Everyone was stunned by Wang Lanhua’s fierce demeanor and fell silent at once.
Grandma Shen was the first to react, quickly walking to the hospital bed to soothe her. “Lanhua, don’t get angry, calm down and lie back down!”
She reached out to support her, but Wang Lanhua flung her hand away and barked, “Don’t touch me!”
Liu Cuilan, standing nearby, secretly reveled in the scene—the louder the uproar, the better.
“Lanhua, Mom knows you’ve suffered a great injustice. It’s all because of that grandmother and grandson, and that shameless Li Chuntao…”
Liu Cuilan kept fueling the fire, but Li Dazhuang could no longer hold back. He grabbed her arm and dragged her toward the door.
Liu Cuilan struggled and shouted, “Lanhua, Li Chuntao is out there sneaking around giving birth to a bastard! Go report her to the family planning office—make sure she can’t have that child!”
Those words stabbed into Wang Lanhua’s heart like a poisoned thorn, deepening the venom in her belly.
Li Chuntao, you dare to birth a bastard in secret? I’ll make sure you never give birth to it!
Meanwhile, Baldy Zhang had been on his way when a heavy rainstorm hit halfway. He couldn’t ride his bike, so he had to shoulder it and trudge through the muddy paths, one deep step after another.
It took him seven or eight days of back-and-forth hardship before he finally stumbled back into Wang Family Village.
He didn’t even go home first; he headed straight to Liu Cuilan’s house. Bursting through the door, he cursed, “You rotten woman, you’ve nearly killed me… The rain hit halfway through, and I nearly lost half my life being drenched!”
Liu Cuilan had been burning with anxiety and had no patience for his complaints. She urged, “Cut the nonsense. Get to the point—did you see that pair of adulterers or not?”
“I’m starving, I don’t have the strength to talk!” Baldy Zhang flopped down onto a chair. “Fix me something to eat first!”
Liu Cuilan kicked him and snapped, “Did you see them or not? Tell me, and I’ll make you food!”
“Yeah, I saw them! Let me eat first, and I’ll tell you everything slowly…”
Hearing this, Liu Cuilan’s hanging heart finally settled. She said quickly, “Come light the stove!” and strode toward the kitchen.
As Baldy Zhang stoked the fire, he recounted everything from start to finish.
He had traveled for two or three days to reach East Mountain, then asked around until he found Liu Family Gully.
There, he spotted a man in his thirties hoeing the soil on a slope. Baldy Zhang hurried over, pulled out a cigarette, and asked with a fawning smile, “Brother, let me ask you something—does anyone in this village have relatives in Wang Family Village?”
That man was none other than Second Aunt Zhou’s second son, Liu Ergen. He frowned, sizing up Baldy Zhang. “Who are you?”
“I’m Li Chuntao’s second uncle. I heard my niece is hiding at Zhou Zhijun’s second aunt’s place, so I thought I’d come check on her…”
The last time Liu Ergen had gone to find Li Chuntao, he had accomplished nothing and only brought trouble on himself, earning a harsh scolding from his mother behind his back. He still held a grudge about it. The mere mention of Zhou Zhijun stoked his anger. “Zhou Zhijun is no good. You’ve asked the wrong person!”
He didn’t accept Baldy Zhang’s cigarette but bent down and continued digging.
“Brother, you’re right—Zhou Zhijun really is no good…”
Baldy Zhang kept his fawning smile and stuffed the whole pack of Maolu cigarettes into Liu Ergen’s pocket.
“I won’t hide it from you—my niece was abducted by him! I’m here today to find her…”
Liu Ergen’s hoe paused in mid-air, and a cold sneer curled in his heart.
No wonder that old bachelor Zhou Zhijun had managed to land such a talented young wife like Li Chuntao and hide her away in this mountain gully—she’d been taken!
He immediately pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and blew a smoke ring. “Li Chuntao’s belly is already big. Coming for her now is pointless—she won’t go with you.
Besides, Zhou Zhijun was in the army and knows a bit of martial arts. With your build, you’re no match for him!”
When Baldy Zhang heard that Li Chuntao was indeed there, joy surged in his heart, though he feigned shock on his face. “Her belly’s big? How many months? How’d it happen so fast?”
Then, putting on a pained expression, he begged, “Brother, take me to see her, won’t you? Even if she won’t come back with me, just one look will do. As long as Zhou Zhijun treats her well, I’ll be at peace!”
Liu Ergen was wary of Zhou Zhijun and didn’t dare lead him there. Instead, he pointed to a gully not far away. “See that? That village over there, the last house at the back. Go yourself!”
