Chapter 9

Director Qiu was Mei Ling’s real aunt, her mother’s elder sister, and Mei Ling’s mother had always maintained a fairly good relationship with Director Qiu.

She could not figure out what Mei Ling really wanted, so she asked: “What exactly is going on? Tell me.”

Mei Ling stammered: “I… a while back I went to see a good friend of mine, and I happened to run into her with an educated youth… the two of them hadn’t even properly put on their clothes when they came out of the cornfield. I thought to myself, she already has a husband and a child, this isn’t good at all. I tried to persuade her, but she wouldn’t listen and even fell out with me. What do you think I should do?”

Director Qiu’s expression turned cold. “Why don’t you just say directly that you saw Gu Yinyin and Educated Youth Lin sneaking into the cornfield?”

Mei Ling looked slightly embarrassed. “I was actually just worried about Yinyin, wanting to persuade her to turn back, but now she won’t listen to anything.”

That night, Director Qiu had not been present. Later she heard people say that a crowd had grabbed Gu Yinyin and beaten her, but Gu Yinyin refused to admit she had anything to do with Educated Youth Lin and even quarreled with Mei Ling on the spot.

Thinking about Captain Da’s concern that Educated Youth Lin’s reputation might be sullied, her face turned colder. “Lingzi, no matter what, this has nothing to do with you. Don’t interfere any further. Educated Youth Lin came to our production team to help, not to cause trouble. As for you, just do your own part well and don’t get involved in other matters.”

If it were found out later who had slandered Educated Youth Lin’s reputation, Captain Da would surely come after that person.

Mei Ling nodded with a smile. “Auntie, I was only worried about Yinyin, hoping she would find her way back, but now it seems she doesn’t appreciate it. Ah, I won’t bother anymore. To tell the truth, I didn’t just run into them in the cornfield. She even slipped into a straw stack with Educated Youth Lin, right behind the Shen family’s house…”

The more she spoke, the more exaggerated it became. Director Qiu actually did not like Mei Ling very much, always feeling that the girl was a little insincere, but she could not expose her. She could only say: “Alright, go on home. I still need to feed the pigs.”

Mei Ling nodded and left. When she stepped outside, she caught sight of a shadow flashing past by the wall and smiled with satisfaction.

There were always plenty of people eavesdropping near the wall by the Women’s Federation Director Qiu’s house. Even if Director Qiu herself did not believe it, it was enough if others did.

Wasn’t Gu Yinyin supposed to be so capable? Let’s see if she could manage to shut every gossiping mouth!

Once rumors began to spread, they traveled quickly. By that very afternoon, most of the more gossipy women in the village already knew that Educated Youth Lin and Gu Yinyin had sneaked into the cornfield and the straw stacks.

Mei Qing came back from the fields, dripping with sweat, and when she heard the news, her face darkened.

She knew very well that Gu Yinyin and Educated Youth Lin definitely had not gone any further in their relationship, but just thinking about the appreciative look Educated Youth Lin had given Gu Yinyin made her feel extremely uncomfortable.

Among the village women—whether unmarried or married, plain or pretty—was there a single one who did not like Educated Youth Lin?

Educated Youth Lin was from the city. He spent money generously and carried himself with kindness. If one could marry him, then in the future, following him back to the city, life would surely flourish and rise.

Gu Yinyin was so beautiful that it was impossible to guarantee no one would harbor crooked thoughts about her. The more Mei Qing thought about it, the more uneasy she became. She had to strangle Gu Yinyin’s intentions in the cradle.

With this in mind, Mei Qing went to find Educated Youth Lin. “There are all kinds of rumors in the village now. They’re saying you and Gu Yinyin… but I believe you. You’re definitely not that kind of person. Gu Yinyin already has a husband and children. This must all be a misunderstanding.”

Educated Youth Lin’s expression stiffened. In fact, he felt somewhat guilty.

Gu Yinyin truly had never shown him any affection, but he did admire her a little. Could these rumors have started because of him?

But no matter what, nothing had happened between them!

Educated Youth Lin frowned. “How could this be? Gu Yinyin is a female comrade. Such rumors must hurt her deeply. No, I need to think of a way.”

Mei Qing felt a sour ache in her heart. What he worried about was Gu Yinyin’s reputation!

Anxiously, she tugged at the sleeve of his jacket and said: “Educated Youth Lin, you’re from the city. Sometimes you don’t know how sinister the countryside can be. This matter—perhaps someone is using you deliberately…”

Educated Youth Lin smiled. “That’s impossible. I think country folk are all very simple and honest.”

