It was raining heavily in the primeval forest. Xie San braved the rain and chased a wild boar into the deep mountains. It was dark and gloomy all around, and he could only hear his own heartbeat and breathing. Suddenly, there was a rustling in the bushes behind him. Xie San held the hatchet alertly and turned around suddenly.

But it was Cheng Yaoyao who was soaking wet. She was wearing the pink dress she wore when they first met, with her snow-white feet bare, standing there and calling out to him, "Thank you, Third Brother..."

Cheng Yaoyao has black hair and fair skin, a teardrop mole under her eye that adds a touch of charm, and rose-colored lips that are moist and beautiful, breathtakingly beautiful, like a fairy in the forest.

Xie San couldn't help but take a step back. Seeing that he ignored her, Cheng Yaoyao suddenly shouted again: "My feet hurt!"

The cry was in a sobbing tone, and it hit the spot that was most itchy in my heart. Looking down, I saw two bright red spots on the snow-white arch of my foot, which were the wounds caused by the snake bite.

Xie San stretched out his hand like a possessed man, and for some reason, Cheng Yaoyao suddenly fell into his arms. She was lighter and softer than a flower, exuding the sweet scent of a rose.

…

"..." Xie San suddenly opened his eyes, staring at the dark ceiling and breathing heavily. He was sweating all over as if he had just been pulled out of the water, and the straw mat under him was soaked.

He sat up on the bed and suddenly felt a chill in his crotch. His whole body stiffened immediately and after a while, he slapped himself.

He was already twenty years old and in good health. This happened often, but the dream was hazy and imageless, and never was it so fragrant and beautiful... She was a cloud in the sky, and even thinking about it was blasphemy, not to mention...

Thinking of Cheng Yaoyao's innocent and ignorant eyes, and his completely defenseless appearance towards him, Xie San covered his forehead with his hands, feeling deeply disgusted with himself, and no longer wanted to sleep.

It was only about three or four o'clock, and the yard was gray. The moon was still hanging in the sky, and the dawn in the east was already looming. The air was filled with cool water vapor and the fragrance of plants, which made people feel clear-headed.

The courtyard was paved with green bricks and planted with a Chinese toon tree. In the corner of the courtyard was a small vegetable patch, with onions, ginger, garlic and crabapple flowers growing side by side. Three hens were fenced in a corner, and the chicken coop was covered with waterproof straw and rags. There was a homely atmosphere of poverty but serious living.

Xie San fetched a bucket of well water and took a shower, then scrubbed and washed his pants, wrung them dry, and hung them on a pole in the corner, which seemed a bit secretive.

The cold well water evaporated on his skin, bringing a cool feeling to his skin, and the boiling blood in his body gradually calmed down. It was still early, but Xie San was no longer sleepy.

He put all the things he had prepared the night before into a large basket, and fetched a few buckets of water, filling up the large water tank in the corner of the yard, as well as the basins and buckets, so that his grandmother and sister would have water when they woke up.

Xie Sansheng was tall, but he moved very gently, for fear of waking up his grandmother who was sleeping in the room.

Not long after, an old and kind voice came from the west room: "Zhao Ge'er, you woke up so early?"

Xie San hummed: "Grandma, did I wake you up?"

"No, I feel younger now that I'm older." Grandma Gu said to Xie San through the window, "I didn't cough all night, and I slept soundly for several hours. The bayberry juice you brought me yesterday really worked."

"Yeah." Xie San felt uneasy for some reason. He glanced at the trousers hanging in the corner of the yard, as if he saw the evidence of his guilt, and his face felt hot.

There was a rustling in the house, and Grandma Gu came out with her shirt buttoned up: "When you go to the city to sell things today, take the dozen or so eggs I saved with you."

Xie San said: "Keep it for your health."

Grandma Gu put a bag of eggs wrapped in rice bran into the basket and looked through the things Xie San brought: "Forget about these dried mushrooms. The skins are not easy to sell in the summer."

Xie San remained silent and took out the eggs again.

"You stubborn one." Grandma Gu suddenly said, "Zhao'er, I have taken out the kettle and washed it. You can take it back and return it to the owner tomorrow."

Xie San paused and didn't look up, but he felt his grandmother's eyes on his face. The kind and wise eyes seemed to see through his thoughts.

Grandma Gu sorted out the leather and said slowly, "Zhao'er, you are not a child anymore. If I hadn't been a burden to you, you would have been a father. It's time for you to save some money to get married."

"It's because I come from a poor family that no girl likes me." Xie San interrupted Grandma Gu and said, "Grandma, I'm going out."

Xie San picked up the big basket and walked out without looking back.

