An hour later, Ji Xinyu saw the women Xu Ruozhi had mentioned, all around thirty years old, about a dozen in total.
Judging by their clothing, some seemed to be doing reasonably well, while others clearly were not.
Stepping into this place, everyone was visibly ill at ease. Upon seeing Grandpa Huang, a few of them froze on the spot.
Police officers had also arrived and were in the Ji family's living room. This group of tormented women began to recount their ordeals.
"My name is Jiang Ning. Ren Pingzheng and I were classmates in junior high, he was my desk-mate. He wrote me notes, sent me messages, and we started dating. When I was thirteen, he tricked me into sleeping with him. These are the text messages he sent me back then." Jiang Ning presented a file. At the top were the identity details for the owners of two phone numbers.
One belonged to Jiang Ning, the other to Ren Pingzheng. Although both Jiang Ning and Ren Pingzheng were very young at the time, everyone knew that in this era, protections for minors were quite robust. By junior high, everyone was required to obtain their own identity card and wear a smartwatch.
Officially, this was said to prevent children from getting lost, but it was practically useless. Even with the smartwatches, children who were going to be abducted still were.
A female officer took the file she offered. As she flipped through the chat records, her expression grew increasingly grim.
Now she understood why, after all these years, this young woman was still persistently seeking channels to report Ren Pingzheng.
Reading these chat logs, except for the first month or two, everything that followed was Ren Pingzheng coaxing and pressuring Jiang Ning into engaging in intimate acts with him. Moreover, from his words, it was abundantly clear that his coercion of Jiang Ning was entirely malicious.
"Ren Pingzheng was famously a top student at our school. Back then, I was naive and confused about everything. I thought we were truly in love, and that those things were what couples were supposed to do. Later, as I grew up, I realized they were not."
"Originally, I didn't plan to confront him. Being tricked by him was my own foolishness; I didn't even want to think about him. That was until my sophomore year of university. Someone at my school pursued me, and I agreed to date him. But within two days of us being together, my boyfriend received messages from him. The messages contained my private photos." Jiang Ning's eyes held despair.
"Many, many of them."
The women behind Jiang Ning came forward one by one, each providing evidence more shocking than the last. Some even had medical records from gynecology visits. They had originally intended to just swallow the bitter pill in silence.
After all, what young woman doesn't encounter a few scoundrels in her youth? The idea was to come to terms with it and move on.
But whenever they tried to move forward, they would face the same treatment as Jiang Ning. Some refused to believe it was inevitable; after breaking up with one, they'd find another. Yet each relationship ended for the same reason. After three such instances, their private photos would be sent to the phones of their friends and family.
"We're all from Xia City. When this sort of thing happened, we'd ask around and eventually found out about each other. Slowly, we came together..."
"Over the years, we've reported to the police, sought help from the Women's Federation, gone to the media, and even exposed it on social media ourselves, but nothing ever came of it. The Women's Federation staff who helped us back then were either transferred or resigned after that incident, so we never went to them again." As the women spoke of this, their faces were devoid of even the expression of tears.
They held no hope for tonight's report either. They understood all too well the kind of family background the Ren family had. They didn't believe such a powerful family would suddenly collapse. They placed their hopes in no one.
The Ji household remained brightly lit throughout the night. Police officers recorded their statements. Neither Ji Xinyu nor Xu Ruozhi went upstairs to sleep. Xu Ruozhi listened to their stories, her own tears falling at times.
In that moment, Xu Ruozhi resolved to pay even greater attention to vulnerable groups in the future, especially vulnerable women. Ji Xinyu had no objection to Xu Ruozhi's thoughts. She had always lived from a position of privilege. She knew it was difficult for women to establish themselves in a place that had been patriarchal for decades, but she hadn't realized just how hard it could be for ordinary young women.
Ji Xinyu suddenly became aware of her own superficial understanding.
The next day, after waking up, Ji Xinyu was looking at her friends' chat in a messaging group when suddenly someone burst into her home. Ji Xinyu put away her phone and looked up. The visitor was Ren Pingzheng's youngest brother, Ren Pingyi.
He had a cut on the corner of his mouth and was staring stubbornly at Ji Xinyu, lips pressed tight. The smile faded from Ji Xinyu's face because his expression instantly reminded her of the youngest son from her father's third wife in her pre-transmigration life.
