On a summer night in the countryside, everything was quiet and pleasantly cool.
After driving the ox cart back, Pei Huaiye immediately went up the mountain to hunt. He didn’t find any wild boar, but he did catch three pheasants. He cleaned two of them thoroughly and carried them to the small river.
Sure enough, Su Qingyue was sitting on a rock. From behind, her figure looked graceful and slender. He walked over softly. “Take these two back to eat. I’ve already cleaned out all the innards.”
“Thank you.” Su Qingyue handed him a handkerchief. “Here’s your handkerchief. I washed it clean.”
Concern flickered in Pei Huaiye’s eyes. “Were you tired from working in the fields today?”
“Not tired. Picking up wheat ears is much easier than hoeing.”
Pei Huaiye finally relaxed. The team leader had indeed kept his promise.
With his sharp hearing, he caught the sound of footsteps from afar. “Someone’s coming. It’s late—hurry back. I’ll bring you another pheasant tomorrow.”
Su Qingyue’s lips curved slightly. “Mm.”
Pei Huaiye lifted the handkerchief and smelled it—there was still a faint fragrance lingering. When he returned to the thatched hut, he saw his parents sitting on the kang with Pei Huaigang.
Pei Fugui scolded him, “Your mother isn’t well, and you didn’t even come back to check on her. Instead, we had to come see you.”
Chen Lianzhen clutched her chest. “Eldest son, my chest hurts again. If you still have any filial piety, buy some medicine for your mother.”
Pei Huaigang stared at the pheasants under the eaves and swallowed. “I say, big brother, you caught pheasants and didn’t think to honor our parents. Planning to eat them all yourself?”
Pei Huaiye’s eyes turned cold with disappointment. “I don’t have money.”
Pei Fugui sprang to his feet. “No money? You earn twenty-eight yuan a month—where did it all go?”
Pei Huaiye exploded. “You still dare ask me where my money went?!”
Radiating hostility, he strode up to them, his fierce gaze sweeping across their faces.
“Then let’s settle the accounts properly!
“Huaigang’s house cost two hundred, his wedding cost two hundred, and the bicycle cost one hundred eighty!
“For two years after I was discharged, I gave you twenty yuan every month—four hundred eighty in total.
“I kept only one hundred fifty for myself. After coming back from a mission, that money was stolen.
“When I went on a business trip, I had no money and had to borrow from a colleague just to buy a train ticket…
“And you still dare ask where my money went?!”
Pei Huaigang hid behind Pei Fugui as Chen Lianzhen slammed her cane heavily.
“We raised you to twenty-two years old—what’s wrong with you supporting your parents?! Is this how you talk to us?!
“And which family doesn’t help their siblings a little?”
Pei Huaiye’s face darkened, his voice icy. “You only raised me for thirteen years! How I lived after thirteen—you know very well!
“You stole all the money I’d saved last time, and I didn’t even ask you to return it. Now you still have the nerve to ask me for money?”
Chen Lianzhen turned her head away guiltily. Pei Fugui calculated it carefully—payday really hadn’t arrived yet.
After a long moment of thought, he decided it wouldn’t be good to push things too far. If the eldest stopped supporting them in the future, they’d be in trouble.
“Eldest son, let bygones be bygones.
“Your parents are old and incapable. If you truly have filial piety, take your mother to see a doctor after you get paid.”
After saying this, Pei Fugui supported his wife and headed out. Pei Huaigang picked up the pheasants and followed. Pei Huaiye took one swift step forward and blocked him. “Put them down!”
Pei Huaigang trembled in fright but forced himself to threaten, “I know you caught three pheasants. You even gave the other two to a pretty woman.
“Hmph, if you care about her reputation, you’d better not force me to go around saying you two were messing around at night—”
Before the last word left his mouth, Pei Huaiye’s fist flew. Blood instantly streamed from Pei Huaigang’s nose.
Chen Lianzhen and Pei Fugui turned back, rushing toward him, swinging the cane and cursing as they hit him.
Pei Huaiye ignored the blows landing on his body. He grabbed Pei Huaigang by the collar and lifted him off the ground. “Take the pheasants and go. If you dare utter one word of nonsense outside, I’ll break your legs!”
Pei Huaigang’s throat was constricted; it took a long while before he could gasp for air. Suppressing his fear, he had his parents pick up the pheasants and leave.
Chen Lianzhen was still striking Pei Huaiye with her cane. Pei Huaiye glared at her angrily. “If you don’t want your living expenses anymore, then keep hitting!”
Pei Fugui dragged his wife away, glaring back at his eldest son. “Let’s go, let’s go. What sins we committed to give birth to such a beast!”
