RIRW – Chapter 59

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The young educated youths in the fields had no idea that the person they regarded as their strongest competitor had already given up on the quota. When they saw Shen Yiming come to work in the fields, they all glanced at him discreetly.

Shen Yiming acted as if he didn’t notice, picked up a hoe, and headed over to Zuo Dan’s field to work alongside her.

The seeds had already been sown, and by this time, tender shoots had sprouted. The current task was to clear the weeds from the fields. Despite being weeded every day, these weeds grew incredibly fast. If the fields were left unattended for just a few days, the weeds would grow together with the crops.

When Zuo Dan saw Shen Yiming coming over, she glanced at him briefly and acted as if she hadn’t noticed. She was feeling frustrated at the moment. Out of nowhere, she suddenly had a boyfriend. It felt odd to her. And this boyfriend was none other than Shen Yiming, who had previously been eager to return to the city. The way things were developing left her puzzled.

“Comrade Shen Yiming,” Li Hongbing suddenly walked over from her plot.

Seeing Shen Yiming focused on his work and ignoring her, Li Hongbing bit her lip. “Shen Yiming, the decision about the commune’s quota is about to be finalized. Aren’t you worried?”

“What’s there to worry about? I’ll follow the commune’s arrangements,” Shen Yiming replied without even looking up, calmly hoeing the weeds.

Zuo Dan glanced at Li Hongbing and thought to herself, If you have the ability, persuade him to go back to the city quickly and leave Zuojiatun altogether. We’d applaud that.

Li Hongbing didn’t believe that Shen Yiming wasn’t worried. She was sure he was just putting on a brave face. Deep down, he was probably very concerned. Otherwise, why did he rush to the commune so urgently the other day? “Shen Yiming, I heard from my father… Apparently, someone has made arrangements to prevent you from returning to the city. They want you to stay in the countryside and contribute to the country.”

Seeing that Shen Yiming remained unmoved, she became anxious. “Shen Yiming, do you understand what I mean? Someone is trying to make things difficult for you. If no one higher up speaks for you, no matter how well you perform in the team, you won’t be able to return to the city.”

Zuo Dan’s ears perked up slightly. She felt like she had uncovered the truth. So it wasn’t that Shen Yiming didn’t want to return to the city on his own—he had known all along that someone was targeting him, preventing his return.

She recalled Shen Yiming hinting to her before that his relocation to the countryside was orchestrated by some high-ranking leader. It seemed he hadn’t lied back then. He really was under the watch of some influential leader. She wondered what Shen Yiming had done to offend someone so powerful. How could a small figure like him provoke such a big shot?

Shen Yiming seemed to grow impatient with the conversation. He turned to Zuo Dan and asked, “Zuo Dan, if someone had their eyes on the meat in your mouth, what would you do?”

What would she do? Bite down hard, of course! Zuo Dan glanced at him, thinking he was at most like a dark steamed bun—definitely not worthy of being called “meat.” Reluctantly, she replied, “Well, Comrade Li Hongbing, I fully support you in persuading Comrade Shen Yiming to return to the city. But this is a workplace. What you’re doing is disrupting others’ work. Why not wait until after work to discuss it? After work, I’ll help you keep him here, and you can say whatever you want.”

Li Hongbing turned red with anger at Zuo Dan’s words. “Do you think you can just ‘keep’ him here?”

Zuo Dan looked at Shen Yiming. “She’s asking if I can keep you here.”

“You can.” Shen Yiming replied succinctly.

Zuo Dan looked back at Li Hongbing. “You heard him. He said I can. Now, why don’t you head back and talk after work?”

Bullied by the two of them teaming up against her, Li Hongbing felt wronged. She glanced at Shen Yiming, who didn’t even spare her a look, and at Zuo Dan, who seemed to be enjoying the show. Infuriated to the point of chest pain, she turned and ran off with her hoe. Behind her, Zuo Dan called out, “Be careful not to step on the crops!”

What? Step on the crops? The workers all turned their eyes to Zuo Dan and then to Li Hongbing. Their sharp glares seemed like they could cut off her feet. How could someone step on the crops? That’s the lifeblood of the rural people! A bunch of dreamers who think only about returning to the city.

Li Hongbing felt the piercing stares and didn’t dare to put her feet down. Awkwardly, she tiptoed her way back to her plot.

Li Chenliang, seeing her foolish state, covered his mouth to stifle a laugh. “Ran into a wall again, didn’t you? Shen Yiming probably thinks he’s got it all in the bag. Why are you worrying for him?” After all, hearing what Li Hongbing had told him earlier, he felt quite pleased. See? It wasn’t just him who disliked Shen Yiming—there were plenty of others.

