Chapter 1 New Year's Day
This time, Lin Qingqing rejected Grandma Lin's suggestion.
Unlike in her dream, she didn't become a breeding tool for Old Lady Lin and her daughter. Instead, she sought help from the commune secretary, left the Lin family, and settled in Xingfeng Brigade. Old Lady Lin and her daughter received their due punishment and were sent to a farm for reform through labor.
Everyone was familiar with what Director Yang was talking about today, but because of yesterday's stress, everyone listened attentively and attentively.
When they heard that Old Lady Lin had been arrested, everyone cheered; when they heard that Grandma Lin Ying had suffered a stroke, everyone applauded; when they heard that Old Lady Lin and her daughter had received their just deserts, everyone felt even more delighted.
Just as everyone was having a heated discussion, Director Yang asked, "Does anyone know what crimes the characters in this story committed?"
Everyone was still excited after hearing the story and eagerly raised their hands to speak. However, their opinions were wildly varied; some said that Old Lady Lin and her daughter had impure thoughts, while others said their behavior was utterly hateful. The most relevant comment came from a female educated youth: "The protagonist's husband violently beat her to death; he committed murder!"
"This female educated youth is absolutely right," Director Yang praised, pointing at her, before beginning to recite the manuscript written by Lin Qingqing.
When Lin Qingqing was writing the manuscript, she told Director Yang that she needed law books, which made her a little suspicious. But when the manuscript was finished, Director Yang saw that Lin Qingqing had clearly listed the crimes committed by the characters in the story, combining legal provisions and giving clear sentencing standards, and then she understood the reason.
Director Yang had read legal provisions to everyone before, but at the time, everyone was drowsy and few people knew what she had said by the end of the meeting.
But this time was different. The questions just now had aroused everyone's enthusiasm, and before each legal provision was read, Director Yang would repeat the relevant content, which attracted everyone's attention.
When everyone first heard it, they were all watching with a detached, almost theatrical, attitude, not realizing that the legal provisions Director Yang mentioned had anything to do with them. So when they heard that the actions of the old lady Lin and her daughter in the dream could result in a sentence of ten years or more, and that the Lin family members taking turns guarding the original owner of the body would also go to jail, they felt sorry for them, because in reality, the old lady Lin and her daughter were only sent to the countryside for reform, and the Lin family members were completely unharmed.
But when they heard that Old Lady Lin had forced the original owner of this body to marry a widower, which violated her right to freedom of marriage and was also illegal, everyone started to discuss it.
Someone raised their hand and asked, "Grandma Lin is breaking the law by forcing her adopted daughter to marry, but what about forcing her own daughter to marry?"
"Too
It's illegal. China's Marriage Law prohibits arranged marriages, forced marriages, and other acts that interfere with the freedom of marriage. Therefore, even biological parents cannot force their daughters to marry.
Upon hearing this answer, the entire audience erupted in uproar.
Although the Marriage Law has been in effect for over twenty years and the country continues to advocate for free love and freedom of marriage, in rural areas, very few girls truly have the power to decide their own marriage. Therefore, most people are shocked when they hear that infringing on freedom of marriage is illegal.
Some people are timid and dare not speak their minds, but others are bold enough to say, "Then can't I decide my daughter's marriage?"
"Regardless of who makes the decision, her consent must be obtained first."
Faced with everyone's questions, Director Yang showed no impatience whatsoever. For the past ten years or so, she had always hoped that everyone would surround her with questions after each meeting. After experiencing many disappointments, Director Yang thought this day would never come, until now... she was so moved that she almost burst into tears.
After answering everyone's questions, Director Yang continued reading the rest of the text.
Before everyone could recover from the shock of freedom of marriage, they were distracted for a long time. It wasn't until Director Yang told them that the female protagonist in the dream was beaten to death by her husband, and that the husband's actions constituted murder and he might be executed, that several of the men in the brigade who were known for their severe beatings of their wives panicked.
But Director Yang wasn't finished. After explaining the consequences of beating someone to death, she added that domestic violence is a crime of abuse and can lead to imprisonment. This alarmed the villagers who beat their wives and children.
...
After the meeting, the members of Xingfeng Brigade displayed different states on their way home; some were flustered and confused, while others struggled and hesitated.
Li Dongmei was the one caught in a struggle and hesitation.
