When Wang Guifen helped the educated youth walk over, the brigade leader hurried up, followed by a group of educated youths.
“Auntie Guifen, you injured the educated youth?” The brigade leader looked at Shen Wangchun’s leg wound and asked immediately.
Wang Guifen frowned, about to explain.
Wang Qiulan jumped in first: “Brigade Leader, it must have been Wang Guifen! To dare harm an educated youth is a serious crime. This year Tanghe Brigade is up for an advanced unit evaluation—Wang Guifen is trying to ruin our reputation!”
The brigade leader cared most about Tanghe Brigade’s chances of being recognized as advanced this year, and his face darkened at her words.
“Guifen wouldn’t do such a thing. Don’t talk nonsense. Wang Qiulan, you dare speak such ungrateful words? Don’t forget who saved your Zhang Qian. If you won’t repay the favor, fine, but to repay kindness with enmity—are you even human?” Auntie Zhang raised the half‑pulled sole of her shoe, pointing at Wang Qiulan as she spoke.
“Saved my Qianqian? If it weren’t for my Qianqian’s luck, she would have been skewered by Wang Guifen long ago!”
Wang Guifen’s face darkened. If it weren’t for capturing the spy, she wouldn’t have saved Zhang Qian and her mother repeatedly. Ungrateful, trouble‑causing women.
The conversation veered off topic.
A female educated youth who had ridden the tricycle a few days ago stepped forward: “Auntie Wang, how could you hurt Wangchun?”
“Exactly! On the way back that day we could see she didn’t like us. Who would have thought she’d dare to hurt an educated youth?”
“Report it to the Public Security Bureau! This must be reported!”
Everyone talked at once, leaving Wang Guifen and Shen Wangchun unable to get a word in.
Bang!
A dead wolf flew into view, thrown by Wang Guifen.
“Ahhh! A wolf!”
“There’s a wolf! Ahhhh!”
Those who had been arguing stubbornly just moments ago now huddled together in fear, their faces pale.
Wang Guifen grinned at them, thinking, pathetic fools.
Shen Wangchun hobbled forward. “Everyone, there’s been a misunderstanding. While patrolling Tanghe’s water source, I accidentally wandered into the deep forest, cut my leg, and was targeted by this lone wolf. If it weren’t for Auntie Guifen, who happened to be gathering firewood, I probably wouldn’t be alive. Please don’t blame her.”
His life had been saved by Auntie Guifen—he would never let her good deed be wrongly accused.
“Educated Youth Shen, is that true?” the brigade leader, Wang Jiadong, asked.
Young educated youths working in the countryside had to participate in communal duties with the villagers. Tanghe’s water source was crucial for farmland irrigation and village use, so it needed a dedicated person for maintenance, including checking for damage, blockages, or pollution.
This area of the mountain fell under Tanghe Brigade’s responsibility, and today Shen Wangchun happened to be assigned to patrol it.
In recent years, no wolves had been spotted along the river. That an educated youth encountered one could have been disastrous.
“It’s impossible—how could she have killed a wolf?” Wang Qiulan stared at the wolf.
Shen Wangchun realized that Wang Qiulan was ungrateful and malicious. “Brigade Leader, I’m telling the truth. This wolf was already here. Do you think I killed it?”
“Shen is skinny, not strong. Forget killing a wolf—he couldn’t even kill a chicken,” whispered one auntie.
“Exactly. We’ve all seen Wang Guifen’s strength. She’s the only one who could kill this wolf.”
One auntie eyed the wolf on the ground with envy. “Wolf meat, bones, and skin are all valuable.”
“Yeah, did Guifen have some lucky trick? Her luck is just too good.”
Strong, hardworking, catching lots of fish—and now even killing a wolf. How could she get all the benefits of the world?
Wang Guifen, silent until now, chuckled and asked the auntie who had spoken, “You want this luck? Take it.”
The auntie immediately shrank back.
“Even if you’re lucky and encounter a wolf, you don’t have the skill to kill it. Guifen risked her life to do it,” Auntie Zhang said in Wang Guifen’s defense.
“Mountain wolves are fierce. If this one weren’t relatively weak, I might have been hurt. I only risked myself to save Shen Wangchun,” Wang Guifen said.
“Does that mean anyone patrolling the mountains might encounter wolves?” one auntie exclaimed.
Everyone gasped.
Wang Guifen ignored them. “Brigade Leader, I’ll hand over this wolf. I was going to leave it on the mountain, but that could attract other wild animals, and the rotting corpse could pollute Tanghe’s water source. It’s a bit skinny, but there’s still some meat. Everyone can take a share.”
Silence fell.
No one had expected Wang Guifen to turn it over. She had risked her life to kill the wolf, and by commune rules, she didn’t have to hand it over.
Wang Jiadong stepped forward, whispering, “Auntie Guifen, are you really giving it up? This is a wolf—its parts can be exchanged for tickets.”
Even he, as brigade leader, wouldn’t be so selfless. If he had caught it, he’d never hand it over.
Wang Guifen smiled. “Brigade Leader, I’m no great hero. I finally killed this wolf, and I’m embarrassed to take it all myself. We’re all part of the same brigade. Good things shouldn’t be hoarded—let’s share it.”
Everyone looked at each other, shy but pleasantly surprised.
Wang Qiulan swallowed hard. Tonight there’d be meat! Braised, her favorite. She’d make sure to get extra when it was divided.
“But she can’t get any,” Wang Guifen said, pointing directly at Wang Qiulan.
“W-why?” Wang Qiulan asked.
“Why? Because I carried this wolf down from the mountain. Because you’re ungrateful. I saved your daughter and you don’t even know gratitude, claiming it was luck that saved her. If it weren’t for my iron arrow, your precious daughter would be dead. So no, you and your daughter won’t get this meat. Eat it and it won’t digest anyway. Better to give it to those who know gratitude.”
“Yes, and just now Wang Qiulan said Guifen almost skewered her daughter with the arrow.”
“If she doesn’t take it, we can get more,” others whispered.
“…You all.”
Suddenly, a voice called from the slope: “Mom!”
Wang Guifen looked up to see her daughter‑in‑law, wearing a plaid dress, walking down the slope.
Wang Guifen froze. “Oh no!” She scooped up the small bamboo basket holding the wild ginseng and rushed toward the slope. Halfway up, she turned and whispered, “Brigade Leader, you handle the wolf. Don’t say I killed it.”