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The tractor driver was the team leader of the Liulin Farm Production Brigade, named Meng Shuanggou.
He wore a half-new Liberation Cap, an old-fashioned cross-collared coarse cloth jacket, his pant legs rolled up to the knees, and a pair of tattered cloth shoes with his big toe poking out of a hole, wiggling around curiously.
Clipping his tobacco pipe to the back of his waistband, Meng Shuanggou approached to help carry things with remarkable eagerness and enthusiasm.
“Song Zhanjin, welcome! It must have been quite a journey for your whole family to come all the way here to help cultivate and build our farm. You must be tired!”
Lin Wanjun was somewhat taken aback.
Meng Shuanggou certainly had some skill—his words sounded polished, suggesting a higher level of literacy.
But the next moment, he gave himself away.
“Ha, that sounded all refined and a little sour, but my daughter insisted I say it that way. Tsk, it feels awkward, really awkward!”
After loading the last box of plums into the tractor’s trailer, Meng Shuanggou wiped the sweat from his brow and glanced at Song Zhanjin.
“My daughter is nineteen this year. She once had a chance encounter with young Song Zhanjin, and when she heard you were coming, she has been waiting for you with eager eyes!”
Hearing this, Lin Wanjun pinched Song Zhanjin’s waist hard.
“Are you some roaming dog marking territory everywhere? How do you have love debts in every place?”
Song Zhanjin grimaced and bared his teeth under his wife’s pinch.
“I didn’t! I’ve never been here before, how could I possibly know his daughter?
Wife, I’m innocent!”
Lin Wanjun was shouting at Song Zhanjin about leaving love debts everywhere, but in reality, she already had a clear idea in her heart.
In the original story, there was a supporting female character named Meng Yongli, the daughter of the local production team leader, who had once been unintentionally saved by Song Zhanjin and had never stopped thinking about him since.
However, the official female lead was Dong Yingying. Unable to win Song Zhanjin’s affection, Meng Yongli went into a dark rage, causing all sorts of trouble and difficulties during the Song family’s re-education period.
Lin Wanjun silently cursed the original author in her heart.
To “spice up” the romantic tension between the male and female leads, the author could come up with any absurd plot. Even two people separated by a thousand miles could be forcibly thrown together.
Dog author!
Cursed you to eat instant noodles without seasoning packets, cursed you to eat durian and get only pits, cursed you to drink milk tea with no straw, cursed you to use the toilet with no paper…
After finishing her curses, Lin Wanjun could only accept reality. She quietly recalled the original plot, thinking about how to deal with it, while being helped into the tractor’s trailer by Song Zhanjin.
Meng Shuanggou’s attitude toward Shi Kai was much cooler. After confirming his identity, he grabbed the crank and started the tractor, which slowly rumbled toward its destination.
Crazy, truly crazy, absolutely crazy.
After more than three hours on the bumpy ride, Lin Wanjun was dizzy, her eyes seeing stars.
At first, she could still hold onto the railing to stay upright. Later, feeling too disoriented, she simply sat on a box of quilts. Eventually…
Well, she was practically lying in Song Zhanjin’s arms, her whole body soft like overcooked noodles.
When Meng Yongli arrived excitedly to greet him, she saw the man she had fallen for at first sight being occupied by another woman.
That woman looked like a seductive fox spirit, shamelessly lying in Song Zhanjin’s arms, humming and sighing.
But Song Zhanjin was such an upright person that he didn’t push her away. He still held the fox-spirit’s waist, wiping her sweat and feeding her water.
“Wanjun, we’ve arrived. Let’s get off the vehicle!”
Song Zhanjin’s eyes were only on the car-sick Lin Wanjun. His voice was gentle as he supported her by the back of her neck, helping her sit upright.
“My head… I feel like vomiting!”
Lin Wanjun cast a sidelong glance at Meng Yongli. Seeing the young girl’s eyes brimming with tears, she revealed the wicked smile of a villainous supporting female, whining sweetly as she threw herself into Song Zhanjin’s arms.
“Old Song, I feel awful and can’t walk. Carry me!”
Shi Kai, standing nearby, concerned, said, “I have some cooling oil in my bag. It might relieve your discomfort.”
Song Zhanjin mockingly refused Shi Kai’s offer, jumped down from the tractor, and effortlessly scooped up Lin Wanjun.
Trying to cozy up to my wife? Dream on!
Lin Wanjun’s hands clung to Song Zhanjin’s neck. Weak and boneless in his arms, her cheek pressed against his chest as she cast a sly glance at the now openly crying Meng Yongli.
