RIRW – Chapter 70

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After finishing middle and high school, young people who couldn’t continue their studies had to answer the call to go to the countryside. No matter how well-off their families were or how powerful their parents’ positions, everyone had to comply with national policies.

Wei Guohua, being a strict and principled man, never wanted to leave any stain on his political career. So, he fully supported the movement to send educated youth to the countryside.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so firm back then when he learned that Shen Yiming had managed to stay in the city—he immediately refused to pull any strings to keep him there.

Now that his own two children had graduated high school, they too had to follow the policy and go to the countryside.

But this decision caused an uproar at home.

For over a month, the two children had been protesting.

Once they realized they were really going to the countryside, they even went on a hunger strike.

His wife, Du Juan, had cried so much her eyes were practically swollen shut. She simply couldn’t bear the thought of their children being sent away.

“We’ve spoiled them since they were young. What if they can’t handle life in the countryside? Yiming was always smart, like his mother—he’d survive anywhere. But these two take after me, they’re not very bright. I’m afraid they’ll be bullied.”

That night, Du Juan sat on the bed, sobbing uncontrollably.

Hearing her mention Shen Yiming’s biological mother, Wei Guohua’s face darkened, and an unpleasant tightness gripped his chest.

Back in their workplace, he and Shen Yuehong were constantly compared. The leaders always praised Shen Yuehong, calling her a capable and efficient comrade, while in comparison, Wei Guohua always seemed inferior.

Because of this, their marriage had never been particularly affectionate—at best, they maintained a polite distance.

Now, hearing Du Juan say that Yiming was like Shen Yuehong, he felt even more disgusted. What was so great about a woman being smart, anyway?

“Old Wei, isn’t it better if our family just stays together?

Once they leave for the countryside, we might not see them for years. Some kids who get sent far away never see their families again.”

Du Juan’s eyes were red, her expression pitiful and full of sorrow.

Wei Guohua felt his resolve wavering.

These two children had been pampered since birth—if he couldn’t see them for an entire year, that would indeed be difficult to bear.

Besides, after hearing Du Juan’s concerns, he too started worrying about them being bullied.

“I’ll see if I can pull some strings. But don’t tell the kids yet—if they can’t keep quiet about it, it’ll cause trouble.”

He had no intention of giving others a reason to hold something against him.

Hearing this, Du Juan immediately smiled.

“Alright, I won’t tell them. Old Wei, you really are a good father. It’s just a shame that Yiming doesn’t understand you. If only he could, our family would be so much happier together.”

Wei Guohua frowned.

“Enough about him. Let’s just go to sleep.”

The next day, Wei Guohua began pulling strings to work something out.

As long as everything was done discreetly, there wouldn’t be any serious consequences.

After all, many high-ranking officials also didn’t want their children sent to the countryside.

Helping each other cover things up was something that just happened naturally.

Meanwhile, Zuo Dan had already boarded a bus to the provincial capital.

This time, she wasn’t wearing a fancy dress. Instead, she had on a green military-style uniform that Shen Yiming had bought for her, along with a matching military cap—looking spirited and determined.

After all, this was an official business trip, not a date with Shen Yiming—she couldn’t go dressed too extravagantly.

She had to look the part when handling important matters.

In her pocket, she carried a letter of appreciation written by the local commune.

Not only that, but the commune had also instructed her to commission a ceremonial banner once she arrived in the provincial capital.

They planned to personally deliver it to the provincial government, complete with drums and gongs, as a formal gesture of gratitude from the local officials to the provincial leadership.

The whole thank-you gesture started because Zuo Dan casually made a comment while attending a meeting at the commune with Zuo Shuisheng.

She mentioned that many of the educated youth in their village were actually children of high-ranking provincial officials. In particular, Shen Yiming had been sent to the countryside under direct orders from a minister, who insisted that even his own niece had to participate in the movement.

Since the government had already sent so many capable young cadres to the countryside, and this was a time when educated youth were expected to embrace the movement, wouldn’t it be a good idea to publicly highlight the participation of officials’ children?

This way, it would show that leaders were treating everyone equally and encourage more young people to accept their fate. It would also help provincial leaders gain credibility and smooth the implementation of future policies.

Simply put, it was a chance to flatter the higher-ups—a golden opportunity that couldn’t be wasted.

