◎ Soap ◎

The candy really wasn’t free. Less than a week later, An Lin came knocking.

She specifically asked for Qi Yuzhen and told her to come out to talk.

Seeing that An Lin looked upset, Qi Yulian worried that her sister might get bullied and followed alongside her.

An Lin had no intention of hurting Qi Yuzhen. She promised not to hit or scold her and told Qi Yulian to stay fifty meters away and keep an eye on them.

Fifty meters wasn’t too far. Qi Yulian counted her steps—one step as half a meter—walked a hundred steps, then stopped and watched Educated Youth An and her sister talk.

Educated Youth An had her back to her, so she couldn’t see her expression or hear what they were saying.

Even though she couldn’t see Educated Youth An’s face, she could see her sister’s expression, which still looked normal.

Just from Educated Youth An’s posture, it was obvious that she was extremely angry.

She really wanted to know what the matter was!

On this side, Qi Yulian was extremely anxious. On the other, Qi Yuzhen quietly listened to Educated Youth An scolding someone.

Educated Youth An was scolding Educated Youth Cen—not about him becoming a teacher. That issue had already passed. It was another matter, a very small one, but since it happened, it was no surprise that Educated Youth An felt furious and uncomfortable.

Educated Youth An said Educated Youth Cen had used her soap. Winter clothes were thick and heavy, making them hard to wash. She usually washed clothes together with Educated Youth Tang.

This time, she got her period and soiled her pants. She rubbed them with soap and left them soaking in water.

Every time after doing laundry, she never remembered to bring the soap left in the courtyard back into the room. In the past, Educated Youth Tang would help her collect it. This time, Educated Youth Tang went to the city, and no one reminded her or helped her bring the soap in, so she forgot. She only remembered where the soap was when Erya asked about it.

The day before yesterday wasn’t very busy. Only the men went out to work. An Lin, who was on her period, didn’t want to do anything. After soaking her pants, she just lay in bed and didn’t move again.

Lunch was delivered to the educated youth dormitory by Erya. An Lin didn’t feel like moving, so she spent five cents to ask Erya to wash her pants. Erya was quite happy to help, and with An Lin’s explanation, she found the water basin covered with a wooden board.

An Lin was a bit loud and brash, but she was still too embarrassed to let the male educated youth see a basin of “bloody water,” so in the morning, after soaking her pants, she covered them with a wooden board before going back to her room to lie down.

Erya didn’t save soap when washing clothes for others. She asked Educated Youth An if she could use soap to scrub the pants.

An Lin said she had already used quite a bit of soap that morning and told her to check. If there were still stains, she could use more soap, and she told her where the soap was kept.

A few days ago, the weather was cold, but the sunlight was good. When Erya found the soap, she touched it—it was wet—so she didn’t scrub the pants immediately. Instead, she went to find Educated Youth An and asked if the soap was hers.

Erya knew that Sister Feifei had gone to the city with Educated Youth Tang that day, and she was worried the soap was communal. If the male educated youth came back and saw her using it, they would scold her.

This male educated youth specifically referred to Educated Youth Cen.

What she said confused An Lin. The soap was hers, she had just used it that morning.

Erya asked what time in the morning she had used it. The soap felt like it had just been used not long ago.

After hearing what Erya said, An Lin, who had been lacking energy and was sore and uncomfortable, immediately perked up. She went to touch the soap and asked Erya if she had soaked it in water.

Erya said no, it was already wet when she touched it.

Even Erya started to realize something was wrong.

The place where the soap was kept was one where sunlight could reach, and it had been about five hours since Educated Youth An had soaked her pants.

The soap shouldn’t still feel like it had just been used.

The first suspect ruled out was Educated Youth Tang, who hadn’t returned from the city yet.

Even if Tang Sui hadn’t gone to the city, An Lin wouldn’t have suspected her.

Because Tang Sui had clearly said before that if she ran out of her own soap, she could borrow An Lin’s and return it next time.

When the two of them washed clothes together, Tang Sui never took advantage. She used her own soap.

Tang Sui was overly introverted. An Lin didn’t have much in common with her, but she absolutely trusted her character.

She had actually already identified the suspect in her heart. She believed it was Cen Wei, Educated Youth Cen.

