Chapter 1 Finding Xie Wei
Lin Qingqing went to find Xie Wei not only to thank him, but also because he was the only person in the original story who tried to save the original owner of the body.
Xie Wei doesn't appear much in the original novel. His first appearance is when he returns to his hometown to visit relatives and accidentally saves the female lead from drowning. However, something goes wrong; in this world, the original Xie Wei doesn't survive the drowning accident, and it's Lin Qingqing who wakes up.
The second time was three years later. Xie Wei happened to encounter the original owner of this body, who was heavily pregnant and taking her daughter to the hospital. He helped her get the child to the hospital. However, after the original owner's daughter's condition stabilized, she suddenly went into labor and was about to give birth. At that time, Xie Wei had not yet left and was about to call out to her, but the original owner stopped him and begged him to take her back.
After Xie Wei sent the original owner back, Lin Ying used the excuse that the original owner was about to give birth to drive him away. However, before he left, he heard Lin Ying yelling at the original owner. Xie Wei became suspicious and, upon hearing that the original owner was not married, he discovered through clues that the original owner and Lin Ying's marital relationship was unusual. He believed that she was forced into this situation and wanted to rescue her.
But the original owner not only refused his help, but also begged him to keep quiet about it, saying that she was doing it voluntarily.
The third time was after the original owner of this body got married. After being beaten by her husband, she went outside and ran into Xie Wei. Xie Wei recognized her and suspected that the scars on her face were from domestic violence. He offered to help her get a divorce. The original owner of this body refused his help again, saying that she was doing very well.
The original owner of this body repeatedly refused Xie Wei's help, gradually leading to the ending of the original story. But Lin Qingqing wasn't so selfless; she still wanted to live her own life, so after learning about the transmigration, she kept thinking about how to escape the original owner's fate.
She had considered strongly opposing it, but in the original story, the original owner of this body hid at home to prepare for childbirth after becoming pregnant, and the Lin family members helped to keep it a secret. In this life, they might very well become accomplices, joining forces with Old Madam Lin to trap her in the Lin family. After these few days of contact with the Lin family, Lin Qingqing felt that this was quite possible.
Lin Qingqing also wanted to complain, but Old Lady Lin hadn't taken any action yet, and others might not believe it if she told them. Besides, she was an adopted daughter of the Lin family, and she might be seen as an ungrateful wretch. But should she wait until Old Lady Lin took action before complaining? The thought sent chills down Lin Qingqing's spine.
Besides, even if she endured the humiliation and became pregnant with her adoptive sister's husband's child, Old Lady Lin could still turn around and accuse her of immoral behavior and seducing her brother-in-law. In this day and age, hooliganism is a crime punishable by imprisonment.
After much thought, Lin Qingqing decided to ask Xie Wei for help.
Hopefully, this upright young man from the original story won't disappoint her, otherwise she'll have no choice but to run away and become an undocumented immigrant.
She had a simplistic plan, and when she arrived at Xingfeng Brigade, she was dumbfounded—the original owner of this body had never been to Xingfeng Brigade before and didn't know where the Xie family was.
...
After washing her clothes, Zhang Lanhua was carrying a bamboo basket on her way home when she encountered a young woman standing in the middle of the road, looking left and right. She had been married into Xingfeng Brigade for thirty years and knew everyone in the brigade. Seeing a stranger, she found it strange and went up to her, calling out, "Young lady."
The girl was Lin Qingqing. After entering the village, she wandered around for a long time but couldn't see anyone. Then she realized that it was an awkward time, as most of the villagers had gone to work. So when she heard the voice, she quickly went up to her and asked, "Hello, Auntie, do you know where the Xie family lives?"
Zhang Lanhua was a kind-hearted person and immediately knew she was looking for someone. However, although Xingfeng Brigade was a mixed-use village, there were several families with the surname Xie in the village, so she asked, "Which Xie family?"
"The home of Comrade Xie Wei."
Zhang Lanhua naturally knew Xie Wei, but seeing Lin Qingqing as a young girl, she couldn't help but wonder, "I know him, but why are you looking for him?"
"Well, I'm Lin Youfu's daughter from the Linjiazui brigade next door. I fell into the water a few days ago and was rescued by Comrade Xie Wei." Lin Qingqing said, her face showing embarrassment. "I was sick for several days after I got back, and I only got out of bed today, so I brought some things to Xie's house to thank him."
The pond where Lin Qingqing fell into the water was located between the two production brigades. Zhang Lanhua knew that Xie Wei had saved Lin Youfu's daughter the day he returned to his hometown. Upon hearing this, she said "Oh," but then asked with some surprise, "Why did you come alone?"
