Zhao Ru seemed to have finally found a way out.
"Niu Quangen and I are husband and wife. It's not illegal for us to share a room, is it?!"
The people on the farm naturally wouldn't believe such an obvious lie.
Xiao Zeng said, "You say you're husband and wife, how can you prove it? Where's your marriage certificate? Even if you are husband and wife, you can't just do whatever you want in our farm's guesthouse!"
Zhao Ru looked at Niu Quangen pleadingly and said, "Brother Quangen and I just had our wedding banquet, but we haven't registered yet. We can go back to the brigade and get a letter of introduction to prove it!"
Niu Quangen was still in a daze. Zhao Ru pulled him back to his senses, but he stammered and didn't know what to say.
Given his circumstances, not to mention Zhao, the educated youth from the city, even the young widows in the team wouldn't be interested in him.
He wasn't stupid; he naturally understood what Zhao Ru was planning.
Their marriage would explain why she opened the door and entered his house. More importantly, now that they were husband and wife, Zhao Ru would truly be a member of the Haowan Village brigade. As long as Niu Quangen pleaded on her behalf, the brigade would do its best to protect her.
She might be able to completely escape the influence of today's events.
Niu Quangen was naturally happy to get a wife for free, but he wasn't blinded by his joy—Zhao Ru wasn't truly with him and might run away at any opportunity.
Besides, Zhao Ru had previously disliked him so much, so why should he rush to help her with this favor?
Seeing that Niu Quangen remained silent, Zhao Ru grew anxious, "Brother Quangen..."
The female educated youth looked at him pitifully and helplessly, and Niu Quangen's heart, which had been weighing the pros and cons, finally softened.
He gritted his teeth and said to the people at the farm, "Yes, we've already held the banquet and are planning to pick a good day to register. I'll go back to the brigade as soon as it's light to get a letter of introduction and then bring it to you."
Zhao Ru's heart instantly settled.
Although the head of the security department did not believe the act put on by Zhao Ru and Niu Quangen, there was no need to keep pressing the matter.
In any case, the female educated youth was willing to marry a peasant who couldn't even afford pants in order to lessen her punishment.
The head of the security department took Hu Wenwen and Zhao Ru away.
As she was leaving, Zhao Ru looked earnestly at Niu Quangen, "You must come back as soon as possible tomorrow with the letter of introduction. I'll be waiting for you, Brother Quangen..."
To please her, Zhao Ru spoke in an extremely tender tone, which made half of Niu Quangen's body go numb.
He couldn't help but fantasize that perhaps Zhao Ru could settle down and live a peaceful life with him...
Niu Quangen didn't wait until dawn; instead, he set off back to the brigade after Zhao Ru was taken away.
He said to Qin Hanshu, "Qin, I'll go back and get the letter of introduction first. You all get some sleep and rest. We'll go back to the brigade together tomorrow after I return."
After saying that, he hurriedly left.
Zhang Kangmei and Lin Zhiheng then stepped forward.
"what is going on?"
Qin Hanshu recounted the events, "...Hu Wenwen has always liked to snatch my things since she was little. I never thought that now that she's grown up, she can't snatch them anymore, so she's started stealing."
Zhang Kangmei clicked her tongue and said, "Don't your parents care? Just let her bully you?"
Lin Zhiheng also looked at Qin Hanshu with sympathy.
Qin Hanshu gave a wry smile.
Zhang Kangmei sighed, patted Qin Hanshu on the shoulder and said, "We can't choose what kind of family we come from, but we've grown up now, we can stand up for ourselves and not be bullied anymore."
These words resonated with her deeply, and Qin Hanshu looked at Zhang Kangmei with a puzzled expression.
Zhang Kangmei explained, "My parents divorced when I was very young. My mother went to the south, and my father remarried. After having a son, he abandoned me. I was raised by my grandfather when I was little..."
Qin Hanshu silently took Zhang Kangmei's hand, and the two walked upstairs to their room.
It's only past midnight, I can still get a few hours of sleep.
***
The case of Hu Wenwen stealing has been closed.
Hu Wenwen was the mastermind, and Zhao Ru was an accomplice.
Although no one has been caught red-handed, the current situation is tense, and a person's moral character and ideological awareness cannot withstand even the slightest disturbance.
Hu Wenwen and Zhao Ru were criticized for three days.
As the person involved, Qin Hanshu had to stay and write a statement detailing the entire incident, and also participate in the criticism process.
Zhang Kangmei and Lin Zhiheng also stayed with Qin Hanshu for the time being.
Niu Quangen was waiting for Zhao Ru.
Niu Quangen returned to Haowan Village Brigade with a letter of introduction proving that he and Zhao Ru were husband and wife, but Zhao Ru was still to be criticized along with Hu Wenwen.
However, Zhao Ru will only suffer for three days. After three days, Niu Quangen will be able to take her back.
As for Hu Wenwen, she would no longer be considered an educated youth on the farm, but would have to move out of the educated youth dormitory and undergo labor reform.
Qin Hanshu temporarily ignored Hu Wenwen and returned to Haowan Village with the others.
Throughout the journey, Zhao Ru was in a daze, as if she hadn't yet recovered from the events of the previous two days.
Indeed, even Qin Hanshu felt a chill just watching such a scene; it wouldn't be easy for her to recover her composure.
However, Zhao Ru's decision to marry Niu Quangen did manage to free her from her misery.
Niu Quangen's family was poor, but Accountant Niu knew many people and was very confident. Upholding the spirit of worker-peasant unity, the farm allowed Niu Quangen to bail out Zhao Ru.
Otherwise, Zhao Ru would have to stay on the farm for reform, just like Hu Wenwen.
However, after going through this ordeal, Niu Quangen would not be willing to let Zhao Ru go again.
After returning home, the Niu family indeed held a banquet and married Zhao Ru into their family.
A few days later, Niu Quangen even took Zhao Ru to the county to register.
The two became husband and wife in the true sense of the word.
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