Zhiqing Chen was unwilling to be arrested and sentenced just like this. He knew that once sent to the public security bureau, nothing good would come of it.
In this era, anyone charged with hooliganism or being a broken shoe never had a good end.
In severe cases, they could very likely be executed!
He clung to the doorframe. "Liu Xiuyun, you can't be so heartless, you can't burn the bridge after crossing the river. I came back to be your fig leaf, why are you being so ruthless and unjust!"
Han Qingyun hadn't expected him to dare act tough at this time. If he couldn't handle him, wouldn't he lose face in front of his third brother?
He directly kicked Zhiqing Chen in the back of the knee, threatening angrily: "Are you going or not?"
Zhiqing Chen put on a posture of a dead pig unafraid of boiling water. "I did nothing wrong, I did nothing wrong. Liu Xiuyun seduced me first, we were mutually in love, I wasn't acting like a hooligan."
Lin Lan walked over and threw a rope at him. "If he doesn't want to walk, carry him."
Han Qingyun laughed. "Still saozi who has a way."
He directly tied Zhiqing Chen's arms and legs, then called a young man to bring a stick, and the two of them carried Zhiqing Chen like carrying a pig.
Zhiqing Chen panicked, struggling vigorously, shouting and screaming, finally speaking incoherently, saying the brigade was ganging up to bully a zhiqing.
Lin Lan saw a child's torn diaper drying at the base of the courtyard wall, grabbed it, and stuffed it into his mouth. "Alright, hurry up and send him off. The food at the laogai farm is really delicious!"
Han Qingyun waved his hand. "Let's go!"
Liu Xiuyun's decision was also supported by Han Yongsheng and other cadres. After all, Zhiqing Chen had ruined the village's ethos, and they hated him too. Now was the perfect time to make an example of him, to deter those zhiqing and young commune members and make them behave.
Lin Lan suggested Liu Guifa send Liu Xiuyun to a reliable relative's house for a couple of days to avoid the limelight and calm down to think about what to do next.
Liu Guifa and his laopozi discussed it and adopted this suggestion, temporarily sending Liu Xiuyun to her maternal grandmother's house.
As for Zhiqing Chen, he was sent to the commune. Because he was a zhiqing from out of town, his situation had to be reported to the county revolutionary committee, so the execution of his sentence wouldn't come down immediately.
Shanzucun returned to its usual tranquility. The commune members were busy with autumn plowing, planting wheat, distributing dried sweet potatoes, distributing fresh sweet potatoes, pulling up cotton stalks, and so on.
When the slack farming season arrived, which was when Lin Lan would be busy with propaganda, she had to make arrangements for Xiaowang.
Each layer of autumn rain brought a layer of coolness. On this day, the sky cleared up, the sky was high and the clouds were pale, and the sunlight was clear.
Lin Lan didn't have work, so she stayed home to let the sweet potatoes, which had been boiled sweet and soft, cool down, then sliced them to sun-dry into cooked dried sweet potatoes.
She laid them out piece by piece on a woven mat, or directly hung them on the thorny branches Dawang and the others had chopped down, tying them string by string under the eaves to air-dry. Once dry, they would be collected. They would develop a white frosty coating and taste chewy and sweet. Kept as snacks to eat slowly, they could also be stir-fried into crispy sweet potato beans.
There were still some sweet potato slices left over from sun-drying, so she heated the pot, smeared a little oil, and put the sweet potato slices in to pan-fry.
Soon they were pan-fried golden brown on both sides, smelling delicious and very appetizing.
Once done, Lin Lan asked Erwang and Maisui to cook at home. She filled a large bowl with pan-fried sweet potato slices, stuffed a piece into Xiaowang's hand for him to gnaw on, and then took his little hand to find Huo Yuan.
Huo Yuan, Han Qingping, and another zhiqing lived in two small rooms at the school.
When Lin Lan led Xiaowang in, the three were having a meal together.
Seeing her come over, they were all very enthusiastic, especially Han Qingping. "Comrade Lin Lan ah, sit down and eat a bit."
Lin Lan smiled: "I made some pan-fried sweet potato slices, have a taste."
She handed the large bowl to Huo Yuan. Huo Yuan quickly took her own plate to pour them out, returned the bowl to Lin Lan, and invited her to sit.
Lin Lan said: "Teacher Huo, you are multi-talented, able to draw, sing, and play instruments. Look at our Xiaowang, he has no other interests except fiddling with a flute. I also bought him a harmonica. How about when you're free, you teach him how to play the harmonica?"
Huo Yuan glanced at Xiaowang. A beautiful, well-behaved, and quiet child, no one could dislike him. She patted Xiaowang's shoulder, squatted down, and said: "Xiaowang, are you willing to learn from Teacher Huo?"
Xiaowang took out his little harmonica, nodded, and then started blowing di-di sounds.
Although there was no tune, each note was distinct, not just blowing randomly.
Huo Yuan said in surprise: "Xiaowang, you're so amazing!"
Xiaowang's fair and tender little face flushed red.
Huo Yuan agreed to let Xiaowang come to school too, but since he was still young, she didn't recommend him coming every day. Coming three or four days a week would be fine. She would let him play in the courtyard, and when she was free, she would teach him to play the harmonica and learn some music theory.
Lin Lan then asked Han Qingping about Dawang and Sanwang.