"My mother had something to do at home and couldn't get away, so she sent me alone," Lin Qingqing explained.
Being rescued from drowning is no small favor. Families who care about their child should have come to express their gratitude that very day. The Lin family has been dragging their feet for several days, which is enough to give people something to say, but today only Lin Qingqing came. It's obvious they don't care about their daughter.
Thinking of her background and looking at her cotton-padded coat, which was not only too short but also had several patches, Zhang Lanhua couldn't help but feel sorry for her and said, "I'll take you there."
"Wouldn't it be too much trouble for you?" Lin Qingqing asked hesitantly.
"No trouble at all, it's on the way anyway," Zhang Lanhua said, waving her hand as she thought the young girl was being overly polite.
She led Lin Qingqing through several alleys and soon arrived at the Xie family's residence. Even after bringing her there, she didn't leave, but led Lin Qingqing directly into the courtyard, calling out loudly, "Is Baoshan's mother home?"
A voice called out from the backyard, "Coming!"
A moment later, a woman wearing a blue cotton jacket and with gray hair came out of the main room. Seeing Zhang Lanhua, she asked, "Why are you here? And who is this?"
“Didn’t your Xie Wei come home a few days ago and save a girl?” Zhang Lanhua pulled Lin Qingqing’s arm and said, “It’s her. This girl is so kind. She was sick and couldn’t get out of bed after falling into the water. As soon as she recovered, she brought her things to our door.”
"Hello, Auntie!" Lin Qingqing stepped forward and greeted her.
Li Xingfang knew her son had saved someone, but she hadn't heard about it from him; it was just something that had spread throughout the village. Because her son didn't seem to care, and no one had come to her door for the past few days, Li Xingfang hadn't given it much thought. But then, unexpectedly, someone came today.
Seeing that Lin Qingqing's cotton-padded jacket was faded from washing but clean and tidy, and that she spoke with a generous and poised manner, Li Xingfang took a liking to her and said, "Come in, come in and sit down."
...
The Xie family was one of the wealthiest families in Xingfeng Brigade. Li Xingfang's husband, Xie Youmin, served as the production brigade leader in his youth and later rose to the position of secretary. Although he has now retired, his eldest son, Xie Baoshan, has taken over as the production brigade leader, while his second son, Xie Qingshan, is a teacher at the county high school. His youngest son, Xie Wei, joined the army after graduating from high school and is now a regimental commander.
Although all the children in the family are successful and receive wages and subsidies, the Xie family is not a ostentatious family. They still live in the mud-brick house built several years ago, only the house looks more spacious than other people's houses, and the ground is more level.
Their food and daily necessities were more refined than those of ordinary families. Li Xingfang's clothes looked ordinary, but the material felt softer than homespun cloth. Although they had been mended, there wasn't a single patch in sight. The brown sugar water she used to entertain guests was something that ordinary families wouldn't dare to offer.
Lin Qingqing took the brown sugar water but didn't drink it right away. First, she lifted the cloth covering the bamboo basket she had brought.
Two jin (approximately 1 kg) of eggs, all cleaned by Granny Wang, were placed in a bamboo basket lined with soft cloth. It didn't seem like much, but in those days eggs were precious and would make a presentable gift.
Li Xingfang had just learned Lin Qingqing's identity from Zhang Lanhua. Judging from her clothes, she guessed that Lin Qingqing was having a hard time in the Lin family. When she heard that the eggs were a gift for her family, she refused to accept them. She reached out and covered the white cloth covering the eggs, saying, "Wei Zi is a soldier. It is only right that he went down to save you from drowning. If we really accepted your gift, that would be a violation of military discipline. You should take the eggs back later."
As Li Xingfang spoke, her gaze towards Lin Qingqing softened. The Lin family hadn't made any gesture, yet she had thought to bring eggs to express her gratitude, showing that she was a polite person.
Zhang Lanhua chimed in, saying that the People's Liberation Army soldiers never take a single needle or thread from the people, and that her politeness was making things difficult for them. She told Lin Qingqing to take the eggs back to avoid her mother's gossip—the Lin family was too lazy to even come to thank her, so why would they give her eggs as a thank-you gift? The little girl must have begged for them.
Hearing their words, Lin Qingqing was so moved that she almost cried.
There are so many honest and kind people in this era, how could she be so unlucky as to run into such a terrible family? If it weren't for the ongoing campaign to destroy the Four Olds, she would have gone to the temple to burn incense and change her luck.
Lin Qingqing sighed and got down to business, "Auntie, I came here today to express my gratitude to Comrade Xie in person. May I ask... is he home?"
