Chapter 38 She Did Not Dare

After being taken to the commune health center for blood tests and other examinations, the diagnosis was confirmed as meningitis. Following a course of injections and intravenous drips, his fever dropped from 41.5°C to 38.3°C, and his other symptoms began to improve. The doctor advised continuing the IV treatment for another week and prescribed some medication before they returned home. Fafu paid for all the medical expenses.

Every evening, Liu Yunfeng would come by to check on Yujun, asking how he was doing and helping Caiyun with chores. Once, she even brought back two pieces of fatty meat she had begged for, setting them aside for Yujun to eat.

After spending some time together, Caiyun realized that Liu Yunfeng was honest, kind-hearted, diligent, and capable, with a pleasant temperament. Caiyun felt secretly pleased.

Every day, Caiyun carried Yujun on her back to the health center for his IV drips. His condition gradually improved, and after a week, Yujun finally made a full recovery.

After being scolded by Caiyun, "Big-Head" Langzi had stayed away for a long time. Sometimes, even when passing by her door, he wouldn't come in. Caiyun felt he might be angry and was uneasy about it.

One afternoon, seeing him smoking at home, she went in to greet him. "Honglei, what have you been busy with these days?"

Seeing Caiyun, Big-Head Langzi immediately stood up. "Nothing much, just idling."

"Why haven't you come to see me for so long?"

"I wanted to, but I was afraid you'd scold me."

"Are you angry because I said a few things to you last time?"

"No, you were right to scold me. Has the bump on Yuqiang's head gone down?"

"It's almost gone. He'll be fine in a few days."

Seeing him talking and laughing as usual, Caiyun felt much more at ease. Big-Head Langzi was widely considered a "two-fifty" (a fool) by everyone in the village, and people generally looked down on him and kept their distance. Only Caiyun did not discriminate against him and had even tried to set him up with a partner before. Big-Head Langzi knew this well, so no matter what Caiyun said, he never got angry; he believed she had his best interests at heart and meant no harm.

"Honglei, there’s a woman staying at my place who fled here from Fengyang. Have you seen her?"

"I have. She has two children with her. She's quite pitiful."

After Caiyun gave him a detailed account of the woman’s situation, she said, "She doesn't want to go back to Fengyang and wants to settle down here. I think you two are quite a good match. If you're willing, I’d like to act as the matchmaker. What do you think?"

"I only like you. I'm willing to wait until you agree to marry me."

"I've told you so many times—you're always so stubborn. If you keep this up, I won't talk to you anymore."

"But my mind is full of you. I can't forget you."

"Even if you marry her, we will still be good friends."

"Do you think she’d be willing to marry me?"

"I will work on it and try to convince her."

Seeing that Big-Head Langzi had agreed, Caiyun was very happy. She hoped her benefactor could lead a stable and happy life.

When Caiyun returned home, she was surprised to see Han Xiuxia sitting in front of her door basking in the sun. She had only recently heard that Xiuxia’s bowel functions had returned to normal, and she hadn't expected her to be out of bed so soon.

"Xiuxia, you look well. How is your recovery coming along?" Caiyun asked, walking up to her.

"I can walk a few steps if I lean against the wall, but my legs still don't have much strength."

"You were in bed for too long. Don't rush; take it slowly, and you'll gradually get better."

"I hope so. Now that the land has been contracted to individual households, Hongbing is always running around outside, and he can't keep up with the farm work. I’m getting anxious."

"That's true. Since the responsibility system started, everyone is full of energy, and no one in the families is idle. But your health is more important—you should focus on getting better first!"

Although Han Xiuxia had been bedridden, she had always been keeping a close eye on the relationship between Caiyun and Wang Hongbing. She felt that their interactions were becoming less frequent, and she didn't know if they had truly ended things or if they had just become more discreet. Now that she could move about, she was determined to observe them closely.

"Sister-in-law, could you come here for a moment?"

Hearing Fafu call her, Caiyun walked over and asked, "Is something the matter?"

"You mentioned you wanted to have a bed made. What size were you planning on?"

"One point eight meters wide and two meters long. Yuqiang can use it when he gets married in the future."

"I'm going to town tomorrow, so I can buy the wood while I'm there. Can you come with me?"

"Alright, I'll go." Caiyun thought, *I'm the one buying the wood, can I really not go?*

The next day, the two spent half the day wandering around town. Either the quality of the wood was too poor, or it was too expensive; they couldn't find anything suitable. By the time it was nearly noon, Fafu said to Caiyun, "It's too cold, so the wood sellers usually arrive late. Let's go to a restaurant to eat first and come back after."

"I'm not hungry. You go ahead if you want."

"Even if you're not hungry, have a little something. It's my treat."

Fafu took Caiyun to the Yangyang Restaurant, which had just opened. There were no other guests besides them. He ordered stir-fried spicy pork intestines, sweet and sour fish, stir-fried leeks with dried tofu, and half a catty of white liquor.

As Fafu ordered, Caiyun kept trying to stop him, complaining that he was ordering too much and it was too expensive. "I'll just eat the leeks and tofu; you can eat the rest yourself."

