Chapter Fifty-One: Finishing Work and Ascending the Mountain

Although that female educated youth didn’t mention them by name, her words clearly included the two sisters as well. The Yun sisters had never suffered such silent humiliation; they simply couldn’t swallow this affront.

Moreover, having shared a meal from the same pot as He Mi, they had already been classified as people close to her by the Yun sisters. With someone they barely knew, was there even a choice to be made between her and a closer acquaintance? Of course not—they were ready to fight back.

There was, however, another crucial reason for the Yun sisters to jump in: it was simply the nature of young people from the Capital. Kids who grew up in the city had always believed that internal conflicts should be handled within the group. No matter how much they disagreed among themselves, those were internal disputes. But if an outsider dared to bully one of their own, all grievances would be set aside for the time being. In a fight, they’d all join in together, never allowing outsiders to take advantage.

This was especially evident in the alleys and courtyards, where sometimes hundreds could gather at a moment’s notice. With the Yun sisters jumping in, the other jealous educated youths also joined the fray. What began as a war of words escalated into shoving, and then erupted into an all-out brawl, with hair-pulling at the center of the chaos.

Three fists couldn’t rival six hands—He Mi’s little group of three was no match for the opposing six. When Jiang Xiaoli and Qi Zhaodi saw things getting out of hand, they shouted for the male educated youths in the next room.

At that moment, both sides were already half-exposed, and upon hearing the men’s voices at the door, they finally stopped. No one listened to Jiang Xiaoli, the female team leader, and the men had no authority over the situation—everything was at an impasse.

Han Li scratched his head helplessly in the face of all this; he really couldn’t intervene. This wasn’t a fight between men—otherwise, it would have been simple: two against one, vent their anger, and be done with it.

Although the educated youths’ dormitory was some distance from the village, the summer heat meant most families left their doors and windows open as they slept. Radios were rare luxuries, let alone televisions, so the village was enveloped in deep silence at night, making any disturbance easily heard.

No matter the era, Shanghe Village was united. If anything happened to one family, the whole village would mobilize, much like the solidarity of city youths. Villagers were always on guard, both against outsiders and wild animals descending from the mountains.

So, upon hearing the commotion, they hurried over to investigate, and soon, shadowy figures began to gather at the entrance of the educated youths’ dormitory.

When the villagers saw it wasn’t a wild animal or some other alarming incident, the tense atmosphere relaxed, and their tone shifted.

“Oh my, what’s going on here in the educated youths’ dormitory? It’s nearly midnight and still so lively?”

“That’s right, my old man had just fallen asleep and was woken up.”

“Lucky, then. If it were something else, he might have been left with a lasting ailment.”

“An ailment from this?”

“Of course! I heard that Old Gou’s family in Xiaohe Village...”

The older women quickly veered off-topic, gossiping endlessly.

At that moment, the village head, the team leader, and Accountant Zhang arrived, followed by an even larger crowd eager to see the excitement.

“What’s all this ruckus in the middle of the night? Was work too easy during the day? Should we add more tasks tomorrow?” The team leader burst in, grumbling—no one likes being dragged from bed in the middle of the night, and tempers flare even more during unusual times.

Once they understood the situation, though, they were just as troubled. Although the matter seemed minor, it was hard to handle. Taken seriously, it was a matter of class struggle; taken lightly, it was just trivial squabbling.

In the end, the village head decided everyone should be punished equally—three hundred strokes each, with a scolding on top. With nothing left to see, the villagers gradually dispersed, returning to the comfort of their beds.

Jingjing Yun and her two companions whispered among themselves, then approached Hao Hongmin and said, “Sister Hongmin, Sister Xiuying, could the three of us squeeze in with you for a couple of days?”

“They’re all in it together. If we stay in that courtyard, who knows what might happen next.”

Yang Xiuying hesitated, “But our kang is already full.”

He Mi said, “We can sleep on mats on the floor.”

Seeing how miserable the three looked, Hao Hongmei and Yang Xiuying exchanged glances and agreed. Han Li was called back to help move luggage and grain, making three trips before everything was cleared out. As he left, he caught Yun Yingying shaking her fist at the female educated youth.

The night passed quietly. The next day, while Han Li was exercising, Yun Jingjing called to him over the wall, “Han Li, I was too sore yesterday to mention it, but for the next couple of days, we’ll be eating at Sister Hongmin’s place.”

“Alright, just come by later and take your grain over.”

“Let’s leave it with you for now. We’ll move it after work at noon.”

After their conversation, Han Li felt invigorated—perhaps because he’d finally shaken off those two fellow townsfolk. His boxing practice became more spirited, and he didn’t stop until he was drenched with sweat.

After bathing and eating, he hummed an unrecognizable tune as he headed to the drying field. Except for the third team leader patrolling more frequently, today was bound to be another easy, idle day.

Naturally, the events at the educated youths’ dormitory the previous night became a favorite topic among the village women. They had all sorts of opinions: some said the older educated youths bullied the newcomers, others claimed Yun Jingjing and her friends were too delicate—why not just wipe down with a damp cloth, why insist on bathing?

Each side stuck to its reasoning, and no amount of work could stop their debate. The scene resembled a lively debate tournament, with everyone voicing excuses for their positions. Han Li listened quietly from the sidelines, finding their chatter a pleasant way to pass the otherwise dull workday.

What Han Li didn’t know was that the newcomer, Zhang San, had been driven out of the second team today. Regardless of whether the third team leader liked it or not, Zhang San was now working with their team.

After work that day, Han Li stowed his javelin in the basket and headed for the mountains. He was eager to avoid getting bogged down with chores, and the two sparrows had already discovered a pheasant’s roost.

Unfortunately, his trip had been delayed for two or three days, but according to the latest intel, the pheasants hadn’t moved. Wild pheasants never build nests, but once they choose a spot, they won’t leave unless disturbed.

With his own guide birds, the mountain road was long but not slow. Upon arrival, he found the pheasants’ temporary roost still hidden in the thicket, just as before—they seemed to favor such places.

It wasn’t yet time for the pheasants to return to their roost, but already Han Li had spotted several pheasant eggs in the underbrush.