Chapter 17: Accompanying the Troops to the Island

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Seeing Chen Wanru’s bruised and battered face, a flicker of emotion crossed Zhan Xinyue’s expression. Chen Wanru knelt before Zhan Xinyue, pleading desperately, “Do you want to watch Lu Qianjin beat me to death?” Lu Qianjin sneered coldly, “Chen Wanru, unless I’m dead, don’t even think about returning to the city this lifetime!” “Xinyue, come out,” Xie Jinyu called from the courtyard. Zhan Xinyue answered anxiously, “Coming.” Chen Wanru’s plight was pitiful, beaten as she was by Lu Qianjin. But considering Chen Wanru’s premarital pregnancy, this path was of her own choosing. Zhan Xinyue wasn’t close to Chen Wanru; how could she possibly give up her hard-earned chance to return to the city for her? “Xie Jinyu! You’re ruining me again! You won’t live a good life!” Chen Wanru cursed venomously upon hearing Xie Jinyu’s voice. Ignoring her, Xie Jinyu led Zhan Xinyue to the room formerly occupied by Yan Hongying. “Xinyue, Changzheng is back. You’ll sleep here tonight.” Upon hearing that Ye Changzheng had returned, Zhan Xinyue hurriedly said, “Then I won’t disturb your reunion as a couple. I might as well tough it out at the youth settlement with the others tonight.” “I’ve already made the bed. Don’t go back to the settlement.” Xie Jinyu didn’t say it outright, but if Zhan Xinyue returned alone, what if some other youths played tricks and stole her documents in the middle of the night? Having learned from the despicable examples of Chen Wanru and Lu Qianjin in a past life, Xie Jinyu finally understood that one must always guard against others. “Xie Jinyu, I’ve caused you trouble.” “It’s late, get some rest.” After settling Zhan Xinyue, Xie Jinyu and Ye Changzheng entered the room. Xie Jinyu’s eyes were filled with worry: “If Lu Qianjin goes looking for the village party secretary, we might not be able to leave tomorrow.” Neither Xie Jinyu nor Ye Changzheng could risk their lives for a petty thug like Lu Qianjin. They had to leave this place to have a brighter, more splendid future. “Xiao Yu, you sleep. I’ll stay with him.” Xie Jinyu held Ye Changzheng’s hand. “I’ll keep you company.” Ye Changzheng reached out, gently stroked Xie Jinyu’s hair, and comforted her, “You can’t beat him. Besides, I can still sleep in the car tomorrow.” “Alright.” Xie Jinyu knew tonight was crucial and agreed reluctantly. Less than an hour later, Lu Qianjin heard no sound from Ye Changzheng and Xie Jinyu’s room.

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He tiptoed to open the door, intending to return to the village to find his father and other cronies and reclaim his territory at Ye Changzheng’s place. Unbeknownst to him, the moment Lu Qianjin opened the door, Ye Changzheng did the same. “It’s so late, where are you going?” Ye Changzheng’s fist stunned Lu Qianjin into silence. Stammering, he said, “I... I’m going to the bathroom...” “I’ll go with you.” Lu Qianjin bolted. Ye Changzheng swiftly caught up, lifting him like a chick. “Lu Qianjin, do you know what the worst outcome is?” Lu Qianjin grinned slyly, “I really am going to the toilet.” “If you want to find backup, fine,” Ye Changzheng threw Lu Qianjin into the snow, “but before your backup arrives, you can see if my fists are tougher than your life!” Cowardly and intimidated, Lu Qianjin gave up on the bathroom and slunk back into Chen Wanru’s room, closing the door behind him in fear. He had hoped to wait until Ye Changzheng fell asleep late at night before leaving the cattle shed, but he fell asleep first. When Lu Qianjin awoke, he was alone with Chen Wanru; everyone else had long since left. The returning youths from the city, Xie Jinyu and Ye Changzheng as a couple, and village residents had all packed the tractor to go to the district office. Ye Changzheng had kept watch over Lu Qianjin all night. Now, as soon as they boarded the bus from the district to the train station, he fell asleep. Watching the scenery blur past the bus window, Xie Jinyu finally felt the reality of escaping from Leap Forward Village. She placed her hand over her chest, feeling the vibrant beating of her heart. Her reddened eyes filled with tears as she thought, her life had truly changed. It took five hours by bus from the district to the city train station. Ye Changzheng had already purchased return tickets. Arriving an hour before departure, Xie Jinyu and Ye Changzheng passed through ticket inspection and entered the station. To save money, the returning youths decided to spend the night in the waiting room. Claiming to go to the restroom, Xie Jinyu slipped several denunciation letters—written with her left hand—into the mailbox outside the station. She sent multiple letters to different authorities to ensure the Lu family would receive their due punishment. Zhan Xinyue watched Xie Jinyu and Ye Changzheng board the train. Transportation in the 1970s was inconvenient. From Leap Forward Village to Ye Changzheng’s military unit, they traveled by tractor, bus, train, and boat, taking nearly sixty hours to finally reach their destination. Ye Changzheng’s unit was stationed on an island called “Endless Island.”

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Endless Island was surrounded by sea, with a hospital, school, and cinema on the island. Other supplies had to be transported from the mainland. It was Xie Jinyu’s first time on a boat; she was seasick to the point of nausea and vomited multiple times on board. Even after disembarking, she still felt as if she were drifting. Fortunately, Ye Changzheng’s young comrades, knowing he was returning to the island today, had been waiting at the dock early. As soon as the boat stopped, the young men boarded to help Ye Changzheng with his luggage. Seeing Xie Jinyu’s pale face and dazed demeanor, Ye Changzheng lifted her into a truck parked in front of the dock. The temperature on Endless Island was much warmer than in Leap Forward Village. The strong young men still wore shorts. About half an hour later, the truck stopped in front of a bungalow. Ye Changzheng carried Xie Jinyu inside. Even after lying on the bed, she still felt as if she were swaying on the boat. “Xiao Yu, if you still feel unwell, I’ll take you to the hospital.” Xie Jinyu shook her head. “No need, I’ll feel better after lying down a while.” The young men placed Xie Jinyu’s luggage down and left. Ye Changzheng poured a cup of hot water with a little sugar, stirred it with chopsticks, and handed it to her. “Xiao Yu, drink a little first.” As Ye Changzheng helped her up, Xie Jinyu felt dizzy and lightheaded—her seasickness hadn’t passed yet. After drinking the water, she said, “The cotton quilt we’re using has wild preserved flavors my grandmother and I made in the village. Could you check if it’s gone bad?” “Xiao Yu, I’ll take care of it. You just lie down and rest.” Feeling too dizzy, Xie Jinyu leaned against the head of the bed, watching Ye Changzheng efficiently pack all the items she’d brought from the village—from large quilts to a single pair of chopsticks—anything she could take with her. She thought that every bit saved was worthwhile and had brought everything to Endless Island. After finishing the packing, Ye Changzheng saw Xie Jinyu’s still pale face and asked with concern, “Xiao Yu, shall we go to the hospital?” “No, I’m fine.” Just then, a sweet voice rang out outside the courtyard. “Brother Changzheng, my father asked me to bring dinner for you and sister-in-law.”