The paths were all narrow, winding goat trails, too uneven for a bicycle.
Afraid of being spotted by Zhou Zhijun and unable to escape, Baldy Zhang hid his bike in a ditch, covered it well with dry grass, and crept into the village quietly.
He slunk to the gable wall of Second Aunt Zhou’s house, crouched behind a clump of withered lotus roots, and craned his neck to peer into the yard.
There, he saw Chuntao sitting on a tall stool, her belly round and swollen.
Zhou Zhijun walked over carrying a small earthenware pot with freshly baked egg pancakes, their aroma filling the entire courtyard.
“Tao, try the egg pancakes I made for you!” Zhou Zhijun tore off a small piece, blew on it repeatedly, and then held it to Chuntao’s lips. “It’s not hot anymore. Eat up.”
Chuntao opened her mouth, took the piece, chewed slowly, her eyes curving into crescent moons. “Zhijun Gege, this is delicious!”
Her little face was rosy, her smile soft, giving her an especially sweet and innocent look.
Zhou Zhijun couldn’t help rubbing her cheek with the back of his hand and said tenderly, “If you like them, I’ll make them for you every day from now on.”
The best thing Chuntao had ever eaten in her life was the egg pancakes her grandmother made. She never thought Zhou Zhijun, a grown man, could make them even better.
As she chewed the fragrant pancake, her thoughts drifted to her grandmother.
It had been nearly half a year since she’d seen her. Was Grandma’s health all right?
Had Liu Cuilan gone to Li Family Village to stir up trouble again? Grandma was old and couldn’t take much more of that woman’s harassment…
Her heart tightened with worry, and the smile slowly faded from her face.
“Tao, eat up—why did you stop?” Zhou Zhijun tore off another piece and held it out.
Seeing her expression darken, he asked quickly, “What are you thinking about, looking so sad?”
“Zhijun Gege, I’m worried about my grandma. I don’t know if Liu Cuilan has gone to Li Family Village to make trouble…”
“Don’t worry. Even if she does, it won’t help.” Zhou Zhijun patted her hand. “I asked around a long time ago. Wang Lanhua has gone into hiding too, to avoid the family planning policy.
She already has a son and a daughter but still sneaks around to have another—it’s clear she’s dead set on sticking with your brother.
As long as she’s loyal to him, Liu Cuilan has no way in…”
Their conversation was clearly heard by Baldy Zhang, hidden behind the gable wall.
His mouth watered as he eyed the egg pancakes in Zhou Zhijun’s hand.
He cursed under his breath: Damn it, you two are living a cozy life here!
But your sweet dreams are about to shatter. Wang Lanhua lost her child—how could she ever let you off…
While shoveling food into his mouth, Baldy Zhang continued, “We need to find Lanhua quickly and get her to report them to the family planning office. Any delay, and things could go wrong…”
Liu Cuilan was already trembling with fury, gasping for breath as she cursed, “Zhou Zhijun, Li Chuntao—your good days are over! You dare defy the family planning policy? Once we catch you, we’ll make sure you get an abortion!”
On the other side, Wang Lanhua had been in the hospital for four or five days, still very weak.
She sat propped up in bed, her face as pale as paper, her lips drained of color.
“Lanhua, have some food. Eating will help you recover faster.” Li Dazhuang held out a steamed bun, carefully offering it to her.
Grandma Shen walked in carrying her great-grandson, a baby just a few months old. The child was crying hungrily, his little face sallow and pallid.
“Orchid, please eat something. If you don’t eat, the baby won’t have any milk…” Grandma Shen coaxed, her eyes red.
Li Dazhuang tore off half a steamed bun and handed it to Grandma Shen. “Let the little one have some first,” he said, his voice choked with pain as he watched his son cry until his throat was hoarse.
Grandma Shen chewed the bun, then fed it to the child mouth-to-mouth. After half a bun, the baby finally quieted down.
Wang Orchid hadn’t eaten for two meals. Seeing her pitiful youngest son, she finally took the bun from Li Dazhuang and wolfed down two and a half pieces in one go.
Afterward, she gulped down a whole jar of brown sugar water, finally mustering some strength.
Just then, Liu Cuilan burst into the hospital ward, drenched in sweat and flustered, shouting at the top of her lungs, “Orchid! Zhou Zhijun and Li Chuntao are in East Mountain at the Liu Family Gully!
Go to the family-planning office and report them right away. Have that filthy pair caught and brought back, and get revenge for your poor lost child!”
