Chapter 5: Not Only Blind but Also Brainless

Gu Qingye could not quite explain what had happened.

In the end, a slender arm had rested in his hand, and he had used the gentlest strength he possessed in his entire life to massage away the bruising.

Returning to the entrance of the dormitory for educated youth once more, Lu Youyou strangely felt a sense of familiarity; even the mud-brick house no longer seemed quite so daunting.

"Brother Gu, I'll head in now. Take care on your way back."

The words slipped out so naturally that Lu Youyou almost added, "Send me a message when you get home."

Gu Qingye gave a soft grunt of acknowledgment, the corner of his mouth curling into a faint, almost imperceptible smile. Although there was nothing here worth him taking care about, he accepted this bit of concern.

After closing the courtyard gate, Lu Youyou let out a long sigh toward the sky. The chaotic, exhausting day was finally over!

"Well, well, Comrade Lu Youyou, did you come down to the countryside to receive re-education from the poor and lower-middle peasants, or to flirt and cause trouble?"

A grating, sour voice rang out from behind her. Lu Youyou turned to see a woman in coarse clothing standing in the courtyard, clutching a wooden washbasin. As she spoke, she made a gesture as if to splash water at her.

Lu Youyou did not recognize her. The woman was actually quite pretty, but her sharp, bitter expression ruined most of her features. Lu Youyou had no desire to engage, but Sun Pan'er was not about to let her go. She had seen everything just moments ago—a man in military uniform had brought Lu Youyou back. She assumed it must be the brigade leader’s eldest son, the soldier.

"Some people are just shameless. After flirting with the younger brother, you move on to the older one. Someone so brazen deserves to be paraded through the streets!"

Lu Youyou had initially thought this was just an insignificant extra, but at those words, it clicked. Gu Shuchen had used his handsome, scholarly face to bewitch many girls' hearts—both inside and outside the village, including among the educated youth. Sun Pan'er was one of them. There had been a line in the book that went, "On the day Gu Shuchen got married, Sun Pan'er from the dormitory cried all night."

Lu Youyou couldn't help but look at her a few more times. How blind must one be to fall for a scumbag like Gu Shuchen?

Sun Pan'er felt unnerved by the stare. "What are you looking at? You can do it, but I can't talk about it?"

Lu Youyou’s gaze became even more pitiful. Not only was she blind, she was also dim-witted.

"Let me give you a piece of advice: speaking recklessly is slander. Brother Gu is an active-duty soldier; if anyone ends up being paraded through the streets, it might just be you."

"Besides—" Lu Youyou smiled, her eyes cold, "I believe there is someone else who has been trying to flirt with Gu Shuchen, isn't there?"

Sun Pan'er was livid and raised the wooden basin as if to throw it. Lu Youyou casually picked up a door bolt leaning against the wall and held it against the edge of the basin. Looking at this woman burning with jealousy, she suddenly felt that one should respect others' fates.

"Let me clarify: I have no relationship with Gu Shuchen. I never did, and I never will. If you like him, feel free."

"By the way, here’s a piece of advice for free: Gu Shuchen doesn't like shrews, and he especially dislikes those who throw washbasins around."

Sun Pan'er was stunned. Lu Youyou’s sudden change in personality was completely unexpected. Not to mention that Lu Youyou had always appeared to be raised in a pampered home, and upon arriving at Qiaoshan Village, she had been treated with extra care by the brigade leader; she was usually so shy she would blush at the slightest remark. What had happened to her today?

Sun Pan'er felt as if she had punched a cotton ball; she was filled with frustration. This was her third year in the countryside, and the endless farm labor had long since made her life miserable. Her name, Pan'er, implied that no one in her family had been looking forward to her arrival. Her parents had made it clear they had no way to get her back to the city. Sun Pan'er knew very well that the bundle of bedding and the one-hundred-yuan settlement fee she received when she first arrived had essentially bought out her life. Her future was tied to this small patch of land, and the best option she could see was the brigade leader’s son, Gu Shuchen.

She used to be able to talk to Gu Shuchen occasionally, but everything had changed once Lu Youyou arrived. It felt like a treasure she had guarded for three years had been stolen in an instant; it was even more painful than being given only a large bone during the village meat distribution at the New Year.

Wait, what had Lu Youyou just said? That she had no relationship with Gu Shuchen?

*Bang!* The washbasin crashed to the ground. Sun Pan'er pushed aside the door curtain and grabbed Lu Youyou, who was fetching water to wash up. Lu Youyou reflexively pinned her arms behind her back. Sun Pan'er shrieked, scaring the entire room of people into gathering around.

Ever since she was kidnapped as a child, her family had hired people to teach her self-defense. Though it was mostly for show, it was more than enough to handle an unprepared woman.

"What is this? Why are you fighting!"

Wang Shuhui, the oldest of the educated youth, hurriedly threw off her quilt and scrambled out without even putting her shoes on properly to separate the two. Lu Youyou didn't use much force, so when she saw someone approaching, she let go. Sun Pan'er was so shocked she had forgotten what she even wanted to say.

"Talk things out, how can you resort to violence?" Wang Shuhui looked sternly at Lu Youyou before turning to address Sun Pan'er. "And you, I heard you banging around outside just now. It's so late, don't you know you're disturbing everyone's rest?"

The others chimed in with their own advice. "Everything was fine before, why did you suddenly start causing a scene?" "That's right, we are all comrades here."

Sun Pan'er still retained some sense of reason; she knew some things shouldn't be discussed in public. She wanted to call Lu Youyou outside, but Lu Youyou didn't even spare her a glance. After a night of fear and acting, she was already exhausted.

Lying on the communal bed, dazed and drifting in and out of sleep all night, Lu Youyou felt like killing someone when she was woken up. She might not be a "Princess and the Pea," but it wasn't far off. After sleeping on high-end mattresses for years, this wooden bed with nothing but a straw mat and a thin quilt made every inch of her body ache. Yet, her spot was the most luxurious in the room; the conditions for others were even worse, consisting only of loose straw and tattered, frayed sheets.

Lu Youyou felt her assessment from yesterday had been far too optimistic. She didn't just lack farming skills; she would struggle to even survive in the countryside of the 1970s.

Wang Shuhui looked at Lu Youyou and gave a helpless, wry smile. "You need to get used to it as soon as possible. Actually, our place isn't that bad. In the most remote village in the commune, the educated youth live in thatched huts. I heard the roof of one even collapsed last winter."

Lu Youyou nodded apologetically. She couldn't help it; she didn't even know this woman's name yet. If she had only known, she would have read that book more carefully. Even if it were poisonous, it would be better than being completely clueless now.

Forcing down half a piece of wild vegetable cornbread that felt like sandpaper in her throat and drinking three sips of thin, watery cornmeal porridge, Lu Youyou followed the other youth out to work. Fortunately, she had everything she needed in her villa; although she couldn't enter it herself, she could still take items out, and for that, she was already grateful.

Wang Shuhui seemed to take special care of the newcomer, waiting for Lu Youyou to walk with her. "Little sister, take a sister's advice: cutting pig grass is not a long-term plan. Since you've come to the countryside, it's best to forget the life you had before, otherwise, you'll only be the one who suffers."

Only then did Lu Youyou realize what she would be doing. This was the only good thing the Gu family had done; if it weren't for the brigade leader’s care, no able-bodied adult would be assigned such light labor.

She wondered when the "explanation" Gu Qingye promised would arrive. She didn't want to wait even one more day.