Chapter 20.1: Defend

1959, one early summer day.

A young Yu Xiulan was still an ordinary member of the Production Team. After breakfast, she instructed her sensible eldest daughter, “Xiao Mian, look after your sister.”

Six-year-old little Zhao Mian obediently nodded, “Okay.”

Her three-year-old sister clung to her elder sister’s clothes and mimicked in a babyish voice, “Okay~”

Yu Xiulan gently patted both of their heads before heading off to work with Zhao Jianguo.

After they left, their grandmother, cradling her treasured grandson, pointed to a basin of clothes and ordered Zhao Mian, “Can’t you see I’m busy taking care of your brother? Hurry and go wash those clothes.”

The younger sister, scared, hid behind her elder sister.

Since their grandfather and father had to haul water from the team’s courtyard after work, and their grandmother forbade wasting water, little Zhao Mian had no choice but to go to the river to wash clothes, leaving her sister at home.

Her sister clung tightly to her, shaking her head vehemently, “No, no…”

Inside, their brother started crying. The grandmother tried soothing him with a few gentle words before impatiently shouting at Zhao Mian again, “Why are you still dawdling?! Hurry up!”

The younger sister pouted, “Grandma is bad~”

Little Zhao Mian raised her small finger to her lips, “Shh—”

No matter how much she tried to reason, her sister refused to let go. Left with no choice, Zhao Mian brought her along to the river.

“Jiejie has to carry the basin, so I can’t hold your hand. Hold onto my clothes, okay?”

“Okay~”

Her younger sister obediently grabbed the back of her shirt, leaning forward slightly, her little head peeking up to smile at her. 

Zhao Mian loved her sister so much. She hugged her tightly and kissed her cheeks twice.

Her sister giggled, hugged her back, and stood on tiptoe to kiss her elder sister’s face.

The two sisters played affectionately.

Their grandmother’s scolding voice rang out again from inside the house, “Stop dawdling! You’re stalling for time, aren’t you?!”

The sisters both shrank their necks, looked at each other, and couldn’t help but secretly cover their mouths to laugh.

On the way to the river, Zhao Mian struggled to carry the wooden basin, stopping every few steps to rest.

Her younger sister let go of her clothes and used her tiny hands to support the basin, putting all her strength into lifting it, “Ugh—”

Although Zhao Mian didn’t need her help, her sister insisted on helping. 

In the end, the two of them carried the basin to the river together.

Zhao Mian reminded her, “Don’t wander off.”

Her younger sister crouched behind her with her hands tucked in, “Okay~”

The clothes weren’t many, but they were dirty from farm work. If they weren’t cleaned properly or if they returned late, their grandmother would scold them.

Zhao Mian scrubbed and pounded the clothes diligently, not noticing that her younger sister’s tiny feet were inching closer to her.

“Splash—”

Zhao Mian was startled and looked up to see her sister flailing in the river. She froze in place, stunned.

Her younger sister didn’t know how to cry for help. In terror, she screamed, “Jiejie—” 

The clothes fell into the water, but Zhao Mian ignored them and stretched out her little hands as far as she could. “Meimei! Your hand! Meimei…”

Her sister desperately reached out, but their small hands were separated by the current, growing farther apart as if a despairing chasm was opening between them.

Zhao Mian watched her sister sink and float in the water, paralyzed with fear and sobbing uncontrollably…

—

Factory Dormitory—

Zhao Mian’s face was pale, her brows tightly furrowed as she was trapped in a nightmare.

In her ears, the piercingly innocent cries of her sister rang out.

“Jiejie—Jiejie—”

Her sister was calling for help, but Zhao Mian was too useless, only able to cry helplessly as she watched her sister drift away.

In her dream, the scene transformed into voices of scolding and arguments—

“Jinx!”

“I wouldn’t trust her to look after the younger brother!”

“She can’t even handle something so simple—what can she do?!”

“Useless!”

The word “useless” struck Zhao Mian’s heart over and over, tormenting her mind.

It felt as if she were sinking into a quagmire, unable to wake no matter how much she struggled.

Suddenly, the dormitory door was pushed open. A worried Master Yu rushed in, and upon seeing Zhao Mian lying on the bed, she heaved a sigh of relief.