As she left the drying ground, Director Yang's words kept echoing in her mind:
"my country's Marriage Law stipulates that arranged marriages, buying and selling marriages, and other acts that interfere with the freedom of marriage are prohibited."
"Even biological parents cannot force their daughters to marry."
"Regardless of who makes the decision, her consent must be obtained first."
She didn't come to her senses until someone called her name from behind, and she turned around to look. The person who called her was Chen Li, who lived next door. Because they were about the same age, they became close friends who could talk about anything.
Chen Li walked quickly to her, took her arm, and said, "Why are you coming this way? Aren't you going home?"
Only after being reminded did Li Dongmei realize that she had taken the wrong turn at the fork in the road, shaking her head and saying, "I took the wrong turn."
Chen Li and I turned around and walked down another road.
On the way, Chen Li talked about her recent blind date: "He said his mother said that the bride price is easy to discuss, but she's in a hurry and wants us to get married next year."
"Would you marry him?" Li Dongmei asked out of the blue.
Chen Li was taken aback for a moment, then asked with a smile, "What's there to be unwilling about! Although he's not particularly handsome, he's honest and reliable, the youngest in his family, and his parents dote on him. Besides, even if I didn't want to marry him, my mother definitely wouldn't agree."
She has a younger brother who needs to go to school, and the tuition and living expenses are quite high, which is why her mother is asking for a large dowry. Otherwise, she wouldn't have started going on blind dates at seventeen, and now at twenty-two, she still hasn't settled down. This guy seems alright, and she doesn't want to miss out.
“Yes, you don’t want to get married, and your mother doesn’t want to either,” Li Dongmei murmured.
Chen Li nodded and said, "Yes, you too..." She wanted to advise Li Dongmei to pay more attention to her marriage prospects, so that she wouldn't have to wait until she got older and it would be harder to find someone.
But before she could finish speaking, Li Dongmei asked, "But didn't Director Yang say that marriage is now a matter of freedom? Even if your mother forces you to marry someone, it's illegal if you don't want to!"
Chen Li was startled when she heard this and almost covered Li Dongmei's mouth. After making sure no one was around, she lowered her voice and said, "You actually believe what Director Yang said?"
"Why don't you believe me?" Li Dongmei asked.
"Are you stupid!" Chen Li said anxiously, seeing her stubbornness. "I've heard that the Marriage Law has been in effect for many years, but what's the result? How many girls can really marry whomever they want? Take your sister for example. Did she really want to get married? Your family was in an uproar. Do you think Director Yang didn't know about this? But what happened? Your sister still got married."
Thinking of her sister, Li Dongmei's eyes reddened.
Her mother was biased, only caring about her sons and not her daughters. When her eldest brother wanted to get married, the family was poor, so her mother married off her older sister to a mentally challenged man. Now that her third brother is getting married, her mother has set her sights on her daughter.
“Besides, they are your parents after all. Even if they really broke the law, can you just watch them go to jail?” Chen Li sighed and said, “If something really happens to them, how will you ever get married? I think you should be careful.”
Li Dongmei fell silent. She thought, "Yes, even if my parents are biased, can I just watch them go to jail?"
Thinking about this, the blood that had been pumping up during the meeting gradually cooled down.
After returning home, Li Dongmei had just entered the yard and hadn't even gone inside when she saw her mother step over the threshold of the main room.
He came out, frowned, and looked at her, asking, "Why are you only coming back now?"
Li Dongmei was feeling down and said listlessly, "Isn't it a meeting?"
"How could I not know there was a meeting? I mean, everyone's back, why are you dawdling like this!" Li's mother was unhappy to see her talking back, but thinking it was getting late, she didn't say anything more. She pointed to the kitchen and said, "Alright, alright, hurry up and cook, your eldest and third brothers are hungry!"
No sooner had she finished speaking than Li Dongmei's third brother came out of the house and shouted, "Is the food ready yet?!"
Facing her son, Li's mother's attitude softened considerably, and a smile spread across her face: "Almost done, almost done, your sister has already gone to cook." But when she turned her head and saw Li Dongmei still standing in the yard, her face fell. "Hurry up and go!"
Li Dongmei was already used to this kind of differential treatment. Although she felt wronged, her fighting spirit, which had just been ignited, had been extinguished by Chen Li's words, and she could no longer muster any thoughts of resistance. She silently went into the kitchen to cook.
