Liu Yun had left. During Li Weiwen's confinement after giving birth, several women took turns bringing her food and helping her with daily needs. It was only then that Li Weiwen learned the goat's milk she and Li Xinyu had been drinking had been secretly delivered by a few boys from the sheep pen. Everyone in the company remained quietly grateful to Commander Guo and the Li sisters for their past kindness. On the surface, they had to shout slogans and criticize Li Weiwen during the struggle sessions, but in private, they quietly helped her in every way they could. When Li Weiwen found out this, she was deeply moved, her heart filled with gratitude beyond words.
Since the deaths of Guo Yungang and Li Weibing, the Gansu Agricultural Reclamation Bureau had taken the matter very seriously. They proposed several different plans to address the shifting sand problem that threatened the company's land. If the tree planting efforts proved ineffective, the sand dunes could continue to expand and swallow the entire area. Although some of the planted sandthorn bushes had survived one winter and spring, if the next round of the sandthorn bushes and poplar trees could not take root successfully, the company's base would sooner or later be buried by the desert. In that case, the company would have to be disbanded or merged with another companies. Aside from the original one hundred members ---- composed of demobilized soldiers and youth volunteers who had come to the frontier ---- the company had recently received more than fifty Red Guards in response to Chairman Man's call to "go up to the mountains and down to the countryside." This was the first proposal plan. The second proposal was to keep the company at its current location, maintaining basic agricultural production while intensifying the reforestation effort with assistance from the regiment. If this still failed, then the first plan would be implemented. Consequently, it was decided that a new company commander and political instructor would be appointed to lead the company.
The new company commander and political instructor soon arrived. The commander, surnamed Tian, was said to be an expert in combating desert sands. He left most routine matters to the platoon leaders, caring little for anything except tree planting. That was his sole passion. He often led a few people out into the dunes to study the way to retain moisture for the saplings and protect them from sandstorms. Yet he had his shortcomings ---- many of them, in fact. He always complained, drank heavily, and when he was drunk, he would turn violent, beating his wife and children.
The political instructor, Ren, was a demobilized soldier. He was a responsible man, though not a particularly capable one. He rarely addressed the real problems. Instead, he always organized collective readings of Quotations from Chairman Mao, newspapers recitations, and to dance the "Loyalty Dance". Whenever higher-level leaders came for inspection, he would arrange large-scale cleanups and other showy displays ---- empty formalities that did little good. Even Ren had grand ambitions for the company: he wanted to achieve food self-sufficiency on this barren land. He even dreamed of making the company the top grain producer in the entire reclamation area. Commander Tian, however, merely scoffed at such unrealistic ideas.
But there was one small blessing for Li Weiwen, which no one cared about her anymore. Although struggle sessions were still held, they ended quickly after a few shouted slogans. She simply went on with her chores ---- cleaning the stables, the toilets and whatever else needed doing. She had no chance ---- no right --- to take part in any of the company's cultural activities, such as poetry readings, music gatherings, wall newspaper writing and so on. In the evening, she would usually teach Li Xinyu a few ancient poems or some traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions, just as what she had done when she was a child. She had given her boy a proper name: Guo Lei. With the quiet help of those who secretly looked after her, she got through the year with her children and quietly welcomed the arrival of 1972.
After the Spring Festival, one day, while the base's loudspeakers were broadcasting news of a breakthrough in Sino-American relations: on February 21, 1972, the U. S. President had arrived in Beijing for a seven-day state visit to China, suddenly, Commander Tian received a phone call from the Gansu Provincial Revolutionary Committee, asking whether there was a woman named Li Weiwen at the base. After Tian confirmed that there was, the caller hung up. He didn't think much of it and went on shouting at his wife and children as usual.
Life at the base had already begun to change from the past. Besides Commander Tian and Instructor Ren, five or six other families had moved in. The living conditions had improved in some ways but worsened in others. First, the newly arrived families began constructing the brick-and-tile house, but most people or families still lived in the mud-brick dwellings. Li Weiwen, with her two children, still lived in her old house. When Li Weiwen went to work, three-year old Li Xinyu stayed at home to look after one-year-old Guo Lei.
Second, although they company grew some of its own food, it still wasn't enough to supply the entire company. The local government supplied most of the provisions. Therefore, the company implemented a unified arrangements, converting each person's grain ration into a collective quota, which was then managed by the canteen to provide meals for everyone. Owing to the shortage of the food, a rationed supply system was in place. In order to ensure the nutrition of her two children, Li Weiwen tried to give them the best available food ---- usually nothing more than some meat broth and a small amount of goat's milk allotted to the children.
Third, water was always the scarcest resource at the base. Initially, there was only a well and a river that ran dry every autumn and winter. That was barely enough for the original hundred people, but as the company's population grew, these water sources became insufficient. They dug irrigation channels, built water storage tanks, and deepened wells of varying depths, which only slightly alleviated the water shortage problem.
