Chapter 114
“Who is it?” Yan Lei asked.
Qiao Wei guessed, “It’s highly likely to be that person surnamed Guan. Yesterday, I didn’t go along with him to denounce the Secretary, which ruined his mood. He must find me an eyesore.”
The new authorities naturally want to pull out the old nails.
She paused and said, “Zengyue stopped him.”
Yan Lei nodded. “There’s no need for Zengyue to fall out with you.”
Yes, putting aside the history between Huang Zengyue and Secretary Meng, there was actually no conflict of interest between Huang Zengyue and Qiao Wei.
He added, “As long as you don’t go against them.”
Qiao Wei said, “Who would dare to go against them now? I don’t have that intention either. I just couldn’t kick the Secretary while he’s down. As for anyone else, it’s none of my business, and I don’t have the ability to care anyway.”
When she said this, Yan Lei felt much more at ease.
Because circumstances are stronger than people, under such a grand trend, you cannot and could not possibly go against the current.
As for the one surnamed Guan…
Yan Lei said, “Since Zengyue has made arrangements, you should rest for a few days first to stay out of the limelight.”
Qiao Wei nodded.
With Secretary Meng’s downfall, the County Government’s reshuffling during this period would be very chaotic. She had no ability to help others, and she was also afraid that the one surnamed Guan wouldn’t listen to Huang Zengyue and would act in the midst of the chaos.
It would be safer for her to temporarily keep out of the way.
Yan Lei said, “Will you be alright alone at home? Or would you rather go stay at Old Zhao’s place?”
Qiao Wei asked, “Are you still going back to the Battalion Headquarters?”
But Yan Lei said, “I’m going to talk to Zengyue.”
Qiao Wei sighed.
Yan Lei gently stroked the back of her head and said softly, “Qiao Wei, the matter between Zengyue and Secretary Meng is their business. Zengyue is not our enemy.”
“I know. Go ahead,” Qiao Wei said. “I mentioned to him today that I wanted to go back to the district, but he didn’t agree. Go and talk to him again for me.”
“But you, alone…”
“I’m fine. Too many things have happened one after another these past two days… I’m fine. There’s no need for Sister-in-law Zhao to keep me company.”
Yan Lei kissed the top of her head, put on his cap, and went out.
Qiao Wei closed the courtyard gate again and slid the bolt in, securing it tightly.
Yan Lei didn’t return until after dark.
“He still won’t budge,” Yan Lei said. “He wants you to stay.”
Qiao Wei’s attitude was very firm: “Even if I stay, I won’t write anything anymore.”
At a time like this, being a pen-pusher was very dangerous. If you didn’t write what they wanted, you became the enemy. If you wrote what they wanted, when the ten years ended, you would be liquidated along with them.
“Yan Lei, we must understand one thing—no matter how grand the current situation seems, even if it has swept across the entire nation, it is not normal. Even if this abnormal state lasts for many years, it will definitely, absolutely end! When the day it ends comes, those who have seized power now and reached the sky in a single bound will all be liquidated.”
“Yan Lei, no matter what you do in the future, you must clearly realize this, and you must make your choices with this understanding!”
Yan Lei didn’t say anything; under the light, he stared intently at her.
Qiao Wei asked worriedly, “Yan Lei?”
But Yan Lei suddenly smiled, leaning down to kiss her eyes. “Qiao Wei! Qiao Wei”
“!”
She actually thought exactly the same way as he did. Even while in the vortex, she could see things so clearly.
Yan Lei held Qiao Wei tightly. “Don’t worry about me, my mind is perfectly clear.”
Yan Lei wasn’t as educated, knowledgeable, or well-traveled as Qiao Wei, but he was a diligent student and had read the Party’s history thoroughly.
Using history as a mirror, his mind was extremely clear.
His understanding of this movement sweeping the country was exactly the same as Qiao Wei’s. However, this understanding had always been buried deep in his heart, unable to be easily spoken to anyone.
Today, he actually heard Qiao Wei express the same thoughts as him.
Yan Lei was both pleasantly surprised and comforted.
His wife was someone he could completely put his mind at ease with.
She was a revolutionary partner, a comrade-in-arms, and a soulmate with whom he could resonate and completely merge.
Yan Lei’s sense of fulfillment at this moment was indescribable.
“Don’t worry about the one surnamed Guan, Zengyue and I have already discussed it,” he promised her.
Qiao Wei buried her face in Yan Lei’s chest.
Actually, all along, she hadn’t really empathized with the idea of gaining a sense of security from others. Because in her final years in her past life, she had died in her own loneliness.
Neither blood relations nor love had given her any sense of security.
But now, in Yan Lei’s embrace, held tightly by him, she truly felt safe.
After the Joint Security Patrol of the Military District and Xiahekou District was established, they swept a group of people off the streets with lightning speed.
Most of them were young, out-of-school, jobless males.
And during the interrogations, they actually found out that some of them also planned to emulate the county and city to start a revolution.
The so-called Security Patrol was just a front. However, under the joint will of the Military District and the District Government leaders, military control was implemented over Xiahekou.
Those who were arrested were all sent to do manual labor.
Yan Lei told Qiao Wei, “They’ll dig sand for three months first, and then we’ll see their performance before releasing them.”
“The words have been made clear to them too: if they get caught again, they’ll dig sand for six months, and the time after that, it’ll be a year.”
“Those who don’t want to dig sand should go to school, and honestly learn industrial and agricultural skills. Stop running around everywhere.”
In less than a week, the public security situation in Xiahekou was completely refreshed, and there were far fewer people wandering around the streets.
