Chapter 44: Countryside Propaganda

Chapter 44: Rural Publicity Trip

It was a two-hour drive from Nancheng to Baiyue Township, and then another hour-plus of mountain trails from the township to Yinkeng Village. Good thing the township cadre led the way—otherwise they never would have found it.

Baiyue Township sat at a high elevation, with temperatures running more than five degrees colder than in the city. Snow still covered the mountaintops, and the mountain wind bit at their faces like a knife. Lin Zhijin tightened her scarf until only her eyes were visible. Good thing she'd listened and worn the army coat—otherwise she'd have been freezing.

"Zhijin, be careful." Chen Qiuqiu noticed Lin Zhijin slip slightly and grabbed a wooden stick for her.

The mountain path was rugged and uneven, especially treacherous after rain or snow when the mud turned slick and a moment's inattention could send a person tumbling.

The group trudged along, stumbling now and then, and finally made it over a mountain to see a village sitting at the base below.

"Is this Yinkeng Village?" Lin Zhijin asked, panting.

Wang Xiaoyao took a sip of water and held out the bottle to Lin Zhijin, offering her a drink.

"No thanks, I've got my own." Lin Zhijin pulled a red thermos with a metal shell from her bag—hot apple drink she'd boiled that morning, sweetened with sugar, tangy and refreshing, great for a boost.

The head of the Women's Federation from Baishi Township walked over, looked at the nearby village, and shook her head. "This isn't Yinkeng—it's Shangtang Village. Keep going and you'll hit Jinkeng, then Yinkeng."

Shangtang Village was large, with over two hundred households and more than a thousand people. The moment they entered, someone spotted them and sent word to the village chief, since Lin Zhijin and her crew clearly weren't your average visitors.

"Director Qian, what a surprise! What brings you to Shangtang today?" The village chief hurried over. Seeing Director Qian standing beside Chen Qiuqiu, Lin Zhijin and Wang Xiaoyao carrying leather bags, and uniformed soldiers behind them, he immediately greeted them respectfully.

"The city Women's Federation folks are here to do some outreach. We're heading to Yinkeng Village first, and we'll swing back by here later." Director Qian shook the chief's hand with a slight smile.

"Fine, fine—we're all for the Women's Federation's work." The chief patted his chest, promising his support.

They passed by Jinkeng Village without going in, but asked a villager to tell the chief to get ready for a village-wide meeting later.

They finally reached Yinkeng Village, surrounded by mountains with little flat land, so the houses were stacked up in layers like the Potala Palace, row upon row.

Yinkeng had received advance notice, and the village officials had been waiting at the entrance.

"Damn it, that spineless bastard Wu Er—can't even keep his wife in line, how'd he let her run off to the city to make a fuss? Now the city's sending people straight here to chew us out, and our village's reputation is completely ruined. It was already hard for the men in our village to get married, and now it's even worse." Deputy village chief Wu Gaoshan kicked a roadside stone in anger.

Yinkeng had more people than land, and most of the land was mountainous. Families needed men to work the land, or the whole family would starve. As a result, men who could do heavy labor got more and more respect, while women's standing sank lower and lower.

Over time, the village got more and more hung up on having sons over daughters, and it became more and more common to abandon or drown baby girls.

Wu Er already had one daughter, and when his wife gave birth to another last October, he drowned the baby in the toilet without even asking her.

Wu Er's wife was heartbroken. As soon as her postpartum month was over, she slipped away alone in the bitter cold to the city to file a complaint with the Women's Federation—she wanted a divorce from that murderer Wu Er and custody of her eldest daughter.

The Women's Federation called the police that same day, and Wu Er was arrested. Because his wife later recanted, Wu Er only got three years in prison, and she took her eldest daughter back to her parents' home.

The incident made waves, especially in Baiyue Township, and Yinkeng Village became notorious.

Village chief Wu Youshui frowned, took a puff from his pipe, and sighed. "What's the point in talking about it now."

Wu Gaoshan was still fuming. "I told them long ago—daughters are your own flesh and blood, and it's not like they can't afford to raise them. But they had to throw them away. Now look: every village for miles around, hell, the whole city knows Yinkeng values sons over daughters and drowns baby girls. What girl from outside would ever want to marry into our village?"

The village Women's Federation director muttered under her breath, "Never mind outside girls—even our own village girls don't want to marry here. They all want to marry someone from outside."

