frightfiction Chapter 174 The Age of Innocence
Chapter 174 The Age of Innocence
"It was quite a coincidence. Our Women's Federation had only been established for a short time and we weren't very clear about the situation in the surrounding area. During that period, we went to the surrounding villages every day to investigate and understand the situation. That day, I went with Director Zhang. At that time, Sister Xiulin was about to commit suicide by jumping into the lake. There were tall reeds around her, and we didn't notice her at first. It was only after we heard the child crying that we dared to go over and rescued the mother and daughter."
From Xiao Ma's description, Shu Yun learned roughly about Yu Xiulin's past.
Yu Xiulin's life was originally quite smooth. She married an honest and hardworking husband who treated her very well. Although her husband's family favored their younger son, Yu Xiulin was very content with her husband's protection. The only shortcoming was that the two had not conceived a child after several years of marriage.
A few years later, Yu Xiulin finally became pregnant. The couple were overjoyed and looked forward to their future life as a family of three. They were also thinking about discussing the matter of separating the household with her parents-in-law after the child was born.
Many women in the village do not go to the hospital to give birth; they can simply find a midwife at home. However, the hygiene conditions are not up to standard, and many women fall ill as a result, some even facing life-threatening situations. Yu Xiulin's husband was worried about his wife and, despite his parents' objections, sent her to the town hospital to await delivery when she was about to give birth.
On the day of the delivery, Yu Xiulin's husband was still busy in the fields. It wasn't until noon that he grabbed his lunchbox and rushed to the hospital. Suddenly, a...
The enraged bull plunged its hard horns straight into Xiulin's husband's stomach, killing him instantly. He was later taken to the hospital, but it was too late to save him.
The moment Yu Xiulin gave birth to her child, her husband was pronounced dead by doctors at the same hospital.
Yu Xiulin was devastated, but what happened next was the final straw that broke her back.
The in-laws believed that she and her newborn daughter had caused the death of their son. They hadn't noticed how much the elderly couple cherished their eldest son when he was alive. He had taken on almost all the farm work. Now that he was dead, they shed a few tears, as if they had loved their eldest son dearly when he was alive. But all they wanted was compensation.
Yu Xiulin didn't care; they took the money, but that wasn't enough. They thought Yu Xiulin and her daughter were bad luck to their family and wanted to secretly sell the child along with Yu Xiulin.
Their current impunity stems from the fact that Yu Xiulin fled famine years ago and has no family backing her in the area.
Yu Xiulin was utterly despondent and prepared to drown herself in the lake with her child. However, she was discovered by the Women's Federation, which intervened. With Yu Xiulin's strong will, she was able to escape the harassment from her husband's family and establish herself as a woman with her child.
Xiao Ma sighed in the end, but then smiled and said, "Now that I see Sister Xiulin is doing well with her child, I'm relieved. All our persistence and efforts back then were meaningful and valuable."
Xiao Ma laughed, her round face framed by bright, sparkling eyes that curved into crescent moons. Shu Yun smiled and said, "Yes, you're great, you're amazing."
Direct praise is not popular nowadays. Chinese people tend to be more subtle when they speak, especially when expressing affection. Therefore, this was the first time Xiao Ma had heard such direct praise, which made her a little embarrassed. "Well, I'm not that great. I still have many shortcomings and need to learn from Director Zhang. And about what happened today... I will definitely summarize the lessons learned when I get back."
As Xiao Ma spoke, she clenched her fist. The sunlight shone down, making her look bright. Seeing her energetic appearance, Shu Yun couldn't help but tease her, "It seems that Jin Cuihua's act of turning the tables on you today did not affect you at all. After seeing Xiulin and her daughter, you are like you are fully charged again, full of energy."
Xiao Ma blushed slightly at the teasing, but her bright eyes revealed her vibrant energy and strength, just like the propaganda posters Shu Yun had seen on the street before: 'We workers have power!'
Xiao Ma scratched his face. "I don't have much work experience and I haven't been involved in the Women's Federation for very long, so this is the first time I've encountered a situation like Jin Cuihua's. But I've heard from the older colleagues in our unit that similar situations have happened many times. Many people who work in the Women's Federation have encountered this. After all, most people, especially rural women, have few opportunities to be exposed to new ideas. It will take a long time to change their concept of 'husband is the head of the family' all at once."
Xiao Ma's tone lowered towards the end, but she quickly perked up again, "However, this is only a small part of the situation, and we cannot negate our work with women because of it. I know that many women may be in dire straits, and perhaps they only need us to reach out and help them out of the darkness and be reborn. For their sake, I will carry out the work of the Women's Federation to the end."
To be honest, Shu Yun was deeply moved after hearing this. She gained a deeper understanding of the sincerity, simplicity, and social responsibility of people in this era. She clapped her hands and said with a smile, "You've said it very well. When I'm drawing the sketches, I'll include your image in the drawing as well."
"Hey!" Little Ma's eyes widened, and the next second she hurriedly waved her hands, "No, no, no, sis, I can't do it. I'll be ashamed if you draw it. I'm not qualified enough."
Shu Yun smiled, and the two walked back chatting and laughing.
"They're from the Women's Federation. Go up there and ask them about your situation!"
A woman pushed another woman and walked up to Shu Yun and Xiao Ma. Xiao Ma's radar immediately went off, and he said with a serious expression, "Auntie, what happened? We're from the Women's Federation. You can tell me if you have any difficulties."
The taller woman nudged the shorter woman, who had her head down, and urged, "Speak up."
The short woman then hesitantly raised her head, her mouth moving slightly, "My child has been bullied, are you going to do anything about it?"
He spoke without any authority, his voice weak and listless. The tall woman was exasperated and had no choice but to say, "How about this, my house isn't far from here, let's go to my house and talk."
The group arrived at the tall woman's house. After Xiao Ma and Shu Yun each brought a cup of hot water, the short woman said, "My daughter, Xiao Mu, attends the primary school affiliated with your army. She's been bullied. Can you do something about it?"
Seeing that Xiao Ma nodded, Wang Yehong breathed a sigh of relief and then recounted her daughter's unusual behavior during this period.