Chapter Twelve Good Aunt

  "You'd better not come here, I've got this matter under control today. Don't think I don't know, you're just trying to bully Aunt Yueyue, she doesn't care about you, so you're taking revenge. Forget it, I won't bother with you anymore." Saying that, in the tone of Peking Opera, he said to Zhou Kun in a childish and nasal voice, dragging out the words:

  "Today we're waiting here, why don't you just let yourself go and come over!"

  The crowd watching was large, but they all burst out laughing. Chiao-yün and Hsüeh Yün and several other young maidservants clapped their hands wildly, adding fuel to the fire. Chou K'un had been exposed and was just about to fly into a rage when he saw Yü San suddenly break into song amidst the hubbub of the crowd:

  Little sparrow, coo coo coo, a good aunt has come to my home. Sharing a pot of rice with me, sleeping in the same room as me. During the day, she goes down to the fields for production, and when she comes back home, she sweeps the floor and feeds the pigs. In her free time, she teaches me culture, and also helps mom make clothes. When mom asks her if she's suffering, she says no, not at all, very happy. If you ask who she is, she's a good aunt who came from the countryside...

  Su Yun, Qiao Yun and the surrounding boys and girls all sang along with them, making the tense atmosphere relaxed and ridiculous. The onlookers laughed so hard they were doubled over. Shi Wenfang and Yu Yuemonth were also teased to tears by them. Shi Wenfang laughed and scolded, "Little rascal, you have a lot of bad ideas."

  Zhou Kun's face turned pale with anger. As the leader of the political team, he couldn't even handle a few teenagers. This serious class struggle had been turned into a farce by these little rascals. How could they lead the masses in a movement? But after all, they were just kids... what to do?

  He was at a loss, thinking hard for a good strategy when he suddenly saw Yu Xinhe and Yu Xinmin, both holding their children standing in the crowd. And their several older sons, such as Yu Songlu, Yu Songjiu, Yu Songming, etc., were all staring fiercely behind their father. He knew very well that if he really let the militia hurt these little brats, Old Yu and Second Yu would never let it go.

  In Yu's village, he was after all an outsider. Although he had power, he never dared to take things too far.

  Then he shouted, "Yu Lao Da, Yu Lao Er, if you don't control your family's lawless little devil, don't blame me for being impolite!" Yu Xinghe just looked at him expressionlessly and ignored him.

  His father's attitude greatly encouraged Yu Songyuan, who let "Pang Duan" break off a few large green bricks from the pigsty wall. The four brothers each held one in their hands and stood up in horse-riding stance, shouting loudly "Hey, hey". Yu Songyuan then stretched out his weak small palm and first chopped at the green brick he was holding in his left hand, which broke into two halves with a loud crack. Then, with a few swift strokes to the left and right, he split the bricks held by the other three brothers.

  The villagers who were watching at the door all burst into laughter, and Su Yun, Qiaoqu and others shouted loudly.

  Today's trouble, apparently made a bit too big. Next, the young Yu Songyuan also didn't know how to end it. Sports are not just for fun, he cast his pleading gaze towards his father.

  At this time, Aunt Xiang Wenxiu pulled Yu Xinhe's sleeve and Yu Xinhe said to Zhou Kun: "Old Zhou, Professor is sick with wind chill and Old Chen is also seriously ill. The two of them almost didn't make it through this winter. From now on, when sweeping snow, I think the two of them shouldn't go."

  Everyone listened quietly to Yu Xinhe's words, "These stinky brats think they're so capable and strong, well, from now on, let them take the place of Professor and Teacher Chen in receiving punishment, undergoing re-education by poor and lower-middle-class peasants. This way, isn't it a win-win situation for reforming their worldview and outlook on life?"

  Zhou Kun was stunned for a moment, but he quickly understood. This is Yu Lao Da giving himself an excuse, so he hurriedly said, "This idea is good, this idea is good, let's do it according to Yu Lao Da's method."

  He turned around sternly and said to Yu Songyuan and the others, "You few little rascals, today's mistake is serious. I'll let you off because of your youth and ignorance, but the masses won't tolerate this kind of behavior from you. From now on, you'll take the place of Professor and Teacher Chen, and join the 'four types of people' in participating in voluntary labor, and undergo reeducation." After finishing speaking, he led those useless militiamen out of the crowd, and they slunk away with their tails between their legs.

