Huang Meili looked up at her face, her voice carrying a hint of bewilderment. “Director Shi, what do you mean by ‘we’ll both go down together’? I don’t understand a word you’re saying.”
“Huang Meili, don’t play dumb with me! If you dare let a single word of that matter slip, nobody’s going to have an easy time!” Shi Yanhua kept her voice low, but her eyes were full of malice.
Huang Meili immediately put on an utterly confused expression. She still had a handful of half-pulled weeds clenched in her hand. “I’m pulling weeds in the field, and you came running over here out of nowhere to say all this. What exactly are you talking about? I really don’t understand!”
“Whether you understand or not, you know perfectly well in your own heart! If you want to live your life in peace, behave yourself and stop poking your nose into other people’s business!” Shi Yanhua leaned forward half a step, her tone threatening.
“How am I not behaving myself? Director Shi, I’m working properly in the field, and you’re the one who came here spouting all this nonsense. So tell me, who’s the one not behaving—me or you?”
Huang Meili suddenly raised her voice. The villagers working in the surrounding fields instantly turned to look at them.
Shi Yanhua’s face burned under their gazes, and she turned to leave.
Huang Meili picked up a sesame seedling and yanked it out by the roots. Her eyes turned cold as well.
She had Zhou Dana and Shi Yanhua firmly in her grasp. Shi Yanhua was genuinely afraid now, so Huang Meili had to strike while the iron was hot and squeeze some money out of Zhou Dana.
If Zhou Dana dared continue pretending he knew nothing, sooner or later she would expose everything to Wang Jinzhi.
Two days later, Zhou Zhimin went out to do odd jobs and did not return to the village that night. Seeing her chance, Huang Meili went to the brigade office to find Zhou Dana again.
She pushed open the door and walked straight in. Without any preamble, she said in a hard voice, “Party secretary, give me two hundred yuan.
“If you hand over the money, I’ll bury what happened between you and Shi Yanhua in my stomach. I won’t say a word about it for the rest of my life, and from then on, we’ll be even!”
Zhou Dana’s brows drew together tightly. It wasn’t that he was unwilling to pay to make the trouble disappear; he was simply afraid Huang Meili would prove to be a bottomless pit. What if she took the money and kept blackmailing him?
“Huang Meili, this is extortion! If this turns into a real case, you could spend several years in prison!” he growled, pounding the table.
“Then go report me. I’m not afraid!” Huang Meili stuck out her chin, refusing to back down.
Zhou Dana gritted his teeth. “What the hell do you want?”
“I’m just short of cash and want to get a little money from you. I’m not asking for much—just two hundred. Don’t worry. Once I have the money, I guarantee I won’t say a word.
“But if I don’t have any money to spend and I get upset, who knows? I might accidentally let something slip!”
Huang Meili spoke with such righteous confidence that she showed not the slightest trace of guilt.
Looking at her smug, fearless face, Zhou Dana was so furious his teeth ached. He wished he could strangle her on the spot.
“Why don’t you go rob a bank? I don’t have that much money!”
“That’s fine. Give me whatever you have. As for the rest, write me an IOU. You can pay me back when you have the money.” Huang Meili pressed him step by step.
This woman, Huang Meili, was nearly driving Zhou Dana insane.
Fuming, he pulled a crumpled stack of banknotes from his pocket and slammed it onto the table. “Here! Take it and get out!”
The corners of Huang Meili’s mouth curled into a cold smile. She moistened her finger with saliva and carefully counted the bills one by one.
When she finished, she looked up. “Fifty-six yuan in all! Write me an IOU for the rest!”
“Write my ass! Take it or leave it!” Zhou Dana snapped in humiliation and rage.
“Your son Jinzhu is such a good student. You wouldn’t want him to find out that he’s a bastard, would you?”
Huang Meili’s offhand remark struck Zhou Dana right where it hurt.
“Huang Meili!” Zhou Dana suddenly grabbed her by the arm, his knuckles turning white. “If you dare hurt Jinzhu, you won’t live either!
“If your whole family wants to live peacefully in Wangjiazhai, you’d better know your place. Otherwise, I have plenty of ways to make your life miserable!”
Zhou Dana was the village’s top leader. He was not making an empty threat.
More than fifty yuan was no small sum at the time. Added to the thirty-odd yuan from last time, it came to nearly ninety yuan altogether.
Seeing that she had gained enough, Huang Meili knew when to stop. She released the grass she had been clutching and softened her tone a little. “Party secretary, for your sake, I’ll pretend I don’t know anything.
“But if Shi Yanhua comes looking for trouble again, I can’t promise I’ll keep quiet!”
“Get out!” Zhou Dana pointed at the door and roared.