Otherwise, why would a woman as beautiful as Gu Yinyin be willing to stay in the countryside raising children?

The light in Mei Qing’s eyes dimmed, and her heart gradually grew cold.

Gu Yinyin’s very existence was a stumbling block in her way to entering the city.

Hah, men… all lowly creatures blinded by beauty.

But most despicable of all were those women who already had husbands and children yet still refused to stay content!

Gu Yinyin, however, had no idea what was happening outside. The Shen family had quieted down for the moment and dared not say anything in front of her. She was busy making clothes for Da Wa and Xiao Wa, and with the leftover scraps of cloth, she sewed a simple schoolbag for Da Wa. She even gave Da Wa a haircut.

Da Wa’s hair had not been cut in a long time. The long strands made him look messy and unkempt. Once it was cut clean, his whole face was revealed.

Though only a ten-year-old boy, his features already carried a trace of sharpness. His eyes were deep, his nose straight, and his thin lips pressed tightly together, giving nothing away.

Under the sunlight, Da Wa sat upright on a broken stool in the courtyard. His short hair made him look especially spirited—handsome, full of vigor, and extraordinary. Gu Yinyin exclaimed again and again: “So handsome!”

Da Wa pursed his lips, lowered his head, and said nothing.

After finishing with Da Wa, Gu Yinyin went to wash Xiao Wa’s hair, while Da Wa, on his own, picked up his new books and began to read. Tomorrow he would be going to school.

The little girl’s hair was smooth and black, as silky as satin. Gu Yinyin envied it very much, thinking to herself that this was truly the hair of a movie star!

After washing it, she dried it with a towel. Under the sun, the hair soon dried completely.

Since she had some free time, Gu Yinyin braided Xiao Wa’s hair into a neat little plait and tied on a newly bought pink hair ribbon. Smiling, she praised: “Our little Shen Yuqing is such a pretty girl!”

Xiao Wa blushed with shyness and said in a sweet, coquettish voice: “Mama, you really are the best mother in the whole world. The most beautiful mother!”

The mother and daughter flattered each other in the courtyard, and Da Wa, who was sitting on the doorstep reading, lifted his head to glance at them. He could not help but curl his lips into a faint smile.

Checking the time, Gu Yinyin thought of the Shen family members who would soon return from work. She did not want to cook for them, nor did she want to eat what they cooked. Since she now had her own fine flour and eggs, she quickly went to the kitchen and made a small pot of hand-rolled noodles. The three of them ate heartily until every last bite was gone.

In the second branch, the three children, along with the third branch’s Tieshuan, were all attending school. But Tieshuan’s younger sister, Baoni, was only five and had not yet started school. At that moment, she stared at the pink hair ribbon on Xiao Wa’s head, then looked at the noodles on the table, swallowing greedily.

Usually, it had always been she and Tieshuan who ate well, while Da Wa and Xiao Wa only watched from the side. How had the situation turned upside down now?

When her mother, Ma Hongmei, came back from work, exhausted to the bone, Baoni clung to her leg and cried: “Mama! I also want to eat fine noodles! I also want to wear pretty hair ribbons! Why does Xiao Wa have them, and I don’t?”

Already irritated from her hard labor, Ma Hongmei’s anger boiled over when she heard this.

“Eat, eat, eat! Useless girl! All you know is how to eat!”

Baoni burst into loud sobs just as Tieshuan came home from school. Seeing his sister crying, he asked a few questions. In a foul mood, he said: “Baoni, don’t worry. Tomorrow Da Wa is going to school. He’s ten years old and only just entering third grade. I’ll make him suffer!”

Once he rallied his buddies from elementary school, they would make sure to bully Da Wa ruthlessly—so much so that he would not dare set foot in school again!

Baoni blinked through her tears, rubbing her eyes. “Brother, you’re eleven, and you’re also in third grade. Why is it that Da Wa is ten, and also in third grade?”

Tieshuan’s face froze. He had failed repeatedly in school, which was why at eleven he was still in third grade.

He looked awkward and, feeling a little embarrassed, explained to Baoni: “I’m in third grade and he’s in third grade, yes, but I’m eleven and he’s only ten. Eleven is bigger than ten. You tell me, who’s stronger?”

Baoni hesitated for a moment, then said: “You’re stronger!”