Chapter 12

After breakfast, everyone started getting ready to head out to the fields.

But just before they left, Wu Guizhi gave Su Ruo a glance. Her face was still tight, and her voice stiff, but her tone was noticeably more gentle as she said, “Second daughter-in-law, are you feeling better? Are you going to the school today?”

It was as if the earlier fight had never happened.

As if Han Zecheng hadn’t said he was taking Su Ruo and their son away.

Of course, Wu Guizhi already knew Su Ruo wasn’t going to the school today. She only brought it up to start a conversation.

Su Ruo had been helping her sister-in-law Liu Xiumei clear the table. When she heard the question, she turned around and replied, “Mom, I already arranged for someone else to take over my classes this semester, so I won’t need to go back to school for the next few months.”

She had written a letter explaining everything to Han Zecheng, who had only told her last night after reading it.

Thankfully, she had included all the details in the letter.

Wu Guizhi didn’t expect her to have taken leave for the whole semester. Her expression turned from shock to anger.

“You hired a substitute for the entire semester? The school agreed to that? Aren’t you afraid they won’t let you back and you’ll lose your teaching job?”

The primary school teacher position at the commune was highly coveted — plenty of people had their eyes on it.

After all, being a primary school teacher didn’t require a high level of education. Many families of commune officials had children who’d had some schooling, and they all wanted to pull strings to get someone placed there.

Su Ruo understood that perfectly.

Which is why she thought Wu Guizhi’s reaction was illogical.

Why wouldn’t the school agree?

She had gotten that job because of Han Zecheng’s status. As long as she was willing to give up her salary and find a substitute, who got hired was entirely up to the principal. In fact, the principal was probably thrilled she wasn’t coming back.

Su Ruo smiled and was just about to respond, but Han Zecheng spoke up first.

He said, “A’Ruo doesn’t need to go back to school. Mom, I’ve been meaning to tell you—I’m taking A’Ruo and Guoguo with me to the army base. I’ll need the household registration book for a bit. I’m going to the brigade office today to transfer their registrations, and tomorrow we’ll all leave together.”

Everyone was stunned.

They had all heard about the argument between Han Zecheng and Wu Guizhi that morning.

But they thought it was just a heated quarrel, words said in anger. Transferring a household registration was a big deal, after all. Han Zecheng was leaving tomorrow—how could he just decide to bring Su Ruo and Guoguo with him on such short notice?

Who would’ve thought he’d actually go through with something this serious just like that?

Wu Guizhi’s face went pale in an instant.

A wave of panic and fury surged in her chest. The calm she had regained after being coaxed by Han Heping evaporated on the spot.

She shrieked, “What—what did you say? So you’ve grown wings now and think you can fly…”

“I went to the commune elementary school yesterday. Principal Qu said they’re currently looking for a janitor. If A’Ruo gives up her teaching post, they can arrange for Jialin to take it. And this janitor job sometimes involves helping with classes. If he passes the trial period, there’s a chance he could become a teacher.”

Before Wu Guizhi could spit out more harsh words, Han Zecheng interrupted her.

Her words came to an abrupt halt.

Everyone around showed different expressions.

Han Jialin had always been Wu Guizhi’s darling.

Back when she married Han Hehuai, he was drafted not long after their wedding.

Not long after she gave birth to Han Zecheng, word came that Han Hehuai had died in the war.

Those were hard times, before the liberation. Han Hehuai’s family only had an elderly mother, and Wu Guizhi was a woman with a baby—there was no way to survive on her own. She couldn’t lean on her natal family forever either; they were already struggling to feed their own.

So, she had no choice but to remarry.

But because of Han Zecheng, her options were limited. Han Hehuai’s mother wouldn’t allow her to remarry far away. In the end, she had to settle for someone from the same clan—Han Heping, who wasn’t good-looking and had a child of his own.

In the early years, Han Zecheng didn’t live with her. He stayed with Han Hehuai’s mother until she passed away. Only then did Wu Guizhi bring him back.

