Chapter 79

After dismissing Zhao Yan, Ye Qingshui asked Xie Tingyu,

“What are you planning to do?”

“Zhao Yan was probably telling the truth,” Xie Tingyu said.

He pulled out the slip of paper and handed it to her. Then he took out another sheet, filled with He Fang’s handwriting.

Ye Qingshui nodded. Zhao Yan had just undergone surgery; she was terrified of the matter being exposed and would rather bury it forever in her heart. How could she have had the mind to drag it out and pin it on Ye Qingshui?

This was clearly a lose–lose situation.

If Ye Qingshui’s reputation was ruined, Zhao Yan still wouldn’t get into university. In the end, wasn’t the real beneficiary still He Fang?

“She’s actually left-handed,” Xie Tingyu explained. “She can write with her left hand, and with her right hand too. But she once borrowed my book and left writing inside it. Compared to the handwriting on this ‘abortion slip,’ it’s identical.”

Ye Qingshui compared her own signature on the slip with the other sample and couldn’t help but admire He Fang’s cunning.

If the trust between her and Xie Tingyu had been even slightly weaker, the outcome might have been very different.

Her gaze suddenly turned sharp as it fell on him.

She thought of the hardships and suffering she had endured in her previous life—how much of it had been because of him. If not for him, would He Fang have targeted and trapped her again and again?

There is no such thing in the world as love or hatred without cause.

Ye Qingshui glared at him fiercely.

“All of this trouble started because of you.”

Xie Tingyu said nothing. After a while, seeing the fire still burning in his wife’s eyes, he raised his hands in surrender and said,

“Alright, alright—it’s all my fault… blame me. I apologize, okay?”

He recalled many things: when his wife was mocked in the Xie household, He Fang had been there. When people looked down on her while digging the well, He Fang was there. Even earlier, during their marriage, the rumor that had spread across the whole village—very likely, He Fang had been behind that too.

Looking back, piece by piece, she had been involved all along.

Each drop of water had gathered into a flood.

If not for those rumors, perhaps he wouldn’t have misunderstood Ye Qingshui’s attempt to drown herself, and they wouldn’t have dragged things out until the New Year before reconciling. If not for those rumors, her reputation in the village wouldn’t have been so poor, echoing all the way to the capital’s courtyard homes.

Xie Tingyu took her hand and said,

“Leave the rest to me.”

He called Zhao Yan back in and spoke with her for a while.

Meanwhile, Ye Qingshui went outside. Picking up her basket, she joined the female educated youth from the commune to dig wild greens and gather mushrooms on the mountain.

Along the way, she encountered many villagers.

Some pointed and muttered,

“Shuiya, I believe you. You’re not the kind of person without conscience.”

“Shuiya, explain things properly to Comrade Xie! He’s reasonable. Listening to these rumors feels like being stabbed in the heart. Poor Shuiya.”

Grateful, Ye Qingshui replied,

“Thank you, thank you. I’ll explain it well.”

But some men, older and still without wives, were gleeful at the scandalous gossip.

“Maybe Comrade Xie can’t do it, huh? Eh? Why don’t you tell us—maybe I can help you.”

“Ye Shuiya, a woman shouldn’t be so wild, eating from one bowl while eyeing the pot.”

“I always knew you weren’t well-behaved. Look at me—don’t I catch your eye?”

Ye Qingshui’s face went ashen. Lips pressed tightly, she picked up her basket and turned to leave.

Zhou Tingting rushed forward and slapped one man several times. The other female educated youth picked up stones and hurled them.

“Pah! Spouting filth!”

Zhou Tingting hadn’t expected that in just a few days the whole village would know. She was furious, her chest heaving, her face red with anger.

“Those who spread such rumors deserve to have their tongues rot, and in the next life be reborn as beasts of burden!”

The other girls were equally indignant:

“Those who gossip behind people’s backs will have their tongues ripped out in hell!”

“Look at yourself—no wonder you’re so old and still can’t find a wife!”

“Get lost! All you know is to bully soft targets. Try saying that to us and see if I don’t slap you myself!”

Together, the girls drove off the hooligans. They all shuddered—rumors were terrifying!

If it had been another girl, she might already have been driven to suicide.

Zhou Tingting told Ye Qingshui,

“Don’t let such people trouble your heart.”

Warmth filled Ye Qingshui’s chest. She taught them how to distinguish poisonous mushrooms from edible ones, and which wild greens were safe to eat.

