Chapter 36: Killing Two Birds with One Stone

The next morning, Qingying hurried back home, feeling satisfied after hearing Caiyun cry out the previous night. Once home, however, she began to overthink, fearing that Caiyun’s reaction might have been one of resistance rather than pleasure. If that were the case, all her efforts would have been for nothing.

When her husband, Fafu, saw her return, he asked enthusiastically, "Is your mother feeling better?"

"A little, nothing serious."

"What was wrong?"

"The usual—asthma."

"That ailment always flares up when the weather turns cold."

While speaking, Qingying checked the bedsheets. Upon seeing them, she smiled, her heart finally at ease. She felt she should strike while the iron was hot and achieve her goal as soon as possible. From then on, she frequently used visiting her mother as an excuse to return to her maiden home, creating opportunities for Caiyun and Fafu to be together.

She began to eye Caiyun’s four-room house, imagining how she would renovate it once it was in her grasp. She planned to vacate two rooms for her parents and keep their current home for her younger brother’s future wedding. She also carefully inspected the surrounding land, thinking it would be perfect for planting mulberry trees to raise silkworms for profit.

One day, she asked Yulan, "Lanlan, has your mother cooked anything good for you lately?"

"No, same as usual."

"Have you noticed your mother feeling nauseous or vomiting recently?"

"No. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, nothing. I just thought she looked a bit thinner lately, just making conversation."

Just as Qingying felt victory was within her reach, she suddenly noticed that all traces of interaction between Caiyun and Fafu had vanished. She couldn't figure out where things had gone wrong. Qingying was infertile and knew nothing about "safe" and "unsafe" periods; however, a shrewd woman like Caiyun naturally managed such matters with precision.

After the implementation of the "household responsibility system," Caiyun spent her days pondering ways to ensure a good harvest for the coming year to improve their standard of living. Believing that irrigation and fertilizer were the most critical issues, she consulted Fafu: "The team’s ponds are almost filled with silt and have lost their water-retention capacity. We are at the mercy of the weather. Can you talk to Wang Hongbing about organizing the team to clear the silt during the winter slack season? It would improve our disaster resistance, and the silt would make excellent fertilizer."

"That’s a good idea, but everyone is only looking out for themselves now. It’s hard to get people on the same page."

"You could suggest that Wang Hongbing call a meeting of the collaborative group leaders. We could divide the ponds based on land area; each group keeps the fertilizer they dredge, while the water storage benefits the whole team."

"How would we share the water?"

"We can plan for the whole team and have the leaders decide collectively."

"Brilliant! From now on, you are my advisor and secretary."

"Fine, but on one condition: you must follow my lead."

"No problem. A leader should always take advice from his secretary."

Soon, Wang Hongbing held a meeting with the group leaders to discuss Caiyun’s proposal. Everyone agreed that since the strong laborers had been pulled away for large-scale state water projects in recent winters, the ponds had silted up, and fixing the irrigation system was urgent. They also realized the fertilizer shortage was a major issue. The plan was swiftly approved and scheduled to begin.

Caiyun’s group was assigned to the Lingjiao Pond on the west side of the village. They started the next morning. Luckily, the water level was low, and by the afternoon, they had drained it and caught over a hundred pounds of fish—crucian carp, snakehead, silver carp, and grass carp. As required, the catch was turned over to Wang Hongbing, divided into forty-six equal portions, and distributed by lottery.

A few days later, the pond was completely dry, and Fafu organized the families to carry away the soft mud. Caiyun carried it herself, while Yuqiang and Yulan transported it to the paddy fields after school. After two weeks of labor, Wang Hongbing inspected the site and verified that the required depth had been reached. The pond's capacity was significantly increased, achieving the intended goal.

Caiyun was pleased that her suggestion had been implemented, feeling it laid a solid foundation for next year’s harvest. Fafu took the opportunity to flatter her: "My great secretary is truly amazing. Not only are you beautiful, but you are also clever, capable, and wise. I admire you more and more."

"Do you admire me enough to bow down?"

"Of course! I’d throw myself at your feet."

"That’s just lying down. I want you to kowtow to me."

"Let’s do it together—we’ll call it a mutual marital bow!"

"Stop joking around. I want to discuss something with you."

"What is it?"

"I want you to build me a bed."

"Isn't one bed for the four of you fine? Why build another?" Fafu asked, confused.

"Yulan keeps pulling Yuqiang’s hair while they sleep. Last night, he kicked her off the bed. She refuses to sleep on the same end as him, and they keep bickering. I want to build a bed to separate them so Yuqiang can sleep alone."

"Still pulling hair at their age?"

"It’s a habit she can’t break. I have to let her sleep on her own end."

"Alright, I’ll find you when I have time."

"No rush."

Yulan had loved pulling her mother’s hair to fall asleep since she was small. After Yucui was born, to break the habit, Caiyun had made Yulan sleep with Yuqiang, but Yulan just started pulling his hair instead. Years had passed, and the habit persisted. Yuqiang would often wake up, get angry, and fight back; Yulan would retaliate, complaining that Yuqiang kept draping his legs over her. They constantly argued over this.

Despite their bickering, they were completely united in their attitude toward "Big-Headed Langzi." Lately, Langzi had been pestering Caiyun, and both children detested him, begging their mother to ignore him. But Caiyun always told them that children shouldn't interfere in adult affairs.

One afternoon, Yuqiang returned from school to find the gate latched. Knowing his mother locked it when working in the back, he went around to the backyard. Not finding her there, he entered through the back door. Inside, he heard strange noises. Pushing open the bedroom door, he saw Langzi and his mother "struggling." Realizing what was happening, he grabbed an iron fork and lunged.

Langzi grabbed the fork, shoved the boy, and fled. Seeing Yuqiang hit the wall and collapse, Caiyun rushed to lift him, calling his name frantically. Touching his head, she felt a large bump and applied a wet towel. When Yuqiang finally regained consciousness, he looked at his mother coldly, turned away, and remained silent.

Ever since Qingying had coached Langzi, he had been aggressive toward Caiyun. Because he was her savior—having once saved her life—and they had a history, Caiyun felt she could only try to deflect him rather than take drastic measures. But she was exhausted. She invited him over when the children were away to talk, but Langzi mistook her intention, becoming even more insistent. Caiyun couldn't stop him, nor could she call for help for fear of becoming a laughingstock.

After Langzi left, following the incident with Yuqiang, Caiyun scolded him fiercely. He left looking dejected. Afterward, Caiyun felt a pang of guilt; she remembered how he had risked his life for her and the children in the past. She despised ingratitude and regretted her harshness, fearing she had hurt a benefactor to whom she owed her life.

Though the team’s grain harvest was down this year, Caiyun’s private plot of peanuts and sweet potatoes flourished. She traded peanuts for oil and sold the rest at the market for pocket money, and life slowly began to improve.

Qingying, meanwhile, was frustrated. She had been monitoring the situation for months and couldn't understand why nothing had happened between Caiyun and Fafu. It was only after consulting with Han Xiuxia and learning about "safe" and "unsafe" periods that she finally understood the secret behind Caiyun’s control.