Chuntao braced herself on the stool and stood up abruptly, but she moved too fast, causing her to sway unsteadily.
Her eyes locked onto Zhou Zhijun as he stepped out of the north room.
His face was expressionless, his posture as straight as ever, his footsteps as steady as always.
Zhou Zhijun looked up at her, and his gaze instantly softened.
"Brother Zhijun..." Chuntao choked out.
The villagers around her parted to make way, and Zhijun crossed to her in two strides.
"Tao, don't be afraid. I'm just going to the station to clear things up—nothing will happen!" He gripped her hand tightly with one hand and wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes with the other.
Chuntao looked at him and shook her head, tears streaming down like a spring that couldn't be stopped.
Seeing this, the villagers' hearts tightened.
The old party secretary stepped forward first, cupping his hands toward Wu Mingwei. "Director Wu, everything must be done with reason. You can't just take someone away without cause!"
Hearing the old party secretary speak up, the villagers crowded around, blocking the police officers and thrusting their tools into the ground.
"That's right! At least tell us what it's about!"
The villagers only knew that Zhou Zhijun and Chuntao were relatives of Second Aunt Zhou; they knew nothing else.
Even if they had picked up bits and pieces from Liu Cuilan's chatter, they had no desire to dig deeper.
No matter what, protecting the two of them was simply the duty of fellow villagers.
Zhang Shuanzhu glanced at Zhou Zhijun, a smug look in his eyes.
He turned and walked over to Wu Mingwei, his voice trembling with excitement. "Director Wu, there's also Li Chun Tao! She's pregnant out of wedlock—that violates the family planning policy! Her belly is already this big; she has to have an abortion immediately! Otherwise, I can't do my work!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the courtyard fell silent for a moment. The villagers tightened their grips on their tools, looking ready to resist.
Second Aunt Zhou stomped furiously over to Zhang Shuanzhu, pointing at his nose and cursing, "You heartless creature... She's about to give birth! Forcing an abortion now is no different from killing her!"
Zhang Shuanzhu dodged her and shouted at his men, "Quit stalling! Take her away now!"
He turned and yelled at the villagers blocking Chuntao's path, "Move aside! The police are right here. If you obstruct, you'll be rounded up for a crackdown!"
The villagers grew angry too. "You're too cruel!"
"We can't let him take her!"
"Don't you fear divine retribution for what you're doing?"
...
A few of the younger villagers raised their tools, looking ready to fight him to the death if he made a move.
Liu Cuilan piped up shrilly from the side, "Yes, abort the baby! Breaking the law means punishment!"
Wu Mingwei's cold gaze swept over her face, and the chill in his eyes made her shut up instantly.
He turned to Zhang Shuanzhu and said in a deep voice, "Family planning is your responsibility. But Li Chun Tao's condition is not normal. If anything happens to her life, can you bear that responsibility?"
"But... but the policy can't be broken!" Zhang Shuanzhu stomped his feet in frustration. He had come this time to fulfill his quota.
He had expected the police to help him, but instead, they were stopping him. His heart sank. "I'm following the rules. If something goes wrong, I—"
Before he could finish, Yang Weiming cut him off. "Rules? Rules must also consider human decency. Given her condition, if an accident happens, not only will you lose your job, but you'll also face criminal charges."
This struck Zhang Shuanzhu's weak spot. His face turned red, then white, and he muttered, "That doesn't mean we just let it go!"
Chuntao choked back her tears, her voice firm. "I'll go with Brother Zhijun. Whatever punishment comes, I'll accept it. He can't face it alone."
She didn't know how terrifying an abortion was, but she knew she couldn't let Zhou Zhijun bear the penalty by himself.
Zhou Zhijun's eyes were red with urgency. "Tao'er! I can handle it! Be good, wait for me at home. I'll go explain everything to them. Nothing will happen!"
He released Chuntao's hand, and Second Aunt Zhou quickly pulled her close, looking anxiously at Zhijun.
"Zhijun..."
Zhijun looked at Second Aunt Zhou. "Second Aunt, I'm leaving Tao in your care. Don't worry—I'll be back soon!"
Wu Mingwei and Yang Weiming prepared to take Zhou Zhijun away, but Zhang Shuanzhu showed no sign of leaving.
Zhou Zhijun grew uneasy. He reached out and grabbed Zhang Shuanzhu's arm. "Zhang Shuanzhu, get the hell out of here!"
His grip was so strong that Zhang Shuanzhu winced in pain.
