Chapter 142 Demotion

From the original owner's memory, all I know about the eldest sister Lin Shu is that she is gentle, speaks softly, and seems to never lose her temper.

The original owner was timid and liked to sulk, and the eldest sister often comforted her, but the original owner was so temperamental that she not only did not get over it, but instead felt that the eldest sister favored the second sister and was blaming her.

Later, the eldest sister got married, and every time she went back to her parents' home, she would bring gifts to the two younger sisters. In order not to make the original owner feel suspicious, she basically brought the same gifts. After the original owner got married,

when the eldest sister gave money to Lin's mother, she would also specify that she would give a few yuan to the third sister as pocket money.

At that time, the original owner was stuck in a strange dilemma, and would rather please Mrs. Jie, the eldest aunt, and the eldest cousin's wife than think that the eldest and second sisters were so good.

As for the original plot... Lin Shu thought about it and realized that was wrong. The original plot rarely mentioned the Hou family.

After Lu Pan and his sister went to the second aunt's house, they didn't mention the correspondence between the second aunt and the eldest aunt's family, and their grandma's family didn't mention the eldest aunt's house either.

Lu Pan once had doubts with his sister, saying that neither his second uncle nor his younger aunt seemed happy to talk about his aunt's family.

However, in Lu Pan's memory, there was an argument between his second uncle and his second aunt, as if he blamed her for secretly giving money to someone, and he took it for granted that it was for his grandmother.

Now that Lin Shu thought about it, she should have secretly sent it to her eldest sister.

Previously, Lin Shu thought that the eldest brother-in-law's family situation was complicated, so the eldest sister did not help the Lu family after the death of the original owner. Moreover, the eldest brother-in-law's family was well-off, so Lin Shu didn't think much about it after she came here. After all, she, a time traveler, had no feelings for the original owner's eldest sister.

If you don't have feelings, you won't care much.

Now that Lin's mother reminded her, she tried to think about the original plot again, and she felt something was wrong.

Something must have happened to her eldest sister's family.

The family compound of Qizhou Ordnance Factory.

The Ordnance Factory has been filled with a repressive atmosphere since the second half of last year. The original Revolutionary Committee team was replaced by a new team, and a series of military leaders including the secretary of the Ordnance Factory were arrested. Hou Deming, the technical director of the factory, was also implicated and demoted, from the director to an ordinary technician.

After he was demoted, his family was ordered to move out of the original single-family building and move into a tube building.

The whole family was crammed into a two-bedroom apartment, living side by side.

Hou Deming didn't care whether he was a leader or not. He could just be a technician again. As long as he had a job, he could earn money to support his family.

But this simple wish didn't come true. He was completely suspended from work at the beginning of this year. He was not allowed to enter the workshop or leave the family compound at will. He only received ten yuan in relief wages a month.

After he was suspended, the family income dropped sharply, and they relied on the salary of their son Hou Jianwen to support them.

To make matters worse, Hou Jianwen was also posted with big-character posters last month and was suspended for investigation.

The higher-ups issued an approval document to send Hou Deming and the other military leaders of the arsenal to a cadre school in a neighboring province.

In name, the cadre schools were established with labor as the main body and ideological transformation as the purpose. In fact, they were farms for labor transformation of cadres and scholars who were considered to have ideological problems.

The conditions on the farms were not bad, and were even much better than the houses of many rural farmers. After all, they were brick and tile houses built uniformly at the government's expense, not the farmers' adobe houses.

It was just that the people who were sent here were either cadres engaged in ideological work or scholars engaged in technology or education. They lived in major cities and were separated from physical labor. Now they had to leave their familiar work environment and go to unfamiliar rural areas to farm. Most people could not adapt.

For them, physical fatigue was secondary, and mental frustration might be even more unacceptable.

Hou Deming was fine. He was over 60 and had come to terms with the ups and downs of life. However, his son Hou Jianwen could not accept it.

He was a young and promising top student. He was obviously diligent and conscientious. How could he be... censored?

He did nothing!

He couldn't figure it out and could not accept it. He had been a bit obsessed since he was ordered to stay at home for censorship.

He had nowhere to appeal. He

was even beaten for saying that although my father worked in the other camp in his early years, he was devoted to serving the motherland and later came over because of different ideas. He gave all his support regardless of the Anti-Japanese War or the Liberation.

He was sent back only because someone spoke up for him.

Although the man tactfully hinted to him that it was not him who had a problem but that someone might want to deal with a few factory leaders and thus implicate him and his son, he still could not accept it.

