The journey back was unusually quiet.
Other than He Jianci occasionally trying to liven the atmosphere with a few casual remarks, almost no one spoke. Li Shuying politely responded whenever he addressed her, and the conversation remained light and courteous. Gu Zhenhua, however, kept both hands firmly on the steering wheel, his gaze fixed on the winding dirt road ahead. From beginning to end, he uttered barely a few words.
The military jeep rumbled steadily across the countryside.
Li Shuying leaned lightly against the passenger door, watching the familiar scenery drift by. Compared to the tense confrontation in the county earlier that day, this peaceful silence was strangely comforting.
Soon, the ancient elm tree standing at the entrance of Shitou Village appeared in the distance.
The moment she recognized it, Li Shuying's expression changed, "Wait... please stop here."
Gu Zhenhua reacted almost instantly.
His foot pressed the brake, and the military jeep came to a smooth halt beside the country road, sending up a cloud of fine yellow dust.
He turned toward her, "What happened?"
Li Shuying smiled naturally, "Comrade Gu, I think I'll get off here." She pointed toward the village entrance visible not far ahead, "The village isn't far anymore. You can already see the old elm tree at the entrance. I'll walk from here."
Both Gu Zhenhua and He Jianci looked puzzled.
He Jianci blinked several times before asking with genuine confusion, "Comrade Li, why? We're already here. We can simply drive you into the village. Besides..." his eyes swept over the grain sack and the bundle of groceries beside her, "...you've bought so many things. Carrying them all the way back won't be easy."
Li Shuying scratched her cheek awkwardly.
How could she possibly explain?
In this era, a military jeep driving into a production brigade was enough to alarm the entire village.
By tomorrow morning, every household would know.
By noon, dozens of different versions of the story would have spread.
By evening...
Perhaps even rumors that she had become involved with a young PLA officer would begin circulating.
Village gossip was often faster than telegrams.
Some things were better avoided before they even had the chance to happen.
She coughed softly, hiding her thoughts behind an innocent smile.
"It's really all right, Comrade He." She lifted the grain sack slightly as if to prove her point. "I've been carrying heavier loads since I was little. This is nothing."
Then she added with a gentle laugh that sounded perfectly reasonable,
"Besides, everyone in the village knows me. If a military vehicle suddenly drives into the brigade just to send me home, the villagers will surely think something has happened. It might unnecessarily alarm the production team and worry my mother."
He Jianci paused.
When he thought about it carefully... That did seem rather reasonable.
Villagers in the countryside were indeed easily startled by military vehicles. If they saw one arriving unexpectedly, many might assume there had been an accident or some emergency involving a family member serving in the People's Liberation Army.
He was just about to persuade her once more when Gu Zhenhua spoke first.
"...All right." His tone remained as calm as ever. He simply nodded once before opening his door, "I'll help you."
Without waiting for her refusal, he stepped out of the jeep, lifted the grain sack with one hand and the bundle of groceries with the other, then carefully placed everything beside the roadside.
His movements were efficient, neither overly courteous nor distant, as though helping her was the most natural thing in the world.
Li Shuying looked at him for a brief moment before smiling faintly, "Thank you, Comrade Gu."
Gu Zhenhua merely gave a slight nod, "Mm."
No more words were exchanged. Li Shuying gathered her belongings, adjusted the straps over her shoulders, then opened the passenger door. And started walking towards the village entrance.
The military jeep started again with a deep roar and drove straight ahead, raising a trail of dust as it headed directly for the brigade entrance.
At the same time, inside the Production Brigade's commune office, another meeting had already descended into chaos.
The room was cramped and stuffy. The brigade cadres sat stiffly on their benches, their backs straight and their hands folded nervously before them.
On the opposite side sat Gao Tielin with fawning smile and beside him sat a man whose presence alone had made every cadre in the room uneasy.
Cao Dehai, Director of the County Grain Bureau.
His position, and his authority over grain procurement was enough to determine whether a brigade received extra grain, construction materials, work incentives or nothing at all.
Cao Dehai had visited countless production brigades across the county, but he had never personally come to Shitou Village, Afterall it was one of poorest and remote communes of all.
Under ordinary circumstances, his arrival would have been treated as an honour.
The cadres would have swept the courtyard before dawn, prepared few refreshments, and rehearsed their reports until they could recite every number without looking at a piece of paper.
