Chapter 036

Ji Chen didn’t ask any more questions. He quickly put on his clothes and buttoned them up.

This small injury wasn’t something he intended to worry about. It was inevitable to get hurt when out in the world, and there was no need to be so delicate.

However, Meng Li felt that this wasn’t right. She recalled that when she had entered earlier, she had passed by a deep well in the yard, the mouth of the well dark and hollow. Since there was no ice, the water in the deep well must have been cold, right?

With that thought in mind, Meng Li decided to take action. Without hesitation, she went straight to the deep well in the yard.

She threw the wooden bucket down to fill it halfway with water, then pulled up the rope to bring the bucket back.

Ji Chen walked over to her. “What are you doing?”

Meng Li glanced at him, then turned back to continue her task. “Since there’s no ice, using a towel soaked in well water to apply it should help ease the pain.”

Ji Chen couldn’t do anything to stop her. If he didn’t know she was a girl, he might have teased her for being delicate and fussy.

But she was a girl, and being thoughtful and careful was only natural.

He didn’t say anything more. He sat down in the room and let Meng Li apply the wet towel soaked in well water to his shoulder.

While she was doing so, Meng Li asked, “Is this your home?”

Ji Chen remained still, turning his head to glance at his shoulder. “Do you think I have someone else’s key?”

Meng Li found a stool and sat down. “So this is the General Staff Compound. I’ve never been here before.”

She had always known where it was, but she had never actually come here.

The children in these compounds looked down on them, and they had no reason to come to places like this. If they did, it would be like a lamb walking into a tiger’s den.

Thinking about it, a feeling of unease tightened in her chest. Meng Li looked at Ji Chen with a wary expression. “Why did you bring me to your home?”

Ji Chen looked at her and saw the nervousness in her eyes. He smiled and said, “What do you think? To hurt you?”

No, that wasn’t it. After all, he had blocked a brick for her earlier. He probably didn’t have any ill intentions toward her.

Meng Li cleared her throat. “Do you really think of me as a brother?”

Ji Chen was puzzled. “What? Do you still have doubts about this? Have I not been good enough to you recently, or did I do something to upset you? I bought you ice cream, got you meat ration tickets, set up the dorm with the record player, guitar, and those books. Just now, I even took a hit for you. Has your conscience been eaten by a dog?”

Meng Li raised her hand and scratched her neck. “It’s just that we’ve been enemies for so many years. I’m still getting used to this.”

Ji Chen looked at her with a somewhat intimidating gaze. “And now?”

Meng Li smiled. “Now, you’re my brother. I accept that.”

Ji Chen sighed in relief. “At least you’ve got some conscience.”

Meng Li definitely had a conscience, or she wouldn’t have been concerned about his shoulder injury.

She reached up to feel the towel, noticed it had warmed up, and then took it off, wetting it with well water again before reapplying it.

Being someone who often got injured in the field, Meng Li had never experienced it herself, but she remembered many such incidents.

After applying the towel again, she returned to her seat on the stool. “It’s fine, it won’t affect your ability to be a soldier.”

Ji Chen didn’t feel like there was any problem. When Meng Li mentioned joining the military, he followed the thread of the conversation and asked her, “What are your plans? Once you turn eighteen, you’ll be eligible to enlist. Are you planning to join the army?”

Meng Li didn’t have any strong opinions on the matter. She answered simply, “Joining the military depends on your background. You know my dad is still undergoing re-education. If my political background doesn’t pass the review, how can I join the military? Most likely, I’ll just sign up to go to the countryside.”

Ji Chen looked away, thinking for a moment without speaking.

After a while, he spoke again, “Didn’t your mom remarry? As long as you’ve cut ties with your dad, your political background should pass, right?”

Meng Li shook her head. “I don’t know. But it doesn’t matter to me. Whether it’s joining the army or going to the countryside, it’s all the same. Look at how turbulent the times are right now—who knows if things won’t change?”

It was 1976, a year full of significant events. Once the great leader passed away, everything would come to an end.

And by next year, the college entrance exams would be restored.

So, whether it was joining the army or going to the countryside, it was just about enduring for a year or so.

After that year and a half, she could return to the path of education.

Ji Chen didn’t know what would happen in the future. His understanding of the world was entirely shaped by the current era.

He looked at Meng Li and said, “Joining the military is the best option right now. How can it be the same? If you go to the countryside, are you planning to be a farmer for the rest of your life? Even if joining the military doesn’t lead to a successful career or high-ranking position, at least after transitioning, you’ll have a decent job.”

Meng Li didn’t want to continue this conversation. There was no point in talking more about it because she couldn’t make any decisions herself.

In this era, the Party and the state took care of everything. Young people didn’t have many choices.

To deliberately change the subject, Meng Li went over to replace Ji Chen’s towel and smiled. “What? Are you looking down on farmers?”

This was the 1970s, when farmers and workers held the highest status—poverty was considered a source of honor.

Ji Chen knew she was joking, but he still responded, “Don’t try to put a label on me.”

Meng Li replaced the towel. “It should be fine if we leave it on a little longer.”

Ji Chen also understood that some things were beyond their control. No matter how well they managed to navigate their youth in Beijing, once they entered the adult world, they would still have to follow the rules of that world.

He didn’t say anything more but gave Meng Li another long look.

…

Meanwhile, Zhuo Xi and the others had been involved in a conflict. Before the police arrived, they, along with the troublesome youths, quickly scattered. They ran far from the scene, planning to wait for the police to leave before returning to continue lining up for tickets.

