"I pity you, but who will pity me? Isn't your misfortune brought on by yourself? Your whole family has bullied me like this—can't I seek justice?"
Mother Hu truly wanted to tear that little wretch's mouth apart. She had come all this way, and her daughter's matters hadn't even been settled, no house had been found, and now she was being driven off like this. Hadn't she traveled a thousand li for nothing?
Mother Hu appealed to the brigade captain, hoping he could put in a good word, but he wouldn't even look at her.
Mother Hu knew her daughter still had to live in the village, so she didn't dare push too hard. In the end, she handed over two hundred yuan. As she was leaving the village, she even tried to get the villagers to refund the rent she'd paid that morning for the house.
The house was rented from Zhao Tiezhu's family, and there was no way Cai Shufen would give the money back. She cursed and shouted, saying Hu Jun was shameless, that when they'd first rented the place, he'd even touched her.
Hu Jun nearly vomited from disgust. What kind of people were in this village, twisting black into white like this?
In the end, the Hu family slunk out of the village in disgrace.
Xiao Mandong took the two hundred yuan the Hu family had given and, right in front of the villagers, handed it directly to the brigade captain: "Uncle, take this money for the brigade, to be used for building up our Red Flag Brigade. I'm afraid the Hu family might try to harm people, so I hope everyone can keep an eye out and not let any of them sneak back into the village."
Money extorted like that would only breed jealousy among the villagers, so she didn't want it.
The villagers were all stunned by Xiao Mandong's actions. Two hundred yuan—and she just handed it over like that. The brigade captain was also taken aback, then cleared his throat and said, "Comrade Xiao isn't after personal gain. This sense of collective spirit deserves praise."
"It's only right. Thank you all for speaking up just now. Tomorrow I'll be going to the hospital for training. While I'm away, please look after my younger sister in the village. Thank you."
It was only then that Zhou Qichuan understood—this Xiao Mandong really did calculate every step. She'd put on this whole show for one single purpose: to drive the Hu family out of the village, afraid that with her gone, Xiao Manxue wouldn't be safe.
When Xiao Manxue learned of what had happened, she immediately guessed her sister's intention. When she got home, her eyes red, she threw her arms around Xiao Mandong: "Sis, I promise I won't make you worry again."
Her sister would rather ruin her own reputation like this than fail to protect her—such a debt she could never repay.
Just after dinner, Jian Qiuyue came by to check on the progress of the new house and chat with the Xiao sisters.
From Jian Qiuyue, they learned what had happened at Hu Guizhen's house. After being driven out, Mother Hu and her son had gone to stay at a guesthouse in town for the night and planned to head back home the next day.
They'd left Hu Guizhen three hundred yuan and told her to return to the educated youth dormitory, find a place to rent as soon as she could, and divorce Cripple Liu as quickly as possible. They'd do everything in their power to get her back to the city.
You had to admit—Hu Guizhen really did have a good mother.
Early the next morning, Xiao Mandong took the first oxcart into town, and she was almost late again. She absolutely had to buy a bicycle today; going back and forth by oxcart was just too inconvenient.
Entering the hospital gates, the smell of disinfectant made Xiao Mandong feel at ease. In her past life, her greatest regret was not sticking to the profession she loved.
Xiao Mandong took the commune's letter of introduction to the director's office to report in.
Her internship had to start in internal medicine. She was assigned to a chief physician in his sixties named Director Qi.
Director Qi also had two other female comrades in their twenties working with him, also barefoot doctors, who had arrived a week earlier.
With the slip Director Qi had written, Xiao Mandong went to the logistics office to pick up a white coat, a stethoscope, and other medical supplies.
Just as she reached the logistics office door, she heard a man's voice from inside: "My wife can't have children, and I really want a child of my own. If you can give me one—boy or girl—I'll help you get a permanent position."
There was no response from the woman. After a pause, the man continued: "You've been married two years and haven't gotten pregnant either. Yesterday I saw your husband's examination report. He doesn't just have reproductive problems—most importantly, he has developmental issues. This kind of congenital defect simply can't be cured."
"In other words, being with him—let alone having a child of your own—it's impossible. Even a normal married life, the way a husband and wife should live, is out of the question."
"I just think it's unfair. Why can't we have children of our own? A person lives a whole lifetime—without the continuation of life, isn't it a wasted one?"
"If you're willing, I promise I won't treat you badly. And I won't let anyone know about this—including your husband. I'll make him think his condition is treatable. What do you say?"
After a long silence, the other party finally responded: "Then... will we need to be together many times?"
That voice—it was Shao Tingting? Lu Jianguo's cousin.
"Tingting, trust me, you won't regret this!"
"I'm working overtime tonight. Wait for me here."
Shao Tingting's heart was in turmoil. She knew what she was doing was wrong, but her mother-in-law cursed her every day for being a hen who couldn't lay eggs, saying she would bring an end to the Su family line.
She had no choice. She'd forced her husband to come to the hospital for an exam behind his mother's back. This doctor was the head of the urology department.
They'd even bought him plenty of gifts just to get him to do the examination. The result was that her husband was underdeveloped and had reproductive problems. How could she accept that? Her husband agreed to secretly seek treatment but told her not to say anything, but the director said the reproductive issues could be treated while the developmental deficiency could never be cured.
She didn't want to live her whole life without a son or daughter either. She wanted to be a mother. Today she'd gone to ask Director Zhang again, pleading with him to find a way, saying she didn't mind spending money. Director Zhang had told her to wait for him at the logistics office because he had a treatment plan to discuss with her.
But when Director Zhang arrived, he said he wanted to have a child with her. She'd also heard the gossip—Director Zhang's wife had fallen during pregnancy, damaging her uterus, and the couple had been childless for twenty years. The temptation he offered now was huge: she could have her own child, no one would suspect a thing, and she'd even get a permanent position.
In the end, Shao Tingting gritted her teeth and nodded in agreement. She had no alternative. She couldn't get a divorce—hers was an exchange marriage; her sister-in-law had married her own brother. If she divorced, her mother would beat her to death.
Seeing she'd agreed, Director Zhang cupped Shao Tingting's face and gave her a firm kiss. Her cheeks flushed red instantly.
Hearing footsteps, Xiao Mandong hurriedly hid around the corner.
Director Zhang left humming a cheerful tune. Shao Tingting was only twenty-two—that face had felt as soft as water. He was forty-two himself. Having such a beautiful young woman bear his child—just thinking about it made him delighted.
It was Xiao Mandong's first day at the hospital, so she had no idea who the man was, and she didn't care to ask. Once the coast was clear, she stepped out and knocked on the logistics office door.
The moment she pushed the door open, she saw Shao Tingting's red-rimmed eyes. She must have just been crying.
