Zhang Guohua carried his luggage and went to the Commune's Educated Youth Office with a hopeful heart to process his return-to-city procedures. The commune clerk reviewed his documents and said, "Where's the acceptance letter from the provincial capital and the settlement certificate?"
Zhang Guohua took out a pack of cigarettes and said, "Comrade, my father is a factory leader. The quotas have all been allocated to other families' children first. They told me to go home and wait for opportunities. Could you please process the procedures for this junior? Rest assured, I won't forget your kindness in the future."
Zhang Guohua was truly born to make a living with his silver tongue.
The clerk declined Zhang Guohua's expensive cigarettes and said, "Educated Youth Zhang, urban jobs are hard to arrange now. Unemployed youth who have returned to the cities are constantly causing trouble. The higher-ups are enforcing strict controls – without an acceptance certificate, I dare not process your procedures. I could face legal consequences. You'd better return to where you came from and wait patiently for opportunities!"
Fuming with anger, Zhang Guohua returned to Han Family Village. He wanted to confront Huo Qingqing, but when he reached the village, he lost his nerve. The Han family had many brothers – Second Brother was a brigade cadre, and Han Jianwu was notoriously tough throughout the region.
If he dared to cause trouble at the Han family's home, he would certainly get beaten up and sent for criticism and re-education.
That evening, after settling the two children, Huo Qingqing asked Han Jianwu, "Are we still cooking tomorrow?"
Han Jianwu said, "Today was the third day. Tomorrow should be Fifth Brother's turn. Why?"
Huo Qingqing said, "Could you take a day off tomorrow? I want to go to the county town to buy some things."
This place was remote – a woman wouldn't dare travel far alone.
Han Jianwu hadn't fully adjusted to Huo Qingqing's transformation yet and remained vigilant. He glanced at her twice and nodded, "Alright."
Huo Qingqing moved the kerosene lamp to the flat cabinet and said, "I'm going to write a letter to my parents and mail it at the post office tomorrow."
Huo Qingqing's marriage to Han Jianwu had indeed been unrelated to love – it was purely for self-preservation, something Han Jianwu had always known.
Back then, Huo Qingqing had been anonymously reported and faced being taken to the commune for criticism. Han Jianwu had begged Second Brother and brigade leaders to protect her, but the commune still insisted on taking her away for detention and investigation, promising to return her to Han Family Village if she was cleared.
How could someone like Huo Qingqing, who could barely handle a hoe, endure such a place?
Han Jianwu told the commune clerk that Huo Qingqing was his girlfriend and they were about to get married. As a retired soldier with military commendation medals, and through various negotiations, he managed to help Huo Qingqing avoid the criticism session.
After weighing the pros and cons, Huo Qingqing had no choice but to marry Han Jianwu. At the time, she thought marrying him wasn't so bad – he was a retired soldier, handsome and capable with skills, unconditionally good to her, and even helped arrange a substitute teaching position at the Brigade Primary School for her.
As for love, she didn't harbor hopes anymore. One must live in the present and face reality – that was how she came to marry Han Jianwu.
After marriage, Huo Qingqing only shared good news with her parents in letters, never mentioning her marriage or children. She felt that selling herself to a rural man for survival and bearing his children was her shame. She only waited for the day her parents would be politically rehabilitated, so she could leave this place when the opportunity arose.
Just after the New Year, her mother wrote saying her issues had been resolved. Though she knew it was difficult for educated youth to return to cities now, they had a military enlistment quota for Huo Qingqing that could bring her back first.
In her reply letter to her mother, Huo Qingqing mentioned asking her mother to secure two quotas for returning to the city along with rations. Surprisingly, her mother wrote back agreeing to it. This quota was specifically requested by Huo Qingqing for Zhang Guohua.
"Ah—"
Under the kerosene lamp, Huo Qingqing let out a long sigh, tears streaming down her face as she wrote. For the first time, she revealed to her parents the true circumstances of her life over the years and decided not to return to the city for the time being.