From childhood, he had that same stubbornness, looking at her with those same resentful eyes.
Ji Xinyu ignored him.
Ren Pingyi, not receiving the comfort he expected from Ji Xinyu, grew even more displeased. "The teacher called you. Why didn't you come to see me?"
Ren Pingyi had transmigrated from the original host's world. Because the original host had no younger siblings, she had been especially caring towards Ren Pingyi, this much younger brother.
Ren Pingyi attended a prestigious boarding school, but every Friday afternoon, the original host would personally drive to pick him up, take him out for meals. Sometimes, if he didn't want restaurant food, the original host would cook him a bowl of noodles.
The noodles weren't anything special—they were the only dish the original host knew how to make: tomato and egg noodles.
It could be said that among the three younger siblings of the Ren family, the original host had invested the most thought and care into Ren Pingyi.
Whether in his studies or daily life, she had given him immense help. When he was young, Ren Pingyi had indeed been very close to her.
But everything changed after Ren Pingyi entered university. He got a girlfriend. She was like a little sun—bright, enthusiastic, and lively. After they got together, this little sun became his sole source of warmth.
That girl loved Ren Pingyi and felt intense hostility towards the original host, this woman who was so close to him. So one day, she had an argument with Ren Pingyi. In the heat of anger, she said many things she shouldn't have. She forgot about them afterward, but Ren Pingyi took every word to heart.
He began resisting the original host's attention. At first, the original host didn't notice. When she nagged him a couple more times, he repeated all the things his then-girlfriend had said in her fit of anger.
Included among them were statements like the original host was only so nice to him because she saw him as a substitute for Ren Pingzheng.
The original host's health was already very poor by then. Hearing those words devastated her, and she fell seriously ill not long after returning home. During her convalescence, she met Ren Pingyi's girlfriend.
She sincerely apologized to the original host. She had truly lost her temper, and she did harbor hostility towards the original host.
People in love, even if their partner isn't actually that great, treasure them and are constantly suspicious that others might try to steal them away. When Ren Pingyi said those things to the original host, it was in a public setting, so those words spread throughout the entire school.
That girl heard about it too. She was terrified and immediately ran to the original host's home to apologize. Regardless of whether the original host forgave her or not, she left after saying her piece and directly broke up with Ren Pingyi.
In that girl's view, she was aware of Ji Xinyu's help towards Ren Pingyi—otherwise, she wouldn't have felt such hostility towards her. But while she herself could harbor ill will and make malicious assumptions about Ji Xinyu, Ren Pingyi was not allowed to do the same.
Ren Pingyi's accusations against Ji Xinyu betrayed all the kindness she had shown him over the years; he was an ungrateful wretch. That girl later stated publicly that while her own character might not be the best, she still wanted to find a boyfriend with better morals, and someone like Ren Pingyi wouldn't do.
After breaking up with that girl, Ren Pingyi blamed all the fault on the original host. Even after the original host's family went bankrupt later, he never went to see her once.
While the minor heavenly law of this world had a hand in the original host's eventual choice to commit suicide, this Ren Pingyi, whom she had sincerely treated, was also one of the final straws that crushed her spirit.
"That statement of yours is ridiculous. Why should I go to school to see you? Haven't I cleaned up enough of your messes over the past few years?" When the original host married into the Ren family, Ren Pingyi was only nine years old, just in third grade.
For those three years, the original host never neglected his education. Yet, that Ren Pingyi who started bullying his classmates from third grade remained just as rotten.
Despite the original host's strenuous efforts to straighten him out, she only managed to improve his grades. Waiting for him to completely transform into a well-behaved teenager would have taken until at least junior high school, around second year. What specific event would trigger that change, Ji Xinyu didn't bother to recall.
Anyway, now that the Ren family was clearly on the verge of ruin, what happened to Ren Pingyi had nothing to do with her anymore.
Ren Pingyi's eyes instantly reddened. He had always known he was in the wrong. He shouldn't have repeated his ex-girlfriend's mistaken words to his sister-in-law, and he certainly shouldn't have blamed his breakup on her.
He had always known his mistake, but because he had received his sister-in-law's care since childhood, he took it for granted that no matter what wrong he did, she should forgive him unconditionally.
His sister-in-law never came to coax him, and Ren Pingyi's stubbornness flared up too; he wasn't willing to take the initiative and speak to her either.
