Chapter 180

Chapter 180

The statement was abrupt and disjointed, and Ye Qing didn't understand it at first.

After a few seconds, it suddenly dawned on her what was being implied, and she immediately stopped in her tracks, looking up at Gu Weidong in disbelief:

"Are you saying he did it on purpose?!"

Gu Weidong shrugged, "I didn't say that."

But after receiving Gu Weidong's subtle hint, Ye Qing felt as if she had been enlightened, and things that had previously puzzled her now made sense.

Yes, Wu Yueying's marriage to Xia Hangyi was something Wu Yueying had schemed for.

With Xia Hangyi's status, would he willingly marry a village girl who had nothing but her looks? Wasn't it more like he had no choice but to bow to circumstances?

But after being forced to marry Wu Yueying, could Xia Hangyi really be happy? And yet, Wu Yueying was like a piece of sticky toffee, hard to shake off once attached. Xia Hangyi didn't want his marriage to become a messy affair that could ruin his reputation and affect his future, so he had to find another way—a more discreet method that wouldn't leave any evidence or invite criticism—to get rid of Wu Yueying. What could he do? Of course, if he couldn't divorce her, then he could make her a widow legally!

So, the reason Wu Yueying gained so much weight during her pregnancy was likely due to Xia Hangyi's deliberate guidance. By allowing the fetus to grow excessively large, he could kill her without leaving a trace. At this thought, Ye Qing couldn't help but shiver.

No matter how foolish or annoying Wu Yueying was, that didn't give Xia Hangyi the right to kill her. Moreover, this woman had shared his bed and carried his child twice, yet he was so ruthless as to want her dead. It was truly heartless.

"This Xia fellow may look like a frail intellectual, but there's a deep cunning in his eyes. He's definitely not a simple character. Don't be fooled by his appearance. Stay away from him in the future, and if possible, avoid any interaction with him."

Gu Weidong was a special operations soldier and had served as the captain of the security department at a steel factory for many years. He had a sharp intuition for danger, so when he met Xia Hangyi, he immediately sensed something was off and quickly warned Ye Qing to be cautious.

Ye Qing nodded.

The original female lead had been taken down by her, and since the male lead was on the same side as the female lead, he couldn't be simple either.

"Speaking of which, by saving Wu Yueying's life this time, haven't I ruined his meticulous plan to kill his wife? Could he end up hating me for it?"

Ye Qing immediately thought of another issue.

Xia Hangyi's goal was to kill Wu Yueying, but Ye Qing had been called in by Auntie Wu. The baby was lost, but the mother survived. Xia Hangyi didn't achieve his goal, so wouldn't he be furious? If this guy decided to take his anger out on her and cause trouble behind her back, it would be a real headache.

Gu Weidong laughed:

"If he wants to maintain the image of a good husband, he wouldn't dare do anything to you. After all, you saved his wife's life. Even if he doesn't thank you, would he really repay kindness with malice?"

"Besides, what's your status now? You're a well-known figure across the three northeastern provinces of China, even recognized by higher-ups. Unless he's suicidal, he wouldn't dare target you. Any minor trouble he stirs up won't affect you much, but it could backfire on him. If it's discovered that he's behind it, he probably wouldn't be able to stay in Qingshan Town!"

That was true. After hearing Gu Weidong's words, Ye Qing felt reassured.

Unless Xia Hangyi could find solid evidence of Ye Qing betraying the country and use it to bring her down in one move, given the achievements Ye Qing had made in Qingshan Town over the past two years, her reputation would remain unshakable in the northern wilderness for the next decade. She wasn't afraid of any underhanded schemes from petty people.

However, what surprised Ye Qing was that after Wu Yueying gave birth to a stillborn baby and had her uterus removed, even though Xia Hangyi failed to kill his wife, he could have used this incident to have his parents step in and pressure Wu Yueying into divorcing him.

With his parents taking the blame, he, as the son caught in the middle, could have easily rid himself of Wu Yueying as a burden while remaining unscathed. Even if outsiders criticized, they would likely blame Xia Hangyi's parents for being heartless, not him.

But the reality was that Xia Hangyi actually took great care of Wu Yueying, portraying himself as a devoted husband who would stand by his wife no matter what. His performance was so convincing that it moved everyone within a ten-mile radius who heard about it. Who wouldn't praise Wu Yueying for finding such a good-hearted man?

At first, Ye Qing couldn't understand it either, until a few months later when she saw Wu Yueying again.

Wu Yueying had already been discharged from the clinic and returned to the military farm's family housing. She had lost a lot of weight, but she was no longer the spoiled and domineering woman she once was. Her spirit was broken, and she was utterly submissive to Xia Hangyi, acting like a puppet under his control.

