After steadying his emotions, Ji Xiu finally found the headspace to deal with everyone else.
He turned around, glanced at the crowd behind him, and said in a careless, offhand tone, “Bad timing today. Let’s skip the celebratory feast and candies. We’ll celebrate once Lin Ying is out of danger.”
He had ranked first, and the villagers had followed the Ji family to his house to join in the excitement, to bask in the good fortune—and to eat at the banquet.
Ji Xiu didn’t want to bother with them, but Huang Taohua was extremely enthusiastic. To her, this was a joyous occasion, and she agreed without hesitation.
She even complained that Ji Xiu’s courtyard was too small. So the whole group moved to the Ji family home, which had more space and could accommodate more people.
It was thanks to this suggestion that Ji Xiu and the others passed by the Lin house, heard Captain Lin’s furious roar, and went in to take a look—only then discovering Lin Ying’s condition.
No one knew why Lin Ying had collapsed and was bleeding, nor whether she and the child could survive. But with Lin Ying already in such a state, continuing to celebrate would have been unbearably cold-hearted.
After all, she was Captain Lin’s daughter.
And everyone still had to make a living under Captain Lin’s authority.
Reluctantly, the crowd glanced at Guan Jia’an, who had been abandoned by the Lin family, exchanged a few whispered comments, and dispersed with visible reluctance.
Only Guan Jia’an remained, watching helplessly as Captain Lin carried Lin Ying away. His face grew paler by the second, his hands slowly clenching into fists, trembling with tension.
Ji Xiu could tell at a glance that Lin Ying’s accident had something to do with him.
But this was something Captain Lin would handle himself. There was no need for Ji Xiu to intervene, so he left along with everyone else.
Early the next morning, Captain Lin returned from outside, eyes bloodshot, stubble covering his face.
The villagers who loved a good spectacle, of course, didn’t miss this chance. They quietly followed him.
Captain Lin didn’t notice. Once home, he shoved the door open, grabbed Guan Jia’an out of bed, and threw a punch—then followed with a storm of blows, venting the rage in his heart.
Guan Jia’an hadn’t even woken up yet. All he could do was curl up, clutching his head as he screamed in misery.
But how could he possibly stand up to Captain Lin in the prime of his life? He dodged one punch, only for another to land immediately after.
After more than ten minutes, Guan Jia’an lay sprawled on the floor, barely alive.
Captain Lin sneered. “Didn’t you want a divorce? Fine. Let’s divorce. My daughter doesn’t need trash like you!”
The news spread through the village in an instant.
A few days later, Captain Lin personally escorted Guan Jia’an to complete the divorce procedures.
From the rumors outside, Ji Xiu learned the whole story.
Guan Jia’an had missed the college entrance exam and was determined to divorce Lin Ying.
At that time, a letter arrived from his family, saying their situation was worsening rapidly and they might soon collapse.
Fortunately, someone had introduced him to a young woman from a powerful family, one that could help them weather this crisis. As long as he returned home in time and pursued her, the family would receive assistance.
After reading the letter, Guan Jia’an sat alone in the room, staring blankly.
But Lin Ying no longer trusted him. Seeing him acting suspiciously, she quietly stood behind him while he wasn’t paying attention and glanced at the letter.
The moment she saw the key words, she flew into a rage, snatched the letter away, and demanded to know what he meant by this.
Guan Jia’an stood up, grabbed the letter back, and the two erupted into a fierce argument. He said bluntly that there was no other meaning—just what the letter said. He wanted a divorce.
It was true that Lin Ying was already sick of Guan Jia’an, but she was still carrying his child.
In the 1970s, Lin Ying knew better than anyone—as a teacher—what kind of discrimination a child without a father would face.
For the sake of the child, she had never once thought of divorcing him. She only wanted to keep Guan Jia’an tied here, making him a lifelong tool.
Their argument escalated, emotions flaring. Lin Ying blurted out her thoughts.
When Guan Jia’an heard that, his anger surged. He “accidentally” shoved her.
Lin Ying hit the doorstep, slipped, and went into premature labor.
After his initial panic, Guan Jia’an quickly calmed down. He said nothing, only watched coldly as Lin Ying struggled.
She hadn’t lost consciousness yet. At that moment, the last trace of love in her heart snapped.
Fortunately, Lin Ying’s fate had not run out. Her family discovered her condition, Captain Lin rushed back in time, and they also happened to receive Ji Xiu’s warning.
The Lin family didn’t cling to superstition or outdated ideas. They immediately sent Lin Ying to the township clinic. The child couldn’t be saved, but Lin Ying survived.
When she woke up, her heart was completely dead toward Guan Jia’an. She told Captain Lin everything truthfully.
That was why Captain Lin hated Guan Jia’an to the bone—why he beat him savagely the moment he got home, then dragged him off to get divorced.
However, even after the divorce, without Captain Lin’s letter of recommendation, Guan Jia’an still couldn’t take the college entrance exam. For at least the next few years, he would have to stay in Chunxi Village, undergoing Captain Lin’s “training,” until higher authorities issued documents recalling the educated youth to the cities—only then might he escape Captain Lin’s grasp.
This could be considered retribution for how, in his previous life, he had used Lin Ying to return to the city.
…
By the time Lin Ying recovered enough to return to the village, more than ten days had passed.
Though she was decisive and Captain Lin carried great authority, they still couldn’t stop the village gossips. People whispered that she was too strong-willed—otherwise things wouldn’t have ended up like this.
The Lin family was so angry that they passed by the educated youth compound every day just to make trouble for Guan Jia’an.
But soon, one admission notice after another arrived, drawing everyone’s attention and shifting the focus away from Lin Ying.
More than twenty people from Chunxi Village had taken the college entrance exam; six were admitted to
Join the discussion
Log in to comment.