God favored the villagers. This year both the cotton and rice were growing very well. Xiangyuan, with his Zhongshan suit on, walked on the ridges of cotton and rice fields, feeling pleased. Supported by Director Wang in the commune, he became the party secretary in the village. He couldn’t make Wang lose face. Moreover, Wang was not only the previous leader in Xianghe Village, but also the leader to stay in the village to gain firsthand experience (*a system to train promising young leaders). Looking at the huge and wide fields of white cotton and grain filling rice, he could use a sentence that Director Wang always said in his report:“Growing very well.”

    There was a small episode in this. Director Wang promoted to the Deputy  Director in the Commune Revolutionary Committee from the party secretary in  the Brigade. He had to have many meetings in the county town, commune and  villages. Have you ever heard of a joke saying that the Communist party had too  many meetings, the Guomingdang①   had many taxes? This was true. An agricultural  leader from the countryside, how could he fit himself to have meetings every day?  Everytime at the meeting, he had to talk on the stage, making a mobilization report  in the commune, some important speeches in the villages. For Director Wang with  little schooling, it was really too difficult. Fortunately, his secretary helped write  out all the manuscripts in advance. He would just read them at the meeting. In the  beginning, it saved him a lot to read the manuscripts at the meetings. But later he  found it not right because other directors from different communes didn’t do as he  did. Every time to arrange a few items of work at the same time, he talked, so did  other directors. He finished by reading all of the manuscripts. But other directors  stopped for a little bit when half finished or when it came to motivation, they would  give free rein/ bring into play. The result was completely different. The audience  only clapped their hands only after Director Wang said. “This is the end of speech.”

    However, others always won applause when they put down the manuscript, gave free rein. This made Wang feel uncomfortable. He couldn’t be inferior to others. Then, sometimes he also put down his manuscript, talked without it. Once, when he talked about growth of the crops in the report, his secretary used “growing well”. But he thoughthe was too familiar with things in the fields, he should give full free rein. So he put down his manuscript, said in pure Xianghe dialect, to the secretaries and other leaders from different villages in the commune, “This year, all the crops in the Autumn are growing well. Why do I say growing well? It is not ordinary well, it is damn well .” He stopped for a few seconds on purpose, raising his mug before him on the platform, drinking it, hoping to win thunderous applause. But the result was the whole conference hall burst into laughter. His face went red. At last, he said, “The meeting is over. You are dismissed.” He left the platform and the meeting angrily without saying goodbye to anyone.

    This time, Xiangyuan thoughthe had saved face for Director Wang. With both hands on back, he was walking along the irrigation channel, with cotton fields on one side, rice fields on the other.

    On the channels grew high sunflowers. Their leaves were green and big. The squashes on top of them were round and large, their head slightly bending down, with long and yellow buds, in good order, looking very beautiful. With bright sunshine at this moment, the squashes were facing the sunlight one by one. Looking out to all these, Xiangyuan saw huge fields, sunflowers on the channels in lines, one after another. A picture of thousands of sunflowers opening to the sun.

    People were picking up cotton in the fields. They gave a flattering cry when  they saw Xiangyuan, “Are you inspecting our work?” “Yes, looking around.” Xiangyuan was modest, thought only Director Wang could inspect, but he was only  walking round, having a look at everything. So it couldn’t be called Inspection. “So  many before hot bolls.” All the white stuff must be before hot bolls. Xiangyuan was  not blind, he just wanted to say something with the people, looking very considerate  and kind-hearted. The people in the cotton fields quickly replied when Xiangyuan  asked, “Yes, many of them. We haven’t had so many of them in the past two years.” The before hot bolls were relatively called compared to autumn bolls. Generally  speaking, the silk head of before hot bolls was long, it was white and bright. They  would be sold at a better price at the cotton station in the commune; The silk of Autumn bolls was short, if too much rain in the Autumn, it would have bad effect on the quality, they wouldn’t be well sold. “Ok. Ok.” Xiangyuan said to the people politely as he went on walking forward along the irrigation channel. At this time, he thought of the agricultural technician Genshui, who was a nice guy. He was loyal and honest, realistic and reliable. Xiangyuan only told Genshui about how to make cotton get more before hot bolls, but Genshui took it very seriously, from seedling to fertilizer, from cutting branches to spraying pesticide, he could say one after another. Xiangyuan thought that was empty talk, but by experiment in the production teams, the result was excellent. Xiangyuan thought of his own worry when thinking of Genshui. So he turned back, originally planning to have a look at another rice field, but now he changed his mind. He wanted to find Genshui’s mother Lai Tizi. He had planned to have sex with her.

