Chapter 36: Reverse Scale
It was winter vacation, and some leaders of Jiangcheng University of Architecture went back to their hometowns to celebrate the New Year. Finally, the deputy secretary of the Party Committee, the chairman of the trade union, and the director of the Women's Department came to mediate.
The leaders found it very difficult.
If it was just a simple breakdown of the relationship, the leaders would definitely criticize Tao Shouxin with a stern face and suppress him with the sense of marital responsibility. But now it has been brought up with an old matter and the people are extremely indignant, so this is a bit difficult to deal with.
The stepmother was unkind and Tao You was evil, and they mentally abused Tao Nanfeng. This happened too long ago, and each has his own reasons. Tao Nanfeng is in good physical and mental condition now, so we can put this aside for now.
But Tao You deliberately broke his hand to avoid going to the countryside, this matter must be taken seriously! To put it more seriously, this is reactionary thinking and opposition to the Chairman's call. If such people remain in the university team, wouldn't that be condoning evil?
So, no matter how Feng Chun'e and Tao You cried and begged, the leaders did not deal with Tao Shouxin's request for divorce, but first criticized Tao You.
"Whether you broke your arm intentionally or unintentionally, the fact is that you deceived Tao Nanfeng into going to the countryside to take his place. You should write a profound self-criticism first, and we will discuss it at the Party Committee meeting before deciding on your punishment."
Tao You's whole body began to tremble like a sieve. How could this happen?
Tao Nanfeng and Tao Shouxin have always been easy to talk to, willing to suffer losses, and never talk about family matters in front of outsiders. It is because she is sure of this that she dares to bully others in such a sarcastic way.
I didn't expect that after not seeing him for a year and a half, Tao Nanfeng had completely changed. Tao Shouxin also frowned, not caring about family affection at all. He...is he not going to forgive himself?
If this matter is investigated carefully, I'm afraid I won't even be able to keep my job at the library!
Feng Chun'e is now kneeling on the ground and trembling. What should she do if Tao Shouxin insists on divorcing her?
She was assigned to work in the school printing factory because she was a professor's family member. It was a leisurely job with a stable income. What should she do if she divorces? Will the school take her job back? Are you going back to the countryside? How could her snobbish and mean brother and sister-in-law tolerate her!
It was not until this moment that Feng Chun'e and Tao You truly regretted their decision. They knelt down in front of Tao Nanfeng and Tao Shouxin, kowtowed and begged for mercy, tears of regret flowing from the bottom of their hearts.
Good people also have a bottom line, but Feng Chun'e and Tao You have crossed this bottom line again and again. Finally, Tao Nanfeng and Tao Shouxin could no longer tolerate it. Their anger was like a flame that burned all the tricks to ashes.
The chaos lasted until after ten o'clock in the evening before the Tao family finally quieted down.
Tao Shouxin handed Tao Nanfeng a cup of hot milk, his eyes full of love and guilt: "I'm sorry, I didn't manage the family well and let you suffer."
Tao Nanfeng shook his head, took the milk and drank it all: "I'm fine."
Tao Shouxin said: "Now I have filed for a divorce, but the procedures are very complicated. Our unit needs to issue a certificate, Feng Chun'e's unit needs to issue a certificate, and Feng Chun'e's relatives may come to bother us. In addition, the Chinese New Year is coming soon and the civil affairs department is on holiday. It will probably take some time to get rid of them.
It's rare for you to come back to celebrate the New Year, but you encounter such a bad thing. I feel so... Alas! ”
Tao Nanfeng comforted his father: "It's okay, Dad. I thought about it when I was on the farm. This time I come back, I must expose the true colors of the mother and daughter and prevent them from harming you. I am not afraid of trouble or embarrassment."
Tao Shouxin sat beside her and said softly, "I have good reasons to file for divorce. Feng Chun'e and Tao You deserve what they got. But if we really want to divorce, the process may be very difficult. Do you know why?"
It was the first time that Tao Nanfeng heard his father's rational analysis, so he asked, "Why?"
Tao Shouxin smiled bitterly and shook his head.
