Jiang Lei, having fallen to the ground and twisted his ankle, got up and smacked Song Daqing on the head, cursing: “You couldn’t even hold on properly, I nearly died! Get moving!”
Song Daqing was a sent-down youth who had come down from the city together with Jiang Lei. Jiang Lei’s maternal uncle was an old sent-down youth left at the brigade office, and had become vice-director of the brigade office last year.
Song Daqing these past two days had been courting Jiang Lei, hoping to borrow his connections to get assigned easier work with higher work points.
He never expected Jiang Lei to be so bold as to actually peep at the female sent-down youth while bathing. And the moment he saw “Cao Xiangqin” enter the bathhouse, he followed right after, the target was obvious to all!
He was deeply regretting having been dragged into this affair when he was suddenly kicked down by Jiang Lei and, with Jiang Lei’s knee pressed against his back, was controlled with a reversal move.
“What are you doing!” Song Daqing’s face was pressed into the mud, he struggled. “Let me go, people are coming soon.”
Jiang Lei had already seen people coming, and who should it be but “Cao Xiangqin” bringing Squad Leader Wu and others, including You Xiu. Behind them came more and more male sent-down youth rushing over, the matter had actually blown up!
Jiang Lei quickly turned and said to Squad Leader Wu: “I caught the lecher peeking at the female comrades’ bath! It’s him, Song Daqing!”
Song Daqing was as if struck by lightning, after a few seconds, he said in indignation and frustration: “It was clearly you who made me come! You catching me is not as good as catching yourself!”
“My family is both red and expert [1]both red and expert (you hong you zhuan, 又紅又專) Slang, Maoist-era term for someone both politically loyal to the Party and professionally skilled jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3398833_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3398833_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });, how could I do such shameless things? Stop making baseless accusations [2]stop making baseless accusations (xue kou pen ren, 血口噴人) Idiom, to make vicious, unfounded accusations against someone jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3398833_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3398833_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });!”
Jiang Lei had a buzz cut, large eyes, and a high bridge of his nose, his appearance was fairly good among the male sent-down youth. When he said he had caught a lecher, except for “Cao Xiangqin,” all the other female sent-down youth believed him and cursed at Song Daqing.
Some tender-faced women covered their faces and wept quietly, being seen by a man in this day and age—could they still live?
Just as Squad Leader Wu was about to take Song Daqing away, Xiangzhi suddenly said from behind them: “There’s very thick dust on the window sill. Jiang Lei, if you did not peep, why is there so much dust on your hands?”
“No, no dust!” Jiang Lei instinctively wiped his hands on his pants, and after wiping discovered that everyone was looking at him strangely, he stammered: “I, I—”
Squad Leader Wu walked up, took his hand, and looked. “What? If you were not scraping the window, why are you wiping dust on your pants?”
Jiang Lei reacted, and immediately said: “No dust, the bathhouse window has no sill outside, how could there be dust!”
Xiangzhi asked cunningly in response: “Then how do you know there’s no sill outside?”
You Xiu immediately said: “Because he climbed up to look! It was him, you lecher!”
“So it was you, Cao Xiangqin, setting me up!” Jiang Lei’s face suddenly flushed the color of pig’s liver, in his line of sight, three or four righteous male sent-down youth approached him carrying shovels.
Jiang Lei glared hard at Xiangzhi, Xiangzhi had no good face for men who reeked of staleness, much less for those who had done shameless things.
Seeing he still dared to glare at her, Xiangzhi feared no one, so she turned to ask Song Daqing: “Which of you two actually looked?”
“I swear, I swear by Chairman Mao’s quotations that I really did not see anything!” said Song Daqing, spittle flying.
Before Jiang Lei could speak, the released Song Daqing blurted out with spit flying: “He saw you enter the bathhouse and insisted on riding on my shoulders to look! When he heard someone was about to open the window, he was so scared he fell down, if you don’t believe me, have him walk a few steps!”