    Since she was caught on the spot by Xiangyuan’s wife Qiao Guanzi, she knew she had lost face. Although Qiao Guanzi didn’t let her feel awkward, a man had face, a tree had skin. It would be a scandal to be caught on the spot having sex with another woman’s husband. That evening, not knowing for what reason, Xiangyuan was late for the dating, otherwise, they would be caught by Qiao Guanzi when they were having sex. Qiao Guanzi dared not thinking further, but one thing she was sure of: she wouldn’t have left so easily. At this moment, Lai Tizi was naked in bed, waiting for Xiangyuan. As she heard Xiangyuan coming, she found an excuse to ask Genshui to come home late. For the widowed mother and son, it would be more difficult for her without Xiangyuan’s protection and help. Every year she could get dividends and reliefs, more or less, especially in the years when her husband just died. Genshui had to go to school, the family depended all alone on Lai Tizi. Without a main laborer in the family, the farm work couldn’t be completed, there would be few work points, either. They were a “Overspending household.” in the team, let alone sharing dividends. The economical situation became better after Genshui graduated from school. Xiangyuan had conscience, arranging Genshui to be an agricultural technician in the team, kept him as the only one technician in the Brigade when reducing them. Lai Tizi was grateful to him from the bottom of her heart. She would give him her life if he wanted, let alone her body.

    She was thinking when she heard his coughing. “Come to my room. Genshui isn’t at home. I don’t know where he has gone.” She understood his coughing. What she said was to tell Xiangyuan that it’s safe now since she was alone at home. Without a light, Xiangyuan bent down and entered the room, with a big smell of alcohol. “Did you drink tonight? Why not come and drink with me? I had been  thinking of drinking with you for a long time. I don’t knowhow I will look after  getting drunken.” “Yes.” He took off his clothes as he said. In a minute he was  naked, started to fuck. Riding on the lower part of her body, his dick was working  hard. Soon he was out of breath, and said to Lai Tizi, “Do you really want to drink  with me? That’s easy. Let’s find a time when I am not busy, come to your house to  drink especially with you alone.” Lai Tizi complained about Xiangyuan fucking  too hard. She grasped his dick, said, “Now, you have got something in my hand.  You must mean what you say!” Xiangyuan extended his long tongue, licking her  nipples,which made her tingle, get excited. “Take a break, let me do it.” They soon  exchanged positions. Not long after, Xiangyuan couldn’t stand, ejaculated. She  obviously felt her lower part of the body get moisture, then softly laid on Xiangyuan,  “Are you satisfied and comfortable? If not, I will do it again.” “That’s ok. No more.” Xiangyuan felt he couldn’t do sex better as before because he was getting old.

    Right now, they sat up, lit the foreign oil lamp on the bedside cupboard, like a glowworm. In the dim yellow light, they looked at each other, not neatly dressed. Xiangyuan was smoking, taking a break. The fine hair on his chest were shaking, out of breath. “Having sex is hard work.” He said as he looked at Lai Tizi, two big white nipples hanging on her chest, exactly like two eggplants hanging in the garden. Being looked at by Xiangyuan for some time, Lai Tizi covered her nipples with the cloth, making a joke, “Do they look fresh? They have become rotten by your looking.” What Lai Tizi meant by saying “rotten” was that Xiangyuan had looked at her nipples for two long, not really becoming rotten. These two white eggplants, with skin and flesh, would not become rotten only by looking. Even the strongest man couldn’t have such sharp eyes.

