Hearing the voice, Zhou Zhijun's footsteps halted abruptly.
Zhou Zhaodi had already walked up to him, her dark, plump face showing an unnatural shyness.
Her usual boisterous personality was completely gone. Moonlight shone on her face, giving it a faint red glow.
She scratched her head, then suddenly looked up at Zhou Zhijun's face. "Brother Zhijun, thank you for saving me..."
She wanted to say more, but Zhou Zhijun cut her off. "What's there to thank? We're from the same village. I'm leaving!"
His voice was cold and hard, offering no extra words. He lifted his leg to walk away.
Zhou Zhaodi quickly chased after him. "Brother Zhijun, I have something to tell you!"
"What is it?"
Zhou Zhaodi didn't speak. Instead, she suddenly pulled something from her pocket, stuffed it into Zhou Zhijun's pocket, turned, and ran home.
Zhou Zhijun stood frozen on the spot. He put his hand in his pocket and felt a neatly folded handkerchief. His brow furrowed.
His already tense face grew even colder and harder, a wave of impatience flashing through his heart.
He and Zhou Zhaodi had grown up together. He knew exactly what kind of person she was.
She had a fiery temper, cursed like it was drinking water, and fought like a reckless boy. She didn't have a bit of femininity. He, Zhou Zhijun, was not interested.
Instead, his mind conjured up the image of that delicate, lovely young woman—Li Chuntao.
She was the one he cherished in his heart, the one he treasured most in this life.
He thought again of that blood-stained coarse cloth, the memento she had left behind. He couldn't bear to wash it and kept it hidden under his pillow.
Every night, he would take it out to examine it carefully, gently stroking it, as if she were there beside him. Only then could he fall asleep peacefully.
In his dreams, his desire for her was insatiable. She didn't resist; she was happy with whatever he did.
Just thinking of her, of those wonderful dreams, made the fire in his body surge upward.
Zhou Zhijun suppressed the restlessness in his heart. Seeing no one around, he finally took the handkerchief from his pocket.
He only pinched its corner with his fingertips, his eyes cold and devoid of any warmth.
Thinking of Chuntao made this object seem even more offensive to his sight. He casually tossed it beside a straw pile and walked away without looking back.
Meanwhile, Zhou Zhaodi ran back home, her heart pounding like a drum.
She wondered what Zhou Zhijun's reaction would be when he saw the handkerchief. The more she thought about it, the redder her face became, her dark complexion flushing a deep purple.
"Sis!"
Lost in her thoughts, she heard Zhou Pandi's voice from behind. "Sis, where did you go just now? Running outside in the pitch dark!"
"Nowhere special, I just went for a walk!" Zhou Zhaodi said evasively.
Zhou Pandi also knew her sister liked Zhou Zhijun, but she felt the situation was hopeless.
"Sis, that Liu Cuilan said Brother Zhijun isn't a real man. He helped her family for four years and didn't lay a finger on her!"
"Nonsense! You believe what Liu Cuilan says? He didn't touch her because he didn't fancy her!"
Zhou Zhaodi rushed to defend him. "Brother Zhijun has a strong, sturdy build. How could he not be a real man?"
Zhou Pandi was still worried. "Then does Brother Zhijun have someone he likes?"
Hearing this, Zhou Zhaodi jerked her head up, the flesh on her face trembling slightly. "Who does he like?"
"Sis, I'm just guessing, but I feel like he cares a lot about Li Chuntao!"
Zhou Zhaodi immediately became agitated. "Impossible! Li Chuntao is a jinx. She brought misfortune to her father-in-law and drove her husband away. Wang Jieshi was crippled because of her! How could Brother Zhijun like her?
Besides, she has a husband. She's over ten years older than Brother Zhijun. How is that possible? Don't talk nonsense anymore!"
Zhou Pandi pouted indignantly. "Sis, I'm not talking nonsense!"
Lately, I always see Brother Zhijun helping Li Chuntao sell watermelons every day. If he didn't like her, why would he go to such trouble?"
"Brother Zhijun is kind-hearted. Didn't he help Liu Cuilan before too? And he didn't lay a finger on her either!" Zhou Zhaodi stated with certainty.
As the two sisters were whispering, their mother, Wang Jinzhi, lifted the door curtain and entered the room. "What are you two chattering about here? Go drink your soup!"
Zhou Pandi glanced at Zhou Zhaodi and didn't dare to speak.
Zhou Zhaodi, however, didn't hold back and asked bluntly, "Mom, what did Aunt Zhou say about the message I asked you to pass on the other day?"
"What could she say? Your Aunt Zhou also hopes Zhijun will start a family soon, to settle a big worry!"
