Chapter 026

Only the tip of the sun remained visible above the horizon.

Then, with a sudden drop, it disappeared entirely beneath it.

Soon after, the new leaves along the stream swayed gently as they were swallowed by the deepening twilight.

Chu Xia packed her book into her bag, stood up, patted the dust from her clothes, and walked the familiar path back to the commune lodging.

She had intentionally returned late—by now, Han Ting and Lin Xiaohan had already eaten dinner.

Just like at noon, she cooked alone in the kitchen, reheating some buns and boiling a couple of bottles of hot water. After dinner, she went straight back to the dormitory to wash up.

She didn’t like reading under the oil lamp—it strained her eyes and wasted fuel—so once she was done washing, she went straight to bed.

She lay in bed, not sleepy yet, blinking in the dark and letting her thoughts wander.

She didn’t bother thinking about all the foolish things she’d done before—each one tied to Han Ting.

Although she couldn’t say those things were done entirely of her own will, it wasn’t like Han Ting had forced her. So she didn’t feel like he owed her anything. It had been her own choice.

In the end, the future was far more worth thinking about.

Now that she had stepped away from the storyline of the novel, she couldn’t help but wonder what kind of life she would lead from here on.

She was curious, yes—but not anxious.

Life wasn’t just about chasing a goal. Taking in the scenery along the way was just as important. Every stage of life deserved to be lived fully—only then, looking back, would it not feel like a blur of rushed moments.

With those thoughts, sleep eventually came.

Because she had the next day off, Chu Xia fell into sleep completely relaxed, planning to sleep in a little the next morning.

A rare day off—sleeping in was a must.

Of course, even though she thought that way, her body still woke up at the usual time the next morning.

This time, though, she didn’t get up. She turned over and went right back to sleep.

A little while later, the sharp, urgent sound of the alarm woke her again.

Chu Xia instinctively pulled the blanket over her head. Once the alarm stopped, she closed her eyes and went back to sleep again.

But the four girls in the same room—Gu Yuzhu and the others—couldn’t afford to stay in bed.

They got up with heavy heads, sighing and groaning as they folded their blankets, grumbling about how there seemed to be no end in sight, how every morning felt hopeless, and how their spirits were sinking lower by the day.

As Gu Yuzhu finished folding her blanket, she suddenly noticed that Chu Xia was still in bed.

Surprised, she blurted out, “Huh? Why hasn’t she gotten up yet today?”

Since coming to the countryside, this was the first time Chu Xia had still been asleep when they were up.

Wasn’t she always the most diligent one? Always up before anyone else? What was going on today?

Li Qiao and Chen Sisi were brushing their hair together.

Li Qiao glanced over and said, “She’s a teacher. Today’s Sunday.”

Gu Yuzhu slapped her forehead.

They hadn’t had a Sunday off since arriving for rural labor. She had nearly forgotten Sundays even existed.

She wouldn’t have remembered today either, if Chu Xia hadn’t just reminded her of it—by still being in bed.

And the more she thought about how they were about to go out and work in the fields, while Chu Xia could sleep in, do whatever she wanted, and enjoy her day—the more upset she felt.

If it were Su Yun enjoying that kind of life, she’d accept it.

But Chu Xia? Chu Xia wasn’t born to enjoy life—she was clearly meant to suffer and work hard!

Someone who was supposed to toil shouldn’t be the one relaxing. What kind of twisted logic was that?

She had already been in a foul mood from having to get up early to work.

Now it was even worse—she felt so bitter that she doubted she’d be able to eat breakfast.

Still, no matter how unappetizing the plain food looked, they had to eat something.

About twenty minutes later, Han Ting and the others sat down in the kitchen, eating buns with pickled vegetables.

As Gu Yuzhu chewed her buns, she complained, “We’re all from rural households. We all work for the production team. Why is it that just because she’s a teacher, she gets Sundays off, and we don’t?”

Working every single day… It’s exhausting.

And just when she thought she couldn’t be more frustrated, Wang Xiangqian added, “They get paid even when they’re off on Sunday. If we skip work for a day, we don’t even get a single work point.”

That pushed things over the edge.

Gu Yuzhu clenched her teeth. If there had been anything else to eat, she’d have thrown that black buns on the ground!

Seeing the four girls stewing in frustration, Guogai added fuel to the fire, “That opportunity just happened to fall into Lin Xiaohan’s lap. He’s got no sense of manly generosity at all. If any of us—especially our Brother Ting—had that chance, we wouldn’t even think twice. We’d let you girls take the easy job.”

Hearing that, Li Qiao chimed in, “Don’t even mention that stingy guy. Just asking him to help collect the laundry is already a struggle. If you think he’d give up a cushy job, you’re dreaming. Heaven really did waste a perfectly good male body on him—he doesn’t have a single quality a man should have.”

Just as Li Qiao finished speaking, a voice suddenly came from the kitchen door:

“And what exactly is a ‘real man’ supposed to be? Someone like you, talentless and useless, gossiping behind people’s backs?”

