Chapter 55 Final Examinations

Yuqiang was participating in the work-point evaluation for the first time. Based on the majority's proposal, his base points were also set at seven. Caiyun felt this was quite reasonable since Yuqiang had just returned from school, had not been working in the fields for long, and was still unfamiliar with many farming tasks. Yulan’s base points were set at seven and a half, which satisfied Caiyun, and her own base points were set at nine, which she felt was also fair.

Caiyun felt that Wang Hongbing was indeed cunning. The issue of his wife's base points not only failed to cause him any negative impact, but instead made him appear high-minded. But no matter what, Han Xiuxia's base points had finally been dragged down, achieving her goal.

Caiyun was relatively satisfied with the scoring results this time, though she did not know whether the lesson taught to him previously had worked or if he was simply performing for the work team.

After the meeting, Team Leader Wu approached Team Leader Li: "Regarding what you mentioned last time, Wang Hongbing explained to me that his brother-in-law works in the Huainan Coal Mine, and his wife is a cafeteria cook there. During that particularly difficult period, they often saved some grain and food to relieve them. In addition, whenever he had leftovers from extra meals at brigade or production team meetings, he would bring some back, and he has already written a self-criticism regarding this matter."

"Should we investigate these claims of his?"

"Of course, we should investigate."

After returning, Team Leader Li asked Yuqiang, "Do you know if Big Head has an older uncle?"

"Yes, I've seen him. He's quite fat."

"Do you know what he does?"

"I heard he works in a coal mine."

"Are you going to work with your Second Uncle today?"

"Yes, I'll be leaving in a moment."

Jurisdiction over your progress seems fast; you made that small dining table quite well."

"It's mostly thanks to my Second Uncle's guidance."

"Your Second Uncle has great skills, and having a good master is very important. Learn well from him; having a good craft will ensure you never have to worry about food and clothing in the future."

Ever since dropping out of school, Yuqiang often went out to work with his Second Uncle. Faifu felt that Yuqiang was smart, eager to learn, and very attentive, so he taught him with great care, hoping he would master the skill quickly.

He had prepared some scrap wood and let Yuqiang make a small dining table by himself. The result was quite good, which made Faifu very happy.

After more than three months of putting down roots, networking, visiting the poor and asking about their hardships, conducting investigations and visits, having individual talks, and checking accounts and materials, the work team convened a general meeting of all members of the Wangjiayu Production Team. The captain, deputy captain, women's federation director, accountant, militia platoon leader, work-point recorder, and storekeeper each conducted self-examinations to find their own problems. This was followed by exposure and discussion by the masses, and finally passed by a show of hands among the masses.

Wang Hongbing mainly reviewed his wife Han Xiuxia's problems, explained why her family was less affected during that particularly difficult period, and had already returned and compensated 15.5 yuan in cash for excessive consumption and appropriation.

Since the Wang family members made up the majority of the team, and Wang Hongbing genuinely had no major public anger against him in the village, he passed smoothly. Several other team cadres also mainly faced issues of excessive consumption and appropriation, and after making restitutions, they also passed smoothly.

After Yujun started school, his classroom was a combined class for the first and second grades, taught by Teacher Cao. Because his family could not afford notebooks and pencils, he was unable to do homework and could only listen to the lectures. Although the principal requested special consideration, Teacher Cao still seated him in the very last row. Because Yujun was short, he could only see the blackboard by standing up, so he had to stand to listen to the lessons.

Yujun often arrived early. While cleaning, he could sometimes pick up pencil stubs discarded by other classmates. He treasured them like priceless treasures, hiding them at home to use during exams. Usually, he mainly used tree branches to solve problems on the ridges of the fields or other open spaces. Although he could not submit homework, it did not hinder his learning of knowledge.

When Faifu found out, he went to town and bought some notebooks and pencils for Yujun, and also bought a floral headscarf for Caiyun.

In the evening, Qingying went back to her maiden home, so Faifu called Caiyun over. As soon as she stepped through the door, Faifu picked her up and carried her to the bed: "Yun, I've missed you to death!" As he spoke, he reached to undress Caiyun.

"Don't, the work team is here, it's too dangerous!"

"Look at the headscarf I bought for you." Faifu took out the newly bought floral headscarf.

