Lin Guoqing’s expression was grim. “Don’t panic yet. Let’s wait for your sister to come back with news. What if you two misheard them?”
Sun Zhaodi was anxious. All the details matched up perfectly; how could they have misheard? To her, this felt like a sudden disaster falling from the sky.
“If it really is as they say, what do you plan to do?” Lin Guoqing took a puff of his pipe and asked in a low, heavy voice.
“Then the two of us will get married immediately. We won’t worry about anything else for now. If they still dare to cause trouble after that, then we’ll make a scene. If the Fang family is truly that unscrupulous, they must have offended many people over the years. I don’t believe the Revolutionary Committee doesn’t have his rivals. He’s a mid-to-low-level official; someone is bound to be eyeing his position,” Lin Mingyuan said. This was the result of his discussion with Li Baoling.
Neither of them was the type to just sit around and wait for death. If the family didn’t have a better solution, they would take action themselves.
Lin Guoqing nodded. This was indeed a viable way forward.
Lin Mingjuan was highly efficient; she arrived the very next day. Compared to her usual visits—where she would carry a pile of things and greet everyone at the village entrance with a smile—this time she seemed hurried, her pace much faster than usual.
While the villagers were busy speculating if something was wrong, she had already reached the Lin household.
Because she had come in such a rush and hadn’t sent word ahead of time, only the four youngest children were home. Aside from Lin Taotao, who was at school, the other four—Lin Kangkang, Lin Xiaoman, Lin An’an, and Lin Miaomiao—were there. Not a single adult was in sight.
“Auntie! Auntie!”
“Auntie is here!”
Every child knew that whenever their aunt came, there would surely be something delicious.
Lin Mingjuan, who had two sons of her own, was particularly fond of her eldest brother’s daughter, Taotao, and her second brother’s daughter, Miaomiao. Naturally, she picked up Miaomiao first.
“Why is our Miaomiao so pretty?” Lin Mingjuan stroked the little girl’s face. She then pulled exactly five pieces of candy from her pocket. She gave one to each of the three boys and two to Miaomiao. “Everyone gets one. Miaomiao, give this extra piece to Sister Taotao later, okay?”
Three-year-old Lin Miaomiao nodded vaguely. “Taotao, Taotao.”
It was just past noon, the time when people finished their work in the fields. Since Lin Mingjuan had been spotted entering the village, the rest of the Lin family returned home quickly.
“Mingjuan is back?”
“The third sister-in-law is really something—she never comes back empty-handed.”
In truth, the ones who welcomed Lin Mingjuan the most weren’t even Lin Guoqing and his wife, but the two sisters-in-law. After all, the aunt knew how to handle social relations perfectly. Every time she visited, she brought large bags of gifts. Moreover, her father-in-law was a man of influence; they might need his help in the future.
“Eldest Sister-in-law, Second Sister-in-law, come inside and have some water.” This time, Lin Mingjuan had specifically brought two bags of brown sugar for them, knowing they would have to work hard for Mingyuan’s upcoming wedding.
Sun Zhaodi followed soon after, offering the usual routine of surface-level complaints and actual praise. “Look at you, bringing so many things every time. Be careful your in-laws don’t scold you. What kind of daughter acts like you? You’re already married out, yet you’re always thinking about subsidizing your parents’ home.”
Lin Mingjuan replied, “Well, who told you to make me your daughter?”
“Perfect timing. I sent Mingyuan to fetch Baoling. Mom will cook a good meal for you all in a bit,” Sun Zhaodi said with a smile.
“That’s perfect. I brought some meat; you can stir-fry it all today.”
When Sun Zhaodi saw her daughter take out a piece of pork belly weighing nearly a pound—with beautiful layers of fat and lean—she hesitated to use it all.
Seeing her mother’s reluctance, Lin Mingjuan nudged her. “Don’t save it. I don’t know when I’ll be back next. If you don’t cook it now, I won’t get a taste.”
Sun Zhaodi immediately took the meat to the kitchen. She would stir-fry it—at least most of it!
“Hurry up! I’m sure my sister brought something good back,” Lin Mingyuan said as he entered with Li Baoling.
Li Baoling hadn’t expected the third sister to be so efficient. This meant she could enjoy another good meal; the Lin family’s food was definitely better than what they had at the youth hostel. She internally declared that, aside from Lin Mingyuan, the third sister was now the most efficient person in the Lin family.
“Come in, Baoling. Look how hot you both are.” Seeing their flushed faces, Lin Mingjuan took advantage of a moment when no one was looking to pull a few more pieces of candy from her pocket. Lin Mingyuan caught them smoothly.
Li Baoling was the only one who saw the exchange. She guessed they had practiced this many times before. Lin Mingyuan winked at her, implying that she would get a share.
The meal that day was indeed lavish. The Lin family hadn’t seen meat for a month. This time, Sun Zhaodi was generous, using nearly half a pound of pork, which made the children drool.
Only Lin Taotao, feeling she was now a young lady, forced herself not to stare. She had a more important task: observing Li Baoling. The family still didn’t quite treat Taotao like an adult, so she had only heard rumors from elsewhere about her uncle having a girlfriend and even getting married.
Her uncle was her favorite person in the family. Whenever there was something good, he never excluded her just because she was older; he treated her better than her own parents did. Of course, this was mostly limited to times when they caught him sneaking snacks and he had to share. So, to her, seeing her future aunt was more important than the meat.
