Zhou Ergan slumped backwards, plopping down on the ground, his head hanging low as he played dumb!
Zhou Zhijun kicked him in the back. "Say what you just said again!"
"Ouch!" Zhou Ergan was kicked flat onto the ground. Zhou Dana's heart ached with pain for him, but how dare he try to pull Zhou Zhijun away?
He grabbed Zhou Ergan and scolded him harshly, "You good-for-nothing! Get up and make your self-criticism, now!"
Although Zhou Ergan was a troublemaker, he knew Zhou Zhijun was not someone to be trifled with. He could only take the offered way out and stand up, bowing his head to deliver his self-criticism.
The crowd below murmured amongst themselves, all saying Zhou Ergan was a scoundrel who should have been dealt with like this long ago!
Zhou Ergan gritted his teeth and finished his self-criticism, then tried to make a quick escape, only to be shouted down by Zhou Zhijun.
"Zhou Ergan, will you dare to harass women again? Will you dare to spout such nonsense again?"
"Haven't I already done my self-criticism?" Zhou Ergan mumbled softly, his head sinking even lower.
...The commotion ended amidst the crowd's murmurs, but some people's thoughts were still quietly brewing.
During the meeting just now, Zhou Zhaodi's eyes hadn't left Zhou Zhijun, her hatred feeling like it was tearing her insides apart!
Originally, she wanted to take advantage of the big meeting to publicly humiliate Li Chuntao, but who knew Li Chuntao hadn't even shown up.
"What kind of thing is Li Chuntao anyway? Zhou Zhijun actually protects her like that. They must have hooked up a long time ago!"
Back home, she plopped down on a stool in the main room, slapping her thigh indignantly.
Zhou Dana shot her a glare. "It's late, go to bed!"
Wang Jinzhi also advised, "To catch a thief, you need the loot; to catch adulterers, you need the pair. Don't talk nonsense. If Zhou Zhijun hears you, how could he ever let you off?"
"I'm not talking nonsense! If there's nothing going on between them, why would Zhou Zhijun help her family with work? She's already forty years old, why isn't she married?"
Two months ago, Wang Jinzhi had sent a message to Aunt Zhou, hoping her Zhaodi could get to know Zhou Zhijun, but there had been no response from that side. It was obvious Zhou Zhijun wasn't interested.
Other bachelors who couldn't get a wife were all so desperate they'd find even an old sow good-looking!
Her Zhaodi, although she'd been married before and was average-looking, was still a woman no matter what. Other bachelors would want to marry her but couldn't, yet Zhou Zhijun was still picking and choosing?
The more Wang Jinzhi thought about it, the more she felt Zhou Zhaodi had a point, but she still warned her not to talk nonsense outside.
Zhou Pandi quickly pulled Zhou Zhaodi into the inner room. "Sister, tell me the truth, did our second uncle harassing Li Chuntao today have something to do with you?"
"So what if it has something to do with me? I just can't stand Zhou Zhijun protecting her like that!"
Zhou Zhaodi stiffened her neck, her eyes fierce. "I'm telling you, this isn't over...
A militia captain and a married flirt. Sooner or later, I'll catch them in the act and parade her through the streets!"
The autumn harvest work pressed on in tense busyness. Chuntao still repeated her daily tasks, her back aching, her bones feeling like they were about to fall apart.
Ever since Zhou Ergan harassed her in the field, Wang Xiaohong hadn't let her stay alone in the fields, making her return with the group at noon.
In the evenings, she worked until dusk before heading home, with Wang Xiaohong not leaving her side for a moment, afraid something else might go wrong.
Back home, Chuntao and Wang Xiaohong busied themselves cooking, while Liu Cuilan and Wang Haichao sat resting in the main room, which Wang Xiaohong found very hard to stomach.
When Chuntao shouldered the water buckets to fetch water, Wang Xiaohong stood at the kitchen door and shouted, "Mom, everyone's busy this time of year, no one's idle. My sister-in-law has gone to fetch water. You can't just sit there waiting for a ready-made meal. Come help me tend the fire!"
Liu Cuilan immediately started yelling, "I'm exhausted and sore every day! You don't care about me at all, and you say I'm waiting for a ready-made meal!"
"In this house, not only are there people waiting for ready-made meals, but we're also supporting idle freeloaders! If you really push me, I won't serve anyone!"