He even thought that since they were maliciously implicated, they should be given a clean bill of health!

Hou Deming had told him several times that people should not be too rigid and inflexible, and should be more flexible in different situations, but Hou Jianwen still couldn't get over it.

He was a little stubborn, a little idealistic, unwilling to compromise, and didn't know how to judge the situation, so he had not been promoted in the Industrial Bureau over the years, otherwise he would have been the director with his technical ability.

Sister Lin packed up the couple's valuables, took them out and secretly exchanged them for money and bills, and then let her parents-in-law take part, and she and her husband would take part.

Her parents-in-law had to go to the cadre school in ten days, and she and Hou Jianwen didn't know where to go. They could only wait until the documents were issued.

Originally, she discussed with her father-in-law and wanted to call her third sister and ask her third brother-in-law to help. She didn't ask him to help find connections to solve the problem. After all, such a big problem is not easy to solve. She just wanted to ask who she had offended so that she would know the reason. Then she asked her third brother-in-law to help find someone at the cadre school and take care of her parents-in-law. After all, the two elderly people are old.

Hou Jianwen disagreed.

He felt that he was a member of the organization and the country. Now that he and his father were wronged, the country should see it and clear his name.

If he went to find someone to use connections, wouldn't that be admitting that he had problems?

Besides, his third brother-in-law hadn't been home for several years. When he finally came back, he didn't even have a stable job. He didn't know whether he had changed his job or not. If he asked someone to help him now, wouldn't that be a nuisance to him?

Hou Jianwen was most afraid of troubling others and asking others to do things for him.

He would rather die than ask for help.

Besides, he thought Lu Shaotang was just a soldier. Maybe he was worried about changing his job or getting promoted. How could he have the energy to help him?

His eldest brother-in-law didn't help anyone, so how could he ask someone to help him with such a difficult task?

He couldn't open his mouth.

Not only did he not allow his wife to ask her parents for help, he also forbade her to disclose her family's situation to them. He even asked her to write to her parents' home with ten dollars in the letter as usual. Although it was difficult for them to take out ten dollars now, he would rather sell his pocket watch at a trust company to give the money.

Sister Lin could understand his feelings. Originally, the Hou family was the best-off among her relatives. Her parents also benefited from it and had face in front of relatives and friends in the village.

Now her husband's family was in trouble. If her parents knew about it, many people would definitely rejoice in their misfortune.

Even if people would not come to laugh at them, he would feel uncomfortable when he thought about it. This psychological gap from high to low made him unable to adapt.

His father-in-law had already talked about this problem of men, but he could not overcome the obstacles in his heart. As a wife, she could only protect and comfort him as much as possible.

It is said that husband and wife are birds of the same forest, but they fly away separately when disaster strikes.

She didn't want to do that because of their deep feelings.

Hou Jianwen hadn't eaten for a day. Sister Lin went to make him a bowl of noodles. It was a very common meal in the past, but now it was also a rare meal for their family.

There were not enough noodles, so she added half a bowl of soup and said softly, "Jianwen, you haven't eaten for a day. Your parents are worried. They will go to the farm in a few days. Don't let them worry about you after they leave, okay?"

Hou Jianwen realized that he had been sitting on the bed from morning to evening. He felt that he had not been sitting for a long time, just thinking about things.

Little did he know that in Lin Dan's eyes, he had been sitting on the bed in a daze, his eyes were dull, his movements were stiff, and he looked very scary.

Hou Jianwen apologized to his wife, "Dandan, I scared you, sorry, I won't do that again in the future."

Sister Lin handed him the bowl and asked him to eat first.

Hou Jianwen picked up a piece of food with chopsticks and handed it to her, "It smells delicious, you try it too."

Sister Lin shook her head and smiled, "I've eaten it, you eat it."

She took out a stack of grain coupons and a few dozen yuan from her pocket, "I took your woolen suit, my woolen coat and a pair of leather shoes to the trust company. We don't need such good things when we go to the farm."

Not only would it make people hate you, it would also easily cause trouble.

Hou Jianwen couldn't swallow the noodles in his mouth. He held his wife's hand and choked, "I'm sorry, I've implicated you."

Sister Lin laughed and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Do I have to follow you to enjoy life? You had so many options back then, but you chose me, didn't you?"

Hou Jianwen said honestly, "Because you are the prettiest, you can read and write, and you can play the flute. You even smiled at me that day."

