Chapter 19 "If you don't come back soon, your wife will be sent to the countryside..."
Chapter Nineteen: "If I don't come back soon, my wife will have already gone to the countryside."
With the money given to her by Ling Jianwei, Li Yue bought black yarn.
When I got home, my cousin asked, puzzled, "Why did you knit a black sweater? Didn't you say there's a pretty purple yarn that you could use to knit garter stitch?"
Li Yue: "You said it, black is less prone to getting dirty."
My cousin scoffed, "But you don't do any housework. I do all the housework."
Li Yue chuckled and didn't reply.
Two days later, after the black sweater was finished, my cousin exclaimed in surprise, "Sis, is this a men's size?!"
Li Yue: "Mm."
My cousin exclaimed, "You have to knit a sweater for Deputy Battalion Commander Ling!"
"Yeah, what's wrong? Is there a problem?"
"This is a big problem!" My cousin's eyes widened. "You've already started knitting the sweater, and you're still saying you two aren't dating?"
Li Yue glanced calmly at her cousin: "This is something I owe him. You're overthinking it."
After saying that, he glanced at the calendar on the wall. It was already December 10th. As far as he remembered, the educated youth started going to the countryside when it was very cold. It was probably only a few days ago.
She needed to finish knitting the sweater before going to the countryside and then send it over, so Li Yue had been working on it these past few days.
But perhaps it was the calm before the storm; nothing happened for several days in a row. My cousin shook her head and said, "Sis, you're really going all out."
Li Yue replied, "Finish it as soon as possible and send it over as soon as possible."
My cousin said, "I bet Deputy Battalion Commander Ling will treasure it and won't even want to wear it."
Just then, someone knocked on the door.
Li Yue opened the door and saw several staff members appear at the entrance. Some were wearing red armbands from the street, some were holding large registration books, and there was also Aunt Li, the manager of their residential compound, standing to the side.
Aunt Li smiled and said, "Don't be nervous, just do a survey registration."
The middle-aged woman wearing a red armband spoke up: "You're Li Yue, right?"
Li Yue: "Yes, that's me."
"The neighborhood committee needs to find out about the employment situation of graduates. Do you have two graduates in your family?"
Li Yue said, "There are two, me and my cousin Du Qinglan."
My cousin stood to the side and claimed, "I am Du Qinglan."
The girl with the red armband nodded and instructed the girl holding the registration book, "Xiao Xie, please register."
Xiao Xie had been staring at Li Yue at first, but after hearing her instructions, he said, "Okay."
Li Yue also got a good look at the girl named Xiao Xie. She felt that she looked familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen her before.
After they finished registering, they left, but my cousin was so frightened that her legs went weak and she slumped into a chair: "Sis, they're not going to arrest us since we don't have jobs, are they?"
Li Yue couldn't help but laugh: "No, we haven't broken any laws."
"But I heard from them that recently many unemployed graduates have been causing trouble. There are often fights on the streets, and people are also stealing chickens and dogs, which has greatly affected public security."
Li Yue picked up the sweater again and comforted her, "Don't worry, they won't arrest you. They're just doing a survey; they're probably trying to figure out how to accommodate these graduates."
As she was knitting, Li Yue suddenly looked up and gasped.
My cousin was startled and asked, "What's wrong?"
Who was that person who just registered?
My cousin said, "I don't know her."
Is your surname Xie?
My cousin said, "I heard her name called Xiao Xie. Do you know her?"
“It seems…” Li Yue’s eyes widened, “It seems to be someone.”
"who?"
You don't know him.
She looks like Xie Hongping, the girl who went on a blind date with Ling Jianwei.
No wonder the other person kept staring at her earlier. It's a woman's intuition. Does Xie Hongping know about her relationship with Ling Jianwei?
But how did Xie Hongping know about her?
Did you hear it from people in the compound? Or did you investigate her?
For a moment, Li Yue couldn't sit still, so she put down her sweater and prepared to go out.
My cousin asked, "Where are you going?"
"Go to the hospital and see if they're investigating them too."
"I'll go too."
Li Yue and her cousin arrived in the courtyard and felt a little relieved; they were indeed going to investigate other buildings.
One of my colleagues even asked, "Hongping, how many have there been so far?"
Xie Hongping glanced at the form: "Sixteen."
"It's only been a short time, and there are already so many. No wonder there's no peace."
Li Yue stood not far away, listening silently. It turned out that she really was Xie Hongping.
Xie Hongping raised her eyes, exchanged a glance with Li Yue, and then smiled faintly.
Li Yue's feelings were extremely complicated. Although they had no connection, she had a bad feeling.
-
Just as Ling Jianwei was finishing the stitches on her black sweater, what was bound to happen finally arrived.
