RIRW – Chapter 76

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Human Affection?

Zuo Dan scoffed—human flesh was more like it. Did she not know why Shen Yiming had come back? Wasn’t it just to find an opportunity to take advantage of her? Thinking about how Shen Yiming had taken liberties with her yesterday and then had the audacity to tell her to behave, Zuo Dan ground her teeth in anger.

He got what he wanted and still played innocent.

No matter what Zuo Dan felt, the rest of the village was quite happy about Shen Yiming’s arrival. First and foremost, the Zuo Dan’s family was overjoyed. They saw it as proof that Shen Yiming valued Dandan enough to come all the way to the countryside for her. This shut down any gossip in the village and even made people envious—after all, their Dandan had found a city man who truly cared for her.

Zuo Shuisheng was also delighted. Shen Yiming had come to see him as soon as he arrived, bringing quality tobacco and alcohol. Even better, he brought great news—there were job openings at the provincial coal yard for rural apprentices. Shen Yiming said he could arrange for his eldest grandson, Zuo Xiaozhu, to work there. What a great opportunity!

If Zuo Xiaozhu could get into the provincial coal yard, he would no longer be a farmer—he would be a worker, something that would bring great honor to the family. As for the fact that the job was underground mining work, that wasn’t a big deal. Hard labor was the same anywhere. Besides, with his barely-passing elementary school education, Zuo Xiaozhu wouldn’t even want an office job. Being able to go to the city was the best outcome. Once he became a full-time worker, he’d officially be a city resident.

Hearing the news, the entire Zuo family was thrilled. They didn’t dare announce it publicly but celebrated quietly at home.

That night, Zuo Shuisheng’s wife brought it up, “Yiming is doing us such a big favor. We can’t just take it for granted, or people will think we have no conscience. Even if he doesn’t ask for anything, we should know better, don’t you think?”

Zuo Shuisheng, too excited to sleep, was puzzled. “What can I even do for Yiming? He’s in the provincial capital now, and he’s already helping Xiaozhu find such a good job. What could I possibly do for him?”

“You old fool,” his wife nudged him. “Aren’t you stepping down soon? Shouldn’t you recommend someone to take over your position?”

Zuo Shuisheng immediately understood. The production team leader was chosen through a collective recommendation from both the commune and the production team. Though technically a democratic election, the commune had no idea who was actually competent within the team, so they relied heavily on recommendations from the outgoing leader. The commune would put forward a candidate, and the production team would vote. Most of the time, the production team had no objections to the commune’s choice. After all, they were all from the same place—refusing would only make things awkward. And even if they disagreed, there was no guarantee their preferred candidate would win.

“You mean Dacheng?”

“Of course! Who else would it be—Zuo Hongjun? Dacheng is a solid choice. He’s honest, just like you, and truly cares about the village. If someone like him doesn’t become team leader, then who should? Besides, his family is doing well. Dandan is an accountant, Old Zuo’s third son is now a driver in the county, and Shen Yiming is practically family. What’s there to question?”

As she spoke, Zuo Shuisheng’s wife couldn’t help but feel a little envious. Just a few years ago, the Old Zuo family wasn’t doing well at all. But now? They had built a big house, and their family members were all making something of themselves.

Zuo Shuisheng thought it over and realized it was doable. Although Li Hui had a questionable background, she had lived honestly for years and was no different from the poor peasants now. Besides, she had married into their village and was registered under their household system. The villagers didn’t hold her past against her, so the commune probably wouldn’t make a fuss either. The only issue was that he would have to put in some effort convincing them. In the past, he might have hesitated—too much trouble. But now, it was worth the effort.

“Alright, I’ll bring it up at the commune later.”

Although Shen Yiming had come back mainly to visit his girlfriend, he still took his official duties seriously. The day after his return, he went to see the village’s oldest matriarch, Granny Qi, bringing her a pile of gifts. Granny Qi was overjoyed, singing endless praises for the army.

Zuo Dan, assigned as the production team’s liaison, accompanied him the entire time.

At first, she muttered to herself about him using work as an excuse for personal affairs. But as she watched him work, she couldn’t help but take a closer look. Fake or not, he was serious about his job. He listened attentively as Granny Qi recounted her stories, his pen scribbling quickly in his notebook. He even shared tales about the army, helping Granny Qi understand her son’s life better.

When he put on an act, he was actually quite charming.

By the time they left Granny Qi’s house, it was already noon. They planned to go home for lunch before heading to another production team in the afternoon.

On their way back, they ran into Wei Xiaojun and Wei Xiaohong. The two of them had been nervously waiting to see Shen Yiming ever since they heard he was back.

Since moving to the countryside, they had realized just how impressive Shen Yiming was. Everyone here spoke highly of him. They had initially thought they could gain some status by claiming to be his younger siblings. But when people asked why their surnames were different, they were left speechless.

After all, they couldn’t exactly explain that their cruel mother had kicked Shen Yiming out after he was born.

After much deliberation, they decided to approach Shen Yiming themselves. If he was willing to acknowledge them as his younger siblings, their lives in the village would be much easier.

