Everyone was speechless. Why was this person acting as if he were dodging the plague?
Jiang Hongmei, already incensed, grew even angrier at his avoidance. She knew that her current predicament with Gu Yu and Zhao Jianguo was all Shen Jianan’s fault, so she took his retreat as a sign of a guilty conscience.
Thinking of this, her rage intensified. She violently flung the stick in her hand, screaming, "Shen Jianan! You rotten-hearted wretch, you’ll meet your retribution sooner or later! You’ll die a horrible death!"
Unfortunately, he had already run too far to hear her furious roar. The people present, however, felt their expressions shift at the sound of her curse; they all thought she had lost her mind.
In an instant, memories flooded back to them. They couldn't help but recall how, when Wang Hongbo returned from work, he hadn't even caught his breath before she grabbed him to ask, "Brother Wang, did you pass on my message? What did Jianguo and Gu Yu say?"
Wang Hongbo had felt a surge of irritation. He remembered being lectured by Qin Fengying in the fields earlier that day because of this, which had caused him to lose face. Moreover, he had just learned from Gu Yu that this woman was no heiress, but merely the daughter of a servant in the Gu family, who had been putting on airs and swindling people in Hongqi Commune.
His attitude and tone shifted sharply. "What could they say? They don't even care to see you, let alone get involved with you."
He lifted his eyelids, looking down at the bewildered Jiang Hongmei with disdain. "That Zhao Jianguo didn't even react when he heard your name. He didn't say a word from start to finish, just kept his head down and worked. His mother, Qin Fengying, was so furious that she felt her son had been wronged. When she saw me passing a message for you, she blew up and demanded I pay back the grain the team had lent me ahead of schedule..."
The more Wang Hongbo thought about it, the angrier he became. Regardless of their past friendship, he disregarded the stunned silence of the crowd and continued to stir up hatred against Jiang Hongmei. "I reckon everyone will be implicated because of this! The brigade will demand we pay back our grain loans early, and this is all your fault."
Wang Hongbo scanned the circle. Several educated youths who were in debt just like him had ugly looks on their faces, as he had expected. Feeling a bit better, he prepared to demand an apology.
He hadn't expected that instead of apologizing, Jiang Hongmei would go completely insane, blaming him for bungling the task and shouting that she was going to find Zhao Jianguo and Gu Yu to settle things.
The others were gripped by panic. Afraid she would escalate the situation and get the educated youths from poorer families into trouble with the "debt collection," they hurriedly softened their tone and tried to talk her down.
But Jiang Hongmei wouldn't listen. She grabbed a stick and started thrashing about, making the female educated youths too afraid to step forward. As for the men, they didn't fear a few blows, but whenever anyone got close, she would scream that they were molesting her. Under these circumstances, who dared to touch her? They could only follow along and try to reason with her patiently. That was the scene Shen Jianan had just witnessed.
However, after everyone had spent so long persuading her to no avail—and seeing that she had even begun to harbor hatred toward Shen Jianan—they realized it was a waste of breath. One by one, they let go and stopped trying to hold her back.
"You seem to have plenty of energy, so we’re heading back. Suit yourself!"
Lu Xiaoyue cast a look of contempt at her, grabbed an already impatient Li Jiaojiao, and left quickly without looking back. Seeing that even Lu Xiaoyue, who had been closest to her, was done, Jiang Bin, Wang Wenwen, Song Yichen, and the others didn't linger.
When Jiang Hongmei saw they were really leaving, she felt miserable. With a howl, she sat on the ground and wailed, "So cold-blooded! Why are you all treating me like this? Waaah! This is too much bullying..."
Watching her lose it again, Wang Hongbo felt his head throb. He thought she was acting like a lunatic. Exhausted, he gave up on worrying about the "debt repayment"—if they didn't have the grain, they didn't have it. At worst, they'd lose some face; the brigade couldn't kill them for it, could they?
With that thought, he felt a weight lift. He asked Jiang Hongmei, "Educated Youth Jiang, are you coming back or not?"
The answer was a series of ever-louder howls. He rolled his eyes in silence and said with a cold face, "Cry all you want, then! I’m not sticking around."
