"Fool, I only see Panmei as a brother and a good friend. I've never had any romantic feelings for her, let alone anything like that!"
"From now on, if you have anything to ask, don't just have a mouth that's all it does—get jealous—and can't even ask a question!"
Ling Huanwu looked at Zhou Jiu's shocked expression and spoke each word with utmost seriousness, her eyes filled with heartache.
Thinking about how this guy had kept all that pain and grievance inside all this time, she felt both wronged and heartbroken.
"So when you came back from his place that day, you were covered in red marks, and you were blushing and stuttering as you spoke?"
Zhou Jiu lowered his eyes in shock and delight, his cheeks puffed out, and finally opened his mouth to voice the doubts that had been lingering in his mind these past few days, "And that Qin Jinshen, why did he impersonate him to get close to you?"
"And another thing, why do you call that guy surnamed Song 'brother' even though he's younger than you? Is it because that kid insists?"
Zhou Jiuzhen blurted out his innermost thoughts, leaving Ling Huanwu completely bewildered.
She ruffled Zhou Jiuzhen's hair vigorously, both annoyed and amused. "Although Panmei is a few months younger than me, his family longed for a younger sister, so his parents have been coaxing me to be their younger sister since I was little. They've never changed how they address me after all these years..."
"And that Qin Jinshen, did you see him? He's hoping we'll fall out, that's why he's trying to sow discord between us. You believe him?"
"As for the red marks on my body that you mentioned, you really don't believe me at all. I said they were mosquito bites, but you didn't believe me. Did you think they were my brother's bites?"
Ling Huanwu originally thought that after she explained, Zhou Jiuzhen would be relieved and stop looking like a crying, desperate husband all the time.
To everyone's surprise, the guy still hung his head, his eyes filled with dejection, and said, "But after all, you and he have had a relationship for over ten years, while you and I have only known each other for a short time..."
Seeing him acting like a girl again, all effeminate, Ling Huanwu almost went crazy. "Then... what do you want me to do for you to believe that there's nothing between him and me!"
Before the two could finish speaking, they heard Song Panmei knocking urgently on the door.
Upon hearing his voice, Zhou Jiuzhen's anger flared up instantly.
Before the attack could even begin, Song Panmei called out anxiously from the doorway, "Big Girl, quickly call Battalion Commander Zhou out! The leaders are coming down for an inspection!"
Zhou Jiuzhen and Ling Huanwu exchanged a glance, a vague sense of unease creeping into their hearts, and hurriedly went to open the door.
On the island's drying grounds, the atmosphere was as heavy as the anticipation before a storm.
The leader's stern voice echoed across the empty drying ground: "The entire island must be evacuated within a week!"
These words were like a bombshell, instantly causing an uproar among the crowd.
The villagers stepped forward to protest, shouting all at once, "We won't move! We've lived here for generations, why should we be moved just like that!"
"Moreover, the storm surge has just passed, and it's estimated that there won't be another storm surge for a long time. If we move here, wouldn't we be letting down the blessings of Mazu?"
"Yes, sir, please allocate funds for us to rebuild our homes! We don't want to leave!"
Everyone started talking at once, and their emotions became increasingly agitated.
The leader frowned and firmly refused, saying, " allocating funds for reconstruction is unrealistic. This is a decision from higher authorities, and it must be carried out. Political Commissar Hao, you handle the relocation work."
Political Commissar Hao reluctantly agreed.
Upon hearing this, the villagers became agitated, and the scene nearly spiraled out of control, with everyone shouting "We won't move!"
At this moment, Ling Huanwu squeezed through the crowd and stood up, saying loudly, "Leader, don't rush to make a decision. We have coal on our island. If we can mine coal, we'll need our male comrades, and our female comrades can also set up handicraft production teams. We can be completely self-sufficient, not only without having to move anything, but also contributing to the country!"
The leader's gaze fell on the female lead, a hint of suspicion flashing in his eyes. "You think you can just say it like that? This is no small matter, don't make things up."
Ling Huanwu straightened her back, brimming with confidence, "I'd stake my life on it; there really is coal on the island. Give us time to explore carefully, and we'll definitely find the coal mines!"
The leader was somewhat surprised. Could it be that the legendary treasure on the island was actually a coal mine?
"Comrade, the survival of the islanders is secondary right now. What we care about is their safety. If another storm surge comes, let alone the coal mines, can you guarantee that you will survive like this time?"
The leader's words were sincere, and the villagers who had just been protesting indignantly and refusing to move fell silent.
I finally understand that the higher-ups made this decision entirely for their own good.
Ling Huanwu glanced at Zhou Jiuzhen beside her, who was also persuaded and hesitant, and then looked around at the villagers whose faces were full of struggle.
She couldn't tell the truth: in the long years of her previous life, Wan Tan Island had not experienced a storm surge for many years.
By the 1990s, they had even more means to combat storm surges.
But she had calculated that the leaders already knew about the treasure and were largely willing to take the risk.
When Ling Huanwu looked at the leader, her voice choked with emotion. "I believe that our country's technology will be able to accurately predict storm surges sooner or later. But now that we know there are treasures on the island, we can't let the treasures left by our ancestors be buried. Don't you agree?"
After a moment of contemplation, the leader finally softened his stance and said, "Here's what we'll do. I'll give you a month. If we can't find a coal mine within a month, the entire island must be relocated, and no one can be an exception."
Ling Huanwu gritted her teeth and nodded in agreement, "Okay, just one month. I will definitely find a coal mine so that everyone won't have to leave their homes!"
The villagers of Stone Village were thrilled upon hearing this, casting trusting glances their way. Although the future was uncertain, they all chose to believe in her, believing that there really was a coal mine on the island that could change their destiny.
After the crowd dispersed, Ling Huanwu was pondering how to get Xiao Lü to lead the way to the coal mine when Song Panmei, leaning on her crutch, quickly came to Ling Huanwu's side and grabbed her wrist. "Big girl, why do you still want to stay here? This place is no place for a human to stay!"
Ling Huanwu turned around in surprise and met Song Panmei's unusually angry face.
"What are you talking about? We've lived here for so long, aren't we human beings?"
Song Panmei pointed to the makeshift wooden sheds on the threshing ground, then to the stinking public toilet not far away, her voice filled with shock, "With living conditions like this, do you really want to stay here and suffer forever?"
“Girl, you’re a young lady from the city. You should be living a life of luxury, not suffering here. Have you forgotten your grandfather’s wish? He hoped you could make the Ling family bigger and stronger, instead of being a peasant woman here!”
Ling Huanwu opened her mouth, unable to say that in her previous life she had indeed made the Ling family's business bigger and stronger in China.
In this life, she wants to do something different.
During this special period, she cannot save the economy as a businesswoman; she only wants to do what she can to help her fellow islanders overcome the difficulties!
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