Chapter 13

He Ting seemed to see right through him and gave a stern warning: “If Baiwei refuses to acknowledge parents like you, who favor some children over others and act like thieves in their own family, don’t think you can pester her. If you dare, don’t blame me for being ruthless.” 

“As for Jiao Jiao’s theft today, both Militia Leader Gong and Secretary Liu witnessed it. I reserve the right to report this to the public security bureau and can go to the commune to file a case at any time.” 

Gong and Secretary Liu nodded in agreement. 

Secretary Liu even added a comment: “Old Lu, you really handled this poorly. Favoritism like this will drive your child away for good.” 

“You should always leave some room for reconciliation. A smart person like you knows what to do.” 

At this point, what else could they do? 

There was no way to stop Lu Baiwei from moving out. 

Lu Jianguo was utterly dumbfounded. 

In front of Secretary Liu and Tang Jinghe, he still wanted to save face. 

Even though his secrets had been completely exposed, he stubbornly tried to salvage some dignity. 

This time, it wasn’t about accusing Lu Baiwei of stealing from Jiao Jiao or avoiding punishing Wenhua. Instead, he turned a stern face toward Jiao Jiao. 

“Jiao Jiao, you were wrong this time,” he said. 

He shot a sharp look at Liu Chunhua. 

Liu Chunhua reluctantly slapped Jiao Jiao hard. “What’s wrong with you? You’re family with your sister. If you wanted to play with the radio, why not just ask? Why sneak it? You’re such a troublemaker.” 

Were they still trying to brush this off as Jiao Jiao just borrowing the radio to play? 

Lu Baiwei scoffed coldly. 

“Enough with the act!” 

As crying and wailing continued, Lu Baiwei started packing her belongings while addressing Liu Chunhua: 

“Auntie, if you insist Jiao Jiao was only borrowing it to play, I’ll head to the commune and report it to the public security bureau. Let them decide if Jiao Jiao is a thief.” 

That shut everyone up completely. 

No matter how hard they tried to act tough, weak, or apologetic, no one could carry on. 

Lu Baiwei didn’t have much to pack, and with He Ting and Tang Jinghe helping her, everything was quickly sorted. 

Despite Lu Jianguo’s attempts to smile and repair their relationship, Lu Baiwei made it clear she no longer considered him her father. Taking all her belongings, including the “Three Revolutions and One Ring,” she left with He Ting without leaving anything behind. 

By the end of the workday, word of the uproar had spread. With reddened eyes, Lu Baiwei once again painted herself as the pitiful, homeless victim, earning sympathy while further exposing Lu Jianguo, Liu Chunhua, and Jiao Jiao’s behavior. 

Finally, she collected the keys from the brigade office and opened the long-unused two-room unit at the health station. 

For the first time, He Ting realized that his tearful little wife wasn’t weak or a pushover. 

If anything, He Ting thought he had married a black-hearted lotus.

If he had to describe her in one phrase, He Ting thought he had married a black-hearted lotus. 

However, judging by how Tang Jinghe fiercely defended his niece and even handed He Ting eggs and helped him save money after the wedding, it was clear that this “black-hearted lotus” was extremely kind to her own people. 

Originally, He Ting had no feelings about this marriage. Becoming a youth sent to the countryside and marrying a woman he’d been mysteriously betrothed to as a child felt like opening a blind box. 

The decision to open this “blind box” was strongly demanded by his old man, who even threatened him with his life to comply. So, He Ting had to go along. 

Now, though, he realized opening this blind box wasn’t boring at all. His newlywed wife turned out to be quite interesting. 

The two rooms at the brigade health station were relatively new. 

Lu Baiwei had chosen these rooms for their excellent location. 

The house was close to the brigade office, the village’s threshing ground, and the youth housing site. 

A small path connected the house to the main road. 

Behind the house was the sunny Xiangyang Mountain, and a small creek flowed in front of it. 

The house was built with leftover bricks from a brigade office renovation. The lower half of the walls were constructed with sturdy green bricks, while the upper half used earthen bricks. 

