Li Luoyu arched an eyebrow at the two “Red Armbands.” Wang Hu turned his head to stare at the scenery, while the other looked down at the worn toes of his Liberation sneakers, both tactfully pretending not to hear the youth’s interrogation.
Li Luoyu set down her bundle, patted the dust off her trouser legs, and walked unhurriedly to the back of the tractor bed. Looking down from her vantage point at the outspoken youth, she said, “Comrade, this tractor was arranged by the commune. If you feel it’s unfair, why don’t you go argue your case with the Committee for Cutting Capitalist Tails?” She dragged out the name of the committee, her tone laced with a hint of provocation.
The surrounding youths immediately took a step back. The “Tail-Cutting Committee”? That was the last place they wanted to be associated with.
The youth who had spoken up turned bright red. He pointed at his peers and demanded loudly, his voice thick with the resentment of betrayal: “You guys! Didn’t you just curse them out too? Didn’t you say we should stay away from them because they don’t deserve to ride the tractor?”
The other youths looked away, pretending they hadn’t heard him. Saying such things amongst themselves was one thing; admitting to it in public was another. Only an idiot would confront someone so openly.
“Zhou Huazhang, nobody asked you to stick your neck out. You did that on your own; don’t blame us.”
“Exactly. We didn’t egg you on.”
A faint smirk played on Li Luoyu’s lips. Their combat effectiveness was pathetic; a single sentence had shattered their unity.
As Zhou Huazhang looked up, he caught sight of the girl’s smile. She was fair and clean-looking, dressed even better than he was, but the ridicule in her expression was unmistakable—it said if he dared to make another scene, she was more than ready to play along.
The air momentarily froze. The two Red Armbands exchanged a look, and Wang Hu gave a light cough. “Everyone shut up. Keep arguing and you can all take a day trip to the Tail-Cutting Committee,” he said impatiently, his voice carrying an underlying warning.
The shorter Red Armband took the opportunity to rap on the side of the tractor. “Quit dawdling! Get on the vehicle. Don’t waste time!”
The youths climbed onto the tractor reluctantly. The young man who had been shouting was pushed along by his companions. As he passed Li Luoyu, he suddenly muttered under his breath, “You lot… better watch out.”
Li Luoyu raised an eyebrow at him, but he had already turned his face away, his ears turning so red they looked ready to bleed.
The rest of the youths didn’t dare cause more trouble. They climbed up sullenly, keeping as far from Li Luoyu’s group as possible, separated by a row of luggage.
Li Luoyu shrugged; this was perfect—now her grandfather and the others wouldn’t be crowded.
Old Yang whispered in her ear, “Little girl, don’t stand out too much. The world these days…” He didn’t finish, simply patting the back of her hand gently.
Li Luoyu’s eyes crinkled into a smile. “Grandpa Yang, I don’t care what the world is like, as long as my conscience is at peace! You should be the same. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Just treat this as a trip to the countryside to inspect new crop varieties. Who knows? There might be a light at the end of the tunnel…”
Old Yang laughed and poked her forehead. “You… you’re just like your grandfather. Stubborn and free-spirited.”
“Vroom— vroom— chug-chug-chug-chug!”
The driver, Old Yuan, hollered at the top of his lungs, “Everyone sit tight! It’s another twenty li to the commune, and the road is full of ruts. It’s a rough ride, so don’t go tumbling off and breaking a leg!”
The tractor wasn’t fast. The engine in the front chugged away while the wheels kicked up clouds of dust behind them; there was nothing poetic about this scenery.
Because of the potholes, every time the tractor jolted, everyone would bounce into the air and slam back down. It felt like the contents of their stomachs were about to be “yue-ed” (vomited) out. It was that weightless sensation where the body stays on the vehicle, but the soul is left floating in mid-air.
Li Luoyu quickly pulled out a canteen and handed it to Old Li. “Quick, take a few sips. Don’t vomit on the truck.”
Old Li took the canteen and downed a few gulps before passing it to Old Cui. His strong hands gripped the railing tightly. “Kid, who are you looking down on? Back in the day, I rode in sealed freight cars on the battlefield. That was real shaking. Snowflakes would blow in through the cracks in the metal, and I could still doze off clutching my rifle.”
