RIRW – Chapter 69

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Shen Yiming was quite popular in the village. When people heard he was leaving, many came to see him off. Zuo Shuisheng even had Zuo Dacheng drive a tractor to take him to the town to catch his ride.

Zuo Shuisheng and the villagers from Zuo Family Village escorted them all the way to the village entrance.

Sitting on the tractor, Zuo Dan watched Shen Yiming bid farewell to everyone. She felt a sour ache in her teeth from all the sentimentality. She thought Shen Yiming had really struck gold this time—he hadn’t even stayed in the village for long, yet he had won over so many hearts and even gotten himself a partner. What a deal!

Zuo Shuisheng sighed for a long while, not knowing what to say. Finally, he glanced at Shen Yiming’s mouth and asked, “Yiming, what happened to your lips?”

He hadn’t noticed earlier, but now he saw that Shen Yiming’s lips had several broken patches of skin, with visible traces of blood.

Hearing this, Zuo Dan’s face instantly flushed red. She quickly propped her face up with her hands and gazed at the sky. Ah, what a blue sky today! Such nice weather…

Shen Yiming touched his lips and laughed, “Yesterday, when I went to say goodbye to Third Granny, her cat probably didn’t want me to leave, so it gave me a swipe.”

“Oh, cat scratches aren’t clean! When you get back to the city, make sure to go to the hospital and disinfect it,” Zuo Shuisheng quickly advised.

“It’s fine, it’s clean,” Shen Yiming replied carefreely with a smile.

“Yiming, you have to come back and visit us often!” an elderly villager called out. Back when Shen Yiming was in the village, he loved helping the elders with their chores.

Zuo Mugen sighed, “Sigh, we’re all reluctant to see you go. Even our old horse hasn’t been eating properly these past couple of days.”

Zuo Dan: “…”

Shen Yiming laughed and promised, “I’ll definitely come back often. This place feels like my second hometown—I could never forget you all. Besides, Dandan is here too. How could I not come back?”

“Exactly, we’re still your in-laws’ family!”

Zuo Shuisheng grinned, thinking that Dacheng’s daughter was quite capable—she had even managed to keep talent in Zuo Family Village. Even if Shen Yiming returned to the city, he wouldn’t be able to ignore their village’s affairs in the future.

No matter how far one sends a friend off, parting is inevitable. Once Shen Yiming climbed onto the tractor, the villagers stood at the village entrance, waving him goodbye.

The tractor rumbled as it started up, and Zuo Dacheng happily drove toward town.

On the way, Zuo Dacheng focused on driving, while Zuo Dan and Shen Yiming sat on a small bench in the back of the tractor. Taking advantage of the moment when Zuo Dacheng wasn’t paying attention, Shen Yiming grabbed Zuo Dan’s hand and pressed a kiss onto her palm, looking thoroughly content.

And why wouldn’t he be? Even though he got bitten, he had finally tasted the sweetness he longed for. This love was no longer just one-sided.

Shen Yiming thought that bite had been totally worth it.

Zuo Dan wiped her hand in disgust and glared at Shen Yiming. “Dad, don’t you have something to say to Shen Yiming?” she asked, hoping to distract him from misbehaving in the back. She couldn’t believe she had lost her mind yesterday and actually bitten Shen Yiming’s lips…

Thinking about what happened after that bite… Zuo Dan shook her head. Better not to bring it up.

Hearing his daughter’s words, Zuo Dacheng assumed she was worried about neglecting Shen Yiming, so he quickly found a topic of conversation—asking him when he’d be able to visit again, what he was going to the provincial capital for, and so on.

Regardless of whether Zuo Dacheng was just making conversation, Shen Yiming answered each question seriously.

Zuo Dan thought to herself, Finally, some peace and quiet.

The tractor was quite fast, reaching the town’s bus station in just over twenty minutes.

After escorting Shen Yiming to the bus, Zuo Dan quietly asked, “Hey, are you really not letting me go with you to the county station?” Both Li Hui and Zuo Dacheng had suggested that she accompany him to the county station and then have Zuo Dacheng pick her up in the evening. After all, they wouldn’t be seeing each other for a long time after this. But Shen Yiming had refused.

Shen Yiming glanced at her and shook his head. “If I let you come along, then when you have to come back alone, you’ll just blame me for not being there to carry you.”

Watching Shen Yiming board the bus, a sour feeling finally welled up in Zuo Dan’s heart. But after thinking about it, she realized it was just a long-distance relationship—nothing too serious. She quickly brushed off the feeling and waved at Shen Yiming with a big smile.

“Goodbye, Shen Yiming! Goodbye!”