He even waited for his sister-in-law to beg him, after all, as a male descendant of the Ren family, he held five percent of the shares in Kuangte Group! He waited and waited, until he received the news of his sister-in-law's death.
Ren Pingyi couldn't believe his sister-in-law was just gone like that. Even after personally watching her body be cremated, he refused to believe it.
Then one night, he drank too much. When he woke up again, he had returned to his elementary school days. Ren Pingyi was ecstatic, because the elementary school he attended was a full-time boarding school. Phones were confiscated at a set time, and you couldn't get them back for the rest of the period.
Back then, Ren Pingyi only remembered sending a few messages to Ji Xinyu. To see Ji Xinyu sooner, Ren Pingyi picked a fight with someone. He had known since third grade that whenever he caused trouble at school, even if Ji Xinyu was busy, she would drop everything to come see him.
He waited and waited, but Ji Xinyu never came. As soon as school was out, he rushed straight home.
He didn't find Ji Xinyu at home, so he dropped his things and immediately ran to the Ji family residence.
The moment he saw Ji Xinyu, all his longing and resentment towards her came pouring out.
Upon hearing Ji Xinyu's words, Ren Pingyi stared wide-eyed, as if questioning why she could abandon him, how dare she abandon him.
Ji Xinyu clicked her tongue, thinking that the original host and the eldest daughter-in-law of the Marquis's household had spoiled Ren Pingzheng's two younger brothers rotten. The eldest daughter-in-law spoiled Ren Pingxuan into a beast who coveted his elder brother's wife, and the one the original host spoiled was nothing but an ungrateful wretch.
How ungrateful was he? It meant that a thousand acts of kindness, ten thousand acts of goodness, could all be negated by a single instance of falling short.
Of course, this couldn't entirely be blamed on the original host and the others. Among the four Ren siblings, apart from Ren Jialin, they were all bad seeds from a rotten bamboo.
Just as Ren Pingyi was about to speak, another person arrived. Ji Xinyu and Ren Pingyi turned to look at the source of the sound.
The newcomer had beautiful long permed hair, wore a fitted black business suit, and her pretty face was adorned with elegant makeup. However, no matter how exquisite her makeup was, it couldn't hide the traces of time at the corners of her mouth and eyes.
"Mrs. Ren, hello. I am Zhou Qianxuan, President Ren's secretary. We've met a few times before. I'm very sorry to disturb you so late. The situation is, we haven't been able to contact President Ren since last night. This morning, officials from the Administration for Industry and Commerce and the Tax Bureau came to the company. Do you happen to have any news of his whereabouts?" Zhou Qianxuan's attitude was humble and proper. Without knowing the inside story, anyone seeing this would praise her as an excellent secretary.
Who could have imagined? Such an "excellent" secretary first got involved with Ren Pingzheng's father, then entangled herself with Ren Pingzheng, helping him seize all power within Kuangte. She even offered advice and participated in Ren Pingzheng's plot to murder his parents.
She was also the one who handled most of Ren Pingzheng's mistresses over the years. Not only that, she had borne Ren Pingzheng's only children to date, a son and a daughter. The eldest son was now six years old, attending the best kindergarten in the suburbs.
She was aware of Ren Pingzheng's scheme to seize the Ji family's assets. The reason Ren Pingzheng hadn't touched the original host all these years was because she forbade it. She wouldn't allow Ren Pingzheng to have any other children before her own son turned ten.
In the "fate" originally arranged by the heavenly law for this world's chosen son, by the time the chosen son grew up and returned to reclaim power, Ren Pingzheng's wife was supposed to be this very woman, and her son would successfully inherit the resources of both the Ren and Ji families.
The chosen son had to struggle for several years before finally succeeding against him.
Facing Ji Xinyu's scrutiny, Zhou Qianxuan stood straight, her attitude neither subservient nor arrogant. To maneuver between Ren Pingzheng and his father, then withdraw unscathed after Ren Pingzheng secured power, and give birth to two children—all of this required considerable cunning.
The reason Ren Pingzheng hadn't moved against her all these years was because she held all the evidence of his crimes. Without retrieving that evidence, he wouldn't dare act rashly.
Ji Xinyu glanced at Zhou Qianxuan, saw the calculation in her eyes beneath that humble expression, and let out a soft, derisive snort.
