Zhou Zhijun slipped a small box into Chuntao's pocket, his heart giving a sudden thud.
She wanted to pull the thing out of her pocket and return it to him, but in broad daylight, afraid someone in the fields might see, she quickly lowered her head and hurried off, pulling the cart.
Zhou Zhijun didn't linger either, getting on his bicycle and heading home.
This brief encounter between the two was seen clearly by Zhou Pandi, who was cutting grass in the ditch.
Zhou Pandi was eighteen, not as fiery-tempered as her sister Zhou Zhaodi, but she was sharp and observant.
Zhou Zhijun had been helping the Wang family for four years, yet a few days ago Liu Cuilan had said he hadn't laid a finger on her. This had set Zhou Pandi's mind whirring.
If Zhou Zhijun wasn't "not a real man" as Liu Cuilan claimed, and he wasn't touching Liu Cuilan while still sincerely helping the Wang family, there could only be one reason—he fancied Li Chuntao.
She shared this thought with Zhou Zhaodi, but Zhou Zhaodi simply wouldn't believe it.
Just now, she had seen it plain as day: Zhou Zhijun stuffing something into Chuntao's pocket. They had been standing so close, their relationship clearly wasn't ordinary.
Zhou Pandi felt like she'd struck gold. With her grass basket only half-full, she rushed home in a hurry.
She tied the basket to the back of her bicycle and rode straight to the south fields.
Zhou Dana and his wife were picking cotton in the south fields with Zhou Zhaodi. Seeing Zhou Pandi ride up sweating and breathless, they all looked at her puzzled.
"Weren't you supposed to cut grass near home? What are you doing all the way out here?" Wang Jinzhi called out.
Zhou Pandi panted, "The grass near the village is all cut, it's no good!"
She propped her bike up at the edge of the field, then, basket on her arm and sickle in hand, sidled up to Zhou Zhaodi.
"Sis, guess what I saw?" Zhou Pandi pulled Zhou Zhaodi's arm, moving her forward a bit, and said mysteriously.
Zhou Zhaodi was still stewing over Zhou Zhijun throwing away her handkerchief. She shook off her sister's arm and snapped irritably, "I'm not guessing, I'm not in the mood!"
But Zhou Pandi wore a wide grin. "You'll regret it if you don't guess! I'm off to cut grass then!"
"You little brat, stop right there!"
Zhou Pandi halted and looked back at her. "Go on, guess!"
"I said I'm not guessing, just spit it out!" Zhou Zhaodi strode over in two steps, grabbing her sister's arm. "What games are you playing with me? Out with it!"
"If you want me to talk, shouldn't you butter me up a bit?" Zhou Pandi pointed at the watch on her sister's wrist. "Let me wear it for a couple of days!"
Zhou Zhaodi snorted and let go. "Suit yourself. I don't want to hear it anymore!"
"What I have to say is about Brother Zhijun. Sure you don't want to hear? Fine, I won't tell. Don't blame me later if you regret it!" Zhou Pandi dropped her smile, speaking seriously.
The moment Zhou Zhaodi heard "Zhou Zhijun," she perked right up. "Fine, I agree. Now hurry up and tell me!"
A smirk played on Zhou Pandi's lips. She leaned close to her sister's ear and recounted what she had just seen, adding plenty of her own embellishments.
As she listened, Zhou Zhaodi's dark, plump face flushed a deep purplish-red.
It had never crossed her mind that Zhou Zhijun might like Li Chuntao. She was half-convinced, half-doubting of Zhou Pandi's words—ultimately, she simply didn't want to believe it from the bottom of her heart.
"What exactly did you see him give Li Chuntao?"
"I was too far away to see clearly. I just saw him stuff something into Chuntao's pocket!"
"What if he was just passing something along for her?"
"Sis, what the thing is doesn't matter! I saw them standing so close together; their relationship is definitely not normal!"
"Alright, I get it. Go cut your grass."
Just as Zhou Pandi was about to leave, Zhou Zhaodi called her back, slipping the watch off her own wrist and handing it over. "Here, wear it for two days!
Listen, from now on, whether you're cutting grass or tending the cattle, keep your eyes peeled. If you see anything, you tell me right away!"
