Chapter 83

“The place called Jianzizhai is really strange. Not only did the people there sneak into the shed and steal our money and belongings, but they also wouldn’t stop. Several times, someone even targeted Yue Ying. I reported it to the branch secretary, but he didn’t care at all.”

Professor Chen Wen, a grown man, burst into tears. He gripped He Ting’s hand and said, “Young man, you came at just the right time. It was you who rescued me and Yue Ying from our misery.”

“We’ll remember this kindness for the rest of our lives.”

What kind of treatment had they been subjected to for them to be this desperate?

Zhou Yanfeng sympathized with Professor Chen and his wife, reassuring them, “Brother Chen and Sister-in-law, don’t worry. The Xiangyang Brigade is a warm and caring place. They won’t treat you like that here.”

“My uncle and aunt are the brigade leaders, plus Ting and I are here to look out for one another.”

“If Ting and I have food, you won’t go hungry.”

Seeing He Ting and Zhou Yanfeng’s healthy appearances, it was clear that the place where they had been working as sent-down youths was not as harsh as Jianzizhai.

He Ting nodded in agreement, confirming Zhou Yanfeng’s words, which finally put Professor Chen and his wife at ease.

Zhou Yueying even praised Lu Baiwei, “Young He’s fiancée is a skilled doctor. After the few needles she gave me, my leg doesn’t hurt as much.”

“Don’t underestimate my sister-in-law as a barefoot doctor. She apprenticed under Brother Shen’s grandfather, who is the director of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department at the county hospital. Plus, her grandfather was an old Chinese medicine practitioner specializing in bone setting, so she’ll definitely be able to treat your leg.”

Zhou Yanfeng boasted about Lu Baiwei, even roping in Shen Junqian’s grandfather.

Shen Junqian, concerned about maintaining proper respect for seniority, interrupted him, “My grandpa only taught her how to check pulses; he didn’t formally take her as a disciple. Stop spreading nonsense, or I’ll end up having to call her ‘Master Aunt.’”

Shen Junqian’s correction made everyone laugh, and the atmosphere became lighthearted and cheerful.

This gave the Chen couple a renewed sense of hope, as if they had seen the light of day again. They began to look forward to their life in the Xiangyang Brigade.

In truth, Tang Jinghe and Secretary Liu were upright and fair individuals. They didn’t treat Professor Chen and Zhou Yueying with any disdain because of their “class background.”

To show their support, they refrained from housing them in a rebuilt pigsty. Because Zhou Yueying needed to recover from a broken leg, they arranged for Lu Baiwei and He Ting to vacate the inner room of the brigade clinic for the couple.

They also had their meals with Lu Baiwei and He Ting, often enjoying dishes with meat. Professor Chen and Zhou Yueying felt like they had landed in a paradise.

During Zhou Yueying’s recovery, she discovered that Lu Baiwei was studying high school-level material. She even volunteered to tutor her.

Meanwhile, under Professor Chen’s guidance, the brigade started repurposing the old pigsty into a rabbit farm with great enthusiasm.

“Our brigade once tried setting up a pig farm, but it failed miserably due to a swine fever outbreak. Yet the neighboring Hongqi Brigade’s pig farm is thriving.”

“And now, not long after, Secretary Liu and Captain Tang are at it again, planning a rabbit farm. Didn’t they learn their lesson from the pig farm?”

“Do you think this rabbit farm will even work?”

The plan was to convert the abandoned pigsty into a rabbit farm. Workers earned eight work points a day, but each household was only allowed to send one member to help.

As the men carried bricks and worked on the rabbit hutches, those avoiding the Tang family huddled together and chatted.

Hearing someone doubt the rabbit farm project, a team member close to the Tang family came over with a load of bricks and joined the conversation.

“This time is different. Secretary Liu and Captain Tang have done thorough preparations. You know the Chen Wen living at the clinic now? He’s a professor from Beijing Agricultural University. Our Secretary Liu and Captain Tang went to great lengths, using their connections and favors, to get him transferred here from Gaofeng Commune.”

