Chapter 27: Saving a Life

Chapter 27: Saving a Life

When Ye Qing first heard this girl speak, the first thought that crossed her mind wasn’t about how the girl’s attire seemed out of place in this village. Instead, she was struck by something else—

Was there actually another person here named Gu Weidong?

Yes, upon hearing the name "Gu Weidong," Ye Qing couldn’t help but think of the policeman she had rescued from the Shen Mountains in Shen City, the one who had been shot.

If her memory served her right, that unfortunate man had also been named Gu Weidong. The pronunciation was definitely the same, but Ye Qing wasn’t sure if the characters for his name were identical.

Still, she found it to be quite a coincidence. But then again, when she thought about it, it wasn’t that strange.

In this era, names like Weidong, Weiguo, Aidang, and Aiguo were extremely common, so it made sense that there would be many people with the same name.

Her gaze fell back on the girl in front of her.

She looked to be about twenty years old, with striking and delicate features, giving off an air of bright beauty.

The girl was also quite fashionable. She wore a V-neck sweater that revealed a white undershirt, with the collar and sleeves deliberately longer, paired with a long skirt, making her appear tall and graceful, her skin almost glowing white.

This was the first time since Ye Qing had traveled to this era that she had met a girl who understood fashion so well and knew how to showcase her own best features so perfectly.

In comparison, Ye Qing, dressed in a long blue shirt and pants, with her hair hastily tied into two braids and a patched satchel slung over her shoulder, looked like a genuine village girl—so unsophisticated it was almost embarrassing.

As expected, upon seeing Ye Qing’s attire, the girl sneered slightly, clearly thinking that Ye Qing looked too country bumpkin-ish.

Her gaze shifted back to the soldier:

“Is it really necessary to drag this out? The marriage was decided by my parents without asking for my opinion! Arranged marriages are illegal. If Gu Weidong is really a man, he should agree to call off the wedding. If he pushes me too far, I’ll report him to the military! Let’s see if he can still be a soldier after that!”

Ye Qing was secretly amazed. Was this the captain’s daughter? What a sharp tongue! And she even knew about marriage laws. It wasn’t common for girls of this era to have such a strong sense of legality. This girl was clearly educated and knowledgeable!

Ye Qing thought the girl had a point.

If parents forced their child into a marriage without the girl’s consent, how could such a marriage last? If the man was aware of this, then he didn’t deserve to be a People’s Liberation Army soldier, did he?

Ye Qing silently nodded in agreement with the girl’s stance and approach.

However, it seemed that the captain’s daughter had mistaken the soldier’s purpose. The soldier had been sent on an official mission to escort her to the countryside, not to discuss a wedding cancellation.

Ye Qing instinctively wanted to explain on his behalf.

But before she could say anything, the serious-faced man who had been driving the military vehicle for three hours without uttering a word beat her to it, clearly unhappy.

He raised his hand to stop the captain’s daughter from continuing and said with a stern face:

“Hey, hey, hey, Comrade Wu Yueying, let’s get this straight. Gu Weidong hasn’t said he disagrees with calling off the wedding. There’s no need to be so worked up.”

“Gu Weidong is a fine young man. Many female comrades from the art troupe and military hospital want to date him. He can easily find another beautiful girl to marry. Why would he drag this out? It’s really not worth it!”

Ye Qing was stunned by what he said.

Wait, what? Wasn’t this soldier supposed to be escorting her to the countryside? How did he seem to know this girl?

And from the sound of it, the Gu Weidong whose wedding was being called off didn’t seem too happy about the marriage either.

Ye Qing’s curiosity was piqued. She looked back and forth between the soldier and the captain’s daughter like a curious hedgehog in a melon field, wishing they would hurry up and continue.

It seemed that Wu Yueying hadn’t expected such sarcasm, and her expression soured. With a cold, stern face, she said:

“If he’s not trying to drag this out, then where is he? Why is he hiding like a coward, letting you speak for him?”

