As for Wang Jieshi, he hadn't slept a wink all night either.
Wang Haichao had promised to bring Chuntao back before dawn.
He was supposed to put her directly on Wang Jieshi's bed to create the illusion that the two of them had slept together.
But it was already broad daylight, and there was still no sign of anyone.
Wang Jieshi's heart was in his throat, filled with panic, so he held onto a stool and shakily shuffled toward the door.
Just as he reached the door of the main room, he saw Chuntao walk into the courtyard with floating steps.
His hanging heart finally settled, but on second thought, something wasn't right!
Chuntao had come back awake on her own; did she already know?
Wang Jieshi's mind was a tangled mess. Just then, Wang Xiaohong's groggy voice sounded from outside the courtyard, I overslept! I just woke up!
Before her voice faded, she walked into the yard rubbing her eyes.
Looking at the two of them, Wang Jieshi's thoughts couldn't help but drift back to last night.
Last night, after cooking the soup, Chuntao had put the noodles in a basin to cool and went for a walk to the watermelon field in the east ditch with Wang Xiaohong.
While they were out, he had shuffled to the kitchen, served three bowls of food, and slipped the drug Wang Haichao had given him into Chuntao and Wang Xiaohong's bowls.
He drugged Wang Xiaohong partly because he was afraid she would notice something was off, and partly to ensure that Chuntao would be drugged no matter which bowl she drank from.
Chuntao had returned awake and on her own. Wang Jieshi felt incredibly guilty and turned around to hide in the inner room.
Chuntao was washing her face. Seeing that she had also just gotten up, Wang Xiaohong felt a bit puzzled.
She suddenly remembered hearing the village women say that couples sleeping together would get very tired and couldn't get up early in the morning.
Although she didn't know exactly what kind of tired it was, she figured Chuntao must be exhausted.
The watermelons in the field were almost ripe. In another two or three days, they would have to sleep in the field to watch over the melons.
Thinking about how Chuntao still had to have a baby, she said, In a few days when the melons are ripe, I'll have Hongxia go to the melon field to keep me company. You just sleep at home!
At that time, the village was not very peaceful. Thieves and hooligans were impossible to guard against. Chuntao naturally worried about two young girls watching the melons at night, but she didn't say anything.
In her heart, however, she was worried. Wang Jieshi needed someone with him at night, and the watermelon field also needed to be watched. It was still half a month before Wang Xiaoming's summer vacation. What could they do?
Chuntao had come back by herself, and there was no sign of Wang Haichao. Wang Jieshi's mind was in turmoil, and he couldn't figure it out no matter how hard he thought.
Right after breakfast, Zhou Zhijun's loud voice came from outside the courtyard gate, Chuntao, I'm going to the south field to sow seeds. Put the seeds and fertilizer on the handcart! I'll sow them for you!
Hearing this, Wang Jieshi's anger flared up instantly.
But besides Zhou Zhijun, no one was willing to help his family. He hated Zhou Zhijun but didn't dare to fall out with him, so he could only hold in a bellyful of anger with nowhere to vent.
From harvesting wheat and threshing to sowing, Zhou Zhijun had been helping out, and Chuntao felt bad about it.
She wanted to learn how to plow and sow by herself, but the family didn't have any livestock, so she could only move the sesame seeds and fertilizer onto Zhou Zhijun's handcart.
It wouldn't be right if someone else was helping to sow the land and she didn't go to help.
Seeing Old Man Zhou leading a cow out of the yard, Chuntao went up to him, Godfather, give the cow to me. I'll go help Brother Zhijun lead the cow!
Old Man Zhou was leading the old bull he had gotten back from Liu Cuilan's family. It had a very wild temper. He waved his hand and said, You won't be able to hold this bull!
Since Old Man Zhou wouldn't let her lead the bull, Chuntao ran to the kitchen, brought out a washbasin, and followed behind to spread fertilizer in the field.
She tried her best to avoid being alone with Zhou Zhijun, firstly because she was afraid of people gossiping, and secondly because she was afraid Zhou Zhijun would covet her again when no one was around.
Today, with Old Man Zhou around, she felt much more at ease, and she was much calmer when running into villagers.
