Lin Jiancheng listened to the crowd’s discussion and weakly waved his hand.
“Alright, alright, disperse. There’s nothing to see here.”
After saying that, he suddenly grabbed Lin Xue—who was still standing there in a daze—and dragged her into the house.
He slammed the door shut heavily.
Seeing there was no more excitement, the crowd slowly dispersed.
Inside the house, Lin Shu grew more and more frightened. Her heart felt like it was about to jump out of her throat.
When she saw her father return from outside, she immediately threw herself at his feet, sitting on the ground and tightly clutching his leg with both hands.
Her voice trembled with extreme panic and tears as she cried, “Dad… Dad, I don’t want to go to the countryside!
I don’t want to go! I’m scared, Dad, I don’t want to go!
If I go down there, I won’t be able to see you anymore. I already don’t have a mother. I don’t want to leave you too. Dad, please, you must have a way, right?”
She looked up at him, her face covered in tears and mucus, utterly disheveled, her eyes filled with fear.
Seeing his youngest daughter like this, Lin Jiancheng’s heart ached terribly. His voice turned hoarse as he said, “Xiaoshu, get up. Stop crying.
Dad will find a way. Tomorrow I’ll buy you a job. I won’t let you go to the countryside.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Shu abruptly stopped crying, her eyes wide as she stared at him.
“Really?”
Seeing his most cherished daughter like this, Lin Jiancheng felt as if his heart had been pricked by needles. He forced himself to nod.
“Yes, really. When has Dad ever lied to you? I’ve already looked into it, don’t worry.
Tomorrow I’ll arrange it. I’ll get you a job. I’ll buy you a job.”
Lin Shu broke into tears of joy. She quickly got up from the ground and threw herself into his arms, acting spoiled as she said,
“Dad, you’re so good! I knew you were capable! My dad is the best father in the world!”
Lin Jiancheng patted his daughter’s arm, his expression bitter.
Yang Qingqiu noticed this scene, her eyes calm and without fluctuation. She had already seen through this man.
Buy a job?
In this day and age, jobs weren’t that easy to buy. Even if there were any, it wouldn’t be his turn.
There were plenty of wealthy and capable people around—how could a mere deputy director like him compete with them?
Anyway, this had nothing to do with her. As long as it didn’t involve her daughter or son, the Lin family could send whoever they wanted to the countryside.
She turned and went into her daughter’s room.
After coaxing his youngest daughter, Lin Jiancheng glanced at the useless Lin Xue. If not for her using such an unspeakable method, he wouldn’t be in such a mess.
He was too bothered to deal with these troubles anymore.
But then—Yang Qingqiu…
He glanced toward Lin Zijin’s room. Seeing the tightly closed door, he finally returned to his own room, thinking about what to do next.
Early the next morning, Lin Jiancheng was about to ride his bicycle to work when cadres from the neighborhood office arrived with a roster and pen, their faces stern.
They happened to run into him.
One of the older cadres said sharply, “Lin Jiancheng, what’s going on with your family?
The neighborhood has been going door to door for days, requiring every household to send at least one eligible young person to the countryside to respond to the national call. Yet your family hasn’t even registered anyone.
Where are they?”
Hearing the commotion, everyone in the house came out. The cadre glanced at them coldly.
He opened the roster.
“Lin Xue, Lin Zijin, Lin Shu—three eligible people, and not a single one registered. Are you trying to resist the policy?”
Yang Qingqiu took out the marriage certificate Lin Zijin had prepared in advance.
“Comrade, Lin Zijin is not included in the quota. She is already legally married, and the wedding date has been set for a formal ceremony in a few days.
Please take a look.”
As she spoke, she handed over Lin Zijin’s marriage certificate.
The cadre glanced at the document and even checked the time—it was earlier than their scheduled door-to-door notification time.
“Mm. And the other two?”
The moment Yang Qingqiu took out the marriage certificate, not only did Lin Jiancheng widen his eyes in shock, but everyone else was equally stunned. When had she even gotten the certificate? No one had heard a word about it.
Seeing everyone’s reactions, Lin Zijin felt a faint sense of satisfaction.
“Lin Xue or Lin Shu—who is going?”
Lin Xue immediately spoke up.
“I—I’m getting my marriage certificate today.”
As soon as she said this, the cadre frowned deeply. The worker beside him leaned in and whispered something in his ear. He then glanced at Lin Xue and let out a cold snort.
From his expression, everyone understood immediately—it must have been related to the scandal that had spread everywhere last night.
When Lin Shu saw the cadre’s gaze turn toward her, she was terrified. She burst into tears and clung tightly to Lin Jiancheng’s arm.
“Dad, I don’t want to go! I don’t want to go to the countryside! I’m still too young!”
The cadre grew increasingly impatient. He had already encountered too many people recently making all kinds of excuses to avoid going down to the countryside.
“Enough. It’s you then.”
Hearing this, Lin Shu immediately rushed forward, grabbing his arm and begging desperately.
“I won’t go! Uncle, I won’t go!
I can’t go to the countryside—I don’t know how to do anything. I’ll die there. You can’t—
My dad—yes, my dad said he bought me a job today! I have a job! I don’t need to go to the countryside! No—”
Lin Jiancheng broke out in a cold sweat from his daughter’s words. In times like these, how could she say something like that out loud? Everyone did these things in secret. Lin Shu’s careless words could get them all killed.
The cadre’s expression turned even more severe.
“Bought a job?
Lin Jiancheng, what are you trying to do?
Engaging in shady practices?
Practicing capitalism?
You’ve got ideological problems.
Are you trying to go against national policy?”
Lin Jiancheng quickly wiped the sweat from his forehead, forcing out a stiff smile uglier than a cry.
“No, no, comrade, there’s a misunderstanding.
Absolutely not.
The child is young and doesn’t understand—she’s talking nonsense, just nonsense.
She’s frightened and speaking without thinking. There’s nothing like that at all.
I, Lin Jiancheng, have been an old employee for decades. I have proper ideological awareness. How could I possibly do something like that?”
The cadre snorted coldly.
“I don’t care whether she’s talking nonsense or whether you really had such thoughts.
Lin Jiancheng, don’t even think about things you shouldn’t.
Today, the countryside assignment must be finalized.
Policy is policy. It must be implemented.”
With that, he decisively marked Lin Shu’s name.
“Pack your things. You leave tomorrow. Early morning train—to Yunnan Province.”
Hearing this, Lin Shu collapsed onto the ground, crying and screaming.
“I don’t want to go to the countryside! I don’t want to go! I’d rather die than go!”
The cadre didn’t even spare her a glance. He turned around and left, continuing to the next household.