The adults at home also dragged their children inside: “You want to emulate the county’s revolution? Can you even do it! We have a military dependents’ residential area here, and the Military District is watching! Don’t mess around!”
Qiao Wei had been resting at home for a week, studying gourmet food.
With the resources of this era, it was really hard to talk about gourmet food.
She managed to make double-skin milk, and then she ran off to learn how to roast melon seeds from Hu Sui.
Hu Sui also asked her about the county: “So you’re not going to work anymore?”
Qiao Wei said, “I just want to crack melon seeds and knit sweaters with you at the Broadcasting Station.”
Hu Sui sighed, “If we had known, you shouldn’t have written so many good articles to get noticed and transferred by the leadership. We had such a good time at the Broadcasting Station. Tianming took very good care of that pot of flowers of yours; it has bloomed three flowers.”
Hu Sui’s words made Qiao Wei dazed, actually giving her a feeling of peaceful and quiet times.
She was truly filled with regret.
Yet, the instinct of a corporate slave was to automatically run at full efficiency once on the job. Back then, she had already held back and tried not to overwork.
Hu Sui asked what the Revolutionary Committee was like.
Qiao Wei squatted like a peasant next to the stove, her chin buried in her arms. “It’s terrifying.”
At first, when it was other unfamiliar people, it wasn’t actually that terrifying. It felt a bit like watching a TV drama.
Until the person being denounced up there was replaced by a leader she knew all too well.
The wooden plaque was deliberately soaked in water overnight.
The iron wire chosen was thin.
The skin on the back of the neck was cut open, and as they bent over, blood dripped onto the ground.
It was too painful to watch.
It could no longer be treated like watching a TV drama.
“I also heard it’s terrifying, but fortunately, we don’t have that in our district. But now, Secretary Gao and the others are especially polite to people.” Hu Sui flipped the melon seeds. “It’s been much better since the Security Patrol was established. Next week, it’ll be our Old Fang’s turn to come over for duty. Seeing them on the street brings peace of mind. I chatted with the townspeople, and they are happy about it too.”
“Sister Sui, for anyone who is close to us,” Qiao Wei said, “if you can persuade them not to get involved in these matters, try your best to keep them out of it.”
Qiao Wei was a highly capable person who could work in the county, so Hu Sui nodded. “Alright.”
Qiao Wei carried the melon seeds home and even went to share half of them with Sister Yang.
Yan Xiang also liked to eat them. Qiao Wei was always afraid he would damage his teeth cracking them, so she cracked them for him and put them on a plate. Every time, Yan Xiang would save up a big mouthful to eat, absolutely thrilled.
Having rested for a week already, Qiao Wei wondered if she should go back to work.
After all, she couldn’t stay cooped up in this small courtyard for the rest of her life.
But when Yan Lei came back that day, his brow was furrowed.
Qiao Wei’s heart skipped a beat, and her voice lowered. “Did something happen?”
Only then did Yan Lei snap out of it. “Oh, oh… nothing.”
He was about to head into the room. Qiao Wei tugged at the hem of his clothes and stared at him.
Only then did Yan Lei say, “A letter came from home.”
Qiao Wei had been transmigrated for two years, and it actually took her a few seconds to realize that “home” referred to Yan Lei’s hometown, her husband’s family.
Qiao Wei’s only connection to this “home” was that Yan Lei sent 25 yuan back home every month.
She hurriedly asked, “Is there something wrong at home?”
Yan Lei sighed softly. “My father’s back pain has gotten worse. He wasn’t able to work the fields this year.”
Yan Lei had left home at the age of fourteen to follow the Military Unit.
Up until now, he had only gone back four or five times in over ten years. The last time he went back was to marry his new wife, bringing Qiao Wei—no, bringing Qiao Weiwei back with him.
It was very unpleasant.
Perhaps because of those unpleasant experiences, after Qiao Wei transmigrated, apart from the time she took inventory of the family savings and heard him mention “home” once, Yan Lei never brought up “home” in front of Qiao Wei.
This resulted in Qiao Wei almost forgetting that Yan Lei had a hometown, and that he still had a whole family there—siblings, parents, mother and father.
Moreover, Qiao Wei had read the original novel, so she knew there were some bizarre, dramatic characters in it.
She had a god’s-eye view of the situation of Yan Lei’s family.
Who told them to be the male lead’s family.
Seeing Yan Lei’s deeply furrowed brow, Qiao Wei asked softly, “Then do you want to take some time off and go back to have a look?”
These cadres actually had home leave. But for the vast majority of them, unless there was something important, they hardly ever went back to their hometowns.
They had to stick to their posts.
That was just how it was in this era. The more of a cadre you were, the more you had to stick to your post, and the more likely you wouldn’t return home for years.
Those with high political consciousness, like Yan Lei, would even give up the new red-brick and black-tile dormitory rooms to others.
Yan Lei’s brow furrowed tightly. “I can’t get away.”
He explained, “Every county is establishing a new Revolutionary Committee. According to the rules set in Shanghai, there must be Military Representatives. I applied for Bo City, and it has just been arranged.”
Besides, he really had things to do, and they had all been arranged.
He and Huang Zengyue had already made arrangements.
But his brow was tightly furrowed.
So this “home,” which had almost no presence for Qiao Wei, was after all something he cared about.
After all, they were his biological parents.
Seeing his difficult position, Qiao Wei thought for a moment and said, “How about I go back and take a look for you?”
Yan Lei looked at her in surprise.
This was an option he had never considered.
He had never thought she would bring it up herself.
Qiao Wei’s eyes just looked at him, filled with a smile.
Since transmigrating, I have been well taken care of by you.
I also want to do something for you!
