Wang Xiaoming was nothing more than a reckless young punk who didn’t know his own limits, yet he had the nerve to challenge Village Party Secretary Zhou Dana. Every villager watching felt a chill of worry for him.
From within the crowd, one of Wang Xiaoming’s clansmen slowly pushed his way forward. He reached out and gently tugged at Wang Xiaoming’s arm, hoping to pull him aside.
But Wang Xiaoming’s body suddenly went rigid. Both hands clamped tightly around the edge of the table, his knuckles turning white. His feet seemed nailed to the ground, and he did not budge an inch.
“Don’t pull me! I’m not leaving!”
His voice was full of stubborn defiance. “Today, I’m going to settle my family’s account once and for all! If it isn’t cleared up, I’m not going anywhere!”
Zhou Dana stood to the side, his face dark and heavy, as though a storm were about to break. Even so, he maintained the air of authority expected of a village secretary.
He lifted his eyes and swept them over the villagers before shouting in his official-sounding tone, “Men and women of the village, everyone knows the situation in Wang Xiaoming’s family. Liu Cuilan broke the law and went to prison, so according to village regulations, her land should be taken back by the collective.
“Wang Xiaoming is blocking the distribution of the compensation money, wasting the time of the entire village. Tell me, is what he’s doing right?”
With a single sentence, he cast Wang Xiaoming as the enemy of the whole village.
The villagers all understood the situation perfectly. Quite a few of them felt that their own compensation had been shortchanged as well, but no one dared say a word.
Wang Xiaoming’s eyes reddened. He stiffened his neck and refused to back down. “I’m not wasting anyone’s time! I just want my family’s money back! My mother may have gone to prison, but my family hasn’t died out. Why should our land be confiscated just because you say so?
“And Wang Haichao’s share originally belonged to our family too. You have to give that to me as well!”
The more he spoke, the more stubborn he became. His face flushed bright red, even his ears burning.
Zhou Dana’s brows drew together slightly. He tried to soften his tone. “Xiaoming, you’re still young. You don’t understand the village policies. I won’t hold it against you. Take the money and go home. Stop making a scene here.”
“I don’t understand the policies? But I do understand that my family’s compensation belongs to me!”
Wang Xiaoming gripped the edge of the table with all his might, stubborn as a mule. “If you don’t settle the account with me today, I’m not leaving!”
A flicker of impatience passed through Zhou Dana’s eyes, but he still had to preserve the dignity of his position. Without looking at Wang Xiaoming again, he merely ordered, “Zhang Dongsheng, keep reading the names and handing out the money.”
Zhang Dongsheng was just about to speak when Wang Xiaoming stepped in front of the table again.
“No one’s handing out anything! You haven’t explained my family’s account. You can’t just brush us off like this!”
This time, Zhou Dana’s expression turned completely cold. He looked toward the two team leaders standing nearby and ordered in a low voice, “You two, pull Wang Xiaoming away. Don’t let him cause trouble here and hold everyone up!”
The two men immediately came forward, one grabbing Wang Xiaoming’s arm from each side.
Wang Xiaoming struggled desperately, his face flushed and his neck bulging as he shouted, “I’m just asking you to settle the account!”
The villagers began whispering among themselves again. In their hearts, they all felt Wang Xiaoming had a point, but none of them dared offend Zhou Dana.
Zhou Xiaowei sat beside the table, his palms slick with sweat. He wanted to step forward and say something, but he didn’t dare move.
Huang Meili stood toward the back of the crowd, staring unblinkingly at Zhou Dana, her lips curled in contempt.
She cursed him silently: Zhou Dana, you old bastard. You’ve been lining your own pockets with village money for years. Someone ought to stand up to you!
The more you throw your weight around, the harder you’ll fall in the end.
I’m in no hurry. I’ll just sit back and enjoy the show.
The two men dragged Wang Xiaoming toward the entrance. He fought to pull himself backward, both hands clinging desperately to the edge of the table.
“I’m not leaving… My family’s account still hasn’t been settled…”
Zhou Dana stood where he was, his face livid with rage. For a long while, he did not say a word.
While Wang Xiaoming was making a huge commotion at the brigade headquarters, Wang Xiaohong was washing dishes in the kitchen.
After tidying everything up and feeding the family sow, she leisurely made her way toward the brigade headquarters.
Before she even entered the courtyard, she heard the uproar inside. Her heart tightened, and she quickened her pace.
The moment she stepped into the brigade courtyard, she saw the two team leaders tugging at Wang Xiaoming while he shouted at the top of his lungs, “My family’s compensation belongs to me!”
