Chapter 24.2

People in this era were very reserved, and such open compliments made Luo Lan feel a bit uncomfortable. However, she didn’t say anything in front of her leader and followed Sister Liu after signing in at the office to go to the countryside.

“Comrade Luo Lan, since it’s your first day, why don’t you let others go? The place we’re going back to is quite remote, and the roads are bad.” Director Liu showed his concern.

“It’s fine, Director. I’m from the countryside. I’ve walked on all kinds of rough roads. It’s not a problem.”

The other two women clearly didn’t want to go, and Sister Liu directly took Luo Lan out the door. “I’ll ride with you. When the road gets too rough, we can walk while pushing the bike.”

Luo Lan replied, “I have a bike too.”

At this point, Sister Liu saw her bike and was surprised that this newly arrived young woman had a brand new bike. “Okay, then we can each ride one. That’ll be faster.”

The two of them rode their bikes to the countryside, with Sister Liu securing her bag on the back seat. The road from the city was quite good, and Sister Liu rode alongside her, discussing the situation they were heading into.

“The document from above states that we need to promote women’s independence, that women can hold up half the sky. When we get there, we’ll look for the local women’s director, and she will cooperate with our work. Also, there’s a woman named Xu from their brigade who previously sought help from the Women’s Federation. This time, we need to do a follow-up to see what the outcome was.”

“What did she seek help for?”

“Domestic violence. She was beaten by her husband and had injuries all over her body. We had the local women’s director mediate before, but we don’t know the result, so this time it’s a follow-up.”

“Oh.”

Luo Lan replied softly. The document issued earlier this year indicated that the work had not been implemented thoroughly. Or rather, the promotion needed to be repeated many times for people to form a solid impression.

The two of them rode along the main road, and after about ten miles, Sister Liu stopped, looking left and right as if trying to determine the route. They were not far from Luo Lan’s brigade, and she was quite familiar with the area, so she asked which brigade they were going to. She assumed that since the director said it was remote, they would need to continue for another twenty miles, which would lead them deep into the mountains—the most remote place in the entire district.

“Sister Liu, which brigade are we going to?”

“Yao Ling Brigade.”

“That’s my brigade!” She pointed ahead. “Just a little further, then take the right fork, and we’ll be there in less than three miles.”

“Ah? You’re from the Yao Ling Brigade?”

“Yeah. The director said we were going to a very remote place. My brigade shouldn’t be considered remote, right?”

Hearing this, Sister Liu scoffed slightly, riding her bike closer and whispering, “You’ll understand in time.”

What mystery could there be? Luo Lan felt puzzled but thought that since she had just arrived and wasn’t familiar with anyone, she would hear the gossip once she got to know them better. Today, those two women and the director had a vibe that was hard to describe, and the director himself was quite peculiar.

“Sister Liu, how did a man become the director of our Women’s Federation?”

“There’s no rule that a woman must hold the position. He was parachuted last year.”

Sister Liu shared what she could, and the two of them quickly arrived at the fork in the road. She looked at Luo Lan for confirmation, and when Luo Lan nodded and pointed the way, they continued on.

“Our brigade has a large population and many issues. But why have I never seen anyone from the Women’s Federation visit before?”

“The Women’s Federation is small and has to manage several dozen communes across the entire county. With so many brigades, it’s inevitable that some places get overlooked. But your brigade has had visitors before. You probably just don’t remember.”

“Oh, I see. So where are we going first? To the brigade’s party committee or to the home of the woman you mentioned?”

“I don’t know where that woman lives.”

“Do you know her husband’s surname? I might not know the names of people who moved here from elsewhere, but if I know the husband’s surname, I can probably figure out which family it is.”

“Her husband surname is Huang, and she’s the fourth in line.”

“Oh, I know! Follow me.”

So, it turned out that the wife of the fourth old Huang had sought help from the Women’s Federation. This young woman was brave and smart. Unfortunately, during this period, as long as there was no death involved in domestic violence, it was considered a family matter, and the Women’s Federation could only advise and mediate, without addressing the root problem.

As they traveled, they saw many members busy harvesting crops. Upon entering the village, they encountered an acquaintance carrying a load of corn. Seeing Luo Lan, the person greeted her warmly.

“Why are you back?”

“I have some business. By the way, while I’ve been away, have you heard any shouting from the Huang family?”

“Not that I know of. They’re busy with the harvest. I’ve been swamped and haven’t been paying attention.”

“Alright, you focus on your work.”

The Huang family wasn’t far from her ex-husband’s family, all on the same road. As she passed by, she noticed several elderly people who couldn’t work sitting outside in the sun, among them was her former mother-in-law.

