“What now?” Shen Linzhou’s stern voice rang out.
His childhood friend had rushed to the brigade headquarters to tell him that the woman he had carried back was in trouble. Shen Linzhou had dropped everything and hurried over. Only when he saw Xiao Mandong safe and sound did his heart finally settle a little.
Afraid that Shen Linzhou might say the wrong thing, Xiao Mandong spoke first.
“Deputy Commander Shen, you have to help me get justice. I only brought some food because I felt sorry for Grandpa Chen’s youngest granddaughter. Who would’ve thought this auntie would demand food and make a scene, then strip in front of Uncle Chen to extort money from him?”
Shen Linzhou’s expression darkened. He looked coldly at the old woman.
“You can’t even behave on your last night in the village. Send them away tonight.”
“I’ll go speak to the brigade leader in a moment and have a tractor take you to the Dongfanghong Reform-through-Labor Farm. You’d better mend your ways and stop trying to take shortcuts.”
The old woman’s daughter-in-law, who had been too frightened to step forward, nearly fainted when she heard Shen Linzhou’s words.
She was terrified and desperate, and immediately began wailing, “How can you treat us like this just because you’re a soldier? You said earlier that our family would be sent to the May Seventh Farm. Why are you suddenly changing it to a reform-through-labor farm? Isn’t that bullying? Our children are still so young! How are we supposed to survive in a labor camp?”
Shen Linzhou’s face remained expressionless, but his eyes were frighteningly cold.
“Your husband behaved improperly while being sent down for reeducation. He is being dealt with according to regulations. Your entire family should have been sent to the reform-through-labor farm in the first place. Didn’t you hear the decision just now?”
“We took your children’s young age into consideration, which was why we changed your destination to the May Seventh Farm. But your family has shown no remorse. Instead, you gathered people to cause trouble, made false accusations, framed others, and disrupted order in the village. The consequences are extremely serious.”
“To avoid causing trouble for the May Seventh Farm, your family will go where you should have gone in the first place. I am acting according to regulations. I hope you will reform yourselves and control your words and actions.”
“Of course, if you feel that this is unfair, you may appeal through the proper channels. The authorities will give you justice. But until then, this decision will be carried out as ordered. If you object to the way I handled this matter, you can also report me to the army. My name is Shen Linzhou.”
With that, he told one of the villagers to fetch the brigade leader. He felt that only after watching the entire family be sent away would Xiao Mandong be able to relax.
The brigade leader soon hurried over. He had heard the whole story on the way.
He cursed inwardly. They really had brought this upon themselves. Just now, everyone had wanted to send the family to the reform-through-labor farm. Only Shen Linzhou had said that their children were still young and pitied them, arguing that they should be sent to the May Seventh Farm instead.
Who could have imagined that the family would be so ungrateful and shameless? They deserved everything coming to them.
Before long, the family was shoved onto a tractor with their bundles in hand. Only then did Xiao Mandong finally feel at ease.
“Let’s go. I’m heading back, and since you came with me, naturally I should escort you home as well.”
To avoid further trouble, Shen Linzhou decided to leave with Xiao Mandong. It would also keep her safe from having to walk the mountain road alone at night.
Xiao Mandong hurriedly explained to her family, “Grandpa, Dad, I’m leaving now. I once saved this man’s life, so we’re friends.”
That was the only way she could reassure her family and keep them from jumping to conclusions.
Only then did Xiao Jingping realize that the two large bundles his daughter had brought must have been obtained with the soldier’s help. No wonder he had kept standing up for their family—he owed her his life.
With that thought, Xiao Jingping finally relaxed.
As he watched Xiao Mandong and Shen Linzhou walk away, Old Master Xiao let out a meaningful sigh. At his age, he had seen through many things. It was inconvenient to say anything today, so he decided to wait until his granddaughter came again before speaking with her.
Old Master Xiao pulled Old Chen into his room, while Feng Xiaoyan reheated the dishes.
From beneath the stove, Old Master Xiao produced a bottle of Moutai and grinned at Old Chen.