It seems this woman not only found out the last known whereabouts of Ren Pingzheng, but has also searched all the places Ren Pingzheng might frequent. She has likely inquired with all the system insiders she is familiar with. She must have truly run out of options to come here seeking information from her, right?
"Miss Zhou, you must be joking. I'm not at all close with your family's President Ren. You've probably come to the wrong person looking for me here?" Ji Xinyu looked at Zhou Qianxuan with a faint, mocking smile. "Speaking of which, Secretary Zhou, you actually don't know where President Ren is?"
Ji Xinyu's feigned surprise was patently false.
Zhou Qianxuan's brow twitched, and she immediately turned her gaze to Ji Xinyu. Seeing her expression, Zhou Qianxuan's face changed slightly.
Just as she was about to speak, more people entered. The newcomers wore blue uniforms. Upon seeing Zhou Qianxuan, the person leading them raised their work ID and an arrest warrant.
"Ms. Zhou, hello. The Public Security Economic Crime Investigation Department is now summoning you for questioning according to the law."
Upon hearing this, the expression on Zhou Qianxuan's face finally shifted. She opened her mouth to speak, but the police gave her no opportunity. One officer took out handcuffs and secured them on her.
As she was being led away, Zhou Qianxuan turned her head to look at Ji Xinyu, who maintained the same expression as before.
The police directly took Zhou Qianxuan away. Witnessing this scene, Ren Pingyi keenly sensed that something was amiss.
"Sister-in-law, what are you still standing there for? Shouldn't you be running around pulling strings for my brother, finding out what's really going on? What are you doing just standing there dumbly!" Ren Pingyi spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
He didn't see any problem with saying this. In his elementary school days, he might not have understood what the Ren family meant to him, but Ren Pingyi, having been reborn, knew all too well now.
Ji Xinyu, who had been tolerating him for a long time, directly slapped him across the face. "I've had enough of you. Who do you think you are? Daring to tell me what to do?"
Ren Pingyi covered his slapped face, unable to react. When he looked at Ji Xinyu again, his eyes were filled with hatred.
Ji Xinyu grabbed him by the collar and threw him out the door. "I have already instructed lawyers to sue your brother. From now on, I have nothing to do with you. Watch your words in the future."
After saying this, she closed the front door of the house under Ren Pingyi's stunned gaze. Ren Pingyi's mind was reeling. His sister-in-law was suing his brother? How did he never know about this? Could it be because he was still in elementary school at the time, so he wasn't aware?
Ren Pingyi sat on the ground until passersby pointed and whispered about him, then he stood up and ran frantically towards the Ren family home.
The next morning, Lin Xi got up from bed, saw the message from Ji Xinyu, and also saw the discussion in the group chat. After reading the replies, she went to wash up.
After several days of rain, the sky finally cleared today. The golden sun shone on the earth, over the green mountains and clear waters, lifting one's spirits.
Many flowers in the flower beds had withered from the rain's battering, but the ones that remained were even more vibrant than before.
She ate the breakfast left by Chi Xiangping, locked the door, and went out. The streets were filled with many more tourists. The poppies lining both sides of the road bloomed in wave after wave. The peach, plum, and pear trees transplanted before the New Year were now lush with leaves, their branches bearing small, green, unripe fruit.
Lin Xi followed the flow of people towards the back of the village. The village grandmothers and grandfathers, now that tourists had arrived, set out their own fruits, vegetables, and handmade crafts for sale.
Because they were good quality, inexpensive, and genuinely had local character—unlike the generic souvenirs found at every tourist spot—the tourists were quite willing to buy.
Some with special skills had quickly learned from outside and also brought over the kinds of snacks found in other tourist areas.
The prices they set weren't high, even a bit cheaper than at other tourist spots. Tourists here, having been overcharged elsewhere, happily opened their wallets for such good value.
When Lin Xi arrived at the guesthouse, the magnolia trees planted on both sides of the courtyard were in full bloom, their branches laden with purple and pink flowers.
Tourists with cameras were taking pictures under the flowering trees, and other spots in the courtyard were also crowded with people photographing.
The robot Xiao Meng, dressed in a little skirt made by Chi Xiangping, was maintaining order on the covered walkway. Its intelligence was roughly that of a five-year-old child, and it could chat with anyone.
Everyone was very curious about it. Previous guests, Xu Fei and Zhang Xuemin, had posted many videos tagging Lotus Flower Village. When tourists planning to visit searched for the location on platforms like Douyin, their videos would appear.