Maisui loved studying, and although Erwang wasn't as outstanding as Maisui, he wasn't bad either. Lin Lan wasn't worried about them, only Dawang and Sanwang.
"Principal, those two mischievous boys, if they're disobedient and don't listen carefully in class, just discipline them."
Han Qingping smiled very gratifiedly. For a teacher, educating ten good students didn't bring as much sense of accomplishment as pulling a prodigal son back. Similarly, what could be more pleasing than watching a beautiful but self-deprecating shrew turn over a new leaf and become an even more beautiful and intelligent woman?
In his eyes, Lin Lan was now the representative of beauty and intelligence in Shanzucun. Even if she hadn't been to school and wasn't a zhiqing, she just suited his taste.
Especially since it was Lin Lan's contribution that peacefully resolved Liu Xiuyun's matter, he sincerely admired her.
"Lin Lan ah, don't worry, I guarantee I won't be soft-hearted. Director Han has already said, beat them if they need beating. Haha, when the time comes, don't feel heartache." He said this, but actually, he had never really beaten them, at most just smacking their palms.
His ultimate move was keeping them after school, making them copy textbooks, recite all the texts, and then telling Director Han to arrest the disobedient troublemakers for laogai!
Not to mention the first few, just the threat of Director Han arresting them was enough to scare them into trembling and having nightmares for days.
Those thieves whose arms and legs were dislocated were still vivid in their minds, who dared not to be afraid?
In the children's minds, Director Han was an existence like a fierce demon.
If you don't believe it, look at Dawang. Dawang was such an awesome, tough, stubborn boy unafraid of death, yet when he saw Director Han, didn't he honestly stand like a pine and sit like a bell?
They weren't as formidable as Dawang, so naturally, they were even more afraid.
Lin Lan also chatted with the teachers about ideas for propaganda, asking them to offer advice and design programs, whether it was singing, dancing, or telling stories.
Huo Yuan could play the accordion, and Han Qingping could play the guitar. Both were willing to join the propaganda team.
"When the time comes, Xiaowang can also perform playing the harmonica." Huo Yuan praised Xiaowang.
Bidding farewell to the teachers, Lin Lan took Xiaowang home. The food was already prepared.
Erwang's cooking skills were getting better and better. Cold tossed shredded kelp, braised potatoes with dried beans, winter melon soup with dried shrimp—even ordinary dishes could be made deliciously fragrant. Lin Lan showed a gratified smile like an old mother.
"Your die isn't coming home for dinner today, hurry up and eat, you still have to go to school." Lin Lan also mentioned Xiaowang learning music from Teacher Huo, telling them to take him along when they went to school.
Dawang and Sanwang looked as if it had nothing to do with them, while Maisui and Erwang took the initiative to accept it.
Maisui: "Xiaowang, then can you get up in the morning? Or you can go over yourself after the first class."
Anyway, Xiaowang also often played in the village.
Xiaowang looked at Lin Lan.
Lin Lan said: "Okay, anyway Xiaowang isn't attending classes, just going to play."
Sanwang: "Niang! Why am I forced to study and not allowed to play?"
Lin Lan flicked his forehead. "Why don't you compare yourself to your older brothers."
Sanwang pointed at Dawang: "Dage wants to play even more."
Dawang glared at him, broke off a piece of flatbread, and stuffed it into Sanwang's mouth. Sanwang protested with muffled sounds.
The room was filled with cheerful laughter.
From then on, there wasn't a single idle person in the house. Xiaowang also led Wangwang to school every day, but he mainly went to play, so being late or leaving early was no problem.
This made mischievous children like Sanwang incredibly envious. Unfortunately, Han Qingping wasn't soft-hearted with them at all. After having their palms smacked a few times, no one dared to be late anymore.
A few days later, Han Qingsong went to the county for a meeting regarding the handling of Zhiqing Chen, and also went to the laogai farm to see Han Qinghua. The rest of the time, he basically stayed home with her, either helping with farming or participating in repairing irrigation canals, seizing every opportunity to help her earn work points.
Lin Lan had the intention to let him rest, but he refused, so she let him be.
This feeling of the whole family working hard together was truly wonderful.
Lin Lan was tending the fire and cooking when someone came in from outside. "Dawang's niang ah, cooking at home."
Lin Lan quickly stood up and saw it was Xiuyun's niang. Her expression had brightened a lot, as if a heavy stone had been lifted off her, and her whole person was much more relaxed.
Lin Lan invited her into the room to talk and asked softly: "Is Xiuyun back?"
Xiuyun's niang placed a small basket of eggs on the table and nodded. "She's back. Dawang's niang ah, thanks to you ah, Xiuyun is safe. You are the great benefactor of our Liu family ah."
Lin Lan quickly said: "Saozi, you're too polite. How is it my contribution? It's the contribution of the party secretary, the brigade captain, and the women's director. I just lent a hand."
Xiuyun's niang only took it as her being modest and smiled: "You speak to the point, the child listens. We talked until our lips wore out, and she couldn't listen to a word. If it weren't for you and Qingsong, our family would truly be finished."
If it weren't for Lin Lan advising Xiuyun and Qingsong bringing Zhiqing Chen back, the old Liu family would truly have been struggled against as a broken shoe family, unable to hold their heads up in the future.
