Li Shuying had not been waiting long when she heard the sound of approaching footsteps.
Along with them came the lively, unmistakably excited voice of the young boy, "Father, I am certain she said her name is Li Shuying, she must be the apple girl!"
Before the words had fully settled, another voice followed with displeasure.
"You little rascal," Zhang Wenhao rebuked, his tone firm. "How can you speak so rudely? Calling her the apple girl, have you no manners? Address her properly as Comrade."
Hearing this, Li Shuying could not help but smile faintly, her expression composed as she waited.
Moments later, the two entered the living room.
Zhang Wenhao stepped in first, his presence upright yet warm, while the boy lingered half a step behind him, still brimming with curiosity.
The moment Zhang Wenhao saw her, his face lit up with unmistakable delight.
"Little Shuying!" he exclaimed warmly. "You have already returned from Baicheng?"
Li Shuying inclined her head respectfully.
"Yes, Uncle Zhang," she replied. "Thanks to your arrangements, the journey was smooth and comfortable. Comrade Gu was also very considerate throughout. I must thank you."
At this, the boy's eyes widened dramatically.
"Wait, are you talking about Gu Zhenhua?" he blurted out, disbelief evident in his voice.
Li Shuying chuckled softly at his exaggerated reaction and nodded.
"Yes, I am."
The boy's expression shifted at once, his disbelief turning into indignation.
"There is no way that fellow is considerate," he scoffed, his tone sharp yet carrying a youthful edge rather than true malice. "He is nothing but a bully, always picking on those younger than him. Just because he is a little stronger, he thinks he can order everyone around. And that cold, arrogant face of his, hmph! You call him considerate? If you were not the apple girl, I would have thrown you out by now!"
Before he could say more...
Smack.
Zhang Wenhao's hand came down lightly but firmly on the back of his head.
"You insolent boy!" he scolded. "Say 'apple girl' one more time, and see how I deal with you. And how dare you speak of Comrade Gu in such a manner?"
His expression turned stern, though there was a trace of restrained exasperation beneath it.
"He has already become a deputy company commander at such a young age, while you..." he gestured sharply toward the boy "...are still loitering about despite being enrolled in high school. Instead of focusing on your studies, you spend your days wandering with a band of ruffians."
The boy immediately protested, rubbing the back of his head.
"Father, they are not ruffians," he argued defensively. "They are good comrades... helping the people of the county. We are doing meaningful things!"
Zhang Wenhao snorted, clearly unconvinced, and waved him off as though unwilling to indulge further.
"Enough of your nonsense," he muttered before turning back toward Li Shuying.
In an instant, his demeanor softened again, the earlier irritation replaced by courteous warmth.
"Ah, look at me," he said with a faint, self-reproaching smile. "I have kept you standing all this while."
He gestured toward the wooden chairs.
"Please, little Shuying, have a seat."
Li Shuying smiled gently and took her seat upon a wooden chair. Opposite her, Zhang Wenhao and the young boy also took their seats.
Zhang Wenhao let out a soft sigh before speaking.
"Little Shuying, I must apologize for my son's earlier rudeness," he said, his tone carrying both embarrassment and helplessness. "He has always been like this, unrestrained in speech and manner. Keeping him here in Taonan County, away from me and my wife, has only made him more difficult to manage. These days, he scarcely listens to a word I say."
He paused, then gestured toward the boy.
"Allow me to formally introduce him. This is Zhang Junyi, my youngest son."
Li Shuying inclined her head politely and turned toward the boy with a warm smile.
"Nice to meet you, Brother Junyi."
At once, Zhang Junyi scrunched his nose in exaggerated displeasure.
"No, no... don't call me that," he said quickly, waving his hand. "Junyi is the name my foolish old grandfather insisted on. It sounds far too delicate, almost like a girl's name. You may call me Brother Zhuzi instead. Doesn't that sound much more strong and imposing?"
He grinned with evident satisfaction.
Before the smile could fully settle...
Smack.
Zhang Wenhao struck him lightly on the head again, his expression darkening.
"You insolent child!" he snapped. "How dare you call your grandfather foolish? The old man has long passed, and yet you show no respect. If you speak like this again, I will truly discipline you with whip."
Zhang Junyi rubbed the back of his head, though his defiance remained.
"I am not disrespecting him, Father," he retorted with a snort. "I simply think old age clouded his judgment back then. He could not even distinguish between a boy and a girl name. Just because he wished for a granddaughter, he gave me such a soft-sounding name."
Li Shuying watched their exchange with quiet amusement, her eyes bright.
