RIRW – Chapter 90

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Because of the captain election, the production team had the day off. The educated youths were all lounging around in their rooms. Zuo Dan first went to the female educated youth quarters to find Wei Xiaohong.

“Xiaohong, why do we always see Accountant Zuo coming to find you? You’re not related, are you? If you are, you better take care of us in the future,” one of the female educated youths joked when she saw Zuo Dan arrive.

Hearing this, Wei Xiaohong felt a bit pleased. “We’re not relatives, we just get along well.” Then, amid the envious looks of the others, she walked toward Zuo Dan.

Seeing Wei Xiaohong approach, Zuo Dan looked anxious. “Come on, let’s go find Xiaojun first. I have important news for you.”

Wei Xiaohong noticed her urgency and asked worriedly, “Accountant Zuo, what happened?”

“It’s about your family.” Zuo Dan pulled her along toward the male educated youth quarters, which were now located in the house where Zuo Chengcai had previously lived.

Hearing that it was about her family, Wei Xiaohong became uninterested. “I don’t care about family matters.”

“How can you say that? Come on, let’s find Xiaojun first.”

Having no choice, Wei Xiaohong followed Zuo Dan to find Wei Xiaojun. As soon as they reached the male educated youth quarters, they heard laughter coming from inside, as if they were joking about something.

“Xiaojun, come out!” Wei Xiaohong shouted. Wei Xiaojun quickly ran out.

Seeing both Zuo Dan and Wei Xiaohong outside, he was surprised. “What’s going on?”

Wei Xiaohong pouted and didn’t say anything. She didn’t want to hear anything about family matters, and if Accountant Zuo hadn’t come to find her, she wouldn’t have bothered.

Zuo Dan beckoned to them and led them to the team office, closing the door before speaking.

“Something big has happened to your family,” Zuo Dan said anxiously. “I just heard from a former educated youth from here—he’s now working at a coal yard in the provincial capital. Your mother used a house from the cultural bureau to exchange for a coal yard worker’s position, but she got caught. She was forced to pay 2,000 yuan to settle it. The issue escalated to the cultural bureau, which alarmed higher authorities. Because of your father, the provincial leaders refused to let you return to the city. The whole thing fell through.”

“What? You mean we could’ve gone back to the city?” Wei Xiaojun asked in shock.

“Yes! Your mother really has guts—trying to trade a cultural bureau house for a job and getting caught. She was forced to hand over 2,000 yuan to smooth things over,” Zuo Dan exclaimed.

The siblings didn’t care what methods their mother used to get them back to the city. As long as they could return, nothing else mattered. Wei Xiaohong anxiously asked, “Why aren’t we allowed back? Didn’t a unit agree to take us in?”

Zuo Dan replied, “Like I said, the provincial leaders refused. Your father offended them back then, which caused their children to be sent to the countryside. Do you think they’d let you go back? I bet this issue won’t be resolved for a long time. The provincial leaders wouldn’t have known about any of this, but your mother’s scam caused such a mess that it reached the cultural bureau, which then reported it to the higher-ups. Honestly, if she really wanted you back in the city, she should have just paid up quietly. But no, she was too stingy to spend money and instead tried to trick people. Now the provincial leaders are keeping an eye on you.”

Hearing this, the expressions on Wei Xiaojun and Wei Xiaohong’s faces kept shifting. At first, they were thrilled to hear they could have returned to the city. But as they learned they were now barred from returning, their mood instantly plummeted. And knowing it was all because of their parents, they became furious.

Seeing their reactions, Zuo Dan sighed. “I just came to let you know. I also called the commune, and they confirmed that the higher-ups have indeed decided—you’re not allowed to return to the city. Even if you get another chance, the commune won’t dare sign off on it.”

“Why? Why should we be punished for Wei Guohua’s mistakes?” Wei Xiaojun kicked a rock furiously, sending it flying.

“Because you’re his children. I bet your mother is feeling awful right now too. She was probably saving that 2,000 yuan for your sister or herself, but now she was forced to spend it, and you still can’t go back. She must be miserable. You should try to understand her. Even though she ruined your chance of returning to the city, she meant well.”

