Chapter 134

Regarding the matter of Lin Xixi and Lü Tianze getting married, Yan Lei was probably the angriest, and possibly the only one angry.

Captain Zhao and Sister Yang weren’t angry.

They hadn’t had the chance.

Captain Pan came in person as the temporary guardian of the groom. When he explained the purpose of his visit, Captain Zhao and Sister Yang were bewildered.

Xixi and Tianze?

No matter their age, personality, or anything else, these two people were unlikely to be together in their minds.

They were still in a state of bewilderment and shock when Captain Pan told them, “The old lady personally called me.”

The old lady already knew about this girl’s situation and agreed to it.

She promised that no matter what happens in the future, as long as this girl marries Lü Tianze, regardless of whether Tianze is exonerated in the future or if the girl can bear children for him, as long as she marries Lü Tianze, she will have a share in the family’s future wealth.

She will not be left without support.

In normal times, the old lady and Lü Tianze would never have considered a countryside girl like Lin Xixi.

But these were not normal times.

The old lady had seen too many people in Beijing who couldn’t bear it and committed suicide. She just hoped her son could live well. She had already lost one son and couldn’t bear to lose her last one.

As long as he can live well, nothing else matters.

In Captain Pan’s eyes, it was more or less the same.

And now, no one knew how long the current situation would last, maybe ten years? Twenty years? Maybe there would be no end in sight?

So, Lü Tianze needed a woman to take care of him.

This care included both daily life and physical needs.

At this moment, Lü Tianze was in a vulnerable state. Coincidentally, Lin Xixi came from a long line of impoverished farmers, with a good family background.

Lü Tianze needed someone to take care of him. Coincidentally, Lin Xixi was diligent and skilled at serving others.

Lü Tianze had the needs of a man, and coincidentally, Lin Xixi was young, beautiful, and in her prime.

Everything just fell into place.

In this mismatched era, two people who were originally incompatible had their needs fit together like gears.

Captain Zhao and Sister Yang’s feelings were extremely complicated.

They both knew that the money the old lady sent from Beijing every month was much higher than the salary of an ordinary worker.

They could even guess that with their limited knowledge, they probably couldn’t estimate the “family property” in Beijing at all.

But, but… they still felt that Tianze and Xixi… seemed…

Their hesitation was seen by Captain Pan. After pondering for a moment, he asked, “If not Tianze, what kind of person could you two find for Xixi in the future?”

Captain Zhao and Sister Yang exchanged glances.

What kind of person could they find?

No matter who they found, they couldn’t find someone like Lü Tianze.

That girl had high aspirations and only wanted to find someone from the city. Among the city people she could meet in her lifetime, probably no one could compare to Lü Tianze.

This was the ceiling.

Once it’s missed, it’s gone.

If they found someone for her in the future who wasn’t as good as Lü Tianze, would she resent them for the rest of her life?

Sister Yang hesitated and said, “We… we have to ask her herself…”

Captain Pan smiled faintly and said, “Already asked.”

“Tianze took her to meet me, and she agreed.”

When Qiao Wei found out this news, she surprisingly didn’t feel surprised.

Or rather, when she found out about Lü Tianze’s ex-wife’s remarriage, she already had a vague premonition.

This was because Qiao Wei’s social circle overlapped with Lin Xixi’s. Or rather, it shouldn’t be said to overlap, but rather that Qiao Wei’s social circle covered Lin Xixi’s social circle.

Among the people they could come into contact with, when Lü Tianze appeared in front of Qiao Wei, there was actually a flash in Qiao Wei’s mind — this person… was the only one among the people they could come into contact with, apart from Yan Lei, who met Lin Xixi’s requirements.

Sure enough.

So, Yan Lei became the only angry person in this matter.

“I should’ve beaten him up hard. I shouldn’t have been so easygoing,” he said angrily, “It’s also because I’m not really Xixi’s elder. Since Old Zhao agreed, I have nothing to say.”

Yan Lei was much younger than Captain Zhao, but he and Captain Zhao were like brothers.

A brother’s niece, rounded up, is roughly equivalent to his own niece.

Lü Tianze is also his brother.

Can Lü Tianze, as his uncle, not be angry when he sets his sights on his niece?

Qiao Wei advised him, “Both parties are willing, and both sets of parents are willing. You shouldn’t interfere.”

