Chapter 16.2: Election

“What? That Zhao Mian became a worker?!”  

Li Dasheng’s mother shrieked in disbelief when she heard the news from Li Baoqiang’s mother.  

Li Baoqiang’s mother affirmed, “My daughter-in-law is from Zhao Village’s Production Team. Her mom came over yesterday and mentioned it herself. It’s true.”  

Li Dasheng’s mother eagerly pressed, “How did it happen? How did she manage that?”  

“They said her younger sister gave up her job for her.”  

Li Dasheng’s mother paced back and forth, her eyes gleaming.  

Li Baoqiang’s mother, who enjoyed stirring the pot, speculated, “I think their family wants to climb the social ladder and marry into the city. They’ve probably set their sights higher than your Dasheng.”  

Li Dasheng’s mother’s face darkened. “My Dasheng is doing just fine. It’s the Zhao family who’s shortsighted—giving up a good job for their daughter instead of their son.”  

Li Baoqiang’s mother’s eyes darted mischievously as she offered a sly suggestion. “Isn’t that perfect? Didn’t your son and Zhao Mian already meet? If they marry, that job will belong to your family.”  

Li Dasheng’s mother’s eyes lit up with excitement, a smug smile spreading across her face.  

Li Baoqiang’s mother added enviously, “If only my son hadn’t already married that useless woman, maybe he could’ve landed a worker’s wife too. What a blessed life that would be!”  

Li Dasheng’s mother, now glowing with self-satisfaction, said, “I heard about an old remedy that guarantees a boy. I’ll ask about it for you when I visit my parents.”  

Li Baoqiang’s mother, delighted, urged her, “Please hurry. My daughter-in-law hasn’t delivered yet!”  

Promising to help, Li Dasheng’s mother couldn’t sit still anymore and quickly returned home.  

At home, Li Dasheng scowled as he greeted her. “Mom, who were you chatting with again? I’m starving.”  

“I’ll cook in a minute,” she said but didn’t move. Instead, she pulled him over to her husband. “Good thing I was talking to Baoqiang’s mom, or I wouldn’t have heard this news.”  

“What news?” Li Dasheng asked indifferently.  

“A big one! That Zhao Mian has become a worker!”  

“What?!”  

Li Dasheng’s face was full of shock.  

Under the eaves, Accountant Li , smoking his pipe, looked up at the mention of the news.  

“It’s because her sister gave up her job for her,” Li Dasheng’s mother continued, speaking rapidly. “She dated you, so she’s practically family now. If she dares look down on us, just go to the commune and find her. If she doesn’t listen, we’ll complain to her boss and get her fired. Let’s see if she’s scared then.”  

A cunning glint appeared in Li Dasheng’s eyes, clearly tempted.  

Accountant Li , still puffing on his pipe, remained silent.  

—  

Meanwhile, back at Zhao Village’s Production Team, Zhao Ke was leading her sister and their small group into the mountains to gather wild vegetables and mushrooms.  

Having exhausted the nearby areas, they ventured farther this time, leaving at dawn and returning only by noon.  

After lunch, Zhao Ke and Zhao Mian needed to head to the commune.  

Tomorrow was the Production Team’s general assembly, so Zhao Ke had to be home early and couldn’t afford delays. Anything urgent had to be dealt with this afternoon.  

The day before, Zhao Ke had already asked a few households about eggs. By morning, she’d collected over a dozen, along with a list of items people wanted her to deliver.  

This time, aside from the eggs and the millet cushioning them in the basket, the sisters didn’t carry much else.  

Upon arriving at the commune, Zhao Ke first took her elder sister to the postman’s house.  

The postman’s wife was home and, following her husband’s instructions, brought out a large basket of eggs to sell to Zhao Ke at a slightly discounted price—three cents cheaper per five eggs than the commune’s rate. Zhao Ke paid readily and even poured the millet from her basket onto their pile. “Just a little, enough for a couple of porridges. Don’t hold back; it’s my treat.”  

The postman’s wife, who already had a favorable impression of the sisters, beamed even more at this unexpected gift. “I know you’re busy today, so I won’t keep you. Next time, be sure to come over for a meal.”  

Zhao Ke agreed readily, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then took her sister to deliver eggs to Cui Da Jie.  

Cui Da Jie was just as straightforward and kept all the eggs Zhao Ke brought. 

The two sisters left Cui Da Jie’s house, and after some quick calculations, Zhao Ke realized she had earned 1.8 yuan with a bit of sweet-talking and a handful of millet from home.  

