Jiang Lin truly admired Yan Runzhi’s ability to instantly let go of past grievances despite enduring so much injustice.

She knew that some people, after suffering even a little grievance or hardship, would bring it up for a lifetime as an unresolved issue and sometimes even use it as a crutch.

But Yan Runzhi not only refrained from discussing it with outsiders but rarely mentioned it even to her own children and grandchildren.

Jiang Lin even felt that Yan Runzhi might not deliberately dwell on it herself.

Yunye Lake Farm was expansive, featuring low hills and large freshwater lakes, with wetlands along the lake shore blooming with reeds and white flowers resembling a sea.

Lotus leaves crowded the lake’s surface in a vibrant green, while lotus flowers continued to bloom.

Small boats worked on the lake, and geese and ducks swam in groups.

Da Bao and Xiao Bao sat on Cheng Rushan’s shoulders, marveling at the scenery.

They exclaimed, “Such a huge bay!”

Jiang Lin laughed, “This is Yunye Lake, a lake much larger than the rivers and ponds near our home.”

After walking for a while, Jiang Lin felt mesmerized by the beautiful scenery, reminiscent of a southern landscape.

The location of the labor reform farm was incredibly beautiful, almost resembling a sanatorium.

As they passed by the farm’s carriage, Cheng Rushan greeted them and arranged for them to ride along, taking the opportunity to chat with the driver.

When they approached the farm, Jiang Lin revised her initial impression of the labor reform farm being like a sanatorium.

Yunye Lake was indeed beautiful, and the labor reform farm was built by its shores.

However, this didn’t mean the labor reform farm was a sanatorium.

A tall brick and stone compound surrounded by high walls topped with spikes and barbed wire clearly demarcated the ordinary people outside from those laboring inside for various reasons.

Freedom and confinement distinctly influenced people’s perceptions of this breathtaking scenery.

The main gate of the labor reform farm was tightly shut.

Cheng Rushan led them to a small side gate nearby, where a guard post stood.

Some people who came to visit relatives were denied entry for various reasons, no matter how much they pleaded.

Complete documentation was required, or else they wouldn’t be allowed in.

Cheng Rushan presented a series of documents, including letters of introduction.

The guard carefully inspected Cheng Rushan’s documents and introduction letter, glanced at him, Jiang Lin, and the children, asked a few questions, and finally said, “Go to the main office courtyard first to get your documents stamped and processed.”

He pointed in the direction of the office courtyard.

Cheng Rushan expressed his thanks and led Jiang Lin and a few others inside.

They entered the main courtyard, but Secretary Guan was not around.

However, getting a seal did not necessarily require Secretary Guan; Deputy Secretary Jing would suffice.

Cheng Rushan asked them to wait under the porch while he went to find Deputy Secretary Jing Guangming.

Cheng Rushan was quite familiar with Yunye Lake Labor Reform Farm, having been born there and lived until he was eleven before returning to the village.

However, he hadn’t visited in years and was unfamiliar with the current management system and personnel changes.

For instance, he didn’t know much about Jing Guangming.

Before coming, he had inquired and learned that the former Secretary Guan, who had always been considerate of the Cheng family, was now semi-retired due to an old injury relapse.

Managing affairs now was Deputy Secretary Jing Guangming, the prospective successor.

Word had it that Jing Guangming was quite difficult to deal with.

He was known to be meticulous and required benefits even when everything was in order.

In other words, even if your procedures were complete, he would still demand something extra, without which nothing would proceed.

As Cheng Rushan approached the door, he overheard someone inside pleading with Jing Guangming, “Secretary Jing, my father’s old ailment has flared up. The environment here is so damp that he can’t sleep at all, and his bones ache terribly. Please, be kind and give him a two-month leave so I can take him home for treatment.”

“Oh, the environment here isn’t good? Where do you think is good? The cowshed? When your father was squatting in the cowshed, no one treated him. Why should we treat him now in such a good place with good mountains and water? Your thinking is very dangerous; are you suggesting that our party and government made him sick?”

