Liu Cuilan was afraid of Wang Xiaoming, but walking away dejectedly like this would make her lose too much face.
Just as she was trying to defend herself, the loud speaker at the head of the village suddenly rang, broadcasting Zhou Dana's voice, telling the villagers to go to the brigade headquarters for a meeting. Liu Cuilan found a way out.
"I won't lower myself to your level. The brigade headquarters called a meeting, I have to go!" She finished with a stiff neck, turned around, and left.
Liu Cuilan thought to herself, the pot is almost empty, who has the time to attend useless meetings? Carrying the empty bag, she went straight home.
Wang Haichao and his three brothers were still hiding in the main room playing cards, surrounded by seven or eight men watching, smoking, and jeering. The room was in a mess.
Wang Haichao caught a glimpse of Liu Cuilan walking into the kitchen with a dark face, carrying an empty bag, and his face also fell.
He pushed the cards to the man next to him, got up and walked to the kitchen, his tone tinged with anger, "Liu Cuilan, you are too useless. Why did you come back empty-handed?"
"I'm useless? If you have the ability, you go ask for it!" Liu Cuilan sat down on the bench and said angrily.
"You are his biological mother and you couldn't get it back. I am an uncle, how could I have the nerve to ask?"
Wang Haichao gritted his teeth, cursing Wang Haibao in his heart for being useless. If what happened yesterday had succeeded, they could have gotten a sum of money, and they wouldn't have to be so tight during the New Year.
Just as he was speaking, a man's shout came from outside, "Haichao! Go to the brigade headquarters for a meeting. Every family must send a person, hurry up!"
Wang Haichao felt irritable and shouted to the main room, "Hailong, Haihu, which of you will go to the meeting?"
When the men in the room heard that there was a meeting, they dispersed, muttering curses at Zhou Dana for "making trouble out of nothing," and slowly walked towards the brigade headquarters.
On the other side, Chuntao was busy in the kitchen, Wang Xiaohong was sitting in the quilt knitting a sweater, and Wang Xiaoming went to the meeting.
Before leaving, he specially instructed Wang Xiaohong, "Sister, if she comes to ask for flour again, you hurry to the brigade headquarters and call me!"
Wang Xiaohong replied, "Don't worry, with me at home, everything will be fine!"
The meeting convened by Zhou Dana today brought great news.
Many villages near Nangang had made a fortune from oil wells. Now the survey team was coming to Wangjiazhai to set off explosives in the fields to survey for oil.
Right now, the fields were planted with winter wheat. Whichever family's field the explosives were set off in, that family would be compensated. If an oil well was really surveyed, the compensation would be even more.
Upon hearing this, everyone exploded, whispering to each other, their eyes shining, wishing the survey team would go to their own fields first to set off explosives.
On the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the survey team really came.
They brought more than a dozen corrugated iron houses in trucks, enclosed a piece of land on the barren slope to the north, and set up a temporary courtyard.
The survey team consisted of men and women, all relatively young. The male comrades mostly wore dark blue work clothes and yellow hard hats.
Some female comrades wore work clothes, while others wore their own clothes. Most of them had short hair cut to their ears, looking neat and tidy.
Once the news spread, the men and older children in the village all ran over to watch the excitement.
Wang Xiaohong, clutching an unfinished sweater in her hand, and Zhou Hongxia, carrying an unfinished shoe pad, also squeezed into the crowd.
They saw a female worker wearing a long trench coat that went past her knees, her shiny black hair draped over her shoulders, and shiny leather shoes on her feet.
"This is too fashionable!" Wang Xiaohong lowered her voice, her eyes full of envy.
Zhou Hongxia nodded vigorously, her eyes shining, "Isn't it? This outfit is really nice!"
In the crowd, a few old bachelors stared at the female workers, uttering dirty words.
Wang Xiaohong heard it, spat out "shameless," and pulled Zhou Hongxia to leave.
Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure. She froze, then let go of Zhou Hongxia's hand and walked over quickly, "Brother Mingliang?"
That person was Li Mingliang from the family courtyard of the Nangang Oilfield.
In the summer, when Chuntao fainted while selling watermelons in Nangang, it was thanks to the rescue of Li Mingliang and his mother.
Chuntao and Wang Xiaohong had always remembered this kindness, and later specifically sent two bags of watermelons over.
Li Mingliang and his mother felt sorry for them planting and selling watermelons on such a hot day, and refused to accept them.
Finally, Li Mingliang's mother, Zhang Meiying, packed a net bag of fruits, melon seeds, and pastries, and forced them into their hands before letting them go.
After the sweet potatoes were harvested, Wang Xiaohong rode her bicycle to deliver half a bag of sweet potatoes to them. After a while, they became familiar.
Wang Xiaohong learned that Li Mingliang was a junior college graduate and worked in the oilfield. She didn't know exactly what work he did, and she never dreamed she would meet him here.
