“Daughter, what’s going on!” Mother Xu cried out, tears streaming down her face. She rushed to Xu Ying and practically snatched her out of Huo Chen’s arms. This boy dared to hug her daughter? He was too bold! Father Xu’s face was also dark with anger.
Xu Ying sobbed, her eyes wide with feigned timidity, and recounted the tale in a low voice: “Dong Wenzhong asked me to talk to him about something, so I came here. He immediately said he wanted to marry me, but I didn’t want to. Look at him now, he’s so ugly. I don’t want to be with him. Who knew he suddenly tried to take off my clothes? I was so scared that I ran, but I tripped and fell. Then Huo Chen came with his wolf! It was Huo Chen and his wolf who saved me from being bullied. Wuwuwuwu, if I were bullied, I wouldn’t want to live!” Xu Ying cried, her tears like falling pearls, making anyone watching feel distressed.
Dong Wenzhong lay on the ground, his face swollen. When he heard Xu Ying’s words, a mouthful of old blood almost gushed out. He opened his mouth, trying his best to explain: “No, it’s me who suffered at her hands!” But his face and mouth were so swollen, he couldn’t speak clearly. No one could understand a word he said.
In the distant crowd of educated youths, Chen Yanran felt a sense of relief seeing Dong Wenzhong in such a mess. That man had ruined her, and now he wanted to abandon her for Xu Ying. He was finally getting what he deserved. Chen Yanran was almost overjoyed and had no intention of helping him at all.
The Xujia Village villagers, naturally siding with their own, looked at Dong Wenzhong with universal disgust and hatred. “Dong Wenzhong, you truly are worthless! You don’t even look at yourself. How dare you have designs on Xu Ying? Why don’t you just die!”
The three Xu brothers were filled with rage. They rolled up their sleeves, ready to fight.
Xu Ying, afraid they might actually beat him to death, quickly tugged on Mother Xu’s arm and whispered, “Mom, if you keep hitting him, he’ll die.” When Mother Xu heard that her son could be charged with murder, she quickly stepped forward and stopped them. “Alright, stop fighting. Thankfully, my daughter is fine, otherwise I would have beaten this scoundrel to death myself!”
Xu Ying was carried back home by Xu Shengwu. Dong Wenzhong was eventually carried away by people from the Educated Youth Institute. After this incident, Dong Wenzhong’s reputation in the Educated Youth Institute and even in Xujia Village was ruined. Everyone felt disgusted when his name was mentioned. He looked fair and clean, with the air of a scholar, but no one expected him to have such a dirty mind and do such a despicable thing.
Once Xu Ying was home, Mother Xu checked her daughter for injuries. “Hmph, that Dong Wenzhong is useless! Thankfully, Huo Chen showed up in time, or our daughter would have suffered greatly. Old Man Xu, you can’t let that brat off easy. He doesn’t like being clean? Make him go to the pigsty and shovel pig manure!” Mother Xu said angrily.
Father Xu puffed on his cigarette and nodded. “Son, take some eggs to Huo Chen’s family later. Your sister is grateful for their help.”
Mother Xu agreed. “I still have a bottle of malted milk in the cabinet. Take that to Huo’s house too, and give it to Mrs. Huo. She’s getting older; this will help her health.”
The eldest Xu brother quickly nodded, ran into the kitchen, and packed up all the eggs in the house. Mother Xu went inside and brought out the malted milk, and even the canned meat the third son had sent back a few days ago. “Send all these to the Huo family!”
Two acts of saving a life. Father Xu sat in the yard, his face obscured by smoke, his expression unreadable. In the past, saving a life often meant a lifelong promise.
“Guiying, come into the house with me!” Father Xu called to his wife. Mother Xu was still busy explaining things to her son. She glanced at her husband, confused, seeing his solemn expression. She quickly told her eldest son to go back inside. Once in the house, Mother Xu looked at her husband and asked curiously, “Jianguo, what’s wrong? What’s the matter?”
Father Xu was worried. “You know, our daughter was saved twice by Huo Chen, and now she was even clinging to him, so many people saw it. What do you think we should do about this? I think Huo Chen isn’t a bad fellow.”
Mother Xu exploded. “No! The Huo family is so poor! Isn’t it wrong for our daughter to marry into that?”
Father Xu glared at her. “Please, keep your voice down! How old are you? You’re so hot-headed.”
Mother Xu didn’t care; her daughter was not marrying Huo Chen. The Huo family’s circumstances and the character of Mrs. Huo’s other sons weren’t good enough. Besides, Mrs. Huo was too old. Who knew how long she would live? What if Mrs. Huo died soon after her daughter married, and how would her daughter and Huo Chen live then? The Huo family’s house was in a dilapidated state. Who knew if it would leak when it rained? “I won’t agree, no matter what.”
Father Xu made a face. “What do you know about women’s ways? If my daughter really marries Huo Chen, we’ll be in the same village from now on. If anything happens, we can still help each other. Mrs. Huo is getting older, and our daughter might not have to deal with an elder for long after marriage. You know our daughter’s temperament. If there’s an elder above her, she might cause some trouble. But if Mrs. Huo is gone, and it’s just her and Huo Chen, with us two looking after them, how bad can their life be? As you saw from selling wild goods today, Huo Chen earned more than ten yuan a day, which is several hundred yuan a month. The house isn’t built yet, but if he keeps this up, he’ll be the richest man in our village in no time. Do you still think his life is difficult?”
As Father Xu spoke, Mother Xu’s mind began to change. It seemed he had a point. But she still hesitated. “But our daughter is still young, and I want to keep her for a few more years!”
“Then we can get them engaged first and wait a year or two before they marry. Besides, even if she marries, she’ll still be in our village. It’s so close. You can reach your daughter’s house in just a few minutes’ walk,” Father Xu said.
Xu Ying had no idea she had been practically engaged. She lay on her bed, happy. The thought of Dong Wenzhong being beaten so severely by her filled her with satisfaction. But it wasn’t over yet. She wanted Dong Wenzhong to watch her family thrive more than anyone else’s. If he dreamed of returning to the city, he would never achieve it in this life. Xu Ying wanted Dong Wenzhong to stay in the countryside forever and never leave.
“Little sister, time to eat,” Sister-in-law Xu’s voice called out, and Xu Ying quickly got up from bed. Dinner was a roast chicken Xu Ying had brought back. Mother Xu tore the meat into pieces and served it cold. The staple food was steamed buns, with boiled pumpkin and rice porridge, and a simple vegetable dish. Perhaps because she was in a good mood and had a good appetite, Xu Ying drank a full bowl of porridge and ate two steamed buns, making her stomach feel pleasantly full.
Night slowly fell. In the Huo family’s house, Huo Chen was lying on his bed, already asleep. Dreaming that Xu Ying lay in his arms, her soft body and gentle warmth pressing against his chest. They leaned into each other, and her warm breath tickled his neck. There was an undercurrent of desire in his gaze, and he tried hard to control the unrest in his heart. Suddenly, the girl in his arms raised her small face and actually smiled at him. With spring in her eyes and peach blossoms on her face, the girl slowly rose and kissed him on the lips…