Chapter 60 Why did she subconsciously think of him...?
After leaving home, Cheng Ying took Wei Muchen, who had not yet regained his senses, to the county that very night. She found the head of the armed forces department, explained the situation carefully, and asked the armed forces department to call Commander Wei, who was far away in the western military region, and ask him to send someone to pick up Wei Muchen.
Please have the Minister of the Armed Forces send someone to take Wei Mucheng to the county's train station and help him board the train.
When Wei Mucheng regained his senses, he had already been on the train for half a day, and the people around him told him what had happened.
Wei Muchen gazed at the green scenery rushing past outside the train window, gritting his teeth and muttering, "Cheng Ying, don't think that just because you have a so-called childhood sweetheart, I'll let you off the hook. You just wait, I'll come looking for you sooner or later."
Time flows like water, and life goes on uneventfully. Cheng Ying walks through the mountains and fields day after day, delivering mail and packages. Gradually, she becomes familiar with the job and becomes adept at it.
On this day, an important news item was released nationwide: colleges and universities, which had been closed for many years, were about to resume classes.
At the same time, the People's Daily officially announced that the national college entrance examination would be reinstated.
The news was met with great excitement across the country, as it signified the complete end of the ten-year turmoil. Millions of young people who had been forced to go to the countryside could now take the college entrance examination, leave their production teams as university students, and return to universities and cities. They would no longer have to compete with dozens of others for a single spot to return to the city, fighting tooth and nail and paying various prices, with no guarantee of success.
But in this day and age, those who can get into university are extremely rare, a drop in the ocean.
University students are a scarce talent in the country. The state guarantees them jobs and they enjoy various benefits such as cadre positions. Therefore, the exams are complex and the admission process is strict. Getting into university is harder than climbing to heaven.
In order to get into university and leave the countryside, the educated youth flocked to bookstores, grocery stores, scrap yards and other places on the streets and alleys, frantically buying up study materials from the past few years.
He studied like crazy in a short period of time, hoping to seize this opportunity to get into university and leave the countryside!
Thanks to her older sister Cheng Ying's reminder, Cheng Xue had comprehensive study materials and had reviewed almost everything. She felt good about herself and thought she should be able to get into university.
At the same time, she also realized that her sister's dream about predicting the future was true.
While Cheng Ying was resting on the weekend, Cheng Xue came to Cheng Ying's house in town. She sat by Cheng Ying's bedside, combing her hair, and said, "Sister, I now completely believe that the dream you had was real."
You said that in my past life, I was sold by my grandmother to a farmer in the mountains to be his wife. I was constantly abused by that man, often beaten half to death, and he forced me to have children. I suffered a lot of torment.
When you found out later, you were furious. You beat up the whole family, broke the man's leg, made him divorce you, and took me away.
Later, with your and Mom's care, I recovered physically, but developed a serious mental illness, and my hair turned much whiter. It wasn't until I was middle-aged that I met my true love and married him.
But our happiness was short-lived. Less than two years into our marriage, Wei Mu began to manipulate you, trying to force you to reconcile with him, and he used us as his pawns. As a result, my true love was killed. I became depressed and attempted suicide multiple times without success, living like a walking corpse.
Sister, I just want to ask you, is that true love Sun Qinghui, the educated youth Sun?
As soon as Cheng Ying had a holiday, she would sleep in late at home to make up for the pain of running the mail twice a week and walking too many mountain roads.
She yawned, letting Cheng Xue comb her hair. When she heard Cheng Xue say this, she smiled mysteriously and said, "Guess."
"Sis, just tell me, stop teasing me." Cheng Xue tied her shoulder-length hair into a ponytail, tied a red butterfly-shaped hair tie at the back of the ponytail, and then pulled her hand and acted coquettishly.
"Your hair-combing skills are getting better and better." Cheng Ying picked up a small mirror covered in red plastic and looked at herself. She smiled with great satisfaction and said, "I really don't know how happy Sun Zhiqing will be if he marries my sister, who is so skillful and clever."