  A notified public denunciation meeting finally ended in disarray and chaos under the desperate resistance of Yu Songyuan and his brothers, a first in the history of Yujia Village.

  What right do you have to reform us through labor? Yu Songyuan originally wanted to retort, and even thought of scolding loudly, "You old lecher should be the one to undergo reeducation!" But Yu Xinghe seemed to read his mind, glared at him fiercely with his eyes, and he finally swallowed back his words, like a deflated balloon, feeling utterly dispirited. Because he felt that his heroic display had achieved such an undesirable outcome.

  Flying eaves and walking walls, palm broken green bricks, these two hands shocked everyone at once.

  These militiamen were actually honest farmers. Zhou Kun, who seemed to be bullying and domineering in peacetime, was also just a rural rascal who bullied the weak and feared the strong. The martial arts he had only heard of in novels like "The Romance of Sui and Tang", "The Yang Family Generals" and "The Legend of Yue Fei". He had never seen real ones before, so he was naturally shocked.

  From then on, the reputation of "Yu's Four Brothers" spread far and wide. Children from surrounding villages who liked to fight in groups would take a detour around their village. Even adults wouldn't dare provoke them, and would even give way to them voluntarily.

  The crowd gradually dispersed, and Yu Songyuan's mother and Yu Yuer finally dared to open the door. Yu Xinghe and some villagers entered the house together to visit Professor, and Yu Yuer asked everyone to sit down. Yu Songyuan and a few close friends cleaned up the front door and followed them in.

  When they sang "Good Aunt" in unison, the professor was already awake. She had come to her senses and heard the conversation outside just now. Yu Yueyue told her about the rescue efforts of the past few days, and the professor burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.

  Shu walked over to comfort his grandmother, who was leaning against the headboard of the bed, and accompanied her in tears. Yu Xinhe sat at the foot of the bed, took the professor's pulse, and said: "Professor, don't be too sad, take good care of yourself, and whatever you do, don't catch a chill again. The brazier will burn brighter, and in a few more days, I'm afraid it should be fine."

  "Professor Yu said with tears: 'Yu Lao Da, Yu Lao Er, thank you so much. Without the two of you brothers, this old bone of mine would have been handed over to this heavy snow this year.'"

  Wang Feng also tearfully said, "Fortunately, Yu Gege's prescription was effective, and Yu Xiao Ge braved the heavy snow to fetch medicine from the county town in the middle of the night, and Old Chen managed to pull through."

  Yu Xinhe said, "You all don't have to be so polite, my brother and I can't bear the thanks, just thank Shu Tong and Chen Lan from both families. It was they, four brothers, who protected you with their small fists." The professor lovingly stroked his grandson's head, his eyes brimming with hot tears, speechless with emotion. Wang Feng also hugged Chen Lan tightly in her arms, doting on him excessively.

  The professor suddenly sat up straight in bed, solemnly saying, "Yu Lao Da, Yu Lao Er, you two brothers are men of benevolence and righteousness. Today I have a matter to entrust to you, please don't decline."

  Yu Xinhe sat up straight and said, "Please, Professor, go ahead!"

  "My family and Old Chen's family are both living with guilt, our lives hanging by a thread, we don't know which day will be our last."

  The professor took a sip of water and continued, "Since the fall, fortunately, you two brothers have not been stingy in helping each other, and we have barely managed to survive until now. I am old, and Old Chen is seriously ill. Especially for us, three people with no one to rely on, we don't know if we can make it through tomorrow. If something unexpected happens to me, Moon Moon, Old Chen, and Wang Feng, please, you two brothers, must raise Shu Tong, Chen Lan, and Xiao Jing into adulthood!"

  By this time, Professor Yu and Wang Feng were both sobbing uncontrollably.

  The various hardships and bitterness they had endured since their downfall all surged up in their minds, causing them to feel sorrowful and unable to see a future or any hope. The sisters Shi Wenfang and Shi Wenshu also accompanied them in tears, constantly comforting Professor and Yu Yue and Wang Feng. Many villagers inside the room also accompanied them in tears.

  The professor then solemnly said to Shu Tong, Chen Lan and Chen Jing, "You three children, now kneel down and kowtow three times to your two godfathers! From now on, you are their children, members of the Yu family. No matter how high the mountains or how long the waters, no matter how dangerous the road, your two godfathers will forever be a great mountain, your only support in times of crisis!"

