Chapter 1 Freedom
Old Mrs. Lin probably didn't expect things to be exposed, so she didn't put the wine and medicine she bought in the deepest part of the cabinet. As soon as Li Chunlian opened the cabinet, everyone who had squeezed into the master bedroom saw the wine bottles and medicine packets inside.
"There really is a medicine!"
"My God! This is actually true!"
Lin Ying rushed out from behind the crowd, trying to snatch the medicine packet. Destroying it would explain the liquor in the cabinet. But as soon as she rushed out, Xie Wei grabbed her and pulled her back. Lin Ying stumbled backward, and should have fallen on someone else, but knowing how vicious she was, everyone spontaneously kept their distance and backed away. Lin Ying finally landed on her bottom.
Xie Wei walked around the wooden bed in the middle of the room and reached out his hand.
Li Chunlian was stunned for a moment, but quickly came to her senses and handed the things to Xie Wei, saying, "Comrade, this was entirely done by my mother-in-law and sister-in-law. We know nothing about it."
"Whether you know the inside story or not, tell the people investigating." Xie Wei took the things and said to Lin Qingqing, "Let's go."
"Don't leave!" Lin Ying suddenly burst out, rushing over to hug Lin Qingqing's legs and crying, "Qingqing, please let us go, for the sake of our family saving your life! Mother is old, she can't bear that kind of suffering!"
In the original owner's memories, Lin Ying had always been arrogant and haughty; this was the first time she had seen her so humble. But Lin Qingqing looked at her without a trace of sympathy. "I also begged Mother. I said your life is important, but I have to live mine too. If I agreed to have a child for my brother-in-law, and the matter was exposed, would I have any chance of survival? Do you know what Mother said?"
“She said you are a golden phoenix that flew out of our Linjiazui brigade, while I am just mud in the ground. How can my life compare to yours?” Lin Qingqing raised her head, sniffed, and held back non-existent tears, saying, “Yes, my life is not important, so you and your daughter want me to have your child. So you can discuss without restraint what to do with me after the child is born. Should I be sold to the deep mountains, or married off to a cripple for a high dowry? In short, just don’t disturb your perfect life.”
Her voice wasn't loud, but Lin's house was only about ten square meters in total, so everyone heard her clearly. They hated Lin even more and said, "When Qingqing begged you and your daughter, you didn't soften your hearts. How dare you come to beg her now?"
Some people even pulled Lin Ying away and said to Lin Qingqing, "Qingqing, you should leave! Don't come back once you leave the Lin family!"
Lin Ying cried her heart out, but Lin Qingqing didn't look down. She stared straight ahead, walked out of Old Lady Lin's house, and then out of the main room. When she saw Zhao Liye, she stopped.
Zhao Liye also saw Lin Qingqing and Xie Wei. When he saw the wine bottle and medicine packet Xie Wei was carrying, his pupils contracted, and disbelief filled his eyes. He wanted to walk up to Xie Wei to confirm, but hesitated.
He's always been like this—to put it nicely, he's indecisive; to put it bluntly, he's cowardly, incompetent, and selfish.
Lin Qingqing walked past him, out of the Lin family's courtyard, and stopped again. She looked up into the distance; the snow on the eaves had already quietly melted, and the sky stretched high and the clouds wide at the horizon.
She's finally free!
...
Secretary Zhou returned to the commune ahead of Xie Wei. He sat in his office for only a short while before ordering a meeting of commune leaders, specifically mentioning that the Women's Federation director must attend. The meeting lasted two hours, ending just before lunch break was over.
After the meeting, Secretary Zhou called Chen Xuemei from the Women's Federation to his side and discussed the arrangements for Comrade Lin Qingqing with her as they walked.
They had barely begun their conversation when, as they stepped out of the meeting room, they saw Xie Wei and Lin Qingqing standing in the corridor. Secretary Zhou noticed the large bundle Lin Qingqing was carrying and went over to ask, "Have you packed everything?" He then introduced her to Chen Xuemei, "This is Comrade Lin Qingqing."
Chen Xuemei had already learned what had happened and felt great sympathy for Lin Qingqing's tragic situation. Upon hearing this, she stepped forward, grabbed Lin's hand, and said, "Hello, Comrade Lin. I am Chen Xuemei, the director of the Women's Federation of Yutian Commune. I have heard about your situation from Secretary Zhou. Don't worry, the organization will definitely help you overcome your difficulties."
Lin Qingqing readily agreed, saying, "Thank you, Director Chen." She then mentioned that she had already packed her luggage.
Xie Wei then filled in the details of what happened at the Lin family while Lin Qingqing was packing her luggage, and added, "I have already submitted the evidence to the police station, and Comrade Lin has also completed her statement."
Secretary Zhou was even more furious when he heard that Old Lady Lin had even prepared medicine and liquor. Chen Xuemei, however, seemed to remember something and asked, "Lin Ying? Isn't that Zhao's daughter-in-law?"
"Which Zhao family?" Secretary Zhou asked.
"It's the Zhao family, the factory director of the hardware factory. I heard that his son is a middle school teacher, and his daughter-in-law's name is Lin Ying, I think. She's also from the Linjiazui brigade," Chen Xuemei said.
If the name and hometown match, it's probably pretty close.
Secretary Zhou frowned, wanting to talk to the commune head about this matter, but seeing Xie Wei standing in front of him, he asked, "What brings you here?"
