Song Jin was fuming with anger as he said, “Fine, I finally understand what it means to have overwhelming power. Engineer Nie, with his high position and great authority, is someone even the Prime Minister admires. Compared to him, we’re nothing. Today, I’ll accept defeat.” He prepared to sign the settlement agreement and make his escape.

“Is that it?” Nie Weimin was enraged. “He falsely accused my mother, and you’re just going to let him walk free?”

The moment the handcuffs were brought out, Chen Lina sprang into action.

“Song Jin, hold on a moment. Let me ask you something. You’re in charge of the No. 3 Base’s Eighth Underground Operations Team, correct?” Chen Lina’s words stopped Song Jin in his tracks.

“Manager Chen, you dumped a bowl of noodles on my head at lunch, tore my wife’s clothes in the afternoon, and all this for adopting a child.

You even had your brother-in-law beat me up. Fine, I admit defeat. I recognize that you’re not just a tyrant on the farm—you’re the king of the entire mining district. What more do you want?”

“I just want justice and the truth.” As she spoke, Chen Lina slapped a document onto Section Chief Feng’s desk.

It was a recommendation letter and personal profile that Song Jin had submitted to the orphanage in order to adopt Liu Xiaohong.

“Last year, during an underground operation, there was a flooding incident. Seven of your men died, and five were rescued. For your heroic rescue efforts, you were even commended by the mining district. Am I wrong?” Chen Lina questioned.

Song Jin straightened up. “That’s correct.”

“But those five men all left the oilfield afterward, didn’t they? And for one month, you transferred about 300 yuan each to them through the post office. This can be verified. Care to explain why?”

“Manager Chen, you’re overstepping your bounds. Such matters are for the district leaders to handle.”

“All the members of your team are your fellow villagers. After the flooding incident, you were the one who handled the compensation.

Those five who left the oilfield split the compensation money with you.

They also helped you cover up the fact that there were already signs of flooding, yet you forced workers to go underground to meet your production goals. Am I wrong?”

“The young men in your team were all from the drilling squad. You pushed them to work in dangerous conditions to meet your targets, which cost them their lives.

When the compensation money came in, because the claim process was incomplete and the families couldn’t travel to this remote area, you colluded with the five survivors to split the money.

That’s why they left the oilfield.

Instead of being punished for forcing illegal and dangerous operations, you were rewarded and pocketed their compensation. Tell me, scum like you—do you ever feel guilty in the dead of night?”

Song Jin’s face grew increasingly pale as he staggered back a few steps.

In his panic, he overturned tables and chairs, picking up a desk and throwing it at Section Chief Feng, who was standing at the door.

Chaos ensued.

Nie Bozhao, an engineering student, sprang into action.

Swinging his fists, he landed a solid punch on Song Jin.

A man who excels at domestic violence doesn’t necessarily excel at fighting.

It’s a shame Nie Weimin didn’t get to see his father fight, as Chen Lina quickly covered his eyes.

The security officers cuffed Song Jin and said, “Sorry, Engineer Song, regardless of whether Manager Chen’s accusations are true, we know about the No. 3 Base flooding incident. We have to turn you over to the police for investigation. Any objections?”

With a loud clink, the cuffs were locked.

“Engineer Nie, don’t lose your temper. He’s already cuffed. Stay calm,” Section Chief Feng, nursing a chair-inflicted bruise, tried to pacify the furious Nie Bozhao.

“I’ve had the worst luck today! Chen Lina, just you wait. I’ll be out one day…” Song Jin ranted.

Before he could finish, Nie Bozhao landed another punch right in front of the security officers.

“Have you heard of Tarim Prison?” Nie Bozhao grabbed Song Jin by the neck and whispered in his ear after taking a deep breath, “The warden there is my college classmate. By threatening my wife, you’ve ensured that even if you escape execution, you’ll never leave that place alive!”

Outside the security station, the Nie brothers walked with light, springy steps as if they were treading on clouds.

“How did you know there was something fishy about the mining accident?” Nie Bozhao asked Chen Lina. “Tell me, Comrade Chen, is there anything you don’t know?”

“Oh, that’s a secret,” Chen Lina replied coyly.

A minor tabloid and a dramatic report from her past life had mentioned Song Jin in only a few lines: In an era of poor information flow and lax oversight, he repeatedly embezzled compensation meant for workers who died in underground operations and was later imprisoned.

Now, Chen Lina could ensure that he would never harm an innocent girl like Liu Xiaohong again.

“Listen to my aunt when you get there, alright?” Nie Weimin said to Liu Xiaohong with concern.

“I will,” she replied.

Indeed, she was much more self-sufficient than Chen Tiantian.

Liu Xiaohong could collect coal, light fires, cook, and clean the house.

Meanwhile, the chubby little princess Chen Tiantian still relied on her mother to wash her face and even put on her socks and shoes every morning.

“You should start primary school this year too. When that happens, Tiantian, you, and I will go together.”

“Okay,” Liu Xiaohong said.

Outside the farm, Liu Xiaohong held a small egg cake in her hand, a gift from Nie Weimin.

As the car turned around and drove away, she ran after it, chasing it for what seemed like forever.

She only stopped when the car disappeared beyond a grove of poplar trees.

…..

During the scorching summer, the backyard woods were flooded after several rainstorms.

Every day, Er Dan played there, catching little frogs while running around naked. Frogs were hopping all over the house.

The grapevines in the yard were laden with plump grapes.

Initially sour, the kids smacked their lips at the taste.

Only Er Dan and Chen Tiantian could stomach them.

