Chapter 52

With both eyewitnesses and material evidence, and having been caught red-handed, even if Sun Baoxiang had eight mouths to explain herself, she wouldn’t be able to justify anything.

The faces of the young intellectuals also changed. The one who swapped the rabbit the night before turned green, shouting, “There’s a thief among us, this is terrifying! I’m going to keep the rest of my half rabbit safe so that Sun Baoxiang doesn’t come steal it in the middle of the night! Who can lend me a lock?”

These people had left their homes and moved to the countryside. With only a small amount of grain each month, and the few basic supplies they had being sent from their families, their biggest fear was thieves. Now, Sun Baoxiang’s reputation was ruined.

“I didn’t! I didn’t do it! I don’t even know how that rabbit’s tail ended up in my bag!”

Sun Baoxiang’s two pigtails were disheveled from anxiety, and she still tried to explain, but no one was willing to listen anymore.

The stolen item should be compensated for. It wasn’t because Liu Yu was generous and didn’t hold it against Sun Baoxiang, but because Sun Baoxiang, with her poverty-stricken state, was no match for Liu Yu’s disdain. The few pounds of dried cornmeal and a jar of bean paste didn’t interest Liu Yu.

With a cold snort, Liu Yu turned and left, muttering, “Steal something and then refuse to admit it!”

Sun Baoxiang’s face turned from white to red, more colorful than a painter’s palette!

—-

In the evening, Wang Changping returned, carrying his catch.

The young intellectuals already knew that Wang Changping could hunt and was willing to trade meat, so someone came with a large bundle of daylilies to trade. Wang Changping didn’t mind, chopping up half a rabbit and giving it to them.

After dinner, Wang Changping burned the gray squirrel and wild rabbit skins with wood ash, roughly processing them into a bunch of skins. He crudely stitched them together into a large sheet, piecing them together to make a mattress.

Liu Yu was cooking daylilies and quail eggs in a lunch box. For a moment, she felt like they were an old married couple—one hunting and the other cooking.

Shaking her head, she dismissed the thought and told Wang Changping about what happened earlier. Wang Changping nodded slightly, “You did the right thing. If someone becomes addicted to stealing, that’s troublesome.”

Liu Yu laughed at his words, wiping her face with her sleeve. “It’s okay, if she comes again, I’ll deal with it. These past few days, I’ve relied on you a lot. I can’t even protect my own food!”

Meanwhile, at the young intellectuals’ campsite, Sun Baoxiang was alone in the tent. The campfire outside was filled with people singing and dancing. After what happened during the day, everyone was avoiding her, afraid they might be the next victim!

That damn fat woman! It was just a little rabbit meat. Not only did she get beaten, but she also embarrassed herself in front of everyone! She really lost out!

Sun Baoxiang touched her head, where a large bump had formed, causing her to grit her teeth in pain.

At that moment, Bai Xueling lifted the tent flap and entered. Under the dim light of the oil lamp, her face was pale, almost bloodless. “Comrade Sun, why aren’t you out there singing and dancing?”

Seeing Bai Xueling, Sun Baoxiang was overjoyed. But remembering she had become a thief, she turned her face away. “Everyone doesn’t like me anymore. I won’t go.”

Bai Xueling sat down in front of Sun Baoxiang, her eyes curved with a smile. “How could that be? I’ve always considered you my sister, Sun Baoxiang!”

She extended her snow-white hand to hold Sun Baoxiang’s.

At this point, Sun Baoxiang had reached the stage where everyone was wary of her, and she couldn’t believe that the most beautiful and elegant person in the group, Bai Xueling, would still care about her. She was almost in tears. “Bai Xueling, you’re so kind.”

Bai Xueling smiled brightly. “Comrade Sun, how did you get into conflict with Liu Yu? She’s a bad person.”

It’s said that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and what’s better than having such a friend who considers the fallen Sun Baoxiang a good sister!

Sun Baoxiang omitted the part about stealing rabbit meat and poured out her grievances to Bai Xueling. “Xueling, you’re right! Liu Yu is a wicked person! She framed me! She put that piece of rabbit’s tail in my bag!”

Bai Xueling listened, her smile wide, but her eyes were cold. “She really is bad! We can’t let her get away with framing you. You should take it back tomorrow when we’re out chopping wood together. I can help you. That way, no one will suspect it…”

Hearing Bai Xueling’s sincere plan, Sun Baoxiang was deeply moved, holding her hand. “You’re so good to me, we’re closer than real sisters!”

—

The next morning, Li Qinghua gathered everyone. Today, the group’s target was a hundred-year-old tree. This tree was towering and lush, and it would take everyone working together to fell it.

The men were chopping the tree with axes, and the women were tying ropes around the trunk. Once a notch was made in the tree, everyone would stand at a distance and pull on the rope in the opposite direction to bring down even the largest old tree.

Under the tree, everyone was busy, and Liu Yu was focused on her work. Suddenly, Sun Baoxiang approached, “Liu Yu, I was wrong yesterday. I apologize.”

Liu Yu glanced at her, thinking it was strange. The animosity between her and Sun Baoxiang had been quite intense.

Liu Yu kicked Sun Baoxiang, giving her a sharp blow and exposing her theft publicly. If it were her, she would’ve hated the person who wronged her and wouldn’t want to apologize. Yet here Sun Baoxiang was, coming to apologize. Truly, only someone big-hearted could forgive like that!

But Liu Yu had no fondness for Sun Baoxiang. “I don’t need your apology. Leave me alone.”

At that moment, a shout came from the men’s side: “Everyone, put down your axes and help pull the rope. Let’s work together to fell the tree!”

The tree would fall in the direction of the notch, and the people pulling the ropes would stand diagonally opposite to avoid being hit when the tree fell.

The men and women mixed together, each pulling a section of rope as if in a tug of war. Sun Baoxiang continued to follow Liu Yu, determined to apologize, but Liu Yu didn’t want to hear it. Liu Yu stayed at the front, pulling hard on the rope, while Sun Baoxiang stayed a step behind.

“Everyone, pull harder! The tree is about to fall!”

The cheerleader shouted to encourage everyone to put all their strength into pulling the rope, and just then…

Someone pushed Liu Yu from behind.

When Liu Yu fell, everything spun around. She could only hear the man shouting, “The tree is falling! The tree is falling! Get out of the way!”

Then everything went dark. The tree fell, landing right where Liu Yu had fallen, some of the leaves hitting her head. Liu Yu felt a sharp pain in a part of her body, the pain was so intense that she couldn’t withstand it and passed out.

The young intellectuals, who had been pulling the tree down, were stunned, unable to speak, and still in their positions. They couldn’t understand why Liu Yu had fallen, and why she was under the tree now. An accident had happened!

“Liu Yu!”

Wang Changping’s eyes instantly turned red.