But then, she noticed her pale complexion, her face covered in sweat, and her entire body trembling.

“You’re burning up!” Master Yu touched her forehead, frowning. She gently shook her to try to wake her. “Zhao Mian, wake up! Zhao Mian, I’ll take you to the clinic…”

Zhao Mian showed no signs of waking.

Master Yu tried to lift her, but when she couldn’t manage it, she quickly hurried out.

Ten minutes later, the dormitory door opened again.

Master Yu entered with a set of clean clothes, replacing Zhao Mian’s sweat-soaked garments that clung to her body. After a quick glance around, she called out toward the doorway, “Fang Xu, come in now.”

A tall and handsome young man pushed the door open and strode inside. He stopped by Zhao Mian’s bed, and without waiting for Master Yu’s urging, bent down. His sturdy arms slid under Zhao Mian’s neck and knees, lifting her effortlessly.

He was careful to avoid touching any inappropriate areas, ensuring he didn’t offend the unconscious young woman.

However, with Zhao Mian lying limply in his arms, the two were still uncomfortably close. Fang Xu couldn’t help but glance at her pale face, but he quickly withdrew his gaze politely and walked out briskly.

Master Yu led Fang Xu to the commune’s health clinic.

After examining her, the doctor administered an IV drip into Zhao Mian’s hand.

When Fang Xu returned after paying the bill, he said to Master Yu, who was sitting by the bedside, “Mom, it’s going to take a while. Why don’t I stay here and keep watch while you head back to the factory?”

Master Yu, her brows still furrowed with worry, glanced at Zhao Mian. “Forget the factory for this morning. You stay here; I’ll go back to the dorm and make her something to eat.”

Fang Xu nodded, pulled up a chair, and sat quietly by Zhao Mian’s bed.

The IV fluid slowly dripped, and Zhao Mian’s complexion gradually improved. Fang Xu noticed her lips were chapped, so he asked the doctor for a cotton swab, dipped it in water, and gently moistened her lips.

As he was doing it a second time, Zhao Mian’s eyelids fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.

Fang Xu, still holding the cotton swab to her lips, froze when their gazes met. Her eyes were empty and unfocused, and he hesitated before asking as if nothing unusual had happened, “You’re awake?”

Zhao Mian’s eyes gradually regained clarity. She blinked at the figure above her, then slowly turned her head to look around, sluggishly asking, “Who are you? Where am I?”

“Don’t move just yet.” Fang Xu gently held down her arm with the IV. “I’m your Master Yu’s son. You had a fever, so we brought you to the clinic for treatment.”

Zhao Mian murmured her thanks and then half-closed her eyes, remaining silent.

Fang Xu, having heard from his mother about what Zhao Mian had been through, refrained from saying much. He only asked softly, “Do you want some water?”

Zhao Mian pressed her lips together lightly and thanked him.

Fang Xu carefully helped her sit up and poured her a fresh glass of water. Although her limbs were weak and her hands trembled, she didn’t ask for his help. Instead, she gripped the glass tightly and slowly raised it to her mouth.

Fang Xu, who had half-lifted his hand to assist her, let it fall back to his side. After she finished drinking, he took the glass and placed it on the bedside table.

The two fell into silence.

Before long, Master Yu returned, breaking the quiet. “Zhao Mian, you’re awake?”

Zhao Mian gave a pale smile and thanked her once more.

“No need to be so polite.” Master Yu opened a lunchbox. “Your stomach must be upset. Eat something first.”

She nudged her son aside and sat by Zhao Mian’s bed. “I’ll feed you.”

“Master Yu, I can—” Zhao Mian began, but Master Yu scooped a spoonful of porridge and firmly brought it to her mouth.

Caught off guard, Zhao Mian awkwardly held the porridge in her mouth until she swallowed, opening her mouth just as another spoonful was offered.

Fang Xu’s lips curved into a subtle smile.

Spoonful after spoonful, Master Yu fed her. “You’re too bottled up, girl. How could you stress yourself into a fever?”

Zhao Mian had no chance to reply.

When Master Yu didn’t hear a response, she scolded with frustration, “You need to toughen up. If you’re too timid, people will walk all over you.”

