Li Shuying did not answer immediately. The faint smile on her face slowly disappeared.
For a long moment, she simply looked at Li Jianhua directly into his trembling eyes, then she finally spoke.
Her voice was low. But there was an unmistakable ache hidden within it.
"Did you really think no one would find out, Elder Brother?" she asked softly. "Did you think you could hide such things forever?"
Li Jianhua's lips parted slightly, but no words came out.
Li Shuying continued before he could answer, "And if Mother and Father learned about it, do you think they would feel relieved? Happy? Proud?" Her voice gradually grew heavier. "I don't know why you chose to endure everything alone. Maybe you thought you were protecting us. Maybe you thought suffering by yourself was the only way. But did you ever stop to think what would happen to the people behind you if something happened to you?"
Her gaze trembled slightly.
"Did you think about Mother? She has spent her entire life bent over the fields from dawn till nightfall. Her hands are rough from farm work, her body exhausted every single day, yet she still smiles and worries about us first. And Father is risking his life so his children won't have to suffer the same hardships he did."
"They are carving a path for us with their own blood and sweat, Elder Brother," she whispered. "Not so you can silently destroy yourself like this."
Li Jianhua's breathing became uneven and eyes lowered slightly.
But Li Shuying did not stop, "You endured those people hurting you. You let them torture you again and again. But what if something truly happened to you? What if one day they had beaten you to death? What if they crippled you? There are so many possibilities."
"You are the eldest son of this family. Father always says you study the best among us. He says one day you will enter university, leave this small county, and carve out a better road not only for yourself, but also for your younger brothers and sister." Her breathing became uneven as she continued. "Mother might never say it aloud, but every time she talks about you, her eyes light up. Even when she is exhausted after working in the fields all day, she still smiles proudly when speaking about your studies."
"And me?" She pointed lightly toward herself. "I always believed my elder brother was someone who could endure hardships and still walk forward proudly. But enduring hardships does not mean destroying yourself silently."
Li Jianhua's lips trembled violently. He lowered his head, unable to meet her eyes anymore.
"You are not alone. You have family. You have people who would rather suffer together with you than watch you carry everything by yourself. In this world… there are some pains that cannot be solved by enduring silently.
Li Jianhua's shoulders shook. For days, he had forced himself to remain strong. Even while crying alone at night, he had convinced himself that enduring everything alone was the right thing to do.
But now hearing these words from his younger sister… All the emotions he had buried finally broke apart completely. A choked sob escaped his throat. His eyes turned red as tears streamed uncontrollably down his face.
"I…" he tried to speak, but his voice collapsed midway. "I was scared…" His fists clenched tightly.
Li Shuying's eyes softened instantly. Without another word, she stepped forward and gently held his trembling arm.
Li Shuying looked at her elder brother's guilty expression, but she did not soften her words nor try to comfort him immediately.
Because this was something he needed to understand.
In her previous life, Li Jianhua had also lived this way, placing everyone else above himself, enduring silently, sacrificing endlessly until there was nothing left of him.
And in the end that very nature had destroyed him. Because he trusted the wrong people. People like Zhao Hongmei and Zhao Xiaojun. He gave too much, endured too much and eventually lost everything.
This time, Li Shuying only hoped that after this incident, her elder brother would finally learn to think for himself a little more.
Just then gunfire erupted across the execution ground. One shot after another rang through the morning air. The members of the Hei Long Gang collapsed one by one onto the cold earth beneath the stunned gaze of the crowd.
Li Shuying did not even turn around to look at the scene. For her, the matter had already ended long ago. She merely looked at Li Jianhua and said softly, "Let's go, Elder Brother. We still need to visit the hospital."
Li Jianhua raised a hand and hurriedly wiped away the tears on his face. Then he nodded quietly. "…Mn. Let's go."
The crowd remained gathered around the execution ground, discussing the matter in heated voices.
Some cursed the gang members. Some praised the Public Security Bureau. Others spoke about the rescued women in horrified tones.
Amidst the noisy crowd, the siblings quietly walked away together.
Neither of them spoke. Li Jianhua's emotions were still unsettled. Meanwhile, Li Shuying remained lost in thought.
They had barely taken a few steps when a deep, steady voice sounded from behind them, "Comrade Li."
