RIRW – Chapter 110

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Aside from the matter of Li Hongbing returning, Zuo Dacheng also discussed the school’s opening ceremony with Secretary Zhang.

Although it wasn’t officially the start of the school term yet, Zuo Dacheng decided to let the children enter the school early to start learning characters. Once the official term began, textbooks would be distributed and classes would formally start.

Secretary Zhang was currently overwhelmed with work and didn’t interfere in these matters anymore—he simply followed Zuo Dacheng’s lead.

On the way back, Zuo Dacheng sighed, “I wonder how those two are doing over at the village in reformation. Will they cause trouble again when they return?”

Zuo Dan replied, “Dad, don’t worry. If they stir up trouble, just suppress it so they can’t get anything going. Haven’t all the later batches of educated youth been pretty well-behaved? Just spread some word around that there will still be future opportunities at the school. The educated youth will definitely work hard to prove themselves and won’t dare to make a fuss.”

Zuo Dacheng thought this was a good idea. “Let’s hope so. Oh right, Dandan, about the accountant position—we still haven’t found anyone for it. Among the young people, hardly any have even graduated from primary school. As for the older ones, even less so. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have ended up as the team leader. I think we’ll have to choose someone from the educated youth.”

“Dad, what do you think of Li Suli?”

“You mean one of the first batch of educated youth? Not bad. She’s honest and steady—much better than the others. If it’s her, she’s worth considering.”

Zuo Dan smiled. “Dad, if you think she’s suitable, I’ll go talk to her. Then we’ll put it up for vote in the village meeting. From what I’ve seen, she gets along pretty well with the people in the village, so there shouldn’t be any problems.”

Zuo Dacheng nodded. “Alright, go talk to her. It’s best to get this matter settled early.”

Just as the two returned to the village, Xu Fengxia intercepted them on the road.

Xu Fengxia had originally planned to go directly to the old Zuo household, but she was afraid of running into the old lady and getting a scolding again. So, once she found out Zuo Dacheng and his daughter had gone to the commune, she hurried to wait for them halfway.

When she saw their vehicle approaching, she rushed forward to block the way.

Seeing her standing like a one-woman blockade, Zuo Dan thought to herself, Good thing this is just a slow-moving tractor. If it were a modern car, this would be suicidal.

Zuo Dacheng felt annoyed the moment he saw Xu Fengxia. His older brother, Zuo Hongjun, might be sarcastic and passive-aggressive, but if you didn’t provoke him, he wouldn’t go out of his way to bother you. Xu Fengxia, on the other hand, couldn’t stand seeing others doing well.

In the past, he had felt guilty, so he tolerated her as much as he could. But now that he knew everything had been a misunderstanding, he wasn’t willing to endure it any longer. He frowned and said, “Sister-in-law, what are you doing? If I run you over with the tractor, who’s going to take responsibility?”

“Go ahead and hit me if you’ve got the guts!” Xu Fengxia shouted.

Zuo Dan found her shameless behavior ridiculous. “Auntie, I’ll go back and chat with Grandma. If she hears you tried to kill yourself on the road in front of my dad just to drag him down, do you think she’ll let you off easy?”

The old lady in the Zuo family was the most pragmatic of them all. She sided with whoever gave her the best life. Even if she still had affection for her biological son Zuo Hongjun, she would never tolerate a daughter-in-law like Xu Fengxia who brought trouble.

Hearing this, Xu Fengxia lost some of her bravado. Her tone softened. “Dacheng, let me ask you—why aren’t you giving the accountant job to your big brother? He used to be the brigade leader. He can definitely handle being the team accountant.”

Zuo Dan responded, “Sure, my uncle was the brigade leader—but wasn’t he kicked out because he wasn’t doing a good job? How can someone like that hold a leadership role again? Besides, the way my uncle acts all high and mighty and barely talks to people—how’s he supposed to be a good cadre?”

Zuo Dacheng nodded in agreement. He had thought the same. He had actually considered Zuo Hongjun for the job, but since a cadre needed a solid relationship with the masses, he had to reject the idea.

Xu Fengxia wasn’t pleased when she heard that. “Your uncle was dragged down by you all! Since you caused him to lose his post, you have to make it up to him with another job. Otherwise, I’ll make a scene. I’ll raise hell at the commune if I have to!”