The soldier helplessly explained: “You’ve misunderstood, Comrade Wu. I’m not here to speak for him. He will definitely come back to handle this himself, but there’s been a lot of work in the regiment lately, and he really can’t leave. So, he asked me, his political commissar, to come and get a sense of the situation first.”

A flash of excitement and understanding crossed Wu Yueying’s eyes. She urgently asked the soldier in green military uniform:

“You’re the political commissar of his unit? Then do you know what task Gu Weidong is on? Is he in danger, seriously injured, and unable to return? Where is he now?”

This question was strange. Hadn’t the political commissar already said that Gu Weidong was tied up with regiment matters? How had she jumped to the conclusion that he was on a mission and had been seriously injured? The line of thought was a bit too erratic.

And since she wanted to call off the wedding, why did she care so much about what task he was on or whether he was injured?

Ye Qing couldn’t help but silently criticize.

Hao Shaofeng reacted even more strongly than Ye Qing. Wu Yueying’s words had touched a nerve.

He narrowed his eyes, his gaze at Wu Yueying filled with suspicion and scrutiny, as he sharply warned:

“Comrade Wu, you should be clear about your position. Don’t inquire about things you shouldn’t!”

Wu Yueying was startled, a flash of panic and regret crossing her eyes, but she quickly masked it.

Hao Shaofeng thought she might have heard something from somewhere, but upon reflection, he realized it was impossible.

Gu Weidong was on a secret mission, over two thousand kilometers away from Kaoshan Tun. This girl had barely left the village, so there was no way she could have heard any rumors.

Hao Shaofeng assumed that in her anxiety to call off the wedding, she had blurted out something unintentionally accurate.

And besides, he wasn’t here to argue with her. There was no point in engaging in a verbal battle.

Thinking this, he couldn’t help but sigh and, suppressing his temper, spoke again, his tone slightly softer:

“Comrade Wu, I, as the political commissar, am quite clear about the ins and outs of your and Gu Weidong’s engagement. So, I believe I have the right to speak on this matter.”

“Although Gu Weidong is a bit cold in temperament, he is a man of his word, upright, kind, and extremely responsible. His abilities are beyond doubt, and I can assure you that you won’t regret marrying him.”

“But there’s one thing I don’t understand. A few months ago, you were sending him two letters a month, showing concern for him. You didn’t seem to resist or be dissatisfied with this relationship, so why do you suddenly want to call off the wedding now? Such a sudden change of heart!”

“I think you should calm down and think carefully. Marriage is no small matter. You two have already gotten engaged, and now you want to break it off just like that? There should be a reason, shouldn’t there?”

"Gu Weidong can't spare the time to come back for now, so I’ve come in his place to act as a mediator and see if there’s any room for reconsideration regarding this matter."

Wu Yueying, with a cold expression, said decisively and firmly:

"There's no reason, we're just not suitable for each other. You don’t need to persuade me anymore. This matter is non-negotiable; I must call off the wedding!"

"Shut up—"

As soon as Wu Yueying finished talking about calling off the wedding, a stern rebuke echoed. A middle-aged man with mud still on his feet came rushing back, looking extremely anxious. As soon as he returned, he began to apologize profusely to Hao Shaofeng.

"I’m really sorry, Leader. My child is being unreasonable, causing you trouble as well!"

"Please don’t listen to my child’s nonsense. Both her mother and I disagree with calling off this wedding. Please go back and tell Weidong not to take it to heart. When he has time, he can come back and marry Yueying."

As soon as these words fell, Wu Yueying reacted extremely strongly, immediately crying out sharply:

"If you want to marry him, you marry him! I will never marry him! Is it just a life for a life? At worst, I’ll repay his family with mine! If anyone tries to persuade me again, I’ll hang myself on the Gu family’s door!"

Wu Yueying glared at her father with red eyes, as if marrying Gu Weidong was like sending her to the execution ground. Anyone with eyes could see the intensity and determination in her tone.

Her words were quite frightening. The Gu family wanted to form a marriage alliance, not enmity. If something as serious as a loss of life happened, the Gu and Wu families would likely become estranged for life in the village.