Grandma Gu looked at her grandson's tall and straight back and sighed deeply.

Tianshui Village is located in a remote area, and it is not easy to get into the county town. Especially in the hot summer, walking into the city under the scorching sun will make you sunburned. Cheng Yaoyao and a few female educated youth set out at 5:30 in the morning. Fortunately, they caught a tractor halfway.

A group of rural women were already sitting in the back of the tractor, all of them were visiting relatives in the city to exchange things. Cheng Yaoyao was squeezed in a pile of pumpkins and vegetables, and Han Yin was even worse off. A woman holding a hen kept sticking her head out to peck at her hair.

Cheng Yaoyao wore a sky blue dress with a headband of the same color. She looked like a swan that had sneaked into a chicken coop. The group of rural women stared her up and down with their eyes wide open, and stared at the leather shoes on her feet with greedy eyes.

Cheng Yaoyao was almost vomiting from the shaking of the car. He turned around and lay down on the edge of the car to breathe. Suddenly, he saw a tall figure walking in front of him, carrying a large basket on his back: "Thank you, Third Brother! Thank you, Third Brother!"

Cheng Yaoyao waved excitedly, but his voice was drowned out by the engine and the noise of the women.

Xie San moved aside to make way for the tractor, and when he looked up, he saw Cheng Yaoyao waving at him. In the cool breeze of the morning, Cheng Yaoyao was wearing a sky-blue dress, the light color made her skin look as white as snow, and she looked at him with bright peach blossom eyes, full of innocent joy without any defense.

The charming fairy in the dream slowly overlapped with Cheng Yaoyao's face.

Xie San turned his eyes away as if he was burned by fire, until the tractor carrying Cheng Yaoyao drove away. The smelly diesel exhaust and dust hit his face, just like his bleak future.

In the car fight, Han Yin curiously squeezed next to Cheng Yaoyao and asked, "Who were you calling just now?"

The car was very noisy, and you had to speak loudly next to someone's ear to hear them. Cheng Yaoyao drooped his face, leaned close to Han Yin's ear and yelled, "Call me an idiot!"

Even after entering the county town, Han Yin was still complaining that Cheng Yaoyao had deafened her ears.

Cheng Yaoyao looked up at the stone plaque on the archway: "Lin'an City". Lin'an City is an ancient city. Entering the city is a road paved with bluestone slabs, with antique two-story shops on both sides, with flying eaves and cloud patterns and flower patterns carved on them.

Unfortunately, these shops have been nationalized. There are big signs on the doors. Salesmen in blue overalls stand behind the counters with frosty faces, shouting at customers: "Give me your money, give me your tickets! Don't touch anything unless you want to buy!"

Cheng Yaoyao looked around with interest. It is rare to see an ancient city that is so well preserved in the future. You need to pay a ticket to visit it. And this kind of atmosphere reminds Cheng Yaoyao of the time he spent at his grandmother's house when he was a child.

Cheng Nuonuo was not with them today. Only Cheng Yaoyao, Han Yin and Zhang Xiaofeng were there. The female educated youth always went in and out together, so there was no reason to leave Liu Minxia alone, so they had to take her with them.

They headed straight for the supply and marketing cooperative, but saw a group of people gathered at the entrance of the roadside waste recycling station. Han Yin loved to watch the excitement: "What are you doing? Let's take a look!"

I saw an old master in white sleeves holding a beam scale and weighing it: "One pound and two ounces, 98 cents, that's one dollar!"

The girl touched her hair, took the money from the old master, and left happily. Then the crowd dispersed, and some girls who wanted to sell their hair but couldn't make up their minds were still wandering around.

"So hair can be sold for money?" Cheng Yaoyao asked in surprise.

Han Yin touched the big braid behind her head and said excitedly, "I want to cut it too. Do you want to cut it?"

The dormitory conditions for educated youth were harsh, and it was inconvenient to wash hair and take a bath. Not to mention working in the fields, the weather was hot, and it was easy to get lice. I cut my hair into a big braid, and the short hair was refreshing and easy to wash, without wasting shampoo.

Han Yin was tempted, but didn't dare to be the first to try it, so she persuaded Cheng Yaoyao to get his hair cut with her.

The old master wiped the scissors, shook the cloth, and shouted, "It's time to collect the hair——"

Han Yin was entangled with Cheng Yaoyao when Liu Minxia suddenly came out and said, "I'll cut it."

Liu Minxia's braid was already down to her waist, but it was dry and dark yellow. The old teacher looked at her hair and said, "Your hair is not worth selling."

Liu Minxia gritted her teeth and said, "Okay!"