He walked away quickly, leaving behind the soft-hearted Huang Qimei, who stood there helplessly, watching Jiang Hongmei wail without end.
Fortunately, even in her madness, she still cherished her own body. Though the sun had set, the ground had been scorched by the sun all day. After sitting on it for a while, her backside felt like a pancake on a griddle. Unable to bear it anymore, she finally quieted down and pitifully begged for help from the person beside her. "Qimei, can you help me up?"
"Sigh."
Huang Qimei sighed softly, stepped forward to pick up the stick, handed it to her, and then carefully helped her up.
"Hongmei, if you ask me, you shouldn't go find Zhao Jianguo. The attitudes of Secretary Zhao and Director Qin are already clear. Pestering them more will only embarrass yourself. As for Gu Yu..."
She lowered her eyes to hide the complex and restrained emotions in them and said softly, "Since he spoke that way, he clearly has no interest in you. Besides, his family has fallen on hard times. If you really married him, life would be very difficult. Why suffer like that? If you ask me..."
She changed the subject. "You are so beautiful; you could close your eyes and find a man a thousand times better than him. Why hang yourself on this one crooked tree? Don't you think?"
At these words, Jiang Hongmei’s body stiffened slightly. The hand that was being supported by Huang Qimei involuntarily grabbed her wrist, her grip tightening.
"Sss..."
Huang Qimei couldn't help but gasp in pain, frowning unhappily at her. "Hongmei, what are you doing? Why so much force?"
Jiang Hongmei snapped out of her thoughts and apologized hurriedly. "I—I'm sorry!" Her beautiful eyes were filled with panic and regret. "I, I didn't mean to."
Seeing her looking so pitiable, Huang Qimei didn't want to blame her too much, so she shook her head with a smile. "It's fine, I don't blame you."
Jiang Hongmei was deeply moved. She immediately put on a smile and said sweetly, "Qimei, you're such a good person."
But that smile seemed to contain something unclear, something that made Huang Qimei feel strange. "Hongmei, why are you acting so weird?"
"It's nothing."
Jiang Hongmei looked at her, smiling even more kindly. "I just thought about what happened earlier and realized that in the Educated Youth Point, you're the only one who is good to me. So, I’ve decided that from now on, you will be my best friend."
"Oh! Is, is that so?"
Huang Qimei twitched the corner of her mouth and looked away uncomfortably. "Let's go back. Your foot isn't fully healed yet, so don't go looking for Gu Yu and Zhao Jianguo anymore, okay?"
Jiang Hongmei’s expression shifted, and she instinctively leaned her body against her. "Okay, my foot does indeed still hurt."
Huang Qimei was sent staggering by the weight, nearly falling, but she still didn't forget to reach out and steady her.
"It seems your foot injury is still quite serious; stop pushing yourself."
Huang Qimei let go of her, took a few steps forward, and squatted down. She patted her shoulder and looked back at her. "I'll carry you!"
Jiang Hongmei didn't stand on ceremony; she laughed and leaped onto her back. "Thank you, Qimei!"
"Don't mention it! Like you said, we're friends!"
Huang Qimei smiled and began to walk forward. However, her almond-shaped eyes were slowly icing over with frost...
————
Half-Mountain Courtyard.
After Shen Jianan ran all the way home, he began to wash vegetables and cook. By the time he finished, the sky had grown dark. He set aside half the meal in a lunchbox and kept it warm in the iron pot.
He placed the rest on the table and ate in silence. He didn't know if it was because Gu Yu wasn't there, but for the past few days, the food had tasted bland and dull.
"Sigh."
The youth pursed his lips, finished a few bites, washed the dishes, and put them away. He returned to his room, lit an oil lamp, and sat at the table to write and draw.
He had told Gu Yu they needed to prepare early, and he hadn't just been saying it. While Gu Yu had been busy running around outside, Shen Jianan hadn't been idle either.
Shen Jianan's thinking was direct and simple: throughout history, as long as one had power and money, many problems could be solved easily.
Power was something he and Gu Yu lacked for now, but that didn't mean they wouldn't have it in the future. For ordinary people, the most direct path to power was through education.
