After the brief commotion, the morning quickly passed.
Everyone counted the rice they had harvested that morning. Only after the work-point recorder checked everything and said there were no problems and they could leave did the educated youths return to the educated youth station together.
It was broad daylight, so there was none of the fear that came with the pitch-black night. The educated youths walked back in a loose group. The men, with their longer strides, walked ahead, while He He pulled Zheng Xinxin along behind Chen Jingbai.
He He’s behavior made Zheng Xinxin wonder whether the He He who had been so angry with Chen Jingbai yesterday had been taken away in her sleep, and the He He who had woken up today was one who liked Chen Jingbai.
The moment that thought appeared, Zheng Xinxin immediately stopped her imagination from running wild.
There was no way He He liked Chen Jingbai.
She was probably following him now because she didn’t want to work that afternoon and wanted Chen Jingbai to help her. She must be trying to salvage the terrible impression she’d left on him yesterday so he wouldn’t refuse to help her.
And He He standing up for Chen Jingbai and scolding those hooligans this morning was probably also because she didn’t want to work that afternoon.
“We’re having sweet potato porridge again for lunch, with stir-fried water spinach. We eat the same thing every day. I’m seriously going to throw up. When are we finally getting a day off?”
Zheng Xinxin lowered her voice.
“I really want stuffed green peppers.”
He He was still lost in her own thoughts.
She stared at Chen Jingbai’s straight back ahead of her and wondered if he really wasn’t upset.
After being insulted like that, was his heart truly as undisturbed as he made it seem?
But the Book of the World had described him as a major figure who repaid every slight and was ruthless and decisive.
After hearing Chen Jingbai being called deaf, He He remembered that she had once insulted him the same way.
—Why can’t your ears hear?
—Aiya, I forgot you’re deaf and can’t hear me. I’ll say it louder, then.
—It’s fine. He can’t hear us anyway. We don’t need to deliberately lower our voices.
—Xinxin, if deaf people can’t hear, do you think their eyesight gets better instead~
The more He He remembered, the more she felt she was doomed.
She had said so many things about Chen Jingbai being deaf.
Could she really still repair her relationship with him?
If Chen Jingbai truly was someone who repaid every slight, then it seemed she had thoroughly offended him.
When Zheng Xinxin received no response from He He, she bumped her arm.
“He He, did you even hear what I said?!”
He He’s unfocused gaze gradually sharpened. Her shoulders rose as she took a breath.
“Huh? What did you say? I didn’t hear you.”
“You were spacing out. What were you thinking about?”
“Nothing. I was just daydreaming. I’m so tired. I want to sleep.” He He casually brushed the question aside.
Zheng Xinxin said, “Are you that tired today? I was saying that I can’t wait until our day off.”
Once they had a day off, they could buy pork.
And once they bought pork, they could make delicious stuffed green peppers.
He He’s eyes immediately brightened.
“I can’t wait for our day off either.”
When they returned to the educated youth station, it was Zheng Xinxin’s turn to cook today.
The moment she arrived, before she’d even put down her bag, she passed by their vegetable garden and went straight inside to pick enough water spinach for eight people.
Zheng Xinxin was quick and efficient and didn’t need He He’s help, so He He followed the rest of the group back inside.
He He changed her clothes and, taking advantage of the time before lunch was ready, lay down on the bed to rest.
After working all morning, she was completely exhausted.
He He had only intended to close her eyes and rest for a while. Who would have thought she’d actually fall asleep?
She didn’t wake with a start until Zheng Xinxin came to call her for lunch.
He He put on her top. Seeing that Zheng Xinxin was still waiting for her, she remembered that she needed to get something and said, “Xinxin, go eat first. I still need to get something.”
Zheng Xinxin was confused, but she agreed and left first.
After Zheng Xinxin went out, He He finished buttoning the top button of her shirt. Then she got off the bed, crouched down, and pulled out her suitcase, intending to get a can of meat.
Xinxin had said they’d been eating sweet potato porridge all this time and her mouth was craving something flavorful.
