Zhou Dana knew that Shi Yanhua was not the faithful sort, and he had even suspected that she and Zhao Qingyun were having an affair.
The last time he sent Zhao Qingyun to repair the reservoir, it was because he was afraid Shi Yanhua would come demanding compensation for the oil field and Zhao Qingyun would discover the affair between them.
He had once merely suspected it, but now that it had been confirmed, he found that he could accept it.
He was already sixty, with neither the stamina nor the physical strength he used to have. If Shi Yanhua and Zhao Qingyun got together, it would actually save him the trouble.
He also knew that people in the village had long been whispering about him and Shi Yanhua. Now that the truth was out, it would finally silence those gossipers.
The affair between Zhao Qingyun and Shi Yanhua was a good thing as far as he was concerned. But something else had left him restless and deeply uneasy.
Two children had drowned in the village. As the village Party secretary, he bore only secondary responsibility.
However, someone had accused him of encouraging the villagers to snatch fish, claiming that this had been a major cause of the tragedy.
At the time, Zhou Dana had been summoned to the township office for questioning. The higher-ups had been furious.
“Were the children’s deaths simply an act of God? Not entirely! If you had stepped forward and stopped them, if you had suppressed that frenzy over the fish, would this have happened?
“You’re the village secretary. If you can’t keep things under control or stamp out unhealthy tendencies, then you’ve failed in your duty! Two lives have been lost. You must give the people an explanation!”
Zhou Dana had craned his neck and protested, “The whole village had gone mad fighting for the fish. How could I have held them back on my own?”
Although he had felt wronged and refused to accept the criticism, an egg could hardly stand up to a stone.
In the end, Zhou Dana had written a letter of guarantee, promising that nothing like this would ever happen again.
On the surface, the matter seemed to have passed. Only Zhou Dana himself knew that it was far from over.
The village election was coming up soon, and whether he could keep his position remained uncertain.
For the past few days, he had been unable to eat or sleep properly, racking his brains over how to hold on to his position as village secretary.
“Old man, what are you thinking about? Hurry up and drink your soup!” Wang Jinzhi had already finished two bowls, while Zhou Dana had barely touched one. He sat there frowning, lost in thought.
He did not answer. He merely picked up a strand of noodles with his chopsticks and lifted it toward his mouth.
“Secretary!”
Before the noodles reached his lips, Zhang Dongsheng arrived.
“Secretary, there’s something I want to discuss with you!”
“What is it?”
Zhang Dongsheng squatted by the wall and lowered his voice. “It’s about the election. I was thinking of speaking with the Party members ahead of time. That way, we can make sure nothing goes wrong.”
Zhou Dana had been village secretary for more than a decade on the strength of his own abilities. The villagers had always elected him willingly.
The moment he heard Zhang Dongsheng’s suggestion, Zhou Dana became angry.
“The election must be fair and impartial. The capable should rise to the top. I’ve been village secretary for more than ten years, and I’ve always conducted myself openly and honorably. I have no interest in resorting to such underhanded tricks!”
“All right. I understand.”
Zhou Dana then softened his tone. “I’m getting old, and I don’t want to worry about this anymore. Let things take their natural course.”
Zhang Dongsheng knew Zhou Dana like the back of his hand. He understood that although Zhou Dana made it sound easy, that was not how he truly felt.
Zhou Dana also knew that Zhang Dongsheng understood his thoughts better than anyone. If he left the matter to him, he could rest easy.
In those days, a village Party secretary was elected by the village’s Party members and then submitted to the township authorities for approval.
There were three candidates in this election. Zhou Dana was certain that even without Zhang Dongsheng working behind the scenes, he would not lose. What worried him was whether he could get past the township authorities.
Sure enough, Zhou Dana received the most votes among the three candidates, but the township authorities blocked his appointment.
Just as Zhou Dana had expected, they believed that because of the deaths of the two children, he was no longer suitable to serve as village secretary.
The township authorities did not even bother seriously considering the other two candidates. Instead, they directly appointed Zhou Zhijun as the Party secretary of Wangjiazhai.
Zhou Zhijun had once served as the village militia captain. He had been a soldier, was a Party member, upright and hardworking, and quick-witted. Wang Jinlong had known all this for a long time, which was why he had issued the appointment without hesitation.
It was the sort of good fortune that most people would never even dream of, yet it had fallen into Zhou Zhijun’s lap with astonishing ease.
The township’s appointment was announced over the village loudspeaker, which blared the news across every corner of Wangjiazhai.
“After deliberation by the township Party committee, Comrade Zhou Zhijun has been appointed Party secretary of Wangjiazhai Village. We hope that all villagers will actively support his work and join together to build a better village!”
As soon as the loudspeaker fell silent, the entire Wangjiazhai erupted. Villagers gathered in groups, discussing the news animatedly, spittle flying in every direction.
“My goodness! Zhou Zhijun didn’t even run in the election. How did he become secretary? The township appointed him directly!”
“That old bastard Zhou Dana should have stepped down long ago. Zhou Zhijun was a soldier, has a solid political background, and is an upright man. He won’t cheat ordinary villagers like us!”