“Bullshit! If she really cared, she should’ve paid up sooner. Paying money was the easiest way to solve this, but she refused and chose to scam people instead. In the end, she didn’t want us to go back to the city at all! Even if we had returned, those people would still have come after us for revenge,” Wei Xiaojun fumed, his forehead veins bulging. Thinking about never being able to return to the city filled him with rage.

Wei Xiaohong also burst into tears. “Exactly! She never does anything right, just drags us down. When she arranged for our eldest sister to stay in the city, it was so easy. But when it’s us, everything becomes so difficult.”

Zuo Dan thought to herself, That’s because Shen Yiming had already secured the position for her. Your mother just had to take advantage of it.

Seeing the siblings either crying or stomping in frustration, Zuo Dan comforted them. “Don’t be too upset. At least my dad is the team leader now. I’ll look out for you in the village. If you perform well, and they build a primary school next year, you can try to become teachers. As for going back to the city, don’t worry—I’ll think of something. You’ll definitely be able to return in two or three years.” Well, in seven or eight years, all the educated youths will be able to go back anyway—I’m not lying.

Hearing what Zuo Dan said, the siblings finally felt a little better. Even if they couldn’t return to the city, at least they could live better than the other educated youths. Plus, Zuo Dan had promised to find a way for them, which gave them a glimmer of hope.

Seeing their expressions improve, Zuo Dan advised, “No matter what, she’s still your mother. If you see her in the future, try to get along. But let me remind you—don’t fall for her tricks like last time. She always talks about how much she sacrificed for you, making you feel guilty. I don’t want to see you suffering while still feeling like you owe her.”

“I won’t listen to her nonsense. I don’t even plan to acknowledge her,” Wei Xiaohong said.

Wei Xiaojun snorted coldly. “If she expects us to be filial to her in the future, she’s dreaming!”

Zuo Dan sighed and shook her head. “You’re all family. How did things turn out like this? I don’t even know how to persuade you.”

The siblings thought to themselves that no one who wasn’t in their situation could truly understand their pain and resentment. Their own parents had caused them to be sent to the countryside, and now they could never return to the city. That alone was enough for them to hold a lifelong grudge.

That evening, since Zuo Dacheng had become the team leader, the Zuo family made a good meal to celebrate. Since the Wei siblings would be helping out the next day, Zuo Dan secretly brought them some delicious food, and they ate to their heart’s content.

The next day, Zuo Dacheng, the newly appointed team leader, started handling the production team’s work under the guidance of Zuo Shuisheng. He organized the labor and recorded work points, while Zuo Dan assisted him. However, she was actually waiting for Du Juan to arrive in the village.

It took Du Juan an entire day to travel from the provincial capital to the county town and then to the township. She set out in the morning and arrived at night. Since she didn’t dare travel in the dark, she paid a local family for a place to stay. Upon learning that she was there to visit her children, and seeing that she was willing to pay, the family agreed to take her in.

Du Juan had never lived in the countryside before. She had only heard people say it was tough, but she had never imagined what it was truly like. Even though she lived in the suburbs of the provincial capital, the environment wasn’t too bad, and she could easily go into the city to buy things. But now, she was sleeping on a moldy, filthy bed and eating rough cornbread and corn porridge. She found the food tasteless and unpleasant.

After barely making it through the night, she forced down another meal of leafy greens and corn porridge before asking for directions to Zuo Family Village and setting off.

When she arrived at Zuo Family Village, the villagers were busy working. The weather was cold, and there wasn’t much farm work to do, but in the countryside, there was never a true break—there was always something to be done, whether it was watering the cabbage fields, weeding, or maintaining farmland.

Seeing the villagers working so hard, Du Juan felt miserable. Did her children have to endure such hard labor every day?

She didn’t know anyone in the village, but she spotted a middle-aged man and an older man talking and quickly approached them. “Comrade, I’m looking for Wei Xiaojun and Wei Xiaohong. I’m their mother. Also, where is your team leader? I need to report an issue.”

Zuo Shuisheng had been giving Zuo Dacheng instructions on daily work when this unexpected woman suddenly appeared, startling them both. Fortunately, they were both patient men.

Zuo Shuisheng said, “Dacheng, I remember these two are educated youths, right? Since their family member has come to visit, go notify them.” Then, taking a drag from his cigarette, he turned to Du Juan and said, “This is our team leader. What issue do you want to report?”