By the time dinner was ready, it was already 7:30. The whole family was starving. Seeing that her son and grandson were starving, Li's mother scolded her daughter again, and then complained to her husband, "Not a single one of these people makes my life easy!"
Li Laosan was displeased upon hearing this and said, "Mother, I didn't do anything!"
"Pah! How dare you say that!" Mother Li spat at her son. "I've had to smile at so many people lately because of your marriage prospects. If you had any ambition at all, would your old mother have to swallow her pride and arrange a marriage for you?"
Upon hearing that it was about getting married, Li Laosan chuckled as he endured his mother's scolding and asked, "So, is there any progress on my marriage plans?"
"What can't your mother handle?" Mother Li said smugly. "You better behave yourself these days and don't be away from home all the time, or I won't be responsible if the girl doesn't like you!"
"Okay, okay! I promise I'll behave myself for a while." Hearing that there was progress on finding a wife, Li Laosan readily agreed, but he had to make it clear beforehand, "Mother, what do you think of the girl? Let me make it clear first, I don't want one who's too ugly!"
Upon hearing this, Li's mother's face darkened. She truly couldn't understand how she had given birth to such an unlucky son!
Li Laosan was a troublemaker from a young age. Even at seventeen or eighteen, he only knew how to hang out with idle hooligans. In the past, Li's mother always thought that men would settle down after marriage, so she started arranging blind dates for him when he was seventeen or eighteen. Who would have thought that he would be such a good-for-nothing? Not only was he incompetent, but he also had high standards for his wife. One after another, they were not suitable, and he was still unmarried at twenty-four.
Even so, his demands are still high!
But what could she do? He was her son! Li's mother said impatiently, "Alright, you're my son. Do you think I'd pick an ugly one for you? I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"
Now Li's mother has accepted it. When she asked the matchmaker to help her, she said that she wanted to choose a girl who was good-looking and hardworking, and she was willing to accept a higher dowry.
Good looks and diligence—these two requirements sound simple, but in reality, very few girls can meet them. The matchmaker searched for half a month before settling on a candidate. Fearing her son wouldn't be satisfied, Li's mother even secretly went to see her. Her looks were indeed impeccable, exactly what her son would like, and she also had a good personality and was diligent.
The only problem is that the family is poor and the bride price is high.
Thinking about the bride price, Li's mother said to Li Dongmei, "The Yang family will come to discuss your marriage tomorrow. Wear something bright and pretty tomorrow, okay?"
Although she had resigned herself to her fate, Li Dongmei still couldn't help but tear up when faced with her mother's favoritism, and remained silent for a long time.
Seeing that she remained silent, Li's mother was displeased and tapped the table with her chopsticks, saying, "What kind of attitude is this when I talk to you? Don't you know how to respond?"
Li Laosan looked at his sister and sneered, "You're so rude."
Li Dongmei tightened her grip on the chopsticks, and said in a choked voice, "I understand."
Upon hearing the answer, Li's mother's expression softened slightly, but Li Laosan, always eager for drama, said, "She cried; she must be unhappy."
Upon hearing this, Li's mother glanced at her daughter, feeling a little impatient, but she didn't lash out. She snorted and said, "What does she have to be unhappy about? Yang Hongshu's father is the secretary of Yangshulin Brigade. If she marries him, she can live a life of luxury. Isn't her life much better than in our family? Li Dongmei, let me tell you, you better behave yourself tomorrow. If the marriage doesn't go through, I'll skin you alive!"
Yang Hongshu is the only son in the Yang family, and his father is willing to give him 300 yuan to get married. Moreover, Secretary Yang said that if the daughter-in-law gives birth to a son, he will reward her with a watch and help his in-laws find a job.
The girl she was arranging for her second son only asked for a dowry of one hundred yuan. If her daughter could marry into the Yang family, not only would they have money for her second son's wedding, but they would also have enough for her eldest grandson's tuition and living expenses next year. They might even be able to build two new houses. If her daughter could give birth to a son, their whole family might even be able to move to the city and get a government-subsidized food ration!
In short, she was determined to get this marriage with the Yang family!
Hearing her mother's words, Li Dongmei felt as if her heart had fallen into an ice cave. She truly couldn't understand how her mother could be so heartless, completely disregarding her and her sister, when even the heinous Old Lady Lin in Director Yang's story could show such tenderness towards her daughter.
