Zhang Dongsheng and the team leader ran barefoot, sweating profusely, their trouser legs splattered with mud. They finally caught up with Zhou Zhijun at the entrance to the township government compound.
“Zhijun, you—you’re going somewhere?” Zhang Dongsheng asked, bracing his hands on his knees and gulping for air. “We—we finally caught up with you!”
Zhou Zhijun’s brows drew together, and he came to an abrupt stop. When he turned around, his face had already darkened.
“Village chief, why are you chasing me?”
His tone was cold and hard. One sweep of his eyes over the two men was enough to reveal why they had come.
“Did the Party secretary send you?”
The team leader hurriedly nodded, then shook his head just as quickly, stammering and unwilling to say it outright.
Zhang Dongsheng steadied himself, straightened his back, and put on the air of a village chief.
“Zhijun, no. The Party secretary sent me to tell you that the riverbank contract will be put up for bidding tomorrow!”
“Bidding?” Zhou Zhijun let out a cold laugh, his gaze sharp as a knife. “That has nothing to do with me!”
“Aren’t you planning to take the riverbank contract? An open bid is the fairest way. It won’t hurt you.”
“The riverbank contract must be handled openly, fairly, and impartially. If anyone dares to play tricks behind the scenes, I, Zhou Zhijun, will be the first to object!”
Zuo Jinhui stood nearby and heard every word of their exchange.
She gazed at Zhou Zhijun’s straight, sturdy back, and a complicated light flickered in her eyes.
Zhang Dongsheng forced a smile and bravely reached out to grab Zhou Zhijun’s arm.
“Zhijun, we’re all from the same village. Whatever the matter is, let’s go back and discuss it there. The township government isn’t the place to settle arguments…”
“Let go!”
Zhou Zhijun gave his wrist a sharp twist and flung his hand away.
He was so strong that Zhang Dongsheng staggered and nearly fell.
“I’ve got business at the township government!”
With that, he turned and walked away.
Zhang Dongsheng and the team leader did not dare stop him again. All they could do was stand there helplessly and watch Zhou Zhijun enter the government compound.
They could not stop Zhou Zhijun, but they also had no way to answer to Zhou Dana. So the two men milled around outside the entrance, waiting for Zhou Zhijun to come out.
But the sun had already begun to sink, and there was still no sign of him.
“Could that Zhou Zhijun kid have crawled into a crack in the ground?”
“This is downright spooky. How can a living man just vanish without a trace?”
Puzzled, the two men muttered to themselves and trudged back with their heads hanging.
After hearing their account, Zhou Dana was so furious he nearly snapped the tobacco pipe in his hand.
“What the hell is Zhou Zhijun trying to do? He wants to take the riverbank contract at a bargain price? He can forget it!”
Zhou Zhijun had already calculated that Zhang Dongsheng and the others would keep watch at the main entrance. He slipped quietly out through the rear gate of the township government compound, caught a ride on a large three-wheeled tractor to the county town, changed vehicles there, and hurried on to the reservoir construction site.
Zhao Qingyun had originally planned to rest at home for a few more days, but when he heard that Zhou Zhijun had already left, he grew anxious as well and decided to set out early the next morning.
The night before he left, he secretly slipped into Shi Yanhua’s house. The moment he entered, he pulled her into his arms.
“I’m leaving for the reservoir tomorrow. Tonight, let me keep you company properly!”
Zhao Qingyun was not yet forty, and his build was far stronger than Zhou Dana’s. Shi Yanhua could not do without him physically.
But he was a penniless man, with less money in his pockets than there was on his face, and deep down, Shi Yanhua looked down on him.
After tossing and turning for most of the night, Zhao Qingyun finally rolled onto his back and lay still, breathing heavily.
“Yanhua, Zhou Dana’s getting old. Leave him and come live with me wholeheartedly. Once I finish working on the reservoir, I’ll go register our marriage with you!”
“Register our marriage?” Shi Yanhua glanced at him disdainfully. “You’re a penniless man. What are you going to use to support me?”
“Don’t worry. Once the reservoir is finished, I’ll find a way to make money!”
“You’ve been deceiving me for more than ten years. I’ll never believe you again!”
Zhao Qingyun turned onto his side and put an arm around her.
“Don’t worry. Once the reservoir is completed, I’ll go out and earn money! When I’ve made enough, I’ll build you a four-room brick house and buy you pretty dresses. I’ll dress you up like a woman from the city!”
“All you’ve got is that foul mouth of yours. What good does talking do?”
“I’ll do exactly what I say. Even for our son’s sake, I have to work myself to the bone and make money…”
Shi Yanhua hurriedly raised a hand and covered his mouth.