And sure enough, her suggestion was immediately supported by the leaders of Dahe Commune.

They had recently sent Li Hongbing to a remote mountain production team, which had raised concerns that their actions might be scrutinized by higher authorities.

So now, by putting on a grand display of gratitude, they could win favor with provincial leaders and gain some protection in case any issues arose later.

Besides, if they showed such enthusiasm in welcoming the officials’ children, it would put pressure on those officials to ensure their kids actually contributed, rather than expecting special treatment.

Since Zuo Dan had come up with the idea, everyone agreed that she was the best person for the job.

Flattering officials required a certain level of expertise, and she had the right personality for it.

Plus, her fiancé, Shen Yiming, had already returned to the city—and since he was from a cadre family, she would have useful connections once she arrived.

It also meant she could save on food expenses by staying with him.

And just like that, this glorious and important mission was assigned to Zuo Dan.

Since this was considered an official business trip, she didn’t have to take leave, would still receive her salary, and even got additional travel allowances.

To ensure everything went smoothly, the commune sent her off the very next morning.

With the commune officials waving her off, Zuo Dan proudly rode on a tractor driven by Zuo Dacheng and set off for the provincial capital.

The journey, however, was brutal.

By the time she finally arrived, she felt like she had barely survived.

Just as she was still recovering from motion sickness, she saw a familiar figure in a green military-style uniform—Shen Yiming, standing there with a grin on his face.

“Why are you here?!” she exclaimed in surprise.

She hadn’t told Shen Yiming about her trip at all. Her plan was to finish her business first before going to see him—otherwise, he might think she had come just to visit him, and that would inflate his ego too much.

Shen Yiming took the small bag from her hands, still smiling.

“Do you think I wouldn’t know about Dahe Commune’s business?”

Zuo Dan’s eyes narrowed.

“Who tipped you off?”

She suddenly looked very serious and demanded,

“Tell me, who is the traitor hiding among our cadre team?”

Shen Yiming replied earnestly, “It was Secretary Zhang. He asked me to help out since he was worried you might struggle in an unfamiliar place.”

Zuo Dan sighed.

“Dahe Commune is hopeless. They even need outside help for bootlicking.”

Then she waved her hand dismissively.

“Since Secretary Zhang arranged for you to receive me, I won’t hold back. That trip was exhausting!”

Shen Yiming chuckled, then playfully tugged her braid—something he hadn’t done in a while, and he had been itching to do it.

“Let’s go home for a meal first. Grandma has already prepared everything and is waiting for you.”

As they rode on Shen Yiming’s bicycle, Zuo Dan leaned against his back—finally able to relax after the gruelling trip.

When they arrived home, his grandmother was indeed still awake, with a table full of delicious food waiting for them.

Looking at the lavish meal, Zuo Dan sighed internally—if she kept coming here, she might just eat Grandma out of all her savings.

As she ate, she couldn’t help but protest between bites,

“Grandma, you don’t have to prepare so much for me! I don’t eat that much!”

Grandma beamed.

“How could I not? You rarely come by, and I was so happy when Yiming told me you were coming! You need a good meal—you’re too skinny.”

Zuo Dan grinned.

“I’m not skinny! I just look lean, but I’m actually very heavy.”

Shen Yiming nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, she’s definitely heavy.”

Underneath the table, Zuo Dan gave Shen Yiming a sharp kick.

Grandma, pretending not to notice their little interaction, continued eating with a smile.

After finishing her meal and taking a hot bath, Zuo Dan felt completely refreshed.

She had to admit that Secretary Zhang’s arrangement was quite nice—staying here was way more comfortable than a government guesthouse.

Still, she had her suspicions.

Maybe Secretary Zhang just didn’t want her spending public funds on meals and lodging, so he arranged for her to stay with Shen Yiming’s family to save money.

Well, that’s the level of cunning required to be a commune secretary.

The next morning, Zuo Dan woke up early and helped Grandma prepare breakfast.

Grandma loved steaming mantou and never found it troublesome. She believed that a breakfast of porridge and a mantou gave enough energy for the whole day.

As they worked, she sighed,

“Yiming doesn’t come home every day. He usually comes back three or four times a week, but sometimes he stays at his dorm. He just returned to the city, so he has to work hard and prove himself. He even stays up late writing reports.”