Fourth, since Liu Yun had left, no doctor had been assigned to the base. Although many recommended Li Weiwen to serve as the company doctor, Instructor Ren rejected her because she had been one of the targets of struggle sessions. In the end, a female colleague with a university degree, Li Caiwei, was appointed as a barefoot doctor, but she placed all her hopes on Li Weiwen's knowledge. Whenever Commander Tian saw what Li Weiwen had planted flowers in her yard, he didn't say anything but later he secretly gave her some seeds. Seeing these seeds, Li Weiwen realized that Commander Tian had known what she was growing, but he only said to her in lower voice:
"All our minor illnesses and small troubles are in your hands."
Privately, he even allowed his wife to give extra milk or eggs to Li Weiwen whenever possible.
In Li Weiwen's hometown, a small town in the northern district of Jiangsu Province, Wang hongjun returned home and handed a piece of paper to You Tao, saying:
"Here it is. I have handled the business-trip certificate for you and the excuse is that you're going to Jiuquan to deliver the youth relocation documents. But I really don't understand why Mom still worries about the Shen mother and daughter. Aren't her four grandsons enough to keep her busy?"
You Tao sighed deeply and said:
"It's not just Mom who misses them and I do too. Weiwen has been in Gansu for six years and has never come back. Hui mei is in a labour camp in Jiangxi and Weibing passed away so young. Though she was posthumously honoured as a martyr, the compensation was all taken by that heartless Lin Feng, who even had the cruelty to abandon his child. Weiwen sometimes writes to us, but her situation is complicated. Even though she officially severed her mother-daughter relationship with Hui mei, which it has clearly stated in her file, in times like these, injustice is everywhere. I'm especially worried now that those zealous, radical Red Guards have gone to Gansu. I'm afraid they won't leave Weiwen alone. This child is timid by nature. When Weibing was alive, she still had someone to protect her. But now she is along with a child, and she is the kind who always reports only good news, never bad. Even if Mom worries about her, I can't help feeling uneasy myself. And now that person has come here looking for Hui mei and Weiwen, bringing so much money. We can't hide this from them. Of course, there is nothing we can do for Hui mei but Weiwen must know it. "
Wang Hongjun said coldly:
"Aren't you afraid that person might bring even more trouble to Xue'er? We have seen enough of that kind of thing already."
You Tao replied helplessly:
"That person didn't come alone. He was accompanied by someone from the News Department in the Central government. That means he isn't a problem."
Wang Hongjun replied:
"Let's hope so. But anyway, I think we should keep half the money for ourselves. We also need money."
"Impossible!" You Tao said firmly, "That money was from Weiwen's father. We can't keep it."
His reply made Wang Hongjun flare up and shouted:
"You Tao, are you stupid? Who are your real family, the You family or the Shen family? Your mother is still keeping a room for Shen Hui in that yard, only using our children's names as an excuse. She has cried many times over Weibing's death and keeps everything Xue'er has ever sent to her. Every time her letters arrives, you and your mother rush to read them anxiously. Don't tell me you still care more about your Hui mei than your own wife!"
You Tao's face darkened and replied:
"Are you out of your mind? After all these years, you still bring that up? We have been married for years. Hui mei and I grew up together. No matter what kind of relationship we had, she has always been my younger sister. As her older brother, how could I not worry about her when she is in the labour camp? And don't forget. When you had trouble conceiving, it was Hui mei who treated you with all her heart, and thanks to her, we have four sons now. You, of all people, should understand more. As for the room in that yard, maybe Mom originally meant it for Hui mei but it also solves our problem. We only have one room to live in. Two of our sons stay there, which gives us more space in our own room. As for the things Weiwen sent to us, you know how Mom is. She always treats all the children like her treasure, not only Weibing and Weiwen but also our sons. Now that Weibing died and that boy, Weiwen's lover, is gone too, it is natural for Mom to grieve and keep their things carefully. Hongjun, please understand her. I know we need money. I know you want to keep some for ourselves. But no matter what, we must tell them first. If we need help, we can borrow it from them. Do you understand?"
Wang Hongjun cried and said:
"Tao, you also know what situation we are in. My father has been regarded as a 'power holder taking the capitalist road' and sent to a May Seventh Cadre School for labour reform. They will suspend me from my position soon or later. Tao, I'm scared you will be dragged down because of me. I'm afraid you will divorce me one day. That's why I need money to survive for me, for our children."
You Tao sighed deeply and said:
"Hongjun, I have heard about your father's situation. You also know that there is nothing I can do for him, but there is one thing I can promise you, that is, I will never divorce you. I know my mom will never agree to this either. At worst, we'll just live as ordinary people. As a county magistrate, I can't do much to help the people now, but as a husband, I will do everything I can for you."
She broke down, threw herself into his arms and burst into tears.