Chapter Thirty-Three: Escape from Death

After returning home, Wang Hongbing did not sleep all night. He felt he had acted too ruthlessly; by venting his hatred for Facai onto Caiyun, he felt a pang of guilt. She had only stolen grain for the sake of her children, and she had never revealed his secret stash to the brigade or the commune. Had she done so, his entire family would have been doomed.

He recalled their time as neighbors, growing up together. Their twenty-plus years of acquaintance had always been pleasant. Caiyun was clever and beautiful, his most prized student. He loved hearing her call him "Teacher Wang," and he took pride in having such a student. In his heart, he had genuinely liked and loved her.

He felt that Caiyun had once liked him too, but she had always restrained herself, unwilling to take the relationship further.

Although she had indeed done things that were detrimental or even harmful to him, they were purely acts of passive defense, never malicious, proactive attacks. Especially now, remembering how often she had praised his competence, his awareness, and his natural aptitude for leadership, he felt like slapping himself. He had personally murdered a woman who admired him and wished for his success, and he had done so with cruel, calculated intent.

The next morning, Wang Hongbing saw Yujun going to get food. The boy wore a tattered, button-front jacket full of holes, cinched at the waist with a straw rope. Beneath it were rags that could barely be called pants, his feet were shod in worn-out straw sandals, and he wore a straw hat that had lost its crown. Seeing such a pathetic sight, Wang’s heart softened instantly.

Near noon, as Wang Hongbing lay in the ox shed, he heard a knock. He asked, "Who is it?" There was no answer.

The knocking continued, so he got up to open the door. When he pulled it open, he collapsed onto the ground, unable to speak for a long time. "You... you... are you a ghost or a human?"

"Captain Wang, it’s Zhang Caiyun. Have you forgotten me?"

"Zhang Caiyun... you are Zhang Caiyun? Are you really Zhang Caiyun?" Wang Hongbing felt as if he were dreaming.

"Yes, the very same Zhang Caiyun who returned from North River Bay last night. Surprised?"

"You're still alive?" Wang wondered if he were hallucinating.

"I am alive and well. I’ve come to talk to you." Caiyun appeared remarkably composed.

"Talk... talk about what?" Wang was still struggling to process the moment.

"I know your hidden grain hasn't been moved. I could easily go to Secretary Yang and Secretary Zhou of the commune and report you, but I didn't. Do you know why?"

"I... I don't." By now, Wang was sober; he realized this scene was real.

"Because that would do me no good. My intention now is to keep your secret and cooperate with you."

"Cooperate? Cooperate how?" Wang asked, bewildered.

"You give me one catty of grain every day until the summer harvest. That comes to only about sixty catties total, while you have at least six hundred, which is only a tenth of your stash. Plus, you get to keep your hiding spot indefinitely. How does that sound?"

"This... let me think about it." Wang was completely unprepared for her proposal; he didn't know how to respond.

"Only Yujun and I know about this right now. He is waiting at the canteen entrance. If the others finish getting their food and I haven't returned, Yujun will lead everyone to your family's ancestral grave to divide the grain. I am certain your own kin would strip it bare. By then, not only the brigade but the commune would know. You know better than I what the consequences would be. I’ll give you ten minutes to decide. I’ll be waiting at home."

"No need to think. I agree." Wang understood; Caiyun had prepared for every contingency. This was clearly blackmail, but he decided to agree for now.

"Very well. Tonight, you will give me ten catties to start. How about that?"

"No problem. I will bring it to you late tonight."

"It is better to resolve grievances than to foster them. When will the cycle of vengeance ever end? I hope our two families can be good neighbors from now on."

"I hope so too."

Caiyun invited Wang to go get food with her, and he readily agreed.

After lunch, Caiyun finally exhaled. She sat on a small stool against the wall in front of her house, eyes closed, basking in the sun. She knew she was still feverish and felt sore all over, but her heart felt at ease. The experience of her narrow escape last night felt like a dream.