Just then, they saw Director Qian leading a group over, and the village officials straightened up immediately, putting on their best smiles as they went to greet them.

"Director Qian, can you introduce us?" Wu Youshui said deferentially.

"This is Director Chen, Lin, Wang, Commander Zhang, and this is Officer Li from the police..." Director Qian introduced them one by one, then turned to introduce the Yinkeng officials to Chen Qiuqiu's group. "This is Yinkeng's village chief, Wu Youshui, deputy chief Wu Gaoshan, and our village Women's Federation director, Xiao He."

Time was short and there was a lot to do—besides Yinkeng, they still had Jinkeng and Shangtang to get through. After brief pleasantries, Chen Qiuqiu had Wu Youshui tell the villagers to gather, as today's focus would be on the new marriage law and the protection of children's rights.

The threshing ground just inside the village entrance was the flattest spot around. As the bell rang, villagers wandered over in twos and threes.

The village chief went up first to introduce the visitors and their purpose, then Director Qian stepped up. "Folks, we're here today to talk about the new marriage law. We're in a new society now—men and women are equal, and women have the right to make their own choices... Now, let's give a warm welcome to Director Chen from the city Women's Federation to speak."

As Chen Qiuqiu gave her brief talk, a young woman around twenty came up to Lin Zhijin. "What does 'personal freedom' mean?"

Lin Zhijin turned to look at her and explained with a smile, "Personal freedom means women can do whatever they want, as long as it's not against the law—no one can stop them. Like finding a partner: both people have to agree. Parents or others can't force someone into an arranged marriage."

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. A woman whispered, "Parents call the shots and matchmakers make the matches—that's how it's always been. Letting kids decide for themselves? That'd be a mess!"

"Exactly. What do children know? Marriage is a big deal—we have to be the ones to decide." Another older woman voiced the same disapproval.

Lin Zhijin kept her smile and spoke in a calm tone. "This is the law of the land—we have to respect it. Speaking of marriage, I'm from the countryside too. Because I was raised well—fair skin, a few years of schooling—I managed to marry into the city. Do you know how much bride price my family got?"

The older women stared at Lin Zhijin in surprise, unable to believe she was actually from a rural area. Then they were hooked by the mention of bride price and eagerly asked how much.

Lin Zhijin's lips curved slightly. "Sixty-six silver dollars. But the bride price is the small part—I married well, and my in-laws arranged a job for me. I make over forty yuan a month now, and it's no trouble to give my parents a few yuan now and then to help out. Holidays can't be skipped either. And when the chance comes, I'll definitely find work for my younger brother—he's the backbone of the family, and he'll have my back in the future."

"Right, right—what the leader says is true. When a woman's own brothers are well-off, she's got more standing in her husband's family." An auntie heartily agreed with Lin Zhijin's point.

"So daughters should be raised well—send them to school if you can. Raise them right, and when they grow up and marry into the city, even if they don't do as well as I did, marrying into an ordinary family is fine. If they help out their brothers a little, won't your sons have an easier life?" Lin Zhijin looked at them like they were missing the obvious—couldn't they do the math?

Several people looked like a light bulb had just gone off over their heads. Right—if a daughter married well, wouldn't she be able to help the family?

"Would a city man really marry a village girl?" The young woman who'd first asked Lin Zhijin a question spoke up again.

"So you have to raise them well—their skin has to be fair, hands can't be too rough, right? And if they've had a few years of schooling, as long as they're not too choosy, it's not hard." Worried they'd accept any son-in-law for the sake of bride price, Lin Zhijin quickly added, "Marriage isn't about making enemies. Which is better—taking one bride price and cutting ties with your daughter, or having her be a good daughter for years and being able to help when your family needs it? You should know the answer."

Wang Xiaoyao elbowed Lin Zhijin in the side. "Why?"

"Just talking about the law isn't enough. You have to tell them what they stand to gain from having daughters." Lin Zhijin said in a low voice.

Even if it meant raising daughters to cash in on bride price or to support their brothers, at least they'd live—not be tossed out or drowned at birth.

"That's easy for you to say—you married into the city, but in our village... how many girls look like you?" A woman looked Lin Zhijin up and down. Not just in the surrounding villages—you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone as pretty as her in the whole city of Nancheng.

"Don't say that. My Yanzi's not bad-looking—not as pretty as the leader, of course, but we're not asking for much. If there's a suitable man in town, that'd work too." An auntie's eyes lit up. From now on, no more field work for Yanzi—keep her out of the sun, doll her up a bit, and it shouldn't be that hard.