When Shen Yiming saw them, he raised an eyebrow and glanced at Zuo Dan.

Zuo Dan whispered, “If you don’t want to deal with them, just ignore them. They’re heartless anyway.”

Shen Yiming acted as if he hadn’t even seen them, keeping a straight face as he walked directly toward the Old Zuo family home.

Zuo Dan deliberately slowed her pace, waiting for Wei Xiaojun and Wei Xiaohong to catch up.

“Accountant Zuo, does Brother Yiming not like us?” Wei Xiaohong asked worriedly.

“He does want to like you, but your mother…” Zuo Dan sighed. “Your mother was too heartless and didn’t treat him well. If he were nice to you, what would that even mean? If you ask me, you two should actually be closer to him than your eldest sister, but it was your mother who insisted on pushing Shen Yiming out. Forget it, let’s not talk about this anymore. Just don’t hang around in front of him. If he remembers your mother, it’ll only make him upset.”

In the end, it all came down to Du Juan being too much of a failure as a person, leaving Shen Yiming holding a grudge and unable to get along with them properly.

Wei Xiaojun and Wei Xiaohong felt extremely uncomfortable. Back in the provincial capital, they were ostracized by the other kids in the compound because of their father. Now in the countryside, they were resented by Brother Yiming because of their mother’s actions. They never got any of the benefits but ended up shouldering all the consequences.

Why did they have to be stuck with such useless parents? If they didn’t still need to get money from home, they would have already cut ties with them.

Zuo Dan sighed, patted Wei Xiaohong on the shoulder, and then ran off after Shen Yiming.

Hearing her footsteps, the corners of Shen Yiming’s lips curled up slightly. He didn’t even need to turn around to know exactly how far she was from him. Reaching back, he grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “Little fox, were you tricking people again?”

Zuo Dan pulled her hand away. “What are you doing? It’s broad daylight! Aren’t you afraid of being seen?”

Shen Yiming grinned. “So it’s fine as long as we’re not seen?”

Zuo Dan’s face heated up. She pouted, “Shen Yiming, you have no conscience! Everything I did was for you, yet you still tease me.”

Shen Yiming’s lips curved into a smile. “Wasn’t it just for fun?”

Hearing her true thoughts exposed, Zuo Dan cleared her throat and glared at him. “I’m not a cat! I don’t catch mice for fun! I’m not that bored.”

Shen Yiming smiled at her, his expression full of amusement, as if she had just admitted it herself.

Zuo Dan reached out and pinched his waist. “What’s with that look? Hurry up and go eat!”

At noon, Li Hui made another big meal.

Seeing two consecutive meals this lavish, Zuo Dan couldn’t help but feel a little jealous of Shen Yiming. His treatment was better than hers and Zuo Cong’s combined! Even when Zuo Cong returned from the county town, at most, Li Hui would make dumplings for one meal—there was never any braised meat or fish to be seen.

Seriously, who was the real biological child here? She was starting to suspect that she and Zuo Cong had been picked up off the streets while Shen Yiming was the true treasured son of the Zuo family.

After eating, Shen Yiming and Zuo Dan prepared to visit another production team. Initially, Zuo Shuisheng wanted Zuo Dacheng to drive the tractor and take them, but Shen Yiming refused. Some roads were too difficult for a tractor, and besides, the fuel consumption was too high.

As he spoke, he secretly brushed his fingers against Zuo Dan’s palm.

Zuo Dan understood his little scheme but didn’t say anything.

After much back-and-forth, they finally set off on a horse-drawn cart.

As Zuo Qing carried a wooden basin back from washing clothes outside, she saw the two of them leaving together, and her eyes filled with envy. Marrying a city-born intellectual really was the best.

Her own fiancé was always quiet, never helped out at home, and never bought anything for the family. This made her mother unhappy, nagging about it at home all the time. Huanhuan was right—rural men just weren’t as generous or likable as city men.

She thought of the few young male comrades who lived next door…

Meanwhile, Zuo Dan followed Shen Yiming as they headed toward the nearby production teams. The commune had records of which teams had military families, and Shen Yiming had already mapped out his route and calculated the time. After visiting two production teams, they should be able to return home by nightfall.

At first, Zuo Dan was wary, suspecting that Shen Yiming had ulterior motives. She was on guard. But throughout the journey, he was well-behaved, focusing on driving the cart, even more proper than she was as a local cadre.

Once they arrived at the villages and found the military families, Shen Yiming conducted interviews while Zuo Dan helped with note-taking. Both of them were entirely professional.

By the time they finished and were on their way back, Shen Yiming had maintained his proper demeanor the entire time. Seeing this, Zuo Dan finally relaxed, leaning back and humming a little tune.

The cool evening breeze felt comfortable, and she let herself unwind completely.

“Dandan, how did you feel about the city last time?” Shen Yiming suddenly asked softly.

Zuo Dan leaned her hands against the cart, tilting her head up to look at the stars. She lazily replied, “It was alright.” City life was definitely more exciting than the countryside.

“I can arrange for you to move to the city. What do you think?” Shen Yiming said.

