Should we ask Ruan Xianxian to back down?
The captains exchanged glances, their faces simultaneously flashing with sarcasm.
The team leaders clearly distinguished who brought the work, who provided the food, and who was the leader.
Hu Bin didn't forget to play the victim, "I just married my daughter to Ye, who was an enemy of Ruan, and I don't know why she's so petty and even hates the Hu family."
I don't think it's that bad, is it?
Captain Li was the first to disbelieve this. Not long ago, on the night of the adultery incident, he had called the police to arrest Ruan, the educated youth, but afterwards the child didn't hold it against him.
He was also reminded not to miss out on bamboo weaving.
If it were really such a trivial matter as Hu Bin said, he didn't believe Ruan Xianxian would escalate Mao Dun's actions to the level of the entire commune.
Bu Hua clicked his tongue a few times. For some reason, he didn't like what Hu Bin said. It sounded strange and like the way some of the cunning old women in the village talked.
"Stop talking nonsense. If I'm sick, what's the point of beating the doctor if I don't get rid of the root cause of the illness?"
"Will the Hu family withdraw or not? We'll cripple you, and then we'll take care of a few of your younger relatives when we have time."
Hu Bin didn't believe the story of Bu Hua shooting himself, but when Bu Hua actually shot him in the arm and leg, crippling him, Hu Bin believed it.
He was unwilling to easily admit defeat, and he was even more afraid of losing people's support.
In the midst of the crisis, an elderly man in his late sixties emerged from the brick house behind them, supported by his younger relatives. His cloudy eyes glanced around and then closed.
The voice was weak and feeble, "For the sake of the collective good, the Hu family voluntarily withdrew from this commune work."
After he finished speaking, the captains all breathed a sigh of relief. Hu Bin wanted to say something, but the old man glared at him and stopped him.
What time is it? They're trying their best to salvage the Hu family's reputation when they can't get any benefits!
Ping is quite smart, but when it comes to matters, he's clueless.
Bu Hua laughed, raised his gun and made an extremely insulting gesture, patting the old man's orange-peel-like face with the barrel.
"Why didn't you do this earlier? You only step forward to play the good guy and show off your wisdom at this crucial moment? Ha, you old codger."
Everyone: ...
If this guy goes down the mountain every day, he'll be even more of a scoundrel than Han Li!
With the matter resolved, the brigade leader had to give his report. He sent the commune members home, then led a few old buddies to the brigade office. Once the door was closed, he began his rapid-fire speech…
Longquan Brigade and Sandaogouzi were not happy.
Captain Li and Bu Hua listened in one ear and out the other the whole time. They attacked the enemy's brigade and almost made Xiang Hongjun lose face. They got the benefits, so it was only right that they were scolded a few times.
Thus, having achieved their goal, the Hu family saw that Ruan Xianxian, who had been unable to obtain the goods, was ready to quit while she was ahead and agreed to start work once the raw materials from the provincial capital were delivered.
Ruan Xianxian, who had been causing trouble for as many days as she had returned, was ordered to stay at the educated youth settlement and not to come out and cause any trouble.
This thing is a walking, human-shaped troublemaker.
Rong Sheng was voted the number one troublemaker by the brigade members, and in 1974, he was the person in the whole village who was the most untouchable.
That night, Hu Bin returned to the Hu family home only to be chased down by his clansmen demanding repayment of a debt.
The reason they were willing to lend him money was because he had a chance to succeed as the brigade leader, and they thought that if one person succeeded, all his relatives and friends would benefit.
After this battle, anyone who could still breathe could see that his succession was hopeless, and the Hu family's reputation plummeted.
Those who come in and go out spread gossip, while those who openly ask for money do so.
Hu Bin was in unbearable distress.
He felt he hadn't offended Ruan Xianxian, so he went from ignoring her at first to trying to get closer to her after receiving the letter of praise. But her attitude was as if he had killed her whole family in his past life.
All the things that people dislike are laid bare.
