Wang Guifang set down the clay cup in her hand and stood up. “There’s so much noise outside—I don’t know what’s going on. I’ll go take a look. Yiyi, don’t leave the courtyard.”
With people shoving and shouting outside, it wasn’t safe for someone pregnant like Yiyi to go out.
Su Yiyi stood up. “Mom, I won’t go out. The noise sounds serious—you be careful too.”
“Alright.” After speaking, Wang Guifang lifted the curtain and walked out.
The moment she stepped out of the courtyard, Auntie Zhang blocked her way. “Guifang, don’t go out! There’s a thief in the brigade. Once he was recognized, he grabbed Zhang Qian as a hostage. He has a knife!”
Hearing this, Wang Guifen pushed the courtyard gate open just a crack and peered outside.
At the entrance of the educated youth dormitory, a crowd had gathered. Zhang Qian was being held at knifepoint by a tall man. There was already a streak of red on her neck.
“Let go of my daughter! Qianqian—Qianqian!” Wang Qiulan cried hysterically.
“Release Zhang Qian!” the brigade leader, Zhang Jiadong, shouted.
“Don’t come closer—any of you! If anyone comes near, I’ll kill her!” the man barked, pressing the knife harder against Zhang Qian’s neck.
“No! No! I don’t want to die! Mom, help me—help me!” Zhang Qian screamed, her voice cracking in terror.
She had only come because she heard a few handsome new male educated youths had arrived in the brigade. She wanted to take a look.
Her reputation in Tanghe Brigade had already been ruined; the good men nearby would never marry her. But the educated youths were newcomers—they didn’t know about her past. She was good-looking, and if one of them liked her, she could marry an educated youth. She might even follow him back to the city one day. Wouldn’t Su Yi be jealous then?
But the moment she reached the entrance, she was inexplicably seized by someone. She was still so young—she didn’t want to die.
“Brigade Leader, save me!” Zhang Qian cried.
“Stay still! If you move again, I’ll kill you!” the bearded man snarled viciously.
Wang Guifen’s eyes widened as she stared fixedly at the man holding Zhang Qian hostage. Her whole body trembled; a faint pain spread through her chest.
Even if he turned to ashes, she would recognize him.
In her previous life, she had died because of this spy. On the military train, Zhang Qian pulled her into the path of the blade, and this man stabbed her to death.
He had a long scar near his right eye—an unforgettable mark.
In her previous life, nothing like this had happened—there had been no hostage situation in the brigade. But one educated youth had disappeared. His name was Shen Wangchun. No one in the brigade knew how he died; they only knew he was an orphan.
Could it be that his death was related to this spy?
The timing was too perfect—the spy appeared on the very first day the educated youths arrived. And at the dormitory itself. No coincidence could be this perfect.
That educated youth’s death must have been connected to him.
“Mom? Mom, what’s wrong?”
Su Yi waved a hand in front of her mother-in-law’s face nervously.
She had only gone outside for a peek, and found her mother-in-law standing frozen in the courtyard, trembling all over as if she had seen something terrifying.
Wang Guifen snapped back to her senses and grabbed Su Yi’s hand tightly. “Yiyi, remember this—don’t come out. That man is a spy—someone who threatens our country’s safety and hinders progress! We must capture that beast today. If he escapes, we’ll never catch him, and he’ll hurt people.”
Because she was so tense, she squeezed Su Yi’s hand hard enough to turn it red.
“But Mom—how can you catch him? He has a knife! Look— even the brigade leader can’t get close. What if you get hurt?” Su Yi’s eyes reddened with panic.
Wang Guifen looked toward the crowd. The brigade leader was stomping in frustration but could do nothing.
“Your mom is strong. I’ll try. You must not leave the courtyard,” she said, grabbing a metal hunting arrow used for trapping badgers.
Every rural household kept bows and arrows for trapping pests that stole grain. The arrowheads were extremely sharp.
Auntie Zhang went inside for a moment, and by the time she came out, Wang Guifang was already walking toward the commotion.
“She went over? That man has a knife!”
Su Yi climbed onto the wall anxiously, peering toward the dormitory entrance.
“Don’t come closer—none of you! Or I’ll kill her!”
“Save me! I don’t want to die!”
Wang Guifen pushed through the crowd.
Her eyes locked onto the spy, her grip tightening around the arrow, palms slick with sweat.
She shouted, “You’re a spy who threatens our country’s safety!”
Everyone turned toward her.
“A spy? Why would a spy come to Tanghe Brigade?”
“This place is poor as dirt. What would a spy do here?”
People murmured among themselves.
The spy visibly panicked. “I’m not! You’re slandering me!”
Wang Guifen stepped forward. “You are!”
“Wang Guifen, stop! He has my daughter!” Wang Qiulan screamed.
The spy smirked, pressing his knife harder as he pulled Zhang Qian backward. “Yeah, I’ve got a hostage. If you take one more step, I’ll kill her. All of you—stay back!”
“Idiot,” Wang Guifen snapped at Wang Qiulan.
Then she looked at the spy and shouted, “Are you trying to kill the educated youths too?”
The newly arrived educated youths stared in shock.
“No way—Auntie, you can’t say that! We don’t even know him. Why would he target us?”
“Exactly! We just arrived in Tanghe Brigade. Why would a spy be watching us?”
The two female educated youths were the first to object.
The villagers also couldn’t believe it.
But Wang Guifen didn’t bother explaining. Her eyes never left the spy.
The spy glared at her with murderous intent, inching backward. She stepped forward.
Zhang Qian shook her head desperately, eyes red with terror.
The spy’s expression twisted viciously—he raised the knife to stab—
Whoosh!
Rip!
The iron arrow in Wang Guifen’s hand shot forward, burying itself deep in the spy’s shoulder. In the next instant, she rushed forward, kicked him hard, and yanked Zhang Qian free. The spy flew backward, and Zhang Qian fell to the ground.
“Grab the spy!” the brigade leader roared.
The surrounding villagers surged forward and pinned the man down.
Wang Guifen collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath, her hands trembling. She muttered, “Caught…finally caught.”
“Mom! Mom, are you hurt?” Su Yi knelt beside her, checking her arms in panic.
Wang Guifen lifted her head. “Yiyi, the spy is caught… caught…” Tears poured down her cheeks. “Caught…”
Su Yi hugged her tightly, stroking her back. “Yes, Mom. He’s caught. He won’t escape. I’ve already called the Public Security Bureau—they’ll take him away and lock him up.”
Before she even finished her sentence, a group of Public Security officers came rushing down from the hill.
The leader hurried forward, grabbed the spy’s face, looked closely—and his expression changed drastically.
“W-who… who caught him?”