“Chief Han, Chief Han, let’s talk this over rationally.” Huang Weizhong hurriedly stepped forward to mediate, trying to get Han Qingsong to calm down and not take a grudge against Zhao Anpin.
Han Qingsong finally released Zhao Anpin. Although Zhao Anpin had childishly backtracked by claiming the bribe was actually just him counting his own money, it was still a slick, mudfish-like escape from the suspicion of gifting bribes to solicit favors.
Even if there were suspicions about the illicit origin of his wealth, the commune management had no jurisdiction; only the county could investigate.
And the county was not under Han Qingsong’s sole command.
Zhao Anpin was certain that Han Qingsong could do nothing to him, but he also realized he had no way to plead for his nephew anymore, which made him feel incredibly stifled.
Han Qingsong let Zhao Anpin go.
Zhao Anpin immediately scooped the vouchers he had brought back into his own pocket. Hmph, refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!
Just you wait!
Because of this incident, he could no longer say anything to Director Jia and had to ride his bicycle to chase after his elder brother and Zhao Jianshe’s party.
After he left, Sun Zhuowen said, “Director, look at the mess this has caused.”
Director Jia gave a hearty laugh: “Just a misunderstanding, a mere misunderstanding. Colleagues are just like a married couple; they need to break in, and we all need to break in more with each other.”
He was adept at smoothing things over. Sun Zhuowen knew that Jia couldn’t afford to offend Han Qingsong, but he hadn’t expected that even such a small matter would fail, which left him feeling thoroughly aggrieved.
Sun Zhuowen felt even more suffocated than the time he had to squeeze into a tiny room with a dozen people to sleep years ago.
Although he remained indignant, he had to maintain a veneer of respect toward Han Qingsong to avoid this hotheaded rookie suddenly accusing him of insubordination.
In any case, with a new official taking office, his cunning subordinates wouldn't dare to openly stage any displays of intimidation to prove their own mettle.
Zhao Anpin, who prided himself on having vast connections and unconventional paths, ultimately failed to fish his nephew out. He could only watch with his elder brother as Zhao Jianshe was tearfully taken into the farm.
“Dad, Second Uncle, you have to find a way! I don’t want to be locked up, wu wu~~”
Zhao Anpin and his elder brother felt as if their hearts were being sliced with knives; they wished they could suffer in the nephew's place.
Although the labor farm was similar to working in the brigade, Zhao Jianshe had been pampered since childhood; when had he ever done a lick of work?
With such delicate skin and tender flesh, how could he endure that kind of hardship now that he had to work the fields?
Zhao’s father was already covering his face and sobbing, “Second brother, what happened to Jianshe? Such a good child, how could he steal things? We have everything we need at home, why would he steal? Our Jianshe has been obedient since he was little. Was it some bad kid who led him astray? I told you not to let him play with those hoodlums; they would corrupt our Jianshe sooner or later, and now it’s happened.”
As he spoke, he added bitterly: “Is someone framing our Jianshe? Second brother, tell me, did you offend someone outside, and they are taking it out on our Jianshe?”
Zhao Anpin couldn't say anything; he couldn't very well admit that Jianshe hadn't been well-behaved outside, and there wasn't a single factory in the county that he hadn't stolen from.
He could only listen to his elder brother’s tearful complaints while feeling the same heart-wrenching pain. Deep down, however, he hated Han Qingsong to the core.
The two brothers had no choice but to bike back to the city. On the way, Zhao’s father remained silent, his face grim.
“Elder brother, don’t you worry. I’ll pull some strings to get Jianshe assigned to lighter work so he won’t have to labor in the fields.”
“The director’s younger brother, that Jinbao, is also at this farm, right?”
“Who else would it be? What a fool; he actually sent his own younger brother there. I’ve never seen such a heartless person—he doesn't even care about his own parents anymore.”
“Hmph!” Zhao’s father wore a sinister expression.
The brothers would inevitably have to return to the county to think of ways to retaliate, while also taking the opportunity to file complaints against Han Qingsong everywhere, tarnishing his reputation by painting him as an uneducated, vulgar, and heartless blockhead who didn't understand the ways of the world.
This actually provided Han Qingsong with a lot of convenience later on, as people knew he was "blunt" and wouldn't beat around the bush with him, or they mistakenly thought he was stupid and easy to fool, only to be outplayed themselves.
……
Han Qingsong didn't care at all and just went about his business.
Someone from the Supply and Marketing Cooperative came to send him a message that the old director was back and wanted to see him.
Han Qingsong headed straight to the cooperative.
The commune wasn't large, and the various offices were basically adjacent, so it only took a moment to get there.