The guesthouse and the robot in the videos were very appealing, especially after learning that Lotus Flower Village didn't charge an entrance fee.
People on road trips passing by would often make a detour to visit.
Lin Xi didn't bother them and entered the main hall. Yao Yuran was sitting behind the front desk, a smile on her face. "Xiao Xi, you're here. Today, our guesthouse is completely full."
This hadn't happened since the guesthouse opened. Yao Yuran couldn't be happier; Lin Xi making money meant her own job was secure.
Yao Yuran actually wasn't that short on money now. Last night, Lin Xi had given her twenty thousand yuan, said to be her share of the profits from the software she co-developed with her sister.
She would receive a settlement every three months from now on. No matter how Yao Yuran refused, it was no use. She quietly put that twenty thousand together with her previous savings.
Her savings weren't much. The ten thousand Lin Xi gave her earlier was almost all spent on her leg treatment, and later her children's schooling costs used up some more.
Now, whenever she saw that sum of over twenty thousand, Yao Yuran felt immensely satisfied.
That twenty thousand was the security for her and her two daughters' livelihood, the foundation for her children's education. She planned to open a bank account in a couple of days and deposit it.
Lin Xi was also happy. After exchanging a few words with Yao Yuran, Lin Xi went to the beverage bar to check the stock of various drinks, just as a guest came to get some tea.
There were many beverages at the bar, but only the tea was complimentary. However, to get tea, one had to present their room key, and only one packet per request.
Lin Xi replenished the used stock, then went to the laundry room at the back. The high-temperature sterilizing dryer was running. After a glance to confirm everything was fine, she went to check the second floor.
Someone was meditating on the second-floor balcony. Lin Xi didn't disturb them. Lin Family Pond was especially beautiful today; some people were even boating on Lotus Flower Pond.
After inspecting all areas, Lin Xi sat behind the front desk. Yao Yuran went to prepare lunch.
She opened the group chat just in time to see Ji Xinyu sending a message.
Ji Xinyu, the Eldest Daughter-in-Law of a Wealthy Family: Without that little bit of heavenly luck shielding him, Ren Pingzheng's affairs were very easy to investigate. Once the state machinery got involved, it didn't take long for the general scope of his deeds to be uncovered.
The people who had been helping him with his dirty work were all arrested before dawn. Faced with absolute ironclad evidence, he gave up his protector.
His company's taxes were also audited, estimated to involve evading and dodging taxes to the tune of two or three hundred million annually.
Qin Suyuan, the Real Daughter Switched at Birth: Good grief, they found out so quickly? So he's basically covered in flaws from head to toe?
Ye Bingbing, the Villainess Supporting Character and Domineering CEO: Well, I've finally seen a legal-outlaw CEO just like the idiots in my own stupid world. Don't hold back, sisters, just take him down.
Hang Xingyue, the Slacker Contrast Character in the Entertainment Industry: Right, take him down.
Ji Xinyu, the Eldest Daughter-in-Law of a Wealthy Family: Okay. Let's take him down.
After Lin Xi shared her views, the school bus for Fang and Yue had already arrived at the gate. Yao Yuran hurried to meet them.
Fang was carrying a new schoolbag and a new bag, and a smile was on Yao Yuran's face.
"Oh, you got your school uniforms?" Fang had transferred mid-term to Xing Shui Primary School, so she didn't have a uniform and had always worn her own clothes. Sometimes she really envied her classmates.
Fang nodded with a smile. "Yes, Auntie Lin Xi, we just got them. Our teacher said all students across the country have the same uniform now, uniformly priced and distributed by the state. Besides the uniform and backpack, there's also a smartwatch."
Fang enthusiastically showed Lin Xi the uniform, backpack, and watch. Not to be outdone, Yue stood on her tiptoes, holding up her little backpack and uniform for Lin Xi to see.
"Wow, they look really nice." Fang's new uniform was a red tracksuit-style outfit, not much different from the ones Lin Xi and her peers wore as kids.
It adhered to the consistent tradition of Chinese school uniforms: still lightweight, breathable, and unisex.
Yao Yuran handed the two small watches to Lin Xi. They were very pretty children's styles. "These were also issued by the school, no charge. They say this watch has some special function and requires all children to wear it. They'll even do spot checks during winter and summer breaks."
