The sound of footsteps and voices coming from the courtyard told Chuntao at once that it was the village Party secretary, Zhou Dana. In an instant, all the exhaustion drained from her body.
She quietly laid Nuannuan on the bed, carefully tucked the thin quilt around her, then stood beside the bed, straining to hear what was happening outside.
“Zhijun, I went to the commune for a meeting today. They specifically asked me to pass word to you: the reservoir construction can’t be delayed any longer. You need to set out as soon as possible!”
Zhou Dana entered the room. Seeing the tension on Zhou Zhijun’s face, his tone softened despite himself.
Zhou Zhijun knew perfectly well that sending him off to work on the reservoir was nothing but Zhou Dana making things difficult for him. But the commune had already made its decision; there was no changing it.
“I know,” he said.
Holding Jianshe in his arms as he sat in a chair, he did not move. His eyes never left the child’s fair, plump little face, brimming with a love too deep to conceal.
He did not even look up at Zhou Dana. Awkwardly, Zhou Dana shifted his gaze away from him and toward the exquisitely pretty child in his arms.
“This little fellow is sturdy as can be—such a fine, strong boy,” he said, forcing a smile.
Zhou Zhijun did not respond. Reaching out his large hand, he gently flicked Jianshe’s soft, pale cheek.
“You little rascal—while your father’s away, you’d better listen to your mother.”
Just then, Aunt Zhou came out of the kitchen carrying two bowls of egg tea.
When she entered the main room, she looked at Zhou Dana. “Zhijun has only just returned from the clinic. His wound hasn’t even healed yet. No matter what, he ought to rest for a few more days before he goes.”
The others assigned to the reservoir project had left long ago. Zhou Zhijun had already put it off for a month; another three or five days would not make much difference.
Out of consideration for Wu Mingwei, the commune committee had not pressed him about it.
But Zhou Dana could not wait any longer. He was holding on to the compensation money for land taken over by the oil field, and people in the village had already begun whispering that he intended to pocket it.
And then there was that woman, Shi Yanhua, coming around every other day to demand money. He wanted to distribute the money as quickly as possible and be done with the trouble.
In truth, no one outside knew exactly how much compensation the oil field had paid.
He planned to keep half for himself, then distribute the rest among the villagers according to how much land each household had lost.
Since nobody knew the total amount, he was not afraid of the villagers making a fuss. The one person he feared was Zhou Zhijun.
Zhou Zhijun was upright by nature and could not tolerate the slightest wrongdoing. If he discovered anything suspicious, he would never let it go. That was why Zhou Dana was so eager to send him away.
At the commune meeting that day, he had deliberately stopped by the committee office and pretended to inquire about Zhou Zhijun’s assignment to the reservoir project. Only then had the committee staff asked him to deliver the message.
Aunt Zhou set one bowl of egg tea on the square table in the main room and carried the other into the inner room.
The moment she entered, she saw Chuntao standing beside the bed in a daze. A mist of tears clouded her bright black eyes. It was obvious that she was worrying over Zhou Zhijun.
“Chuntao, drink the egg tea.”
Although Chuntao had already finished her month of postpartum confinement, Aunt Zhou still cared for her as though she were still in confinement, never letting the supply of eggs run out.
“I don’t want it. Give it to Brother Zhijun,” Chuntao said, refusing to take the bowl. Her heart ached for her husband, who had taken a knife wound for her, and she wanted him to build up his strength.
“There’s some for him too. You drink it!” Aunt Zhou said, leaving no room for argument as she pressed the bowl into Chuntao’s hands.
When Aunt Zhou came out of the inner room, Zhou Dana had not yet left.
As she took Jianshe from Zhou Zhijun’s arms, she urged him, “Drink your egg tea.”
Once she had the grandson settled securely in her arms, she looked up at Zhou Dana. Her tone grew firm. “If the commune officials don’t agree, they can come talk to me themselves.
“Zhijun just had surgery to comply with the family-planning policy. No matter what, he has to stay until his wound heals before he leaves!”
Zhou Dana gave a soft cough and said awkwardly, “You’re right about that, but Zhijun has already put it off for so long…”
Zhou Zhijun didn’t touch the bowl of egg tea. When he saw Old Man Zhou returning from the fields with a hoe over his shoulder, he immediately carried the bowl into the kitchen and divided the egg tea between two bowls.
He handed one bowl to Old Man Zhou and carried the other to the north room.
“Ma, I’ll hold him.” He set the bowl on the table, reached out, and took Jianshe from Aunt Zhou’s arms. “Ma, you eat the egg tea.”
With that, he carried Jianshe out the door without looking back.
“Zhijun, where are you going?” Aunt Zhou called after him.
“Just out for a walk.”
Seeing Zhou Zhijun leave, Zhou Dana’s eyes flickered with complicated emotions. He looked at Aunt Zhou and said, “Have Zhijun set out as soon as possible.” Then he clasped his hands behind his back and walked away glumly.