Wu Yueying’s extreme attitude immediately put Captain Wu in a difficult position.

It also caused the smile on Hao Shaofeng’s face to vanish instantly.

As the political commissar of the regiment, Hao Shaofeng was responsible for the political lives of the soldiers and officers under him. He often played matchmaker for his men, which was one of the most troubling aspects of his job—dealing with the old bachelors in the military.

Although Gu Weidong had not been with the regiment for long, he had been the most trouble-free, giving his all in physical training and achieving outstanding personal results. His marriage had also not required any attention. Hao Shaofeng had considered Gu Weidong the best recruit selected by Commander Xu from the division.

However, this recruit had been shot this month and now faced a wedding cancellation, leaving Hao Shaofeng feeling like he had two heads from all the stress.

The stubborn man couldn’t return to his hometown in time due to his leg injury, so Hao Shaofeng decided to come down himself to understand the situation.

He thought that perhaps something had not been handled properly on the groom’s side, leading to the bride’s misunderstanding and her strong desire to call off the wedding.

If the misunderstanding wasn’t too serious, as the political commissar, he would help explain and mediate. He would resolve what could be resolved and look for other ways to ease the situation. He couldn’t just let such a good marriage fall through, could he?

But to Hao Shaofeng’s surprise, the situation seemed different from what he had expected.

The bride’s parents did not oppose the marriage, but the bride herself was extremely insistent, showing a determination that seemed unshakable.

This left Hao Shaofeng quite puzzled, and the idea of mediating a reconciliation cooled down.

He had matched many couples and played the role of a matchmaker in marriage affairs. His biggest realization in such matters was that a forced marriage wouldn’t lead to happiness.

For a harmonious marital relationship, both parties needed to be equally enthusiastic. Only a mutually satisfying union could be lasting and harmonious.

Especially for military personnel, having a stable home front was more important than anything else. Therefore, the military wife needed to be not only virtuous and understanding but also able to endure loneliness. If the military wife lacked trust and admiration for her husband from the beginning, such a marriage would be painful and torturous for both parties.

Although he genuinely didn’t want Gu Weidong’s marriage to fall through, if the bride truly looked down on Gu Weidong, even if he managed to persuade her for now, what if problems arose after the marriage? That would truly harm Gu Weidong.

Gu Weidong was the strongest recruit in the regiment, and he didn’t want to see this good recruit ruined by marriage troubles. If that were the case, it would be better to cut their losses now. Even if Gu Weidong remained a bachelor for life, it would be better than marrying someone unsuitable.

Captain Wu was so angry with his daughter that he grabbed a broom from the yard, intending to hit her.

Seeing this, Hao Shaofeng quickly stepped in and stopped him, advising:

"Captain Wu, don’t hit the child. Marriage is indeed a serious matter. If the child doesn’t want this, we can’t force her. Forcing someone into marriage won’t lead to a happy life. Even if the wedding happens, if she’s not happy inside, how can she live well?"

"I am the political commissar of Gu Weidong. This time, I actually took the liberty to come down and take a look. If your daughter is really unwilling, then in my opinion, this marriage should be called off."

"When children grow up, they have their own opinions and thoughts. As elders, we can only advise and guide them, but we cannot make decisions for them. After all, it's their life that they are living. Don't you agree?"

Persuaded by Hao Shaofeng, the Captain had no choice but to drop the broom reluctantly, and with his finger, he pointed at the stubborn Wu Yueying, eventually dropping his scowl without another word of scolding.

"But even if we call off the engagement, it's not something that can be resolved by a letter from a young girl. They were already betrothed before, so both the families need to discuss it openly. Even if we're calling off the engagement, it has to be done clearly and decisively."

"This is not a small matter. It concerns your daughter's reputation in the village and also affects Gu Weidong's influence in the military. Both sides should be open and not hide anything, so that in the future, the villagers won't have anything to gossip about. Don't you think so?"

The Captain, with a look of worry in his eyes, still nodded.