He He felt the same way.
It had been a long time since she’d opened a can of meat, and she was craving it too.
In the past, she always kept good food to herself. Occasionally, when she was in a good mood, she would share a little with Zheng Xinxin.
She wasn’t like that overly generous Cheng Sulin, who was willing to share anything delicious at the dining table.
He He was different.
She was extremely stingy.
But today, she wanted to be generous for once.
The main reason was Chen Jingbai.
He had been insulted so badly today, and she herself had often called him names in the past. He He had a small ulterior motive: she wanted Chen Jingbai to feel that she wasn’t as bad as those hooligans.
But it wouldn’t be good to give the canned meat only to Chen Jingbai.
So she figured she might as well give every educated youth a little.
She had placed the canned meat at the very bottom of her suitcase, so it took a while to find.
He He’s suitcase contained plenty of delicious food: biscuits, candy, canned meat, and canned fruit.
Besides the things the Cheng family mailed to her, she also bought things herself from the commune’s supply and marketing cooperative. She slowly accumulated a stockpile so that even when she didn’t have time to visit the supply and marketing cooperative, she would still have something tasty to eat.
After taking out the canned meat, He He locked her suitcase again.
Holding a can of Maling luncheon meat, she walked into the dining area.
Everyone was already holding their bowls and shoveling food into their mouths as though they were starving.
If He He had been in a bad mood in the past, she definitely would have called them reincarnated starving ghosts.
Cheng Sulin was the first to notice the can in He He’s hand.
His eyes were sharp, and he immediately saw that it was canned meat. The thought that he would soon have to eat while smelling the aroma of meat made the corners of his mouth droop.
This little aunt of his loved keeping good food to herself.
It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with eating by herself. The problem was that whenever He He ate alone, the food smelled so good that it drove the rest of them crazy.
That was too much.
It would have been one thing if she ate it by herself in private, but she refused to hide away. Instead, while everyone else ate food they were so sick of they could practically throw up, she would sit right there eating meat with obvious enjoyment.
If He He didn’t offer him any, Cheng Sulin didn’t dare ask.
If his greed got the better of him and he opened his mouth, He He would write home and complain to Great-Grandfather.
Then he would be finished.
It wasn’t as though that had never happened before.
Back when he was greedy and still didn’t understand just how fiercely He He guarded her food, it happened quite often.
Over time, even if someone gave him a hundred times the courage, he still wouldn’t dare ask anymore.
Still, Cheng Sulin asked enviously as usual, “He He, you’re in a pretty good mood today, huh? You’re even eating canned meat.”
“No. It’s because I’m in a bad mood that I want canned meat. Open it for me.”
He He habitually ordered Cheng Sulin around.
Receiving his orders, Cheng Sulin obediently opened the can for her.
The instant it opened, the overpowering meaty aroma of luncheon meat rushed straight into his nose, making him swallow repeatedly.
And it wasn’t only Cheng Sulin.
The moment the other educated youths smelled the meat, their mouths involuntarily began watering.
Zheng Xinxin was so tempted that her eyes almost glazed over.
“It smells so good. It’s canned luncheon meat from Shanghai, right? I knew it the moment I smelled it. It smells so good. He He, can you go back to the dormitory to eat it? Don’t tempt me to death. No, no, you can’t eat it in the dormitory either. We still have to sleep there later. Can you eat it in the corridor instead?”
Zheng Xinxin hadn’t eaten a single bite of meat in two whole months!
If He He ate it right in front of her, she really wouldn’t be able to stop herself from paying He He for a little taste.
He He took the can back from Cheng Sulin.
“Everyone who sees it gets a share, okay? I’m eating right here. I’ll give each of you one chopstickful.”
“Really?!”
The moment Zheng Xinxin heard this, she almost jumped straight up from her stool.
The other educated youths also stared eagerly at He He.
Really?!
Really?!
“I never lie.”
Going in order, He He first picked up a piece and placed it into Cheng Sulin’s bowl across from her, then gave one to Zheng Xinxin on her right.