Director Qian was in his early fifties, with graying hair and an imposing appearance, his eyes revealing a sharp shrewdness.
After the usual pleasantries and introductions, and hearing Han Qingsong’s intent, Director Qian smiled: “Chief Han, to be honest, our commune only has this one brick kiln, and bricks and tiles are truly in short supply. The county's requisitions are all sent here, plus those from the various brigades of our Revolutionary Committee; the applications waiting in line here will take nearly three years to process.”
Even if ordinary members couldn't afford bricks and tiles, there were others who could.
Even then, the wait was already three or four years.
This showed just how scarce materials were.
Han Qingsong figured he might not make the queue, or if he tried to find a way to burn his own bricks, he would still need to buy firewood and coal, which would require applying to the cooperative anyway—and he likely wouldn't be able to get it for years either.
Just as Director Qian finished explaining how difficult it was to purchase them, he added: “Don’t worry, let me flip through the orders.”
He opened a drawer filled with stacks of clipped order forms—all applications for bricks, tiles, and other building materials.
Director Qian pulled one out and flipped through it with a rustling sound. After a few stacks, he gave a happy “Oh,” and said, “Found it.”
“Some people pulled a batch a while ago, and they aren't in a rush recently, so let’s set these aside for Chief Han to deal with an emergency,” Director Qian said, pulling out three forms and showing them to Han Qingsong. “I don’t know how big a house you are building; is this enough?”
Han Qingsong took a look—it was nearly 20,000 bricks, just under 4,000 tiles, plus three carts of lime and some yellow sand.
This was quite unexpected!
Even if the members applied to buy them themselves, the most they would ever be approved for was 3,000 to 5,000 bricks, and that would be considered lucky.
Han Qingsong revealed a faint smile: “It’s enough. Thank you, Director; you’ve been a huge help.”
Director Qian laughed: “What’s the big deal? We should support each other.”
The bricks weren't all red bricks; a portion were blue bricks, and the tiles were grey-black, along with some cylindrical tiles.
Han Qingsong didn't mind; as long as there were bricks and tiles, that was all that mattered.
After chatting a bit more, Han Qingsong asked Director Qian to provide more feedback and requirements, promising that he would lead the commune militia to meet their security and other needs as much as possible.
Director Qian laughed: “Chief Han, if you hadn't said it, I would have been too embarrassed to ask. There is something you really can help with.”
Han Qingsong: “Please, go ahead.”
“It’s about delivering and picking up goods,” Director Qian raked his graying hair. “Our supply cooperative is responsible for collecting rural agricultural products and livestock from the countryside to send to the county supply cooperative, and then transporting industrial goods back down. This back-and-forth is quite a hassle, and our cooperative only has a few people, mostly women. While women can hold up half the sky, the heavy lifting really is difficult for them to handle.”
Han Qingsong nodded: “If the cooperative has needs, just send someone to the Public Security Bureau to let us know. Our young militia men are very willing to help.”
The supply cooperative was a system; in fact, the commune’s slaughter team, blacksmith team, and carpentry team were all under its jurisdiction.
The slaughter team was fine, as it was mostly men, but the cooperative’s job of collecting eggs and poultry was somewhat strenuous for the women.
With limited staffing, most people who used connections to get in were women, which gave Director Qian a bit of a headache.
After talking for a while, Han Qingsong took his leave. He figured that moving so many bricks and tiles with a mule cart would take at least several trips, so to prevent any complications, it was safer to haul them back as soon as possible. Otherwise, they would be busy with the autumn harvest soon, and it would be hard to borrow carts or find spare hands.
He left Director Qian’s office, stopped by the sales department, bought something for Lin Lan, and decided that since there was nothing else to do, he might as well return to the village to borrow mule carts and find people to help haul the goods from the brick factory.
When he returned to his office to pick up his bag, Han Qingyun happened to be waiting for him.
“Third Brother,” Han Qingyun was always cheerful whenever he saw Han Qingsong, calling him more affectionately than he did his own biological brother.
Han Qingsong told him to sit while he quietly tucked the scarf he had bought into his bag. “Did Grandfather come too?”
Han Qingyun shook his head: “No, he sent me to run an errand to bring back the judgment results for Han Qinghua and the other thieves.” Although those thieves weren't from their village, they had stolen from the village, so the members were quite concerned.
Han Qingsong asked: “Why didn’t they come this morning?”
During the sentencing this morning, no one from Shanzui Village had arrived, except for the families of Shorty and Skinny.
Han Qingyun smiled: “My dad said that since the autumn harvest is coming, no one can miss work, so he didn’t allow anyone to come to the commune to cause a scene and sent me to fetch the results instead. He said if anyone is worried, they can visit the farm after the harvest is done.”