“You old rascal, you’re in luck today. My granddaughter bought this for me.”
Old Chen’s eyes lit up at the sight of the liquor. It had been five or six years since he had tasted anything this good.
He licked his dry lips. “I’m blessed today. In the past, if I wanted even a taste of alcohol, I had to wait until the festivals and go up the mountain to visit the graves.”
“Let me tell you, even though they’re cracking down on the Four Olds now, there are still some daring people who secretly leave food and drink in front of their ancestors’ graves. I noticed one family that did it every year. I’d wait nearby until the person left, then drink the liquor in his ancestors’ place.”
Old Master Xiao felt a pang of sorrow as he listened. The Chen family had once been prominent figures in the capital. When he was young, Old Chen had been known as a Young Master Jing, spending his days eating, drinking, and playing around. The Chen family had spoiled their sons rotten, while educating their daughters exceptionally well.
Old Master Xiao reluctantly poured Old Chen a tiny serving and teased him, “The New Year is only a few months away. Don’t drink too much today. You can go visit the graves again during the New Year.”
How could Old Chen possibly agree? He snatched the bottle away.
“Hmph! I’m telling you, your granddaughter is my granddaughter too. This old man won’t need to go visit the graves this year. I’ll have liquor to drink all the same.”
In the end, the two old friends ate good food and finished an entire bottle of Moutai, leaving Old Master Xiao clutching his chest in agony.
His three sons hadn’t gotten a single sip, and they would still have to go up the mountain afterward to smash the bottle and bury the pieces.
Meanwhile, Shen Linzhou’s jeep bounced along the dirt road for a while before the engine suddenly sputtered several times. The revolutions dropped sharply.
Shen Linzhou frowned and lightly pressed the accelerator, but nothing happened. The vehicle soon rolled to a stop by the roadside.
“What’s wrong?” Xiao Mandong asked instinctively.
“There’s something wrong with the car.”
He turned off the engine and got out. After lifting the hood, he examined the engine by the faint moonlight and quickly understood the problem.
“These old 212s have this issue. After bouncing over rough roads a few times, the distributor cap is the first thing likely to crack.”
“The distributor cap is broken?” Xiao Mandong asked, watching him stare at a round black plastic component.
“Yeah. It’s cracked from the jolting. We need to replace it with a spare.”
Shen Linzhou pulled a military canvas toolbox from beside the driver’s seat and rummaged through it for a long time, but found nothing. Xiao Ding had replaced one the last time, and they hadn’t restocked the spare.
Shen Linzhou looked a little embarrassed.
“We don’t have that part. There’s no village ahead or behind us, so it looks like we’ll have to walk back and call the army to send someone with the replacement part to repair the car.”
“Sure. I’m off tomorrow anyway. Let’s hurry. We’re too close to the mountains. If a black bear shows up, we’ll both be finished.”
The night was deep, and the road was full of potholes. After they had walked for about twenty minutes, everything suddenly went black—the flashlight had run out of power.
Shen Linzhou… He had only wanted to treat Xiao Mandong a little better. Why did something always have to go wrong?
Xiao Mandong felt that the day had been terribly unlucky. So many things had happened, and now it was pitch-black without even a flashlight. How were they supposed to keep walking?
She had a flashlight in her space, but there was no way she could take it out in front of him.
Just as she was thinking about it, she failed to notice the loose patch of earth beneath her foot.
“Ah!”
Her ankle gave way, and her body lurched to the side.
Shen Linzhou reacted instantly. He reached out and caught her firmly by the arm.
“Careful.”
His palm was warm and strong, its heat seeping through the fabric.
Xiao Mandong’s cheeks grew hot. She had just managed to steady herself when a sharp pain shot through her ankle. The moment she put weight on it, she sucked in a breath.
“Did you twist your ankle?” Shen Linzhou asked, his brows drawing together slightly.
“No, I’m fine…” Xiao Mandong bit her lip, moved over to sit on a roadside stone, then bent down and slowly slipped off her shoe and sock.