Shen Yiming: “…” This heartless girl.

As the bus pulled out of the station, Zuo Dan kept waving until it disappeared from view. Only then did she turn around to find Zuo Dacheng—only to see him wiping away tears.

“Dad, what’s wrong?”

“I can’t bear to see Yiming leave,” Zuo Dacheng said, his eyes red. “Sigh, I don’t know why… but how come you don’t seem sad at all?”

Zuo Dan replied, “As young people, we must devote ourselves wholeheartedly to the country’s development. He’s leaving for a good cause, so why should I be reluctant? As progressive youth, we must be able to pick things up and put them down, endure all kinds of trials.”

Zuo Dacheng thought to himself, Since when did my daughter become so enlightened?

Three days after Shen Yiming left the village, Zuo Dan received a letter from him.

He had only just arrived in the provincial capital and already sent a letter.

It wasn’t long—just an update on his current situation. He had started working, and most of his colleagues at the newspaper were military families, so he got along well with them. He mentioned that his salary was 30 yuan, and if he did well, he might get a raise. Plus, if his articles were good, he could earn bonuses. He assured her that he was getting closer to earning 100 yuan a month and told her not to worry.

Who’s worried? Zuo Dan curled her lips. Even in a letter, he still had to tease her.

Thinking about it, she decided not to reply too quickly. Otherwise, Shen Yiming might get too smug. Since she had decided to take their relationship seriously, she had to adjust her approach. She couldn’t be as carefree as before. She needed a strategy to keep Shen Yiming under control—make him listen to her in the future.

Though she had never been in a relationship before, she had read plenty of romance novels and watched enough dramatic love stories. She had plenty of theoretical experience.

With men, you had to keep them on edge. Make them uncomfortable, and they’d start obeying you. No matter how smart Shen Yiming was, he was still a man—his nature wouldn’t be any different.

Of course, even if she wanted to write back, she didn’t have time. The village had become busy. Shen Yiming had really picked the perfect time to leave—right after he was gone, farm work kicked into high gear. It was May, time to transplant rice seedlings.

Although Zuo Family Village didn’t have many rice paddies, transplanting seedlings was the most tedious task. The biggest concern during this season was the weather—if the seedlings weren’t planted quickly and a heavy rain hit before they took root, it would be a disaster. Every year, Zuo Shuisheng worried himself sick over this.

Zuo Dan understood his frustration. At this time, farming was still collectively managed—it wasn’t like later when land was divided among households. The biggest issue was that people weren’t in a hurry. Whether they worked early or late, they earned the same work points. Even a few diligent folks, like Zuo Dacheng, couldn’t change this mindset.

To ensure the transplanting was completed on time, the commune held a production team leaders’ meeting. As a commune official, Zuo Dan was honored to attend. Secretary Zhang gave a lengthy speech, with the main point being that they must complete the transplanting task as soon as possible. Their rice yield was already low, and delays would affect survival rates, putting them behind the province’s targets.

For grassroots officials, the worst thing was falling behind—if they did, they might as well prepare to step down.

Zuo Shuisheng was nearing retirement and dreaded the idea of being dismissed so close to the finish line. That would be a total disgrace.

On the way back, Zuo Shuisheng sighed, “If only Yiming were still here. At least I could discuss it with him—he always has ideas.”

Zuo Dan wasn’t happy about that. She was standing right here, alive and well, yet somehow she was still less useful than Shen Yiming, who was all the way in the provincial capital? Even if he was her boyfriend, she couldn’t tolerate that.

So she said seriously, “As a team official, I think it’s my duty to contribute some ideas and do my part.”

Zuo Shuisheng took a deep puff of his cigarette, exhaled, and asked curiously, “Dandan, what’s your idea?”

“Captain, as the saying goes, ‘If you want a horse to run, you have to feed it grass.’ We can apply the same principle here. Let’s implement a reward system—assign tasks to each household, and those who finish first get incentives. At the end of the year, we distribute pork, right? We can give extra pork to the top-performing families, with the amount decreasing as the rankings go down. What do you think?”

Don’t underestimate a few extra pounds of pork. At the end of the year, each household typically only got two or three pounds of meat. Those extra pounds could mean two full meals of pork and cabbage dumplings! For the people of Zuo Family Village, who rarely ate meat all year round, this was extremely tempting.

“Where would the meat come from?” Zuo Shuisheng was momentarily confused.

Zuo Dan immediately started calculating on her fingers. “It’ll still come from the pigs slaughtered at New Year’s. We’ll set aside the reward meat first, and the rest will be distributed as usual based on work points. The total amount of meat doesn’t change—just that those who perform well get more, and those who slack off get less. It aligns perfectly with the principle of rewarding excellence. Don’t you think?”