Selling hair is not like cutting hair. There is no complicated procedure like cutting hair in later generations. Liu Minxia sat on a small stool. The old master put a dirty white cloth around her neck and pinched the root of the braid to gesture: "Cut it here or here?"

Cheng Yaoyao and Han Yin gave their opinions at the same time: "Lower it, lower it, it's too short!"

Liu Minxia closed her eyes tightly and said as if she was afraid of the pain: "Cut!"

With two clicks, a long braid fell into the hands of the old master. He threw it on the scale and weighed it: "70 cents and 8 cents!"

Han Yin asked, "Such a long braid, only 78 cents?"

The old teacher pushed the scale bar in front of her and said, "Look at your hair. It's yellow and sparse. It looks long, but it won't weigh you down. Your braid is quite thick. Do you want to sell it?"

Han Yin turned to look at Cheng Yaoyao and said excitedly, "Yaoyao, will you sell it?"

Cheng Yaoyao said with a smile: "I won't sell it."

Han Yin said, "Liu Minxia's braid is only 78 cents, yours must be much more expensive, why don't you cut it together with me!"

The old teacher looked up and saw a girl in a sky blue skirt standing not far away. He immediately cheered. But it was not because of Cheng Yaoyao's appearance, but because of her hair: "Will you sell your hair, young comrade? I'm willing to pay five dollars for this braid!"

Cheng Yaoyao had her hair braided into a pigtail today, tied with a sky-blue headband and hung down on her shoulders. Her long, thick black hair shone with a moist luster in the sun, with no split ends or dryness at all, and shimmered like satin.

Most people of this era suffer from malnutrition, with dry, sparse hair or dull hair. It is rare to see hair as long as Cheng Yaoyao's.

"Five dollars!" Everyone gasped and stared at Cheng Yaoyao's hair enviously.

This is amazing. Cheng Yaoyao's hair is not the only thing that is beautiful. Her whole person is like a work of nature. From head to toe, there is no flaw. It is so hot, and she is the only one wearing a sky blue dress. Her skin is as white as ice, and the sweat on her forehead is also crystal clear, which makes people feel distracted.

Han Yin immediately pushed Cheng Yaoyao: "Five dollars! Yaoyao, what else do you want!"

Cheng Yaoyao touched the ends of his hair and asked in surprise, "Is my hair so valuable?"

The old teacher stared at Cheng Yaoyao's braid and said, "Little girl, can I touch your braid?"

That is to say, he is nearly 70 years old, so he won't get beaten on the spot for saying this.

Cheng Yaoyao smiled and said, "I won't sell it."

The old teacher looked at Cheng Yaoyao's hair unwillingly and said, "I am willing to pay you 7 yuan for your hair. I promise to grow it longer for you, until it reaches your shoulders. How about that?"

Han Yin pushed Cheng Yaoyao desperately, and Cheng Yaoyao said with a smile: "Stop talking, I won't sell it."

Cheng Yaoyao has been dressed like a princess since she was a child and has never had short hair.

Han Yin said to Cheng Yaoyao jealously: "You are stupid, it's only 7 yuan! The hair can grow back after being cut, why don't you sell it? I can help you raise the price, maybe I can raise it to 8 yuan!"

Cheng Yaoyao still refused. Just look at Liu Minxia's haircut and you'll know. After the braid, the ends of her hair were curled up, making her look like a quail's butt. She would rather spend more time boiling water to wash her hair every night. This was her last resort.

Han Yin gritted her teeth and said, "If you don't sell it, I will!"

Han Yin's braid was also very thick and dense. The old teacher couldn't cut through it with the scissors several times. It took him a long time to finally get the braid off.

I put it on the scale and weighed it: "1 yuan 38 cents."

Han Yin bargained with the teacher quickly and finally got 1.5 yuan, and Liu Minxia also got 80 cents.

The old teacher helped Han Yin trim the ends of her hair, and Cheng Yaoyao gave her advice. The result was a haircut that looked a bit like a modern bob.

There are 4 people in the group now, only Cheng Yaoyao has long hair, the other three have short hair. Han Yin shook her head and said, "I have to say, my hair is much lighter after the braid."

Zhang Xiaofeng smiled and said, "I really envy you guys. If I had known earlier, I would have grown my hair long and sold it for 80 cents."

After dawdling for a long time and not having breakfast, they were all hungry. They decided to go to a restaurant and then go shopping at the supply and marketing cooperative.

Han Yin patted her chest proudly and said, "This 1.5 yuan today is free. I'm going to eat out!"

Han Yin earned extra money, Cheng Yaoyao was rich, and Zhang Xiaofeng was always frugal, so he had saved a lot of money, so there was no problem with spending money on restaurants.