If they didn't make things clear, what if someone in the future accused his Yueying of being fickle and ungrateful, promising herself to two men? Words like that could definitely be spread by the gossipy old women in the village, so Captain Wu deeply agreed with Hao Shaofeng's words.

Hao Shaofeng was also worried. Gu Weidong had just earned merit and was in the midst of being evaluated by the regiment for a promotion application. If at this time there were rumors of Gu Weidong being improper or irresponsible in his relationships, whether true or not, the higher-ups' impression of him would definitely be greatly affected. There might even be a direct hold on his application for promotion to the rank of full battalion commander.

So, the matter of calling off the engagement had to be handled with the utmost care, without making a single mistake.

"Gu Weidong really can't leave his duties right now and might need another half month before he can return to the village. How about we wait until he's back to handle the engagement cancellation?"

"Don't get too worked up. If during this time Yueying changes her mind, there's still plenty of time. And if Gu Weidong dares to be unhappy about it, I'll break his legs!"

"Oh, by the way—"

Hao Shaofeng glanced at the car and noticed Ye Qing sitting inside. It suddenly dawned on him that there was still one more thing to take care of.

"This time, I was actually commissioned by the higher-ups to send this educated youth, Comrade Ye Qing, to Kaoshan Tun for reallocation."

"Comrade Ye Qing, come down quickly. Let me introduce you. This is Captain Wu Yongbing, the leader of the Kaoshan Tun production team."

Ye Qing was enjoying her watermelon in the car when suddenly Hao Shaofeng called her out. She quickly gathered her thoughts, got off the car, and greeted Captain Wu.

"Captain Wu, hello. I am the educated youth assigned to reallocate to your village. I hope you will take good care of me in the future."

Wu Yongbing was completely bewildered.

What did this mean? Arriving in the countryside in a military car? Over the past few years, Kaoshan Tun had received no fewer than fifty educated youths, and not one of them had arrived in a military vehicle. This was the first!

He gave this city girl a few more careful looks.

Captain Wu didn’t seem to care much about his appearance, but he looked thin and frail, as if he didn’t have much strength. He probably couldn’t even withstand a gust of wind! And yet, this physique dared to come to the countryside for reeducation? Captain Wu was skeptical. If they really sent this girl to work in the fields, would she even last half a day, let alone a whole day? Was she here to make a joke of herself?

Captain Wu glanced at Ye Qing and then at Hao Shaofeng, his expression was indescribable.

"Usually, the county educated youth office picks up people at the station and then assigns them to the commune. Then our village party secretary picks them up, but how come you came here first?"

As soon as Captain Wu thought about this batch of educated youth, who were all city kids unable to carry a load or lift a basket, his brows furrowed as if they could crush a fly.

He couldn’t understand what the higher-ups were thinking, forcing these city kids who had never done farm work to the countryside. Once they arrived in the village, they didn’t know how to do anything. Not only did they delay the work of the commune members, but they also took food from the villagers’ mouths, causing resentment in the village. It was really troublesome.

Captain Wu wasn’t very enthusiastic about Ye Qing, even though he knew this girl was sent down by Political Commissar Hao and must have a significant background, he still couldn’t muster any enthusiasm.

On the other hand, Wu Yueying, who had been standing in the yard, kept staring at Ye Qing with a mix of surprise, curiosity, and contemplation. Her expression was unpredictable and quite strange.

Ye Qing didn’t notice Wu Yueying’s strange expression, nor did she care about Captain Wu’s cold attitude towards her. What kind of person she was would become clear to the villagers over time.

Since Ye Qing was sent by Political Commissar Hao, even though Captain Wu wasn’t fond of her, he still patiently explained everything that needed to be said.

"Since you’ve come, you should be prepared to put down roots in the countryside. Our village doesn’t keep idle people. You should be mentally prepared to endure hardships."

"It’s the rice harvest season now, and after the rice is harvested, it will be time to harvest soybeans and corn. After that, there are cabbages and radishes that need to be harvested before November. If it gets any later, the snow and freezing will make it impossible to work."

"So, the next two months are the busiest time of the year for our village. Everyone, adults and children, has to work in the fields. The educated youth who have just arrived will also have to work alongside the commune members. Understand?"

