Chapter 97: Before Leaving the School Gate, the County Chief

The long‑haired man also threw a brick at Xu Yuexin, but he dodged it with a nimble move.

"My god!"

In an instant, Xu Yuexin precisely smashed the wrench onto the long‑haired man's face; the man let out a wail, covered his face, and fell to the ground.

The other few destitute residents were all scared stiff.

They began to think Xu Yuexin was only brandishing the wrench to intimidate, but they didn't expect him to actually go for it, and he even struck the person's face directly.

"Run!"

One of them shouted, turned his head, and ran toward his own gate.

The other few scattered like startled birds, running even faster than him.

"Where are you fleeing to!"

Xu Yuexin didn't stop there; he rushed forward, kicking each of them, knocking them all down, and then delivered a few more kicks to their bodies.

"Spare us, brother, spare us!"

"What are you calling me?"

"Grandpa! Grandpa, spare us!"

The few were kicked by Xu Yuexin so painfully they were on the brink of death, each crying for their fathers and mothers.

"The grandson needs to be dealt with."

Xu Yuexin cursed, walked to the original long‑haired man's side, and gave him several hard kicks.

The long‑haired man lay on the ground, covering his face and crying out in pain; after Xu Yuexin's kicks, his whole body curled up like a shrimp.

"Grandpa, I was wrong! You are my real grandfather!"

"Pah, I don't have a grandson like you!"

Xu Yuexin turned his head and left, ran to the courtyard gate, and hopped onto a motorcycle.

"What are you still standing there for? Get on quickly!"

Xu Yuexin urged the still‑standing Chen Yixue.

"Okay."

Chen Yixue, as if waking from a dream, quickly sat on the motorcycle and held Xu Yuexin tightly.

Xu Yuexin floored the throttle, rode away without looking back.

The few were all residents of this courtyard; if they didn't leave soon and waited for their families and friends to be driven out, they would be surrounded.

They couldn't really go on a killing spree through the whole courtyard, could they?

Pretending to be fierce and then running away is the top strategy.

While riding, Xu Yuexin clearly felt Chen Yixue trembling behind him.

She shivered nicely; with such a perfect figure, pressed against him and vibrating, it was simply delightful.

"Did they hurt you?"

From the back seat, Chen Yixue asked timidly.

"You did see, didn't you?"

"A few grandsons, they didn't even brush a single hair of mine."

Xu Yuexin said casually.

"That's good."

Chen Yixue let out a sigh, too lazy to worry about the furniture left in the house.

In her mind, those pots and jars were far less important than Xu Yuexin's safety.

Xu Yuexin, however, thought it through and had already arranged those pieces of furniture for her in advance.

"When night falls, I'll come over again and move the furniture for you."

"No need, just leave it there. I'm afraid they'll sit around and settle scores with you."

"Not a big issue. With those few kicks, they won't be able to get out of bed for three days."

"That still won't work; they have parents and friends, what if they ambush you?"

"You really have a lot of concerns. For these rascals, their parents have long considered them dead."

"If I called their parents to block them on the spot, I'd still need an explanation. Afterward, who would care about them?"

Xu Yuexin said calmly, whisked Chen Yixue back home, and took out twenty thousand yuan from a drawer.

"Let's go, to Tuanjie Lake."

"Hmm…"

This time Chen Yixue didn't refuse.

What just happened truly gave her a lesson.

It also made her trust Xu Yuexin's decision.

After riding to Tuanjie Lake, Xu Yuexin directly took out twenty thousand, and together with Chen Yixue's twelve thousand, handed them to the on‑site construction company cashier.

"I want a unit on the third floor facing south‑east."

Xu Yuexin said straightforwardly.

In the north, lighting is crucial when buying a house; the third floor is the golden level for walk‑up apartments.

It ensures privacy and avoids the hassle of climbing like on the fifth or sixth floors.

"Okay, please wait a moment."