"I do not think the name 'Junyi' is bad at all," she said thoughtfully. "It carries refinement, talent and distinction. It sounds like the name of a learned scholar or an official serving within the imperial court."
Her words were sincere.
Zhang Wenhao immediately seized upon them, turning sharply toward his son.
"Did you hear that?" he said with a hint of triumph. "Even a young girl can appreciate the meaning of your name, yet you continue to reject it so stubbornly."
Zhang Junyi snorted again, though his expression softened slightly.
"Say what you will," he replied, glancing at Li Shuying, "you should still call me Brother Zhuzi. That is what my friends and classmates call me."
Li Shuying nodded with an easy smile.
"Very well, Brother Zhuzi."
At once, Zhang Junyi's face brightened, and he cast his father a triumphant look, as though he had won a small but significant victory.
Zhang Wenhao merely sighed, shaking his head, before turning back to Li Shuying with renewed warmth.
"Little Shuying, it is wonderful that you have come today," he said. "The apples you gave me last time, ah, they were exceptional. Their taste was rich and refreshing, unlike anything I have had in years."
His expression softened further.
"My mother praised them endlessly. That very night, she said she felt unusually at ease and slept more soundly than she has in a long while. Since then, she has been asking to meet you."
He glanced briefly toward the courtyard.
"She has gone out to the supply and marketing cooperative and should return within the hour. If you are not in haste, you should stay and meet her, and also join us for lunch."
Li Shuying listened attentively, then shook her head gently.
"Uncle Zhang, I would very much like to meet her," she said politely, "but not today. I still have a few matters to attend to. However, I am truly glad that the apples were to your liking."
She paused briefly before continuing,
"I came today because I wished to speak with you about something important. I hope you might be able to assist me."
Before Zhang Wenhao could respond, Zhang Junyi leaned forward eagerly.
"Before you begin discussing matters with my father," he said, his tone suddenly earnest, "may I ask you a question, Little Shuying?"
Li Shuying felt a flicker of awkwardness at being addressed so familiarly by someone only a few years her senior, yet she chose not to dwell on it. Instead, she nodded.
"Go ahead."
Zhang Junyi's eyes sharpened with curiosity.
"Those apples you gave us… where did you get them?" he asked. "They did not feel ordinary at all. When I ate one, I could feel a warmth spreading through my body, especially in my stomach. It was… strangely comforting, almost as if it eased fatigue itself."
His voice lowered slightly, as though he were sharing a secret.
"Where did you get those apples?"
Li Shuying felt a trace of awkwardness at the directness of the question. It was not that she was unwilling to answer, rather, she could not.
When Regimental Commander He had asked her a similar question, she had managed to deflect it with ease; distance between Baicheng and Taonan County alone ensured that even a careless answer would carry no consequence. But here things were different. Zhang Wenhao was no ordinary man, and Zhang Junyi, though impulsive, was sharp in his own way. Any careless explanation might invite scrutiny she could not afford.
After all, the truth was something no one but her could ever reach.
Zhang Wenhao, perceptive as ever, noticed the fleeting hesitation in her expression. He turned sharply toward his son.
"Have you no sense of propriety?" he scolded. "A guest has come to our home, and instead of offering hospitality, you interrogate her like this? Go, prepare some refreshments. Bring snacks, and also some warm water with brown sugar."
Zhang Junyi's face fell at once, clearly dissatisfied, but this time he did not argue. Even he understood that he had crossed a line.
With a reluctant nod, he rose to his feet and headed toward the kitchen, his footsteps fading into the inner courtyard.
Once he was gone, Zhang Wenhao let out a quiet sigh, his stern expression easing.
"Do not mind him, Little Shuying," he said apologetically. "The boy has been spoiled by his grandmother. His mother and I are constantly occupied with our duties, and he dislikes staying within the military compound. So he remains here most of the time… and has grown somewhat unruly."
Li Shuying shook her head gently.
"It is all right, Uncle Zhang," she said with a soft smile. "He is not ill-natured, only young, and not yet able to see things clearly."
Zhang Wenhao could not help but chuckle at her words. The irony did not escape him, she herself was younger than his son.
His expression than grew more attentive. "Tell me, Little Shuying, what is it that you need? If it is within my ability, I will certainly help you."
There was no pretense in his tone, only sincerity.
Li Shuying felt a quiet warmth stir within her at his words. She straightened slightly, her expression turning serious.
"Uncle Zhang," she began, her voice calm yet weighted with concern, "you are already aware of the situation these days… it is becoming more severe with each passing moment..."