“Zhou Zhijun is young, energetic, and quick-minded. Maybe our village will benefit from having him in charge!”
“It’s just a shame about Zhou Dana. He was secretary for more than ten years, and now he’s been removed just like that. In the end, it was those children drowning that brought him down…”
Zhou Dana had known about the decision in advance, but when the announcement rang out clearly over the loudspeaker, he still found it difficult to accept.
He was squatting on a stone stool in his courtyard, clutching half a cigarette. The cigarette had burned all the way down to his fingertips, yet he did not notice.
The authority he had once carried as village secretary was gone from his face. His wrinkles had bunched together, his eyes were cloudy and desolate, while the corners of his mouth pulled into a smile that was impossible to identify as either relief or bitterness.
Seeing him like that, Wang Jinzhi felt a pang in her heart. After all, he had been village secretary for so many years. To be forcibly removed by the township authorities was more painful than death for a man as concerned with his pride as he was.
She comforted him gently. “It’s all right. You’re sixty years old now. After working so hard for all these years, it’s time you took a rest.
“From now on, you can look after the few acres of land assigned to us and live a peaceful life. You won’t have to worry about every little problem in the village anymore. You’ll finally have some peace and quiet.”
She went back inside, brought out a large bowl of hot water, and handed it to him.
“As long as we live our lives well, what else really matters?”
Zhou Dana took the bowl and nodded without saying a word.
Meanwhile, Zhou Zhijun was feeding the fish by the river embankment.
Officer Wang had personally come to find him and handed him the appointment document.
“Comrade Zhou Zhijun, after careful consideration, the township has decided that you should take on this position. You’re a Party member, you’ve served as the militia captain, you’re an upright man, and you have the ability to lead the villagers to prosperity. You must become the village secretary!”
Zhou Zhijun had intended to make his own fortune first and then lead the entire village toward prosperity. But he had never once imagined becoming the village secretary.
He was both surprised and conflicted when he received the appointment document.
After standing there stunned for a long while, he finally said, “Officer Wang, I’m just a fish farmer. I’m afraid I won’t do a good job and will let the township down.”
“Don’t be modest.” Officer Wang waved his hand. “You’ve managed to prosper through fish farming, which proves that you have the brains and the willingness to work hard. That’s exactly the kind of person a village secretary should be.
“From now on, you’ll lead the whole village in making money and help develop Wangjiazhai’s economy. The township trusts you, so go ahead and do your best. If you run into any difficulties, the township will stand behind you!”
Zhou Zhijun looked at the fishpond before him, then thought of the villagers’ difficult lives. His gaze grew increasingly resolute.
He had been a soldier, and a soldier’s sense of responsibility was carved into his bones. Since the township trusted him, he could not turn down the duty.
“Yes! I’ll do it!” he declared in a booming voice. “I, Zhou Zhijun, promise the township that I’ll work hard and never let the leaders down. I’ll lead the men and women of Wangjia Village to a better life!”
Zhou Zhijun tightened his grip on the rim of the basin, feeling the weight of responsibility settle heavily on his shoulders.
Many villagers hurried to the riverbank to congratulate Zhou Zhijun, their faces filled with anticipation.
Deep down, Zhou Zhijun made up his mind. He would raise the fish successfully, become prosperous himself first, and then lead the entire village toward wealth and a better life.
Huang Meili hated Zhou Zhijun even more now that he had become the village Party secretary.
But when she thought about Zhou Dana being removed from office, she felt much better.
Zhou Dana was no longer the village Party secretary and could no longer line his pockets. How was he going to support that bastard child now?
Shi Yanhua, the village women’s director, had lost her backer. Everyone knew about her affair with Zhao Qingyun. It wouldn’t be long before she was removed from her position too.
The more Huang Meili thought about it, the happier she became. She had completely forgotten the pain of losing her daughter. “Zhou Dana, Shi Yanhua, this is what you get for all the rotten things you’ve done. The chickens have come home to roost!”
Meanwhile, when Shi Yanhua learned that Zhou Zhijun had taken over as village Party secretary, she grew even more anxious.
She had already lost all face in the village because of her affair with Zhao Qingyun. Now the new secretary had taken office—and he was known for being upright and incorruptible. As the women’s director, life was bound to become even harder for her from now on.
Zhao Qingyun, however, didn’t seem to care. He even moved closer to Shi Yanhua and said cheerfully, “Zhou Zhijun is an upright man who doesn’t play crooked games. Life should be easier for ordinary villagers from now on.”
Shi Yanhua shot him a furious look, her heart full of irritation. “What do you know? Get lost!”
As the sun sank in the west, cooking smoke curled up from the rooftops of Wangjia Village. The village appeared peaceful on the surface, but undercurrents were already stirring.
Zhou Dana’s desolation, Zhou Zhijun’s sense of duty, Shi Yanhua’s unease, Huang Meili’s hatred, and the villagers’ expectations all intertwined. A new storm was quietly brewing…