Zhao Mian remained silent, leaving Master Yu to vent her anger through the force of her feeding.

Fang Xu interjected, “Mom, slow down a bit.”

Only then did Master Yu notice that Zhao Mian had been gulping down the porridge without time to speak. She slowed her movements and sighed, “Look at me…”

Zhao Mian shook her head slightly and said in a low, subdued voice, “I’m just… so useless.”

But it didn’t matter. She could endure everything—criticism, guilt, self-loathing—she would passively bear it all.

Master Yu’s eyes were filled with disapproval. “Nonsense! You’re quick to learn, diligent, and ambitious. How could you be useless?”

But Zhao Mian, caught up in her own emotions, couldn’t hear her.

Master Yu sighed helplessly.

…….

Zhao Village Committee—

Zhao Ke, having no tasks assigned byZhao Xinshan and no village disputes to handle, sat idly in the office. Bored, she picked up a newspaper to pass the time, hoping to make it to noon before heading home for lunch.

“Ding-ding-ding—ding-ding-ding—”

The sound of a bicycle bell interrupted him, followed by the postman’s voice calling, “Zhao Ke, Zhao Ke, you’ve got mail!”

Zhao Ke quickly put down the newspaper and walked outside.

The postman grinned, “Didn’t expect you’d become the Women’s Director for the Production Team.”

“It was an accident.”

The postman handed her a letter without a stamp. “A friend from your old factory came to the post office to send you this letter. I saw her and didn’t let her bother with postage. She seemed in a hurry, so I brought it over today.”

Zhao Ke thanked him and invited him in for a drink of water.

He waved her off. “Maybe next time. I’ve got other teams to visit.”

Zhao Ke watched him leave before looking down at the envelope.

It was from Xiao Wen.

She would go to the commune every week to pick up her sister. If it weren’t something serious, Xiao Wen wouldn’t have bothered writing her a letter.  

As Zhao Ke thought this, she quickly tore open the envelope. The more she read, the angrier she got. By the time she finished, she was practically fuming.  

Zhao Xinshan saw her unusual expression through the window and asked, “Zhao Ke, what’s wrong?”  

Zhao Ke handed him the letter. “Team Leader, I need to go home right away.”  

Zhao Xinshan skimmed the letter’s contents and slammed the table in anger. “Those people from Li Village Production Team are bold, bullying a Zhao family girl!”  

Accountant Niu glanced over. “What kind of people are they?”  

With a cold face, Zhao Xinshan declared, “Gather all the Zhao men. I’ll lead you all to Li Village Production Team!”  

Zhao Ke nodded, ran home, and hopped on her bike. She first went to the fields to find Zhao Feng and told him to rally the others, then headed to the Production Team’s elementary school to find her mom.  

### Production Team Elementary School  

It was Yu Xiulan’s first day of teaching, and her stern voice echoed throughout the classroom. The students, filled with fear, sat rigidly, barely daring to breathe.  

Zhao Ke rushed in and quickly knocked on the door.  

The students, spotting Zhao Ke, momentarily forgot their fear and cheered in surprise, “Teacher Zhao!”  

“I need to speak with Teacher Yu. You all self-study this period, and we’ll reschedule this class later,” Zhao Ke told the students before turning to her mother. “Mom, step outside for a moment.”  

Yu Xiulan stepped out, puzzled. “What’s the matter?”  

Zhao Ke quickly explained the situation. Yu Xiulan was so furious that she almost jumped. “Dare bully my daughter? I’ll break his legs!”  

Inside the classroom, the children only heard their teacher’s scolding and froze in fear. *Sob sob… Teacher Yu is terrifying…*  

“We’ll definitely make them pay, but the most important thing is to minimize the impact on my sister,” Zhao Ke said, still simmering but more composed. “Mom, let Principal Gu know and wait at the old locust tree. I’ll go find Wu Nai.”  

Yu Xiulan gritted her teeth and agreed. “Fine, hurry!”  

Zhao Ke got back on her bike and sped to her next destination.  

Wu Nai was furious when she heard what happened and immediately agreed to go to Li Village to settle the matter. She even blamed herself. “It’s all my fault for introducing Cotton to someone like him.”  

