CHAPTER 303: CHAPTER 304: EARTHWORKER ZI

"Director Li, you must help my Haiguo this time," Feng Ying implored, immediately kneeling upon seeing Li Shengmei.

"Get up first," Li Shengmei said. "Explain the situation clearly."

Dong Meihua stood by, feeling sympathetic towards Feng Ying, helping her up and saying, "Just speak your mind, don’t kneel."

Feng Ying, crying, recounted the incident involving Liu Haiguo, and then added, "Haiguo is at fault, yes, but it’s not fair to blame him alone."

"What’s the situation over there now?" Li Shengmei asked.

Dong Meihua passed a handkerchief over, and Feng Ying wiped away her tears: "Now, those people oppose Haiguo continuing as team leader. Some families even came knocking on our door, and it almost came to blows. If it weren’t for the militiamen and clan members holding them back, there would have been real trouble."

Li Shengmei frowned and said, "The affairs of your Red Star Production Team really aren’t for us to manage."

Upon hearing this, Feng Ying realized Li Shengmei was refusing to intervene and hurriedly said, "Even if Director Li would agree to put in a word, that would help. The team members oppose Haiguo mainly because of production issues. If we can improve that, there will be no problems."

"The problem is, it’s not just about production but also the lives of five people."

As Li Shengmei finished speaking, Feng Ying shook her head and argued, "They weren’t killed by Haiguo. It’s not like Haiguo forced them into the water; they jumped in themselves at the sight of big fish, and although they were tied with ropes, the ropes were cut. They must have cut them themselves; how can you blame Haiguo?"

"But they were led there by Liu Haiguo, and as the team leader, he can’t escape responsibility," Li Shengmei said, spreading her hands in a gesture of helplessness.

"Director Li, you were the matchmaker for me and Haiguo. We’ve always regarded you as part of my family. Please speak up for us," Feng Ying pleaded once more, kneeling down again and looking pitifully at Li Shengmei, "I’m kowtowing to you."

Feng Ying was out of options. Uncertain if Liu Haihua could persuade Wang Xueyong, she was willing to do anything if only Li Shengmei would help.

Now they had incurred the wrath of the whole Red Star Production Team. Losing the position of team leader would make life even more difficult, and with a son, Feng Ying was more concerned about their future.

Feng Ying had little affection for Liu Haiguo, but as her husband and the pillar of their home, he must not fall.

The sound of kowtowing was sharp and sudden as Feng Ying rushed out and kowtowed before Li Shengmei without hesitation.

This was unexpected for both Li Shengmei and Dong Meihua, who failed to react in time to stop Feng Ying. By the time they went to help her up, Feng Ying had already kowtowed until her forehead bled.

Dong Meihua exclaimed in shock, "Sister Feng Ying, you’re bleeding from your head."

"Oh my," Li Shengmei couldn’t help but cry out, "Your head is bleeding. How can you be so harsh on yourself?"

Feng Ying had kowtowed too forcefully and too hastily, and now she felt dizzy. She touched her forehead, saw blood on her hand, and swayed for a moment.

Li Shengmei, holding Feng Ying, instructed Dong Meihua, "Go outside quickly and pick some Hemostatic Herb."

Dong Meihua hurried off and soon returned with the Hemostatic Herb, applying it to Feng Ying’s wound. Seeing how pitiful Feng Ying looked, Dong Meihua turned to Li Shengmei and said, "Mom, Sister Feng Ying is so miserable. Can’t we help her?"

Li Shengmei nearly glared at Dong Meihua, but holding it back in the presence of Feng Ying, she replied, "We need to discuss this with your dad."

Seeing this, Feng Ying felt even colder inside as all her kneeling and pleading seemed in vain. She tried to kneel again, but Li Shengmei couldn’t let her continue like this.

"Meihua, see where your dad has gone visiting; ask him to come back for a while," Li Shengmei said.

Dong Meihua nodded and left.

Alone in the room, to gain Li Shengmei’s agreement, Feng Ying began to offer benefits, but Li Shengmei remained indifferent.

Feng Ying racked her brain for something that would sway Li Shengmei, then mentioned, "Director Li, I got pregnant and gave birth to my son so quickly because I had a special remedy. My mother-in-law, Mrs. Liu, had a traditional recipe that she started giving to me right after I married."

Sure enough, Li Shengmei’s eyes lit up, "What kind of recipe?"

Although Sun Yuhua had a daughter rather than a son, Zheng Xianghong had a granddaughter she was taking care of, which made Li Shengmei somewhat envious.

Not to mention, now that Gao Jiaxing had married Xia Xiao, Zheng Xianghong might be holding a grandson soon, while Li Shengmei still had none.

"It’s with my mother-in-law," Feng Ying said.

Li Shengmei’s expression turned cold, and Feng Ying, pressing a hand to her forehead, asked, "Director Li, when is Comrade Xuegang coming back? Meihua has always been healthy, and if Gangzi could return, you might be able to hold a grandchild this year."

"He said after the New Year, but didn’t specify when," Li Shengmei replied, her mood not very cheery. Both her sons were soldiers, and while Gao Jiaxing could come home for the New Year and stay a month, there was no sign of hers.

Ever since being shown up by Zheng Xianghong when boasting about her son’s promotion to platoon leader, Li Shengmei had stopped bragging. She was noticeably more despondent.

Now Gao Jiaxing had become a soldier for just two years and already risen to the rank of platoon leader; the disparity was huge for Li Shengmei, and she felt she had no advantage over Zheng Xianghong.

Li Shengmei wished her eldest son would return soon, and for Dong Meihua to bear her a grandchild, preferably before Zheng Xianghong’s daughter-in-law. That would satisfy Li Shengmei.

"It will be soon. Why don’t you come with me to the Red Star Production Team?" Feng Ying suggested. "I’ll have my mother-in-law give you the recipe. Plus, you can chat with her. Look, even my sister-in-law, Liu Haihua, just had a son."

Feng Ying felt lucky that both she and Liu Haihua had sons; otherwise, she would have nothing to attract Li Shengmei with. She indeed had used Mrs. Liu’s traditional remedy but was unsure of its effectiveness.

So Feng Ying used this pretext to lure Li Shengmei, hoping that if she could get past this crisis, it wouldn’t matter if Dong Meihua got pregnant later or what the sex of the child would be.

"Fine, I’ll go with you," Li Shengmei agreed readily, thinking that a trip to Red Star Production Team was no big deal and primarily wanting to obtain that traditional remedy. Once her son returned, the remedy could be used without delay for an early arrival of a healthy grandson.

Consequently, Li Shengmei agreed to accompany Feng Ying, and as they left the house, Li Shengmei ran into her younger son, He Xuewu, right outside the door.