Chuntao looked out the window and saw that tall figure. Her heart gave a violent lurch, and even her breathing became ragged.
Zhou Zhijun had once bullied her unreasonably. That hatred was buried deep in her heart, not diminished in the slightest.
Yet today, when Zhou Ergan bullied her, it was he who appeared just in time to uphold justice for her.
Zhou Zhijun wasn't a complete villain. Chuntao's hatred for him was wrapped in a soft, pliable layer.
His dirty thoughts about her—only Chuntao herself knew.
She was afraid others would find out and point fingers at her, call her a loose woman, shameless, and even more afraid of implicating her elderly grandmother and her cross-eyed brother.
But Zhou Zhijun had actually come openly to her house to protect her. In what capacity?
Would it make Liu Cuilan suspicious? Chuntao's heart was in turmoil, anxious and unsettled.
Hearing Zhou Zhijun's voice, Liu Cuilan cursed him inwardly for meddling, but didn't dare show a trace of anger on her face.
After all, for the past four years, Zhou Zhijun had given both money and effort to the Wang family, never holding back.
Now that Wang Jieshi only had one leg left, they would undoubtedly need to rely on his help in the future. Liu Cuilan was no fool; there was no point offending such a free laborer.
When Zhou Zhijun's long legs strode into the main room, Liu Cuilan and Wang Xiaohong had just come out from the inner room.
Seeing him, Liu Cuilan's expression turned slightly unnatural, but being naturally shrewish and thick-skinned, she recovered in an instant.
"Brother Zhijun, we owe you today. Otherwise, that good-for-nothing Zhou Ergan would have really gotten his way!
I was thinking, maybe she should go to the brigade headquarters to prove her innocence. Otherwise, the villagers are sure to gossip, thinking she was the one who seduced him!"
Zhou Zhijun's face tightened. A cold glance swept over, and Liu Cuilan immediately shut her mouth.
"Seduced?" His voice was cold and hard. "Jieshi's wife has been dutifully keeping to your home for four years, getting up early and working late in the fields, washing clothes and cooking every day. Who in the village hasn't seen it?
Outsiders gossiping is just for fun, it shouldn't be taken seriously!
But you're family. Don't you know what kind of person she is? Forcing her to go 'prove' herself would just be following the outsiders' tune, stabbing a knife right into her heart!"
These words left Liu Cuilan speechless. She could only mumble softly, "I didn't think that deeply. Just wanted to clear her name, so people wouldn't point fingers..."
Wang Haichao, who had been silent until now, quickly stepped in to smooth things over, saying earnestly, "Brother Zhijun is right. Jieshi's wife had quite a scare today. Let her rest at home, no need to join that commotion."
Wang Xiaohong glanced back towards the room, then looked at Zhou Zhijun. "Uncle Zhijun, I also told my sister-in-law not to go! The brigade headquarters is crowded and full of loose talk. Who knows what nasty things people might say? My sister-in-law can't handle that kind of stress."
"Xiaohong, you stay home and keep your sister-in-law company."
Zhou Zhijun shot another glance at Liu Cuilan, his voice hard and grating. "You two go to the meeting." Without another word, he turned and left.
Liu Cuilan stared at his retreating back, grinding her teeth in hatred. Not daring to vent earlier, she finally got to let off some steam now.
"Busybody! If the Party Secretary asks, you'll have to take responsibility. It's not that I didn't let her go..." Saying this, she dragged Wang Haichao out the door.
A worn square table was set up in the brigade headquarters courtyard. A kerosene lamp on the table cast a dim yellow light on Zhou Dana's face, which was as dark as the bottom of a pot.
He scanned the crowd of villagers below, then cast a cold glance at Zhou Ergan standing to the side.
"Zhou Ergan!" he bellowed, slapping his large hand down on the table with a loud crack.
The kerosene lamp on the table jumped, the wick flickered a few times and went out. The buzzing crowd instantly fell silent.