Zhao Mian, who had accompanied her the whole time, whispered in her ear, “No wonder some people take risks. If the cost were even lower, this would really be profitable.”  

Or, if it were entirely items from their own home, with almost no cost, it would be pure profit.  

Zhao Ke was very clear-headed. “The key is that the buyers are reliable. If we went to the black market, it wouldn’t be worth the risk and anxiety. With our factory acquaintances, we’re just doing favors by exchanging items, not running a business.”  

She wasn’t greedy and didn’t like taking such risks. Her current method was just right—earning a bit of extra money without drawing attention.  

Zhao Mian naturally didn’t want her to take risks either. “I’ll earn more wages in Baixiang^[1]柏羏 – Not sure what this is. The hits I was getting on Google were of people’s names. in the future, and our family will only get better and better.”  

The two sisters pushed their bicycles toward the supply and marketing cooperative. As they walked, a young man in a green military uniform passed by. Zhao Ke glanced back at him thoughtfully. “Jie, what do you think about finding a way to get Zhao Feng to join the military?”  

Zhao Feng wasn’t interested in studying and had barely completed middle school, but he had the physique of an ox. This was the perfect time for him to enlist in the army. Who knows? He might even be able to attend a military academy or get a job assignment later.  

Most importantly, it would naturally distance him from the female protagonist, Zhuang Lan, leaving him with no opportunity to play the supporting male role.  

Zhao Mian seriously considered her sister’s suggestion. “I haven’t heard about any recruitment drives, but we could write to Uncle and ask?”  

Many opportunities are missed because of information asymmetry. Zhao Ke stopped her bicycle. “The postman knows all the news. Next time I run into him, I’ll ask him to let us know if there’s any news.”  

Zhao Ke had only met her uncle a few times. Her aunt, who was from the city, had been married for over a decade but had never once visited Shuangshan Commune.  

Given these circumstances, they avoided troubling their uncle, out of consideration for their grandmother.  

As for whether her grandmother would be mistreated while living with the military family, Zhao Ke wasn’t worried at all. Her grandmother was a seasoned, wise woman, even more capable than Comrade Yu Xiulan.  

“Why’d you stop?”  

Zhao Ke replied, “Jie, you go in and buy what we need. I’ll wait outside.”  

“Are you avoiding your classmate?”  

Zhao Ke corrected her, “I’m not avoiding her. If she finds out I’m not working at the bearing factory anymore, she’ll definitely throw snide remarks. I just don’t want to waste energy arguing with her.”  

So Zhao Mian went in alone to shop but didn’t come out alone.  

Zhao Ke’s high school classmate, Duan Shuyi, a salesgirl at the supply and marketing cooperative, followed Zhao Mian out.  

Zhao Mian gave her sister a helpless look, while Zhao Ke remained calm.  

The flamboyantly dressed beauty stepped out of the cooperative, walking with exaggerated grace. She approached Zhao Ke, covering her mouth with a laugh that was both sweet and malicious. “Zhao Ke, I heard you’re unemployed now? How about you beg me? I’ll help you find a job.”  

A perfectly good girl, yet she insisted on speaking in such an unpleasant way. Zhao Ke’s lips curved downward imperceptibly before she suddenly pointed behind Duan Shuyi. “Ah! A rat!”  

“Where?! Where?!” Duan Shuyi’s face turned pale with fright, and she jumped.  

Zhao Ke quickly pulled her sister onto the bicycle. Once Zhao Mian was seated, she pedaled away without looking back.  

Duan Shuyi saw no rat anywhere. When she realized she had been tricked and Zhao Ke had already fled, she stomped her foot in anger and shouted, “Zhao Ke! This isn’t over!”  

Zhao Ke pedaled so fast it was as if her bike tires were on fire, leaving behind a trail of cheerful laughter.  

—

On the day of the Production Team meeting.  

At 7:00 AM, the loudspeaker on the roof of the team committee building began playing Team Leader Zhao Xinshan’s serious announcement on repeat: “Attention all members, attention all members, gather at the threshing ground at 8:00 sharp. The meeting starts at 8:00 sharp.”  

At Zhao Ke’s house—  

Although there was still over half an hour to go, Yu Xiulan was restless, unable to sit still. “Why hasn’t she come back yet? She better not be late.”  

Zhao Jianguo took a sip from his white tea mug and said unhurriedly, “The two sisters always get back before eight when they’re together. She’s alone this time; she’ll be even faster.”  

“What if something happens on the way?”  

Zhao Jianguo didn’t like this kind of talk. “Why don’t you think about the good instead of the bad?”  

