A group of children catching grasshoppers in the furrows straightened up at the sound of a car and all turned to watch.
“A little car, fast as can be—bouncing this way and that!” the children shouted excitedly, chanting their rhyming slogan.
The jeep drove along the dirt road toward the village, and the children chattered as they followed behind it.
The villagers working in the fields watched the vehicle enter the village, secretly wondering whose house it was headed to.
At the edge of the village, the jeep happened to meet Aunt Zhou, who was carrying a basket to the fields to pick vegetables.
A young soldier got out of the car and politely asked, “Grandma, may I ask where Zhou Xiaowei lives?”
The moment Aunt Zhou heard this, she grew wary. Tightening her grip on the basket, she looked the soldier up and down.
He was about the same height as Zhou Xiaowei. Dressed in a crisp green military uniform, he looked especially smart and capable.
“Soldier, you know Zhou Xiaowei?”
“Grandma, I won’t hide it from you—I don’t know him personally, but he’s a benefactor to our family!”
A benefactor?
That boy was always running around and playing, practically a child who would never grow up. How had he become a benefactor to a soldier?
Aunt Zhou smiled and said, “I’m Xiaowei’s grandmother. Come on, I’ll take you there!”
Aunt Zhou led the way, with the jeep following slowly behind her until they reached the gate of Zhou Zhiguo’s house.
The whole family had gone to the southern fields to work, and the gate was locked.
Once the jeep came to a stop, the young soldier got out of the driver’s seat first and turned to open the passenger door.
A young woman then stepped out of the car.
She wore her hair in a neat, ear-length bob. Her appearance was clean and brisk.
She had on a crisp white shirt, army-green trousers, and a pair of white mesh shoes. Simple yet full of energy, she looked every bit like someone who had grown up in a military compound.
“Grandma, thank you for showing us the way,” the young woman said politely.
Aunt Zhou set her basket against the wall and smiled. “You two wait here a moment. I’ll go to the fields and call them back. They’re all working out there.”
The young soldier hurriedly stopped her. “Grandma, there’s no need to trouble yourself. We can wait.”
The young woman beside him nodded as well, her voice clear and bright. “That’s right. We’re not in a hurry.”
The midday sun was still scorching. Aunt Zhou carried two chairs out of the kitchen, wiped the dust off them with her sleeve, and placed them beneath the shade of a tree.
“Sit down and rest for a while. I’ll boil some tea for you!”
“Grandma, don’t trouble yourself. We’re not thirsty!” the two of them said in unison.
Aunt Zhou paid them no mind and turned back into the kitchen to boil water.
A group of children circled the jeep, their eyes shining with envy.
The villagers working in the fields also finished early. Seeing the car parked outside Zhou Zhiguo’s house, they all stopped and looked over.
“When did the Zhou family get such well-off relatives?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never heard of them!”
“And they’re from the military, no less. They must be important!”
…
The wound on Zhou Zhimin’s face had stopped bleeding, but his face was pale, and the injury was still covered with crushed leaves from a thorny plant.
He was pulling half a cart piled with sesame stalks, with Huang Meili and the others following behind.
When they reached the gate of Zhou Zhiguo’s house, they couldn’t help glancing into the courtyard.
Just then, Aunt Zhou came out of the kitchen carrying two bowls of sweet egg tea. She placed them on the stone table in front of the visitors.
“You two, have some tea first. Xiaowei and the others will be back soon!”
As she spoke, Wang Haiying returned, carrying a sickle, with Zhou Xiaobao following behind her.
The mother and son saw the car in the courtyard and the two unfamiliar men and women sitting there, and for a moment they had no idea what was going on.
Fortunately, Aunt Zhou was there. Wang Haiying called out, “Ma!”
“Haiying, you’re back. Hurry and unlock the door so these two comrades can come inside!”
The young soldier and the young woman both rose from their chairs.
Aunt Zhou introduced them. “This is Xiaowei’s mother.”
The young soldier spoke first. “Hello, Auntie. My name is Li Zhengtang.”
He pointed to the young woman beside him. “This is my younger sister, Lin Xiuyun.”
