Su Xiangwan served Liu Zaiye a bowl of rice first, then turned to the children.

Liu Zaiye, as a guest, couldn’t quite figure out Su Xiangwan’s intentions. Taking a bite of the rice, a mix of cornmeal and white rice, he exclaimed, “Two-grain rice! I love this!”

In the north, rice was scarce, and getting even a pound or two was a luxury. Most families stretched it by mixing it with cornmeal for steaming.

The children, long tired of this rice, grimaced as they ate.

But Liu Zaiye, used to pure white rice, found this novelty delightful. His enthusiasm earned him a pair of death glares from Li Chengze and Goudan.

After serving herself, Su Xiangwan sat by the coal stove, holding Zhi Zhi in her lap.

From next door, Li Yifan could smell the savory aroma of the fish. Annoyed, he shouted, “Ma, spray some floral water! The stench is killing me!”

Braised fish hotpot had a pungent smell that masked its rich flavor.

Su Xiangwan kicked the door shut with her foot.

“Director Liu, I heard that when Cao Jinwang died, there were over 30,000 yuan in the revolutionary committee’s treasury. Can you tell me where that money went?” Su Xiangwan casually picked at a piece of fish, carefully deboning it before placing it in Zhi Zhi’s bowl.

“What’s that got to do with you?” Liu Zaiye asked, chewing on his food with relish.

“How is it not my business? That money came from the homes Cao Jinwang looted—it’s the blood and sweat of Qingshui’s people. Word is, you’re planning to pocket it all for yourself,” Su Xiangwan said, her eyes locked on him.

With a loud clatter, Liu Zaiye smacked his chopsticks on the pot. “Can’t a man eat in peace? And what’s the revolutionary committee’s treasury got to do with you, Su Xiangwan?”

“It has everything to do with me. That money belongs to Qingshui County. You should leave it here so I can use it to build kindergartens,” she replied.

Liu Zaiye sneered, “You think just because you’re pretty, I’ll hand the money over to you?”

Su Xiangwan, recalling how he used to mock her as ugly in Haixi Prefecture, struck the pot even harder. “Liu Zaiye, watch your manners. We’re talking about money, not my looks. That money isn’t yours to take. You can’t use it cleanly, either. Give it to me, and I’ll use it for the county’s benefit. Isn’t that a win-win?”

Liu Zaiye picked up a piece of ribbonfish and slowly deboned it. “Su Xiangwan, don’t think I’m a pushover. That Zhao Guonian you wanted? I pulled strings to transfer him back from Haixi. When Qingshui’s impoverished families needed donations, I forked over 600 yuan without a word. But that doesn’t mean I’m an idiot. That 30,000 yuan? I’m keeping it.”

“That’s embezzlement,” Su Xiangwan said coldly. “That’s public money.”

Liu Zaiye paused his chopsticks and suddenly laughed. “Do you know what people like me do? We walk on the edge of a knife. I crush someone today, but when policies change tomorrow, those same people will crush me. I’m just carrying out orders now, but when the winds shift, it won’t be the policies they hate—it’ll be me. That money is my life insurance. If I don’t look out for myself, who will?”

His reasoning was clear: he knew his actions were despicable and would make him enemies.

To him, the 30,000 yuan was already his.

He threw down his chopsticks and snapped, “I’m done eating! You people think I owe you just because I sat down for a meal?”

“You’ve made over 100,000 yuan in Qinzhou alone, tearing down walls and raiding homes, prying money out of roof beams and wall cracks. Liu Zaiye, you can keep Qinzhou’s money. But the revolutionary committee’s treasury in Qingshui County? Hands off,” Song Qingshan said firmly, slamming his own chopsticks down.

“If I refuse to give it?”

Taking someone’s money is tantamount to cutting off their livelihood, and Liu Zaiye had never intended to hand over the funds from the Qing Shui County Revolutionary Committee’s slush fund to anyone.

Song Qingshan gently placed his bowl on the table, stood up, and said, “Zaiye, then let’s have a proper talk about all the despicable things you’ve done over the years.”

“Even if I’ve beaten people, killed people, or wronged people, what can you do to me?” Liu Zaiye retorted.

The children had all stopped eating, watching the scene unfold.