"Exactly—doesn't have to be the city. There are plenty of men in town or the county seat." Wang Xiaoyao chimed in from the side.

An old man nearby took a puff from his pipe and said slowly, "The way this village does things does need to change, or else our boys won't be able to get married."

"Right—no wife, no children, and no children means there's no one to carry on the family." Lin Zhijin added.

At that moment, Chen Qiuqiu raised her voice. "Folks, what we're talking about today is to help you understand that men and women are equal. A family can't do without a man, but it can't do without a woman either. Men work the fields and women do the weaving—both are equally important, just different roles. Respect the rights of women and children, and our lives will keep getting better, and the village will prosper."

Village chief Wu Youshui immediately stepped forward to show his support. "Today the city leaders came in person to set us straight—we need to take these lessons to heart. From now on, no hitting your wives, and no hitting your kids, alright?"

"Alright!" The villagers all shouted back.

The young woman around twenty came up to Lin Zhijin again and whispered, "Leader, do you think I have a chance to marry into the city?"

Lin Zhijin gave her a good once-over. Her features were actually decent, just with dark, rough skin. She could marry, but no well-to-do family would pick her.

"From your earlier questions—what, is your family trying to get you engaged?" Lin Zhijin asked instead of answering.

The girl pressed her lips together and nodded. "Mm, Erniu from our village, the one over there, yeah, by the tree—oh no, he's looking over here."

Lin Zhijin followed her gaze. He was average-looking, dark-skinned. How to put it—judging by looks alone, they made a decent match.

"You don't like him?" Lin Zhijin asked quietly.

"Erniu is actually pretty nice, it's just that I don't want to marry someone from our village." The girl stole a glance at Lin Zhijin. She was really pretty, no wonder she married into the city. "I don't aim high, just someone who can support me."

Lin Zhijin paused for a moment. "Marriage is a woman's second shot at life. Wanting to marry well isn't wrong, but you need to change your image first. First off, you need to be clean and neat. Look at your hair—haven't washed it in days, have you? That's not gonna cut it. Try to stay out of the sun as much as possible. Does your village have a literacy class? Go learn to read and write, improve yourself."

The girl's eyes lit up as she listened intently to Lin Zhijin, nodding continuously.

"I'm willing to change. Ma'am, I'll do exactly what you say." The girl's tone was full of determination.

Lin Zhijin smiled and asked again, "Does your family know what you're thinking? What's their attitude?"

The girl's face fell a little. "I mentioned it to my parents, but they think Erniu's family is doing okay in the village, and Erniu is hardworking and dependable. They think marrying him is a good deal for me."

Lin Zhijin patted her shoulder reassuringly. "Your parents probably mean well. Find a chance to sit down and talk to them calmly about what you want, and help them see that marrying into the city could bring more benefits to the family. They should come around."

"Mm, I'll talk to my parents again when I get back." The girl seemed to have worked up her courage.

After Chen Qiuqiu finished speaking, Li Bing walked over. His main job today was to educate people about the law.

"This is the New China now—there's no such thing as 'a father says die, and a son must die.' Whether it's injury or murder, even between biological parents and children, it's still punishable by law, even the death penalty. Daughters are your flesh and blood too—you can't just hurt them however you please. Wu Er is the most typical example. I hope none of you make the same mistake, or it won't just be a few years behind bars—you might end up getting shot. Understood?"

"Understood!" The crowd answered loudly.

Word was that Wu Er was originally sentenced to death, but his parents knelt and kowtowed to Wu Er's wife, paid a large sum of money, and got her to change her testimony. The baby was already gone by then.

With such a ready-made example, and since Yinkeng Village really did have trouble finding wives, the village had already held a meeting—no more drowning baby girls out of hand from now on.

After the work here was done, the group politely turned down the village chief's dinner invite and headed straight to Jinkeng Village.

Jinkeng Village was slightly better off than Yinkeng Village, but not by much—especially domestic violence, which had gotten to the point where nobody batted an eye.

"Auntie, does your husband ever beat you?" Lin Zhijin held a notebook, conducting her survey.

"Young miss, you're not married yet, are you? Couples argue, that's normal. Men got hot tempers, that's just how it is." The auntie said with a chuckle.

Lin Zhijin didn't argue with her. She asked a few more aunties and older women and got pretty much the same answers.

