WBSGVS Chapter 127 V2

Tang Ersong was working in the fields when the team leader informed him that Tang Tiantian had died. She had schemed against her husband and mother-in-law, resulting in her husband’s death sentence. In retaliation, she was fatally attacked.

Tang Ersong froze. For a moment, he didn’t even understand what the team leader was saying. It wasn’t until he was taken to the county hospital to claim her body that the reality sank in. He covered his face and broke into wailing sobs.

After claiming and burying her body, Tang Ersong still couldn’t fully process what had happened. His sister, who had always seemed invincible, was gone in an instant.

What brought him back to reality was the voice of a neighbor. “Ersong, your sister borrowed my family’s bicycle the day before she died, and you saw it. Now she’s gone, and so is our bike. That bike cost 180 yuan and a ration ticket when we bought it, and it hasn’t even been used much. You need to pay us back!”

A bicycle ration ticket alone could cost dozens of yuan and was hard to come by. The words hit Tang Ersong like a heavy weight, crushing any remaining grief for his sister.

Being an honest man, he nodded bitterly. “Alright, I’ll pay you back.”

“Don’t take too long. Prices for bicycles are only going up,” the neighbor reminded him.

Tang Ersong nodded again, his mouth dry with bitterness. After sending the neighbor off, he wiped his face and mustered his strength to visit the team leader. “Team Leader, I need a certificate. I need to inform my parents about Tiantian’s death.”

Though the team leader despised Tang Tiantian for her actions, he treated Ersong kindly. “You should go. But do you have enough money?”

Ersong’s heart sank further. “I… I’ll manage.”

In reality, he barely had enough for the train fare. He planned to bring some dried food, hoping the heat wouldn’t spoil it too quickly since he wouldn’t be staying long.

The team leader sighed and handed him ten yuan. “Take this. It’s not like ten years ago—prices are higher now. Ask your older and younger brothers to help too.”

“Thank you!” Ersong nodded tearfully and left.

As he walked away, the team leader muttered, “If only they hadn’t sold Sanya all those years ago. She was a good girl. If she were here, none of this would have happened.”

Hearing this, Ersong quickened his pace, unwilling to linger.

He borrowed another 55 yuan from his brothers and combined it with the ten yuan from the team leader. Thankfully, the labor camp where his parents were held wasn’t far, so he could afford the trip.

Upon reaching the labor camp and sharing the news, his parents were struck with grief and anger. Already frail from ten years of hard labor, they collapsed. Though they had survived sickness, hunger, and backbreaking work, this final blow proved too much for their worn bodies.

Upon hearing the tragic news about his beloved daughter, the father was overcome with grief and fury, his emotions overwhelming him. His health quickly deteriorated, and he fell gravely ill. The farm was far from the city, and only a barefoot doctor came to examine him.

After assessing the situation, the doctor shook his head solemnly and said, “Prepare for the worst.”

Tang Ersong entered the room, his face pale, to find his parents bedridden and visibly devastated. Their eyes welled with tears, and regret was etched deeply into their faces.

They never expected their most cherished daughter to pass so young.

They never imagined that the son they least favored would be the one to stay by their side in their final moments.

They couldn’t believe that their eldest son, who inherited the family home, had treated their beloved daughter so poorly and hadn’t even come to visit them.

So many unexpected regrets weighed heavily on their hearts: for example, that the granddaughter they had scorned turned out to be the most accomplished of all, or that Li Lanhua dared to remarry despite societal judgment.

But now, it was too late for remorse.

“Father! Mother!” Tang Ersong cried out, his heart breaking. He had just buried his sister, and now it seemed he was about to lose his parents as well.

The two elders, overwhelmed and unable to speak, muttered incomprehensible words through their tears, which fell steadily, as if their grief might dry them out entirely.

As sorrow engulfed the room, their lives slowly faded away. Their pupils turned cloudy, their sobs ceased, and they passed into eternal rest.

Realizing what had happened, Tang Ersong’s cries grew louder, his grief now unbearable.

Qingli, having no desire to involve herself further with the Tang family, dealt harshly with Tang Tiantian and instructed the Li family to ensure Tang Ersong did not return.

Eager to please Qingli, the Li family executed her wishes with diligence, driving Tang Ersong away in disgrace.

Unlike Tang Tiantian, who had no shame, Tang Ersong couldn’t bring himself to return after being humiliated. His daughter’s rejection was painfully clear, and her decision to change her surname made it even more definitive.

