Volume One, Chapter Fourteen: Suspecting Li Da's Trap

First Night Shift

The first night shift passed without incident; no one was caught stealing glue until the end of the shift. Of course, neither Hu Yong nor I noticed what happened with Wang Feng, and I kept quiet, so I managed to get through the night smoothly.

“Yan Feng! That kid Wang Feng usually hangs around Li Da and the others. You should keep your distance from him from now on,” Hu Yong whispered as we returned in the jeep to the compound of the Tenth Squad, First Group. The Second Group was coming to relieve us, so we were about to leave.

As I stepped out of the compound, Hu Yong came over and quietly warned me. Hearing this, I frowned slightly and immediately recalled the task Wang Feng had asked me to do. Doubt crept into my mind—this must be a trap set by Li Da.

If I had obediently gone to fetch those buckets, someone might have shouted “Thief!” and I would have been caught stealing glue. No matter how much I tried to explain, the outcome would have been my dismissal from the farm.

At that thought, a cold gleam flashed in my eyes. I was increasingly certain that Wang Feng was working with Li Da and the others to deliberately set me up.

“Brother Hu! Last night Wang Feng said there was a way to make money and asked if I wanted in...” I no longer held back and told Hu Yong everything.

After hearing my story, Hu Yong’s face darkened. It was clear he also suspected this was a trap laid specifically for me.

“Yan Feng! You made the right choice. If you had trusted Wang Feng, things would have been much worse, with serious consequences,” Hu Yong said gravely.

I nodded, feeling a chill of fear. If I had been blinded by money and fallen for it, it could have cost me dearly. Worse still, after I was fired, no one would protect my cousin’s wife. It was easy to imagine the constant threats and harassment she would face from Li Da and the others.

“Yan Feng! I have high hopes for you. Work hard; your future is limitless,” Hu Yong said with a faint smile, patting my shoulder encouragingly before driving off.

“Thank you, Brother Hu!” I nodded in gratitude and waved goodbye.

Back home, I drank a large bowl of porridge as usual, then took a shower in the kitchen. Seeing my cousin’s wife had not returned yet, I lay down on the wooden bed and fell asleep.

—

In the Tenth Squad, at Li Da’s home, Wang Feng nervously recounted the events of the previous night.

He paused, glanced at Li Da’s cold expression, then forced himself to continue. “Brother Li! I really tried my best, but that little bastard Yan Feng was too cunning. Even though he agreed, in the end he went back on his word...”

“Hmph!” Li Da was furious, his eyes flashing with cold malice as he glared at Wang Feng and scolded, “If you can’t even handle this small matter, what use are you?”

“Brother Li! I really did my best. This isn’t my fault,” Wang Feng pleaded, trying to defend himself against Li Da’s icy demeanor.

“Enough! Stop talking about that,” Li Da interrupted impatiently, then spoke sternly, “Let that little bastard enjoy his moment of triumph for a few days. The Little Tiger gang needs two tons of glue soon, so we have to hurry and deliver. You’re in charge of this—don’t mess it up again, or you won’t get off easy.”

“Don’t worry, Brother Li! I’ll send people to arrange it right away and start tonight. We’ll aim to have the two tons ready in a few days,” Wang Feng promised confidently, relieved that Li Da was not blaming him further and had entrusted him with the task.

“Good,” Li Da nodded. Though Wang Feng had botched the plan to deal with Yan Feng, Li Da still trusted him with the glue theft. This wasn’t the first time he had done such a thing; Wang Feng and Zhao Fei had been his reliable aides. Unfortunately, Zhao Fei was dead now, leaving only Wang Feng, but Li Da wasn’t worried about him screwing up this job.

—

After staying up all night, I slept until four in the afternoon, missing lunch entirely.

“Yan Feng! You really can sleep—like a hog. I called you for lunch, but you didn’t even hear me,” came my cousin’s wife’s voice.

I stretched as I got up and opened the door just as she spoke.

“Sis! I’m starving. Is there anything to eat?” I said with a smile, rubbing my stomach.

She shot me a playful glare, which was quite charming, then said, “I knew you’d be hungry since you didn’t get up for lunch, so I made dinner early...”

“Thanks, Sis!” I said happily, looking at the delicious spread before me and began eating ravenously.

“Slow down! No one’s stealing your food,” she joked like a mother, worryingly feeding me while making sure I didn’t choke by eating too fast.

“Mm-hmm!” I was too hungry to slow down, nodding in response but still eating rapidly.

“You eat first. I’m going to rest a bit. Just put your bowl on the counter when you’re done,” she said.

Worried I’d be hungry after waking up, she had stayed up during the afternoon. Now, seeing me almost finished, she felt sleepy and excused herself to rest in her bedroom.

After three bowls of rice and two bowls of soup, I finally felt full.

Rubbing my satisfied belly, I left the kitchen intending to return home. But then I thought better of it and gently pushed open the door to my cousin’s wife’s bedroom to check on her.

“Yan Feng! Are you full?” she called from inside.

Her bedroom was divided by a curtain, just like Li Ting’s room, creating a living area on one side and a sleeping area on the other.

As I entered, I heard her voice.

“Oh! I’m full, Sis. Are you okay? Why are you resting this afternoon?” I asked, unaware she had stayed up waiting for me and had not taken a nap.

Curious and slightly concerned, I thought she might be unwell and prepared to show some care.

“Mm! I feel a bit unwell, so I wanted to rest a little,” Su Wan said casually, not mentioning she hadn’t napped.

Hearing this, I immediately grew worried. Lifting the curtain, I approached the bed and looked at her lying there, asking seriously, “Sis! Where do you feel bad? Is it serious? Should I take you to the hospital?”

Su Wan hadn’t expected such concern from me, her eyes flickering nervously. “No need for the hospital. Maybe I just overexerted myself collecting glue today. My back and waist ache, but resting here should be enough. Don’t worry.”

I breathed a slight sigh of relief and thought for a moment before saying, “Sis! Grandpa taught me some acupressure points before he passed. It can help relieve fatigue. Let me give you a massage.”