When she regrouped with Wang Xiaoyao and saw her notes, the answers were about the same. The two exchanged a look and sighed softly. There was nothing to be done—the women here had already been brainwashed. In their minds, if a husband hit his wife, it was because the wife wasn't doing her job right. It was a normal thing.

When the victims themselves didn't see a problem, it was hard to make any change happen. Luckily, with Wu Er's case as an example, people were at least willing to listen when it came to drowning babies.

The talk wrapped up close to noon, and Jinkeng Village's cadres dragged the whole group over to the village chief's house for a meal.

There was fish, chicken, duck, and cured meat—Jinkeng Village had clearly gone all out.

"Sister Chen?" Lin Zhijin turned her head toward Chen Qiuqiu.

"Everyone's hungry, right? Dig in." Chen Qiuqiu called out, and everyone sat down to eat.

The village chief's granddaughter kept stealing glances at Lin Zhijin and Wang Xiaoyao, her eyes full of envy. Lin Zhijin noticed, waved her over, and gave her a chicken drumstick.

"Ma'am, you go ahead and eat." The village chief's wife rushed over and yanked the little girl away, her face not looking too happy.

Lin Zhijin frowned slightly. It seemed her good deed had backfired.

Li Bing had been watching Lin Zhijin. Seeing this, he picked up another drumstick and brought both his and Lin Zhijin's over to the village chief's grandson and the little girl.

"Adults don't need drumsticks—these are for the kids." Li Bing ruffled both kids' hair with a grin.

"Thanks." When no one was watching, Lin Zhijin whispered to Li Bing.

"Officer Lin is too polite." Li Bing's lips curled up slightly at the corners.

The longer he knew Lin Zhijin, the more he realized he'd misjudged her based on her looks—thinking she was vain and delicate, too soft to handle real life. Turned out he was the narrow-minded one.

Chen Qiuqiu and the others certainly weren't going to freeload. They quietly slipped money under the bowls. Before leaving, Lin Zhijin also handed out candy to the village chief's grandchildren.

"Thank you, big sister." The little granddaughter watched them leave, reluctant to look away until they were completely out of sight. Then she turned to her mother and asked, "Mom, can I be as cool as that pretty big sister when I grow up?"

The village chief's wife stroked her daughter's hair. "We'll send you to school next year. If you study hard, you can be just as successful as that pretty big sister."

The little granddaughter nodded determinedly. She would definitely study hard and become as impressive as that director auntie and the pretty big sister.

The group then went to Shangtang Village. This village was better off than both Jinkeng and Yinkeng, so cases of infant drowning were rarer, and domestic violence was less common too. The village had a good vibe.

At three in the afternoon, the outreach talk in Shangtang Village was done, and everyone packed up to head back.

"Folks, dinner's almost ready—eat before you go. The food at home is already cooked." The village chief blocked their way, not letting them leave.

"We've still got time. We have business at the township office." Chen Qiuqiu raised her wrist to check her watch. They still had a meeting to attend at the township. They could only come down for outreach once in a while—the real day-to-day work had to be done by the township cadres.

The village chief couldn't stop them, and he tried to push various local specialties on them as gifts. Chen Qiuqiu and the others certainly couldn't accept them. In the end, they had to put on stern faces before he'd take the stuff back.

"This Shangtang Village chief is quite hospitable." Commander Zhang had been stuck with a cigarette.

Nothing he could do—it was already in his mouth, and he couldn't exactly spit it out and hand it back.

Li Bing smiled, walking at the back, his eyes occasionally drifting toward Lin Zhijin. If he didn't know her family background, it'd be hard to believe she was a country girl. Not that her looks gave it away—there were plenty of pretty country girls—but that certain air about her.

"Hey." Wang Xiaoyao nudged Lin Zhijin with her elbow. "Officer Li's checking you out again. Didn't you two go on a blind date before? How'd that go? Think it could work out?"

Lin Zhijin shot her a sideways glance. "Don't be so nosy. It won't."

To be honest, she hadn't cared much about what her blind date did for a living before, but after spending time with Li Bing, she'd decided it was better not to go for military men or police officers.

They were too sharp. Occasional contact was fine, but day in and day out together—she had too many cracks that could show.

She was just an ordinary person. She couldn't guarantee she could keep up the act, let alone for a lifetime. Who knows what little detail might give away that she wasn't like everyone else. If marriage meant living in constant fear of being found out, then why bother getting married at all?