"Hey, your kids have these watches and uniforms too? My daughter is in high school and she has them as well, though her watch style is a bit different from your kids'." Yao Yuran's comment caught the attention of a tourist guest.
Seeing that Fang and Yue also had them, she couldn't help but come over for a look and share her thoughts.
"Yes, we didn't hear anything about it at the start of the term, and no uniform fee was collected. They just suddenly issued them today. When I went to pick up our kids, the teacher on the bus specifically emphasized they must be worn. If lost, we have to report it immediately and apply for a replacement," Yao Yuran chatted with her.
After practicing for this period, Yao Yuran was no longer afraid to speak her not-so-standard Mandarin.
The tourist was also staying at the homestay. Hearing this, she said, "Exactly. Our school teacher called us too, giving us strict instructions. They even said our school will check the watch, uniform, and backpack every day. If anyone doesn't wear them, they'll deduct credits."
"Credits?"
"Yes, my daughter's high school has a credit system now. If credits get deducted, you have to retake courses. These credits are also linked to the college entrance exam. They say if your credits are too low, it can affect the exam. This credit system was just recently introduced."
The two mothers started discussing children's education in the living room. Yao Yuran looked at the tourist with admiration, wishing she could record everything she said on her phone. She felt she lacked education herself and didn't know how to teach her children properly.
She thought parents from big cities surely knew how to raise kids. She must listen more, observe more, think more, extract the essence, so she could educate her two daughters well later.
While seeking advice from the tourist, she didn't forget her tasks. She took off Fang and Yue's old watches and put on the new ones. Then, hand in hand, Fang and Yue headed towards the backyard.
Watching their retreating figures, Lin Xi thought of the two watches she had sent to Professor Gu before the New Year. Could it be that the state had already deciphered the secrets of those watches? And that's why they manufactured these things and mandated all students nationwide to wear them?
Just as she was pondering this, she received a call from Sister Ren, the women's federation cadre. Lin Xi went straight to her barbecue shop.
Sister Ren was in the kitchen grilling skewers. Seeing Lin Xi, she got straight to the point: "Lin Xi, I just got a call from the township women's federation. They said the state is showing care for women comrades and specially distributed gifts for International Women's Day. Do you have time now? If you do, could you go pick them up for me?"
Normally, as the women's director of Lotus Village, this would be Sister Ren's job. But the shop was just too busy today, and Sister Ren really couldn't get away, so she had to ask Lin Xi for help.
Everyone knew Lin Xi's homestay had plenty of people, so it wouldn't matter if she stepped out for a short while.
Nowadays, villagers often asked Lin Xi for help when they had errands that were inconvenient, especially since she could drive—perfect for bringing things back from outside the village.
Hearing Sister Ren's request, Lin Xi had a guess in her heart. She agreed readily: "Sure, I'll make a trip."
Walking outside, seeing the various stalls set up near the small square, she shouted in the local dialect: "I'm going to Xing Shui Dam! Does anyone need me to bring anything back?"
"Yes, yes! Lin Xi, bring me some peanuts back. I've run out for my cold rice noodle rolls," said Grandpa Achang, who ran a cold rice noodle stall nearby.
"Get me some Napa cabbage. I'm out too," said Grandma Xiaojuan, who ran a rice noodle soup stall.
The Napa cabbage in the fields had just been planted and wasn't ready for harvest yet. In the local rice noodle soup, blanched Napa cabbage shreds were essential; without it, the taste felt incomplete.
Grandma Xiaojuan was generous with her portions, giving a large handful in every bowl. While she made money, these side ingredients ran out fast. Yet, being honest, she refused to reduce the amount even a little.
Usually, these things were purchased collectively by the village, but there were so many guests today because of the good weather that supplies had run out in no time.
"Lin Xi..." One by one, the villagers running stalls told Lin Xi what they needed. She noted everything down in a notebook and then left.
Driving home to get her car, she headed for Xing Shui Dam. With the good weather, many people in Xing Shui Dam had also set up stalls. Thanks to that tourism route, some self-driving tourists came here to wander around as well.
The construction of Xingshuiba Village also had a strong local character. The houses on both sides of the street were mostly wood-and-brick structures, and the streets were paved with bluestone.
Lin Xi first went to the township government. Upon learning that Lin Xi was from Lotus Village to collect the International Women's Day gifts, they had her sign and then gave her the items.