There were many people working in the fields, and Zhou Zhimin's family was also there.
Seeing Zhou Zhijun helping Chuntao's family sow the field, they hated it so much their teeth itched. They glared and rolled their eyes, but they didn't dare utter a single sound.
She really knows how to put on an act! Zhou Xiaoying squeezed a few words out of her throat.
Zhou Xiaomei followed up, cursing in a low voice, Shameless!
Huang Meili's face was pulled longer than a donkey's. In her eyes, Zhou Zhijun was simply bewitched by this vixen, Li Chuntao.
A few days ago, when Zhou Dana wanted to deduct their family's relief grain, Zhou Zhimin went to Zhou Zhijun to ask for help pleading their case. Zhou Zhijun ignored him completely, his mind entirely on Li Chuntao.
In the end, it was Huang Meili who went to Zhou Dana personally, using soft tactics and hard persuasion to make him relent.
Huang Meili cursed inwardly. Zhou Dana and Zhou Zhijun were birds of a feather. They usually looked serious and respectable, but behind their backs, neither was a good person.
Cursing in her heart, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but pull back into a smirk. That old thing Zhou Dana, his body was actually much stronger than Zhou Zhimin's.
Then she sneered coldly, thinking to herself, Zhou Zhijun, Li Chuntao, don't even think about using the party secretary to pressure me in the future!
The sun gradually rose higher. People were sweating profusely in the fields, busy sowing seeds, while Wang Haichao and his brothers were hiding in the house, afraid to go out.
Last night, after Wang Haichao was knocked unconscious, he woke up half an hour later.
He was lying on the ground, surrounded by pitch-black darkness. His mind was in a daze, and the back of his head was throbbing with pain. He subconsciously reached up to touch it and actually felt a large lump.
He remembered! Tonight, he was supposed to send Chuntao to Wu Jinshan's place, but halfway there, someone had struck him from behind with a club!
Who was the person who hit him? It must be Zhou Zhijun!
A chill ran down Wang Haichao's back. His heart skipped a beat, and he cried out, Oh no!
Ignoring his headache, he scrambled up and blindly patted the ground for his flashlight, but after searching for a long time, he couldn't find it.
He remembered that Wang Haibao had carried Chuntao toward Wulipo, so he took off running north, but stopped after just two steps.
Zhou Zhijun must have chased them to Wulipo by now. Going over there himself would be walking right into a trap.
Thinking of this, he no longer cared whether Wang Haibao lived or died; he turned around and ran toward home.
Running all the way home in one breath, he collapsed directly onto the ground, shouting, I was discovered by that bastard Zhou Zhijun!
Liu Cuilan glared and cursed, It's that Zhou Zhijun again... Meddling in other people's business, he'll die a horrible death!
Wang Hailong and Wang Haihu were sleeping in the yard. They groggily opened their eyes and hearing this, could only curse and swear to satisfy their mouths.
Two hours after Wang Haichao got home, Wang Haibao finally returned, limping and sporting a black eye.
He cursed repeatedly, That son of a bitch Zhou Zhijun, screw his mother, I'll get my revenge sooner or later!
Zhou Zhijun was not to be trifled with. They couldn't beat him face-to-face, so they could only think of playing dirty tricks in secret.
Both brothers were convinced that the person who hit them was Zhou Zhijun. They felt uneasy, terrified that he would go to the commune to file a complaint and pin a hooliganism or forcing women charge on them.
In that era, both of these were major crimes, and serious cases could lead to facing the firing squad. Although they might not reach that point, serving time in jail was definitely possible.
Thinking about what happened last night, they still felt a wave of lingering fear. The two of them didn't dare go out, hiding in the inner room pretending to sleep, not even daring to eat breakfast.
With things weighing on their minds, they couldn't sleep at all. They pricked up their ears to listen to the sounds outside, terrified that Zhou Zhijun would come to their door to settle the score.
While they were tossing and turning in bed, a rough and hoarse voice suddenly came from the courtyard.
Wang Haichao was scared out of his wits. He quickly covered his head with a torn sheet, not daring to breathe.
That voice was too familiar to him!
