Chapter 31: Wild Mandarin Ducks

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Gu Wennuan returned to her room happily, sent Yu Bao to Zhou Xi’s room, and prepared to enter her space.

A knock sounded at the door.

“Who is it?”

Zhou Jiayu pushed open the door and came in. “Mother, can I sleep with you tonight?”

Gu Wennuan looked at her adorable son. “Of course. Come up onto the kang.”

Zhou Jiayu lay down beside her, his spirits somewhat low.

“What’s wrong, Yu Bao? Do you want to tell Mother about it?”

Wrinkling his little nose, Zhou Jiayu burrowed into Gu Wennuan’s arms.

“Mother, they said I don’t have a father. Where did my father go?”

Gu Wennuan did not want her child’s hopes for his father to be disappointed.

“Your father is a soldier who protects our country. He is out fighting the enemy.”

Zhou Jiayu looked at her happily. “Then Father is a great hero?”

Gu Wennuan was not very familiar with Zhou Sinian. She only knew that he had been the most promising young man in the village. Back then, she had schemed to marry him because she valued his status as an officer. They had spent only one night together, and before she had the chance to know him, they lost contact.

“Your father is a great hero. Now go to sleep, or tomorrow Wangcai will be taken out to play by Yaya.”

Ever since the puppy had come to the Zhou household, the two children had been the happiest of all. After playing together the entire afternoon, the three little companions had grown familiar with one another, and the children were already planning to take Wangcai to the fields the next day.

“Mother, I’m going to sleep.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he began to snore softly.

Gu Wennuan pulled the sheet over the child. She, too, was exhausted after a busy day, and before long, she drifted off to sleep.

Shen Simin stood at the entrance to the railway station, waiting for Zhou Sinian.

“That’s right. In my previous life, he came back today. I definitely won’t miss him. The train must simply be delayed.”

Shen Simin straightened her clothes. She had put on her finest outfit that day, all to leave a good impression on Zhou Sinian. Once she made herself known to him, surely she would be able to win him over. Then she would become an officer’s wife, while that ugly shrew Gu Wennuan could beg for food for the rest of her life.

Gu Wennuan had no idea that someone was coveting her husband. If she had known, she would probably have packed him up and sent him straight to Shen Simin, happily bringing the two of them together.

The next morning, Gu Wennuan slung a basket onto her back and prepared to go up the mountain to gather medicinal herbs. As she left the house, she encountered a man in a Sun Yat-sen suit asking for directions.

Qian Jiadong was riding a bicycle with gifts hanging from both sides. He had come specifically to thank Gu Wennuan.

Ever since his mother had taken the traditional medicine prescribed by Gu Wennuan, her heart condition had improved, her back no longer hurt, and she was full of energy.

He had been suspicious at first, so a few days earlier he had taken his mother to a major provincial hospital for an examination. The doctor there had studied the test results for a long while before finally confirming that his mother had completely recovered.

Qian Jiadong had deliberately bought gifts to thank Gu Wennuan, but he knew only that she lived in Fengtian Brigade. He did not know which household was hers.

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“Miss, do you know where Gu Wennuan lives?”

Gu Wennuan looked him over. “Are you looking for her about something?”

“I came especially to thank her for curing my mother.”

Only then did Gu Wennuan realize that he was probably Aunt Qian’s son. “I am Gu Wennuan.”

Qian Jiadong quickly got off his bicycle and handed the gifts to her. “Comrade Gu, thank you so much. If it weren’t for you, my mother would never have recovered.”

Gu Wennuan did not accept the gifts. “There’s no need to be so polite. It was only a small kindness. Take these things back. I helped your mother because we were fated to meet, not because I wanted anything from you.”

Because of this gesture, Qian Jiadong thought even more highly of Gu Wennuan. She had not used her kindness as leverage to make unreasonable demands. She was clearly a good comrade.

“I brought these all the way here. Please accept them. My mother also said that the next time you go to town, you must come to our home for a meal.”

Gu Wennuan could not refuse any longer and accepted the gifts. “The next time I go, I’ll prescribe another formula for your mother. It will do her body good. We’ve been chatting so long that I forgot to offer you anything. Come inside and have some water.”

Qian Jiadong pushed his bicycle away. “No, thank you. I still have work at the factory, so I’ll be going.”