But today, no one had the heart for such things. For nearly half an hour, Cao Dehai had been reprimanding Chen Deshun and Liu Zhenshen.
His voice had begun as a controlled lecture, it had gradually become a thunderstorm, "You knew the county's planting instructions," he said coldly. "You knew the grain targets. You knew the state had already allocated resources for this brigade based on those plans."
His fingers tapped heavily against the table. "And yet you went and changed the crops without authorization over some baseless speculations of drought, of famine?" He struck the table once, sharper. "Where did you even hear such things? Is this the kind of feudal superstition you still carry in your heads? Do you understand what you are doing, sabotaging the unity of the collective, disrupting production based on nothing but rumor?" His voice climbed. "Do you not know this goes against the discipline of the state? Have you forgotten what era you are living in? This is the new society now, not the old world where any muddle-headed old man could act on his own whims!"
Chen Deshun lowered his head.
Liu Zhenshen's jaw tightened, but he remained silent.
Gao Tielin sat beside them with his hands neatly folded, his expression one of solemn concern. Only the faint upward twitch at the corner of his mouth betrayed him.
He cleared his throat, "Director Cao, please don't be too angry." He sighed heavily, as though he had spent days worrying about the very situation unfolding before him.
"I did try to persuade them earlier." His gaze shifted toward Liu Zhenshen, "But Comrade Liu was determined to proceed according to his own judgment."
He shook his head, "Perhaps after spending so many years in this brigade, some comrades have forgotten that production is ruled by the state, not to any individual."
The room became even quieter.
Gao Tielin lowered his voice, "Still, what is done cannot be undone. Planting has already begun. By now, I imagine several production teams have already completed their work."
Cao Dehai's expression darkened. His gaze slowly moved toward Chen Deshun, "You muddle-headed old fool."
Chen Deshun's face paled.
"I gave you the instructions myself. I explained the consequences clearly. And yet you still dared to disregard them."
He suddenly stood. The legs of his chair scraped violently across the packed-earth floor.
Several cadres flinched.
Cao Dehai pointed a finger directly at Chen Deshun, "Very well." His voice was frighteningly calm, "Since you have no use for the state's guidance, then the state has no use for you. All promised incentives are cancelled."
A gasp escaped someone near the back.
Cao Dehai continued without pause, "The road construction is cancelled and the reservoir project is cancelled."
Chen Deshun's eyes widened.
"And any other assistance that had been allocated to this brigade is withdrawn. Effective immediately."
The room exploded.
"Director Cao!"
"Please, Director Cao!"
"This isn't fair!"
Chen Deshun stumbled to his feet, "Director Cao, please reconsider!" His voice trembled despite his attempt to remain composed, "The villagers have been waiting for these work. Once planting is finished, they were supposed to begin the road and reservoir work. The winter work points and cash payments are the only reason many families have been holding on."
Cao Dehai looked at him without sympathy, "Then you should have thought of the villagers before you disobeyed the state."
Liu Zhenshen finally stepped forward.
"Director Cao." His voice was rough, "You know our brigade's circumstances better than anyone. We have struggled for years. The villagers barely have enough to eat, and the winter work was something they were counting on. After all the work promised hard cash and not work points for a change, that money is important for the villagers."
He swallowed, "Even though we didn't plant wheat, we will still meet the grain quota using what we planted."
Cao Dehai's eyebrows lifted, "With what? Sweet potato? Do you think that cheap sweet potato is acceptable? Wheat is what state wants, if you cannot do that, tahn don't expect anything from us either."
Liu Zhenshen's eyes widened, he clasped his hands. "Please, Director Cao. Whatever punishment you think appropriate, we will accept it. But please don't take away the projects."
For a brief moment, something strange flickered through Cao Dehai's eyes.
He enjoyed this.
Not openly.
Not enough for anyone to accuse him of cruelty.
But there was satisfaction in watching men who had challenged his authority now stand before him with lowered heads.
He gave a cold snort.
"That is enough." His voice became flat, "The matter is settled." With that he turned toward the door.
"Director Cao!"
Several cadres rushed after him.
"Please wait!"
"Let's discuss this properly!"
"Director Cao, please give us another chance!"
But Cao Dehai did not stop. He crossed the courtyard, mounted his bicycle and pushed off. The wheels rolled through the dusty road, leaving a thin cloud of dust behind him.
