In the end, the brigade leader had lost his position and Li Aiguo successfully took his place. At that point, the people who had pushed him into the position of brigade leader had also praised him for being a good peasant of this new era. For someone from a peasant background, to work was glorious!
That was how this ruffian had become the leader of the Poplar Brigade. He had immediately seized an eighteen- or nineteen-year-old girl for a wife, and he even had a son now.
He was an extremely dangerous man. At least, he was very dangerous to someone like Gu Qingyao, who was from a landlord family.
These were illogical times. One’s background determined everything.
Li Aiguo had been a vagrant and had no name. The students had given him the name of “Li Aiguo” after he became the brigade leader.
He approached and immediately looked contemptuous when he saw Gu Yunshuang. “Why are you making a fuss? Why aren’t you at home, taking care of your children and showing filial piety to your mother-in-law? Why are you making a commotion for nothing during the new year? A girl from a landlord family cannot change her habit of being a pampered young lady, is that it?”
“If you carry on making a fuss, I’ll teach you a sharp lesson outside the brigade office. Ungrateful wretch.”
Gu Qingyao’s heart sank. This was the first time since her rebirth that she was experiencing the importance of background.
After many years of living in the age of liberty in her previous life, she could not get used to many things after her rebirth. But this incident had completely cleared her mind.
Gu Yunshuang was terrified. “I didn’t… Brigade leader… I didn’t…”
“Didn’t what?” Old Madam Li grew bolder when she saw that Li Aiguo was here. Her mean old eyes glared at them as she said, “You stole food from the house. How dare you deny it? Young ladies from landlord families are all finicky and always kick up a fuss. You’ve been with our family for so many years, but have only given birth to another worthless mouth. You’ve been a freeloader in our family for so many years. Is that fair to our Dahai?”
“Hurry up and get a divorce. Dahai, get rid of her.”
Gu Qingyao saw that things were not going right, and Li Aiguo, in particular, was targeting them. They could not resist overtly. She must bring her younger aunt away today, and in such a way that Li Aiguo could not find fault with them.
In these times, if someone made a slip of the tongue in public, his words might be reported at some point in the future.
Gu Qingyao was filled with resentment when she thought of that. But outwardly, her tears began to fall.
Her previous fierce look had vanished, and was replaced with terror and helplessness.
Only now did she look like a young, teenage girl.
Gu Qingyao’s tears fell thick and fast and she sobbed furiously. “Wu wu wu, Younger Aunt, are you alright? Brigade leader, we didn’t, we really didn’t. My younger aunt only took some food from the kitchen for my younger cousin. She could not bear her child to be hungry. My Younger Aunt respects her elders and takes care of the children at home. She always takes care of her mother-in-law and her child. When she was misunderstood and beaten, she did not retaliate.
“Help! My aunt is bleeding! Wu wu wu! Now males and females are equal and women hold up half the sky! Madam, you cannot be prejudiced against girls! You can’t force a divorce on my younger aunt just because she hasn’t given the Li Family a son!
“Please, allow my younger aunt to go home! She’s had a miscarriage! Otherwise, she might die. There’s so much blood. She’s not going to make it. Help!”
Gu Qingyao wailed piteously, looking helpless and terrified. Meanwhile, Gu Yunshuang was still bleeding and the child, Li Fangting was so frightened that all she could do was weep.
