Chapter 8
Chen Jingyi bit into the soft, sweet lotus flower cake, feeling quite uncomfortable. This was something her younger brother had earned by selling his labor to He He. She knew He He wasn't a bad person, but she still couldn't accept that her brother was being bullied by He He.
She had asked Xiao Bai a long time ago, and Xiao Bai said it was nothing. Exchanging labor for food was only natural. He didn't think He He was bullying him. Chen Jingyi didn't know how much of what her brother said was true, but there was nothing she could do but comfort him. She could only choose to believe him.
"Aside from his sharp tongue, Xiao He is pretty good."
After saying that, Chen Jingyi lowered her head and ate the lotus flower cake. She thought of He He and Cheng Surin, who liked each other. He He had helped them, and Cheng Surin had also helped her a lot. They were doing well together and were a good match.
Although she also had some feelings for Cheng Surin, it wasn't worth mentioning. Compared to love, what she needed to do most right now was to get her family out of their current predicament. She just didn't know how long it would take to get out of it, or when the day of light would come.
Chen Jingyi forced a smile and said, "Xiao Bai, if He He asks you to help with chores in the future, you should tell your sister if you're tired. I also ate He He's pancakes, so it's only right that we work together."
Chen Jingyi had told Chen Jingbai about this a long, long time ago, but Chen Jingbai never complained of being tired.
Chen Jingbai shook his head, "No need, I can do it. The work points He He wants aren't heavy."
Chen Jingbai interrupted her, "Sister! What happened back then is in the past. What matters is living well in the present."
When he was eighteen, the red armbands ransacked the Chen family home again. At that time, Chen's father had accidentally twisted his back and desperately needed a large sum of money. However, the red armbands had taken away most of the family's money over the years, and they could not save any money at all.
The man in red armbands once again rummaged through the family's money and stuffed it into his pocket. Chen Jingbai originally wanted to rush up to them. This money was something he had worked hard to earn by working as a porter at the dock, without his family's knowledge. He couldn't let them take the money away, or his father wouldn't even have money for medical treatment.
Chen Jingbai wanted to plead for mercy, but Chen Jingyi noticed his actions and stopped him. Chen Jingbai calmed down and gave up the idea; he couldn't get it back.
Until one of the thugs in the red armbands reached out and touched Chen Jingyi's face.
Enraged, Chen Jingbai clenched his fist and punched the man. But the group was not to be trifled with. Seeing their companion being beaten, they immediately rushed to his aid. They outnumbered him, and Chen Jingbai initially managed to hold on, but later he was pinned to the ground and relentlessly punched in the face, more than a dozen times.
Even when Chen Jingyi came over to say nice things and tried to pull Chen Jingbai back to her side, she was hit several times.
When Chen Jingbai came from his home in distress, his only impulsive act was lying on the ground, bleeding from his ears, and losing all his other sense of hearing.
Seeing that Chen Jingbai was half-dead, the group finally stopped and swaggered away from the Chen family.
When Chen Jingyi tearfully called for someone to take him to the hospital, Chen Jingbai was already unconscious due to the severity of his injuries. This impulsive act caused his family to plead with neighbors and borrow money from the neighborhood committee in an effort to save him. His father even refused to see a doctor for his back because of him, which ultimately led to him developing a chronic back injury.
Doctors diagnosed him with hearing loss; he could no longer hear clearly.
After recovering from his injuries, the neighborhood committee was in a hurry to find people to support the rural areas. It was 1972. The early batch of educated youth who went to the countryside came back and said that life in the countryside was very hard and they couldn't stand it. So by 1972, every household had young people of working age who were unwilling to go to the countryside. Even though the higher authorities said that each family could only keep one child, young people in families with many children would rather hide in the city than go to the countryside to live a harder life.
The neighborhood committee promoted the idea that going to the countryside was a contribution to the country, and offered rewards to anyone willing to go. Despite this, no one was willing to go, causing the neighborhood committee staff great anxiety. To avoid trouble for their two children and to repay the neighborhood committee for lending them money for medical treatment, Chen's parents discussed the matter and decided to abandon their original plan of choosing one of Chen Jingbai and Chen Jingyi to go to the countryside, and instead let them both go.
So Chen Jingbai and Chen Jing, carrying ten yuan each from the street office and their meager belongings, arrived at the Qianjin Brigade.
Chen Jingyi's eyes reddened as she thought of the past. "Xiao Bai."
Chen Jingbai: "It's okay, sister, everything will be alright."