“Secretary Jing, I absolutely didn’t mean that, I…”

“Hey, what are you implying? Your thinking is even more dangerous. Are you trying to bribe officials? Let me tell you, I uphold integrity, adhere to my duties, and never accept bribes!”

“Secretary Jing…”

“Guards, take him away! Always engaging in corrupt practices and undermining the morale of our cadres! This kind of atmosphere is exactly what leads to your corruption.”

He shouted loudly at the window, and soon two soldiers rushed in and dragged the man out.

“Interrogate him thoroughly. Engaging in corruption all day long, disgraceful!”

Jing Guangming, in a huff, waved his hand and smoothed his greasy hair.

Just then, he noticed Cheng Rushan entering through the door.

His initial reaction was, “Who is this distinguished young man? Could he be some cadre from the military?” After a moment’s thought, he asked sternly, “Who are you?”

Cheng Rushan replied, “Secretary Jing, I’m here to process the rehabilitation procedures for Cheng Yunzhi and Cheng Ruzhou, and take them home.”

Jing Guangming sneered and chuckled, “Brother, are you dreaming? Don’t you know Cheng Yunzhi’s father, Cheng Yi, was a long-standing landlord and a current counter-revolutionary? He was executed by firing squad! Rehabilitation? It’s impossible, not even in the next life.”

He found it quite amusing!

There were so many landlords and capitalists who had been executed, and not a single one had been rehabilitated.

Cheng Rushan raised his thick eyebrows and his gaze turned even colder. “I’m not dreaming. It’s you who’s lost your mind.”

He placed a stack of documents on the table. “Please take a serious look.”

Jing Guangming was now the undisputed authority at Yunye Lake.

Anyone who saw him didn’t dare to speak until spoken to, and even if they resented him or were dissatisfied, they had to greet him with a smile.

This kid here to handle procedures wasn’t some cadre, so why was he acting so arrogant?

He dared to humiliate him like this, which was unacceptable!

Jing Guangming’s face darkened.

Without even looking, he reached out to sweep the pile of documents aside. “Why would I bother looking at these!”

But before his hand could touch the documents, Cheng Rushan grabbed his wrist.

Leaning in close until their eyes met, Cheng Rushan said, “If you dare to throw my documents on the floor, I dare to make you into an underground spy buried deep within the Party. Don’t believe me? Try it.”

He snorted lightly, then with a flick of his hand, he threw Jing Guangming backward into his chair.

Jing Guangming winced in pain from Cheng Rushan’s grip on his wrist.

He glared fiercely at the man opposite him.

What kind of eyes were those?

They were ruthless, fierce, and gleaming with a bloodthirsty light, as if they were about to tear him to pieces in the next moment.

“W-who are you? What do you want?” Jing Guangming stuttered.

Cheng Rushan disdainfully curled his lip, tapping the documents on the table with his finger. “I am Cheng Rushan, here to handle the rehabilitation procedures for my family. All you need to do is stamp them, without any further comment.” He snorted. “Because you’re not qualified!”

Jing Guangming trembled with anger.

Since he took charge, no one had dared to speak to him in such a manner.

Disrespect him?

Say he wasn’t worthy?

He was asking for trouble!

He lunged forward and pulled out a Type 54 pistol from the drawer.

As the farm’s secretary, he had the authority to deal with special emergencies, including riots among the labor reform prisoners—execution without trial!

With practiced speed, he loaded the gun, unlocked the safety, and aimed at Cheng Rushan, pulling the trigger.

Jing Guangming, taken aback, stood there momentarily stunned.

By the time he realized it, Cheng Rushan had already reached out from beside him, grabbed his arm, and forcefully disarmed him, deftly removing the magazine and slamming it on the table.

“Secretary Jing, let’s follow the regulations and avoid unnecessary complications,” Cheng Rushan said calmly.

Since childhood, he had been taught that everything was determined by policies; one shouldn’t attempt to defy them but struggle within the permissible boundaries.

That’s why he never ventured outside the bounds of policy.

Now, following policy guidelines to rehabilitate his family, if Jing Guangming made things difficult, Cheng Rushan would embarrass him according to policy.

Jing Guangming was dumbfounded.