Li Baoling naturally noticed the girl’s scrutiny. In fact, all the children—even three-year-old Miaomiao—stole glances at her. Whenever she caught one of them, they would immediately look away. She found it quite amusing.
“They’re just children,” the adults thought, with the exception of Lin Mingyuan.
“Baoling is the only one eating with us for the first time. Don’t keep staring at her; there will be plenty of days like this in the future. Alright, let’s eat!”
Li Baoling intended to act reserved since it was her first time, but she was in for a shock. As soon as the command to eat was given, chopsticks moved so fast they left afterimages. By the time she reacted, the stir-fried meat was gone.
Lin Mingyuan looked at the pile of meat in his bowl and then at Li Baoling’s empty one. Even though he was reluctant, he shared half with her. After all, they had agreed to share both blessings and burdens; he wasn’t about to be an unfaithful partner.
Since Lin Mingyuan hadn’t started eating yet, Li Baoling didn’t mind. The rest of the family was mostly pleased; seeing Li Baoling’s slow reaction speed, they figured she wouldn’t be able to compete with them for food once she married in.
After the meal, the two older brothers and their families were shooed back to their rooms. Only Lin Mingyuan, Li Baoling, and the parents remained with Lin Mingjuan.
“So, what’s the situation?” Sun Zhaodi finally asked.
Lin Mingjuan sighed and glanced at Mingyuan and Baoling. “They really did stumble upon the truth.”
“I didn’t work yesterday afternoon and went straight to the county to find my father-in-law. He took it quite seriously. I stayed there overnight. I have a friend who lives nearby, and we’re close enough that asking her wouldn’t cause trouble. It was only after talking to her that I confirmed: the ‘partner’ the Fang family is talking about really is Mingyuan.”
“The Fang family has a daughter who is… slow, and people have always gossiped about her. Later, a stepmother moved in and gave birth to a son. She disliked the girl from the start, and now she can’t tolerate her at all, fearing she might have an episode and hurt the baby. So, they decided the best thing is to marry her off.”
“But the girl was raised by her grandparents. The elderly couple agreed to the marriage on the condition that they find a good family. Given the girl’s condition, they couldn’t hope for a good match in the city. Then, just as Mingyuan’s classmate suggested, our family seemed perfect: good conditions, honest parents, and Mingyuan has two older brothers, so there wouldn’t be pressure for the girl to bear children. Plus, with my father being the production team leader and the Fang family being part of the Revolutionary Committee, they believe she wouldn’t be mistreated here.”
“The grandparents agreed. They didn’t even hide the discussion from the girl. The family didn’t intend to spread the word yet, but the girl let it slip. Now, everyone in that neighborhood knows. In fact, Mingyuan’s classmate was supposed to come by in a couple of days to test the waters, but he didn’t expect to run into them first. It’s a good thing those two were clever enough to listen in.”
“The key point is, my father-in-law told me that as of yesterday afternoon, the Fang family already heard that Mingyuan is dating someone and plans to get married in a few days.”
Sun Zhaodi turned pale. “What should we do?”
“So what? If we don’t agree, do they really dare to force us?” Lin Guoqing didn’t believe it. They were law-abiding citizens backed by the State and the Party; how could they be bullied by such people?
“Dad is right, but given the Fang family’s character and the fact that the news is already out, they won’t give up easily. I discussed this with my father-in-law. The best way forward is for Mingyuan and Baoling to get married immediately.”
“While the Fang family doesn’t know that we know, we should catch them off guard!” Lin Mingjuan suggested.
“Old man, our daughter is right. Those people are ruthless. If they’ve truly set their sights on us, there’s no telling what they might do,” Sun Zhaodi echoed.
Lin Guoqing remained silent. Ultimately, this was a matter for their family, and they were the ones in a difficult position. Whether or not she wanted to marry in was a decision only the “Intellectual Youth” Li could make.
“Let’s get married. Tomorrow, we’ll go to the production brigade to get the marriage permit. That way, if the Fang family comes looking, they won’t have any legal standing on the surface,” Li Baoling said. She knew her opinion was the most important one right now.
This wasn’t her modern era with surveillance and civil protocols. If they really wanted to do something, it would be hard to counter. She didn’t want to gamble. Besides, they were fellow villagers now; if something really happened to Mingyuan, she wouldn’t be able to live with herself. Furthermore, they were going to get married anyway; doing it sooner just meant she could move in earlier.
“We’ve put you in a difficult spot,” Sun Zhaodi said, taking Li Baoling’s hand. She hadn’t expected the girl to be so loyal and courageous.
Everyone present felt a deep sense of guilt, looking at her with apologetic expressions. Even Lin Mingyuan was moved beyond words. At a time like this, when few dared to cross anyone associated with the Revolutionary Committee, and after only knowing him for a few days, she was willing to marry him to resolve this crisis. How could the Lin family not be touched?
“I truly am willing!” Li Baoling was no longer afraid. If the Fang family saw they were married and stayed away, all the better. If they still wanted to cause trouble, she wouldn’t be an easy target.
“I’ll see what stamps we have at home and bring them all to you tomorrow!” Lin Mingjuan added.
Fortunately, they moved quickly. The very next day, Fang Daming arrived at their door.