Now it was good. Although they didn't get married, Zhiqing Chen personally admitted he was going to marry Xiuyun. This meant Xiuyun wasn't acting like a broken shoe. Even if the marriage talks fell through, others couldn't say anything more.
Liu Xiuyun stayed at her maternal grandmother's house for a few days. After careful consideration, she decided to abort the child. Since Zhiqing Chen had already been sent to laogai, there was no need to keep this child. Even if she kept it, the child wouldn't be happy in the future.
At first, she couldn't make up her mind on how to treat this child and even came back to discuss it with Lin Lan. For some reason, she always felt Lin Lan saw things more clearly than the people around her.
Moreover, her lips were tight, never spreading other people's gossip.
Lin Lan didn't say much, only saying: "Don't think about how it's a life. Right now it's very small and hasn't taken shape, it has no thoughts. You only need to consider your situation. Is keeping it good for yourself and your family? Is keeping it good for its future? Think about it yourself and you'll have an idea."
Liu Xiuyun thought about it for another two days and finally made up her mind to abort the child.
She no longer wanted to get married. If she raised the child herself, the pointing and gossiping of others at this time would be a fatal blow to the child and unfair to her family.
So she would rather risk the danger to end this matter.
Liu Guifa, however, didn't want his guinv to abort the child because the doctor said her health wasn't very good and it might be dangerous, so it was best not to abort. He said this child was his grandson, even without a die, it didn't matter. Her two older brothers also stated that the child could actually be kept at home, and them acting as the die would be the same.
Her family showed her the greatest tolerance.
Liu Xiuyun, however, didn't want to implicate them, nor did she want the child to be pointed at and gossiped about after being born. Since she had already been heartless, it was better to make a clean break.
Taking advantage of it still being early, only about two months, she was accompanied by Xiuyun's niang a few days ago, took her ersao's booklet, and went to the county to abort the child.
Lin Lan even called in a favor from Yang Panpan, asking him to help arrange and cover it up, so no one would know anything.
Yang Panpan had a good relationship with Doctor Zhuang, so naturally, there was no problem.
During the process, she bled profusely twice, but under the doctor's strenuous rescue efforts, with Yang Han helping to organize personnel for timely blood transfusions, and her own strong will to live, she finally pulled through.
After staying in the hospital for four days, she was discharged and went home to recuperate. Now there was no major issue, just that her body was still very weak.
"Although her body is a bit weak and she can't do heavy work, we are willing. A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit. A heavy stone has been lifted." Xiuyun's niang was very happy.
Lin Lan smiled: "Her health isn't a problem. She's still young, resting for two years will nurse it back. Saozi, tell Xiuyun not to stay cooped up at home. She did nothing wrong, there's nothing shameful. Go out openly and aboveboard, and come play at my house and Sister-in-law Huaihua's house more often."
Xiuyun's niang repeatedly agreed. Truly, the more she looked at Lin Lan, the more she liked her. Telling Lin Lan to busy herself, she went back first.
Lin Lan quickly returned the eggs to her. "Saozi, Xiuyun needs to nourish her body right now. You saved these with great difficulty, cook them for her to eat."
"There are still more at home, the chickens I raise lay eggs diligently."
"Saozi, my family's chickens also lay eggs, enough to eat."
Next came the pushing and declining segment that gave Lin Lan a headache. She had to stop it. "Saozi, how about this, either I give you money, or you wait until Xiuyun is better before giving me eggs. Okay?"
Xiuyun's niang was just an honest and simple peasant woman, her mind naturally not that agile. Confused by Lin Lan, she finally had to take the eggs back, but still left five or six. "Boil them for the children to eat."
Lin Lan had no choice but to accept, and gave half a packet of brown sugar and a handful of red dates back to Xiuyun's niang. "These things are hard to buy. Cook them for Xiuyun to eat, nourish her well. If you need anything, just come tell me."
Xiuyun's niang's tears came out. "Guinv ah, look at you, I came to thank you, but you instead gave my Xiuyun things."
Lin Lan smiled and pushed her to hurry and leave.
Soon, Zhiqing Chen's verdict came down.
The county revolutionary committee was currently using the Yellow River captain's case as a typical example to severely crack down on bad elements. He hit the muzzle of the gun and was caught as a typical example, receiving a heavy sentence.
Originally, the revolutionary committee sentenced him to death. Later, Liu Guifa took the initiative to plead for leniency with Han Qingsong and Han Yongfang. Zhiqing Chen's attempted escape failed, which also preserved Xiuyun's face. The Liu family didn't want his life and hoped for lenient treatment.
So Han Yongfang wrote a petition and entrusted Han Qingsong to take it to the revolutionary committee. The sentence was changed to life imprisonment, and he was sent to the laogai farm for laogai.
Life imprisonment was different from the sentencing of bad elements like Han Qinghua and Zhao Jianshe.
People like Han Qinghua could receive family visits, could apply to go home once every few months, and also earned work points for working. Speaking of which, it was just more tiring, being watched, and doing collective labor, not really like criminals.
Life imprisonment meant being a serious offender, subjected to special custody and laogai. Outsiders were not allowed to visit casually, they couldn't ask for leave casually, and they certainly couldn't apply to leave the laogai farm.
Once there was resistance or escapees, the guards could immediately shoot them dead on the spot.
