Secretary Wang’s office was located at the very end of the second floor.
When Lin Ting arrived carrying Miao Miao in her arms and leading her mother-in-law and Guo Guo, she spotted Secretary Wang inside through the glass window and promptly knocked on the door.
Wang Chunling was hunched over, scribbling and sketching, when she heard the sound. Without looking up, she called out, “Come in!”
Lin Ting pushed the door open. The room was heated by a stove—though not as warm as a kang room, it was considerably cozier than outside. She didn’t glance around but instead turned to close the door, preventing the warmth from escaping, before greeting, “Secretary Wang.”
Wang Chunling paused her writing, looked up to see who it was, and immediately rose with a smile. “You’re quite early! Good thing I’ve been waiting since morning, or I might have missed you.”
Lin Ting took the words with a grain of salt, since Huo Xiao had scheduled this exact time yesterday. Still, she wore a grateful smile and said, “We’ve troubled you again, Secretary Wang. Having an official like you, so dedicated to the people, is truly a blessing for us common folk.”
Wang Chunling wasn’t one to get carried away by flattery, but pleasant words were always welcome. Her smile grew a touch more genuine. “Don’t just stand there—come sit and rest your feet.”
As she spoke, her gaze fell upon the Dragon and Phoenix Twins in their arms, their wide, curious eyes darting around. She fondly pulled two pieces of candy from her drawer and handed them over before settling into the chair opposite.
Hu Xiu, though sharp-witted in the village, felt somewhat intimidated in such a formal office setting. Apart from maintaining a smile, she remained largely silent.
Fortunately, her daughter-in-law was capable, engaging with the Commune Secretary smoothly and without hesitation.
Wang Chunling also found conversing with Lin Ting comfortable. Despite her youth, the girl spoke with remarkable poise. Remembering she was a newlywed, Wang Chunling teased lightly, “I suppose Comrade Huo Xiao will apply for family accompaniment this time?”
Lin Ting was momentarily caught off guard by the shift in topic. After a pause, she replied, “That matter isn’t certain yet.”
Wang Chunling glanced at Hu Xiu, assuming the mother-in-law was unwilling. Recalling how she and her own husband were often too busy to meet even once a year, she offered sincere advice, “As revolutionary partners, it’s better to be together if circumstances allow.”
Lin Ting pressed her lips into a faint smile and was about to respond when the telephone in the office abruptly rang.
Hu Xiu instinctively straightened up, her eyes fixed intently on the phone.
Noticing this, Lin Ting patted her hand reassuringly. Upon confirming it was Huo Xiao calling, she turned to her mother-in-law and said, “Mom, you answer it first.”
Hu Xiu was indeed anxious, feeling that only hearing her son’s voice would truly set her mind at ease. So, when Secretary Wang waved her over, she hurriedly stood up.
But after taking half a step, she turned back. “You should answer first.” After all, her son was married now.
Lin Ting quickly waved her off. “You go ahead.” She wasn’t quite ready to face Huo Xiao yet.
Worried her mother-in-law might insist, she simply pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped the sticky candy residue from the little one’s mouth.
Seeing this, Hu Xiu had no choice but to step forward and answer the call. “…Hello? …Ah! It’s me. How are you? What exactly happened? …You can’t say? Alright, alright, I won’t ask. I know you have to keep things confidential. But were you injured? …No injuries? That’s good… Really? That’s wonderful…”
Lin Ting watched as her mother-in-law progressed from initial sobs to composed emotions, then to beaming with joy.
She couldn’t help but wonder what expression the man three thousand kilometers away on the other end of the phone line might be wearing at this moment? He must be easy to communicate with, right? After all, he had managed to cheer up her mother-in-law so quickly. If he were difficult to get along with, she definitely wouldn’t force herself…
Just as her thoughts were running wild, she suddenly felt the little one in her arms pat her face.
Lin Ting snapped back to attention and looked down.
The little one said in a milky voice, “Mommy, Grandma is calling you.”
At that moment, Hu Xiu also walked over, her face full of joy: “We can’t talk on the phone for too long. Quick, hurry up and say a few words to that Xiaozi.” As she spoke, she reached out and pulled the person up from the chair, pushing her toward the telephone.
Lin Ting felt rather uncomfortable, as if being forced into action, but she had no choice but to brace herself and utter a “Hello!”
The other party must have been waiting all along. Upon hearing her voice, a deep, somewhat cool voice came through: “Lin Ting?”
His voice was quite pleasant and youthful, Lin Ting thought randomly: “Yes, it’s me.”
The man on the other end of the phone paused, as if he also didn’t know what to say.
Noticing that he was equally awkward, Lin Ting relaxed instead and took the initiative to ask: “I just heard Mom say that you’re coming back, is that right?”