Hearing this, Zuo Dacheng got angry. Even Uncle Shuisheng had talked about the past clearly—it wasn’t because of his wife, Li Hui. So why was his sister-in-law still twisting the truth like this? If it really had been because of Li Hui, he wouldn’t be sitting in the team leader’s seat now.

Knowing there was no reasoning with Xu Fengxia, he simply stiffened his expression and said coldly, “Then go ahead and make a scene.”

“Zuo Dacheng, you really have no conscience! Fine! If you’re going to be so heartless and ungrateful, then today I’ll go head-to-head with you!” Xu Fengxia, hands on her hips in anger, stood right in front of the tractor, refusing to let it pass.

Zuo Dan said, “Dad, let me drive. I just happen to not know how yet—need the practice. If I accidentally hit someone, at most I’ll just end up in jail.” As she spoke, she made a move to grab the handlebar of the tractor like she was really about to drive it.

Seeing this, Xu Fengxia was so frightened she jumped to the side immediately. She was worried that Zuo Dan, not knowing how to drive, would really act recklessly and hit her for no reason.

Once she moved out of the way, Zuo Dacheng quickly drove the tractor off.

“Zuo Dacheng, I won’t let this go! Just you wait!” Xu Fengxia shouted furiously, face red and neck bulging with rage.

Zuo Dan and Zuo Dacheng didn’t bother responding. The more Xu Fengxia made a scene, the thinner the ties between their household and the main family became.

Back at the village, Zuo Dacheng immediately began arranging matters for the returning educated youths, Li Hongbing and Su Xue. Since several female educated youths were already living in the educated youth center, it would be too crowded when they returned. He needed to find another place for them to stay. Fortunately, the old house that had belonged to their family was handed over to the team earlier, and it could now be used to house the returning youths.

Meanwhile, Zuo Dan went home to call Shen Yiming.

“Comrade Shen Yiming, the little flea from the mountains is coming back to Zuo Village.”

Shen Yiming laughed, “What’s your plan?”

Zuo Dan answered seriously, “Well, that flea has to go back to the vicious dog, of course. I’m going to send her right back. You better behave yourself. You’re part of the Zuo family now. If that flea tries to come running to you, you better keep your distance.”

“Okay, okay, I promise I won’t even glance at anyone else. If anyone tries to get close to me, I’ll kick them away,” Shen Yiming said hurriedly, then added in a softer voice, “I miss you again.”

“Pfft! What nonsense. Just focus on your work. You sure weren’t this clingy before. I guess once you’ve had a taste of meat, you’re not willing to let it go, huh?”

Zuo Dan intended to tease him, but her words ended up sparking a vivid memory for Shen Yiming, making his breathing deepen. “I’d better get back to work. I’ll call you later,” he said, and hung up the phone.

Hearing the busy tone on the line, Zuo Dan froze slightly. This was the first time Shen Yiming had hung up on her. What had she just said? As she recalled her words, her face instantly turned bright red. She quickly hung up and fled into her room.

Good grief! Did she just describe herself as a piece of meat that Shen Yiming had eaten?

Back in the provincial capital, Shen Yiming went downstairs to splash his face with water, trying to calm himself down.

He felt like he needed to keep himself busy—couldn’t let his mind wander like this. He wasn’t in a hurry to buy a car; things were still uncertain and standing out too much wasn’t wise.

Better to focus on getting a raise. After the wedding, they’d have kids to raise, and raising a child wasn’t cheap. He’d heard that nowadays kids didn’t just need wheat milk essence, they also had to drink formula. That stuff helped with growth and brain development—it was essential. But also expensive.

Thinking about it like this, Shen Yiming felt like he still had big goals to strive for. His spirits lifted instantly, and he walked back into the office full of motivation.

Back in the village, once Zuo Dan had calmed down, she went to find Li Suli.

She hadn’t interacted with Li Suli much before and wasn’t sure what she was like. She needed to get to know her better before deciding whether she was suitable.

At that moment, Li Suli was still working in the fields. Zuo Dan called her back and the two of them sat in the office to chat.

Facing Zuo Dan made Li Suli a bit nervous.