Huang Meili stuffed the money into her pocket and forced a mocking smile onto her face. “Party secretary, don’t get yourself worked up. Anger is bad for your health!”
“Ah!”
She had just stepped into the courtyard when she collided with a dark figure and let out a terrified scream.
The figure was startled as well and stumbled half a step backward.
There was no moon that night, and it was pitch-black. Neither of them could make out the other’s face.
Panic seized Huang Meili. She turned to run, but the dark figure grabbed her by the arm.
“Who are you? What are you doing here in the middle of the night?”
Wang Jinzhi was small and frail to begin with. How could she possibly hold on to Huang Meili? Huang Meili jerked free, and Wang Jinzhi could only watch helplessly as she disappeared into the darkness.
“Zhou Dana, you heartless bastard! You sleep here at the brigade office every night, and it turns out you’ve been hiding a woman!”
Wang Jinzhi rushed forward and began clawing at Zhou Dana, tears instantly flooding her eyes. “Who was that woman just now? Tell me! Tell me!”
“You’re crazy!” Zhou Dana shoved her hard.
“You dare hit me? You play around with women and still think you’re in the right?”
Wang Jinzhi cared deeply about her reputation and did not dare burst into loud sobs. She could only choke back her cries, wiping away her tears as she spoke of all she had endured over the years. “I’ve put up with so much for this family, for the children…”
“Wang Jinzhi, we’re husband and wife. How can you smear me like this? What good would it do you?”
Zhou Dana’s face turned livid. “You say I’m fooling around with women—what did you actually see? If you’re not afraid of making a scene and disgracing yourself, then go ahead. I won’t stop you!”
Wang Jinzhi had actually suspected Zhou Dana long ago, but she had never caught him with solid proof. Deep down, she had not wanted to expose him; she had not wanted their family to fall apart.
In front of their relatives, she had always spoken well of Zhou Dana and never said a single bad thing about him.
She had not come that night to catch him cheating. She had merely happened to run into them.
Although she had not seen the woman’s face clearly, she had recognized her from her voice. The realization left her both shocked and furious.
Suddenly, Wang Jinzhi stopped sobbing and scrambled to her feet. “Come on, hurry! Zhaodi’s asthma has flared up. She’s struggling to breathe! Zhao Qingjiang just gave her an injection and told us to get her to the township clinic right away!”
The moment Zhou Dana heard that, he had no time left for anger. He ran outside at once. Wang Jinzhi stumbled after him.
Zhou Dana ran to the Wang family’s home and called for Wang Qingshan. Together, they hitched up a handcart and rushed Zhou Zhaodi to the township clinic in the middle of the night.
Meanwhile, Huang Meili stumbled all the way home. She crouched at the entrance to the courtyard, gasping for breath. Cold sweat had soaked through the back of her clothes.
The moment she thought of running into Wang Jinzhi, fear washed over her again.
Luckily, there had been no moon that night, and Wang Jinzhi had not seen her clearly. If she had been recognized, Huang Meili would never have been able to explain herself.
That night, Huang Meili tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
It was not until early the next morning that she heard Zhou Pandi had suffered an asthma attack and been rushed to the township clinic during the night.
So Wang Jinzhi had not gone there to catch Zhou Dana in the act after all. Only then did Huang Meili finally let out the breath she had been holding.
For the next month or two, Huang Meili behaved herself considerably better and stopped going to Zhou Dana to ask for money.
Wang Jinzhi, however, had not forgotten what happened that night. Every time she saw Huang Meili, she couldn’t help dropping a few pointed hints.
“Meili, a woman ought to live an honest, down-to-earth life. If she takes the wrong path, even her children will be unable to hold their heads up!”
“Aunt Jinzhi, what exactly are you trying to say?” Huang Meili asked, standing ramrod straight. She was certain that Wang Jinzhi hadn’t gotten a clear look at her face that night.
“Meili, don’t take it the wrong way. I just remembered a woman from my parents’ village. She didn’t behave herself, and in the end, her family was torn apart…”
Just then, two people appeared on the main road, each carrying a bundle. They were Zhou Zhijun and Zhao Qingyun, returning from the reservoir construction site.
“Zhou Zhijun is back!” Wang Jinzhi muttered, her heart suddenly giving a jolt.
She no longer had the mind to lecture Huang Meili. Her expression darkened. “I’ve got something to take care of. I’ll be heading home first!”
She hurried home in a panic, her heart already lodged in her throat.
Zhou Dana had secretly awarded the river embankment project to Qian Wanyin from the neighboring village. Now that Zhou Zhijun was back, would he cause a scene?
Huang Meili watched Wang Jinzhi’s flustered retreat, a cold smile quietly curling the corners of her lips.
Looks like there was going to be another good show!
