“I wouldn’t accept anyone in this village becoming the Women’s Director,” Matchmaker Liu said indignantly.
“Then how about you take the job?” someone joked.
“That sounds about right,” Matchmaker Liu shamelessly replied.
“Oh, listen to you! Give you an inch and you take a mile. Who was it that had to make a public self-criticism in the village just a few days ago? You should be thanking your lucky stars if you can stop doing immoral things.”
Matchmaker Liu flew into a rage.
“Fine! Then I’d like to see who in this village is actually qualified to become Women’s Director!”
Everyone chimed in with their own opinions, but no one could reach a consensus.
After finishing the meeting at the production brigade office, Liu Dalong came out with a frown.
“All right, everyone. That’s enough. Go home.”
“How can we leave? Who’s going to be our Women’s Director?”
someone asked impatiently.
Liu Dalong replied,
“The first requirement is literacy. The Women’s Director can’t be illiterate. Otherwise, how is she supposed to communicate policies and directives from the higher authorities?”
That single requirement eliminated a large number of candidates.
There simply weren’t many literate women in the village.
“Can a man be the Women’s Director?”
“Sure,” Liu Dalong answered without hesitation. “As long as you can out-argue all the women in this village, you’re welcome to take the job.”
The moment those words were spoken, the few men who had been eager to volunteer immediately backed down.
Were the women of Xiaoguan Village easy to deal with?
Just look at Wu Sanni’er and Matchmaker Liu.
Who would dare provoke women like them?
Anyone who tried would only end up suffering.
“So when are we electing the Women’s Director? Who do you think has the best chance?”
“Hard to say. We still have six months. During that time, we’ll carefully choose the candidates. What do you all think?”
Six months?
After thinking it over, everyone agreed.
After all, selecting a Women’s Director wasn’t something that could be done casually.
It was an important position.
“I think Lin Yi should do it! I wouldn’t support anyone else.”
Wu Sanni’er’s booming voice rang out so loudly that everyone heard her.
“I agree. Lin Yi is the only one I support.”
Liu Yue’e folded her arms and stood beside Wu Sanni’er, looking as though she’d argue with anyone who dared disagree.
The moment Lin Yi’s name came up, many villagers found themselves thinking much more favorably of her.
Especially after she had helped Bai Feng’er escape the Niu family’s abuse.
That earned her a great deal of respect.
“How’s Bai Feng’er doing now?”
Some people still believed that, after divorcing at Lin Yi’s urging, Bai Feng’er would never find another decent husband.
Liu Yue’e smiled proudly.
“Our Feng’er followed one of her older cousins to the city and became an apprentice at a restaurant. She earns over twenty yuan a month! She even told me she’ll definitely find me a son-in-law from the city this time.”
“I told her that as long as he’s a good person, that’s enough. We absolutely can’t suffer another loss like before.”
The crowd instantly became envious.
Who would have imagined that Bai Feng’er would have such a promising future after her divorce?
If they had listened to those foolish people who always said, ‘Better to destroy ten temples than break up one marriage,’ and forced Bai Feng’er back to the Niu family…
Her life would probably have become even more miserable.
There had even been women in the village before who couldn’t obtain a divorce and eventually took their own lives.
It seemed Lin Yi truly had remarkable foresight.
No wonder she was an educated woman.
For a while, even more villagers began supporting Lin Yi.
Whenever Liu Yue’e and Wu Sanni’er were around, Matchmaker Liu quietly slipped away.
After all, she had a guilty conscience.
With those two praising Lin Yi so openly, she didn’t even dare utter a single word in protest.
The two women had become like a pair of guardian generals.
As long as they were present, no one could badmouth Lin Yi.
“Mom, did Sister Bai Feng’er really find such a good job?”
Xiumei excitedly linked arms with Wu Sanni’er.
“When has your Aunt Liu ever lied?”
“That girl’s really lucky. Her third maternal cousin happened to know a restaurant that was hiring apprentices, so Feng’er went. She’s pretty and hardworking. The head chef took one look at her and accepted her as an apprentice. The restaurant even provides dormitory housing, and she earns quite a bit every month.”
Even Wu Sanni’er couldn’t hide her envy.
Xiumei was tempted too.
“Maybe I should go to the city and have a look. What if they’re hiring there too?”
“That’s my girl. One day your mother will be depending on you.”
Just then, someone arrived in the village.
Speak of the devil…
It was none other than Niu Lidong.
Ever since divorcing Bai Feng’er, he hadn’t been able to find another wife.
So he’d come to see how Bai Feng’er was doing.
If she still hadn’t remarried…
He wanted to reconcile with her.
As his mother always said,
“A divorced woman isn’t exactly in high demand.”
Seeing so many villagers gathered at the village entrance, Niu Lidong immediately spotted Liu Yue’e.
“Auntie… is Bai Feng’er still angry with me? I’ve come to apologize. She can ask anything she wants of me, as long as she’ll come back and live with me.”
He looked so pitiful that he was practically on the verge of kneeling.
But this time, Liu Yue’e’s heart didn’t soften.
The last time, she had almost pushed her own daughter back into hell.
She wouldn’t make the same mistake again.
“Don’t even think about it! You’re already divorced. Just live your own life. Our Feng’er suffered enough at your house. Your mother never stopped looking down on her.”
“Our Feng’er simply isn’t good enough for your family.”
Their daughter had finally escaped.
Only a fool would send her back.
A cold glint flashed across Niu Lidong’s eyes.
“Auntie, are you really going to be so heartless? I’ve changed. From now on, if I lose my temper, I’ll try to hit her more lightly. I definitely won’t beat her as badly as before.”
Hit her…
More lightly?
Not beat her so badly?
The final thread holding Liu Yue’e’s composure snapped instantly.
She had known her daughter had been beaten by her husband’s family.
But she had never imagined her former son-in-law would be so arrogant.
According to him, “changing” meant simply beating his wife less severely.
The villagers were speechless.
Was that even something a human being would say?
Liu Yue’e had been suppressing her anger for a long time.
She had told herself to let it go after the divorce.
But now this bastard had actually come to her doorstep saying something like that.
“You son of a bitch!”
“You think you’ll just beat her a little lighter? Today I’ll teach you what it means to be a decent human being! Sisters, give me a hand!”
The women of the village were remarkably united.
This scoundrel had come right to their doorstep to provoke them.
How could they possibly let him off?
Old grudges, new grudges…
It was time to settle them all at once.