VHBF – Chapter 88 The Village Bully Daddy (Part 1)

With the autumn harvest approaching, the weather didn’t cool down—instead, it grew even hotter.

Down south in Changshan Province, the Hu Xia Commune’s Dahuai Production Team was bustling with activity. Life wasn’t easy in those days—what did a bit of heat matter? Just to have something to eat, as long as they still had breath in them, the commune members had to keep working.

Old Madam Chen Qiuhua of the Qin family, the one in charge of the household, was a lucky one. Her eldest son was the team leader of the Dahuai Production Team, and as his mother she benefited from it too, landing a relatively easy job with high work points—raising pigs!

The team kept four little piglets, the precious darlings of the entire production team. Chen Qiuhua could finish washing, cleaning, and feeding the pigs in half a day. In the remaining half, she’d carry a bamboo basket up the back hillside to cut pig grass and dig up some wild vegetables, adding a little extra food for her family.

Which old lady in the whole production team didn’t envy her?

Chen Qiuhua hummed one of those patriotic songs the team had taught them recently—something about praising the motherland. She couldn’t understand the lyrics and couldn’t remember them either, so she just hummed the tune. Her son was the team leader—she couldn’t drag him down. She was an old lady who could sing revolutionary songs too!

Perhaps the heavens couldn’t stand seeing this little old lady showing off. And sure enough—something happened.

Who would’ve thought? Just during one work shift, as dusk approached, the commune members were shouldering their farm tools and heading home, ready to take their bowls to the canteen to get dinner.

On the way, they ran into the team leader’s mother—that Chen old woman who was notorious in the Dahuai Production Team as a “doer of all evils,” practically the village tyrant. She came trembling down the path from the back hillside toward the village, carrying a huge bamboo basket on her back, crying as she ran, tears and snot smeared all over her wrinkled face.

The commune members were stunned by the sight. They were just about to greet her and ask what had happened—

When she blew past them like a gust of wind without stopping. All they heard was her loud voice drifting back in fragments.

“Oh heavens, my life is so bitter! This old woman nearly got gored by a wild boar while cutting pig grass for the team’s piglets—my old life almost ended up buried in the mountains!”

“Quick, someone come! Go call my sons, all of them—let them come see this old woman one last time!”

Someone chased after Old Lady Chen, having caught that much, and immediately ran off to find the team leader.

Team Leader Qin Guoshu was a responsible leader. While the others had all gotten off work and gone to eat, he was still out in the fields doing inspections—checking whether the tools were properly put away and if anything had been left behind. Only after finishing his checks would he head home.

Standing there with a stern face and his hands clasped behind his back, Captain Qin heard the reporting commune member say that his mother was about to die and wanted to see him one last time???

The commune member couldn’t explain it clearly—only that his mother was crying terribly, as if she’d been badly frightened. Though the old lady usually relied on her status as the team leader’s mother to act recklessly and domineeringly, in the end she hadn’t really done anything evil—she just liked taking small advantages. The way she looked now was rather pitiful.

Scratching the back of his head, the commune member gave a simple grin. “Captain, you’d better hurry home and take a look. I’ll keep an eye on things for you—don’t worry, we’re careful workers, nothing will go wrong.”

Captain Qin frowned and headed home.

The Qin family was one of the most prominent households in Dahuai Village, living at the village entrance. They had a newly built blue-brick house, flanked by two connected mud-brick rooms, all enclosed within a courtyard formed of rammed earth walls—half new, half old.

Even such a rough, simple place counted as a “mansion” in the eyes of the commune members. All of Dahuai Village lived in mud houses with thatched roofs. Though the Qin family couldn’t afford roof tiles either, that blue-brick house built two years ago was still enough to make people green with envy.

Captain Qin was in his mid-thirties, in the prime of his life, and walked quickly. It didn’t take long for him to reach home.