“I won’t interfere, I can’t interfere. He’s just not a good guy, I knew it long ago,” Yan Lei still grumbled angrily.

But no matter how angry he was, there was nothing he could do because Lin Xixi truly was willing.

Lü Tianze told him.

He asked Lü Tianze how he could be interested in Lin Xixi.

Those girls who used to write to Lü Tianze were all eloquent. They were not on the same level as Lin Xixi.

Lü Tianze smiled lazily.

“She’s a sensible girl, and I like that about her,” he said.

“What do you want from me?” he directly asked Lin Xixi.

Lin Xixi did have her own motives. Although she didn’t dare to act recklessly, she knew that she couldn’t hide her intentions from his sharp eyes. Lü Tianze had always known.

But she had always been honest, so he didn’t expose her.

Until now.

The basin in Lin Xixi’s hands fell to the ground. The dirty clothes were scattered.

She hurriedly squatted down to pick them up.

Lü Tianze was very patient, waiting for her.

After gathering all the dirty clothes into the basin, Lin Xixi made up her mind and raised her head.

“I want to live a good life.”

“I hope you will be exonerated in the future and take me to Beijing.”

“Even if you’re not exonerated, a camel’s back is better than a horse’s, following you won’t be a loss.”

“I, I’m very good at taking care of people. I can take care of you well.”

“I can also take care of your mother. When she gets older, I promise to take care of her comfortably and cleanly.”

“I can also give birth to children for you, I can give birth to many.”

“I just want to go to Beijing with you, live in a big house, ride in a small car, and be an official’s wife!”

“I don’t care about anything else!”

“She’s very clear-headed and knows what she wants,” Lü Tianze told Yan Lei. “Just for this, she’s already better than many others.”

Moreover, she was young, beautiful, and her uncle was a regimental-level cadre. Living with them, she could barely be considered half a cadre family member.

In the future, her uncle’s family could be considered her own family.

Everything was just right.

Too early or too late, too much or too little, too fast or too slow, probably wouldn’t work. Just now, just now, was just right.

“Oh, by the way, what does ‘The red flag at home doesn’t fall, and the colorful flags outside flutter in the breeze’ mean?” Yan Lei asked Qiao Wei for advice. “I don’t understand.”

Lü Tianze still wouldn’t explain it to him, he smirked and said, “You don’t understand, it’s better not to understand.”

What kind of thing is this.

Qiao Wei guessed, “Did Xixi say that?”

Lü Tianze said Lin Xixi said she didn’t care.

“Yes,” Yan Lei asked, “How did you know?”

How did Qiao Wei know? Because this sentence came later, and the current era didn’t have the context described in this sentence.

At this time, issues of lifestyle were a big problem.

Losing one’s official position was considered trivial, and there was also being subjected to XX. During XX, the woman would have to wear a pair of old shoes around her neck.

Of course, there were definitely still people who did it, but ultimately compared to the future, they were a very small minority, and they did it sneakily, not daring to be overt. Unlike the future, where “When a man has money, he becomes bad,” and “The red flag at home doesn’t fall, and the colorful flags outside flutter in the breeze.”

Yan Lei couldn’t generate any associations from this sentence at all, unlike Lü Tianze, who understood it immediately upon hearing it.

Qiao Wei smiled softly, “If you don’t understand, it’s better not to understand.”

Yan Lei: “…”

What’s going on with everyone!

And so, Lin Xixi married Lü Tianze.

She moved from her uncle’s house to a small courtyard in the northwest corner and quietly became Lü Tianze’s wife.

In another timeline, after marrying Yan Lei for a year, she hadn’t gotten pregnant. It wasn’t until she went back to Yan Zhuang with Yan Lei and fully stood by her side that she got pregnant shortly after returning.

In this timeline, she married Lü Tianze in October and found out she was pregnant in December.

When Qiao Wei went to see her with a gift, she was radiant with happiness.

The grandmother of the child sent many things from Beijing, including a large sum of money specifically for Lin Xixi.

Lin Xixi gently caressed her belly, knowing that what she was carrying was her ticket for the rest of her life.

Stable.

Another New Year’s Day passed.

Spring Festival, Women’s Day, Youth Day, Labor Day, Children’s Day, Party’s Birthday, Army Day… Time passed like sand slipping through one’s fingers, like unstoppable river water.