So even though Li Bing had shown interest in her, his job and his behavior alone were enough to rule him out.

"Li Bing is actually pretty good." Wang Xiaoyao pouted, but as she thought about the day's visits, her smile gradually faded. "Calling themselves Gold Pit and Silver Pit—fancy names, but I think they should be called Demon Pit instead."

Lin Zhijin let out a soft sigh. Unless you saw it with your own eyes, you couldn't understand how low women's status was back then. To put it bluntly, pawning off wives was still a thing.

Today in Jinkeng Village, she'd seen one case—a man who'd gotten hooked on gambling, couldn't pay his debts, and pawned his wife off for three years. She'd only come back last year.

"Come on, things'll get better." Chen Qiuqiu comforted the two young women who were feeling down.

Director Qian couldn't help but chuckle. "That's exactly why people like us—women's rights workers—are needed to help these women."

The meeting at the township wrapped up in the evening. After dinner, the group stayed the night there, since they had to hit other villages for outreach the next day.

"Men and women are equal? For real?" An auntie sidled over to Lin Zhijin.

"Of course it's true." Lin Zhijin looked at the woman approaching, seeing her sturdy build, unlikely to be a victim of domestic violence. "Ma'am, do you need any help? The Women's Federation is specifically here to assist women and children."

The woman waved her hand. "No, I was just asking."

After she left, another older woman muttered with a sneer, "She doesn't need your help—it's her husband who needs your help!"

Lin Zhijin thought of the woman's robust figure and seemed to understand something. She smiled at the older woman but didn't press further. They only helped women and children; men weren't their concern.

After three days in Baiyue Township, covering every village for miles around and ensuring no one was missed, the group finally returned to Nancheng.

"Alright, you two don't need to come in. Go home and rest well. Take tomorrow off and come back the day after tomorrow," Chen Qiuqiu said, waving her hand.

"Thank you, Sister Chen." Lin Zhijin and Wang Xiaoyao didn't hesitate. It had been a rough few days—physically and mentally. They truly needed to go home and rest.

Li Bing hesitated for a moment. "Cadre Lin, want me to walk you back?"

"No thanks, I don't live far." Lin Zhijin waved to Wang Xiaoyao, then turned to Li Bing and politely declined.

He glanced at her and gave a slight smile. "Alright, take care on the way."

"Thank you." Lin Zhijin nodded and turned to leave.

Back home, Lin Zhijin dragged herself to boil water for a bath. The countryside conditions were poor—washing her face and feet was already a luxury, never mind a full bath. Fortunately, it was winter, or she would have started to smell.

Putting in an indoor bathroom had been one of her wisest decisions. Otherwise, she'd be emptying and scrubbing the chamber pot every morning, and bathing would mean a trip to the public bathhouse every couple of weeks—a real nightmare for Lin Zhijin.

After a quick shower, Lin Zhijin changed into her pajamas, lay down on the bed, wrapped herself in the blanket, and fell asleep. She didn't wake up until after nine the next morning.

It had been a long time since she'd slept in. In her previous life, she always struggled to get up because she'd stay up late on her phone. Now, without a phone, she'd kicked the habit of staying up late—she was usually asleep by eight and woke naturally around six.

On her rare day off, Lin Zhijin first gave the house a good cleaning. She was too lazy to cook, so she went out for lunch and then headed to see Lin Shishu. It had been over half a month since they'd last met, and she wondered how her plans for getting pregnant were going.

"Zhijin, you're always so busy, but you found time to come see me! What's up? Day off today?" Lin Shishu was delighted to see her.

She didn't have many friends in Nancheng—only Shiqi and Lin Zhijin were close to her. But Shiqi was stuck in the Wu family compound and rarely got out, and Lin Zhijin was always busy, which was why she was so happy to see her.

"Been out in the countryside for a few days, and the unit gave me a day off. You look great." Lin Zhijin noticed Lin Shishu had put on some weight and had a healthy glow—clearly doing well.

Hearing this, Lin Shishu grabbed Lin Zhijin's hand excitedly. "Zhijin, I'm pregnant—a month and a half along. I'm only telling you, so keep it to yourself!"

Lin Zhijin was surprised, then asked happily, "Really? When did you find out? Congratulations! I told you there was nothing wrong with you two—it was just a matter of time. See, there it is."

