WBSGVS Chapter 123

Li Lanhua still felt embarrassed to talk to her daughter about her love life, but after hearing her daughter’s words, the anxiety in her heart finally disappeared.

Divorce was already a scandal in their small town, and remarriage after divorce made things even more difficult. Her mindset was still rooted in the values of the 1960s.

Taking advantage of her good mood, Qingli told her mother that she would be going on a business trip.

Li Lanhua was still quite worried, but since her daughter had her career, all she could do was support her without being a hindrance.

Before leaving, Qingli wrote an anonymous letter of complaint and handed it to the Women’s Federation before setting off on her trip.

She returned half a month later.

She looked exhausted, and her backpack, which had been light when she left, was now stuffed with a lot of useful materials for the present time.

After returning, Qingli handed in her business trip report to her superior and then went home to rest.

The train she had taken was one of the notoriously slow green trains from the future, and the conditions at the guesthouse weren’t much better. The business trip to a neighboring province left her so tired that it felt like staying up for two days straight.

Once home, Qingli collapsed into bed and slept deeply. When she woke up, she was greeted by the delicious smell of noodles. She was about to open the door when she heard a man’s voice speaking quietly, “Lanhua, I’ve brought the water, I’ll be going now.”

Li Lanhua called out, “Hey, wait, take this bowl of noodles with you.”

“This…” The man sounded a little awkward.

Li Lanhua’s voice was filled with laughter as she gently said, “She doesn’t like fatty meat, so I picked it out for you. Hurry and take it; she’s about to wake up.”

The man hesitated. “What about you?”

“You think I’ll go hungry? Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” Li Lanhua replied, then urged him, “Go on now, I need to close the gate.”

“Okay, okay,” the man awkwardly responded, carrying the bowl as he seemed to walk away.

Then there was the sound of the gate closing.

Qingli chuckled. She thought the man wasn’t bad, but she wasn’t sure what his family situation was. She didn’t immediately go outside but lay on the bed for a while, then opened the door. “Mom! It smells so good. What are you making?”

“Hand-pulled noodles. You’re up? I’ll put the noodles in the pot now. Want some vegetables with it?”

“Yes,” Qingli nodded. “Add more broth.”

“Got it.” Li Lanhua turned and entered the kitchen. Soon, the fragrance of the noodles filled the air again, and when the dish was brought to Qingli, it was a bowl of noodles with a generous serving of lean meat on top.

Qingli held the bowl and began eating while Li Lanhua did the same with her bowl. After several rounds of Qingli’s encouragement, Li Lanhua no longer scolded herself. Qingli ate the lean meat, and Li Lanhua ate the fatty meat. Everything her daughter liked, she gave to her, and whatever was left, Li Lanhua ate.

As they ate, they chatted, and soon, Li Lanhua brought up Tang Tiantian again.

“Did you talk to the Women’s Federation last time?” Li Lanhua asked. When Qingli nodded, she smiled. “A few days after you left, someone from the Women’s Federation came to our door. Most women are too afraid to report their husbands, but Tang Tiantian was brave. She went straight to them and had her husband arrested. Now, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law are constantly fighting at home.”

Qingli knew that Tang Tiantian was a tough person. When things got bad, she could even sell out someone like Tang Sishong, who was decent to her. She could certainly do the same to a man she had no emotional connection to.

She didn’t even flinch when she heard the story. “That was a good move. If all those women who suffer from abuse could learn from her, that would be great.”

Li Lanhua nodded, and the two of them talked for a while about Tang Tiantian before moving on to other topics.

Tang Tiantian’s situation didn’t stir much emotion in them.

Her life had already been ruined by her parents, and later, no one corrected her path. Unless she had a miraculous change of luck, it would be hard for her to live a good life.

Qingli wrote the complaint letter simply because that man was trash.

After dinner, Qingli took advantage of the remaining daylight and went back to the factory. She rested there for the night and started working on the materials she had gathered the next morning, full of energy.

Of course, her qualifications weren’t enough to research everything on her own, so she did her studying in her spare time.

Occasionally, Li Lanhua would hear news about Tang Tiantian, and when Qingli returned home, she’d tell her.

Before long, Tang Tiantian’s husband returned, furious about the report, and beat her up.

The next day, Tang Tiantian went to the Women’s Federation with bruises on her face.

Then came the familiar cycle.

After a few rounds, even the Women’s Federation staff were getting frustrated. No matter how long they kept her husband locked up, the couple would end up fighting again. They even advised Tang Tiantian to divorce him, but she stubbornly refused. Despite seeing her husband punished, she wasn’t willing to leave him. The Women’s Federation could only keep intervening, but they couldn’t solve the issue.

Qingli understood the reason: Tang Tiantian didn’t work. If she divorced, who would support her? She certainly couldn’t support herself.

If she stayed married, at worst, she’d get beaten up a few times. With the Women’s Federation backing her, she didn’t fear her husband.

And the man, who expected Tang Tiantian to have children, couldn’t harm her too much.

Qingli listened to these stories in between her work, using them as a way to relax her mind.

Six months later, Li Lanhua had been in a relationship for half a year and finally introduced her boyfriend to Qingli.