This was naturally a public-facing justification; in reality, it was to support Han Qingsong’s work and prevent Yu the Pockmarked from bringing people over to cause trouble.
She was one thing, but the critical factor was Old Mrs. Han. If she was instigated by Yu the Pockmarked to cast aside all caution and bring people over to wail and cry, it would look terrible and would put pressure on Han Qingsong while negatively impacting him.
This was what the old party secretary meant by supporting Han Qingsong’s work as much as possible so the villagers wouldn't hold him back.
Han Qingsong naturally thought of this and nodded: “I understand.”
Dealing with difficult villagers was something commune cadres, or even militia and the Public Security Bureau, weren't very effective at; the most effective way was to use village cadres with prestige.
Like Han Yongfang—there was no one in Shanzui Village who didn't fear him.
Han Qingsong told him to go ahead and get back to work.
Han Qingyun smiled: “What do I have to be busy with? Third Brother, are you heading out? Do you want me to lend a hand?”
Seeing that Han Qingyun didn't seem in a rush to head home, Han Qingsong said: “I bought some bricks and tiles and want to go haul them back.”
“I’ll go! How could you, the great Chief, do that kind of work?” Han Qingyun volunteered automatically, bowing his head to pick up the paper Han Qingsong had left on the table.
Seeing it was for 20,000 bricks, he gasped in surprise: “Third Brother, you’re something else!”
In this day and age, being able to buy 20,000 bricks all at once was definitely impressive.
Han Qingsong said: “Before the autumn harvest begins, we’ll borrow some mule carts to make a few trips.”
Han Qingyun: “I’ll help you.”
Han Qingsong: “How about this: I’ll go to the slaughter team to borrow a mule cart, and you head home to ask your sister-in-law for two hundred yuan and borrow two more carts. We can haul three loads today, and the rest can be done later.”
He took pen and paper and quickly wrote a line, telling Han Qingyun to take it back for Lin Lan to see.
Han Qingyun smiled: “My sister-in-law is illiterate.”
Han Qingsong shot him a look: “You know that, do you?”
Han Qingyun laughed cheekily: “Even a great Chief has to get approval slips from his wife to spend money.” Saying this, he took off running.
When Han Qingyun reached the village, he first went to the brigade to report to the secretary, then couldn't wait any longer and ran to find Lin Lan.
……
Lin Lan had practiced enough over the past few days; after sewing a quilt, she had begun sewing cotton-padded jackets and trousers.
Dawang’s were too small and needed to be redone, and then the younger ones would inherit their older brothers’ clothes.
Unfortunately, Sanwang’s were as tattered as a beggar’s outfit and were too shameful to pass on to Xiaowang.
So Lin Lan had to sew cotton clothes for three children. She started to worry again, and while worrying, she wondered if she should try to train Maisui and Erwang?
If the two children helped, it would probably be faster.
But they had to go to school, and after school, they had to do some small work for the production team to earn work points, so it was hard to ask them.
Han Qingsong was willing, but after all, he was a man and a Chief, and he had been busy at work for the past few days, so she didn't want to make him do needlework.
There were already jokes circulating in the village about Han Qingsong going home after work to help his clumsy wife sew quilts.
Although she didn't care at all, she still had to think about Han Qingsong and the children.
Han Qingyun called out from outside, and Lin Lan let him in.
Seeing Lin Lan sewing a cotton jacket, Han Qingyun smiled: “Sister-in-law, why aren't you leaving it for my brother to sew?”
“It’s not like I don’t know how to sew, so of course I don’t need him,” Lin Lan laughed. “What’s the matter?”
Han Qingyun handed the paper to Lin Lan: “A love letter from Third Brother for you.”
Seeing him grinning, Lin Lan knew he was joking: “Nonsense, your Third Brother couldn't write a love letter if his life depended on it.”
She took it and looked; it said to take money to buy bricks and tiles.
She said in surprise: “You bought bricks and tiles?”
Han Qingyun: “Yup, that’s just how my Third Brother is—there’s nothing he can’t accomplish.”
Lin Lan asked how much it cost.
Han Qingyun: “At least 2.5 fen per brick, maybe 3 fen. We can’t haul that many at once, so it’ll take a few trips. We don’t have to pay all at once.”
Lin Lan calculated: bricks were 2 or 3 fen, while tiles and cylindrical tiles were more expensive, likely 6 fen to a jiao. By that reckoning, most of the demobilization allowance Han Qingsong had brought back would be spent.
However, with so many bricks, their own family might not even use them all.
In these times, you couldn't buy things even if you had money, so if you had a chance to buy more, you naturally had to haul it back.
Even if you bought them back and resold them, it would be good business.