This could be considered getting what he deserved.
The weather grew increasingly cool. The crops in Shanzucun had all been harvested and brought home, and the plowing and wheat planting in the fields had also ended. There was basically no work left.
The peasants entered the slack farming phase.
Lin Lan and Dong Huaihua's propaganda work officially began. She offered advice and suggestions, while Dong Huaihua organized personnel and venues, acting more like her deputy.
They conducted it in the meeting room of the brigade headquarters, notifying in advance with gongs and drums: "Attention all commune members, attention all commune members, the brigade propaganda team has a program tonight, has a program!"
This was Lin Lan's idea. Commune members were like this: if there were no work points for a meeting, no one was active. If there were work points, everyone was more active than the next.
They wouldn't be given work points. Giving them propaganda, reasoning with them, and still giving them work points, how could it be that fragrant?
So she said it was a performance.
During the slack farming season, commune members were very bored. It was cold, so they couldn't gather in large groups to chat, so many people felt suffocated.
Hearing there was a program, they hurried to grab seats as soon as they finished dinner.
Lin Lan also didn't want to rigidly teach knowledge like a teacher to students, but integrated the knowledge into short stories, finding people to rehearse them in advance.
Besides stories, they had other forms, such as clapper talk and storytelling. One person speaking alone was basically similar to a stand-up comedy.
Lin Lan introduced sketches and stand-up comedy, and even discovered a talent. A commune member named Liu Chuncai, who usually liked to tell dirty jokes and bawdy stories, had a glib tongue and was deeply liked and disliked by male and female commune members.
Lin Lan had been teased by him twice and scolded him. Later, she invited him over, scaring him into thinking he was going to be arrested for hooliganism.
As a result, Lin Lan took the script she wrote, read it while making him memorize it thoroughly. "You have to tell it like a true story. If you don't tell it well, I'll have you arrested and put in jail!" she threatened him.
Liu Chuncai was also a talent. Frightened by Lin Lan like this, he memorized it after a few times.
He even helped Lin Lan revise it, expressing it in more colloquial language, so the commune members could understand and accept it better.
Lin Lan adopted his suggestions.
The first program was Liu Chuncai's stand-up comedy, talking about a certain family.
"There was this family, the old lady had bound feet. She didn't wash her feet all year round, insisting that on the sixth, sixteenth, and twenty-sixth, King Yama washes stinky meat, and only on these days could she wash her feet. Otherwise, King Yama would find it disgusting and send little imps to gnaw her feet off. As a result, she didn't wash even once in ten days or half a month. Skipping so many sixes without washing, her feet ah, were stinky, stinky. Wrapped in foot-binding cloths, you couldn't feel it, but once those foot-binding cloths were opened, the stench wafted eighteen li away, and then..."
...
"There was another family, a young fuqi, one lazy and one gluttonous..."
"Liu Chuncai, what happened to those stinky feet? What happened next?" Some commune members asked anxiously, "Her stinky feet, and then what?"
Liu Chuncai kept a straight face. "What then? With stinky feet like yours, you'd be smoked to death long ago, where is there a then. Stinky to death, stinky to death..."
He exaggeratedly pinched his nose and fanned himself, and some people burst out laughing, pushing and shoving each other. "Have you not washed your feet for ten days?"
"Did you stop washing because it's cold?"
"You have the nerve to get on the kang like this?"
"Haha, stinky to death... there is no then."
Later, Liu Chuncai talked about the unhygienic young fuqi. Unhygienic but still liking to do the baby-making exercise, as a result, both got sick.
Someone asked again, and then what?
A commune member shouted loudly: "What then, they died of illness, where is there a then."
Everyone roared with laughter. "Hahahaha."
Lin Lan wanted this kind of effect, letting them learn through entertainment, so they would remember it deeply.
This way, when they went home to have marital life, they would also have to pay attention to hygiene. If they were unhygienic, remembering this joke, they would feel disgusted in their hearts and would be more particular.
After telling this joke, she immediately took out a book and read a few professional terms to elevate the level, making the commune members feel it was profound even if they didn't understand it. Things like trichomonas, mold—anyway, things that sounded very scary and ferocious, things that would make women sick and men suffer.
A night of bantering, telling two or three jokes, and reading two pieces of material, and almost an hour passed.
When the commune members went back at night, they inevitably reminisced. When the mood struck and the fuqi wanted to do something, they had to be particular.
There were also men who were too lazy to move, and the women would scold: "If you don't wash, don't touch me. Didn't you hear what they said, getting that whatever bug, and then it all rots. Why are you so bad, do you want me to rot too?"
This way, if they didn't wash, they couldn't do it. If they wanted to do it, they had to go wash. The whole village actually started to become clean.
Lin Lan also progressed step by step with this propaganda activity. Naturally, she wouldn't start by talking about such explosive physiological hygiene knowledge right away, starting with hygiene first and taking it slowly.
At first, many commune members thought it was the same boring preaching as before and didn't like to come. Later, hearing it was so interesting, they all ate dinner early and then brought small stools to reserve seats for the whole family.
Later, the meeting room couldn't hold everyone, and some people squeezed into the courtyard.
Even later, they directly said: "Go to the school, the school's rooms are bigger."
There were even commune members from nearby villages who came to join the fun. "Our village isn't this interesting, we came to learn."