Ye Qing nodded.

Captain Wu didn’t expect this new educated youth to understand, but when the time came, someone would guide them in the fields. He didn’t want to waste his breath explaining further.

"Originally, the educated youth were arranged to stay with commune members, but this year the policy has changed. It’s said that every household in the city must send a child to the countryside. The county has notified us that there are seven or eight people assigned to our village in this batch, and next year there may be even more. With so many people coming, there won’t be enough space in the villagers’ homes."

"So, after we finish harvesting the crops, I’ve discussed it with some cadres, and we’ll call on the strong laborers in the village to help build a special educated youth point in the village."

"For now, you’ll be temporarily accommodated in my house, sharing a room with my daughter. You’ll have to make do for a while, and once the educated youth point is built, we’ll arrange for proper accommodations. Does that work for you?"

How could Ye Qing say no? In a place like this, the local snake dominates. As a captain, of course, Wu Yongbing could arrange things as he saw fit, and she had to comply. If she started picking and choosing or complaining right after arriving, wouldn’t that be asking for trouble?

Moreover, Ye Qing had already noticed when she entered the village that all the other houses still had thatched roofs and adobe walls, whereas the captain’s house had tiled brick walls. The fact that Wu Yongbing arranged for her to stay in his house was already a special favor due to Political Commissar Hao’s face. Otherwise, just look at whether any other educated youth received such treatment.

Ye Qing quickly thanked Captain Wu and Political Commissar Hao.

Political Commissar Hao saw that Ye Qing had been settled and could report back that his task was completed. So, he didn’t say much more and after a few casual greetings with the village chief, he drove to Gu Weidong’s house.

Only then did Wu Yongbing lead Ye Qing to find his daughter, Wu Yueying, to have her settle Ye Qing into her room.

When Wu Yueying heard that Ye Qing would be staying in her house for a while, she frowned and instinctively wanted to refuse.

But the next moment, it was as if she remembered something, her eyes flickered, and she smiled warmly at Ye Qing.

"Then come with me. My room is in the back. My name is Wu Yueying. What’s yours?"

"Ye Qing."

Adhering to the principle of listening more and speaking less at the beginning, Ye Qing followed Wu Yueying while discreetly observing the yard.

Wu Yueying seemed very interested in Ye Qing and kept asking questions along the way, as if she was conducting an interrogation.

"You look so young. How old are you? Where are you from? Why did you come to our village for reeducation? Who was that soldier who drove you here? Is your family from the military? Do you know Gu Weidong?"

Ye Qing found it exhausting. This girl was so chatty, and her barrage of questions gave her a headache.

She sighed and looked at Wu Yueying seriously.

"I’m sixteen years old. There are many children in my family, and someone had to be sent to the countryside, so I volunteered. The reeducation committee gave me a certificate to come to Kaoshan Village, it was a random assignment, there’s no specific reason. As for the rest of your questions, I have no comment."

After saying that, Ye Qing pointed to the room Wu Yueying had led her into.

"Is this the kang you sleep on? Will I sleep here at night?"

Wu Yueying hadn’t expected to be suppressed by a young girl and a trace of annoyance flashed in her eyes.

But before she could figure out the background of this mysterious educated youth, she had to suppress her emotions and continue to act like a caring older sister.

"Yes, that’s my kang. We can each sleep on one half. You can choose which side you want."

"It’s not time to heat the kang yet. By the end of October, when the kang is heated, we can sleep side by side on the kang, and it will be much warmer."

Ye Qing nodded indifferently.

The captain had said that they would build an educated youth point in the village, and by the time the kang was heated, she should be able to move out.

Moreover, she didn’t plan to live with the other educated youth. For now, she would feel out the situation in the village and see if she could find a separate place to live.

If that wasn’t possible, she could discuss it with the village chief. When they built the educated youth point, they could build a separate room for her, and she could pay for the construction costs herself.

Ye Qing was secretly pondering this when she suddenly realized that Wu Yueying was going through her belongings.

