Chapter 41

Li Jian’s parents were wealthy landlords, very rich, and the kind who were cruel to the poor.

They had Li Jian in their old age and cherished him like a precious treasure. Soon after his birth, they chose a beautiful young girl named Liu Ruyuan to be his child bride.

Not long after she was bought, the country was liberated, and the landlords lost their money. They were constantly dragged to meetings, and Liu Ruyuan and Li Jian grew up in this environment.

Liu Ruyuan was older than Li Jian and was his child bride, so she instinctively protected him. She was clever and resourceful, while Li Jian, under her protection, only grew taller and remained naive.

Later, Li Jian’s parents died, and they escaped from their hometown and came to Changhong Brigade.

In Changhong Brigade, no one knew they were the children of landlords, and they were no longer forced to attend meetings. Now, Zhan Xinyue was guiding the children to reveal the truth. After initial panic, Liu Ruyuan gradually calmed down.

She turned the tables on Zhan Xinyue, “Comrade Zhan Xinyue, why aren’t you speaking? Humph, what I said is the truth. It’s true that you and my little Jian had an engagement first. I don’t care about any arranged marriages, these are feudal practices. Could it be that Commander Sheng really wants to steal someone else’s wife who is already promised to another?”

Liu Ruyuan spoke calmly and logically, confusing the onlookers, who whispered among themselves, “The People’s Liberation Army should protect us, how can they steal someone’s wife?”

“This isn’t right.”

“Well, there’s nothing we can do about it, what can you do when someone is in a position of power?”

Liu Ruyuan heard the whispers and a smug look flashed across her face. She said with indignation, “If you and Commander Sheng insist on getting married, I will risk my life to report you. I will ask his superiors, is this something a commander should do?”

“Very good, very good, quite impressive.” Zhan Xinyue clapped her hands coldly, “Liu Ruyuan, are you an enemy agent?”

“What are you talking about?” Liu Ruyuan’s face turned pale. In the 1970s, being labeled an enemy agent meant only one thing: death.

“I am a native-born Chinese citizen, how could I be an enemy agent? Zhan Xinyue, don’t slander me.”

“Isn’t it? But the things you are saying and doing now are very much like an enemy agent.”

Unlike Liu Ruyuan’s anger, Zhan Xinyue spoke slowly and deliberately, “You have been trying to incite conflict between the army and the people, constantly mentioning Sheng Tunan’s status, and you dare to say you are not an enemy agent?”

Zhan Xinyue sneered, “By the way, take a good look at these two children, they look like both Li Jian and Liu Ruyuan.”

“I am their aunt, it’s not strange that they resemble me.” Liu Ruyuan’s voice trembled slightly.

“It’s not strange for a nephew to resemble his aunt, but what is strange is that you and your so-called younger brother Li Jian don’t look alike, but your nephew looks like you. There’s only one possibility, you are their real mother.”

Zhan Xinyue suddenly crouched down and asked Li Shenxing, “Tell me, who is your mother here? Honest children will grow tall, their teeth will be neat, and they will be able to eat a lot of good things.”

After speaking, Zhan Xinyue took out a candy from her pocket and shook it, “Tell the truth, and I’ll give you this candy.”

The temperature was high in summer, and the candy had melted a bit, the tempting sweetness filled the air. Li Shenxing sniffed hard, sucking back the snot that had already reached his lips. He grabbed the candy and ran to Liu Ruyuan, hugging her leg, and shouted loudly,

“Mom, this is my mom. I’m not lying, she is my mom.”

The crowd was in an uproar, becoming increasingly confused.

Zhan Xinyue stood up and asked, “Liu Ruyuan, you and Li Jian were originally husband and wife, and you even had two sons. Why are you hiding this fact? What is your purpose in coming to Changhong Brigade? Are you here to sabotage?”

The accusation of being an enemy agent was a serious one, and Liu Ruyuan was truly panicked. She hurriedly said, “I’m not here to sabotage, I’m really not an enemy agent.”

In her previous life, Zhan Xinyue had lived with them for decades and knew that none of them were enemy agents, but she wanted to push the matter in the most serious direction.

This way, Liu Ruyuan, in order to escape the label of enemy agent, would have to reveal her relationship with Li Jian.

After all, enemy agents faced the death penalty, while a landlord’s child bride would at most be subjected to public criticism.

Liu Ruyuan understood this principle, choosing the lesser of two evils.