Su Qingyue heard the suppressed laughter vibrating in Pei Huaiye’s chest, and her ears instantly burned red. She clenched her small fists and pounded his firm chest.
Pei Huaiye loosened his embrace, indulging her blows.
His voice was gentle and low. “Go on, hit me. It’s all my fault—don’t be mad anymore, okay?”
“It *is* your fault! I thought you liked Su Qianqian—I saw you give her canned fruit with my own eyes that day!”
Su Qingyue’s red lips moved as she spoke, then she shot Pei Huaiye a sharp glance. Her watery peach-blossom eyes were vivid and full of feeling.
Pei Huaiye’s breath stalled. “So… Qingyue was jealous?”
Su Qingyue’s face flushed all at once. She struggled free of his arms and said fiercely, “Don’t talk nonsense. I wasn’t.”
A soft chuckle escaped Pei Huaiye’s throat. He gazed at Su Qingyue deeply, his look probing yet ardent. “Mm. You weren’t. I was.”
Su Qingyue’s eyes flickered. Seeing that it was already completely dark, she worried her family would be anxious. “There’s no bus anymore. It’s not good to go back too late.”
Pei Huaiye soothed her. “The ox cart is parked at the county road junction. I’ll take you back.”
They walked out of the alley one after the other. Pei Huaiye bought six big meat buns and stuffed them into Su Qingyue’s arms. “They’re hot—eat them while they are.”
“You eat too.”
Su Qingyue hadn’t been eating properly these past few days. She finished two buns in one go. Watching her cheeks puff up as she chewed, Pei Huaiye’s heart stirred.
Why was everything she did so cute, so pleasing to look at?
After eating, Pei Huaiye spread an old piece of clothing in the ox cart. “Sit on this. The cart’s a bit bumpy—hold on tight.”
The moonlight was cool, the night breeze gentle. The ox cart trundled slowly across fields and rivers.
In just one short day, Pei Huaiye’s mood as he drove the ox cart had completely changed.
At this moment, he wished dawn would never come, that time would simply stop.
He wanted to keep pulling Su Qingyue along like this—watching the moon, counting the stars, telling her about his past, letting her hear the strong beat of his heart.
Pei Huaiye escorted Su Qingyue all the way to her doorstep. Only after watching her go inside did he turn and leave.
He went straight to the educated youth compound and knocked loudly on the door. Dai Xiaohong opened it. “Are you looking for Su Qianqian?”
“Yes.”
Su Qianqian and the others were chatting in the dorm. When she learned that Pei Huaiye had come again, her face showed a mix of smugness and disdain. “So annoying—why does he keep pestering me?”
Su Qianqian stepped out of the kitchen and saw Pei Huaiye standing in the courtyard. She spoke sideways, eyes slanted. “Stop coming to me. You don’t stand a chance!”
“Return the canned fruit and the pheasant to me. They weren’t for you.”
Su Qianqian thought she had misheard. She shrieked, “What did you say?!”
Knowing the other educated youths were hiding in the dorm to watch the show, she lowered her voice angrily. “Pei Huaiye, what do you mean?!”
Pei Huaiye’s face was cold, his eyes fierce. “I said, the canned oranges and the pheasants were not for you. Hurry up and give them back!”
“They’ve already been eaten—how am I supposed to return them?!”
“The canned fruit is one yuan a jar. Two pheasants count as three yuan. Five yuan total—give it to me.”
Su Qianqian flushed red with anger. “You were the one who insisted on giving them to me! Why are you blaming me now?!”
Pei Huaiye’s expression was terrifying, his fist clenched with a crackling sound.
Afraid of making a bigger scene and losing face, Su Qianqian shakily pulled out five yuan.
After taking the money, Pei Huaiye thought of how she had framed Su Qingyue on the train. He turned back and said sharply, “I know what happened on the train. Stay far away from Su Qingyue from now on!”
Su Qianqian’s pupils widened as she stared at Pei Huaiye’s retreating back in disbelief. She clenched her fists, her heart filled with jealousy and hatred.
Su Qingyue—again Su Qingyue!
That bitch does nothing but seduce men!
The door to the women’s dorm was pushed open forcefully. Zhou Wenfang asked with concern, “Why didn’t Pei Huaiye bring canned fruit this time?”
Su Qianqian snapped irritably, “It’s all cleared up. He won’t come harass me anymore.”
“That’s good too. That rough man may be a worker, but his wages are low and his reputation is terrible.”