After all, the last time she had encountered that male comrade, he turned out to be Zuo Dan’s third uncle. That situation had been pretty awkward, and it left her feeling uncomfortable around Zuo Dan.

“Comrade Zuo, did you need something from me?”

“Let’s chat. You know Comrades Su Xue and Li Hongbing are coming back, right? My dad talked to you about that already?”

Li Suli nodded. She had mixed feelings about it too. On one hand, they’d all come out together and had a bit of camaraderie. On the other, those two had such difficult personalities—either too delicate or too overbearing. Honestly, even Liu Lili, who rarely spoke, was easier to get along with because she treated people sincerely.

Zuo Dan noticed the subtle changes in Li Suli’s expression and could tell she wasn’t a pushover—she was someone who understood things. She smiled and said, “Here’s the thing—I might be leaving soon, and someone needs to take over the accounting. You’ve been in our village a while now, and your performance has been good, so I recommended you to the team leader. What do you think?”

Hearing this, Li Suli’s face lit up with emotion.

“You think I can do it? I didn’t even pass the last exam…”

Mentioning that made her a little ashamed. Her grades had always been average, and she’d failed the last test. She’d been studying on her own lately, worried she wouldn’t pass if she got another chance.

Zuo Dan smiled, “I’m not saying you’ll definitely get the job—we still have to test it out. You can work with me for a few days first. If things go well, then we’ll have the team vote. I’ve noticed you have a good rapport with the villagers, especially the older ladies.”

Li Suli beamed, “That’s because the villagers here are really easy to get along with. No one has bad intentions. I’ve heard some not-so-great stories about other places, so I really feel lucky to be assigned here. Don’t worry, Comrade Zuo. If the team really lets me do this job, I’ll give it my all and do it right.”

After their conversation, Zuo Dan began training Li Suli in bookkeeping.

Though her academic performance had been average, Li Suli was still more educated than many others who hadn’t studied much. After a few days of hands-on training with Zuo Dan, she quickly picked up the necessary skills.

Zuo Dan then reported this to Zuo Dacheng. Upon hearing it, he agreed that the matter couldn’t be delayed. It was already April, and with the team busy, Dandan wouldn’t be able to keep handling village affairs. They needed someone permanent in place.

So the next day, they held a village meeting to propose Li Suli as the new team accountant and let everyone vote on it.

Thanks to several important things he had done for the village, Zuo Dacheng’s prestige was now even higher than Zuo Shuisheng’s had been. When he proposed something, the villagers rarely objected.

For example, he’d previously suggested appointing a local as the team accountant. But most of the candidates hadn’t even finished elementary school, and as soon as they heard they’d have to attend meetings at the commune and interact with officials, they got cold feet. The few who were brave enough were too unruly. Now that he was proposing an educated youth like Li Suli, no one really had any objections.

So the voting began.

Li Suli had a solid base of support among the villagers. She had lived in the village for a long time and often interacted with the local women, who liked her steady and calm personality. Naturally, they were willing to support her. With the women backing her, the men had no objections either.

The matter was quickly settled.

Xu Fengxia cast a dissenting vote, but when she saw that Li Suli still became the brigade accountant, she began shouting, “I don’t agree with this! Why should an outsider become the accountant? It’s not like we don’t have capable people in our village!”

“You’ve already cast your vote, and the final result is out. Comrade Xu Fengxia, please don’t disrespect the will of the masses,” Zuo Dacheng said sternly.

“What will of the masses? I think it’s just your will, Zuo Dacheng. Don’t think I don’t know what’s going on. Some of those female educated youths are shameless, even seducing the brigade leader!”

The moment she said that, the scene exploded.

Zuo Dacheng’s face turned as black as coal, and Li Suli’s face flushed red like blood.

Zuo Dacheng, after all, had been the brigade leader for a while and had experienced his share of big events. He quickly composed himself and slammed the gong in his hand angrily. “Comrade Xu Fengxia, watch your words! This is slander!”

Li Suli also shook her head. “I didn’t. I have a clean conscience. I would never do such a thing.”

Xu Fengxia retorted, “Who knows?”

Zuo Dacheng’s chest heaved with anger. “Xu Fengxia, if you keep talking nonsense, I’ll report this to the commune. I won’t tolerate troublemakers like you!”

