Chapter 014

Before Chu Xia could snap out of her daze, Lin Xiaohan had already turned and resumed walking.

When she finally looked away and caught up, he was some distance ahead, so she quickened her pace to reach him.

Once she was walking beside him, she asked, “What idea did you come up with?”

Lin Xiaohan turned to glance at her. “I thought you’d ask why I turned that girl down.”

Truthfully, Chu Xia didn’t know what he was thinking, but she hadn’t planned to press him.

Whatever was in Lin Xiaohan’s heart, the reality was clear.

Looking at him, Chu Xia said, “If we had said yes and let her attend school like that, then no one would be willing to pay tuition to attend. We wouldn’t be able to run the school at all.”

Lin Xiaohan gave her another glance but said nothing more on the matter.

He tossed the original question back to her. “So, what idea did you come up with?”

Chu Xia thought for a moment before answering. “It came from what those kids were saying earlier. Most of them might not want to go to school and be under rules, but there are very few who don’t love listening to stories. Entertainment is so scarce in the countryside—whether it’s movies or performances, they’re rare and repetitive. If we use books to tell them new stories, they’ll love it. And while telling stories, we can guide them—spark their curiosity about reading and learning. If we can ignite their desire to go to school, what do you think?”

Lin Xiaohan nodded. “Pretty much what I was thinking.”

Chu Xia smiled. “Then let’s start this afternoon. We’ll use engaging stories and knowledge to spark their desire to learn and create an environment where everyone wants to go to school. At the same time, we can persuade their parents. That should be more effective.”

Lin Xiaohan thought for a moment, then added, “We can also offer a small incentive. I have a box of milk candies. When we tell stories, we can show them to the kids and say that if they sign up for school, each of them will get one.”

“Perfect,” Chu Xia agreed immediately.

In times like this, everything was scarce. Most families couldn’t afford sweets more than a couple of times a year. Getting fruit candy was already a luxury—milk candy was even rarer.

No child could resist that kind of temptation.

As they walked back, still discussing the plan, Chu Xia added, “Don’t worry—no matter how many candies we give out, I’ll split the cost with you. I’ll pay for half.”

Lin Xiaohan replied bluntly, “Even if you didn’t say so, I was going to ask.”

Chu Xia: “…”

Back at the youth outpost.

The first thing Chu Xia did after entering the kitchen was check the straw she had tied around the cupboard door.

Seeing that the straw knot was exactly the same as it had been that morning, Chu Xia finally breathed a sigh of relief.

It was about time to make lunch. She raised her hand, tore off the straw, and opened the cabinet door. Turning to Lin Xiaohan, she said, “I’m going to knead the dough now and steam fresh buns. Once they’re done, I’ll return the ones I ate this morning.”

Lin Xiaohan replied with a simple “Mm” and returned to the dormitory.

Since Chu Xia would be returning hot, fresh buns later, there was no need for him to go to the trouble of reheating his own.

Back in his dorm, he took out his army-green travel bag.

Unzipping it, he rummaged around for a bit and pulled out a few books with yellowing pages.

These books were his spiritual sustenance during his time in the countryside.

Of course, they were all titles that were currently approved for publication and distribution.

Since the domestic turmoil that began in ’66, many books had been banned for being labeled “封 (feudal), 资 (capitalist), 修 (revisionist).” The few that remained available were mostly revolutionary in nature.

Later, as the book famine became too severe, the central authorities repeatedly criticized the lack of literary works and encouraged artistic creation. In the past couple of years, literary publishing had seen a slight revival.

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms that Lin Xiaohan was flipping through now was one such title, recently re-released.

He figured that revolutionary stories had been told so often over the years that everyone could recite them by heart. Telling the children stories from Romance of the Three Kingdoms would feel fresh and exciting.

Especially iconic episodes like Borrowing Arrows with Straw Boats and The Battle of Red Cliffs.

He hadn’t had the time to read much since arriving in the countryside, so as he flipped through the pages, he became absorbed in the book himself.

Among all his books, Romance of the Three Kingdoms was his favorite—particularly for its many clever stratagems.

Even when Han Ting and the others returned from work and came into the dorm, Lin Xiaohan was undisturbed.

Leaning leisurely against the bed, he continued flipping through the book without even lifting his eyelids.

In the kitchen—

Chu Xia was kneading dough to steam buns.

She mixed small amounts of different flours and made a few of each kind of mantou.

After shaping the sorghum flour dough, she began kneading cornmeal dough.

As she scooped water and poured it into the basin, the door curtain was suddenly lifted from outside.

She looked up quickly and saw that the ones entering were Li Qiao, Gu Yuzhu, Su Yun, and Chen Sisi. Without acknowledging them, she simply lowered her gaze and continued with her work.

After what happened that morning, things between Chu Xia and those girls were completely beyond reconciliation.

Naturally, Li Qiao and the others pretended not to see Chu Xia either. The four chatted and laughed among themselves as they started rinsing sorghum and sweet potato slices and lighting the fire to cook.

Since the flour they milled yesterday had sand in it and was inedible, and they hadn’t gone to the mill again today, they could only make do with coarse grain porridge for this meal.

