Chapter 129: She Should Have Quite a Tenacious Life

Was it intentional or just a coincidence? To think they would arrive to pick up Sun Liangdong exactly when Chen Chunlan had gone into town.

Lin Jingyue soon found out: it was intentional.

As soon as the Sun parents entered the room and saw Sun Liangdong on the kang, they didn't waste time on pleasantries. Without shedding a single tear, they bundled him up and carried him out, ready to leave immediately.

Everyone in the courtyard was stunned.

Sun Liangdong cast a deep, lingering look back at the group before urging his parents to hurry away.

Once they were gone, Xia Nan regained her composure, eyes wide. "...Has Chen Chunlan been abandoned?"

Xie Wenjuan looked complicated. "It would seem so."

Thinking of how smug Chen Chunlan had been just two days ago, the others felt at a loss for words. Sun Liangdong had essentially kicked Chen Chunlan to the curb.

"Now, there's going to be a good show," said Du Jianguo with a gloomy smile. Since none of them could return to the city, why should Chen Chunlan get to go? Sun Liangdong had a broken leg; if a broken leg was enough to qualify for a return...

Du Jianguo’s eyes flickered, a thought suddenly taking root. Next to him, Zhao Hua’s gaze shifted as well.

In contrast, the frail Lin Xinjian, though now reticent, didn't seem to be plotting anything for the moment.

When Chen Chunlan returned in the afternoon, she sensed that the atmosphere in the educated youth dormitory was off. Her heart sank. She rushed to her room, pushed the door open, and found it empty.

"Ah!" Chen Chunlan clutched her head and screamed in disbelief. Her dream of returning to the city, her chance to go back...

Sun Liangdong, that heartless, ungrateful wretch! How could he? How could he do this?!

The other youths in the dormitory shrank back, afraid that she might truly lose her mind.

"Look..." Xie Wenjuan started to speak, but Chen Chunlan whipped her head around and glared at her so viciously that she swallowed her words.

Chen Chunlan ran out like a madwoman. She wasn't divorced from Sun Liangdong yet; she was still his wife. If he could return to the city, why couldn't she?!

"Is she... insane?" Du Jianguo clicked his tongue. Knowing his nature, the others ignored him, and he pursed his lips, falling silent.

The dormitory grew quiet. Inside the room shared by Yang Ming and Wang Xueping, the two exchanged glances.

"Yang Ming, there’s a chance to return to the city..."

"Don't worry, I won't leave you and the child behind to go back alone," Yang Ming interrupted before Wang Xueping could finish.

Wang Xueping felt a warmth in her heart, though she couldn't help but laugh. "That's not what I'm worried about. I meant that we shouldn't be so obsessed with returning to the city for the next two years. If an opportunity comes, we should just let it happen naturally."

Wouldn't it be better to wait until the college entrance examinations were restored? The policies were strict these days, and it was safer in the countryside anyway. "Besides, we have money; we can live well here."

Yang Ming chuckled. "Fine, as long as you aren't afraid of hardship, I’ll listen to you." He was, in fact, having his family work behind the scenes. Who wouldn't want to leave if they could?

"With you here, I'm not afraid." Wang Xueping’s attachment to her past life was fading. Those who deserved retribution had already tasted the bitter fruit of their actions; even for Chen Chunlan, the days ahead wouldn't be easy. She needed to let go completely and look forward. In this life, she had a much warmer existence.

...

Lin Jingyue was taking a nap on the warm kang when she was woken by a sudden commotion. She sat up, frowning, and hearing the chaos in the courtyard, she hurriedly put on her cotton-padded jacket and went outside.

Auntie Liu, who was spitting as she spoke, became even more animated the moment she saw Lin Jingyue. "Educated Youth Lin, you didn't see it! That Educated Youth Chen was screaming all over the production brigade, saying she’d report her husband for his leg already being healed. What nonsense is that? Can a leg like that ever recover to its original state? You didn't even treat him!"

Lin Jingyue: "..." Thank you for your confidence in my medical skills.

Actually, Lin Jingyue hadn't paid much attention, but many people in the brigade praised her skills. After all, the evidence was there—Zhao Daya could get out of bed and walk a few steps, and in another while, she would likely be fine. Not being crippled was a success in itself. In the past, such an injury would have meant a ruined leg—like Sun Liangdong's, for instance.

"Educated Youth Lin's medical skills are indeed quite good..." A young wife shrank her neck, noting that Lin was a bit fierce, which kept people from daring to ask for medical help. The others looked at Lin Jingyue and shook their heads.

Lin Jingyue: "..."

"So, what happened to Chen Chunlan?" she asked. They had been talking for ages without getting to the point.

"She fell into the river, was rescued, and is in the room now. By the way, Educated Youth Lin, do you want to..." go take a look? The rest of the sentence died under Lin Jingyue's gaze.

"The river is frozen solid. How could she fall in?" Lin Jingyue twitched the corner of her mouth.

"Well, it was a coincidence; everyone had just broken a hole in the ice to wash clothes..." Someone muttered, and the courtyard went instantly silent.

"So? Why haven't you sent her to the hospital yet? If something happens to her, none of you will be able to escape the blame!" Xie Wenjuan said sharply when she saw Lin Jingyue had no intention of intervening. What if she died in the dormitory? That was a human life!

"What are you staring at? Are you all useless? Get her to the hospital!" the Brigade Leader roared from behind the crowd. He’d only taken a nap, and now this had happened. "Hurry up, hitch the cart." He kicked a young man nearby. "You have no sense at all."

He then looked at the educated youths, his gaze sweeping over them until it landed on Xie Wenjuan. "Educated Youth Xie, go with her."

Xie Wenjuan wanted to refuse, but as the person in charge of the female youths, she couldn't.

The Brigade Leader looked at the sky, then at the ground, pointedly avoiding Lin Jingyue, though he addressed her, "Educated Youth Lin, could you please check her and see if she can make it to the hospital?"

"One day's work points."

The Brigade Leader's mouth twitched. "Never mind, I'm sure she’s tough enough to survive..."

"Stingy," Lin Jingyue muttered.

The others heard this exchange and were speechless. Was this really the time for such a discussion?

Chen Chunlan, who was lying unconscious... *I am speechless!*

Soon, Chen Chunlan was sent to the hospital, and the dormitory quieted down. Lin Jingyue went back to her usual routine of eating, drinking, and writing her manuscript.

Xie Wenjuan returned on the third day. Chen Chunlan had woken up and could take care of herself, so Xie came back. Chen Chunlan would likely have to stay for another two days. Since the brigade was covering the medical expenses, and she was the type to be strict with others but lenient with herself, she would likely squeeze the life out of the brigade's funds over this incident.

Xie Wenjuan said her piece and went to her room, looking quite troubled. The others found it strange, but Lin Jingyue could guess why: Luo Jianhua, who had gone home for the New Year... hadn't come back.