Ye Qing instantly grasped the situation.

This Xia Hangyi had truly turned his wife into a submissive dog, completely under his thumb, to be molded as he pleased.

Unable to bear children due to the loss of her uterus, with her parents divorced and her siblings at odds, this girl had no family to back her up, and her reputation in the local area was almost ruined. With no support, she had no choice but to submit and let her husband call all the shots.

Ye Qing couldn’t help but shake her head secretly.

Wu Yueying's second chance was truly wasted. In just over a year, she had completely botched her life. Unless she started over, this life of hers was pretty much set.

Ye Qing couldn’t be bothered to watch anymore.

In truth, she was genuinely willing to help those suffering women. As long as there was a glimmer of hope, she was willing to lend a hand.

If Wu Yueying had been a decent person, Ye Qing would have gladly pulled her up. But given the things Wu Yueying had done, Ye Qing wouldn’t foolishly extend kindness and bring trouble upon herself. Helping others unsuccessfully would only tarnish her reputation.

So, that was it. This person wasn’t worth it!

In early December, the first batch of pigs from the breeding farm was ready for slaughter.

This was the first generation of pigs entirely bred by the military farm's breeding facility. The entire cycle, from the sow's pregnancy to the piglets being ready for slaughter, took a year.

Originally, these pigs had reached market standards in about seven months, but Zhao Yuliang, for the sake of a TV program recording, deliberately delayed the slaughter by a few months. It wasn’t until the pigs had grown to nearly 300 pounds each that he had the acquisition station send people to collect them.

Over 1,600 pigs, each one plump and robust, created a spectacular scene as they were herded out of the pens. The person in charge of the acquisition station was stunned.

So much walking fat was truly mouth-watering, and they couldn’t help but drool with envy.

Many soldiers and volunteer workers gathered to watch, all clapping and cheering excitedly outside the fences. Some had red eyes, some whistled, and some even threw their hats into the air, celebrating the success of the pig farm.

Zhao Yuliang, cigarette in mouth, was beaming with pride. The TV crew was equally excited, quickly setting up their cameras to capture this awe-inspiring scene.

For the past six months, Zhao Yuliang had been searching far and wide for sows. He even planned to travel south after the New Year to scout and bring back a batch of sows. It was said that the pig breeds in the south were better, larger, and could grow to 400 or 500 pounds if well-fed, which made him shamelessly tempted.

Ye Qing, on the other hand, planned to finalize the scientific breeding plan handover with the military farm after the New Year. She would conduct final exams for the technicians Zhao Yuliang had sent to her for training. As long as these people passed their courses, she could finally step back and let them take over.

As 1974 was coming to an end, Zhao Yuliang suddenly brought her some good news in the final days of the year.

Han Yabo, who had been holed up in the research building, not only succeeded in gene grafting technology, creating crops that yielded both above and below ground, but also made significant progress in his original important research project from the Shanghai Research Institute.

Zhao Yuliang, who understood the gravity of the situation, immediately reported this news to the provincial authorities as soon as Han Yabo shared it with him. The provincial authorities hastily convened a seminar that very night. As a result, on New Year's Eve, while everyone was immersed in the joy of the holiday, the provincial authorities issued a notice to Zhao Yuliang and secretly transferred over a dozen people to Qing Shan Farm.

Han Yabo's research project had garnered significant attention from higher-ups, so the provincial research institute stepped in to vouch for it. The entire original Shanghai Research Institute team, who had been sentenced to labor reform and sent to Mohe, was temporarily reassigned to Qing Shan Farm to participate in the research project.

Of course, these people were still in a labor reform status. Although they didn’t have to wear shackles, like Han Yabo, they were confined to the research building on the military farm. Their daily lives were restricted, and they were not allowed to contact the outside world. Apart from not having to do manual labor and having slightly improved living conditions, their treatment was no different from being in prison.

But for the entire research team, this outcome was already quite favorable.

After all, if it weren’t for Han Yabo's efforts in helping them escape their predicament, they might have had to endure years of hopeless suffering in the labor reform farm in Mohe, with little chance of ever getting out.

Now, the higher-ups had given them a chance to redeem themselves through merit. If this research project succeeded, they could all be exonerated and live like ordinary people in the future.

When they arrived at Qing Shan Farm, saw Han Yabo, and saw the place where they would live next, and when Zhao Yuliang gently told them that the hardest part was over and they would never have to fear or return to the harsh, cold lands to painfully reclaim the wilderness, the researchers finally broke down, hugging each other and weeping bitterly, releasing years of pent-up sorrow and grievances.