"It is extremely difficult for a woman, especially one who has been married, to gain a foothold in this world. If Feng Chun'e divorces me, will she still be able to keep her job at the printing factory? Will her poor relatives in the countryside still respect her? How can she and Tao You live with people pointing fingers at them?
If she divorced, she would lose a lot, so she refused. If she is pushed into a desperate situation, I'm afraid she will do anything. If that time really comes, I will be to blame. ”
Tao Nanfeng understood: "Oh, the barefoot are not afraid of the ones wearing shoes, is that the truth? Feng Chun'e will divorce you only if you give her enough protection or you are no longer valuable, right?"
Tao Shouxin nodded: "Yes, when you return to the farm, I will have nothing to worry about. Then we can negotiate with Feng Chun'e. If necessary, I can give up some interests just to get rid of this vicious woman.
I don't want to be in the same room with someone like this for even a minute before I go through the divorce process. Fortunately, our leaders support our temporary separation and have arranged an empty dormitory for them to move out tomorrow. ”
Tao Nanfeng's eyes sparkled: "Okay, stay away from villains and stay safe."
The father and daughter smiled at each other. Tao Shouxin touched his daughter's head and said distressedly, "Go to sleep first. You've been tired all day."
On the other side, Feng Chun'e and her daughter were lying on the small bed in the bedroom, staring at the ceiling in a daze.
Tao Nanfeng has changed from his previous aloof self, and his words are sharp and incisive, and every word he says makes sense. Tao Shouxin no longer chose to endure for the sake of harmony, and his attitude became cold and firm.
Their most adept tactic in the past - pretending to be pitiful - hit a wall.
After hearing Tao Nanfeng's accusations, the neighbors started talking about it, blaming them in every word.
"Tao Nanfeng is right. If Tao You really felt guilty and Feng Chun'e was really a loving mother, why didn't Tao Nanfeng send a single letter or a single foot of cloth in all the time he was on the farm?"
"I heard that he hid all the letters that Tao Nanfeng wrote home and didn't dare to show them to Professor Tao. He must be hiding something. What is this?"
"I used to think Feng Chun'e was a virtuous woman, but I didn't expect she was such a vicious woman behind the scenes! She is a completely vicious stepmother!"
"Feng Chun'e always complained to me about how difficult it was to be a stepmother, and that no matter how she served the little princess, she could never satisfy her. I even agreed with her at the time, but now I regret it. Nanfeng was so cute when she was little, she would smile whenever she saw anyone, and would call everyone uncle and aunt so sweetly. Later on, she stopped laughing and talking. She must have become introverted because she was bullied and had no one to complain to..."
"Tao You is not a good person either. Professor Tao was so good to her. Not only did he help her change her last name, he also found her a job and taught her calligraphy. But she didn't know how to be grateful and deliberately schemed against Tao Nanfeng."
"Tao You even wants me to be her party introducer. How unlucky!"
"Join the party? Don't even think about it! Tao You was able to work in the library because of Professor Tao's face. Now that I see her true colors, I wish I could kick her out of the school."
"Did you intentionally break your hand to avoid going to the countryside? We will organize a party committee meeting later to discuss this matter. If we don't record such a bad behavior in the file, we really think that the organization is meaningless!"
That night, in this professorial building, Feng Chun'e and Tao You were drowned in the attacks of the crowd.
I regret it so much!
Why is he so blinded by greed that he wants to plot against Tao Nanfeng? It was not hard for Tao You to work as an educated youth in Jing County, and he could come back to visit his family every year. By then, Tao Shouxin and Tao Nanfeng will both appreciate Tao You's kindness, and it will be great if the family can live in harmony!
Feng Chun'e also came from a hard life, so cooking and washing clothes were not difficult for her. If she had just been a little nicer to Tao Nanfeng, said fewer hurtful words, and coaxed and tricked her into marrying her off, wouldn't that have given her peace of mind? Why do you dislike her and always think she is a nuisance at home?
Now they are neither popular nor welcome. Tao Shouxin hates them, the masses dislike them, and their happy life is about to come to an end. Feng Chun'e and Tao You are panicked.