He hadn’t expected Cheng Rushan to treat him like this.

Such audacity!

Cheng Rushan leaned against the chair back, his hand resting lightly on the table’s documents.

He tapped them lightly. “Secretary Jing, you arrived late, I’m leaving early, so we haven’t met. But that’s okay, as long as we follow the policies, everything will be fine.”

Suddenly, Jing Guangming remembered. His eyes widened. “You’re Cheng Rushan!”

Cheng Rushan raised an eyebrow. “I don’t hide my identity; I introduced myself from the start.”

Sweat beaded on Jing Guangming’s forehead.

He hadn’t paid attention earlier, but now it all clicked.

The former Secretary Guan had mentioned the Cheng family several times before, especially about Cheng Yunzhi and Cheng Ruzhou, advising him to take special care of them.

They didn’t need special treatment, just to avoid unnecessary criticism, torture, or punishment—just regular labor like everyone else.

He hadn’t taken it seriously.

He had seen Cheng Yunzhi, a quiet man in his fifties with graying hair and a slightly stooped back.

Though his youthful features were still visible, they were weathered and unremarkable now.

Cheng Ruzhou, on the other hand, was strikingly handsome, nearing forty but looking much younger.

Unfortunately, he was a simpleton, preoccupied with eating, sleeping, and singing all day without aging.

Oddly enough, Jing Guangming enjoyed listening to him sing, but unfortunately, he didn’t sing properly—half the time, he’d start cursing people, sharp-tongued and mean.

Jing Guangming wiped his forehead and began to study the documents on the table seriously.

Cheng Rushan straightened up and returned to the opposite side of the desk, waiting quietly.

But Jing Guangming couldn’t concentrate on the documents.

Instead, he stole glances at Cheng Rushan, who was as swift as a hare and as serene as a virgin—a perfect description for him.

The documents themselves weren’t particularly interesting.

They were stamped by the Provincial Revolutionary Committee, the Regional Revolutionary Committee, the County Revolutionary Committee, and the Commune Brigade.

All that was needed was his stamp to release the individuals.

Since they had already been rehabilitated, he had no right to detain them any longer.

However, as was his custom, even if your paperwork was in order, you had to at least come up with two hundred yuan to get anything done.

At that moment, two hundred yuan wasn’t easy for the average person.

Those who had jobs might be able to borrow or save up, but for ordinary members of the commune, saving two hundred yuan could take years.

Because of this, many people struggled to come up with the money and couldn’t proceed with their matters.

Jing Guangming stole another glance at Cheng Rushan.

Seeing that Cheng Rushan showed no intention of paying, Jing Guangming hesitated internally.

He wanted to say they needed to wait, but the paperwork was in order.

He couldn’t cite any faults with the documents; he could only claim they were busy and needed to wait until a certain time…

He met Cheng Rushan’s dark, cold eyes, and it felt like an ice pick had pierced his heart.

For a moment, he almost couldn’t breathe.

He decisively took out his seal, dipped it in the ink pad, and stamped it with a series of “pops.”

Cheng Rushan knew exactly where each stamp was needed, effortlessly guiding Jing Guangming who was still searching.

Cheng Rushan pulled out a few sheets from below and let him continue stamping.

Jing Guangming eyed Cheng Rushan’s hands—forceful yet refined.

They weren’t large, and his fair skin and long, strong fingers were elegantly shaped without prominent joints.

But they were covered in scars, big and small, especially a scar on the palm of his left hand that nearly split it open.

Although it had healed well, Jing Guangming couldn’t help but shiver.

Whether he inflicted that scar himself or grabbed an enemy’s weapon, either possibility was brutal.

Someone who could be ruthless to themselves would surely be even more ruthless to others.

Jing Guangming immediately decided not to offend him. “Done.”

He returned the seal to its place, tidied up the documents on the table, neatly aligned them, and respectfully handed them to Cheng Rushan. “The guesthouse is open to the public; you can stay here.”

Cheng Rushan was accustomed to such shifts from arrogance to deference and didn’t think much of it.

Hinting at the earlier incident, he said, “Secretary Jing, facilitating others also benefits oneself.”