Thanks to the green brick foundation, the house wouldn’t easily collapse even in heavy rains that caused flooding. 

The only downside was that the health station had been abandoned for two years, leaving the roof with many broken tiles. 

Lu Baiwei opened the door to the brigade health station with He Ting, revealing tables and chairs covered in a thick layer of dust. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the broken tiles, illuminating the room. 

“This house is pretty solid. If we get someone to replace the broken tiles on the roof, it’ll be livable,” she said. 

Placing their belongings in the inner room, Lu Baiwei began showing He Ting around. 

“Look here. This small door leads to a side kitchen my grandfather built next door. The latrine is in the backyard, and there’s an empty patch of land over there for a vegetable garden.” 

“Later, you can till that plot, sow some seeds, and grow vegetables. It’ll be enough for the two of us.” 

Lu Baiwei had lived here with her grandfather for five years. 

Even in her previous life, after leaving Xiangyang Village to live in luxurious villas, the place she missed most was this small home where she’d once lived with her grandfather. 

Here, she had grown up freely and happily. In her subconscious, these two rooms at the brigade health station were her true home. 

Countless times, she had dreamed of this place in the middle of the night, recalling her grandfather’s kind smile and the faint herbal scent from when he prepared medicines. 

And now, she had returned! 

Back to this familiar place. 

A place that still carried her grandfather’s shadow, now to become her and He Ting’s home. 

A wave of peace washed over Lu Baiwei. Returning here felt like being embraced once again by the protective presence of her beloved grandfather.

Lu Baiwei felt a sense of peace in her heart. Returning here, it was as if her grandfather, who had always protected her, was still around. 

After touring the place, He Ting also found it quite satisfactory. 

Although there were only two rooms, both the outer hall and the inner room were spacious. 

The kitchen and latrine were already in place, and the backyard even had a plot for a vegetable garden, which could be cleared up and planted. 

Even if the brigade allocated him land to build a house, it might not be as suitable as this location. 

This spot was close to the youth housing site but far enough from the brigade office and the threshing grounds. Later, when they set up a small stove to cook, the smells wouldn’t travel too far. 

Living here, they could enjoy cooking meat in peace without drawing too much attention. 

He Ting was very satisfied with the place. 

The wind rustled through the bamboo grove beside the house, and the cool breeze flowed in through the open windows, making the house feel refreshingly cool and not stifling at all. 

Lu Baiwei took a basin to fetch water from the creek and began tidying up the house. He Ting, taking the initiative, found a rag to help wipe down the tables and chairs. Together, they discussed finding someone to fix the roof tiles tomorrow. 

“Tomorrow, I’ll ask Zhou Yanfeng to help buy some tiles. I’ll borrow a ladder and get on the roof to replace them. For tonight, we’ll just make do,” He Ting suggested. 

“You’ve never fixed tiles before, have you? I could ask my uncle to help,” Lu Baiwei replied. 

“No need. Even if I haven’t done it before, I should give it a try,” He Ting said firmly. 

“I’m your husband, and we’ll be living our lives together. I can’t expect others to handle everything for us.” 

Halfway through, He Ting hesitated, as if there was something he found difficult to say. 

Lu Baiwei, finishing up wiping the wardrobe, turned to look at him. 

Finally, He Ting awkwardly admitted, “Uh, later, I’ll go back to the youth housing site to get the things I bought today at the commune.” 

“While I’m at it, I’ll pack up my stuff… and move in to live here.” 

At the mention of moving in together, He Ting’s expression turned somewhat awkward. 

As Lu Baiwei wrung out a dirty towel near the basin, the light streaming through the window revealed that He Ting’s ears seemed to have flushed red. 

Noticing her gaze on the side of his face, He Ting quickly wiped at the sweat on his forehead in an attempt to cover it up. 

He added as if to explain himself, “It’s just so hot. Doing some work makes me feel like I’m burning up.” 

“Well, it’s getting late. You keep tidying up, and I’ll head to the youth housing site to grab my things,” he said before quickly heading out.