Ye Qing's mom was also the most beautiful girl in the village at that time, with good looks and a good family background. She had an older brother and an older sister, and being the youngest, the whole family doted on her. This made her a simple and enthusiastic person. If someone was nice to her, she would wholeheartedly reciprocate. Because of this temperament, she was terribly deceived by Qiu Hualan.
Wu Guodong began to secretly grow closer to Ye Qing's mom. In those days, dating was quite reserved. No one dared to openly talk about it, as any slight indiscretion would lead to rumors.
At that time, it was Ye Qing's grandpa who noticed her mom's feelings, and swiftly, with resolute action, he found the village matchmaker to arrange for Ye Qing's mom and dad to meet.
Since Dad also liked Mom, the two got engaged first. Once engaged, even if they weren't married, it was acceptable for them to see each other normally.
Of course, Wu Guodong knew this behavior was wrong, but he wanted people to know that he was associating with Qiu Hualan.
Over time, the naive Qiu Hualan was won over by Wu Guodong's series of sweet enticements. As a result, Wu Guodong proposed his desire to return to the city to Qiu Hualan, making her many "empty promises" about how wonderful the city was, stirring Qiu Hualan's heart into longing.
After Secretary Qiu learned of his daughter's affection for Wu Guodong, he firmly opposed their relationship. Secretary Qiu had once helped the Red Army fight the Japanese and delivered intelligence. With decades of experience, he could tell at a glance that Wu Guodong was not a reliable person.
When Qiu Hualan and Mr. Qiu brought up the matter of helping Wu Guodong return to the city, Mr. Qiu was furious. Wu Guodong not only seduced his daughter but also used tricks. Mr. Qiu, being an old and stubborn cadre with a straightforward nature, forbade his daughter and used her mom's example to give Ye Qing's mom a classic lecture, ultimately forbidding her from further contact with Wu Guodong.
Mr. Qiu meant well for his daughter, but his approach was wrong—too direct, too tyrannical, which was unacceptable to the young Qiu Hualan who was in love, leading to her subsequent suffering.
Qiu Hualan, in her prime and going through a rebellious phase, harbored some defiance against everyone and everything opposing them. When she heard her dad opposing her relationship with Wu Guodong, she appeared to heed his words on the surface, but secretly continued her association with Wu Guodong. In Qiu Hualan's eyes, love was sacred and she wouldn't tolerate insults or disapproval from others. In her heart, Wu Guodong was courteous, knowledgeable, talented, and handsome—a rare catch.
So, the two of them often secretly met in the mountains, with Wu Guodong playing the harmonica and pouring out his love to Qiu Hualan.
Qiu Hualan was thus captivated by the beautiful fantasy of love Wu Guodong painted.
Later, when Wu Guodong saw that Secretary Qiu wasn't raising the issue of his return to the city, he became anxious. He truly didn't want to keep using a hoe in the fields every day, digging manure pits. He would go mad, mentally collapse. He couldn't stand it, and seeing Qiu Hualan looking at him with eyes filled with admiration, Wu Guodong's emotions surged.
The affair was exposed, and Mr. Qiu was furious, but he had no choice. For the sake of his daughter's reputation, he summoned Wu Guodong to negotiate and arranged a wedding for the two. Mr. Qiu prepared several tables of wine in the village for the occasion.
After Wu Guodong's return trip was arranged, he boarded the bus back to the city, and there was no more news.
Because the wedding was hastily arranged, there wasn't even time to get a marriage certificate.
When Mr. Qiu saw that Wu Guodong had been out of touch for a long time, he asked around about Wu Guodong's whereabouts. Unexpectedly, before the information could be obtained, someone from above arrived, accusing Mr. Qiu of abusing his power and coercing Wu Guodong into marrying his daughter, bringing a thunderous investigation down on the Qiu Family.
Secretary Qiu's position was finished as well. Mr. Qiu could only curse Wu Guodong at home in anger, while Brother Qiu shouted about going to Z City to confront Wu Guodong, but was stopped by Qiu Hualan. She felt Wu Guodong's heart was no longer here, and he only used her as a tool to return to the city. Even if her brother stood up for her, what good would it do? Spending money to go such a distance would only cause anger and trouble; even if they went, what good would it be to hit him for satisfaction? It wasn't worth it. Once there, unfamiliar with the terrain and people, if something happened to her brother, she would truly become the sinner of the Qiu Family.
In a fit of rage, Mr. Qiu smashed the teacups at home and rebuked his daughter with a hate borne from disappointment, plunging the entire Qiu Family into a state of heavy oppression.
Mrs. Qiu, feeling sorry for her daughter, suggested, "Since things are like this, it doesn't matter if you don't remain as Secretary; as long as our daughter is fine, life must go on. Find someone suitable for the child in the future."
The matter of Qiu Hualan was known throughout the village. Many people sympathized with her, but there were also those who gossiped and pointed fingers behind her back.
This affair made Grandpa and Grandma think about Ye Qing's dad, fearing that he would leave the children behind just like that.
Lin Wan was only three years old at the time, and her mom was also a bit worried, often holding dad tightly at night, afraid that he might leave unnoticed.
Compared to the Liang Family's worries, Dad calmly smiled and reassured them, "No matter where I go in this lifetime, I, Lin Guozhi, will never abandon Hongmei and the children."
Actually, when Dad and Mom had just gotten married, there was once an opportunity to return to the city, but Dad didn't even respond and gave the spot to a girl who came with him.
That girl was also quite pitiful. Her home was far from here, living all these years alone in a foreign place with no relatives wasn't easy.
Mom didn't know what kind of presence Dad was in her heart now, but she knew that Mom didn't hate Dad.
Back then, when Dad left, he asked Mom to take good care of the kids at home, saying he would definitely return.
But after receiving one letter from Dad, there was no more news. Mom waited for a year, and still not a single letter from Dad came.
Mom was very worried about Dad being away, so she entrusted her and her brother to Grandma and took several years of household savings, totaling a dozen or so yuan, and went to the address mentioned in the letter along with Grandpa. After several twists and turns, they arrived at the camp, only to be told that no such person existed.
At the time, Mom and Grandpa were dumbfounded. When the family sent Dad to the army, the village people had said it was unreliable, but they didn't believe it.
Mom returned home in silence, heartbroken and despondent.
Upon hearing the news, Grandma was so angry that she cursed Dad at home for several days.
Grandpa and Grandma, seeing their daughter going about her days without complaint or resentment, silently enduring, felt anguish as well. They knew their daughter was strong-willed, keeping her bitterness to herself and never saying a word to them. Initially, they also considered finding another match for her.
But it was difficult for Mom to find someone, carrying along two kids.
Besides, Daughter didn't want to remarry either.
And so, Mom labored day and night to support her and her brother on her own.