The Qin household was lively at the moment. By coincidence, when Chen Qiuhua ran down from the mountain, she ran straight into the commune members getting off work. One after another, people who had fetched their meals from the canteen came to the Qin house with bowls in hand to watch the commotion.

There wasn’t much entertainment or gossip in those days—any bit of excitement was worth seeing, that was one reason. The other was that Chen Qiuhua had offended quite a few people in the team over the years with her coming and going. Everyone was curious—what on earth could have frightened this domineering old woman into such a state? They wanted to find out.

Anyone who skipped a spectacle was a fool!

When Captain Qin arrived, the crowd automatically made way for him to enter.

His mother was crouched in the corner by the wall, not letting anyone come near. She clutched her chest and wailed about her miserable fate—how she’d worked so hard climbing the mountain to cut pig grass for the piglets, only to run into a blind wild boar. That boar was covered in black bristles, fat and sturdy, probably weighing over three hundred jin—terrifying beyond words.

It charged straight at her! If it hadn’t been for… if it hadn’t been for her quick legs, her unfilial sons might never have seen her again!

Captain Qin stood there watching his mother sing and carry on, his head aching. He stepped forward to help her up, but Old Madam Chen wasn’t having it. She shoved him away and told him to stand aside.

She wouldn’t let anyone approach, staying right there in the corner, vividly describing how miserable her life was and how frightening the wild boar had been.

Before long, nearly half of Dahuai Village had gathered. Several team cadres stood closer. All of them were men—except for Zhang Xiuhua, the director of the Women’s Federation, a female comrade. She stepped forward to persuade her.

“Old Auntie, please get up and talk properly. Our Women’s Federation exists to stand up for women comrades. If you’ve been wronged in any way, just say it.”

A young man curled his lips—it was the team’s scorekeeper. He muttered, “What grievance is there? She just ran into a wild boar. Isn’t she fine?”

Who dared make Chen Qiuhua suffer grievances? Not because she was the team leader’s mother—but because this old woman was extremely troublesome. Whenever there was an advantage to take, she was faster than anyone. If there was no advantage, she’d create one. And she was the type who wouldn’t let things go, whether she was right or wrong.

Director Zhang Xiuhua’s mouth twitched. She didn’t dare do much, but she couldn’t let a fifty- or sixty-year-old auntie sit on the ground crying either—that would be a failure of the Women’s Federation.

She continued to persuade her earnestly, even saying, “Auntie, you sitting here crying doesn’t look good for the captain either.”

Chen Qiuhua glared. “What face does he have to speak of? Officials are supposed to serve the people!”

“…”

There was no way this conversation could continue.

By the time Qin Yuli and Qin Guodong came through the door, their old mother had already finished negotiating terms with several of the production team cadres. She claimed that she’d been cutting pigweed when a wild boar chased her, that she’d nearly died under its tusks—and if anything had happened to her, that would count as dying in the line of duty! Compensation was required!

Chen Qiuhua talked so fast and so forcefully that the cadres were left speechless. Qin Guoshu tried several times to interrupt his mother, but she shoved him aside every time. Chen Qiuhua went on to say that this was a matter of public business—Qin Guoshu was not her son right now, he was a production team cadre serving the people, and he had to listen to the masses’ demands!

Qin Guoshu: “……”

The old woman counted on her fingers. “Three jin of corn cobs, one jin of dried sweet potatoes, one jin of white flour—and oh yes, two jin of brown sugar is indispensable, right?”

The cadres: “……” That’s daylight robbery!

But there was nothing they could do if they didn’t agree. This time, Old Madam Chen had the moral high ground. If they refused, she wouldn’t get up—she’d sit there making a scene, accusing the cadres of bullying ordinary folks.

With the autumn harvest approaching and food already tight, they could grit their teeth and scrape together those items. In the end, they bargained the two jin of brown sugar down to one jin. Once both sides reached a “friendly agreement,” Old Madam Chen finally patted her backside and stood up, a smile spreading across her face.