“Yes, after I hand over some matters here, I can take home leave.”
“How many days off?”
“It’s not certain yet, but at least 20 days.”
“Won’t that be too rushed? The round trip alone would take 20 days, right?”
“No, I’ve been transferred. The new Troop is only a 4-day journey from home.”
Calculating it that way, he would still have at least six or seven days off. That should be fine…
“Lin Ting!”
Lin Ting instinctively responded: “Here!”
When a short, low chuckle came through the receiver, Lin Ting, feeling foolish, awkwardly turned sideways to avoid her mother-in-law’s curious gaze.
Fortunately, the man on the other end was considerate enough. After laughing a few times, he sincerely said: “Comrade Lin Ting, thank you.”
Hearing this, Lin Ting pursed her lips: “There’s nothing to thank me for…”
“Regardless, I must thank you.” Thank you for not giving up, thank you for staying by my mother’s side.
Lin Ting could sense the solemnity in the man’s words, but it was precisely because of this solemnity that she didn’t know how to respond.
Fortunately, after a few seconds of silence, the other party spoke again: “The call time is up. Once I confirm which day I’ll return, I’ll call the Commune again.”
“Okay…”
Having successfully spoken to her son, Hu Xiu was filled with excitement.
After bidding farewell to Secretary Wang, her steps down the stairs were light.
However, her good mood didn’t last long. Just a few steps out of the first-floor lobby, her daughter-in-law was bumped into and stumbled.
Hu Xiu instinctively reached out to steady her daughter-in-law. Once she was stable, she turned and frowned at the reckless fellow, questioning: “What’s wrong with you? Why did you bump right into someone?”
Thankfully Tingting reacted quickly, otherwise she would have surely fallen.
And she would have had to protect the little one in her arms—what good would that have done?
Thinking this, Hu Xiu’s gaze toward the man grew even sharper, reasonably suspecting that he had done it on purpose.
Qian Geming had, of course, done it on purpose. He had never seen such a beautiful woman before. Even if her husband was a military officer and not to be trifled with, it was worth taking the chance to touch her by bumping into her. After all, he had done this kind of thing many times.
But she hadn’t expected the woman to react so quickly—not only had she failed to get anything, but she’d also been publicly scolded by the old woman.
However… Qian Geming was quite confident in his looks. He straightened his Zhongshan suit and changed his approach: “My apologies, I wasn’t paying attention just now. Comrade, are you hurt?”
Most people in this era were simple and honest. Seeing his polite attitude, Hu Xiu’s expression softened.
But Lin Ting saw right through his ill intentions.
She frowned, ignoring him, and turned to her mother-in-law: “Mom, aren’t we in a hurry?”
Hu Xiu checked her wrist: “Right, right, the supply and marketing cooperative should be opening soon… By the timeline, Xiao should make it back for New Year. We need to stock up on more New Year goods at the cooperative. Also, since he missed your wedding, we should buy some candy to distribute to the village children…”
Realizing they had many items to purchase, she quickened her pace.
Goods at the supply and marketing cooperative were already hard to come by, and with New Year approaching, it became even more difficult.
When passing through the gate, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law politely greeted the gatekeeper.
It was meant as mere courtesy.
Unexpectedly, the old man waved them over.
When they approached, he said: “The man who bumped into you earlier rose to power through rebellion and destruction. He’s foul-minded. Young lady, you should be careful in the future. These times… are chaotic.”
Lin Ting had already sensed his ill intentions from the start, so she remained relatively calm.
In contrast, Hu Xiu, upon hearing the warning, belatedly realized the man had done it on purpose.
She immediately became furious—how could she let her daughter-in-law suffer this injustice? Trembling with anger, she turned to confront him.
But Lin Ting swiftly stopped her, first properly thanking the gatekeeper, then firmly pulling her mother-in-law away.
She too felt angry and disgusted, but since the man had only bumped into her, making a scene wouldn’t be justified.
Moreover, they had children with them. It was better to ensure their safe departure first, then tell her second brother Lin Wei later. He had friends from all walks of life, making him most suitable for dealing with such scoundrels.
However… this incident reminded Lin Ting that over the next decade, there would be countless rebels like Qian Geming—some even more brazen—many of whom would hold high positions.
Perhaps… only the Troops remained one of the few pure places.
“Tingting, don’t be upset. I’ll remember this for you. When Xiao returns, I’ll have him teach that man a lesson.” Having calmed down, Hu Xiu also realized that if they went back to confront him, not only would they gain nothing, but they might also be falsely accused, potentially ruining her daughter-in-law’s reputation.
