The door was yanked open with a loud bang, startling the people outside into taking a synchronized step backward.
When Shi Yanhua saw Zhou Zhijun’s face, dark enough to drip water, she hurriedly pasted on an awkward smile. Even her voice was shaky. “Brother Zhijun…”
Lin Chun stepped forward, his eyes narrowing, his tone hard as stone. “You have to go to the commune clinic for sterilization! No more putting it off!”
They were here for Chuntao. Zhou Zhijun knew that better than anyone.
But no one was going to lay a hand on his wife. Absolutely not.
Zhou Zhijun stepped out of the house and gently pulled the door shut behind him. There wasn’t a trace of panic on his face. He merely said, “What’s the rush? I’ll go with you after I finish eating.”
He deliberately emphasized the word “I.”
If someone had to go, it would be him. No one was going to touch his wife.
With that, he turned around and went to the outhouse, then returned to the kitchen to scoop up some water, brush his teeth, and wash his face. He moved at an unhurried pace, making the people waiting in the courtyard feel increasingly uneasy.
Aunt Zhou had already prepared breakfast. Everyone else had eaten, and the sisters Zhou Zhicai and Zhou Zhiduo had already left.
Aunt Zhou filled a bowl with stewed vegetables and meat, placed a steamed bun beside it, and set them on the table. In a low voice, she asked, “Is Tao awake?”
“She’s exhausted. Let her sleep a little longer.”
Zhou Zhijun said it so calmly, as though he were commenting on the weather.
But Aunt Zhou began to worry about Chuntao. The night before, she had gotten up to use the outhouse and heard quite a commotion from the north room.
With Zhou Zhijun’s build and Chuntao’s tiny frame, how could she possibly have withstood it?
No wonder she had slept until broad daylight. Before this, she had always been up early.
“All right.” Aunt Zhou glanced toward the courtyard. The family-planning officials were standing there, their expressions grim. Her heart sank.
It looked as if there was no escaping the sterilization this time.
Zhou Zhijun had just opened his mouth when Shi Yanhua came hurrying over to the kitchen entrance.
“Brother Zhijun, where’s Chuntao? The commune officials are very busy. We can’t keep them waiting too long!”
Without even looking up, Zhou Zhijun bit into his steamed bun and replied in a voice cold enough to sting. “If they’re willing to wait, let them wait. If they aren’t, the gate’s behind them.”
Shi Yanhua’s face stiffened. She didn’t dare provoke him, so she softened her voice and tried to persuade him.
“Brother Zhijun, don’t make things difficult for us. Wake Chuntao up. This is government policy. There’s no getting around it. The sooner it’s done, the sooner everyone can rest easy!”
Zhou Zhijun acted as if he hadn’t heard her, eating slowly, one bite at a time.
Afraid the situation would turn ugly, Aunt Zhou quickly tried to smooth things over. “Once he finishes eating, we’ll go right away!”
Shi Yanhua was unwilling to give up. She turned toward the north room and was just about to call out when the door creaked open.
Chuntao walked out, fully dressed, a lingering flush still coloring her cheeks.
The moment she saw the unfamiliar commune officials in the courtyard, her face flared hot. In all the years she had lived in Wangjia Village, this was the latest she had ever gotten up. Embarrassed, she didn’t dare raise her head, keeping her eyes fixed on the ground as she made her way toward the kitchen.
Zhou Zhijun raised his eyes, and his gaze immediately softened.
“Well, look who finally decided to get up.” Shi Yanhua stepped aside. “Hurry and eat. Afterward, go to the clinic and get sterilized. Then you can live peacefully without worrying anymore!”
Aunt Zhou hurriedly served her a bowl of food.
Zhou Zhijun immediately set down his own bowl and chopsticks. First, he scooped out water for her to wash her face, then squeezed toothpaste onto her toothbrush and handed it to her. Every movement was natural and thoughtful.
They had been at it too intensely the night before, and Chuntao’s legs were still weak. But she didn’t dare go back to sleep.
She had gotten up far too late, and outsiders would only gossip.
What worried her even more was the possibility that Zhou Zhijun might really go through with the sterilization. He had said he’d asked a doctor and that it would be fine, but her heart still refused to settle.
According to the villagers, a man who underwent sterilization would lose his strength, become useless, and no longer be a real man.
What if something truly happened to him? With the old and the young depending on him, how would the whole family survive?
“Tao, sit down.” Aunt Zhou brought the food to the table, and Zhou Zhijun casually pulled a chair closer to her.
Chuntao was starving—her stomach was growling—but even with the bowl in her hands, she couldn’t swallow a single bite.
Thinking she was afraid of the procedure, Aunt Zhou gently reassured her. “Don’t be scared. Rest at the hospital for a few days. Come home after you’ve recovered.”
Zhou Zhijun reached out and gave her back a gentle pat, his voice soft and soothing. “You stay home and look after the children. I’ll go. Once it’s done, I’ll come right back.”