Du Juan maintained a calm expression and said, “I want to see my children first, then I’ll discuss the matter.” She wasn’t foolish—this was Zuo Dan’s hometown, after all. She wanted to meet her children and understand the situation before taking action.

“Alright, wait here.” Zuo Dacheng hurried off to notify the siblings.

At the threshing ground, only Zuo Shuisheng and Du Juan remained. As Zuo Shuisheng smoked, he studied her carefully. As an experienced elder, he could tell that this woman had come looking for trouble.

But this was Zuo Family Village. No matter what she wanted to do, it wouldn’t be easy for her to stir up trouble here.

Wei Xiaohong and Wei Xiaojun were out cutting pig fodder, which was considered one of the easier tasks. It was even rumored that those who did this job would get a bigger share of meat at the end of the year. For educated youths, this task was a coveted one. They were only assigned to it because Zuo Dan’s father had become the team leader and was looking out for them.

When they heard someone was looking for them, Zuo Dacheng arranged for other educated youths to take over their task. The siblings were immediately upset, wondering who had come to disrupt their good job.

As soon as they saw Du Juan, their expressions changed dramatically. Their faces flickered with various emotions before they suddenly turned and walked away.

“Xiaojun, Xiaohong! Why are you leaving? Don’t you recognize your mother?” Du Juan quickly chased after them.

The siblings weren’t truly trying to avoid her—they were just acting out of spite, so they didn’t walk very fast. Du Juan caught up after just a few steps. “Why won’t you talk to me? I came all this way to see you, and you won’t even say a word?”

She had longed to see her children, yet now that she was here, their cold reception felt like a stab to the heart. Her eyes reddened with anger.

Seeing her reaction, Wei Xiaohong snorted. “Why are you here? Did you come to see that we’re doing well and feel disappointed?”

“Xiaohong, why are you even talking to her?” Wei Xiaojun said impatiently. “A mother who is so heartless—I don’t even want to acknowledge her! She played favorites, abandoned us in the countryside, and left us to fend for ourselves. I don’t want a mother like that!”

“Xiaojun, Xiaohong, how can you say that? Do you know how much I’ve suffered for you in the city? Your father lost his job because of your residency issues. You know that! How can you blame your family?” Du Juan was furious. Before they left the city, they had been obedient—how had they become so resentful?

She shouldn’t have mentioned that. As soon as she did, the siblings became even angrier. They knew their father, Wei Guohua, had made enemies and gotten himself demoted. Not only had they been exiled to the countryside, but now their parents were trying to pin the blame on them!

Wei Xiaohong sneered. “You actually have the nerve to say it was our fault? You know exactly why Dad lost his job!”

Hearing this, Du Juan’s face briefly showed a guilty expression. She did bear some responsibility for what had happened to Wei Guohua.

The guilt in her eyes was fleeting, but the siblings caught it. It confirmed their suspicions that she had been lying.

Du Juan insisted, “Everything we did was for you!”

“Enough!” Wei Xiaojun shouted. “Don’t say that! If you really cared about us, you wouldn’t have abandoned us and left us to struggle here. Is this how you take care of us?” He seethed with rage, remembering all the hardships they had endured—eating blackened cornbread while their mother was in the city enjoying mooncakes and social gatherings.

Hearing her children’s accusations, Du Juan was stunned. “How did I abandon you? Your father and I struggled in the city, and when we finally stabilized, I worked to get you jobs. I even lost 2,000 yuan trying to bring you back! By the way, have you met Yiming’s fiancée? She’s in this production team, right? She must be the one who ruined your chance to return! Otherwise, you’d already be back. Tell me about her. If she’s the one responsible, I’ll go to the commune or even the county to report her!”

“Why don’t you go to the provincial government and report it?” Wei Xiaohong asked. “Are you afraid to go? The provincial leaders won’t let Xiaojun and me return to the city because of your relationship with Dad, and you think we don’t know? And now you’re trying to blame Accountant Zuo? If it weren’t for her, who knows what kind of life Xiaojun and I would be living right now? We finally have a better life, and here you are, trying to get us into trouble. You just don’t want us to live well. How can you be so heartless? Just because people call you a cuckoo bird? I think they’re right. Look at the life Xiaojun and I have, then look at our eldest sister’s life—you know the truth in your heart!”