"These are all things you like. I ordered them specifically for you. I eat these things all the time when I'm doing carpentry work."

"Why be so wasteful? Qingying always says you don't give her your earnings because you're afraid of spending money recklessly."

"Who says I don't give it to her? Every time I come home, she's demanding money from me. If I don't give it, she makes a scene. Once I give it to her, it's gone. Her mind is only on money, money, money. There's nothing else in her head."

"Haven't you heard what people say? When a man has money, he starts acting up. Besides, you're handsome and have a trade, so Qingying has her reasons for being that way."

"What reasons? She hangs her head all day long as if everyone owes her money. I get annoyed just looking at her face."

"She has always wanted a child. You should take her to the hospital to get checked and see what the problem is."

"I've told her, but she doesn't want to go. She's afraid of losing face."

"There's something I want to discuss with you. Big-Head Langzi once helped me, and I want to introduce him to Liu Yunfeng. What do you think?"

"That’s a good thing. It’ll stop him from pestering you."

"Once the bed is made, I plan to let Liu Yunfeng and her children use it first. When they move out, Yuqiang can sleep there at night."

"It's your house; you can arrange it however you like."

"I'm afraid Qingying will use this as an excuse to make trouble. You'll have to stand up for me when the time comes."

"With me here, she won't dare."

After leaving the restaurant, they walked around the market a bit more. Fafu selected some high-quality boards, but Caiyun didn't have enough money, so Fafu took the initiative to use his personal savings to cover the difference.

Not long after the wood was brought back, Fafu finished the bed. Caiyun, considering that Liu Yunfeng and her two daughters were sleeping on the floor in the middle of winter, persuaded Yunfeng to use it first. For the sake of her children, Yunfeng accepted Caiyun’s kindness. The mother and daughters slept on the new bed, and Yunfeng was deeply grateful.

When Qingying saw that Caiyun had moved the new bed into the small room, she suspected that Caiyun was coveting the property again. She found Caiyun and asked angrily, "Caiyun, what’s the meaning of you moving that new bed into my small room?"

"You're joking, aren't you? It was clearly the house the elders assigned to me. When did it become yours?"

"The elders assigned it to Facai. Now that Facai is gone, the house should be reallocated."

"Then go back and ask Fafu what he has to say about it."

"There's no need to ask anyone. This house is mine, and you won't get a chance at it. And about the labor fee for Fafu making you that bed—when are you going to pay it?"

"I'll pay you when I have the money."

In the evening, Liu Yunfeng's eldest daughter, Xiaomei, came over to look for Yulan. The two soon became good friends, and Yuqiang liked Xiaomei as well, treating her like his own younger sister.

Caiyun took the opportunity to find Liu Yunfeng. "Little sister, the man I mentioned to you before is named Wang Honglei. He is thirty-four this year. He said he has seen you and is very satisfied. I’d like to call him over so you two can meet and talk. What do you think?"

"I’ll listen to you!"

After Caiyun called Big-Head Langzi over, the two talked for about half an hour. Both sides expressed their agreement, and Caiyun took charge, setting the wedding date for February 26, one week later.

When Qingying found out, she panicked and immediately sought out Yunfeng. "I heard you're marrying Wang Honglei. Is it true?"

"Yes, what do you think?" Yunfeng asked, seeking Qingying's opinion.

"I never heard you mention it. When was it decided? Who is the matchmaker?" Qingying was surprised.

"It was just decided. The matchmaker is Caiyun."

"Do you know him well?"

"We've only had one deep conversation, but I mainly listened to Caiyun's introduction."

"Do you know his nickname?"

"No."

"I'll tell you—they call him 'Big-Head Langzi.' He's the village's recognized fool. He had only been married for a month when he beat his wife to death."

"Caiyun and Honglei told me about that situation. It was an accident."

"I'm telling you this for your own good. No woman in the area dares to marry him. Don't be foolish and marry him, or you'll regret it before it's too late."

"I’m in no position to be picky. Now that someone wants me, I’m satisfied. He may have a bad temper, but I can accommodate him. As long as he is good to me and my two children, I don't care about anything else. I just want a home—a nest of my own."

Qingying had nothing more to say; her carefully laid plan had fallen through.

February 26 was a bright and sunny day. Big-Head Langzi prepared two banquet tables and held a simple wedding ceremony. Yunfeng then moved in with her children to Big-Head Langzi's place. A new family was born; Big-Head Langzi finally ended his life as a bachelor, settling a concern for Caiyun, and Yunfeng finally had a home of her own and no longer had to beg for food.

As soon as Yunfeng moved out, Caiyun changed the lock on the door.

When Qingying learned that Liu Yunfeng had moved out, she wanted to tidy up the small room. She tried to open it with her key for a long time but couldn't. Looking closely, she realized the lock had been changed. She immediately understood what was going on and stormed over to find Caiyun. "Did you change the lock on my house?"

"I never lock other people's houses," Caiyun retorted coldly.

"I'm not wasting my breath on you."