Chapter 101

“You… you can’t do this to me! What you’re doing is illegal!”

Feng Shishi had thought Liu Cuifang was loyal.

But without a word, Liu Cuifang had abandoned her and run away.

At this moment, Feng Shishi completely believed what the police and Women’s Federation had said—Shen Guixiang and her son were truly terrifying.

What made her feel even worse was that Lu Jiaojiao had become their accomplice.

Shen Guixiang and Yin Zhihe held her down so she couldn’t resist, while Lu Jiaojiao, also a victim, found a rope in the corner and handed it to Yin Zhihe to tie her up.

The people in the countryside were horrifying!

Feng Shishi regretted trusting the wrong people. Large tears rolled down her cheeks and fell heavily to the ground.

The rope hurt her, and she cried bitterly.

Just when she had lost all hope, cursing her own blindness for falling into this nightmare and resenting Liu Cuifang for her lack of loyalty, a familiar voice called out from outside the door.

It was Liu Cuifang’s anxious voice: “Gong Minbing, hurry and take a look inside!”

“Feng Shishi said she wanted to move back to the educated youth camp, and Shen Guixiang hit her!”

“They’re not human! I’m afraid my friend Feng Shishi will be harmed by them…”

Before Shen Guixiang and Yin Zhihe could react, Gong Minbing and his team broke down the door.

“Shen Guixiang, what are you doing?”

“Detaining Feng Shishi against her will? Do you realize this is a crime?”

“At the meeting earlier, Liu Zhishu and Tang Dui clearly stated that the commune no longer allows educated youths to stay with local families. The brigade is to resolve housing issues for the educated youths immediately. What’s wrong with Feng Shishi wanting to move back to the camp?”

“You’ve got some nerve, openly defying the rules and committing a crime by tying up an educated youth! As the militia captain, I will crack down on such illegal behavior.”

“No need to explain. We’ll deal with both new and old offenses together. Let’s see if I can’t handle you, Shen Guixiang, the shameless troublemaker, or Yin Zhihe, the scoundrel.”

“You like tying people up, don’t you?”

Gong Minbing sternly ordered, “You all, tie up Shen Guixiang and Yin Zhihe! Tonight, we’ll conduct a public disciplinary session at the threshing ground.”

Feng Shishi was saved!

But she cried even harder.

But she cried even harder.

She had thought Liu Cuifang was disloyal.

It turned out that when she asked Liu Cuifang to go to the brigade for help, Liu had already anticipated the situation and left the Yin family early to get assistance.

When Gong Minbing untied Feng Shishi, she threw herself into Liu Cuifang’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

“Fangfang, it’s all thanks to you! You saved me.”

“True friendship is revealed in times of trouble.”

Feng Shishi clung tightly to her. “You’re my best friend, my dearest sister. You saved me from the jaws of the tiger today, and in the future, no matter the danger, I’ll never abandon you.”

Liu Cuifang knew she had made the right gamble.

Now, not only would Feng Shishi give her a large gift in gratitude, but she would also regard her as her closest sister and share all the good things with her in the future.

Liu Cuifang was very pleased, though she found Feng Shishi’s sobbing in her arms a bit annoying.

Still, she hid her feelings and comforted her warmly. “Shishi, don’t be afraid. I’m here for you.”

“There, there, it’s all over now.”

Shen Guixiang and her son had already caused trouble by beating Lu Jiaojiao so severely that the county Women’s Federation had come to the brigade. That issue hadn’t yet been resolved, and now they had tied up and attempted to imprison Feng Shishi.

The commune had repeatedly emphasized the need to resolve housing issues for educated youths and ensure their safety.

But Shen Guixiang and her son had walked straight into trouble.

The brigade decided to address both the new and old issues together and hold them fully accountable.

Almost as soon as Gong Minbing escorted them back to the brigade health office, the brigade used the loudspeaker to announce to all members of the Xiangyang Brigade that there would be a public trial that evening at the threshing ground to address the crimes of Shen Guixiang and her son. The entire community was invited to participate in their ideological education.

The brigade only used the loudspeaker for major village events.

The last time it was used, it had been to notify everyone about repurposing the old pigsty into a rabbit pen to build a rabbit farm.

Now, the loudspeaker was announcing a public trial because of the actions of Shen Guixiang and Yin Zhihe. This alone showed the severity of their misconduct.

That evening, at the threshing ground, Liu Zhishu stood with a loudspeaker, denouncing the heinous actions of Shen Guixiang and Yin Zhihe to the assembled community members.

That evening, at the threshing ground, Party Secretary Liu stood with a loudspeaker, addressing the gathered community members and condemning the vile actions of Shen Guixiang and Yin Zhihe.

“Beating your wife is unacceptable. This is the New Society now. Anyone who beats their wife will end up eating state-provided meals.”

The crowd erupted into laughter.

Liu Zhishu’s expression remained stern. “Stop laughing! I mean it—state-provided meals, as in prison food!”

The laughter continued, but Liu Zhishu raised his voice: “This isn’t a joke. During today’s meeting at the commune, the secretary pointed out that our brigade leaders haven’t done enough to protect the rights of women comrades. Protecting women’s interests is now a key focus of every brigade’s leadership.”

“There will be efforts to improve women’s welfare. On that note, let’s get to the main point: the commune is establishing a Women’s Federation, and our brigade will elect a Women’s Director.”

“The Women’s Director will oversee issues concerning women comrades—whether it’s someone beating their wife, mistreating their daughter-in-law, or any disputes at home. From now on, these matters will be handled by the brigade’s Women’s Director.”

The idea of regulating domestic matters, even minor disputes, caused a stir among the attendees.

Seeing the crowd’s curiosity piqued, Liu Zhishu cleared his throat and continued, “The Women’s Director will receive a monthly salary of five yuan and earn work points. To fill this role, the brigade has decided to hold an election by vote.”

The news of a paid position with work points excited many in the crowd, and several people began lobbying for votes among their acquaintances.

The atmosphere became lively, but Liu Zhishu silenced the chatter with another cough.

“Alright, after Shen Guixiang and Yin Zhihe undergo their ideological education, we will move on to the voting process. Electing a Women’s Director is one of the main purposes of this meeting.”

“Now, onto the second point: the commune has prohibited educated youths from boarding with local families. Our brigade is responsible for solving their housing problem. After a thorough review, we’ve realized that the current educated youth dormitory is too cramped. Therefore, we’ve decided to repurpose previously confiscated properties for relocating the youths.”

“The confiscated property will be made available for educated youths who wish to settle permanently in Xiangyang Brigade. Those interested in building their own homes can apply for land allocation starting tomorrow. The commune has approved this initiative.”

The confiscated property referred to was originally part of the Yin family estate, built from sturdy blue bricks.

In the past, the Yin family had been wealthy, but Yin Zhihe’s father handed over the family property to the brigade to secure their safety. The house that Shen Guixiang and Yin Zhihe currently lived in was originally a servant’s quarters.

Hearing that they might move into the Yin family’s confiscated blue-brick house, the educated youths were thrilled. However, the proximity to Shen Guixiang’s troublesome household made some hesitate.

Some wealthier educated youths even began considering applying for land to build their own homes instead.

“The higher authorities are concerned about the living conditions of educated youths and want us to resolve their housing issues. Educated youths are no longer allowed to board with local families. Shen Guixiang, by renting a room to Feng Shishi and demanding rent, directly defied the brigade’s orders. Her behavior was extremely malicious.”