“Go ahead and bring them! I’m not afraid. I’ll report you to the commune too!” Xu Fengxia said defiantly, convinced that Zuo Dacheng couldn’t do anything to her.

“Xu Fengxia, I’ve had it with you, you damn shrew!” Grandma Zuo rushed out from home after hearing the news.

She grabbed Xu Fengxia and started beating her up. No one around stepped in to stop it—they all thought Xu Fengxia had brought this on herself.

Zuo Hongjun came over and tried to pull her away. “Mom, stop it! It’s embarrassing!”

“Embarrassing? You’re the embarrassing one!” Grandma Zuo shouted, her eyes red with anger. She slapped Zuo Hongjun across the face in front of everyone and scolded him loudly, “Now you feel embarrassed? I’ve been embarrassed by you for years! If Xu Fengxia dared to do something like this, it means you were fine with it. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have had the guts! Zuo Hongjun, you can’t even control your wife, and now you’re worried about losing face?”

Zuo Hongjun’s face turned pale, then green, then white.

Zuo Dan stood on the sidelines watching the drama unfold. She was the one who had someone notify the old lady on purpose, and she had deliberately exaggerated the situation, telling her that Xu Fengxia’s actions would bring great shame to the Zuo family—not just losing the brigade leader position, but possibly even facing prison for being a hooligan. Otherwise, the old lady wouldn’t have been so worked up, even slapping her own son.

In front of all the villagers, Grandma Zuo vouched for Zuo Dacheng. “I know the character of my second son. He’s a good man. As for what the eldest and his wife have done, I won’t even start. Xu Fengxia has been eyeing her brother-in-law for a long time. Who would believe anything she says?”

Her words stirred up a storm. Xu Fengxia eyeing her brother-in-law? What was she trying to do?

Zuo Hongjun’s face darkened even more, and he wished he could disappear into the ground. He dragged a stunned Xu Fengxia away.

Dang, dang, dang— Zuo Dacheng, expressionless, struck the gong. “This matter is settled. Comrade Li Suli will serve as the brigade accountant. Dismissed.”

With that, he turned and left.

Zuo Dan quickly followed, realizing he was heading toward Zuo Hongjun’s house.

As they approached the door, they could already hear the sounds of crying and quarreling inside.

Zuo Dacheng pushed the door open. The people inside, upon seeing them, immediately fell silent.

“Zuo Hongjun,” Zuo Dacheng began, “I’m going to make things clear with you today. Whether I owe you anything or not, I’ve paid it back. If your wife stirs up trouble again, I won’t hold back! And don’t just focus on disciplining her—you knew what she was going to do before she did it, didn’t you? I’ve kept quiet over the years, but I’ve seen everything. You pretend to be silent, but really you’re just letting her do the dirty work. If things go well, you take the credit. If they go badly, you just beat her up and think that’s enough. I’m your brother—you think I don’t see that?”

Zuo Hongjun flushed with anger. “That’s not true!”

“You know whether it’s true or not. Think about whether you’ve treated me and Chengcai like real brothers. For years, I felt I owed you, and I’ve tried to make it up to you. But in my heart, I’ve also been hurt. Just the position of brigade leader was enough to make you hate me for so many years. That really broke my heart! Now that I’ve become the brigade leader, if I had to lose that position just to keep the family together, I’d step down without a second thought! Because to me, a peaceful and harmonious family is the most important thing. As for being brigade leader—hell, whoever wants the job can have it!”

After shouting, Zuo Dacheng turned and left with the gong in hand.

Zuo Dan nearly clapped for him. She wanted to give Zuo Hongjun and his wife a thumbs up. If it hadn’t been for their mess, her father wouldn’t have found the courage buried in his heart.

After Zuo Dacheng and Zuo Dan left, Zuo Hongjun collapsed onto the floor and covered his face, crying.

Although the Zuo family had made quite a scene, in the end, it didn’t cause any serious trouble for the brigade. People just gossiped a bit, and that was it. Li Suli officially began working as the brigade accountant.

Zuo Dan, having completed the handover, no longer had to worry about brigade matters and spent her days reading at home.

But just two or three days after she finally had a break, Li Hongbing and Su Xue returned.

_{woah Dacheng, you are very awesome. Just do it like this when someone makes trouble alright, capiche?}