The cashier quickly counted stacks of Great Unity.

After tallying the money, signing the Contract, issuing the invoice, and taking the key, they went upstairs to receive the house.

Until the moment they stood in the eighty‑square‑meter, two‑bedroom, one‑living‑room unit, Chen Yixue could not believe it was real.

Warm sunlight streamed through the window onto her, and at that moment she only wanted to cry.

"So nice..."

Chen Yixue leaned against Xu Yuexin's chest, tears trailing down her cheek.

Lately, she has cried more often than she ever did before combined.

"Silly, why are you crying right after moving?"

Xu Yuexin held Da Yizi's gently trembling back, stroked her fragrant hair, and said, "In a couple of days I'll have the construction company come over and finish the house for you."

These days the building and renovation industry is all state‑owned; there are no private firms. Ordinary people who need renovations either do it themselves or apply to a construction company for a schedule. Such personal requests are usually placed at the back of the queue, and a delay of one or two years is normal.

Xu Yuexin plans to ask his childhood friend Wang Youle to handle the renovation; Wang Youle's father is a research fellow in the engineering department, and some of his classmates hold leadership positions in the construction industry.

Chen Yixue nodded in his arms.

"Thank you..."

Chen Yixue said softly.

Xu Yuexin pinched Da Yizi's cheek.

"Really thank me, and from now on listen to me more."

"When have I ever let you suffer a loss?"

"Clumsy..."

Chen Yixue protested in a low voice, but made no further move, still quietly snuggling in his embrace.

That night, Xu Yuexin rode his motorcycle back to the small courtyard where Chen Yixue was renting.

Of course, while still a short distance from the courtyard, he stopped the motorcycle so as not to be heard inside.

Then, Xu Yuexin entered the courtyard, packed up all of Chen Yixue's belongings, and loaded them onto a vehicle to transport to Tuanjie Lake.

The next morning, he found his childhood friend Wang Youle.

Wang Youle was delighted to see Xu Yuexin and said his big chicken stew restaurant had become a great success, insisting on treating him to a meal.

Xu Yuexin gladly accepted the invitation, ate heartily at his friend's shop, and asked whether he knew anyone at a construction company, as he had someone needing a new house renovated.

Wang Youle patted his chest, promising to take care of it, and said the construction crew could start tomorrow.

Thus from the next day, Xu Yuexin took on another task: supervising the renovation of Da Yizi's new house.

Whenever his class ended, he would go to the new house at Tuanjie Lake to inspect the renovation, and submit requests for changes.

Finally, under Xu Yuexin's supervision, Da Yizi's new house was finished.

The handover day was New Year's Day, 1980.

The living room had tiled floors, the bedroom wooden flooring, the walls were covered with sky‑blue wallpaper, the house also had a ceiling, and it was equipped with heating and hot water.

Through Xu Yuexin's direct arrangement, a top‑tier 1980s‑style renovated house was presented before Da Yizi.

"I feel like I'm dreaming."

After the inspection, Chen Yixue lay on the newly bought large bed, staring at the ceiling in disbelief.

This is definitely the best house she's ever lived in! "Want me to pinch you?"

Xu Yuexin lay beside Da Yizi, holding her hand and slightly raising the corner of his mouth as he said.

Chen Yixue shook her head without speaking, closed her eyes and quietly enjoyed the moment.

The heating is really comfortable! Chen Yixue sighed, and after a while slowly opened her eyes, turning her face toward Xu Yuexin.

"Why are you so good to me?"

Chen Yixue seemed to be asking Xu Yuexin, yet also herself.

"I told you, you're my woman."

Xu Yuexin said half‑asleep, eyes closed.

These days he has to study and supervise construction; only heaven knows how he manages to stay busy.

He really is...

Chen Yixue's red lips twitched at the words, but she said nothing in the end.

The large bed was so warm and comfortable; Chen Yixue lay on it and gradually grew sleepy. Yet before falling asleep, she, despite her drowsiness, removed Xu Yuexin's coat and leather shoes and tucked a blanket over him.