Feeling more assured, Zhou Zhaodi thought about first currying favor with Aunt Zhou, getting her to help persuade Zhou Zhijun.
But before she could put her plan into action, the very next day she saw Zhou Zhimin's eldest daughter, Zhou Xiaoying, working in the fields. The handkerchief she used to wipe her sweat was the very one she had stuffed into Zhou Zhijun's pocket!
Zhou Zhaodi walked up to Zhou Xiaoying in a few steps and asked directly, "Xiaoying, where did you get this handkerchief?"
Zhou Xiaoying was taken aback, her eyes darting away as she didn't tell the truth. "I, I bought it on the street!"
Her family was poor. They usually didn't even have decent clothes, let alone money for a handkerchief. She had found it beside a straw pile while going to the fields.
Could it be Zhou Zhaodi's? Zhou Xiaoying panicked inwardly, but she refused to admit it. Many handkerchiefs were sold on the street; she was sure the other couldn't prove otherwise.
"Bought it? Let me see!"
Zhou Xiaoying felt guilty but forced herself to appear calm, handing over the handkerchief.
Zhou Zhaodi spread it open and looked carefully. Her face instantly changed color. "Xiaoying, you're not telling the truth! This handkerchief is the one I lost, not one you bought!"
She pointed to a corner of the handkerchief. "Look, this is my name, embroidered by my own hand!"
Zhou Xiaoying leaned in to look and saw two crooked characters. She genuinely didn't know what they were. "Wh-what characters?"
"That's my name! Where exactly did you pick it up?"
"What's going on here?" Huang Meili walked over, carrying a basket of grass, with Zhou Zhimin following behind, a hoe on his shoulder.
Zhou Zhaodi shot Huang Meili a glance, her tone unfriendly. "My handkerchief was lost, and Xiaoying found it. I'm taking it back!" After saying this, she clenched the handkerchief and walked away.
Zhou Xiaoying's eyes reddened with anger. She stamped her foot and shouted, "I found it! Why should I give it to her?"
Huang Meili shot a glare at Zhou Zhaodi's retreating back, snorted coldly, and said with a curl of her lip, "What kind of person is that! How old is she, still living with her parents? I think she just can't get married!"
Zhou Zhimin shot her a stern look and said in a low voice, "What business is it of yours if she lives with her parents? She's not eating your food or drinking your water!"
Just as Huang Meili was about to retort, she caught sight of Zhou Zhijun out of the corner of her eye. He was pulling a cartload of watermelons, with Wang Xiaohong following behind helping to push the cart.
"Look, isn't that Second Brother? He really has no memory! Still helping Liu Cuilan's family sell watermelons!"
Huang Meili pursed her lips, her tone full of dissatisfaction. "What does he get out of it? I really can't understand!"
Zhou Zhimin also had opinions about his second brother always helping Liu Cuilan's family, but he didn't dare say anything.
Zhou Zhijun's cold face even made their eldest brother, Zhou Zhiguo, wary, let alone him. "If you can't understand it, then don't think about it. Taking good care of our own land is better than anything!"
Over the years, seeing Zhou Zhijun devote himself wholeheartedly to Liu Cuilan's family, contributing both effort and money, Huang Meili had long felt resentful. She was always thinking of ways to take advantage of Zhou Zhijun.
She would casually borrow rice, flour, oil, and salt, and never return them.
For repairing the house or buying piglets, she would also always borrow money from Zhou Zhijun. Whenever Zhou Zhijun had money, he never refused her, yet Huang Meili was still unsatisfied.
Suddenly, her eyes lit up. An idea popped into her mind. She nudged Zhou Zhimin with her elbow, looked around to see no one was at the edge of the field, and dragged him away.
Zhou Zhimin looked utterly bewildered. "Go where? We haven't finished weeding this half-acre plot yet!"
"Let the two girls do it!" Huang Meili said with a serious expression. "I have something important to discuss with you!"
"What's so secretive?"
"Our second brother is already forty. He'll probably never marry or have children in this lifetime. We need to find someone in advance to care for him in his old age and handle his funeral arrangements!"
According to rural custom, if Zhou Zhijun were to adopt a child, it should be the youngest son of their eldest brother, Zhou Zhiguo—little Zhou Xiaobao.
Zhou Zhimin said offhandedly, "Why look? Isn't Xiaobao the obvious choice?"
"Xiaobao is only six, what does he know about caring for the elderly? I think he's just waiting to inherit Second Brother's property!"
Huang Meili pursed her lips. "I think Xiaomei is the most suitable! She's twelve this year and can handle both fieldwork and housework.
If she's adopted, she can help her grandmother with cooking and laundry, plus she can work in the fields. What a bargain!"