In Tang Ersong’s old-fashioned mind, a child who changed their surname was no longer part of the family, no matter how closely their blood was tied. Qingli’s attitude erased the last vestiges of hope in his heart, and without Tang Tiantian’s influence, he gave up trying to mend ties.

With no further interference, Qingli’s life returned to peace. She learned later, when Li Lanhua suggested they visit the graves of Tang Ersong’s parents, that the two elders had succumbed to grief ten years after their daughter’s death.

While Qingli respected Li Lanhua in many ways, she refused this request.

Li Lanhua, shaped by traditional values, believed the wrongs of elders should be forgotten in death, but Qingli disagreed. The resentment left by her predecessor’s soul, a byproduct of an ignorant and tragic life, could not be ignored.

Qingli declined to visit their graves. If their spirits lingered, she hoped they would witness the life they had tried to sabotage flourishing without their interference.

Li Lanhua didn’t force the issue. Instead, she kept the matter quiet, ensuring no one brought it up around Qingli, allowing her to focus on her work.

Qingli spent most of her time at the machinery factory, returning to the village only once or twice a month. Her interactions with the villagers were minimal, save for Li Lanhua and an enthusiastic young man she met during a visit to collect the educated youth.

The earliest batches of educated youth arrived with the idealistic goal of transforming rural areas, only to be quickly disillusioned by the harsh realities of farm life.

One exception was Tao Zeming, a resourceful man who didn’t rely on labor points for survival. With some money in hand, he would hire help when exhausted, freeing up time to survey the land and create development plans.

Qingli, recognized as the village’s brightest child and an employee at the machinery factory, collaborated with him on agricultural improvements. Together, they significantly improved the villagers’ quality of life.

When electricity reached the rural areas, their village became the first to install electric lights, transforming from a backward settlement into a model community.

That same year, Tao Zeming wrote to Qingli, expressing his desire to build a future with her.

Li Lanhua, who had been concerned about Qingli’s marriage since she turned sixteen, eagerly supported the match upon noticing Tao Zeming’s affection for her daughter.

Qingli, open to marriage and fond of Tao Zeming, agreed readily. Their union became a celebrated story among neighboring villages.

However, skeptics doubted the longevity of their relationship, given the stark contrast between a rural girl and an urban youth. Even Tang Ersong voiced his concern, though his words fell on deaf ears.

Qingli lived her life by her own rules, indifferent to outside opinions.

Post-marriage life was much the same. Qingli continued working at the machinery factory, while Tao Zeming pursued his projects in the village.

When the national college entrance exams were reinstated in 1977, Tao Zeming encouraged Qingli to take the test, hoping they could attend the same university.

Initially disinterested, Qingli relented under his insistence. Tao Zeming eagerly collected study materials but soon admitted defeat, begging Qingli to tutor him instead.

“Don’t worry,” Qingli reassured him with a smile. “I’ll apply to the same university as you.”

Her confidence left him speechless.

Against all odds, both passed the exams and were accepted into the same university, though Qingli majored in economics.

Years later, when Li Lanhua and her husband moved to join Qingli and her family, she proudly declared, “I’m not going to suffer—I’m going to enjoy life with my daughter!”

Though some grumbled at her boastfulness, their envy was unmistakable.

The villagers could only watch wistfully as the family departed, marveling at Qingli’s accomplishments and the harmonious life she had built.

Meanwhile, Tang Ersong, left behind and filled with regret, watched their car disappear, his tears reflecting the life he had squandered.

Alone and estranged from his family, he realized the depth of his mistakes too late, as even those who once struggled alongside him found success with Qingli’s help.

In the end, Tang Ersong had nothing but his regret to keep him company.

He now had no son, and his only biological daughter refused to acknowledge him. He was completely alone. Even the Li family, who were once no more than acquaintances, had improved their lives significantly thanks to their prior connection with Qingli. Their household was no longer trapped in poverty.

What pained him even more was the success of the fourth family.

The seemingly slick and least promising youngest sibling had taken a bold step last year after the reforms and started a business, investing significant capital. It was said… all of it was thanks to Qingli’s help.

Her only condition for helping them make money? That they not involve her directly.

What an ironic demand!

“Ugh—” Tang Ersong couldn’t hold back a choking sob. He squinted his wind-swept eyes, then turned to head back home.

Now a solitary old man, he had to return and cook for himself—otherwise, he’d go hungry.

Oh, and the money he had recently earned had gone to repaying debts. He still couldn’t afford new tiles for the leaking roof. He needed to figure something out…