Chapter 26: Women’s Federation Internship Quota

Just a wall away, the same drama about the reports was unfolding.

As soon as Lin Meiru stepped into the house, she couldn’t wait to complain to her youngest daughter. “It has to be that Yang girl from the educated youth group! She’s the one who wrote the report. On her first day in the countryside, she argued with me and lost. Yesterday, we had another spat. There’s no one else it could be! I’ll go settle the score with her later.”

Jiang An’an’s tone was calm yet biting. “And then I’ll go bail you out? Or how about this—you and Dad just head over to clean the public toilets this afternoon instead?”

Lin Meiru choked on her words. “…” Her darling little daughter could be infuriatingly blunt at times.

Jiang Deguai felt deeply wronged but knew better than to get involved. His wife on one side, his younger daughter on the other—neither was someone he could afford to offend. Resigned, he shuffled into the kitchen to help their eldest daughter prepare the meal.

“Ah!”

Watching her mother’s aggrieved expression, Jiang An’an sighed, a trace of helplessness flickering in her gaze. She rubbed her temples. “Mom, you and Dad slack off every year. Why do you think it’s only this year that someone reported you? Have you thought about the reason?”

Lin Meiru’s indignant energy evaporated. For once, she seemed open to advice. “Why?”

“After my eldest sister got divorced, she ended up with a few hundred yuan. The entire village knows about it, right?”

“Well…” Lin Meiru faltered, guilt creeping into her expression. Divorce wasn’t exactly a good look, but her daughter receiving such a windfall was an unparalleled event in their area, something worth boasting about.

Jiang An’an continued, “The problem lies with that money. Doesn’t the Jiang family suddenly having wealth make us the target of envy?”

Lin Meiru’s brows shot up with pride. “It does.”

“…And wouldn’t someone want to get their hands on that money?”

“Who would dare?”

“Why wouldn’t they dare?” Jiang An’an raised an eyebrow, her tone sharp. “As the saying goes, ‘People die for wealth, birds for food.’ What if the person behind this report is provoking you, hoping you’ll lose your temper and start a fight? Then they could demand medical bills, lost wages, and compensation for nutritional supplements. Once the police get involved, if you don’t pay up, you’ll end up in jail.”

Lin Meiru’s eyes widened in horror, practically bulging out of their sockets.

So the sneaky culprit behind all this trouble had actually been plotting to extort them!

She had nearly fallen for the trap, about to leap straight into the fire pit…

Lin Meiru quickly straightened her posture, swearing solemnly, “An’an, don’t worry. From now on, your dad and I will work diligently, giving no one a chance to exploit us. I promise, I won’t even raise my hand during an argument!”

After all, money was Lin Meiru’s lifeblood!!

Jiang An’an kept her achievements to herself, clasped her hands behind her back, and strolled into the kitchen to see what was for lunch.

Since changing her parents’ nature was out of the question, the least she could do was help them lie low for a while.

In the future, she would need to find a way to improve her family’s reputation in the village. The recent divorce scandal was proof of how poorly the second branch had managed relationships. Most villagers had known about the divorce beforehand but kept silent, just waiting to watch the drama unfold. That level of apathy showed how universally disliked the family was, with enemies on every side.

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Jiang An’an rode her bicycle to the county town.

The journey was grueling under the scorching sun, leaving her legs sore and numb by the time she finally arrived at the post office.

The article she carried had undergone meticulous editing, focusing on the story of a marriage between an educated youth and a rural local. The educated husband decided to return to the city to aid national construction, while the rural wife insisted on staying behind to help her hometown. The couple, unable to reconcile their differing ideals, peacefully divorced and split their shared assets equally. Furthermore, although the husband couldn’t stay with his wife and child, he still fulfilled his duty by paying child support.

The article not only cited the 1950 Marriage Law regarding marital property division but also highlighted Article 13, which stipulated that parents have a duty to support and educate their children.

Through the lens of this couple’s divorce, the piece aimed to educate readers on relevant legal knowledge. It had a strong chance of being selected by the newspaper.

Jiang An’an wasn’t doing this for Zhou Kang’s reputation, though. Her motivation was simple—to ward off disaster. As long as Jiang Shulan clung to that 300 yuan windfall, it was like holding a ticking time bomb. This time, her parents had been reported. Next time, the trouble could escalate.

However, if an official newspaper framed the money as child support and educational funds, its legitimacy would be undeniable.

In the coming years, especially after higher education resumed, divorces between educated youths and locals would become a growing trend. This article might even inspire more abandoned spouses to use the law to defend their rightful interests.

“Four cents for local delivery, eight for non-local. Comrade, which one do you want?”

Jiang An’an handed over her thick stack of manuscripts. “Eight cents, to the capital’s newspaper office.”

“You’re submitting a piece?” The round-faced female clerk glanced at her in surprise.

Although newspapers often published calls for submissions, few people participated, and the chances of being selected were minuscule. Occasionally, educated youths sent articles to provincial papers, but this was the first time someone had submitted directly to the prestigious capital newspaper.

“Yes, it’s my first submission,” Jiang An’an said, smiling as she handed over two fruit candies.

The round-faced clerk’s attitude turned even friendlier. “For such a high-profile paper, you should expect a reply within half a month at the latest. Which commune are you from? If the letter comes, I’ll ask the postman to pass you the word.”

“Nanxi Brigade,” Jiang An’an replied. “My name is Jiang An’an.”

“Got it.” The clerk swiftly packed the manuscript and affixed the postage stamp.

The stamp affixed to the envelope depicted a scene from the First Asian Table Tennis Championships, a moment Jiang An’an vaguely remembered. During that championship, the Chinese team won both the women’s team and women’s singles titles.

This era was progressing steadily, with women taking on increasingly significant social responsibilities in all fields.

Jiang An’an was in luck this time—Director Gao was in her office.

As soon as she saw her, Gao Xiuhua greeted her warmly and handed over a thick stack of documents. “You’re just in time. I’m heading out to the countryside in a couple of days and planned to deliver these to you on my way.”

Jiang An’an glanced at the materials. They were a hefty collection of reports on divorce cases from all over the country, some dating back a decade.

It wasn’t hard to imagine the effort Director Gao had put into gathering these materials and the connections she must have leveraged.

The two of them barely knew each other, having met only once. Perhaps Gao Xiuhua sympathized with the Jiang family, or maybe it was a sense of professional responsibility that motivated her.

Either way, the gesture was deeply moving.

“Thank you so much, Director Gao,” Jiang An’an said earnestly. “These documents are incredibly valuable. I don’t even know how to properly thank you.”

“But I also have good news to share with you today. A few days ago, my elder sister finalized her divorce and successfully secured her rightful share of the marital property.”

Gao Xiuhua beamed. “You and your sister are both exemplary women of the new era.”

As a woman and a mother herself, Gao Xiuhua deeply understood how difficult it was for a woman to raise two children on her own.

All the lofty ideals were secondary—money and resources were the real lifelines for widows and their children.

“Sit down and tell me everything. How did you convince your brother-in-law to see reason? Perhaps I can draw from your experience when similar cases arise in the future.”