Her days with Han Heping weren’t easy, but it wasn’t until she gave birth to Han Jialin that her position in the family became more secure.

Because of Han Jialin, her marriage with Han Heping finally settled down.

That’s why Han Jialin was the apple of her eye—spoiled beyond reason.

She never imagined Han Hehuai would come back alive years later. Not only did he survive, he returned a decorated war hero and became a leader.

Wu Guizhi regretted everything, but it was too late.

She had already remarried Han Heping. Even though she hadn’t had more children with him, there was no way Han Hehuai would take her back.

At the time, Han Hehuai offered her a sum of money as compensation and wanted to take Han Zecheng with him.

Wu Guizhi had never liked Han Zecheng much. He hadn’t even spent many years with her, so she wasn’t deeply attached. But when Han Hehuai wanted to take him away, she threw a complete fit.

In the end, Han Hehuai felt guilty and compromised. He gave her the money and agreed to let Han Zecheng stay in the village to finish elementary school, on the condition that he would attend secondary school in the city afterwards.

Because of this history, Han Zecheng always knew his mother was desperate to keep a grip on him. And if she couldn’t control him, she’d try to control his wife.

He found it exhausting. But as long as she didn’t cross his bottom line, he would usually turn a blind eye.

Now, about Han Jialin—

Wu Guizhi might want to hold onto Han Zecheng, but deep down, she knew she couldn’t.

On top of that, Han Zecheng was aloof and never close with her, which only made her dote on her younger son even more.

Naturally, a child who’s pampered gets the chance to study.

She had pinned her hopes on her younger son—maybe with Han Zecheng’s or Han Hehuai’s influence, he could get into a workers-peasants-soldiers university or join the army.

But he turned out to be a disappointment. Though he reached middle school, his grades were terrible.

Han Zecheng had actually arranged for him to enlist in the army, but for some reason, Jialin later refused to go no matter what.

Of course, in Wu Guizhi’s eyes, that was just because Han Zecheng hadn’t tried hard enough.

Her resentment only deepened.

Now that Han Zecheng had made such an offer, she was filled with anger and bitterness, but couldn’t get a word out.

She was angry because her second son was using something he should have done in the first place to bargain.

But she was silenced because she knew what kind of temper her second son had. If she pushed him too hard, he really might wash his hands of her younger son altogether.

At that moment, her younger son Han Jialin, seeing that his mother wasn’t saying anything, grew anxious. He looked at her with pleading eyes and called out, “Ma!”

Becoming a school janitor!

It was light work, came with a salary—like a gift from the heavens!

He really didn’t want to spend another day bent over in the fields!

Wu Guizhi looked at her younger son, her lips twitching. Then she turned back to her second son and said, “Fine. Let your younger brother take over your wife’s job.”

“But Second, isn’t your wife planning to take the college entrance exam? She’s already signed up at the brigade—wouldn’t it be a shame not to go through with it? Let her give up the job to Jialin and stay home to study. If she follows you to the army base, she won’t be able to sit that college exam, right?”

Su Ruo sneered inwardly.

Now she’s acting all concerned?

Han Zecheng said mildly, “No need. She can take the exam from the base too.”

Wu Guizhi’s anger flared again.

So he was dead set on taking his wife away!

She stared at her son’s indifferent face, feeling her blood surge in fury.

But after all these years, she knew her son’s temperament very well—once he made up his mind, there was no turning back.

She gritted her teeth and said, “Fine, fine, fine. Since you’re determined to take her with you, then take her.”

“But you know the situation at home—your eldest uncle and I are getting too old to keep working, yet there are still so many mouths to feed, so many children who need to go to school. Before, your wife was teaching at the school and handed in ten yuan to the household every month. Now that she’s leaving, that money won’t come in anymore. So from now on, you’ll have to make up for it. Add another five to make it a round number—just send forty yuan home every month.”