Chapter 217: Gao Taohua’s Decision

But no matter how hard Gao Taohua knocked on the door, Lu Yichen’s door remained closed.

“Lu Yichen, I know you can hear me. Are you just waiting to see me die? My parents want to sell me off. I don’t need your dowry now, I just want to be with you.

What else do you have to refuse? I earn full work points every day at the brigade. I don’t mind that you are crippled. Please open the door and save me,” she shouted inside.

Before she finished speaking, a bucket of water was thrown at her from inside the courtyard wall, drenching her completely. Lu Yichen’s voice came out coldly, “Go away.”

Onlookers in the distance sighed with sympathy but also felt that Gao Taohua had brought this upon herself.

The cold water sobered Gao Taohua up. After thinking it through, she walked back in a daze. She ran into her older brother Gao Rumu on the way.

Gao Rumu looked at his sister’s condition. “What happened?”

Ignoring his question, Gao Taohua continued walking back home limpingly, muttering, “It’s all because of you guys forcing me. Not a single one of you is good.”

Seeing no more entertainment, and with time running late, everyone joked a bit before dispersing. It had been a day full of dramatic events.

Only the lights in the brigade headquarter remained on, finally going out well into the night.

Early the next morning, Luo Qiao got up and prepared breakfast. She first went to the captain’s house and then to the brigade headquarters to obtain an introduction letter. The captain approved a half-month leave directly, although Luo Qiao now owned a house in the city and this leave was inconsequential.

However, considering her household registration was still here, she thought it prudent to have this assurance. With school starting in about twenty days, she figured it was a good opportunity to take a break and explore.

After successfully obtaining the introduction letter, she heard from Gao Jiefang, “When you leave later, come to the brigade headquarter and let Accountant Sun give you eighty yuan.

This is compensation from the village secretary’s family to you. After the autumn harvest, we will deduct it from his account when calculating grain and work points. Also, the village has given you half a month off, during which the village secretary’s family will cover your work.”

The captain did not explain that they had helped negotiate this. Originally, the village secretary only wanted to give fifty yuan, but after the head of the women’s committee said that Luo Qiao’s injuries were serious, they worked together to secure an additional thirty yuan for her.

Luo Qiao did not refuse and thanked them before leaving.

This was what she deserved. If her skills weren’t good, she would have definitely been in trouble. She considered it a pleasant surprise for herself, though she didn’t know that the captain and the head of the women’s committee had fought for more money for her.

Previously, Luo Qiao had planned to wait until the land was redistributed, take her share, leave the village, and transfer her household registration elsewhere. Most importantly, she wanted to contract the thorny forest at the foot of Daqing Mountain to cultivate and grow fruits.

However, now she was a bit uncertain. Should she transfer her household registration now and bid farewell to this place, or should she leave it for later, wait until the land was redistributed, and then transfer it when she went to university? She needed to think about it again.

Today was destined to be an eventful day. No one expected explosive news early the next morning: Gao Taohua had gotten involved with Li Dahe, whose wife had recently passed away in the village. Their affair had attracted a crowd.

The villagers, especially those who loved gossip, were so busy they wished they had two mouths. They were overwhelmed with discussions. Some women even forgot to prepare breakfast, gathering instead under the big willow tree at the bridge, talking animatedly.

Gao Shunyi had a dark expression as he pulled Gao Taohua back home from the crowd. Once inside, he shut the door and began to beat her. Gao Taohua’s cries echoed through the courtyard, causing quite a commotion.

Gao Shunyi had to accept it. In this era, Gao Taohua only had one path: to marry Li Dahe, or else she would be drowned in spit.

In an era where one needed an introduction letter to travel, Gao Taohua didn’t have the courage to stage a dramatic departure from home or oppose an arranged marriage.

She figured since Lu Yichen wasn’t an option, she would choose someone else for herself. After all, she would never marry that ugly man.

This matter continued to ferment as the commune officials arrived.

Zhang Dezhen had originally planned to tidy up and then go to the commune, but he didn’t expect several commune cadres to arrive in the village so early.

The brigade leader Gao Jiefang and Party secretary Zhang Dezheng received the news and hurried over, accompanying them into the brigade headquarters.

Once inside, without much small talk, they directly announced the decision regarding Zhang Dezhen: he was expelled from the Party Committee, his position as village secretary was revoked, and for the time being, captain Gao Jiefang would take over as the village Party secretary.