The educated youths’ meals were poor, with very little oil. Their monthly subsidies went toward buying meat, while vegetables had to be grown by themselves. In spring, when the freshly planted crops hadn’t yet matured, they relied on foraging wild greens in the mountains.

The girls listened to Ye Qingshui’s patient, detailed explanations. Her clear voice was like running water. One of them sighed in admiration,

“Ye Qingshui, you’re really wonderful.”

Ye Qingshui froze for a moment, then smiled.

“It’s nothing. Every villager knows this. I grew up in the mountains. If I hadn’t known these things, I would’ve starved back when famine hit.”

Another young girl shook her head with a wry smile.

“You probably don’t realize—we’ve always envied you.”

The others nodded. Another chimed in:

“Exactly. When we first came to the countryside, you were a skinny, dark little village girl. But look at you now—it’s unbelievable. You’ve changed so much for the better. Your life is thriving, you’ve become educated, and you’re ambitious too.”

“That’s why, this time, you must endure it. It’s really not such a big deal.”

Zhou Tingting, her basket filled with wild greens, counted on her fingers,

“Shuiya is amazing. Compared to you, we feel ashamed. Neither our work nor our education matches yours…”

Then she added encouragingly,

“You’re stronger than all of us. This time too, you must stay strong.”

Seeing the worry and unease in their eyes, as though she were fragile glass, Ye Qingshui felt both touched and amused.

At last, she nodded firmly.

“I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

As the group of young women chatted, the topic shifted to the Worker-Peasant-Soldier program.

“This year, it seems it was either He Fang or Zhao Yan who got recommended.”

“It shouldn’t be He Fang, right? Wasn’t her qualification canceled last year?”

Zhou Tingting looked a little disappointed. Her family background wasn’t very good, so she had never been eligible for such recommendations.

One of the girls sighed: “I really want to go to college…”

“Dream on. In your dreams you can think about it. You don’t work hard enough, and your grades aren’t up to standard. How could you get into college?”

“Hey! I was just saying it casually, don’t take it seriously.”

Hearing their chattering, Ye Qingshui suddenly laughed.

She picked the last mushroom and said with a smile: “I believe we will all have the chance to go to college.”

They probably didn’t yet realize that fate was preparing a surprise gift for them. From then on, going to college would no longer be a dream. With a little reach, a little effort, it could be grasped.

That evening, Zhou Tingting, afraid that Ye Qingshui might dwell on negative thoughts, brought her a bag of apples.

Her face was flushed from running fast, both cheeks as red as the apples she carried.

She caught her breath and said, “Shuiya, here—these are from all of us together.”

“When you feel unhappy, eat one. Sweet in the mouth, and it’ll feel better in your heart.”

The southern climate was hot and humid, not suitable for growing apples. Apples all had to be transported from outside, scarce and expensive—five cents per jin.

Holding the heavy bag of apples, Ye Qingshui suddenly felt touched.

She only took one from inside: “This is enough, I don’t want to trouble you all.”

Zhou Tingting shook her head. “Take them all, we can afford this little bit.”

Ye Qingshui smiled. “Actually, he has already thought of a solution. You don’t need to worry. One day when I’m free, I’ll cook for you all to thank you.”

Zhou Tingting was overjoyed to hear this. “That’s great, as long as it can be resolved! Do you need us to help with anything?”

Ye Qingshui shook her head. “You just come to eat. As for the rest… Brother Yu will handle it.”

When Zhou Tingting heard the words “come to eat,” her eyes lit up. She had eaten at Ye Qingshui’s house three times, especially that New Year’s pork feast—it left a deep impression.

Though she was usually too embarrassed to impose, this time since Ye Qingshui invited them, Zhou Tingting happily agreed.

“That’s wonderful! The girls in our dorm have all been craving your cooking. They say it’s especially delicious!”

By now, everyone in the village knew that Ye Qingshui’s cooking was so fragrant it could keep people awake at night, dreaming of it. Zhou Tingting still hadn’t forgotten that pork feast. If the girls knew they could eat at Ye’s house again, they probably wouldn’t sleep tonight.

Looking at Zhou Tingting’s expectant eyes, Ye Qingshui began thinking about what dishes to prepare for her guests.

Thinking of this, she shook her head and smiled. This was the first time she had invited so many female educated youths into her home for a meal—something her past self would never have imagined.

The next day, another rumor spread in the village. It said that an unmarried girl in the village had an abortion, and to avoid being found out, she wrote someone else’s name instead.

When He Fang heard this, she looked coldly at Zhao Yan. “What exactly did you tell Ye Qingshui yesterday?”

Zhao Yan lowered her head in silence.

