Chapter 36 Bai Linlin Speaks Up for Justice
Yao Xueru was overwhelmed by these heavy accusations, especially the ones like "individualism" and "problematic ideological awareness," which were extremely harsh criticisms in such a situation.
She felt more isolated and humiliated than ever before.
Yao Xueru's tears finally broke free. She stomped her foot and cried out in a shrill voice, "Bai Linlin, I...I hate you so much! All of you are bullying me."
Unable to face the stares and ridicule of the crowd any longer, she covered her face with her hands, her shoulders trembling violently. She turned around and stumbled back to the girls' dormitory like a startled rabbit, slamming the door shut with a bang.
The courtyard was briefly quiet for a moment, then a few suppressed chuckles and sighs of disapproval rang out.
Xu Zhili took in all of this.
Looking at Bai Linlin's smug expression, like a victorious rooster, the slight resentment she felt about the other woman possibly "speaking carelessly" vanished instantly, replaced by a feeling that the girl was adorably straightforward.
She took out a small bag carefully wrapped in a handkerchief from her pocket, opened it, and inside were dozens of precious White Rabbit milk candies printed with blue and white rabbits.
With a sincere and warm smile on her face, Xu Zhili walked up to the group of educated youth watching and gave each of them a piece of candy: "Thank you all for your understanding."
Finally, she walked up to Bai Linlin and stuffed the remaining handful of milk candies, about four or five pieces, from her handkerchief into Bai Linlin's hand.
"Bai Zhiqing, thank you so much for speaking up for me just now. You were a great help."
Bai Linlin was caught off guard by having her hands full of candy, and when she heard Xu Zhili's sincere thanks, her earlier arguing demeanor vanished instantly.
Her cheeks flushed bright red, even the tips of her ears turned red, like boiled shrimp.
She held the candy helplessly, not knowing where to look, her voice barely audible.
"No...no...I...I just can't stand the way she is..."
Before she could finish speaking, she could no longer bear the embarrassment of being the center of attention. She suddenly lowered her head, clutched the candy, turned and ran, almost bumping into the door frame, and disappeared in the direction of the girls' dormitory.
Xu Zhili watched her flustered back and couldn't help but smile, gently shaking her head.
She immediately stopped smiling, turned to face Lu Yanchen, her eyes filled with gratitude, and bowed deeply: "Lu Zhiqing, tonight has really been too much trouble for you! I'm entrusting An'an to you."
Lu Yanchen smiled and quickly offered a helping hand, his tone gentle and frank: "Xu Zhiqing, don't be so polite. It was nothing. We're all comrades, helping each other is only right. Don't worry, I'll take good care of An'an."
Xu Zhili nodded, then squatted down to be at eye level with Xu Zhian.
She gently held her younger brother's thin shoulders with both hands, her eyes tender yet firm, her voice soft and gentle: "An'an, look at your sister."
Xu Zhian raised her large, moist eyes, which were filled with unease and dependence.
"Sister knows An'an is the most sensible. Look, it's so dark now, it's time to sleep. This Brother Lu is a good person, he has a place to sleep. You should sleep with Brother Lu tonight, just like... just like staying at Uncle Wang's house next door in our hometown for one night, okay?"
She comforted him with a simple analogy that a child could understand.
"Sister promises, once our new house is built, we'll never be apart again. An'an, believe me, okay?"
Xu Zhian looked into her sister's gentle yet unquestionable eyes, and then timidly stole a glance at Lu Yanchen, who stood beside her and seemed rather mild-mannered.
His small brows were furrowed, as if he were struggling to weigh the options.
Finally, he reached out his little hand and tightly grasped one of Xu Zhili's fingers, then nodded very slowly and slightly to his sister, making an almost inaudible "hmm" sound in his throat.
Xu Zhili felt a pang of sadness, but a smile of encouragement bloomed on her face as she ruffled his hair vigorously: "Great job! An'an is the bravest! Go on, follow Brother Lu."
She gently nudged her brother's back.
Xu Zhian kept turning back to look at Lu Yanchen, her little hands tightly clutching the hem of his clothes, her big eyes always fixed on her sister's direction, filled with reluctance.
Lu Yanchen also slowed down and waited patiently for him.
Xu Zhili stood still, maintaining a warm smile on her face, waving vigorously at her younger brother, and mouthing silently, "Don't be afraid, your sister is here."
Until Lu Yanchen led Xu Zhian, who kept turning back to look at him, into the men's dormitory, the slightly worn door closed gently, separating the small figure from him.
The smile on Xu Zhili's face slowly disappeared, replaced by a complex expression that mixed exhaustion, heartache, and relief.
She took a deep breath of the cool night air, pulled her thin clothes tighter, turned around, and walked alone towards the door of the girls' dormitory that was emitting a faint light.
Her figure appeared exceptionally slender in the dim light, yet it exuded an undeniable resilience.
The moonlight stretched her lonely shadow very long.
The next morning.
The eastern horizon was only tinged with a faint gray-white, and the thick, ink-like night stubbornly shrouded the educated youth compound.
Liu Chundi, who was in charge of cooking, breathed out white puffs of air, wrapped her thin coat tightly, and was the first to step into the cold courtyard.
It's a bit cold today.
Just as I groped my way to the kitchen door, I caught a glimpse of a blurry, fast-moving dark figure in the middle of the yard, silently circling around!
"Oh my god!"
Liu Chundi's heart stopped abruptly, and she was so shocked that she was thrown backward. Her back slammed heavily against the door frame, and the scream in her throat was abruptly cut off, turning into a short gasp.
"Liu Zhiqing! Don't be afraid! It's me, Xu Zhili!" The dark figure stopped immediately, and a hurried voice carrying apology came through.
Liu Chundi clutched her chest, panting heavily. It took her a long time to catch her breath before she could make out the figure in the dim morning light.
"Oh, oh my... It's you, Xu Zhiqing! You scared me to death! It's pitch black all day, what are you doing? What kind of kung fu are you practicing?"
Her voice was still trembling.
Xu Zhili walked over quickly, grabbed the old towel draped around her neck, and vigorously wiped the steam rising from her forehead and temples, her breathing still a little rapid.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm not in good health. I thought I'd take advantage of the quiet morning to stretch my muscles and jog a little."
After regaining her composure, Liu Chundi shook her head and pushed open the creaking wooden door of the kitchen as she walked in, sighing, "Hey, with that kind of energy... once you start work the day after tomorrow, I guarantee you'll have practiced enough! That job is much more tiring than this spinning around!"
She slightly pursed her lips, her expression suggesting that Xu Zhili was probably an idiot.
These educated youth were different from others.
Xu Zhili followed her to the kitchen door, smiled, but said firmly, "The early bird catches the worm. If you don't move your muscles and bones all day, they feel rusty."
"Alright, alright, I can't argue with you, you little brat." Liu Chundi waved her hand helplessly and stopped trying to persuade her.
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