If you sold bricks without needing a requisition slip, someone would definitely come to buy them for 3.5 or 4 fen each.
She gave Han Qingyun 300 yuan and wrote a note for 300 yuan on the slip, asking him to take it back.
Han Qingyun said: “Sister-in-law, your handwriting isn't bad at all.”
“That’s right, don’t look down on your sister-in-law!” Lin Lan feigned a fiery attitude. “I am proficient in both the pen and the sword!”
Han Qingyun was secretly shocked that Lin Lan seemed like a different person; she had taken out 300 yuan without even blinking.
300 yuan—even his own family couldn't easily produce that much.
Han Qingyun wrapped the money and the note in a handkerchief, tucked it into his inner pocket, and then went to the brigade to borrow the carts, calling on a few young men to help.
He wanted to call the Eldest Han Brother and Second Han Brother, but he was afraid of provoking the old lady, so he sought out his own brothers and cousins.
When they heard it was to help Han Qingsong, many people gathered around to inquire.
“Qingyun, is Qingsong going to build a brick and tile house? So high-profile!” Some young men were envious and jealous; he was truly impressive.
If he had known back then, he would have joined the army too; maybe he could have built a big brick house by now.
Han Qingyun said: “What’s there to be low-profile about? If you can build a brick and tile house, who would still want a mud house? You have to repair it every year, and you’re terrified whenever it rains hard.”
“But he’s a Chief now; shouldn't he be more low-profile? People might see it and think the Chief has taken a lot of benefits.” Someone muttered.
“Give it a rest! Third Brother just started being a Chief; it’s not like he’s been doing it for years to be gossiped about. That’s wealth he earned from being in the military. If anyone is jealous, go join the army and risk your life!”
Those people stopped making sour comments and laughed, saying they admired Qingsong.
“Oh, the window behind my main room collapsed; if only I had some bricks and tiles to repair it.”
Some people were eyeing Han Qingsong’s supply, hoping that after he hauled it back, they could borrow some bricks.
Others wanted to pull some strings and have Han Qingsong help get a requisition slip so they could pay for it themselves.
Han Qingyun listened to their tone and immediately knew what they meant: “I’ll say this beforehand: don’t go bothering Brother Qingsong. He just started working at the commune, he hasn't even found his footing yet, so where would he have the energy to manage others? If you want to buy them, you should go to the party secretary to queue up for a requisition slip.”
“Look at you, as if we don’t know any better.” They all scrambled to help Han Qingsong, thinking of building some rapport.
Han Qingyun, however, didn't choose them; he specifically picked a few honest, quiet men—he didn't want any of those who didn't work much but loved to flap their gums.
When he took people to the brigade to borrow the mule carts, the others couldn't help but make sour remarks.
“Look at them showing off, as if going to haul bricks is some great honor.”
“They’ve latched onto the Chief, so of course it’s different.”
They also wanted to suck up to him, but they had no opportunity, as Han Qingsong was cold and didn't talk much, so there was no chance to get close.
After thinking it over, it seemed the only way was to have their wives go suck up to Lin Lan.
But that wife was even more formidable and scarier than Han Qingsong. While Han Qingsong was ruthless but still reasoned, that woman was completely unreasonable; she would start cussing and acting out if she wasn't happy. They couldn't afford to provoke her.
Still, some people weren't afraid of being cursed at by a shrew and were willing to find a chance to get close to Lin Lan, thinking that if they got on her good side, it would be easier to get things done or buy things through favors later.
Lin Lan was sewing a cotton jacket at home when three women came together.
One of them had a long face and was smiling; she was the wife of Han Qingsong’s uncle, surnamed Zang, who used to keep her distance from Lin Lan.
The other two wives were from the same clan and had previously enjoyed watching Lin Lan make a fool of herself. Now, they were envious and jealous that her husband had become successful, and they all wanted to reap some benefits, so they came to build a relationship.
To be honest, there were few people who didn't look down on the original owner before.
Lin Lan didn't give them the cold shoulder.
“Dawang’s mother, are you sewing a cotton jacket? Why don’t you let us help? If we all sew together, we can help each other, and it’ll be faster and better.”
The other two sisters-in-law echoed: “That’s right, our Eldest Sister-in-law’s needlework is really good.”
“Oh my, are you sewing a flowered cotton jacket? This cloth is so bright!” Sister-in-law Zang said, touching the three-colored plaid fabric Lin Lan had bought.
Lin Lan: …… Don’t put on an act; it’s just a piece of ordinary homespun cloth, not even the printed fabric from the commune, so what’s there to be amazed about?
It was hard for these three women to stand there and praise such an ordinary jacquard homespun fabric, and then proceed to praise Lin Lan’s needlework.
