“Relax? Good thing? Face is honored?” The female cadre sneered, pointing at Shi Hongmei, “She is Jiang Yan’s sister, why isn’t she going to the countryside? Is she waiting for someone to arrange an office job for her?”
Shi Hongmei was almost crying with fear. Shi Ronggui quickly put on a smiling face and explained, “My Hongmei is not much older than Jiang Yan. A few years ago, I injured my waist and legs carrying heavy bags at the pier. Her mother contracted tuberculosis while working as a caregiver in the hospital.”
“It was all thanks to Hongmei working from dawn till dusk to support this family. The hardship she endured is no less than going to the countryside. The policy stipulates that at least one child on the household registration book must go to the countryside. Since Jiang Yan is going, then Hongmei doesn’t have to, hehe.”
The female cadre was amused to the point of anger, “Didn’t you say Jiang Yan only came to your house at the beginning of this month? You don’t know when re-education started, do you? You have the nerve to boast to me about shielding your own daughter and not responding to the country’s call!”
Shi Ronggui was so scared he didn’t dare to speak again. Shi Hongmei was anxious and looked towards Section Chief Zhu, the meaning between them was self-evident:
Uncle Zhu, you and the female cadre are comrades in the same trench. Help me say something, please?
Section Chief Zhu pretended not to see.
He didn’t get any meat today but got into trouble. He wished he could eat all the Shi family members. How could he help them now?
Seeing the female cadre’s relentless questioning, Section Chief Zhu feigned deafness and muteness. Shi Hongmei was anxious and angry, and couldn’t care less, “Section Chief Zhu, I remember your son is a year older than me, right? He must have gone to the countryside, right?”
Section Chief Zhu jumped up as if bitten by a scorpion, “Talk about your own problems, don’t drag me into it!”
Shi Hongmei immediately became “frightened” into silence, only looking at the female cadre with a wronged expression. The people around them whispered, “Why is Section Chief Zhu afraid to answer directly? It must be because his son is twenty-one and hasn’t gone to the countryside yet!”
“Heh, even the section chief’s son isn’t responding to the country’s call to support rural construction. It’s this young lady named Jiang Yan who has a high ideological awareness. It’s clear that what she says is more credible!”
“I have family matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave first. Please let me pass!” Section Chief Zhu lowered his head and squeezed through the crowd, not even caring about the kicks he received on his backside, looking as pathetic as a rat crossing the street.
Shi Hongmei became even more wronged, “Auntie, you’re just letting Section Chief Zhu leave like this?”
He left so easily right under your nose, and his son won’t have to go to the countryside? Aren’t you just bullying us softies?
“The monk ran away, but the temple is still here.”
The female cadre’s sharp eyes saw through Shi Hongmei’s thoughts, “Including you! If you have this much energy, you should think about where you’re going to the countryside.”
As she spoke, she turned to leave. Jiang Yan hugged one of her arms, “Auntie, can you arrange for me to stay, no matter where, even in a warehouse basement, for three days?”
Seeing the female cadre’s confusion, she turned and looked timidly at Liu Manli and Shi Ronggui, “I’m afraid I won’t see you again after three days, and I’ll be accused of suicide or an accident.”
Shi Ronggui’s mouth dropped open again.
How did the dead girl guess this too?
The female cadre’s lips pursed like a blade, “I’ll go to your house with you now and tell the neighbors that if I hear any commotion from your house, come and tell me!”
Her dagger-like gaze swept over Liu Manli and Shi Ronggui, “If they dare to mess around, they’ll be waiting to be shot!”
The couple simultaneously flinched.
On the way to Shi’s house, Jiang Yan suddenly stopped, “Auntie, we’re not far from my house. You go ahead with Mom and Dad first, I need to use the restroom.”
Going to the public restroom to relieve oneself now was a troublesome affair. The female cadre didn’t think much of it and nodded, leaving with Shi Ronggui and the others.
