Chapter 142 : Teaching Wang Shulian to Resist

Han Zhenyu placed the items he brought on the kang and said softly  

“Comrade Jiang, Comrade Gu, these are a few old quilts and some sets of cotton-padded clothes and trousers. Since I dared not prepare new ones for you, my wife and I brought some of our own. I hope you don’t mind.”  

Without giving them a chance to respond, he opened another bundle. Inside, a quilt was used to wrap various food items  

A bag of fried cornmeal, red dates, brown sugar, a dozen fried cakes, six eggs, and half a can of meat sauce.  

“Director Chen has seen all of this. Please keep it and use it sparingly. Director Chen and I have become brothers, so whenever I bring him supplies in the future, I’ll also bring some for you.”  

Then he pulled out a few small bottles of pills from his pocket and added, “Comrade Jiang, I bought some cold medicine for you at the hospital. If you feel a headache or fever, take one of these pills.”  

The couple was moved to tears as they looked at the pile of items.  

“Zhenyu, I truly don’t know how to repay such kindness,” Jiang Shaoting said with a bitter smile.  

Han Zhenyu patted him on the shoulder and smiled. “Comrade Jiang, good deeds lead to good outcomes. If you hadn’t helped me find a job back then, we wouldn’t have crossed paths on this business trip. This is fate.”  

“Zhenyu, I won’t say thank you anymore. If we ever return in the future, my family will never forget your kindness.”  

“Comrade Jiang, let’s not dwell on that,” Han Zhenyu replied with a wave of his hand. “Director Chen is still waiting outside, so let’s keep this brief. I’ll update you on the children’s situation now.”  

At the mention of the children, Gu Fanghua grew anxious. “Zhenyu, how are Chenchen and An an? Are they well-behaved? Have they caused you any trouble?”  

Han Zhenyu smiled and shook his head. “They’re doing great, very obedient and well-behaved. When I returned yesterday, my wife told me that Chenchen has made several friends in the village and has become more cheerful compared to when he first came to our home.”  

Han Zhenyu then described the children’s situation in detail. Jiang Shaoting and Gu Fanghua listened attentively, afraid to miss a single word.  

By the end, Gu Fanghua couldn’t stop her tears. She covered her mouth to suppress her sobs, trying not to cry out loud.  

Han Zhenyu glanced at his watch and said, “Comrade Jiang, Comrade Gu, I’ll be leaving now. Rest assured, my wife and I will take good care of the children.”  

Jiang Shaoting tightly held Han Zhenyu’s hand. “Thank you, Zhenyu. Thank you so much.”  

Han Zhenyu smiled, gave his shoulder a pat, and stood up.  

Before leaving, he pulled out several dozen dollars and some smaller bills from his pocket, handing them to Jiang Shaoting for emergencies.  

Although Jiang Shaoting initially refused, he eventually accepted them, thinking of his elderly parents and their challenging circumstances.  

He accompanied Han Zhenyu to the door, watching him leave before returning inside.  

Seeing his wife still crying, he walked over, put an arm around her shoulders, and gently said, “Fanghua, don’t cry. Zhenyu is such a good person. The children are better off with him than struggling here with us.”  

Gu Fanghua sobbed a few more times in his arms. “Shaoting, do you think we’ll ever be able to get out of here?”  

“Yes.” Jiang Shaoting paused, then said with firm resolve, “We will. The higher-ups won’t let them do whatever they want forever.”  

Jiang Shaoting worked as a clerk in a significant government department in Beijing.  

He, along with his father and father-in-law, had sensed trouble brewing two years ago.  

For the past two years, the family had been cautious and kept a low profile, yet they still became targets.  

Gu Fanghua, a strong-willed woman, calmed herself after hearing her husband’s reassurances. She began organizing the items Han Zhenyu had brought, preparing to make the best of their situation.

There were four sets of old cotton-padded clothes, two for men and two for women, and four old quilts.  

Although they were used, they were very clean, and the quilts looked as if they had just been washed.  

“Shaoting, we can keep one of these quilts and give the rest to our parents, our eldest brother and his wife, and our third brother. Each family will also get a set of cotton-padded clothes. With the ones we brought along, winter shouldn’t be so difficult,” Gu Fanghua suggested.  

Jiang Shaoting nodded. “Alright, I’ll deliver them now.” He picked up the quilts and started heading out.  

His parents lived next door, and his eldest brother, sister-in-law, and third brother lived in a row of houses not far behind.  

Gu Fanghua quickly stopped him, “Wait, take some food for them too.”  

Their family had always been harmonious. Gu Fanghua wasn’t the type to keep everything for herself, she planned to share the food Han Zhenyu had brought them.  

Jiang Shaoting smiled, looked at the pile of food, and after thinking for a moment, said, “Let’s give some cornmeal and flatbread to the eldest brother and the third brother, and keep the red dates and brown sugar for you and Mom.”  

“There’s plenty. Give some to my sister-in-law too. She’s not as strong as I am,” Gu Fanghua added.  

Gu Fanghua got along well with her sisters-in-law. Although their relationship wasn’t as close as siblings, they had never quarreled over the years.  

Jiang Shaoting gazed at her with affection and said softly, “Alright, I’ll do as you say.”  

—  

Chenchen didn’t even take a nap. Carrying the small shoulder bag made by Su Xieqiu, he went out to the fields with Goudan and a few others to pick beans.  

Su Xieqiu was initially worried but felt reassured knowing that Han Lei’s family was harvesting beans in the same area. She allowed Chenchen to go along.  

She accompanied Chenchen to Han Lei’s house, then slowly walked back with An An.  

At the village entrance, she happened to see Han Dejiang’s wife leading her three children to work.  

Wang Shulian carried a large basket, with her youngest son perched on top.  

Seeing Su Xieqiu, she forced a smile and whispered, “Thank you for earlier, Su Xieqiu.”  

Su Xieqiu noticed that Wang Shulian’s left cheek was swollen, her eyes were darkened, and there were pinch marks on her neck. It was clear she had been beaten by that brute.  

Despite her injuries, she still had to work.  

Feeling a pang of sadness, Su Xieqiu wanted to help this unfortunate woman.  

Making sure no one else was around, she whispered, “It’s a crime for him to beat you like this. I know someone at the county women’s federation. If you want to file a complaint, I can help you.”  

Wang Shulian looked surprised but then fell silent. After a while, she smiled bitterly and shook her head.  

“Su Xieqiu, I know you’re a good person, but I have three children. Even if I win the case, my children’s reputations will be ruined. I can’t do that.”  

Su Xieqiu sighed, understanding that the mindset of this era was different.  

Reputation was everything, and Wang Shulian was right, having three children meant she had to think of their future.  

“Still, you can’t just let him beat you. Can’t you fight back? If you can’t beat him, then run outside and scream. If he’s not afraid of losing face, why should you be?”  

Anticipating that she might be too self-conscious, Su Xieqiu added, “You know my story. I used to be weak, and their whole family bullied me. But now that I’ve toughened up and act like a shrew, they don’t dare to anymore. So, you need to show some strength, or people will keep stepping all over you.”  

Wang Shulian stayed silent for a moment, then said with teary eyes, “Su Xieqiu, thank you for saying that, but my situation is different from yours.  

Your Han Zhenyu protects you in everything, but my husband is worse than a beast.  

I don’t dare to run or fight back because if I do, his fists will land on my children instead.”  

Hearing this, Su Xieqiu clenched her teeth and cursed, “That bastard is absolutely vile.”