Then, Chen Yixue took a new quilt from the hanging cabinet and covered herself with it.

The two slept from morning until evening, and finally Chen Yixue awoke in a wave of warmth.

It's killing me.

Chen Yixue opened her eyes and realized she had somehow ended up lying in Xu Yuexin's arms, her face resting on his arm.

Chen Yixue's face flushed, and as she tried to quietly slip out of his embrace, she woke Xu Yuexin.

"Too small for your blanket?"

Chen Yixue chose to act first, whispering reproachfully, "You have to come this way."

"You're the one who came into my bedding."

Xu Yuexin grabbed Chen Yixue and pulled her back, pressing her face to his chest as he said.

What? No way! Chen Yixue reached behind the bedding and actually felt a blanket.

"Accidental, purely accidental."

Chen Yixue's face turned red and she said, "Should we have a meal now?"

"Come to my place."

Xu Yuexin lifted the quilt, put on his clothes, and said.

"No, I have no face to see Qiao Qiao."

Chen Yixue curled up on the bed and said very embarrassedly.

"You've fallen out with your mother, and you'll surely not see your father or sister often in the future."

"Do you really want to be a solitary, childless man?"

Xu Yuexin asked, striking straight to the soul.

Chen Yixue fell silent.

She seemed… indeed had no choice.

The die is cast; she can only spend the rest of her life bearing guilt toward her sister.

Chen Yixue thought uncomfortably.

Xu Yuexin kept sitting at the bedside, observing her.

Da Yizi still shows a guilty expression whenever she mentions Qiao Qiao, but she doesn't get emotionally close to breaking down as she did last time.

Take it slowly; people's emotions always have a recovery process.

……

That evening, at the Xu Family, Xu Yuexin ate dinner together with his daughter‑in‑law and Da Yizi.

Compared with their last gathering of three, Da Yizi talked more this time and was no longer as dull as before.

Since the new house needed to disperse its odor, Chen Yixue, persuaded by Chen Qiaoqiao, temporarily stayed at the Xu Family.

That night, after several rounds of intimacy, Xu Yuexin held Chen Qiaoqiao close and talked while leaning against the head of the bed.

"It's already so late; we still have class tomorrow."

Chen Qiaoqiao, lying in Xu Yuexin's arms, blushed and said, "It's all your fault, you big Bad Guy!"

"It's not entirely my fault."

"You just now weren't also…"

Xu Yuexin looked at his daughter‑in‑law and brushed his finger across her delicate nose.

Chen Qiaoqiao, embarrassed, ducked lower, pulling the quilt over her face, and said, "Stop talking."

"I can't hear any of it."

The two continued to frolic for a while before turning off the lights and falling asleep.

In the adjacent bedroom, Chen Yixue slept even later than they did.

That night, Chen Yixue finally witnessed what her sister had meant when she said Xu Yuexin was full of energy.

From eight o'clock onward, the bedroom walls kept reverberating, and the noise continued until the early morning hours.

What did he grow up eating?

Chen Yixue blushed and couldn't help but wonder.

The next morning, Chen Yixue went to the balcony to hang laundry and saw various finely crafted, exquisite women's underwear drying above, along with several flesh‑colored and white stockings.

Chen Yixue's face flushed red.

Ugh, what a shameless person.

Her thoughts were entirely on these matters.

Her sister marrying her is truly a lamb meeting a hungry wolf.

Chen Yixue thought embarrassedly, internally despising Xu Yuexin for a moment.

Inside the house, Xu Yuexin and Chen Qiaoqiao had already left together for school.

The final exams arrived, and each subject gradually finished teaching and began testing.

This morning's exam was comparative literature, a major course of the Chinese department.

After receiving the paper, Xu Yuexin scribbled it down quickly, and after leaving the exam room he met up with Chen Qiaoqiao and went to the cafeteria for a meal.