After some days passed like this, the weather turned cold.
The propaganda work proceeded very smoothly, and Lin Lan and Dong Huaihua's work became increasingly busy. Lin Lan also integrated sketches, making them almost too busy to handle.
Not only their own brigade, but nearby brigades also invited them to give lectures and training, saying they would give fifty catties of corn for one session.
Lin Lan was very tempted. She took Dong Huaihua once and pushed back fifty catties of corn.
Although converted to money it was less than four yuan, grain was precious now. Sometimes you couldn't buy grain even with money.
Lin Lan was exceptionally happy.
Dong Huaihua, as the director, was also very magnanimous, giving Lin Lan thirty catties and keeping twenty catties for herself.
Lin Lan was even happier.
On this day, while preparing at the brigade, she saw a graceful figure walking toward them. She thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, but she didn't expect it to really be Xiuyun.
She waved at Liu Xiuyun. "Xiuyun, come here."
Liu Xiuyun smiled at her and trotted over quickly. "Shenzi, I heard you are short of hands, I came to help you."
Lin Lan said happily: "We really need hands. If you help, I'll tell the party secretary to give you work points."
Liu Xiuyun smiled. "Shenzi, I don't want work points, I just want to help."
After working for a while, some people saw Liu Xiuyun and were very curious, and a few commune members even pointed and gossiped.
They hadn't seen Xiuyun for days, and seeing her now, it was like she had changed into a different person.
Before, she was gentle and simple, smiling at everyone she met, like a little flower. Now, although she still smiled, her eyes carried a coldness, like they had thorns.
Two young men went up to flirt with her. "Xiuyun ah, haven't seen you for a good few days, did you miss me."
Liu Xiuyun glanced at them and said coldly: "Who are you?"
These young men had heard the rumors and were certain she had slept with Zhiqing Chen, and the marriage had fallen through, so definitely no one would want her in the future. Such a woman couldn't get married, what a waste. They wanted to flirt if they could, and take advantage if they could.
That young man let out a "yo-ho." "Xiuyun doesn't recognize me? Truly noble people forget things easily. It seems you still haven't given up on Zhiqing Chen. You've already been slept with, why didn't you go to the laogai farm with him."
Lin Lan frowned upon hearing this. Just as she was about to scold Han Huinong, she saw Xiuyun suddenly raise her hand and, with a smack, slap that young man.
Han Huinong was angry. "Liu Xiuyun, don't be shameless, you're a broken shoe..."
Lin Lan went up with a ruler and whipped him. "Let you have a foul mouth, you're high heels, you're rain boots, you just need a whipping!"
Han Huinong didn't dare to fight back against Lin Lan, jumping around as she whipped him. "Shenzi, shenzi, let's talk nicely."
Lin Lan: "You, you guys." She pointed at the young men with the ruler. "All of you, roll away. You're not allowed to come listen to the class today, you don't deserve it!"
Seeing she was truly angry, the young men quickly ran away, not forgetting to shout: "Liu Xiuyun used to be such a gentle girl, insisting on hanging out with a shrew. Now look, she's become a shrew too."
Dong Huaihua happened to come over from the opposite side. Hearing their words, she angrily pulled a cotton stalk from the side and whipped them. "I'll let you have a cheap mouth, cheap mouth!"
The young men shouted: "The shrew trio, three shrews, can't afford to provoke them, run!"
Dong Huaihua cursed a few more times, came over to greet Lin Lan, and comforted Liu Xiuyun. "Don't stoop to their level."
Liu Xiuyun smiled, her face calm as she said: "Shenzi, don't worry, I'm not afraid at all. Let them say whatever they want. I didn't kill anyone, didn't set fires, didn't steal, didn't rob. I made a mistake, and I admitted it and repented. They have no right to say anything about me."
Lin Lan nodded. "That's how it should be."
Liu Xiuyun added: "Shenzi, I can help you give lectures to the girls, I... have experience."
Lin Lan and Dong Huaihua were stunned, not expecting her to truly have seen the light.
"I want more girls to learn from my lesson and not be deceived by those insincere scumbags. If it's truly mutual love, then they should report to their parents. If the parents agree, then date, and then get married. If the parents don't agree, it can't be like this."
At this time, if parents didn't agree, young people mostly couldn't be together, because without parental recognition, they couldn't get their household registration or work points.
Lin Lan praised: "Good girl. What you said is very right. The great Chairman Mao said, dating without the purpose of marriage is playing the hooligan! If you want to date, you must have the intention of getting married, otherwise don't flirt with girls."
This was said by Shakespeare, quoted by Grandpa Mao.
Dong Huaihua felt this was also very good, so she used this slogan—dating without the purpose of marriage is playing the hooligan—to propagandize to those girls.
If a young man wants to date you, whether he's a zhiqing or a commune member, you must first ask him if he has his parents' consent and if he wants to marry her. If yes, go to her parents to propose, then date, then get married.
If he just wants to date and not get married, then sorry, reporting him for hooliganism is non-negotiable!
Soon, the village launched a "Love and Marriage" propaganda campaign.
Lin Lan was responsible for writing scripts—stand-up comedy, sketches, singing and dancing—and then everyone was assigned suitable roles.