"Sister! What are you saying!" Cheng Xue stamped her foot, her face flushed, and the corners of her mouth turned up involuntarily.
It turns out, it really was Sun Zhiqing; he was her true love!
Cheng Ying smiled and put down the mirror, reminding her, "Sun Zhiqing is from the capital. Although his family's class background isn't good—his parents are intellectuals who were labeled as low-class—they should be exonerated in a year or two and be able to return to the capital. You should talk to our parents and his parents about your relationship with Sun Zhiqing as soon as possible. It would be best to get engaged before the college entrance exam, so that you won't be punished by the school after you both get into university."
In this era, college students are not allowed to date, get married, or have children while in school; those who violate this rule will be expelled from the university.
However, if a student is already married, engaged, or in a relationship before entering university, the school will not punish the student if they clearly declare this to the school. However, the student must live in the dormitory according to the school's regulations to reduce the chances of meeting their partner, and cannot go out to a hotel or share a room with their partner. Any behavior that goes against the conservative values of this era will result in expulsion if it is found that the two parties have crossed the line.
Cheng Xue didn't deny that she was dating Sun Qinghui, but shyly held Cheng Ying's hand and said, "Sister, Sun Qinghui's parents are still being reformed in the cowshed in our village. If I tell our parents now that I'm dating Sun Qinghui and even want to get engaged, they definitely won't agree. So could you talk to them for me..."
Cheng Ying got out of bed and poured herself a glass of water. "So that's why you were so diligent in combing my hair today. You need something from me. It's not that I can't help you, but you have to take me to meet Sun Qinghui first so I can get to know him. Also, you need to handwrite a copy of the materials you've studied and organized. I need them."
"What, sis, are you going to take the college entrance exam too?" Cheng Xue asked.
Cheng Ying shook her head: "I won't take the exam. There are many paths in life. Going to university isn't the only way out. I've already found my path in this life! I asked you to copy some materials so I could give them to a female student who shares the same dream as you."
Cheng Xue suddenly realized: "Okay, I'll go back and copy the documents in a bit, and I'll bring Sun Zhiqing to see you while I'm at it. We'll treat you, no, I'll treat you to a meal."
Cheng Ying looked at her amusedly, "Okay, I'll wait for you at home."
"Then I'll ride your bicycle home." Cheng Xue, disregarding her embarrassment, rode her bicycle back to the Cheng family home.
After watching her leave, Cheng Ying walked into the courtyard and suddenly saw a blue butterfly covering the front wall, seemingly looking at her. The smile on her face froze instantly.
After she learned of Long Buxi's feelings for her, and recalling the similar phenomenon of being bewitched that she experienced in the second month after marrying Wei Muchen in her previous life, she felt an inexplicable fear and resistance towards Long Buxi.
That feeling was like being treated as prey, being watched closely by a hunter, and feeling uncomfortable that you would eventually fall into a trap.
This feeling made her very uncomfortable, making her unwilling to face it or think about it deeply.
Almost a month has passed since Wei Muchen left, and no letters or packages have been delivered to Pucang Village. She hasn't been to Pucang Village for almost a month.
But on the afternoon Wei Muchen left, she discovered a butterfly in her house.
At first, she didn't pay much attention, thinking that the butterfly was wild and had just happened to come to her house. She even found it strange and looked at the butterfly a few more times. She even tried to reach out and catch the butterfly, but of course, she didn't catch it. She didn't think much of it.
But on the second and third days, and in the days that followed, the butterfly kept fluttering around her house, sometimes in the room, sometimes in the yard, and even when she returned to the Cheng family home to eat and rest, it would follow her.
That's when she realized something was wrong. What kind of butterfly would follow people around like that?
The first thing that came to her mind was the butterfly she had seen in the Zuowu Forest of Pucang Village. She was almost certain that this butterfly was sent by Long Buxi to monitor her every move.
Why are they spying on her?
Feeling inexplicably irritated, Cheng Ying picked up a stone from the ground and threw it at the butterfly.
The butterfly fluttered its wings, lightly dodging the stone, and flew towards the horizon, disappearing from sight.