“This is a great idea!” Zuo Shuisheng clapped his hands. The resources were the same; they were just being distributed differently. “No wonder Yiming taught you well, Dandan. Not bad, you’ve learned well!”

Zuo Dan: What does this have to do with Shen Yiming?! This was my own idea!

She knew that the old captain was Shen Yiming’s biggest fan—he trusted Yiming completely. Anything Yiming said was more convincing than whatever she said. If she wanted to erase Shen Yiming’s influence, she had to prove her own intelligence and leadership. She needed to show everyone that it was her, Zuo Dan, who would lead Zuojiatun to a better future.

Regardless of what she thought, Zuo Shuisheng firmly decided to implement her plan.

As soon as they got back, he immediately organized a village-wide meeting, loudly beating a gong to gather everyone.

Standing on a makeshift platform, he first repeated the usual party-line messages from the commune. The villagers listened listlessly—it was the same speech every year.

Then he got to the point. “This year, as always, we’re assigning tasks based on household size…”

The villagers started murmuring, already thinking about gathering bamboo to make summer beds.

“So, I’ve decided that the top five households will receive extra pork. First place gets five pounds, second gets four, third gets three…”

What? There’s a reward of pork?!

Everyone’s spirits instantly lifted. Even honest folks like Li Hui and Zuo Dacheng had eyes shining with excitement.

Seeing the villagers’ enthusiasm, Zuo Shuisheng was pleased. This is the spirit I want to see!

Soon, tasks were assigned. Without needing any urging, everyone rushed to their fields, determined to win that pork. Even elderly grandmothers and young children joined in.

By the time the commune officials came to inspect, other villages were only halfway done—Zuojiatun’s fields were already lush with green. They had completed the task two weeks ahead of schedule!

The commune summoned Zuo Shuisheng for another meeting, clearly intending to use Zuojiatun as an example.

And thus, Zuo Dan’s reputation as a capable cadre was firmly established.

“What’s so great about it? No matter how well a young girl does, it’s still not as good as marrying into a good family,” Xu Fengxia gossiped with her fellow chatty women behind her.

Someone replied, “Didn’t Comrade Yiming return to the city? Dandan will surely marry into the city in the future.”

“Heh, Shen Yiming has been gone for almost a month. Who knows if he even remembers that girl anymore?”

“Didn’t he write a letter back? He wrote as soon as he got there.”

“Who knows what he wrote? Maybe he wants to break things off with Dandan.”

“That’s true…”

As rumors spread, different versions started circulating. Some people claimed that since Shen Yiming had gone to the provincial capital, he would soon forget about Zuo Dan. After all, a city guy like him—why would he truly like a village girl like Zuo Dan?

As for his previous visit to meet the family, it was probably just to appease Zuo Dacheng, worried that he might cause trouble and prevent him from leaving.

When Grandmother Zuo heard these rumors, she went on a cursing spree outside. Then she hurried home and urged Zuo Dan to write to Shen Yiming, asking when they would get married.

Zuo Dan was in the middle of eating and nearly choked on her food. “Those gossiping people don’t know anything. People who really understand won’t talk nonsense. These are just the ones who get along with Aunt Xu and her crowd—of course, they’re going to say bad things.”

“I just knew it was that troublemaker’s doing! Why doesn’t she focus on her own daughters? Look at the kind of men they’ve ended up with!” Grandmother Zuo fumed. After finishing her meal, she stormed off to settle accounts with Xu Fengxia. She was very satisfied with her granddaughter, Zuo Dan—far more than with other two granddaughters. Not only was Dandan filial, but she also brought honor to the Zuo family. Who should she stand up for? Wasn’t it obvious?

Seeing the old lady march out angrily, Li Hui grew worried. “What if people keep talking behind our backs?”

“Let them talk. Who cares?” Zuo Dan was completely indifferent. She wasn’t about to rush Shen Yiming into marriage just because of some gossip. Even if he wanted to, she didn’t! She wasn’t even twenty yet—why would she get married now?

Hearing the rumors in the village, Xu Fengxia felt quite pleased. Her two daughters—one had to be introduced to a man by a matchmaker, but he still wouldn’t set a wedding date. The other was dating a sent-down youth named Yang Wenxin, but he also refused to mention marriage. He even hinted that she should help him find connections to get back to the city, just like Shen Yiming did. Xu Fengxia was so furious she nearly spat blood. Meanwhile, Zuo Dan was thriving, becoming a well-respected cadre in the village. Some even said that if she were a boy, she could be the next team leader. Xu Fengxia couldn’t stand it. Seeing people gossiping about Zuo Dan finally made her feel a little better.

