Chapter 9 : Li Yue’e is angry

Li Yue’e was delighted to see her son helping her. Although picking peanuts wasn’t particularly tiring, she appreciated the gesture of filial piety and decided to take a break.  

Lu Changzheng, though not fond of farm work, worked swiftly, completing the task assigned to Li Yue’e in no time. Afterward, she went to the scorekeeper to record her daily work points, earning six points for the day.  

Once the points were noted, mother and son headed home together.  

Every day before work began, the Lujia Village Brigade assigned tasks to everyone. Finishing early meant you could leave early, but failure to complete the task no matter how late it was would be deemed passive resistance and result in deductions from your work points.  

Li Yue’e looked at her handsome son with pride. He had always been brilliant since childhood smart, the most handsome in the team, and exceptionally capable. His hard work and determination had earned him his current position at such a young age.  

But when she thought of the scars on his body, her pride was mixed with bitterness. Life had not been easy for a rural child striving to make a name for himself.  

“You should prepare to meet her in the next two days. She’s from the art troupe, and you’re in the army. It’s a perfect match,” Li Yue’e said.  

“Mom, let’s skip that meeting. I’m already dating Su Zhiqing.”  

“What?!” Li Yue’e was so shocked she almost jumped up. “Is it because of the gossiping women in the village? Don’t let them get to you. If anyone dares to say anything, I’ll put them in their place! The commune leaders have already come down to educate us about these bad habits, they won’t be tolerated anymore.”  

In recent years, many educated youth had been sent to the countryside. Their differing knowledge and habits often caused conflicts with the villagers, so the commune regularly conducted ideological education to address these issues.  

“No, it’s not that,” Lu Changzheng replied simply. “I just fell in love with Su Zhiqing.”  

For a moment, a flood of thoughts overwhelmed Li Yue’e, leaving her speechless. After a long pause, she stammered, “You… you… Why her?”  

“What’s wrong with her? I think she’s great,” he replied calmly.  

Li Yue’e: …  

True, Su Zhiqing was beautiful. But she looked delicate, like someone who had been pampered all her life. Most educated youth from the city were fair-skinned, but Su Zhiqing stood out, she looked like someone who had grown up in luxury.  

A girl like that being sent to the countryside probably meant something had gone wrong at home.  

The Lujia Village Brigade subscribed to newspapers, which her father-in-law and husband often read and discussed. Li Yue’e had overheard their conversations enough to grasp some of the complexities of city life.  

Setting aside the question of whether this relationship would harm her eldest son’s future, she had her doubts. A woman this beautiful might not bring good fortune. Didn’t books often say that beautiful women led short lives? To be blunt, Li Yue’e felt Su Zhiqing didn’t look like someone destined for longevity.  

What good could come from marrying her?  

“Changzheng, are you sure about this? You should reconsider,” Li Yue’e said, her voice tinged with frustration. Her eldest son had always been headstrong, and once he made a decision, it was nearly impossible to change his mind.  

“She doesn’t seem like someone who can handle the hardships of farm life. She’s not suited for our Lu family.”  

“If she can’t do it, then she won’t. I don’t plan to make her do farm work. I’ll support her with my allowance. All she needs to do is take care of our small family,” Lu Changzheng replied firmly.  

“What on earth?!” Li Yue’e raised her voice.  

She had raised her son with great effort, never sparing him from the rigors of farm work. Yet now, just because he had a girlfriend, he was willing to support her entirely? No wonder people said a man forgets his mother once he has a wife.  

This was utterly ungrateful.  

Li Yue’e was genuinely upset.  

“And what about the meeting you already agreed to before? What are you going to do about that?” she demanded, her tone sharp.  

“Just tell me directly. Say I already have a partner, and we don’t want to pursue this arrangement anymore.”  

“How can that be?” Li Yue’e frowned. “The introduction was made by the commune’s Women’s Federation director.” What if her son met the other woman and changed his mind?  

While this might seem trivial, she’d rather have her son be what others might call “insignificant” than have him make such a mess of things.  

“There’s nothing wrong with doing so. Dating is a mutual decision. It wouldn’t be right for me to meet someone else when I’m already with someone,” he said, clearly dismissing any authority the Women’s Federation director might wield.  

“This…” Li Yue’e tried to argue further, but Lu Changzheng cut her off.  

“Mom, the entire society is emphasizing proper work conduct. Are you suggesting I risk a mistake? If word gets out that I have a partner and still went to meet someone else, I’d never hear the end of it. I might as well give up wearing this military uniform.”  

“Son, I’m not asking you to make a mistake,” Li Yue’e said, startled by his bluntness. “You two just started dating, no one knows yet.”  

“I’m afraid everyone already knows.” His voice was steady. “When I drove Su Zhiqing back just now, we passed by the brigade headquarters. Those aunts drying grain saw us.”  

“You… you…” Li Yue’e felt her blood pressure spike.  

Her son must have done this on purpose! There was no need to pass by the brigade headquarters to reach the educated youth camp. And those gossipy women…  

Thinking of how Li Cuihua had been drying millet there today, Li Yue’e felt her head spin.  

Knowing Li Cuihua’s nature, always eager to spread gossip and tear others down, the whole team probably knew by now.  

This meant she couldn’t attend the wedding she was planning to go to. But refusing would offend the Women’s Federation director. Li Yue’e had been hoping to compete for the role of village women’s director when the current one retired. Now, that dream seemed dashed.  

“And what about your father’s health? Didn’t we agree you’d get married during this trip back?”  

“We’ll stick to the plan. We’ll date for a couple of days first, then propose, and we’ll register the marriage afterward.”  

“Are you in such a hurry? Will Su Zhiqing agree to that?”  

It wasn’t unusual for rural men to marry educated youth, but city folk were different. They didn’t rush into marriage. They’d usually date for six months or a year and go through the so-called revolutionary test first.  

Su Zhiqing seemed even more delicate than most. Would she really agree to such a hurried marriage?  

“She’s very understanding. Given our family’s situation, she’ll agree,” Lu Changzheng said confidently.  

It was all falling into place. A bit more effort, and it would work.