Before Du Juan could react, Wei Xiaojun shouted, “That’s right! And you said you spent 2,000 yuan on us? We know exactly where that money went. Can you honestly say you didn’t use the Cultural Bureau’s housing to trade for a job position, got caught, and had to pay compensation?”

“You… How do you know that?” Du Juan looked at them in shock, then suddenly realized, “Did Shen Yiming’s fiancée tell you?”

“It doesn’t matter who told us—we know everything about what you did in the city. Let me tell you, I don’t acknowledge you anymore. Don’t come looking for us; we don’t need a mother like you. Even when Xiaohong and I return to the city, we won’t take care of you!”

After saying that, Wei Xiaojun pulled Wei Xiaohong away. This time, they walked fast. Du Juan tried to chase after them but couldn’t catch up. Her mind was spinning—were these really the children she gave birth to? The ones she spoiled since they were little?

How could they say such things about me? After everything I’ve done for them, how could they treat me like this?!

Du Juan was so furious that she felt tightness in her chest and dizziness.

She wanted to chase after them again but remembered their attitude and words. She knew they misunderstood her too deeply, and it would be impossible to explain things right now.

Du Juan wasn’t stupid. How could her children, who lived in the countryside, know what was happening in the city? They weren’t like this when they left—so why were they treating her like an enemy now? Someone must have meddled.

The only person capable of doing this was Shen Yiming’s rural fiancée!

She glanced in the direction her children had gone, clenched her teeth, then turned to find the brigade leader.

Zuo Dacheng was about to find his daughter to tally the morning’s work points when he saw that city woman running toward him, her face full of anger. He was puzzled—had she just gotten into a fight?

“Leader, do you have an accountant named Zuo Dan? Can you tell me where she is? I need to talk to her.” Du Juan tried to keep her voice calm, afraid that if the leader knew she was looking for trouble, he would protect Zuo Dan.

But Zuo Dacheng, being Zuo Dan’s father, was immediately on alert when he heard someone looking for his daughter. Seeing the unnatural expression on the woman’s face, he knew it wasn’t anything good. His daughter had always behaved well in the village and treated the educated youth kindly, so why was this woman acting like she wanted to cause trouble? His face darkened.

“If you have something to say, tell me directly. There’s no need to find her,” he said.

“No, I have to talk to her in person,” Du Juan insisted.

Zuo Dacheng frowned. “I’m her father. If it concerns her, you can talk to me.”

Hearing that this brigade leader was actually Zuo Dan’s father, Du Juan became even more convinced that they had conspired to keep her children from returning to the city. Now that she knew their relationship, she dropped her pretense and sneered, “No wonder a rural girl like her has such power—turns out her father is abusing his authority for personal revenge!”

“What nonsense are you spouting? When did I ever stop your children from returning to the city? I just took office yesterday!” Zuo Dacheng said angrily. He had a clear conscience—he had never done anything unjust.

“Hmph! You local officials have done plenty of shady things. I’ve heard about how you bully the educated youth, and now I see it firsthand. Do you think you can do whatever you want just because you’re in charge here? Someone will hold you accountable! I’ll report you to the commune, to the county—I’ll make sure someone deals with you!” Du Juan said coldly.

Zuo Dacheng: “…” What crime is she accusing me of? I just took office, and I’m already being reported?

But since he had done nothing wrong, he wasn’t afraid. Holding back his frustration, he waved his hand. “The commune is in town—go ahead and report me.”

Seeing how confident he was, Du Juan became even more certain that he and Zuo Dan had connections in the commune.

She decided to go there first to test the waters. If the commune protected them, she would escalate it to the county—or even the Revolutionary Committee.

“You’ll see!” she spat before storming off toward the commune.

Zuo Dacheng watched her go, feeling a bit worried. He hadn’t been brigade leader before, so this matter had nothing to do with him—but what if the former leader had been involved in some kind of misunderstanding? He hurried to find Zuo Shuisheng and tell him about it.

Zuo Shuisheng was working in the fields when he heard the news. He cursed, “Bullshit! When did I ever stop anyone from going back to the city?”

