Ayalee: Special birthday treat: 1 full chapter unlocked from each of my translations for everyone to enjoy because it’s my birthday today! Enjoy🎉

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Chapter 56

This turmoil didn’t come without warning.

In fact, Yunshui County has been anything but peaceful since the beginning of winter.

The year 1958 was indeed a turbulent one, with natural disasters and human conflicts continuously arising. First, several provinces in the north experienced severe floods during the summer, resulting in a complete loss of the summer grain harvest. Southern regions had to send their grain to the north for disaster relief. Later, tensions between China and the Soviet Union escalated, leading to the withdrawal of Soviet experts and a military standoff at the border. As a result, thousands of disaster victims fled south in search of food and shelter.

Yunshui County, bordering the north but not quite in the southern regions, saw a steady increase in refugees over the past half-month. Ragged and destitute, these refugees wandered the streets, begging with bowls in hand. The children in their arms were emaciated, with darkened faces, and the sight of them deeply unsettled the passersby.

But there was little anyone could do. Those with kind hearts offered a few yuan bills, while those without money hardened their resolve and walked away.

Times were tough for everyone. Ensuring that one’s own family had enough to eat and drink was no easy task, and there was no surplus grain to spare for the refugees.

The county leaders were deeply troubled by this situation. Although there were public security bureaus, armed forces, and militia units in the county, the refugees had been forced to leave their homes in search of a means to survive. If they weren’t truly desperate, who would willingly leave their homeland to come to a strange county, humbly begging for food with no dignity?

As one elderly refugee put it, he once had a house and land in his village, and with his own hard work, he had provided for his family. Now, in his fifties or sixties, he had become a beggar, a fate that no outsider could truly understand.

When the first few groups of refugees arrived in the county, the authorities were able to set aside some grain and set up a porridge station at the train station. They put up a big pot to cook steaming wild vegetable porridge. Each refugee was given a bowl to warm their stomachs. The commune cadres used emotional appeals and reasoned with them, using loudspeakers at the station to announce that Yunshui County also had no grain, and that life was difficult for the locals. They urged the refugees to return home and even arranged for them to board trains back to their villages.

But now, with Yunshui County running out of grain, they had no food to offer. The refugees, too weak from hunger to walk, could no longer be persuaded to leave.

Recently, the county’s public security bureau and armed forces increased their patrols. Yunshui County is not a small place, with countless alleys and narrow lanes. Even the locals could get lost in unfamiliar areas.

Moreover, there were only a few dozen people in the public security bureau and armed forces combined. Even with the county militia included, there were just over a hundred people. With such a small number of people working in shifts, even the tightest defense had its gaps.

Last Friday, something truly alarming happened at the Gu family’s home.

On Thursday night, Yunshui County experienced its first snowfall of the year. The snow fell continuously throughout the night, and by Friday morning, it was still snowing heavily. With such heavy snowfall, Gu Chunmei couldn’t ride her bicycle to work—every attempt to ride left her wobbling, and she risked falling at every turn.

Gu Chunmei, bundled up tightly with a shoulder bag, put on her black rubber shoes, grabbed an umbrella, and prepared to step out, carefully navigating the snow.

Father Xu and son had already left early for the public security bureau, leaving Mother Xu alone at home. Worried, she hurried after Gu Chunmei.

“Chunmei, it’s snowing so heavily outside. Why don’t you take the day off and skip work today?”

But Gu Chunmei replied that the supply and marketing cooperative didn’t have a phone, and if she wanted to take leave, she’d have to inform the director in person. It would be a hassle to go back and forth, so she might as well head straight to work. Besides, the sun might come out in the afternoon, and the snow could melt.

Most of the streets in Yunshui County were paved with bluestone, so even when the snow melted, it would be just like the countryside—walking outside meant trudging through the mud.

Mother Xu, realizing that Gu Chunmei made a good point, nodded in agreement.

However, the snow continued to fall even after the workday ended. Gu Chunmei had purchased two cans of malted milk from the cooperative at an internal price—one for her mother-in-law to nourish her body, and the other for her own parents.

Malted milk was a rare commodity in the 1950s, and in these times, most families only bought a can during the New Year to show off.

The Xu family’s financial situation was better off, so Mother Xu, who was recuperating at home, consumed a can of malted milk each month.

As an employee of the supply and marketing cooperative, Gu Chunmei could purchase items at a much more affordable internal price compared to what others had to pay outside.

Unable to fit both cans of malted milk into her bag, a sister from the cooperative handed her a straw basket to use for the time being, suggesting she return it the next day.

However, a straw basket wasn’t worth the trouble of returning, so Gu Chunmei paid for it outright.

The sister teased her for being so generous.

After work, Gu Chunmei carried the straw basket and her bag as she made her way toward Guihua Alley.

The supply and marketing cooperative was in the north of the city, while Guihua Alley was in the south. Walking back home took half an hour, and in snowy weather, it was even more challenging.

Gu Chunmei trudged along, stopping occasionally, and when she reached the County Cultural Bureau, she decided to take a shortcut. Behind the County Cultural Bureau was a narrow alley that could only fit a donkey cart. Crossing through this alley would lead her to Old Street, and from there, getting back to Guihua Alley would be much easier.

At this time, the county was just getting off work, with workers and students coming and going. Even the refugees who had been at the bus station were now gathering in small groups, walking in this direction. It was a cold winter day, with no food or drink available, and despite repeated efforts by the county leaders to persuade them, several groups of refugees had already left. Those who remained were the shameless ones, relying entirely on the county government for food and shelter.

