“Baldy Zhang!”
Zhou Zhaodi frowned as she shouted, “How come he’s back? Where’s Liu Cuilan?”
A crowd of people held their breath, waiting for him to approach so they could ask what happened.
Baldy Zhang hadn’t slept a wink all night and had run over a hundred li without stopping. His legs felt like they were filled with lead, barely able to take another step.
He climbed up from the eastern gully to the edge of the field, then plopped down on the ground, gasping for air.
Last night, he had gone with Liu Cuilan to lead the family planning officials to arrest Li Chuntao, but he’d regretted it halfway there.
He was terrified that if he couldn’t bring down Zhou Zhijun, he’d face retaliation later. Just thinking about how Zhou Zhijun had dragged Zhou Ergan by his ankles, head down, in a horrible mess, sent chills down his spine.
He had led Zhang Shuanzhu and his crew to the back of Second Aunt Zhou’s house, but when everyone rushed inside, he slipped away.
By the time he made it to the main road, the grain station truck was long gone.
He hadn’t dared stop for a moment, covering over a hundred li as fast as he could, finally making it back to the village just before dark.
Now, sitting at the edge of the field, he finally let out a breath and cursed loudly, “Liu Cuilan, you damned witch, you’ve screwed me over! Just you wait—when you get back, I’ll make you pay!”
The folks at the village entrance were still waiting for him. Even as dusk fell, no one was willing to go home to cook dinner.
Baldy Zhang swayed as he walked toward the village, and a man shouted from a distance, “Baldy Zhang, why are you slower than a turtle? Hurry up!”
“What do you want?” Baldy Zhang snapped back grumpily.
When he reached them, Zhou Zhaodi spoke first, “Why did you come back alone? Did you catch anyone?”
“Is Li Chuntao really pregnant?”
“Did they take her for an abortion?”
...
The crowd bombarded him with questions, more concerned about Chuntao’s situation than their own crops.
“I don’t know!” Baldy Zhang leaned against an old locust tree, panting. “Liu Cuilan went with the family planning people—I didn’t go!”
Zhou Zhaodi scoffed, “You didn’t go? Then what were you doing?”
“What I was doing is none of your business!”
Baldy Zhang cursed inwardly, thinking Zhou Zhaodi was a real piece of work—burning bridges once she crossed them. Ever since she married Wang Qingshan, she wouldn’t let him touch her.
Last summer, he had caught her in the fields, dragged her into the sorghum patch, and had his way with her. As soon as she pulled up her pants, she demanded money from him and threatened to report him.
This time, when he was rounded up in the crackdown, he had always suspected Zhou Zhijun was behind it, but now he suddenly felt that Zhou Zhaodi might have been the one who ratted him out.
Seeing his attitude, Zhou Zhaodi spat melon seed shells at him. “Fine, don’t tell me. I don’t want to hear it anyway!”
The crowd, realizing they wouldn’t get any answers, sighed and dispersed.
Zhou Zhaodi turned and waddled toward home. Baldy Zhang stared at her plump, round backside and took a few quick steps to catch up.
“Zhou Zhaodi, don’t you want to know about Li Chuntao?”
“I don’t care to hear it!” Zhou Zhaodi shot him a dirty look over her shoulder.
“If you don’t listen, you’ll regret it!” Baldy Zhang strode past her.
Zhou Zhaodi was burning with curiosity and shouted, “Baldy Zhang, you stop right there!”
Baldy Zhang stopped and turned to look at her. When she reached him, he grinned lecherously. “Let me have a go, and I’ll tell you!” Then he took off running.
Zhou Zhaodi, heavy with her pregnant belly, couldn’t catch up. She stomped her foot in frustration and yelled, “Baldy Zhang, you old pervert, may you die a horrible death!”
Meanwhile, Zhou Xiaowei was hurrying with Aunt Zhou toward the eastern mountains. Halfway there, the bicycle tire suddenly got a puncture.
In the dead of night, in this desolate place with no houses in sight, the grandmother and grandson had no choice but to push the bike and continue on foot.
Zhou Xiaowei had gone two days and two nights without sleep, but fortunately, he was young and strong enough to tough it out.
Aunt Zhou was nearly seventy, and though her health was still decent, walking such a long distance had worn her out badly, and her steps grew heavier and heavier.
"Grandma, let's rest for a while!" Zhou Xiaowei heard her heavy breathing and quickly stopped.
"It's such cold weather—walking keeps us warmer. Just take it slow, there's no hurry!" Aunt Zhou waved her hand dismissively.
They moved at a snail's pace, and by the time daylight came, they still hadn't reached the East Mountain area.
By chance, they met an old man driving a donkey cart, who gave them a ride for a stretch.