“The Hongqi Brigade’s pig farm succeeded because they had a pig-raising expert.”

“This time, we’ve got a rabbit expert. This rabbit farm is bound to succeed.”

“This time, our brigade also has someone skilled at raising rabbits, so the rabbit farm will definitely succeed.”

Someone chimed in, “But where’s the money coming from? Our brigade is so poor.”

“Secretary Liu and Captain Tang took out a loan from the bank, and for the remaining shortfall, they used a shareholding investment model. Weiwei’s husband, after all, is a sent-down youth from a big city—he’s got vision and awareness. He generously invested 2,000 yuan together with Comrade Zhou to support the rabbit farm’s construction.”

“Weiwei’s husband even knows Professor Chen, whom our brigade invited. That’s why Secretary Liu and Captain Tang entrusted the rabbit farm project to him and Liu Zaicheng.”

The brigade members joined the conversation, “Weiwei married well. That He Ting is a decent guy. He’s from the city, but he doesn’t put on airs, and he works hard and honestly in the fields.”

“Yeah, He Ting’s great, and Weiwei brings him good fortune.”

“Look at how prosperous the young couple’s life is. First, Weiwei passed the barefoot doctor exam, and the clinic got three new red-brick rooms built. Now, the rabbit farm project has been assigned to He Ting. In the future, the two of them will both draw wages from the brigade.”

Yin Zhihe, who barely worked and usually slacked off in the fields, hardly earned any work points all year.

Now, he was miserably passing bricks for the rabbit hutches, his hands rubbed raw. The bricklayers were working faster than he could pass bricks, and he was constantly scolded.

Hearing everyone talk about He Ting and Lu Baiwei, he felt a pang of bitterness.

If Lu Baiwei hadn’t had an influential uncle as the brigade leader, would the rabbit farm project have been assigned to He Ting?

He couldn’t help but think, What if it was me who married Lu Baiwei instead of He Ting?

If that were the case, he and Lu Baiwei could both be earning brigade wages, and he wouldn’t have to slog through fieldwork. Right now, he wouldn’t be stuck hauling bricks miserably; instead, like He Ting, he’d just stroll around holding blueprints, pointing and directing people.

He regretted it deeply—how could he have let himself be swayed by Lu Jiaojiao back then and ended up fooling around with her in the haystack?

Yin Zhihe regretted marrying Lu Jiaojiao, and Shen Guixiang regretted having Lu Jiaojiao as her daughter-in-law even more.

After lying in the commune hospital for over ten days, Lu Jiaojiao returned home, still complaining about her headaches and staying holed up in bed, expecting her mother-in-law to serve her.

Their house had a pit dug into the floor, all because of that foolish girl, Lu Jiaojiao.

She’d told Lu Jianguo and Liu Chunhua that there was gold buried in their house, which attracted two thieves.

What nonsense!

If there were gold buried in her house, wouldn’t she know?

If they had gold, she would’ve dug it up long ago to enjoy a life of luxury. Why wait for outsiders to come and dig it up?

Still, she came out ahead.

She managed to get 100 yuan from Lu Jianguo and Liu Chunhua, not only recovering the 10 yuan she’d lost earlier but also making an additional 90 yuan.

Plus, her second daughter, Yin Yueping, covered the hospital fees at the commune hospital. Now Shen Guixiang had a decent amount of money on hand.

With the brigade converting the abandoned pigsty into a rabbit farm, her son Zhihe was working hard earning work points, and Shen Guixiang started craving meat. She dug out her hidden stash of meat coupons and decided to head to the supply and marketing cooperative to see if she could get some pork to nourish herself and her son.

Leaving Lu Jiaojiao groaning in bed, Shen Guixiang took her cash and coupons and went to buy meat.

Luck was on her side. The cooperative had just purchased a pig from the Hongqi Brigade and was slaughtering it on-site. A crowd was scrambling to buy meat.

“I’ll take a pound of pork, that piece, right there!”