Chapter Thirty: Doomed

After listening to the Secretary’s words, Caiyun said, "Secretary, the marks from where he tied my hands are still there. If you don't believe me, you can look for yourself."

"Let me finish," Secretary Yang replied, clearly annoyed by the interruption.

He turned toward Wang Hongbing and asked, "Hongbing, your implication seems to be that Caiyun raped you. She is such a frail, weak woman—does she really have the capability for such a thing? I find that hard to believe."

Wang Hongbing replied, "Secretary, don’t be deceived by her outward appearance. She is not a simple woman. I have suffered at her hands several times. This time, she has fabricated facts, turned black into white, and repaid kindness with enmity by accusing me. Now that I’ve thought it through, I will tell you everything about her situation so you can understand what is really going on."

The Secretary looked at Wang Hongbing and said, "Continue."

Wang Hongbing proceeded to dig up every bit of old gossip and sordid rumors about Caiyun from years past, all to prove that she was not a respectable woman and that he was the one being wronged.

As Caiyun began to protest, Secretary Yang stopped her: "Regardless of the truth, I hope you both will be mindful of your reputation. This is not a glorious affair, and especially for you, Caiyun—there is a saying that ‘a widow’s door invites much gossip.’ If this gets out, it will be to your detriment; people will lay all the blame on you."

Caiyun and Wang Hongbing walked out of the brigade headquarters, each lost in their own thoughts, ignoring one another.

Wang Hongbing hadn't expected Caiyun to report him to Secretary Yang, nor that she would threaten to go to the police station. He had never told anyone his motive for "rescuing" her, so he assumed Caiyun didn't know. Why, then, was she repaying his kindness with such malice?

Fortunately, Secretary Yang was still biased in his favor. In particular, the Secretary had directly pointed out that this whole affair was triggered by her seeking refuge and asking for help, something Wang had not anticipated. He was confident that Caiyun would never dare to report him to the commune again.

Secretary Yang’s attitude was clear: he wanted them to stop the fuss and no longer wished to interfere. He felt that since Fachai was gone, this beautiful and flirtatious young widow belonged to him now. With his own wife essentially an invalid, having his enemy’s widow to serve him felt even more stimulating.

Caiyun, feeling utterly disheartened, kept her head down. She felt that the Secretary’s attempt to punish them both equally was clearly a cover for Wang Hongbing, but unable to pursue the matter further, she had no choice but to endure it.

Through today’s confrontation, Caiyun realized that in Wang Hongbing’s eyes, she was nothing but a slut and a harlot. She understood that his "rescue" was merely to treat her as his plaything for his own amusement. She did not know that his motives for saving her went far beyond that.

Afterwards, fearing retaliation, Caiyun dared not leave her home for several nights.

The grain given by Sister Liu had long since run out, and her children’s health was deteriorating. Every day, Caiyun took her basket and tools to the West Mountain to dig for grass roots; if she couldn't find those, she dug for tree roots, peeling the bark from them.

Although the trees on West Mountain had been cleared, she could still find roots to peel by digging into the soil. At night, she didn't dare use a knife to chop them for fear that Wang Hongbing would hear and confiscate them, so she used scissors to shred them, boiling them in an earthen pot for the children to eat.

Once, while digging near a gully on the West Mountain, Caiyun found some cogon grass roots and a few earthworms. The roots were plump and white, shaped like tiny bamboo segments. She treated them like a treasure, wrapping them in her headscarf and tucking them against her chest for safety.

That night, she boiled the shredded roots and the earthworms into a soup for the children, who said it tasted sweet and delicious.

One afternoon, just as Caiyun arrived at the mountain, snow began to fall. As it grew heavier, she was forced to return empty-handed.

When she reached the door of Wang Hongbing’s cattle shed, he dragged her inside. "Team Leader Wang, what are you doing?" she cried out in alarm.

Wang Hongbing said, "Look at you, covered in snow, your little face frozen red—it’s quite pitiful. If you would just be good to me and be my woman, I wouldn't have the heart to let you suffer like this, would I?"

"I’m willing to do as I please. What business is it of yours?"

"Today, I am going to properly discipline you, so you’ll see if you ever dare to report me again."

With that, he shoved her onto the bed. Caiyun screamed and struggled with all her might, but it was in vain; no one came to her aid.

