“What do you mean? Who are you talking about?” Lin Ming brushed off his younger brother’s hand, not understanding the riddle they were exchanging.
Lin Wei had never shared his suspicions with anyone else.
Now that his sister had returned, he was even less inclined to speak of them.
So he curved his peach blossom eyes into a smile: “Nothing, just joking.”
Though he said this, the glance he cast at his sister told a completely different story.
Lin Ting…
Perhaps because her cheek had been pinched earlier, or perhaps because Lin Wei bore a seventy to eighty percent resemblance to her own elder brother, Lin Ting found herself growing less nervous. After all, it wasn’t she who had done anything wrong.
So even though she knew Second Brother intended to settle scores later, she felt no fear, adopting an almost reckless defiance.
Her attitude made Lin Wei want to discipline her again.
Meanwhile, Lin Ming watched his younger siblings with suspicion, but after a long moment of scrutiny, he still couldn’t decipher anything. He bent down to pick up a bundle: “Alright, save the talk for later. Let’s not stand here freezing.”
He took after their father, unlike his younger siblings, embodying the typical northern man—tall, rugged, with thick eyebrows and large eyes, exuding a strong masculine aura.
The bundle that felt overwhelmingly heavy to Lin Ting was effortlessly light in Lin Ming’s hands.
His other free hand wasn’t idle either, half-enclosing her to shield her from the crowd as he guided her out of the platform.
The journey from Bingcheng Railway Station to Xiangyang Brigade would take the better part of a day.
When the original host had set out, she first walked to the town, waited for daybreak to take the early bus to the county seat, and then transferred from there to Bingcheng Railway Station.
Lin Ting assumed the return trip would be roughly the same.
To her surprise, after exiting the railway station, her brothers led her toward a somewhat worn military jeep.
Before she could voice her confusion, the passenger door of the jeep swung open.
Wang Chunling jumped out, squinting as she scrutinized the girl who had thrown the entire commune into chaos just a few steps away.
She had been the secretary of Huo Family Village Commune for less than two years. Though she had heard that Xiangyang Brigade had a university student, this was her first time meeting her.
Frankly, she didn’t see anything particularly remarkable about her.
If she had to pick something out, it would be her complexion, which was darker than most commune members.
But considering how this girl had earned her praise from higher-ups, Wang Chunling didn’t care whether she was dusky or fair-skinned. She stepped forward and gave her a firm handshake, praising warmly, “Hello, Comrade Lin! We’ve spoken on the phone. I’m Wang Chunling. You’re quite something, young comrade—our entire commune is proud of you!”
Lin Ting had just grasped the visitor’s identity when she was taken aback by Secretary Wang’s enthusiasm.
Once she processed the meaning behind the words, she couldn’t help feeling displeased.
With several years of work experience as an office worker, she knew most leaders enjoyed engaging in formalism.
The person before her had clearly leveraged the original host’s status as a martyr’s widow to make a big show.
However displeased she felt, Lin Ting was past the age of impulsive confrontations.
Challenging the commune secretary head-on over something that had already happened would bring no benefit to her or her family.
That said, she could still take steps to prevent the other party from continuing to use her for publicity.
After all, from what she remembered, though Wang Chunling was somewhat power-hungry, she was also someone who worked to benefit the people.
Thinking this, Lin Ting’s face revealed a somewhat bitter smile: “Back then, I left quietly not only because I was afraid my family would object, but also because I didn’t want to use Huo Xiao’s sacrifice for publicity. He is a hero—how could he become gossip in others’ mouths?”
Little did she know, Wang Chunling, having tasted the benefits, truly had the idea of taking Lin Ting around to promote the story.
What a perfect opportunity to promote the unity between the military and the people!
Hearing Lin Ting’s words now, Wang Chunling’s smile remained unchanged, but inwardly she grew somewhat displeased, wondering if Lin Ting had guessed her intentions.
Was she deliberately blocking her?
