“Where’s the fire?” Chen Lina jumped up first.

“It’s in the cotton field, we’ve been keeping a close watch, but it’s hard to prevent. It’s at the corner of team twelve, although it’s not big, I’m afraid we can’t put it out,” said Wang Hongbing.

At once, the movie was stopped, the music turned off, and everyone rushed toward the cotton fields.

“What’s going on? Who started the fire? It doesn’t look like a big area,” Secretary A asked.

He Min answered, “It was Sun Gong’s mother. I’ve been with her, trying to counsel her, but who would’ve thought she snuck out and set the fire in the cotton field.”

In reality, He Min wasn’t as honorable as he made it sound.

After scolding Huang Huacai, he felt embarrassed, so he hid somewhere to drink soda and eat snacks, which allowed Huang Huacai to sneak off and start the fire.

If investigated, He Min could be held accountable for neglect.

He Min, eager to rise in rank and make a name for himself, feared the consequences of the fire and was so nervous he was shaking.

Huang Huacai, the one who had caused the fire, was now being held by the Armed Forces Department members on the sidelines, still cursing.

“Secretary He, hurry up and direct the firefighting efforts! If this fire spreads to hundreds of acres of cotton, it’s a disaster. If it reaches Beijing, both you and I will lose our positions!” Secretary A yelled, frustrated.

“Everyone, follow my orders! Quickly go to the underground canals and bring water to fight the fire. Also, take off your clothes and start hitting the flames,” He Min ordered.

Before He Min could finish, the eager and energetic workers began taking off their clothes and rushed toward the cotton field to beat at the flames.

The sound of their efforts echoed with a clink as they pounded the fire, but it only caused sparks to fly, and the flames reignited further away.

Cotton, as a highly flammable crop, combined with the dry conditions and lack of recent rain, made it easy for even a tiny spark to spread and potentially destroy the entire farm.

“Workers and educated youth, quickly grab basins, soak your clothes and quilts, and use them to beat the fire in small areas. Armed Forces comrades, follow my orders and use iron shovels to block the fire’s spread,” He Min continued.

Just then, Nie Bozhao’s loud shout stopped everyone in their tracks.

“Nie Gong, this isn’t a time to fight for power. I know you and Director Chen don’t take me seriously as Secretary, but now the farm is facing the biggest crisis. I’m in charge now. All orders will come from me. Everyone, go get water. No splitting into teams!”

“The Kanjing wells are narrow, and with over a thousand people trying to get in, there’s no real efficiency. Baiyang River is far away, and fetching water is difficult. What we need now is to prevent the fire from spreading. Armed Forces comrades, follow my orders,” Nie Bozhao responded, his voice even louder.

Secretary A was also getting anxious. Since He Min was the farm’s top leader, he said, “Everyone listen to He Min, no unauthorized orders!”

He Min, feeling pleased, took off his clothes and yelled, “Everyone, follow me to fetch water and put out the fire!”

Nie Bozhao immediately shoved He Min behind him, saying, “No, the troops must follow my orders. The farm is in danger, and I won’t allow you to command here.”

Meanwhile, the fire in the cotton field flared up again, and a fight broke out between them.

He Min, looking like he was being persecuted, tried to rally the workers to follow him.

Suddenly, a loud gunshot rang out, silencing everything.

The birds in the trees flew off, and everyone turned toward the sound.

“Right now, there’s no question of unauthorized orders. Everyone, follow Nie Gong’s lead. If anything goes wrong, I’ll take the blame.”

It was Armed Forces Minister Gao Dayong, who blew the smoke from the barrel of his gun and said, “I’ve had enough soda today. If anyone keeps whining or doesn’t listen to Nie Gong’s orders, I’ll shoot them!”

Secretary A and District Chief Gao didn’t dare to speak up.

The soldiers with guns had taken control, and Wang Hongbing brought over a loudspeaker.

Minister Gao held it, and with Nie Bozhao’s calm leadership, they began assigning tasks.

The educated youth quickly rushed to Baiyang River for water, the workers went to the Kanjing wells, and the Armed Forces comrades, armed with iron shovels, followed Nie Bozhao into the cotton field.

Fire was a tricky thing to deal with.

Putting out the visible flames was just the first task, but even after the flames were extinguished, embers could spread through the air, causing a larger fire if not carefully managed.

So, Nie Bozhao led the soldiers as they dug trenches in the cotton fields, using the earth to suppress the flames and stop the fire from spreading.

Minister Gao, holding the gun in one hand and the loudspeaker in the other, followed Nie Bozhao, ready to shoot anyone who dared to speak out.

Today, Advisor Yu was the most uncomfortable because the loudspeaker was right next to his ear, and as they dug trenches, the constant loud shouts left him feeling like he might go deaf.

“Mom, mom, will the fire go out?” asked San Dan.

Chen Lina turned around and saw the child pulling at her skirt.

She picked him up and said, “Of course, with your dad here, it’ll be fine.”

“Then do you know why, with the southeast wind blowing, the fire will probably be carried northwest, but Dad is telling everyone to dig trenches in the north?”

Er Dan was still tugging at her skirt, and now, Nie Weimin joined in.

“Weimin, Weiguo, you’re grown up now, you should understand. I only have this skirt on, no pants underneath, so don’t pull anymore.”

Reluctantly, Nie Weimin let go and jumped around. “But you haven’t answered my question. Why is Dad having them dig trenches on the north side?”

“I don’t know.”

Not only did she not know, but the leaders of the mining district were also nervous.

Given the wind direction, they also thought they should have dug trenches in the northeast.

