After seeing Aunt Huang out and closing the gate, Xiao Mandong slid down against the door and sank to the ground. Clutching her chest, she drew deep, heavy breaths.
From the moment she heard that Sun Wenbin was secretly investigating the whereabouts of her family, Xiao Mandong’s heart had been pounding wildly, as though an icy hand had clenched around her throat.
Why was Sun Wenbin looking for her family? What was he planning to do?
That wretched Wang Yuanyuan—when had she gotten involved with Sun Wenbin? Xiao Mandong thought of Director Huang from the Revolutionary Committee. He was also an agent. She wondered whether the two of them knew each other. If they were working together, wouldn’t Sun Wenbin be able to find out where the Xiao family had been sent for reeducation through labor much more quickly?
After all, it would certainly be much easier for the Revolutionary Committee to investigate.
And if they found the Xiao family, what would they do to them? Xiao Mandong didn’t even dare think about it.
“Knock, knock, knock!”
The gate was suddenly pounded on again, making Xiao Mandong jolt.
“Sis, dinner’s ready.”
“Coming.”
Xiao Mandong steadied her breathing and quickly composed herself before opening the gate and walking out.
She had bought four meat dishes and two white-flour steamed buns from the state-run restaurant. Zhou Xiaomei had also stir-fried chives with eggs and shredded potatoes, and cooked a pot of cornmeal porridge.
The meal was abundant, but Xiao Mandong had little appetite.
After dinner, Xiao Mandong made an excuse and called Zhou Qichuan out into the courtyard. Lowering her voice, she told him everything about Sun Wenbin asking Wang Yuanyuan to help him find her family.
Even Zhou Qichuan hadn’t expected Sun Wenbin to be so sinister. He was actually planning to target Xiao Mandong’s family.
“Don’t worry. I’ll find a way to keep him from leaving the village. He won’t be able to go anywhere unless someone comes looking for him.”
Xiao Mandong pulled a paper packet from her pocket. “Find a way to make him take this. It’ll make him sick for a few days. Once Manxue leaves for school, we’ll deal with him.”
Zhou Qichuan took the packet and tucked it into his shirt. “What symptoms will it cause?”
“Diarrhea. If he goes to the hospital, they’ll diagnose him with dysentery caused by eating unhygienic food.”
The next day, word spread that several people at the educated youth station had fallen ill. They were vomiting and suffering from diarrhea, and everyone said it was dysentery. The village barefoot doctor went to examine them and said they had eaten something unclean. He prescribed some medicine, but they showed no signs of improving.
Zhou Qichuan said that if Sun Wenbin alone had fallen ill, he would certainly have suspected something. But since so many people had gotten sick at the same time, there was nothing for him to suspect.
Xiao Mandong couldn’t help admiring how meticulous Zhou Qichuan was. The way he thought things through was truly different from ordinary people.
The dysentery outbreak at the educated youth station lasted for two days. As it happened, Dong Huimin had been the one cooking that day, so the educated youths who fell ill were especially resentful toward her.
Dong Huimin herself hadn’t suffered from diarrhea. A little after eight o’clock the following evening, she found an excuse to leave the educated youth station. Tan Yanping happened to see her after returning from the latrine. Noticing Dong Huimin walking toward the west side of the village while repeatedly looking over her shoulder, Tan Yanping grew curious and hurried after her.
She ended up seeing Dong Huimin enter Accountant Sun’s house.
Dong Huimin had already approached the brigade leader and the village Party secretary, but both of them had said that the commune decided the quotas and that they had no say in the matter. Dong Huimin believed they were simply brushing her off.
She had previously been on good terms with Zhang Yanhong and knew that Accountant Sun was quite familiar with people at the commune. She wanted to ask Zhang Yanhong whether Accountant Sun could help her find a way. Over the years, she had saved some money and ration coupons, and she truly wanted to return to the city.
Hearing someone knock, Accountant Sun cursed under his breath as he opened the gate. The refined, hypocritical facade he usually put on had vanished, revealing his crude nature in full.
“What do you want? Why are you banging on the door in the middle of the night?”
Dong Huimin shrank back slightly. “I’m looking for Sister Yanhong. Is she home?”
“She’s not.”
The gate slammed shut with a bang.
How could Dong Huimin give up so easily? She knocked on the gate again.
“Uncle Sun, I can talk to you instead.”
“Come in.”
Accountant Sun opened the gate again and let Dong Huimin inside.
Only after entering did Dong Huimin discover that Zhang Yanhong truly wasn’t home. Even Mother Sun was gone.
That left her alone with Accountant Sun, which made her feel rather uncomfortable.
“What is it? Just tell me. They’ve both gone back to their families.”
Since she was already there, Dong Huimin wanted to seize this opportunity. The worker-peasant-soldier college quotas weren’t available every year.
Clenching the money and ration coupons she had saved over several years inside her sleeve, Dong Huimin bit her lip and steeled herself before speaking.
“Uncle Sun, I heard that the worker-peasant-soldier college quotas are recommended by the commune. You know people there and your word carries weight. I truly had nowhere else to turn, so I shamelessly came to ask you for help in the middle of the night.
“I’ve been at the educated youth station all these years. I’ve always volunteered for the farm work and the dirty, exhausting jobs. I’ve never been lazy. I just want to return to the city so badly. I want a future.”
“These are the money and ration coupons I’ve saved by scrimping and saving. I only ask that you help me make the right connection. As long as I can return to the city, I’ll remember your kindness for the rest of my life.”
Accountant Sun shot her a sidelong glance, his expression unreadable. He sat down on the edge of the kang, casually picked up his tobacco pipe, and slowly packed it with tobacco. After lighting it and taking a drag, he finally blew out a ring of smoke and spoke.
“You’re certainly straightforward, girl. But the quota has already been decided by the commune. The brigade doesn’t even have room to interfere. Even if I wanted to help, there’s nothing I could do.”
Dong Huimin’s heart sank, and her legs nearly gave way. She hurried two steps forward and lowered her voice even further.
“Uncle Sun, I know this won’t be easy, but I truly have nowhere else to turn. You must know some cadres at the commune. Please help me. I’ll do whatever you say. I won’t cause you any trouble, and I absolutely won’t tell anyone a word about coming here to ask for your help tonight.”
Accountant Sun narrowed his eyes and studied her for a long while. He tapped his tobacco pipe against the edge of the kang, and a half-smiling, half-mocking expression appeared on his face. His tone was playful yet sinister, as though he were deliberately testing how much control he had over her.
“This isn’t impossible to discuss, but empty promises won’t do. If you’re truly serious about getting this done, then show me some sincerity. As for the quota, we’ll see how sincere you are.”
Ever since Zhang Yanhong had been discharged from the hospital, she had refused to let Accountant Sun touch her. After being left out in the cold for so long, he had long been seething with pent-up lust. Now that this woman had practically delivered herself to his door, how could he possibly pass up the chance to take advantage of her?
Dong Huimin froze in place. What exactly did Accountant Sun mean?
She pulled out all the money and ration coupons she had saved and placed them on the table.
“Uncle, is this enough?”
Accountant Sun stuffed the money and coupons back into Dong Huimin’s hands. He deliberately brushed his fingertip across her palm. Dong Huimin recoiled as though she had been burned and stumbled back two steps in fright.
“Huimin,” he said slowly, “I’m not short of money or coupons. What I’m short of now is a child. Boy or girl, it doesn’t matter—as long as it’s mine. Will you help me?”