Li Xingfang then remembered the purpose of Lin Qingqing's visit and said awkwardly, "Wei Zi left this morning."
I guess I should burn incense to change my luck.
Lin Qingqing was determined to see Xie Wei today, so she didn't give up immediately. She asked, "Do you know where he went?" After a pause, she realized that her eagerness as a young woman might be misunderstood, so she explained, "If it weren't for Comrade Xie Wei, I would be dead by now, so I want to thank him in person. Auntie, could you tell me where the brigade headquarters is? I'll go find him myself, and after thanking him, I'll go home."
Because her son hadn't taken the rescue to heart, Li Xingfang didn't think it was a big deal either; Lin Qingqing's gratitude was enough. But seeing how earnest the girl was, Li Xingfang softened and said, "He said he went to the brigade headquarters. Shall I go and call him back?"
"No, no, that's too much trouble for you," Lin Qingqing quickly said. "Just tell me where the brigade headquarters is, and I'll go find it myself. That way, I won't waste your time."
Li Xingfang looked troubled upon hearing this, while Zhang Lanhua advised from the side, "Since she is so willing, older sister, just let her go by herself." After saying that, she told Lin Qingqing how to get to the brigade headquarters and then saw her off.
“This…” Li Xingfang watched Lin Qingqing walk away and felt that it was not appropriate. After thinking for a moment, she said, “No, I still have to go with her.”
"Alright, let them handle their own affairs as young people. Don't meddle." Zhang Lanhua pulled Li Xingfang aside and said meaningfully, "Weren't you worried about me the other day, saying that Wei Zi is getting on in years and still hasn't found a wife? Well, here comes your chance."
When the topic of her son's marriage came up, Li Xingfang fell silent. But thinking about her son's attitude when he came back this time, she hesitated and said, "Can this work out?"
"Whether it works out or not, it won't hurt to let it go," Zhang Lanhua thought. In plays, they always repay a life-saving debt with marriage; who knows, maybe the two kids will fall for each other? Zhang Lanhua advised, "Even if it doesn't work out, you can always think of other ideas, right?"
Li Xingfang lowered her head and thought about it for a moment, then realized that what she said made sense, so she gave up on following her.
...
The Xingfeng Brigade headquarters is not far from Xie's house; it's just a few minutes' walk away.
Lin Qingqing carried a bamboo basket into the courtyard of the brigade headquarters. Before she even got close to the office, she was stopped and asked who she was looking for.
Seeing that the other person was wearing a blue Zhongshan suit and looked to be in his thirties, holding a teacup in his hand, Lin Qingqing thought he was a cadre in the brigade, so she asked, "I'm looking for Comrade Xie Wei. Is he here?"
"Xie Wei, he's at the brigade headquarters. What do you need him for?"
Lin Qingqing's face lit up with joy as she happily recounted the whole story.
Since returning home, Xie Wei hadn't gotten close to any girls. When the young man first heard that she had come to see his third brother, he thought he had finally come to his senses. But it turned out she had come to express her gratitude. So, suppressing his disappointment, he said, "Alright, I'll go and call him out." With that, he walked into an office.
The Xingfeng Brigade headquarters was newly built a couple of years ago. The walls were made of red bricks and the roof was made of tiles, but when it came to the windows, the brigade secretary couldn't bear to spend money and used paper windows instead. Unlike glass, paper windows don't allow you to see inside, and since all the windows in the office were closed, Lin Qingqing looked for a while but couldn't see anything, so she had to look away and look down at her toes.
The original owner had served the Lin family like a slave for so many years, never getting a new set of clothes or a new pair of shoes. All she wore were old clothes that the two wives of the Lin family no longer wore.
For example, the warm shoes she was wearing were discarded by Li Chunlian. When she gave them to the original owner, the soles were already worn thin, and after a year, the toes had holes. Although she had been careful as she walked, she didn't know if she had stepped on icicles or something else, but the toes of her shoes were slightly damp, making her feet icy cold.
Lin Qingqing lowered her head, noticed the sunlight that had somehow fallen behind her, and looked up.
The dark clouds that had hung over Yutian Commune for several days dissipated, the sun peeked out, and golden sunlight streamed down behind her. Lin Qingqing took a step or two back, leaving the shadow of the eaves, and stood facing the sunlight.
The winter sun looks intense, but it's actually not very warm; however, it's better than nothing.
As Xie Wei walked out of the brigade headquarters, he saw the little girl he had rescued a few days ago. He stepped back into the sun, squinted at the sunlight, and slightly curled up the corners of his lips.
It was a faint smile.
Author's Note: I'm aiming for the charts next week, please add this to your favorites! QAQ
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