“Then what is she reporting?” Zuo Dacheng was confused.

Zuo Shuisheng stuck his tobacco pipe into his belt. “Let’s go find Dandan and ask her. She’s sharp. We’ll also call the commune to report this. Thank goodness Yiming installed a phone for us—it’s really handy in situations like this.”

The two of them quickly went to the accountant’s office to talk to Zuo Dan.

Zuo Dan had been waiting for Du Juan, but she hadn’t expected her to already cause a scene before leaving. Seeing Zuo Shuisheng and Zuo Dacheng looking worried, she explained, “It’s all a misunderstanding. Let her report it. The commune is the one stopping them from returning. I heard about it when I went there last time—it’s a decision from higher up. It has nothing to do with us. Let her go complain.”

“This is ridiculous. They caused their own problems and are blaming us,” Zuo Dacheng said angrily. He felt these people were being completely unreasonable.

Zuo Dan reassured him, “Don’t worry. I’ll get those two educated youths to explain it to their family themselves so they don’t cause trouble for the brigade or the commune.”

When she found Wei Xiaohong and Wei Xiaojun in the fields, she looked furious and shouted at them, “What the hell did you tell your mother? Right after seeing you, she ran off to report my father and me, saying we’re stopping you from returning to the city. My father just became brigade leader yesterday—how can you wrongly accuse him like this? Think carefully! Since you arrived, how have I treated you? I saved my own food for you, found you easier jobs, and this is how you repay me? I must’ve been blind!”

The two of them were stunned. Wei Xiaohong stammered, “We didn’t say anything!”

“Then why is she blaming us? Use your brains—do I, a small accountant, have the power to stop you from returning? If I had that much power, why wouldn’t I get myself into the city first?” Zuo Dan clutched her chest as if heartbroken.

Then she wiped her eyes, making them look red. “Whatever. Go explain it yourselves. If the commune decides to hold you accountable, I won’t help.”

Hearing that the commune might come after them, Wei Xiaojun rolled up his sleeves, grabbed Wei Xiaohong, and said, “Let’s go find her!”

The two stormed off toward the commune.

Not long after, Zuo Dan caught up to them with a horse cart, looking worried. “Get on—it’s a long way, and walking there will be exhausting. Sigh, I can’t help but pity people even when they wrong me.”

Thinking about what their mother had done, the siblings felt embarrassed.

Before they even reached the commune, they caught up with Du Juan. Wei Xiaojun jumped off the cart, grabbed her, and shouted, “What are you trying to do? Are you trying to ruin our lives?!”

Du Juan was suddenly grabbed by someone, startling her. Then, she was yelled at by her own son, leaving her momentarily unable to react.

Wei Xiaohong also ran over, angrily saying, “If you still want us to call you ‘Mom,’ then stop making trouble. Otherwise, Xiaojun and I will never forgive you for the rest of our lives!”

Zuo Dan sat on the carriage holding a whip, watching this dramatic family conflict unfold, her eyebrows slightly raised.

Being yelled at by both her children, Du Juan felt stifled and couldn’t find the words to respond. She had been running around doing all this for whom? Her eyes swept toward Zuo Dan, who was on the carriage. “It’s you! What did you tell them? Did you say something to them?”

“Don’t blame Accountant Zuo. You know exactly what you’ve done,” Wei Xiaojun shouted angrily. “Don’t talk about how much you’ve done for us. Xiaohong and I only know one thing—we’ve been sent to the countryside, and we can never return to the city. It’s all because of you and Dad! No matter what you say or do, we won’t believe you anymore!”

Du Juan clutched her chest, her face turning pale. Her lips trembled, but she couldn’t get a word out.

Zuo Dan, having finished watching the drama, waved her whip. “Xiaojun, Xiaohong, let your mom get on the carriage. I’ll take you to town. There are no more buses today, so you’ll have to wait until tomorrow. She can find a place to stay in town and go home tomorrow. If she wants to cause trouble, at least it’s more convenient in town.”

“Leave her. Let her go by herself. If she dares to make a scene, I’ll cut ties with her,” Wei Xiaohong gritted her teeth. Both she and her older sister were daughters, but her sister got to stay in the city and marry a city man. Meanwhile, she had no choice but to marry a rural man, and once she got married, she would never be able to return to the city. It was all her mother’s fault.

