Chapter 15: Mudslide

Everyone turned pale with fear, as on the left side was a mountain peak and on the right was a rushing river. If another mudslide occurred, there would be nowhere to escape.

“Everyone, don’t worry,” the calming voice reassured them. “There are many factors that can cause a landslide, such as heavy rainfall increasing the weight of the soil layer and reducing the friction with the rock layer, leading to a collapse.”

The speaker was Zhou Yinghuai, who looked up the mountain at the traces left by the mudslide. The vegetation was lush, and the yellowing grass swayed gently in the breeze. Eliminating the possibility of deforestation, and since it hadn’t rained last night, the truth was clear:

“If human excavation alters the mountain’s structure and reduces its stability, it can also lead to a landslide. But for a large-scale collapse to occur, unless…”

He seemed to think of something, his brows furrowing tighter, and he stopped speaking.

Jiang An’an followed his line of thought and quickly understood. Unless there were large excavators working on the mountain, the accumulation of waste could also cause a landslide.

“It must be those little bastards speculating and profiting!” Uncle San, who was in charge of driving the ox cart, glared with his fierce eyes and said, “This is the only road for the surrounding brigades to enter the city. Two years ago, the commune clearly issued a document prohibiting random logging and charcoal burning in the mountains. I’ll report this to the brigade leader when I get back and have the police arrest all those punks who are encroaching on public property.”

No!

This wasn’t the kind of noise that charcoal burning would make!

Jiang An’an immediately rejected Uncle San’s claim in her heart. Charcoal burning is illegal; isn’t it more appealing to secretly do it in the deep mountains? Only a fool would boldly wait by the roadside to get caught!

“Wasting a day off isn’t what anyone wants. Let’s work together to move the stones in the middle of the road so the ox cart can pass,” Zhou Yinghuai said, taking off his coat and draping it over the ox cart, revealing his white shirt underneath.

With broad shoulders and a narrow waist, he had a tall and strong physique, causing the female comrades to gasp in awe.

Zhou Yinghuai remained expressionless, rolled up his sleeves, and walked directly toward a larger stone.

The stone was about knee-high, weighing roughly sixty to seventy jin.

He bent down, exerting his strength to lift the stone. His arms were muscular and well-defined as he effortlessly moved it to the side of the road.

“Wow—”

The female comrades’ eyes sparkled, and their cheeks flushed bright red.

“Pah! Is moving a stone that impressive? What’s with the show-off? He’s like a peacock spreading its feathers.”

“Zhou Yinghuai loves to show off everywhere; I really don’t know what the female comrades see in him.”

“How annoying! He stole all the limelight.”

…

The whispers around them reached Wen Hao’s ears, and he couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “If you can do it, then do it. At least Brother Huai gets things done, which is better than those gossiping women.”

Just as everyone was about to get angry, they suddenly caught sight of the giant beside him, whose fist was as large as half their faces, and they immediately dared not make a sound.

“A bunch of cowards.” Wen Hao felt incredibly pleased, looking at Hong Bin, who was big and burly, with a face full of flesh. He was a companion and bodyguard specially brought by the old man to ease his worries about him going to the countryside.

He patted Hong Bin’s arm, his mouth moving like a knife as he jabbed at the hearts of the others: “Let’s go, we’re not going to waste time with these weaklings who only know how to talk big. We’re going to help Brother Huai.”

“You…”

The male educated youth stood there, hopping with anger.

Jiang An’an also looked down on this group of men who bullied the weak and feared the strong, and stepped forward to help.

Zhou Yinghuai unexpectedly glanced at her but didn’t say anything.

This casual glance drove Yang Qing mad with jealousy, further convinced that Jiang An’an had ulterior motives, and she stubbornly squeezed herself between the two.

Jiang An’an moved stones; she moved stones too.

Jiang An’an cleared branches; she cleared branches as well.

In short, she secretly vowed to outdo her in everything, leaving a good impression in Comrade Zhou Yinghuai’s mind.

Seeing this, the other female educated youth felt embarrassed to sit back and enjoy the fruits of others’ labor. Their strength was small, so clearing away small stones or branches was just right for them.

In the end, a group of awkward male educated youth was left behind…

If they went to help, it would be like a slap in the face;

If they didn’t go, it would seem as if they were less capable than the female comrades.

However, just as they were caught in this dilemma, the larger stones on the road were cleared away.

Originally, they thought Zhou Yinghuai would make a sarcastic remark, and they were prepared to argue back. But he didn’t say anything and simply walked past them without a sideways glance.

It felt like hitting a fist against cotton—extremely frustrating.

The ox cart was back on the road.

The sun gradually climbed to the treetops, the sunlight warm and gentle.

The spirited female educated youth waved their hands, singing a pleasant tune: “The sun in the west is about to set, the waters of Weishan Lake are quiet. Play my beloved clay pipa, sing that moving song…”

Smack!

Jiang An’an cracked an egg on the cart, peeling off the shell, revealing the tender white egg inside.

She lowered her head and took a bite; it was hot and soft, and the small dimple on her cheek became faintly visible.

The singing around them seemed to quiet for a moment, then suddenly grew louder, competing with each other in a deafening chorus.

At that moment, immersed in her food, Jiang An’an took out a steaming white bun, tore it in half, and placed an egg in the middle to make a simple version of a sandwich.

She took a bite, and her two dimples became even more pronounced.

Just looking at her satisfied expression made it seem incredibly delicious!

Gurgle, gurgle!

The sounds of hungry stomachs echoed back and forth.

“Comrade, can I trade you three buns and three eggs for some imported chocolate?” Wen Hao asked, swallowing hard and unable to hold back.

Jiang An’an looked up, her delicate brows and eyes filled with confusion.

Even if she didn’t understand the purchasing power of 1972, she knew that imported chocolate was a luxury item and could only be bought with a coupon.

Wen Hao gritted his teeth: “I only brought five with me. Will you trade? If it’s not enough, I can give you two more when we get back to Nanxi Brigade.”

“Deal!” It would be foolish not to, and it would be perfect for her second sister’s sons as a snack.

She remembered that all three of her sisters were very fond of her. Especially her second sister, Jiang Meizi, who always spent money to bring back many good things from the supply and marketing cooperative. This time, showing up might attract some sour comments from her sisters-in-law.

She had a total of eight buns and three boiled eggs, so Jiang An’an asked, “Since there are only two eggs left, can you give me one more bun?”

“Sure,” Wen Hao readily agreed.

Having gotten up early before dawn and done physical labor on the road, he was already starving.

“I’m Wen Hao. You can come to the educated youth point anytime to get the remaining two pieces of chocolate. If you can’t find me, look for Hong Bin or Brother Huai,” Wen Hao eagerly shared his breakfast with his two companions, mimicking Jiang An’an’s method and taking a big bite.

“That’s enough,” Jiang An’an calmly put the chocolate in her pocket. Five pieces of chocolate was already a great deal; being greedy could lead to trouble, which would not be worth it.