◎ Huh? ◎

Fang Qiang got beaten up!

Upon hearing this news, Qi Yuzhen felt no emotional fluctuation at all.

She just hoped that Tang Niu, upon hearing this, could be a bit happier and spend a peaceful New Year with her two daughters and Grandma Liu.

Fang Qiang getting beaten up was truly satisfying. Fang Qiang himself claimed that he was beaten up by three or four people. When asked who they were and what their names were, he couldn’t say.

Apparently, it wasn’t someone from the production team who beat him up, and it wasn’t just once. As long as Fang Qiang was alone, they would find the opportunity to ambush him with a sack and beat him up.

Any normal person hearing this news would think it was great. Didn’t Fang Qiang like domestic violence and beating his wife and kids?

Now he could get a taste of being beaten half to death.

Fang Qiang went to Qi Hongjun to seek justice. But in this matter, Qi Hongjun would never stand on the side of justice. The whole brigade knew that Fang Qiang wanted to marry his daughter.

So he outwardly agreed to look into it, brushed Fang Qiang off, but actually did nothing at all. He would not investigate who beat him.

Fang Qiang refused to let it go, so he gave him a cold face and told Fang Qiang to reflect on his own behavior.

When Fang Qiang used to beat Tang Niu, she never came to Qiaogu or him to seek justice. Yet now, after being beaten just a few times, he was already complaining—how disgraceful!

Besides, even if the people who beat him were found, what then? If they were criticized and held a grudge, they might beat him even harder next time, and beat him to death.

Instead of catching those who beat him, it would be better for him to reflect on why he was beaten. Didn’t he have any sense?

Fang Qiang dared to retort, saying it wasn’t the same. Him being beaten by others and him beating his own woman—how could that be the same?

“Next time you get beaten up, why don’t you ask the people who beat you whether it’s the same or not? Qiaogu went to your house multiple times to talk sense into you, telling you not to beat Tang Niu, to treat her better. You ignored it all and kept beating her, even started beating Daqiu. Is there anyone you don’t dare to hit?

I’m in charge of labor matters. No matter who hit you, if you’re upset about it, go to the Public Security Officer and have them catch the culprits.

Since you won’t reflect on yourself, you might as well train your body a bit more so you can hold out longer next time you get beaten.” Qi Hongjun wasn’t polite anymore with his words.

After hearing this, Fang Qiang didn’t dare say anything shameless.

He was just a bully at home and didn’t dare anger the team leader.

Qi Hongjun had already been angered by him. If not for considering his role as team leader, he would have cursed him outright.

The team leader wasn’t going to deal with Fang Qiang, and Fang Qiang didn’t go to the commune’s Public Security Officer either. Ordinary people didn’t fight officials. In his eyes, the Public Security Officer was a big official, more powerful than the team leader. If the officer didn’t catch the culprits but instead found out that he beat his wife and kids, and sent him away for re-education through labor, that would be the end of it.

Maybe he was scared after being beaten, but Fang Qiang no longer went to harass Tang Niu, nor did he go around shouting that he wanted to marry Qi Yuzhen.

The New Year was approaching. The five Educated Youths who arrived in November still did not have home visit leave. Even if they were granted home leave, it would be hard to go back. The team wouldn’t grant them a long leave. Just traveling back and forth would take several days. They didn’t want the hassle.

This morning, the team was pounding glutinous rice cakes. The commune members could directly buy the rice cakes with money, no need for food coupons. First come, first served, while supplies last.

Qi Yuzhen and her younger siblings came early in the morning to watch the rice cake pounding. Five or six men circled around a large stone mortar, taking turns pounding the rice cakes. It required a skillful touch; otherwise, it would be too exhausting.

Smelling the fragrance of the rice, not only were the children craving it, even Qi Yuzhen felt a little tempted.

She brought her younger siblings out, planning to buy half a jin to take home. With six people in the family, just tasting a bit would be enough. It was not meant to be a meal.

Even though they were only buying half a jin, they still stood watching for nearly the entire morning.

Those who were watching could also give it a try. All of her younger siblings had taken a turn pounding the rice cakes.

“How much are the rice cakes?”

Before the person behind her spoke, Qi Yuzhen had already sensed who it was. It was Educated Youth Song.

She was already familiar with the light scent on him.

Smelling the faint fragrance on Educated Youth Song, she could finally understand why her younger sister liked to hug her and say she smelled nice, even though she herself never noticed any fragrance.

Since he spoke first, she turned around to look at him and answered the price of the rice cakes.

Educated Youth Song asked the price but did not say he wanted to buy. He stood behind her, watching the rice cake pounding scene.

Since he came over, Qi Yuzhen no longer planned to stay long. She bought half a jin of rice cake and intended to leave. Before leaving, she called her younger siblings, but they were reluctant to go and wanted to keep watching. So she went home first.

Not long after she left, Song Xunzhou also left.

Even during the New Year, the few Educated Youths had no intention of cooking the New Year’s Eve dinner together.

An Lin was already tired of eating at Erya’s house. She had eaten once at a state-owned restaurant in the city and felt extremely distressed about the money and food coupons she spent, unwilling to go a second time.

Eliminating both Erya’s house and the unappetizing, possibly already closed, state-owned restaurant, An Lin had an idea. Two days early, she went to look for Yuan Xiucai and said she was willing to pay to eat New Year’s Eve dinner at her house.

She knew there was no use asking Qi Yuzhen, who would need to ask her parents before making a decision, so she directly bypassed Qi Yuzhen and went to her mother instead.

Yuan Xiucai thought about how the Educated Youths couldn’t go home for the New Year and couldn’t bring herself to refuse outright. She said she needed to discuss it first and would give her an answer afterward.