The youngest of them, a new wife with an apple-shaped face and twinkling, mischievous eyes, was named Li Apple.
She touched the quilt on the side and praised: “Look at our Sister-in-law, what craftsmanship; the stitches are so beautiful and even.”
Lin Lan: “…… That was sewn by his father.”
The three women: ……
Li Apple immediately felt embarrassed and quickly hurried to praise: “Look at the cotton jacket Sister-in-law is sewing, it’s also very good, much better than ours.”
She reached out and stretched out the cotton trousers Lin Lan had sewn for Dawang, revealing the crooked, large stitches inside.
The three women: …………
Sister-in-law Zang glared at Li Apple. Li Apple almost felt like crying; she hadn't expected it to be like that—every time she tried to flatter someone, she ended up botching it.
Lin Lan remained unmoved; after all, she had seen her share of storms, so she wasn't afraid of this.
“Sisters-in-law, why are you so free today?”
“We just wanted to come and do some needlework with you,” Sister-in-law Zang laughed. “From now on, if you have needlework, don’t do it yourself; just let us know.”
Li Apple immediately said: “Sister-in-law, give me that cotton jacket; I’ll help you sew it. This plaid is so nice, it’ll look great on you; let me sew it for you.”
Lin Lan: “…… This is for Maisui.”
The little girl’s cotton jacket—does she expect her to wear the same size as herself?
Li Apple: ……!!
“Haha, Sister-in-law, I misjudged; I thought it was yours.”
Lin Lan didn't want to make her feel too awkward. “I’m just afraid she’s growing, so I made it a bit bigger.”
Sister-in-law Zang said: “Your Second Sister-in-law is great at making shoes. Are you going to make cotton shoes? Let her help you make some.”
Sister-in-law Cao had remained quiet; hearing this, she smiled at Lin Lan. “It’s getting cold; we definitely have to sew cotton shoes in the winter. I have to make some for myself anyway, I’ll make two pairs for you while I’m at it.”
Lin Lan laughed: “Then thank you very much.”
The three let out a sigh of relief; as long as they could help, it was fine.
Lin Lan continued: “Next time you sisters-in-law are making shoes, give me a shout; I’ll go and learn.”
Letting others do the work for her was out of the question; she didn't want to owe such huge favors, especially since she always felt manual labor was exhausting and precious. One pair of handmade shoes was worth more than three pairs bought with money, so she was even less willing to take them for nothing.
The three said that was fine and that they would call her next time.
Lin Lan brought out the fabric scraps from the house and laughed: “Sisters-in-law, whoever needs to make a pasteboard (gebei), feel free to take these scraps.”
Originally, she had wanted to unleash her creativity and sew a patch-style bag or something, but she discovered it was too hard for her.
It was simpler to just save fabric coupons and spend money to buy things.
Li Apple laughed: “Second Sister-in-law needs to make pasteboard; let her take them to use.”
Sister-in-law Cao said: “Fine, once the pasteboard is made, I’ll help you trim a few pairs of insoles; then you can do the stitching for the soles.”
Thousand-layer soles required stitching with hemp rope; since there were many layers, the stitching was very strenuous.
But the shoes were incredibly comfortable to wear.
“Fine, then thank you very much, Second Sister-in-law.” Lin Lan smiled.
The three exchanged a look. Having achieved their goal, they didn't linger so as not to annoy Lin Lan. They calculated that they would come around to visit more often, with or without a reason, to pick up the relationship.
They hadn't left yet when another wave of women arrived, also coming under the pretense of sewing cotton jackets and making shoes, and some even talking about weaving baskets and mats.
Hearing about baskets reminded Lin Lan of her natal home, and she wondered if she should find time to go back.
They weren't short of baskets, but she needed to buy two new mats.
The local area used sorghum-stalk mats.
The sorghum stalks were soaked in the river for a night, fished out, split open, the pith scraped off, and then the stalks were pressed soft with a roller before they could be used to weave mats.
These mats were naturally incomparable to southern bamboo mats, but they were convenient and cheap, and the local common folk all used them.
Usually, during the farming off-season or in winter, the men would focus their time on weaving mats, mostly for the team to earn work points.
Members could buy them from the brigade or save enough sorghum stalks to weave them for their own use.
Lin Lan didn't get any mats after the family separation, and the two mats in the house were tattered and no longer usable.
She also wanted to buy two new ones.
Her father knew how to weave them, but it hadn't started this season—it would likely be winter—so she couldn't buy them by going back; it was better to buy them in the village.
She had no interest in weaving baskets and only asked the woman who did the mat weaving: “Can you make custom sizes according to the kang? My kangs are different—one big and one small—so standard sizes won’t work.”
