Chapter 6: A Way to Make Money

Lin Mengling looked at Wu Chengyu with hopeful eyes, wishing he would allow her to stay. If she was sent back to the Educated Youth Office, she would surely be sent to the farm.

Reporting to the police wouldn’t work either—if she ended up with a criminal record, what would she do in the future?

Wu Chengyu thought for a moment and decided to defend Lin Mengling. After all, she was an educated youth. If the things she had done were proven, it would make things much harder for all the educated youths in the brigade.

“Captain, Educated Youth Lin did go to call someone from the Lei Family. Although she arrived a bit late, it’s really difficult for a girl to walk through such uneven ground…”

“How can you say something like that? What do you mean ‘although she arrived a bit late’? Oh, I guess it doesn’t hurt when it’s not your own flesh being cut, huh?”

“Exactly! These city people are just delicate. We’ve been walking through this bumpy field for over a year and still they can’t manage it.”

Wu Chengyu’s expression shifted. “Captain, there’s no way Educated Youth Lin did this on purpose. We also don’t have any proof that she deliberately told Educated Youth Si’s husband about his own death.

“And there’s no witness who saw Educated Youth Lin not go to notify the Lei Family. She really did go to find them.”

The captain stared at him coldly.

“Fine. Let’s not talk about whether Educated Youth Lin deliberately said anything about Lei Family’s second son. Do you have any proof that she went to the fields to call them?”

Lin Mengling looked at Wu Chengyu, who was speaking up for her, as if grabbing onto a life-saving straw. After hearing what the captain said, she looked at Wu Chengyu with eyes full of expectation.

Seeing that Wu Chengyu didn’t reply, the captain continued speaking.

“Whether there’s evidence or not isn’t up to us to decide. Once the police get involved, they’ll find out for sure. After all, professional matters should be handled by professionals.”

When Lin Mengling heard the captain insist on reporting to the police, she suddenly stood up, ran over, grabbed the firewood knife, and held it to her own neck.

“Ah… You bunch of rural people are going to drive me to death! You said I harmed Si Yueyue, right? Then I’ll repay her with my life…”

The captain saw that she was acting out of control and quickly shouted for someone to stop her: “Quick… hold her down!”

The shout only made Lin Mengling move faster. She slashed at her own neck, but before she could do more, someone had already tackled her to the ground.

“Da Hu, go get Doctor Wang to take a look at her.” The young man called Da Hu immediately ran off upon hearing the order.

The others were stunned by Lin Mengling’s sudden outburst. Some even began to believe that she was really trying to prove her innocence with her life—maybe the Lei Family had wronged her.

People always sympathize with the weak. As long as something doesn’t happen to them directly, they’re eager to find excuses for others.

Lei Dashu noticed the crowd’s mood gradually shifting toward Lin Mengling and immediately sensed trouble. He quickly spoke up.

“Captain, our Lei Family doesn’t wrongly accuse good people, but we also don’t let bad ones go. Since Educated Youth Lin says she’s innocent, then let’s report it to the police and let them investigate.”

“Yes, yes, let the police check it out. The police don’t show favoritism.”

The captain didn’t respond. He squinted at Lin Mengling and said: “So this is your plan—to use death to threaten us?”

Lin Mengling clutched her neck and lowered her head without speaking.

“Heh… I went to the battlefield in my teens and killed countless Japanese soldiers. I can tell when someone’s really trying to die.”

The brigade members’ faces darkened upon hearing the captain’s words. They had actually sympathized with her—and now, even at this point, she was still trying to manipulate their compassion?

“Captain, someone this unrepentant doesn’t deserve to stay in our brigade. We support reporting her to the police…”

Lin Mengling’s face turned even paler as she heard everyone say this. She wanted to defend herself, but her voice was drowned out by the growing noise around her.

Just then, Da Hu returned with Doctor Wang. Doctor Wang had once been their village’s barefoot doctor. After liberation, he had earned his barefoot doctor’s license and was now permitted to practice medicine in the brigade.

Doctor Wang examined Lin Mengling and, upon seeing it was just a shallow cut, turned to the captain and said: “It’s nothing serious. Apply some medicine and she’ll heal quickly.”

The captain nodded upon hearing this and ordered someone to tie her up and take her directly to the town’s police station that very night.

The other educated youths saw how decisively the captain acted and didn’t dare say a word. An An stood quietly to the side.

Wu Chengyu opened his mouth, but in the end, he said nothing.

Lin Mengling looked at the crowd with a pale face. She knew—she was finished.