An Lin figured out where Qi Yuzhen had learned to deal with people—she had learned it from her mother. Still, she did not mind. After all, the result of the discussion was an agreement.

Yuan Xiucai also asked An Lin to pass the message to the other Educated Youths and ask if they wanted to join the New Year’s Eve dinner too.

It must be made clear that if they were coming, they needed to bring their own grain and money.

Each Educated Youth had to pay fifty cents because the New Year’s Eve dinner included meat. As for grain, each person should bring either one jin of rice or one jin of sweet potatoes; either would do.

A total of three Educated Youths decided to come: An Lin, Song Xunzhou, and Xue Guoshu. Tang Sui did not come. She had already made plans earlier to have New Year’s Eve dinner with Fei Feifei. She was not going to Fei Feifei’s house; as usual, she would collect her meal at their pre-arranged spot.

Feifei’s New Year’s Eve dinner would certainly be more abundant than usual. Feifei specially asked Tang Sui to bring an extra lunchbox—two lunchboxes for her to pack the food.

An Lin mentioned the dinner at the team leader’s house to her. She was not going, but she still asked An Lin to explain the reason to Yuan Xiucai.

Upon hearing the explanation, Yuan Xiucai expressed her understanding.

As for how Cen Wei would spend the New Year, An Lin did not care.

That evening, with three more Educated Youths coming to dinner, Qi Yuzhen and her younger siblings began preparing at two in the afternoon—washing vegetables, rinsing rice, and cutting meat.

Qi Yuzhen was in charge of a few cold dishes, while the main hot dishes were all left for their mother to cook when she came back.

Around two o’clock in the afternoon, nearing three, someone came by.

The front gate had not been locked today. The person did not come in directly but stood at the gate.

Qi Yulian glanced outside and said, “Sister, it’s Educated Youth Song. You should go out and greet him.”

Educated Youth Song did have a good temper. No one had ever seen him argue with anyone. But Qi Yulian just did not know how to talk to him.

She always felt that Educated Youth Song seemed more adapted to life in the production team than any other Educated Youth, but in reality, he was even harder to get close to than the introverted Educated Youth Tang.

Qi Yuzhen’s two younger brothers were the same. They had absolutely no idea how to deal with someone like Educated Youth Song.

Qi Yuzhen was cutting dried tofu skin. Hearing that, she had no choice but to wipe her hands clean and leave the kitchen.

When she reached the gate, before she could ask, Song Xunzhou directly stated his purpose for coming.

He came early to help and also brought some things as a gift to their family.

It was not good to leave a guest standing at the door, so Qi Yuzhen brought him into the kitchen.

The family kitchen was used for cooking and dining. It was relatively spacious, and when guests came over, they usually sat and chatted in the kitchen.

After her three younger siblings greeted Educated Youth Song, they went silent and did not speak again. Seeing how her siblings acted, Qi Yuzhen decided to take Educated Youth Song to a corner of the courtyard to talk.

She wanted to refuse the things that Educated Youth Song brought.

Song Xunzhou said, “Do you dislike me?”

Qi Yuzhen explained from several angles why she could not accept his things. She saw that Educated Youth Song was listening, but unexpectedly, he asked if she disliked him. She shook her head and said directly, “I don’t dislike you.”

“That’s good. I always thought you disliked me since you always avoided me. I came today especially to apologize. Even if you don’t dislike me, just accept it. I won’t tell anyone.” He was determined to give the things away today.

“We’ve already received the grain and money. We can’t take more from you. Our family hasn’t done anything to help you normally. If you want to give, give it to the accountant’s family instead.” She could not feel at ease accepting a “gift” from Educated Youth Song, even if he expected nothing in return.

Song Xunzhou said bluntly, “But I want to give it to you.”

His words were too direct, and he said “you”, not “your family.” Qi Yuzhen was momentarily speechless and did not know how to respond.

Neither of them said anything until Qi Yulian stood at the kitchen door and called out. Only then did Qi Yuzhen return to the kitchen, with Song Xunzhou following behind her.

Since Qi Yuzhen refused, he handed the things over to her younger siblings instead. Song Xunzhou took out the items and placed them on the table, saying they were New Year’s gifts for their family.

It was the first time the younger siblings had heard the term “New Year’s gift.” Regardless of what it was called, everything Educated Youth Song brought was good stuff. There was even rice cake, and it was more than the amount their sister had bought that morning.

The rice cakes bought in the morning were already finished by noon. Qi Yulian had not even tasted enough. She was much more lively than her two older brothers and wanted to accept the gift, but seeing her sister’s expression, she did not dare to.

Educated Youth An had only given them a piece of candy and already wanted them to “repay” her. Educated Youth Song gave so many things to their family. If they accepted it, it would be like handing him a handle against them.

Qi Yuzhen remained silent, and Song Xunzhou did not stay idle either. He asked the younger siblings if there was any work he could help with.

There really was. Qi Yulian glanced at her sister, who was cutting dried tofu skin, then looked at Educated Youth Song. After a brief thought, she asked Educated Youth Song to help wash vegetables.

Educated Youth Song left the kitchen to wash vegetables in the courtyard. Qi Yulian quickly took the chance to talk to her sister, lowering her voice deliberately, and discussed whether they should put the things on the table away in a place not easily seen.

Relatives or friends might drop by the house at any time today. If people saw Educated Youth Song, that was not a problem; they could simply explain why he was at their home. But if they saw the good things on the table, that would be hard to explain.

Qi Yuzhen was not silent with Song Xunzhou because she was angry, but because she did not know how to respond. No matter what she said, it seemed wrong.

What her younger sister said made sense. She told her to put the things in the corner of the kitchen cabinet.