Later, they flagged down a tractor that took them another bit farther. It wasn't until late afternoon, just as dusk was falling, that they finally made it to their destination.
"Sister-in-law Chuntao!"
The moment Zhou Xiaowei entered the yard, he propped his bicycle against the wall and rushed straight into the main room. "Sister-in-law Chuntao! Second Uncle!"
Chuntao was lying in the inner room under the covers, and Second Aunt Zhou had placed a brazier of coal by the bed and was sitting beside her watching over her.
Hearing the commotion, Second Aunt Zhou was about to get up, but Zhou Xiaowei had already barged into the inner room.
"Sister-in-law Chuntao, are you okay?" Zhou Xiaowei's eyes were red as he lurched to the bedside, his gaze fixed intently on Chuntao's pale face.
Chuntao lay in bed with her eyes closed. She didn't want to cause Second Aunt Zhou any more trouble, so she kept all her grievances and tears bottled up inside her stomach.
When she heard Zhou Xiaowei's voice, she slowly opened her eyes and reached one hand out from under the quilt, calling softly, "Xiaowei…" Then, she weakly closed her eyes again.
"Sister-in-law Chuntao!" His glance brushed across Li Chuntao's noticeably swollen belly, and his heart gave a jolt.
Liu Cuilan had told the truth—Chuntao was indeed pregnant, carrying Second Uncle's child.
Before he had seen it with his own eyes, he'd still entertained a glimmer of hope, but now, that faint hope was shattered completely.
He knew deep down that, for the rest of his life, nothing could ever be between him and Chuntao again.
He tightly grasped Li Chuntao's cold little hand; his eyes burned, and he couldn't say a single word.
Aunt Zhou also came in. Seeing Chuntao lying in bed with her belly high, her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled.
"Tao, my girl!" She pushed Zhou Xiaowei aside and clasped Chuntao's cold hand.
When Chuntao heard Aunt Zhou's voice, her eyes snapped open. Her large, wet eyes held no light, only tears brimming over as she choked out, "Mother…"
The pent-up grievance could no longer be held back; tears streamed down her cheeks and into her ear hollow.
Aunt Zhou's tears fell right along with hers. She pulled out a handkerchief, sobbing as she wiped Chuntao's tears, but they gushed like a spring—impossible to dry.
"Good girl, don't cry, don't cry!"
"Brother Zhijun was taken away by the police…" Chuntao said in a hoarse voice.
Aunt Zhou hadn't seen Zhou Zhijun when she came in and had already guessed, but she hadn't dared think the worst.
For now, the most important thing was to keep Chuntao and the baby in her belly safe.
She patted Chuntao's hand and comforted her, "Tao, don't worry. Brother Zhijun will be okay! Don't dwell on anything—just rest and take care of yourself, and wait for him to come back…"
Chuntao looked at Aunt Zhou's graying hair and weary face, her heart aching bitterly.
She didn't want the old woman to be sad over her, but the tears just wouldn't stop.
"Mother, you've walked such a long way. Lie down on the bed and rest!"
Aunt Zhou sighed, still holding her hand tightly. "Good girl, as long as you're okay, I can rest easy!"
As long as you and the baby are alright, Zhijun won't have any trouble! When the baby is born next spring, everything will be much easier!"
Aunt Zhou was in the inner room keeping Chun Tao company, while Second Aunt Zhou went to the kitchen to cook some soup—noodle soup with sesame leaves and beans.
The grandmother and grandson had been rushing all the way and hadn't had time to eat the flatbread they'd brought. Aunt Zhou's stomach was already growling with hunger, but seeing how uncomfortable Chun Tao looked, she lost her appetite entirely.
To ease Chun Tao's worries and keep her from being anxious, Aunt Zhou forced herself to drink a bowl of soup.
Chun Tao hadn't eaten breakfast and had only sipped a little porridge at noon. With Aunt Zhou's arrival, she finally felt she had some support and managed to drink a bowl as well.
"Xiaowei, don't worry about your Second Uncle. He'll be fine!"
Second Aunt Zhou handed a bowl of hot noodles to Zhou Xiaowei. "Have something warm to drink. You and your grandma have traveled so far—finish your soup and get some sleep quickly!"
Zhou Xiaowei's mind was in turmoil. On one hand, he was worried about his Second Uncle; on the other, he was overwhelmed by despair after learning the truth. All kinds of emotions pressed against his chest, making it hard to breathe.
He hadn't slept for three days and two nights. He was exhausted, sleepy, hungry, and cold. Only after drinking a steaming bowl of noodles did his body finally feel a trace of warmth.
The weather was bitterly cold, and after finishing the soup, everyone went to bed early.
But they had only just lain down when there was a sudden, urgent knocking at the courtyard gate.
Someone shouted from outside, "Something terrible has happened—open the door!"