“Stop bringing him up! If someone hears you, everything will be ruined!”
“I’m a bachelor, and you’re a widow. If we have a son together, no one can find fault with us. What are you afraid of?”
Zhao Qingyun said angrily, “Why should my own son call Zhou Dana his father? Sooner or later, I’m going to claim him!”
“Claim him? With what? If he really called you his father, he’d probably have starved to death long ago. I’m warning you, Zhao Qingyun—if you dare say anything reckless, I won’t let you off!”
Shi Yanhua gave him a vicious pinch high on the thigh.
“Ow! You nasty woman, why are you so ruthless?” Zhao Qingyun grimaced in pain. “I won’t claim him now. When I have money, when our son graduates from college, then I’ll acknowledge him!”
Meanwhile, Zhou Dana lay tossing and turning on an old wooden bed in the brigade office. Unable to sleep, he finally sat up, lit a pipe of dry tobacco, and smoked in silence.
Troubles kept piling up, one after another. The only thing that brought him comfort was his son, Zhou Jinzhu.
The boy was bright and loved studying. As long as he kept his grades steady, getting into a prestigious university would be no problem.
At the thought of his son, the wrinkles on his face relaxed slightly. But before long, his brows drew together again.
Huang Meili already knew about his affair with Shi Yanhua. If that woman let something slip and revealed what she should not, everything would be ruined.
Just yesterday, she had taken advantage of an opportunity when no one was around to blackmail him for money. He had refused, intending to cut off her hopes once and for all.
Yet now, his heart was still filled with unease.
Shi Yanhua had said she wanted to transfer their son to a school in the city. That matter had to be handled quickly.
No matter what happened, he absolutely could not let it affect Jinzhu or ruin the boy’s future.
Early the next morning, after breakfast, Zhou Dana told Wang Jinzhi that he was going into town for a family-planning meeting and would be gone for at least two days.
In reality, he was going to the county town with Shi Yanhua to arrange Zhou Jinzhu’s transfer to another school.
By the time they reached the county town, it was already close to noon. They did not dare waste any time and headed straight for the county’s Number One High School.
“Do you think we can get it done today?” The idea of transferring schools had come from Shi Yanhua, and she had been the one handling it all along. Zhou Dana felt uncertain.
Shi Yanhua complained, “You’re his father, but you act like nothing concerns you. You’ve left everything to me. I’ve nearly walked my legs off over this, and I’ve worn my tongue thin talking to people. All that effort won’t have been for nothing!”
Zhou Dana was indignant.
“If I hadn’t paid, your legs could fall off and you could wear your tongue down to nothing—it still wouldn’t have helped!”
“He’s your son, so of course you should pay!”
Shi Yanhua quickened her pace.
“Slow down!” Zhou Dana called after her, huffing and puffing. “It’s so hot, and I’m covered in sweat!”
Shi Yanhua continued striding ahead.
“Come on! The school will be out soon. If we miss them, we’ll have to wait until later this afternoon!”
Zhou Dana had no choice but jog after her, panting for breath.
The two of them hurried along and finally reached the school gates, but the dismissal bell rang at that very moment.
“Uncle, we’re looking for someone. Could you help us call him?” Shi Yanhua said with a broad smile to the elderly gatekeeper sitting in the shade of a tree.
Zhou Dana quickly took a cigarette from his pocket and held it out. The old man was about his age, but he could only politely address him as “Comrade.”
“We’re looking for Zhou Jinzhu. Could you please call him out?”
The old man did not take the cigarette.
“I don’t smoke.”
He turned and walked into the small room beside the gate.
Zhou Dana understood immediately. He hurried after him and stuffed the entire pack of cigarettes into the old man’s pocket.
“Sir, it wasn’t easy for us to come all the way here from the countryside. Please, you’ve got to help us.”
“Wait here. I’ll make an announcement over the loudspeaker.”
After the loudspeaker blared several times, they waited quite a while before Zhou Jinzhu finally sauntered over.
“Jinzhu, have you eaten? Come on, let’s go get something to eat!” Shi Yanhua gazed at him with undisguised affection, her voice soft as cotton.
Zhou Dana’s eyes glowed with paternal warmth. “Jinzhu, let’s go to a restaurant!”
“I’m not going. I’ve already got food in the dorm.”
“Then don’t eat that!” Shi Yanhua stepped forward and took his hand. “Come on. Don’t you love beef huimian? We’ll go have some!”
But Zhou Jinzhu stood rooted to the spot, his tone firm. “I’m not going, and I’m not transferring schools!”
The moment he finished speaking, a figure furtively peeked out from around the corner of the courtyard wall not far away, staring intently at them!