Everyone at the table turned their heads at once and saw Lin Xiaohan walking in.

The group had been chatting noisily, and no one had noticed the door curtain being lifted.

Li Qiao didn’t dare offend Lin Xiaohan to his face.

She had issues with him, but most of her complaints were made behind his back.

Now that she had been caught red-handed speaking ill of him, she quickly shut up and lowered her head, focusing on her steamed bun.

Han Ting spoke up coldly, “Still better than some people who play both sides and don’t belong anywhere.”

Lin Xiaohan let out a mocking laugh. “A bunch of useless losers clinging together, making a living on empty boasts—yet you dare to think you’re the real men here? What a joke.”

Han Ting slammed the table and stood up abruptly. “Lin Xiaohan!”

Lin Xiaohan smiled at him. “What, touched a nerve?”

Han Ting glared at him, eyes full of anger, then smirked,  “One day, you’ll see for yourself who the real joke is.”

He no longer cared to argue or compete with him.

From the bottom of his heart, he despised Lin Xiaohan’s way of scheming within the rules, flattering and manipulating for petty personal gain.

To trade dignity for worldly benefits, to wear two faces depending on the occasion—disgusting.

He would never bow and scrape. He would always stand tall.

And one day, he’d make Lin Xiaohan see what it means to win while standing upright.

Lin Xiaohan scoffed with disdain.

“Fine. I’ll be waiting.”

Sunlight streamed through the window.

Chu Xia stretched her arms out from under the blanket and gave a long, lazy stretch while still lying down.

After Li Qiao and the others had left the dormitory, she had gone back to sleep for a bit—restful and content.

Now that she was well rested, she got up briskly, folded her quilt, braided her hair, washed up, cooked a simple meal, and set out with her basket for the market.

The morning market was the one to catch—more people and more variety.

By the afternoon, the stalls would still be there, but most people would be gone.

Just two years ago, Qinghe Town didn’t even have a market—it had been shut down due to the revolution.

Only recently had the authorities allowed a public market again, and even then, only one was sanctioned by the commune. All transactions were officially monitored, and no private trading was allowed.

Of course, black markets still existed.

People would secretly organize informal exchanges—today here, tomorrow somewhere else. But that was illegal.

Villagers, when desperate for cash, might sneak out produce from their private plots, or even coarse grains and dried sweet potatoes, but if caught, they would be punished.

Chu Xia didn’t want any trouble, so she went straight to the official market.

It was about ten li (roughly 5 kilometers) from Tanxi Brigade to the commune, an hour’s walk at a regular pace.

Chu Xia was young and fit—she mixed walking with light jogging.

She arrived at the market just in time and wandered around with her basket, picking up some vegetable seedlings and seeds suitable for planting at this time.

Tomatoes, cucumbers, chili peppers, chives, eggplants, loofahs—those she bought as seedlings. For green onions, bok choy, and lettuce, she bought seeds.

Chu Xia did some quick math. She didn’t eat much, so she bought a small amount of each—just a couple of plants each of chili and tomato would be plenty.

After she was done with the vegetables, she went to check out the chicks.

Before the school term started, a village meeting had been held where an expert taught them how to select piglets and chicks.

Chu Xia pulled her notes from her bag and followed the guide to pick out chicks.

First, check the belly—if it’s large and hard, don’t take it.

Then, check the legs—chicks with flaky or dry skin were a no.

Next, hold the chick in your hand—if it doesn’t struggle, it’s weak and should be avoided.

Finally, inspect the backside—if it’s crusted over, that’s also a no-go.

Following all these criteria, Chu Xia picked out three healthy chicks she was satisfied with.

She then realized she had nowhere to put them, so she bought a simple woven bamboo cage on the spot and placed the chicks inside.

By the time she finished shopping, the sun was higher in the sky.

Chu Xia carried her basket and the chick cage out of the market.

As she walked, a delicious aroma wafted her way—peach crisps.

The sweet smell hit her nose, stirring her appetite.

She looked toward the stall selling peach crisps and hesitated for a moment.
Well, I’m already here… might as well buy something nice to take back. Last time I went to the county town, I even had noodles—no reason to treat myself any worse this time.

In the past, she would’ve definitely bought something for Han Ting when she came to market.

If she was willing to spend on Han Ting, then why not on herself?

She still had enough money left for a bag of peach crisps.

So, Chu Xia turned back, went into the shop, and bought a bag to carry in her hand.

Now truly satisfied, she left the market and headed back to the brigade.

She came alone, and naturally, she’d return alone.

The route was the same—what road she came on, she’d take back.

She walked more slowly on the way back, a bit tired from browsing the market.

But she wasn’t in any hurry. She had no one waiting for her, and no obligations pressing her.

Bored on the way, she amused herself by playing with the chicks in the cage.

Once she was done with that, she started kicking pebbles along the road.