Among them was a sketch based on Liu Xiuyun. The male zhiqing, Liu Chuncai, feeling lonely and unbearable in the countryside, first flirted with the female zhiqing played by Huo Yuan. The female zhiqing looked down on him, so he flirted with the rural female cadre Dong Huaihua, and Dong Huaihua gave him a big slap.
After that, the zhiqing started flirting with the female commune member played by Han Qingping. Han Qingping was thin, fair-skinned, and gentle. Wearing a floral padded jacket and painting red cheeks, he also looked very much like a village beauty.
The female commune member initially disagreed, righteously refusing. Helplessly, the zhiqing had many tricks—writing a poem one moment, singing a song the next, giving a piece of candy the next, and then...
Finally, taking advantage of no one being around, they hugged and cuddled. The female commune member was flustered and afraid of being discovered.
Going back and forth like this, the female commune member was won over by him.
Then the male zhiqing started to become cold, turning hostile and refusing to acknowledge her, saying he was a city person and would return to the city in the future, how could he marry a rural commune member?
That would ruin his bright future.
He brainwashed the female commune member on how to sacrifice for him, how to wait, endure, and when he returned to the city, he would definitely find a way to bring her out.
Later, that zhiqing returned to the city to take over his father's job, married a city girl, and never came back.
The female commune member waited and waited at home, waiting until she turned into a stone.
"Beat this heartless man to death!"
"Let Lord Bao execute this Chen Shimei!"
Some commune members started shouting, excitedly rushing up to beat Liu Chuncai.
Liu Chuncai was so scared he scurried away like a rat holding his head. "Don't hit, don't hit, I'm just an actor, an actor! It's fake!"
The story was written too well, acted too realistically, and everyone invested their emotions. Especially Han Qingping, whose emotions were rich and delicate. Even though a man was playing a female commune member, his voice and expression were excellent, evoking pity, making everyone forget he was a man.
It was a good thing he was a man. If Lin Lan had played the role, such a beautiful and moving female commune member being abandoned, they would have torn Liu Chuncai apart alive.
They were just that impulsive.
Lin Lan and Dong Huaihua also quickly maintained order. "This is acting, everyone sit down quickly, don't get agitated, don't get agitated ah!"
The brigade captain's whip cracked: "Everyone watch the play quietly, don't delay us. I say, you guys are so agitated, are you afraid you have those thoughts yourselves?"
Everyone quickly laughed: "How would we dare. Dating without the purpose of marriage is playing the hooligan, who isn't afraid of Director Han arresting them?"
Just at this moment, Han Qingsong returned from the commune, riding his bicycle over to find Lin Lan.
Hearing everyone talking about him, he propped up his bicycle and walked in. "What?"
Everyone wanted to laugh but didn't dare, immediately falling silent.
Han Qingsong looked at them, then at Lin Lan and the others on stage, thinking to himself that the performance seemed quite serious, full of bitter hatred.
Lin Lan smiled at him, pointed below, and told him to sit down and listen.
Han Qingsong looked for a seat, and everyone quickly let him sit next to the party secretary.
Han Yongfang and the brigade captain were partners, and the area around them was a vacuum. No one dared to get close, lest they be scolded or whipped.
Han Qingsong then sat over there.
Oh my niang, the whole room felt oppressed. The oppressive feeling brought by this aura was simply...
Because Han Qingsong was sitting there, Liu Chuncai was a bit trembling when doing his stand-up comedy, making mistakes one moment and stuttering the next.
Especially when he said: "This lazy poniang, she's no good at needlework, she just, she just, said to her man, 'You, you, you... you leave quickly.'"
When Han Qingsong looked at him, he suddenly didn't dare to speak, and somehow blurted out his inner thoughts, wishing Director Han would leave quickly.
"Hahahahahaha..." The audience burst out laughing.
This joke was also Lin Lan mocking herself. Anyway, the whole village knew about it, so performing it was no big deal. They just wanted to take the daily lives of the commune members, magnify them, and let everyone draw nourishment from them.
The commune members were also used to it.
But it was Han Qingsong's first time hearing it. Seeing Liu Chuncai's posture when speaking, he thought he was just talking about daily matters, completely unexpected that it was a script written by Lin Lan.
He thought someone was mocking his xifu, and the look he gave Liu Chuncai was simply like a knife.
Liu Chuncai not wetting his pants was all thanks to training. He was originally going to say "You help me sew," but accidentally blurted out his inner thoughts.
Lin Lan also couldn't help but burst out laughing, squinted at Han Qingsong below, and made a gesture of the corners of her mouth turning up at him.
His originally cold and heavy expression softened.
Han Qingyun beside him asked curiously: "Third brother, what is saozi saying to you?"
Han Qingsong: "Did she say anything?"
Han Qingyun: "Saozi did this..." He gestured, "Meow~~"
The people around laughed again.
Lin Lan clapped her hands. "How about this, today we invite the audience present to tell jokes, just talk about your lives. Whoever has something fun at home, bring it out to share, let's all have fun together."
She did this because she didn't want some people to always stare at others' jokes. If everyone generously brought them out to tease, laughed it off, just like a joke, they wouldn't go laugh at others anymore.
Some bold ones pointed at Han Qingsong and shouted silently: "Let him speak."
Lin Lan and Han Qingsong exchanged a look.
Han Qingsong immediately stood up. "I still have things to do, I'll take my leave first."