No matter how stern the warnings, there was always one less bunch of grapes by the evening.

When the grapes finally ripened and turned sweet, well, only a few scattered ones were left on Chen Lina’s grapevine.

After much thought, San Dan picked the remaining small bunches and brought them to Aunt Ha’s little brick shed next door, where grapes were dried into raisins.

He carefully tied a red string to mark them.

Come winter, they would be a gift for his mother.

“Director Chen, look at our potatoes—they’re bigger than a large sea bowl!”

“Director Chen, have you ever seen such thick eggplants? They’re thicker than my wrist!”

“Director Chen, the wheat has all bowed down. When the wind blows, the stalks nod as if sharing our joy of a bountiful harvest.”

The endless fields stretched out before her, golden waves of heavy wheat swaying in the wind.

Wearing a straw hat, Chen Lina stood amidst the fields, the breeze brushing past her, and couldn’t help but laugh aloud with joy.

“Ah, our beloved Director Chen, we’re going to sing you a song to praise you!” The educated youth held hands and formed a circle around her.

Their plain blue fabric dresses fluttered in the breeze, and their braids danced as the sky shone blue above.

“Praise away, praise away,” thought Chen Lina.

She loved nothing more than praise.

With a double harvest of winter and spring wheat, they could finally enjoy fine white steamed buns.

“Comrade Chen, why are you still asleep today?” Nie Bozhao asked.

Toothbrush in his mouth, he was pulling up San Dan pants.

He shook Chen Lina awake and, seeing her pale face, quickly spat out his toothpaste. “What’s wrong with you?”

The beautiful dream shattered.

Chen Lina had a splitting headache. “Your princess is sick,” she groaned.

The man almost choked, nearly swallowing his toothbrush.

Whenever she referred to herself as a princess, it drove him up the wall.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. I have to get up quickly. There’s been a lot of autumn rain—we need to prevent flooding. I need to take San Dan’er to the farm and oversee the autumn harvest.”

“Weimin and Er Dan have already gone to school. If San Dan can’t go with you, he can stay with me. You don’t look well,” Nie Bozhao said.

Chen Lina struggled to sit up, feeling dizzy. “This is bad. I got my period the day before yesterday and got caught in the rain late at night while fixing the canal. I must’ve caught a cold.”

Always healthy and energetic, Chen Lina had spent nearly a year in the borderlands without so much as a fever or a cough.

“I’ll cook today, then,” Nie Bozhao offered.

“Kiss me, and I’ll feel better,” Chen Lina teased.

“The kids are here, Comrade Chen. Mind your influence,” Nie Bozhao replied, serious and proper.

But as soon as San Dan turned away, he leaned in and gave her a warm kiss, his voice husky. “Alright, get some rest. I’ll make you some soup.”

That year, after the new wheat came in, the three bases could finally guarantee a supply of fine white flour.

However, the farm still had to pay its agricultural taxes, so the autumn wheat harvest had to meet its quota.

Meanwhile, rumors were swirling that a new deputy director would soon be assigned to assist Chen Lina.

She didn’t lack managerial staff, but she worried that if the wrong person came, it might stir up trouble—especially exposing the special treatment the intellectuals on the farm enjoyed.

But worrying wouldn’t help now.

Her experience from her most challenging times in her previous life told her that health was paramount.

Nie Bozhao called the clinic doctor, who prescribed her some fever-reducing pills.

After taking them and drinking a bland bowl of soup he made, Chen Lina fell into a deep, dark sleep.

By evening, when Nie Weimin and Er Dan returned from school, one had finished his homework quickly and well, while the other was wailing like a banshee, unable to write a single word.

Nie Bozhao, who had skipped three grades in elementary school and started reading junior high physics in his second year, prided himself on his intelligence.

Yet he couldn’t understand how he’d fathered Er Dan—a child who got dizzy at the sight of letters.

“No dinner until you finish your homework.”

“Dad’s cooking isn’t good anyway. I want Mom. Mom’s cooking!” Er Dan cried.

Already suffering from a headache, Chen Lina’s temples throbbed as the children’s cries filled the air.

She lay on the kang bed, wishing she could kick all four of them father and sons into orbit.

Forget romance—what’s the point?

The man wasn’t romantic, wasn’t tender, and never said “I love you.”

She might as well throw him into the Poplar River and let the water carry him away.

“Mommy, Mommy, I saved some raisins for you. Aunt Ha said eating two raisins will make you feel better,” San Dan said, holding out a handful of raisins while drooling over them.

He lay on the bed’s edge, his drool nearly flooding his mother. “They’re so sweet, so sweet.”

In her past life, when she was sick, she stayed in a cadre ward with the best medical care.

But the nurses’ care was always tinged with distant professionalism.

There were no warm little hands or eager eyes wishing her a speedy recovery.

“Mommy, I’m hungry,” Er Dan whined, rubbing his spanked bottom.

Standing behind the little ones, Nie Weimin wrapped an arm around them and declared, “Go ahead and rest, Mom. I’ll take care of them.”

“Alright, Mommy will eat. Mommy will get better tomorrow, okay?” Chen Lina ate the raisins one by one—they were indeed sweet.

When she fell asleep, Nie Bozhao gently hushed the children and ushered them out.

Sitting by her side, he frowned and quietly placed a tube of lipstick into her sewing machine.

The lipstick was Chanel, all the way from across the ocean.

He had no idea how much it cost.

He’d seen the ad for it in Time Magazine and had gone through multiple approvals to get it.

His justification: to study cadmium’s stability in industrial applications.