From there, she spoke in detail.
She described the conditions in her village Then, she recounted her conversation with Gu Zhenhua on the train and finally her own concerns.
"…Comrade Gu mentioned," she continued, "that based on your experience, you are already able to perceive the signs of what is to come."
She lifted her gaze to meet Zhang Wenhao's eyes.
"That is why I have come to you, Uncle Zhang. I hope you can help me convince the villagers, to make them understand the danger that lies ahead and the consequences if nothing is done."
"With your experience and standing, people will listen to you. Even if they do not fully believe it, they may at least take precautions… enough to survive what is coming."
When she finished, silence settled in the room.
Zhang Wenhao did not respond immediately. Instead, he simply looked at her.
At an age when most children thought only of food, play, and trivial desires, she was already thinking about the fate of an entire village. And then there was another matter that stirred his thoughts.
She said Gu Zhenhua talked to her? Zhang Wenhao knew that young man well. He had watched him grow, understood his temperament, cold, reserved, and indifferent to all but the most exceptional of matters. Gu Zhenhua did not waste time on idle conversation, nor did he involve himself with people he deemed unremarkable.
Yet, he had spoken to this girl. He had even shared their conversation with her.
That alone was enough to make Zhang Wenhao reassess the person before him.
Seeing that Zhang Wenhao had fallen into a prolonged silence, Li Shuying hesitated for a moment before calling out softly,
"Uncle Zhang…?"
The call drew him back from his thoughts. He blinked once, then let out a faint breath, his gaze settling on her again, this time more measured, more intent.
"I must say," he began slowly, "I am quite impressed, Little Shuying. At such a young age, you are already thinking about matters that concern not just your own family, but your entire village." A trace of approval entered his tone. "To possess such awareness, such a sense of responsibility… this is how a child ought to be raised, especially the child of a soldier. 'To place righteousness before self' that is no empty saying."
He paused, then his expression shifted, turning more serious.
"As for your suggestion…" he continued, "I do not object. If it were merely a matter of speaking, I could certainly accompany you and address the villagers."
His eyes narrowed slightly, as though weighing her carefully.
"But tell me, why do you believe they would listen to me? Simply because of my experience? Or my status?"
Li Shuying frowned faintly, confusion flickering across her face. She had not expected such a question.
Zhang Wenhao did not wait for her answer.
He leaned back slightly, his voice lowering, gaining a quiet gravity.
"Do you know what matters most to the people right now?" he asked. "It is not foresight. It is not preparation." He shook his head. "It is immediate survival, day-to-day survival."
His tone carried the weight of lived experience.
"When grain is scarce and stomachs are empty, a man does not think about next winter. He thinks only of how to endure until tomorrow. 'When the belly is not full, the mind cannot hold reason' this is the truth of the common people."
He let the words settle before continuing.
"The situation you speak of is not something that lies in the distant future. It has already begun. The fields are delayed, the yields uncertain, and the communes are strained. In such a time, asking people to change their thinking, to prepare for something even worse… it is no easy matter."
His gaze sharpened.
"Even if I stand before them and speak, what will I say? That a famine is coming? That they must prepare? Prepare how?" He spread his hand slightly. "With what grain? With what resources?"
He gave a faint, humorless smile.
"Moreover, there are structures in place that you must not overlook. The commune leaders, the county officials, everything is bound within policy. Grain quotas are not suggestions; they are obligations. If the village fails to meet them, it will not be a matter of mere reprimand. The consequences will fall upon the entire collective."
His voice lowered further, carrying a quiet warning.
"And if I, as an outsider, go and speak of impending disaster, what then? At best, I will be ignored. At worst, it may be seen as spreading panic or undermining confidence. In times such as these, words themselves can become dangerous."
He looked at her steadily.
"So you see, Little Shuying, your intention is admirable, but your plan…" He shook his head lightly. "There are too many gaps. Too many obstacles. It is not as simple as persuading people with reason."
The room fell silent once more.
Li Shuying listened without interrupting, her brows slowly knitting together as each point sank in. By the time he finished, she understood.
And that understanding brought with it a quiet heaviness.
She lowered her gaze slightly, then nodded.
"I see…" she murmured.
For a moment, she said nothing more.
Then, lifting her eyes again, she asked,
"Then what should I do, Uncle Zhang?"
Her voice, though steady, carried a faint tremor.
"This was the most feasible solution I could think of. If even this cannot work…" She paused, her fingers tightening slightly in her lap. "I do not know how else to change the situation."