Hu Bin thought about it for a long time and felt that everything was Ye Guo's fault, and he grew increasingly displeased with him.
Poor Ye Guo... Not only was he subjected to insatiable demands at night, but he was also targeted intentionally or unintentionally by the Hu family after work during the day.
In the evening, after finishing the last batch of vegetables, Ye Guo wanted to eat something and get a good night's sleep, but when he got home, his mother-in-law had already started cleaning up the dishes.
Without even looking up, he said, "There's food in the big pot in the kitchen. Help yourself."
When the pot lid was lifted, Ye Guo nearly smashed the bowl and chopsticks when he saw the half-eaten coarse grain cake inside, and the only remaining piece of pickled vegetable on the stove.
He walked out with a gloomy face. "Mom, is this the kind of food even a dog wouldn't eat?"
The woman rolled her eyes, threw down the tattered rag, put her hands on her hips, and cursed, "You jinx! You're lucky if you get what my eldest son has left over."
Even if you don't have a mirror, you'll still need to pee, right? Look at yourself, you look pathetic. If you don't want to eat, then don't.
Hu Dabao, who was being massaged on the back of the chair by his younger sister, perked up his ears and heard someone eating the food he had deliberately left for him. He shoved his sister away.
He rushed over and gave Ye Guo a slap in the face.
With such strength, Ye Guo covered his face and collapsed to the ground in pain. Whether it was because his nose was too sore or because life was too bitter, a tear rolled down his cheek.
It's different, completely different from what he expected. Before Ruan Xianxian went to the countryside, he was the head of the entire educated youth settlement. How did it come to this?
...
At this moment, Ruan Xianxian, whom Ye Guoxin was thinking about, was squatting on the edge of the field with the team leader, both of them with identical worried expressions.
"Uncle, could you have a couple of people fix my threshold when you have time? The threshold of my hut is almost worn down by the villagers who want to become the brigade leader."
Xiang Hongjun glanced at her. "I'll fix it for you? You really don't know why I hid out so late!"
After electing a new brigade leader and handing over his work, he should go to the commune.
You wouldn't know until you got to this point that everyone in the village, from the villagers themselves to the people, had designs on his position!
The next brigade leader is recommended by the outgoing brigade leader who has no faults, and finally elected by the members through a vote. The information of the selected candidate is then reported to the commune.
If the political background check is successful, the person can take office.
"You tell me, it's right for people who want to be the brigade leader to come to you, but what are they thinking when they come to me?"
Looking at the feigned sigh, with a hint of smugness in his eyes and a boastful tone in his voice, he clicked his tongue at the Red Army, his teeth itching slightly.
I just want to bite into something...
"Don't you have any self-awareness?"
The conversation quickly fell apart, and the old man and the young man parted on bad terms.
Back at the educated youth settlement, the sight of shadowy figures in the backyard startled Ruan Xianxian.
"Aunties, what brings you here to put on a talent show in the middle of the night?"
They're all dressed up in their finest clothes.
Ruan Xianxian clicked her tongue, opened the door, and lit the kerosene lamp.
Plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum looked at each other awkwardly, then together stepped forward to squeeze into the house.
Shen Meihua habitually wanted to take off her shoes and sit cross-legged on the kang (heated brick bed), but Ruan Xianxian narrowed her eyes.
"You dare? You don't want the pig's trotters anymore?"
She looked amusedly at Shen Meihua, who quickly withdrew her foot as if nothing had happened, and raised an eyebrow. "What? Does your man want to be the brigade leader too?"
Shen Meihua had that much self-awareness; she waved her hand in front of her and said, "How could that be!"
Then, she covered her mouth shyly and giggled, "It's about the bamboo weaving, could you give me a bigger share? I'm not bragging, but my man's skills are amazing..."
"Wait..." Ruan Xianxian made a stop gesture, looking at Pei Lanhua, who was mixed in with several aunts, with a half-smile.
"If I remember correctly, Aunt Lanhua reported me to the Gewei Association that night? My house is too small to accommodate someone as important as you. Please leave."
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