Shen Jianan raised his hoe and rushed aggressively toward the bickering educated youths. Li Jiaojiao was so startled that she jumped back instantly, her face turning pale as her lips trembled while she looked at him, whereas Gu Yu and the others quickly closed in to hold him back.
"Jianan, don't be impulsive!"
"Educated Youth Shen! Stop right now!"
"Aaaaaah! Help!!"
Jiang Hongmei, panic-stricken, planted both hands on the ground and scrambled backward in a hurry, pressing against the ridge of the field as she cried out at the top of her lungs, "Quick, grab him!!"
Yet contrary to expectations, upon hearing everyone shouting his name, the young man not only failed to stop, but instead rushed toward her with even greater speed, bellowing with a fierce and murderous expression, "Let's see if I don't smash you to pieces!"
At these words, the color drained from everyone's faces. Just as they thought Jiang Hongmei was about to have her head smashed open by him, the high-raised hoe slammed fiercely down beside Lu Xiaoyue, who was standing to her left.
*Bang————*
The clump of dirt shattered upon impact, and tangled up with it, a whip snake that had crawled on top was slashed cleanly in two. Everyone present was struck dumb with astonishment by this sudden turn of events.
They stood there in a daze, staring blankly at the two writhing, struggling halves of the snake still twitching near Lu Xiaoyue's feet. It took them a good while to realize that Shen Jianan was not trying to beat someone up, but rather saving a life.
For a moment, their feelings were intensely complicated. They realized that although the young man's tongue was somewhat vicious, in this critical moment he possessed a kind heart—unlike Jiang Hongmei, who looked as though she was good to everyone, but was actually a two-faced hypocrite hiding a dagger behind her smiles.
Shen Jianan was unaware of their thoughts, nor did he have any interest in knowing. At this moment, he was breathing heavily, frantically calling out to that voice in his mind, desperate to confirm whether the entity had truly vanished.
"Hey! Are you still there?"
[…………]
"Cat got your tongue? Coward?"
[…………]
"Still breathing? Kick the bucket?"
[…………]
Shen Jianan's gaze shifted slightly, and his suspended heart gradually settled. It seemed the entity had indeed vanished along with that buzzing sound, though... whether it was temporary or permanent, he could not tell.
Regardless, this was ultimately a good thing. For a short while, neither he nor Gu Yu would suffer any further interference; as long as the two of them seized the time to unfold the new plot as quickly as possible, that voice would be powerless against them.
With these thoughts, his mind finally relaxed a fraction. He withdrew his thoughts and looked at the crowd, only to find everyone surrounding him in a tight circle and calling out incessantly, which immediately made him feel a twinge of guilt. He quickly spoke up:
"I, I'm fine."
Seeing that he had finally regained his senses, Gu Yu let out a long-awaited breath of relief, then reached out to steady him in a supporting gesture and asked, "Are you feeling unwell? Everyone was calling you and you didn't respond."
"That's right! Educated Youth Shen."
Zhao Gang furrowed his brows, eyeing the young man before him up and down. "You looked like a complete dummy just now. I thought you'd been scared out of your wits by that snake."
The corners of Shen Jianan's mouth twitched. He managed a dry laugh and fabricated an excuse, "No, I didn't eat enough this morning. When I saw that snake, I got too nervous and dashed over too aggressively, making a bit too much commotion, so I got a bit dizzy."
Hearing this, Lu Xiaoyue hurriedly fished half a sweet potato out of her pocket and offered it to him with both hands. "Educated Youth Shen, you can have this. Thank you for saving me just now."
Immediately afterward, she bowed to him with sincere earnestness before standing straight again. "When you were at the Educated Youth Point, not only did I target you, but I also talked a lot of trash behind your back. I'm sorry. From now on, I will definitely turn over a new leaf and never gossip behind people's backs again—whether it's you or anyone else."
Outwardly, Shen Jianan kept his expression neutral, but inwardly, a plan suddenly struck him—a win-win solution that could change his and Gu Yu's destiny without having to worry about system punishments.