Unfortunately, her satisfaction didn’t last long—Grandmother Zuo stormed over and cursed her out in front of her house. Feeling guilty and intimidated by the old lady’s presence, Xu Fengxia hid inside and didn’t dare make a sound.

News of Grandmother Zuo scolding Xu Fengxia spread throughout the village. Even Zuo Shuisheng’s wife criticized Xu Fengxia behind her back for being foolish. The Zuo brothers, Dacheng and Chengcai, were doing better and better. If she had any sense, she would have tried to mend relations with them. Instead, she treated them like enemies. As her husband, Zuo Shuisheng, put it—just look at Shen Yiming. Even Secretary Zhang from the commune respected him. Once he returned to the city, his future would be even brighter. If Xu Fengxia were smart, she would take advantage of this connection. Maybe she could even get a job at the commune. Look at Jianjun—Shen Yiming got him a position as an accountant there!

Two days later, when Zuo Shuisheng returned from the commune, he brought back a large package. Hearing his wife’s complaints, he said, “Why be mad? Yiming even sent things back—who dares say he’s forgotten about Dandan now?”

“Such a big package—what’s inside?” his wife asked in surprise.

“How should I know? You take it to Dandan’s house later.”

His wife disagreed. “We can’t just send it quietly. Have you heard the nonsense people have been spouting lately? I say we make sure the whole village knows about this so they can slap their own faces!” She wanted everyone to see that even though Shen Yiming had gone back to the city, he still cherished Dandan. Otherwise, why would he send such a big package from the provincial capital? Just look at how much he sent—who knows what’s inside?

Zuo Shuisheng was a good-natured man who loved giving people recognition. Before, he had hyped up Shen Yiming; now, he was happy to hype up Zuo Dan. They were both his go-to advisors—of course, he had to support them.

So, during work hours, Zuo Shuisheng solemnly handed Shen Yiming’s package to Zuo Dan in front of the entire production team, as if he were presenting her with a grand prize. This made Zuo Dan a bit embarrassed.

After the meeting, several young women eagerly volunteered to help carry the package back to her house. The package wasn’t heavy, but Zuo Dan could tell they were just curious about what was inside.

She didn’t mind—there was nothing in the package that couldn’t be seen. After all, mailed packages had to go through inspections, and Shen Yiming wasn’t dumb enough to send anything inappropriate.

When they arrived at her house, the young women excitedly urged her to open the package so they could “broaden their horizons.”

Zuo Dan opened it without hesitation. Inside was a set of green military-style clothing, a blue dress, and a pair of stylish leather shoes. There were also two pairs of men’s work shoes and a length of dark-colored fabric.

Shen Yiming had taken care of the entire Zuo family.

The sight dazzled everyone.

In the village, even getting a couple of feet of fabric from the county town to make pants was something to show off for weeks. And now, Shen Yiming had sent a whole package filled with brand-new clothes and shoes. That must have cost a fortune!

Just a few days ago, who was it saying that Shen Yiming didn’t care about Dandan? Look at him—so afraid she’d forget about him that he sent this huge package! He must really cherish her! As soon as the young women left Zuo Dan’s house, they spread the news everywhere: Shen Yiming had sent a ton of things, including full outfits and shoes for the entire Zuo family.

Watching the excited crowd come and go, Zuo Dan put the items away. As she lifted the fabric at the bottom of the package, she noticed a bundle of envelopes, stamps, and writing paper underneath.

So, he saw that she hadn’t replied and even prepared all the stationery for her to write back? Clearly, he was eager for a response. Zuo Dan smirked—her strategy was working.

The top envelope was addressed to her. She tucked it into her pocket and headed to the production team’s accounting office. As a dedicated cadre, she wouldn’t leave her post for too long.

Once seated, she opened the letter and nearly burst out laughing.

Shen Yiming was bragging. He had just received his first paycheck and, of course, spent it on important people. The only ones who could use his money were his grandma and Zuo Dan, so he had spent his entire salary on gifts. This month, he planned to survive on black bread and porridge, but he was completely satisfied. His only regret was that he was too busy with his new job to return to see Dandan wearing the new clothes. He hoped she’d wear them when she next visited the city.

Yeah, right.

Zuo Dan knew Shen Yiming had plenty of savings. When she visited the city before, he had never taken money from his grandma—he always paid in thick stacks of cash like a little tycoon. Now, he was scheming to get her to visit him.

Still, his letter reminded her of something.

It was already June. Time for the new batch of sent-down youths to be assigned.