You Tao had endured a rough journey, jolting and bumping across the barren desert in a military truck for two whole days before he could vaguely make out a cluster of low buildings standing on a stretch of the barren land on the horizon. As the driver kept his eyes on the dusty road, he said:
"Well, you've taken the truck all the way from Jiu Quan to here. And you know it still takes several hours to reach this place from the nearest town. This company is one of the agricultural reclamation bases, stationed in the most remote and toughest corner of Gansu. Most of the other reclamation bases are already self-sufficient in grain, or at least nearly so, but this one still depends on supplies from Jiu Quan State Farm. Even so, they have done remarkably well. North of this base lies a drifting desert. I have heard that a few people have died there. The crops they have planted have actually slowed the desert's advance. It is known that this is the area with the scarcest water resources and the fiercest sandstorms, making it extremely difficult to keep those plants alive. In the early years, whatever they planted died so they just planted over and over, until they figured out how to make it work. They persisted relentlessly. It's incredibly hard to preserve moisture for the crops here, but somehow, they managed to pull it off. I have heard they're planning to share their methods across the entire Gansu region."
When the driver mentioned that "a few people have died there", You Tao's eyes welled up with tears. He murmured to himself:
"My eldest niece... she died in that desert."
The driver asked him gently:
"Uncle, who are you going to visit?"
You Tao replied:
"My niece. She was sent here to support the border regions. She hasn't been home for six or seven years. We have all worried about her, so I took the opportunity of a business trip to Lanzhou to come and visit her."
The driver chuckled softly:
"Six or seven years! It is a long time. Why didn't she apply for leave to come home?"
You Tao sighed, his voice heavy with helplessness:
"She is too young to travel home alone. We were all worried about her. Besides, the trip costs a lot of money. She didn't want to spend it."
The driver nodded in understanding:
"You're right." He glanced toward the base and added, "Look, over there! They're holding a struggle session."
Looking in that direction, You Tao saw that a crowd of one or two hundred people sitting in a wide circle, shouting the slogans in unison. In the center stood three figures, two men and one woman, all wearing tall paper hats, each with a placards hanging from their chest. As the truck drew closer, You Tao's eyes widened in shock. The name on one of the placards leapt out at him: "Li Weiwen" with a large red cross drawn over it. In addition to the placard, a pair of tattered shoes also hung around her neck. You Tao, of course, knew what that meant ---- having the tattered shoes hung around the woman's neck was a sign that this woman's conduct had been deemed improper. He could hardly believe what he was seeing. At the moment, the driver's words faded into a blur. His gaze was locked on that small, fragile figure standing in the center of the shouting crowd.
Before long, the struggle session ended. The people began to drift away. You Tao saw that Li Weiwen took off her tall hat and dragged her feet wearily forward, her movements heavy and unsteady. Just then, as You Tao stepped down from the truck, someone approached him and asked:
"Comrade, who are you looking for?"
You Tao replied:
"I came here for Li Weiwen. But, could you tell me why Li Weiwen became the target of your struggle session?"
The person replied:
"Just look at her eyes, a pair of green eyes. Isn't that enough proof that she is colluding with foreign reactionaries? Actually, she wasn't the target at first. It only started after Commnander Guo passed away. Anyway, I don't know the full details myself."
You Tao asked:
"Where are your company commander and political instructor? I would like to speak with them."
The man replied:
"Alright, please follow me."
When You Tao met Company Commander Tian and Instructor Ren, they exchanged brief introductions. Without wasting time, You Tao asked directly:
"Commander Tian, Instructor Ren. I just want to know, why has Li Weiwen become the target of your struggle session?"
Instructor Ren replied in an even tone:
"When we took over from the previous company leadership, the former commander made a special point of emphasizing this issue. According to him, this company in the past didn't place enough emphasise on class struggle, and there was no real atmosphere for it. A number of people with bourgeois tendencies had never gone through criticism and self-criticism. They always put production and construction above everything else and neglected the importance of class struggle. So, we believe that the former company commander was right and we have continued his policy. As for Li Weiwen, her background is the most problematic: her father was an American imperialist and her mother was sent to a labour camp. She's a typical representative of the 'black five categories'. It was only natural that she become the target of our struggle session."
