Chapter 35: Don't Do This

One afternoon, Wang Hongbing organized a general meeting of all commune members to convey the commune's spirit regarding the implementation of the provincial committee's opinions on the "contracting output to teams, fixing output to fields, and assigning responsibility to individuals" policy, aimed at comprehensively promoting the "responsibility field" system.

At the meeting, he stated, "Since receiving the provincial committee’s document in March regarding the implementation of 'responsibility fields,' the county committee has conducted pilot programs based on the method of contracting output to teams, fixing output to fields, calculating work points based on production, assigning major farm tasks to groups and minor tasks to households, and calculating rewards and penalties based on the ratio of work done. This method, also known as the 'field management responsibility and reward system,' or simply 'responsibility fields,' has achieved remarkable results."

Taking a sip of water, he continued, "Following the pilot, the county committee has decided to promote the 'four-contract' and 'four-fixed' agricultural production system throughout the county. The 'four-contracts' refer to contracting output, labor, expenses, and state procurement; the 'four-fixed' means that labor, land, livestock, and farm tools are all fixed..."

"Team leader, does this mean the land will be divided among individual households?"
"Will all the grain harvested belong to us?"

The villagers were stirred and excited, interrupting Wang Hongbing with eager questions before he could finish.

Wang Hongbing raised his voice and continued, "Please, let me finish. Although the county's plan is more specific than the province's, it remains a set of principles and guidelines. Currently, there are many ways of implementing 'responsibility fields' across different areas. Our team, after careful study, has decided to adopt the simplest and most popular model designated by the brigade: responsibility assigned to households under a cooperative group structure. This means dividing the team into several cooperative groups, allocating land, state procurement quotas, and the team's internal delivery targets directly to each household. Once the quotas are met, all remaining grain belongs to the household."

"What about irrigation and oxen?"
"Tell us exactly how it will work!"

The villagers were highly enthusiastic, asking questions incessantly.

Wang Hongbing explained, "The specific measures involve mixing paddy fields, dry fields, fertile fields, and nearby fields to distribute them to each household. Water management and disaster relief will follow the 'five-unification' requirement, managed by the production team. Every fifty mu of land will be allocated one ox, with each fifty-mu unit forming a cooperative group. The group leader will coordinate matters like public grain procurement, water usage, disaster relief, and the use of large farm tools."

"Team leader, some fields are currently fallow, and some early rice has already been harvested. How do we hand in the public grain?"

Wang Hongbing clarified, "All crops this year will be harvested by the team, and the team will be responsible for handing in the public grain. The land allocation for each household will take effect after the autumn harvest."

The next day, land measurement began. Caiyun was allocated ten mu of land: three mu of dry fields in the south of the village and seven mu of paddy fields in Xichong. She formed the sixth cooperative group with the families of Fafu, Zhao Zhiliang, and Li Dazhi, with Fafu serving as the group leader.

Due to a drought, Wangjiayu, like all production teams, suffered a significant decline in grain production. Following higher-level directives, the commune lowered the procurement quotas, creating favorable conditions for the villagers to recover their strength.

After the autumn harvest, every household began sowing winter wheat. However, Caiyun, left with three children and no one to plow or harrow the fields, remembered the words of her late husband, Facai. She went to consult Fafu: "Second Brother, now that the land is divided, I will have to rely on your help for some of the work."

Fafu replied, "Don't worry, I have it all planned. Don't stress about the wheat sowing; tomorrow is Zhiliang's turn for the ox, and the day after, I will plow for you."

Caiyun said, "I can only count on you now."

The next morning, Qingying noticed someone plowing Caiyun's dry land. Finding it strange, she ran over to take a look: "Honglei, are you plowing for Caiyun?"

"I finished my one mu quickly, so I'm doing a bit for her on the way."
"Did Caiyun ask you to do it?"
"No, I just think it's not easy for a woman on her own, so I wanted to help."
"No wonder she always praises you; it seems you're quite good to her."
"What does she praise me for?"
"She says you look handsome, you're capable, and you're a real man."
"Really? Did she really say I look handsome?"
"Would I lie to you? You're miles more handsome than that donkey-faced, pig-nosed husband she had. Now that Facai is gone, she needs a man."

Datou Langzi felt a surge of excitement. He had always felt Caiyun liked him, but he had never heard her praise his looks. He asked Qingying, "Do you think she would remarry?"

"That goes without saying. Can a woman with three children make it alone? She's only in her thirties, the prime time for a woman to need a man. If you want to marry her, you must seize the opportunity."
"I've mentioned it to her, but she didn't agree."
"I have a way to make her cry and beg to marry you, whether she wants to or not."
"I don't believe you. You're just pulling my leg."
"If you listen to me, that day will surely come."

Qingying thought to herself as she walked away. She knew that after the land was divided, Caiyun would have to rely entirely on Fafu for heavy labor, which would be a huge burden. If she could facilitate this marriage, she would not only shed this burden, but the four rooms would naturally belong to her entirely, and the issue of adopting Yulan might be resolved. She knew Caiyun wouldn't easily fall for Datou Langzi, so a forceful approach was necessary.

