The Xu family couldn't stand it anymore. Zhao Guilan snorted coldly, "Who can say what will happen in the future? Putting aside everything else, that Comrade Gu is from Beijing. He only married Siya because of his bad class background. Now that he's been exonerated and is working in the city, would he still want to be with a country girl like Siya?"
"Besides, they haven't consummated their marriage or gotten a marriage certificate yet, so they're not really a proper couple! Just wait and see, once Comrade Gu has established himself in the city, there will be plenty of city girls wanting to marry him! They're young, beautiful, and educated, and their families can help Comrade Gu. What chance will Siya have then?"
"It looks impressive now, but what's the point?"
Wan Chunni quickly chimed in, "That's right! If Siya had a few family members willing to stand up for her, she might have been able to keep her husband! Who told her to be such an ingrate, insisting on severing ties with her family? If her husband doesn't want her anymore, no one from her family will care for her. She might even die in the house and no one will know!"
The group of people who had just said that Xu Ningyan's suffering had finally come to an end looked at each other and fell silent.
After all, no one can say for sure. They're here patting their chests and saying that Comrade Gu isn't that kind of person. But what if he really changes his mind and doesn't want Siya anymore after he goes to the county town? Wouldn't that be a slap in the face?
Only a few young girls, their faces showing indignation, glared at Gu Zhiyuan and his group as they walked back in the distance, deliberately shouting, "Isn't that just like Chen Shimei? Why does Siya suffer all the hardships, but when it's time to enjoy the good life, someone else gets to take her place?"
Gu Zhiyuan, Xu Ningyan, the brigade leader, and the party secretary all heard these words.
Gu Zhiyuan's expression remained unchanged, but Xu Ningyan smiled at the girls, making them blush and feel a little embarrassed.
One of the bolder ones said to Xu Ningyan, "Siya, if Comrade Gu dares to reject you, go and complain to the Revolutionary Committee—"
The rest of what she said was covered by her mother from behind, but everyone understood what she meant.
The girl's mother's face turned bright red. She covered her daughter's mouth with one hand and slapped her with the other, saying, "You brat, who do you think you are? Why are you spouting nonsense? Apologize to Comrade Gu!"
Upon hearing this, Gu Zhiyuan glanced at the mother and daughter but remained silent.
The brigade leader and the party secretary behind them quickly gave the group of women meaningful glances: "Why are you all here? If you have time for this, have you finished your chores at home? Fed the pigs? Cooked the meal? What are you still standing here for? Why don't you go home?"
The women scattered in a flurry.
Gu Zhiyuan glanced at the brigade leader and the party secretary with a half-smile and said, "Then the brigade leader and the party secretary can go back to their work. We'll head back now."
As he spoke, he grabbed Xu Ningyan's arm and half-dragged her towards home.
The brigade leader and the party secretary gritted their teeth and followed behind, their faces thick with shame.
Upon entering the courtyard, Gu Zhiyuan turned to the two men: "Is there anything else, Captain and Party Secretary?"
The brigade leader chuckled: "Isn't it because you're about to start working in the county town? This is a rare happy event for our Tuanjie Brigade, and it's also a source of pride for our Tuanjie Brigade! Before, because of your class background, some people in the brigade treated you badly and offended you, but that wasn't their intention."
“I know you’re always a magnanimous person and wouldn’t hold a grudge against them! They were scared, so they begged us to come and apologize to you—”
Before Gu Zhiyuan could finish listening, he understood what the captain and the others meant and interrupted him, saying, "I understand what the captain means. Don't worry, I didn't take it to heart."
The captain couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, and his smile became more genuine: "That's good, that's good!"
After saying that, I didn't know what else to say, so I turned to look at the Party Secretary.
The Party Secretary smacked his lips and smiled, saying, "As the saying goes, gold always shines! When you were first sent down to our brigade, although the old leaders told us to take care of you, you know how it is with so many people around, we didn't dare to go too far, which made you suffer some injustice!"
Having said that, Gu Zhiyuan could no longer remain silent. "What are you saying? Since I came to the Tuanjie Brigade, I have been very grateful for your and the brigade leader's care. Otherwise, I wouldn't be where I am today."
The Party Secretary couldn't help but smile, but he still sighed, "It's good that you understand! I'm not bragging, but Xiao Gu, go around the surrounding villages and ask around. Among the 'black five categories' elements sent down to the countryside, are they as relaxed as you? Even the other educated youth in the educated youth settlements, they're not doing as well as you, are they?"
Gu Zhiyuan nodded. Although the Party Secretary was saying these things to show off his achievements, they were indeed the truth.
The Party Secretary nodded in agreement with Gu Zhiyuan, feeling that he had a clearer understanding of his own thoughts. He took a deep breath and said, "Little Gu, you are now a member of our Unity Brigade. What's that saying again? We share the same fate, and we share the same fate."
The Party Secretary seemed to want to go around in circles a bit more, but when he looked up and met Gu Zhiyuan's knowing gaze, all the platitudes stuck in his throat and he couldn't say them.
So, he decided to go all out: "Little Gu, I won't bother with those platitudes. I'm going to ask you for a favor. Aren't you going to work at the machine factory? If you have the chance, could you help our brigade get a tractor? If you can, everyone in our Tuanjie Brigade will remember your kindness for the rest of our lives!"
"I know this is a bit difficult for you, and I'm not asking you to go and find a solution right now. I just want you to keep it in mind and help the team whenever you have the chance!"
“You’ve been in our brigade for a while now, and you’ve seen it for yourself. Farmers suffer! They rely entirely on manual labor, working from dawn till dusk, toiling all year without a break. By the end of the year, they’re lucky if they can even feed their families.”
"But with tractors, we can save a lot of manpower, reclaim more wasteland, and grow more grain. It will also ensure that everyone has enough to eat throughout the year, and that the children can buy sweets to enjoy, and the elderly can have some meat during the New Year—"
At this point, the Party Secretary's eyes reddened, and the seven-foot-tall man choked up, unable to continue.
The captain standing to the side also sighed and turned to look outside.
Gu Zhiyuan watched silently as the two ancient foxes, who were practically weeping in front of him, were moved to some extent.
He could tell, of course, that the brigade leader and the party secretary were just playing the victim.
However, their desire to make the brigade better and to get a tractor for the brigade was genuine.
For this genuine sentiment, Gu Zhiyuan pondered for a moment, then nodded: "I understand what you mean. Although I can't guarantee anything for you two, I will do my best!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