Once she got what she wanted, her expression changed instantly. She didn’t look like someone who’d just been frightened at all. Seeing her beloved third son come in, she hurriedly waved him over, her voice booming with energy. “Third, come quickly! Mother will make you some brown sugar water to drink.”

The commune members and cadres: “……”

With a stiff face, Qin Guoshu waved away the onlookers who’d gathered for the excitement. His mother was still standing by the wall near the doorway. He walked over, intending to take the bamboo basket off her back.

Despite his helplessness over his mother’s unreasonable fussing, he was still shaken inside. A wild boar weighing three or four hundred jin—let alone an old woman—even two or three grown men would be hard-pressed against it. Being able to escape alive meant heaven had shown mercy—pure luck!

Qin Guoshu still harbored some doubt about what his mother said. “Mom, did you really run into a wild boar today?” Given her personality, it wasn’t impossible for her to put on an act just to squeeze a bit of benefit out of the team.

That’s what he thought, and that’s what he asked. But before his mother could answer, the hand he’d stretched out froze. He lowered his head and looked into the bamboo basket.

Inside the basket sat a tiny bundle of a child, fair and tender, indescribably pretty. She stared at him with a pair of clear, bright eyes, timid yet curious, locking eyes with him.

Qin Guoshu was dumbfounded.

Qin Yuli stepped forward and shoved his eldest brother, casual as ever. “Big brother, are you stupid?”

Hearing his voice, the little dumpling’s eyes lit up. Forgetting the agreement she’d made with Grandma about not climbing out of the basket, she cautiously poked out a small head. Her chubby hands clutched the rim of the basket; her head was round and fuzzy, a cap of fine, soft short hair flopping gently against her scalp.

Qin Yuli: “……!!!”

After the eldest brother, the Qin family’s third son, Qin Yuli, was also struck dumb.

Qin Guodong, simple and honest, leaned in to take a look. “……”

“Mother of heavens, who’s this? Which family’s child crawled into our bamboo basket?!”

Chen Qiuhua rolled her eyes. Only now did she finally deign to take the basket down. Cradling it like a treasure, she hugged it to her chest, gazing at the little girl inside with eyes so soft they seemed to drip water. When she lifted her head to look at her sons again, her gaze was far less friendly.

“Didn’t you say I was lying, Eldest? Would I bother? I was chased by a wild boar for half the day. If it weren’t for this child falling from the sky and smashing the boar dead with one blow, I might’ve ended up dead there today!”

Beside them, Old Man Qin silently puffed on his pipe, lifting his eyes toward the basket in his wife’s arms—he could only see a round little head.

Chen Qiuhua animatedly recounted what had happened on the mountain that day. In short: she’d gone up the mountain; the outer area had already been picked clean of wild vegetables, so she’d boldly gone deeper—and run into a wild boar.

She’d been chased half to death, even fallen once. Just as the boar was about to trample her belly, a little lucky star descended from the sky—a small bundle that smashed straight into the boar. It actually knocked the boar unconscious. Dead or not, she didn’t know, but Chen Qiuhua acted decisively, grabbed her sickle, and gave it a few extra slashes. The boar was then well and truly dead.

“This child was sent by Heaven to save us!” Chen Qiuhua declared firmly.

“From now on, she’s my own granddaughter! My own! None of you get to outrank her!”

What had the old lady used to say? Before the third son was born, she said the eldest was her pride and joy, the Qin family’s firstborn. Later, when the youngest was born, she said the third was her heart and soul. She’d cherished that heart-and-soul for twenty years, thinking the position was secure—who knew it could be replaced just like that?

The three Qin brothers: “……”

Qin Guodong, honest to a fault, accepted whatever his mother said. He scratched the back of his head and committed her words to memory.

Qin Yuli, however, took a few extra looks at the child. Seeing her stare at him unblinkingly, he grew curious and reached out to pinch her tender little cheek. The dumpling, just having seen her daddy, didn’t get angry at being pinched—she even leaned over and rubbed against his palm, leaving Qin Yuli’s hand full of softness.