If Zhou Zhijun and Li Chuntao really were up to something, she'd catch them red-handed sooner or later and make sure Li Chuntao could never show her face in the village again.
Chuntao and Wang Xiaohong were loading watermelons in the field when Zhou Zhijun came over to help again. By the time they had hauled all the last harvest of melons home, it was already late afternoon.
Chuntao didn't rest for a moment, picking up a sickle to start cutting down the watermelon vines.
She was thinking she'd go home tomorrow to bring her grandmother some watermelons and ask her brother if he had time to come plow the melon patch.
In previous years, Zhou Zhijun had always helped with the plowing, but this year she didn't want to trouble him anymore.
She planned to leave this field fallow for spring planting. Come next spring, she'd sow corn. When the ears were ready, she could haul them to the market to sell.
Zhou Zhijun also went home, fetched a sickle, and came back to help cut the vines. They worked until dark, only finishing half.
"Sister-in-law, when are we taking down the melon shed?" With the harvest over, the shed should be dismantled.
Once the shed was gone, Wang Xiaohong could squeeze in with Zhou Hongxia, but Chuntao didn't want to share a room with Wang Jieshi.
It had been four years since their wedding, and he had run off on their wedding night. Now, the two of them were practically strangers.
Just the thought of sharing a room and a bed with him made Chuntao feel terribly awkward.
"Let's leave the melon shed up for a couple more days! It's cooler sleeping out here." Wang Xiaohong understood Chuntao's feelings and didn't press, simply nodding with an "Mhm."
Wang Jieshi had been back for almost a month now. At night, it had been Wang Xiaoming sharing his room, helping him to the outhouse.
Wang Xiaohong figured that since Wang Xiaoming would be starting school soon anyway, he might as well look after his brother until then.
By that time, her brother would be able to manage the outhouse with a cane, and moving back to the house wouldn't require Chuntao to attend to his every need.
Wang Xiaohong was tending the fire while Chuntao manned the wok. The two were cooking in the kitchen when Liu Cuilan and Wang Haichao returned, followed by Wang Haichao's three younger brothers.
Without a word, the men stuffed two sacks with watermelons, hoisted them onto their shoulders, and started to leave.
Seeing this, Wang Xiaohong immediately chased after them. "What are you doing? Acting like bandits!"
Liu Cuilan had already taken plenty of melons from the field for them. Now, after they had painstakingly hauled the watermelons home, these people helped themselves without any courtesy.
"They're just a few measly watermelons! Your Uncle Hailong and the others have helped me out plenty lately!" Liu Cuilan said.
Wang Xiaohong's face fell as she retorted, "They haven't gone short of melons from the field either! Do you think growing these is easy? It's one thing for you to eat them yourself, but giving them to outsiders?"
Liu Cuilan was already angry that Wang Xiaohong hadn't given her any money. Hearing this, her eyes flashed with fury.
Wang Haichao quickly pulled her aside and said in a low voice, "She's just a kid who doesn't know any better. Why should you, a grown-up, take it to heart?"
After dinner, Wang Xiaohong grabbed a flashlight and, pulling Chuntao along, was about to head to the melon field when Liu Cuilan stopped her. "Where are you off to again?"
Wang Xiaohong ignored her and kept walking.
Liu Cuilan's temper flared again. "You stop right there! How dare you? I'm talking to you!"
"We're going to the melon field," Wang Xiaohong replied coldly.
"The harvest is over. What's there to do at the melon field?"
"Sleep!"
"You can go squeeze in with Hongxia! Once the new house is built, there'll be room!"
"I'm not going. Always sleeping at other people's houses, just causing trouble!"
"If you don't want to cause trouble, then hand over the money. We'll build the new house sooner and have a place to stay!"
So that's what this was about! Wang Xiaohong said nothing more, simply taking Chuntao's hand and walking straight out.
Zhou Zhijun squatted by his own front door, smoking. Seeing the two women head back to the melon field, his heart began to itch.
It felt like it had been ages since he'd had a taste of those "steamed buns," and the craving was unbearable.
But that girl Wang Xiaohong was always stuck to Chuntao like glue, and he could never find the right moment.
Besides enjoying those "soft, white buns," there was something else he wanted even more to do. Chuntao had already agreed, they just needed to find a safe, discreet place.