You Tao quickly explained, his tone urgent:
"Instructor Ren, I think you have made a mistake. Li Weiwen's family and mine were neighbors, and I am the county governor of her hometown. I know her situation better than anyone. It is true that her father was an American imperialist, but he fled long before Li Weiwen was even born. The girl never once saw that so-called 'imperialist father'. As for her mother who was sent to the labour camp, Li Weiwen cut all ties with her a long time ago. In fact, during a county-wide struggle session when she was only twelve or thirteen years old, she publicly declared the severance of their mother-daughter relationship. Everyone in the county knows that story. My own mother saw that the child had nowhere to go and took her in, adopting her as her granddaughter. All of this is clearly recorded in her file."
Instructor Ren wanted to say something but Commander Tian interjected:
"All right. So that's how it is. We came here in a hurry and didn't have time to review everyone's files carefully. We only followed what the former commander told us. Since that is the case, we'll clarify the situation to the masses." He paused, then added with a note of firmness, "However, the matter of her being unmarried with a child, that conduct issue is something everyone here knows about. There's no question about that."
You Tao exclaimed anxiously:
"No, no, that's wrong! That child isn't hers. He is her elder sister's. Her elder sister, Li Weibing, was honoured as a revolutionary martyr after her death.
Commander Tian and Instructor Ren exchanged glances. Then Commander Tian said slowly:
"We know that her elder sister's child, Li Xinyu, has been living with her. But she also has another child, a boy named Guo Lei, who is certainly her own son."
You Tao froze. For a long moment, he couldn't speak. Then, in a trembling voice, he murmured:
"Th...this... that's impossible. She... she never told us. Who...who is the father of her child? His surname is Guo...could it be... the child of that commander who died? I never expected that, like Hui mei, she would throw everything aside once she fell in love..."
Seeing the shock and pain on his face, Commander Tian seemed to soften. His voice lowered as he said gently:
"Yes, the boy is indeed Commander Guo's son. It seems that Li Weiwen never told you the truth. There are even rumours now... that Li Weiwen seduced Commander Guo."
Hearing this, You Tao suddenly stood up, his voice shaking with fury:
"Nonsense, Xue'er would never do such a thing! She has always been a well-behaved child. I swear on my over thirty years of Party membership that she isn't a frivolous girl."
Commander Tian asked in surprise:
"Comrade You Tao, you're a veteran Party member too. Come with me. I will take you to see Li Weiwen. It is better that you hear the truth directly from her."
Instructor Ren tried to stop them but You Tao had already been pulled away by Commander Tian. On the way to Li Weiwen's home, Commander Tian asked:
"Comrade You Tao, which field army were you with before?"
"The Third Field Army." You Tao replied. Then, glancing at Tian's insignia, he added, "You must have been with the Northwest Field Army?"
Commander Tian nodded, smiling faintly and said:
"Ah, the Third Field Army! Then you must have fought in the Crossing of the Yangtze Campaign and in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. Some of our Northwest Field Army went to Korea too."
You Tao smiled and said:
"I knew a few soldiers from the artillery regiments of your Northwest Field Army. During the Korean War, our Ninth Corps fought on the central front."
Commander Tian patted You Tao's shoulder warmly and said:
"Our Twentieth Corps was stationed on the western front. Actually I joined the army after the Northwest Field Army reached Gansu. So I didn't take part in any major battles, just being involved in suppressing bandits and clearing out horse caravans around here. When the Korean War broke out, I went to Korea with our artillery regiment. Oh, here we are, Li Weiwen's house." then he called out toward the doorway, " Li Weiwen, you have a visitor."
He had barely finished calling out and a babyish voice came from inside the house:
"Uncle, my mom isn't home. She went to get food."
Commander Tian replied kindly:
"Little Xinyu, you have got a visitor."
Then he turned toward and saw You Tao standing by the low courtyard wall, gazing at the small patch of flowers and plants growing there. Commander Tian walked over to him. You Tao asked quietly:
"She's still able to help out?"
Commander Tian smiled and said:
"There are more than one hundred and fifty people here. Whenever anyone gets sick or hurt, it's your niece who takes care of them. So, even though we hold the struggle sessions against her, it is really just a matter of shouting slogans. No one truly bears her any ill will. She even treated Instructor Ren's family so he is a little embarrassed to be too harsh on her. So, Comrade You Tao, life here is tough but everyone actually gets along with Li Weiwen quite well. Even those young Red Guards haven't gone too far. You can rest assured."