It wasn’t intentional—on the surface, Li Dasheng seemed to have excellent prospects.  

Zhao Ke consoled the old lady a bit, then borrowed Uncle Ban’s ox cart and took her to the old locust tree.  

From receiving the letter to now, less than half an hour had passed. The Zhao and Yu men, all armed with various tools, were already gathered at the village entrance.  

On the ox cart driven by Uncle Ban sat not only Wu Nai but also Second Grandma.  

Once everyone was ready, Zhao Xinshan called out, “Let’s go!”  

The group responded in unison, a horde of sturdy villagers advancing toward Li Village. They picked up speed as they walked, eventually breaking into a jog.  

Other Zhao villagers watched from afar, envious. “The Team Leader won’t let outsiders bully a Zhao family girl. Strength in numbers sure makes things easier.”  

Li Village.

The villagers were all working in the fields. One person straightened up to wipe their sweat and noticed a group of people approaching aggressively with tools in hand. They quickly called out to someone not far away in the furrow, “Look over there!”  

As the Zhao group drew closer, the villager squinted to make them out. “Looks like people from Zhao Village Production Team.”  

Zhao Feng and a few young men were the first to reach the field’s edge. They shouted, “Li Dasheng! Where’s Li Dasheng? Come out!”  

The Li villagers, alarmed by the sight of an approaching mob, grabbed their tools and emerged from the fields, watching warily. “Li Dasheng took two days off and is at home. What do you want with him?”  

The Zhao villagers had already been to Li Dasheng’s house and knew he wasn’t there.  

Zhao Ke’s face turned icy. Thinking that Li Dasheng might still be at the commune, she coldly asked, “Where’s Accountant Li? Get him out here.”  

As a young woman, she was dismissed and ignored.  

Zhao Xinshan repeated the question, “Where’s your Accountant Li?”  

The Li Village Team Leader stepped forward with a stern face, questioning Zhao Xinshan. “Team Leader Zhao, are you bringing your people to our village to make trouble?”  

Zhao Xinshan’s tone was even harsher. “Of course, we’re here because there’s an issue. Call out Accountant Li—I’ll talk to him.”  

The Li Team Leader scanned the furious faces of the Zhao villagers, trying to guess the reason for their visit. “What do you want with him?”  

Zhao Feng’s temper flared, and he shouted, “Why are you Li people so long-winded? His son did something outrageous. Are you all just going to hide like cowards? Come out!”  

The younger Zhao men chimed in, “Come out! If you don’t, we’ll wreck your house!”  

The Li Team Leader was enraged and snapped at Zhao Xinshan, “Is this how your team raises its young men? No respect for their elders?”  

“You think our boys lack manners? It’s your Li family that doesn’t know how to raise their own!”  

Yu Xiulan, already boiling with rage, would have charged at them if not for Zhao Ke and Zhao Jianguo holding her back.

Her way of cursing wasn’t crude at all, completely insufficient.

Zhao Er Nai, a petite old lady, darted out, planted her hands on her hips, and started scolding, “***, Li Dasheng and his whole family are ***. Get out here, ***…”

The old lady’s scolding was utterly unbearable to hear, even escalating to indiscriminate attacks. The members of Li Village were visibly enraged, and one after another, they began shouting back.

Zhao Er Nai wasn’t the least bit afraid of them. She rolled on the ground right up to the Li Village side. Their members retreated, afraid of being falsely accused.

Both sides exchanged curses, neither willing to back down, even raising their tools in a show of force.

It seemed that a single impulsive move would ignite an all-out fight.

Yu Xiulan’s temper, no matter how fiery, was nothing in this situation.

Zhao Ke suddenly felt as though she’d entered a duck pen, with endless quacking sounds of “quack quack quack quack…”

Her ears were about to go deaf from the noise. Taking a deep breath to gather her energy, she turned and shouted at Zhao Feng and the others, “Shut up! The matter isn’t even resolved yet!”

The boys around Zhao Feng’s age, like geese with their necks grabbed, immediately fell silent.

The older ones, who hadn’t played with Zhao Ke when they were young, were still a little thrown off by her commanding voice. Their momentum faltered, and they also quieted down.

Suddenly, the Zhao Village side was left with only a muffled version of Zhao Er Nai’s cursing.

