Chapter 26 ☆ Milk Powder and Fireflies (Part 1)

Hearing the voices of the educated youth, Cheng Yaoyao screamed, “Over here, over here! They are bullying the educated youth! They are hooligans!”

Xie San was outnumbered six to one and had been hit several times on the face and back. Cheng Yaoyao was extremely anxious, her voice was hoarse from shouting.

At that moment, a young man in military uniform who was passing by on a bicycle jumped off and rushed into the fray, kicking away the hooligan who had attacked Xie San from behind.

In no time, the educated youth arrived and engaged in a melee with the hooligans. There were only six or seven of the hooligans, and Xie San had already knocked down two of them. The rest were quickly dealt with.

Xu Xiaojun, trampled on the ground, screamed, “Damn it, how dare you bully us poor and lower-middle peasants!”

“Hah! How dare you bully educated youth? You’re really blind!” A male educated youth in a sailor shirt kicked Xu Xiaojun hard.

Sure! How about this:

“But the young man in the military uniform stopped him and said, ‘Give him to the police. Don’t take the law into your own hands.'”

Cheng Yaoyao was focused on Xie San, who had a thin streak of blood running down his forehead. The hostility between his brows hadn’t completely faded. He looked just as menacing as when Cheng Yaoyao first saw him.

Cheng Yaoyao stared at Xie San’s wound with concern: “Does it hurt?”

Her fair eyes were red and fearful, as if she might cry at any moment.

Xie San’s anger gradually subsided, and he whispered, “It’s okay.”

Several male educated youths, now concerned, asked, “Comrade, are you… are you okay?”

When they saw Cheng Yaoyao’s face clearly, their breaths caught in their throats. The educated youth, who had been shouting just moments before, suddenly softened their voices to avoid scaring Cheng Yaoyao.

Cheng Yaoyao leaned towards Xie San, an unconscious gesture that stirred emotions in his heart. She, however, seemed oblivious, simply looking at everyone with her delicate peach blossom eyes and saying, “Thank you.”

“Of course,” the male educated youths said, smiling sheepishly. They introduced themselves to Cheng Yaoyao: “I’m Zhao Dayong. We’re educated youths from Bashang Village!”

Another male educated youth added, “I’m Zhou Bin, from Taoan Village!”

Cheng Yaoyao replied, “We’re from Tianshui Village.”

Zhao Dayong looked at Xie San with admiration: “Is this guy also an educated youth? He’s quite skilled!”

As they were talking, another group arrived and asked, “Who bullied the female educated youth we selected?!”

Shen Yan, accompanied by a few male educated youths, rushed over, followed by Han Yin and Cheng Nuonuo, who were gasping for breath.

Shen Yan, who had arrived late, pushed through the crowd and approached Cheng Yaoyao: “Yaoyao, I heard from Han Yin that you were bullied by some hooligans? Are you okay?”

Cheng Yaoyao wanted to roll her eyes at him.

Zhao Dayong, disapproving, said, “What’s wrong with you? Leaving the female educated youth alone on the street? If it weren’t for this buddy and a few of us, she would have been bullied. Do you even realize that?”

Shen Yan’s face turned red with embarrassment, and he began to defend himself: “I…”

“Who’s causing trouble here?!” A stern voice demanded, “Put your hands up!”

At the Lin’an County Public Security Bureau.

Lin’an County had always had good public security, but today it was packed with people. Xie San, Zhao Dayong, Zhou Bin, and Shen Yan were arrested and interrogated as the primary suspects, while Cheng Yaoyao was taken to a separate room for questioning.

A female police officer in her 30s sat opposite Cheng Yaoyao, pouring her a glass of water. She spoke in a businesslike manner, “Tell me what happened today.”

Cheng Yaoyao and the police officer were old acquaintances. The original owner was quite beautiful, and whenever she visited the city, she attracted many admirers. The police officer found Cheng Yaoyao’s behavior restless and disapproving.

Cheng Yaoyao held the water in both hands and said impatiently, “Comrade Public Security, the people who helped me fight were truly brave! It was those hooligans who teased me first, so he…”

The police officer interrupted, “We won’t wrongly accuse anyone, nor will we let the guilty go free. Just tell us everything that happened, and we will investigate the facts thoroughly.”

Reluctantly, Cheng Yaoyao recounted the whole story, emphasizing that Xu Xiaojun had tried to hit her, and Xie San had saved her at a critical moment, despite getting injured.

The female police officer, also a woman, responded angrily: “These hooligans are so arrogant in broad daylight. They must be severely punished!”

Cheng Yaoyao lowered her eyes, her thick eyelashes casting shadows over her passionate peach eyes. Her red eyes and pale lips made her look incredibly pitiful: “Comrade Public Security, this is all my fault. I shouldn’t have been out on the street. If it weren’t for me, these events wouldn’t have occurred. Those comrades were brave and fought for me. How can I feel at ease knowing I implicated them?”

