'three turns and one ring' (referring to the traditional Chinese ornaments), we can just exchange them for money."
Hu Shulan was so angry she almost fainted. She was about to unleash a torrent of curses, but in her anxiety, her mouth went numb and she couldn't utter a single word.
Hu Shufang burst out cursing: "What a pipe dream! Going to the countryside is indeed an honor, but Jingjing is still in her first year of high school. Even if she is to go to the countryside, she should wait until she graduates from high school! Lin Qiuyue can't tolerate her sister-in-law. The Xia family can't afford a daughter-in-law like that. You should find a better family!"
The Xia family is so good, yet they still have to resort to such scheming. I'd like to see what kind of person Lin Qiuyue will end up with.
Lin Qiuyue was stunned. "Accountant Hu, what are you talking about?"
Hu Shufang: "Pah, don't play innocent with me. I really regret it so much. How could I have thought you were a good person!"
Lin Qiuyue really ruined Jingjing's life.
Jingjing is such a pure and beautiful girl. If she went to the countryside, she would be devoured alive.
Lin Qiuyue immediately grabbed Hu Shulan's arm: "Auntie, it's an honor for Jingjing to go to the countryside. You can't blame me for this. Lei and I really love each other, and we must get married."
Hu Shulan pushed Lin Qiuyue aside, saying, "You are progressive and conscious. Our Xia family is too small and not good enough for you."
Thinking of her poor niece, Hu Shufang raised her hand and slapped Lin Qiuyue, saying, "I was blind and misjudged you."
Lin Qiuyue covered her face, almost retaliating, but she held back.
Lin Qiuyue's mother was displeased. With a dark face, she raised her hand and shoved Hu Shufang, sending Hu Shufang back several steps. She put her hands on her hips and yelled, "You shameless bastard, what right do you have to hit me! What, are you dissatisfied with the national policies? Are you dissatisfied with the educated youth going to the countryside?"
Hu Shufang was dumbfounded. "You still have the nerve to insult me?"
Lin's mother said, "Hu Shulan, let me tell you, my daughter has already kissed and hugged your son. You can't back out now. You have to get married whether you want to or not! Otherwise, I'll sue Xia Lei for indecent assault." She grabbed Hu Shulan's collar and slapped her face. "My Lin family's daughters are not to be bullied! You think you can take advantage of me and then not take responsibility? There's no such thing as a free lunch."
Hu Shufang stepped forward to help, but was also grabbed and beaten by Lin's mother.
While pinching Hu Shufang, Lin's mother cursed, "Shameless slut, coming to our house to cause trouble. Do you think I'm easy to bully? Do you think my daughter is easy to bully? Let me tell you, every single one of you..."
Lin's mother was too fierce, she was practically a shrew with immense strength. Hu Shufang and her sister were no match for her and could only endure being beaten and scolded. The key was that the two of them were too thin-skinned to dare to shout loudly.
In the end, Hu Shulan and her sister were beaten and scolded by Lin's mother and driven away. Lin's mother also threatened Hu Shulan to quickly send Xia Lei to propose marriage.
Lin Qiuyue was a little scared: "Mom, that's my mother-in-law, how could you do this! What if Xia Lei doesn't want to marry me?"
Lin's mother raised her eyebrows and said, "He wouldn't dare! Even if he doesn't marry you, I'll still marry you off to him. You think you can't handle that bunch of quails from the Xia family?"
Lin Qiuyue thought about how her aunt had been disciplined by her mother just now, and she was indeed very weak. Of course, she could discipline her too. "But, Lei is a filial son."
Lin's mother: "Men, they listen to whoever they sleep with. Look at your dad, how obedient he is."
Hu Shufen and Hu Shulan left the Lin family, and they really wanted to hug each other and cry.
The two men were quite old; one was an accountant at a steel rolling mill, and the other was an accountant at a supply and marketing cooperative. They were both in charge of money, and when the leaders came to collect their salaries, they had to speak to them gently. Yet now they were being beaten and scolded by a rascal like a child.
