"You think I'm afraid of you? I just made up a story. Do you think the police would bother me for no reason? Even if the police come to my door, if I don't admit that I said it, do you have any witnesses?" Chu Xuanxuan glanced around. No one noticed this corner. She snorted coldly and turned to leave.
Seemingly nonchalant, but actually fleeing in disarray, Chu Xuanxuan decided that unless she had a foolproof plan, she would never provoke Feng Mingshu again.
Actually, it's quite good to keep to ourselves.
Fear arose in Chu Xuanxuan's heart, and she hurried along without looking back, so she failed to see Feng Mingshu's changing expression.
Feng Mingshu was greatly shocked, not because of her own family's tragic fate in the story, but because of the changes in the situation over the next few decades that Chu Xuanxuan inadvertently revealed in the story.
In her previous life, she was confined to a cadre school farm for reform through labor, where she received very little information, and what she did receive was often delayed.
She left the farm in 1980. At that time, the accurate information she knew was that the college entrance examination had been reinstated for two or three years. But she didn't know how the situation would change or whether it would regress again. Even those outside the farm probably couldn't make an accurate prediction.
But in the story that Chu Xuanxuan "fabricated," she had already clearly described the future development: it was a broad road, a path to economic take-off, a society where everyone could express their thoughts, and a society where people would no longer be convicted based on their personal background.
Feng Mingshu was deeply moved and could not calm down for a long time.
"Zhuzhu, why are you hiding here? Have you bought everything?"
A gentle voice interrupted her thoughts. Feng Mingshu turned around and saw that it was her mother. She excitedly grasped her hand and wanted to tell her the story of the future, but when she saw that Uncle Li had also come over with his twin siblings, Feng Mingshu held back for the time being.
No one knows a daughter better than her mother. Yu Jingqiu patted the back of her hand and said, "We've bought almost everything. Let's go back first. If we need anything, we can come back another day to buy it."
Feng Mingshu nodded repeatedly.
So the family of four headed back, while Li Yanzhong changed course to attend to other matters.
Li Yanzhong has a lot to do, the most important thing being to contact the commune in his hometown to transfer his whole family's household registration there. This involves issues such as grain rations and household registration, which may require him to make a trip to the commune in his hometown in person.
These questions were swirling in Li Yanzhong's mind as he hurried away. It was Yu Jingqiu who stopped him and straightened his collar, saying, "No matter how busy you are, remember to eat and rest. Don't ruin your health."
Li Yanzhong was moved and gently held her hand, saying, "I know, you too. Don't overwork yourself. Wait for me to come back and handle things."
Yu Jingqiu smiled and agreed, and Li Yanzhong then let go of her hand and strode away.
As Li Yanzhong reached the corner, he couldn't help but turn around, only to find himself meeting Yu Jingqiu's gaze instead of her back.
Yu Jingqiu and the three children were still standing there watching him. A strong emotion suddenly welled up in Li Yanzhong's heart, and his eyes even turned hot. He didn't run back, but waved to them: "Go back quickly, I'll be back as soon as I'm done with my work."
Yu Jingqiu smiled and nodded, but waited until Li Yanzhong disappeared around the corner before taking her children to board the bus home.
Upon arriving home, Feng Mingshu immediately took her mother to the study, whereupon she told her mother about Chu Xuanxuan's strange behavior and the story she had told.
Of course, the part about the Feng family's fate that clearly did not conform to the facts and logic was omitted.
After listening, Yu Jingqiu's expression didn't change much. She pondered for a moment and said, "Chu Xuanxuan must have had some kind of extraordinary encounter. The changes in the situation in the story she told are about the same as what I predicted. So let's not change our current arrangements for now. We'll adjust them as needed after the college entrance examination resumes."
Feng Mingshu nodded repeatedly; she thought so too.
“People who have had extraordinary encounters often act differently from ordinary people, and may inadvertently bring danger to those around them. Zhuzhu, you should avoid contact with Chu Xuanxuan in the future,” Yu Jingqiu warned gently.
Feng Mingshu felt a slight chill; wasn't she also someone who had experienced extraordinary encounters?
"Mom, I understand. I won't contact her again, and I'll keep a lower profile in the future," Feng Mingshu assured her repeatedly.
Yu Jingqiu shook her head and chuckled: "Zhuzhu, you've practically buried yourself in the ground, how can you possibly keep a low profile? Don't forget you're an officer's wife now. As long as you don't make any major mistakes, no one can do anything to you."
Feng Mingshu blushed at the teasing. She wanted to change the subject, so she remembered the scene of her mother saying goodbye to Uncle Li outside the department store.
"Mom, do you like Uncle Li?"
Feng Mingshu wanted to ask about love, but having not been influenced by later generations, she couldn't say the word, so she changed it to "like".
Yu Jingqiu understood her daughter's question. She did not avoid it and smiled, saying, "If a husband and wife can both appreciate each other's character, they can cultivate their relationship in the future."
Feng Mingshu understood. At present, her mother did not have romantic feelings for Uncle Li, but planned to cultivate a relationship with him. This was also a subtle dig at her and Zhou Jinshan.
“But people’s character can change,” Feng Mingshu couldn’t help but say.
Because she had witnessed too many tragedies on the farm in her past life, couples who had no feelings for each other could still bravely cope with life's difficulties. But if they developed feelings and were then abandoned, the heart-wrenching pain was terrifying even to her as an observer.
“Then let’s wait and see how things change.” Yu Jingqiu’s tone was calm yet resolute as she raised her hand to brush a stray strand of hair behind her daughter’s ear. “Zhuzhu, you can’t be stuck in your ways just because you’re afraid of change.”
Feng Mingshu opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
Those fifteen years in her previous life were too long; they felt like she was ill.
Yu Jingqiu noticed her problem and said gently, "Zhuzhu, everything changes. Life is about experiencing the changes in the world. If you shut yourself off and refuse to communicate, life will be much less interesting."
“Perhaps you will encounter harm during this time, but remember that you have family, a mother, younger brothers and sisters, and your Uncle Li. We are all your support.”
Upon hearing the word "backing," Feng Mingshu's eyes welled up with tears, and her voice choked: "Mom, I know. If you encounter any difficulties after you go north, you must contact me. I can be your support. I'm an officer's wife now, aren't I?"
Seeing her daughter speak so frankly about being a military officer's wife, Yu Jingqiu smiled and said, "Okay, I can benefit from my military officer son-in-law's fame from now on."
When Zhou Jinshan, the military officer son-in-law of the Feng family, arrived at the Feng family home by bicycle in the afternoon, he found that his treatment had suddenly improved significantly, which made him feel flattered.
"Mingshu, is there something you want to say?"
"Go ahead and tell me, I can handle it."
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