Chapter Seven: Counterattack

After giving birth, Caiyun produced very little milk, so she usually fed Goudan with some porridge. Goudan had always been frail and appeared quite thin. Facaï wanted to sell a boar’s head to nourish both Caiyun and Goudan, but Caiyun firmly refused. Facaï then considered slaughtering an old hen, but Caiyun opposed that too, as the hens were their steady source of income, laying eggs to earn a little pocket money.

Unable to persuade his wife, Facaï took up his fishing net and basket to catch fish. He was quite skilled at fishing and never returned empty-handed. This time was no exception; the fish and shrimp they caught were enough for a hearty family meal. Facaï selected a few crucian carp and personally boiled fish soup for his wife. Drinking the soup made by her husband warmed Caiyun’s heart, but she couldn’t help recalling the incident with Wang Hongbing that night, feeling a pang of guilt.

A week later, Facaï asked Caiyun, “Why haven’t you attended the literacy classes twice this week?”

“I’ve been a bit foggy-headed lately; I just can’t concentrate,” she replied.

“Why don’t you greet Wang Hongbing when you meet him anymore? Both of you lower your heads and avoid each other. What’s going on?”

“No, you must have seen it wrong.” Facaï’s suspicion reminded Caiyun that she should maintain a normal relationship with Wang Hongbing to avoid arousing jealousy.

Caiyun said to Facaï, “Yulan and I are going to Tangling to watch a movie tonight. Are you coming?”

“I won’t go. You two go ahead.”

The next day, after Caiyun returned from washing clothes at Laohutang, she happened to meet Wang Hongbing coming from the opposite direction. Wang Hongbing immediately lowered his head, trying to walk past without being noticed. Unexpectedly, Caiyun called out to him, “Hongbing, are you going out?”

“Y-yes, just stepping out for a bit,” Wang Hongbing stammered nervously. Unsure of her intentions, he glanced around to make sure no one was watching before feeling somewhat relieved.

“How do you write the three characters for ‘General Line’ you taught me last time?”

Hearing this, Wang Hongbing finally relaxed. He gestured in the air, but Caiyun still didn’t understand. She then extended her hand and said, “Write it here.”

Wang Hongbing was suspicious that Chen Facaï might be nearby watching them. After careful observation and confirming no one was around, he carefully wrote the characters stroke by stroke on her palm. Once Caiyun said, “Okay, I’ve got it now. Thank you!” he felt a great sense of relief, glanced at her, and left.

Wang Hongbing thought to himself that ever since the night he came to seek her guidance, Caiyun stopped attending literacy classes. Today, she had actively spoken to him with a bright smile and even let him write on her hand, which stirred his imagination—he was clearly forgetting his own pain.

Caiyun watched Wang Hongbing’s departing figure and reflected on recent events, worried that the incident that night might have offended him and caused new conflicts between the Chen and Wang families. As the saying goes, distant relatives are not as helpful as close neighbors; the complications from the last difficult childbirth had left a deep impression on her.

Still, Wang Hongbing’s behavior that night had truly angered her. Biting him was a desperate act, and she believed she was justified, though she regretted biting him too hard.

That evening, the village was to hold an important meeting, requiring each household to send a representative.

“Caiyun, you should go to the meeting tonight,” Facaï said.

“You’re a grown man; why do you always make me go to meetings?” Caiyun complained.

“I don’t remember what I hear anyway; it’s better if you come back and explain it clearly.”

Caiyun took a small stool and a fan and headed to the meeting room at the drying ground.

The drying ground was located on the west side of the village. Though a bit far, it was on higher ground and safe from flooding. During the harvest season, men took turns guarding it, ensuring security.

To the north of the drying ground stood a row of buildings mainly used as warehouses and meeting rooms. To the south, there was another row housing the granary and storage for miscellaneous goods, as well as an old, abandoned oil mill. About two hundred meters northeast of the drying ground was Wangjiayu Elementary School.

Though Caiyun had never attended school, she was intelligent and eager to learn. She always took the literacy classes seriously, memorizing and writing diligently, and over the years had learned to recognize quite a few characters. She also gladly participated in meetings to learn new things.

Facaï had a poor memory; he forgot what he learned quickly and gradually stopped attending classes. He found meetings tedious and was reluctant to go.

The meeting was brief. As soon as Caiyun returned, Facaï asked, “What was the meeting about?”

Caiyun explained, “The brigade secretary, Yang Shaowen, came to convey the spirit of the higher-level meetings.”

“What brigade secretary?”