“Cough, cough, cough!” Zuo Dan immediately sat up straight and stared at Shen Yiming. “Shen Yiming, are you talking nonsense? Why would I go to the city for no reason?”

Shen Yiming looked at her seriously and said, “In the city, there’s good food, fun things to do, movies to watch, and pretty clothes to buy.” …And also your fiancé.

“Who cares?” Zuo Dan waved her hand dismissively. She felt that her current life was pretty good. The countryside had beautiful scenery. Most importantly, she knew exactly what Shen Yiming was plotting. No way was she walking into the lion’s den. If she ever went to the city, it would be for university, not for Shen Yiming.

Seeing Zuo Dan’s indifferent attitude, Shen Yiming felt a bit stifled. Arranging for her to move to the city and securing a good job for her would take a lot of effort. He was more than willing to do it for her, but the problem was—Zuo Dan didn’t even want to go.

When Shen Yiming remained silent, his face stiff, Zuo Dan realized she might have just thrown a bucket of cold water over his enthusiasm. Thinking about it, he had no power or influence, yet he was still trying to get a rural girl like her into the city. That must take a lot of determination. Instead of encouraging him, she had outright refused. Should she at least act a little guilty?

So, she reached out and gently squeezed Shen Yiming’s palm. “Ahem, it’s not that I don’t want to go to the city. I just want to spend more time with my parents. With Xiao Cong away, if I leave too, they’d be so lonely.”

Shen Yiming took the opportunity to grasp her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it lightly. “I’m lonely too.”

Zuo Dan shuddered. She felt she couldn’t give Shen Yiming any room to take advantage, so she poured more cold water on him. “Shen Yiming, it’s not easy for me to get city residency. People have to check three generations of their family background to move to the city.”

She thought this would be a big problem for Shen Yiming, but his next words nearly shocked her speechless. “Dandan, I think in the near future, your grandparents’ situation might be resolved.”

“…!!!” Zuo Dan widened her eyes, scrutinizing Shen Yiming from head to toe, left to right. Then she reached out and tugged at his cheek, whispering, “Shen Yiming, who’s the next leader?”

Shen Yiming turned to her, looking at her as if she were an idiot. “Comrade Zuo Dan, be serious.”

“I am serious! What you just said scared me to death. How do you know?” Zuo Dan’s mind started racing. Could it be that her fiancé was just like her?

“I guessed,” Shen Yiming said calmly. “I get a lot of news in the provincial capital. If you pay attention, you can sense some subtle changes. Besides, Dandan, don’t you feel like something is off lately?”

“What’s off?” Zuo Dan asked curiously. She was now more interested in how Shen Yiming’s brain worked.

“There’s a shortage of talent. Take our newspaper, for example. At best, the most educated people there graduated from worker-peasant-soldier universities, and their level is about the same as high school students. Even the officials—most of them don’t have high education levels. Does that seem normal to you?”

Zuo Dan shook her head. With a brain this sharp, did his mother even know?

“If I can see the problem, don’t you think the higher-ups can see it too? That’s why, Dandan, I think your grandparents’ issue might be resolved soon. When that happens, you should move to the city. I’ll find you a good job. Working in the city is different from being in Zuojiatun. You’ll learn so much more. Dandan, we’re revolutionary comrades. We should progress together, keeping in step.”

As he spoke, Shen Yiming held Zuo Dan’s hand tightly, waiting for her response.

Zuo Dan’s face lit up with a blush. How passionate! Revolutionary comrades progressing together, keeping in step. She had never heard such a serious love confession before. Heh, wasn’t he just trying to get her to move to the city so they could date?

Still, since Shen Yiming was so smart, she figured she should reward him a little. So she hooked her arm around his neck, pulled his head down, and gave him a loud, smacking kiss.

Then, with a serious face, she said, “Comrade Yiming, the issue you raised is too significant. I need to think about it carefully, consider all aspects, and then give you an answer! Now focus on driving the cart properly.”

Shen Yiming stared at her in a daze, his body stiff as he steered the cart, his mind still stuck on the feeling of Zuo Dan hugging and kissing him.

After that, neither of them mentioned moving to the city again. That night, Zuo Dan was still thinking about it. What was the rush? After 1976, 1977 would come, and then she could take the college entrance exam. Why go through all the trouble of making Shen Yiming pull strings to find her a job when she could just focus on her studies here in the village? She planned to find an opportunity to reassure him, so he wouldn’t waste time and effort on this.

Lying in bed, Shen Yiming thought about how Zuo Dan was just next door. He tossed and turned, unable to sleep. When he finally dozed off, he had a dream—Zuo Dan was sitting in the cart, hugging and kissing him. This time, he didn’t let go, and later…

The next morning, both of them got up feeling refreshed.

During breakfast, Zuo Dan noticed that Shen Yiming’s eyes were practically glowing as he looked at her, making her feel on edge the entire meal.

After eating, the two of them had to go to the commune together. Shen Yiming needed to meet with Xu Dapeng to discuss returning to the city—he had already taken care of Xu Dapeng’s return process.