Cheng Ying frowned, went home, cleaned the house, packed some clothes, and prepared for her mail delivery work the next day.
An hour later, Cheng Xue returned on her bicycle, accompanied by a male educated youth who was about twenty-five years old.
"Sister, I've finished copying the documents." Cheng Xue put her bicycle in the yard and handed her a handwritten copy of the documents. At the same time, she shyly introduced the man standing next to her, saying, "Sister, this is my boyfriend, Sun Qinghui, the educated youth."
"Oh?" Cheng Ying took the documents and looked Sun Qinghui up and down.
Sun Qinghui had a very handsome face, with big eyes, a high nose, and full lips. He was slender and quite tall, wearing black-rimmed glasses and a faded short-sleeved shirt, presenting the image of an honest and refined intellectual.
In fact, Sun Qinghui is indeed a kind and gentle person. He comes from an intellectual family and was carefully taught by his parents from a young age. He is very well-mannered and would never do anything to hurt others.
Because of his gentle and mild-mannered personality, he was bullied, suffered a lot, was cheated, and endured a lot of hardship during his years in the countryside.
It wasn't until Cheng Xue couldn't stand it anymore and helped him out that the two got to know each other.
Later, through a series of coincidences, the two discovered that they shared the same hobbies, such as reading the same books, eating the same food, and watching the same movies. They gradually became familiar with each other, developed feelings for one another, and eventually got together.
In her previous life, Cheng Ying looked down on Sun Qinghui, always thinking he was weak-willed, not manly, and that her sister Cheng Xue had to make all the decisions for him.
However, when Wei Mucheng sent men to capture Cheng Xue and Sun Qinghui to coerce Cheng Ying into submission, Sun Qinghui resolutely chose to fight back with his own life to protect Cheng Xue and give her a chance to live. In the end, he died at the hands of Wei Mucheng's men.
This alone was enough to make Cheng Ying look at him with new respect.
A seemingly cowardly man fights back to protect his wife from death; how can this not be considered a display of bravery?
"Sister, no, Comrade Cheng, it's a pleasure to meet you. I, I'm Comrade Xiao Cheng's...girlfriend." Sun Qinghui felt her scrutinizing gaze, stammered, and nervously reached out his hand to her.
"Hello, Sun Zhiqing." Cheng Ying extended her hand and shook hands with him briefly, smiling slightly. "Xiaoxue often mentions you to me, saying that you are knowledgeable, insightful, and have lofty ideals and ambitions. You are a very good person. I have always wanted to meet you formally, and I finally have today."
Sun Qinghui glanced at Cheng Xue standing next to him. Seeing her face flushed like the evening glow, looking extremely shy, he couldn't help but blush as well. He said in a voice barely above a whisper, "It was my oversight. After Xiaoxue and I started dating, I originally wanted to visit you, but I was afraid you would look down on my parents' background, so I was too embarrassed to come. Today, Xiaoxue said you wanted to see me, and I was worried that you would object to us being together. Now it seems that I was overthinking it."
Cheng Ying stuffed the documents into the package. "Your and your parents' class backgrounds do have significant issues, but I'm not the kind of person who judges solely by class background. As long as you treat my sister well, I can speak up for you in front of my parents and get them to agree to you two being together. In return, if you dare to bully my sister, I'll make you wish you were dead."
Sun Qinghui nodded hastily, "Comrade Cheng, don't worry, I would never bully Xiaoxue. If I were to bully her, I would be worse than a pig or a dog, and I would die a horrible death."
"Pah, pah, pah, what nonsense are you spouting? What death nonsense!" Cheng Xue remembered what Cheng Ying had told her about the ending of Sun Qinghui's dream, and hurriedly covered his mouth with her hand, her eyes involuntarily reddening. "I believe you will be good to me, don't curse yourself to die."
Seeing her eyes redden and tears welling up, Sun Qinghui hurriedly comforted her, "Okay, okay, I won't say anything. Don't cry. I promise I won't bully you, and I won't die before you. Didn't you learn military boxing and martial arts from your sister for more than three months? If I really wanted to bully you, you could easily beat me down. I can't beat you at all, let alone bully you."