Hu Shulan felt like the sky had fallen. She cried so hard she almost fainted: "What sins have I committed? I've never done anything wrong in my life, how could I have encountered such a thing?"
Hu Shufang also cried, "It's all my fault for being blind and getting involved with such awful people. What are we going to do now? They're not really going to force me to marry Leilei, are they? That's unacceptable! My life is ruined. Let's go back to my parents' house and ask my mother for advice."
Hu Shulan felt that the future was bleak, but what ideas could her mother have given her gentle nature? She might even advise her to be patient and let Leilei go to the countryside to hide. She wiped away her tears and said, "My mother won't do it. I'll go to Xiuying's house and ask Xiuying for help. She's very capable."
Hu Shufang went along too.
The Yu family was about to close up and go to sleep when they heard a knock on the door. Cheng Xiuying came out to open it and saw Accountant Hu and another woman in her thirties standing at the door. Their clothes and hair were relatively neat, but their collars were very wrinkled, and their eyes were red and swollen with tears welling up in their eyes.
Cheng Xiuying quickly pulled Hu Shulan and her companion into the house, asking with concern, "Shulan, what happened? Who bullied you? Why are there handprints on your face?"
The Hu sisters, Shulan and Hu Shulan, both burst into tears, feeling wronged.
Cheng Xiuying quickly fetched water and towels, and Grandma Yu also poured water for the two of them.
Cheng Xiuying: "Oh dear, stop crying. If anyone dares to bully you, our steel mill will never stand idly by. Is it because of Lin Qiuyue?"
Hu Shulan wiped away her tears with a handkerchief and recounted her trip to the Lin family. Hu Shufang added a few words from the side.
Cheng Xiuying was speechless. So the two sisters had gone to the Lin family to be their victims?
No, isn't this personality too soft?
Grandma Yu stared speechlessly at the ceiling. No wonder she always attracted the attention of evil people; it even made her want to swindle them.
Hu Shulan choked up: "What can we do? Should we send Leilei to the countryside too? Even if we do, we can't let him marry that shrew. How can they be so domineering and unreasonable?"
Cheng Xiuying: ...
Great, I've got an idea for that.
Going to the police would be better than this terrible idea.
Cheng Xiuying: "Shulan, don't be afraid. The new China has been established, and Chairman Mao said that marriage is free. There is no such thing as forced marriage. As long as Leilei doesn't want to marry her, she can't marry into the family. Does she think her family is the king of heaven?"
Seeing Cheng Xiuying's confidence, Hu Shulan felt reassured and quickly said, "No, Leilei doesn't want to!"
Cheng Xiuying: "You all just go to work as usual and don't let this affect your work. This is simple, my mother can handle it." She turned to look at Old Lady Yu: "Mother, I'm asking you to help with this."
Grandma Yu patted her chest and said, "Leave this to me. I'll find a few more of my old friends, and I guarantee they'll handle it perfectly for you."
Hu Shulan: "Xiuying, Auntie, I don't know how to thank you." She quickly took out some money from her pocket: "Auntie, please bring your people along for tea."
Grandma Yu: "There's no need for so much. After we finish this, I'll treat everyone to a bowl of pork rib noodles, and I'll ask you to reimburse me then."
She needs to be provided with meals when asking for help; she can't afford to pay for them herself.
Hu Shulan stuffed the money into Grandma Yu's hand and thanked her repeatedly: "Auntie, please treat everyone to roast chicken and braised pork. Thank you for your help."
Hu Shufang breathed a sigh of relief; she was truly terrified! If her eldest sister's family were exploited and leeched off by the Lin family, she would feel guilty for the rest of her life.
Yu Jiajia and Yu Jiamin pressed their ear to the door, listening to the conversation outside. Since the elders were being beaten, they, as the younger generation, couldn't come out to listen, so they could only listen secretly from inside the house.