Just then, Li Weiwen walked into the small courtyard carrying a food box in one hand and a large enamel mug in the other. When she looked up and saw You Tao, she froze, then gasped in disbelief:
"Uncle Tao! How... how did you come here?"
Before she could finish, tears were already streaming down her face. You Tao's heart clenched when he saw that Li Weiwen was dressed in a patched, faded uniform several sizes too big, layer upon layer hanging loosely from her frail frame. She looked so thin that a single gust of wind might have blown her away. Her face was sallow and dry, lacking any trace of the youthful plumpness typical of a girl in her early twenties should have had. He stepped forward and gently gathered her into his arms. His voice trembled as he whispered:
"Xue'er, my child, all these years you have suffered so much."
Commander Tian quietly took the food box and mug from her hands. As he did, he could hear Li Weiwen sobbing softly against You Tao's shoulder. After a moment, he said gently:
"Comrade You Tao, Comrade Li Weiwen, it is better for you to go inside and have a talk. The two children are peeking at you from the window."
You Tao took a deep breath, forcing himself to steady his emotions. He gently wiped the tears from Li Weiwen's cheeks and said softly: "Don't cry, my child. Seeing you like this only makes your uncle's heart ache more. Come, let's go inside and talk."
After Commander Tian left, You Tao held Guo Lei in his arms and asked with deep concern:
"Xue'er, why didn't you tell us anything?"
Li Weiwen busied herself preparing food for Li Xinyu while she spoke softly:
"There wasn't much I could tell you. Uncle Tao, once you and Grandma You knew everything, you would have worried about me again. But it's so far away. Even if you wanted to help, there was nothing you could do. So why make you worry nothing?"
You Tao sighed deeply and said:
"Let's eat first. Afterward, we will have a proper talk. Don't just tell me the good news and hide the bad, which only makes me anxious. I brought some of your Grandma You's homemade pickles vegetables and the green been ones you like so much. I also bought some baozi in the county town, though they have cooled down. Can we warm them up?"
Li Weiwen nodded:
"Yes, of course."
The two children quietly ate the warm baozi while Li Weiwen washed the dishes. Only then did they sit down and start talking about everything Li Weiwen had experienced over the past few years. When she spoke of Li Weibing and Guo Yungang's deaths, both of them broke down in tears. Then she told him about what Liu Yun had done for her and finally helped her deliver Guo Lei. You Tao held her in his arms, comforting her gently:
"So, just as you said, your marriage application had already been approved, but you didn't have managed to the certificate before Guo died. Your leaders must know about this. They should have made it clear, instead of letting you become a target in the struggle session. I think this whole mess started because of Liu Yun. Even if she ended up helping you, you shouldn't forgive her." You Tao fixed his gaze on Li Weiwen and then suddenly said:
"Xue'er, let these two children come with me...."
"No! Absolutely not! The children have to stay with me." Before You Tao could finish his sentence, Li Weiwen interrupted him without hesitation. Her voice was firm and urgent, but after a moment, it softened, "Uncle Tao, it isn't that I don't trust you. If the children go home, who will take care of them? Grandma You knows that these two children are Sister Liu'er's and mine. She would devote her whole heart into raising them, just as she did with us. If she were still around fifty, I would never object to you. But now she is over sixty years old. It is time for her to enjoy her later years in peace and health. Sister Liu'er and I never even had the chance to take care of her properly ourselves. How could I ask her to take on that burden?"
You Tao grew anxious:
"It would be me who looked after them! Although I still hold the title of county governor, I have already been pushed to the sidelines. If it weren't for your Aunt Hongjun holding a post in the Revolutionary Committee, I would probably have been branded a capitalist authority and dragged out for the struggle session long ago. The present county government is practically paralyzed now. I have nothing to do now. Taking care of two children wouldn't be difficult for me."
Li Weiwen lowered her head, thinking for a long while. Then she looked up, her expression calm out but resolute:
"Even so, Uncle Tao, I can't agree." she said firmly. "You already have four sons at home. And as you just said, you have been pushed aside, which means that you can't be doing well financially. Besides, Aunt Hongjun has never liked Sister Liu'er and me. Forgive me for speaking so bluntly, I don't believe she would treat the children kindly. That is one of the reasons that I can't agree to let them go."