    Thinking that Genshui was coming home soon, Lai Tizi offered to help Xiangyuan put on his clothes, saying softly to him, “I would be satisfied if I could sleep with you for a whole night.” To be honest this was not an excessive demand, but Xiangyuan couldn’t satisfy her because his wife was waiting for him at home.

    “Did you say that you have got something to talk with me?” Lai Tizi didn’t want to make Xiangyuan feel embarrassed, she changed the topic. With her reminding, Xiangyuan thought of it. He came out today with the excuse to talk about Shuimei with Genshui. Qiao Guanzi knew it was urgent. She was supposed to match Chunyu. But he turned out to be an ungrateful guy. Xiangyuan and Qiao Guanzi counted, compared with their fingers all the young men in the village, they sorted out Genshui as the best one. Although Qiao Guanzi was still angry with Lai Tizi for the affair with Xiangyuan, She could do nothing once Xiangyuan had made his decision. She had to agree with it reluctantly. Xiangyuan could understand how Qiao Guanzi felt, if it were not for her daughter, she would not send her husband again to the “disaster pit”. The villagers had two meanings by saying “Disaster pit”: one referred to the place easy to have disaster, the other to the vagina of the woman.

    “Yes, yes. I have got something.” Xiangyuan put on his clothes in a hurry,  thought of the important thing he wanted to discuss with Lai Tizi. “Have Genshui  be my son-in-law!” “What?” Lai Tizi thought she was mistaken, so she asked  doubtfully. “Have Genshui be my son-in-law! I want Shuimei marry him!” Xiangyuan repeated seriously, no sign of making a joke. “Amitabha! Amitabha!①” This was a great happy event for her. Genshui had great luck. “As long as you have  decided, I am sure Genshui will agree. I will worship, thank Bodihisattva every day.” Lai Tizi was so surprised, talking incoherently. Xiangyuan was pleased and satisfied  when he left for home.

    Xiangyuan and his wife finally got relieved because Genshui, Lai Tizi and Shuimei all agreed to the marriage. But next, they became badly battered by whether they should keep the baby in Shuimei’ tummy or to get rid of it.

    The old couple of Xiangyuan and Qiao Guanzi, Lai Tizi and Genshui had made an agreement that Shuimei should have an abortion. Shuimei became isolated. It would be heart-breaking for her to get rid of the baby in her tummy. It was the crystallization of love. She would not agree to get rid of it. She could hardly walk after she was set free from the locked room, because she didn’t eat for a few days.

    You couldn’t imagine that although she looked quiet, literate and polite, once she became obstinate, Shuimei would be very tough, “Three cows can’t draw her back.”②. She would rather die than agree to get rid of the baby. She sent out a message that she could marry Genshui, but he had to accept her baby, otherwise she would not marry for the whole life. If pushed too hard, she would either leave home forever, or commit suicide with the baby.

    “This girl must be either wild or crazy.” Xiangyuan cried out with both hands on back, walking round the hall-room, terribly worried, then he started to scold Qiao  Guanzi, “Look, how could you breed such a strange daughter? Getting pregnant  before getting married. We have never had such a shameless person in the village.” “Well, blame your bed when you can’t get to sleep.①   Why do you blame me? It  was because you sent her to learn how to become a doctor in the County Hospital,  otherwise nothing would have happened. It was You who arranged our unmarried  daughter to be ruined by others.” Qiao Guanzi cried out, stomping her hands,  dancing her feet, which made Lai Tizi and Genshui on the scene not to know what to say.

    “What should we do?” Lai Tizi said,looking helpless, worried. She agreed to the marriage but never thought of the big change in Shuimei. She would accept her pregnancy, for Xiangyuan’s sake. But if she gave birth to the baby, how will Genshui face people in the village?

    It was often said that no one knew a man better than his own father. But in Lai Tizi’s family, it should be no one knew a man better than his own mother. They both had the same idea. Over the past years, he knew that Xiangyuan had given them too much care and help. Well now, it’s time to testify their gratitude back to him. He would take Shuimei as wife even no one else would.