Hearing this, the female police officer softened her tone and looked Cheng Yaoyao in the eye: “You’re mistaken. What do we police officers do? We protect the people. We aim to catch those bad guys who act like hooligans, not to lock up all the beautiful girls and keep them from going out.”

In the interrogation room next door, Xie San sat with wounds on his face, his demeanor cold and sinister. Shen Yan and the others had been released, but Xie San remained, undergoing interrogation.

At that moment, a policeman in his forties knocked on the door and entered, followed by Cheng Yaoyao. The young policeman interrogating Xie San stood up hurriedly: “Deputy Liu.”

Xie San’s expression changed slightly as he stared closely at Cheng Yaoyao. She glanced at him before turning to whisper a few words to the police officer who was interrogating Xie San.

The police officer’s expression shifted several times before he coughed awkwardly and said, “So he was acting bravely? Why didn’t you mention this earlier?”

Xie San remained indifferent. Hadn’t he said it? From the moment he revealed his identity, he had been labeled with a tainted reputation.

Deputy Liu addressed Xie San with approval: “I didn’t expect you to have such high status. You are a young man who is brave enough to do what is right.”

Cheng Yaoyao quickly asked Deputy Liu, “Could you give me a permission letter?”

Deputy Liu looked puzzled. “A permission letter for what?”

Cheng Yaoyao pointed to Xie San’s arm and said, “That little hooligan hit him several times with a stick. Look at his arm and head—they’re all bruised. He can’t go to the fields to earn work points like this.”

“Please write a permission letter stating that he was injured while doing something righteous and that he can’t work in the fields for the next few days.”

Deputy Liu frowned as he examined the severe scars on Xie San’s hands.

Xie San had a cold expression and hid his arm behind his back. “There’s no need.”

Cheng Yaoyao pinched him from behind and said to Deputy Liu, “See how dedicated he is! Even after being injured honorably, he still thinks about working!”

Deputy Liu responded seriously, “I’m not sure if you have any broken bones or muscle damage from the beating. If possible, you should go to the hospital and avoid heavy physical work for the next few days. It’s not good for young people to get sick.”

The director quickly took out a pen, tore a piece of paper from the table, and wrote a brief letter before stamping it with a large red official seal.

Handing the letter to Xie San, the director said earnestly, “Although class background is important nowadays, it’s not the only consideration. Children like you can be reformed. Your courageous behavior today shows that you are a young man with a sense of justice. Keep working hard and performing well!”

Xie San felt a surge of warmth in his chest, as if a long-standing burden had been lifted. He took the letter with both hands, thanked the director, and quickly left the Public Security Bureau.

Cheng Yaoyao hurried after him and said, “Brother Xie San, wait for me!”

Outside the Public Security Bureau, the educated youth were all waiting. When they saw Cheng Yaoyao and Xie San coming out, they immediately approached to greet them.

They introduced themselves and learned that one group was from Tianshui Village, another from Bashang Village, and another from Taoan Village—all located near Lin’an City.

These educated youths had come from various places, and many shared the same hometown or school. They bonded quickly, like old friends meeting in a foreign land.

The girls were especially delighted, and the male educated youths were even more enthusiastic, hugging each other and calling each other brothers.

Friendship among men can often be forged through three things: drinking, bragging, and fighting. The recent fight had been thrilling, and Xie San’s impressive performance earned him the admiration of many young men who admired martial arts. Despite his cold demeanor, they welcomed him as a brother.

Zhao Dayong eagerly asked Xie San, “Brother, how did you develop such skills? That kick you gave was incredible!”

Cheng Yaoyao glanced at Xie San. His expression was calm, and his relaxed brows showed he wasn’t feeling impatient. Zhao Dayong and Zhou Bin did most of the talking, with Xie San occasionally adding a comment. They seemed to get along quite well.

Han Yin and Zhang Xiaofeng held Cheng Yaoyao’s arms, one on each side, and asked her about her well-being. “You really scared us just now. Did you get hurt?”

“That gangster tried to hit me!” Cheng Yaoyao liked to act spoiled and took advantage of their concern.

The other female educated youths said, “What’s wrong with the boys in your camp? How could they let you go out alone? It’s so dangerous!”

“Yes, the educated youths we selected always stick together.”

Their comments reached Shen Yan’s ears, making him blush with anger.

Shen Yan had always been the center of attention, but today Xie San was the standout. Seeing other male educated youths get along with Xie San while the female educated youths criticize him pierced his ego.

Shen Yan wanted to explain that he hadn’t ignored Cheng Yaoyao and the others, but… that was the situation.

At that moment, Cheng Nuonuo approached timidly and said softly, “Ah Yan, tonight…”