Datou Langzi watched Qingying go, thinking her words made sense. If he could get Caiyun pregnant, she would have to marry him. He felt that as a tall, strong man, he was the most suitable candidate to support her family. Plus, he was a bachelor with no strings attached and would treat her children as his own. Their ages were also a match—Caiyun was thirty-one, and he was two years older. Most importantly, he was convinced she liked him, not just because of her words, but because of her behavior in bed—especially their first time, which had been so passionate and intense.

Currently, while every household was busy sowing wheat, Caiyun's fields lay silent. He thought that if she saw someone plowing and sowing for her, she would surely be happy.

Back home, Qingying pulled Fafu aside and asked, "Do you see who is plowing for Caiyun?"
Fafu stared into the distance for a long time before saying, "I can't tell. Do you know who it is?"
"I just checked; it's Datou Langzi."
"Is that so? I'll go ask what's going on."

"Why did you let Datou Langzi plow for you?" Fafu asked angrily when he saw Caiyun.
"I didn't!" Caiyun replied, bewildered.
"Look!" Fafu pointed to her field.
"I'll go check," Caiyun said, rushing off.

When Fafu returned, Qingying asked, "What did Caiyun say?"
"She said she didn't know what was going on either."
"Only a fool would believe that. They must have plotted this already," Qingying thought, feeling satisfied. She hoped Caiyun would get pregnant by Datou Langzi soon. She knew that Caiyun was originally meant to be Fafu’s wife, but Facai had gotten there first. She realized that if she could get her pregnant and have Datou Langzi spread the word that the child was his, the deal would be sealed.

Seeing Caiyun walking toward him, Datou Langzi felt overjoyed. He cracked his whip in the air with a loud "Giddy-up!" and struck the ox.

"Honglei, what made you think of plowing for me?"
"This is man's work. Facai is gone, so I'll handle these things from now on."
"I appreciate the kindness, but I've already arranged it. You should go back."
"I'm happy to work for you. I wish I could do it every day."
"That won't do; people will talk. Please, go."
"I like you, and you like me. Why won't you marry me?"
"I've already said I won't remarry. I must raise my children myself."
"Your children are my children. I love them; we can raise them together."

No matter what Caiyun said, Datou Langzi’s heart remained set. He looked at the beautiful woman, working harder and harder. After breakfast, Caiyun prepared him a meal. Although she had other plans for the sowing, his thoughtfulness touched her. She prepared a basin of hot water for him to wash up and handed him a bowl of porridge: "You must be hungry. Eat something."

"You're the only one who cares about me," Datou Langzi said, looking at her affectionately.
"Look how dirty your clothes are. Take them off, and I'll wash them for you." Caiyun reached out to unbutton his shirt.
"Caiyun, I love you!" Datou Langzi pulled her into a tight embrace.
"What are you doing? Don't do this again! Go home!" Caiyun struggled to break free.

That evening, Qingying boiled a large pot of water and told Fafu, "I heard my mother is sick, so I'm going back to check on her. I won't be back tonight. I’ve boiled bathwater; you can bathe. If you don't, let Caiyun use it—don't waste it."
"Got it. Go ahead."

Fafu’s family had a large wooden tub. Caiyun, who loved cleanliness, had used it before. Hearing the news, she was delighted: "Wonderful! I've been wanting a good bath!"

Qingying always used the back gate when visiting her parents to avoid the long walk around the front, so the hole in the back wall remained open. Shortly after she left, she returned and stood outside the window of the side room, eavesdropping. She heard Caiyun’s voice: "Is the water still hot?"
"Hot!" Fafu replied. She heard the doors being bolted from the inside.

"I'll fetch the water; you take off your clothes," Fafu said.
"No, you go to my place for a while. I'll call you when I'm done."
"I want to bathe with you."
"That's not right. You bathe first, and then I'll come over."
"I want to bathe with you!"
"Don't, don't do that!"
"It's been so long since I touched your body; you're still so alluring!"

Qingying knew that in the past, the elders had intended for Caiyun to marry Fafu, and they had even tried to conceive a child together, though it never happened—until Facai came along. Thus, she knew they had been intimate even when Caiyun was a young girl.

"You're annoying. What if Qingying finds out?"
"She’s a cold-blooded block of wood, no romance at all. I only like you!"
"What's so good about me? You're so handsome; you could find a pretty girl in town."
"I don't want anyone else! You're the most charming woman in the world. I won't let you go tonight!"
"Don't, let me bathe first."
"No, I'm going crazy."

Qingying was stunned; she never expected the usually honest Fafu to be like this. Soon, the sounds of them struggling on the bed followed, and before long, she heard Caiyun cry out...

As she walked away, her heart felt bitter, but a smile touched her lips, knowing she was one step closer to her goal.