He looked at Lu Xiaoyue, a faint smile curving his lips. "What I did before wasn't entirely right either. Once everyone clears the air, it's fine. We've all come to the countryside to contribute to the country, so we'll just get along well from now on."
"Mmhmm!"
Seeing the young man's magnanimity, Lu Xiaoyue's favorable impression of him grew by another notch. She immediately pushed the sweet potato a little closer to him and smiled sheepishly. "This is an apology gift. It's a bit shabby, but it's the best I can offer."
"Great, thanks!"
Shen Jianan took it readily and casually tucked it into his jacket pocket. Seeing this, Lu Xiaoyue felt no displeasure; instead, she retreated to the side to retrieve her hoe and urged her companions to get back to work.
After the recent commotion, no one had the mood to continue wrangling with Jiang Hongmei. After all, they were all people who knew what it felt like to starve, and they knew that work points were more important than arguments.
Seeing how sensible the educated youths were, the anger stirred up by Jiang Hongmei instantly dissipated quite a bit for Zhao Gang and Zhao Hongjun. However, upon seeing that she was still sitting in the field sobbing, their expressions turned harsh again. "What are you still sitting there stupidly for? Do you still want to keep delaying everyone from working and earning work points?"
At these words, Jiang Hongmei felt a profound sense of grievance. She simply couldn't fathom how, in just a single day, everyone had completely changed. They no longer understood her, no longer sided with her, and every single one of them was targeting her. For a moment, a wave of sorrow welled up inside her.
"I..."
"I what I?"
Seeing her shedding tears yet again, Zhao Hongjun burst out with an irritated roar, "All of this trouble today was stirred up by you! Let me tell you, if you don't work properly from now on and keep clinging to Educated Youth Gu, I'm going to report your behavior right up the chain."
Hearing this, Jiang Hongmei felt even more wretched, but she also knew that she couldn't fight the authorities right now, so she had no choice but to swallow her overwhelming grievances down hard. "I... I know."
Seeing her cooperate so readily, everyone was somewhat surprised, especially since this person usually had the most grand principles and loved to quibble. Still, on second thought, it was obvious: she had just provoked the public wrath, and if she didn't behave now, her future days would only be even harder.
Gu Yu cast an indifferent glance at her. Knowing that after this incident she wouldn't come pestering him again for the time being, he grabbed Shen Jianan and walked off. "Get to work."
"Oh, right!"
The young man hurriedly picked up his hoe, following closely behind as he chattered, "Brother Gu, we wasted so much time today. Can we still earn full work points?"
Gu Yu nodded. "Don't worry, we have time!"
After a moment's thought, he turned his head back to look at the other. "Even if we don't, I can support you."
With that, right amidst the young man's utter astonishment, he let go of his hand and strode straight ahead, throwing himself into the labor with full effort.
Shen Jianan stood frozen for a moment, his cheeks somehow flushing red. He hurriedly lowered his head, walked over to the other side, and began weeding as well.
Seeing the two of them working with such diligence, the villagers felt a sense of crisis. Without waiting for Zhao Hongjun to urge them, they scattered and went all out.
After all, there was always time to watch a spectacle, but failing to earn work points meant going hungry. In no time, the entire terraced field echoed with nothing more than Jiang Hongmei sitting on the ground, staring wide-eyed at Zhao Gang and Zhao Hongjun, leaving the two men with a massive headache and entirely at a loss for words.
"Young lady, aren't you getting up? Can't you see everyone else is working? Do you want to be special?"
"No, no."
Hearing Zhao Gang threatening to slap labels on her, Jiang Hongmei scrambled hurriedly to her feet. On second thought, she cast a reluctant, resentful glance toward Gu Yu's direction, only to have her view blocked by a figure. She instantly locked eyes with Zhao Gang's sharp gaze and trembled in fright.
She hastily turned away, scrambling up the field ridge with hands and feet, and returned silently to her assigned patch of land to bury her head in weeding. Zhao Gang and Zhao Hongjun finally withdrew their gazes, exchanged a look, and walked back to their respective work areas with their hands behind their backs.
