Chapter 60: That Blind Man, Something Has Happened

Han Guoqiang truly lived up to his role as the rough-hewn male lead from the novel. In just a few moves, he had Chen Guang pinned down, raining blows on him with reckless abandon. Chen Guang howled as he was beaten, struggling and shouting wildly.

The heroine, Chu Ling, stood at the side with her arms crossed, watching coldly. The fight hadn’t broken out in a secluded spot, and the commotion was considerable. It wasn’t long before people, drawn by the noise, hurried over and pulled the two fighters apart. Onlookers, curious, pressed for the reason behind the brawl, but no one answered. Han Guoqiang kept silent, unwilling to let Chu Ling’s reputation suffer. Chen Guang, humiliated after being dumped by a woman, was even less inclined to talk.

Though neither said a word, a glance at the scene told the story. It was clear to all: two young men had come to blows over a girl. In a village starved for entertainment, gossip like this was explosive—news of the fight between the male educated youth and a local lad over the beautiful female educated youth spread like wildfire, and by midday everyone knew.

…

After enjoying the spectacle, Lin Xiaodou returned to her cabin on the back hill. Exhausted from working all morning, she had little energy left to cook and decided to make do with something simple. She wandered through her mental space, finally taking out a deluxe self-heating hotpot, a packet of instant noodles, and a chilled bottle of Coke.

Her hotpot was the luxury version, complete with plump shrimp and marbled beef, all steeped in a spicy, aromatic broth rich with flavor. Beneath it all were tangy, chewy glass noodles, delightfully satisfying with every slurp. When she finished the main ingredients, she didn’t let the broth go to waste—she tossed in the instant noodles, stirred them for a bit, and savored yet another delicious dish.

Lin Xiaodou ate until her mouth was full of fragrant spice and her heart brimming with happiness. A sip of icy Coke sent a shiver of bliss through her. Ah, this was pure heaven!

While Lin Xiaodou dined in contentment, the other educated youths in the commune dormitory were in much bleaker spirits. Their lunch consisted merely of thin cornmeal porridge and a plate of stir-fried greens. After a morning of hard labor, such fare scarcely filled their bellies. But there was no choice; the conditions were what they were, and going hungry would be worse. The girls fared a little better, but the young men’s appetites were larger. Those who couldn’t stand the hunger simply gulped down cold water—a method, if nothing else.

In the men’s quarters, Chen Guang lay sprawled on the communal bunk, his eyes vacant and spirit crushed. Zhang Lian entered carrying a bowl of cornmeal porridge, her face full of concern.

“Brother Chen, you haven’t eaten anything since coming back at noon—please, have a little.”

“I don’t want to eat. No appetite,” Chen Guang replied, utterly dispirited.

Today had simply been too much. Even that thrashing at the hands of the terrifying Lin Xiaodou the day before hadn’t made him feel this awful.

After all, Lin Xiaodou was just a woman he’d known for a few days. But Chu Ling was different. They’d known each other for years; she had always liked him, always been obedient and gentle. Never had she cursed him out as she had today. Worse still, Chu Ling had rejected him and chosen a country bumpkin instead. Did she really think he was less than a rustic? The humiliation was unbearable!

Again, a gentle voice tried to persuade him. “Brother Chen, please eat something—you still have to work this afternoon…”

“I said I’m not eating! Why are you still nagging me? Can’t you just leave me alone?!” Chen Guang snapped, his patience gone.

Zhang Lian’s eyes reddened immediately, brimming with grievance. “Brother Chen, just because you’re upset doesn’t mean you can take it out on me! If it weren’t for our friendship, I wouldn’t care. Fine, eat if you want!” With that, she set the bowl on a nearby chair and ran out in tears.

Chen Guang remained oblivious, still sunk in his gloom.

Zhang Lian, eyes rimmed with red, returned to the women’s quarters and flopped down to sleep. Though hurt by Brother Chen’s outburst, it didn’t stop her from catching some rest—she had work to do that afternoon and couldn’t afford to wallow in sadness.

Team Leader Wu: See? People just have too much free time. Keep them busy, and they’ll quiet down.

…

Chen Guang was stubborn. Having said he wouldn’t eat, he didn’t touch the food. In the end, his bowl of cooled cornmeal porridge was seized by several other young men, who finished it off in turns. Chen Guang watched, his face twisted in disdain. It’s just a bowl of porridge, what’s worth fighting over? He was scornful now, but soon he would regret it.

Come afternoon, it was the hottest part of the day. The sun beat down mercilessly, making everyone sweat buckets. Most managed, but Chen Guang was not so lucky. Having eaten nothing all morning, his stomach was empty. As he worked, it felt like ants were gnawing at his insides, a sharp, twisting pain. His belly rumbled incessantly. Hungry—so incredibly hungry!

The more he worked, the dizzier he became. Finally, unable to hold out, he grabbed a raw ear of corn and bit into it. The sweet taste of fresh corn exploded in his mouth, and every cell in his body screamed for more: Eat! Eat! Eat! He bent his head and gnawed hungrily, pecking at the corn like a woodpecker.

A sharp-eyed bystander caught sight of him and immediately called out, “Report! Team Leader Wu, Chen Guang is damaging collective property!” The brigade had strict rules: no one was allowed to pilfer or eat the harvest during collection, a measure meant to prevent petty theft and slacking. Grain belonged to the collective; if everyone snuck a bite, chaos would ensue. Any infraction brought serious punishment, and whistleblowers were rewarded. Thus, everyone was eager to report wrongdoing.

Hearing the shout, Team Leader Wu, who was making his rounds, rushed over. “Comrade Chen, what are you doing?!”

Chen Guang had already stopped eating when he heard the accusation. Now, staring at the half-eaten cob in his hand and hearing Team Leader Wu’s furious roar, his face went deathly pale.

He was doomed!

Since this was Chen Guang’s first offense and he was new and inexperienced, the rules called for docking a full day’s work points. After some discussion with the village head, Team Leader Wu decided to deduct only two points. It was Chen Guang’s first day working, and after a day of backbreaking labor, he had earned six points. With two deducted, he was left with just four—about the same as the new female educated youths. Seeing his score, he nearly burst into tears. If only he’d eaten that bowl of cornmeal porridge, he wouldn’t be in this humiliating mess.

For all his earlier bravado, now he could only wallow in regret. After a day of hunger, Chen Guang was half out of his mind. So much so that when he overheard villagers gossiping about Chu Ling and Han Guoqiang skipping work that afternoon and heading to town for unknown reasons, he barely reacted.

Team Leader Wu: See? When people are busy and hungry, they really don’t care about anything else.

…

Today’s biggest winner was Lin Xiaodou. Thanks to her capable work, Team Leader Wu praised her lavishly and even announced on the spot that she would receive a full ten work points—the same as the men!

Surrounded by admiration and respect, Lin Xiaodou returned home in high spirits after work. She had barely rested a moment in her cabin when a knock sounded at the door. Opening it, she saw a familiar figure: the little golden monkey, arms full of gold, silver, and jewels, its big round eyes brimming with tears, looking to her for help.

“Wah wah wah wah wah!!” The little creature’s master—the blind man—was in trouble!