The thin mist had yet to completely disperse. In the hazy morning light, outside Jinxi County, a long line of bicycles waited along the dirt road leading toward the Shen family’s home.
Shen Zhixia and Lu Huaiyuan had just left the county town when Monkey’s voice came from ahead.
“Brother Lu, Sister-in-law, over here, over here!”
When they rode closer and Shen Zhixia saw several strong, sturdy young men waiting there, she was extremely surprised.
“Why are you guys here?”
“Hello, Sister-in-law! Don’t worry, Sister-in-law. The brothers are here to clear the way for you today. We guarantee everything will go smoothly!”
“Hello, Sister-in-law! Long time no see! Brother Lu finally decided to let you out!”
“Exactly, exactly! Sister-in-law, you don’t know this, but Brother Lu gave strict orders that no one was allowed to disturb you while you were studying!”
“How’s your revision going, Sister-in-law? Are you finding all the study materials useful?”
Before Shen Zhixia could say anything, Lu Huaiyuan stepped in front of her.
“Ahem, you talk too much. Hurry up and get moving. Don’t delay my business!”
Someone was unhappy now. For the first time, he found this group of people annoyingly noisy.
“Let’s go, let’s go. Get on your bikes quickly. We can’t delay Sister-in-law’s business!”
Seeing Lu Huaiyuan’s expression growing darker, Monkey was the first to mount his bicycle and speed off.
“Ring, ring, ring! Ring, ring, ring!”
The bicycle wheels spun rapidly, and the bells rang out in a continuous chorus.
The group swept into the village like a whirlwind and came to a steady stop in front of the dilapidated gate of the Shen family home.
One by one, the sharp-eyed young men planted their feet firmly on the ground, completely blocking the already narrow entrance to the Shen family courtyard.
The sight attracted the attention of villagers who had gotten up early, and they poked their heads out to take a look, secretly clicking their tongues in amazement.
Inside the courtyard, Zhao Meiyun had just finished feeding the pigs and was carrying a wooden basin out of the pig shed.
The moment she looked up and saw this imposing lineup, the flesh on her face trembled uncontrollably, and the basin in her hands nearly fell onto her feet.
When she saw Shen Zhixia and Lu Huaiyuan leading the group inside, Zhao Meiyun remembered the threat Lu Huaiyuan had made to her the last time they had returned to the Shen family.
Hadn’t they already taken the Three Turners and One Ringer last time? Why had they brought an entire group of people here again? What were they planning to do?
Although she felt somewhat intimidated inside, Zhao Meiyun still refused to let herself lose out verbally.
“Oh! If it isn’t the precious city folks. It isn’t New Year or any festival, so what kind of wind blew you back here from the city?”
Zhao Meiyun hugged the wooden basin tightly, her wary eyes darting between the two of them.
Shen Zhixia had no interest in exchanging pleasantries with her and went straight to the point.
“Today is the College Entrance Examination registration day. I need to take the household register with me to the production team office and get a recommendation letter. Bring out the household register.”
“The College Entrance Examination?!”
Zhao Meiyun acted as though she had just heard the funniest joke in the world and raised her voice.
“You’re an uneducated country girl. What are you thinking, going to college? Do you think it’s some kind of children’s game?”
Her eyes rolled around as a scheme immediately formed in her mind.
Whether this girl could pass the examination or not, she needed something from Zhao Meiyun now. This was the perfect opportunity to demand a high price!
Zhao Meiyun was no longer intimidated. She straightened her back, her tone filled with greed.
“Zhixia, it’s not that I don’t want to give it to you. That household register is the foundation of our old Shen family. How could I simply hand it over to you?”
“You’ve been married for so long, and I haven’t seen you bring even a single cent home to show filial respect to your father. Now that you need something from us, you think you can just say a few empty words and take it away?”
The meaning behind her words could not have been clearer. If Shen Zhixia wanted the household register, she would have to pay for it.
