Chapter 61: Lovers Torn Apart

But according to how Li Sheng had acted before, frequently driving out and not returning home for ten days or half a month, he often left his newly wed bride waiting at home, forced to face the entire Li family. Ordinary women would find it hard to endure such circumstances—let alone someone like Tang Xin, a pretty, delicate city girl. So, when the brigade leader issued them the letter of introduction to register their marriage, he confidently promised that Li Sheng would stay home for a full month to properly accompany his wife.

After all, the drivers in the transport team rotated their rest days, and even if Li Sheng took a month off now, he could work more later without affecting his monthly salary. Yet, a problem arose in the transport team that only Li Sheng could resolve, so he went out for a few days. No sooner had he returned than the brigade leader borrowed him for another job, keeping him out late before finally letting him come home.

Unexpectedly, the other driver who was supposed to alternate rest days with Li Sheng met with an accident and suffered a minor injury, requiring him to convalesce at home. With his arm injured, driving was out of the question. There weren’t many people in the brigade who could drive, and unable to find a replacement, the brigade leader had to summon Li Sheng back to the transport team, even though he’d barely rested ten days at home.

So Li Sheng left for work again—he’d just departed yesterday morning, and this time he was likely to be gone for at least twenty days. That’s why the brigade leader felt so ashamed and ill at ease when he saw Tang Xin; his wife had given him a thorough scolding when she heard about it yesterday. She’d said, “Is Li Sheng the only capable person in your entire transport team? Can’t the others handle it without him?”

The brigade leader’s old face flushed with embarrassment, for his wife wasn’t wrong. Yes, there were several drivers, but when it came to quick thinking and solving problems, only Li Sheng could truly shoulder responsibility. Unfortunately, a string of recent accidents had been particularly tricky, so he had no choice but to play the villain who “breaks up the lovebirds.”

The brigade leader wanted to say something more, but seeing Tang Xin’s face, pale and stricken, he fell silent. Facing the girl’s wan expression, he was overwhelmed by guilt. He hurriedly handed her the large parcel, then fled as if escaping, sighing inwardly as he went: what a fine girl, marrying into their brigade.

If only she could settle down and live peacefully, would the Li family’s situation remain so dire in the future? In truth, he didn’t know that Tang Xin’s pallor was not due to disappointment, but because his words had reminded her of a grave and serious matter. The injured driver who’d forced Li Sheng to substitute had been hurt by bandits. The moment she recalled this, Tang Xin’s heart raced with fear—was the plot described in the book about to unfold now? Did it mean Li Sheng might encounter danger on this journey?

Thinking of this, her face turned even more ashen, causing the brigade leader to misinterpret her distress. But at this moment, she had no mind to correct the misunderstanding. It didn’t matter, after all, everyone knew she liked and missed Li Sheng, longed to be with him every moment. That was common knowledge, so she wasn’t afraid of what people might say.

Tang Xin’s thoughts were in turmoil; she had no idea what to do. She didn’t know Li Sheng’s precise driving route, nor when or where he might face danger. She wasn’t a martial arts master—knowing in advance wouldn’t mean she could rush in and stop the villains. Not to mention, time might not allow it, and without a letter of introduction or a valid reason, she couldn’t leave Harvest Brigade.

For the first time since arriving here, Tang Xin felt utterly discouraged and useless. She was nowhere near as capable as she imagined; apart from having a space to grow some crops, she couldn’t put her other abilities to use.

Just as Tang Xin’s thoughts wandered aimlessly, Fang, who’d heard the commotion inside, came out as well. “I think I heard the brigade leader’s voice—oh heavens, where did this come from?”

Tang Xin and her mother-in-law carried the large parcel inside, and the children who hadn’t gone out yet saw it too, all clamoring to ask what it was. Tang Xin explained briefly, and everyone knew it was a wedding gift sent by the Tang family.

Tang Xin felt aggrieved in her heart—the way Tang Father behaved so poorly, neglecting his own daughter’s marriage, favoring that old white flower instead. Yet here she had to give him face, pretending these gifts she’d procured herself were sent by the Tang family.

All she could do was sigh. Since arriving in this novel, she’d never considered helping Tang Mother win back her husband. If a man’s heart no longer holds you, another woman’s tears could win his sympathy, and as his wife and family, you’d receive less care than a so-called savior’s kin. For such a man, Tang Xin never wanted to help Tang Mother reconcile or reunite the parents.

The author of the novel—who knows what kind of logic they had—must have wanted to glorify the heroine Meng Jia and her mother, spending much ink on that point. So Tang Xin, knowing the original story, was clear: after the daughter died, Tang Mother’s life was miserable, while the man shamelessly consorted with that old white flower. It was infuriatingly shameless, so after becoming the protagonist, Tang Xin’s only thought was to help Tang Mother leave Tang Father and live better on her own.

A woman doesn’t need a man to survive; she can rely on herself and eventually live a good life. Isn’t that the ideal state? Reason told Tang Xin that she was right, because it was hard to find a better excuse to bring out the things from the warehouse.

She wanted to say more, but Fang shushed her, telling her not to make a fuss. “Since it’s your parents who sent it, keep it. Don’t squander it so freely.” As she spoke, Fang cast a stern look at the children. Truth be told, all the nice things her daughter-in-law had, the children had quickly used up.

Tang Xin covered her mouth and laughed—her mother-in-law really worried about her more than her own mother. But since it was her own idea to “send” these things, there was nothing to hide, and she unpacked the parcel right there in the main hall.

Fang’s words reminded the others; Li Kai quickly closed the yard gate outside. Nowadays, no one was living well, and if you suddenly had a lot of good things, it would attract unwanted attention and trouble within the brigade.