Sister Lin's cheeks flushed, "Nonsense, I don't even know you, why should I smile at you? It was your hair that day that was waxed and blown all over the place, messy like a chicken nest."

Hou Jianwen raised his hand and patted his head, "Really? Really? No way? I always thought I performed impeccably on the day of the blind date."

After the two said a few words, Hou Jianwen's mood obviously improved.

At this time, the old couple Hou Deming came back from outside, and they also came back with their three grandchildren.

"Grandpa, wuwu, I will never go to school again, they scolded me for being the grandson of a traitor!"

"I won't go either, they pulled my braids and said they would send me to the cowshed to pick up manure."

The youngest Hou Wei was a chubby boy, "I will beat anyone who scolds me!"

Today he beat a kid in kindergarten who scolded him for being the grandson of a reactionary. The teacher made him stand and apologized, but he refused to apologize, and then his parents were called.

Grandpa took him back.

Seeing that her daughter-in-law was comforting her son in the room, Hou's mother did not disturb her and went to cook.

In the past, they lived in a small building in the family compound. They couldn't finish the fine

noodles at home, and the daughter-in-law had to collect grain coupons from her parents' home. Now they can't even eat enough coarse grains. Alas, they have to live on the farm before they go to the farm.

A good cook cannot cook without rice.

There is nothing good at home, and there is nothing good to cook. At most, it is mixed grain porridge.

The three children are sensible and not picky about food, but they are not happy with people calling them traitors and reactionaries. They always ask what's going on. If they are talking nonsense, why don't they fight back? Why don't they ask the police to judge!

Hou Deming is responsible for telling them the family history of the old Hou family. The three children are fascinated by it and stopped making noise.

While they are busy, someone knocks on the door.

The eldest grandson Hou Bo ran to open the door, "Aunt?"

Hou Shuxian is Hou Jianwen's younger sister. Now there are only two siblings left in the Hou family. The other brothers and sisters are gone.

Hou Shuxian looked haggard, her eyes were swollen like rotten peaches, and she was obviously crying hard.

Seeing the little aunt like that, several children were silent.

Hou Deming frowned and motioned her to sit down, "Did the Tang family make things difficult for you?"

Hou Shuxian sat down on the small stool and sobbed again.

Hou Jianwen and Lin Dan came out of the room.

Hou Jianwen said angrily, "Dad, this won't involve the Tang family, why can they make things difficult for you?"

Hou Deming signaled him not to get angry, and said gently, "If the Tang family asked you to come back to draw a clear line, then I agree, and I won't have any objections to you."

Hou Shuxian was originally full of grievances. It was said that her father was capable and had made great contributions, had a respected status and high salary. Many girls envied her for having a good life since childhood, and her food, clothing and daily expenses were better than theirs, but did they know the grievances she suffered?

Whenever there was a slight disturbance, she would be as scared as a frightened bird.

She couldn't choose her parents, nor did she want to be born in this family. If there was a choice, she would rather be born in an ordinary family.

Even if she had to eat coarse food, at least she could live a stable life without worrying.

She has been afraid since she was a child, and now the big rock on her head has finally fallen.

Now that her father said this, she feels that she is too selfish and only cares about herself and ignores her parents and brother.

She doesn't know what to do, so she can only cry.

What's the point of drawing a clear line? Her parents will still suffer, and her in-laws will still dislike her. Her

colleagues advised her that if she is miserable, she should go and see those who are worse off than her, but she doesn't want to see it at all. Will she not be miserable if she sees others miserable?

She wants to be better and doesn't want others to be more miserable than her.

She kept crying, and Hou Deming and Hou Jianwen didn't know what to say.

Sister Lin said softly: "Shuxian, did Tang Bin bully you?"

Hou Shuxian blurted out, "Even if he bullied me, what can you do? Beat him or sue him? Will it work?"

Hou Deming and Hou Jianwen scolded her in unison, one asking her to be more rational, the other asking her to stop losing her temper.

Sister Lin: "It's okay, I understand my little sister's feelings. She is worried that her parents can't help, and she will be implicated, and the Tang family will also give her a cold shoulder. She has a hard time."

Hou Shuxian cried even more sadly.

Hou Jianwen: "Can you stop crying? Can't you talk about it?"

Hou's mother brought the porridge. She didn't know that the daughter didn't do it for her when she came back, so she had to evenly distribute the food for the whole family, and everyone drank half a bowl.