"Didn't you say before that Comrade Lin would stay at the guesthouse temporarily? We've come to get the receipt from you."
You can't just check into a guesthouse whenever you want; you need a letter of introduction, and even then, the accommodation isn't cheap. Lin Qingqing definitely couldn't afford that; her situation was special, and she was only put up in a guesthouse because she had nowhere else to go. So, a letter of introduction alone wouldn't suffice, which is why Xie Wei brought her to see Secretary Zhou to get a slip of paper so she could stay at the guesthouse for free for a while.
Xie Wei didn't explicitly state the reason, but Secretary Zhou knew exactly what it was. He slapped his forehead and said, "Look at me, I've been so busy all morning I'm completely out of it. I'll write you a note right now. Xiao Chen, why don't you take Comrade Lin to the canteen for lunch? We can talk about this later. Young comrade, you haven't had lunch yet, have you?"
As soon as Secretary Zhou finished speaking, Lin Qingqing's stomach growled. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she said, "I haven't had time yet." She then looked at Xie Wei and hesitated, "Comrade Xie..."
"I'm not hungry," Xie Wei said.
“He’ll eat with me. You guys go to the cafeteria first,” Secretary Zhou said, leading Xie Wei back to his office.
Once inside the office, he didn't hesitate. He bent down and stood in front of the desk to write a note. But before he could finish writing one note, he heard Xie Wei say, "Comrade Lin just left the Lin family. He's probably not well-off. Is just waiving accommodation enough?"
Secretary Zhou stopped writing, straightened up, and asked, "Then tell me, how should I write this note?"
"At least we should skip the meals," Xie Wei said seriously.
"We have to eat at state-run restaurants," Secretary Zhou reminded him, adding that the expenses were considerable.
Clearly, Xie Wei already had an idea: "The guesthouse also has a canteen. Comrade Lin is not a picky person, so he probably won't mind sharing breakfast, lunch, and dinner with the people at the guesthouse."
"So you've thought it all out." Secretary Zhou sat down and said irritably, "I was wondering why you came to the commune to find me yesterday for no reason. Not only did you urge me to go to the countryside for visits, but you also advised me to go to Linjiazu first."
Although Xie Wei's current rank after being demobilized is higher than Secretary Zhou's, he is still in the military and has no connection with the government. After returning to his hometown, he will have even less say in the affairs of the commune. Xie Wei is not the kind of person who doesn't understand this, so after returning to his hometown, he only had one interaction with Secretary Zhou, and both sides were very polite to each other.
Yesterday, Xie Wei suddenly came to the commune, urging him to do this and that. Secretary Zhou was quite puzzled, feeling that this was not like his usual style. Who knew that he would encounter such a big problem as soon as he arrived in the countryside today.
Secretary Zhou squinted and said, "This was something you and that young girl planned together, wasn't it?"
"Secretary Zhou is truly a brilliant strategist," Xie Wei said without changing his expression.
"Alright, stop flattering me." Although Secretary Zhou said this, he readily wrote a note for Xie Wei and suddenly asked, "I heard you're not married yet?"
Xie Wei paused, took the note, and said, "No."
“They say you should settle down and start a family, and now that you’ve achieved success in your career, it’s time to start making arrangements for your wedding. What kind of girl do you like? Your sister-in-law knows a lot of girls, I’ll talk to her when we get back and help you find someone.” After Secretary Zhou finished speaking, seeing that Xie Wei didn’t react, he smiled and asked, “Not willing?”
"without……"
"It's fine if you don't want to go on blind dates. Look, isn't Miss Lin Qingqing of marriageable age? You've saved her twice, so it's only right that she repays you with her body," Secretary Zhou joked.
Xie Wei finally couldn't hold back his expression and frowned, saying, "I didn't mean that."
“You didn’t mean that, but who knows if the girl is interested?” Secretary Zhou stood up, patted Xie Wei on the shoulder, and said with a smile, “I think the girl is quite good; she’s bold and meticulous.”
Most girls, faced with this situation, would either suffer heavy losses themselves or simply endure it for the rest of their lives. Lin Qingqing and Xie Wei only rescued her once, yet she chose him to pave a path for her, demonstrating her quick wit. A girl like that, who has served the Lin family like a slave for so many years, must be of a loyal and kind nature.
Secretary Zhou believed that such a bold yet meticulous, quick-witted, and honest girl was an excellent candidate for wife.
However, Secretary Zhou was just joking. When he saw Lin Qingqing at the canteen, he didn't mention it at all. He only said, "You can stay at the guesthouse for the time being. I will tell them to make an extra portion of food."
Although she had a few dollars that she had managed to squeeze out from Old Lady Lin, Lin Qingqing knew that it wasn't enough for her to stay at the guesthouse and eat. Upon hearing Secretary Zhou's words, she quickly thanked him.
Secretary Zhou waved his hand and said, "This was secured for you by Comrade Xie Wei. You should thank him properly."
Upon hearing this, Lin Qingqing glanced at Xie Wei. His face was stern and his emotions were unreadable, but she knew that the young man in front of her was cold on the outside but warm on the inside. She smiled and said, "Thank you, Comrade Xie."
Xie Wei opened his mouth, about to say no, but when he looked up at her, he inadvertently remembered what Secretary Zhou had said, his face froze, and he mumbled an "Mmm".
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