    But would the baby call me or the other man as Daddy? That would sure be the thing for quarreling and fighting. Besides, they might have their own child, which was normal. How would the two kids get along with each other since they were from different fathers? It would be impossible for him to pay more attention and care to his own child. Why should they do this since they knew there would be so much trouble in the future? Shuimei was really silly, did that man love her? If he did, why did he make her pregnant, then leave you alone? Genshui could hardly believe it. It’s not worthwhile for her to commit suicide for this kind of heartless man. Genshui dared not say any of these words to Shuimei, but he did think so.

    There must be an end to this. There would be quite a few months even before their wedding. Before the harvest and seedling in Autumn, they should be engaged. Stop thinking about her baby. Xiangyuan had made this decision after a careful and continuous consideration. Shuimei and Genshui agreed by saying nothing.

    As the secretary, Xiangyuan dealt with problems better than others. They had to admire it. It was his wonderful trick to have them engaged. Imagine by the time when Shuimei’s tummy became too big, if she insisted in having the baby, Xiangyuan would not force her too much, he had to give in. As for Genshui, Xiangyuan would find a reason to explain that it was not his idea to let Shuimei have this baby. If Shuimei insisted, Genshui would have to accept. If Genshui would not give in, Xiangyuan would have an excuse to say that it was not his idea to stop her having the baby, it was Genshui who would not agree. Since they were engaged, would live together in the future, they would suffer losses if they didn’t listen to him. In this way, Xiangyuan wouldn’t offend either side. “The ball” was bounced to Genshui and Shuimei. It would depend on how they did it.

    Although this was something on hold, after their formal engagement, when Shuimei’s tummy became bigger, there would be an envelop for people not gossiping about the father of the baby. For those who didn’t know about the details, they would say Genshui didn’t behave himself well, “taking food on the sly(*a slang, meaning having a private sex with another woman)”. Nowadays, the villagers were more open to the affairs between men and women, accepted them. To them, they would marry sooner or later, so could be forgiven. But if a man had sex before marriage, didn’t admit it, he would be scolded, “You would be punished for such immorality.” if a girl didn’t admit it after doing this, she would be regarded, “She is very coquettish, not decent. She would be cuckold for her own husband in the future.”

    According to Xiangyuan, Genshui and Shuimei got engaged a few days later. So when people in the village saw Genshui, they would say politely to him, “Genshui will be different later on. Being the son-in-law of the secretary, you’dbetter be careful in doing everything.” Other people would say, “Chunyu is a silly guy. Why not take it as granted to be son-in-law of the secretary? Genshui is smarter.” “Don’t say so, it’s the same.” Genshui replied with a smile. But a careful person could see that Genshui’s smile was not natural with a little bit of bitterness.

    Although Shuimei didn’t love Genshui, where was the man she loved now? In the water, the mirror, or …… Shuimei got confused herself. Love became illusory in her heart. But motherly love was increasing in heart day by day, the baby was growing in her body. The little life in her tummy reminded her that she must marry Genshui so that it would be borne to the world rightfully. She understood very clearly that with the engagement, they would get married at the Chinese New Year. No matter how simple they would do it, she still had to be busy with some of her dowries. For the whole life of a girl, wedding was one of the biggest events, what else could that be? Moreover, as the only daughter in the secretary’s family, if the wedding were not nicely done, not only she herself would lose face among her friends, but also her parents would lose face among the neighbors.

    In the next few months, Shuimei was not normal in the medical station, going to fits and starts/one day fishing, two days to dry the net.①   She was preparing for her wedding. It was called by the local people as busy with marriage.

    In this area, weddings were mostly held in the first month of the Chinese lunar new year. It was regarded as two happy events came together, buzzing with excitement. Relatives and friends gathered, the master family was very happy. So it wouldn’t be too long since the date of being noticed to the the wedding date, about 100 days for long, or one month for short. Getting busy was inevitable, compared with both parties. The girl’s family would be busier.

