Xia Wei's face darkened. As the leader of the educated youth settlement, he was naturally better at assessing situations than the other educated youth.
Moreover, before they came, they had all discussed it and made sure to talk to Comrade Gu properly. They were asking for a favor, and if they were lucky enough to get some information from Gu Zhiyuan, it would be worth it.
Even if Gu Zhiyuan didn't say anything, they couldn't afford to offend him. After all, someone who could be exonerated at this time and have the machinery factory hire him was definitely not an ordinary person.
Such a person should be treated with respect, even if you can't befriend them.
Who knows, one day we might have to ask them for help?
Unexpectedly, everything was going well at the educated youth settlement, but when they got to Gu Zhiyuan, he said he didn't know, and these people couldn't stand it.
They speak so rudely.
Isn't this blatantly offending someone?
Although he was also unhappy, feeling that Gu Zhiyuan just didn't want to tell them, he never thought of breaking ties with Gu Zhiyuan.
He quickly tried to smooth things over: "Comrade Gu, please don't hold a grudge against us. They were just worried about their elders suffering down there, so their tone was a bit harsh. They really didn't mean it—"
With just a glance, Gu Zhiyuan could tell pretty much what these educated youths were thinking.
Part of her concern was for her elders, but more so she was jealous of his good fortune. In addition, she had suffered too much since going to the countryside, and it had been weighing on her mind.
They usually didn't dare to cause trouble with the villagers in the Unity Brigade, but now they were venting all their anger on him.
He disdained to lower himself to the level of these fools, and said coldly, "Please leave!"
Xia Wei felt his thoughts were laid bare by Gu Zhiyuan's cold gaze. Seeing that Gu Zhiyuan had given him the order to leave, Xia Wei was too ashamed to stay any longer and said with a flushed face, "Sorry for bothering you, we'll be leaving now."
He turned around and tried to pull the other educated youths who had come with him back, telling them not to continue making a fool of themselves here.
Two educated youths hesitated for a moment, but seeing Gu Zhiyuan's expression, they wisely followed Xia Juntao and were about to leave.
The remaining two or three educated youths refused to leave, cursing and swearing, saying, "We're not leaving today! If you don't tell us today, we won't leave! This isn't your home, what right do you have to tell us what to do?"
"Yes, we're not leaving!"
Xia Wei tried to dissuade them, saying, "Why are you blocking their door? Aren't you afraid of really angering them and getting beaten up?"
The young educated youth's eyes lit up: "He wouldn't dare! If he dares to lay a finger on us, we'll report him to the Revolutionary Committee! He's only just been exonerated and he already dares to lay a hand on us educated youth who came to the countryside; it's clear he hasn't been reformed yet—"
The malicious intent behind these words is blatantly obvious.
Xia Wei looked at Gu Zhiyuan with a troubled expression: "Comrade Gu, what do you think of this—"
Before Gu Zhiyuan could speak, he heard a sharp shout behind him: "Get out of the way—"
Gu Zhiyuan reacted instinctively and quickly moved aside.
With a "splash," a bucket of swill fell from the sky, soaking the educated youth at the door.
Xia Wei and the other two educated youths were a bit further away, so they were only slightly affected by the impact on their trouser legs.
Especially the one at the very front, the one who was shouting the loudest, had his mouth open when the swill was poured over his head, and he immediately drank a mouthful. He didn't even have time to close his mouth, but he managed to put a piece of cucumber peel in his mouth.
Although the two people next to them weren't splashed in their mouths, one had a piece of watermelon rind on his head and a few chicken feathers mixed with chicken droppings on his face, while the other had half a rotten vegetable leaf and fish scales stuck to his clothes.
It had a pungent, fishy stench.
The three of them came to their senses and ran to the side to vomit violently.
Xia Wei and the other two educated youths came to their senses and wanted to get closer to say a few words of comfort, but as soon as they got close, they were suffocated by the smell of swill and took several steps back.
Holding her nose, she stood at a distance and asked, "How are you? Are you alright?"
The three educated youths hunched over, wishing they could vomit bile, how could they possibly answer?
Xia Wei had no choice but to look up at the culprit who splashed the water, Xu Ningyan.
She was glaring at them angrily, her pretty face frosty, carrying a bucket of water.
Xia Wei's accusatory tone softened considerably: "How could you, how could you throw swill like that?"
Xu Ningyan sneered: "I can throw whatever I want at my doorstep! If you keep spewing nonsense, I'll even throw manure at you, believe it or not?"
“You, you’re so unreasonable—” the other two educated youths said indignantly.
"Pah! You think you can reason with me? You come here to block my door because you think you can reason with me? Tell me, what kind of reasoning is this?"
"Have you no shame? You think you can bully my Brother Gu because he's honest and doesn't know how to talk? He tries to reason with you, and you act like scoundrels! I try to be like you, and now you start reasoning again? Is this your logic? Is it only you who can use it?"
"Even if Brother Gu knew nothing, why should he tell you? Who are you to him? You come up here and ask questions, and then you start cursing when you don't answer! What kind of logic is that? You call yourselves city people? Don't embarrass yourselves!"
"Get out of here! If you come to my door again to block my door and cause trouble, believe me, I'll go find the brigade leader and the party secretary right now. I want to see what you five or six people are trying to do by coming to my door. Are you educated youths who went to the countryside dissatisfied with us poor and lower-middle peasants? Or are you trying to incite a mass disturbance? You'd better think it through!"
Xu Ningyan put the swill bucket on the ground and unleashed her full power!
The first few words were fine, but they made the educated youth blush with embarrassment.
But when the last few words were spoken, the faces of the educated youth turned pale. They realized the consequences of their rashly coming to Xu Ningyan's house and causing such a scene.
If Xu Ningyan and the others don't pursue the matter, that's fine. But if they do, it will add an unsavory record to their resumes.
Putting everything else aside, don't even think about going home to visit relatives for the next few years.
Even if there were quotas for returning to the city, they wouldn't get them.
Once they understood this, their legs went weak, and they were filled with remorse. Their eyes were filled with resentment as they looked at the three educated youths who were still vomiting.
If they hadn't spoken so rudely, things wouldn't have come to this.
Although Xia Wei's face turned pale, his mind worked quickly, and he very sensibly apologized: "I'm sorry! It was our fault! Comrade Gu, Comrade Xu, please be lenient and let us off this time! Please don't alarm the captain and the others, otherwise if this is recorded in our files and becomes a stain, our lives will be over!"
"Comrade Gu, we really know we were wrong! Please forgive us this time! We'll never dare to do it again!"
Seeing Xu Ningyan's fury and her protective manner towards Gu Zhiyuan, he knew it would be difficult to get Xu Ningyan to give in.
If we beg Gu Zhiyuan, there might still be a glimmer of hope.
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