After sending his family away, Pei Huaiye’s chest wound split open again. Gritting his teeth, he rebandaged it.
When he was thirteen, he had climbed the mountain and taken six bird eggs. Because he was starving, he ate one first—and Chen Lianzhen and Pei Fugui beat him until his leg was broken.
“Your parents and your brother haven’t eaten any—yet you dare steal food!”
“So young and already rotten to the core—beat this unfilial son to death!”
The memories stabbed at his heart like knives. Pei Huaiye’s eyes turned bloodshot. He pressed the handkerchief to his chest and slowly calmed his fury.
……
Pei Huaiye left early and returned late. After work, he went straight into the mountains to hunt. He also bought a jar of canned mandarins and carried another pheasant to find Su Qingyue.
After circling the riverbank twice without seeing her, he had no choice but to go to the educated youth compound.
Shen Xunbao was just about to head out to look for Su Qingyue when he ran into Pei Huaiye at the gate.
His eyes lit up—such a tall, handsome man was rare in the countryside.
Pei Huaiye gave Shen Xunbao a brief glance. “Comrade, please pass this canned fruit and pheasant to Su Qianqian.”
To avoid misunderstanding, he added, “She asked me to bring them back. She already paid.”
Shen Xunbao didn’t think much of it. Su Qianqian and Zhou Wenfang often asked people to bring things. “Alright. Comrade, what’s your name?”
Pei Huaiye raised a brow and smiled faintly. “Pei Huaiye. She’ll know.”
“Pei Huaiye?!” Su Qianqian was shocked. Pei Huaiye was notorious—a ruthless man who had once lived alone in a cave, gone lame, and nearly been dragged off by wolves.
He had fought with his parents and his brother. Cruel and violent.
The local tyrant of ten villages, infamous everywhere.
Could it be… this man had taken a liking to her?
Su Qianqian shuddered. She hurriedly explained to Shen Xunbao, “I only asked him to help bring something back. There’s nothing between us.”
Shen Xunbao seemed quite interested in Pei Huaiye, and the conversation kept circling back to him.
In Su Qianqian’s eyes, this meant one thing: Shen Xunbao was jealous!
Her cheeks flushed shyly. That very night, she opened the canned fruit and let Shen Xunbao eat more than half of it.
She tossed the pheasant to Dai Xiaohong and Li Yun. “Clean it up. We’ll have a better meal tomorrow.”
Once Li Yun finished cleaning the pheasant, Su Qianqian quickly chopped off half and hid it away.
……
Su Qingyue finally managed, after much persuasion, to get Su Mingqiang to go to the county clinic.
Because acupuncture was needed for his back, Su Qingyue wanted him hospitalized for three days, but Su Mingqiang refused no matter what.
Left with no choice, she took her father to the county every day—after the acupuncture, she brought him back to the village.
For three days in a row, she returned very late. Pei Huaiye’s thatched hut was empty, and he was nowhere to be seen by the river.
Su Qingyue sighed, thinking that his work was special—perhaps he’d been sent on a mission.
That day, after getting home, Su Mingqiang calculated the expenses. Twenty yuan had been spent on treatment. “Yue, let’s not go tomorrow. It’s too expensive.”
“Dad, I bought two monthly bus passes. From now on, you’ll go to the county with me in the mornings.
“I start work at the supply and marketing cooperative tomorrow. After your acupuncture, you can come straight home.”
Su Qingwu chimed in, “Since we’ve already spent money and treated half of it, we might as well finish the treatment!”
Su Zhuangzhuang munched on an egg cake. “Grandpa, go. I’ll pick up wheat ears and help Aunt Xi earn work points.”
Zhuangzhuang was dark from the sun, following Su Qingxi every day to gather wheat ears. Together, they earned six work points a day, and the two little ones were immensely proud.
Su Mingqiang could only agree.
Su Qingyue went for a walk by the river again but still couldn’t find Pei Huaiye. Thinking she might as well ask Shen Xunbao whether he’d decided on calling off the engagement, she headed to the educated youth compound.
From afar, she spotted a broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted man standing at the gate, talking with Shen Xunbao.
Wasn’t that Pei Huaiye?
Su Qingyue immediately brightened, her steps light and quick as she walked over.
“Same as usual—please pass the canned fruit and pheasant to Su Qianqian.”
Pei Huaiye’s voice was deep. Seen from the side, his eyes still held thick, unspoken affection.
Su Qingyue’s smile froze.
She stopped dead in her tracks, peach-blossom eyes gradually filling with a mist of tears.