Hou Shuxian thought about how there used to be steamed buns and steamed buns for every meal at home, but now her parents' family drank dark whole-grain porridge, which was just like the pig food they saw when they went to the countryside for the "Yi Ku Si Tian" activity. She also thought about the fact that the Tang family's food was so good now that they didn't help her parents and wanted to come back to her. She couldn't stop the tears that she originally had.

Hou Deming: "Then what do you want? Let us all cry with you?"

Hou Shuxian: "Dad, Tang Bin, he, he wants to divorce me!"

The family was silent.

The worst-case scenario they had thought was that the Tang family would dislike Hou Shuxian and ask her to draw a clear line between her and her natal family, and they were prepared.

Who knew that the Tang family was going to divorce Shuxian?

Hou Deming quickly accepted the reality, "What about the child?"

Hou Shuxian and Tang Bin had been married for three years and had a two-year-old son.

Hou Shuxian cried, "They said the son is the flesh and blood of the Tang family and they won't give him to me."

Sister Lin thought that it was better for the child to stay with the Tang family. After all, the Hou family didn't have the extra energy to take care of a two-year-old child who used to be spoiled.

Of course, she couldn't say this.

Hou's mother sighed, "This may not be a bad thing. What will you do with the child? Will he go to the farm with us?"

Hou Shuxian: "How can I go to the farm? I can't get in the sun or do farm work."

In the past, the school organized labor assistance and asked them to go to the suburban commune to help with farm work. In a few days, she would die.

Hou Deming: "So it's fine if the child is given to the Tang family, but you should draw a clear line with us and continue to stay in the original unit."

Hou Shuxian is a nurse at Qizhou Hospital, a very popular and understaffed position. The unit will at most let her do ideological reporting and won't fire her.

If it was a job like a salesperson, it would be easy for someone to take her place.

With this job, she only needs to withstand other people's judgmental eyes and gossip... What can she do if she can't? In the end, she has to try her best to withstand it and hold on. Many serious cases have been vindicated, and Hou Deming feels that he can't always be wronged.

He believes in the party and the country.

Hou Shuxian is reluctant to let her go, and the more important thing is that she is afraid of facing all these storms.

Her parents, brother and sister-in-law are gone. If she is abandoned by the Tang family, how can she face it all by herself?

It's terrible!

She wanted her father and brother to talk to the Tang family to give them some hope and let them treat her better. However, she felt uncomfortable when she thought about how they must have been ridiculed by her father-in-law and her husband in the past.

Hou Jianwen was a little angry, "At least you can stay in the city, go to class, and at most you will just be criticized."

His parents went to the farm, and he took his wife and children to the farm. In addition to daily ideological reports and self-examinations, he might also encounter some problems.

Thinking that Lin Dan had not suffered in the countryside, but had to suffer that kind of hardship with him, Hou Jianwen felt guilty and angry.

Seeing her brother yelling at her, Hou Shuxian felt wronged and sad. "I didn't do anything, and I didn't make any mistakes. Why should I suffer gossip? How can you understand my pain?"

Sister Lin signaled Hou Jianwen to stop talking.

She said softly, "Little sister, are you staying here today?"

The house is so small that she would have to rearrange the bed if her sister-in-law stayed.

Hou Shuxian wiped her tears and said, "Forget it, I won't cause any trouble for you."

After saying that, she stood up and walked out.

Hou Jianwen was so angry. You caused trouble for us and then patted your butt and left, and in the end you still have to say that you won't cause any trouble for us?

Hou's mother: "Shuxian, you should eat your meal. How can you not eat?"

Hou Deming: "It's enough to eat almost. Who doesn't feel aggrieved? The one who feels the most aggrieved should be your sister-in-law. She didn't enjoy the good life with our family, and she gave birth to three children for the old Hou family, but she was implicated."

Hou's mother motioned him to stop talking. Why didn't her daughter-in-law enjoy the good life with the family? If it weren't for Jianwen, she could only marry a man who farmed in the countryside, and she wouldn't have lived so comfortably for the past ten years.

Hou Shuxian stood at the door and wiped her tears. She took out twenty yuan and ten kilograms of grain coupons from her pocket and put them in the bag behind the door. She opened the door and ran away.

Hou's mother and Sister Lin wanted to chase her, but were stopped by Hou Deming.

Hou Deming: "It's ok, she has never experienced anything like this and doesn't know how to deal with it. She will be fine after a while."

He is also too used to the child. He thinks that since her older brother, older sister and younger brother are all gone, there are only two of them left. He will spoil them no matter how little he spoils them.