She was walking with her head down, kicking stones, when suddenly she heard someone shout:

“Hey!”

She didn’t look up—she didn’t know anyone here anyway.

She kept kicking stones.

But this time, just as she kicked one forward, a few pairs of legs suddenly appeared in front of her.

She looked up and saw three boys, around her age, standing right in her path.

The three boys were all wearing old uniforms faded from washing.

The one in the middle looked at her and said, “Hey! We’re talking to you.”

Chu Xia shot them a guarded glance. “What do you want?”

The boy on the left chuckled and said, “You’re by yourself, so we thought we’d make friends. Judging from your accent, you’re not from around here. And the way you dress—definitely not from the countryside. You’re a city girl, a sent-down youth, right?”

It was obvious these three were local hooligans—typical troublemakers.

Though nervous, Chu Xia kept her expression calm and tone steady. “My house is just up ahead. I’m almost home.”

She stepped back, planning to go around them.

But the boys quickly moved to block her path again, grinning and laughing, refusing to let her pass.

The boy on the right dropped the act and looked at her straight on. “If you don’t want to make friends, fine. We’ve got plenty of those. What we don’t have is money and ration tickets. So if you’ve got any on you, hand them over, and we’ll let you go.”

Chu Xia’s heart was pounding uncontrollably.

She knew full well she couldn’t fight them off. Resisting would only make things worse.

Better to endure a small loss now than a bigger one later.

Holding her breath, Chu Xia raised the package of peach crisps in her hand and said, “I don’t have any money or tickets left. I used them all. But I’ve got this bag of peach crisps. Will that do?”

Something like peach crisps? Of course they’d take it.

The guy in the middle grinned smugly and reached out to grab them.

But just before his hand touched the bag, another hand shot out from the side—faster—and snatched the crisps right out of Chu Xia’s hand.

Caught off guard, all four of them turned at the same time.

Chu Xia froze when she saw who had taken the peach crisps.

It was Lin Xiaohan.

The three boys clearly didn’t recognize him.

The boy on the left frowned, annoyed. “Who the hell are you? You think you can steal from us right in front of our faces? Do you even know who we are?!”

Lin Xiaohan calmly placed the peach crisps back into Chu Xia’s hands and said coolly, “I’m not interested in who you are. You don’t deserve to know who I am. You’ve got three seconds. Get lost.”

Three seconds? What a joke.

There were three of them—how could they be afraid of just one guy?

The boys sneered, their expressions turning fierce as they cracked their knuckles and exchanged a look, getting ready to fight.

But before any of them could land a move, Lin Xiaohan reached behind him and pulled an axe from the basket on his back.

There was no hesitation. No mercy.

The silver blade flashed in the air, cold and sharp, aimed directly at the boy on the left.

The boy’s eyes widened in instinctive fear as the blade sliced past his ear and slammed into the tree trunk behind him. The branches shuddered violently from the impact.

In that instant, the boy’s face went deathly pale, and his legs gave out from under him.

The two boys on the right were also terrified. Faces drained, they stumbled back a couple of steps.

Holy shit.

They’d never met someone this ruthless—not even in all their time messing around Qinghe Town.

Chu Xia didn’t have half the courage those boys did.

Naturally, she was terrified too. The moment she saw the axe flying toward the boy, she squeezed her eyes shut and even shrank her neck back in fear.

Lin Xiaohan casually yanked the axe from the tree.

His patience gone, he said coldly, “So, are you leaving or not?”

The two boys on the right bolted like startled dogs, sprinting away in panic.

After a few steps, they realized their friend was still standing there, shaking like a leaf. Gritting their teeth, they ran back to drag him off with them.

They ran thirty meters or so before the boy finally found his voice and stammered, “Is… is my ear still there?”

The others looked at him and said, “Yeah, it’s still there.”

The boy reached up to touch his ear—then burst into tears with a wail.

Chu Xia was still standing in place, eyes tightly shut.

When she finally opened them, the three boys were gone, and Lin Xiaohan had already walked a little distance ahead.

Chu Xia looked at his back, heart still pounding wildly.

It took her a while to catch her breath. Then, swallowing hard, she started walking in the same direction, trailing behind him at a distance, feeling like her whole body was floating.

After only a few steps, Lin Xiaohan suddenly stopped.

Startled, Chu Xia froze immediately, her whole body tensing.

He turned to look at her. “You planning to stay that far back and get mugged again?”

Chu Xia swallowed hard. Her voice trembled. “You… didn’t you say not to follow you?”

Lin Xiaohan: “…”

He turned back around and continued walking. “Do whatever you want. Following me won’t cost me a damn thing.”

Chu Xia stood there for a moment, trying to understand what he meant.

Whether she followed or not—it wouldn’t make any difference to him. He wouldn’t mind either way?

Once she figured that out—

She tightened her grip on the peach crisps, took a breath, and quickly caught up to walk beside him.