Chapter 8: Gathering Clouds

As the sun rose, the Jiang family, having recovered from the previous night, began their day with a clear division of labor. Tong Shufen, skilled in nursing, joined her daughter Jiang Jingnan in caring for Zhuzhu. Jiang Baoshan and his son were responsible for fetching breakfast from the hospital canteen, with Jiang Jingan even going early to assist the staff, hoping to secure a bowl of steamed egg custard to help his little sister regain her strength.

The doctor arrived for his rounds and confirmed that Jiang Jingzhu’s recovery was stable and satisfactory. Barring any unexpected relapses, she was essentially out of danger; after one final day of observation and rehabilitation, she would be discharged the following day. The entire family was finally relieved.

After thanking the medical staff profusely, the family was happily discussing their plans when a young woman in a military uniform without collar badges entered the room.

"Jiang Jingzhu, you really did wake up!" Before this, everyone had said that Jiang Jingzhu would never wake up, lamenting that despite her stellar academic record, she would be nothing more than a useless burden. When news spread from the medical university yesterday that she was likely to become a vegetable after seven days of unconsciousness, the surrounding wards had viewed her recovery as a medical miracle.

Jiang Jingzhu looked up and smiled faintly. "Han Hongying, you're here. Yes, I was lucky enough to wake up. Thank you for coming to see me." This was her classmate and dorm-mate, with whom she had always had a good relationship.

"It’s good that you’re awake. Professor Gu can rest easy now—you were the one he was most worried about before he left." Han Hongying glanced at Jiang Jingzhu. Despite having just escaped death, she appeared neither terrified nor frail, still carrying the poise of the brilliant student representative so beloved by the professors and instructors. Han had been present at the time of the incident but had been too frightened to step forward with her.

However... a flicker of pity crossed her eyes. In these times, she wondered if waking up was truly a blessing.

"How is the professor?" Jiang Jingzhu asked. Her memory had been a blank since her head injury, and having slept for seven days, she knew nothing of the events that had transpired in her absence.

"The professor’s situation has been decided. It’s better than expected; someone came to collect him that very day." Han Hongying glanced at the sky; it was getting late. "Jiang Jingzhu, these are your personal belongings. Those people are claiming your ideology is not progressive. They intend to label you as an anti-revolutionary, brand you with a 'black hat,' and revoke all your academic achievements. Tian Xiuli and her group are suggesting you be sent to the most arduous places to perform the filthiest labor for 're-education.' You must plan ahead. This is all I can do—tell you the news. I must go." Han dropped the items and hurried away.

Everyone was currently struggling to fend for themselves and could not afford the luxury of sympathy; she didn't want to be implicated.

"Regardless of everything, thank you. Take care!" Jiang Jingzhu called out. It was a great risk for Hongying to sneak over in the morning, and this gesture of kindness was well worth their years of friendship. To ensure Hongying wasn't implicated in the worst-case scenario, Jiang Jingzhu didn't even use her name, so no one would know she had been there.

Han Hongying waved silently and disappeared into the distance. It would be a long time before they met again.

"Those damn bastards, how can they be so wicked? Their hearts are black with pus!" Tong Shufen was instantly overcome with rage; the world spun as she trembled, clutching her daughter. Her precious Zhuzhu—why was she so plagued by misfortune? Having just escaped death, those people now wanted to make her life a living hell.

"We’ll take Zhuzhu home. She won’t attend this school anymore; we’ll support her!" Tong Shufen gritted her teeth. They hadn't given up on her while she was in a coma, and they wouldn't let her be bullied out there. They weren't afraid of trouble, but as ordinary people, they were powerless against the current political climate. If they couldn't fight it, they would hide. She would take Zhuzhu home. It wasn't that they were cowardly or clinging to life, but having lived through the war years, they were accustomed to playing it safe. She couldn't bear the thought of Zhuzhu suffering; she had never even let her do farm work at home. They had endured all the hardships they needed to; they were willing to sacrifice themselves, but they couldn't bear to see their delicately raised Zhuzhu suffer—let alone be targeted and persecuted.

Jiang Jingan was so furious he was nearly trembling, his fists clenched at his sides, veins bulging and knuckles popping. He truly wished he could hammer those bastards to death immediately. Jiang Jingnan covered her mouth with one hand, tears streaming down her face. Why was it so difficult for Zhuzhu to just attend school? One disaster after another! Just moments ago, they had been happily discussing how she would go to the school early to pick up her sister’s belongings. The girl loved cleanliness; if she couldn't wash up properly, she probably wouldn't even want to eat. Jingnan often teased her sister for being finicky, but in practice, she was more than happy to spoil her.

These bastards were deliberately framing Zhuzhu with fabricated charges to exact revenge.

"Dad, Mom, I heard rumors that they want to mobilize educated youth like Zhuzhu to go to the countryside for 're-education' by the poor and lower-middle peasants. I called the brigade two days ago, hoping we could plan ahead before the policy came down." She gestured silently upward. Both she and her husband worked in the state system, and being in the city, their information was relatively reliable.

"I wanted to discuss with the family how to settle Zhuzhu before the policy hit. Who could bear to send her to the countryside to labor? And the environment out there is so complex. Our little 'airhead' is so naive and simple; the countryside isn't as rustic as people imagine. If Zhuzhu were placed in such an environment, she’d be eaten alive. Just thinking about it makes me go crazy!" She didn't deny the nobility of the first group of youths who went to support the border, but at a time like this, she would rather be selfish.

She hadn't expected that before she could even warn the family, they would receive news of Zhuzhu’s accident, leaving them no time for anything else. Now that Zhuzhu had finally woken up, she still hadn't escaped the calamity.

"Third child, calm down. Anger won't help; we must all think of a solution together." Jiang Baoshan took a deep breath, eventually stopping the trembling in his hands and suppressing his surging emotions. He was most worried about the third child acting impulsively. Impulsiveness solved nothing. The many times he had escaped death over the years had honed his wisdom: the more critical the situation, the calmer one must be.

"Dad, Mom, you absolutely cannot be 'self-sacrificing' at a time like this! Don't we see every day how hard it is to work in the fields? Facing the earth with your back to the sky, the sun blistering your spine, sweat dripping into the dirt—not to mention if she is targeted for abuse. It’s not just labor; some of those disgusting tactics have destroyed so many people... This is not what Zhuzhu should endure!" Jiang Jingan roared. His parents had always preached about contributing to the country. He didn't oppose that; the country had given them a stable life, and it was the right thing to do. But this wasn't how you made a contribution. Zhuzhu’s mind should be used for more suitable work, not for proving her worth in the soil. She certainly shouldn't have her bright, promising future and life ruined by those scoundrels!