A mocking smile curled at the corners of Shen Zhixia’s lips. She knew Zhao Meiyun’s nature far too well.
Just as she was about to retort, Lu Huaiyuan, who had been standing silently behind her, stepped forward.
Lu Huaiyuan was not angry. He did not even show any unnecessary emotion.
Unhurriedly, he took several ten-yuan bills from his jacket pocket and casually laid them on the chipped stone table in the courtyard, holding them between two long fingers.
“Here’s fifty yuan. If you know what’s good for you, take the money and hand over the household register.”
Zhao Meiyun’s eyes lit up.
Fifty yuan was enough to cover the food expenses for her and Shen Dashan for more than half a year.
But after thinking about it, she realized that an opportunity like this did not come often. She might as well ask for more.
“Fifty yuan? How could that possibly be enough? Zhixia is going to take the College Entrance Examination. Once she becomes a college student, how many fifty-yuan bills will she be making in a year?”
Lu Huaiyuan no longer bothered wasting words on a woman like her.
He took a box of matches from his pocket and struck one with a sharp scrape.
The orange-yellow flame danced in the wind.
“I’ll count to three. One…”
At that moment, Monkey and the others, who had been standing at the entrance, also stepped forward in perfect understanding. They folded their arms across their chests and glared fiercely at Zhao Meiyun.
“Two…”
“I… I’ll go get it! I’ll get it right now!”
Zhao Meiyun was genuinely frightened now. She tightly clutched the money in her hand, turned around, and hurried into the house.
Less than a minute later, she came back out with a small, yellowed booklet she had retrieved from the inner room.
“Here, here, here. What a curse. Raising a daughter only for her to become an enemy…”
Shen Zhixia took the little booklet and carefully checked that everything was correct before safely placing it in the inner compartment of her canvas bag.
With the biggest obstacle, Zhao Meiyun, dealt with, the group set off again, following the country dirt road toward the production team office.
The sun had fully risen by now, and the early summer sunlight drove away the last traces of mist.
“Sister-in-law, once you pass the examination, you have to treat all of us brothers to a celebratory drink!” The monkey shouted from behind.
“Definitely!” Shen Zhixia shouted back.
At that moment, she seemed to have truly become an eighteen or nineteen-year-old girl again, her face radiant and her spirit soaring.
The production team leader’s surname was Li. His face had the ruggedness of a farmer, while his eyes carried a touch of the refined air of a scholar.
When he saw Shen Zhixia enter the office, he thought she looked somewhat familiar, but he could not remember who she was.
“Young comrade, you are?”
“Captain Li, hello. My name is Shen Zhixia. My father is Shen Dashan.”
“Oh, you’re Dashan’s girl. Didn’t you marry into the city? What brings you here today?”
“Captain Li, I’d like to get a recommendation letter for College Entrance Examination registration. Here is my personal application form and household register.”
Shen Zhixia stepped forward, speaking politely as she handed him the household register and application form with both hands.
Captain Li did not take the documents from her. Instead, he pulled over a wooden stool and gestured for her to sit.
“Girl, sit down first.”
Shen Zhixia withdrew her hands and sat nervously on the small stool, an inexplicable sense of unease rising in her heart.
“You want to take the College Entrance Examination?”
“Yes.”
“The man at the door is your husband?” Captain Li glanced at Lu Huaiyuan standing at the entrance.
“Yes.” Although she did not know what this had to do with Lu Huaiyuan, Shen Zhixia still answered honestly.
“Then I can’t issue this recommendation letter for you.”
Like a muffled thunderclap out of nowhere, his words left Shen Zhixia’s head buzzing.
“Why can’t you issue it?” Her voice changed with anxiety. “I’ve brought my household register, and I’ve already taught myself all the required material. If you’re not convinced, you can give me a test right here and see what level I’m at.”
Lu Huaiyuan noticed that something was wrong and quickly walked inside.
He stood beside Shen Zhixia and gently held her trembling shoulder before lowering his head and asking softly, “What’s wrong?”