Chapter 72 – Wild Mandarin Ducks by the Creek

The beggar in front of Sheng Jie was hit hard in the jaw by a sudden surge of energy he didn’t even know he had. The pain was so intense it felt like his teeth were knocked loose, and it completely enraged the group.

After being assaulted all day, Sheng Jie was soon pinned down on a dirty straw mat by six men. A few harsh slaps landed on his face.

“Haven’t had enough, huh? Then let’s help you cool down some more.”

As soon as the words were out, Sheng Jie let out a blood-curdling scream, loud enough to nearly lift the roof off. His body, already covered in bruises and wounds, was now clawed at by greasy, blackened hands. He curled up on the side, dry heaving uncontrollably.

But the next second, someone grabbed his jaw and stuffed something into his mouth.

…

Xu Jiaojiao had gone to bed early last night and woke up early today. But the man who should’ve been next to her was long gone, only the warmth of his body still lingering in the bed. She got up quickly, washed her face and brushed her teeth. When she saw Xie Zhi’s blue toothbrush with the bristles all frayed, she frowned slightly. Wasn’t this man rich? Why was he so frugal with himself?

Without overthinking it, she pulled out a new toothbrush from the drawer and placed it in the cup. Then she headed to her parents’ house to look for breakfast.

There was warm white porridge, meat buns, and a boiled egg in the big pot in the kitchen. When Xu Jiaojiao placed it all on the table, it was still hot. She quickly finished her meal in a few bites.

She was eager to go check out the scene at Sheng Jie’s house. Had he returned yet? Her mind flashed to his poor behind—how could he have handled all those people?

“Serves him right for plotting harm.”

Just then, Xu Jiaojiao noticed a group walking past the gate—it looked like people heading to deliver water to the fields. She quickly grabbed the kettle from the table and followed them out.

The sun was blazing, and the heat of August hadn’t died down yet. Only Xu’s father was out in the fields; her two older brothers were assigned to other posts—one in the village propaganda department, the other in military training—and were being paid directly in work points.

With only the village chief joining the Xu family in field work, no one really complained. After all, literacy was the new ticket. If you could read and do basic math, you could get an accounting job at a factory. Knowing how to use an abacus? Even better.

Before she even reached the village entrance, Xu Jiaojiao saw a cart being pulled in from a distance, a person lying on top. Sheng Jie’s mother was practically wailing, throwing herself onto her son.

The man’s face was pale, and he was groaning in pain. Xu Jiaojiao overheard someone say he’d supposedly slipped and injured his leg in town and would need a long time to recover.

“That household only has one woman earning work points now—this year’s going to be rough for them.”

Xu Jiaojiao could barely contain the smug smile curling at her lips. Her eyes met Sheng Jie’s, full of gleeful mockery.

His face darkened. Did she know something? But he quickly dismissed the thought.

With a weak arm, he pushed at his mother. “Ma, let’s go home… don’t let people laugh at us.”

“Yes, yes, let’s get Doctor Lin to take a look.”

Doctor Lin was an old barefoot doctor, famous in the village for treating both people and livestock. His skills had been passed down for generations.

“Ma, I’m fine. No need for Dr. Lin.” Sheng Jie was terrified someone might find out. He shifted slightly, and a sharp pain shot through his body.

“Nonsense! I’ll sell everything if I have to, but I’m getting you treated.” His mother scolded him through her tears, pushing the cart home.

Xu Jiaojiao silently followed, eager to enjoy the joke. A man who flirted with every girl—he deserved it.

But instead of trailing behind directly, she took a small detour through a shady path along the creek. It was hot, and with most folks working in the fields, the area was deserted.

She tried to stay in the shade to avoid the sun, pausing by the shimmering creek water. Crouching down, she admired the view and tossed a few small stones into the water. “So pretty,” she murmured.

Crouched like a tiny bundle, her form was hidden behind the tall weeds—unless you looked carefully, you wouldn’t notice anyone there.

Just as her legs began to go numb and she tried to stand, a burst of giggles reached her ears. She froze instantly.

Peeking through the grass, she saw Shen Yun in a thin camisole pressed tightly against a man, pinned against a tree as he eagerly groped her.

Xu Jiaojiao cursed her luck. Seriously? Of all people to catch in the act, it had to be my arch-nemesis?!

Squinting, she recognized the man—it was Feng Yuan, a notorious flirt among the educated youth. Handsome and rich, he had fooled countless young women.

Xu Jiaojiao only knew about him from all those times she followed Sheng Jie to the educated youth point. She’d seen how he charmed every girl there.

Just when she thought the two would part ways, Feng Yuan suddenly pulled down Shen Yun’s camisole and buried his face in her chest, kicking off a scene not fit for eyes.

Xu Jiaojiao’s face flushed bright red. She lowered her head and tapped her legs to shake off the numbness. The couple only got more intense. She needed a way to scare them off.

Grabbing a pebble, she tossed it into the water. A splash echoed out.

Startled, Shen Yun froze and shoved the man away, her face going pale. If someone found them, she’d be done for. After all, she hadn’t really given herself to Feng Yuan—just teased him to keep him hooked.

The two quickly scrambled to fix their clothes and ran off.

Xu Jiaojiao waited a little longer to make sure they were gone before trying to get up—but the sudden movement nearly made her collapse. She staggered toward Sheng Jie’s house, muttering, It’s not easy just trying to watch some drama, is it?

Inside, Sheng Jie was clinging tightly to his mother, stopping her from leaving. He bit his lip, silent.

His mother, frantic with worry, tried to examine his injury. Using her strength, she pinned him down and rolled up his pants to check the damage.

The sight made her gasp—it was utterly unspeakable. His body was covered in bite marks. As someone who’d had experience, she instantly knew what had happened.

She screamed but quickly covered her mouth. Then she began hitting her son, sobbing, “What the hell happened?!”

“Ma… I… I was assaulted… by some men. They were filthy beggars.”

After hearing that, she almost fainted.

“I’ll go get a doctor.”

“No, Ma! If anyone finds out, I’ll never live it down. I still want to get married!”

“Dr. Lin is a good man—he won’t talk. I’ll just buy some anti-inflammatory medicine from him. I won’t bring him here.”

Sheng Jie sobbed, snot and tears streaming down his face. His mother grabbed him by the collar and said sternly, “As long as only we know—”

“Then it’s fine.”

With that reassurance, she rushed off to find the doctor.

What she didn’t see was Xu Jiaojiao, who’d been eavesdropping by the wall the whole time. Her heart thudded with excitement as she tiptoed away from the scene.

She practically skipped home. Xie Zhi was supposed to come home for lunch—and she couldn’t wait to tell him all about it.