Grandma was worried about her grandson—without any connections or favors, he had to rely entirely on himself.

Zuo Dan, on the other hand, believed that success required both intelligence and hard work.

She was quite satisfied with Shen Yiming’s dedication, but as for feeling sorry for him? That was out of the question.

A young man should work hard! He couldn’t expect her to support him in the future. Even if she had the ability to do so, would he even be willing to accept it?

Of course, she still played along and sighed with Grandma.

“Sigh, I didn’t realize he was working so hard. Just thinking about it makes my heart ache.”

Shen Yiming, who was just about to enter the kitchen to help, froze in place when he heard that.

A shiver ran down his spine.

After breakfast, Zuo Dan had official business to handle.

Shen Yiming offered to take a leave of absence to accompany her, but she flatly refused.

Did he really think she needed a chaperone? That was underestimating her too much.

Besides, she was representing Dahe Commune—if he tagged along, it would look inappropriate.

Also, his face… was just too problematic.

Although she refused to let him accompany her to the provincial government, she did have him take her to a shop that made banners.

As she was leaving, Shen Yiming reminded her,

“Dandan, don’t force yourself. And remember, your fiancé isn’t someone who can be easily bullied.”

Zuo Dan smirked.

“And I’m not someone who just stands by and watches my fiancé get bullied.”

Shen Yiming chuckled, then pinched her cheek.

“Fine, as long as you’re happy.”

“Hurry up and go! Don’t mess things up!” Zuo Dan waved him away, slightly annoyed.

Taking leave so soon after returning to work—wasn’t he worried about office politics?

Workplace power struggles were everywhere.

As she watched Shen Yiming ride off on his bicycle, she stepped into the banner-making office.

At that time, businesses were all state-run, even banner-making services.

Surprisingly, they even offered full-service packages.

If she was willing to pay extra, they could provide a full parade, complete with:

• Drums and gongs
• Live music performances
• A formal banner presentation ceremony
• A professional opera singer to read the letter of appreciation

They even offered to help contact a newspaper to publish the event.

Zuo Dan thought it through.

The entire show was meant to impress the provincial leaders—there was no need to involve the press.

She wasn’t stupid enough to give Wei Guohua good publicity.

In fact, her real purpose for delivering the letter of appreciation was to make trouble for Wei Guohua.

In front of all the government officials, she would publicly praise him for his selflessness and noble support of sending officials’ children to the countryside.

Heh.

Just wait until those other officials heard about this.

How many of them would “sincerely” express their appreciation to Wei Guohua?

Zuo Dan knew that one little banner wouldn’t do much to help Wei Guohua’s reputation.

But the petty revenge that would follow from other officials who didn’t want their children sent away?

That would last a long time.

So, without hesitation, she took out ten yuan and paid for everything—except the newspaper coverage.

At that very moment, a meeting was underway at the provincial government regarding the educated youth relocation program.

Officials were discussing how to allocate personnel, which areas needed support, and how to coordinate with local governments.

This issue had been discussed countless times over the years, and the meeting itself was mostly procedural.

Sitting in the room, Wei Guohua was calm and composed.

He had already made arrangements—his own two children wouldn’t have to go to the countryside.

Their official records would simply state “medically retired”, and as long as no one looked into it too closely, everything would remain hidden.

After all, millions of people were being relocated every year—surely no one would single him out for scrutiny.

The only tricky part was arranging things at work.

Every workplace was like a puzzle—one position, one person—and squeezing in two extra slots was a challenge.

But then he thought: If even my useless son could find himself a job, how could I, his father, not manage to do the same?

The meeting was proceeding smoothly, with the leaders delivering their final summary when suddenly—

A loud commotion of drums and gongs echoed from the distance, growing closer and closer.

Within moments, the noise reached the front of the provincial government building.

The officials exchanged puzzled glances.

Soon, the office director knocked on the door and entered, his face beaming.

“A delegation from a commune government has arrived with a banner to express their gratitude for the knowledge youth relocation program. They’re already waiting downstairs.”

A gratitude banner from the people?

This was a rare occurrence!

Normally, it was the higher-ups who handed out praise and recognition, while lower-level officials rarely went out of their way to do the same.