Lin Shishu smiled, but her eyes got a little teary. "I just worry. All those years without getting pregnant—maybe it was like you said, the timing wasn't right. Looking back now, it was all meant to be. If I'd had a child before, I never would have left the Wu family, and then I wouldn't have met Old Chen or be living the good life I have now."

It wasn't that the Wu family was bad—food and clothing were never a concern, even better than now. But the household was full of scheming, with the old madam and the head wife above her, always looking down on her. Nothing compared to the freedom of running her own household now.

"Exactly—it shows you and Commander Chen were meant to be together." Lin Zhijin pulled out a dried rabbit and handed it to Lin Shishu, then changed her mind. "I bought this from a local. Since you're pregnant, maybe you shouldn't eat it. Save it for Commander Chen as a snack to go with his drinks."

There was some superstition about pregnant women eating rabbit causing cleft lips in babies. Lin Zhijin didn't believe it, but plenty of people did. If something happened to Lin Shishu's child, she'd be blamed. Better not to risk it.

Lin Shishu, having finally gotten pregnant, was being extremely cautious. Even if Lin Zhijin hadn't mentioned it, she wouldn't have touched rabbit meat anyway.

"Zhijin, you're so sweet—thinking of me even when you're out in the countryside. Oh, that reminds me, what about that man who works at the post office? I think his surname was Zhu? So what's going on with you two?" Lin Shishu was very invested in Lin Zhijin's romantic prospects.

"Zhu Xiangwen—that's not happening." Lin Zhijin shook her head and gave her a quick rundown of how Zhu's mother had come to see her. "When you marry, the mother-in-law counts for half. If the mother-in-law is awful, I won't marry the guy, no matter how great he is."

After all, she's his own mother. When things are good between you, he'll side with you; when they fade, his mother will matter more. He might even bring up old stuff, saying you were unfilial or something. You can't compete with family.

"What a piece of work. Zhijin, you were right not to choose him. If she's already looking down on you now, imagine after marriage! I think you should do what I did—find someone with no parents. You won't have in-laws to help, but you also won't have them making your life difficult!" Lin Shishu said, holding Lin Zhijin's hand.

Lin Zhijin listened thoughtfully and nodded lightly. "You have a point, but these things depend on fate. There's no rush. For now, I just want to focus on my work. As for the rest, I'll let it happen naturally."

Lin Shishu smiled. "That's true, but when fate comes, you have to seize it! By the way, besides that Zhu Xiangwen, has anyone else been pursuing you? Tell me about it."

She looked at Lin Zhijin with a gossipy, curious expression.

Lin Zhijin shot her a glance. "There aren't that many people pursuing me."

"What about Regiment Commander Yang? Weren't you quite interested in him?" Lin Shishu asked curiously.

Lin Zhijin hesitated, then sighed softly. "Too much time apart, and I'd be constantly worrying. Not a good fit."

Lin Shishu thought of her own situation and sighed along with her. "Tell me about it. Even now, with me pregnant, Old Chen can't be here to take care of me. But it's fine—like you said, you're still young. No need to rush."

"Forget about me—now that you're pregnant, you need to take good care of yourself. Eat plenty of eggs; they're good for you and the baby." Lin Zhijin had never been pregnant in her previous life either, so she didn't know much, but eggs were always a safe bet.

It was still fine now, but in a few years, even eggs would require ration coupons.

At the mention of the baby, Lin Shishu's face lit up with a happy smile. "Don't worry, I can take care of myself. The neighbors here are all kind. Oh, Zhijin, when my baby is born, would you be its godmother?"

Zhijin worked at the Women's Federation and had good relationships with Mayor Yang and Secretary Zhang. With her looks, she'd surely find a good match. If the child could have her as a godmother, it might bring some good fortune.

"Godmother? No, I'll be the child's aunt. When the baby is born, I'll prepare a gift." Lin Zhijin smiled and politely declined.

Being a godmother wasn't something to take lightly—she couldn't shoulder that responsibility.

Lin Shishu was a bit disappointed but not upset. Her relationship with Lin Zhijin was good, but not that close. She'd brought it up just to try—best if it worked, no harm if it didn't.

They chatted a while longer on other topics, and then Lin Zhijin, wanting to go shopping, took her leave.

"I'm sorry—my pregnancy isn't stable yet, or I'd come shopping with you." Lin Shishu said apologetically.

"There's nothing to apologize for. You rest well—I'm off." Lin Zhijin waved her hand, stopping Lin Shishu from getting up to see her off.

