"Hey, you should be more careful with your words! Do you not understand the situation outside?" Initially, Second Brother Liu thought his wife was just soft-hearted and kind, even though his little sister never took a liking to her. He had sighed countless times over his second brother being 'a good man with no good wife'.
It's admirable that Hong Ying never took it to heart and didn't show any resentment. She even coaxed and comforted like soothing a child, promising to be the younger sister's support in the future, telling her to relax. But as soon as those words with feudal superstition slipped out, Liu Shouyi's admiration turned to disdain, and he just wanted to cover his wife's mouth, preventing her from causing any trouble with her words.
After all, once that scoundrel Dai Weiguo gained power, even the chickens and dogs of the Dai family started rising in status. Now, the one managing the Liu village production team is that rascal's cousin-in-law, Lin Yuanzhi.
Even his unfortunate former sister-in-law betrayed her own sister-in-law, Shuzhen, for paltry benefits, desperately aligning with the Dai family and even Lin Yuanzhi from the Bai family. How could she hesitate to retaliate against her own family to please Dai Weiguo?
Su Hongying knew her husband's intentions were good. When she was abruptly silenced, she wasn't angered. She blinked, signaling she knew her mistake and wouldn't repeat it, asking him to let go of her.
His wife, who lived up to her name 'Hong', suddenly looked so obedient. The tough Liu Shouyi couldn't bear it. His handsome face blushed, and he quickly withdrew his hand from her mouth, clumsily saying, "You need to fix this habit, or you'll suffer once you're caught for your words."
"Yes, Second Brother is right. When I initially went to ask Dai Weiguo for an explanation with Wu Xia, I witnessed a lot. Now there's chaos outside! Everyone carries a Little Red Book. To eat, stay in a hotel, or buy something, you need tickets, money, and to recite quotations. If you can't keep up or recite them wrong, you can't buy anything no matter how much money and tickets you have. In serious cases, you'll be accused of not actively studying the great leader's ideology and will be questioned by H soldiers to check if you're truly rooted in the right lineage."
The country is painted red; it's the absolute pinnacle moment.
One must be cautious, cautious, and even more cautious.
Shuzhen said in a low, solemn voice, "They say it's better to be careful than to regret. Let's buy a few Little Red Books tomorrow and study them diligently. We must prevent anyone from claiming our ancestors were landlords and accusing us of nostalgia for capitalist lifestyles due to not studying the great leader's thoughts actively. If that's exaggerated by someone with intentions, no protective charm will save our family!"
Though she cried all the way thinking about that heartless man, her heart filled with sorrow and hope, and she was so desperate she didn't even have tears left, it was only thanks to Wu Xia's worry about explaining things to her brother that she wasn't harmed.
With no better ideas, Shuzhen could only use what she witnessed on the road to draw her elder brothers' attention.
Now, it's only late July in the summer of 1967; less than a year before the Liu family becomes a target. Apart from the unchangeable fact that their ancestors were indeed landlords and factory owners, Shuzhen must actively work to remove all potential threats.
So what if they were landlords?
We are both red and exclusive, loyal citizens who have served the army for generations! My father provided grain and medicine to the G Army! My great uncle and third uncle devoted their young lives to the communistic New China without even wedding, leaving no bloodline behind. As martyrs' family members, we study the great leader's works meticulously, understanding his profound thoughts thoroughly, even the children in our family can recite his quotations!
Throwing a great banner as a tiger's skin, Shuzhen believes that her family might indeed pull through this storm. After all, her great uncle, father, and third uncle were very foresighted and supportive of the military, donating their visible possessions thoroughly before the campaign to seize property and redistribute land. The honorable plaque for an exemplary supportive family is still hanging on the door frame of the mud house built for her elder brothers, and two banners obtained when donating supplies and land are hidden at the bottom of the elder brother's trunk. These are safeguarding items, what allowed the Liu family to thrive with a landlord status in Liu village. If it weren't for that heartless woman Wu Xia who cruelly exposed all their treasures through reporting and secretly destroyed that banner, her elder brothers and nephews wouldn't have ended up in such dire circumstances.
Recalling these events filled Shuzhen with rage. She really wanted to strangle that heartless Wu Xia, who spent eight years as a couple with her brother; how could she act so ruthlessly?
Though that vile woman didn't have a good end in her previous life, considered as retribution for what she did to the Liu family.
But rather than hoping for divine intervention for revenge after the downfall, the foresighted Shuzhen would rather prevent problems before they happen. While misfortune hasn't hit yet, she would use her knowledge of the future to avoid it entirely!
Before her elder brothers could recover from the shock of what she just revealed, she threw another bombshell, making Liu Shouren frown deeply. Liu Shouyi was dumbfounded, blurting out, "Little Sis, how do you know about this? Dad only confided in the eldest brother, the legitimate first son, on his deathbed— even I, your second brother didn't know! Dad mentioned some things are safer the less you know. Either way, the big brother is kind and protective; he'd never wrong me or you!"
Hearing this, Su Hongying's expression changed. She thought if even her husband didn't know, she, a wife married into the family, should hear even less. Knowing her eldest sister-in-law from a previous life, Shuzhen naturally wouldn't let her feel excluded at this moment.
She quickly pulled her sister-in-law back as she tried to excuse herself: "Second Sister-in-law, don't leave; you're part of the family. There are things you shouldn't be excluded from. Besides, if I, someone married out, can hear this, why would it exclude a genuine daughter-in-law in our Liu family?"
Understanding her sister-in-law's goodwill, Su Hongying stood firm and walked out, believing that the more she knows, the heavier the burden. She knew she wasn't someone who could keep secrets, "Sister-in-law, I know you do not treat me as an outsider. I don't think there's anything I can't hear. But walls have ears, we must be cautious. I'll guard the entrance, while you three siblings have your discussion!"