Zheng Xiaoliu didn’t dare talk back to her, so he obediently squatted to the side.
Jiang Yue asked, “How old are you this year?”
“…Thirteen.”
“He’s two years younger than me, but look how short he is—a whole head shorter than me. Landlord’s brats are just weaklings,” Zheng Xiaoliu interrupted again.
Jiang Yue couldn’t be bothered with him. “Wang Sheng, aren’t you afraid living alone? What do you eat?”
Wang Sheng lowered his head again and shook it. “Not afraid. The brigade allocates me grain.”
Zheng Xiaoliu couldn’t resist chiming in again. “That pigsty he lives in stinks to high heaven in summer and freezes you to death in winter. Third Aunt, tell him to stay farther away. He’s got fleas on him and lice in his hair.”
Zheng Xiaoliu was just treating it as a joke, finding it amusing.
Hearing about fleas and lice made Jiang Yue’s scalp crawl.
Wang Sheng probably noticed and shuffled his feet back outside the door.
Jiang Yue sighed. Actually, fleas and lice were all too common these days. Just yesterday morning, she’d seen Lu Da Sao standing in the yard combing her hair with a fine-toothed comb, seemingly squishing something with audible pops.
And those old grannies in the village—you could smell the hair oil on them from a mile away.
“Wang Sheng, what if I put in a word with the Brigade Leader to have you move somewhere else? There happens to be an empty room in this compound. You could stop tending the brigade’s pigs and come help me look after the child instead. What do you think?”
These words shocked not only Wang Sheng but even Zheng Xiaoliu, who looked utterly incredulous.
“Third Aunt, he’s a boy! How can you have him look after a baby? Does he even know how? Besides, he’s supposed to atone for his father’s crimes. Having him babysit would be letting him off too easy! And you want to give him a place to live too? The Brigade Leader would never agree!”
“Zheng Xiaoliu, aren’t you talking a bit too much?” Jiang Yue sternly frowned, annoyed by his loud voice that nearly woke Little Bean Sprout.
Zheng Xiaoliu immediately shrank his neck back but still felt indignant. He just couldn’t understand it!
Having Wang Sheng babysit would be worse than having him do it! At least his class status was clean.
Anyway, everyone in the village looked down on Wang Sheng, giving him a wide berth whenever they saw him.
The brief spark of hope in Wang Sheng’s eyes dimmed again. “I… I’d better go back to feeding the pigs.”
“It seems you’re willing. Help me look after the child, and I’ll provide your food, clothing, and shelter. If you perform well in the future, I’ll even give you wages. But I have only one requirement: you must be loyal, never do anything to betray me, and protect my daughter well. Can you do that? If you can, I’ll go speak with the Brigade Leader later. This opportunity won’t come again—think it over carefully.”
Opportunity knocks but once.
This idea had suddenly occurred to her when she first saw Wang Sheng.
She didn’t trust any of her in-laws, not even wanting to let them through the door. Who knew what ill intentions they harbored?
Lu Jingzhou could return to his military unit at any time. Even if she were to follow him as an army dependent later, raising a child alone would be tough.
Especially in this era—no washing machines, no electric rice cookers, everything had to be done manually. She worried she couldn’t handle it all.
Wang Sheng was undoubtedly the perfect candidate.
He was an orphan. Even if he had distant relatives, they avoided him like the plague.
His class status was poor, burdened with stigma. The brigade would never issue him permits, and without permits, he couldn’t even leave the village. If he ran away, he’d be caught, and upon investigation, would be sent to labor reform.
Of course, there was one most important reason…
When Lu Jingzhou returned, Wang Sheng was sitting by the pond outside the compound gate.
He saw Lu Jingzhou and nervously stood up. Lu Jingzhou found it strange but didn’t ask further, pushing his bicycle into the courtyard. Wang Sheng then sat back down.
“You’re back?”
“Wife, who’s that?” Lu Jingzhou called out with natural ease.