“Why do you care? And don’t be too happy too soon, Li Chenliang. Haven’t you been trying to cozy up to Zuo Dan? But I don’t see her cozying up to you. She seems to prefer sticking close to Shen Yiming,” she retorted through gritted teeth.

Hearing this, Li Chenliang wasn’t happy anymore. It had been days since he’d had a proper conversation with Zuo Dan, not since he gave her that scarf. And now, seeing her working alongside Shen Yiming, his good mood vanished.

Zuo Dan, however, was oblivious to Li Chenliang’s thoughts. After sending Li Hongbing away, she casually moved a little closer to Shen Yiming. “Hey, was what she said true? Are you really being targeted?”

“You think I’d let that stop me? Just because someone doesn’t want me to return to the city doesn’t mean I can’t go back,” Shen Yiming replied confidently, as if nothing was beyond his capabilities.

“Who knows? You said you gave up the city quota for some noble reason, but I think you’re just retreating in the face of difficulty. Admit it, I won’t laugh at you.”

Shen Yiming chuckled. “I know you enjoy seeing me admit defeat, but I can’t lie about this. How about this: I’ll prove it to you in the future. If I want to return to the city, no one can stop me. And once I do, you’ll marry me.”

“…”

Why did this sound so familiar? Oh, right—he’d said something similar yesterday about their relationship being settled after he provided proof.

Another trap.

Although Zuo Dan still harbored some skepticism about Shen Yiming’s words, she had no intention of falling into his trap. “I don’t care whether you go back or not. Either way, if you do, we’re breaking up.”

“That won’t do. I didn’t agree, so we can’t break up,” Shen Yiming replied sternly. “Unless you’re planning to take advantage of me.”

Zuo Dan nearly swung her hoe at him.

“Shen Yiming, now I know why you go to such lengths to find a partner. With your personality, if you didn’t use some tricks, you’d be single for life.”

Shen Yiming nodded in agreement. “You’re absolutely right. That’s why I’ll never agree to a breakup.”

Fuming, Zuo Dan didn’t want to talk to him anymore. She decided that after work, she’d talk to the old team leader about switching plots. She really didn’t want to share the same field with Shen Yiming anymore. Just looking at him made her angry. Back in the day, if someone had suggested she date someone like him, she’d have doused them with a bucket of water.

Finally, noon rolled around, and work ended. The two of them went to the old team leader to record their points. The team leader, with his seasoned eyes that had seen it all, glanced back and forth between the two of them. Shen Yiming had already told him he wasn’t planning to return to the city. Now, seeing how he and Zuo Dan interacted, the difference was clear. Whether or not they were dating, there was definitely a noticeable change. No matter how their relationship actually was, it was fundamentally different from before.

“Dandan, Yiming is a good kid,” Zuo Shuisheng sighed as he spoke.

Zuo Dan was immediately annoyed. Why was he telling her this? If Shen Yiming was a good kid, did that make her the bad one? It sounded like she was bullying Shen Yiming or something.

Shen Yiming quickly added, “Dandan is a good kid too.”

“You’re both good kids,” Zuo Shuisheng said again.

Zuo Dan felt that this statement sounded so forced. Fortunately, someone came over to register their work points with Zuo Shuisheng, saving her from listening to more of his compliments. She quickly moved aside. When she saw Shen Yiming patting the dust off his clothes and preparing to leave, she said, “Didn’t we agree to wait for Li Hongbing? Clear things up with her so there’s no trouble later. Nobody wants to hear her rambling nonsense all the time—her voice isn’t exactly pleasant.”

Only then did Shen Yiming remember, and he nodded. “Alright, as you say.”

Zuo Dan rolled her eyes. “Don’t act like I’m the one stirring up trouble. This is your mess. Solve it yourself.”

Shen Yiming nodded again. “Got it. I’ll make sure to handle all these issues properly so I won’t trouble you.”

His words made their relationship seem so close.

Zuo Dan turned on her heel and walked away. She had no intention of waiting around for Shen Yiming. Anyway, Li Hongbing wasn’t as cunning as this old fox.

“If you leave, I’ll leave too. Later, I’ll just say I followed you,” Shen Yiming called after her.

Zuo Dan looked up at the sky, refusing to acknowledge him. Whatever happened between him and Li Hongbing later, she certainly wouldn’t say a word to help him. She’d just watch the drama unfold. She even had sunflower seeds in her pocket. Watching a show while snacking—how comfortable was that? If she really couldn’t resist speaking up, she’d help Li Hongbing instead.

A while later, most of the workers had left, and Li Hongbing arrived as promised. Seeing the two of them standing together, she felt a pang of jealousy.

When the person in question arrived, Zuo Dan pulled some sunflower seeds out of her pocket and stood to the side, watching the two of them.

Shen Yiming let out a long sigh.