Both of them were speechless. Should they say the Lin family was arrogant, or that the Hu family was easy to bully?
However, people's awareness of calling the police is really weak; their first reaction when something happens is not to call the police.
After Hu Shulan and her sister left, the Yu family also closed their doors.
Grandma Yu sighed, "The Hu family is really easy to bully. If Lin Qiuyue were to marry into their family, they would wipe them out completely."
Yu Jiajia: "With Grandma involved, this matter will be a piece of cake and a piece of cake!"
Grandma Yu beamed: "No matter how wicked they are, they're no problem for me. I'm not enough myself, tomorrow I'll call my old sisters together, and we'll make sure the Lin family never dares to mess with the Hu family again."
The Lin family is so arrogant; they'll know their place after a couple of lessons.
Yu Jiajia gave a thumbs up, "Grandma is amazing! You have to tell me about it later!"
After everyone went to sleep, Grandma Yu chatted with Cheng Xiuying, "Actually, the Xia family is quite good. Although Xia Lei isn't very spirited, he's good-looking, does his job well, and has no ulterior motives. Do you know if you have any suitable people to introduce to him?"
She thought Cheng Yongyi was a good fit.
With Cheng Yongyi's personality, she can definitely control the entire Xia family. Once she marries into the family, she can take charge!
With the Xia family's circumstances, they are among the best in the entire Qingshan County, and it is not unfair to Yongyi.
Cheng Xiuying understood what Grandma Yu meant. She said, "Let's see what kind of person Xia Lei is. Besides, this can't be rushed."
The next morning, Grandma Yu quickly prepared breakfast for herself and went out to find her old friends, who were all known for their fierceness and ability to take on a group of them at once. Among them was Grandma He, He Zhenzhen's grandmother.
Grandma He was very happy, feeling that it was very kind of Grandma Yu to call on her when she needed something.
Because of He Zhenzhen, the two old ladies also developed a deep friendship. Some people, after exchanging a few words, know that they are kindred spirits.
When you encounter a domineering and shameless family like the Lin family, you have to be even more domineering and shameless than them.
Grandma He also shared things about her family with Grandma Yu.
These past two days, He Xiaoyun's younger siblings from her biological mother's side have come to visit. They all call her "elder sister" and use sweet words to make He Xiaoyun very happy. They even secretly do housework, laundry, and cooking for her, making He Xiaoyun feel like the smartest and most beautiful woman in the world.
He Xiaoyun even took Jiang Tao, Jiang Hai, and Jiang Lu to a state-run restaurant, and shared her pretty clothes with Jiang Lu.
However, all of this was done secretly behind Xue Mei's back.
Even if Xue Mei likes He Xiaoyun a lot, she won't like Cao Meiling's other children.
Because He Xiaoyun didn't want to go to work or face anything in the factory, Jiang Tao and the other two felt that their eldest sister shouldn't be treated so unfairly. They thought she should be a manager, the factory's most beautiful woman, not just a lowly worker in a workshop.
Jiang Tao then offered his suggestion, saying that he would work for He Xiaoyun and earn money to support her in the future.
He Xiaoyun was very touched. She thought this younger brother was really good. She really didn't care about the work in the workshop and directly let Jiang Tao take her place at work.
These past two days I've been taking Jiang Hai and Jiang Lu out for a blast. Jiang Quan has also appeared twice, looking every bit the doting father.
Grandma He was disgusted, but she didn't say anything. She just watched as He Xiaoyun continued to be coaxed by the Jiang family, waiting to see what kind of mess she would make of herself in the end.
Ideally, Xue Mei should be able to give up completely and see for herself what kind of person her precious adopted daughter really is.
Nowadays, there are even educated youth going to the countryside; I wonder if He Xiaoyun knows about it.
She really hoped that He Xiaoyun would lose her job at the steel rolling mill, because then she, as a member of the "five black categories," would have to go to the countryside.