He He continued around the table, giving everyone a piece in turn.
The educated youths immediately lit up with delight.
Even Zhao Dechuan, the usually most composed leader of the educated youth team, couldn’t suppress his excitement when he looked at the two-finger-wide piece of luncheon meat in his bowl.
Everyone stared at their luncheon meat and began praising He He all at once.
“We’re really lucky today. We get to share Xiao He’s canned meat.”
“It smells so good. It really smells amazing. He He, please let me fetch your washing water for you tomorrow morning.”
“I’ve never thought meat could smell this good before. Xiao He, you’re so generous.”
All the praise made He He a little embarrassed.
How had she never realized before that sharing food could make her so happy when everyone praised her?
Oh, right.
It was because she’d never shared with all the educated youths before.
So she hadn’t known that everyone praising her together was far more powerful than just one person praising her.
At last, He He, who had been handing out the luncheon meat, reached the person she had actually wanted to share it with.
Chen Jingbai.
After putting a piece into Sun Jiabao’s bowl across from him, He He looked at the small half of the luncheon meat still remaining and scooped out half of that.
She muttered under her breath, “There still seems to be a lot left. It’s too rich. I can’t eat that much.”
Although He He was muttering, she deliberately made sure that the few people around Chen Jingbai could hear her.
Whether Chen Jingbai himself heard didn’t matter.
It would actually be better if he didn’t.
But she couldn’t let the other educated youths discover her ulterior motive.
He He placed a large piece of luncheon meat into Chen Jingbai’s bowl.
“Lucky you.”
After giving it to him, He He quickly returned to her own seat.
Chen Jingbai looked at the luncheon meat covering half the surface of his bowl.
Then he raised his eyes and looked at the piece in Sun Jiabao’s bowl.
The amount He He had given him was at least two pieces more than what she’d given Sun Jiabao.
Was He He comforting him?
Why had she given him so much?
Chen Jingbai broke off a small piece of luncheon meat with his chopsticks and put it into his mouth.
The meat was firm, salty, fragrant, and delicious.
He had heard Zheng Xinxin say that this was Maling-brand luncheon meat produced in Shanghai.
He remembered that his family had eaten this brand of luncheon meat when he was a child.
But that had been a very, very long time ago.
So long that he had already forgotten what luncheon meat tasted like.
The luncheon meat He He gave him today awakened memories from his childhood.
Chen Jingbai stuffed a large mouthful of sweet potato porridge into his mouth, trying to dilute the saltiness of the luncheon meat.
He raised his head and happened to meet Sun Jiabao’s eyes.
Sun Jiabao was waggling his eyebrows at him, an ambiguous, teasing smile on his lips.
Chen Jingbai looked at Sun Jiabao and asked, “Does it taste good?”
Sun Jiabao was still grinning. Hearing Chen Jingbai’s question, he instinctively replied, “Of course it tastes good. When does meat ever taste bad? Canned meat is even more delicious.”
“If it tastes good, eat more.”
“Mm!”
Sun Jiabao immediately brought his hand to his mouth and mimed pulling a zipper shut.
He would close his mouth right now.
He’d stop smiling.
He would never tease Chen Jingbai again!
Everyone finished lunch in high spirits.
With the luncheon meat He He had given them, the meal tasted unbelievably good. They paired each tiny bite of luncheon meat with a mouthful of food and felt immensely satisfied.
Zhao Dechuan said, “I’m so full. Meat really does make a difference. This was the tastiest meal we’ve had in months.”
Zheng Xinxin said, “Luncheon meat is ridiculously delicious. I’m definitely going to have a wonderful dream this afternoon.”
He He ate slowly, and she’d also arrived late. By the time everyone else had finished, she still had nearly half a bowl left.
Listening to everyone praise her once again, He He suddenly wanted to see what Chen Jingbai was doing.
So she raised her head and secretly glanced in his direction.
As luck would have it, her gaze met Chen Jingbai’s.