Li Shuying's footsteps halted instantly and her body stiffened almost imperceptibly. She recognized that voice immediately.
Li Jianhua, who had still been immersed in his thoughts, also turned around. The moment he saw the man approaching, he froze slightly.
The man before him looked entirely different from the thin, weary young men commonly seen during these difficult years. His wheat-colored skin carried a healthy complexion rarely found in this era. His posture was upright and disciplined, his broad shoulders straight beneath the green military uniform.
Every step he took was calm and steady, carrying the imposing bearing unique to soldiers who had truly seen hardship.
But what struck Li Jianhua the most were the man's eyes, sharp, cold, like honed steel fresh from the forge.
They carried an invisible pressure that instinctively made people straighten their backs. Yet at the same time, there was something deeply admirable about him.
Gu Zhenhua slowly approached the two siblings.
Initially, after the execution had ended, he had intended to suppress the doubts in his heart and return directly to the militia barracks to rest after the chaos of the previous night.
But in the end curiosity had gotten the better of him. Especially after he noticed Li Shuying quietly slipping away from the execution ground. And so, almost unconsciously, he had followed.
Now, standing before the siblings, Gu Zhenhua's sharp gaze first swept briefly over Li Jianhua, before settling firmly upon Li Shuying.
His eyes lingered for a moment on the faint swelling at the corner of her lips than he spoke in his usual calm, steady tone, "I did not expect to meet you so early in the morning in the county, Comrade Li."
Li Shuying's heart skipped violently, panic surged through her chest, but she forcefully suppressed it and maintained a composed expression, "O...Oh… I just came to run some errands with my elder brother," she replied naturally.
As she spoke, she immediately pointed toward Li Jianhua standing beside her, "You have already met my second and third brothers before," she said urgently. "meet my eldest brother, Li Jianhua."
Li Jianhua straightened subconsciously beneath Gu Zhenhua's imposing gaze. Although he tried to remain calm, facing such a person still made him somewhat nervous.
After a moment's hesitation, he nodded politely, "Nice to meet you, Officer."
Gu Zhenhua gave a slight nod in return, "Mn." He was just about to continue speaking.
But Li Shuying abruptly cut in before he could ask anything further. Clearly unwilling to let him steer the conversation. "Elder Brother, this is Comrade Gu," she said quickly. "He serves in the same military unit as Father."
Then, as though afraid the conversation might fall silent, she continued speaking without pause, "And do you know? At such a young age, Comrade Gu is already a deputy company commander."
Her tone carried deliberate admiration, "He is also very kind and helpful," she added. "The special study materials from Beijing? Those were given by Comrade Gu so you could prepare properly for the collage entrance examination."
Li Jianhua was stunned. Deputy company commander at such a young age? The way he looked at Gu Zhenhua immediately changed. The admiration in his eyes deepened into unmistakable awe.
In these difficult years, military officers already carried a naturally respected status. But someone so young reaching the rank of deputy company commander? That was not something ordinary people could accomplish. For a moment, Li Jianhua even forgot his earlier sorrow.
Meanwhile, Gu Zhenhua felt slightly amused seeing Li Shuying suddenly praising him so enthusiastically. A faint trace of helplessness flashed through his eyes. "Comrade Li," he said calmly, "there is no need to praise me so much. The study materials simply happened to be in my possession without much use, so I passed them along."
Then his gaze shifted once more toward her face, his eyes lingered on the bruised corner of her lips and he said, "But it has only been one day since we last met. Why do you look bruised and…" His sharp eyes narrowed slightly, "…beaten?"
Li Shuying's scalp nearly went numb, for a split second, her legs almost weakened at his piercing gaze, "Beaten?" she repeated hurriedly before shaking her head repeatedly. "No, no… nothing like that. Last night I accidentally rolled off the bed and hit the floor face first," she explained quickly. "That's why there's some swelling."
As she spoke, she deliberately turned her gaze toward the crowd dispersing from the execution ground, "Ah, Comrade Gu, we should get going now," she said hastily. "We still have errands to finish in the county."
Before Gu Zhenhua could say anything else, she grabbed Li Jianhua's wrist and practically dragged him away, "Elder Brother, let's go quickly."
Li Jianhua was pulled forward in confusion, stumbling half a step as he followed her.