That woman laughed: “Of course; they’re all woven from strips anyway.”
Lin Lan ordered two.
Someone couldn't help but make a sour comment: “Dawang’s mother, didn’t you say you were going to build a house? Why order mats now? Aren't you afraid they won’t fit the size?”
Lin Lan said: “Why wouldn't they fit? When the new house is built, it’ll be bigger anyway. And there’s no newspaper to paste on the walls; then we can just nail the mats directly to the walls—it’s clean and looks good; it’s beautiful.”
The women felt sour from her grandiose tone. A mat wasn't cheap; no family could buy a new one without saving for a whole year. Unlike her, who would only use it for a few months before nailing it to the wall if it didn't fit?
They concluded that Lin Lan was showing off. Her husband had become a Chief, and she had money—how could she not show off?
Hmph!
Lin Lan saw their expressions change and was a bit puzzled; was nailing mats to the wall not okay? Were they blaming her for not respecting others' labor?
For Lin Lan, one or two thousand yuan, even if it was a massive fortune to others, didn't make her want to show off; she just felt it was only two thousand yuan after all.
But she wasn't stupid and could naturally hear the sourness in their voices. To those who were unfriendly, she naturally couldn't be bothered.
If she didn't lash out, she would just give them a cold face to show this shrew was unhappy.
And so, several waves of women came to the house that afternoon, and Lin Lan felt bewildered.
If Han Qingsong had become Chief, they had known that before and hadn't come; why did they all come together today?
She really hadn't expected it was because they could buy bricks and tiles.
She sewed Dawang’s cotton jacket and trousers, when she heard a wailing sound from outside. Which woman was throwing a tantrum in public again?
Ever since she stopped acting out, she realized there were still plenty of successors.
Listening closely, the voice was very familiar; it was Yu the Pockmarked, crying and cursing, not knowing what she was up to.
The sound grew closer, and finally stopped behind her house.
Lin Lan threw down her clothes in annoyance and ran out to see.
Walking onto the path, she saw Yu the Pockmarked cursing behind her house.
Speaking of cursing in the street, Lin Lan used to be the undisputed champion of Shanzui Village, but now someone had quickly claimed the top spot; Lin Lan naturally had to witness it.
She saw Yu the Pockmarked with one hand on her waist, and the other poking hard in the direction of Lin Lan’s house, as if she could knock the house down from a distance. Meanwhile, she was cursing viciously; whenever she reached the most malicious parts, she would immediately spread her legs and run forward, stopping abruptly after a few steps, stomping her feet, slapping her thighs, and cursing through gritted teeth.
The style was truly an eyesore.
Many children gathered around, following her and learning from her.
A few adults who had returned from work stood at a distance watching the fun.
“Han Qingsong sentenced her Changzheng to five years in the labor farm.”
“It’s been sentenced?”
“Good heavens, five years—what won’t that delay?”
“That kid spent his whole day idle and causing trouble; being locked up is for the best, it saves him from causing problems at home.”
“Yu the Pockmarked says her son was retaliated against, that it’s unfair, and she wants to go to the county to file a complaint.”
“Then why hasn't she gone yet?”
“Cut it out, you think she doesn't want to? She can’t even leave the commune; the party secretary won’t allow it.”
“The secretary is too tyrannical, not even allowing people to file complaints.”
“Don’t talk nonsense; I admire our secretary very much.”
“The cursing is also too ugly; and no one is managing it—where is the public security director? The secretary?”
Someone saw Lin Lan coming and immediately shut their mouths, enthusiastically greeting her.
This was the Chief’s woman; even if she was a shrew before, now she was a proper advanced element.
Those who had mocked Lin Lan most harshly and loved watching the fun the most before were now the most enthusiastic toward her.
Lin Lan, however, was indifferent: “Cursing in the street?”
“Isn't that just it? You tell me how she can be so shameless—her son is a bad element, and she still blames others?”
Others vied to report to Lin Lan: “After the commune’s verdict came down at noon, Yu the Pockmarked wanted to go to the commune to cause a scene, but was stopped by the secretary and told to go to work. She must be holding a grudge in her heart; that’s why she came to curse as soon as she got off work.”
Lin Lan gave a huff and walked past Yu the Pockmarked.
Seeing Lin Lan approach, Yu the Pockmarked lowered her voice.
Lin Lan laughed: “Go ahead, curse—keep going.”
Yu the Pockmarked said bitterly: “I’m not cursing you; whoever feels guilty is the one being cursed!”
Lin Lan crossed her arms and watched from the side. Yu the Pockmarked felt her heart go numb under her gaze and couldn't actually curse.