Are they dead or alive?!
Every time her mother talked about the marriage prospects in the Yang family, she would say that she was lucky to have caught the eye of Secretary Yang! But she never considered that Yang Shulin was paralyzed in both legs, and marrying him would mean living a life of widowhood. What good family would be willing to marry their daughter to him? Secretary Yang didn't actually like her; he clearly had no better choice!
But her parents and brothers only cared about the Yang family's wealth and didn't care how difficult her life would be after she married into the family.
Li Dongmei clenched her fists tighter and tighter until her knuckles turned white, and tears streamed down her face.
Seeing her tears, the others paused in their speech. Li Laosan said, "Why are you crying? You're not happy about marrying into the Yang family?"
Li Dongmei couldn't hold back any longer. She suddenly stood up and shouted, "I just don't want to, so what if I don't want to?"
Her voice was so loud that everyone was stunned for a moment. Finally, Li's mother was the first to react. She slammed her hand on the table and said, "I'm your mother. I'm telling you to marry, so you have to marry! If you dare to say you don't want to, I'll beat you to death!"
"Then you might as well kill me!" Some things are incredibly difficult to say until they're out in the mouth, but once you say them, they're easy. Li Dongmei retorted, "Director Yang said that marriage is a matter of personal freedom. Even if you're my own mother, you can't force me to marry if I don't want to! If you force me, I'll sue you and have you arrested and sent to a labor camp for reform!"
Li's mother never expected her to say such a thing, and was so angry that she almost fainted. She covered her head and roared, "How dare you!"
"You'll see if I dare!" At this point, Li Dongmei was no longer afraid.
Li Laosan had a bad temper. Seeing his sister talking back to their mother, he immediately raised his hand and said, "How dare you talk to your mother like that? Apologize to me, or I'll beat you up, you believe me?"
“Go ahead and hit me! If you hit me, I’ll report you for abuse!” Li Dongmei was not afraid at all. She even took a step forward and stretched her neck to wait for Li Laosan’s slap to come down.
Li Laosan was usually a brazen troublemaker, but after finishing a meeting that afternoon, he became frightened when he heard that Li Dongmei was going to accuse him of abuse. He hesitated to strike her down, and finally could only point at Li Dongmei and shout, his voice trembling with fear, "You, you just wait!"
Seeing that he had backed down, Li Dongmei felt even more confident and said with a sneer, "I'm waiting!"
After she finished speaking, she stopped looking at Li Laosan and instead glanced at the other people sitting around the table, finally fixing her gaze on her mother. She said, "You'd better refuse the Yang family tomorrow, or I'll go to Director Yang and sue you for interfering with my freedom of marriage. If Director Yang doesn't care, I'll sue the brigade; if the brigade doesn't care, I'll sue the commune!"
"How dare you!" Li's mother was so angry she felt dizzy, she roared.
He said, "If you sue me, don't even think about coming back. Let's see what kind of good days you'll have then!"
Li Dongmei chuckled lightly: "If you don't come back, you don't have to. I'll just move into the educated youth team then!"
As Li Dongmei spoke, she thought of Lin Qingqing. If Lin Qingqing had given in, her future would have been just like the dream in the story: being used, abandoned, and ultimately beaten to death. It was only by reporting to the commune that Lin Qingqing managed to carve out a path for herself. She not only settled in Xingfeng Brigade but also started dating Commander Xie.
Comparing the dream and reality in the story, Li Dongmei felt more confident.
Anyway, nothing could be worse than marrying a paralyzed man.
She looked fearless, leaving Li's mother helpless. She kept wailing, "My God, how could I have given birth to such a heartless bastard..."
Because of this meeting, many women who had previously worked hard without complaint began to rise up in resistance.
Some of them succeeded like Li Dongmei, while others failed. Among those who failed, some chose to remain silent, while others chose to seek help from others.
However, on this night, the first person they thought of was Director Yang, who was presiding over the meeting.
Lin Qingqing was still lying in her dormitory, tossing and turning, unable to sleep because of the upcoming meeting with her mother-in-law.
...
Lin Qingqing tossed and turned all night, and got up before dawn the next morning.