He Fang thought to herself that Zhao Yan was a fool. She hadn’t wanted to abandon Zhao Yan unless absolutely necessary, but who knew she’d be so weak.

Soon, He Fang responded by spreading her own version: “This is just nonsense made up by Ye Qingshui and her husband to cover their shame. Everyone should just ignore it.”

At dawn, Xie Tingyu went to work early.

Many commune members sympathized with him, pitied him, or mocked him.

“Comrade Xie, we know you suffer in silence, but you shouldn’t slander others like this.”

“Alright, alright, we understand. You’re still young and in good condition, Comrade Xie. Why don’t you just find another wife?”

Other men thought Ye Qingshui was only trying to cover her own scandal.

But Xie Tingyu took out the paper and said seriously: “I went to that hospital to investigate, and unexpectedly saw a record in their files.”

He showed them an abortion consent form—with He Fang’s signature written clearly at the bottom.

“I was shocked at the time. I believed He Fang to be a correct, progressive comrade, I couldn’t believe she would do such a thing. So I went to find Director Li of the gynecology department at the People’s Hospital… and I discovered my wife had been wronged.”

“It was I who falsely accused her!”

After saying this, Xie Tingyu left, leaving the commune members staring at each other.

They rubbed their eyes in disbelief. “What’s going on? That female educated youth also had an abortion?”

“On the same day, at the same hospital?”

The commune members smelled something fishy.

After spring plowing ended, villagers had more free time. This rumor was even more explosive. This educated youth had been recommended for college as a worker-peasant-soldier student, praised for her good morals—how could she have done something so shameful?

“I don’t believe it. Comrade He always smiles so sweetly, and she’s polite to us farmers. How could she do such a thing?”

At that moment, someone said weakly: “Speaking of which… do you all remember that well-digging incident?”

Everyone nodded.

“After that, the Ye girl was praised in the newspaper, but Comrade He had to write a self-criticism. Hm—”

“I’ve always said Ye Qingshui has good thinking, and her husband too. She wouldn’t need to cheat. If it really was like we thought—”

The villager holding the paper had a sudden thought: “So that day, it wasn’t just Ye Qingshui who went to the hospital! Let’s go ask the Party secretary if Comrade He also went!”

The curious villagers quickly went to check the Party secretary’s records of introduction letters.

In those days, whether to see a doctor, stay at an inn, or handle affairs, one always needed an introduction letter—without it, nothing could be done.

Soon, they found the record at the Party secretary’s office. Sure enough, Comrade He Fang’s name was listed—for the People’s Hospital in the city!

Holding this hot piece of evidence, the villagers felt deeply conflicted.

At that moment, Shen Weimin spoke up: “We cannot just guess at people’s lives based on our subjective ideas. We must rely on evidence, and avoid spreading rumors that could ruin a comrade’s reputation. We must seek truth from facts.”

“This year Comrade He is still a candidate for the worker-peasant-soldier program. Such a big matter must be treated cautiously.”

Then his tone turned indignant: “By the same reasoning, Comrade Ye Qingshui is also a good comrade. She helped dig the well and saved collective property. Such a comrade deserves our respect, not groundless suspicion and malicious slander!”

Half the gossiping crowd dispersed, the other half being genuinely concerned and just. They said, ashamed: “We mustn’t wrongly accuse a good comrade again. We should properly investigate. Shouldn’t we send representatives to the hospital to confirm?”

Because Shen Weimin was close with Xie Tingyu, he couldn’t be a representative.

And since Ye Erniu was close with He Fang, he couldn’t either.

So they carefully selected five fair male and female educated youths, along with the village women’s director and a cadre, to check at the hospital.

The next day, before dawn, the group traveled to the city.

At the hospital, they presented their introduction letter and explained their intent. They searched the registration records for that day. After much searching, they finally found both names:

Ye Qingshui — Oncology.

He Fang — Gynecology.

They rubbed their eyes in disbelief. “What is this… could it be Ye girl had a tumor?”

They went to the oncology department to confirm, asking the doctor. The doctor brought them to an ordinary ward.

Inside was an old man, over sixty, bald, his face haggard yet his spirit lively. He sat upright, pen in hand, writing continuously—sometimes pausing in thought, sometimes moving his hand.

When he saw the visitors at the door, he stopped writing.

The old man walked up to them and asked: “Are you all Shuiya’s fellow villagers?”

The five were invited inside. The old man said: “Thanks to Shuiya and her husband, I was brought to the hospital. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have received treatment, and I wouldn’t still be alive today…”

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