An Lin didn’t think Educated Youth Cen was innocent, but she still went through the motions. That afternoon, when several male educated youths returned, she asked them about the soap.

Educated Youth Song could be said to be the one with the best personal hygiene in the dormitory. He washed clothes every day, usually in the afternoon. In winter, since he couldn’t wash all his clothes at once, he would wash one or two pieces at a time. He had the most toiletries in the dormitory.

Just thinking about it, it was unlikely that Educated Youth Song had stolen the soap. He also said he hadn’t returned to the dormitory at noon.

Educated Youth Xue had come back for a nap. By the time he returned, Erya had already finished washing the pants and left.

Educated Youth Xue was the opposite of Educated Youth Song. Educated Youth Song liked cleanliness, while Educated Youth Xue did not. He could go a whole winter without washing his clothes. Who would believe he had stolen soap to wash clothes? When he got lazy, he just soaked his clothes in water a few times, then took them out to dry—no need for soap.

Right now, Educated Youth Xue’s personal hygiene was being supervised by An Lin. She had even spoken to their mother, Yuan Xiucai, to complain about Educated Youth Xue’s poor hygiene. Yuan Xiucai also thought it was too filthy for a grown man, but what could be done? Keep watch over Educated Youth Xue every day and make him stay clean?

Actually, Educated Youth Xue’s lack of hygiene didn’t affect Educated Youth An as much as his snoring disturbing her sleep did. The main reason she complained to Yuan Xiucai about Educated Youth Xue was to express her frustration and to show that she was living in “deep water and scorching fire,” so she could get some sympathy.

Their mother couldn’t do much about it. She didn’t have the means to manage someone else’s personal hygiene. Even if she were Educated Youth Xue’s parents, he might not listen to them about hygiene.

Qi Yuzhen, considering one issue, advised An Lin to maintain good personal hygiene.

It wasn’t meant as “mind your own business and stop meddling.”

Her point was, if Educated Youth Xue didn’t maintain hygiene, it could attract fleas or lice. If An Lin herself stayed clean, even if they passed onto her, the effect wouldn’t be too bad.

Qi Yuzhen’s words led An Lin to sum it up as “flies don’t bite seamless eggs.”

Educated Youth An’s summary didn’t seem quite right, but Qi Yuzhen couldn’t explain how to correct it, so she let Educated Youth An interpret it as she wished.

From then on, Educated Youth An began pushing Educated Youth Xue to bathe and wash his clothes, even saying that if anyone got fleas or lice, it must’ve come from him. If someone got a rash, he would have to pay for their treatment.

As for the soap incident, at first Cen Wei didn’t admit it. When An Lin started cursing and threatening to spread the word, he finally admitted it—not directly, but by telling Educated Youth An not to bother the commune members over such a trivial matter. He offered her a small piece of soap to settle things.

Educated Youth An accepted the compensation of a small piece of soap. She wasn’t stupid—she knew the matter didn’t rise to the level of theft, and even if she complained to the team leader, it would just be smoothed over. She was just angry.

Educated Youth Cen cut a piece off his own soap and gave it to An Lin, telling her not to make a fuss.

The way he spoke always carried a tone of blaming An Lin. But An Lin wasn’t like Educated Youth Tang—she wasn’t going to swallow her anger. Her temper flared up immediately, and she shouted that she would go to the school and report him to the principal for stealing.

How could a thief be allowed to be a teacher? Wouldn’t that corrupt the students?

In the end, Educated Youth An received a whole bar of soap as compensation. Educated Youth Cen was extremely angry. After compensating her with a full bar of soap, he warned An Lin not to talk nonsense. He had already given her a bar—if she wasn’t satisfied, he wouldn’t be polite anymore.

An Lin wasn’t afraid of him, but she was tired of him using underhanded tricks.

She endured two days without making a fuss. Today, feeling upset, she came to vent to Qi Yuzhen.

She hadn’t even told Erya the details. When Erya asked about the soap, she just said to let it go and that she would be more careful next time and keep her soap safe.

Stealing soap for use and stealing soap altogether were two different matters. Erya, putting herself in An Lin’s shoes, felt that even stealing to use was infuriating. She advised Educated Youth An not to forget to keep her soap safe in the future.