By the time she snapped out of her thoughts, her two burlap sacks had already been opened by Wu Yueying.

Ye Qing’s expression darkened, and she snatched her bag back.

"What are you doing?"

Wu Yueying pouted and said matter-of-factly,

"I’m helping you tidy up. You’ve been traveling for so long; you must be tired. You should rest while I help you organize the bedding and clothes."

Ye Qing refused expressionlessly.

"No need, I can handle it myself."

Although it was only the first meeting with Wu Yueying, for some reason, she always found this girl odd. It was hard to pinpoint exactly what was off, but there was a strange sense of incongruity.

Because of this intuition, Ye Qing subconsciously didn’t want to get too close to this girl. She became even more alert and resistant when the girl abruptly tried to touch her personal belongings.

Failing to get access to Ye Qing's luggage, Wu Yueying was somewhat disappointed that she couldn’t ascertain the newcomer’s background.

However, she wasn’t in a hurry. Since this new girl was going to live with her, she would have plenty of opportunities to figure things out. It wouldn’t be difficult to find out more about this person.

So, Wu Yueying, growing impatient with dragging things out with Ye Qing, casually mentioned that she had other things to do and turned around to leave.

Once the girl left, Ye Qing finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Wu Yueying seemed to lack any sense of boundaries, which made Ye Qing feel uneasy. Her desire to move out and live alone became more urgent and intense.

But being new in town, she understood that this matter would have to be pursued gradually. There was no rush.

For now, the priority was to find a way to get a chest to lock up her belongings before they could be tampered with without her knowing.

Living under someone else’s roof had its downsides. You didn’t dare to buy anything, and if something got lost, it would be awkward to hold anyone accountable.

With this in mind, Ye Qing could no longer sit still in the room. She spread the bedsheet and thin blanket at the end of the kang, grabbed a small handful of candies from her luggage, and hurried out.

The allure of candy was significant. With those candies, Ye Qing successfully bribed a few children playing in the village and not only found out which household in the village did carpentry work but also learned various other things about the village.

For example, the Gu family, who were related by marriage to Captain Wu, lived at the far end of the village. The Gu family had four children. The eldest, Gu Weidong, was a soldier in the military. He was already twenty-three years old. Below him were two younger sisters and a younger brother: Gu Weixi, Gu Weinan, and Gu Weibei, respectively.

Ye Qing almost burst out laughing when she heard these names. Goodness, the Gu family sure knew how to name their children in the simplest way possible.

As for the marriage between the two families, it dated back more than a decade.

It was said that when Wu Yueying was little, she had secretly gone to the river to play in the water when no adults were watching. She fell into the river, and at that moment, Grandpa Gu happened to see her. He jumped in to save her, but although Wu Yueying was rescued, Grandpa Gu drowned from exhaustion.

Because a life was involved, the Wu family promised the Gu family that Wu Yueying’s life belonged to them. When she grew up, as long as the Gu family didn’t mind, she would marry into the Gu family to bear children for them.

This was how the arranged marriage between Wu Yueying and Gu Weidong came to be.

A year ago, when Wu Yueying turned eighteen, the marriage was brought up again. The Gu family followed the local customs and sent the highest bride price to officially betroth their son to her, reserving the marriage until Gu Weidong returned on leave from the military to complete the wedding.

However, no one expected that this seemingly certain marriage would hit a snag just as it was about to be finalized.

Half a month ago, Wu Yueying fell seriously ill with a high fever and was even sent to the commune’s health station. But after she recovered, she suddenly began to demand the cancellation of the marriage, throwing tantrums and threatening to take her own life. The entire production team was shocked by her behavior.

No one knew why Wu Yueying was making such a fuss, as if she had been possessed. Captain Wu had beaten and scolded her, locked her at home to prevent her from going out, but Wu Yueying went on a hunger strike and secretly sent a letter to Gu Weidong’s military unit to break off the engagement. This infuriated Captain Wu to the point that he declared he would sever ties with his daughter.