"Don't, third brother." Han Qingyun pulled him. "Quickly tell us one."
Han Qingsong said: "I don't have jokes to tell, do you want to hear a case?"
"Yes! Tell one!" The audience shouted.
Han Qingsong then told the story of investigating the Yellow River Brigade. Although the process was serious and direct, it was also full of twists and turns.
"And in the end?" Someone couldn't help but ask.
Han Qingsong: "What in the end? Of course, execution."
Everyone couldn't help but shiver, so cold.
"Good execution, he had to be executed. Such a person, executing him is the best!"
Lin Lan then clapped her hands: "So you see, there is prominence only with comparison. Our party secretary and brigade captain work diligently, leading the commune members to work in the fields, we should be grateful ah."
The brigade captain stood up happily and cupped his hands to the surroundings. "You flatter me, you flatter me."
Han Yongfang, however, raised his hand and waved it. "Alright, don't make trouble out of nothing, just work hard."
The commune members laughed heartily, saying one after another that since having the propaganda team, the party secretary had become approachable.
With this propaganda team set up, everyone was happy. The cadres found the commune members much more well-behaved and hygienic, the girls also became more poised and generous, the commune members had entertainment to watch during the slack farming season, Lin Lan also got the work points and grain she longed for, and Dong Huaihua was also rated as an outstanding women's cadre in the commune...
And then there was Liu Xiuyun, who became increasingly strong, working actively and seriously.
Later, there were also young men who tried to take advantage of Liu Xiuyun, thinking that since she had been taken advantage of by other men, they would be losing out if they didn't. As a result, Liu Xiuyun rolled up her sleeves and slapped them a few times, and also reported to the party secretary that they were acting like hooligans. The party secretary didn't call the police either, directly whipping those young men. From then on, the men in the village all became honest, not daring to have any improper thoughts about Liu Xiuyun anymore.
There were also a few women who had previously taken a liking to Xiuyun and wanted to arrange a marriage, but Xiuyun didn't fancy their sons. Now seeing Liu Xiuyun, they inevitably made sarcastic remarks, saying things like "Now she's really something, following a shrew and becoming a shrew herself. A young unmarried girl, truly self-deprecating. Such a person, no one will dare to marry her in the future, she'll be a female bachelor for life."
Liu Xiuyun directly fired back as Lin Lan taught her: "With your virtues, even if your sons married into my family, I wouldn't care for them!"
This angered those women so much they kept complaining to Dong Huaihua, saying Liu Xiuyun was shrewish.
Dong Huaihua happily gossiped with Lin Lan. "Lin Lan, you taught her well. The unmarried girls in our village now aren't afraid of trouble when they go out, no one dares to bully them. Haha."
Lin Lan was also happy: "This way, our efforts weren't in vain."
Her efforts indeed weren't in vain. After resolving Liu Xiuyun's matter, Dong Huaihua admired her even more. The party secretary and the brigade captain sincerely praised her, not just for Han Qingsong's sake. The Liu family, needless to say, treated her as a benefactor. Other families also felt she was capable and unafraid of trouble, not relying on Han Qingsong to bully people, but instead helping people.
Now Lin Lan's reputation in Shanzucun was getting better and better.
People from other villages thought she was a primary school teacher, giving a thumbs up when talking about her. "Teacher Lin is amazing, Teacher Lin's propaganda classes are packed."
The propaganda work got on track, Lin Lan earned work points very comfortably, and was also invited by other brigades, earning grain along the way. The family's life was becoming increasingly prosperous.
On this day, she and Dong Huaihua took Liu Xiuyun, Liu Chuncai, and others to a neighboring brigade for propaganda.
That brigade happened to be slaughtering pigs. Before leaving, they gave each of them a catty of pork, and Lin Lan got an extra piece of pork liver.
They were all very happy. "We've been craving meat for a long time. Our brigade hasn't slaughtered pigs yet, this is just perfect."
Lin Lan also thought so. Han Qingsong hadn't gone to the county these past few days, and there was no meat at home. The children were all craving it.
Liu Xiuyun wanted to divide the meat between Lin Lan and Dong Huaihua, but was refused by both.
Lin Lan smiled and said: "You've been busy inside and out, this is what you deserve. Take it, there will be more in the future."
Unable to decline, Liu Xiuyun had to take it.
Liu Chuncai smiled and said: "Yun'er, if you don't crave meat, give it to me, I'm craving it to death."
Dong Huaihua smiled and said: "Don't you have so much meat on your own body?"
Talking and laughing, they returned to the village. Lin Lan carried the meat and headed home.
When she reached the entrance of the old Han family's alley, she happened to see Han-xiaogu walking this way, so she quickened her pace to pass by.
"You stop right there!" Seeing her, Han Jinyu pulled her legs and chased after her. She saw clearly that Lin Lan was carrying a piece of meat in her hand.
How could Lin Lan stand still!
The more she shouted, the faster Lin Lan ran, disappearing in a moment.
Han-xiaogu stomped her feet in anger, went home, and cried to Han-laotaitai: "Niang, that shrew was carrying a huge piece of meat, and she didn't even know to come show filial piety to you."
A few days ago, Han-laotaitai had her second son push her to visit her youngest son. Since coming back, she had been feeling unwell, groaning constantly.