Li Hongbing glanced at Zuo Dan, her eyes reddening. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, he said if I leave, he’ll leave too,” Zuo Dan said, pointing at Shen Yiming.

Shen Yiming dusted off his sleeves and didn’t even look at Li Hongbing. “Comrade Li Hongbing, whatever you have to say, let’s make it quick. We still need to go back for lunch.”

“Shen Yiming, did you listen to what I told you before? Someone’s making things difficult for you, but I can pull some strings to get you back to the city.” Li Hongbing was anxious. She had also noticed the unusual chemistry between Shen Yiming and Zuo Dan. She realized she couldn’t wait for Shen Yiming to make the first move. As long as he returned to the city, he and Zuo Dan wouldn’t be possible anymore.

Zuo Dan cracked open a sunflower seed and couldn’t believe she was witnessing such a dramatic scene. If she hadn’t misheard, Li Hongbing was essentially using a mix of threats and enticement to make Shen Yiming sell himself to her.

Shen Yiming glanced at the sunflower seeds in Zuo Dan’s hand, then back at Li Hongbing. “And then?”

“…” Li Hongbing was too embarrassed to spell it out. She bit her lip until it turned pale.

Zuo Dan stepped in to help. “She’s a young woman, so of course she can’t say it outright. She’s asking you to be with her, and in return, she’ll help you get back to the city. Shen Yiming, who would’ve thought you’re in such high demand? If you agree, you’ll never have to worry about food again. Even when you’re old and toothless, you’ll still have soft rice to eat.”

Li Hongbing turned red with anger and humiliation. “Shen Yiming, that’s not what I meant! I just want to say I can help you.”

Hands in his pockets, Shen Yiming glanced at the amused Zuo Dan. “Comrade Li Hongbing, I appreciate your concern, but I’m not planning to rely on connections for this. I believe in fairness and justice, and I’ll follow the organization’s arrangements. If the organization wants me to stay and help farmers live better lives, then I’ll stay and do my best to take root here. As for going back to the city, you don’t need to worry about it.”

“Shen Yiming, do you even know what you’re saying? This is a city quota we’re talking about. Do you know how many people would kill for it?” Li Hongbing exclaimed.

Zuo Dan nodded in agreement. “It really is rare. Honestly, for something like this, eating a little ‘soft rice’ isn’t a big deal.”

“Dandan, what nonsense are you spouting?” Li Hongbing was furious. Zuo Dan kept mentioning “soft rice,” clearly trying to stir things up.

“Didn’t you hear? I’m trying to persuade him for your sake,” Zuo Dan replied with an innocent expression.

Li Hongbing was so angry she nearly burst into tears.

She turned to Shen Yiming with a pitiful look, only to hear him say, “She is indeed sincerely trying to persuade me.” Then, he frowned at Zuo Dan. “Is that how you encourage someone you’re with to live off someone else? Do you even have a conscience?”

Li Hongbing was struck like lightning. Her eyes widened as she looked at Shen Yiming and Zuo Dan. “You two… you two…”

“No, no, no. Honestly, if you can convince him to agree to live off you, I have no objections,” Zuo Dan quickly said, waving her hands.

Li Hongbing ignored her and stared at Shen Yiming with dissatisfaction. “Shen Yiming, have you really thought this through? If you stay with her, you’ll be stuck in the countryside for the rest of your life. You’ll be a complete rural person forever.”

Zuo Dan wasn’t happy about that. “What’s wrong with rural people? Rural people are honest. Rural girls don’t cling to men, and rural men don’t live off women.”

Shen Yiming nodded in agreement.

Li Hongbing was so angry she could hardly breathe. Her face turned red, and her neck swelled. She couldn’t believe Shen Yiming would rather choose a rural girl than return to the city. How could he make such a foolish decision? The more she looked at the two of them, the more suffocated she felt. Clutching her chest with one hand and pointing at Shen Yiming with the other, she shouted, “You’ll regret this, Shen Yiming!” Then she turned and ran away.

“I’ve given up another chance to return to the city,” Shen Yiming said, looking at Zuo Dan. “This time, you saw it with your own eyes. I gave it up for you.”

Zuo Dan chuckled. “If you’re so capable, go after her now. I won’t stop you.” Then, she straightened her back and walked home, determined to have a good meal to replenish herself.

Shen Yiming couldn’t help but laugh and followed her. He reached out to tug her braid, which made Zuo Dan frown.

Finally shaking off Shen Yiming, Zuo Dan returned home. The first thing her parents, Li Hui and Zuo Dacheng, said when they saw her was, “Why didn’t you bring Yiming over for a meal? Cooking for himself alone must be a hassle. It’s not like we can’t spare a pair of chopsticks. He’s far from home; it’s not easy for him.”

“I’m afraid he’ll eat all our food,” Zuo Dan replied.

“Don’t talk nonsense,” Li Hui said, tapping her on the head.

