The person who came was none other than Aunt Zhou.
"Liu Cuilan, that item was bought by me for the girl Chuntao!" Aunt Zhou's tone brooked no argument.
After Liu Cuilan processed this, she shouted, "You bought it for her? Who'd believe that?" Nevertheless, she lowered the hand she had raised to strike.
Just moments ago, Aunt Zhou's family had been drinking soup in the kitchen when they heard the commotion from here.
Zhou Zhijun's heart sank. That item had been discovered by Liu Cuilan; Chuntao was sure to be blamed for stealing treats.
Zhou Zhijun stood up abruptly, wanting to lay the truth bare. For Chuntao's sake, he feared nothing.
But he hesitated for her sake, afraid she couldn't bear the weight of gossip and slander.
She was already bowed down by hardship; he didn't want to add another heavy stone to her burden.
Aunt Zhou had always disliked Liu Cuilan. On top of that, Liu Cuilan talked nonsense, tarnished Zhou Zhijun's reputation, showed ingratitude, and even denied the debts she owed...
This series of matters made it impossible for Aunt Zhou to tolerate any more. She put down her rice bowl, picked up the account book, and walked straight into Liu Cuilan's courtyard.
"Believe it or not! Liu Cuilan, you owe my family money, and I've brought the proof!"
Aunt Zhou waved the notebook in her hand. "Liu Cuilan, every single entry is recorded here in black and white, with the purpose clearly stated. Do you dare deny it now?"
Over the past four years, Liu Cuilan had never carefully calculated the money Zhou Zhijun had given to help her family, but she knew it was no small sum.
She had originally planned to wriggle out of it. Now, seeing Aunt Zhou arrive with the account book, she staggered back half a step.
"Just because it's written in a book, it must be true? I never borrowed it, so I didn't!" Her eyes darted away, and her voice trembled slightly.
By now, many villagers had gathered in the courtyard to watch the spectacle.
Aunt Zhou turned and scanned the crowd. "For these four years, my Zhijun has helped her family plenty.
It's bad enough she doesn't know what's good for her, but to borrow so much money and then deny it... Everyone, judge for yourselves if this is right!"
The onlookers murmured among themselves, saying Liu Cuilan was heartless, that Zhou Zhijun had helped her family for four years and gotten nothing in return.
"What do any of you know? It's true he helped with work, but that doesn't mean he can extort money, right?"
Zhou Zhijun, a grown man, naturally disliked getting involved in such petty squabbles. But since it concerned Chuntao, he couldn't just stand by. He had followed his mother over.
Seeing his mother come to Chuntao's defense, the corner of his mouth lifted almost imperceptibly.
Aunt Zhou had already steered the conflict toward the money Liu Cuilan owed them, which suited Zhou Zhijun's intentions perfectly.
Back then, helping the Wang family was indeed his own willing choice, and he had offered the money himself. He couldn't bring it up, but his mother had spoken for him.
Zhou Zhijun moved closer to the front of the crowd. His tall frame happened to block the view from behind, standing to the side and slightly behind Chuntao.
He didn't speak. His cold gaze settled heavily on Liu Cuilan's face.
Liu Cuilan, feeling guilty, was cowed by Zhou Zhijun's stare and swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue.
Chuntao, sensing the man beside her, secretly glanced up at him. She happened to meet his eyes as he looked down at her. The coldness in his gaze had lessened, replaced by a hint of something indescribably soft.
Chuntao felt her cheeks grow warm and quickly lowered her eyelids again, her hands nervously twisting the hem of her clothes.
Zhou Zhijun had already averted his gaze, his hands clasped behind his back, resuming his usual icy demeanor.
He thought to himself that if Liu Cuilan continued to make unreasonable trouble today, he would demand a clear settlement of the debt. He absolutely would not let Chuntao suffer any more injustice.
With Aunt Zhou holding the account book, Liu Cuilan might have wanted to stubbornly deny everything, but she was also afraid of Zhou Zhijun.
Remembering what she had said about him not being a real man made her feel even more guilty.
Wang Xiaohong had already told her that the money for her recent trip to the county town for medical treatment was also borrowed from Zhou Zhijun.
If things really escalated into a full-blown fight, Zhou Zhijun could very well demand immediate repayment.
Liu Cuilan, who had been so fierce moments ago, now lowered her tone a few notches. But she still refused to acknowledge the previous debts.
