I was married off to a disabled hero in lieu of marriage; my in-laws doted on me and I aspired to gr

At noon, Yang Wenjin returned home from work and squatted at the door smoking a cigarette.

"It's so sunny, why aren't you coming inside? What are you doing sitting at the door?" Qiaoqiao's mother asked.

"Something's happened," Yang Wenjin said in a muffled voice.

"What happened?"

Qiaoqiao's mother was timid, and her face turned pale as soon as she heard that something had happened.

"We've dragged Jin Tao into this."

"What's wrong? Why can't you say a word? What's going on?" Qiaoqiao's mother asked anxiously.

"Regarding Wu Xia's matter, Squad Leader Jin Tao has been replaced by Yang Weiguo."

"That can't be right. Wu Xia made my mother so angry that she had a heart attack, and we didn't pursue the matter."

"Yes, we didn't say anything. Wu Xia was sentenced to two years for insulting a military family member. Nobody spread this around."

Yang Wenjin didn't know what was going on. Wu Xia was arrested for having an affair with the brigade secretary, but how come the charge was that she insulted a military family member?

Moreover, this matter concerns his family, so the police should go to his home to verify the situation.

"Then, why don't we go to the commune and talk to Secretary Zhang? Even if Wu Xia insulted the families of soldiers, what does that have to do with Jin Tao?"

Qiaoqiao's mother racked her brains but still couldn't figure out what connection Jin Tao and Wu Xia had.

"Going to the commune won't help. Whether the squad leader is competent or not is up to the brigade secretary to decide."

"What, what should we do? If it weren't for Jin Tao, I would be dead. We need an explanation. We did a good deed, and we're still wrong?" Qiaoqiao's mother was very anxious.

"In this world, right and wrong are turned upside down. Haven't my family seen enough of this? Why don't I go to the commune and find Secretary Zhang, regardless of whether it works out or not?"

"Then don't go to work this afternoon. Go eat a cornbread and go early," Qiaoqiao's mother urged.

Yang Wenjin said softly, preparing to go eat, when Zhao Jintao arrived.

"Uncle, Aunt, have you finished writing the letter? I'm going to mail it."

Zhao Jintao smiled and seemed completely unconcerned about being removed from his position as squad leader.

"Oh, Jintao, come inside quickly, your aunt has something to ask you."

"What's wrong, Auntie?"

"Why was your squad leader removed? Wu Xia was sentenced, what happened? My mind is a complete mess. These things have nothing to do with you, so why were you dismissed?" Qiaoqiao's mother asked anxiously.

"Auntie, Guo Baohua holds a grudge against me and wants to get back at me, but that has nothing to do with you. A squad leader is no different from an ordinary commune member, so it doesn't matter. Going to work every day and earning work points is much easier than being a squad leader," Zhao Jintao said with a nonchalant smile.

"No, you clearly saved Grandma Qiaoqiao, why are you complaining when the brigade didn't praise you?"

"Auntie, before I only sympathized with your situation, but this time, I truly understand. If someone wants to throw excrement at you, there's no point in explaining."

"No, I want your uncle to go to the commune and have a serious talk with Secretary Zhang."

"No, don't go, Uncle, Aunt, have you understood how much you've suffered? It's no use. They're all in cahoots. Where can we find a place to reason with them?"

Fortunately, Yang Zhengxin told me in his letter that the world would change sooner or later, and I believe that. We can't keep turning black into white forever, can we? Uncle, give me the letter, you two eat.

Hearing that Zhang Wei and Guo Baohua were in cahoots, Yang Wenjin dared not go to the commune. He had already suffered discrimination, and only now, thanks to his in-laws, had his life become a little more peaceful. He didn't have the courage to argue his case.

It's been seven years, and the Yang family is truly terrified.

Zheng Fenglin wrote and tore up his reply to Qiaoqiao, writing and tearing it up repeatedly. It was heartbreaking to see such a small notebook of letters being torn apart.

Fenglin wanted to tell Qiaoqiao everything that had happened in the village so that her father-in-law, who was a division commander, could come back and teach those bad people a lesson.

Then he thought about Qiaoqiao's own difficult situation and whether she would be able to bring it up.

Finally, Zheng Fenglin wrote that the corn in the village was half a person tall, and the team's sow had given birth to twelve piglets...

The contents of the letter were just like Fenglin's mood—a jumbled mess.

Holding the letter he had written, Fenglin went to the commune to mail it. Not far from his home, he saw Zhao Jintao.

"Hey, Zhao Jintao, wait for me!" Zheng Fenglin called out.

Zhao Jintao stopped and asked, "Where are you going?"

"Where are you going to send a letter to Qiaoqiao?"

"Send a letter to Yang Zheng, and give me the letter too, we'll mail it together," Zhao Jintao said.

"I'll go with you, let's talk."

"Why bother? It's more than ten miles to and from work. Aren't you going to work this afternoon?"

"This job is worthless, I'd rather not do it. Just seeing Yang Weiguo makes me angry."

Zhao Jintao stopped insisting, and the two walked together toward the commune.

"Zhao Jintao, actually, I was the one who told everyone about Guo Baohua and Wu Xia's affair. Wu Xia has a sharp tongue, which almost made Grandma Yang die of anger, and the brigade didn't punish her. I thought to myself, we can't let her get away with this. Who knew that it would backfire and make you lose your position as squad leader."

Zheng Fenglin lowered his head, filled with remorse.

"My dismissal has nothing to do with you. I clashed with Guo Baohua in Secretary Zhang's office, and he holds a grudge. As a squad leader, it doesn't matter whether I'm a squad leader or not, don't take it to heart," Zhao Jintao said with a light smile.

"You've openly started a fight with Guo Baohua?" Zheng Fenglin was shocked.

"Yeah, could it be that you're like me, gossiping about other people's private affairs behind their backs?"

"What's wrong with having a yin-yang relationship behind your back? Let's face it head-on. Alright, the squad leader is gone." Zheng Fenglin muttered angrily.

"How is Qiaoqiao?" Zhao Jintao's eyes softened when he mentioned Qiaoqiao.

"She might not be used to life in the Zhou family yet. She has no friends, and Zhou Wenhui is cold and distant. By the way, don't tell Qiaoqiao's parents. How is Yang Zheng?"

"He must have his own difficulties. As a country person who has just come to the city, he will be bullied and suppressed. But Yang Zheng said that the world will change soon."

"How will it change?"

"How would I know?"

"If only I could work in the fields every day and have enough to eat and wear, that would be great."

Zheng Fenglin's eyes were full of longing; if he could eat meat occasionally, that would be the life of a god.

The two went to the brigade to mail a letter together, and then returned home together. The next day, gossip spread throughout the village.

"Feng Lin, are you dating Zhao Jintao?"

"Zhao Jintao is a good person, it's just his mother..."

In the past, Zheng Fenglin disliked those women trying to pair her up with Zhao Jintao, because she knew that Zhao Jintao had feelings for Qiaoqiao.

Things are different now. Qiaoqiao is already married, and Zhao Jintao is considered very outstanding among young people of the same age.

He gave a few lukewarm rebukes and let the women gossip.

Zhao Jintao's mother was so angry about her son's situation that she fell ill at home for several days. Today, when she went to the fields, she heard others talking about her son and Zheng Fenglin, and she started to have her own thoughts.

Zhao Jintao's mother desperately wanted her son to go to the city to work as a laborer. Now that he's lost his position as team leader, there's no hope of him going to the city anymore. She might as well just get married.