Not only Lin Qingqing, but the other educated youth at the settlement also got up around the same time. Today is New Year's Day. Some people who live nearby got up early to pack their things and go home for the holiday, while others discussed going to the city to play.
Li Juan was one of the people who wanted to go to the city for fun; she and several other educated youths had already made plans. However, because Lin Qingqing was extremely busy, they only invited her this morning at breakfast.
Upon hearing Li Juan's words, the other female educated youths sitting around the table echoed her sentiments and enthusiastically invited Lin Qingqing to join them.
Previously, when Wang Li spread rumors among the female educated youth that Lin Qingqing was after Xie Wei and described her as a scheming woman, many of them felt disgusted with her. However, as time went on, some of the female educated youth found that she wasn't as difficult to get along with as Wang Li had described, and their attitudes towards her softened considerably.
These women might have had feelings for Xie Wei, but marrying him was as unrealistic as returning to the city for them; they hadn't held out much hope for it. Therefore, when they heard that Lin Qingqing and Xie Wei were dating, they felt only envy, not much jealousy. Their unrealistic fantasies about Xie Wei naturally dissipated with this news.
In addition, they had just heard Lin Qingqing's story these past two days, and the thought of how miserable she had been made them afraid to even speak to her.
The voice was too loud, which made her both laugh and cry. She had to explain to people again and again that the story told on the first night was a dream and that she was not in such a terrible situation.
Everyone agreed readily at the time, but then forgot about it immediately.
In short, after the meeting, Lin Qingqing and Wang Li got along well with the other female educated youth outside their circle.
Faced with everyone's invitations, Lin Qingqing was a little embarrassed. It wasn't that she didn't want to go to the city; after all, the farthest place she had ever been since her transmigration was the commune. But there were priorities. She could go to broaden her horizons anytime, but she couldn't break her promise to the Xie family. So she said helplessly, "I've already made plans with Comrade Xie to have dinner at his house today."
"What? You're going to the Xie family for dinner?" Li Juan was surprised. "When did this happen?"
"We agreed on that a few days ago," Lin Qingqing replied.
A kind-hearted female educated youth at the same table said, "It's more important to eat at the Xie family's house. Let's go by ourselves. If you need anything, just tell us and we'll bring it back for you."
One of the female educated youths thought a little further ahead: "So you've met each other's parents, right? Does that mean you'll be discussing marriage soon?"
Lin Qingqing was taken aback upon hearing this, then shook her head and said, "We haven't discussed this issue yet."
"It'll definitely be soon. You have to send us wedding candy when you get married!" the thoughtful young woman said with a smile.
"Okay," Lin Qingqing agreed with a smile, but her heart couldn't help but pound as she lowered her eyes. Was this considered meeting each other's parents? And after meeting them, would Xie Wei talk to her about marriage?
What should she do if he asks about marriage?
She's only twenty years old. Isn't it too early for her to get married? But what will Xie Wei think if she doesn't agree?
The more I think about it, the more confused I get...
After a few days of adjustment, Lin Qingqing had calmed down and was confident that she could leave a good impression on the Xie family. But after being reminded by them, and thinking about what she might face after meeting her parents, she couldn't help but start to panic again.
After finally calming herself down, Lin Qingqing walked out of the educated youth settlement and saw Xie Wei sitting on the stone bridge railing. Her cheeks flushed again.
Seeing her standing still, Xie Wei strode over and asked, "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing..." Lin Qingqing hurriedly shook her head and explained, "I'm just a little nervous."
"Don't worry, my mom has a very good temper." Xie Wei was so excited about introducing his girlfriend to his family today that he hadn't slept a wink last night, and he couldn't help but smile as he spoke. "Besides, you know my situation. A few years ago, my mom might have had some requirements for my future wife, but now she's completely given up on that."
She didn't care about my hands anymore; she said, as long as I'm willing, it doesn't matter if it's a woman.
Lin Qingqing chuckled: "It's not that exaggerated."
Xie Wei straddled the bicycle, waited for Lin Qingqing to settle in, and then pedaled, saying, "No exaggeration, just don't put too much pressure on yourself. Just act like usual when you see people."
"Mmm." Lin Qingqing looked up at the back of his head and replied, her nervousness dissipating considerably because of his words.
A note from the author: I haven't been feeling well these past few days, and writing has been too strenuous. I'll take a break today, so there won't be a second update tonight.
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