As they walked towards the restaurant, Han Yin suddenly turned around and stared at Liu Minxia who was following behind her and asked, "Are you eating out too? Do you have your food coupons with you?"

"I, I forgot to bring it..." Liu Minxia held the money tightly in her hand and stammered.

Han Yin snorted and laughed: "How can you eat at a restaurant without food coupons? Be careful not to get caught for eating and drinking."

Liu Minxia looked at Cheng Yaoyao for help. Cheng Yaoyao resisted the urge to roll his eyes and turned his head away. Even Zhang Xiaofeng avoided her gaze.

Everyone knows that Liu Minxia's family is poor, and she has to send money home every month. In this day and age, food stamps are life! Lending to others is fine, but lending to Liu Minxia? That's like throwing meat buns at a dog, and there's no return. Zhang Xiaofeng is a good man, not a fool.

Liu Minxia used to eat at Cheng Yaoyao's table, but now Cheng Yaoyao ignored her and Han Yin exposed her secret. Liu Minxia's face turned red and she stammered, "I, I'm not very hungry... I won't go to the restaurant."

Cheng Yaoyao and Zhang Xiaofeng remained silent. Han Yin said sarcastically, "Okay, then the three of us will leave first."

The three of them walked away together. Cheng Yaoyao didn't even turn his head. He was surrounded by Zhang Xiaofeng and Han Yin on the left and right. The three of them left while talking and laughing.

Han Yin said to Cheng Yaoyao, "Finally she didn't come this time. She used to be like a dog-skin plaster, shamelessly eating you. I've disliked her for a long time. I reminded you, but I was afraid you'd get angry."

Cheng Yaoyao laughed dryly. Han Yin's words were quite tactful.

Several girls from the city gathered in this remote southern village due to the special times. Out of sympathy or other reasons, their initial feelings were actually very good.

But Cheng Yaoyao was arrogant and did not know the ways of the world. Liu Minxia was always at her beck and call and showed that she was not full, so she was so generous that she kept him as her own.

Zhang Xiaofeng and Han Yin saw that the original owner was stupid, and they advised her several times. The original owner saw that Liu Minxia looked pitiful, and saw that Han Yin looked aggressive, so she decided that Han Yin was bullying Liu Minxia. How could she allow others to bully her friend? !

With Cheng Nonuo fanning the flames, the original owner gradually became estranged from Han Yin and Zhang Xiaofeng. Usually, she only had Liu Minxia as her follower, and she was gradually isolated by everyone.

Cheng Yaoyao touched his nose and said, "I understand now. I won't be stupid again in the future."

The three of them went to the only state-owned hotel in town.

Along the street there is a row of wooden buildings with high eaves, sturdy pillars, and tall and deep facades. Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, it was a prosperous commercial district, but now all of them have been converted into public-private partnerships.

The restaurant is on the second floor. Walking up a narrow wooden staircase, the view suddenly brightens up. The second floor is very spacious, with daylight shining in from the balcony. There is a protruding roof at the connection point, surrounded by wooden railings.

Cheng Yaoyao took a liking to the table facing the street, which had the best lighting: "Let's sit there."

After ordering the food, Cheng Yaoyao sat down by the railing, leaning his hand on the railing and looking out. From his vantage point, he had a panoramic view of the entire ancient city. He could imagine the dandy young men of that time leaning on the railing, spending money carefree and happily.

The Dragon Boat Festival was coming up, and the city was quite lively. Several acquaintances came to the restaurant. Shen Yan and the group of male educated youth were also there, and Cheng Nonuo was also sitting at their table, sitting very close to Shen Yan.

Cheng Yaoyao was such a dazzling beauty that she was too conspicuous. Many people stopped eating and secretly looked at her face. The table of Shen Yan naturally noticed it. The male educated youths were a little embarrassed and lowered their heads, not daring to greet Cheng Yaoyao.

Cheng Yaoyao and the other two naturally ignored them. Han Yin lowered her voice and said to Cheng Yaoyao with a smile: "Believe it or not, it must be Shen Yan's treat again. These people are so soft-hearted."

Cheng Yaoyao raised the corners of his rosy lips: "If he wants to be a sucker, let him be."

Zhang Xiaofeng changed the subject: "Don't start a fire here, come with me and serve the food."

These days, state-owned restaurants wouldn’t serve your food to you. Zhang Xiaofeng and Han Yin got up and went to the window to get the food.

Cheng Yaoyao leaned lazily on the railing. No one called her, and everyone tacitly accepted that this young lady needed to be served.

Cheng Yaoyao leaned on the railing and looked down, not caring whether he had become someone else's scenery. After a long time, he finally saw a familiar figure.