After he left, Gu Wennuan carried the gifts into the house, then slung her basket onto her back and went to gather herbs.

As soon as she had left, Old Madam Wang from next door poked her head out. After taking a look and confirming that Gu Wennuan was gone, she grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds and headed toward the village entrance.

Another day of gossip had begun.

With the basket on her back, Gu Wennuan planned to gather as many medicinal herbs as possible during the autumn harvest. She had once considered storing them in her space and cultivating them there, but the soil was unsuitable for growing medicinal plants. If she stored them inside, she would still have to sort through everything herself. It was too troublesome. She might as well let her family help her sort them at home.

After placing the herbs she needed into her basket, Gu Wennuan spotted some wild perilla growing in the grass. She was just planning to make mooncakes, and perilla paste would make a good filling.

She was about to leave when she heard voices coming from the grass.

“Brother Zhou Fei, when are you going to divorce Li Xiaohua? That barren hen is completely useless.”

Zhou Fei put his arm around the woman in his embrace. “Don’t worry. Soon. Once I kick her out, I’ll marry you.”

Gu Wennuan recognized Zhou Fei’s voice as Li Xiaohua’s husband. The woman was Wang Erni from the educated-youth compound.

Well, well. She had stumbled upon something interesting.

Gu Wennuan quietly stored the clothes draped over the grass in her space, then headed down the mountain and summoned her old partner.

“Meat Bone, stand there and howl a few times.”

The alpha wolf bared its teeth and glared at Gu Wennuan as though it might tear her apart the next moment.

Gu Wennuan slapped it across the head.

The alpha wolf whimpered and immediately lay down in submission.

The wolf was no fool. It understood the difference between one full meal and being fed every day. Recently, even the female wolves had begun looking at it with tender affection. Following this woman meant full bellies, full drinks, and plenty of opportunities to tease the young females. Life was far more enjoyable than living in the mountains.

“Awooo! Awooo!”

The howls terrified the two people in the grass, who hurriedly searched for their clothes.

“Where are the clothes? They were right here just now!”

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“What are you still looking for? Run! If we don’t leave now, we’ll lose our lives!”

Zhou Fei grabbed Wang Erni and ran down the mountain.

The wolves’ howls also caught the attention of the villagers below. Everyone seized whatever weapons they could find and prepared to defend themselves against the wild wolves.

“Brigade Chief, what should we do? The wolves only come down the mountain in winter every year. The autumn harvest hasn’t even begun. Why have they come down now?”

Zhou Chuangen gathered all the young men and armed them with machetes to deal with the wolves. No one knew how many had descended from the mountain.

They waited for a long time. The wolves continued howling, but none came down. Instead, two naked people appeared.

“Quickly! All the women, turn around!”

Gu Wennuan hid among the crowd and watched as the villagers surrounded the pair.

“Where did these shameless creatures come from? Doing such a thing in broad daylight! Take them to the commune!”

Zhou Chuangen stepped forward and pulled the man’s hand away.

“Zhou Fei!”

Li Xiaohua hid among the crowd, intending to watch the spectacle. She had never imagined that she would be the one wearing the cuckold’s cap.

“Zhou Fei, you shameless bastard! Didn’t you say you were going hunting in the mountains? So you came here to meet this vixen! I want to see who she is!”

Li Xiaohua dragged the woman forward. The clothes the woman had only just thrown on were pulled open in the struggle.

“Everyone, turn around!”

Men, women, young and old—all of them turned their backs.

Wang Erni’s face was exposed.

“Oh, so it’s you, you shameless slut! How dare you steal my man? I’ll beat you to death!”

Wang Erni was scratched several times. “Zhou Fei, get your wife away from me!”

Zhou Fei stepped forward and slapped Li Xiaohua across the face.

“Get lost! If you weren’t barren, would I have needed to find someone else? Hurry home!”

Li Xiaohua covered her face and ran away.

After Zhou Fei and Wang Erni put on their clothes, the brigade chief escorted them to the commune. In those days, hooliganism was a very serious crime. He could not shield them simply because they were villagers from the same place. So many people had witnessed what happened that, if the matter were reported, even the brigade chief would lose his position.

Seeing that the spectacle was over, Gu Wennuan slung her basket onto her back and returned home.

Another day spent ridding the people of harm.