Zuo Dan jumped down from the carriage. “Let me try talking to your mom. You two wait in the carriage for me.”

Wei Xiaojun and Wei Xiaohong climbed into the carriage with cold expressions, staring intently at Du Juan.

Zuo Dan walked over and smiled as she whispered, “Ms. Du Juan, does it hurt to be misunderstood and abandoned by your own family? When Shen Yiming was abandoned by his biological father, he felt exactly like this. Doesn’t it break your heart to see your children struggling in the countryside? Are other people’s children not children too? This world runs on cause and effect—you are not wronged.”

“This is all your fault!” Du Juan reached out to hit her, but Zuo Dan took a step back.

Wei Xiaojun jumped off the carriage and grabbed Du Juan. “What are you doing?”

Zuo Dan held her whip and climbed back onto the carriage. “Forget it. I won’t say anything more. I tried to talk to her, but she wanted to hit me. Let’s go back. If she wants to report this to the authorities, let her. If the commune comes looking for trouble, I’ll help explain everything to you.”

Hearing this, Du Juan was stunned. Her mind quickly connected the dots—Zuo Dan’s words were meant for her. If she caused trouble, the commune would hold her two children responsible.

She turned and looked at Wei Xiaojun, who was glaring at her in anger, then at Wei Xiaohong’s cold expression. Du Juan froze for a moment before suddenly bursting into tears and running toward town.

Zuo Dan looked concerned. “She won’t do anything drastic, will she?”

“She always cries. My older sister is the same way. Whenever they cry, my dad listens to them,” Wei Xiaohong said with a puffed-up face. “Back then, my sister cried at home, and my dad let her stay in the city.”

“Oh, then let’s go back,” Zuo Dan pulled on the reins, and the old horse turned back toward the production team.

As for whether Du Juan would actually report them, Zuo Dan didn’t care. After all, the commune was responsible for this whole situation—it had nothing to do with them. She had come here just to say those few words to Du Juan, so she wouldn’t think she was an innocent victim.

Back then, Du Juan had been so ruthless, wanting to starve Shen Yiming and keep him in the countryside forever. Each of those actions was enough to ruin her reputation. If she and Shen Yiming had been pushovers, they would have just suffered in silence.

After returning to the village, the siblings were worried that Du Juan might stir up trouble. They asked Zuo Dan to call the commune and check the situation.

Zuo Dan made the call and was told that no one had come to make a scene. The siblings finally felt relieved. They were afraid that if things got worse, not only would the province keep an eye on them, but the commune would too.

Meanwhile, Du Juan had arrived in town and stood in front of the commune building for a moment, but she didn’t go in.

Instead, she found a spot against a wall and wiped her tears in frustration.

What had she done wrong? She just wanted a complete family of her own without outsiders. Was that so wrong? That child wasn’t hers, so why should she have to take care of him? Why did they hold a grudge against her all these years and take revenge like this? She hadn’t let Shen Yiming return to the city, but he had already gone back, hadn’t he? Old Wei had lost his position too, so why were they still trying to ruin her life?!

After settling Wei Xiaojun and Wei Xiaohong, reassuring them so they could focus on their work, Zuo Dan went home and called Shen Yiming.

“Comrade Shen Yiming, we have successfully driven the enemy away. She won’t dare bully you anymore—I’ve got your back!”

Shen Yiming chuckled warmly. “Thank you, Comrade Zuo Dan. By the way, when are we renovating our house? We should decide before the snow starts falling.”

“Alright, before the snow comes, I’ll go to the provincial city to check out the house. I’ll also see how your work is going.”

“Great. Looking forward to your inspection, Accountant Zuo.”

After hanging up the phone, Shen Yiming started flipping through his calendar. His desk calendar was messy from recording work notes, so he borrowed Sister Chu’s calendar to check.

Sister Chu was curious. “Yiming, what are you checking?”

“I’m seeing when it will snow,” Shen Yiming studied the calendar, recalling the usual snowfall months in previous years. It was already late November, so there was at least half a month before the snow arrived.

Hmm, it was about time to install a phone at Zuo Dan’s room. This wasn’t something the post office staff could handle—he’d have to take care of it himself.