According to his knowledge, the college entrance examination would be restored in 1977. That would be the best opportunity for them to turn their lives around. During this time, as long as he and Gu Yu studied diligently, their solid foundations would make getting into a good university an easy feat.
However, Gu Yu’s background was special. Before then, he had to find an opportunity to change his situation once and for all. Otherwise, even if they waited until the end of the ten years of turmoil, if Gu Yu’s family wasn't cleared of their status, it would be difficult to avoid being affected even if they got into university.
As for money, the fastest way to accumulate wealth was through business. But the state hadn't yet developed a private economy, so private business was forbidden.
Still, where there is a policy, there is a countermeasure. If they couldn't do it openly, they would just find another way.
Shen Jianan rose and went to the bed. He took out the half-pack of milk candies from the cabinet, ruthlessly grabbed a small handful, shoved them into his pocket, and headed out to Zhao Qiancheng’s house.
He hadn't expected Zhao Jiaming to open the door, with Zhao Jianguo following close behind. As soon as Zhao Jianguo saw him, his face grew long, and he asked crudely, "What are you here for?"
Shen Jianan cursed the idiot under his breath, but put on a flattering smile. "I'm here to ask the Secretary for a letter of introduction."
As he spoke, he fished two milk candies out of his pocket and shoved them into Zhao Jiaming’s hand with lightning speed. The boy’s eyes lit up, and he immediately turned around and shouted, "Dad! The educated youth Shen is here to see you."
He moved so fast that Zhao Jianguo couldn't even cause trouble. He could only glare through gritted teeth and step aside to let Zhao Qiancheng, who had heard the call, pass.
Shen Jianan gave him a squinty-eyed smile, then bowed to Zhao Qiancheng as he walked out, grinning. "Secretary, you know how it is. My family sends me letters and packages every month, usually at the beginning of the month."
Reminded, Zhao Qiancheng recalled that the postman did indeed notify the youth to go to town for a package every month. It was always quite a spectacle, attracting many onlookers. After all, in all these years, no other family of an educated youth in their brigade sent so many packages every month, filled with expensive treats that were hard to get locally. However, he hadn't seen the postman notify Shen Jianan this month.
What he didn't know was that the Shen family had already sent a letter saying they were delaying the shipment.
"Secretary."
Shen Jianan suddenly pouted, his eyes turning red. "It's already the middle of the month, and I still haven't received a notice. I was thinking, since work is lighter lately, I’d like to ask for leave to go check if the postman is just too busy and overlooked it."
The youth's voice grew quieter. He hung his head, his thin shoulders trembling, looking truly pitiful. He didn't forget to take a small handful of milk candies from his pocket and present them to Zhao Qiancheng with a trembling hand.
"Secretary, I know you’ve always taken the best care of us educated youths who came from all over."
Shen Jianan looked up at Zhao Qiancheng with eager expectation. His look made the older man’s heart soften. Plus, he spoke well and had brought a gift, so Zhao Qiancheng didn't hesitate to agree.
"Is that all? Just a letter of introduction? Wait here, I'll go to the brigade office to write it for you right now."
He turned and patted his youngest son’s head. "Go, get Dad the flashlight."
Zhao Jianguo hadn't expected his father to be so easy-going. He clenched his fists, wishing he could smash Shen Jianan’s head in.
"Oh!"
Zhao Jiaming took a covetous look at the candies in Shen Jianan’s hand, then ran into the house. Less than a minute later, he came out holding an old-fashioned silver metal flashlight and handed it to Zhao Qiancheng.
Shen Jianan was quick-witted and offered the candies toward him. "Little brother Jiaming, take these. I brought them just for you."
As soon as he said this, Zhao Qiancheng’s expression grew even warmer; he felt the boy had become much more sensible. It was no wonder he thought so—in this day and age, milk candies were the best of the best, and you couldn't always buy them even with money and coupons.
What’s more, they were expensive. Even Zhao Qiancheng, not to mention his brother Zhao Mangjiang’s family, wouldn't spend money on them unless it was a special occasion. And here was Shen Jianan with over twenty candies!
Still, given his status, he couldn't very well reach out to take them. But now that Shen Jianan had said that, it gave him a perfect excuse to accept the gift.