“There’s now a People’s Commune. The original townships have all been reorganized into People’s Communes, and the cooperatives have become production brigades and production teams. Private plots have been abolished, and the land and tools belong collectively to the production team. From now on, our area will be called Tangling Commune, Wangjiayu Brigade, Wangjiayu Production Team. The brigade headquarters is located in our Wangjiayu Village. Today, the newly appointed brigade secretary Yang Shaowen came to convey the meeting’s spirit. He also announced that Wang Hongkui has been appointed as the leader of our Wangjiayu Production Team.”

Caiyun earnestly relayed the meeting’s messages to Facaï.

“Our land is our lifeline. Without private plots, life will be hard from now on,” Facaï said.

“That’s policy from above; no one can change it.”

At dusk, Facaï went to the well to fetch water. Han Xiuxia was washing clothes there with San Datou. Facaï asked, “Why do you bring the children when you wash clothes? Where are their grandparents?”

“One’s in the hospital, the other’s at the bedside. They’ve left the kids all to me,” Han Xiuxia replied.

Facaï saw Wang Hongbing walking behind Han Xiuxia, carrying a manure basket. He crouched down and hugged San Datou, asking, “Little treasure, how old are you?”

“Four,” San Datou answered promptly.

“This kid really has a big head.”

“Just like you,” Han Xiuxia teased.

“A big head like me?”

“And the long face and protruding mouth—all look like you.”

“Your Wang Hongbing always says I have a donkey face with a pig’s mouth. Let’s see if he still says that later.”

“Don’t listen to his nonsense. A big mouth means you’re a blessed person. That long face looks handsome on you. He’s obviously jealous.”

“You’re the first woman to call me handsome. That really makes me happy.”

“Different strokes for different folks. I like men like you.”

Facaï was elated. He picked up San Datou and compared him repeatedly to the water in the bucket, then said to Xiuxia, “This kid really looks like me. Could he really be mine?”

Han Xiuxia knew Facaï was joking but warned, “Don’t say that. Wang Hongbing already suspects this kid is yours.”

“Why would he suspect that? Just because he looks like me?”

“Also, his sister-in-law stirs trouble, saying that every time Wang Hongbing beats me, I run to your house and cry in your arms.”

“That sister-in-law is just a troublemaker.”

“That woman probably made it up, slandering me with horrible accusations that I flirt with you. I can’t even say them aloud…”

“You should hit her,” Facaï interrupted.

“How dare I? Last time I scolded her, she held a grudge and started slandering and retaliating against me. The rumor that San Datou looks like you started with her,” Han Xiuxia said helplessly.

“People’s words are their own; let them say what they want. But here’s a tip: next time Wang Hongbing hits you, you can hide at his older brother’s house—that’s your neighbor too,” Facaï suggested.

“You don’t know. Once I ran there, but his brother wasn’t home. Wang Hongbing chased me, and she shut the door, grabbed my hair, and forced me to admit I had an affair with you. The more I said no, the more she egged Wang Hongbing on to beat me badly. I almost died,” Han Xiuxia said angrily, pounding the clothes harder and faster until water splashed everywhere. Noticing water dripping down Facaï’s face, she wiped it off with her sleeve and apologized, “Sorry.”

“It's okay,” Facaï said politely, wiping her face in return.

“Did Wang Hongbing believe her just because of what she said?” Facaï asked.

“She described it so vividly, how could he not?”

“This is all your fault for talking too much. You should stop cursing people so easily,” Facaï earnestly advised.

“I can’t help it; it’s in my nature. Unlike your Caiyun, who is sweet and knows how to coax. But you better watch out; she might cheat on you,” Han Xiuxia said seriously.

“That won’t happen. Caiyun isn’t that kind of person,” Facaï replied confidently on the surface, though he was a little uneasy inside because he noticed Caiyun sometimes looked at Wang Hongbing in a special way.

“Forget it. You men are all careless; you can hide things from yourselves but not from us women.”

“Then who do you think she’s involved with?”

“Don’t tell me you really don’t know or are just playing dumb?”

“Stop beating around the bush. Tell me, who is she involved with?”

“Your wife often uses studying as an excuse to come to my house and flirt with Wang Hongbing. One night, I came back from my parents’ house and overheard what they were saying in the room.”

“What did she say?”

“She told Wang Hongbing that a handsome, dashing man like you could have any woman he wanted, but you ended up with a wife who has nothing and just scolds people. I was so angry I kicked the door open. Your wife didn’t even have time to button her shirt and ran off grasping it.”

“You must have seen wrong. Caiyun isn’t like that.”

“Fine, I was mistaken. Just forget I said anything. You should go now. If Wang Hongbing sees us talking for so long, it’ll be trouble.”

Facaï turned around and saw Wang Hongbing standing not far away, eavesdropping. He deliberately hugged San Datou and asked Wang Hongbing, “Hongbing, does this kid look like me?”

“Chen Facaï, just wait—you won’t get away with this!” Wang Hongbing glared at him and left, carrying his manure basket.