Lin Silei was getting married, to a young woman from the county town.
This news shocked the commune members who were fully engrossed in their watermelon fields.
So soon? And he, a second-timer, was marrying a girl from the county town? Were county town girls that easy to marry?
Later, after learning about the girl's background, those with aspirations to raise their daughters-in-law's standards fell silent.
Le Xia, twenty years old, had a baby face that made her look younger, almost underage.
She didn't object to marrying from the county town into a remote mountain village, at least not with Sister Ouyang there.
She and her brother were the only children. To raise her, her brother had resorted to petty thievery from a young age.
Neighbors would sneer and curse, but her brother would grin and tell her to eat quickly, urging her to swallow it before others could take it.
She ate it, but others tried to force it out, saying they wouldn't feed it to dogs.
That time, if it weren't for Brother Lei, her brother would have lost his life.
She had considered marrying Brother Lei to repay his kindness, but he didn't like people with burdens.
Let alone the reputation of her and her brother, their destitute situation meant neither of them would be sought after.
She thought they would just muddle through, but Brother Lei, who had been away for three years, returned in a small car, saying he would take her brother and the others to make a fortune.
Her brother, worried about her, had Brother Lei arrange for her to stay with Sister Ouyang.
When her brother asked her, she agreed. She hadn't seen Sister Ouyang much in these years, but she heard she had married well. With Sister Ouyang around, it was safer than being alone in the county town.
Upon meeting Lin Silei, she was a little surprised. He didn't seem like an ordinary farmer, and his conversation was even less so.
After talking, she learned that Lin Silei and his son were also under Brother Lei's wing, which put her more at ease.
She nodded in agreement, and to avoid delaying Brother Lei's plans, the wedding date was set hastily.
The neighbors gossiped that she was marrying in a hurry because she was pregnant before marriage. She didn't care; she had always known since she was young that life was to be lived for oneself.
...
He was getting married, and this time, Lin Silei felt anticipation and joy for his wedding.
He replaced everything in the room; the things his previous wife used were not suitable for Xiaoxia.
Tian Jing gave twenty yuan as a betrothal gift. Not only was this young girl considered one of their own, but Lin Silei's efforts for her and Li Zhengguo over the years were worth a higher gift.
Ouyang Meihua also gave twenty yuan. The bride was the sister of her junior's junior, and she intended to protect her.
The sisters-in-law entered the bridal chamber to see the bride, only to find a few seasoned rascals from the production team harassing her.
Ouyang Meihua cleared her throat lightly. When the men turned, they quickly scuttled away with their tails between their legs.
"Hmph! Lucky you ran fast, or I would have squeezed your guts out."
"Sister Ouyang," Le Xia called out happily, her elder sister had come to back her up.
Ouyang Meihua tapped her forehead lightly. "Are you mute? Why didn't you announce my name? In Kùshān Lǐ, anyone who dares to bully my people, I'll beat them until their whole family cries out in pain."
"Wasn't it said that today should go smoothly?"
"Announce my esteemed name, and it will go smoothly. Of course, if someone really dares not to acknowledge my name, then announce Tian Jing's name, and tell your Sister-in-law Tian to destroy their seedlings."
Le Xia looked at the beautiful and stunning woman beside Sister Ouyang, her gentle willow-leaf eyebrows tinged with a hint of coldness, making her seem unapproachable.
This must be the legendary Great Hero Tian, whom Brother Lei and Sister Ouyang admired so much.
Tian Jing also observed the girl who had depended on her brother since childhood. The gleam in her eyes proved that life had not dulled the girl's true nature.
She extended her hand, "Welcome to Kùshān Lǐ. As Ouyang Meihua said, from now on, don't endure. We have the right and the ability to stand tall. Lin Silei's temperament, you must understand it with your heart; what others see are just illusions."
Le Xia extended her hand and clasped the delicate fingers before her. Great Hero Tian shook hands with her. Great Hero Tian was cold on the outside but warm within, Great Hero Tian...
"I will, thank you, Sister-in-law Tian."
After the sisters-in-law left, the others in the bridal chamber chatted about normal gossip.
...
On the third day, Ouyang Lei brought Le Xiaodi to Kùshān Lǐ.
To comfort Le Xiaodi, Le Xia returned to her elder sister's home for her post-wedding visit. Their family's house in the county town was managed by his uncle; it could be rented out or lived in, but not sold. He was a real estate developer now and understood the value of land and property.