Gu Chunmei often encountered these refugees on her way home. Some of them appeared honest and harmless, which was somewhat reassuring. But others were different—especially the younger ones, who were idle and roguish, and had to be approached with caution.

Gu Chunmei instinctively covered the cans of malted milk in her basket and quickened her pace, blending into the crowd.

Despite her efforts, she couldn’t avoid being noticed.

Two young refugees, both in their early twenties, had their eyes on her. One had a limp, while the other was scrawny, and they had just arrived with the group of refugees.

The scrawny young man wore a crooked train conductor’s hat, exuding a sleazy aura. He stared intently at Gu Chunmei, his eyes gleaming with a predator’s greed.

The limping one was timid, and after much persuasion from the man with the hat, he still didn’t dare to commit a robbery.

Frustrated, the man in the hat cursed at him, calling him a coward.

“If you won’t do it, I’ll do it myself!”

He began following Gu Chunmei, looking for a secluded spot to strike.

It got dark early in winter, and by 5:00 PM, it was already dusk. Gu Chunmei had sensed the danger behind her and started running towards the crowded courtyard. The man in the hat cursed and chased after her.

Fortunately, Lin Yao had a craving for tofu pudding, and with Gu Shi’an not at home, she called Dongzi to go with her to the cooperative to buy some. They were just coming out of the alley, holding an umbrella and a flashlight, when they collided with Gu Chunmei.

Gu Chunmei didn’t see who she bumped into and quickly apologized before trying to run again.

Lin Yao hurriedly grabbed her. “Sister Chunmei, why are you running?”

Gu Chunmei, her face pale, said anxiously, “Yao Yao, someone’s been following me! They chased me all the way here!”

Lin Yao and Dongzi’s faces changed.

The man in the train conductor’s hat, seeing that Lin Yao was stunningly beautiful and Dongzi was just a small child, had a wicked glint in his eyes. He licked his lips and reached out to grab Gu Chunmei and Lin Yao.

Lin Yao was disgusted and immediately started hitting him with the flashlight in her hand.

Back then, flashlights were made of heavy iron, and hitting someone with it hurt a lot.

Gu Shidong also joined in, pulling his sister along to help, and the three of them beat the man in the hat until he was wailing in pain, unable to fight back.

Hearing the commotion, the steel factory neighbors came out to see what was happening. After Lin Yao quickly explained, Hutou’s father, a burly man, was instantly furious. He slapped the man in the hat twice and hauled him off to the police station.

Zhang Cuilan and her husband, upon learning of the incident, were filled with fear. They were grateful that Yao Yao was brave and that Dongzi was fearless like a newborn calf. Otherwise, who knows what might have happened to the three children.

These days, it’s truly not safe anymore.

That same night, the man in the hat was locked up in the interrogation room, warming his hands. When questioned by the police, he tried to be slick, claiming it was all a misunderstanding and that he was just passing by. He argued that they couldn’t just accuse him of something because he was a refugee.

The young officer wasn’t angry. Instead, he smiled and said, “If you won’t take the easy way out, then you’ll have to deal with the hard way. Don’t blame others for what you’ve brought upon yourself.”

After finishing his words, he left the interrogation room.

The man with the train conductor’s hat felt a chill run down his spine, sensing that he might have done something wrong, as an inexplicable sense of impending danger loomed over him.

His anxiety grew as snowflakes swirled outside, and suddenly, the door to the interrogation room swung open. A tall, imposing young man stepped inside. The lighting in the room was too dim for him to see the man’s face clearly, but he could make out water droplets clinging to his jet-black hair. His handsome features were cold and stern, as if a layer of winter frost had settled upon them.

Without knowing why, the man with the conductor’s hat began to shiver uncontrollably in his chair.

“…….”

After the incident involving the man with the train conductor’s hat, Xu Xiangqian, usually known for his good temper, became as grim as still water, thoroughly reprimanding the man.

From then on, no matter how busy he was, Xu Xiangqian made sure to pick up and drop off Gu Chunmei from work.

As for the pampered Lin Yao, if Deputy Director Gu ever failed to pick her up on time, she would lose her temper and scold him outright.

After being scolded, Deputy Director Gu would still have to coax her with sweet words.

The Gu family thought that once this incident blew over, everything would return to normal.

However, three days before the Laba Festival, the disaster victims in Yunshui County, both hungry and cold, were incited by a ringleader. They broke into the old street’s supply and marketing cooperative, looted all the goods, and, emboldened by their numbers, injured the patrolling militia.

Although the militia had guns, they couldn’t open fire recklessly. When the county leadership learned of the situation, they were furious, believing that the saying “harsh lands breed unruly people” had proven true.

The county leadership, initially sympathetic to the plight of the disaster victims, had refrained from ordering a crackdown. But now it was clear that being soft-hearted had only led to more trouble. Moreover, the actions of these so-called disaster victims constituted serious crimes—robbery and assault. A strict crackdown was necessary to restore public order!

Thus, Yunshui County’s vigorous and swift “anti-crime campaign” began. The county police acted quickly, and within a single night, they had apprehended all those involved in the street violence.

Several groups of offenders attempted to flee overnight, but they were caught in the police’s carefully laid traps. When Gu Shi’an returned home that night, he was enveloped in a chill.

Lin Yao had already obediently closed her eyes and lay down, hoping for a peaceful night’s sleep.

She knew that someone hadn’t touched her for several days.

That morning, Lin Yao had teased Deputy Director Gu, nibbling on his ear and deliberately provoking him.

As a result, when Gu Shi’an got into bed that night, he caught hold of the young lady and “teased” her until she repeatedly begged for mercy.