Chapter 13

Secretary Wang’s office was at the back of the second floor.

Lin Ting, carrying Miaomiao, led her mother-in-law and Guoguo to the office. Through the glass window, she saw that Secretary Wang was inside, so she knocked.

Wang Chunling was busy writing and, without looking up, said, “Come in!”

Lin Ting entered. The heater made the room warmer than outside, though not as warm as a kang room. She closed the door to keep the warmth in and greeted, “Secretary Wang.”

Wang Chunling paused, looked up, and smiled. “You’re early! Good thing I waited, or I might have missed you.”

Though she said this, she knew Huo Xiao had scheduled this meeting. Still, Lin Ting smiled gratefully. “Secretary Wang, thank you for your concern. Officials like you who truly serve the people are a blessing.”

Wang Chunling wasn’t one to be swayed by flattery, but compliments were always pleasant. Her smile became more genuine. “No need to stand, have a seat and rest.”

As she spoke, she noticed the twins—a boy and a girl—gazing around with big, curious eyes. She took out two candies from her drawer and handed them over before sitting across from them.

Hu Xiu, though intelligent, felt uneasy in such a formal setting. She kept a polite smile but said little. Luckily, Lin Ting was eloquent and had good relations with the commune secretary, handling the conversation smoothly.

Wang Chunling enjoyed speaking with Lin Ting, who, despite being young, was articulate. Noticing her status as a newlywed, she joked, “I suppose Comrade Huo Xiao is applying for his family to accompany him in the military?”

Lin Ting, caught off guard by the question, hesitated. “It’s not certain yet.”

Wang Chunling glanced at Hu Xiu, suspecting that the mother-in-law might not be in favor. She thought about her own long-distance marriage, only seeing her husband once a year, and said sincerely, “For a revolutionary couple, if conditions allow, it’s best to be together.”

Lin Ting smiled, but before she could reply, the office phone rang.

Hu Xiu sat up straight, staring at the phone. Lin Ting, noticing, patted her hand reassuringly. Realizing it was Huo Xiao calling, she turned to her mother-in-law. “Mom, you answer first.”

Hu Xiu, anxious to hear her son’s voice, quickly stood up. However, she hesitated, considering that her son was now married. “You take it first.”

Lin Ting shook her head. “You first.” She wasn’t ready to talk to Huo Xiao yet.

To avoid further insistence, she busied herself wiping the candy-sticky corners of the twins’ mouths. Seeing this, Hu Xiu finally stepped forward and picked up the phone.

“Hello… Hey! It’s me. How are you? What happened… You can’t say? Okay, okay, I won’t ask. I know it’s a secret. Are you hurt… You’re not? That’s good… Really? That’s great…”

Lin Ting watched her mother-in-law go from choked up to relieved, finally smiling. She wondered what kind of man Huo Xiao was—he must be easy to talk to, seeing how quickly he reassured his mother. If he were difficult, she doubted he would bother comforting others…

As she got lost in thought, the little one in her arms touched her face.

Lin Ting looked down.

“Mom, Grandma is calling you,” the child said in a baby voice.

Hu Xiu came over, her face full of joy. “You can’t talk too long. Say a few words to Xiao Xiao.”

She pulled Lin Ting up and pushed her toward the phone.

Feeling reluctant, Lin Ting still picked up the receiver. “Hello?”

The other end had been waiting. A low, cool voice responded, “Lin Ting?”

His voice was pleasant and youthful. Lin Ting thought to herself, He sounds nice. “Yes, it’s me.”

There was a brief pause, as if he didn’t know what to say.

Sensing his nervousness, Lin Ting relaxed and took the lead. “Mom said you’re coming back soon?”

“Yes, once I finish some tasks, I’ll take leave.”

“How long?”

“Not sure yet, but at least 20 days.”

“That’s a bit rushed, isn’t it? It takes a long time to travel back and forth.”

“No, I’ve been transferred to a new unit, just a four-day drive from home.”

That meant he’d have at least six or seven days at home. Not bad…

“Lin Ting!”

She instinctively responded, “Yes!”

A short, low chuckle came through the receiver. Embarrassed at her overreaction, Lin Ting turned away from her mother-in-law’s curious gaze.

Luckily, the man was tactful. After chuckling, he sincerely said, “Comrade Lin Ting, thank you.”

Lin Ting pursed her lips. “No need to thank me…”

“I’ll thank you anyway.” Thank you for not giving up. Thank you for staying with my mother.

Lin Ting sensed the seriousness in the man’s words, but this very seriousness left her unsure of how to respond.

After a brief silence, the man spoke again, “The call time is up. When I decide on a return date, I’ll call the commune again.”

“Okay…”

Hu Xiu was overjoyed after speaking to her son on the phone. Saying goodbye to Secretary Wang, she walked down the stairs lightly. However, her good mood was short-lived. Just as they stepped out of the hall, her daughter-in-law was bumped into and nearly fell.

Hu Xiu instinctively reached out to steady Lin Ting. Once she regained her balance, Hu Xiu turned and frowned at the reckless man. “What’s wrong with you? Why did you bump into her?”

If Tingting hadn’t reacted quickly, she would have fallen, and protecting the child in her arms would have been difficult.

Thinking of this, Hu Xiu looked at the man more sharply, suspecting he did it on purpose.

Qian Geming had, in fact, done it intentionally. He had never seen such a beautiful woman before. Even though her husband was an officer and not someone he could afford to offend, he thought it was worth the risk to touch her. He had done this many times before.

But he hadn’t expected her to react so quickly. Not only had he failed to touch her, but he was now being scolded by an old woman.