In September, a major event occurred, and there was a change in the overall situation, affecting many people.

For example, Captain Pan was promoted to Major General, and Yan Lei, outperforming other regiment-level cadres, was promoted to Division Commander.

For example, after years of efforts from his comrades and in-laws, Meng Zuoyi was finally exonerated.

Now the organizational structure was different from before; it used to be the county committee and county government, but now it was all revolutionary committees.

Meng Zuoyi was reinstated, and originally the higher-ups wanted to arrange for him to go to another county, but Meng Zuoyi refused. He entered the Revolutionary Committee of Bocheng County as a deputy director at his current level.

In December, Huang Zengyue, the then director of the Bocheng County Revolutionary Committee, was removed from his position.

It was revealed that he wasn’t a true proletarian descendant. His grandfather had been a capitalist who later went bankrupt and hid in the ranks of the working class.

Actually, Qiao Wei’s grandmother was similar, but not as serious as Huang Zengyue’s case.

Mainly because she was a woman. At that time, people’s status followed their husbands and fathers.

Of course, the key was that nobody knew.

Huang Zengyue’s case was much more serious because it followed both his father and grandfather.

Meng Zuoyi was lenient with him; he didn’t imprison him but gave him personal freedom.

However, he had to be dragged out of his home every day to participate in public humiliation sessions or struggle sessions.

Another New Year’s Day came.

That day, Huang Zengyue returned home, but someone came to knock on his door late at night and took him away.

His family numbly watched him leave with those people.

This kind of situation was common.

But that night, he didn’t return even late into the night.

His family was worried and went to ask for him with flashlights. The people on duty impatiently said, “We let him go long ago.”

His family had a bad feeling and searched everywhere, finally finding him hanging from a tree on a dark road near their home.

Once a prominent Director Huang, now hangs on a tree.

Meng Zuoyi endured for five years.

Huang Zengyue didn’t last half a month.

The crowd watched this scene with deep sighs.

Yan Lei accompanied Qiao Wei to that small road.

Since Yan Lei brought Qiao Wei back from the provincial capital six or seven years ago, it was the first time he saw her in such a state of disarray.

On the first day Qiao Wei heard of Huang Zengyue’s death, she seemed lost.

Yan Lei was very worried about her.

Qiao Wei stood under that tree for a long time, murmuring.

Yan Lei stood beside her and vaguely heard some of her words.

“I know you’re not such a weak person…” she said.

“I’m sorry…” she said.

He didn’t know why she was apologizing.

She asked him for a cigarette, lit it, and took a puff.

Yan Lei never knew she used to smoke.

She stuck the cigarette into the soil under the tree, and the smoke rose, curling up into the air.

It was like a tribute.

After Yan Lei’s promotion, all the benefits improved.

The two of them moved to a higher-grade two-story building in the large courtyard. Yan Lei had security guards around him, his own driver and his car.

But Qiao Wei couldn’t sleep these days.

On the night after paying respects to Huang Zengyue, Yan Lei woke up and found Qiao Wei wasn’t in bed.

He went downstairs to the living room and found her staring into the darkness.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Can’t sleep?”

But Qiao Wei looked at him strangely.

“Yan Lei, do you know what the butterfly effect is?” she asked.

Yan Lei shook his head.

“The flap of a butterfly’s wings can cause a hurricane on the other side of the ocean. It’s a metaphor for how small changes can lead to huge consequences.”

“Yan Lei, do you believe that if I didn’t exist in this world, Lin Xixi would have married you?”

“You would still live a good life, get promoted, and have more children.”

Yan Lei stared at her in the darkness.

In the darkness, Qiao Wei seemed to be able to speak freely.

“If I hadn’t meddled, maybe Director Meng wouldn’t have endured until now, and those people would have tormented him to death two years ago.”

“But then, Huang Zengyue wouldn’t have died.”

“Yan Lei, Huang Zengyue wasn’t that kind of person. He wouldn’t have hanged himself.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t exist,” she said. “This world shouldn’t have me.”

Yan Lei took a step forward and asked, “How could you not exist?”

Qiao Wei looked up at him and suddenly smiled.

Cryptic.

“Maybe, that year in the provincial capital,” she said, “I was already dead, whether you believe it or not.”