Zhao Er Nai didn’t feel awkward in the slightest. As long as Zhao Xinshan didn’t stop her, she wasn’t going to quit. Seeing this, Zhao Wu Nai could only helplessly tug at her arm.

Zhao Er Nai sat comfortably on the ground, cursing away without even pausing for breath.

Left with no other choice, Zhao Wu Nai reached out and covered her mouth.

Even so, Zhao Er Nai continued “mmph mmph” cursing until she completed her full set of insults before stopping.

With the Zhao Village side no longer cursing, the members of Li Village also gradually lowered their voices.

Zhao Xinshan scanned the crowd on the Li Village side for a long time, not finding the person he was looking for. Raising his voice, he said, “Today, I’m not here as the Production Team leader but as an elder of the Zhao family. If our Zhao family boys get impulsive and do something, I won’t be able to stop them unless Accountant Li  comes out now.”

Hearing this, the Li Village leader had no choice but to turn and ask, “Where is Accountant Li ?”

The people of Li Village also turned to look around. Finally, Accountant Li ’s voice emerged from the back of the crowd, “I’m here…”

Someone on the Zhao Village side snidely remarked, “Turns out he really is a turtle hiding in his shell.”

Accountant Li  squeezed his way to the front, seeing the large crowd from Zhao Village and swallowing his pride.

Not far from this area, there was another plot of land separated by a row of trees where the women of Li Village were working.

A villager ran over and shouted at the top of his lungs, “Dasheng’s mom! Dasheng’s mom! Hurry over here, your Accountant Li  is about to get beaten!”

“What?!” Upon hearing this, Li Dasheng’s mother angrily grabbed her hoe and stormed off.

The other women nearby, hearing the commotion, also followed along to join in the spectacle.

Here, Accountant Li , still with his honest demeanor, asked hesitantly, “I just got here. That…  Team Leader Zhao, Director Yu, what can I do for you?”

Yu Xiulan, seeing him, grew even angrier. Before she could speak, Zhao Xinshan interrupted, “Zhao Ke, you tell him.”

Zhao Ke stared straight at Accountant Li  and asked bluntly, “Where is Li Dasheng? Do you know where he is?”

Accountant Li  replied honestly, “He’s not feeling well and took two days off to rest at home.”

“He’s not at home.”

Accountant Li  said, “Then he might have gone to his uncle’s place. His uncle lives in another village.”

“You’re lying.” Zhao Ke’s eyes were sharp. “Your son clearly went to the commune’s bearing factory yesterday to pester my sister Zhao Mian. He even spread false rumors to smear her reputation!”

The people of Li Village were shocked and began whispering among themselves.

Li Dasheng’s mother had given her son the idea that Zhao Mian was soft-tempered. If he made a scene to scare her, she might admit to their relationship in front of the factory workers. However, since he hadn’t returned, it seemed the plan hadn’t succeeded yet.

Accountant Li  forced a laugh and said, “It’s a misunderstanding. Dasheng did take sick leave and definitely wouldn’t have gone to the commune…”

Zhao Ke asked sharply, “Say it again—where is your son?”

Just then, Li Dasheng’s mother appeared from the side and reached out to push Zhao Ke.

Zhao Feng reacted quickly, swatting her hand away and clenching his fist, glaring fiercely as he said, “Try touching my sister again!”

Faced with Zhao Feng’s tall and strong build, Li Dasheng’s mother raised her voice and shouted, “What, you think you can hit me? I’m not afraid to tell you all: my son is at the commune! He went to see his fiancée! Zhao Mian is his fiancée—so what?!”

At the same time, in Shuangshan Commune, Zhao Mian had just finished receiving an injection. Her fever hadn’t fully subsided, and she was still weak.

Master Yu firmly denied her request to return to her own dormitory and insisted, “You need to rest. Stay in my single dorm room for now. I’ll have Fang Xu stay at the guesthouse.”

Someone in the factory, eager for gossip, had reported Zhao Mian for misconduct to the disciplinary officer. Master Yu planned to step in to suppress the matter, then left after speaking.

Unable to refuse, Zhao Mian could only follow Fang Xu to Master Yu’s dormitory.