Gu Zhenhua remained standing where he was watching her retreating figure disappear into the moving crowd. The more he observed her reactions, the more certain he became that his suspicions were not unfounded.
There was a very high possibility, that the mysterious girl from the previous night was Li Shuying. But unfortunately, suspicion alone meant nothing. He had no evidence.
And no matter how extraordinary his instincts were, he could not simply accuse a young village girl based purely on intuition.
After staring silently at her back for several moments, Gu Zhenhua finally turned and walked away as well.
However, neither of them noticed that someone else had witnessed the entire interaction from afar. Not far from the execution ground, standing quietly beside the crowd Tang Yulan's eyes remained fixed on Gu Zhenhua without blinking.
Her heartbeat thudded violently against her ribs. She had never seen such a man before.
Tall, straight-backed and sharp as a drawn blade. Even amidst the noisy crowd, his presence alone seemed capable of suppressing everyone around him.
"Who is he…?" Tang Yulan murmured unconsciously beneath her breath, her eyes fixed firmly upon the departing military figure.
As the daughter of the deputy director of the county steel factory, she had followed her father to several cities, even in the south, over the years. She had seen officials, factory directors, cadres, and even military men before.
But a man with such bearing and looks? She had never encountered one. The green military uniform on his body did not merely symbolize status. On him, it carried an entirely different feeling.
Even the way he walked toward the military jeep radiated an oppressive sense of discipline and authority.
Beside Tang Yulan, Ma Zhenzhen and Xu Lanlan were equally stunned. Their gazes followed Gu Zhenhua almost instinctively.
Ma Zhenzhen spoke first, her voice absent-minded, "Whoever he is… he looks exceptionally good in that green uniform."
Xu Lanlan nodded vigorously beside her. "He looks just like those war heroes written in storybooks," she whispered dreamily. "Absolutely captivating." Her eyes practically shone as she watched Gu Zhenhua walk toward the military jeep parked near the roadside. "And look," she added excitedly, "he even has a military jeep. He definitely holds a very high rank."
Then, emboldened by her excitement, she suddenly lowered her voice and giggled nervously, "Should I go speak to him?"
Ma Zhenzhen immediately widened her eyes, "Are you crazy?" She hurriedly grabbed Xu Lanlan's sleeve, "A man like that is clearly beyond our reach. We should just admire him from afar."
Tang Yulan suddenly turned sharply toward the two girls. Her gaze carried visible displeasure, "Why are the two of you staring at him like wolves eyeing prey?" Her tone became possessive almost instantly. "I saw him first."
Then she lifted her chin proudly and glanced coldly at Ma Zhenzhen. "And you are right about one thing," she said with a faint mocking smile. "A man like him is definitely out of your reach. So stop entertaining thoughts that will never amount to anything."
Ma Zhenzhen's expression stiffened awkwardly.
Xu Lanlan also lowered her head slightly, though unwillingness flashed in her eyes.
After hesitating for a moment, Xu Lanlan still muttered timidly, "Then… do you really think he would look at you, Tang Yulan?"
The moment those words fell Tang Yulan's expression darkened instantly. She quickly glanced around to ensure no one important was nearby before fiercely pinching Xu Lanlan at the waist.
"Ah...!" Xu Lanlan immediately squirmed in pain.
Tang Yulan sneered coldly, "You dare compare me with yourself?" Her voice carried obvious arrogance. "Do not forget who I am. My father is the deputy director of the steel factory. In this county, how many people would not give him face?"
She lifted her chin slightly as she looked toward the military jeep where Gu Zhenhua was preparing to leave. Looking at his tall silhouette seated within it, Tang Yulan's heartbeat quickened again. "He looks no older than twenty or twenty-one," she said slowly. "No matter how capable he is, how high could his rank possibly be at this age?"
Then a calculating gleam flashed through her eyes. "But if he receives support from my father… He could climb much higher in the future." Her lips curved faintly. "So tell me, why would he refuse me?"
As she spoke, she twisted the pinch at Xu Lanlan's waist even harder. Xu Lanlan nearly cried from pain, "Yulan...Yulan, let go first… it hurts…"
Ma Zhenzhen quickly stepped forward to smooth things over, "Yulan, don't be angry." She deliberately smiled flatteringly. "Lanlan simply does not understand these matters yet. After all, her father is only a small office manager in the housing department. How could she possibly understand the influence and connections your family possesses?"