Feigning innocence, she cooed, “Oh my, little sister, what’s wrong? Were you bullied? Why are you crying so pitifully?”
“If you have any troubles, just tell me. Even if I can’t help you, my brave and capable husband will figure something out, right, Old Song?”
Song Zhanjin saw right through Lin Wanjun’s little scheme, but he didn’t expose her—and secretly felt a bit pleased.
“If you have any problems, talk to Song An. My wife is car-sick and I need to take care of her!”
Meng Yongli, who had been quietly sobbing before, now cried even louder.
Stamping her feet and covering her face, Meng Yongli pointed tremblingly at Lin Wanjun’s nose and cursed, “You… shameless fox-spirit! I won’t let you get away with this!”
Little Meng ran off crying, and Lin Wanjun quietly rolled her eyes.
What kind of nonsensical, illogical plot is this?
I, a legally protected and dignified official wife, haven’t even pursued the supporting female for thinking about my Old Song, and yet she dares to call me a fox-spirit right in front of me? Is this reasonable?
Fine, fine. Who asked me to be a wicked supporting female? Who asked me to have no protagonist’s halo? If she bites, I’ll bite back!
Meng Shuanggou saw his daughter running off in tears. He didn’t say a word, but the smile in his eyes faded, and a trace of fierceness appeared as he looked at Lin Wanjun.
Whatever his daughter wanted, he, as her father, would fight tooth and nail to get it for her!
Lin Wanjun pretended not to notice Meng Shuanggou’s expression, whining and acting mischievous like a true little demon, perfectly embodying the shameless fox-spirit Meng Yongli had accused her of being.
Why bother with dignity? Can it be eaten?
To Lin Wanjun, appearances were nothing but an external accessory.
Soon, a middle-aged man surnamed Wu arrived to greet them. He introduced himself as a platoon leader from the Cadre School, sent by his superiors to receive Song Mingcheng and the others.
Even though life at the Cadre School was labor reform, it was still under real military management, with a regiment-level structure divided into seven companies, each further subdivided into squads.
Platoon Leader Wu’s full name was Wu Zhiyi. A battle hero who had been on the front lines and fought the enemy, he had been sent here only because his straightforward and hot-tempered personality occasionally led him to say things he shouldn’t.
When he saw Song Mingcheng, his eyes were full of admiration and excitement.
Lin Wanjun silently contemplated the situation, occasionally glancing at the elderly Madam walking behind them.
In the original story, the Song family ran into trouble as soon as they arrived at Liulin Farm.
Li Yuetang had once intervened when she saw children and the elderly being beaten by someone on the roadside. She spoke out boldly in defense of justice, which offended the wrong people and resulted in her being assigned to the harshest and most grueling manure-hauling team—where she eventually fell ill and died.
“Mother, we’ve just arrived. No matter what we see or hear, don’t get involved!”
Lin Wanjun was still nestled in Song Zhanjin’s arms, whispering the warning to Li Yuetang.
“Right now, we’re like clay Buddhas crossing the river—unable to protect ourselves. No matter what happens, we must remain calm and restrained. As long as we preserve ourselves, we’ll have a future. Don’t you think so?”
Li Yuetang, who had always trusted her daughter-in-law, naturally nodded in agreement.
“Yes, you’re right. We’ve already ended up in this mess ourselves; why worry about what others are doing?”
She said firmly, “Don’t worry. I’ve taken your words to heart. Just one word: endure!”
Lin Wanjun smiled brightly and poked him lightly in the chest.
“Exactly. Our whole family must endure. If even Goujian could bear humiliation and taste filth, what’s impossible for us?”
“If I had to choose between tasting filth and getting into trouble, I’d rather get into trouble!”
Song Zhanjin’s brows knitted so tightly it was almost enough to crush a fly.
Eat filth? Forget it—he’d rather die!
The Song family was chatting and laughing as they walked forward when suddenly, they heard the heart-wrenching cries of children up ahead, accompanied by the hoarse, weak pleas of an elderly person.
“Fugen, please stop beating the children! You’re going to kill them!”
Lin Wanjun looked up and saw, beside a pile of manure, a short but burly-faced man swinging a whip, striking two children lying in the manure, their bodies covered in fresh blood.
An elderly woman with white hair stretched out her arms over the children, using her frail, aged body to try to shield them from the blows.
The Song family members clenched their fists, and Li Yuetang bit her lip, her face a mask of suppressed fury.
But they all remembered Lin Wanjun’s earlier words. Even as their anger surged, they forced themselves to endure.
Yet in the next moment, it was Lin Wanjun—the one who had urged everyone to exercise restraint—who completely lost control…