"It's so late now. We'll look at the account book tomorrow. If I really borrowed it, I'll pay it back. But if I didn't, I won't be made a scapegoat."
She then shot a fierce glare at Chuntao and said, "What are you still standing there for? Go to the field and watch the melons!"
Wang Xiaohong went to the kitchen, stuffed two steamed corn buns into her pocket, then pulled the flatbed cart and went with Chuntao to the melon field.
Chuntao walked slowly, her steps unsteady, still clutching the packet of medicine prescribed by the doctor.
Before they reached the field, Zhou Zhijun caught up with them.
Wang Xiaohong stopped the cart and looked at Zhou Zhijun. "Uncle Zhijun, I'll pay you back the fifty yuan I borrowed as soon as I sell the melons!
And all the money my family borrowed from you before, I'll make sure my mother pays it back too!"
Chuntao, however, didn't stop. She continued walking slowly ahead.
Zhou Zhijun took a few long strides to Wang Xiaohong's side and asked in a low voice, "Did your sister-in-law faint while selling melons today?"
"Yes!" Wang Xiaohong nodded. "Today at South Ridge, when she was delivering a watermelon to a customer, she fainted right at their doorstep...
My brother left her right after the wedding ceremony, but she didn't leave. She's been working her heart out for this family all year round, and yet my mother treats her like this..." Wang Xiaohong's voice choked up again.
Zhou Zhijun looked at Chuntao's frail figure, so slight a gust of wind could blow her over, and imagined her fainting. It felt like a thorn piercing his heart.
"Are you going to sell melons again tomorrow?"
"We have to. The melons are ripe. If we don't sell them, I'm afraid it'll be too late!
But my sister-in-law is so weak, and the doctor said she needs to rest properly! How can she possibly rest?"
"Let's unload the melons tonight. Tomorrow, I'll help you pull them to the market to sell. Your sister-in-law can stay home and rest."
His tone left no room for discussion as he reached out and took the cart handles.
"Uncle Zhijun, my family owes you so much..." Wang Xiaohong's words were cut off.
"What's the point of saying that?" He pulled the cart toward the melon field, with Wang Xiaohong following behind.
Chuntao was sitting inside the melon shed. Seeing Zhou Zhijun arrive, she quickly lowered her head, not daring to look at him.
As Zhou Zhijun and Wang Xiaohong unloaded watermelons from the field, Chuntao hurried to get up and help. Zhou Zhijun said stiffly, "Don't move. Sit there and rest."
Chuntao had received an IV drip and chicken soup, but her body had been depleted for too long; it couldn't be replenished in a short while.
She still felt weak in the legs, without any strength, so she stayed put in the melon shed.
After loading the flatbed cart full of watermelons, Wang Xiaohong picked up a large one, gave it a light knock against the cart, and it cracked cleanly in two with a snap.
She handed half to Zhou Zhijun. "Uncle Zhijun, have some melon to quench your thirst!"
She then split the other half into two pieces, giving one to Chuntao and keeping one for herself.
Suddenly remembering something, Wang Xiaohong looked at Zhou Zhijun, who was squatting beside the cart, and said, "Uncle Zhijun, my sister-in-law hasn't taken the medicine the doctor prescribed today!
Don't go back yet, keep her company. I'll run home to get some water and be right back!"
As she spoke, she grabbed a flashlight and hurried off toward home.
"Be careful!" Zhou Zhijun's deep voice called out from behind her.
Chuntao, sitting inside the melon shed, had also heard their conversation. Wang Xiaohong's footsteps quickly faded away, and her heart leaped into her throat again.
In her current state, would Zhou Zhijun take advantage of Wang Xiaohong's absence to bully her?
She jerked her head up to look outside the shed. Zhou Zhijun was already at the entrance.
The piece of watermelon in Chuntao's hand fell to the ground with a soft thud. She scrambled to her feet from the bed, her wide, glistening eyes filled with terror.
Outside the shed, only the chirping of insects remained. Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the shelter, casting Zhou Zhijun's long shadow, which enveloped her completely.
Without a word, he closed the distance in two strides, bent down abruptly, scooped her up, and gently laid her back on the bed.
"Ah... what are you doing?" Chuntao asked, terrified, yet her voice came out soft as cotton.
"Don't be afraid. I won't do anything to you today. I just wanted to..."