Carrying Jianshe, Zhou Zhijun planned to visit Zhou Zhiguo’s family.
Halfway there, he ran into Wang Qingshan, who was carrying a bundle of grass home.
When he saw Zhou Zhijun, Wang Qingshan called out sullenly, “Brother Zhijun.”
But his eyes darted away uneasily, landing on the plump, chubby baby in Zhou Zhijun’s arms. His heart was filled with mixed emotions.
Chuntao was perfect in every way. She had even given birth to twins in a single pregnancy—a son and a daughter.
Then there was Zhou Zhaodi. Not only was she lazy and fond of gossip, but she was also barren in the most important sense, having given birth only to a daughter—a money-loser, as people said.
She was already over thirty. No one could say for certain whether she would ever be able to conceive again.
Although Wang Qingshan had never wanted to touch her from the bottom of his heart, the Wang family still needed an heir. He thought he had to hurry and get Zhou Zhaodi pregnant.
Seeing him lost in thought, Zhou Zhijun had already guessed exactly what was on his mind. He gave a slight nod and continued toward Zhou Zhiguo’s house with Jianshe in his arms.
He was going away to work on the reservoir. With the old and the young at home, he simply couldn’t put his mind at ease.
He wanted to explain things to Zhou Zhiguo and the others and ask them to keep an eye on his family from time to time.
“Second Uncle!” When Zhou Xiaowei saw Zhou Zhijun approaching with Jianshe, he immediately ran out of the main room.
Zhou Zhiguo and Wang Haiying heard the commotion and came to the doorway as well.
“Second Brother, your health…” Zhou Zhiguo’s face was full of concern. “Why did you come out instead of resting at home?”
Wang Haiying hurriedly brought over a chair. “Sit down, sit down!”
As she spoke, she reached out to take Jianshe. “Come here, let your aunt hold you.”
Zhou Zhijun handed the child over and sat down in the chair.
Zhou Xiaobao ran in from outside. The moment he saw Little Jianshe, he was utterly delighted. Tugging on Wang Haiying’s clothes, he cried, “Ma, I want to hold my little brother!”
“No, you’re too little. You can’t hold him.”
Wang Haiying sat on the bench by the doorway, and mother and son played with Little Jianshe until he giggled brightly. His clear laughter filled the entire courtyard.
The men nearby couldn’t help looking over, smiles spreading across all their faces.
The next second, Zhou Zhiguo’s expression gradually darkened. He let out a sigh. “So there’s really no avoiding this reservoir project?”
“That’s exactly why I came. There’s no way to dodge it.
“After I leave, I’ll have to rely on you and Xiaowei to keep an eye on things at home and in the fields.”
“Second Uncle, don’t worry!” Zhou Xiaowei quickly promised. Then, indignation rising in his voice, he cursed, “It’s all that old fox Zhou Dana’s doing! He’s deliberately trying to screw you over! He wants to pocket the oil field compensation money and is afraid you’ll expose what he’s up to!”
Zhou Zhiguo nodded, his voice low. “When has Zhou Dana ever passed up a chance to profit? If he has power and doesn’t use it, it’ll go to waste.”
Then he shot Zhou Xiaowei a warning look. “It’s fine to say things like that at home, but don’t go talking carelessly outside.”
Zhou Dana was the village Party secretary, with a hand in everything large and small in the village. Zhou Zhiguo understood better than anyone that an arm could not twist a thigh.
But Zhou Xiaowei was young and hot-blooded, unwilling to accept it. “I’m only telling the truth!”
“Even the truth isn’t something you can say outside!” Zhou Zhiguo barked, cutting him off.
In Wang Family Village, Zhou Zhijun was the only one who dared to go head-to-head with Zhou Dana.
Zhou Dana hated him enough to grind his teeth, yet he still did not dare openly fall out with Zhou Zhijun.
Zhou Zhijun gave a light cough and said calmly, “No matter what Zhou Dana is plotting, I have to go.
“Heaven has seen all the things he’s done. Sooner or later, he’ll get what’s coming to him.”
“What people do, Heaven sees.” Zhou Zhiguo lit a pouch of homegrown tobacco and blew out a ring of smoke. “Just go without worry. Xiaowei and I will take care of the work in the fields. Don’t trouble yourself over anything at home.”
Wang Haiying appeared to be lowering her head and playing with the child, but her ears were pricked, catching every word they said.
Looking at Jianshe giggling in her arms, her heart suddenly sank.
Once Zhou Zhijun left, the main pillar of the household would be gone.
Chuntao had only recently finished her postpartum confinement. With a woman alone to look after a pair of babies still at the breast, the elderly and the young in the household... who knew whether those villagers with ill intentions would seize this opening to cause trouble?
