Chapter 35.1

Zhou Junfang looked at her mother, then at her sister and Luo Lan’s elder brother, her eyes filled with tears but remaining silent.

Luo Lan seemed to understand something and motioned for everyone to leave. The room was a shared hospital ward, but only Zhou Junfang occupied it now. Once her family left and closed the door, it was just the two of them.

“Tell me, what’s going on?” 

Zhou Junfang’s tears started to fall again, but at last, she spoke. “He came to find me.”

“Who?” 

“That man. He said I should go back to the city, and he’d help me with the paperwork. Otherwise, my brother would never get out.”

“He threatened you?” 

“Sister-in-law, what should I do?” 

“Then how did you faint?” 

“I was scared. Later, when Mom was calling for me outside, he covered my mouth. I panicked and held my breath, and then I fainted.”

“So, that’s how you feel about him—fear?”

Zhou Junfang nodded vigorously, shivering at the thought of that man. He threatened her not to tell her family, and she was so terrified that even fainting didn’t make her dare to tell her mother. Her mother was already sick. She couldn’t let her worry. But she knew her brother’s situation too. What if that man continued to target him?

“Don’t worry, I’ll handle everything.” Luo Lan assured her.

“But… can you really do it? That man is powerful. Who in the city would dare to provoke him?” Zhou Junfang asked, hesitant.

“Stop talking nonsense.” Luo Lan interrupted her. “Just focus on your studies. Don’t worry about anything else.”

“Okay.”

Zhou Junfang was too naive to question further. Since her sister-in-law said she didn’t need to worry, she genuinely felt relieved, taking a deep breath and wiping her tears. Her eyes were as red as a little rabbit’s.

When Mother Zhou came back in, her daughter seemed to be all better, no longer crying and saying she was hungry and wanted to eat. Mother Zhou didn’t ask what method her daughter-in-law had used. She was just glad her child was fine.

“Wait here, I’ll go make you something delicious.”

Seeing her daughter in a better mood, Mother Zhou decided not to rush out of the hospital. She thought it best to follow the doctor’s advice and observe for another day, planning to leave if everything was fine by tomorrow. She went home to cook for her daughter, letting Luo Lan go to work.

“I’ll take care of her, don’t worry about me.”

“Okay, I’ll head out first. Call me if you need anything.” Their workplace had a telephone, so communication was easy.

Xu Hongbing had already been pressing them hard, and the situation had become quite tense. It was either Xu Hongbing or their family that would suffer. They were standing on the edge of a cliff, and desperation was setting in.

In the morning, when Director Liu didn’t show up, Luo Lan chatted with Sister Liu before going to find Ma Tianliang. They met in a secluded spot during the day, facing away from each other to observe their surroundings, so that anyone passing by wouldn’t notice they were talking.

“Is there an inspection coming from above soon?” 

“Tomorrow. It was supposed to be next week, but it got moved up.”

“Good. Tomorrow, we act.”

Everything was ready. They just needed the right moment. After agreeing with Ma Tianliang, she handed him a printed report letter, and he quickly stuffed it into his clothes before darting away.

Back at the unit, Sister Liu noticed how busy Luo Lan had been lately and couldn’t help but ask, “Sister, is your husband still in the city?”

“Yeah. What about your husband? Is he at the farm or with the brigade?”

“At the farm, tending to the livestock.”

“What are you planning to do?” 

“If it were before, I’d probably want a divorce. But now my mother-in-law has changed completely. When I go home, there’s already food prepared, and she’s even taken out some of her savings. You know, she’s their grandmother at such an old age. If I insist on divorcing and leaving her, I just can’t do it. Sister, do you think I’m right or wrong?”

“Actually, there’s no right or wrong in family matters. It’s all about how you want to live. I think you should prioritize your own comfort, especially being at peace in your heart. Your life is yours. You should live it as you wish.”

“Yeah. There’s no fire that can’t be crossed. I’ll wait for him to come back.” Sister Liu smiled. “I’ve made it clear to the old lady that she won’t interfere in our marriage anymore. Once he’s back, all his wages will go to me, and I’ll call the shots at home.”

Luo Lan smiled but didn’t respond. This was precisely what she meant. She had her own ideas. Perhaps it was the unwillingness to accept her past grievances that made Sister Liu give up on a chance for revenge. But time is a great healer. If her mother-in-law truly understood that the situation was stronger than the person, she’d eventually listen to her daughter-in-law.

As she pondered the night’s plans, she began to relax a bit after finishing her work that afternoon. She checked her system points and realized she had accumulated quite a few.

System: Host, are you not planning to exchange for anything with so many points?