Li Zhengguo and Tian Jing also went to visit his elder brother's home.
Li's mother, along with her daughter and son-in-law, naturally went too. The three children also tagged along, making Li Ligguo's home lively.
Lin Silei, accompanied by his wife, arrived with gifts, looking incredibly pleased.
Le Xia also appeared as a happy young wife.
Le Xiaodi was relieved; he had not failed the dying wishes of his parents.
Li Zhengguo and Tian Jing raised their glasses together to thank Lin Silei. Lin Silei's eyes welled up. The experiences of these past few years had matured him greatly and taught him much.
His new wife was definitely helped by the Tian couple.
He quickly raised his glass, "You're too kind; we've received much more. We should be the ones thanking you."
"Then let's not be so formal."
"Good."
Ouyang Lei, carrying a thick folder of plans, left with Le Xiaodi. He had to return to the south.
...
Tian Jing gained a companion, who was Le Xia. Le Xia admired Ouyang Meihua, and Ouyang Meihua admired Tian Jing, so the two often came to Li's house together to find Tian Jing.
Seeing that Tiantian had a companion to play with, Li Zhengguo was relieved. He had been busy lately because the watermelon seedlings on the hill had been stolen. Tiantian wanted to investigate, but he wouldn't allow it. Such a small matter didn't require Tiantian's concern.
When Tiantian suggested planting climbing roses around, he also disagreed, as the watermelons could be loaded onto trucks from various locations during harvest. If they planted roses, everything would have to be moved to a single exit, which was too much trouble.
Since he wouldn't let her help, Tian Jing stopped worrying about it. Such a small matter wouldn't trouble Brother Zheng. As expected, three days later, the seedling thief was caught.
It was a member of the Huang family who had caused trouble by scattering paper money during the house-raising ceremony at Li's house.
Li Zhengguo handed the person over to the team office and didn't concern himself further. He had to go to the county town because Li Weiguo had sent word requesting to see him.
Tian Jing was puzzled, "Li Weiguo wants to see you, why do I have to go too?"
The weather was very hot, and it was even hotter outside than in Kùshān Lǐ.
"Because Zhang Fangcao wants to see you, and Li Erzuo and Wu Huidi both want to see you."
"Why? To see them off?"
"More or less. Li Erzuo and Wu Huidi are being executed next month."
"Alright then, I'll go see them off."
This time, they went to the detention center.
The two first went to see Zhang Fangcao.
Seeing Zhang Fangcao with her hair completely white, Tian Jing felt no schadenfreude, only a sigh. Why bother?
Upon seeing Tian Jing, Zhang Fangcao's listless eyes lit up. Her eyes were only on Tian Jing, "Tian Jing, I beg you, please make arrangements for my four children."
Tian Jing shook her head, "What does that have to do with me? You only received a suspended death sentence; there is still hope."
Tian Jing's refusal made Zhang Fangcao's face turn ashen, "Hope? A suspended death sentence becomes life imprisonment, life imprisonment becomes a fixed term. By the time I get out, I'll be old and frail, what hope can there be?"
"As long as you're alive, there's hope."
More than ten years later, weekends appeared, and the criminal law was amended. Many people were released early.
Zhang Fangcao shook her head, "There is no hope, because I have nothing left but my four children, and they must hate me."
"I beg you, send them far away, far from Kùshān Lǐ, far from Li Weiguo, let them grow up in an environment where no one points fingers. I beg you."
Zhang Fangcao knelt before Tian Jing through the bars, "I know I made too many mistakes. I dare not ask for your and Li Zhengguo's forgiveness, I only beg you, for the sake of the innocent children, to help them, to save them."
"I don't want them to become Li Weiguo's tools again. Li Weiguo will not change, not until death."
Tian Jing sighed deeply. If Zhang Fangcao had realized this earlier, she wouldn't be in this situation.
"No matter how much we help, we are not their real family after all. You possess the same rights as Li Weiguo. Don't you protect them yourself?"
Zhang Fangcao paused, "Can I still protect them? By then, they will have grown up."
"Yes. You can strive to be more proactive than Li Weiguo, strive to get out earlier than him, take the four children and go far away, leaving him helpless."
"Is that possible?"
"Yes, with the reform and opening up, travel is much freer. Only by living can you protect them until the end, and expose Li Weiguo's false facade. I think, by then, they won't hate you anymore, right?"