Song Qingshan kept his head lowered, his expression calm, until he suddenly looked up. “If I were to take a brick and smash you to death right now on the streets of Qing Shui County, and dump your body there, by tomorrow there’d be a new director of the Revolutionary Committee taking your place. And as for you? Not only would no one investigate your cause of death, but those who hate you might even throw a few more bricks onto your body. Hell, the entire Qinzhou City might light firecrackers, spread the word, and celebrate your death.”

As he spoke, Song Qingshan suddenly grabbed the broken gun that Lu Dan and the kids had been playing with from the corner.

Holding it by the barrel, he swung the stock horizontally, the edge of it grazing past Liu Zaiye’s head.

The whole family of robbers, big and small, stood around watching Liu Zaiye intently.

“Song Qingshan, that money isn’t yours either. What good does building a kindergarten do for you? If you insist on this, don’t blame me for being rude or for using my position for personal vendettas.” Liu Zaiye threw down his bowl, kicked over a chair, and stormed out.

But the next day, he transferred the money embezzled by Cao Jinwang from the Qing Shui County Revolutionary Committee’s secret fund to the County Women’s Federation.

“Not bad,” said Li Yifan, who knew Liu Zaiye fairly well, but didn’t expect Su Xiangwan to manage to get money out of him.

Thirty thousand yuan was allocated directly from the county treasury, and with that, construction on the kindergarten could finally begin.

Li Yifan moved quickly, assigning Liu Tang to boiler duty, while Su Xiangwan was appointed as the new head of the Women’s Federation.

Liu Zaiye was, of course, furious.

After transferring the money, he launched a grand campaign in Qing Shui County before the New Year, forcing officials from various county departments to go to the countryside for water conservation projects.

The work was so grueling that nearly everyone ended up exhausted and worn out.

Su Xiangwan managed to avoid this ordeal because she had to oversee and tender bids for the kindergarten’s construction.

Li Yifan, being the most outspoken critic of Liu Zaiye, openly cursed him.

In response, Liu Zaiye personally escorted her to the fields and assigned her the dirtiest and most labor-intensive tasks, nearly driving her to collapse.

“Liu Zaiye, you’ve gone too far! It’s just 30,000 yuan. You could’ve chosen not to donate it, but you did it of your own accord. Why force us to do hard labor?” Li Yifan, practically ready to fight him, shouted angrily.

Looking smug and arrogant, Liu Zaiye said indifferently, “I don’t have kids of my own, so building a kindergarten doesn’t matter to me. I only donated because Song Qingshan forced me to. If you want to blame someone, blame him and his wife. As for me, I was annoyed, so I’m taking it out on all of you.”

Li Yifan could tolerate many things, but she loathed dirty and exhausting tasks.

When she returned and heard the lively noise next door—Zhizi still singing—she couldn’t hold back her frustration.

She knocked on the door and entered, only to see Zhizi dancing.

The child was adorable, but Li Yifan was still fuming. “Su Xiangwan, I have to say, you’re such a power-hungry official! That Revolutionary Committee member Liu Zaiye is nothing but a mad dog. And now, because you managed to get 30,000 yuan out of him to build three kindergartens, he’s making the entire county committee labor for three months. When governance collapses, and no one’s managing the county, what are we going to do?”

“I’ll figure something out. Don’t worry, okay, Sister Li?” Su Xiangwan tried to calm her, seeing how agitated Li Yifan was.

“Can you take responsibility for this? Let me tell you, if Liu Zaiye forces everyone to labor for three months, you should give up your position as head of the Women’s Federation. Liu Tang may not achieve much, but at least he wouldn’t cause me this much trouble,” Li Yifan retorted, slamming the door as she left in a huff.

Su Xiangwan turned back to the small group of girls in her home, who were watching her expectantly.

“Come, let me teach you. Let’s continue singing,” Su Xiangwan said with a smile.

As New Year’s Eve approached, Song Qingshan made a special trip to Xiao Song Village to fetch Lu Dan, who had been training with the old ox, and bring him back to celebrate the New Year together.

Goudan, still close to Chen Xiaoli, hadn’t progressed to stealing money, and his schoolwork was going well. For now, Su Xiangwan let it be.

On the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, as was customary, the Women’s Federation held a New Year’s Eve event in the People’s Square.