Luo Lan: Not for now. I’ll exchange when I need something.

System: People in this era are so frugal.

Luo Lan: Isn’t that how life is? Use what you need.

The system fell silent, internally complaining. Sure enough. I have a wide variety of skincare products, but you’ve only exchanged for one bottle of firming hydrating cream. You only have a few clothes, yet you completely ignore all the beautiful ones here. You’re just a stingy host.

Luo Lan didn’t care how the system viewed her. She had her own principles. She wore and ate in line with the era, not seeking those advanced items. Even the skincare products she exchanged for would end up in jars she bought from the supply and marketing cooperative.

Luo Lan: System, are you sure that the letter is written in proper Crocodile language^[1]The term “crocodile language” in the context of China during the 1960s doesn’t refer to a widely recognized concept or phrase. However, it might be a metaphorical or colloquial … Continue reading? This thing is crucial for taking that man down; if there’s a problem, I’ll lose everything. And if the other side gets suspicious, it’ll be even harder to act again.

System: Don’t you trust me? Of course, this is authentic Crocodile language. The content is ambiguous, but it’s enough to bring him down. It implies he has connections abroad.

Luo Lan sighed with relief. She didn’t need any professional content; she just needed proof of his connections abroad. In this day and age, even distant relatives who went abroad could be implicated. Given that he personally corresponded with foreign entities, he was bound to face severe consequences if he got caught.

Suppressing her excitement, she asked the system to translate the contents of the letters. It turned out he was indeed in contact and appeared to be trading something. The vague nature of it was enough.

After work, it was still light outside when she rode her bike home. Her mother-in-law had left food for her on the stove, something ready-made. Today, the woman in the south house was unusually quiet, so Luo Lan planned to be cautious during her operation later, making sure not to attract any attention.

“Mom, Mom!” 

Suddenly, a loud wailing erupted from the south house, followed by neighbors rushing over. Luo Lan lifted the curtain and stood at the door. Since the two families were at odds, she hadn’t gone over, but the daughter-in-law from the east house came out to explain.

“The old woman in the south house has died. Oh dear, she was nothing but skin and bones.”

Luo Lan felt no pity; she had no sympathy for the old lady who had opened the door for the poisoner, a bitter enemy of her family. No matter how tragic her death was, she felt no remorse.

With the death of the old lady, her son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter all returned to handle the funeral arrangements. Instead of discussing the funeral, they quickly began to argue over the house.

Luo Lan chose not to pay attention to their quarrel. With them preoccupied, she wouldn’t have to worry about the woman in the south house keeping watch. Taking advantage of the night, she stepped out, remaining alert and constantly checking behind her.

Once she was certain it was safe in the small woods, she began to mimic bird calls, waiting for her contact. This was a secret market for underground transactions, and tonight, the luck was on her side as there were fewer people around. She chirped away for a long time without anyone appearing.

After wandering around for half an hour to ensure her safety and to search for her contact, she began to worry. If no one came, her plan would have to be postponed. She didn’t know when the inspection team would come next; the longer she waited, the more dreams could unfold.

“Coo, coo,” 

“Chirp, chirp,” 

Just when she was about to give up hope, her contact finally showed up. Growing impatient, she spoke with a hint of irritation.

“What time is it? Do you think anyone would still come this late?” 

“They will. Sometimes I’ve waited until three in the morning.”

Hearing this calm, heavy response from her contact, her anxiety settled down. Everyone was struggling to make a living.

“Put this letter in Xu Hongbing’s room quietly before nine in the morning tomorrow.”

The man took the letter, the flashlight’s dim glow only illuminating Xu Hongbing’s name on the envelope. He understood all too well what this situation meant.

“Thirty yuan.”

“Now, that’s not fair,” Luo Lan said, mentally preparing herself for him to raise the price. But she couldn’t let him know she was willing to pay without hesitation. He needed to see she wasn’t pleased. If the price was too high, she might just abandon this route.

“If I get caught, Xu Hongbing will kill me. I’m risking my life here. I don’t think that’s too much to ask.”

“But you agreed to help me.”

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t help.”

Playing word games, were we? Luo Lan sneered. “Then you need to be the one to expose him.”

This meant he would have to stand publicly against Xu Hongbing. If Xu Hongbing didn’t go down, it would be him who faced the consequences. As one of Xu Hongbing’s lackeys, he knew too well what would happen to anyone who betrayed him.

He hesitated, not because he didn’t want to betray Xu Hongbing, but out of fear that the letter would actually be capable of bringing him down.

“If you’re too scared, I’ll find someone else.”