Chapter Fifty: The Night Battle at the Educated Youth Compound

Han Li was genuinely surprised by tonight’s dinner—mutton and eggs. What kind of life were they living here? They seemed to be faring better than he, the time traveler, though he secretly lacked nothing when it came to food.

He had dined with Hao Hongmei, Yang Xiuying, Yun Jingjing, and Yun Yingying before. Though their table manners weren’t crude—they didn’t reach across with their chopsticks, overturn dishes, or smack their lips—they were at best slightly above average, not what anyone would call elegant.

But tonight, Han Li noticed that He Mi was somewhat different. Although her actions were much the same as everyone else’s, the details set her apart. She ate at a brisk pace, yet her chewing was so minimal that the overall effect was pleasing to the eye—graceful, even.

As they ate, the conversation naturally turned to the hardships they’d suffered since coming to the countryside.

Yun Yingying sighed, “Sigh... back home, cooking, sweeping, washing dishes was all the physical labor I ever did. But now...”

Yang Xiuying responded, “You should count yourselves lucky. Even if you arrived just two weeks later than us, the work in the fields is completely different. Back then... well, let’s just say it was much harder... now the crops have already grown...”

The women took turns sharing their grievances, while Han Li focused solely on his meal, quite unwilling to join their discussion. Yet, before long, they managed to draw him in. Yun Jingjing turned to him and asked, “Han Li, be honest—how do you feel about life since coming here?”

Han Li shook his head with a faint smile. No matter what was said, they were still longing for city life. He disliked such conversations, but to maintain his persona, he had to answer—and he would do so in a lofty way, to imply a gap between them and himself, so they’d stop asking him such tiresome questions in the future. After a moment’s thought, Han Li replied:

“How do I feel? Honestly, I feel just fine. And if I didn’t, what good would it do to dwell on it?”

“If you keep thinking that life here is worse than in the city, if all you do every day is complain and grumble, it won’t help one bit—it’ll only make you more miserable.”

“So I say, while we’re waiting to return home, let’s set aside those negative feelings.”

“In our spare time, let’s read more, strive to improve ourselves.”

“Look at the sun and moon here, the mountains and rivers, the changing winds, the four seasons—see how they differ from those of our hometown.”

“Let these become some of the most beautiful memories of our lives, so that whenever we recall them, they fill us with joy, not regret and resentment.”

Han Li’s words were lofty indeed, and for a moment, the women all fell silent, lost in thought.

Perhaps Yang Xiuying was more open-minded, or perhaps she’d heard Han Li’s brand of “chicken soup for the soul” before. She was the first to recover, and said to the others, “Didn’t I tell you? Han Li always knows what to say when you’re feeling down—his words make so much sense and really lift your spirits. From now on, I’m going to appreciate the scenery here.”

Yun Yingying, lowering her head, murmured, “Han Li’s words make sense, but I still can’t forget the days in the capital—what should I do?”

Han Li smiled, “As Zhao Ying wrote in ‘Old Book of Tang: The Biography of Wei Zheng’: ‘With bronze as a mirror, one can straighten one’s attire; with history as a mirror, one can see the rise and fall; with people as a mirror, one can learn gains and losses.’”

“In the capital, you must have heard about those who were sent here unprepared or suddenly. Think about it carefully—doesn’t that count as learning from others’ experiences?”

The Yun sisters said nothing, for not only had they heard of such cases, they had seen them with their own eyes.

At this point, Han Li remembered that the five women still needed to bathe, and it would take them ages just to heat the water. So after speaking, he got up to leave, but paused to add, “Life here is hard, but at least there aren’t so many hot-blooded young men around. As the old saying goes, ‘A blessing in disguise.’”

After he left, Han Li no longer concerned himself with what happened in Hao Hongmei’s courtyard.

But he’d barely fallen asleep when he heard Hao Hongmei calling to him from beyond the courtyard wall. “Han Li! Han Li, wake up quickly! The Yun sisters and He Mi have been beaten at the youth hostel!”

Female youths, beaten at the hostel? The Yun sisters and He Mi? Could it have been villagers?

At this, Han Li’s drowsiness vanished instantly. Even if he didn’t care much for the people at the hostel, the educated youth couldn’t be openly bullied—if it became a habit, none of them would have an easy life. What’s more, this time it involved the female youths, making the situation all the more serious.

He threw on his clothes and rushed outside, his mind filled with visions of villagers attacking the hostel. He’d heard of such incidents many times back when he was still in school, so it was only natural for him to think in this direction.

But when he arrived, he discovered it had been a civil war among the youths—a brawl among the women, to be precise.

Han Li couldn’t help but think it was a pity he’d missed such a spectacle.

Still, the Yun sisters and He Mi had genuinely been beaten—ganged up on, no less.

Judging by the way everyone stood, the eleven female youths had split into three groups. Jiang Xiaoli and Qi Zhaodi stood aside, not helping either side, looking helpless. The Yun sisters and He Mi huddled together, their faces showing clear handprints as they rubbed their heads and wept.

The remaining women stood opposite, some also sporting slap marks, nearly all of them massaging their scalps. But they wore looks of smug satisfaction.

Everyone’s hair was a mess, a few tufts pulled out in the scuffle, but no one seemed seriously hurt.

From Jiang Xiaoli, Han Li soon learned the cause of the fight. He could only pinch the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

It had started as a quarrel, born of jealousy, and escalated into a brawl.

The cause? He Mi and the Yun sisters, having bathed at Hao Hongmei’s house, returned fresh and comfortable. Their roommates seized the chance to mock He Mi as a pampered city girl—while everyone else used towels to wipe down, she alone couldn’t handle country hardships, always running off to others’ homes to eat meat, bathe, and enjoy herself.

This particular woman was clever—she only targeted He Mi with her barbs, ignoring the Yun sisters, probably because there were two of them and she feared she couldn’t handle them alone.

He Mi might have seemed cold and aloof, but when it came to arguing, she was sharp-tongued and unyielding. It only took a few words to enrage her opponent. Had both sides stopped there, it might have ended.

But the Yun sisters were unwilling to let it go. Even though the other woman hadn’t named them directly—

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