Cheng Xue chuckled. Thinking about it, it made sense. Ever since she started running, practicing military boxing, and martial arts at home every day at her sister's request, her physical fitness was much better than before, and she was noticeably stronger.
Some time ago, Wan Shuhui had a dispute with Liu Guifen, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Cheng family. Liu Guifen pushed Wan Shuhui. Cheng Xue saw this and went to help in anger, and actually pinned Liu Guifen to the ground and beat her.
You should know that in the past, when Wan Shuhui was bullied by Liu Guifen and her mother-in-law, she would go to help them, but they would always push her to the ground or slap her so hard that she would be dizzy and unable to fight back.
Now, however, her body is stronger, and every time Cheng Ying comes back, she spars with her to practice martial arts.
She now has developed muscles in her arms, and could easily fight off healthy women from the countryside who work in the fields year-round. Not to mention the seemingly frail Sun Qinghui, she wouldn't be at a disadvantage if she were to fight him.
Cheng Ying had also thought of this, and felt relieved. She lifted her foot and walked out, saying, "Didn't you say you were going to treat me to dinner? Let's go."
Cheng Xue and Sun Qinghui exchanged a glance and laughed simultaneously; Cheng Ying had passed this test.
They stood on either side of Cheng Ying and led her to Old Ren's shop in town for a meal.
Old Ren was very happy to see them. Without asking what they wanted to eat, he led them directly to the back of the shop, leaving his grandson to watch the shop while he cooked what he had at home.
The dishes were some home-style fare, including two meat dishes, one vegetable dish, and a soup. The price was reasonable, and the portions were generous. All three of us were very satisfied with the meal.
That afternoon, Cheng Ying returned to the Cheng family home and told Wan Shuhui and Cheng Jiantong about Cheng Xue's relationship with Sun Qinghui.
When Cheng Ying told them that Sun Qinghui's parents had a bad class background—they were university professors and had been labeled as low-class—neither of them were surprised nor did they object to the two dating; they just had some reservations.
Cheng Jiantong said, "Sun Qinghui is an educated youth. Now that the college entrance examination has been reinstated, if he passes the exam and our Xiaoxue doesn't, will he regret dating and getting engaged to Xiaoxue? If he goes to the city, he might not want Xiaoxue anymore."
It's no wonder he thought that way. After the Cultural Revolution ended, many educated youth in the countryside abandoned their wives and children to compete for a spot to return to the city. Cheng Jiantong was worried that Sun Qinghui was a hypocrite and would let Cheng Xue down if he got into university.
Wan Shuhui didn't have this worry. She said fairly, "This Sun Zhiqing, although he is the most useless of the more than twenty educated youths in our village, is kind-hearted, gentle and generous. I have often seen him help some weak and sick elderly people and children in the village with their work. He also often buys candy for those children who have no parents, teaches them to read and write, and shares his own food with them. If any educated youth in the educated youth community encounter any difficulties and need his help, he will do it without hesitation."
A few years ago, when you weren't home, I was working in the fields on the mountain. I accidentally slipped and fell from the edge of the embankment into the grass on the slope. When Sun, the educated youth, heard me crying out in pain, he carried me back to the brigade.
It rained for a while that morning, and the mountain road was wet, slippery, and difficult to walk on. He carried me on his back and almost fell several times, but he still insisted on carrying me back to the village.
I trust this young man to be my daughter Xiaoxue's boyfriend; he would never abandon her.
However, Sun Zhiqing is from the capital. After he marries Xiaoxue, Xiaoxue will move to the capital, which is too far away from us. I'm a little reluctant to let her go.
For a moment, I was filled with immense sorrow.
Wan Shuhui has two daughters, Cheng Ying and Cheng Xue. These two girls have suffered a lot with her since they were young. She finally managed to raise them to adulthood, and they have grown into beautiful young women. Naturally, she hopes that they can find good families in the future and marry someone close to her, so that she can check on them, help them, and support them, so that they won't be bullied by their in-laws.