After the captain and the others left, the rest of the people gradually dispersed from the Educated Youth Site. When the Lei family returned home, they heard giggles coming from the second daughter-in-law’s room.

Pushing the door open, they saw the eldest brother’s three kids and the third son all in the room. The other two little ones had probably just woken up from a nap and were tilting their heads, listening to their older siblings and uncle chatting.

“You three little monkeys, hurry up and go to bed. Don’t disturb your second aunt and the babies.”

“You too, Third—off to sleep. You’ve got class tomorrow.”

After sending the children away, Zhao Cuilan and Zhang Guihua sat down on the heated brick bed and each picked up a baby, gently rocking them in their arms.

Si Yueyue glanced at her sister-in-law and mother-in-law. “Mom, Sister-in-law, is everything okay at the Educated Youth Site?”

“No problem at all. That Educated Youth Lin with her soft hands and tender skin—how could she be a match for us?” Zhang Guihua smiled as she answered her younger sister-in-law.

“I’m glad to hear that. I was worried you two might suffer a loss going over there.”

“Pfft, what loss? We were in the right. There’s no way we’d suffer. Lin Mengling was taken to the police station by the captain that very night…”

Zhao Cuilan recounted what had just happened to Si Yueyue and reminded her solemnly,

“From now on, if anything happens, tell your mom or your sister-in-law. Don’t bottle everything up inside. Our Lei family doesn’t tolerate being wronged.”

“I understand, Mom. This time it was my poor judgment that nearly harmed both myself and the babies. I won’t let something like this happen again.”

“Some people—you can see their face but not their heart. You can’t see through everyone. Just be more cautious in the future.”

“Mhm.”

“Oh right, Mom, are you going to town tomorrow? I was hoping you could help with something.”

“What’s the matter? Want to buy something? Your Big Brother is going to town tomorrow to buy malted milk essence for the kids. If they don’t have any, he’ll go see Zhenzhen to try and trade for some. Just tell your Big Brother what you need and have him bring it.”

“Mom, it’s not something to buy. I wanted to ask Big Brother to go to the post office and see if they have the address of a publication office. Now that the babies are born, I need to start making money.

I can’t keep relying on you and Dad, or Big Brother and Sister-in-law. I remember a classmate used to submit essays to publication offices. I want to try too. Since I’m not going out during my postpartum confinement anyway, I can spend some time writing. If I can earn some money, great. If not, at least I’ll be practicing my writing and studying again.”

She had gotten the idea earlier when the children were playing and she glanced at the newspaper pasted on the wall.

She remembered from reading novels that in these types of eras, some people would submit work to publication offices. If accepted, they’d receive royalties—sometimes two yuan per thousand characters, though the rates could vary.

If this worked, it would also make it easier to bring out items from the rental room space in the future.

“Alright. Guihua, tell Dajun later so he can ask for your sister-in-law tomorrow.”

Zhang Guihua nodded. “Got it.”

“Yueyue, Mom supports your writing, of course—but your health comes first. You had a premature birth with twins this time. Your body’s taken a big hit. You can’t take your health lightly.

And don’t get upset if you can’t make money. Your dad and I are still young and able-bodied. We won’t let you and the kids go hungry.”

“Mom’s right. Your only focus now should be recovering. The family still has your Big Brother and me. Zhenzi used to send his military stipend home every month to help us out.

Even though now he’s… gone, we’re not ungrateful wolves. An An and Lele are still so little—how can we expect you to shoulder everything alone?”

Zhao Cuilan nodded at her daughter-in-law’s words. It was exactly because of Zhang Guihua’s character that she had agreed to let her eldest son marry her.

If her eldest son or daughter-in-law had dared to speak against this or act selfishly, she would have had them move out immediately.

She and the old man were still capable of working. If they worked hard for a few more years, surely they could raise these two children.

These were her second son’s only remaining legacy—if anything happened to them, she wouldn’t have the face to meet him in the afterlife…

Si Yueyue was deeply moved by their words.

“Mom, Sister-in-law, I understand. I’ll make sure to take good care of my body. I want to watch An An and Lele grow up.

As for earning money, I’ll do what I can—I won’t push myself too hard. Don’t worry.”

“Of course Mom trusts you. We’re just afraid you’ll get too caught up in trying to make money and overwork yourself. Alright, we’ll head out now. Get some rest. Just call if you need anything.”

As Zhao Cuilan spoke, she gently laid the sleeping An An beside Si Yueyue. Then, after Zhang Guihua carefully placed Lele down, the two of them left the room.