"You good-for-nothing! Look at the mess you've made!" Zhou Dana's voice shook the sky. "Tonight, in front of all the villagers, you will make a self-criticism and swear you'll never act like a fool again!"
As the village Party Secretary, he had to maintain his authority before the masses; as Zhou Ergan's own brother, he genuinely didn't want to punish his younger brother severely.
But not dealing with it wasn't an option. He couldn't explain it to the people, and he wouldn't get past Zhou Zhijun either.
If Zhou Zhijun really dragged Zhou Ergan to the commune, the punishment would only be heavier, and he, the Secretary, would be implicated too.
Holding this meeting to punish Zhou Ergan today was both protecting Zhou Ergan and protecting himself.
Zhou Dana roared fiercely, but his words consistently avoided the serious points, never once mentioning the phrase "harassing a woman."
He was afraid this matter could be seized upon by those with ulterior motives and reported to the commune.
"In light of your actions today, you are to forfeit one year's relief grain and six months' subsidized fertilizer!"
Zhou Ergan, oblivious to his elder brother's well-intentioned efforts, jumped up in a panic. "I'll do the self-criticism, fine! But why take my relief grain and fertilizer? Do you want me to starve?"
"Shut up!" Zhou Dana roared thunderously, though his heart felt like it was being pricked by needles.
No matter how useless Zhou Ergan was, he was still his own flesh and blood. If he really cut off his relief grain and subsidized fertilizer, with nothing to eat or drink, he'd end up coming to him anyway.
Zhou Ergan wasn't cowed by his shouting at all. He started yelling like a mad dog, "It was Li Chuntao who seduced me! She's a slut!"
Zhou Dana's face turned ashen. He cursed this idiot a thousand times in his heart.
How dare he spout such nonsense at a time like this? Wasn't this just jumping into a pit of fire? And making things difficult for him, the Secretary!
"Shut your filthy mouth!" he hurriedly scolded.
But Zhou Ergan's mouth was like a floodgate burst open by a deluge, impossible to stop. "Li Chuntao's been guarding an empty room for four years, what kind of decent woman is she? She's been carrying on with Zhou Zhijun long ago, otherwise why would he protect her like that?"
Never expecting him to drag Zhou Zhijun into it, cold sweat streamed down Zhou Dana's forehead. His throat tightened, and he wished he could kick this blockhead out right then.
Zhou Zhijun, standing at the back of the crowd, stiffened like a slab of iron. His face was as cold as an ice cellar in the depths of winter, his fists clenched so tight they cracked.
He strode forward with his long legs, covering the distance in a few steps. His cold, imposing aura instantly pressed down on the entire assembly, silencing them.
Sweat dripped from Zhou Dana's palms through his fingers. He quickly stood up and kicked Zhou Ergan in the leg.
"Zhijun is the militia captain. Protecting villagers is his duty! If you keep spouting nonsense, I... I'll beat you to death!"
He said the words, but in his heart, he wondered: Was Zhou Zhijun's forceful attitude really just about his duty, or did he actually have feelings for Li Chuntao?
But now wasn't the time to think about that. He had to clean up the mess in front of him first.
Zhou Zhijun's eyes were like two icy, gleaming daggers, stabbing straight into Zhou Ergan's face. He stepped right up to him, his iron-clamp-like hand seizing his arm.
"Ow! Zhou Zhijun, let go of me!" Zhou Ergan howled in pain.
Not only did Zhou Zhijun not loosen his grip, he tightened it further, making Zhou Ergan's tears fall. He couldn't move an inch.
His voice was cold and heavy, like a large rock slamming to the ground. "As militia captain, I protect the honest folks in this village. I don't let ruffians and scoundrels like you spread rumors and ruin women's reputations!"
With a sudden twist of his wrist, Zhou Ergan went limp all over and fell to his knees with a thud.
Zhou Zhijun swept his gaze across the room, then fixed a fierce glare on Zhou Ergan. Through gritted teeth, he demanded, "Now, repeat to me exactly what you just said—that nonsense about Li Chuntao seducing you and having an affair with me."