    The first thing to be busy with was to have wedding clothes made. All the cloth from the man’s family had not only to be tailored, but also to be sewed with linings, such as cotton padded clothes and jacket. Take the cotton clothes for example, if the cover was dark red,the lining had to be dark red, too. This was very particular, which called one color both inside and outside. It implied that the bride would be treated as the same when she married in the bridegroom’s family. It was also particular when matching the cloth cover with linings. Generally speaking, the lining with all kinds of stripes were popular, because in the Chinese language, stripes were pronounced as “Tiaozi tiaozi, they bring kids.”. But it wouldn’t do with plaid fabrics because that meant no kids. It’s taboo.

    They were really busy to make tens of wedding clothes. However, no matter how busy it was, the unmarried girl couldn’t use needles and threads. Why? There were two reasons: No  1, her mother did this on purpose to free from worry because she would have too much to do in her husband’s family; No.2, if she was seen busy doing this by the neighbors, the girl to be married would be laughed at, “You can’t wait to marry, start doing this yourself. It’s a shame!” So the girls were ashamed to do this themselves even if the family got very busy with the wedding preparations. At this moment, the bride’s close friends and relatives would come, offer help with this. One thing to mention, the people who came to prepare for the wedding clothes had to be happy with complete families——couples with children. Widows, widowers, people without children were not qualified. What the most particular thing was needles and threads. No matter what they made, it had to be a whole thread, sewing from the beginning to the end, no breaking in the middle, no reverse stitch, no knots. Otherwise, it would imply no harmonized future life of the newly wedded couple. They would mean divorce, quarreling and fighting, which would make their life terrible and miserable.

    The second thing to be busy with was making dowries. Parents should get busy for the wedding of their daughter. But father and mother were busy with different things. For the wedding clothes, mother was in charge, father didn’t ask or help as if nothing to do with him. But for the other dowries, father was responsible, either to buy them ready in the shops or to buy materials, to ask carpenters to make them. They worried about, took the trouble to complete these things. Mother usually checked up, but never asked about them. Talking about dowries, there were usually three kinds of levels. Rich family had “Four sets of bedding”, well-off family had “Two sets of bedding”, poor family had only “One set of bedding.” But even a poor family had to prepare things such as night-stool, foot basins, lanterns, and so on. These were all for goodluck. Night stool was commonly called kids’ barrel, foot basin was used for the childbirth, lanterns implied a bright future. They had to spend money on these, no way to save.

    After being busy with wedding clothes and dowries, the wedding date was drawing near. Now, it’s time for the girl’s family to invite people of complete happiness to put big red Chinese characters of Happiness on the dowries. If they were skilled,they would cut out happy and beautiful designs, such as “A magpie on a plum tree branch”. “Two mandarin ducks were tumbling merrily about in the water”, “The phoenix is looking toward the sun.”, etc. Besides, they had to put red paper, coins, sweets, red dried dates on the dowries. They also put dates, dragon eye/Longan①, and seven eggs in the night stool, as symbols of early birth of child, passing the imperial examinations and reunion of seven children. These were not only beautiful wishes, but also practical meaning.

    All the family and relatives were busy while the girl to be married was idle with nothing to do. This was acceptable but what was most strange was that before “Screw off the fine hairs on the face and neck①” the bride was not allowed to eat any food with residuals. They were replaced with eggs, dates and Longan. This was called “Hungry marriage” for the purpose of keeping the bride away from using the night-stool to relieve the bowels from the moment onto the bridal sedan chair to the wedding ceremony up until the next day before the screw off. Otherwise it would bring bad luck. These were the old rules of many years’ standing, handed down from the ancestors. They would have to do it, believe it or not, obey it or not.

    This set of marriage customs were strictly practiced in those old-fashioned families who scrupulously abide by. In those modern and more open-minded families, they didn’t practice these customs. So, Shuimei made all the wedding clothes almost by herself. She first sent all the cloth to Qin Yatou to cut them out, then brought back home to do manual hemming, took them back again to Qin Yatou to finish sewing with her foreign sewing machine. After that, she would bring then back home to put on buttons. It would take her a few back and forth to do one piece of cloth from the material to the finished product. Then again, it took so much trouble to make one piece of clothes, imagine how busy it would be for her to make so much clothes.