“Well, let me tell you,” Nie Weimin opened his mouth, and Chen Lina bent down.

“Do you see? Baiyang River is to the northwest. Because it’s close to the water source, the air there is more humid, and sparks aren’t easily spread; they can be put out quickly.

To the south is a big mountain pass, and it’s the place where the wind direction changes most easily.

The air flowing from the north and south is very dry, so the southern area is where sparks are most likely to spread.”

However, as soon as he finished speaking, Nie Bozhao pointed again, and all the officers and soldiers rushed back to the north.

“See, the wind from the southern mountain pass is here. We need to put out the fire in the south first, so the wind doesn’t carry it to the north,” Nie Weimin said proudly.

“Nie Weimin, you’re still a child! How do you know these things?” Chen Lina said, deeply impressed.

“My dad told me,” Nie Weimin replied.

Since he realized his son was so smart and quick to learn, Nie Bozhao was more than happy to teach him many things.

At home, when doing small experiments, he would ask his son to help him.

The best education, after all, comes from the little moments in life and the subtle influence on a child as they grow.

With a sigh that mimicked the adults, Nie Weimin said, “You should know, there’s no one in the world smarter, handsomer, or more knowledgeable than my dad. You should cherish him!”

“When have I not cherished him?” Chen Lina replied.

Amidst the urgent fire-fighting in the cotton fields, Chen Lina was still able to make her son laugh.

“Don’t drink other men’s soda anymore, and stop dancing. Isn’t it enough for Dad to take you to watch a movie alone?”

Oh my, the little guy knew about his parents watching movies alone.

Was there anything that could escape his eyes?

After the fire was put out, it was already dawn.

The next day, a light drizzle fell.

Though there was some loss in the cotton fields, it was only about two or three acres.

In the face of a major disaster, this small loss was nothing.

However, the leaders faced a new problem.

“What about Huang Huacai? Nie Gong, what do you think, should we send her back to her hometown?” the party secretary asked as he walked through the dry fields, turning to Nie Bozhao.

That was Sun Zhuannan’s mother, whose son had been executed for espionage.

Last night, Sun Duoyu had distinguished himself by helping fight the fire.

Now, asking Nie Bozhao to speak about sending her back was something he wouldn’t easily do.

Chen Lina spoke up. “If you send her back to her hometown, she’ll probably just come back.

She’s been to Beijing, and there’s nowhere in the world she can’t go.

How about this: behind the Devil’s City, there’s the Arimulin Forest Farm.

They have strict management there.

She’s not yet sixty, so according to the law, she must be sent for labor reform. We can send her there.”

“Bah, that old woman.”

“The shame of Sun Gong.”

“She almost ruined the farm, and still dares to come back?”

Huang Huacai, finally released from her bindings, returned to Sun Family Village to face the scorn of everyone.

The old members of the village, who once praised her and agreed with whatever she said, no longer recognized her.

Some even threw dirty water at her.

She knocked on her family’s door for a long time, but Sun Duoyu shouted, “Go away! You’re happy now that the fire’s been started, but the clothes the team leader gave me were all burned last night. How can I marry now? How can I find a partner?”

It turned out that when they fought the fire, Sun Duoyu had tried to earn merit by being the toughest, but he had been injured by the flames.

The old woman had been bound all night, her limbs stiff.

With a thud, she collapsed onto the ground.

Before she could catch her breath, she was handcuffed by the police from the mining district and sent to the forest farm for labor reform.

….

In the early morning, the air still carried the faint smell of smoldering sparks.

Nie Weimin climbed out of bed in the earth hut.

He saw Er Dan curled up on top of San Dan, both of them sleeping soundly together.

Beside his head, there was a large red dahlia made of satin, a gift given to Liu Xiaohong last night by the girls from the cultural troupe after her excellent dance.

Apparently, Liu Xiaohong had already gotten up.

On the table were soft pancakes made of fine wheat flour, greasy and delicious.

Finally, the farm workers could enjoy the oil-rich wheat pancakes.

The door creaked open.

Outside, everything was shrouded in white mist.

All he could see were the low earth huts and the golden leaves of the poplar trees.

After the rain, the mist rose, and the air felt fresh and crisp.

He stepped out of the earth hut and heard the sound of a woodpecker tapping.

He turned and walked a few steps toward the poplar forest behind when he suddenly heard footsteps.

A young girl in a floral skirt and long hair ran out of the mist.

The girl was holding a bouquet of flowers.

It was a crisp autumn morning, with mist and yellow leaves scattered across the ground.

Their eyes met, and Nie Weimin felt a little embarrassed.

“You kept muttering in your sleep, saying that Tiantian didn’t come. You called her name all night.”

Nie Weimin’s face turned even redder.

Had he been talking in his sleep?

“Now, in our borderlands, all the flowers are gone, and only the baby’s breath remains. This bouquet was given to me by Grandpa Tian when I was helping him in the field. I’m giving it to you, Tiantian. Isn’t it beautiful?”

It was a very beautiful bouquet of baby’s breath.

Nie Weimin took the flowers.

After thinking for a moment, he ran to the corner of the room, dug around in the grain sacks, and finally pulled out a glass bottle. “This is the soda my mom saved for us yesterday. Er Dan and San Dan finished theirs, but I don’t like it. You drink it.”

Liu Xiaohong took the bottle, took a sip, and immediately grimaced.

It tasted pungent, almost like gasoline on her tongue.

“Is it good?” Nie Weimin asked. “Er Dan kept saying it was good and kept asking me for more.”

Liu Xiaohong turned red in the face, stuck out her tongue, and blew out her breath. “It’s good, especially good, so sweet!”