Gao Yunxia couldn't understand what evil spirit had possessed Huo Qingqing? She had indeed borrowed money and Food Stamps, Cloth Coupons from her, but there were no IOUs. What evidence could she use to sue?
"Qingqing, what kind of trouble have you actually encountered?" Gao Yunxia said with a pained expression.
Huo Qingqing let out a light scoff and said, "You're really strange. Why are you so anxious about me not wanting to return to the city?"
Gao Yunxia's eyes reddened as she said, "Qingqing, it's extremely difficult to return to the city now, especially for female Educated Youth like you who married a villager and had children. It's very hard to transfer your household registration and food relations back. You finally have this chance to get a divorce, erase everything here, and return to the city clean—who would know about your shameful past of having given birth in the countryside?"
Huo Qingqing retorted, "How is it shameful that I legally married Han Jianwu and had a child with him?"
Gao Yunxia smiled disdainfully and said, "Don't spout pretty words in front of me. Others might not know, but I understand perfectly well. Hurry up, pack your things and leave with Zhang Guohua!"
Huo Qingqing also laughed, "Then why don't you go back with him?"
Gao Yunxia said, "You make returning to the city sound so simple. Without a work unit to accept me, how can I go back? But it's different for you!"
Huo Qingqing replied, "There's no need for you to worry about me."
Gao Yunxia pressed, "Then what about Zhang Guohua?"
Huo Qingqing said coldly, "What does that have to do with me?"
Gao Yunxia stared at Huo Qingqing, scrutinizing her from head to toe. Huo Qingqing was still the same Huo Qingqing, but what was really wrong with her? Lowering her voice, she asked, "Is there no one else from the Han family at home?"
Huo Qingqing looked at Gao Yunxia warily and raised her voice, "What are you sneaking around for?"
Gao Yunxia continued in a hushed tone, "Go to the Educated Youth point and see Zhang Guohua! He's very heartbroken."
Huo Qingqing said, "What does it matter to me if he lives or dies? I'm a married woman with a child."
Just then, Han Jianwu, who was cooking in the kitchen, came out holding a kitchen knife and asked, "What's going on?"
Gao Yunxia shrank back at the sight of the kitchen knife in Han Jianwu's hand, forced a smile, and said, "It's nothing. I was just saying a few words to Qingqing and will be leaving now."
Huo Qingqing looked at Han Jianwu and said, "She and that Zhang Guohua borrowed Food Stamps, money, Cloth Coupons, Sugar Coupons, and Meat Coupons from me. I'm urging her to repay the debt."
Han Jianwu raised an eyebrow slightly and said, "Oh! So when does Gao Zhiqing plan to repay the debt?"
Huo Qingqing said, "I'm giving them a week. If they can't pay up, we'll report them to the Commune for fraud."
Han Jianwu nodded, "Good." Then he turned to the stunned Gao Yunxia, "Gao Zhiqing, you'd better hurry back and gather the money and coupons to repay the debt."
Mother Han, Zhang Cuicui, was no pushover. Since Huo Qingqing had suddenly changed her mind about returning to the city, she and the old man had retreated to their room to observe secretly, trying to figure out what this woman was up to.
Now, listening by the window, she grew more and more alarmed. That Gao Zhiqing and Zhang Zhiqing had actually borrowed so much money and coupons from Huo Qingqing?
Mother Han shuffled out in her cloth shoes, holding Huo Qingqing's daughter Niu Niu, and immediately raised her voice in accusation, "Gao Zhiqing, you and that damned Zhang Zhiqing actually conspired to cheat my daughter-in-law out of so much money and coupons? You two have some nerve. Jianwu, go to the brigade and find your Second Brother."
The Han family's second son was the brigade secretary.
Gao Yunxia was both anxious and terrified. In this remote, impoverished mountain area, the villagers were all cunning. When they were good to you, they were genuinely good, but when they turned against you, the worst of city folks paled in comparison.
Gao Yunxia burst into tears, exclaiming, "Qingqing, what nonsense are you talking? When did I ever borrow money or Food Stamps from you? Don’t make baseless accusations without evidence."
