Chapter 1472: The Branch Family

There were only a few directions out of the city; it was already past noon, and the people who had come to the county town for the market fair were all leaving, rushing to return before nightfall.

With Wang Yan's side so lively, passersby returning home couldn't help but gather around to take a look.

Fortunately, Wang Yan had acted swiftly and already taken all the money from those men's persons; by the time the crowd swarmed up, he had already departed with the bewildered Old Liu and the others.

Only those ten-odd local hooligans remained, hugging their arms and lying on the ground, gritting their teeth and howling in pain; their hearts held no regret for having plotted mischief, only a deadly hatred for Wang Yan.

The group walked quickly for some distance, slowing their pace only once they were out of sight of others.

Yu Ming, panting heavily, asked, "Brother Yan, there won't be any trouble, right?"

"What trouble could there possibly be?"

Without waiting for Wang Yan to speak, Li Kuiyong answered first, "We were acting in self-defense; those few petty thieves are surely already marked men. Breaking their arms just saves us trouble; no one wants to deal with them. Judging by their showy and arrogant demeanor, they certainly care about their reputation; they most likely won't go to the police to resolve this, otherwise how could they continue to mix on the streets in the future?"

"Furthermore, if we truly caused Brother Yan any trouble, wait until we get out; do you think those bastards would still be in good shape? You must have heard rumors of how formidable Brother Yan is; with just these few bastards, what climate could they possibly create?"

At this moment, Old Liu interjected to ask, "Comrade Wang, judging by the tone of these words, you have practiced martial arts and hold a famous reputation in Jingcheng?"

"Hey, I indeed practiced a few rustic techniques, just for strengthening the body and improving health. As for a reputation..." Wang Yan shook his head, smiling scornfully, "Big Brother Old Liu, don't fear that I am some kind of scourge. It's roughly the same situation as today: say a thief stole my belongings, I caught him, and made him return my money; is that right or wrong?"

"It's right!"

"Say he not only refused to return it but threatened me, claiming I didn't understand the rules, so I beat him up; is that right or wrong?"

"Even beating him to death would be right!"

"Good, then say after I beat one, a whole crowd arrived, brandishing knives and spears trying to hack me to death, so I used my hands to beat them all up; is that right or wrong?"

"Extremely right! These people are scourges, poisonous tumors destroying the fruits of the revolution; they should all be beaten to death!"

Wang Yan nodded repeatedly: "Big Brother, you are absolutely correct; in Jingcheng and here, there is no difference. It's just that in Jingcheng, there were many more of these damned fellows. I was a perfectly good Grade-Two carpenter at a furniture factory; why did I come to our place here? It's because I beat someone up; they were in the wrong, yet they framed me; I had no choice but to come, even if I didn't want to."

Then, regardless of whether Old Liu and the others understood or not, he directly shifted the topic: "Big Brother Old Liu, at noon I ate that mutton soup and the stewed vegetables; I felt they were just average; I could make them taste better. What do you think about our brigade setting up a sideline stall to sell at the county during the big market fairs?"

"No good." Old Liu shook his head without even thinking, "To make mutton soup, first you need sheep; not to mention the mutton itself, at the very least you need the offal. Our brigade has one hundred and seventy-six sheep, and that number is fixed. Seventy-six of those sheep belong to our brigade, and one hundred belong to the commune. We cannot simply slaughter these sheep ourselves; they are all public property; not a single strand of wool can be touched.

"Even if they allowed us to slaughter them, with just a few sheep, how much offal could there be? Look at how well those others run their sidelines; it's because they can obtain offal and bones from the county's slaughterhouse; as long as one can get the meat, even without superb craftsmanship, as long as it doesn't taste bad, people will buy it."

Wang Yan looked as if he had suddenly realized something: "Then how are they able to obtain it?"

"They say they have relatives; otherwise, how would the meat be given to them? Could the slaughterhouse not set up a stall themselves? Who ever dislikes having more money?"

"Big Brother Old Liu makes a good point." Wang Yan smiled cheerfully, "Then I'll go back and research it further, thinking of ways to earn some money."

"It's not that I want to lecture you, Wang Yan; you can try to find ways to earn money, but don't spend recklessly on your own. Before you've even earned it, you're spending it all away. Our brigade had a poor harvest this year; everyone is going hungry, struggling to survive. If you have money and coupons, you can eat a few more full meals yourself; you must look at the long term."

"Yes, Big Brother Old Liu is looking out for my good." Wang Yan laughed heartily, "Next time I'll treat you all to wine. Aiyo, look, the light is just perfect; come, come, come, Big Brother Old Liu, Fourth Brother, you stand like this; ah, yes, a little distance apart, one in front and one behind, you must be happy, smile broadly. Da Yong, you two hide behind me; those urban vagrants would lower our peasant image."

Click, Wang Yan pressed the shutter, freezing the scene before his eyes.

In the picture, behind Old Liu and the others stretched the endless yellow earth; the four men stood with a composition pleasing to the eye, carrying shoulder poles, their faces bearing open-hearted smiles, expressing joyous emotion, upward strength, and masculine robustness...