Lin Lan: “Why did you stop? It sounded quite pleasant.”
Yu the Pockmarked: Psychopath! It’s you I’m cursing!
Lin Lan laughed: “Keep going; speak louder, I can’t hear you.” Saying this, she walked away.
Yu the Pockmarked saw that Lin Lan never retaliated, so she assumed Lin Lan couldn't catch her in a trap and, since she hadn't named names, Lin Lan definitely wouldn't dare curse back.
Thinking that Han Qingsong had become a Chief right after demobilization, and the first case was sentencing her son to five years, Yu the Pockmarked hated him to death. In the morning, she had instigated Old Mrs. Han to take people to the commune to cause trouble, but they had been intercepted by the public security director and scolded by the old party secretary, who threatened that if they went to the commune to stir up trouble, he would deduct their work points and hold a village-wide meeting to criticize them.
Ultimately, she didn't dare cross the old party secretary and obediently went to work, but now that she was off, she refused to endure it.
Seeing Lin Lan approach and not daring to argue back, she felt emboldened, hopping on one leg and starting to curse even louder.
Just as she hopped up and cursed: “Letting you cause trouble, locking up my son, you heartless short-lived ghosts, even the God of Heaven will… ah——”
Before she could finish, a sharp, piercing pain shot through her leg.
Turning her head, she saw Lin Lan had circled back from somewhere, holding a thorn branch the thickness of a small finger, and was beating her with all her might.
“Ah——” Yu the Pockmarked shrieked and scrambled to hide.
“Xiu xiu xiu!” Lin Lan mimicked the posture of a child spinning a top, swinging her arms in a circle to whip Yu the Pockmarked, making her jump around and howl like a ghost.
“Abusing power, the official is bullying the common people!” Yu the Pockmarked covered her rear as she was whipped, jumping up to whip her legs, crouching to whip her back; it burned with pain.
Lin Lan: “I’ll show you how to spout nonsense, I’ll show you how to spread rumors! I’m whipping you for that!”
“Stop it!” Liu Chunfang had heard the news and hurried over, stepping forward to stop Lin Lan: “What right do you have to hit people?”
Lin Lan stopped and gave a huff: “If I ever hear you cursing and swearing here again and affecting the public morality, I’ll whip you every time I see you. Don’t believe me? Try it.”
“You, you’re too much—unreasonable, you’re simply bullying people!” Liu Chunfang detested Lin Lan to the core. This shrew had now gained power and was simply ruining Han Qingsong’s face and Shanzui Village’s reputation!
Being so vulgar, fiery, and uncultured, she simply wasn't fit to be the Chief’s wife.
She must find a chance to persuade Han Qingsong; a shrew like Lin Lan would ruin his reputation and sooner or later implicate him.
“Whoever curses in the street again will be tied up and sent to the commune; don’t affect our village’s reputation,” Lin Lan retorted unceremoniously.
Liu Chunfang: “Speaking of cursing in the street, you’re the best at it; why don’t you tie yourself up and send yourself there?”
Lin Lan: “Which eye of yours saw me cursing in the street?”
“You did plenty of cursing before, and you even drank pesticide a while ago…” Liu Chunfang said while warily watching Lin Lan, afraid she would whip her.
Lin Lan gave a scoff: “You said before; are you talking about the past? Why don’t you talk about what’s happening right now?”
Lin Lan swung the thorn branch in her hand, scaring Liu Chunfang into quickly dodging.
Lin Lan gave a threatening look: “Don’t let me hear a second time; if there’s a problem, go to the brigade to resolve it. Anyone cursing in the street will be tied up and sent to the commune without exception!”
After saying this, she strode away, leaving Liu Chunfang trembling with anger and rolling tears.
Passing by the Old Han House, Lin Lan found that, as expected, the old lady was causing a scene as well.
Naturally, like Yu the Pockmarked, it was because Han Qingsong had sentenced Han Qinghua to five years and wouldn't let him come home; wanting to go to the commune to cause a scene but being deterred by the old party secretary, she was now throwing a tantrum and raging at home.
During the sentencing in the morning, there was nothing much at the commune, just a minor episode.
The families of Shorty and Skinny had no connections, so they just came to send them off; seeing they weren't beaten and were being fed, they felt relieved. They couldn't help but pound them and curse: “I told you repeatedly not to hang out with that delinquent, but you wouldn't listen. Now it’s happened; you’ve been implicated. It’s about time you suffered to learn your lesson.”
The labor farm wasn't a prison; it was just a farm where people were watched while they worked. They could ask for leave, do other things after work, and family members could apply to visit and send things, as long as they worked and earned work points, they would be fed.
So the parents of those two families were actually not worried.