Zuo Dacheng added, “Forget it. Yiming probably wouldn’t want to come anyway. How about this: let’s make more pancakes at home from now on, and you can bring some to him later. They’re filling, and it’ll be convenient for him to eat alone.”

Zuo Dan wanted to say that his cooking skills were better than theirs, so they didn’t need to worry. But she held back, afraid her parents would ask how she knew that.

In the afternoon, when it was time to work, Zuo Dan went to find Zuo Shuisheng and requested to change to a different plot of land.

Zuo Shuisheng took a puff of his cigarette and shook his head dismissively. “Why change? Don’t worry about people gossiping. Dating is a legitimate thing, nothing to hide. Besides, I haven’t even mentioned it to anyone. Don’t worry, no one’s talking about you.”

Young girls are thin-skinned, but the boys are bolder. As soon as they started dating, he came to ask for them to be assigned to the same work area so they could “look after each other.” The work isn’t even heavy—what’s there to look after? Isn’t it just an excuse to spend time together? Zuo Shuisheng figured he understood these youngsters perfectly.

Knowing that Shen Yiming’s words carried more weight with Zuo Shuisheng than hers, Zuo Dan didn’t argue further. When she got to the field, everyone was already busy. Shen Yiming was happily chatting with someone.

Meanwhile, over in the educated youth group, Li Chenliang and Gao Wei were whispering to each other, while the others seemed distracted, clearly preoccupied with thoughts of returning to the city.

Zuo Dan wanted to tell them that even if Shen Yiming didn’t want the city quota, none of them would get it either, given their performance. People aren’t blind—the quota would go to someone deserving.

After a while, she realized Li Hongbing hadn’t shown up for the afternoon shift. Could she really have been so upset?

Indeed, Li Hongbing was furious. She hadn’t even eaten lunch and had gone to Zuo Shuisheng to ask for leave. Crying as she ran toward the town, she thought, Since Shen Yiming doesn’t believe me, I’ll go talk to my father. There’s no need to keep this quota for him. Give it to whoever deserves it. Let Shen Yiming see if he can get back to the city without anyone’s help.

Even when she called her father, Li Jianghe, her voice was still hoarse. After hearing Li Hongbing’s account of the situation, Li Jianghe snorted angrily and said, “Daughter, if he doesn’t care, then we don’t care either. Don’t worry—there are people who don’t want him to return to the city anyway. He can forget about coming back in this lifetime. Since he’s chosen a rural partner, let him stay in the countryside and be a rural man for the rest of his life.”

After saying that, he didn’t wait for his daughter’s response and hung up the phone immediately. His expression remained cold and determined.

Without hesitation, he picked up the phone on the desk and called the Wei family at the provincial committee housing complex.

Wei Guohua was at work, as was Wei Jingren, and the two younger ones were in school. Only Du Juan was at home, making dumplings. Hearing the phone ring, she quickly got up to answer it. When she heard what Li Jianghe had to say, she froze for a moment. “Really?”

“Yes. I know Minister Wei doesn’t want him to return and hopes he can take root in the countryside and contribute to the lives of farmers. As soon as I learned about this, I thought I’d share the news with you.”

Du Juan sighed. “I didn’t expect this. I had been hoping he’d come back. Comrade Jianghe, thank you for letting us know. I’ll discuss this with Guohua.”

“No need to thank me,” Li Jianghe replied with a smile before hanging up. He figured that once Wei Guohua learned his son had settled in the countryside, he’d completely abandon the idea of bringing him back to the city. After all, they couldn’t just leave behind a rural girl he’d already committed to.

After hanging up, Du Juan finally felt a sense of relief. She didn’t have to worry about him returning anymore. Since he had chosen a rural partner, he likely wouldn’t come back to the city. She muttered to herself, “This is good. Out of sight, out of mind. Let’s just pretend he doesn’t exist.”

Back at Dahe Commune, the city return quota was quickly finalized.

The slot didn’t go to the most popular candidate, Shen Yiming of the Zuojiatun production team. Instead, it was awarded to Song Bowen, an older educated youth from Shanqiantun. Having spent many years at the commune, he was elected after Secretary Zhang cast the deciding vote for him.

Notably, Secretary Zhang privately told Song Bowen that it was Shen Yiming who had recommended him for the quota. Shen Yiming believed such opportunities should go to veteran comrades who had made the greatest contributions to the countryside. Song Bowen left with tears in his eyes.

After the announcement of the list, the atmosphere among the educated youths at Dahe Commune became even more chaotic than before. Cries and curses echoed everywhere.

Zuojiatun was no exception. Zuo Dan even heard that at the female educated youth dormitory, Liu Lili fainted on the spot. If she hadn’t regained consciousness quickly, they might have had to take her to the health clinic.