Now Feng Chun'e no longer dared to have any extra thoughts. As long as the divorce procedures were not carried out, she would agree to anything. The next day, she obediently dragged her luggage and moved to the single dormitory with Tao You.
Tao You sincerely admitted his mistake and wrote a ten-thousand-word self-criticism, but what he got in return was severe criticism from the library’s party committee secretary. There is no chance of joining the party at all, and whether I can keep my job depends on the decision of the Party Committee after the winter vacation.
Now when Feng Chun'e and Tao You go out, there are always people pointing fingers at their backs. Their living conditions and salary income have dropped drastically. Feng Chun'e and Tao You never expected such a result.
Tao Nanfeng lives alone with his father. Although there is no one to cook or clean the house, it is quiet and comfortable.
A simple and comfortable bedroom, a small yard full of flowers and plants, and a large study room filled with winter sunshine. The father and daughter read books together in the study, discuss professional issues, eat in the cafeteria, and stroll around the neighborhood. Tao Nanfeng feels that this is the "home" he wants, and he lives a happy and carefree life.
The New Year's Eve of 1975 arrived in a lively atmosphere amid the sound of firecrackers.
Tao Nanfeng and Tao Shouxin are not good at cooking and usually eat in the cafeteria. The school cafeteria was closed on New Year's Eve, but fortunately an old friend sent over some hot dishes, which, together with the braised dishes and a plate of peanuts that I had bought in advance, made it look like a New Year's Eve dinner.
Tao Shouxin took out a bottle of red wine and three tall glasses from the bookcase, and placed the treasured photo of the family of three on the dining table. Facing the smiling Xu Xiqin in the photo, Tao Shouxin said softly, "Xiqin, we can finally celebrate the New Year together openly."
Xu Xiqin was the daughter of a wealthy family and was born into a landlord family, which was considered a bad background in that era. Tao Shouxin was ordered by his leader to draw a line between himself and Xu Xiqin and had to hide his longing for her.
Tao Nanfeng felt warm in his heart and placed a glass of red wine in front of the photo. Six dishes, three glasses of wine, a photo, Tao Nanfeng and his father smiled at each other, and everything was said without words.
A room does not need to be big to be elegant, and flowers do not need to have many to be fragrant.
Tao Nanfeng had a dream at night.
In the dream, it was still that white world. The big book shining with golden light was right in front of me. A gentle female voice sounded beside my ears: "Evil spirits will disappear, and the sun and moon will shine. If your heart is like the bright moon, you can find life in desperate situations."
The papers turned automatically without wind, and each page disappeared as it was turned, until the final cover. As the big words "I am the Protagonist in the 1970s" suddenly disappeared, the whole world suddenly revealed its original appearance.
Green mountains, green waters, houses, roads...an ordinary world.
The sun shines down and warmth gradually arises.
Tao Nanfeng woke up from his dream, picked up the jade button hanging on his chest, tears flashing in his eyes. The voice in the dream was my mother.
The book has disappeared, which means that the fate of himself and his father has changed. The past is like smoke, and everything in the future will be created by your own hands.
After happily celebrating the New Year, Tao Nanfeng is about to return to the farm. Although I was reluctant to leave my father alone in Jiangcheng, I had to face the separation.
It was the tenth day of the first lunar month and the wind was biting cold.
When he opened the door early in the morning, a gust of cold wind blew towards him and Tao Nanfeng shrank his neck.
Tao Shouxin helped her put on a thick red scarf and gave her careful instructions: "Take good care of yourself when you get there, and remember to write to me every week. If there are any problems with the farm planning I made for you, you must give us feedback in a timely manner. In addition, there are two things you must remember.
The first is environmental protection. Xiufeng Mountain has beautiful scenery, clear and sweet water and rich vegetation. This is a gift from nature to you, so you must protect it well. Although phosphate mining can bring benefits to farms, resource exploitation must be restrained. The amount of excavation each year and the amount of manpower and material resources to be invested must be planned in advance, and it must never be at the cost of destroying the local environment.