Wang Xiaohong's words were clearly aimed at Wang Haichao. Wang Haichao naturally understood and quickly nudged Liu Cuilan, urging her to go tend the fire in the kitchen, but Liu Cuilan just glared and refused to budge.
Wang Haichao had no choice but to get up and go to the kitchen himself. "Xiaohong, I'll tend the fire for you. Let your mother rest."
Wang Xiaohong snorted, not even bothering to lift her eyelids.
The well at the south end of the village had always been the "intelligence station" for the village women and idle men. Even during the busy autumn harvest, there were always people gathered there gossiping.
With water buckets placed on the well's edge, they would chatter endlessly about every family's business.
Several women and two men were drawing water and chatting. When they saw Chuntao approach, the smiles on their faces faded a bit.
"Jieshi's wife, fetching water?" Zhang's wife, Wang Chunxiao, piled on a smile, but her eyes held scrutiny. "You're so thin and frail, yet you're really capable!"
Chuntao didn't respond, only forcing a slight twitch at the corner of her mouth.
Another woman lowered her voice to the person beside her, "Liu Cuilan works like an ox, and Jieshi's wife is also a hard worker. That Wang Haichao is really lucky, doing nothing and eating ready-made meals every day!"
"Exactly, I can't even stand to watch! Jieshi's wife, now that Jieshi is back, I think you should separate from them and live on your own! Don't put up with this nonsense, and don't have to serve them!"
...These women were notorious troublemakers. Saying these things in front of her, they'd probably have a completely different story in front of Liu Cuilan.
Chuntao neither acknowledged nor answered their words, just silently lowered her head to draw water.
Seeing she wouldn't engage, the women found it dull and shouldered their buckets, dispersing.
Chuntao pulled the full buckets of water up from the well, shouldered the carrying pole, and started walking home.
It was getting dark. The village dirt road was pitted with ruts from ox carts and littered with stalks fallen during the harvest. Chuntao kept her eyes fixed on the ground, inching forward step by step.
Her slight frame carried two full buckets of water, the carrying pole creaking under the weight.
She hadn't gone far when she heard familiar footsteps behind her. Chuntao's heart jumped, and she instinctively quickened her pace.
But then her foot slipped into a small puddle, her body tilting and nearly causing her to fall, water splashing from the buckets.
The footsteps grew closer, and Chuntao's heart tightened more and more.
"Watch your step!"
The man walked up beside her, his low voice sounding by her ear.
Zhou Zhijun had been wanting to find Chuntao for a long time, to personally give her the bellyband he bought, to say a few intimate words to her, to hold her properly.
But last time he went to the fields to find her, he happened to run into Zhou Ergan harassing her. He didn't manage to give her the bellyband, didn't even get to whisper a word to her.
It had been almost two months. He hadn't been able to be close to Chuntao, and his heart was growing unbearably restless. He thought of her while eating, while working, while sleeping, even her shadow appeared in his dreams.
He felt he was going crazy, thinking to himself that even just saying a few words to her would be good.
On the way back from the bean field, he was still wondering if he might run into her at the place where she fetched water. He never expected he actually would.
During the busy farming season, people returned from the fields late, and passersby were frequent on the road. Zhou Zhijun didn't dare to make any overly intimate moves.
Hearing someone pulling a cart approaching, Zhou Zhijun quickly raised his voice and called out, "Jieshi's wife, fetching water? Do you want me to carry it for you?"
Speaking so loudly, Chun Tao naturally understood his intentions and quickly waved her hand. "Uncle Zhijun, there's no need. You should head back. I can carry this myself!"
"Why are you being so polite with me! It's on my way anyway, let me carry it for you!"
Zhou Zhijun tucked his sickle into his waistband and, without another word, grabbed the carrying pole on her shoulder.
He was strong. Chun Tao wanted to move forward but found her steps rooted, forced to let him transfer the pole onto his own shoulder.
Zhou Zhijun carried the water forward, but his pace was deliberately slow.
Feeling flustered, Chun Tao slowed her steps even more. Yet, thinking of the water needed at home, she had no choice but to steel herself and catch up, trying to overtake him and walk ahead.
Unexpectedly, as she passed by him, a large hand suddenly seized her wrist in a tight grip.
"What are you doing?" Chun Tao shuddered all over, her head bowing even lower. Her voice squeezed out from the depths of her throat, carrying a slight tremble.
The man leaned down slightly, his voice wrapped in a barely restrained intensity, his scorching breath falling on the crown of her head and by her ear. "What do you think?"