"The social practice groups have been announced."

Chen Qiaoqiao sipped the dried shrimp soup in small mouthfuls, and said to Xu Yuexin while buried in thought.

"Ha, how come I didn't know?"

"It hasn't been announced yet; my roommate saw it while helping at the Student Affairs Office."

"We're in different squads, but in the same village."

"That's actually good. Where exactly were we assigned?"

"We were assigned to the Huizhou area."

Upon mentioning this, Chen Qiaoqiao set down her soup spoon, propped her hand on the bench, pursed her lips, and looked at Xu Yuexin, "The squad you were assigned to is widely regarded as the strongest; Du Runsheng, Old Du, leads it personally."

"Are you happy?"

It's actually Old Du…

Xu Yuexin set down his chopsticks and took a deep breath.

"I indeed got a good assignment."

Xu Yuexin sighed, "We need to prepare well when we get back."

Perhaps considering that students were in the middle of final exams, releasing the list would stir unrest.

Therefore, it wasn't until the day before the holiday that Yanda officially posted the list.

Because the announcement was late, the schedule became very tight.

The list instructed everyone to gather at the school gate tomorrow morning and head to Shi Huo Che Zhan.

Xu Yuexin and Chen Qiaoqiao left the exam hall and returned home to pack.

Having experience going up the mountain and down to the countryside, the two were familiar with what to bring.

Clothes, blankets, toiletries…

As for realgar and snake medicine, they're unnecessary; in the bitter cold, snakes and insects are hibernating.

The next morning, Xu Yuexin and Chen Qiaoqiao rushed to school an hour early.

Upon arriving, wow, everyone had come even earlier than them.

The two went to their respective squads to report and became acquainted with the teammates.

"Hello everyone, I am Yi Gang, Yanda Class 77 Economics Department."

"Good morning, everyone, I am Tu Guangzhao, same class and major as senior Yi."

……

"Hello senior brothers, I am Xu Yuexin, Class 77 Chinese Department, and I hope you will guide me from today onward."

When it was Xu Yuexin's turn to introduce himself, everyone was curious, since he was the only Class 79 on the scene.

Soon after, Du Runsheng arrived, and everyone rushed forward to greet him and introduce themselves.

The teachers of the other squads also arrived one after another.

"Each squad, roll call; once everyone is present, we depart."

Du Runsheng issued the order, saying it seemed he was not only the squad leader but also the overall coordinator of this practice.

Each squad conducted roll call according to his command, and after confirming everyone was present, Du Runsheng led them onto the school bus for departure.

After arriving at Shi Huo Che Zhan, everyone received their Train Ticket.

The teachers and students participating in the survey all rode in bunks; Xu Yuexin again sensed the high value of the event from this arrangement.

These days, only prefecture‑level officials are entitled to bunk seats; he enjoyed county‑chief treatment before even leaving home.

When the train arrived, everyone boarded in order and found their seats.

All teachers and students were assigned uniformly to two carriages, with inter‑team adjustments to ensure members of the same squad and their supervising teacher sat together.

Each squad had exactly six people, filling two opposite sets of upper and lower bunks.

After settling, Xu Yuexin first helped Du pack his luggage, then placed his own luggage on the rack.

"Students, we have already introduced ourselves before boarding. Now I will announce the purpose of this survey and the activity's discipline."

"Please make sure to remember: from this moment onward, actively implement the purpose and strictly observe the discipline."

After everyone finished stowing their luggage, Du Runsheng, sitting on the lower bunk, got straight to the point and spoke to everyone, with not a single superfluous word.

"First, this socialist practice survey is carried out under the directive of the highest decision‑making body. Its purpose is to understand the changes in rural production and social organization since last year, to serve as reference for the next round of reform decisions."

Upon hearing this, everyone present straightened their backs, realizing the sacred and significant responsibility on their shoulders.

(End of chapter)