  Shu Tong was very obedient, he cried and arranged two stools, inviting Yu Xinhe and Yu Xinmin couple to sit down. Then he pulled Chen Lan and Chen Jing, the three children stood in a row, facing Yu Xinhe and Yu Xinmin couple, solemnly knelt down and respectfully knocked three loud heads.

  ……

  From that day on, Shu Tong, Chen Tian and Chen Jing officially became Yu Xinhe's and Yu Xinmin's adopted children. Zhou Kun and others also stopped bothering them. This big family composed of four families also survived the biggest crisis since Yu Yueyue and Wang Feng were demoted. Smiles slowly returned to their faces.

  The unbearable winter finally passed slowly, and the sky was no longer so cold. Professor Chen's body, along with the rising temperature, miraculously recovered slowly. But Yu Xinhe and Yu Xinmin brothers still took their pulse regularly and continued to drink medicinal soup for a while.

  Northern Jiangsu is extremely cold in winter, and the temperature rises quickly in spring. Starting from April, Yu Yue and Wang Feng began to tidy up their vegetable garden, making it full of life and vitality. The trees in front of the door, the fence of the vegetable garden, were all covered with cucumber seedlings. Along the roadsides and ditches, they planted pumpkins, watermelons, and melons. They even helped and guided Shi Wenfang and Shi Wenshu to scientifically plant vegetables, which was quite surprising.

  They are also smart women, the embarrassment of not being frugal and thrifty when they first moved to the countryside soon became history. The advantages of educated women slowly emerged. Vegetables, melons, fruit trees, and even wheat in their private plots began to grow like them, tender and full of vitality.

  When all things revived and spring warmed up, the professor's body had basically recovered and he could walk slowly outside by himself. Chen Laoshi's coughing blood disease also gradually improved due to Yu Xinhe brothers' careful care.

  What made them even more relieved was that due to Yu Xinhe and Yu Xinmin brothers taking Shu Tong and Chen Lan as their adopted sons, the several families had truly become one family. Those who had been bullying Widow Yu Yueyue had completely given up. The number of people idly strolling on the main road next to the house decreased, and the mysterious knocking sounds on the windows of Yu Yueyue's east wing at night never appeared again.

  By the summer harvest, Yu Xinmin was busy organizing wheat harvesting as the captain of the sixth squad. The squad had several hundred acres of wheat, with an average yield of over 400 kilograms per acre, all reaching the "upper standard" (note: 400 kg per acre), and brought back the advanced red flag for grain production to the commune.

  Originally, before the spring sowing of the year before last, in view of the rough planting habits of large fields in northern Jiangsu, the professor summarized the experience from various places and proposed to Yu Xinmin that he change the habit of broadcasting wheat seeds. Instead, adopt concentrated planting by dividing plots into sections and rows, and apply fertilizer in stages. This can increase ventilation and light penetration while promoting tillering and increasing yields.

  Yu Xinmin experimented in the self-retained land of four households last year, and indeed the yield per mu increased by 1/2 to 1/3. This is a big deal, as our entire production team has over 400 mu of wheat. If all of it increases by this much, we'll be able to meet the state's grain quota with ease. Some good land will even be able to produce over 600 jin per mu (the "Yellow River" standard). After turning in the public grain, our village will have more than enough food left over, and we won't have to worry about spring famine anymore.

  So, at the end of last year when planting spring wheat, the sixth squad completely followed the professor's suggestion and conducted trial planting in all 600 mu of wheat fields. As a result, this summer they reaped a bumper harvest, with the sixth squad's yield increasing significantly. The brigade secretary Zhou Jianguo heard the news and was greatly surprised, immediately leading people to come and summarize their experience. It was decided that from next year on, it would be promoted throughout the entire brigade.

  Zhou Jianguo is a resolute and powerful grassroots cadre who gets things done once he sets his mind on them.

  Sure, here is the translation:

  As expected, from the second year onwards, it was widely promoted throughout the entire brigade. In the third year, it was gradually promoted to the whole commune and the whole county, causing grain production in the entire county to take a big step forward, all reaching the "high standard" of "up to the level", becoming an advanced county for grain production in the province. The provincial newspaper even reported on this matter, but the reporter missed the professor's major contribution as one of the "four kinds of elements".

  Yu Xinmin felt somewhat apologetic about this. A professor who had experienced many storms would not take it to heart and just smiled it off. Of course, that's a later story.