Chapter 69.1

Kaoshan Village was not near Hongqi Farm at all. Even if they took the sled, it would still take forty to fifty minutes. Walking there would take more than an hour and a half, and they wouldn’t be able to make it in less time. Zheng Anguo and the others had previously run all the way from Kaoshan Village to Hongqi Farm.

Luckily, they were all physically fit men. Otherwise, with such a long distance, it would have been impossible for them to run that far without enough stamina.

When they arrived, they had run, and of course, they would have to rely on their own two feet to go back.

Fortunately, Zheng Liang was driving an ox cart, and with Aunt Guiying, Qin Qingman, and Chuchu, three of them had weaker physiques, and they surely didn’t have the same build as the men. So, the four of them sat in the cart and followed the main military unit as it advanced.

They had been in a hurry when they came, but there was no rush on the way back.

However, they didn’t walk slowly either. They walked briskly, not as fast as running, but faster than a normal pace. At this speed, they estimated that they could reach Kaoshan Village in about an hour.

“Secretary, Director, you two sit in the cart. There’s still space in the cart.”

Zheng Liang, who was driving the ox cart, called out to Zheng Anguo and Qian Xiangyang.

Zheng Anguo, who was in his fifties, was not too young. No one would say anything if he sat in the cart. As for Qian Xiangyang, although he was younger than Zheng Anguo, his physique wasn’t as good. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been assigned to the commune to look for the commune leader.

“Secretary, Director, the sled is empty, so it’s a waste. Hurry and sit down. We don’t want you two to hold up our progress.”

Someone in the crowd teased Zheng Anguo and Qian Xiangyang.

Immediately, others joined in the teasing. “Secretary, Director, get on the cart! If we start jogging, you two will definitely be left behind, and then you’ll lose face.”

“Ha-ha, yes, yes, Secretary, Director, hurry up and sit in the cart!”

Most of the crowd were young people in their twenties, and they joked more freely than middle-aged people. Although Zheng Anguo and Qian Xiangyang had high prestige, they were approachable and kind when speaking in the village. People would respect them when needed, but they could also joke at appropriate times.

“Secretary, Director, hurry up and sit in the cart. Everyone’s complaining that you two are holding us back.”

Zheng Liang couldn’t help but say again.

Qin Qingman looked at the relaxed expressions on everyone’s faces and smiled faintly without saying a word.

Seeing everyone teasing them like this, Zheng Anguo and Qian Xiangyang both understood that they were being cared for. They exchanged a glance, and Zheng Anguo said, “Old Qian, how about we just go along with these young ones?”

“Alright, let’s sit in the cart and watch them walk.”

Qian Xiangyang nodded in agreement.

It wasn’t that he wanted to take advantage, but his body really couldn’t compare to the young people. Walking briskly for such a long distance was truly exhausting.

When Zheng Anguo and Qian Xiangyang got into the cart, the others didn’t wait for them. After all, the sled was faster than walking, and as long as they didn’t fall too far behind, it would be fine.

Qin Qingman sat in the cart and observed a few uncles and fathers in the crowd.

Among these people, aside from Zheng Anguo and Qian Xiangyang, the relatives of this body were the oldest.

“Don’t understand?” Zheng Anguo’s voice softly sounded next to Qin Qingman.

Qin Qingman knew that Zheng Anguo had noticed her confusion, so he asked. After thinking for a moment, she quietly replied, “If it were Third Uncle, Fourth Uncle, or my father coming along, I could understand. What I don’t understand is why Qin Lei is here.”

This part really puzzled Qin Qingman.

She and Qin Lei’s family had a deep feud. Because of Zhu Hongxia’s matter, the two families had severed ties, and under such circumstances, if it were to follow Zheng Anguo’s orders, it should have been the brothers Qin Jianming. But why Qin Lei?

After all, Qin Lei was no longer young; he was in his forties.

Zheng Anguo understood what Qin Qingman was puzzled about and said, “Qin Lei, well, how should I put it? If you want to call him a great villain, that’s not quite right. But he likes to take advantage of small gains, and he lacks foresight. Taking small advantages can often lead to serious consequences. When things are unclear, he probably doesn’t care. Once he understands it, he will feel guilty.”