"Take care on the way. Come visit again when you have time." Lin Shishu insisted on seeing her to the door.

Lin Zhijin had everything she needed at home, and shopping alone wasn't much fun, so she took a quick stroll and headed back. She took a nap and woke up to find Li Yue and the others already home from work.

"You must be exhausted. Just lie down—I'll cook. It won't be as good as yours, but it won't be bad either, right?" Li Yue smiled as she quickly washed and chopped vegetables.

"I heard you covered the entire township?" Wang Chunhua asked with a smile.

"Baiyue Township is remote, and the more remote, the more ignorant and backward." Lin Zhijin said with a headache.

"You can't rush it. Our country is rebuilding from scratch—it'll take time." Li Yue had been on the battlefield and seen it all; this was nothing to her.

The next day, Lin Zhijin returned to the Women's Federation. In the morning, she wrote up a summary report, and in the afternoon, she went to the city for a meeting and study session.

"Cadre Lin."

On her way back to the street-level Women's Federation office, Lin Zhijin heard someone call her name. She stopped and turned around to see Zhu Xiangwen.

"Cadre Lin, did my mother come to see you? What did she say?" Zhu Xiangwen asked urgently when Lin Zhijin nodded. "My mother isn't good with words. If she said anything harsh, I apologize on her behalf."

Lin Zhijin looked at his anxious expression and said calmly, "Comrade Zhu, you know your mother's personality better than anyone. I won't repeat what she said, but in short, we're not a good match."

Zhu Xiangwen's face went pale. "Cadre Lin, I really didn't know my mother would come to you. What did she say? I'm sorry—my mother... I'm truly sorry."

Lin Zhijin shook her head gently. "Don't come looking for me anymore, so your mother doesn't get the wrong idea."

Zhu Xiangwen forced himself to stay cheerful. "Cadre Lin, I understand what you mean. I respect your decision. I hope we can still be friends in the future. If you ever need any help, don't hesitate to ask."

Lin Zhijin gave Zhu Xiangwen a long look. Honestly, he was a decent man—it was just that his parents really counted against him. "It's getting late. You should head back."

After parting ways with Zhu Xiangwen, Lin Zhijin continued walking home, her mind a whirlwind of emotions. No matter the era, finding a compatible partner was truly difficult.

"Zhijin, why are you back so late?" Wang Chunhua had left after her but still got home first.

Lin Zhijin didn't hide it. "I ran into Zhu Xiangwen."

"I think you should just find someone with no parents at all. That would save you all the mother-in-law headaches." Wang Chunhua's expression soured as she thought of her own in-laws.

Li Yue stayed quiet, but after Wang Chunhua left, she pulled Lin Zhijin aside and said, "Don't paint everyone with the same brush. There are plenty of reasonable elders out there. Having in-laws to help out can actually take a load off your mind."

"I know." Lin Zhijin smiled.

Over the next few days, Lin Zhijin was sent to several more remote townships for outreach work. Since she wasn't in Nancheng, no one tried to fix her up with anyone, naturally, and she was too exhausted to even think about dating.

After more than a month of busy work, the fieldwork finally wrapped up. Then word came down from the higher-ups about organizing a mixer.

"I'm dead tired. What's the scoop?" Wang Xiaoyao slumped over her desk, asking weakly.

"Single men and women from various departments, plus military officers." Lin Zhijin was going over the list and answered without looking up.

Remembering that Wang Xiaofen had asked her to help get an introduction letter, Lin Zhijin glanced at Wang Xiaoyao but kept her mouth shut—that was personal business.

Since she had to go to the machinery factory anyway, she dropped off the invitation to Wang Xiaofen on the way. This one was pretty big; hopefully she'd find someone right for her.

"Thanks." Lin Zhijin was looking down at her documents and not watching where she was going. If someone hadn't grabbed her, she would've walked straight into a wall.

"You're welcome." Gu Yan looked at Lin Zhijin's dazed expression, the corner of his mouth twitching up slightly before he quickly composed himself. "What brings you to the machinery factory, Cadre Lin?"

Lin Zhijin looked up and was taken aback for a moment when she saw Gu Yan. "It's you? Thanks for that—you've helped me again."

"It was nothing." Gu Yan said flatly.

Lin Zhijin pressed her lips together. "I'm here to see Director Wang at the Women's Federation. There's a mixer being held at the theater in two days."

"A mixer?" Gu Yan raised an eyebrow.