Although Educated Youth who went to the countryside had their grain relations transferred to the local production team, as long as there was an opportunity to return to the city, the local authorities would handle the procedures for their return and grain relations, allowing them to go back normally. But marrying a local farmer was entirely different—both she and her children's household registrations had become completely rural, and they were entered into the Han family's household register. Farmers were not permitted to enter the city, let alone return for long-term residence, unless she divorced and abandoned everything here.
Han Jianwu walked up behind Huo Qingqing, wanting to comfort her, but withdrew his outstretched hand and said, "Why are you crying? If you regret it, we can go get a divorce tomorrow. You can leave anytime."
Huo Qingqing wiped her tears and said, "I'm not crying because of that. I already said I'm not leaving, and you're still trying to send me away."
Han Jianwu laughed in frustration. "I'm not sending you away. I just see you crying nonstop, and anyone who didn't know better would think I was forcing you to stay."
If her heart wasn't here, staying would only lead to cold violence, cuckolding him, and making him the laughingstock of the village—there'd be no other benefit. As for the children, he could raise them on his own.
Huo Qingqing sighed, folded the finished letter, and put it into her satchel. "There aren't any photos of the two children. I don't even have a picture of them to send to my parents."
There was no photo studio in the Commune; if they wanted to take photos, they had to go to the county town.
Han Jianwu said, "How about we take the kids with us tomorrow and get some photos taken while we're at it?"
Huo Qingqing had been thinking the same thing, but she wondered how her sisters-in-law and mother-in-law would react when they heard.
In the past, she was always ready to abandon her husband and children, so she turned a blind eye to the internal conflicts within the Han family, avoiding them whenever possible. As long as the fire didn't reach her, even if they targeted her, Han Jianwu would shield her.
But now it was different. She wanted to live here with this man and their children. She would definitely return to the city through the college entrance exam in the future, but until then, she had to cherish every day here and every person around her.
Huo Qingqing asked, "Is that okay?"
Han Jianwu replied, "Why wouldn't it be? I'll just go tell my dad and mom."
Huo Qingqing said, "Okay, tell them we'll use my own money and coupons, not a single cent from the family."
Han Jianwu curled his lip and said, "I have some."
Huo Qingqing took out a large-denomination National General-Purpose Coupon and her savings pass. "Use mine."
The Han family was currently managed by the parents and Oldest Brother and his wife. Everyone's work points were tallied into the family's general account, so where would their small family get money and coupons?
This was also the reason her sisters-in-law quarreled frequently—they all wanted to divide the household but didn't dare bring it up, so they fought among themselves instead.
Seeing that it was still early, Han Jianwu went to ask the production team leader for time off. After returning, he went to tell his parents that he and Huo Qingqing would take the kids to the county town the next day.
The old couple scolded Han Jianwu, repeating the same old criticisms: Fourth Son's brain had been soaked in dirty water, he had no regard for a man's dignity, and he was being toyed with by her—one moment she wanted to run off with another man, the next she wanted to stay and live with him.
Mother Han was more than eager to see Huo Qingqing gone. With Old Fourth's looks and capabilities, even with two kids in tow, he could easily find a wife ten times better than Huo Qingqing.
In the countryside, when looking for a wife, people cared about whether she was healthy, thrifty, and capable both inside and outside the home—who cared about a pretty face?
Unfortunately, Han Jianwu was the type who only cared about looks.
When his parents scolded him, Han Jianwu stayed silent. But the moment he heard his mother criticizing Huo Qingqing again, he instantly straightened up.
"Mom, what are you doing? It's not costing the family a single cent—she's using her own money and ration coupons. She said she wants to take photos of the two kids to send to her parents."
Han Lao Die asked, "Have her parents been rehabilitated?"
Han Jianwu replied, "Her mother has already been rehabilitated. Her father will need a bit more time, but it should be soon."
Han Lao Die, who seemed simple and honest on the surface, actually understood everything clearly. He said, "Then it should be sent. The maternal grandparents ought to see their grandchildren. Go ahead! But keep a close eye on the kids—child traffickers have been running rampant lately."
Mother Han grumbled, "That foul mouth of yours, I can't even."
The old couple of the Han family dearly loved children. Even after having so many of their own, they still doted on their grandchildren. The main reason was that this Old Fourth was exceptionally capable and highly useful to the family.