Suddenly, Zhao Qiancheng found Shen Jianan much more pleasing to the eye, and he couldn't help but add, "When are you going? It takes a long time to get from our brigade to town. It would be best if you had a bicycle..."
"That’s right!"
Before he could finish, Shen Jianan interrupted with a smiling voice. "That’s why I also wanted to borrow a bike from you. Would that be okay?"
Zhao Qiancheng was speechless and about to refuse, but Zhao Hongjun, who lived next door, happened to come out to dump his foot-washing water. Hearing the youth’s request, he asked out of curiosity, "Educated Youth Shen, why are you borrowing a bike from the Secretary?"
Shen Jianan sneered inwardly. Was he kidding? His candies weren't that easy to eat. And with so many White Rabbit candies, a single letter of introduction wasn't enough to pay him back! What a dream!
He hurriedly replied, "Good evening, Records Officer. I want to go to town tomorrow to see if there’s a letter from my family."
His eyes shifted, and he cast a look of simulated gratitude toward the fuming Zhao Qiancheng. "Secretary Zhao is so kind, fearing I’d be tired from walking, he said it would be best if I had a bicycle, so..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Zhao Hongjun assumed they had already agreed and chimed in, "Oh! The road to town isn't short. If the Secretary is willing to lend you the bike, just ride it! Just don't break it."
"Yes, I know."
Shen Jianan nodded sternly, giving the man a mental thumbs-up. He then turned to look at the dark-faced Zhao Qiancheng and beamed. "Thank you, Secretary."
Zhao Qiancheng’s chest felt tight. He inwardly cursed his own loose tongue and regretted agreeing to the leave and writing the introduction letter even more.
But Zhao Hongjun was still watching. He was a good man, but he was a nosy one, and he was as upright as the Brigade Captain Zhao Gang. If he backed out now, or said he hadn't agreed, he didn't know what they would say about him tomorrow. What face would he have left?
Besides, losing face was a small matter, but being caught by his rivals was a big one. Weighing the pros and cons, he could only pretend to be generous and nod. "Jianguo, go, take the bike out for Educated Youth Shen. I'll go to the brigade office to write his letter."
Hearing this, Zhao Jianguo was so angry he nearly cursed. Shen Jianan was in the same camp as Gu Yu, and he had already fallen into their hands a few days ago, which led to his falling out with Jiang Hongmei and becoming the laughingstock of the villagers. If he weren't being watched so closely, he would have dealt with this person long ago.
But since his father had agreed in front of an outsider, there was nothing he could do. He could only slump his face, grit his teeth, and slam the door as he went inside.
Zhao Qiancheng knew his son was fuming, and he was feeling suffocated himself, so he chose to ignore his son’s cold attitude. He just told Shen Jianan to wait at the gate while he took his flashlight and went to the brigade office alone.
As for Zhao Jiaming, with the candies in his hand, he couldn't wait to leave. He thanked Shen Jianan and ran back into the house, hollering.
Seeing that everyone had left, Zhao Hongjun smiled at Shen Jianan standing at the door and whispered, "Next time you need to borrow a bike, go to the Brigade Captain. He's easier to deal with."
Shen Jianan was momentarily stunned, then laughed and nodded. "Yes! Thank you, Records Officer."
Zhao Hongjun said nothing, just gave a meaningful look behind him before carrying his washbasin into his house in silence.
Shen Jianan understood immediately. He turned to see Zhao Jianguo dragging the bicycle out with a long face. He greeted him enthusiastically. "Oh, thank you, Comrade Zhao!"
Seeing his smile, which was nearly stretching to his ears, only made Zhao Jianguo angrier. He glared at him, turned, and went back inside, slamming the door shut.
Shen Jianan curled his lips, rolled his eyes at the Zhao family house, and pushed the bike to the side of the road to wait for Zhao Qiancheng.
Before long, the man came back with the flashlight. He handed the letter to Shen Jianan and said blankly, "Go early and come back early."
He walked away with his hands behind his back, entering his house without another word. Shen Jianan shrugged dismissively, thanked his back, and pushed the bike happily toward the Half-Mountain Courtyard.