Wang Haiying had no idea who these two people were and was completely bewildered. She could only smile and nod before quickly opening the door to the main room and inviting them inside.
“We came today to thank Comrade Zhou Xiaowei. Several months ago, Comrade Zhou Xiaowei helped me send a telegram, and that was how I was rescued…”
“If it hadn’t been for him, I would have…” Lin Xiuyun’s eyes reddened, and her voice caught in her throat.
She told Aunt Zhou and Wang Haiying what had happened to her several months earlier. The two women were both shocked.
Zhou Xiaowei had never mentioned the matter to his family.
Aunt Zhou cursed, “Human trafficking is against the law. Those people deserve to be shot!”
Wang Haiying agreed. “Exactly! They were unbelievably bold!”
Li Zhengtang said, “Those people have already been arrested and sentenced.”
Lin Xiuyun spoke softly. “It was all thanks to Comrade Zhou Xiaowei’s help that I escaped. We came here especially to thank him.”
“Don’t take it to heart. It was only a small favor. Anyone who came across someone in that situation would have helped,” Wang Haiying said. “Xiaowei will be back soon. You two sit here. I’ll go prepare lunch.”
Aunt Zhou had originally been on her way to the vegetable plot, but she had already been delayed for quite a while. The sun was now directly overhead.
“You two sit here. I’m going to the fields to pick some vegetables!” Aunt Zhou said goodbye, picked up her basket, and left.
Several women were still standing by the roadside, whispering among themselves. When they saw Aunt Zhou coming, they hurried over to question her.
“Aunt Zhou, where are these distinguished guests from? What are they to your family?”
Aunt Zhou didn’t slow down. She merely waved her hand with a smile. “It’s nothing important. Xiaowei helped them with a small matter, and they came all this way to thank him.”
Someone followed after her and asked, “Are they from the military? They certainly look impressive!”
Aunt Zhou tightened her grip on the basket and continued toward the vegetable plot. She only tossed back one indifferent remark:
“We’re just farmers. Xiaowei lent them a hand, and they remembered the favor.”
After Aunt Zhou had gone some distance, the group of women remained where they were, itching with curiosity. The more they guessed, the more intrigued they became.
Meanwhile, Zhou Xiaowei and his father were pulling a handcart back from the main road. From far away, they spotted the jeep in the courtyard, and both their hearts gave a sudden jolt.
“Dad, why is there a car in our yard? It’s green—it looks like it belongs to the military!”
Zhou Zhiguo frowned. “We don’t know anyone in the military. That’s impossible!”
Filled with confusion, the two quickened their steps, their hearts rising into their throats.
Before they even entered the courtyard, Zhou Xiaobao came running toward them, two White Rabbit milk candies clutched in his hand.
“Dad, Big Brother, have some candy!”
He stuffed one piece into Zhou Xiaowei’s hand, then held the other out to Zhou Zhiguo.
Zhou Zhiguo didn’t take it. His expression turned serious as he asked, “Who gave you the candy?”
“Soldiers came to our house! They gave it to me!”
Zhou Zhiguo’s brow furrowed even more deeply. Zhou Xiaowei also stared at his younger brother in surprise.
“Soldiers?”
“Uh-huh. Big Brother, the soldier said he was looking for you! Hurry home and see!”
The more they heard, the more confused they became. Zhou Zhiguo was even a little alarmed.
“Xiaowei, did you get yourself into trouble?”
Zhou Xiaowei knitted his brows. “I didn’t get into any trouble!”
“Come on, hurry up. Let’s go home and find out!”
Zhou Xiaobao ran ahead while Zhou Xiaowei pulled the handcart behind him, walking beside Zhou Zhiguo with his heart in turmoil.
Before the two of them even entered the courtyard, Zhou Xiaobao had already run inside.
“Big Brother’s back!”
The moment Li Zhengtang and Lin Xiuyun heard this, they rose from their seats and went to the door.
“Comrade Zhou Xiaowei!” Lin Xiuyun’s face lit up with surprise and delight.
Zhou Xiaowei looked up. The instant he saw her, she seemed vaguely familiar, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remember where they had met.