Second, education comes first. No matter how poor a farm is, it must not be poor in education. When the farm becomes rich, the first thing it does is to improve education. The farm should not only have elementary schools, junior high schools and high schools, but also provide vocational training in the future, as talent is the core element of development. ”
These words were advanced and thought-provoking, and Tao Nanfeng nodded repeatedly after listening to them.
Tao You has been feeling upset lately and has been wandering around the professor's building early in the morning. Hearing Tao Shouxin talking, Tao You walked over slowly, spat at the wall, and sneered, "Pah! Send away the plague god. As soon as you come back, you urge your parents to divorce. What a good daughter!"
Tao You has now been frustrated in his attempt to join the party, his work has been criticized, and his reputation has plummeted. He has given up and is too lazy to pretend to be well-behaved. The bitterness and meanness in his bones can no longer be concealed.
Tao Nanfeng's eyes turned cold.
Tao Shouxin looked at Tao You, who had called him "Dad" for eight years, with disappointment in his eyes and sighed.
Tao Shouxin's eyes stimulated Tao You: "Dad, I tried so hard to please you, and I wanted to be your proud daughter. Why did you not want me as soon as Tao Nanfeng came back? Is blood relationship so important?"
Tao You's voice was sharp and high-pitched, and it sounded very harsh on this winter morning.
Tao Shouxin's mood was very complicated at this moment.
Do you hate Tao You? Hateful indeed. After all, he treated her with all his heart and raised her like his own daughter, but he didn't expect that he would end up nurturing a tiger that would become a threat to him and almost kill his own daughter.
However, when Tao You said that she tried her best to please him and wanted to be his proud daughter, Tao Shouxin felt a little guilty. He thought that it was his unprincipled love that gave Tao You the wrong message.
Thinking of this, Tao Shouxin sighed: "Tao You, since ancient times, there has been a difference between relatives and strangers. Don't dream of replacing Nanfeng's position in my heart. Nanfeng is my daughter who I pampered and raised. It is natural for me to love her and care about her.
Although you call me dad, we have no blood relationship. I have the obligation to support you, but you cannot go too far. Do you want me to ignore the south wind and make all arrangements for you? This is against human ethics. Tao You...Don't be too greedy. Greed will bring disaster! ”
Tao Shouxin's advice was well-intentioned, but to Tao You it sounded like a strong mockery.
Tao You felt that his world was like a piece of paper, torn into pieces by Tao Shouxin's words and blown to those dark corners with the north wind.
In her fantasy world, she is the protagonist of the Tao family. She is enthusiastic, smart, hardworking and well-behaved, like a warm sun shining on the earth. Tao Nanfeng is delicate, introverted, and dull. Apart from having a pretty face, she is inferior to her in every other way. She is not worthy of being Tao Shouxin's daughter at all.
She tried hard to please and flatter others, making herself better, gradually surpassing Tao Nanfeng's status and gaining Tao Shouxin's recognition.
After successfully driving Tao Nanfeng away, the past year and a half was the happiest time of her life - her work in the library was leisurely, her parents were around, her mother was busy with housework, her father was busy with his career, and the family of three lived in harmony and warmth.
But this kind of happiness came to an abrupt end after Tao Nanfeng came back, and Tao You refused to accept it.
Tao You rushed to Tao Nanfeng and tried to pull the red scarf around her neck.
"That's not true! You don't deserve to be my daughter. My dad worked hard at the university, and it was my mom who cooked for him and I served him tea. When my dad was sick, it was my mom who took care of him and I bought him medicine. What have you done for my dad? You only care about your own happiness and don't care about his life or death at all!"
Hearing this, Tao Nanfeng could no longer control his temper. He flipped his right hand, grabbed Tao You's pulse point, and exerted great force.
It's shameless to confuse right and wrong!
Don’t I want to take care of and accompany my father? It was obvious that it was the mother and daughter who deliberately pushed herself into a desperate situation!
"Ah——" Tao You screamed, and felt as if his wrist was burning, the pain was unbearable.