Li Luoyu gave him a thumbs up. “You’re the man, Grandpa!”
Old Yang was physically weaker. After three days on a train, his body was already at its limit. His face was pale and he looked dazed. Old Cui quickly helped him drink. “Zhibin, quick, have some water.”
Old Yang took a few large gulps while leaning on Old Cui’s arm. As the cool spiritual spring water went down, he felt a refreshing chill rise from his core. His aching bones instantly loosened up, and the dizzying blackness before his eyes faded away.
Old Yang looked at Li Luoyu in astonishment, his dry lips trembling. “…”
Li Luoyu slowly turned her head away, staring at the swirling yellow dust outside the tractor, pretending not to see his questioning gaze.
Oh no… I gave him the wrong canteen…
Old Yang was amused by the girl’s reaction. To avoid drawing attention, he simply remarked, “The water Luolu gives is truly sweet.”
Old Pei chimed in, “Mmh, exceptionally crisp.” He had noticed it long ago!
“Chug-chug… chug-chug… chug—”
The tractor gave a few weak gasps, like a farm ox collapsing from exhaustion. It crested a ridge and slowly ground to a halt. After a few puffs of black smoke from the exhaust pipe, it died completely.
Old Yuan took off his straw hat, slammed it onto the steering wheel, and jumped down cursing. He grabbed a wrench and tapped on the engine cover. After some tinkering, he grabbed the starting crank and put all his strength into turning it.
“Chug-chug!” The crank turned twice; the tractor made a token sound and then went silent again.
The veins on Old Yuan’s forehead bulged. He wiped away his sweat and kept struggling, but this time there wasn’t even a “chug”—just the screeching sound of the metal crank slipping.
“Is the tractor broken?”
“What now? Are we going to have to walk back?”
“We’re still eight li from the Youth Office! Walking that distance will strip the skin off our feet!”
The youths immediately exploded into a chorus of complaints. Some kicked the tractor bed in frustration, while others jumped down to vomit by the roadside.
“Give it a rest, Old Yuan,” Wang Hu suggested. “How about we go to the village up ahead and borrow an ox to tow us?”
“Borrow my ass!” Old Yuan spat. “I’ve driven tractors for ten years. You think I’m gonna get stuck on this piece-of-crap road?”
Li Luoyu, however, could see exactly what the problem was. The tractor was over a decade old; it was normal for it to have a temperament. Back in the apocalypse, what kind of vehicle hadn’t she tinkered with? From rusted tanks to bullet-riddled bombers, she could strip and rebuild them all. A tiny tractor was child’s play.
“Uncle Yuan, open the engine hood. Check the air intake system first,” Li Luoyu’s cool, clear voice drifted down from the tractor bed.
Old Yuan looked up, puzzled. “You’re a city girl. You know how to fix farm machinery?”
Li Luoyu shrugged. “Just a suggestion. No harm in trying—at most, you waste a bit of time.”
Old Cui had been observing the tractor for a while and had a rough idea of the issue. He hadn’t expected the girl to know this. Surprised, he leaned toward Old Li and lowered his voice: “Your granddaughter understands this stuff?”
Old Li was actually just as surprised, but faced with the envious gaze of a titan of the military-industrial industry like Cui, he couldn’t bring himself to deny it. He straightened his back, looking proud. “Of course! My girl has been brilliant since she was a kid! Takes after me!”
Inwardly, however, he was praying: Luo-er, you better pull this off. I’ve already talked a big game here.
Old Yuan figured she had a point. This girl was from the city; she’d seen more than they had. Maybe she really did have a trick up her sleeve.
Li Luoyu continued to direct him: “Remove the air filter casing. Yes, those three Phillips screws.”
She nodded knowingly as Old Yuan pulled out the filter element. The mesh was pitch black, caked in oil, mud, and grass clippings. “Hold it by both ends and shake it out—like you’re plunging a toilet.”
Old Yuan froze. The youths burst into muffled laughter. “Plunging a toilet… Hahaha… Fixing a tractor… like a toilet… Hahaha!”
Li Luoyu sighed inwardly. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to do it herself—it was just that the thing was covered in grease, and she really didn’t want to get her hands dirty.