You Xiu called from behind: “Then who were you trying to see? Who did you see?”
Song Daqing hemmed and hawed, and finally with resignation said: “Comrade Cao!” He looked toward Xiangzhi and said: “I’m begging you to forgive me, I really did not see anything, I’m sorry, Comrade Cao!”
For a moment his mind had been possessed and he had committed a lascivious crime, if he were pursued, the second half of his life would be ruined.
The more Song Daqing thought about it, the more terrified he became, his knees grew weak and he wanted to kneel to the ground, when Squad Leader Wu grabbed his arm and pulled him up: “This is not the old society, what are you kneeling for?”
The female sent-down youth were outraged, they surrounded Xiangzhi in the middle, and some hugged her arm, fearing she would do something foolish.
Among them, one female sent-down youth said quietly to Xiangzhi: “Comrade Cao, if you have any emotional distress, talk to us, we sisters will be with you.”
You Xiu also said at her side: “Encountering something like this, the fault is not yours, you must try to look at it positively.”
Xiangzhi thought to herself, as a flower she could naturally look at things positively, there was no flower that could not.
Jiang Lei said dejectedly: “The window was latched, I also did not see anything.”
“Fortunately, fortunately,” said the female sent-down youth standing to Xiangzhi’s right, taking a breath of relief.
If she had been seen by a foul man, she did not want to live. She immediately put herself in Xiangzhi’s position and felt relieved for “Cao Xiangqin.”
The matter would have been fine had it ended there, but Jiang Lei was so frustrated by “Cao Xiangqin” setting him up that he stiffened his neck and threatened: “Don’t think too highly of yourself, just because I wanted to court you, you put on airs. Believe it or not, I can make sure you can never go back to the city!”
When these words were spoken, the faces of more than ten people present turned pale. For young people who had traveled a thousand li away, going back to the city was their only goal.
“What if I cannot go back?”
Xiangzhi remembered words from yesterday’s mobilization meeting, and slapped her chest as she said: “Chairman Mao said ‘the vast countryside has much to offer.’ I came to build my country, I must accomplish something before I return. You can hold this over others, but you cannot hold it over me!”
Squad Leader Wu took the lead in applauding: “Well said, Comrade Cao, your awareness is high!”
This speech practically surrounded her in golden light within the sent-down youth community.
You Xiu and the others were all moved, they had all thought “Cao Xiangqin” was spoiled and beautiful but vapid, yet who knew her soul and thoughts were so lofty!
And she had also gotten first place in cutting pig grass!
You Xiu elbowed Xiangzhi and pulled her behind herself to prevent Jiang Lei from hurting her: “I never expected your ideological awareness to be so high, I must learn from you in the future.”
Xiangzhi did not have too many thoughts, anyway, she was going to eat people. Could Jiang Lei trap others but not a little spirit? Heh.
Squad Leader Wu also began to treat “Cao Xiangqin” differently, he had seen too many female sent-down youth do foolish things for the sake of going back to the city. This Jiang Lei looked presentable, but was not actually a good person.
Men understood men best, if he found “Cao Xiangqin” beautiful today, tomorrow he might love another even more beautiful one. Though it was almost impossible for there to be another female sent-down youth prettier than “Cao Xiangqin,” still, even with a treasure at home, some men can’t resist straying for garbage outside [3]even with a treasure at home, some men can’t resist straying for garbage outside (jia li you jinjiaojiao ye renbuzhu chumen chang kou shi, 家裏有金嬌嬌也忍不住出門嘗口屎) Slang, … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3398833_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3398833_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });.
Jiang Lei was taken by Squad Leader Wu and a few other male sent-down youth to the brigade office. The brigade office was in Birch Tree Farm, and a large group went there in formation.
Jiang Lei’s maternal uncle Xu Guozheng had gotten wind of this first and knew the only way to resolve this was to obtain the female sent-down youth’s forgiveness, both sides could claim it was a misunderstanding, and Jiang Lei might be saved.
