...With a dull thud, a clod of earth landed in the ditch.
"Someone's in the ditch, go check!"
It was Zhou Ergan, leading a group of men searching for his new bride.
The sound of sticks beating through dry grass was already audible.
A branch swept across Zhou Zhijun's back with a rustle, making his whole body tense.
He couldn't wait for them to search this way!
A dark glint flashed in Zhou Zhijun's eyes. He suddenly reached out, pressed Chuntao's head down into the pile of dry grass, and whispered urgently, "Don't move!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, he sprang up, deliberately snapping a thick, dry branch. The sharp crack echoed across the wilderness.
The sounds of parting grass, talking, and footsteps from the ditch's edge instantly ceased.
"Someone's over there!" came the raspy voice of the village bachelor, Zhang the Baldy.
Zhou Zhijun brushed some grass fragments from his clothes and slowly stood up from the dry grass, his back to Chuntao at the bottom of the ditch, firmly shielding her from view.
He casually grabbed a wrist-thick dry branch and held it tight, deliberately roughening his voice to curse, "What's all the yelling about? I'm takin' a piss here! You lot hollerin' and carryin' on gave me a fright!"
Several heads peered over the ditch's edge, led by Zhou Ergan.
He squinted, sizing up Zhou Zhijun, his gaze sweeping over the dry grass pile behind him. "Tak'in a piss? Looks to me like you're hidin' someone! Heard some noise just now!"
Zhou Zhijun's heart skipped a beat, but he feigned impatience on his face. He thumped the dry branch on the ground, sending a few dried leaves flying.
His face was as dark as a pot, his voice cold and hard. "Zhou Ergan, what nonsense are you spoutin'!
Out here in this wild gully, there's nothin' but grass and dirt. You gone crazy lookin' for that outsider girl?"
As he spoke, he deliberately took two steps towards the ditch's edge, his broad frame completely blocking their line of sight.
Zhang the Baldy looked at Zhou Zhijun, then turned to Zhou Ergan. "I definitely heard somethin' over here just now!"
Zhou Ergan, wearing a lewd grin, jumped down from the ditch's edge. "Zhou Zhijun, step aside. We'll just have a little search and we'll know!"
"Search what?" Zhou Zhijun took another step forward, blocking the ditch entrance, his tone hardening. "This ditch belongs to the brigade. You think you can just search it? Looks to me like you're tryin' to steal the brigade's firewood!"
Zhou Ergan stared at Zhou Zhijun's tense face, then glanced around at the empty fields, doubt creeping into his mind.
Had he misheard? Was it the wind, not a sob?
He still held a grudge from last time when Zhou Zhijun caught him harassing Chuntao, and he dreamed of catching Zhou Zhijun in a misstep.
But Zhou Zhijun's toughness gave him some pause. His eyes darting, he said in a sly, mocking tone, "Fine, I'll believe you this once.
But Zhou Zhijun, you'd better not let me catch you out..."
"Shut your mouth!" Zhou Zhijun cut him off sharply, the hand gripping the branch showing bulging veins. "Enough of your wild accusations!"
His ferocious demeanor actually intimidated Zhou Ergan and his men.
Seeing this, Zhou Ergan didn't truly want to push Zhou Zhijun to a breaking point. If he angered him, and Zhou Zhijun reported him to the militia for forcing himself on the "outsider girl," he'd be in deep trouble.
"Hmph, let's go!" Zhou Ergan shot Zhou Zhijun a fierce glare, turned, and called to the others. "Search the ditch over there!"
Zhou Zhijun stood his ground, not moving until they were far away. Only then did he let out a long sigh of relief, cold sweat trickling down his spine.
He turned and walked back down into the ditch. Chuntao was just crawling out of the dry grass pile, tear stains still on her face, her eyes red-rimmed, like a frightened fawn.