“No! I’ll go!” Chuntao suddenly raised her head, her eyes red. “You still have to work on the reservoir. How are you supposed to do heavy labor after surgery?
“You’re the backbone of this family. If something happens to you, what will happen to all of us?”
At those words, Aunt Zhou froze, her eyes widening.
Only then did she understand—Zhou Zhijun intended to undergo the sterilization himself?
Throughout Wangjia Village, even across the entire commune, hardly any men had ever done such a thing.
The village elders all said that once a man was sterilized, he would lose his strength, his back would fail him, he wouldn’t be able to do heavy work, and even his manhood would be ruined.
Aunt Zhou’s heart leapt into her throat.
She felt sorry for Chuntao. She had only recently given birth to twins, and the delivery had been so difficult that she had nearly lost her life.
It had barely been a month since then. How could she possibly withstand another operation? What if she ended up like her eldest daughter-in-law, Wang Haiying, left with a lifelong illness that made her stomach ache whenever the weather turned cold or rainy?
But she was even more afraid something would happen to Zhou Zhijun. He was the one holding the entire family together. If he truly collapsed, the whole household would be finished.
“Zhijun!” Aunt Zhou’s voice trembled, and her eyes reddened. “Your mother knows you love your wife, but a man getting sterilized really isn’t a good idea! What if it damages your health? What will happen to this family?”
Chuntao was about to speak, but Zhou Zhijun cut her off. “Ma, I asked the doctor. It really won’t hurt me. It won’t keep me from working or affect anything else.”
As he spoke, he stuffed half a steamed bun into Chuntao’s hand. “Eat some. You’re not getting enough nourishment, and the twins will suffer too.”
Clutching the bun, Chuntao suddenly stood up. Her voice trembled, but her resolve was unshakable.
“I’ve eaten enough. I’ll go with them and get sterilized.”
“Sit down!” Zhou Zhijun grabbed her by the arm. His tone was firm and left no room for argument. “I’ve made up my mind about this.
“You’re weak and can’t withstand the ordeal. My body is as tough as iron. One little operation won’t do anything to me.”
“Brother Zhijun…” Tears nearly spilled from Chuntao’s eyes. “I know you’re worried about me, but what if—”
“There are no what-ifs.” Zhou Zhijun cut her off. “Nothing will happen to me.”
Aunt Zhou was frantic, her eyes red. “How are you going to work on the reservoir after surgery?”
“I can handle it. I’ll be fine!”
Zhou Zhijun gently pulled Chuntao behind him and strode out into the courtyard.
The people waiting outside had long since grown impatient. Lin Chun was just about to speak, but when he saw Zhou Zhijun come out, he swallowed the words.
Zhou Zhijun swept his gaze over them. His voice wasn’t loud, but his resolve was unmistakable.
“Let’s go. I’ll get sterilized.”
The moment they heard him, everyone froze.
A crowd of villagers had already gathered outside the gate to watch the spectacle.
When they heard Zhou Zhijun say that he was going to be sterilized, they could hardly believe their ears and edged closer to the entrance.
A man getting sterilized?
He would be the first in the entire history of Wangjia Village!
Shi Yanhua stood stunned for a long moment before finally recovering. She stepped forward with a frown.
“Brother Zhijun, you—you’re serious? You’re going to get sterilized?”
Zhou Zhijun ignored her and headed straight out.
Still uneasy, Lin Chun hurried after him and said coldly, “I’m warning you, don’t even think about trying anything today. You have to go through with it!”
Zhou Zhijun let out a cold laugh. “I’m going voluntarily. Isn’t that good enough?”
“Brother Zhijun!” Chuntao chased him to the gate, her heart clenched tight. “I’ll go with you!”
“You stay home and look after the children. You still have to nurse them.” Zhou Zhijun didn’t even turn his head.
Aunt Zhou came running out as fast as her legs could carry her. From a distance, she spotted Zhou Xiaowei and shouted, “Xiaowei! Hurry home and get your father! Tell him to go with your Second Uncle to the clinic!”
When Zhou Zhiguo heard that Zhou Zhijun was going to be sterilized for Chuntao, he was deeply shocked. But knowing there was no way to talk him out of it, he could only go along.
Before long, word of Zhou Zhijun’s sterilization had spread to every nook and cranny of Wangjia Village.
Some praised him for loving his wife and said he was a real man.
Others cursed him for being a fool who was willing to ruin himself.
Most people were simply waiting to see him make a fool of himself.
Zhou Zhaodi was still in confinement after giving birth when Zhou Pandi came by and told her the whole story, adding plenty of embellishments.
The moment Zhou Zhaodi heard, her face twisted with rage. Gritting her teeth, she cursed, “That shameless slut! What a little vixen! She’s bewitched her husband so completely that he doesn’t even care about his own body!”
Zhou Pandi leaned close to her ear, her voice dripping with malice. “Sis, just wait and see. A man getting sterilized—that damages him at the very root. Once Zhou Zhijun’s health collapses, we’ll see who’s still there to protect her. Li Chun Tao will have no choice but to live as a widow in all but name!”
