The 1960s: The Story of a Country Girl's Journey to the City

"No, no, boss, what does this have to do with them?"

Zhang Gui panicked immediately. How did his son get involved? If they were taken to the farm for reform, the entire Zhang family would be finished.

"Old comrade, I know you can't bear it, but you can't let them be unfilial to you."

My stepson contributes twenty yuan a month to my retirement. As his own son, I'm even worse than him. What's the point of keeping them around? Send them to a farm; they'll definitely teach them a lesson."

Bao Ya looked at the old man in front of her with disgust, wishing she could send him away with her right now.

"No need, no need to trouble the government. Those four young men have been very kind to us old folks, so there's no need to send them the farm."

"A son who gives you twenty yuan a month is an unfilial son. A son who gives you nothing every month and expects you to subsidize him is actually very good to you."

I don't understand, what exactly are you here for?

Could it be someone deliberately persecuting our soldiers or causing sabotage at the military base?

After saying that, he slammed his hand heavily on the table, startling the two people opposite him.

Zhang Gui looked at Bao Ya, speechless. Li Zhaodi was the first to react, mustered her courage, and said to Bao Ya with her neck stiffened:

"Why are you so quick to label us like this, young comrade?"

I am Chen Yongjun's biological mother, so it is only natural for him to raise me.

Now that Zhang Gui is his father, he should be just as filial.

"What's wrong with helping out my brother at home? Why are you being so calculating?"

"You're right, but according to your logic, you're also the mother of Zhang Gui's four sons. Is it wrong for them to be filial to you?"

They should treat you the same way Chen Yongjun treated you.

"We're all family. His brothers aren't as good as him, so what's wrong with him helping them out?"

"I'm his mother, he should listen to me. What's wrong with contributing a little money?"

Bao Ya was annoyed by the sight of the mouse couple and threw the paper on the table hard onto the ground.

"You still know you're his biological mother? Even animals know to protect their offspring, how come you don't?"

Even a biological father knows to protect his own child, yet you bring an outsider to ruin your son's future. You're worse than an animal.

You're such a born slut, you can't live without a man, can you? (Two thousand words omitted here)

"you……"

Li Zhaodi was so angry when Bao Ya pointed her finger at her and cursed her that her chest heaved violently. Her fierce temper flared up, and she jumped up to argue with Bao Ya, but Zhang Gui held her back tightly.

Looking down, Zhang Gui was staring blankly at a red cloth on the ground.

It had the word "Committee" written on it. He had seen those people ransacking houses when he went to the city post office to withdraw money before. He had even asked around about it at the time.

Sweat dripped down Zhang Gui's forehead and soaked his back. He never expected to encounter such a living devil in the army.

"Dad, what's wrong?"

Li Zhaodi was illiterate and did not know what the two characters on the red cloth meant.

Seeing Zhang Gui's pale face and the look of someone who had seen a ghost, Li Zhaodi was startled and quickly squatted down to ask him.

Zhang Gui tugged at her, making her sit back down. Then, forcing a smile at Bao Ya, he tentatively began to speak:

"Young comrade, are you also a leader in the military?"

"No, we are from the local area."

The military and local authorities are not part of the same system, and there are some things that are not under their jurisdiction, so they cannot interfere.

It's easier to communicate since we're in the same unit.

While Bao Ya was speaking, San Mao silently walked to the table, picked up the things on the ground, and gently placed them in front of Bao Ya.

After seeing those two words clearly, my admiration for my younger sister grew to an unparalleled degree.

I never expected that Bao Ya would get into the committee in less than a year after marrying into the city. I still have to keep working hard.

Bao Ya took the red armband, patted off the dirt, and then played with it in her hand.

Zhang Gui nervously swallowed as he looked at the thing in her hand.

"The same unit?" Upon hearing these words, Zhang Gui stiffened.

According to this woman, she wanted to hand over their family's affairs to the committee in their hometown.

He came to the army to cause trouble simply because he felt that the mountains and roads were too far away, and the leaders here didn't understand the situation back home. They could suppress Chen Yongjun with the word "filial piety".

But now that the committee is involved, the nature of the situation has changed.

Even if they were right, the committee members might not let them off the hook.

Those landlords in the village have been criticized for years, and now they're being dragged out again. I heard some of them couldn't stand the torture and even hanged themselves.

Judging from what this woman was saying, she was completely on Chen Yongjun's side and even wanted to drag his four sons into it.

Thinking about all this, Zhang Gui felt a chill run down his spine and couldn't help but shiver.

With four sons and several grandchildren, the family can't withstand that kind of torment.

Having figured things out for himself, Zhang Gui forced a smile that looked more like a grimace at Bao Ya and San Mao.

"Young comrade, what do you think is the best way to handle this? We'll listen to you."

"Dad, didn't we agree..."

"Shut up!"

This stupid woman still wants to cause trouble; her whole family is going to be in big trouble.

Bao Ya raised an eyebrow. This thing really works. As long as you show it, there's no reason why it can't be explained.

"How can you say that you're listening to me? We're just summarizing what we've learned and sending it to your local departments so they can visit and investigate in the villages before we can get any results."

We still need to go to the village to conduct visits and investigations? Zhang Gui almost fell off his stool when he heard this.

A simple inquiry in the village would expose everything. Chen Yongjun's dealings with the Zhang family couldn't withstand scrutiny.

"Comrade, it's not that serious. It's just that Gouwa's mother hasn't seen her son for so many years and misses him, so she came to visit."

That child is very filial; it's all just the old woman talking nonsense, don't take it to heart.

Hearing him say that, Bao Ya slammed her red armband on the table, crossed her legs, clasped her arms around her chest, and raised her chin to say to Zhang Gui:

"Zhang Gui, are you playing us for fools? You think he's filial just because you say so? What have you been doing in the army all this time? I think you're deliberately trying to sabotage us!"

"Xiao Su, write this down too. These two are definitely suspicious; they might even be spies hidden among the people."

"No, no, boss, please listen to me..."

"What are you talking about? We already know enough. Don't worry, Chen Yongjun will continue to give you twenty yuan a month, and your four sons will each receive twenty yuan a month for their old age."

You'd better keep an account, so when you divide the family property later, you can divide it according to the monthly income of one hundred.

"How can they afford it? They all toil in the fields for a living, and they can't even save twenty a year."

He was still hoping to use that twenty yuan to subsidize his four sons. Later, the family would divide the income according to one hundred yuan per month. Even if he sold his sons and grandsons together, it wouldn't be enough to give Chen Yongjun his share.

"I don't care. Since you've made your request, we'll naturally do as you ask. We'll also help keep an eye on things when you split up the family property."

Otherwise, people will say you're a stepfather who exploits soldiers with your whole family, and even you'll have to be sent to a farm for re-education.