Gao Tielin followed shortly afterward.
The moment the two men disappeared beyond the gate, the commune office erupted.
Everyone began speaking at once.
"What are we going to do?"
"How can he cancel everything just like that?"
"We have never failed to deliver the grain quota before!"
"Exactly! We've always fulfilled what the state required. Why is he punishing us over this one mistake?"
Someone suddenly asked, "Wait. Director Cao is only the director of the County Grain Bureau, not Mayor. Can he really make such a decision himself?"
Several cadres exchanged glances.
The question seemed reasonable.
Before Chen Deshun or Liu Zhenshen could answer, a sharp voice came from the doorway.
"Enough!"
Everyone turned.
Gao Tielin had returned. His face was stern, "Stop making a commotion." He stepped into the room and looked around with open displeasure, "Do you think Director Cao is some insignificant cadre whom anyone can question?"
He pointed toward the doorway through which Cao Dehai had disappeared, "He is one of the most powerful men in the county administration. His authority over grain allocation is not something you can casually challenge."
He sneered, "If Director Cao says the incentives are withdrawn, then they are withdrawn."
His gaze landed on Chen Deshun and Liu Zhenshen, "And the two of you should understand something." His voice grew louder, "You are the ones who brought this upon the brigade."
Chen Deshun stared at him.
Gao Tielin continued mercilessly, "Do you know what that money meant to the villagers?" He swept his eyes across the room, "Some families were counting on it so they can collect some as a bride price and use it to marry their children. Some wanted to repair leaking roofs before winter. Others were hoping to purchase additional grain or cloth to survive the winters."
He slammed his palm against the table, "And now?" His eyes hardened, "All of it is gone. Because the two of you thought you knew better than anyone."
The words struck the room like stones.
Gao Tielin turned and walked out.
Behind him, silence descended.
Only after several moments did Brigade Leader Shu finally speak.
His voice was barely audible, "What... what are we going to do now?"
No one answered.
"The villagers will be furious."
Chen Deshun slowly lowered himself onto the bench. His face had aged several years in the span of a single afternoon. He pressed a hand against his chest and took a long breath, "For now, nobody says anything."
Several heads turned toward him.
"We cannot let the villagers hear this before we have found a way to resolve it."
He looked toward Liu Zhenshen, "I will personally go to the county myself."
Liu Zhenshen frowned, "To see Director Cao?"
"No." Chen Deshun shook his head, "I will try to see if I can talk.ti Mayor."
The room fell silent again.
Everyone knew how difficult that would be. Villagers like them did not simply walk into the county offices and ask for an audience with the mayor.
But there was nothing else left.
Liu Zhenshen rubbed his forehead, "Then we can only try."
A few cadres lowered their heads. They were cadres, but they were villagers first. They knew exactly what the cancelled insentives meant.
For many of them, that little bit of cash had already been mentally spent.
Now it had vanished before they had even touched it. In the far corner of the room, however, someone was smiling.
Li Changde.
He had remained unusually quiet throughout the entire meeting.
Unlike Gao Tielin, his ambition was not merely to control the brigade.
He wanted Liu Zhenshen's position.
For years, he had watched Liu Zhenshen sit in the position of Brigade Leader while he remained nothing more than a production-team leader.
He had swallowed his resentment.
He had waited, and now... The heavens seemed to have finally opened a path for him.
Li Changde lowered his eyes to hide the excitement inside them.
When Chen Deshun said that the matter should be concealed from the villagers, something inside him hardened.
Keep it secret?
No.
Why should he?
If the villagers learned the truth, whom would they blame?
They would blame the people who had made the decision. Liu Zhenshen and Chen Deshun. And once the villagers' anger turned against them, how long could Liu Zhenshen remain Brigade Leader?
Li Changde quietly rose when no one noticed and slipped out through the side door and disappeared into the courtyard.
The moment he stepped outside, the faint smile on his face became impossible to suppress.
He could already imagine the scene of the villagers tearing Liu Zhenshen in anger.
Li Changde's eyes gleamed. He had waited long enough. If the heavens had placed the knife in his hand, why would he hesitate to use it?
After all...
In this world, sometimes one did not need to defeat an enemy.
One merely had to give everyone else a reason to turn against him.