As long as it didn’t concern her, Chu Xia ignored whatever they said or did.

After shaping the cornmeal buns, she moved on to sweet potato flour and made several buns from that as well, neatly arranging them all in the steamer tray.

Once the buns were ready, she washed her hands, poured water into the pot, and went behind the stove to light the fire.

When the water began to boil, she lifted the steamer tray, placed it on top of the pot, and covered it with the lid to steam the buns.

By the time her batch of buns was done, Li Qiao and the others had finished cooking their porridge as well.

Chu Xia and Li Qiao were both standing at the stove, busy with their own tasks but ignoring each other. Chu Xia took out the steamed buns one by one, while Li Qiao was scooping the porridge into bowls.

Chen Sisi and Gu Yuzhu brought the bowls to the table, while Su Yun went out to call Han Ting and the others.

Chu Xia placed two bowls filled with buns on the table, then turned and left the kitchen—just as Han Ting and the others were coming in.

Things between Chu Xia and them were now openly hostile—like enemies.

Naturally, they didn’t greet each other and simply stepped aside, one group entering, the other leaving.

Chu Xia returned to the dorm to fetch a can of beef, then crossed the courtyard to the men’s dormitory to call Lin Xiaohan.

Hearing her, Lin Xiaohan set down his book and came out. Together, they went to the kitchen to eat.

When they entered, the others were chatting and laughing; the atmosphere was lively.

In contrast, Chu Xia and Lin Xiaohan seemed like outsiders—two misfits completely left out of the group. But neither of them minded in the least.

Chu Xia picked up a pair of chopsticks, sat down at the table, and pulled the tab on the canned beef.

Lin Xiaohan went to the cabinet to get his jar of pickled vegetables, grabbed a pair of chopsticks from the stove, and came over to sit directly across from Chu Xia.

The other two tables were already full, so this was the only spot left.

Neither of them spoke after entering the kitchen.

After Chu Xia opened the can, just as Lin Xiaohan picked up a buns from his bowl, she used her chopsticks to place a piece of fragrant, tender beef into his bowl and said, “Here, for you.”

That piece of beef more than repaid the pickled soybeans and radish he had given her that morning.

Lin Xiaohan didn’t stand on ceremony. He picked up the beef and took a bite.

Since it was such a rare treat, he didn’t wolf it down in one go.

But the moment he took that first bite, the previously cheerful atmosphere in the kitchen suddenly began to chill.

In just a short while, not a single person was speaking anymore.

Everyone was watching Chu Xia and Lin Xiaohan—not only envious of the buns, beef, and pickles on their table, swallowing involuntarily, but also completely baffled by Chu Xia’s behavior.

If they weren’t mistaken, Chu Xia had called Lin Xiaohan over after steaming the buns.

And she wasn’t just letting him eat her buns—she was even sharing her beef with him!

That kind of treatment used to be reserved for Han Ting.

So they all stole a few glances before forcing themselves to look away, unable to resist looking toward Han Ting.

And no matter how much he pretended not to care, Han Ting’s expression darkened visibly.

A storm cloud loomed over his face and eyes, and the breath caught in his chest swelled so tightly it felt like it might burst from him at any moment.

No matter how hard he racked his brain, he couldn’t understand what had gotten into Chu Xia.

Ending their relationship over a few measly buns was one thing—but now she was treating Lin Xiaohan like that?

Did she not know what kind of person Lin Xiaohan was?

She must be out of her mind, possessed or something!

That’s Lin Xiaohan—the selfish, cold-hearted Lin Xiaohan!

He was clearly taking advantage of her, scheming against her, and she couldn’t even see it?!

Han Ting almost couldn’t hold himself back several times. He wanted to get up, grab Chu Xia, and shake some sense into her.

But remembering the harsh words she had said to him that morning, he forced himself to stay still.

The rich smell of beef wafted over as he ate his coarse grain porridge. Not only did he feel like his lungs were about to explode, but it was as if he were chewing on pig slop.

Forcing himself to gulp down another mouthful, he eventually couldn’t bear it anymore. With a loud bang, he slammed his bowl on the table, face dark, and stormed out.

The atmosphere turned tense and strange. Everyone knew exactly why Han Ting had reacted that way, but no one said a word.

They all choked down their porridge as if they were swallowing poison.

Meanwhile, Chu Xia and Lin Xiaohan remained completely unaffected, eating slowly and quietly from start to finish.

Their unhurried manner only made everyone else’s torment worse.

It was the boys’ turn to wash the pots and dishes that day.

Once Li Qiao and the others finished eating, they put down their bowls and went straight back to the dormitory.

As soon as they sat down, Li Qiao frowned and said, “What is wrong with her? Did Lin Xiaohan eat her brain or something? She made such a fuss over a few coarse grain buns this morning, said all those awful things to Han Ting, and now she goes and calls Lin Xiaohan to eat fresh buns she steamed herself—and even gave him canned beef? She’s got to be possessed!”

Chen Sisi replied weakly, “There’s no such thing as ghosts. That’s just feudal superstition.”

Li Qiao was baffled. “Well, then what is going on? How do you explain this craziness?”