Wang Xiaohong’s heart lurched. She hurriedly pushed through the crowd and rushed to the front.
“Xiaoming, what’s going on?”
Wang Xiaoming turned to her and shouted anxiously, “Sis, they’ve withheld our compensation!”
Zhou Dana had long been lining his own pockets with public funds. The compensation for the land taken for the oil well was no small amount, so he was sure to skim a hefty sum from it. It was as obvious as lice on a bald head—plain for everyone to see. The only reason no one said it out loud was that no one dared.
Zhou Dana was the village Party secretary, and he ruled the place with an iron hand. Everyone understood the truth that an arm could never beat a thigh.
Wang Xiaoming was straightforward by nature, and he had actually confronted Zhou Dana in front of everyone, making him lose face. From now on, Zhou Dana would surely find ways to make things difficult for him and trip him up.
Wang Xiaohong was furious enough to grind her teeth, but instead of joining Wang Xiaoming in making a scene, she stepped forward and pulled at him.
“What nonsense are you talking about? Everyone’s land measurements and compensation amounts are recorded clearly. How could anyone have withheld your money? Come on, get out to the fields and work!”
Seeing Wang Xiaohong come to take him away, the two team leaders released their grip.
“Xiaoming, go to the fields with your sister. Stop causing trouble here!”
“Exactly. With all this time, you could have hoed a few more rows!”
Wang Xiaoming shook off Wang Xiaohong’s hand and said indignantly, “Our money was withheld! If you don’t believe me, look at the ledger!”
Wang Xiaohong glanced at the few crumpled bills clutched in his hand, snatched them away, and stuffed them into her own pocket.
“I don’t have time to look at it. Come on, get out to the fields!”
Wang Xiaoming was about to make another fuss when, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Aunt Zhou in the crowd. She was looking at him and gently shaking her head, signaling him not to keep arguing.
Aunt Zhou had eaten more salt than he had rice. She was experienced and far-sighted. Seeing her gesture, Wang Xiaoming finally stopped insisting. He held his neck stiffly as Wang Xiaohong pulled him away.
When they passed Aunt Zhou, she gave him a slight nod.
“The work in the fields won’t wait. Hurry up and get out there.”
Wang Xiaoming left, but the knot in his heart remained firmly in place.
Watching the siblings walk away, Zhou Dana let out a heavy sigh.
After that, they called Old Man Zhou’s name. Aunt Zhou collected the pitifully small amount of money allotted to her and went home.
The oil well had not taken any of her family’s actual farmland. Only a small strip along the edge had been occupied to build the road. Even so, they should have received far more than a mere ten-odd yuan. It was obvious that Zhou Dana had pocketed the rest.
She was not the sort of person willing to swallow an injustice in silence. But after living all these years, she understood better than anyone how to read the situation and where to draw the line.
People might get away with things for a while, but Heaven was watching. Sooner or later, Zhou Dana would have to repay every shameful deed he had committed and every ill-gotten penny he had pocketed.
When Aunt Zhou returned home, Chuntao was sitting in the room. She had just lifted Jianshe out of bed, and the little boy was burrowing eagerly into her arms.
“He’s awake?”
“Just woke up!”
Chuntao held Jianshe while helping him relieve himself, then sat back down on the stool and breastfed him.
Aunt Zhou tucked the ten-odd yuan she had just collected into Chuntao’s pocket.
“This is the subsidy for the strip of land by our field. Keep it and spend it. Buy whatever you need.”
Chuntao didn’t handle the household finances, but she had never been short of spending money.
The day Zhou Zhijun left to help repair the reservoir, she had stuffed the more than twenty yuan she had saved into his hands. Unexpectedly, he had quietly put it back into her pocket.
Chuntao had kept the money aside, intending to mail it to Zhou Zhijun. But she didn’t know his exact address and was afraid that even if she sent it, he might not receive it.
“Ma, I’ve got money in my pocket. You keep it for yourself,” Chuntao said, pulling out the bills and holding them back out to Aunt Zhou.
But Aunt Zhou waved her hand and refused to take them. “Keep it. Now that the weather’s warming up, buy yourself a couple of new outfits.”
“Grandma! Second Aunt!”
A bright, clear voice came from the gate. Aunt Zhou and Chuntao looked up at the same time.
“Hongxia!” Aunt Zhou cried, both startled and delighted, and hurried toward the gate.
Chuntao rose as well, carrying Jianshe, and followed her.
Aunt Zhou reached the gate first. But when she saw the person walking behind Zhou Hongxia, her pupils suddenly contracted, and her brows and eyes filled with unmistakable delight.