Qin Qingman immediately thought of the original owner.

The original owner’s family had become poor due to the borrowing of this and that from a few aunts and aunts-in-law. They even felt too embarrassed to ask for the firewood they had lent back.

The people who had borrowed never mentioned repaying it, and the borrowers didn’t think to return it voluntarily.

And that’s how the original owner’s story had spiraled into the dramatic mess that now involved Qin Qingman.

“Secretary, I have no intention of forgiving them.” Qin Qingman wasn’t a saint. She had no right to forgive her relatives on behalf of the original owner.

Although she had sent meat to Third Uncle, Fourth Uncle, and a few other aunts’ families before, her purpose had two parts: one, to sow discord between these families and Zhu Hongxia’s; two, to put on a show for others.

As long as she lived in Kaoshan Village, she couldn’t afford to be truly isolated.

Qin Qingman didn’t expect these so-called relatives to help her, but she would never let outsiders think she was alone and vulnerable to being taken advantage of. So, it was enough for her to keep a few relatives who could interact normally with her.

When Zheng Anguo and Qian Xiangyang heard Qin Qingman’s words, they both looked at her. Even Aunt Guiying’s gaze turned toward her, and although Zheng Liang didn’t turn around, his ears were definitely alert.

Everyone knew how badly Qin Qingman’s family had been torn apart by conflicts with a few uncles.

They also understood why Qin Qingman said such things. She was indirectly telling everyone that her family’s relationship with the uncles’ families couldn’t return to what it once was. It could only be a matter of maintaining appearances.

“I agree with Sis,” Chuchu said, sitting in Qin Qingman’s lap. When he saw everyone’s eyes focusing on them, he firmly expressed his stance.

He always stood by his sister’s side.

Moreover, the child still vividly remembered what his family had gone through when the aunts hadn’t returned their goods. Forget about whether they could even get enough to eat; just remembering how cold it was when there was no firewood in the house…

He still couldn’t help but shiver when he thought about it.

It was so cold.

A winter without firewood was unbearably cold—cold to the bone.

Hearing Qin Qingman and Chuchu express their views, Zheng Anguo laughed and said, “Little girl, you’ve misunderstood. None of us intend to make you forgive those you don’t want to forgive. That’s not what we mean. Even Qin Jianming and his brothers understand this.”

“Then why are they still helping me?” Qin Qingman was confused.

At this point, it was Qian Xiangyang who explained to Qin Qingman, “Qin Lei didn’t expect you to forgive him or his family. The reason he’s here today is because of the rules in the village—unity. So, once you return, you can interact however you want. Outsiders won’t say anything.”

Qin Qingman understood and relaxed a little.

She was relieved, as she had been worried someone might try to use morality to manipulate her.

“Secretary, Director, you’ve managed the village very well,” Qin Qingman said, genuinely admiring their wisdom.

By focusing on the big picture and letting go of the small matters, Kaoshan Village could develop more peacefully.

To be honest, human nature cannot be controlled by anyone. If there’s constant oppression, there will always be resistance. It’s better this way—unite when it’s time to unite, and when there’s dissatisfaction, let people voice it.

“Secretary, is there anything I need to do after we get back?” 

Qin Qingman asked humbly.

The villagers had helped with the labor today, and she wasn’t sure if she should thank them. But even if she wanted to express gratitude, it would only be through words, as she had nothing else to offer.

Zheng Anguo thought for a moment before answering, “Of course, you should thank them, but it’s not necessary to offer material gifts. Once we get to Shantun, you can say a few words of thanks to everyone.”

This was exactly what Qin Qingman had in mind, so she nodded in agreement.

When they left the farm, it wasn’t quite dark yet, but nightfall was only about half an hour away. By the time the main military unit passed Hongqi Town, it was already pitch dark—very dark.

Fortunately, everyone had prepared in advance.

Torches, flashlights, oil lamps, and various other lighting tools were all in use.

In the pitch-black night, the illuminated, winding convoy made its way toward Kaoshan Village, attracting some people who were out at night to use the bathroom.

Seeing the lively procession, these people were stunned, holding onto their belts in surprise.

It had been years since they had seen such a spectacular sight.

