RYEY – Chapter 37 A Bucket of Well Water Poured Down

Qian Longkun downed his bowl of soup in one gulp, wiped his mouth clean, and looked at Chai Jianmin, explaining seriously.

Jianmin’s chest heaved violently in anger, but what the other said wasn’t wrong. Thinking of squeezing benefits out of Cheng Qiao like before—well, that wasn’t going to work anymore.

He picked up his lunch box and was about to head into the dormitory when Xu Laidi stepped forward and blocked him: “Comrade Chai, you’ve got quite a lot of rations in your box. Could you share a little with me? I’ll pay you back when I get my grain allocation.”

Chai Jianmin immediately stepped back and shook his head. His rations were barely enough to last until the autumn harvest, and besides, Xu Laidi still owed Cheng Qiao money. The village head had already said it would be deducted from her work points. When the time came, with what could she repay him?

“Comrade Chai, we’re revolutionary comrades living in the same educated youth spot. Are you really going to just watch a comrade fall? Don’t worry, as long as you lend me grain, I’ll definitely pay you back. I’ll never default.”

Seeing that he was unwilling, Xu Laidi secretly pinched herself. The sharp pain instantly brought tears streaming down her face, while she showed just the right amount of pitiful misery.

“With what will you repay me? All your work points belong to Cheng Qiao.”

At the moment, Chai Jianmin’s whole body ached, and his stomach growled with hunger. He had no patience for someone as plain-looking as Xu Laidi.

“Comrade Chai, don’t worry. I already wrote home. Even if I don’t have work points, my family will send money. Once it arrives, I can buy grain from the village.”

As Xu Laidi leaned closer, Jianmin’s heart wavered. He was just over twenty, full of restless energy. Emboldened, he leaned toward her.

Xu Laidi rejoiced inwardly, realizing he had taken the bait. She leaned in closer, pressing her soft body almost against his. Excited, Jianmin’s emotions surged.

“I’ll lend you five jin of cornmeal first then. Anyway, we’re all eating cornmeal and sorghum meal. You portion it out carefully.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he thought quickly—five jin he could spare. At most, he’d just eat a little less each meal.

The sorrowful look on Xu Laidi’s face vanished instantly. She dashed to the kitchen, scooped five jin of cornmeal from his sack, and transferred it into her own.

The other educated youths secretly shook their heads at this little act, but everyone was too drained to interfere—at most, they rolled their eyes.

Standing at the doorway, Li Huan overheard the exchange and nodded in satisfaction before heading home. As long as those two pieces of trash tangled with each other, his wife was safe.

The next morning, Cheng Qiao got up early. Just as she opened the dormitory door, she saw Chai Jianmin crouched by the well, washing his quilt. The cover could be scrubbed clean, but the cotton padding inside still reeked of feces.

Disgusted, Cheng Qiao drew water from the other side and went to the kitchen to boil some for washing up. Jianmin’s eyes reddened when he saw her, but thinking of the local thug’s ferocity, he clenched his mouth shut.

“Chai Jianmin, drying your quilt like that won’t work. Better to take it to a cotton worker in the county, have them re-fluff it, throw out the rotten parts, and add new cotton.”

Zhao Xiaobao also came out to wash up. The moment he stepped outside, he smelled the stench, covered his nose, and said: “No money, no ration coupons.”

“How can you say that? Just because you’ve got no money and no coupons, we all have to suffer? This is the educated youth spot, not your personal home. Your behavior is already affecting our lives.”

Growing up in the compound with Qian Longkun always leading the way, Zhao Xiaobao usually seemed laid-back. But that didn’t mean he was easy to push around.

“So what do you want me to do? No money and no coupons—that’s reality. You expect me to steal or rob? If you can’t stand it, then leave. This is the educated youth spot, not your personal house.”

Jianmin sneered mockingly. He couldn’t beat Erlizi, but surely he could handle a frail scholar-looking boy. “Damn you—”

Zhao Xiaobao hadn’t lost his temper in years, but once he did, it came like a storm. He grabbed a bucket of freshly drawn well water and dumped the entire thing over Chai Jianmin’s head.

“You lunatic—!”

The icy morning water made Jianmin shiver violently. He never expected Zhao Xiaobao to strike so suddenly. Just as he was about to stand and fight back, Qian Longkun stepped in front of Zhao, fists clenched, ready for a fight. Terrified, Jianmin shrank back.

“Pathetic coward. You only bully women. If you’ve got guts, stand up and fight!”

Zhao Xiaobao spat on the ground, his eyes nearly rolling to the heavens.

“Zhao Xiaobao, here’s your reward—liquor-filled chocolates.”

Cheng Qiao came running out of the kitchen, holding three brightly wrapped chocolates, and placed them in his hand.

His eyes lit up. He loved sweets, but the treats his family sent were long gone. He’d have to wait at least another month, and even then, sweets weren’t guaranteed.

“Cheng Qiao, you’re a real pal! Thanks. When my family sends something tasty, I’ll share with you.”

Cheng Qiao’s heart sank. In her previous life, after the autumn harvest, Zhao Xiaobao received a package from home—then vanished without a trace. What happened afterward, she never knew; back then, her life was already in shambles, and she had no energy to notice others.

Xiaoqin, seeing the liquor chocolates, quickly fetched a small piece of beef jerky from her room and handed it to Cheng Qiao, clearly proposing a trade.

Cheng Qiao smiled, nodded, and gave her five chocolates. In terms of value, a small piece of beef jerky and five liquor chocolates were about the same, though the chocolates were far rarer.

Xu Laidi’s eyes glinted viciously. She had already noticed that Cheng Qiao’s dowry and betrothal gifts had disappeared yesterday—it was obvious Erlizi had hidden them for her.

She had miscalculated. Erlizi wasn’t as bad as she’d imagined. Especially with Cheng Qiao, he seemed almost protective—just like when he beat Jianmin bloody last night.

But maybe it was only because Cheng Qiao held three hundred yuan in cash, or because she hadn’t officially married him yet, that he hid his true nature to win her favor.

Thinking of this, Xu Laidi coughed lightly, dabbed at the corners of her dry eyes, and said with false sympathy: “Cheng Qiao, you really are pitiful. Not even eighteen, and you’re marrying a dirt-poor peasant. If your father knew, he’d be heartbroken.”

“Father”—such a distant, unfamiliar word. Cheng Qiao’s thoughts drifted back to her hometown in Huizhou. Ever since her mother’s death, “father” had become just a name to her—familiar, yet foreign.