"Zhou Zhijun, let go!"
The old village chief walked up to Wu Mingwei, cupping his hands. "Comrade police officer, the baby in her belly is so big. Couldn't you wait until after she gives birth? After that, whatever happens, it's up to you. Our whole village will vouch for her."
The villagers joined in. "Yes, wait until after she gives birth!"
"We'll guarantee she won't run away!"
Wu Mingwei looked at Chuntao's fragile, forced stance and then at the furious crowd. He said solemnly, "Zhou Zhijun will come with us for questioning. The matter of Li Chun Tao's abortion is postponed for now."
He turned to Zhang Shuanzhu, his tone firm and final. "Take your people back now. Do not come here to harass her again on your own."
Zhang Shuanzhu wanted results, but he didn't dare challenge Wu Mingwei openly. He stiffened his neck and said, "Fine! I'll wait two more days! If you all protect her, I'll report this to higher-ups!"
"Suit yourself." Wu Mingwei ignored him, signaled to the officers beside him, and said, "Take Zhou Zhijun. Let's go."
Zhou Zhijun took one last look at Chuntao, said, "Wait for me!" and walked off with Wu Mingwei.
Chuntao wanted to chase after him, but Second Aunt Zhou held her back tightly. Her tears flowed uncontrollably, and a dull pain began in her belly.
Zhang Shuanzhu, seeing that Wu Mingwei had left, cast a fierce glare at Chuntao and said coldly, "Li Chun Tao, don't think you've won. This abortion is going to happen!"
Liu Cuilan gritted her teeth in agreement. "You bet! Don't think you can escape!"
Yang Weiming, who hadn't left yet, turned his sharp gaze on Zhang Shuanzhu, his voice icy and low. "Director Zhang, this matter ends today!"
"Captain Yang! If I don't take her in, how can I do my job in the future? If the superiors complain, I can't bear that responsibility!"
"If anything happens, Yang Weiming will take responsibility!" His voice rose abruptly, carrying the firmness of a soldier.
Seeing that he couldn't take her away, Zhang Shuanzhu muttered, "Alright then! For you, Captain Yang, I'll back off for now."
With that, he turned and left, but Liu Cuilan wasn't willing to let it go. She caught up to him and said, "Family planning isn't under their jurisdiction! What are you afraid of?"
Zhang Shuanzhu lowered his voice impatiently. "What do you know?"
Wu Mingwei and Yang Weiming might not oversee family planning work, but without their support, with these stubborn villagers blocking the way, there was no way to take the woman. So why not just give them a favor?
Liu Cuilan was rebuffed but still couldn't keep her mouth shut. "We traveled all this way in the middle of the night, and didn't even get a hair. Wasn't it all for nothing?"
As soon as Zhang Shuanzhu left, Yang Weiming walked over to Chuntao, looked at her tear-streaked face, his eyes gentler. "Chuntao, take good care of yourself."
He turned to leave, but heard Chuntao's tearful voice call after him, "Brother Weiming..."
Yang Weiming paused but did not turn around.
"Brother Weiming, will Brother Zhijun be okay?"
"Don't worry." He said only those two words and walked away without looking back.
Seeing that the people from Qingshan Commune had gone, the villagers gathered around Chuntao to console her.
"Don't worry, everything will be fine!"
"That bastard won't dare do anything. As long as we're here, no one's taking you away!"
Second Aunt Zhou supported Chuntao by the arm and said softly, "Tao'er, hurry back to the house and rest!"
Chuntao nodded, her body so weak she could barely stand, but she insisted on saying to the villagers, "Thank you, everyone. Thank you, uncles and elders!"
She wanted to bow to them, but her belly was too big, and she simply couldn't bend over.
The villagers looked at this gentle, fragile girl, their hearts heavy with sympathy, and urged her not to dwell on things but to go and rest.
Second Aunt Zhou half-supported, half-guided Chuntao into the house. Her thin shoulders trembled continuously, but her hands clung protectively to her belly.
Inside the house, the villagers gradually dispersed. Chuntao sat on the bed, her hands still tightly guarding her abdomen.
Only one thought filled her mind: "Brother Zhijun, you must come back. Your child and I can't go on without you."
Meanwhile, on the ridge at the village entrance, Zhang Shuanzhu grew angrier the more he thought about it. He spat viciously and cursed, "Just wait! I'm going to the county office to find the leaders, and I'll get that abortion approved if it's the last thing I do! Then we'll see who can protect her!"