Some of the more well-informed people immediately understood what was happening. After watching the convoy leave, they returned home and whispered to their families.

Wu Weimin’s death in public had not been concealed. The residents of Hongqi Town, which was near Hongqi Farm, naturally knew about it. Even some of the more informed people knew that the entire Wu family had fallen from power.

“I say, the Wu family had it coming. They never did anything good, and now they’ve gotten their comeuppance.”

“Yeah, the Wu family deserved to be wiped out. Who do they think they are, offending the people of Kaoshan Village? Everyone around here knows that Kaoshan Village protects its own. Look at this—if you dare slander Kaoshan Village, Kaoshan Village will mobilize so many people to seek justice.”

“Kaoshan Village did the right thing. They do protect their own, but it’s because they have reason and evidence, not just mindless troublemaking.”

“I really envy the people of Kaoshan Village. If we had such support behind us, who would I be afraid of?”

“Hey, what, are you trying to deal with me?” The little wife shot a glare at her husband.

The man quickly smiled and apologized, “Wife, you’re overthinking. You’re so good; how could I dare to deal with you? What I mean is, outside—outside, if anyone dares to bully me, I can call out, and so many people will show up. How impressive is that?”

“Tch, with your guts, even if you had ten of them, you wouldn’t be able to do anything,” the wife scoffed at her husband.

The man’s face grew hot, quickly changing the subject. “Wife, we were talking about the Wu family, right? I heard the Wu family got into big trouble. The whole family is going to be sent to a labor camp for re-education.”

“Serves them right, not a single good person in the Wu family.”

“Yes, yes, you’re right…”

As Zheng Anguo and the others from Kaoshan Village passed through, people in each household began whispering. No matter what was being said, the common consensus was that the Wu family had it coming, and Wu Weimin’s death was just as deserved.

It took Zheng Anguo and his group about fifty minutes to walk from Hongqi Farm to Kaoshan Village.

Before they even entered the village, people from afar could see that the whole village was brightly lit. The snow had long rendered the power lines useless, so every household was using oil lamps or kerosene lamps.

Even the kerosene lamps that were usually saved were lit up.

Some even had torches burning in the open spaces outside their houses, with villagers taking turns to watch over them.

When the torches in the distance were spotted, the watchmen were alerted.

“They’re back! All of us from Kaoshan Village are back!” The excited voice of the first person who spotted Zheng Anguo and his group was heard, rising into the air.

In less than a minute, the gates of each household swung open, and people gathered at the village entrance, all excited.

At the entrance of the village, there was a large open space, where people liked to chat during the summer. This area also had a well.

The water from the well was cool in the summer and warm in the winter. It never ran dry, and even when heavy snow sealed the mountain roads in winter, many households relied on this well for water.

When Qin Qingman and the others arrived at the open space, they were met by countless villagers.

Kaoshan Village was a large settlement with a significant population.

Even though Zheng Anguo had taken a group of people away to fight, there were still more left behind, though the majority were the elderly, the weak, and women.

Fighting required elites.

“Master, are you alright?” Someone in the crowd rushed out, heading straight for her man, and began inspecting him from head to toe.

“I’m fine, really, I’m fine, I’m perfectly fine.” The man quickly reassured his wife.

“Goudan, Goudan, where are you?” A wife’s voice urgently called out as she searched for her child.

“Hahaha, Goudan—woo—howl—Goudan!”

Upon hearing someone’s nickname being called, the crowd immediately began to cheer and tease with joy.

“Stop it, stop it. If you keep this up, I’ll call you all by your little names.” Goudan, blushing, ran from the crowd toward his mother while also threatening the teasing crowd. They all came from the same village and had grown up together since the days of running around in nothing but underwear—who didn’t know each other’s childhood nickname?

Don’t think that Goudan’s nickname was the most rustic; there were even more rustic ones.

“Mom, I’m fine, don’t worry, there’s nothing wrong, the Wu family’s bunch of grandsons are really weak, as soon as we went, they backed down. With just a few moves, we had them all on the ground,” Goudan boasted to his mother.

The wife held Goudan and checked him over, laughing as she spoke, “It’s good that you’re fine, it’s good.”