Hearing this, Tang Yulan's expression eased slightly. She brushed imaginary dust from her sleeve arrogantly before once again turning her gaze toward the military jeep disappearing into the distance. Her eyes flickered thoughtfully.
Seeing Tang Yulan continue staring in the direction where the military jeep had disappeared, Ma Zhenzhen hesitated for a moment before asking cautiously, "But Yulan… weren't you interested in Class Leader Chen Yongan before? Then why are you suddenly speaking about this military officer like this?"
Tang Yulan's expression paused slightly. At the mention of Chen Yongan, his delicate and refined face surfaced briefly in her mind. Chen Yongan was indeed handsome. Tall, scholarly, gentle.
Among the boys in school, he was considered exceptionally outstanding. But when compared to the military officer she had just seen, yhe difference became instantly obvious.
One carried the refined elegance of a student. The other carried the imposing aura of someone forged through blood and discipline. There was simply no comparison.
Moreover Tang Yulan had never truly liked Chen Yongan that deeply. At most, she had found him pleasing to the eye. Her parents had repeatedly encouraged her to maintain a good relationship with him because of the Chen family's background. And besides, there was Tang Chunlan.
Tang Yulan had long noticed that Tang Chunlan secretly admired Chen Yongan. Precisely because of that, she had deliberately stayed close to him. It was less affection and more a twisted sense of satisfaction.
But now after seeing someone far more outstanding, how could she still settle for someone inferior?
Tang Yulan immediately frowned and glared coldly at Ma Zhenzhen. "Who said I admire Chen Yongan? It never happened."
Ma Zhenzhen instantly realized she had spoken carelessly and hurriedly corrected herself. "Yes, yes… Yulan never liked Chen Yongan." She forced an awkward smile. "You were only friends with him." Then, seeing Tang Yulan's expression ease slightly, she quickly added flatteringly, "But honestly speaking, Yulan, you and that military officer truly look suitable together. With your looks and your family background, I am certain he won't be able to resist you."
Although she said those words smilingly, her heart twisted painfully. Just imagining such an outstanding man standing beside Tang Yulan filled her with jealousy she could not suppress.
Meanwhile, Xu Lanlan stood beside them rubbing the sore spot at her waist where Tang Yulan had pinched her earlier. The more she thought about Tang Yulan's arrogant words, the more uncomfortable she felt.
Then suddenly, unable to hold herself back, she blurted out, "But… didn't you both notice? The soldier was talking to Li Shuying just now."
Both Tang Yulan and Ma Zhenzhen turned toward her simultaneously, "What?"
Xu Lanlan blinked in confusion, "Didn't you see her standing beside him?"
The two girls looked momentarily stunned. Earlier, they had been so focused on admiring Gu Zhenhua that they had barely paid attention to anyone around him.
Tang Yulan's expression immediately darkened. Her fists clenched subconsciously, "You mean that village girl Li Shuying was with him?"
Xu Lanlan nodded quickly, "Yes. I'm sure it was her. Even though we were standing far away, I could still recognize her. But..." Then her expression turned puzzled. "She looked different."
Tang Yulan narrowed her eyes sharply. "Different how?"
Xu Lanlan thought carefully before replying, "She didn't look thin and malnourished anymore. Her complexion also looked healthier from afar. It's only been about a week since we last saw her at school. So how did she suddenly change so much?"
Ma Zhenzhen immediately curled her lip in disgust, "That country bumpkin must have done it on purpose." Her tone became sour. "She is definitely trying to seduce that military officer." Then she quickly turned toward Tang Yulan, "Yulan, now that Tang Chunlan has already been dealt with... Shouldn't we also deal with Li Shuying?"m She was close to Tang Chunlan too, wasn't she? And besides, the matter at school still hasn't completely died down. This is the perfect opportunity."
Tang Yulan remained silent for several moments. But the fury in her eyes was already burning intensely. She still vividly remembered the humiliation Li Shuying had caused her last week. That anger had never faded. Now, hearing that Li Shuying had somehow become acquainted with such a man...
The jealousy and resentment in her chest intensified instantly. After a long silence, Tang Yulan finally spoke coldly, "Do not worry." Her voice was calm. But it carried a dangerous sharpness beneath it, "We will deal with Li Shuying sooner or later."