Thus chatting and laughing all the way, fully fed and hydrated, the several dozen li of road became even more effortless; nearing four o'clock, Wang Yan and the others arrived at Linping, where there was water.

At this very moment, the liveliness here was no less than when they had arrived in the morning; there were just as many people, with adults queuing to fetch water while chatting idly, and the children of Linping jumping and bouncing nearby, making endless noise, for children always love to join in the fun; the donkeys, propping up the carts, would occasionally bray a couple of times to add to the excitement.

Borrowing the light of the setting sun, Wang Yan held his camera and continuously took photos here; he himself became a spectacle, and the enthusiastic people looked at him with curiosity; whoever the lens framed wore a brilliant smile.

The children even gathered around, curiously looking at the novelty, and the bolder ones asked questions about everything.

It was also at this time that Li Kuiyong began helping Wang Yan promote himself on the side, saying he was an educated youth from Jingcheng, residing in Baidian Village, skilled in carpentry, making items exported to earn foreign exchange, and additionally capable of cooking, able to prepare grand banquet dishes, capable of cooking anything from Tiannanhaibei...

This indeed opened up a certain level of recognition for Wang Yan; saying nothing else, with a camera hanging around Wang Yan's neck, a watch on his wrist, a face that was Bai Bai and clean, and a mouthful of good teeth when he smiled, one could tell at a glance that his life was very comfortable.

However, absolutely no one asked Wang Yan to help build furniture or to prepare banquet meals; after all, for whatever work needed doing here, one could find fixed personnel within ten li and eight villages; these were families who had done this for several generations; regardless of whether their work was good or bad, it was certainly not poor, and they were extremely familiar faces.

Wang Yan, being here, truly had no competitiveness; there were, however, some who wanted him to help take photos; this item was indeed relatively rare, and photography counted as a skill, after all, manually producing a photo with proper exposure still had a certain threshold; on the other hand, there was the price, more expensive than a watch; in this county town, only the government's propaganda officers possessed them.

People couldn't have others taking photos for them all day long, so Wang Yan was seizing a gap; the masses had a demand for photography, so he accepted a few jobs, planning to take family portraits for them before the New Year.

Chatting and laughing with the fellow villagers fetching water, listening to various vulgar remarks aimed at the lower depths, Wang Yan and the other three also queued up and successfully fetched their water.

Watching Li Kuiyong and Yu Ming struggling, Wang Yan said to Old Liu: "Big Brother, you go back first; we are in no rush. Our room door isn't locked; just take the things I bought into the room; additionally, there is a kang table on the floor in the room; it should be dry by now; just take it back. Next time, if you want to make something else, just tell me."

"When it gets dark, the road is hard to recognize, and there are wolves too; let's go back together; slower is just slower." Old Liu was very principled, worried about the safety of Wang Yan and the others.

"Really no need; I know the road; as for wolves, if there truly are wolves, I'll just have one more wolf-fur coat, and we can also taste what wolf meat is like. Hurry back, brothers; the families at home are waiting; don't let the sisters-in-law worry. Rest assured, everything is fine."

However, Old Liu was truly uneasy, so he let the other four people return first, while he stayed behind to keep Wang Yan and the others company.

"Aiyo, I feel this must weigh a hundred jin." Yu Ming, staggering under the shoulder pole, complained bitterly, "We've only walked a few steps; not only are my shoulders about to be rubbed raw, but I've already spilled quite a bit of water."

Li Kuiyong said irritably, "Do you know how to count? If so much water has been spilled, how can it still weigh a hundred jin?"

He too was staggering, walking unsteadily.

Carrying a shoulder pole, finding the balance point in the middle is actually not difficult; but the difficulty lies in carrying nearly eighty or ninety jin while walking a mountain road with deep and shallow steps; this makes balance difficult and stability hard to maintain.

"Wang Yan is impressive; he carries it even more steadily than I do." Old Liu walked slowly, observing Wang Yan, who had even tucked his hands into his sleeves.

"Hey, it's not that I'm steady; I just have more strength than those two; with greater strength, there is more reserve energy, so naturally, it appears more relaxed."

"An educated person is indeed different; speaking great truths right out of the mouth." Old Liu offered his customary high praise.

"Practice yields true knowledge; principles are forged through action; what did we come here to do? We came to accept re-education from the poor and lower-middle peasants; I still have to learn from you, Big Brother Old Liu." Wang Yan smiled and returned the flattery, coaxing Old Liu into loud laughter, repeatedly saying that Wang Yan spoke with a high level of sophistication...

These ten li of mountain road were probably the most difficult path Li Kuiyong and Yu Ming had ever walked in their lives; the second most difficult path was the eighty-plus li they had traveled previously...

After a difficult trek, they finally succeeded in returning to their old nest; at this time, the water Li Kuiyong and the other two had brought back amounted to roughly one bucket each; in total, four buckets of water, with two buckets paid as toll to the yellow earth on the return journey.