Hearing someone call him, Li Mingliang turned around and was also a little surprised, "Xiaohong? It's you!"
The two stood aside and talked for a few words. Before leaving, Wang Xiaohong pointed to the village in the south and said, "Brother Mingliang, my home is in Wangjiazhai. Come and sit when you have time!"
Li Mingliang smiled and asked, "How has your sister-in-law been lately?"
"Very well!" Wang Xiaohong replied, "My sister-in-law often says that Aunt Zhang and you are very good people. If it weren't for you, she would have been in danger that day."
On the day Chuntao fainted, Wang Xiaohong couldn't help but tell Li Mingliang and his mother about Chuntao's experience. Both of them felt sorry for Chuntao.
Such a good girl, how could she have such a fate.
Wang Xiaohong went home and told Chuntao about meeting Li Mingliang. Chuntao was also very surprised.
She had always remembered the life-saving grace of Li Mingliang and his mother. Now that they came to work in Wangjiazhai, she should logically go and see them.
But she didn't have anything presentable, and she was even more afraid that the villagers would gossip about her, a "widow," interacting with outside men.
After the survey team arrived, the sound of explosions in the fields never stopped, rumbling day and night, shaking the broken thatched cottages.
In a blink of an eye, it was New Year's Eve. Chuntao chopped tofu, vermicelli, and radishes, and mixed the filling to make dumplings. She thought about letting Wang Xiaohong go and call Li Mingliang to eat dumplings, but she had concerns.
Unexpectedly, Wang Xiaohong spoke first, "Sister-in-law, it's New Year's Eve, and Brother Mingliang is still working here. He definitely can't go home. How about I go call him to eat dumplings?"
Chuntao couldn't voice her concerns, so she just nodded, "Okay! You go call him, I'll cook two more dishes so he can have a hot meal."
Wang Xiaohong ran excitedly towards the corrugated iron houses on the barren slope. Halfway there, she saw Li Mingliang walking towards her carrying a net bag of things.
"Brother Mingliang, this is..."
Seeing her, Li Mingliang smiled and went up to her, "Xiaohong, I was just about to go to your house. I thought I would have to ask for directions when I got to the village. It's such a coincidence to meet you here!"
"Going to my house? That's too coincidental!" Wang Xiaohong said happily, "Today is New Year's Eve, I came to call you to eat dumplings!"
The two walked together to Wangjiazhai. When they reached the door, Wang Xiaoming was making a fire at the kitchen door, and Chuntao was busy cooking. Hearing the voice, she hurried out to greet them, "Brother Mingliang, you're here!"
Seeing the things in his hand, Chuntao felt even more apologetic, "It's enough that you came, why did you bring things, you're treating us like outsiders!"
"It's nothing expensive, just some fruits and pastries for you to taste." Li Mingliang smiled and said.
Wang Xiaohong took the net bag, "Brother Mingliang, you spent money again!"
Li Mingliang was dressed neatly and cleanly, his hair combed perfectly into place.
Chuntao wanted to invite him into the kitchen to warm up by the fire, but she worried the smoky and soot-filled room would make him feel it was too dirty. She stood there rubbing her hands together, unsure of how to greet him for a moment.
Wang Xiaohong quickly chimed in, Brother Mingliang, go have a seat in the main room first. I will pour you a cup of hot tea to warm you up!
Li Mingliang followed Wang Xiaohong into the main room. She poured him a cup of hot water and wiped the dust off a small stool with her sleeve before offering him a seat.
How is your brother's health? Li Mingliang asked casually.
Wang Xiaohong glanced at the door to the inner room and lowered her voice. He took a fall before the New Year and still has not fully recovered. He has been lying in bed ever since.
Wang Jieshi heard the voice of an unfamiliar man and felt a pang of suspicion, but he kept quiet.
Wang Xiaohong, however, called out towards the inner room, Brother, are you awake?
Wang Jieshi gave a grunt of acknowledgment. Wang Xiaohong lifted the door curtain and walked in. Brother, when my sister-in-law fainted while selling watermelons at Nangang this past summer, it was all thanks to Aunt Zhang and Brother Mingliang for saving her. Since it is the New Year today, I invited him over to have some dumplings.
Li Mingliang followed her inside and said with a smile, It was just a small effort, not worth mentioning.
Wang Jieshi lay on the bed, shot him a glance, and sneered inwardly.
Who in this day and age was that kind-hearted? He was definitely after Chuntao. Now that he had come knocking on their door, he surely harbored no good intentions!
A cold smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he spoke in a slow, drawling tone, Since he is the benefactor who saved Chuntao, we must entertain him well.
The words sounded polite, but there were thorns hidden within them. Li Mingliang froze for a moment and did not reply.
Chuntao came in carrying two bowls of dumplings and caught exactly what was said. Her heart tightened. She had been afraid that Wang Jieshi would get the wrong idea, and now her worst fears were coming true!