Just then, Lin Wei, who had finished storing the luggage, walked over. As if oblivious to the strange atmosphere between the two, he smiled and said, “Secretary Wang, let’s get in the car first.”
The man in the driver’s seat timely raised his booming voice to urge: “Hey~ Old Wang, you’re always so full of nonsense. Hurry up and get in the car—I’ve got to get back before dark!”
Wang Chunling, criticized for her nonsense, stiffened for a moment. But remembering the other’s status, she quickly smiled again: “Look at me, I was so happy to see Comrade Lin that I forgot everything. Let’s get in the car—we can chat inside!”
“Director Hu is the head of the County Armed Forces Department and was comrades-in-arms with your brother-in-law. He volunteered to pick you up today,” Lin Wei quickly whispered in his sister’s ear during the brief moment before getting in the car.
Then, taking a handkerchief from his pocket, he bent down to wrap up a handful of snow before boarding.
The jeep had seven seats.
Lin Ming, experiencing a car for only the second time in his life (the first being on the way here), awkwardly huddled in the back row with the luggage.
Lin Ting and her second brother sat in the middle, making it easier to chat with the leaders in the front.
Of course, once the car started, it was mostly Director Hu who spoke.
Whenever Wang Chunling tried to speak, Director Hu would interject with sharp, booming remarks.
After two such interruptions, it was clear to everyone that he was doing it on purpose.
Though unsure why she was being targeted, Wang Chunling wisely chose not to clash with someone from the Armed Forces Department and kept quiet.
Seeing her compliance, Director Hu’s anger subsided somewhat, and he focused on chatting with Lin Ting and her brothers.
Director Hu was from Pengcheng and 46 years old.
Although he and Huo Xiao had served in the same troop, by the time Huo Xiao was a new recruit, Director Hu had already been transferred to the local armed forces department.
Their first and only meeting was three years ago, when Huo Xiao returned to his hometown on leave after being promoted to deputy regiment leader.
Surprisingly, they hit it off and later corresponded frequently, becoming close despite their age difference.
So when news of Huo Xiao’s sacrifice came, Director Hu sat in his office all night, smoking two packs of cigarettes he had saved.
Initially, he had somewhat resented Lin Ting for Wang Chunling’s publicity of the “heroic wife of Huo Xiao.”
Of course, gratitude far outweighed any resentment.
As a fellow soldier, he was happy for Huo Xiao and genuinely admired Lin Ting’s courage in traveling thousands of miles alone, which was why he had personally driven to pick her up.
Now, knowing she had been manipulated, his previous prejudice naturally vanished.
He was even less willing to let Wang Chunling go too far.
The journey took most of the day.
As dusk began to fall, the car came to a steady stop at the entrance of Xiangyang Brigade.
The village roads were narrow and covered in thick snow, making it impossible for the car to proceed.
Neither Director Hu nor Secretary Wang would agree to come in for a meal.
Lin Ting could only join her brothers in expressing profound gratitude as they watched the two drive away.
Only when the vehicle had completely disappeared from sight did Lin Wei look down at his sister. “Did you tell your… mother-in-law about your return today?”
Lin Ting shook her head. She just wanted to return quietly, not be gawked at like a circus monkey.
Lin Wei: “Then… should we go back to our home first?”
Truthfully, he preferred to take his sister back to their own home. After all, everyone knew the circumstances of this marriage.
But her husband’s situation was truly special—they couldn’t even muster up any resentment toward him.
Lin Ming frowned, glaring disapprovingly at his younger brother.
Yet, it was their own sister they were concerned about, so despite opening his mouth several times, he couldn’t bring himself to scold her.
After hesitating for a couple of seconds, Lin Ting pointed to the bundles in her brothers’ hands. “Let’s go back to my in-laws’ place first. My mother-in-law is waiting too.”
Hearing this, Lin Wei nodded and started walking toward Xiangyang Brigade. “Then I’ll come pick you up tomorrow?”