Eventually, she was stripped of her clothes and tied to the bed.

Wang Hongbing scanned her body from top to bottom, then pinched her nose and smiled. "Caiyun, look at yourself—in broad daylight, lying naked on my bed. No wonder Fachai cursed you as a harlot. He’s barely gone, and you can’t help yourself, running out to find a wild man."

"You filthy rogue, let me go!"

"Little darling, Secretary Yang said we should get along well and that he won't interfere anymore. If you dare go to the commune to report me, it’s as good as suicide. From now on, you are mine. Whenever I get the urge, I’ll bring you here to play. I find that playing with you in the daytime is even more stimulating—I can see clearly that the woman I’m defiling is the wife of my enemy, Chen Fachai."

...

Caiyun left the cattle shed, leaning against the walls to steady herself as she made her way home. As she crossed the threshold, she collapsed. Yulan ran over in a panic: "Mom, what’s wrong?"

Seeing no response, Yulan touched her mother’s face and called out loudly. Still getting no reaction, she immediately fetched the only two pieces of rice crust they had left, soaked them in hot water until soft, and fed them to her mother, assuming she was just starving.

Soon, Yulan saw her mother stir. She finished feeding her the softened crust and helped her onto the bed to rest.

Caiyun lay there, her whole body aching and weak, her head spinning. She didn't even think to ask where Yulan had gotten the rice crust.

That evening, when she went to the canteen to get their rations, Wang Hongbing walked up to her, acting as if nothing had happened, and began making polite inquiries. Caiyun felt a wave of nausea and, gritting her teeth, forced herself to endure it.

After supper, the snow stopped. As if possessed, Caiyun went to Fachai’s grave. It was covered in a thick layer of snow, appearing exceptionally white under the night sky. She felt that although Fachai was a crude man, his heart had been as pure and clear as that snow, standing in sharp contrast to Wang Hongbing’s dark and filthy soul.

She thought of the humiliations and torments Wang had inflicted upon her, and of how Yuqiang and Yujun were starving and nearing their limit. Not knowing what other dangers lay ahead, she longed to pull Fachai up from the ground and have him face these hardships with her.

As she left, she whispered to him, "Don't worry. No matter how hard it gets, as long as I have a breath left, I will protect our children."

When it was time to sleep, Caiyun noticed that Yujun’s legs were slightly swollen. She immediately recalled that Fachai’s legs had also swollen at the beginning, a condition that had gradually worsened. An ominous premonition washed over her.

She lay in bed, unable to sleep. She worried that Yujun might leave them just as Yucui had—silently and without a word—because Yujun’s constitution was too weak to withstand the torture of prolonged hunger.

She knew the swelling was the same as Fachai’s; it was starvation. If she could just get a little grain, Yujun’s legs would recover quickly.

She suddenly remembered the light she had seen shining through the wall the night Wang Hongbing stole grain from the seed warehouse on the east side. She climbed out of bed, lit a kerosene lamp, and inspected the wall. She found gaps in the mortar at the base of the mud bricks.

She pushed against them and found several were loose. With two small vegetable-digging trowels, she pried them out with ease. She woke her eldest son: "Yuqiang, get up!"

"What is it?" Yuqiang asked, dazed.

"Put your clothes on, then I’ll tell you."

Once Yuqiang was dressed, she called him over. "Crawl through there, be quiet. I’m giving you a few small cloth bags. Bring me some peanuts, wheat, and rice, just a little of each. Do you understand?"

"I understand."

Yuqiang went inside. Just as he passed back a small bag of peanuts, the warehouse door swung open. Wang Hongbing saw Yuqiang stealing the grain and let out a roar: "You little brat! You’ve got some nerve, daring to steal the brigade’s seeds. You’re dead!"

He grabbed a rope to tie Yuqiang up, but Yuqiang bit his arm, and the pain forced Wang to let go.

Yuqiang tried to run, but due to chronic malnutrition, his movements were slow and sluggish. Wang caught him in no time.

Caiyun rushed over in desperation, hugging Wang Hongbing and begging, "Team Leader Wang, he’s just a child! Please, spare him."

"A child? Last time he nearly cost me my life. This time, he’s finished."

"If you must tie someone, tie me. I’m the one who told him to do it."

"You cannot die," Wang sneered. "You are still useful to me."