“Ox Calf, where are you?”

“Second Egg, where are you?”

“Pigs Teeth, why aren’t you coming out yet? You know my eyesight’s bad, so get out here quickly.”

…Since Goudan’s nickname was called out by the elders, other familiar childhood names began to rise from the crowd. Even though the children were all grown up now, some of them even had their own children, the older generation was more accustomed to calling the names that had been etched in their minds for years.

At this point, Second Egg, Pigs Teeth, and Ox Calf, who had just been laughing at Goudan, had to blush and rush out from the crowd to greet their own elders.

Laughter erupted even more enthusiastically from the crowd.

No one had been injured, and with the people of Kaoshan Village achieving a great victory, everyone’s faces were beaming with happiness. The atmosphere was lively and festive, almost like the celebration of the New Year.

Some even began telling their families about their bravery during the fight.

Faced with such achievements, no one seemed to feel the cold outdoors that evening.

Zheng Anguo and a few others had also gotten off the sled, and looking at the lively scene, they wore satisfied smiles.

“Listen to me, everyone. It’s getting late, and it’s cold outside. We’ve walked a long way and worked up a sweat, so let’s not linger here chatting. Let’s all head back, take a hot bath, drink some ginger tea to warm up our stomachs, rest a bit, and we’ll talk inside,” Zheng Anguo shouted to the crowd.

His son had come to pick him up too, and on such a cold night, he was eager to get home to eat and warm up by the fire.

“Alright, we’ll do as the Secretary says,” the crowd responded, looking toward Zheng Anguo.

As everyone’s attention turned to them, Qin Qingman took the opportunity to put Chuchu down on the ground and stepped forward a few paces.

The noise at the scene immediately quieted down.

Everyone looked at Qin Qingman.

They knew that the reason Kaoshan Village had made the effort to go to Hongqi Farm this time was because of Qin Qingman.

With a pair of bright, serious eyes, Qin Qingman looked at the crowd. Although the lighting made it hard to see everyone’s faces clearly, she faced them with the most sincere attitude and spoke earnestly, “I’m sorry to trouble everyone today, and I really appreciate all your help. Thank you.”

She didn’t say anything overly elaborate, just a simple expression of gratitude.

The common people weren’t looking for elaborate or flowery thanks. From Qin Qingman’s words and attitude, they could sense her sincerity.

“It’s no trouble at all, no trouble at all, it’s the least we could do.”

Responses came from all directions, one after another.

Sometimes, friendship is simple—it doesn’t require repayment, but it does require gratitude.

“Thank you.” Qin Qingman bowed to everyone.

Chuchu also followed and bowed to the crowd.

“Qingman, don’t be so polite. We’re all from the same village. Don’t say such formal words. Go back now, it’s cold. Take good care of yourself and Chuchu.”

“Go on, Qingman, take Chuchu back quickly.”

After accepting Qin Qingman’s gratitude, the crowd gradually dispersed.

“Qingman, take Chuchu back now. Don’t worry about anything. Once it’s over, it’s over. If there’s any issue, your Uncle Qian and I will handle it,” Zheng Anguo said as the crowd dispersed, urging Qin Qingman to head home.

He even glanced at Aunt Guiying. There were some things that he, as a man, felt uncomfortable saying directly to Qin Qingman, so he had Aunt Guiying give a subtle reminder.

Aunt Guiying was quick to understand Zheng Anguo’s meaning. She walked over to Qin Qingman and quietly whispered, “Qingman, Chuchu is young, and he saw death with his own eyes today. Be vigilant tonight. If the child cries or gets restless, rub his limbs with strong liquor.”

Qin Qingman immediately turned her gaze to Chuchu.

At that moment, Chuchu was still happily saying goodbye to the last of the children. He even proudly showed off the injury on his face as if it were a badge of honor, a testament to his bravery.

“Auntie thank you for the reminder,” Qin Qingman said, grateful yet anxious. She hadn’t raised a child herself and didn’t know much, but Aunt Guiying’s advice left her both worried and thankful.

“Qingman, go on now, take Chuchu and head home. We’re all heading back too.”

With everyone’s families coming to pick them up, the villagers exchanged farewells and led their loved ones home.