Huo Qingqing sneered coldly and said, "Sorry, but I do have evidence. Look at this!"
Huo Qingqing held a small notebook in her hand, where everything was clearly recorded—specific dates, Gao Yunxia, Zhang Guohua.
In reality, Gao Yunxia and Zhang Guohua had never signed anything, nor had Huo Qingqing ever asked them to sign any IOU. She had merely kept a record, and this one-sided accounting could hardly be considered evidence. But the Huo Qingqing of now was no longer the naive girl she once had been—she had lived two lifetimes.
While organizing her things earlier, Huo Qingqing had imitated Gao Yunxia and Zhang Guohua’s handwriting, writing "IOU" before each entry and forging their signatures.
As Gao Yunxia rushed forward to look at the account book, Han Jianwu quickly stepped in, glaring at her, afraid she might harm Huo Qingqing.
Gao Yunxia stared at the densely written page and shook her head. "Impossible! Huo Qingqing, what exactly are you trying to do?"
Huo Qingqing replied, "Can’t you tell? I want my money back. Over a hundred yuan, more than a hundred jin of Food Stamps, plus Meat Coupons, Cloth Coupons, and Sugar Coupons—you and Educated Youth Zhang can’t possibly be unaware of what that amount means, right? Please inform Zhang Guohua that if the debt isn’t repaid within seven days, you can expect the police to come for you!"
Gao Yunxia was dumbfounded. Was Huo Qingqing doing this on purpose?
At the Educated Youth point, the moment Zhang Guohua heard that Huo Qingqing was demanding repayment, he threw off his blanket and sat up abruptly.
"What did you say? Huo Qingqing wants me to pay her back money and Food Stamps?" How was that possible?
Gao Yunxia trembled with fear. "Do I look like I’m making this up? I almost didn’t make it back. That Han Jianwu was brandishing a kitchen knife—it was terrifying!"
Zhang Guohua’s eyelids twitched. "What a crude ruffian! Does he think he can kill someone in public? Let’s rally all the Educated Youth and protest at the Commune. I can’t stand this wretched place for another day."
Gao Yunxia grabbed Zhang Guohua’s arm and shook her head. "Don’t be impulsive, listen to me. Huo Qingqing doesn’t love you. Don’t waste your efforts on her. You should just go back first."
Zhang Guohua insisted, "Impossible! She liked me so much—how could she suddenly stop? Could the Han family have used some kind of dark magic on her, like the villagers say?"
Gao Yunxia urged, "What does that matter now? You need to leave quickly! If you don’t go, what will we do when they come to collect the debt?"
Zhang Guohua argued, "I haven’t received my reassignment letter. How can I go back?"
Gao Yunxia reasoned, "Your father is a factory leader. Even if you can’t find a permanent job back home, you can at least get a temporary one, right? Anything is better than staying in this godforsaken place. Otherwise, if she really forces you to repay, how will you manage?" Zhang Guohua had borrowed far more than she had.
Zhang Guohua slumped in defeat. "You’re oversimplifying things. Without a reassignment letter, there’s no going back now."
"As for repaying the money, I’m not worried. She’ll listen to me. Besides, without solid proof, how can she report me?"
Gao Yunxia insisted, "She has IOUs with our signatures. I saw them—they looked exactly like our handwriting."
Zhang Guohua’s eyes turned bloodshot. "How could she do this to me? She promised that once she divorced Han Jianwu, she would return to the city with me and ask her parents to help with jobs. How could she change her mind in an instant?"
Gao Yunxia sighed, "But she has changed! What’s the use of saying all this now?"
The Educated Youth were all discussing Huo Qingqing’s situation.
The Han Residence.
Huo Qingqing fed the two children egg custard and said to Mother Han, "Mom, from now on, let Zhuangzhuang and Niu Niu each have one egg every day. I'll give you the money." This statement served both as a request to her mother-in-law and as a message for the Han brothers and their wives to hear.
The Han family was too large, and the sisters-in-law quarreled every few days, each convinced that their parents-in-law showed favoritism.