When Wang Hongbing had carried her to North River Bay, he had positioned her upper body behind his back. As she struggled, her fingers had brushed the knot of the rope binding her hands. She pinched the end and pulled, realizing it was loose. She kept pulling little by little until the rope gave way—a stroke of extreme fortune. It was the habit of Wang’s mother to use slipknots, which had given Caiyun a glimmer of hope. She took the headscarf from her mouth, stuffed a piece of the damp, moldy-smelling burlap sack into her mouth to muffle her breathing, and tore a small hole in the sack with her hands.

To deceive Wang, she had continued to struggle with her whole body, so he never noticed the anomaly.

Shortly after being thrown into the water, Caiyun grabbed the hole in the sack, tore it wide, and crawled out. She then untied the rope on her legs. Fortunately, the water was shallow; when she stood up, the water only reached her chest. Feeling too weak to walk away from the river, she took off her cotton jacket, wrung it out, and put it back on, which made moving much easier.

When she arrived home, her three children were fast asleep. She built a fire, dried her clothes, wiped her body with hot water, and lay down to plan her next move.

She hadn't realized how vicious Wang Hongbing truly was—not only to kill her in such a cruel manner but to let Yuqiang die as well. Since you have shown no benevolence, don't blame me for being heartless!

Caiyun decided to report Wang Hongbing to the commune before dawn and ask them to investigate. This time, Wang Hongbing was finished.

She reached out to touch Yujun’s swollen legs and face, fearing he might not last much longer. Yuqiang’s health was worsening by the day, and now Yulan was failing too, needing to lean against the wall just to walk. If she couldn't get food, she didn't know how many days her children had left.

At that moment, Caiyun became truly clear-headed. Revenge was a minor matter; finding food to save her children was the urgent priority. She devised a plan that served both purposes and decided to talk to Wang Hongbing.

"Mom!" Yujun came over and leaned against her legs in the sunlight, breaking her train of thought. She opened her eyes and saw Yuqiang and Yulan also leaning against the wall, eyes closed, soaking up the sun. She thought that if Wang Hongbing kept his word and provided a catty of grain a day, her children might be saved.

This night was crucial for Caiyun. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, and she struggled to fall asleep, waking up shortly after drifting off. She couldn't rest easy with such heavy matters on her mind. She wondered what Wang was thinking and if he would deliver the grain on time.

In truth, when Wang Hongbing first agreed to Caiyun’s conditions, he hadn't fully processed them; he had only agreed to stall. But after reflecting on it, he realized her terms were acceptable—he could keep his grain and his secret hideout.

For Wang, these two nights were extraordinary. Last night, he had thrown Caiyun into the river to kill her; tonight, he was going to her home to deliver grain and save her family. Such a stark contrast was difficult to accept.

Now, his greatest fear was that Caiyun held a secret that could destroy him at any moment. If he didn't comply, she could demand his family's lives. After much deliberation, he accepted her terms and delivered the grain just before dawn.

Caiyun took the grain, her heart finally settling. She checked the contents: one small bag of rice and another of wheat. It was at least ten catties. She was satisfied.

As the Spring Equinox approached, Caiyun carried Yujun on her back and took Yuqiang and Yulan to forage for wild greens. Because people had picked the fields so clean the previous year, there were few seeds left, and the greens were scarce. The elm and locust trees, stripped of their bark, were already dead. There was truly nothing left to gather.

On the eve of the Qingming Festival, the busy farming season arrived. Fafu, Datou Langzi, and other laborers returned from the water conservancy project. The commune increased each person's daily ration by two ounces of dried sweet potatoes. The daily ration was now two ounces of bean cake and two ounces of dried sweet potatoes. Though little, these two ounces of sweet potatoes could extend many lives.

Caiyun thought how wonderful it would be if this grain could be distributed to every household. Her family of four would receive sixteen ounces—a full catty—every day.

When she saw Fafu, tears welled up in her eyes. Fafu felt a sense of relief seeing that Caiyun and the children were still alive.

Qingying tried her best to comfort Caiyun, urging her to grieve in moderation and take care of her health, before taking Yulan home.