Jiang Yan dawdled out of the restroom. After walking only a few steps in the alley, she indeed heard that familiar voice, “Yan, Jiang Yan, wait a moment.”
Her sixth sense was indeed correct. Jiang Yan turned her head and feigned surprise, “You? Why haven’t you gone to the hospital yet?”
The tall man strode in front of her. His dark eyebrows were like sharp swords, his pupils shone like stars, and a pure masculine oppressive aura washed over her, “This little injury doesn’t warrant a hospital visit. Come with me, I have something to tell you.”
Jiang Yan’s heart trembled like an electric current, but she would no longer be like in her past life, lost in this domineering love, losing her mind. She averted her gaze, “Let’s talk here. I also want to ask you, today is the first time we’ve met, how could you say you knew me?”
The man didn’t even flinch, “I said I didn’t know you.”
“…You said you didn’t know?” Jiang Yan recalled in confusion, “No way, at that time…”
“There’s no need to dwell on that now.” The man waved his large hand, issuing a command, “You cannot go to the countryside!”
Jiang Yan looked up at the man sharply, “What do you mean?”
So close, the man’s eyebrows were stern, his nose was high-bridged, and his demeanor was like a strong pine and sturdy cypress, adding to the oppressive feeling he gave her:
“Why are you going to the countryside? Not only is the environment in South Province harsh, but it’s also on the border with all sorts of roaming criminals. Someone like you could easily be sold and still count the money…”
Jiang Yan avoided his burning gaze, her expression blank, “I’ve already promised the aunt from the neighborhood committee that I’ll go to the neighborhood committee to sign up for re-education in South Province within three days. Nothing you say now will matter.”
As she spoke, she wanted to bypass him and leave, “I’m sorry, I have something to do and need to leave now.”
Her wrist was grabbed, and with a gentle twist, she was facing him again, so close that the man’s breath sprayed onto her face. She saw her own wide eyes, filled with fear, reflected in his ink-black pupils.
The suffocating feeling of being conquered, like in her past life, washed over her. She forcefully shook her hand to break free from this feeling, “What do you want?”
“Don’t be afraid, I won’t hurt you.” The man released her wrist, “I just want to tell you that I have a way to prevent you from going to the countryside.”
Jiang Yan stammered, “W-what way?”
In her past life, she couldn’t be used by her stepfather, so her stepfather tried every means to send her to the countryside. She was afraid of implicating Huo Ying and could only agree.
Huo Ying also said, like today, that she couldn’t go to the countryside, and he had a way to prevent her from going.
So, next, was he going to say…
“You come with me and get a marriage certificate immediately. As a military dependent, you won’t have to go to the countryside.”
Jiang Yan trembled all over.
In her past life, when she met Huo Ying, she had found a reliance. However, because of this, she was afraid of affecting Huo Ying’s future and dared not contact her adoptive parents anymore. Anyone who asked, she would insist that she had cut ties with them.
Even so, she still dragged Huo Ying down.
After finally being reborn, she wanted to shed everything to save her most beloved parents, how could she get involved with Huo Ying again?
But everything was like a vicious cycle. Even if Huo Ying appeared early and she was no longer cowardly, what happened in her past life would still happen in this life.
Would her adoptive parents still die tragically?
The other party continued to issue instructions incessantly, “My name is Huo Ying. I cannot tell you my specific work, you just need to know that I am in the military. I will hand over all my salary to you, including various allowances, subsidies, and bonuses.”
“Of course, after following the army, if you want to work, I will arrange it for you, kindergarten or propaganda department? You can choose.”
“Stop talking!” Jiang Yan felt a sense of powerlessness, “When did I ever say I wanted to marry you?”
“You can say it now.”
The man looked down at her, that air of pride and confidence, as if everything was within his grasp, made Jiang Yan only able to shout to feel like she was making a sound:
“Then listen carefully, I don’t want to marry you, and I won’t!”