Wang Yan, of course, brought back two buckets, with almost not a single drop spilled; water has surface tension, and he possessed footwork techniques, lifting heavy weights as if they were light; however, obviously, Old Liu and the others did not notice.

By the time they returned to the educated youths' old nest, the sky had completely darkened; Wang Yan and the others groped their way into the room, lit a candle, and poured the water into the water vat.

Over there, Old Liu also took off his shoulder pole and brought out the large pile of goods Wang Yan had purchased.

Wang Yan poured the water into the water vat, then picked up the kang table that had been leaning against the wall on the floor: "Big Brother Old Liu, see if it meets your satisfaction."

"Good heavens, Wang Yan, this is truly extraordinary." Old Liu widened his eyes, holding the table and examining it by the candlelight, "This is the craftsmanship sold to foreigners to earn foreign exchange? Wow, extraordinary; I never expected that in this lifetime, my family would possess such a fine item. Wang Yan, you have presented me with a difficult problem; if I place this kang table in my room, the other cabinets won't bear looking at, ah? Hahaha..."

"Then just save up more wood; when I am idle with nothing to do, I'll replace all the cabinets in your room; you can just give me the ones you no longer use."

"How could we afford to replace them? Look, our area here is barren; good wood is hard to find. However, your craftsmanship is truly excellent; next time the commune holds a meeting, I will bring this table over for everyone to see; by then, I'm afraid you will be too busy to handle it all."

"Being too busy is a good thing; I see there are many young men in our brigade around my age; let them all come to learn; by then, if we make good furniture, it will also become a sideline, and surely no one will go hungry."

"Well now..."

Old Liu, thinking of that scene, drooled; after exchanging a few playful words with Wang Yan, he headed home with light steps...

At this moment, the female educated youths also arrived.

"How was the county town? Was it fun?" Qin Ling asked curiously.

Li Kuiyong and Yu Ming were too exhausted to speak; they gulped down icy water—gulp, gulp, gulp—sitting there and panting heavily.

Young men run hot; these were minor issues. Wang Yan paid them no mind, smiling as he replied to Qin Ling: "It was alright, quite lively. Once you've walked around a bit more and gotten used to it, you'll be fine. Go take a look during the New Year; I heard there will be performances in the county town then, extremely lively. I've mailed all your letters; not a single one was missed."

While speaking, Wang Yan unwrapped the rock sugar and handed a piece to each person. "Let's all sweeten things up; I reckon you're all quite upset? It's nothing; things will improve gradually."

"Whoa, you're truly rich; I'm tempted to strike the landlord!" Tian Fang joked, rolling the rock sugar in her mouth; the sugar clattered against her teeth with a crisp sound, accompanied by the sizzle of her swallowing saliva.

This remark won widespread agreement among the female educated youths, creating a moment of cheerful chirping.

Li Kuiyong asked, "Have you cooked? Hurry and bring something to eat; we brothers are starving."

"Yes, yes, yes; we knew you were exhausted, so it's still warm." Tian Fang and the others went back and brought out a basin containing stewed potatoes, large cornmeal pancakes, a few boiled sweet potatoes, and pickled vegetables.

Wang Yan checked it, nodded, then turned to kindle the fire; the trio began eating, recounting the situation in the county town to the female educated youths as they ate, also mentioning how the rear mountain was separated from another village by merely a few dozen meters, yet reaching it required traveling several dozen li.

As they talked, they finished their meal, and the room grew warm, yet the female educated youths showed no intention of leaving.

"What's up? Is something the matter?" Li Kuiyong noticed the women's hesitation. "If there's something, just say it; we're all one family; nothing is unspeakable."

The female educated youths exchanged glances; finally, Qin Ling was pushed forward to speak: "Um... today we calculated our grain supplies and realized that if we continue eating like this, we certainly won't have enough. We thought we should save wherever possible. Since we have three rooms, let's divide the supplies into three portions; from now on, each room will cook for its own members. Otherwise, with so many of us eating together without any limit, we'll all end up starving in the end."

Li Kuiyong and Yu Ming both turned their gaze toward Wang Yan.

Wang Yan was busy preparing pot-pot tea; he had specifically requested charcoal from someone and set up a small red-clay stove, planning to relax after the meal.

He nodded without hesitation: "Agreed; the three of us truly can eat; having you join us indeed puts you at a disadvantage."

"Ah, don't say that. We don't mind that you three eat much; it's just that without dividing the grain, we truly cannot manage. Before, I didn't understand the saying 'those who don't manage a household don't know the price of firewood and rice,' but now I do; in two days, we consumed enough grain for four days and more."

"After dividing, everyone can save a little. If later we truly run out, we can support each other; we are all revolutionary comrades, after all; surely we cannot stand by and watch each other starve and suffer?"

These words were spoken by Tian Fang, very sincerely.

Li Kuiyong and Yu Ming naturally had no objections; aside from the fact that they both followed Wang Yan's lead, even if they hadn't, with seven female comrades speaking up, the three male comrades would hardly have the nerve to stubbornly cling on...

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? (End of Chapter)