And considering the current timing, right before another round of youth relocations, this kind of public gesture would be great for optics.

So, the leaders collectively decided to go downstairs to accept the banner—it would serve as both an honor for them and encouragement for local governments.

Outside, the drums and gongs continued as the leaders arrived.

Zuo Dan’s escorts quietly pointed out the highest-ranking officials to her, letting her know who was authorized to accept the banner.

Then, holding the bright red banner, she walked forward, flanked by the delegation, and presented it to the leaders.

With a clear and powerful voice, she declared:

“The People’s Government serves the people! I thank the government on behalf of the people!”

The leaders, holding the banner, listened to her words, and with the festive sounds of drums and gongs in the background, they couldn’t help but feel uplifted and pleased.

Everyone’s mood brightened—except for Wei Guohua, whose face darkened immediately.

He recognized Zuo Dan.

She was Shen Yiming’s fiancée—that blunt, tactless woman who never knew how to say the right thing.

Why on earth had the local government sent someone like her to handle such an important matter?!

Next, a male opera singer stepped forward and, in a powerful voice, began reading the Dahe Commune’s letter of appreciation:

“Honorable leaders, please accept our most sincere gratitude on behalf of the Dahe People’s Commune…”

The leaders nodded in approval—the letter was well-written.

“We deeply appreciate the government’s decision to send outstanding cadre children to our Dahe Commune…”

Those officials whose children had already been sent to the countryside… well, the words weren’t exactly comforting, but they could tolerate them.

“…It was through the leaders’ great selflessness and dedication that they mandated the relocation of cadre children, personally leading the movement to support rural development. Our entire commune and the local villagers are deeply moved and endlessly grateful. Thanks to the leaders’ sacrifices, our countryside now has an influx of highly talented youth to aid in rural construction…”

At that moment, the leaders whose children had NOT yet been sent away suddenly bristled.

Who wrote this nonsense?!

Wei Guohua’s face turned completely black.

“…In closing, we offer our sincerest thanks. With our highest regards, Dahe People’s Commune, June 7, 1975.”

Zuo Dan enthusiastically led the applause, and soon, the onlookers clapped along, followed by the leaders themselves.

The event was a public relations success.

At lunchtime, Zuo Dan was invited to dine at the provincial government cafeteria.

Since she was a representative from a local government and had just delivered a banner of gratitude, she was treated with great hospitality.

After all, she had traveled all this way—they couldn’t just send her off coldly.

She happily enjoyed a meal of braised pork and two large steamed buns, then expressed heartfelt gratitude before preparing to leave.

She firmly insisted that there was no need for an escort—she could buy her own train ticket home.

“Please, don’t trouble yourselves! The government is already so busy!”

As she was leaving, she casually asked the office director:

“By the way, we previously had an outstanding young intellectual from Minister Wei’s family in our commune. He did a lot of great work for us. Our secretary was wondering—where will Minister Wei’s child be assigned this year?”

Then, she lowered her voice conspiratorially:

“Our commune has excellent living conditions. If he were assigned to us again, that would be wonderful! We’d take great care of him!”

The moment Zuo Dan left, Vice Minister Wei Guohua became the center of attention in the provincial government.

Previously, the officials who had agreed to alter his children’s records had been helping him under the radar.

But now?

The issue had been dragged into the spotlight.

Everyone was watching.

The official who was supposed to cover up the records had no choice but to undo the changes.

Could he afford not to?

Now that everyone was keeping an eye on the matter, there was no way to hide it anymore.

Just as Wei Guohua finished restoring the documents, there was a knock at his office door.

The door opened, and Li Jianghe stepped inside.

As soon as Zuo Dan left the provincial government, she hadn’t gone far before Shen Yiming rode up to her on his bicycle.

“Comrade Shen Yiming, isn’t your workday still ongoing?”

“Yes, it’s official business. I need to write an article about the People’s Soldiers, and I heard that a grassroots cadre from the local government had come to the provincial government. I thought it would be a great opportunity to hear the local government’s perspective,” Shen Yiming said with a serious face. “Comrade Zuo Dan, let’s find a place to have a proper conversation.”

“Oh, copying my style, huh?” Zuo Dan smirked. “Where to?”