"You're spending money recklessly again."

"This is the notebook and pen I bought for Yujun."

"Yujun must be thrilled out of his mind; he can finally turn in his homework."

"These are essentials for studying."

"Qingying keeps such a tight grip on things, where did you get the money?"

"It's the pocket money I saved up."

Faifu wrapped the headscarf around Caiyun's head: "It looks so good, you're still as pretty as ever!"

"Prettier than Qingying?"

"You are the most beautiful woman in the world!"

Caiyun lay in Faifu's arms: "Are you speaking from your heart?"

"I swear to heaven!"

"Your mouth gets sweeter and sweeter, I just love a man like you!"

"It is such happiness to win your love!"

Faifu said this as he hugged Caiyun and kissed her wildly: "Yun, I love you, you are mine!"

"I love you too!"

Faifu reached out and unfastened her belt. At this moment, Caiyun threw the work team out of her mind, burrowed under the quilt, and hugged him tightly...

During the school final exams, Yujun's scores in Chinese and arithmetic were the only double-hundreds in the class. This result surprised Teacher Cao, and as a result, it changed his attitude and view of Yujun, encouraging him to keep up the good work.

The Spring Festival of 1966 was approaching, and the work team was given a ten-day holiday, all returning home to celebrate the New Year.

Wang Hongbing's hanging heart finally dropped. He knew that after the New Year, the work team's focus would shift to the brigade cadres, and he would be completely liberated.

During this "Four Cleans" movement, what Wang Hongbing worried about the most was the hidden grain in the ancestral tombs. This not only involved his grain theft problem, but could also drag up his attempt to silence a witness by murder.

Wang Hongbing knew very well that besides himself and his mother, only Caiyun knew about the grain hidden in the ancestral tombs. He worried that Caiyun might report this matter to the work team, so he had made preparations in advance.

Among the several issues the work team successively communicated with him about, he could be certain that two were reported by Caiyun: one was his wife's base-point issue, which he didn't care much about, and the other was the hidden grain in the ancestral tombs, which was the most fatal issue. He felt that Caiyun was truly ruthless, clearly intending to drive him to his death.

After the Spring Festival, all the members of the work team returned to Wangjiayu. As soon as Team Leader Li arrived at Caiyun's doorstep, he shouted, "Caiyun, I'm back!"

"Team Leader Li, Happy New Year!" Caiyun came out to greet him.

"Good! Are you all well?"

"All is well!"

"These are for the children!" Team Leader Li said, dumping the contents of a small bag onto the table, which were mainly candies, biscuits, scorched rice crust, and other edible treats.

"Thank you! You're always bringing them food."

Seeing this, Yulan seized the opportunity to pick out some White Rabbit creamy candies and stuffed them into her pockets.

Before the Lantern Festival, the work team invited the commune's film projection team to screen the movie *Railway Guerrillas* at the brigade's western threshing ground.

Next, the work team arranged performances of the Huangmei opera *The Fairy Couple* and the Luju opera *The Old Master Asking for School Tuition*, enriching the cultural life of the masses and winning everyone's welcome.

After the Spring Festival, the work team focused on investigating, visiting, checking accounts, and interviewing brigade cadres.

After more than a month of auditing and clearing accounts, internal and external investigations, individual interviews, and "back-to-back" exposures, a meeting was held in March attended by cadres from each production team and representatives of poor and lower-middle peasants.

The agenda of the meeting consisted of self-examinations and confessions of problems by the brigade cadres, followed by denunciations and exposures by the attendees. The meeting was presided over by Team Leader Wu of the work team.

Brigade Secretary Yang Shaowen made his self-examination first. His review only covered issues such as detaching himself from the poor and lower-middle peasants, showing insufficient care for the masses, having an extravagant work style, and excessive consumption and appropriation. Although he failed to confess any substantive problems, his attitude was considered sincere, and since no one took the lead to stand up and expose him, he did not arouse public anger and passed smoothly.

The self-examinations of the subsequent cadres were also relatively calm, with no major issues uncovered.

Only Brigade Militia Commander Wang Hongbiao, following exposures and accusations by the masses, faced more serious problems, which mainly involved a brutal work style, casually beating people, and insulting women.