"These are items distributed by the state for everyone. They are watches, and each watch has a serial number on the back. You must register them properly. Record which number each person receives clearly. You cannot be the slightest bit careless about this!" The staff member repeatedly instructed Lin Xi.
Lin Xi nodded to show she understood. The staff member saw her out, still reminding her, "Once the registration is complete, you must bring this form back to us. We also need to register and report it."
"Alright, I understand."
Lin Xi placed these watches in the trunk of her car, then drove to the market. She bought everything on the list according to what everyone needed, paying for each item via WeChat, as this made it easier for everyone to check the accounts later.
Returning to the office, she relayed the matter and the staff's repeated instructions to Sister Ren. Sister Ren was very serious about her work. She said, "I'll use the loudspeaker to call everyone over tonight."
"Okay." Lin Xi went out and distributed the purchased items to everyone in the square.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was evening. Sister Ren apologized to the tourists waiting to buy barbecue, asking them to wait a moment, then ran to the village office to make an announcement over the loudspeaker.
Upon hearing that International Women's Day consolation gifts were being distributed, the women in the village were all smiles.
Lin Xi's great-aunt, Sun Caohua, said cheerfully to the group, "It's really socialism that's good, ah! They even give us consolation gifts for Women's Day. If this were the old society, who would do such a thing!"
Ever since the last time Sun Caohua tried to set Lin Xi up on a blind date and the person didn't show up, she had never brought up the subject again. One reason was that Chi Xiangping had said Lin Xi wanted to take in a live-in husband; the second was that she was afraid something like that might happen again.
That incident had made her lose a lot of face in front of her old sisters-in-law, which was particularly hard for the face-loving Sun Caohua to bear.
Fortunately, she was generally someone who could see the bright side. She was no longer willing to introduce anyone to Lin Xi. Losing face once was enough; if it happened again, she would have no face left to see Chi Xiangping.
That's right. In the old society, if they weren't oppressing us, that was good enough. Now, not only does the state give us consolation gifts, but they also build houses for families in the mountainous areas. My mother's family is in the mountains. I went back for a visit recently, and oh my! They've all built two-story small buildings. The whole village looks exactly the same. When I went back, I almost couldn't find my family's home. Lotus Village's tourism industry had just started, so after the eighth day of the Lunar New Year last year, the young people who had returned for the holiday had left one after another.
Those left in the village were once again children and the elderly.
"That's wonderful, truly wonderful. I passed by that area last time, and they really are built nicely. I hope our village can build uniform houses someday too."
"Soon, soon. Last time I heard the village Party secretary say that with tourists coming, our village will have money. When we have more money, we'll build houses."
Chatting and laughing along the way, everyone arrived at the village committee. After registering and receiving their watches, they pressed clear thumbprints on the collection form, took their watches, and left.
Some of the village grandmothers had never owned a watch in their lives, let alone one issued by the state. They all happily put theirs on.
Yao Yuran's household registration was affiliated with the village. Looking at the quartz green watch, her eyes grew slightly moist.
Life now was really too good, something she could never have even dreamed of before.
Everyone headed home together, the journey back still lively. As it was still early, there were tourists waiting at their stalls, so everyone threw themselves back into the busy work. The aroma of food rose from the open ground opposite Lin Family Pond. Eating, drinking, enjoying the slightly cool night breeze, and listening to the locals chat about daily life, the tourists visiting here were extremely satisfied.
After finishing the delicious food, those staying at Lin Xi's homestay returned to the accommodation just a step away. Those staying at other villagers' homestays also went back under the guidance of their respective hosts.
A little after nine p.m., at a police station in Spring City, a woman, shrouded by the night, stumbled into the reception hall. Tears streaked her face. She wiped them roughly with her sleeve, looked around, and ran towards the officer on duty.
"Officer, officer, my daughter is missing. I was just taking her for a walk outside. I only turned around for a moment and she was gone... I've searched all around the neighborhood. We live in the community right across the street, just a step away from your station. Officer, please help me..." The woman reporting the crime broke down in tears.
"Ma'am, ma'am, please try to calm down first. What's your daughter's name? How old is she? Which school does she attend? Was she wearing the school-issued watch?"
Her name is Liu Fuxiao. She attends Third Central Primary School, third grade. She was wearing her watch... Despite her anxiety, the mother answered the officer's questions.