“The provincial capital recently built a park. It’s peaceful and quiet—perfect for our discussion.”

Zuo Dan hopped onto the back of his bicycle. “Let’s go, let’s get down to business.”

The park built by the provincial government wasn’t as refined as later parks. It simply had some trees planted, flowerbeds enclosed with cement, and a few stone benches scattered around.

After parking the bicycle at the entrance, Shen Yiming grabbed her hand and led her into the park. Since it was still work hours, the place was almost deserted.

Zuo Dan teased, “Shen Yiming, you have no shame—holding a female comrade’s hand in broad daylight.”

Shen Yiming chuckled. “If this isn’t appropriate, should we find a secluded grove instead?”

“This is fine. No need for a grove.” Zuo Dan dragged him further into the park, feeling a bit strange.

Technically speaking, this was the first somewhat normal date between her and Shen Yiming.

Shen Yiming was clearly in a great mood. Holding her hand with one, he playfully tugged at her braided hair with the other. “Zuo Dan, how are you so fearless? You even dared to go to the provincial government?”

Zuo Dan grinned. “Why not? I was entrusted by the Dahé Commune—I was on official business.”

Shen Yiming suddenly stopped, staring at her. “I’ve always wondered—how did a place like Zuojia Village raise someone like you?”

Zuo Dan rolled her eyes and confidently declared, “It’s a natural talent. I was born this way.”

Shen Yiming chuckled. “Good. That puts me at ease.”

“What do you mean by that?” Zuo Dan narrowed her eyes at him.

“It means our future children will definitely be very smart.”

“…”

The park had plenty of trees, and as they walked, they accidentally wandered into a small wooded area. Zuo Dan quickly pulled Shen Yiming around a bend, choosing another sunlit path. But after taking just a few steps down a small trail, they ended up behind a lush flowerbed.

As she was about to turn again, Shen Yiming suddenly grabbed her.

“Zuo Dan,” he said softly, leaning in.

“W-What are you doing?” she stammered, eyes wide as Shen Yiming—boldly and shamelessly—kissed her.

When he finally pulled back, he looked at her and said, “I wanted to kiss you.”

Zuo Dan held back for a long moment before blurting out, “Why didn’t you say so earlier?!” Kissing her first and then explaining—what a scoundrel!

Shen Yiming nodded. “Got it. Next time, I’ll say it earlier.”

By the time they left the park, it was already past five in the afternoon. Zuo Dan figured the safest place to be was with his grandmother, so the two rode their bikes straight home.

Meanwhile, in the Wei household—

“Why should Xiaohong and I be the ones sent to the countryside? We’re not going! We’re also part of the Wei family, so why us?” Wei Xiaojun shouted at Du Juan in the living room.

He and Wei Xiaohong had been causing a fuss at home for a long time now, throwing tantrums daily, but to no avail. They wanted Wei Jingren to be the one sent down instead, but Du Juan outright refused, saying that a job had already been arranged for him in the city. She had assured them that she was working on a solution, which kept them quiet for a couple of days.

But today, when their father, Wei Guohua, came home and flat-out told them to start preparing to go to the countryside, they finally exploded.

So their mother had been lying to them all along? All that talk about finding a way was just to keep them from making a scene?

Such blatant favoritism! How heartless!

“If you two keep making a scene, then get out!” Wei Guohua slammed the table in anger. After the fiasco at the government office today, no one dared to tamper with documents anymore. Officials feared scrutiny, especially now that everyone with children being sent down was watching closely. He couldn’t afford to act against policy now. Several of his colleagues had already made sarcastic remarks to him, making him leave work early to avoid further embarrassment.

And now, as soon as he got home, his children were making a fuss too. What were they trying to do?

“This is government policy—everyone must go. No exceptions!”

Wei Xiaohong sat on the sofa, wiping away tears. “Dad, who’s really part of the Wei family? Why should Xiaojun and I be the ones sent to the countryside? We won’t go—we’d rather die than go!” She then pointed at Wei Jingren. “She got to take Brother Yiming’s spot and stay in the city back then, so why can’t Xiaojun and I stay too?”

Du Juan’s head snapped toward Wei Xiaohong, her eyes darkening.

_{T/N: Fight Fight, I like you people Fighting.}