Li Yun and Dai Xiaohong exchanged glances and snickered quietly. Just now, while Zhou Wenfang was washing her hair, the two of them had been hiding in the corner and heard everything.
……
The wheat in Shuangshui Brigade had all been harvested and piled up in the threshing ground to dry.
Team Leader Xiang assigned the educated youth compound a tall stack of wheat and told them to learn threshing from the villagers.
After threshing wheat for half a day, Su Qianqian was coughing badly. The wheat heads brushed against her skin, leaving it red and itchy.
Fuming, she went to question the team leader. “Didn’t you say you’d arrange light work for me? Why am I threshing wheat again?!”
Team Leader Xiang set down his enamel mug. “Su Qianqian, learn to be content. Some people are carrying manure! Other educated youths can thresh wheat—why can’t you? Aren’t you here to go to the countryside and help build rural areas? Then perform well.”
Unwilling to work, Su Qianqian angrily took leave. Seeing her rest, Zhou Wenfang also asked for leave. The next day, the two went to the county town together to stroll around.
Through the bus window, Su Qianqian suddenly saw Su Qingyue. She was sitting in Pei Huaiye’s ox cart, smiling like a blooming flower.
Thinking of how Pei Huaiye had demanded the canned fruit and pheasants back the night before, Su Qianqian’s eyes filled with resentment.
It had only been a few days, and Su Qingyue had already hooked that rough man!
The day before, Pei Huaiye had given Pei Huaimei thirty cents and had her sew a seat cushion overnight. He found a short stool, tied the cushion onto it, and only then went to pick up Su Qingyue.
“Try it—still bumpy?”
Su Qingyue wanted to say that she had bought a monthly bus pass, but seeing the eager look on Pei Huaiye’s face, she held back.
When the bus arrived, Su Qianqian pulled Zhou Wenfang along to follow Su Qingyue. Seeing her enter the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, the two immediately followed inside.
They saw Su Qingyue walk to the third counter and put on a sales clerk’s armband. Wearing her dress and smiling sweetly, she only needed to arrange goods, calculate accounts, and update prices on the small blackboard—there was hardly anything to do.
Meanwhile, Su Qianqian and Zhou Wenfang had rubbed their hands raw during the autumn harvest. Their skin was rough and sunburned, with cuts on their faces from wheat stalks. They toiled hard, while Su Qingyue had an easy job.
How could they swallow this resentment?!
Su Qianqian and Zhou Wenfang went to the state-run restaurant to eat and ran into Zhang Jun.
They exchanged glances and invited Zhang Jun to sit with them.
……
Xichuan Criminal Investigation Base.
Pei Huaiye’s face was grim. “The young lady of the Su family in the southern part of the capital is Su Qianqian. Those two thugs said the ‘Misi’ was given by her.”
Yuan Guang couldn’t help criticizing her. “Su Qianqian is vicious—she really went all out against Su Qingyue!”
Pei Huaiye’s eyes burned with fury. “Send a telegram describing Su Qianqian’s appearance. Have the capital base verify it!”
If it was true, he would definitely make Su Qianqian pay the price!
Pei Huaiye bought a bag of sesame candy to pick up Su Qingyue after work. Saying he had a mission, he put her on the bus.
Su Qingyue ate the sesame candy, said goodbye to Pei Huaiye, her face full of sweetness.
When the bus arrived, she walked home as usual.
In a good mood today, her steps were lighter. Her slender waist and hips swayed together, and a section of calf exposed beneath her skirt looked tender and pale like fresh scallions.
Zhang Jun’s gaze grew increasingly lecherous. He suddenly sprang out of the cornfield, grabbed Su Qingyue, and covered her mouth.
“Your sister said you like me, Su Qingyue. Say yes to me—I’ll marry you.”
Seeing Zhang Jun, Su Qingyue was terrified. Gritting her teeth, she forced down fear and revulsion, lifted her leg high, and kicked him hard in the groin!
“Ah!” Zhang Jun cried out in pain, his face twisted yet wanton. “So feisty? Good—I like them feisty!”
Su Qianqian and Zhou Wenfang hid in the cornfield, not daring to move. They watched with their own eyes as Su Qingyue was dragged inside by Zhang Jun. Only then did they exchange smiles and run toward Shuangqiao Commune.
People from several brigades were delivering grain at the commune. It was noisy and chaotic.
Zhou Wenfang shouted loudly, “Team Leader Xiang—something’s wrong! There’s someone fooling around in the cornfield by the village entrance!”
After a second of silence, the crowd instantly erupted.