Tao Nanfeng raised his hand and kicked her to the ground. His eyes were as cold as iron: "Give a small favor, and you will get a great benefit. You are really calculating! You have gained so many benefits from our family, but you still think it is not enough. You have to occupy my nest and drive me away to death to feel at ease, right?"
Tao You didn't expect Tao Nanfeng to take action. Isn’t it said that scholars talk instead of taking action?
The scene of being abused by her biological father in the past came to her mind. Tao You screamed and struggled desperately. She hugged her head and curled up into a ball. She squatted on the ground and begged tremblingly: "Don't hit me, don't hit me, I'm scared..."
Tao Nanfeng said calmly: "Sure enough, for a bully like you who only cares about the strong, a hundred words of reason are not as good as a beating."
After saying that, he turned and left.
Chen Zhilu and Tao Nanfeng are back!
The news quickly spread throughout Xiufengshan Farm.
After not seeing each other for a month, everyone is about to get sick from hibernating in the mountains. If the shuttle bus had not been suspended due to snow and everyone had not received the news in time, the educated youth from Jiangcheng would have wanted to run to the mountains to sing and dance to welcome them.
Walking on half a foot deep snow, Tao Nanfeng and Chen Zhilu walked up from the foot of the mountain step by step, bringing back greetings from their hometown and news about phosphate mining. This was the best news in the first month of the year!
Xiao Aiyun hugged Tao Nanfeng tightly, jumping and laughing: "You are finally back! I missed you so much!"
Ye Qin and Li Huilan stood aside, laughing so hard that they doubled over: "We can prove that Xiao Aiyun mentions you at least three times a day."
Tao Nanfeng took things out of the big travel bag with a smile.
"Xiao Aiyun, this is a bag of sour beans, a pair of gloves, and a new scarf knitted by your sister that your mother asked me to bring back."
"Li Huilan, this is a big box of regular medicine your father asked me to bring you so that you can be a good nurse."
"Ye Qin, you brought a bag of beef jerky and a new sweater from home."
The three girls held the gifts brought back by their families and refused to let go. As they laughed, they could no longer control their emotions and their eyes began to turn red one by one.
"Has my little sister grown taller? Is her academic performance good? Does my mom still have back pain?"
"How are my parents? Are my brothers and sisters obedient?"
"This sweater is so beautiful. Did you buy it in a big mall? I really want to go shopping..."
Girls are more emotional, while boys are much more rational. They all gathered around Chen Zhilu to listen to him brag.
"I have already done a thorough investigation of this route. We just need to wait for the road to be opened in the spring. I will take the mining license to the provincial industrial department and planning department. After the experts from the Ministry of Geology and Mineral Resources come to survey and determine the scale of mining, we can start mining in May at the latest! Let me tell you... there are many tricks involved. If I didn't know many people well, I really wouldn't know when I could get the quota."
A group of people were amazed and praised Chen Zhilu for his ability.
Qiao Yadong stood aside, feeling for some reason that things were out of his control.
Years ago, he plucked up the courage to write a letter to his mother, telling her that he had fallen in love with a girl. In the letter, he also gave a good description of Tao Nanfeng, saying that he was hardworking, had become the head of the Infrastructure Department, his father was a university professor, and he was very handsome. They were both educated youth from Jiangcheng and could work hard together to make progress.
The mother quickly replied to the letter, affirming her son's vision, but she reminded him: the number of recommendations for college is limited, and Xiufengshan Farm only has one or two each year. If you fall in love, you may face competition, so you need to consider it carefully.
The courage that Qiao Yadong had finally built up suddenly disappeared.
He wants to go to college, he dreams about it.
Although Xiufeng Mountain is nice, there is no electricity, no water, and no bustling and lively city like that of a big city. It is impossible for him to stay here for a long time. Of course he wanted to fight alongside Tao Nanfeng and go to college together, but what should he choose if they were in a competitive relationship?
Given Tao Nanfeng's popularity among the masses, she would definitely be the one to go to university if there was an opportunity. What would I do if I felt jealous then? Can this relationship withstand such a test?
The more he thought about it, the more his head hurt. Qiao Yadong walked out of the dormitory and called Tao Nanfeng out.