Grandma Yu clicked her tongue a few times, "The Jiang family is quite shrewd, trying to swindle He Xiaoyun out of her money and job. Let's just wait and see, they won't have a good ending. Do they really think the steel mill will just let him take their place? Let me tell you, Zhenzhen is the real talent. Jiajia showed the wooden gun she made to Director Lu, and Director Lu said it was good. Maybe Zhenzhen will be able to get a job at the arsenal."
Jiajia's good deed definitely deserves a mention to Grandma He.
Grandma He didn't care about He Xiaoyun's condition anymore; she was overjoyed and pressed for an answer: "Really?"
Grandma Yu: "Of course. But this is still uncertain, so let's pretend we don't know anything about it."
That's what she said, but she was convinced that Zhenzhen would definitely get into the arsenal! Every word Jiajia said had to come true.
After the Yu family finished eating, they went to work. Preparations for the educated youth study class started today. It's better to start early than late; time waits for no one.
The announcement of the technical training program instantly ignited the enthusiasm of the educated youth. The men eagerly sought to learn tractor driving and maintenance, while the women were more eager for training as barefoot doctors, hoping to alleviate the suffering of their fellow villagers. In addition, some students developed a strong interest in the maintenance of small farm implements.
As for scientific pig farming, everyone has ignored it. They didn't go to the countryside to raise pigs, chickens, or geese.
The training course started that afternoon.
Jiang Ming's uncle, Chen Wang, was also appointed by his superiors to teach students, suspending his other work.
Yu Jiajia also sat in for a while. Chen Wang was a rare warm-hearted teacher with a big heart. He explained things without reservation, wishing he could impart all the knowledge he had ever learned. He looked at his students as if they were his own nephews and nieces.
There are too many students and too few tractors, so each person can only play two rounds.
Fortunately, the county committee quickly dispatched two tractors and two experienced tractor drivers to assist Chen Wang in the teaching.
This will make the process much faster.
Learning to drive a tractor isn't too difficult; young people are quick-witted and bold, so they can get the hang of it quickly. The real challenge lies in maintenance. Chen Wang repeatedly reminded everyone: "Machines can break down any day. If it breaks down halfway through the journey, with no village or shop in sight, you'll have to fend for yourself. So, knowing how to drive is just the basics; knowing how to repair is the real skill."
The health center is keeping a tight grip on the training schedule. After all, the goal is to enable trainees to master basic skills and reach a level where they can work independently within a month, which is essentially a high-intensity crash course.
The supervising doctor made it clear to everyone that this course offers little breathing room and the learning workload is extremely heavy. If anyone finds themselves unable to keep up with the pace, comprehension is slow, or practical skills fall behind, it's best to switch to another training program as soon as possible.
To study medicine, passion alone is not enough; you also need a bit of talent and courage.
Moreover, even if you learn the skills, becoming a barefoot doctor in the countryside is very difficult. It's quite possible that after completing your training, you'll still have to work in the fields, making your training a waste.
These words were very discouraging, and when it came to actually learning, they were even more discouraged. They couldn't understand or learn, and some people dropped out that very night and enrolled in a small farm tool maintenance training class. Two women also showed up who wanted to learn scientific pig farming.
The work of the educated youth office also became busy, and they began to visit the families of young people who had avoided going to the countryside. The cadres patiently explained the importance of the policy of sending educated youth to the countryside, emphasizing that it was a hard target that had to be met and there was no room for negotiation.
But the other party didn't think that way. No matter what, going to the countryside was definitely out of the question; there was no reason to go from the city to the countryside.
Matchmakers throughout Qingshan County were extremely busy, arranging a dozen or twenty marriages a day.
Unmarried young men with jobs are highly sought after, with matchmakers practically wearing out their doorsteps. Even men with disabilities or poor health, as long as they have stable jobs, are becoming options for women.
Women with jobs are highly sought after, and young men who don't want to go to the countryside also want to marry them, even if it means marrying into their family.
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