Hearing this, Lin Ting’s contemplative mood vanished. She teased her mother-in-law with a sly smile: “Mom, we think alike! I was also planning to have my second brother ambush him with a sack. We shouldn’t fight battles we can’t win.”
Seeing that her daughter-in-law wasn’t too affected, Hu Xiu chuckled and said: “That works too. But let’s each make our own complaints—let’s have him beaten twice!”
Lin Ting genuinely laughed this time. She thought, having a good mother-in-law in a marriage was already a fortunate thing.
There was no market today.
But because New Year was approaching, there were quite a few people.
When the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law arrived at the supply and marketing cooperative and joined the villagers from Xiangyang Brigade, it was just minutes before opening.
Hu Xiu hadn’t fully recovered her health yet, and she was carrying a child. After walking for over ten minutes and squeezing through the crowd earlier, she was not only panting heavily but also breaking out in cold sweat on her forehead.
Lin Ting wasn’t much better off than her mother-in-law.
It was the familiar aunties who reached out to take the two children while casually asking, “Did you manage to get through to Xiao?”
Hu Xiu caught her breath and replied cheerfully, “Yes, and he might even make it back before the New Year.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful! Xiao hasn’t been back for several years now.”
“Exactly! What about you all? Did you sell your eggs?” In these times, saving money wasn’t easy. Unless absolutely necessary, people rarely touched their savings. But essentials like salt couldn’t be done without, so villagers mostly relied on selling eggs to buy salt and kerosene.
Hu Xiu used to save up too, but after having children, she stopped selling.
“We did, but the purchasing station lowered the prices again. My whole basket of eggs didn’t get me much. From now on, we might have to live in the dark at night…”
“True, times are hard. Even salt has to be used sparingly.”
“……”
Listening to the aunties lamenting about their difficult lives, Lin Ting couldn’t help but let her mind wander.
She had read about this era in history and knew that since the early 1960s, there had been policies encouraging rabbit farming for wool export to earn foreign exchange certificates. She wondered if Xiangyang Brigade could try this?
If feasible, it could solve employment issues for many people.
As the one proposing the idea, it shouldn’t be hard to secure a few positions for her family.
Just as Lin Ting was pondering when to discuss this with her second brother, the supply and marketing cooperative opened.
Then, everyone switched to panic-buying mode…
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law bought a full basket of goods.
By the time they returned home, it was already 11 a.m.
Not only were they exhausted with weak legs, but even the Dragon and Phoenix Twins were dozing off.
Indeed, right after finishing their malt extract, they fell asleep on the table.
While her mother-in-law carried the children back to the room to settle them, Lin Ting didn’t rest either.
She began unpacking the items from the basket one by one.
But when she picked up a piece of black fabric, she hesitated, thinking about her mother-in-law’s intentions.
“What are you spacing out for?” Hu Xiu came out of the west room and saw her daughter-in-law blankly holding the fabric meant for her son’s clothes.
Lin Ting turned around and admitted honestly, “Didn’t you ask me to make clothes for Huo Xiao? But I don’t know how.”
Hu Xiu gave her daughter-in-law a playful glare, “Who said you have to do it yourself? That’s too much trouble! There’s an old tailor in our village with excellent skills.”
“But you said earlier that I should make them?”
“Just stitch a couple of symbolic stitches when the time comes. I used to do the same with Huo Xiao’s father. Men are careless about these things—they won’t even notice. Having clothes to wear is good enough for them. Besides, even if they find out, it’s fine. You bought the fabric yourself, right? And you put in a couple of stitches, right? That’s plenty!”
Lin Ting…
Having discovered a whole new world, Lin Ting looked at her mother-in-law with admiration.
Hu Xiu chuckled at her expression, “Alright, put all these things in your room. What should we eat for lunch? I’ll cook.”
Lin Ting replied, “Aren’t you tired? Go lie down for a while. There are leftover steamed cornbread and coarse porridge from this morning. I’ll heat them up later—we can make do with that.”
Hu Xiu was indeed tired and nodded readily, “Sure, but I’ll heat them up. You finish putting things away, and we can eat right after.”
With that, she already put on the apron hanging on the wall and headed out.
Seeing this, Lin Ting curved her peach blossom eyes into a smile, first carrying several pieces of fabric to her room.
No sooner had she pushed the door open than she spotted an envelope wedged in the crack of the back window.
Frowning, she first placed the fabric into the trunk before walking over to the window.
There was no writing on the envelope, and no one outside the window.
After hesitating for a few more breaths, Lin Ting still pulled out the envelope and opened it.
Inside was only one line of crooked, scrawled characters: I know you weren’t looking for Huo Xiao the other day. As long as you leave the Huo family quickly, I won’t expose you.
Out of just over twenty characters, five were misspelled.
This was Lin Ting’s first reaction as a people’s teacher.