Taking his documents, he packed them into a paper bag and then into his backpack before heading out to find Jiang Lin and the others.

Jiang Lin and Yan Runzhi were by the fish pond in the courtyard, watching the fish.

These were brought in for a couple of days to feed the farm officials.

Yan Runzhi was telling the children about her experiences on the farm. “Let me tell you both, this farm is like a treasure land, so much fun! There are even crabs in the lake at this time, all fat and wiggling their big bottoms when they walk.”

Xiao Bao immediately mimicked the crab’s walk, swaying his bottom. “Like this?”

Jiang Lin laughed and pinched his arm. “Catch a big crab, Yunye Lake’s big hairy crab! Haha, delicious!”

Da Bao chimed in, “I’m a big shark, not delicious.”

Jiang Lin teased, “Sharks are even more dangerous. They get caught and have their fins cut off; it’s over for them then.”

As Cheng Rushan emerged, they ran over. “Is everything okay?” they asked.

Cheng Rushan nodded. “Let’s go.”

There was still a distance to the large courtyard where the re-education workers lived from here.

Unlike the front residential area for staff, the houses here were low and narrow, a mix of brick and thatched cottages.

Due to rain in the past few days, the earth roads were becoming increasingly muddy.

Here, one could feel more of a revolutionary atmosphere.

Various slogans like “Class Struggle as the Key Link,” “Criticism of Private Ownership and Repudiation of the Rightist Deviation,” “Confession is Good for the Soul” were painted in white on the walls.

The labor reform farm operated under a military structure, with the labor reform regiment, divided into companies and squads below.

The company headquarters were inside, usually among the best houses in each courtyard.

Cheng Rushan and the others went to the team headquarters where Cheng Yunzhi and Cheng Ruzhou were stationed.

They found the company cadre, explained the situation, and presented their documents.

Captain Gu glanced at the documents, confirmed them, and asked them to wait while he sent someone to escort them.

Cheng Rushan said, “Let’s go together.”

Captain Gu didn’t object and allowed them to proceed.

As Jiang Lin and the others passed by one team headquarters, a struggle session was underway.

Several people on the platform had their heads shaved in a yin-yang pattern and wore signs around their necks.

Someone mechanically recited their crimes while the attendees shouted slogans together.

This had been going on for years, and everyone had lost their enthusiasm; the slogans were shouted dryly.

Da Bao and Xiao Bao widened their eyes, furrowing their brows.

Quietly, Da Bao asked Yan Runzhi, “Grandma, is Grandpa going to be like this too?”

They had heard Yan Runzhi tell stories and knew that not everyone kneeling on that platform was necessarily a bad person, but the children didn’t understand such complexities.

Yan Runzhi pursed her lips. “It used to be like this. Not anymore.”

Da Bao and Xiao Bao sighed in relief.

They didn’t want Grandpa to be bullied like that.

After about half an hour, they finally arrived at the Third Squad where Cheng Yunzhi was stationed.

Captain Gu led them to the gate of a fenced courtyard. “Here it is.”

Thatched houses, fenced gardens covered in “cut bowl” flowers, with pink and white flowers and tender green vines, inconspicuous yet refreshing.

Next to them were roses and clusters of red flowers, making it look like a beautiful rural courtyard.

Yan Runzhi went to see the flowers next to the fence first, excitedly saying, “When I was here, they didn’t allow planting flowers. After I left, they started planting flowers. The old man plants better than I do.”

Captain Gu, who had arrived later and didn’t recognize her, smiled. “They were allowed to plant long ago. Some people plant vegetables at the door, and some plant flowers. Apart from the house, they can take care of the garden well.”

He called out, “Uncle Cheng, you have visitors!”

There was no answer from inside.

Captain Gu said, “They’re probably chopping hemp. Wait here; I’ll go call them.”

Unlike the main brigade outside, the farm didn’t grow all kinds of grains.

They generally followed superior orders to plant only one crop per season, so the busy farming times were also more concentrated.

It wasn’t yet harvest season, so the personnel were relatively idle, assigned to various odd jobs.

Younger people did physical labor, while older ones handled lighter tasks.