Chapter 21: The Small Cloth Bag

Wang Hongbing found Caiyun to be a capricious and inscrutable woman. That she had openly admitted to playing him for a fool and dismissed him as a disgusting, small-minded man clearly signaled a desire to sever all ties and end their relationship completely.

What baffled him was that during the election for team leader, not only had Caiyun refrained from exposing his theft of grain, but she had even praised his ideological awareness, seemingly eager for him to take the post. Yet, shortly after he became leader, she had launched such vicious attacks against him. He struggled to understand why.

After repeated analysis, he concluded that Caiyun’s silence regarding the grain theft was primarily due to a lack of evidence. As for her praise of his "ideological awareness," he surmised it was merely to avoid offending Secretary Yang, as she knew the outcome of the election was already a fait accompli. Wang Hongbing deduced that Caiyun was no ordinary woman; her oscillation between vicious attacks and affectionate, lighthearted banter made her a formidable and terrifying presence.

In the past, the team cadres had relied on her to cook for them. After he became leader, he found it difficult to stop her without a valid excuse, especially since her cooking was so delicious. Every time she cooked for them, Caiyun would quietly set aside a small portion to take home for her children, particularly Yujun, whose constitution was perpetually weak and frail.

One evening, as she returned from the canteen, Wang Hongbing intercepted her near his doorstep. He shone his flashlight in her face and demanded, "Caiyun, what are you holding in your hand?"

"Just the leftovers from the meal you all just finished."

Wang Hongbing took the item and saw a small cloth bag containing rice, vegetables, and pork. The bag had been hand-stitched by Caiyun from coarse white fabric and could hold about five pounds of rice.

"The pork was all eaten at the time. Where did you get this?" Wang Hongbing pressed further.

"I saved a few pieces for myself, but it got cold while I was busy. I intended to take it home to reheat."

"Stop your quibbling. People have been reporting you for stealing from the canteen for a long time. Now that I’ve caught you red-handed, what else do you have to say?"

"Hongbing..."

"What?" Wang Hongbing interrupted, clearly angered by her familiarity in addressing him by his given name.

"No! Team Leader, Team Leader Wang, this is the only time. It has never happened before. You should know me better than that."

In the past, Caiyun had always called him "Hongbing" or "Teacher." Since he became team leader, he had repeatedly hinted that she should address him as "Team Leader Wang." While she had occasionally struggled to break the habit, he had never reacted with such intensity before.

"I know you far too well. You don’t need to say another word. I will hand this over to Secretary Yang tomorrow and let him handle it," Wang Hongbing said, holding the bag aloft.

"Team Leader Wang, look at this—it’s full of rice, pork, chicken, and fish. If Secretary Yang sees this, won't he accuse you team cadres of wining and dining while refusing to turn in the public grain?"

"Are you threatening me? This is a matter of work necessity!" Wang Hongbing snapped, then turned and entered his house.

Caiyun sensed that a disaster was looming. She knew that the thugs under Secretary Yang were ruthless; those sent their way rarely met a good end. Distraught, she wandered aimlessly until she reached Fafu’s doorstep. Realizing she had gone too far, she turned back and slipped into her own home.

Lying in bed, she couldn't sleep. If she were taken away, what would become of her children? Fucai had a violent temper and was impulsive; she could not rest easy leaving the children in his care. She wondered why Wang Hongbing, who had been so kind to her just days ago, had turned on her so suddenly, catching her completely off guard.

After much deliberation, she decided to confront him at dawn. If he refused to back down and insisted on turning in the bag, she would strike first. She would report him to Secretary Yang for leading the team in excessive wining and dining while withholding public grain, and claim he had forcibly snatched the evidence she had collected and threatened her life. That way, if he did present the bag, she could frame it as a malicious act of retaliation.

As she was plotting, she heard a knock at the door. "Who is it?" she asked.

"It’s me, Wang Hongbing."

She hurried to open the door. "It’s so late—aren't you asleep yet?"

"I’ve decided to return this bag to you. Everyone makes mistakes, and you deserve a chance to correct them. I hope this is the last time," Wang Hongbing said with apparent sincerity.

"Thank you, Team Leader Wang. I will certainly correct my ways and live up to the leadership's expectations," Caiyun replied.

She had anticipated this move; he was a clever man and surely understood the gravity of the situation. Her only lingering fear was that Wang Hongbing might not view their behavior as "excessive wining and dining," but rather as a common practice among cadres, not worth making a fuss over. She had to prepare for the worst. Still, this outcome was what she wanted most; she didn't want a fallout, as the Wang family held immense power—even if he were removed, another from his clan would simply take his place.

Though she had retrieved the vital bag, Caiyun remained awake, staring into the dark.

Wang Hongbing’s behavior that day left her deeply unsettled. Why had he turned on her so suddenly? Was it because of the incident where Fucai had forced him to eat excrement? But she had stood by his side during that ordeal, and he knew it. She doubted that was the reason.

She couldn't fathom whether his past sweet words had been mere acting or genuine feelings. If the latter, what had caused him to turn against her? Regardless, she decided she must be on her guard at all times to ensure he never caught her in another trap.

For Wang Hongbing, returning the bag had been the result of an intense internal struggle. He knew that higher-level leaders scrutinized production teams that failed to meet their procurement quotas. His own brother, Wang Hongkui, had been dismissed by Secretary Yang for just such a failure. He could not ignore the warning.

While the "win-and-dine" culture among cadres was common, it was a case of "the people don't complain, the officials don't investigate." But if there was concrete evidence, the officials would be forced to act. He could not risk using evidence of his own corruption to report Caiyun; if he failed to bring her down, he would only implicate himself and become a laughingstock.

As a newly appointed leader with unstable roots and unestablished connections, he knew he lacked knowledge of the unspoken rules of the officialdom. Stability was paramount; he could not risk a major loss for a trivial gain. He decided to let the matter rest.

Yet, after walking a few steps away from her door, he stopped and turned back. He felt a deep, gnawing resentment. This bag was ironclad proof of her theft—a perfect weapon for revenge. This woman, who had once stirred his heart, had not only deceived and toyed with him emotionally but had also nearly ruined him. Since that night at the west threshing ground, he had felt a lingering sense of dread in her presence.

Ever since he became leader, she had been flirtatious, but whenever his passion was reignited, she turned cold. Especially that night when he knocked on her door, only to be cursed and humiliated. He found it impossible to let her off so easily.

He searched for a plan that would allow him to punish her while ensuring his own safety, but the more he thought, the more frustrated he became. Finally, he consoled himself with the thought that "a gentleman’s revenge is not too late in ten years." Protecting his position was the priority. "As long as the green hills remain, there will be no shortage of firewood." Ultimately, he gave her back the bag.