Old Lady Wang sat on a large stone, with a stick beside her, probably used to support herself like a cane. Upon seeing the youthful and vibrant Luo Lan riding her bike closer, her hand began to tremble uncontrollably.

Luo Lan didn’t look at her and walked straight into the Huang family’s courtyard. As soon as she entered, she called out, “Fourth son of the Huang family, are you home?”

The yard was quiet, and no one responded. She shook her head at Sister Liu, and the two of them exited the courtyard. As they came out, they pushed their bikes side by side, when an elderly woman curiously asked Luo Lan.

“Luo family girl, who are you with? What brings you to look for the fourth son of the Huang family?”

“Auntie, here’s the thing. I’m now working at the Women’s Federation. This is my colleague from the Federation. We’re here for a follow-up visit to see if Old Huang has misbehaved again.”

“Oh, look at you, you have a job now.” Several old ladies focused on this point, their murky old eyes filled with envy. “You’re really capable! You’re practically a city person now, so impressive! So pretty and riding a foreign bike; you really have skills.”

“Hey, hey, be careful.”

Suddenly, a voice shouted, and it was Old Lady Wang, trembling as she stood up. Her face was full of shock and disbelief as she pointed at Luo Lan but couldn’t say a word. The cane in her hand clattered, and she didn’t know what she was trying to do. She stood there, trembling all over. When she finally spoke, her words came out jumbled and unclear.

“Luo, Luo Lan…”

She was anxious and couldn’t articulate her thoughts. One of the old ladies, who was watching her grandchild, came over to support her. “Alright, just sit down. You’ve had a stroke and can’t move properly anymore, what are you being stubborn about? Really, your three sons are already trying to avoid taking care of you two old folks. What else are you looking for? You scared me when you suddenly stood up. If you fall again, you might not make it.”

The old woman was scolding her like a sister. She had been unkind when she was younger and had a terrible relationship with her relatives. Her sister was probably taking care of her due to her nephews’ requests. Although they were caring for her, the tone, the expression, and the way they looked at her made Old Lady Wang feel humiliated and angry.

Knowing that Luo Lan was not far away, she let out fragmented sounds, feeling wetness in her lower regions. Realizing what she had done, she bent her waist even more, fearing that her sister would find out. If she did, her sister would probably refuse to take care of her, and then she would be locked up by her sons in a dark room with only a small window.

Luo Lan turned back to glance, and Sister Liu quietly asked, “What’s going on?”

“Evil deeds will have their own retribution.”

“What do you mean? Tell me more.”

Since there was nothing else to do, Luo Lan briefly explained the situation to her. “Her husband has been involved with a widow from the brigade for over ten years, and when they were caught red-handed, he got so worked up that he became paralyzed. She? She’s just mad at herself.”

“So who’s taking care of them now?”

“Probably taking turns. In rural areas, when the elderly lose their ability to care for themselves, that’s usually how it goes.”

The first and second daughters-in-law seemed obedient, but they had been bullied by her since they entered the door. Now that she could no longer take care of herself, she had fallen into their hands. Neither of them was kind, so she would have to endure a hard life.

The daughter-in-law of the fourth son was the softest and the youngest, and she had suffered the most from Old Lady Wang’s bullying. She had almost considered jumping into the river due to the pressure. Although this young daughter-in-law appeared gentle, she had also learned the tricks from her sisters-in-law and was not the type to repay kindness with kindness.

The two of them continued talking as they arrived at the brigade’s party committee. After waiting about half an hour, the women’s director, who had received the notice, came straight here instead of going home. She and Luo Lan already knew each other, so their conversation was more casual.

“The fourth son of the Huang family…” The women’s director sighed. “I haven’t seen the couple arguing again; it seems like everything is fine.”

Sister Liu looked back at Luo Lan. “Shall we go check on them around noon?”

“Sure.”

After conveying the directives from above, the two of them went to the Huang family house around noon. As they entered, it seemed that the couple was arguing. Old Huang’s hand, which had become accustomed to hitting, showed signs of itching again. Upon seeing Luo Lan enter, he not only withdrew his hand but instinctively backed away.

“Comrade Huang, let’s talk calmly. It’s not okay to hit each other in a marriage.” Sister Liu spoke with authority, and Old Huang looked at Luo Lan behind her, nodding instinctively.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I wasn’t going to hit; I really didn’t hit!”

System: How can this dog of a man change his ways completely?

Luo Lan: He should have understood that I’ve joined the Women’s Federation by now.

System: Is that so? I feel like it’s quite unlikely.

Luo Lan: I bet you five hundred points that it will be successful.

System: Your appetite is getting bigger and bigger.

Luo Lan: It seems like there’s no bottom line.

System: Let’s gamble then.