Chen Jingyi: "Yes, I will."
The two encouraged each other. The dark sky was dotted with stars, and the moon came out, hanging high in the sky, illuminating the dark earth.
When the educated youths went to the canteen, He He saw Chen Jingbai and Chen Jingyi leave. Her mind raced, and she remembered that in the Book of the World, she and the female lead, Chen Jingyi, did not have a good relationship. She glared at Cheng Sulin and dragged Cheng Sulin out, ignoring the other educated youths present.
After pulling the person outside, He He saw Chen Jingbai and Chen Jingyi under the tree, and then pulled Cheng Sulin away until the two siblings could no longer be seen.
After He He stopped, she crossed her arms and looked like an elder, "Cheng Surin, do you like Chen Jingyi?"
It's not a question, it's a certainty.
Cheng Sulin's legs were firmly planted, but his mind was blank. He He's grip was really too strong. If his legs hadn't caught up quickly, he would have been pulled down by He He.
Now, he was stunned by He He's bombshell statement. It was true that he liked Chen Jingyi, but he hadn't shown it. How did He He know?
Cheng Surin coughed. "Why?"
He He didn't want to beat around the bush with Cheng Sulin at all. "You like her, and you're asking me why? Let me tell you, if you like Chen Jingyi, just confess as soon as possible. Chen Jingyi is so outstanding, there are many people who like her. Stop making excuses."
He Hezhen couldn't bear to watch Cheng Surin's complicated love life. Don't drag her into any misunderstandings.
"Let me tell you, if you like Chen Jingyi, tell her right now what our relationship is, so she doesn't misunderstand anything. If she does misunderstand, you'll be sorry." He He's mouth was agape, threatening fiercely, not giving Cheng Surin a chance to speak at all.
Cheng Surin was dumbfounded. What was wrong with He He? Weren't they always so tacit about their relationship? Why was she forcing him to tell Chen Jingyi about it now? What would Chen Jingyi misunderstand? Even if she did misunderstand, why was He He so angry? Besides, He He was the same age as him and was his aunt. If word got out, wouldn't he lose face in front of Chen Jingyi?
"Auntie, did you take the wrong medicine?" Cheng Surin, who rarely called He He "auntie," reached out to touch He He's forehead.
He He stepped back and slapped Cheng Surin's hand, saying, "Just talk, why are you reaching out? You're the one who's lost your mind."
Seeing that Cheng Sulin still didn't understand, He He raised her eyebrows and could only patiently teach her: "You don't understand, do you? If the girl you like is always bickering with a boy who seems to have nothing to do with you, and the girl often cares about that boy, how would you feel?"
He He cursed again: "You're so stupid! How could I have such a stupid nephew?"
Cheng Surin understood what He He meant and was good at changing his thinking. If Chen Jingyi had shown concern for other boys in front of him, he would have really misunderstood.
Cheng Surin slapped his forehead. This was exactly what he was doing! To outsiders, he and He He had no relationship, yet he often showed concern for He He. Wasn't that suspicious?
Oh no, Chen Jingyi might have misunderstood something!
Cheng Surin asked nervously, "Has Chen Jingyi misunderstood anything yet?" After all, he and He He were very close at the educated youth settlement.
He He glanced upwards with her round eyes and turned her lips down, looking somewhat disgusted. "So you're admitting you like Chen Jingyi now? You were just being stubborn a moment ago, like a dead pig that doesn't fear boiling water."
Cheng Surin was used to being scolded by He He, and had developed the skill of automatically filtering out whatever He He said.
"Aunt, do you think there's any way to salvage this?" Cheng Surin asked earnestly.
He He: "Are you really that stupid? Didn't I already give you some advice? Go tell her I'm your aunt! I'm your aunt! How can you be so stupid? I'm so stupid that I'll kill you. Your uncle would be better off having a piece of barbecued pork than a grandson like you."
Cheng Surin looked pitiful: "Auntie, please stop scolding me, okay? You keep scolding me, and you've made me stupid even though I wasn't stupid to begin with. Besides, I was born to your cousin."
He He sighed.
Cheng Surin is hopeless; she's even more stupid than her.
The thought that her stupid nephew could reach the pinnacle of life through Chen Jingyi made her furious.
He He kicked Cheng Surin, "Then why don't you hurry up and go?"
Cheng Surin: "Now?"
"Otherwise, do you want me to teach you?"
Cheng Sulin turned around and saw Chen Jingyi and Chen Jingbai coming over.
"They're coming, what will my aunt do?!"
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