As we got off the cart to unload our things, I deliberately tried to be quiet, but I still heard, from the corner of the wall, someone suddenly let out a cough. The sound was piercing in the dead of night. It gave Luo Wenxin a huge fright. He hurriedly protected the sacks on the cart and looked around everywhere.
Fortunately, the surroundings were quiet. No kerosene lamps were lit in any house, and there was no sign of a flashlight beam. Only then did we, father and son, breathe a sigh of relief and tiptoe into the courtyard. We moved all the goods into the house in one go and bolted the door securely behind us.
When Li Shufang saw that Dad and I were back safe, she finally lit a dim little lamp. Her eyes immediately landed on the shiny enamel pot on the table. She absolutely adored it, reaching out to touch it again and again. She lowered her voice and said, "This pot is so beautiful. It's the perfect thing for storing lard. When those gossips from Qiaojia Village see it, they'll be green with envy."
I laid out the things I bought one by one and said, "Mom, these are liberation shoes, a pair for each of us. They'll protect our feet when you work in the fields. With this cotton cloth, you can make a couple of new outfits for my sisters later. Use what's left to sew a vest for Dad."
Finally, I carefully lifted the fluffy little chicks out of the basket. They were still chirping away. "Mom, while it's still dark, put these chicks in the backyard coop with the mother hen. See if the old hen will raise them."
Li Shufang looked at the basket full of little creatures. Her eyes filled with a smile as she muttered, "These little things are wonderful. When they grow up, they'll lay eggs. Eggs can be traded for money. Our family finally has something to look forward to."
In the eyes of a villager, as long as there were living things running around the house, you'd feel a sense of security, as if you could overcome any hardship.
Dad and I got back early tonight, so Li Shufang went into the kitchen and boiled two plump brown-shelled eggs for us. Before the other villagers were awake, she took me into the karst cave under the bed, where she chopped up the leaf lard I had bought. She set up a large wok, and in the flickering firelight, the pure white lard rendered out, filling the entire cave with a tempting aroma.
Li Shufang also made a large plate of fried dough drops. Feeling bad about how hard her husband and child worked, she impulsively sprinkled a generous amount of precious brown sugar on top. "You two eat up while it's hot. You haven't slept a wink all night. It must have been tough. You can't wear your body out."
When the noodles were ready, there was a fried egg sitting in the bowl. Li Shufang added a big spoonful of the freshly rendered lard and sprinkled some crisp green onions on top. Once the lard coated the hand-pulled noodles, every strand became smooth. The moment I took a bite, my mouth was filled with a rich fragrance that brought a deep sense of satisfaction.
"Hurry and get some sleep. You have to go to work at dawn. Don't let anyone notice anything is off," Li Shufang reminded me, then turned to tend to the chicks and the mother hen.
In the morning, on my way to work at the canal dam, I ran into Yang Shan. From a distance, he handed me a crinkled cheap cigarette. Yang Shan looked around to make sure no one was there, then leaned in close and whispered, "Zhenshan, yesterday Qiao Xin came to see me and my wife. Thanks to your idea, it's a sure thing that Chen Shuhong will become the work-point recorder."
He kept thanking me as he spoke, his eyes full of gratitude. He said that if it weren't for me, his family would never have been able to stand up to the Qiao family in their lifetime.
I smiled and replied, "That's also because your wife is literate and educated. Once she becomes the work-point recorder, your family's work points will never be unfairly docked by Qiao Lili again. Life will definitely get better and better for you."
I was actually a bit tired right then. I hadn't slept at all last night, thinking about how we still needed to build a mud-brick wall around our yard. I knew my dad couldn't do it alone. So I went to talk it over with a few guys in the village I was on good terms with. I told them to come over to my house after work tomorrow to help out, and I'd treat each of them to a filling dinner. When they heard there'd be meat and white rice, everyone's eyes lit up. They all thumped their chests and promised to be there on time tomorrow.
Then, during the afternoon shift, just as I'd hoped, the scorekeeper was now Chen Shuhong, and my work points were smoothly recorded as a full ten points.
After work, I took the donkey out and fed it well. Then I secretly brought a few large eggs back to Wang Jun. Wang Jun took the eggs and glanced around cautiously. He suddenly lowered his voice and said to me, "Zhenshan, you need to be careful. I heard that Qiao Xin is pulling some strings at the commune. Qiao Yuanzhong will probably be let out in a few days."
When I heard the news, my heart sank, but I didn't let any of it show on my face.
When I got home, as soon as I told my parents, my father, Luo Wenxin, jumped to his feet in a rage. He started cursing. "That animal Qiao Yuanzhong beat him so badly — he smashed a brick to pieces on him — and they're just going to let him out? I'm going to go and settle this with him."
Hearing that made my head spin. In my past life, my dad was killed after being set up by that gang, all because he went to demand justice from Qiao Yuanzhong.
I quickly pulled him back and said in a low voice, "Dad, if we go head to head with them, we'll be the ones who lose. The Qiao family is too well established in this village. We have to try a different approach."
I leaned in close to his ear and carefully explained the intricate plan I had been thinking of for a long time. My parents were stunned as they listened.