Jiang Yue’s face flushed slightly. “He’s Wang Sheng. I have something to discuss with you.”
After she finished explaining, Lu Jingzhou nodded. “I’ll handle this matter. But… is he really a girl?”
Jiang Yue smiled. “Of course. I could tell at first glance. She’s still young, so it’s normal if it’s not immediately obvious. I was thinking, in case you return to the army, if I’m alone here with our daughter, having someone around would make me feel more at ease. Don’t you think?”
Lu Jingzhou felt guilty. “I’m sorry, I overlooked this.”
Jiang Yue said, “It’s not your fault. I also want to be lazy and have someone help with the baby. She seems quite suitable.”
“I’ll apply for military family housing as soon as I return to the army, so I can transfer you over earlier.”
There were two rooms in the main house – she occupied one, while the other could have served as a living room. But since she never had visitors, it would be better to let Wang Sheng stay there.
She wasn’t picky – just two long benches with a door plank laid across them, some dry straw spread over it, and it would be ready for sleeping.
Lu Jingzhou had brought back quite a lot of supplies – the rear carrier was fully loaded, with a bag hanging from each handlebar.
When he went to return the bicycle, Jiang Yue gave him a bottle of liquor with the label removed. Worried he might misunderstand, she casually mentioned she had asked someone to buy it for her parents during the upcoming holiday visit.
Lu Jingzhou didn’t say anything, just took it and left.
When he went out, Wang Sheng was still sitting outside.
Seeing him, Wang Sheng immediately stood up again, only sitting back down after he had walked away.
“Wang Sheng, come inside and help me prepare dinner.”
Wang Sheng clutched her clothes, hesitated for a moment, then walked in with her head bowed and shoulders hunched.
Jiang Yue pointed to the rice bag. “You know how to cook, right?”
Wang Sheng nodded.
“Then make rice for dinner, and steam some salted pork. Look, this cured meat here – slice it and place it over pickled vegetables, then steam them together in the pot. Also stir-fry some wild vegetables, though they haven’t been washed yet. There’s rapeseed oil and lard in the kitchen – don’t be stingy with the oil. Here’s a candle – it’ll be dark soon, we need to hurry.”
As she picked up the basket, Wang Sheng immediately took it from her. “I’ll do it. Sister is in Zuò yuèzi, you shouldn’t overexert yourself.”
Jiang Yue smiled. “Alright, don’t be afraid either. He, my husband, went to speak with the Brigade Leader. Even just considering those two bottles of liquor, this matter should work out.”
She was quite confident about this.
Wang Sheng’s family had already been through struggle sessions, there was nothing left to criticize.
Wang Sheng was an awkward presence in the brigade – they couldn’t let her live too well, but couldn’t let her starve either. If any political winds changed, she’d become trouble – essentially a hot potato.
Now that someone was willing to take the risk, willing to have her work and not fear being implicated, what was there to worry about!
Moreover, Lu Jingzhou was a soldier. They could just tell people he was worried about his wife’s safety alone at home, so finding someone to keep her company was perfectly reasonable. Even he hadn’t expected that Wang Sheng was actually a girl.
Wang Sheng worked efficiently – washing pots, rinsing rice, chopping vegetables, all done properly. She even wiped the stove clean afterward.
Seeing Jiang Yue watching from the doorway, she explained with her head lowered, “Sister, don’t worry. I don’t have fleas on me, nor lice in my hair. You can check.”
This took Jiang Yue by surprise.
“What do you use to wash your hair and bathe?”
“I gather herbs from the mountain. They prevent lice and fleas.”
Jiang Yue suddenly understood, “You deliberately let people think you have lice and fleas, don’t you?”
“I’m afraid…”
A young girl, bearing the status of a convicted criminal, living alone—such disguise was indeed necessary.
Jiang Yue sighed, “Your life hasn’t been easy. Don’t worry! From today onward, even if the villagers find out you’re a girl, no one will dare bully you. I’m here for you!”