But Yu the Pockmarked—Liu Chunhe’s wife—and the Han family’s old lady weren't like that; even at noon after getting off work, they had wanted to go to the commune to cause a scene, only to be blocked by the public security director leading the village militia just outside the village.
“If you interfere with official business, we’ll arrest you immediately.”
Yu the Pockmarked and Old Mrs. Han could be said to have looked at each other with mutual disdain their whole lives, but in their old age, they had formed an alliance, sharing each other’s misery and supporting each other, wailing and crying.
But frankly speaking, they were only dominant at home, scolding their daughters-in-law and granddaughters, and could barely count for anything in the village. If the village cadres were serious, what did they amount to?
Not to mention anything else, Han Yongfang let out a roar: “Whoever is embarrassing us, if you want to run to the commune to embarrass our brigade, we’ll arrest you immediately and hold a village-wide critique meeting tonight!”
The public security director listened to him; with one command, he was about to lock up Yu the Pockmarked and Old Mrs. Han.
The men of the two families hurriedly stepped forward to apologize, saying all the nice things they could to take the two old ladies home.
At this moment, Old Mrs. Han acted as if she had made an appointment with Yu the Pockmarked and started causing a scene again.
Lin Lan knew she was waiting for Han Qingsong to return to put pressure on him. As long as Han Qingsong didn't release the younger brother, the old lady would likely use this to act fiercely against him.
She stepped inside.
Han Mrs. Han had been discussing things at home all afternoon with Han Jinyu, trying to figure out how to force Han Qingsong to change his verdict.
But she had never seen the world, and although Han Jinyu had been to school for a few years, it was useless.
“Why don’t we have Elder Sister and Elder Brother-in-law come back?”
Old Mrs. Han clutched her heart, wailing aiya aiya. “What use is your Elder Brother-in-law?”
Han Jinyu said bitterly: “Mom, why don’t we go to the Lin family and cause a scene, and have them take their daughter back!”
The old lady waved her hand: “It’s no use; look at your Third Brother—he has a wife and has forgotten his mother.”
She finally waited until the old man, her sons, and daughters-in-law were all back from work, and began to perform to her heart’s content in the main hall—aiya aiya, her head hurt, her heart hurt, wanting to go to the county, and so on.
The goal was naturally to get everyone in the family to find the third son and force him to bring the fourth back.
Han’s Eldest Brother was tortured enough, but he couldn't just ignore it, and Han’s Eldest Sister-in-law was furious.
Since the fight between Lin Lan and the youngest son, Lin Lan taking the money, and the youngest son being arrested, Han Qingsong’s return hadn't changed anything, and the old man became increasingly silent.
Now he either went to work or sat around silently smoking dry tobacco, often not saying a word for half the day.
Seeing Lin Lan walking in with a slight smile—a smile that was clearly schadenfreude—the old lady was so angry she almost exploded.
When had it become time for a shrew to watch her humiliation!
“You, you wicked daughter-in-law, you are truly unfilial, instigating your husband to abandon his mother and brother, and you actually had our little Fourth grabbed and locked up…”
Lin Lan interrupted the old lady’s performance without any courtesy, deciding to land a heavy hammer blow: “Old lady, you are truly laughable. Fourth Uncle is going to the farm for labor, not to be executed! As long as he labors there, he won’t starve or freeze; it’s even closer than going to the county, and it’s not like we don’t allow visits. What are you crying for? Compared to Third Brother being away in the military for years without being home, this is much better. You didn't miss Third Brother when he was a soldier; why is it that now that the Fourth is going to a farm twenty li away to work, you’re acting as if the sky has fallen?”
Old Mrs. Han was choked by her and couldn't catch her breath: “You, you… can this be the same!”
Lin Lan said righteously: “I don’t see any difference. You seeing it as different just means you are biased toward the Fourth and don’t love the Third; there’s nothing else to say. If you can’t bear it, just pack your bedding and go live at the farm; nobody is stopping you.”
She coldly scanned them: “I warn you, whoever dares to add pressure to the children’s father or interfere with his work or earnings, I will fight to the death with them!”
Now that she and the children were counting on Han Qingsong to earn money to support the family, if they tried to ruin Han Qingsong’s job, they were her enemies.
She would never be lenient!
Finally, her gaze fixed on the large axe hanging in the main hall, scaring Han Jinyu and the Second Han Sister-in-law, who shuddered: “You, what do you want to do?”
Han Jinyu scrambled to take the axe and hide it in the room.
“I’ve already bought the axe,” Lin Lan dropped that chilling sentence and turned to walk away.
“Quick, send me to reform through labor——” Old Mrs. Han was so angry she insisted her family send her to find the Fourth.
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