Chen Sisi said, “Lin Xiaohan probably brainwashed her.”

Guo Yuzhu sat by the table, holding up her palm-sized mirror to check her reflection. “I said it before—Lin Xiaohan never lifts a finger without a profit in mind. He’s definitely got this all calculated, trying to get something out of her. This is just the beginning. You’ll see—there’s a big loss waiting for her down the road. And when she’s no longer useful, he’ll kick her aside without a second thought.”

Li Qiao muttered, “Lin Xiaohan is honestly despicable.”

Guo Yuzhu sneered, “Well, it’s not like she has a brain. If she wants to get played, that’s on her.”

Su Yun sat silently nearby, taking a deep breath. Her head hung low, and she didn’t say a word.

Now that Chu Xia had changed like this, there was no way she would give up the teaching opportunity.

Her face and eyes were filled with melancholy. She felt like she was walking alone in a cold, desolate night with no end in sight—no light, no hope.

After finishing the dishes, the boys returned to their dorm.

Han Ting lay on the bed with his arm as a pillow. His face looked calm, but there was a storm raging in his eyes.

No one could’ve understood or accepted what had happened.

Chu Xia, the girl who had followed him around like a shadow since childhood—who adored him, treated him like a role model, listened to everything he said. She had always been gentle, graceful, and kind.

Now, all of a sudden, she had completely changed. She wasn’t just selfish and petty, she had publicly severed ties with him—embarrassed him—and then turned around to cozy up to the person he hated most: Lin Xiaohan.

He had expected people like Chaozi or Guogai might one day fall out with him, even betray him. But he never imagined Chu Xia would.

Chu Xia… little Chu Xia…

The girl who had called him “Brother Han Ting” since they were kids.

Why had she changed so completely and so suddenly?

Han Ting’s presence alone seemed to bring a heavy pressure into the room.

The others who entered didn’t speak. They sat quietly, exchanging glances, until Chaozi suddenly broke the silence: “Chu Xia’s just naive. Lin Xiaohan must have sweet-talked her.”

Han Ting heard him but didn’t react.

Guogai looked over and added, “Brother Ting, maybe we should find a chance to beat Lin Xiaohan up?”

Han Ting finally spoke, his tone flat: “No need.”

Chaozi looked worried. “So we’re just going to let Chu Xia get tricked? Today it’s buns and canned beef—who knows what it’ll be next? Sooner or later, she’s going to suffer a real loss.”

Still, Han Ting remained calm. “Only by suffering a big loss will she finally learn her lesson.”

Chaozi and Guogai looked at each other and said no more.

Thinking back on Chu Xia’s behavior these past two days, especially the huge outburst that morning, it was true—she was completely unreachable now. Maybe she really did need to hit rock bottom to come to her senses.

After lunch, Chu Xia and Lin Xiaohan cleaned up their dishes and returned to their dorms.

Neither of them spoke to anyone else. It was as if the others didn’t exist. They went about their own business in silence.

Chu Xia pulled out her travel bag where she kept her belongings.

Unzipping it, she rummaged through and found a stack of illustrated comic booklets.

Because she had lived the past decade or so for Han Ting, most of her things were somehow related to him—either things he liked or things he needed.

These comic books weren’t something she liked herself—they were something Han Ting enjoyed. He never liked reading wordy books; ever since he was little, he preferred picture books.

Chu Xia had brought these along to help Han Ting pass the time in the countryside.

But now that they had broken ties, she certainly wouldn’t be giving them to him anymore.

She planned to give them to the children in the village instead. The kids had never seen books like these—they’d definitely find them exciting and fun.

Thinking this, Chu Xia sat on the edge of her bed and flipped through a few of the comics.

Meanwhile, Li Qiao and the others were chatting about trivial things. Chu Xia paid them no mind.

Then, all of a sudden, she heard a voice from outside the window:
“Want to go to the brigade mill together?”

Chu Xia looked up and saw Guogai standing outside the window.

She pretended not to notice, lowered her head, and continued flipping through her comic books.

Li Qiao stood up immediately and responded to Guogai, “Let’s go—there’s strength in numbers.”

Su Yun, Guo Yuzhu, and Chen Sisi also stood up and left with her.

Outside, they joined the boys, picked up the washed grain, and headed to the village mill.

On the way there, the others walked ahead, chatting, laughing, and playfully teasing each other. Su Yun and Han Ting, as usual, walked at the rear, keeping some distance from the group.

In front of Su Yun, Han Ting maintained his usual carefree appearance.

He looked at her for a moment and asked, “What’s wrong? Not in a good mood?”

Su Yun gave a faint smile but didn’t share her own troubles. Instead, she expressed concern for him: “I’m upset for your sake. You must be feeling terrible right now, being betrayed by someone you trusted most.”

Han Ting didn’t seem to care, flashing a grin as he replied, “Isn’t the person I trust the most you?”

Su Yun gave him a playful glare. “Stop teasing. I know how much Chu Xia means to you. You didn’t even react like this when you broke up with Tong Rui…”

Han Ting took a deep breath and gave a self-deprecating smile.

Yeah. When had he, Han Ting, ever been so frustrated and suffocated because of anyone else?