The wind on Xiufeng Mountain is so cold that the eaves can't stop the chill that penetrates into the bones. Qiao Yadong called Tao Nanfeng to the main hall and enthusiastically poured him a cup of hot tea: "You've worked hard on this trip."
Tao Nanfeng didn't know what he wanted to say, so he waited quietly.
In the dream, Qiao Yadong is Tao You's lover. There is a sentence in the book: "Through Tao You in front of him, Qiao Yadong seemed to see Tao Nanfeng, the pretty and delicate girl who once worked on the farm with him. Before he could express his youthful excitement, she passed away. He could only put all his thoughts on Tao You as a commemoration of his youth."
When Tao Nanfeng saw this sentence, he felt a little disgusted.
She has never been in love, but that doesn't mean she doesn't understand love.
Because of the "transference" effect, Qiao Yadong and Tao You get along harmoniously, which really disgusts her. Originally, because he was sincere and kind to others, and was also the squad leader of the educated youth point, Tao Nanfeng was polite to him, but after reading that book... she wanted to curse him.
Tao Nanfeng is a reasonable person.
Books are books and life is life. Qiao Yadong has not done anything now, so these charges cannot be put on him. However, she couldn't suppress the disgust in her heart.
For this reason, Tao Nanfeng avoided being alone with Qiao Yadong during this period, for fear that he would have inappropriate thoughts.
Qiao Yadong hesitated for a long time, his face slightly red. "I, we are both section chiefs now, and we can work together to move forward. But I want to go to college, so I dare not be distracted now, please understand."
What? !
Tao Nanfeng's eyes shone: "What do you mean?"
Qiao Yadong originally thought that such things should not be said too directly. Wouldn't it be better if he said it vaguely so that everyone knew it?
He liked Tao Nanfeng very much and admired her tenacity and strength, but he didn't want to fall in love now. He just wanted to make a covenant with her first and then date and get married in the future.
Tao Nanfeng's eyes were too cold, which made Qiao Yadong feel frustrated. He said dejectedly: "If you don't mean that, then just pretend I didn't say anything."
After saying that, he slumped his shoulders and prepared to go out.
"Wait a minute!" Tao Nanfeng called him.
Qiao Yadong's eyes lit up, he suddenly turned around and looked at her in surprise: "You, are you willing to..." Are you willing to be a tacitly agreed lover with me? Would you like to walk with me out of the farm?
Before he could finish his sentence, Tao Nanfeng started talking.
"You said that the revolutionary cause is above all else! We are just high school graduates, it's too early to fall in love now. We young people are responsible for developing the farm and leading the villagers to live a good life. If we have any thoughts now, it would be a degenerate thought! Is that right or not?"
Her voice was cold and clear, like the melting snow in winter, when the snow dripping from the eaves hits the bluestone beneath, crisp and chilly.
When Qiao Yadong heard her words, he was stunned. These were what he said last year when he criticized Xiao Aiyun. He made her cry and even had a fight with Chen Zhilu over it.
A wave of heat rose up on Qiao Yadong's face, which turned red. He couldn't utter a word for a long time. She... When she didn't speak, Qiao Yadong always hoped that she would say a few more words. But now every word was like a needle, sharp and piercing, piercing his self-esteem and making it bleed, but he hoped that she would shut up.
"A gentleman's word is as good as his bond. Squad Leader Qiao, please take care of yourself and stop saying these ambiguous words to me."
After saying the last word, Tao Nanfeng pushed open the door to the main hall, and a cold wind blowing snow seeds blew in his face. Smelling the scent of snow, Tao Nanfeng's mouth curled up slightly. It was quiet and comfortable, how wonderful.
The author has something to say:
In the 1970s, divorce required a certificate from the work unit and would involve repeated mediation. As long as one party was unwilling, the process would be very long. This was a characteristic of the era. However, Professor Tao has drawn a clear line between himself and Feng Chun'e and her daughter. In the future, Tao Nanfeng will focus on his career with his father, and their lives will get better and better. Those despicable people will never be able to show up in public and will be despised and hated.
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