Still, Qian Geming was confident in his charm. He adjusted his Zhongshan suit ^[1]a type of tunic suit popular in China. and changed tactics. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention. Comrade, are you hurt?”

People of this era were generally simple and honest. Seeing his polite demeanor, Hu Xiu softened her expression.

However, Lin Ting immediately saw through his act. She frowned, ignored him, and turned to her mother-in-law. “Mom, aren’t we in a hurry?”

Hu Xiu checked her watch. “Yes, we need to go to the supply and marketing cooperative before it closes. Xiao should be back for the New Year. We should buy more goods and some candies for the village children since he missed the wedding.”

Thinking of the many things to buy, she quickened her pace. Supplies were scarce, and it was even harder to shop during the New Year.

As they stepped outside, they greeted the gatekeeper out of courtesy.

Unexpectedly, the old man waved them over.

When they approached, he warned, “That man who bumped into you made his fortune by rebelling and destroying things ^[2]referring to individuals who gained status during political turmoil.. He’s got a dirty mind. Girl, be careful. The world is… a mess.”

Lin Ting had already sensed the man’s ill intent, so she remained calm. But Hu Xiu, realizing the man had done it deliberately, was furious. She trembled with anger and turned to confront him.

Lin Ting quickly stopped her, first thanking the gatekeeper before dragging her mother-in-law away.

She was also angry and disgusted, but the man had only bumped into her. Making a scene would not be in their favor. It was better to get home safely and let her second brother, Lin Wei, handle it. He had connections and was the best person to deal with scoundrels.

However, this incident reminded Lin Ting that in the coming years, people like Qian Geming would become even more rampant, some gaining real power. Perhaps… the army was one of the last pure places.

“Don’t be angry, Tingting. I’ll remember this. When Xiao comes back, we’ll have him deal with that scoundrel,” Hu Xiu said after calming down.

Hearing this, Lin Ting’s frustration disappeared. She smiled mischievously, “Mom, I was thinking the same thing. I want my second brother to put a sack over his head and teach him a lesson.”

Hu Xiu laughed. “Alright! We’ll both report it and let them beat him up!”

Lin Ting truly laughed this time. Having such a good mother-in-law was already a blessing.

_

There was no market today, but with the New Year approaching, many people were out shopping.

When they arrived at the supply and marketing cooperative, the villagers from Xiangyang Brigade were already gathered. The store was still a few minutes from opening.

Hu Xiu, still recovering from childbirth and carrying a child, was exhausted. After walking for more than ten minutes and getting squeezed in the crowd, she was out of breath and sweating.

Lin Ting wasn’t much better off.

Some familiar aunts took the children and asked, “Did you speak to Xiao?”

Hu Xiu caught her breath and smiled. “Yes! He might be back before the New Year!”

“That’s wonderful! He hasn’t been home in years.”

“True. By the way, did you sell your eggs for 70 cents each?”

Money was tight, and people rarely touched their savings. Instead, they sold eggs to buy necessities like salt and kerosene.

Hu Xiu used to do the same but stopped after having children.

“I did, but the purchasing station lowered the price again. I barely got anything. Looks like we’ll be sitting in the dark at night…”

“Yes, life is tough. We have to ration everything.”

_

Hearing their struggles, Lin Ting’s mind started turning.

She remembered reading about a policy in the early 1960s encouraging people to raise rabbits and export their wool for foreign exchange.

Could Xiangyang Brigade do the same?

If possible, it could create jobs for many.

And as the one who proposed the idea, she might be able to secure some jobs for her family.

Just when Lin Ting was wondering when to discuss things with her second brother, the supply and marketing cooperative opened.

Then, everyone rushed into panic buying mode.

Her mother-in-law and sister-in-law bought a whole basket of goods. By the time they got home, it was already 11 a.m. They were exhausted, their legs weak, and even the twins were so tired they dozed off immediately after drinking malted milk.

While her mother-in-law carried the children to bed, Lin Ting didn’t rest either. She began unpacking their purchases. But when she picked up a piece of black fabric, she hesitated, remembering her mother-in-law’s plan.

“What are you daydreaming about?” Hu Xiu asked, stepping out of the west room and noticing Lin Ting holding the material meant for Huo Xiao’s clothes.

Lin Ting turned and said honestly, “You told me to make clothes for Huo Xiao, but I don’t know how to sew.”

Hu Xiu rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to do it yourself. There’s an old tailor in our village with excellent skills.”

“Then why did you ask me to do it?”

“Just sew a couple of stitches to show your effort. That’s what I did for Huo Xiao’s father. Men are careless about these things; they won’t notice. As long as you picked the fabric and stitched a bit, that’s enough.”

Lin Ting stared at her mother-in-law in awe, realizing she had opened the door to a new perspective.

Hu Xiu, pleased, said, “Alright, put these things in your room. What’s for lunch? I’ll cook.”

Lin Ting replied, “Aren’t you tired? Go rest. There’s leftover steamed bread and corn porridge from this morning. I’ll heat them up.”

Hu Xiu, indeed exhausted, nodded. “Alright, but I’ll warm them up myself. Once you’re done, we’ll eat.”

She took the apron hanging on the wall and went out.

Lin Ting smiled and carried some cloth to her room. As she opened the door, she noticed an envelope stuck in the gap of the back window.

Frowning, she put the fabric away before walking over. The envelope was blank on the outside, and no one was outside the window. After a moment of hesitation, she took it and opened it.

Inside was a line of crooked writing: “I know you didn’t go to find Huo Xiao a few days ago. Leave the Huo family quickly, or I will report you.”

There were over twenty words, five of which were misspelled.

As a teacher, Lin Ting’s first reaction was to mentally correct the errors.