They ran a long way before stopping, all four of them panting heavily.

They took a break in a small park, still out of breath, and began talking about the fight that had just happened.

Wei Dong spoke harshly, “Did you see that? That guy couldn’t even fight back. He dared to mess with me, now he knows what it feels like.”

Zhuo Xi, still catching his breath, looked at him. “We agreed not to start trouble, but you still jumped in.”

Wei Dong, unhappy with the comment, shot back, “If someone hits me, should I just stand there and take it? Isn’t that cowardly?”

Zhuo Xi’s breath was stabilizing, and he replied, “You know Third Master can’t fight anymore, right?”

Then he suddenly remembered. Where was Third Master?

Zhuo Xi noticed Jin Bei was also there, and his heart dropped. He looked at Jin Bei and asked, “Where’s Third Master?”

Jin Bei was still catching his breath, pausing before answering, “Third Master was taken away by Ji Chen.”

Zhuo Xi’s face darkened, and his brows furrowed. “What?!”

Wei Dong and Zhou Nan’s attention was diverted as well. Furrowing his brows, Wei Dong raised his voice slightly. “Didn’t we tell you to keep an eye on her? What’s going on with you? Do you not know what our relationship with Ji Chen is? You let him take her away—how could that be a good thing?”

Jin Bei also felt guilty. “The scene was too chaotic. I couldn’t keep track of her. Third Master went with him willingly…”

Wei Dong raised his hand and slapped Jin Bei on the head, gritting his teeth. “If anything happens, next year on this day will be your memorial!”

Jin Bei quickly covered his head with his hands. “I don’t think we need to worry too much. Just now, Third Master was almost hit, but Ji Chen stepped in to help. Ji Chen kicked two people over before taking her away. He basically saved Third Master…”

Zhuo Xi, hearing this, was in disbelief. His eyes were filled with confusion.

He stared at Jin Bei. “You’re not making this up, are you?”

Jin Bei, looking anxious, hurried to explain. “Although it sounds strange, I swear it’s true. I saw it with my own eyes. I absolutely didn’t lie to you. I swear to Chairman Mao!”

Zhou Nan, remaining calmer, raised his chin slightly and asked, “Then tell me, why would Ji Chen do that?”

Jin Bei was at a loss for words. His mouth opened and closed as he tried to answer, but couldn’t find the words. “I… I don’t know…”

As Jin Bei thought of something, he quickly added, “They’ve been desk mates for most of the semester. Except for Sundays, they’re together every day. Maybe… maybe they’ve developed some feelings for each other?”

Zhuo Xi, Wei Dong, and Zhou Nan looked at each other, but no one spoke.

After a moment, Zhou Nan spoke up again, “Should we go look for them?”

Zhuo Xi paused and thought for a moment, then sighed lightly and looked at Zhou Nan. “Go to the General Staff Compound? If we go, can we even get out?”

Wei Dong, growing impatient, asked, “Then what should we do? Just sit here and wait for nothing?”

Zhuo Xi thought for a moment, then raised his head to look at Wei Dong. “If what Jin Bei said is true, Ji Chen probably won’t do anything to Third Master. If he wanted to do something to her, he could’ve done it right there. He’s had plenty of chances at school.”

Jin Bei, eager to clear himself, quickly added, “I really didn’t lie!”

Zhou Nan patted his shoulder, reassuring him, “We believe you.”

Jin Bei sighed in relief. “So, what do we do next?”

Zhuo Xi also relaxed a little. “Let’s stick to the plan. We’ll go back to the line later, and tomorrow we’ll go look for Third Master.”

Wei Dong, still anxious, couldn’t shake his worry. He stood up and said, “You guys can sit around like a bunch of cowards, but I won’t. If you’re not going, I’ll go myself. Even if I die in the General Staff Compound today, I’ll bring Third Master out!”

Zhuo Xi quickly stood up and grabbed him. “Stop causing trouble!”

Realizing his tone had been too harsh, he softened his voice. “Right now, Third Master is probably fine, but if we go over there and make a scene, things could spiral out of control. It’s not like before, and even back then, we wouldn’t have caused trouble at the General Staff Compound.”

Zhou Nan also stood up. “Zhuo Xi’s right. You’re being too impulsive.”

Wei Dong gritted his teeth, thinking about how it was because of him that they had gotten involved in the fight earlier. If he hadn’t, they wouldn’t be in this situation now. He didn’t continue with his reckless plan. He sat back down, suppressing his frustration, and remained silent.

Zhuo Xi and Zhou Nan sat back down as well. Both of them remained calm, and after a brief silence, Zhou Nan suddenly spoke again, “Do you think… Ji Chen has already figured out that Third Master is a girl?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, the other three looked at him.

Zhuo Xi, maintaining a calm expression, didn’t speak. Wei Dong, however, was still agitated. “If he dares to mess with Third Master, I’ll risk my life to take him down!”

Zhuo Xi gently patted his shoulder twice, signaling him to calm down.

At this point, speculating about things was pointless. Zhuo Xi spoke, “Third Master went with him because she must trust him. We shouldn’t always think the worst. Third Master is smarter than we are.”

That was true. If Meng Li weren’t exceptional in every way, she wouldn’t have made it to the top.

Hearing this, Wei Dong finally began to relax and took a deep breath.

The three of them spent some time chatting about other things, waiting for about another half hour before heading back to continue their line.

Their main goal for the night was to buy tickets, and they couldn’t afford to delay.