When Ye Qing had heard bits and pieces at Captain Wu’s house, she hadn’t fully understood what had happened. But now, with the children piecing the story together, Ye Qing felt like she had eaten quite a filling melon.

Ye Qing also felt that Wu Yueying’s behavior was somewhat improper.

Her life had been exchanged for the Gu family’s, and the marriage agreement carried a sense of compensation towards the Gu family. How could she just cancel the marriage like that?

If the marriage was canceled, how would she repay the life that the Gu family had lost for her sake?

And if she didn’t want to marry into the Gu family, she should have made that clear before coming of age, instead of letting the Gu family proceed with the betrothal gifts.

The Gu family had acted honorably, choosing their most capable son to marry her and offering the highest bride price in the surrounding villages. This showed great respect towards the Wu family and their future daughter-in-law. The Wu family had gladly accepted, indicating their satisfaction with the marriage, so why had they changed their minds after just one year?

Even as an outsider, Ye Qing found the situation full of problematic points and couldn’t help but feel sympathy for the never-seen Gu Weidong.

In fact, Ye Qing was a bit puzzled. Why had Wu Yueying suddenly refused to marry after being seriously ill? Was it because she had a sudden awakening of female self-awareness and didn’t want to get married, or was it simply that she didn’t want to marry the Gu family’s eldest son?

If it was the former, then this Miss Wu’s thinking was quite bold and progressive.

If it was the latter, then it was even stranger.

After all, soldiers these days received better allowances and benefits than many urban workers. Marrying someone like that was far better than marrying one of the village youths who relied on physical labor to make a living.

And judging by Political Commissar Hao’s attitude earlier, Gu Weidong was definitely highly regarded by his superiors. The commissar wouldn’t have been so anxious about his marriage if that wasn’t the case. This indicated that Gu Weidong held a relatively high position in the military, likely at least a company commander or battalion commander.

Being so young and already making a name for himself in the military, his future prospects were limitless. To turn down such a well-established and promising match—why?

Ye Qing couldn’t figure it out and felt like she might have overlooked some critical information.

But soon, she couldn’t help but laugh at herself for getting too involved in the matter. She was just an outsider enjoying the gossip, not a detective. Why analyze it so much?

Shaking her head, she pushed the gossip to the back of her mind and asked the children to help guide her to the carpenter’s house to order the chest she needed.

Only an old lady was home at the carpenter’s house, as everyone else had gone to work in the fields. But Ye Qing was in luck. Perhaps knowing that urban educated youth would soon be arriving to join the village, and that they would need chests, the carpenter had already made seven or eight wooden chests in advance.

The finished chests were quite exquisite, smoothly polished and coated with tung oil. They were the right size and very sturdy, fully meeting Ye Qing’s requirements.

So, she bought three on the spot, planning to use one for clothes, one for bedding, and the other for miscellaneous items.

There was no way she could carry all three chests by herself, so she had to offer a few more candies to the children to help her carry them back to Captain Wu’s house.

By the time she returned with the chests, it was almost dusk, and Ye Qing quickened her pace. But halfway there, she heard a commotion—the sounds of people returning from the fields.

Ye Qing didn’t know these people yet and wasn’t prepared to greet them. She would meet them naturally tomorrow, so she planned to bypass the crowd.

But after only a few steps, she heard a loud "plop," followed by chaos in the crowd. Someone shouted:

"She’s fallen into the water! Comrade Meng has fallen into the water!"

Ye Qing only just noticed that not far away was a river, which passed by the edge of the village. It was likely a water source flowing down from the mountains.

She wasn’t sure how deep the river was, but in the dim light of the overcast sky, she saw the person who had fallen in, struggling awkwardly in the water. It looked like they didn’t know how to swim.

The group of people who had been making a commotion just moments ago were now in a panic, so frightened that they were dumbfounded. They pushed each other, but not a single person dared to jump in to save the drowning individual.

At that moment, a sharp-eyed female sent-down youth noticed a man whistling as he emerged from the woods. She immediately shouted,

"Zhao Ma Zi, aren’t you a swimmer? Quick, one of our sent-down youths has fallen into the water. Hurry up and jump in to save her!"

