Zhou Jingyun is the only son of the Zhou family, who has been passed down through three generations of single-lineage inheritance.
Starting from his grandfather's generation, there were six great-aunts, and his grandfather was his only son.
In his father's generation, there were five aunts, but his father was his only son.
In his generation, there were three older sisters and two younger sisters, and he was the only son.
My aunts, great-aunts, and sisters all married into nearby villages and usually helped out, so the Zhou family wasn't bullied by the brothers in the village.
On the contrary, because her aunts, uncles, and sisters all took care of the only son in her maternal family, Zhou Jingyun's family was considered to be in a relatively good position in Jianshan Brigade.
Previously, Zhou Jingyun was a popular young man in the surrounding villages, and many families with daughters wanted to marry him.
He was tall and strong, and worked quickly. Although he didn't work in the fields much, his family was quite well-off, and he was also taken care of by his aunts and sisters.
However, last winter, when the Jianshan Brigade organized its young and strong men to go hunting in Qinglong Mountain, they encountered a herd of wild boars. Zhou Jingyun was gored a few times by wild boars while trying to save several young men from the village. By sheer coincidence, the boars went right there.
At the time, she was sent to the county town covered in blood. The doctor there bandaged her up and said that it might affect her ability to have children in the future.
Zhou Jingyun received a reward from the commune for this incident. He was not only named an advanced labor model, but also received a reward from the commune: seventy yuan and two urea bags.
You have to understand that in those days, urea was imported from small quantities. Each commune could only get a limited share. Even the cadres in the commune had to wait in line for a long time if they wanted to get a bag of urea.
Zhou Jingyun became famous in the commune because of this incident, which also affected his marriage.
After all, knowing he couldn't have children, why would she still marry her daughter off to him? Wasn't that just a clear case of wanting the dowry money?
A family that values integrity wouldn't do this, and Zhou Jingyun wouldn't even consider a family that doesn't value integrity.
Because of this delay, Zhou Jingyun is almost twenty years old and still hasn't found a partner.
The Zhou family comforted Zhou Jingyun, saying that they would take a child from one of his sisters' homes and adopt it under his name, so that he wouldn't be sad about it.
Perhaps because it wasn't the right time to use it, Zhou Jingyun didn't feel much about it.
He was educated and felt that his sisters' children could also carry on the Zhou family line.
Gradually, I began to forget about it.
But now, when his mother brought it up, Zhou Jingyun felt as if he had been struck by lightning: Ruan Zhiqing was such a good person, how could he bear to let her suffer those rumors with him?
Her own background was already hardly a good match for Ruan Zhiqing, and now, with her health failing, it was even more...
The romantic fantasies that had arisen from stealing a kiss from Ruan Miaomiao last night vanished in an instant, leaving Zhou Jingyun's heart filled only with deep sorrow and despair...
******
The autumn air is crisp and clear, and the sweet fragrance of osmanthus fills the air.
Under the bright sunshine, the Jianshan Brigade began its annual corn harvest.
The first task of harvesting corn is for the women to carry small bamboo baskets or bamboo sacks on their backs, pull the corn cobs down from the field, pour them into large bamboo baskets, and then have the men carry them back to the granary along the mountain path to dry in the courtyard.
Of course, there's one relatively easy task in this process—hulling the corn cobs.
This is usually a task for children aged six or seven to ten or older people in the production team.
It's easy and you can earn work points.
Children and the elderly sit in the courtyard husking corn, so there's no need to assign someone to watch over them.
Following the old custom, Ruan Miaomiao asked for three work points for herself, and with her basket slung over her shoulder, she quickly began to pick corn cobs.
Aunt Wang particularly liked Ruan Zhiqing. No, it should be said that ever since Ruan Zhiqing started trading candy with the village children for firewood, wild chrysanthemums, prickly pears, and plantain, the village aunties all had a good impression of Ruan Miaomiao.
Shouting at the top of her lungs, Aunt Wang called out to Ruan Miaomiao from a great distance:
“Sister Ruan, Er Ya asked me to tell you that she’s going to shred corn at the granary today to earn work points, and she’ll go pick prickly pears in a couple of days to trade with you for something.”
Another auntie, hearing Aunt Wang's shout, also chimed in:
"Sister Ruan, my Tiedan went to the granary to earn work points today. He'll bring you firewood in a couple of days!"
“Sister Ruan…”
Faced with the enthusiasm of the village women, Ruan Miaomiao deftly picked corn while cheerfully replying:
"Aunt Wang, it's alright, we can talk about exchanging things later."
The collective interest comes first, and we should all contribute our efforts to participate in the autumn harvest, striving to gather all the corn before the rains.
"Oh my, Ruan Meizi, it has to be you. Your awareness is so high. No wonder Er Ya likes to play with you."
"Sister Ruan, after the autumn harvest, I'll have Tiedan deliver firewood to you again."
...
As soon as Ruan Miaomiao said this, the aunties didn't hold back their praise for her.
Following the example of the village women, Zhao Xiuyun wore a headscarf to shield herself from the sun and dust, and as she poured the heavy basket of corn into a large bamboo basket, she was stunned by what she heard:
When did the women of Jianshan Brigade become so friendly?
She clearly remembered that although the villagers of Jianshan Brigade did not target the educated youth, they were not enthusiastic towards them either!
Why are these people so enthusiastic towards Ruan Miaomiao?
After much thought, Zhao Xiuyun realized something: it must be that bitch Ruan Miaomiao using those things that should have belonged to her and Qingming to curry favor with these lowly people in the production team!
These lowly people have never seen anything good. If they get a little of Ruan Miaomiao's things, won't they become Ruan Miaomiao's dogs?
Thinking of this, Zhao Xiuyun was furious: Why is it that everyone is sent to the most remote and difficult places, and in the end, only she and Qingming are suffering?
She feigned a slightly nervous and worried expression, and said to Li Yuying, who was picking corn nearby:
"Yu Ying, aren't private buying and selling and reselling prohibited?"
Miao Miao's practice of exchanging money for things from everyone is, at best, corruption and decadence; at worst, it's putting on airs like a capitalist's daughter and using money to corrupt the revolutionary will of the pure-hearted people!
When Zhao Xiuyun said this, she deliberately raised her voice so that everyone around her could hear.
Li Yuying had long been disgusted by Ruan Miaomiao's habit of working only two hours a day and then going home, never having to find her own supplies, and even having someone help her exchange firewood.
We were all sent-down youth, so why should I suffer while you enjoy the good life?
Jealousy made her pick up where Zhao Xiuyun left off, saying with a hint of smugness:
"Hmph, it's only because no one reported her, otherwise, someone with Comrade Ruan Miaomiao's bourgeois lifestyle would be caught red-handed and definitely sent to a labor camp!"
The women nearby weren't stupid; they naturally overheard the conversation between the two.
Someone immediately retorted:
"If you're poor and jealous of Ruan, then so be it. Don't throw around those big accusations!"
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