Chapter 39: Chu Ning Ran Away

Fu Yuzhou’s words left everyone speechless, their intertwined gazes filled with astonishment.

From the moment Fu Yuzhou mentioned Chu Ning’s punishment, they knew that the usually principled Fu Yuzhou had abandoned his principles for his unruly younger cousin, a testament to his pampering of Fu Chen.

The Fu Yuzhou who doted on Fu Chen would never allow him to suffer the slightest injustice; the twenty laps with a five-kilogram weight was unimaginable to them.

No one expected Fu Yuzhou to personally punish Fu Chen with twenty laps carrying a five-kilogram weight.

Chen Rulai, having caused a false accusation of adultery concerning Fu Chen, knew he had offended Fu Yuzhou.

He didn’t want to further antagonize Fu Yuzhou over this matter and was the first to speak.

“Since Captain Fu has punished Fu Chen for us, I think we can consider this matter settled. Our goal was to make Fu Chen realize his mistake and correct it.”

Liu Dazhui had always coveted Chen Rulai’s position as team leader. They had competed in the election, with Chen Rulai winning by a single vote.

Secretly, he resented Chen Rulai’s position. Knowing that Chen Rulai’s daughter, Chen Guihua, liked Fu Yuzhou, he was naturally unhappy with Chen Rulai speaking up for Fu Yuzhou.

“Team Leader, you are the team leader of our Hongguang Brigade, not Captain Fu’s team leader. In the past, when our brigade damaged public property, we had our own punishment regulations.

The error committed by Captain Fu’s cousin, Fu Chen, is serious. The punishment of twenty laps with a five-kilogram weight is a disciplinary action taken by Captain Fu towards his cousin for his lax supervision, and it has nothing to do with our brigade’s punishment.

To end it so casually, people might think you’re pulling strings for your future son-in-law.”

Implied was his dissatisfaction with Fu Yuzhou’s punishment of Fu Chen.

Chen Rulai, furious at the implication of favoritism, slammed the table.

“Comrade Liu Dazhui, Fu Chen is just a city kid who has just arrived in the brigade, and this is his first offense. He has also shown remorse. Is it necessary to twist the facts and slander someone based on a child’s mistake?”

Fu Yuzhou, impatient, interrupted, “Stop arguing. I said I’ll accept the punishment. I’ll go now and plow the two acres of land in the east.”

With that, Fu Yuzhou strode away from the brigade office.

Fu Yuzhou volunteered to take the punishment for Chu Ning because he knew of the Hongguang Brigade’s regulations.

Damaging public property required manual plowing and reclamation to increase planting area and compensate for the losses.

Chu Ning, being a woman with a small and frail frame, was incapable of plowing those two acres of land. He, being a man, had the strength and could consider it exercise.

•  

On the hillside, Chu Ning thought twenty laps with a five-kilogram weight would be easy, but after one lap, she was breathless and gasping for air.

Sweat poured down her face, soaking the clothes under her military uniform.

When she reached Chen Mo, she could barely stand, the five-kilogram sandbag still on her shoulder.

Chen Mo approached, worried. “Fu Chen, it’s not that I’m saying this, but a five-kilogram weight isn’t as easy as you think.

You shouldn’t have defied your brother. Captain Fu is usually strict with us, but you’re his cousin.

You’re practically brothers. If you just admit defeat and apologize, he might forgive you.

Being stubborn and defying the captain will only bring you suffering.”

Chu Ning, breathless, noticed Fu Yuzhou was gone.

She guessed he was hiding somewhere, waiting to see her fail, hence Chen Mo’s discouraging words.

Chu Ning was stubborn and refused to give up.

“I won’t give up. Fu Yuzhou can dream on about seeing me fail.”

She glanced around the dense woods, and with difficulty, continued running.

She had injured her ankle when she fell on the ridge. To avoid exposing her gender and being taken to the brigade’s communal bathhouse by the male intellectual youth, Cheng Yiqian, she had ignored the injury. Now, she felt her ankle might break.

She ran on, limping, each step agonizing. But she gritted her teeth and persevered.

Two laps.

Three laps.

Four laps.

Time ticked by.

Each lap took longer.

Chen Mo, waiting, was about to explode.

He had always thought Fu Yuzhou was strong-willed and never gave up, but his cousin, Fu Chen, was even more stubborn.

Even though she was exhausted and her ankle was injured, she stubbornly continued.

Chen Mo worried for her.

Darkness fell. Dark clouds gathered over the distant mountains.

Summer rain comes quickly, especially in Hongguang Brigade, a rain-prone area. As soon as the clouds gathered, the rain would pour.

Seeing Chu Ning hadn’t returned, Chen Mo worried that the rain would trap her.

“Fu Chen, can you hear me?”

He shouted anxiously.

He also hoped Fu Yuzhou would return and stop the harsh punishment.

•  

In the wasteland east of the city.

Fu Yuzhou relentlessly plowed the land. He didn’t drink or rest, working for seven or eight hours before finishing the two acres.

Seeing the barren land turned over, he felt relieved, threw down his shovel, and lay down.

“Chu Ning, Chu Ning, you must be sent by heaven to torment me. For you, I endure all this suffering. I’m bewitched, willingly bearing this for you.”

Though he complained, he felt lighter than ever, knowing the land was plowed.

The brigade leaders could no longer trouble Chu Ning about chasing rabbits in the fields.

He couldn’t understand why Chu Ning would risk so much for a rabbit.

Did her world not have rabbits?

A clap of thunder boomed. Before he could react, the rain poured down.

He got up, grabbed his shovel, and prepared to leave.

Guard Xiao Zhu arrived, breathless. “Captain, it’s not good. Fu Chen is missing. Deputy Captain Chen has been looking for him for over an hour, but hasn’t found him.”

The news stunned Fu Yuzhou. His cold eyes widened in astonishment.

“She ran away?”

Unable to bear his punishment, she had fled back to her world?