Yu Xiulan opened her mouth to respond, “I…”  

Before she could finish, Zhao Feng’s voice rang out from outside the yard. “Mom! Jie’s back!”  

Whatever Yu Xiulan was about to say no longer mattered. She instantly felt at ease and walked out of the main room, urging Zhao Ke, “Look at you, all dusty and disheveled. Go inside and change into something clean and nice.”  

Zhao Ke handed Zhao Feng the items she’d helped buy for the villagers and went inside to freshen up.  

She changed into a white shirt and a pair of deep blue pants from her factory days. Tying her hair into a ponytail as she walked out, she looked neat and tidy.  

“You’re not going to pencil in your eyebrows or put on some lipstick? It’ll give you more color.”  

“I’m not entering a beauty pageant,” Zhao Ke teased Comrade Yu Xiulan. “Should I also put a red dot on my forehead? That’d be festive.”  

Yu Xiulan rolled her eyes. “Get out of here!” 

Zhao Ke picked up a comb, dampened it with water, and tidied her ponytail before sitting down at the table.

Yu Xiulan handed her an apron. “Wear this over your clothes, so you don’t get them dirty.”

Zhao Ke put it on and quickly started eating.

By 7:50, Zhao Ke’s family of four arrived at the threshing ground.

The area was bustling with people, sitting together in small clusters, chatting away. Luckily, it was outdoors—if it had been indoors, the noise would have lifted the roof.

Many people greeted Zhao Ke’s family, especially the young men and women, whose voices calling out to Zhao Ke came one after another.

Zhao Er Nai’s family sat on the far west side of the threshing ground, watching Zhao Ke’s popularity with a hint of disdain on their faces.

Zhao Fangfang’s mother fretted, “These young ones have been close to Zhao Ke since they were kids. They definitely won’t listen to their families.”

Hu Hezhi and Zhao Fangfang stayed silent.

Zhao Fangfang, who was two years older than Zhao Mian, had also played with their sisters when they were little.

Zhao Er Nai wouldn’t let her daughter speak discouraging words. “I’ve taken care of everything. Don’t overthink it.”

In the middle of the threshing ground, people were calling out for Zhao Ke everywhere. She made sure to treat everyone equally, moving like a social butterfly across the venue.

The educated youth sat in the southeast corner. Lin Haiyang turned to Fu Hang and remarked, “Look at Zhao Ke’s connections in the Production Team. It doesn’t seem like Zhuang Lan stands a chance.”

They’d heard about this before, but now, with everyone gathered together, the educated youth were feeling it firsthand.

In the crowd, Zhao Ke bent down and chatted with a group of children, smiling brightly. She ruffled Niu Xiaoqiang’s spiky hair before walking past them to greet a few young men from the village.

No one knew what was said, but Zhao Ke unceremoniously gave one of the grinning young men a playful kick. The man pretended to dodge but clearly wasn’t actually scared.

Although there wasn’t a trace of ambiguity, Fu Hang, watching from afar, felt a twinge sourness for some reason.

Lin Haiyang looked at him curiously. “What’s wrong? Why does your face look so dark?”

Fu Hang averted his gaze. “Nothing.”

The female educated youth were also watching Zhao Ke—she stood out too much in the crowd.

Su Limei clicked her tongue in admiration. “She’s got everyone eating out of her hand, from kids to elders.”

Fang Jing glanced at Zhao Ke from the corner of her eye, then quickly lowered her head, her thick bangs hiding her expression.

Zhuang Lan, on the other hand, looked envious. Though the day wasn’t sunny, Zhao Ke seemed to radiate brightness—a stark contrast to her own dim presence.

At the front, Team Leader Zhao Xinshan emerged from the committee office with a loudspeaker in hand. Only then did Zhao Ke finally sit down, exhaling a long breath.

Those ten minutes had felt extremely long and taxing.

Zhao Yunyun deliberately chose a spot close to her, scooting her stool over and teasing her, “Regretting it now? You’ve got so many ‘little brothers’ to manage. Wouldn’t it be better to just hang out with me?”

“Once or twice a year, I can handle it just fine. But you…” Zhao Ke crossed her arms. “I thought you’d be too busy ogling Fu Zhiqing to even notice me.”

Zhao Yunyun instantly became bashful. “What are you talking about~?”

On stage, Zhao Xinshan raised the loudspeaker and tried to maintain order. “Quiet, everyone, quiet down.”

“It’s starting, no more talking,” Zhao Yunyun said, sitting up straight and looking ahead.

Zhao Ke also turned her attention to Zhao Xinshan.