It was the same man from the neighboring village, Gong Lin. He had been married before, had a son who was now seventeen and married. His wife had passed away during childbirth, which had been dangerous due to the traditional birthing methods at the time.

The man hadn’t remarried, and his child was being cared for by his mother. He had lived with a large family, but they had recently split, reportedly because of his marriage plans.

Li Lanhua’s ex-husband hadn’t split from his family, and the unfair treatment from his parents had caused tensions. Eventually, they split up when the children grew older.

By the time the situation came to Qingli’s attention, everything was clear, and there was nothing for her to do.

Faced with Li Lanhua’s nervousness, Qingli only needed to smile and offer encouragement.

After they married, Gong Lin moved into Li Lanhua’s house, and though he had received a plot of land in his family’s division, he stayed with Li Lanhua because she was reluctant to leave her daughter.

After all, his son was already married and didn’t need him around.

After getting married, Li Lanhua was much happier. With someone by her side every day, her energy was no longer focused on her daughter, who wasn’t at home, and her overall well-being improved.

Qingli was also able to focus more on her work.

Another six months passed, and Qingli submitted her research results, which sparked widespread discussion. Three months later, the leadership took decisive action, and the machinery factory fully began producing the hand-cranked animal-powered harvesters.

They managed to deploy the hand-cranked animal-powered harvesters just in time for this autumn’s harvest.

Each brigade received one, and this alone reduced the originally lengthy harvest period of over ten days by half, showcasing its immense power.

Qingli’s name quickly became known to many.

She was promoted multiple times, and her salary increased.

Besides the salary raise, after improving the hand-cranked animal-powered harvester, Qingli also received a lot of recognition. This time, she could proudly buy her mother, Li Lanhua, a bicycle.

She bought one for herself as well.

This way, it would be easier for her to return home, and Li Lanhua could visit her more conveniently.

From that point on, Li Lanhua became the most respected woman in Lijiacun. After all, she had raised such a capable daughter—how could she not be impressive?

Qingli’s contributions even surpassed those of the brigade leader.

Li Lanhua was so happy every day that she couldn’t stop smiling. When people are happy, their spirits lift. Plus, with Qingli occasionally bringing back delicious treats, she gained some weight, her skin became fairer, and she looked much younger. This made Gong Lin nervous, afraid she might leave him, so he became even more diligent.

While Li Lanhua’s life was filled with joy, things weren’t as smooth for Tang Tiantian.

After so many incidents, even Tang Tiantian’s husband started to fear this somewhat crazy woman. He no longer dared to reprimand her easily and began to interact with her like a regular couple.

However, it was a surprise that Tang Tiantian still hadn’t gotten pregnant. When she went for an examination, it was said that she was too young and her health wasn’t good, so she needed to rest and build up her strength. Her husband’s family took care of her and helped her improve her health.

She was living somewhat well and became increasingly reluctant to divorce.

But her idea of a happy life was shattered when she heard about Qingli’s big achievements. Qingli was praised by her superiors and the brigade, received a bonus, and even bought two bicycles all at once. Tang Tiantian felt defeated and angry.

Why was it that every time she thought her life was good, Qingli would come along and ruin her mood?

Tang Tiantian’s face darkened.

A neighbor who thought Tang Tiantian and Qingli were aunt and niece continued chatting when suddenly feeling the atmosphere change. They awkwardly asked, “What’s wrong? Why do you seem upset?”

Tang Tiantian snapped back, “Would you be happy if you had a relative like that?”

It was clear that Tang Tiantian thought Qingli should be inferior to her, and it irritated her that Qingli had become so successful, as if the whole world was praising her.

The neighbor’s expression became strange. “Of course, I’d be happy! If I had a relative like that, I’d support them. Who knows, maybe one day something useful will slip from their fingers, and I’d be thrilled for days. If they could recommend my son for a job, that’d be even better.”

Tang Tiantian’s way of thinking was different from her neighbor’s. Hearing the neighbor’s response, she felt a slight discomfort and struggled to find a retort.

It did seem like the neighbor had a point.

But even though she and Qingli were related, Tang Tiantian couldn’t bring herself to admit that Qingli could help her.

She muttered, “There are too many people like you who just like to latch onto others…”

The neighbor was displeased by this comment and retorted, “Then why don’t you try latching on too? Don’t think I don’t know you’re jealous that your niece is so capable. She’s impressive, but she doesn’t bring you along.”

With that, the neighbor huffed and walked away.

The neighbor had come over hoping to see if Tang Tiantian could mend her relationship with her niece. If that happened, she could also be connected to the big name in the village.

Who knew that Tang Tiantian’s way of thinking was like this?

Tang Tiantian snorted, turned, and stomped back to her room, her eyes red with anger. If her parents were here, things wouldn’t be like this, but they were still somewhere being “reformed” on a farm!

Wait!

Suddenly, Tang Tiantian remembered that her second brother, who had been arrested along with her parents, would be released sometime in the second half of next year.

Her eyes gleamed, and she immediately turned toward the brigade leader’s house.

She knew she couldn’t make up with Qingli, but since her second brother was Qingli’s biological father, once he was released, Qingli would support him. She needed to start making nice with her second brother now.

Out of all her brothers, her second brother was the one who listened to their parents the most and was also the most protective of her!