This event, organized entirely by Su Xiangwan, attracted all county leaders and a massive crowd, as the entire county was on holiday.

Su Xiangwan invited Liu Minli to host the event, but she kept it a secret from Liu Zaiye, planning to surprise him.

The event began with speeches from leaders, followed by aid distribution to disadvantaged families. Then, Su Xiangwan signaled to Liu Minli to invite someone special to speak.

“This year, thanks to the support of our leaders and the cooperation of our citizens, the Women’s Federation has made great strides. However, we owe our deepest gratitude to a man named Liu Zaiye, the head of our county Revolutionary Committee. Thanks to his support, we will be building three kindergartens this year. These kindergartens will accommodate 1,000 children, providing immense relief for women across the county. Let’s invite Liu Zaiye to the stage!” Liu Minli’s impassioned voice resonated as she searched the crowd for him.

Liu Zaiye was present but uninterested in the event, standing in a corner teasing Li Chengze and Zhizi.

Zhizi’s face was painted hilariously—blue eyeshadow, red lips, and bright red blush. According to Liu Zaiye, she looked like a green-eyed, red-mouthed parrot.

“So ugly, this little girl is so ugly. Chengze, tell me, why do you always hang around with such an ugly little girl?”

Li Chengze’s lips turned white from being bitten, but he said nothing.

Liu Zaiye continued, “Do you know? Starting next year, none of the middle schoolers in the county will be studying anymore. All of you are going to labor for me. Want to go to school? Keep dreaming.”

Li Chengze still remained silent.

It was Zhizi who responded, “You’re just jealous of my dad, jealous to death.”

“Jealous of your dad? What a joke!” Liu Zaiye spat disdainfully. “Eighty yuan a month—he can’t even afford to raise kids. The other day when he went to bathe, his underwear was full of holes, ha ha ha!”

Zhizi and Li Chengze gritted their teeth in anger.

But as soon as they saw Liu Minli take the stage, Zhizi and Li Chengze immediately turned and ran away.

At that moment, Liu Minli was calling him onto the stage. Liu Zaiye slicked back his hair dramatically and swaggered up.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we now invite all the children from underprivileged families in Qing Shui County to perform a song for Comrade Liu Zaiye, expressing their gratitude for his donation to establish the kindergarten,” Liu Minli announced.

The moment she stepped away from the microphone, she whispered, “The song was written by Deputy Director Su, and I choreographed the dance. Sit tight and enjoy—it’s all for you.”

A group of young children, their clothes clean but patched, none older than five and some as young as three or four, took the stage. Leading them was none other than the little Zizi who had just been bullied.

The children stood still at the front of the stage, extended their hands, and began singing:
“Mother, beneath the moonlight, quietly, I miss you…”

Liu Zaiye looked at Zhizi and the group of little girls behind her.

They were all wearing blue eyeshadow and red lipstick, looking as ridiculous as could be. Yet, their voices were so pure, and their song about “mother” struck a chord.

Liu Zaiye’s mother had passed away when he was young, back in Shandong. She, along with the revolutionary soldiers who saved him, was killed by a local militia.

He had little memory of his mother’s face.

If he were to think of a maternal figure, the one who came to mind was Ma Chunhua, the family member who had been gentle and kind but had a yellowish complexion due to hepatitis B.

“Heaven is vast, only your love is flawless.
The ends of the earth remember the words you spoke.
Heaven is vast, only your love I’ve entrusted to him.
Let his smile resemble yours, Mother…”

The children sang softly, their voices echoing in the hall.

Zizi, this little girl, had always been ignored by Liu Zaiye. He disliked her yellowish hair and her unremarkable personality, so he never paid her any attention.

But at this moment, as the children sang, he suddenly recalled how his mother had told him to be kind to others before she passed.

His wife had also once told him to never bully children, no matter what.

Liu Zaiye was livid—he hated sentimental tricks. Yet here was Su Xiangwan, setting him up for a full emotional ambush.

He couldn’t sit still.

He wanted to stand up—or cry.

He felt he had wronged both his mother and his late wife, who had never had the chance to be a mother.

Just then, Su Xiangwan walked up to the stage, holding a bouquet of plastic flowers she had procured from somewhere.