The fields soon returned to a scene of bustle. After the crowd worked furiously for a spell, the whistle blew, signaling the end of the shift. Familiar folks paired up, hoisting their farming tools and chatting as they walked; the exhaustion of the day gradually dissipated amidst laughter and talk.
Gu Yu and Shen Jianan slipped away like smoke the moment the whistle blew. Anyone unaware would have thought they were rushing off to their next reincarnation! However, this was the first time Jiang Hongmei realized with absolute clarity that the two men were actively dodging her. For a moment, an indescribable, murky hatred bred within her heart.
She straightened her posture, stepped up onto the field ridge, and watched the figures walking away in the distance. A trace of viciousness flashed in her eyes, only to vanish just as quickly, replaced entirely by a look of grievance and sorrow.
Zhao Jianguo, accompanied by his childhood friends Zhao Daqiang and Zhao Changjiang, along with a few other close buddies from the village, came laughing and talking around the mountain hollow. That was when he saw Jiang Hongmei standing on the field ridge like a rabbit with red eyes, looking at him pitifully.
"Jianguo..."
That single call wound through a thousand twists and turns, instantly melting a portion of Zhao Jianguo's heart. He mentally cursed himself for being a spineless fool, yet he still couldn't help taking a few steps forward, standing below the ridge and looking up at her. "What is it?"
Hearing him ask with such gentleness, Jiang Hongmei felt a sudden surge of heat behind her eyes. The mist pooling in her gaze made her lovely apricot-shaped eyes look all the brighter, and the tear droplets sliding down her cheeks reflected brilliant colors in the sunlight before landing squarely on the palm Zhao Jianguo had extended.
*Plop!*
That tiny sound rang out between them. Zhao Jianguo's heart—which had not been entirely resolute and cold to begin with—instantly melted into water. He gazed up at her, his expression gradually growing infatuated. "What did you want to say?"
Jiang Hongmei's cheeks flushed slightly. "I wanted to... with you..."
"What do you want, what do you want!?"
Before she could finish her sentence, Zhao Daqiang charged out, pointing straight at her and shouting curses, "Don't you already have a fiancé? Why are you still coming around to pester my brother? Do you really think you're some fairy and the whole world revolves around you?
Let me tell you, Uncle Qiancheng is already scouting matches for Jianguo. Don't come bothering him anymore from now on, lest that girl gets the wrong idea when she sees this, you hear me?"
He rattled off a whole string of words, hitting Jiang Hongmei like a dizzying blow. She froze on the spot, looking at the person before her in sheer disbelief as she asked, "H-he... is what he said true?"
Zhao Jianguo's throat felt obstructed. "It is!"
"Why?"
Jiang Hongmei's question slipped out unbidden. "Didn't you say that you would only marry someone you love, and that you wouldn't submit to a blind marriage arranged by matchmakers?"
"So what if I did?"
Zhao Jianguo retorted loudly, "You knew full well who I loved!"
He lowered his voice through gritted teeth, his eyes turning red-rimmed at the edges. "Since the other person isn't willing, why should I keep acting like a cheap, fawning fool?
Besides, a blind marriage arranged by matchmakers isn't necessarily a bad thing, as long as the girl is understanding and virtuous, and as for me..."
He petulantly turned his face away, his tone softening involuntarily, carrying a trace of grievance mixed with faint sorrow. "As long as I don't have to keep pressing my warm face against someone else's cold backside!"
"Jianguo..."
Jiang Hongmei's form trembled slightly, her chest tightening involuntarily at his words. She never would have thought that this educated man would actually say such a thing—it was such a bitter disappointment to her.
"Are you certain you want to marry someone without any foundation of affection?"
Zhao Jianguo opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing. Yet, to Jiang Hongmei, this was an implicit admission. A wave of irritation surged in her heart; she took a ragged, distressed breath, fought down the urge to cry, and forced out an ugly smile. "Since you've made up your mind, I won't try to persuade you otherwise. Let me wish you happiness in advance."
Before she could finish speaking, the tears she could no longer hold back spilled over. She covered her mouth and ran off crying, but she hadn't anticipated that due to her excessive speed, she would misstep and tumble right off the upper ridge into the field below.