Lin Zhijin nodded. "Mm, single men and women from various units and military officers will attend. It's just to give people a chance to get to know each other. Are you single? If you are, you could come."

She studied Gu Yan carefully. He was every bit as good-looking as Yang Su, though they had very different temperaments. Yang Su was rugged and tough; Gu Yan was gentle and refined. He didn't seem like an ordinary worker, and with looks like that, he probably had plenty of admirers.

Gu Yan shook his head slightly and said calmly, "Work's been keeping me busy. No time for dating."

Lin Zhijin gave an "oh." "Well, you could still go. Maybe you'll meet the right person."

Gu Yan looked at Lin Zhijin and asked evenly, "Do you have a partner, Cadre Lin?"

Lin Zhijin was taken aback—she hadn't expected Gu Yan to ask that.

"No, I don't." Lin Zhijin answered.

"Then are you going?" Gu Yan asked again.

"Me? I'm not going." Lin Zhijin shook her head.

"I see." Gu Yan said, his expression unchanged.

"I remember your surname is Gu. Comrade Gu, I'll go see Director Wang now." She gave him a nod and turned to head toward the Women's Federation.

Gu Yan nodded slightly. "Alright, go ahead."

After saying goodbye to Gu Yan, Lin Zhijin went to see Director Wang. After discussing the mixer, she walked around the machinery factory to check on the female workers' work and living conditions, especially the ones the Women's Federation had sent over.

Finally, she found Wang Xiaofen and gave her the invitation. "There are quite a few good guys this time. Make the most of it."

Wang Xiaofen clutched the invitation and said awkwardly, "Sorry, Zhijin, I might not need this anymore."

Lin Zhijin looked at her bashful expression and asked in surprise, "You've found someone?"

Wang Xiaofen nodded. "Mm, we're in the same workshop."

Same workshop? So he's a fitter. That's decent—they'd both have jobs, so they'd be fine.

"He's like me—no family. He has a house on the north side. The machinery factory is close to my place, so we'll stay at my house." Wang Xiaofen said a bit bashfully.

"Sounds good. But this is a big deal—don't rush. Get to know him well before you tie the knot." Lin Zhijin advised seriously.

"Cadre Lin." Zhao Haihua spotted Lin Zhijin and called out in surprise.

Lin Zhijin looked at her, then at the invitation in her hand. "Haihua, are you still single? Would you like to find someone?"

Zhao Haihua saw the invitation and heard Lin Zhijin's question, and immediately figured out the Women's Federation was hosting another mixer—possibly a high-end one. She had to marry someone eventually, so why not pick someone with good prospects? Without hesitation, she said yes on the spot.

"I'm still single. When is it? I'll go check it out."

Two days later, the mixer was held at the theater, and the single men and women arrived one after another.

Lin Zhijin and the other staff were busy guiding people through registration and seating. She spotted a few familiar faces in the crowd, waved, and continued working.

Casually, she caught sight of Li Bing, and their eyes met. He made his way through the crowd toward her. "Cadre Lin."

"Officer Li, how's it going? Found someone suitable?" Lin Zhijin asked with a smile.

Li Bing saw how polite and distant Lin Zhijin was being, and regretted it deeply. He had been too absolute in what he'd said before, and now it was hard to take it back. He wished he could go back in time and punch himself—how could he have judged someone by appearances? What an idiot. He'd let the opportunity slip right through his fingers.

"Not yet. Aren't you joining, Cadre Lin?" Li Bing studied Lin Zhijin's expression closely.

"I'm in no rush. I recall you said you were eager to marry, Officer Li. There are plenty of excellent women here today—don't miss your chance." Lin Zhijin spotted Zhao Haihua, gave Li Bing a nod, and walked past him to find her.

"Haihua, see anyone you like?" Lin Zhijin guessed she must have, since she'd called her over.

Zhao Haihua wasn't shy. She nodded openly and pointed at an officer not far away. "Do you know him?"

Lin Zhijin followed her gaze—another familiar face. It was Company Commander Zhao, who had gone to the countryside with them.

"I do. Company Commander Zhao. He's twenty-five, from Sichuan Province. His parents are back home, and he has an older brother, two older sisters, a younger brother, and a younger sister. He has a good personality and is hardworking. He's a solid choice." Seeing Zhao Haihua's eyes sparkling, Lin Zhijin smiled. "Come on, I'll introduce you."

Author's note:

None