Ye Qing glanced at the ugly, pockmarked man with a lecherous look and immediately furrowed her brow.

As soon as Zhao Ma Zi heard he was needed to rescue someone, his eyes lit up with greed and calculation, which made Ye Qing feel extremely uncomfortable.

Having read many novels set in this era, Ye Qing knew how harsh some remote mountain villages could be regarding women’s reputations. Coupled with her experiences of malicious hearts from the apocalyptic times, she couldn’t help but overthink the situation of the female sent-down youth falling into the water.

Without waiting for Zhao Ma Zi to reach the riverbank, Ye Qing took a running start, leaping straight into the swift current.

Seeing someone had entered the water, Zhao Ma Zi froze for a moment and immediately looked at the female sent-down youth who had called out to him.

The female youth was caught off guard by this turn of events, her expression twisting unnaturally before quickly masking her discomfort. When she was sure no one was watching, she gave Zhao Ma Zi a subtle signal.

Zhao Ma Zi quickly understood and jumped into the river as well.

The moment Ye Qing saw him enter the water, she became even more certain of her suspicions.

Seeing that the girl in the water was flailing randomly without any technique, Ye Qing didn’t dare waste any time. She dove underwater and grabbed a handful of water grass, frantically stirring it.

As the water grass churned and spread beneath the surface, it quickly caught up to and wrapped around the waist of the female sent-down youth.

With a strong pull, Ye Qing brought the girl closer, then turned her around to hold her from behind. With the help of the water grass supporting them from below, she swiftly dragged the girl back to the shore.

Seeing that Zhao Ma Zi was trying to approach from the river again, Ye Qing hardened her heart. Her hand quietly slipped into the water, and a mass of unseen water grass immediately surged forward, wrapping around Zhao Ma Zi’s ankle and dragging him downward.

Caught off guard by the water grass, Zhao Ma Zi was unable to break free and began flailing in the water, swallowing mouthfuls of it in panic. He desperately poked his head out, shouting “Help!” but no one took him seriously. Since everyone knew he could swim and he had already reached the shallow part of the river, they assumed he was just being silly to get attention.

At this point, who would pay attention to him? All eyes were on the female sent-down youth who had just been dragged to safety.

After being submerged for only a short while, the girl had already lost consciousness, her face devoid of color. No matter how much Ye Qing shook her, there was no response.

The other sent-down youths who had just finished work crowded around. One of the girls rushed forward and hugged the unconscious youth, wailing loudly.

Ye Qing had no patience for this. She pulled the girl away forcefully and cursed,

"The person’s not dead yet, what are you wailing for?!"

Without waiting for a response, she pulled the girl up and began slapping her back vigorously, clearing her mouth and then laying her flat on the ground. Ye Qing pressed hard on the girl’s chest and, leaning down, pinched her nose to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

After dozens of repetitions, Ye Qing was drenched in sweat, and the girl under her finally “wah”ed, spitting out several mouthfuls of murky river water before slowly opening her eyes.

"She’s awake! Thank goodness, she’s okay! I was so scared!"

"This comrade looks so young, yet she’s incredibly capable. Not only is she a good swimmer, but she also knows first aid. I thought Meng Jia was a goner, but this comrade managed to save her with a few quick actions!"

"Meng Jia is really lucky to have encountered a guardian angel. By the way, who is this girl that saved her? Do any of you know her?"

"No idea. Haven’t seen her in the village before."

Meng Jia, having been thoroughly soaked in the cold river and having faced death, could not stop shivering, her eyes filled with shock and fear.

Ye Qing, also drenched, felt the cold wind biting at her face. She couldn’t be bothered with explanations and quickly urged the other girls,

"Take her back quickly. We can talk tomorrow. It’s windy by the river, and if she stays here much longer, she’ll catch a cold. If a fever starts, it’ll be trouble!"

Without another word, she turned away from the river where Zhao Ma Zi was still struggling and called out to the children who had been helping her carry the boxes, heading toward the captain’s house.