"Hongmei!" Seeing her putting on such a brave front, Zhao Jianguo was instantly overwhelmed by heartache. He rushed over to help her up, completely forgetting all about the matchmaking business.
And upon hearing his call—whether out of a sense of grievance or something else—Jiang Hongmei let out a howling wail on the spot, her voice carrying so loudly that it could probably be heard from five miles away, causing everyone still in the terraced fields to turn and look over.
As luck would have it, everyone witnessed Zhao Jianguo throwing caution to the wind to rush toward her, engaging in a melodramatic back-and-forth of "I'll carry you," "I don't want you to carry me," before he carefully hoisted her onto his back and departed toward the Educated Youth Point looking utterly blissful.
"Judging by this sight, the old Zhao family will be hosting a banquet before long."
Jiang Hong, Zhao Dayou's wife, wore a face full of smiles while harboring absolute scorn in her heart. Beside her, Liu Juan'er lifted her eyes to watch the retreating backs, pouting and shaking her head. "Not necessarily! Until they enter the bridal chamber, anything can change."
The other wives nearby chimed in upon hearing their words. "Tsk! You have to hand it to him, the secretary's eldest son is truly devoted!"
"Who's saying otherwise? I heard just yesterday that that Educated Youth Jiang personally admitted Educated Youth Gu was her fiancé, which had young Jianguo furious at the time. How is it that they're hooked up again in the blink of an eye?"
"Sigh! If the secretary finds out, he's going to be fit to be tied. His own son is falling all over himself to pick up worn-out shoes. I'm afraid his face is going to be completely disgraced across the entire Hongqi Commune!"
"Li Chunlan, you shameless piece of trash, what nonsense are you spouting whose shoes are worn out, whose face is disgraced?"
Qin Fengying's sharp voice rang out from behind the women, startling them into turning around with shrieks. They saw her rushing furiously toward the crowd, closely followed by a grim-faced Brigade Secretary, Zhao Qiancheng.
Cold sweat instantly beaded on everyone's brows as they silently thought it was over. Offending this couple—especially Zhao Qiancheng—meant that not only would they suffer, but their husbands and entire clans would likely find no peace.
Wasn't Cheng Hu from their village a prime example?
Xinghua Village consisted of two major surnames, Zhao and Cheng. Many years ago, the Cheng lineage had completely suppressed the Zhao family.
However, later on, the incident involving the Cheng landlord's family—the very household that had hanged themselves in the mid-mountain courtyard where Gu Yu and the others lived—caused their fortunes to gradually decline.
Affected by this fallout, the Cheng clan was constantly targeted and reported. After all, that landlord family was distantly related to them by blood. People had grievances they couldn't voice, and coupled with the harsh political climate of those years, they had to tuck their tails between their legs just to survive.
Later still, Zhao Qiancheng became the brigade secretary, and his older brother Zhao Mangjiang became the director of the textile mill's production workshop, allowing the Zhao family to slowly rise to power. With this heaven-shattering shift in status, the Chengs had even less of a way out.
That Zhao Qiancheng was always finding various excuses to dock the Cheng lineage's grain and work points. When it came to assigning labor, he made sure they were sent wherever the work was harshest.
As for Cheng Hu, because his personality was far too upright, he had talked back and defended his fellow clansmen to people's faces a few times, earning Zhao Qiancheng's deep-seated hatred.
During the grain harvest a few years prior, when it was Cheng Hu's turn to keep night watch, someone ambushed him with a sack over his head and beat him senseless, directly smashing his left kneecap to pieces.
His father, Cheng Zhongmin, somehow heard of a medicinal recipe and insisted on going up into the mountains to forage for herbs to heal his son's leg, only to never return. When the villagers finally found him, he was hanging by his neck from a tree.
That manner of death would have seemed abnormal to even the most foolish person. After all, no one who hanged themselves would have two distinct rope marks around their neck.
One ran vertically upward, while the other ran horizontally straight back across the middle of the neck—and this second rope mark was deep and wide, the skin and flesh sliced open by an unknown object, with fresh blood staining half of his neck crimson.