Qin Yuli: “……”

Qin Guoshu, upright old cadre that he was, had no interest in a nursing baby. In these times of scarcity, with no meat until year’s end, hearing his mother say a wild boar had died immediately piqued his interest.

He asked eagerly, “Mom, where did you hide the boar? I’ll call a few strong young lads to carry it down. We’ll divide it up—tomorrow the team can have meat to eat!”

Chen Qiuhua wasn’t pleased. “This is the wild boar my granddaughter smashed to death—why should others eat it? You three brothers wait till it’s darker, carry it down yourselves, then take it to town to sell. Use the money to buy some new cloth and make two outfits for our little darling.”

Qin Guoshu said, “Mom, every blade of grass and every tree in the team belongs to everyone—it’s the collective property of the Dahuai Production Team. Picking a bit of wild vegetables or fruit is fine, but something as big as a pig won’t do.”

Seeing his mother about to kick up a fuss again, Qin Guoshu pulled out his trump card. “You’re the brigade leader’s mother. If you take the lead in doing this, and someone finds out and reports me to the commune, I won’t be able to stay brigade leader anymore. And then will your precious Third still be able to live so comfortably?”

After all these years, Qin Guoshu was numb to it. If he talked about whether he himself could stay an official, his mother wouldn’t even lift an eyelid. But once he mentioned her favorite son, the Third, she listened.

Qin Yuli rubbed his chin, clicked his tongue twice, but didn’t refute it. He just widened his eyes and deliberately scared the little milk dumpling.

Chen Qiuhua took her lifesaving benefactor and precious granddaughter out of the basket, blocking her from her sons’ view. The little girl was soft all over and carried a milky scent—holding her was wonderfully comfortable.

She bounced the chubby little bundle in her arms, hesitated, then said, “Then you have to look after my precious little granddaughter. Will you do it or not?”

Qin Yuli: “……”

Qin Guoshu looked sympathetically at his third brother. “……As long as it doesn’t cross the line.”

The Qin family’s eldest son, Qin Guoshu, had been married for many years and had two children—unfortunately both girls—who were studying at the commune primary school. If he weren’t the brigade leader, an official of sorts, it probably wouldn’t have been so easy to send both children to school.

His wife was currently pregnant with another child. The second son, Qin Guodong, also had two children. Don’t let his honest looks fool you—he was good at producing kids: a pair of twin boys, which made everyone in the team envy him to no end.

As for the third, he was born late, about ten years younger than his brothers. He was their parents’ late-in-life child, and because of that, Chen Qiuhua doted on him down to the bone—her eyes only saw this handsome, sweet-tongued youngest son.

By the time night fell, the Qin family’s eldest and second daughters-in-law finally brought the children home from school. Dahuai Village lay against the mountains, at the very edge of the commune. Not only was it far from the commune primary school, the road was hard to walk. Every day, adults had to pick the children up after work.

The two daughters-in-law had no idea what had happened at home. When they arrived, there was no one inside. Going out to ask around, they saw a lame old man squatting by the gate, looking toward the canteen with excitement in his eyes.

“Your mother-in-law ran into a wild boar and even killed it,” he said. “Now a bunch of big lads from the team have carried it down—they’re slaughtering it at the canteen!”

As he spoke, the old man smacked his lips. “Why aren’t you hurrying to bring basins to get your share of meat? What are you standing around for? If it weren’t for my bum leg, I’d have gone ages ago. How long has it been since we’ve had wild boar meat? The captain said they’ll stew some tonight so everyone can have a nourishing meal!”

Zhao Yueya and Li Dilai exchanged a look, hardly daring to believe it. Their mother-in-law was fierce enough in temperament, sure—but that didn’t mean she could kill a wild boar. Old Li had said it himself: that boar weighed three or four hundred jin. Even a grown man would have to kneel before it!