Articles calling on educated youth to go to the countryside to receive re-education from poor and lower-middle peasants were published in major newspapers, and the vigorous movement of educated youth going to the countryside began.
There had been previous instances of sending educated youth to the countryside, but on a small scale. This time, however, the movement was much more intense. In addition, many graduates who had been working for three years were unable to find jobs, and the unemployed population caused certain public security problems. Therefore, the policy of sending educated youth to the countryside officially became the main task of neighborhood committees overnight, and they had to do a good job in publicity and mobilization.
The topic of educated youth going to the countryside suddenly ignited a nationwide discussion, with neighbors in the family compound talking about it. With the clear implementation of relevant regulations, the sword hanging over Li Yue's head finally fell.
Gu Yanmei ran over and said anxiously to Li Yue, "What should we do? My brother went to look into it and said there are three places we can go in our area: one is Beidahuang, one is Xishuangbanna, and the other is the Loess Plateau."
She asked anxiously, "Li Yue, will you be assigned to one of them too?"
Li Yue remained calm: "What do you think? I'm what they call a capitalist's daughter, with a bad class background, the one who should be receiving re-education from the poor and lower-middle peasants. But I don't understand, I was raised by my uncle's family, wasn't it supposed to be one person per household? Why does my cousin have to go?"
Gu Yanmei said, "That's because you are ultimately surnamed Li, not Du."
“Yes, that’s why I have nothing to say,” Li Yue said.
Gu Yanmei then asked, "Where do you want to go?"
"Beidahuang, it's relatively close to home."
"But it's so cold there in winter."
"Bring plenty of warm clothes. It's too cold, and even if it snows heavily, you probably won't be able to work in the fields."
Gu Yanmei was on the verge of tears: "I really don't want to go, but if I don't go, who will? My younger brother and sister are still young and in school. My sister-in-law even said it's better than staying at home eating and drinking for free."
Li Yue said, "If you really don't want to go, could you find a job or get a medical record?"
“If I could find a job, I would have found one long ago. I can’t even get my medical records sorted out. The staff who came to our house said they know my situation and that if I try to be sneaky, it will affect my younger siblings.”
Just then, my cousin ran home excitedly.
"Sister, I've inquired about it. The Great Northern Wilderness is managed like a military corps. If you go there, you'll be like half a soldier." She said happily, "I've already talked to my classmates about going to the Great Northern Wilderness together. It'll be like joining the army."
Li Yue couldn't help but rub her forehead.
There are many passionate young people in this era, and my cousin is one of them. She is enthusiastic, energetic, and willing to fight for the development of the motherland's border regions.
It's not that her passion is bad, but as a transmigrator, Li Yue knows that this matter ultimately means going through hardship.
Upon hearing this, Gu Yanmei frowned and said, "If you insist on going, I don't care. I want to go with you so I can have company."
Li Yue could only nod and agree.
...
Going to the countryside seemed to be a done deal. The staff in the family compound had already informed them and told them to sign up when it was time to do so.
That evening, Li Yue touched the sweater she had knitted, thinking about sending it to Ling Jianwei in the next couple of days, but she was also worried that it might not be knitted well enough and that it might not fit him.
My cousin couldn't help but ask, "Sister, if you want to go to the countryside, will Deputy Battalion Commander Ling agree?"
Li Yue said calmly, "Why do we need his permission? I've already said we're just friends."
“But I don’t think he’ll agree to you going to the countryside. If he comes back and can’t find you, he’ll be so disappointed.”
Li Yue paused for a moment, and her nose felt a little sore.
This cousin always speaks to people's hearts in the simplest of words.
She said helplessly, "What can I do? It's fate."
“It’s simple. Just ask him for help. His family is powerful and influential; they can surely help you,” my cousin said.
Li Yue's voice gradually turned cold: "Are you saying that someone like me, asking for help, shouldn't you remember that my family has a bad reputation? Would I be asking him for help and bringing him negative influence?"
My cousin said, "But I think he won't care. His family will always find a way."
Li Yue smiled; she had already decided to obediently go to the countryside.
I didn't think about it.
But Li Yue didn't expect that there were others who were even more anxious than her, and there was more than one.
The next morning, she was at home when Song Zhicheng hurriedly rode his bicycle over and stopped outside the door.
When Li Yue opened the door, she was taken aback and called out, "Senior Brother Song."
After Song Zhicheng entered the house and exchanged a few pleasantries, he learned that she was going to the countryside and said bluntly, "Going to the countryside is going to be tough. You're not strong enough to handle it, so don't go."
Li Yue smiled and said, "I'm in alright. I may look weak, but I still have strength."
Song Zhicheng said, "If you need it, I can help you get a medical certificate proving that you have a heart condition and can't do heavy work."