As for Song Daqing, Xu Guozheng believed he had led Jiang Lei astray and would definitely have to be harshly dealt with by the brigade collective.
When Squad Leader Wu saw Xu Guozheng and several brigade cadres waiting in the office, his heart sank. The posture made it clear—they were going to protect Jiang Lei.
He instinctively looked toward “Cao Xiangqin,” seeing her calm, so he suppressed his inner worry and described the cause and effect of the matter to the brigade cadres.
“It definitely needs to be handled, you all go back first, and I will talk with these two to do some work.”
Xu Guozheng, as a representative of sent-down youth and peasants uniting in place, had become vice-director of the brigade office, a small official position, full of bureaucratic tone.
“Simply talking can handle it? If you do not handle it right now immediately, I will go report it to the police!”
A male sent-down youth was dissatisfied, he also had fallen in love at first sight with “Cao Xiangqin,” and facing such shameless conduct, he wanted them to quickly disappear from Comrade Cao’s presence.
Xu Guozheng saw everyone crowding around “Cao Xiangqin,” and while marveling at her unusual appearance, he despised her as a woman who brings calamity to the state.
“Please, fellow comrades, wait outside, I need to talk with the victim alone.”
When everyone left, he stood up, first poured a cup of tea-leaf-stem water and placed it on the table, pointed to the chair opposite, and said: “Comrade Cao, please sit.”
Xiangzhi, for the first time formally talking with a leader, sat in the chair with her legs together, her small hands properly placed on her knees.
Xu Guozheng stared straight at her face and was momentarily stunned, he cleared his throat and said: “Comrade Cao, let’s put Jiang Lei’s matter aside for a moment, let me just ask you—you are a county resident, would you not like to marry into the provincial capital and get a provincial ration?”
Wait, was this not supposed to handle the problem? Why was it being set aside?
Xiangzhi had no great interest in household registration, Xu Guozheng went on and on about how great a provincial capital hukou was, and she was reminded of what Yeshanyinying had said about “human traffickers.”
Those damned “human traffickers” used various means to lure and sell women and children, if not “human traffickers,” then certainly “pimps”!
That was how she thought and asked: “You speak of so many benefits, but I know pies do not fall from heaven. You are so keen to persuade me to the provincial capital, are you perhaps a pimp?”
This struck the bull’s eye!
Xu Guozheng, moved by her beauty, in a flash thought to marry “Cao Xiangqin” to the household of someone with backing in the provincial capital as a second wife. She was beautiful and seemed to have little in the way of brains, perfect to manipulate.
But once she had said it aloud, the flavor changed, perhaps the idea had been rotten from the start. He was even more wretched than Jiang Lei.
Xu Guozheng, failing in his “work,” was instead shamed, he got angry and slammed the table: “If you are like this, is it that you do not want to go back to the city?”
There was that phrase again.
Xiangzhi rubbed her ears that had been shaken, the little spirit said slowly: “Bad human.”
Bad human or bad person—what kind of word was “bad human”?
“If you do not pursue Jiang Lei’s matter, I will give you ten yuan.”
Xiangzhi shook her head: “I do not need money.”
“Fifty yuan!”
“I really do not need money.”
Xu Guozheng angrily said: “Do you want to handle this problem or not?”
Xiangzhi felt he was reeking from head to toe, she got up to leave.
Xu Guozheng could not stop her and called from behind: “Do you believe it if I tell you I can kill you with half a finger?”
Xu Guozheng demonstrated with his half-broken pinky, his face twisted fiercely as he said: “If you go out that door, I am sure to take you down.”
He knew all too well what the consequences of the Jiang Lei matter would be, the state was in a crack-down period, and some people could be arrested and locked up for half a year just for whistling at a female comrade. He had peeped at someone bathing and was caught, he would not be getting out in less than three to five years.
The key thing was that once he went in, when he came back out, his whole life would be ruined.