Lin Ting wiped the frost crystals from her long lashes, using the motion to hide the unease in her eyes. “Tomorrow?” So soon?
Lin Wei: “You have to go back and see them eventually. Mom cried so hard her eyes were swollen for days after you left.”
Lin Ming also patted his sister’s head. “Don’t be afraid. Mom and Dad love you most.”
Was that what she was afraid of? Lin Ting felt helpless inside but didn’t dare show it, only mumbling in response: “Alright then.”
Lin Wei: “Not happy about it?”
Lin Ting’s heart jumped: “No!”
“Oh… I feel like you’ve become quieter since returning, and more mature too.” As he spoke, he turned to study his sister closely.
The medicinal stains on Lin Ting’s face had been wiped clean by the snow-dampened handkerchief he’d used earlier.
Without the dark medicinal residue and disheveled hair to hide behind, any slight change in expression would be noticeable.
So Lin Ting forced herself to remain composed, managing to reply calmly: “Haven’t I always been like this?”
Lin Wei chuckled, his tone carrying an intimacy that put people at ease. “Well now, has our silly girl really grown up? Going on a long trip seems to have made you prettier too—people might mistake you for a city girl… Ah… Speaking of which, time flies. Remember when we went to steal strawberries together when you were six?”
Lin Ting blinked: “Mom said it doesn’t count as stealing if it’s from our own field. And you getting beaten wasn’t my fault—who told you to be so mean, grabbing toads and stuffing them into little brother’s clothes?”
Hearing this, the suspicion in Lin Wei’s eyes instantly vanished, replaced by amusement. He mentally chided himself for overthinking things.
Still… when his sister had wiped the medicinal stains off her face earlier, he’d genuinely had trouble recognizing her.
The clothing was identical, the facial features were the same, even the red mole at the corner of her eye was unchanged from before.
But her overall presence felt completely different.
The former aloofness and gloominess were gone, replaced by openness and grace.
Satisfied with the test results, Lin Wei couldn’t resist joking: “Well, little brother was always the gullible one.”
Completely unaware that his siblings had just tested each other right under his nose, Lin Ming laughed and scolded: “You, always so unreliable. You’ve loved bullying people since childhood, no wonder little brother gets mad just seeing you.”
Lin Wei shifted blame: “That’s because he’s got a bad temper.”
Lin Ming shook his head in amusement: “You’ve got a good temper? Second Brother, you’re 23 already, little brother’s only 17. Can’t you give in to him sometimes?”
Lin Wei laughed carelessly: “I’ll definitely let him win next time.”
Lin Ming pressed: “When exactly is ‘next time’?”
Lin Wei: “Then I really need to think this through carefully…”
Listening to the two brothers chatting about everyday matters, Lin Ting’s tightly wound nerves gradually relaxed.
…Did I pass the test?
Why is Second Brother so sharp?
Is he a monkey reincarnated or something…
“Tingting… Tingting!”
Lin Ting snapped back to reality and realized her brothers had stopped walking for some reason. She looked confused: “What’s wrong?”
Lin Wei didn’t ask what she was thinking about, but said meaningfully: “Your idea of sneaking back quietly really isn’t as good as going openly.”
“Wh-what do you mean?” How could we still run into villagers even taking back roads? It’s dinner time!
Lin Wei gave his sister a confirming look, then his tall figure stepped aside.
Without his blocking the view, Lin Ting unexpectedly found herself meeting several pairs of childish eyes.
They were children from the village.
Lin Ting felt relieved and was about to bribe them with some candy when…
The children across from them suddenly seemed to have been triggered, turning around and running toward the village while screaming at the top of their lungs:
“The Huo family’s runaway daughter-in-law has been caught and brought back!”
“The Huo family’s daughter-in-law who stole money is back!”
“The Huo family’s daughter-in-law brought two men into the grove…”
“The Huo family…”
So this is how rumors get started.
This is just… utterly unlucky!
Lin Ting’s face darkened as she dragged her laughing brothers toward her in-laws’ house at a run!