She wanted her sons and xifu to take the initiative to say niang is unwell, call laosan over to do this and that. As a result, because of the fuss during the Mid-Autumn Festival, Han-dasao's face was still indifferent now, basically not speaking except for working and cooking.
Han-dage, because he was complained about by his laopo and not allowed near her, ended up holding it in during the slack farming season when they should have been busy with baby-making exercises, so naturally, he had no energy either.
Coupled with what the old lady herself had said—those who split out are outsiders, whoever in the family goes to talk to that shrew, roll out—others naturally wouldn't go to Lin Lan to get close.
Now she wanted to see him, but no one went to pass the message.
Dinner was still boiled sweet potatoes and corn mush, no vegetables, only pickled mustard greens. Han-xiaogu's mouth tasted like ashes, and she angrily threw down her chopsticks and stopped eating. "They are eating meat at home, and we are eating chaff and swallowing vegetables here."
Han-dasao sneered. They eating meat was what they earned. Look at how comfortably Lin Lan had been living since splitting the family, her reputation had even improved.
Now, who in the whole village didn't say Teacher Lin was a thumbs up!
Lin Lan naturally didn't care about their family's disputes. Running home, she pondered what good meal to make to reward the whole family.
While she was busy, Xiuyun's niang came again.
Ever since Liu Xiuyun was fine and followed Lin Lan to do propaganda, Xiuyun's niang came even more frequently, coming every few days to ask if there was anything to help with, or bringing some food and the like.
This made Han-laotaitai and Han-xiaogu constantly say Lin Lan's elbows turned outward, being good to others but not to her own popo.
"Guinv ah, I had nothing to do these past two days, so I made two pairs of shoes for you and Qingsong. Quickly try them on and see if they fit?" She handed the cotton shoes in her hand to Lin Lan.
Lin Lan looked at the shoes with thousand-layer soles. The soles were thick, the stitches were fine and dense. How could she have the nerve to accept them.
"Saozi, you've helped so much already. Making shoes strains the eyes, don't busy yourself anymore."
Xiuyun's niang said: "What busy, not busy at all. Stitching shoe soles doesn't require looking, it's no trouble. The parts that require eyes were all done by Xiuyun. That girl has deft hands, she's happy to make shoes for her shenzi."
She urged Lin Lan to try them on. "Don't decline, they were made according to your and Qingsong's feet, others can't wear them. Good guinv, quickly put them on. If they're comfortable, I'll make more for you."
That expression was as if Lin Lan wearing her shoes was giving her great face, her face full of devotion.
Lin Lan was sweating a bit. She quickly pulled Xiuyun's niang into the room to find cloth and some fabric scraps that could be used to make shoe soles for her.
Xiuyun's niang refused to take them.
Lin Lan deliberately kept a straight face and said: "I was just about to make shoes. It's because my craftsmanship is poor and I'm afraid of embarrassing myself that I haven't started. Saozi, you've helped me a great deal, you must take the cloth. If you don't take it, I won't take your shoes."
Unable to dissuade her, Xiuyun's niang had to accept them, saying embarrassedly: "Look at you, I came to give you things, how did I end up taking your things."
"Isn't this how it should be." Lin Lan smiled and said: "How is your family eating the meat?"
Xiuyun's niang became happy again. "Making dumplings." She looked at the fine flour Lin Lan had laid out outside. "You make dumplings too, I'll help you chop the filling."
She sincerely wanted to do something for Lin Lan, always feeling that Lin Lan was truly a good person. That girl Xiuyun, originally hurt so badly by Zhiqing Chen, was probably finished.
Now, with Lin Lan guiding her, that girl was becoming increasingly motivated. Now, every day at home, she was either doing needlework or learning characters and reading books, or following along to do propaganda. She was busier than a cadre all day long.
Xiuyun's niang was happy.
Lin Lan quickly declined. "Saozi, hurry home and busy yourself. When the children come back, they can just help me."
She pushed Xiuyun's niang to the door and said goodbye to her.
Xiuyun's niang was somewhat reluctant to part, waving her hand, repeatedly expressing that if Lin Lan needed anything, just order her. Making shoes, making padded jackets, making cotton pants, sewing quilts, just look for her.
Lin Lan wiped her sweat, a bit afraid of Xiuyun's niang. In modern times, she would definitely be at the level of a die-hard fan. However, her own lack of skill in needlework was truly famous throughout the village.
She went back and looked at the cotton shoes. The small ones were thick, the large ones weren't as thick, making them lighter.
Looking at this craftsmanship, she could forget about it in this lifetime.
So, she righteously gave up trying, hahaha.
At this time, Han Qingsong happened to come home. Seeing her happily fiddling with two pairs of cotton shoes, he feigned surprise and said: "You made them?"
Lin Lan was a bit proud. "Mm-hmm, Director Han, try them on, see if the ones made by your virtuous helpmeet fit."
Han Qingsong put them on, walked two steps, and nodded. "Good craftsmanship, comfortable to wear. Just a bit hot, make me a pair of unlined ones."
Lin Lan: ... Are you asking for a beating.
She smiled playfully: "It's fine, I'll open a few small holes inside. If you feel hot, just pull the cotton out. If you're cold, stuff it back in."
Han Qingsong: "............" Is my xifu going to be so smart she blooms flowers?
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