Xiangzhi paid no heed to his words, actually there was a deeper reason for such an attitude. She had seen Xu Guozheng on the mountain years ago, and at that time Xu Guozheng was already not a good person. She knew how his half-broken finger had come to be.
Squad Leader Wu hurried into the office to speak well of Xiangzhi, having everyone else go back first.
You Xiu walked back with Xiangzhi, worrying and frequently glancing back: “Surname Xu is not a good thing, I always feel they will pull dirty tricks, do not go out alone these days, you must have me accompany you.”
Xiangzhi murmured agreement, then suddenly sighed: “I thought being beautiful was the most important thing.”
You Xiu was taken by surprise and laughed: “The first thing these days is to get enough to eat, everything else comes later. But being beautiful is sometimes a form of capital.”
Xiangzhi touched her cheek, momentarily recalling being pinched by the man, she said indignantly: “It brings so much trouble, they are none of them good.”
You Xiu thought she was referring to Jiang Lei and Xu Guozheng, and nodded: “That’s right. Ah… by the way, someone asked me to ask if you have a sweetheart.”
You Xiu had agreed to ask, thinking that if “Cao Xiangqin” had someone she liked, she could naturally help refuse the advances of other men.
Unfortunately, Xiangzhi shook her head, she had not yet come across a male human she liked, but human females, such as You Xiu and the few female sent-down youth who had spoken up for her, she liked well enough.
You Xiu sighed and linked her arm through Xiangzhi’s, and they walked down the slope toward Yanxia Village. Other sent-down youth followed behind them, hearing this, one female sent-down youth asked: “Comrade Cao, why don’t you tell us what kind of person you are looking for?”
This question was asked within the circle of female sent-down youth, but who would have guessed that the male sent-down youth just a few steps away seemed to have donkey ears, jostling each other to get closer, also wanting to hear what kind of person the prettiest sent-down youth in ten li and eight li around was looking for.
Xiangzhi did not understand the implication, she recalled the man who had pressed her down on the flower branches and described: “Good-looking, have strength, and must be clean.”
In the language of the little spirit, this could be itemized: beautiful food, firm meat, no staleness.
Hey.
With each point she made, male sent-down youth compared themselves against it, three or four sentences eliminated many.
Finally, Xiangzhi also said: “Wearing green clothes, with pockets.” What flower does not love green leaves?
That man had looked best in green clothes, though it had been soaked with blood.
But when these words came from her mouth, naturally those who heard them took on a different flavor, thinking she had too high standards and that what she was saying amounted to wanting a military officer in green.
You Xiu gave her a thumbs up: “Just like you.”
Xiangzhi smiled and said: “I am quite picky.”
Each time she was picky, Yeshanyinying and Hongguo would scold her, because there was no suitable one, so she had never eaten a person.
You Xiu nodded: “It is good to be picky, you deserve it.”
Xiangzhi proudly raised her chin and said crisply: “Right!” There was a saying among flowers: taking care of yourself is also saving all sentient beings. Of course she had to be good to herself.
Returning to the sent-down youth dormitory, that evening Squad Leader Wu came over sheepishly to tell them: “The result of the handling is not yet out… leaders from the municipal sent-down youth bureau are coming down, Director Xu is therefore putting it off, wanting to wait until they have inspected before handling it, to avoid affecting our brigade’s year-end evaluation.”
Squad Leader Wu looked at Xiangzhi with unfinished words and sighed: “You should think carefully about whether you want to pursue it, he is not someone who will let things drop.”
Xu Guozheng was not a local, yet he had managed to become vice-director, precisely because he was someone who would stop at nothing, those who crossed him never came to a good end.
You Xiu rolled her eyes and whispered to Xiangzhi: “No wonder his wife ran off with another man, looks like he is planning to stall to the bitter end, who knows what dirty tricks he will use.”
Xiangzhi tilted her head and recalled the image of seeing Xu Guozheng years ago in the mountain, digging a pit with a shovel, she said quietly: “Perhaps his wife did not run off.”
References[+]