"Thank you, but I don't want to do something so dishonest," Li Yue declined. "If it gets found out, it will affect you."
Song Zhicheng continued to persuade him: "Don't be confused. Although your family background is not good, there are many people in the hospital who can get certificates. They won't make a difference if you are one of them."
Seeing Song Zhicheng's anxious expression, Li Yue had no choice but to tell the truth: "I am now a key person under the supervision of the neighborhood committee. They are watching me very closely from all aspects. It's not something that can be done with just a simple certificate."
Upon hearing this, Song Zhicheng was taken aback.
This kind-hearted senior may only know that Li Yue comes from a capitalist family, but he probably doesn't know some of the details.
She knew she couldn't escape.
However, she was sincerely grateful for the care and concern shown by her senior.
Seeing this, Song Zhicheng had no choice but to say, "I have to go to the hospital for my internship later. The hospital is very busy these days. I'll come back in a couple of days to ask about the situation."
Li Yue saw him off at the family compound. He pushed his bicycle, and the two walked and talked about the recent situation. Song Zhicheng still said, "If you can avoid going to the countryside, it's better not to go."
"Yes, I know that too."
Just as I reached the door, another familiar person walked over.
Li Yue was even more surprised. The person who came was actually Ling Jianwei's childhood friend, Shao Jiashu. She widened her eyes and asked, "Why did you come here?"
Shao Jiashu glanced sharply at Song Zhicheng, then nodded and asked Li Yue, "Going out?"
"No, this is a classmate from my high school. He came to see me, and now he's going to work at the hospital. I'm seeing him off."
Song Zhicheng nodded to Shao Jiashu and said, "Alright, I'll be going now. If you need anything, come find me at the hospital."
"Okay, thank you, senior brother."
After Song Zhicheng left, Shao Jiashu asked Li Yue, "Did he need to see you?"
Li Yue said, "It's nothing, he just came over to ask about going to the countryside."
Shao Jiashu smiled: "It seems everyone cares about you."
Li Yue: "Huh?"
"Besides the doctor from earlier, there was another man who was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, but he was too far away to help, so he had to send me over to ask about the situation."
Li Yue knew who the man he was talking about was, and said softly, "It's nothing special, he's just going to the countryside."
"Is it confirmed?" he asked.
“Yes,” Li Yue replied, “The comrades from the propaganda and mobilization team knew my situation. When they came to my house, they had already made arrangements, and I was just waiting for the formal registration to be arranged.”
Shao Jiashu shook his head: "If you go to the countryside, he'll be worried sick. He said on the phone that you're very weak and can faint if someone just taps you. How could you do heavy work?"
"That was an accident, it won't always happen like this."
Shao Jiashu gazed at the fair-skinned, beautiful girl and sighed silently. Working in the relevant department, how could he not know how much importance the higher-ups attached to this rural assignment? But he still said, "Anyway, I came to pass on a message to him. You should hold off on this for now, don't rush to sign up, and see what arrangements he has. I have a lot to do right now, and I also need to go back to work. I'll come and talk to you again when I have time."
Li Yue nodded: "I know, thank you, Brother Jiashu."
"It's kind of you to call me brother. If you were my sister, I wouldn't want you to go to the countryside either."
Li Yue seemed unable to force a smile, and simply replied, "Understood."
Shao Jiashu first made a phone call to Ling Jianwei's office. Although the long-distance call signal was poor, he still wanted to stir up his childhood friend's emotions.
"Dude, looks like the competition is fierce. Not only do you not want her to go to the countryside, but some fellow alumnus doctor also doesn't want her to go. Are you really not planning to come back? If you don't come back soon, your wife will either be sent to the countryside or she'll be kidnapped by someone else."
Ling Jianwei's blood pressure soared as she listened on the other end of the phone, but she still patiently said, "I'm dealing with an inspection from my superiors these past two days, and I really can't leave. I can only return to Beijing after I finish this. You must help me keep her calm."
“She seems to be looking forward to going to the countryside.” Shao Jiashu smiled maliciously. “Why don’t we let her go and experience some hardship? When it’s about time, we can bring her back.”
"No way," Ling Jianwei refused firmly. "Who knows if they'll even come back?"
"But the way you've waged this protracted war is really circuitous and roundabout. A slow and steady approach isn't the way to go. I'm not trying to criticize you, but where were you all this time? Just marry her and bring her with you to the army, and none of this would have happened!"
The signal was really bad, and the electromagnetic noise kept crackling. The communications officer was shouting a report at the door, saying that the battalion commander wanted to see him. Ling Jianwei didn't listen to his nonsense anymore and hung up the phone.
-
-----------------------
Author's Note: The next update will be at midnight~~~
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com