Cheng Ying said, "Mom, don't worry. Our country will develop rapidly in the future, and all kinds of transportation will be very convenient. If Xiaoxue really marries and goes to Beijing, she can take a plane or high-speed rail and come back to see you and Dad on the same day. Besides, your daughter marrying and going to Beijing is such a proud thing for you. Which of the aunties and grandmas your age in our village doesn't want their daughters to marry into a big city, eat government-subsidized food, and live a good life like city people? You should be happy for Xiaoxue."
Wan Shuhui thought about it and agreed, "If your sister can really marry Sun Zhiqing and go to Beijing with him, it would be a good thing. At least, she won't have to spend the rest of her life like me, toiling in the fields, struggling to make a living."
Upon hearing the conversation between the mother and daughter, Cheng Jiantong coughed awkwardly and said, "Then let's settle on this. Xiaoying, tell Xiaoxue to find an opportunity to secretly bring Sun Zhiqing and his parents to our house under the cover of darkness so we can meet each other. If it's a good match, we'll arrange the engagement for Xiaoxue."
“Okay, I’ll tell Xiaoxue in a bit,” Cheng Ying agreed.
Wan Shuhui sighed as she looked at her, "Your sister's matter is settled, but when will you, as the older sister, be able to settle your own affairs? That Wei Muchen..."
"Mom—" Cheng Ying didn't want to mention Wei Muchen, so she reached out and hugged her waist, acting coquettishly in her arms, "Isn't it good that I don't get married and stay with you for the rest of my life? Why do you always want to marry me off?"
Wan Shuhui stroked her back affectionately and said, "Mom doesn't necessarily want you to get married. Mom is worried that after your father and I pass away, and your sister gets married, you'll be left all alone in this world. When you get old, sick, unable to walk or move, who will take care of you? What will you do then?"
"What can I do? Just wait to die. Anyway, by then, I'll have lived enough." Cheng Ying pressed her face against her chest and said indifferently.
"Nonsense! You're so young, what are you talking about dying for?" Wan Shuhui gently patted her back. "Mom knows that because of that dream and what that man named Wei Muchen did to you in the dream, you no longer believe in men. But you can't deny that there are no good men in the world just because of one scumbag! You're still young, you have plenty of opportunities to find a man who treats you well. If you don't look for one yourself, then Mom will have to find some young men for you and bring them to meet you. Mom doesn't care if you get married or have a son-in-law come to live with you, you have to find someone before your sister gets married. Otherwise, if your sister gets married and you, as the older sister, are still unmarried, won't people laugh at you?"
Cheng Ying was speechless, completely unable to understand why her mother was like many other parents, as if someone had given them the task of urging their daughters to get married, always pushing them to do so, believing that women must get married in order to have a good life, even though she could live a perfectly good life on her own.
Cheng Ying said dejectedly, "Mom, I don't want to get married yet. I'm only twenty years old, I'm still young, so please don't set me up on any blind dates. All the young men around my age in this area are neither good-looking nor have good personalities, and I don't like any of them."
“You know you’re twenty years old. When I was your age, I would have married your dad and had you long ago! I’m considered late to get married among my peers. In our village, so many girls are getting married and having kids at seventeen or eighteen. You’re not worried at all.”
Wan Shuhui pushed her away impatiently, looked her in the eyes and said, "If you don't like the young men in this whole area, then what kind of man do you want to find?"
"Putting everything else aside, at least I need to find a good-looking man. If we argue in the future, seeing his handsome face will calm me down a lot." After saying this, Cheng Ying suddenly pictured Long Buxi's stunningly beautiful face.
This person looks sinister and acts eccentrically and recklessly, but unfortunately, he is undeniably beautiful and pleasing to the eye.
Looking at his handsome face, one can always forgive him for many of the things he does.
Thinking about this, she suddenly came to her senses. Why did she subconsciously think of Long Buxi? She clearly didn't like him...
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