Lu Debang and Zhang Hongfa divided the provisions for Shen Meng, then instructed her to wait in the house as they went to the production team to gather supplies and fetch a wooden plank to carry her. Shen Meng agreed readily.

As they stepped outside, Lu Debang noticed a crowd gathering at the Lu family’s door. Waving them off, he called out, “Come on now, back to work! Skipping work to watch a show—don’t complain at the end of the year if you’re short on grain and meat shares.”

Seeing the village leader shooing them away, some left willingly, but others lingered, their eyes still on the Lu house.

On the way to the production team, Lu Debang frowned and said, “You really should have consulted me before promising ten yuan and thirty pounds of fine grain to compensate for Zhenping’s wife. What if others find out and aren’t willing to go along?”

“Hmph, so what if they’re unwilling?” Zhang Hongfa replied. “The production team’s bull nearly killed her; she’s barely hanging on. If word gets out, our production team would become infamous. You think Zhenping would just let it go? Don’t forget, he has connections with people in the county government. If he holds us accountable, who’s going to bear the consequences?”

Lu Debang scoffed, not entirely convinced. “I think you’re overthinking this. Zhenping is a reasonable man.”

“Reasonable or not, the one hurt is his wife, the mother of his children. He’s out there defending the country, while back home, his own family and neighbors are letting his loved ones suffer. You think he’d be okay with that? Think about it carefully.”

Lu Debang fell silent, recalling Zhenping’s fierce temper. Zhang Hongfa sighed and patted him on the shoulder. “Debang, think about it. Shen Meng is still Zhenping’s wife, hurt by the production team’s bull, and we don’t even know if she’ll make it. If the village leaders won’t stand up for her, what does that say to the other villagers? Honestly, it’s a blessing her parents are honest folks and didn’t go straight to the commune. With anyone else, they’d be demanding compensation left and right! And isn’t your nephew hoping to join the army? He’s fifteen this year, old enough to enlist…”

Zhang Hongfa left the rest unsaid, but his heavy hand on Lu Debang’s shoulder made the point clear.

A realization dawned on Lu Debang.

If Shen Meng can’t get through this hurdle, she will definitely leave a message for Lu Zhenping. Whether it will be good or bad words depends on their performance. The thought made him break out in a cold sweat. In these times, having a family member in the army brought honor to everyone. If you do well in the army, you will have a bright future. But even the best efforts need connections.

“Yes, you’re right, Hongfa. I see it now,” Lu Debang nodded. “Let’s hurry up and get the money and provisions for Zhenping’s wife, and see if there are any ration tickets the team can spare. I also heard that Shen’s family is staying overnight; let’s send someone to their village to inform their family.”

“Ha, good idea!” Zhang Hongfa laughed, clapping him on the back as they walked on, discussing what gifts to send over later to show goodwill.

---

Half an hour later, Shen Meng was carried back to her own home on a broken door plank. Those who had stayed near the Lu family’s house took one look at her pale, weakened state and finally believed Wang Guizhi’s claims.

Some onlookers whispered and pointed toward the old Lu family courtyard.

Zhou Jiaojiao, now moved from the spacious brick house to Shen Meng’s rundown one, felt more than a little out of sorts. She had saved up over time to buy several items, and now they were all piled up on the kang bed, with no place to store them. Her eyes reddened with frustration.

Lu Jiaxuan, seeing her distress, felt heartbroken. “Jiaojiao, don’t worry. I’ll make some cabinets for you. The house that mom built for us when we got married is also very spacious. Let’s move there later!”

Zhou Jiaojiao frowned slightly, shaking her head. “No, fall is coming, and your parents are getting older. They should live in that house. We’re young and strong, so we can manage here. We’ll just cover the windows with newspapers and tidy up a bit; it’ll be fine.”

Lu Jiaxuan’s heart softened at her thoughtfulness. “Jiaojiao, you’re too good for this.”

“It’s not a sacrifice if I’m with you,” Zhou Jiaojiao replied. “As long as we’re united, I don’t mind the hardship.”

In truth, Zhou Jiaojiao wasn’t eager to move into the main house with Liu Sanjin. Living separately, she and Lu Jiaxuan could enjoy more privacy and avoid prying eyes.
It was different living in the old house. Any noise would be heard by others.
She was already thinking about asking her in-laws to build a little house for them, even if it were just a mud-brick one. A place to call their own would be perfect.

Liu Sanjin lived comfortably in the big house, she felt distressed when she saw her youngest son and daughter-in-law move back. Though she sympathized, she had no interest in returning to the old house, which looked as if it might collapse any day now. And when Lu Jiaxuan mentioned that Zhou Jiaojiao didn’t want to move there because she was concerned for her in-laws’ comfort, her heart melted further. Once again, she compared Zhou Jiaojiao’s considerate nature with Shen Meng’s and concluded Shen Meng was a thorn in her side. If her eldest son, Lu Zhenping, came back, she’d make sure he divorced her.

Meanwhile, Shen Meng was unaware of the discussions around her. She was speaking with Village leader Lu’s sister-in-law, Tian Guihua, and the village party secretary’s mother, Chen Jinling, who had come to see her, each bringing eggs, brown sugar, and some dried vegetables.

“Take care of yourself, child,” Chen Jinling said gently. “You’ll recover. Your little Mingkai still needs his mother, and you can always count on me if you need support.”

“Yes, sister,” Tian Guihua chimed in. “We never knew you were struggling so much. Everyone was busy earning work points. Some people were evil-minded and wanted to take advantage of others. But my brother-in-law, the village leader, is fair and won’t let people take advantage of you.”

Though they both spoke kindly, they had their own motives, hoping to win Shen Meng’s favor. She was clearly smart and capable—able to reclaim her children’s house even after coming so close to death.

“Oh, thank you, sisters. I owe it all to your help that I was able to get the house back. When my husband Zhenping returns, I’ll ask him to visit the village leader and the party secretary to properly thank them.”

Hearing this, Tian Guihua and Chen Jinling exchanged a relieved look. They weren’t even expecting gratitude; as long as she didn’t hold a grudge for not getting a doctor sooner, they were content.