Chapter 7

The smug trader seemed almost disbelieving upon hearing this. His lips twitched for a moment, and then his dark eyes revealed a hint of gratitude.

He leaped up excitedly, saying, “Great, thank you so much, comrade!”

“How many would you like? I can pick out the biggest ones for you!”

The title of “big sister” quickly changed to the respectful “comrade” without any hesitation, leaving Ye Qingshui both amused and helpless.

The price of the eggs wasn’t expensive—just one penny per egg. Ye Qingshui took out three mao (three-tenths of a yuan), added a bit of five-liang food stamps, and bought almost half a basket. She wrapped the fragile eggs in cloth used for wrapping buns.

At this time, eggs were considered a precious tonic. Whether it was a woman recovering from childbirth, or elderly or sick people, they all longed to have a bowl of sugar water with eggs. However, due to the planned economy, there was a limit on how many chickens each household could raise—no more than three chickens. If someone had more, it was seen as violating socialist rules. Holding thirty or so eggs, Ye Qingshui felt an unprecedented sense of fulfillment and wealth.

With eggs, she could make some nutritious pastries.

Ye Qingshui packed up her stall and, seeing that it was still early, decided to go to the store to buy more food. It was still early enough that the people waiting in line in the town appeared tired and didn’t have time to pay attention to her grimy face.

When it was almost her turn to buy sugar, she noticed Zhang Yuanchao, the young master of the Zhang family, sitting next to the salesperson with his legs crossed, seemingly “inspecting the work.”

The moment monkey ¹ Zhang Yuanchao’s nickname looked up and saw Ye Qingshui’s dirty face, he almost spat out the tea in his mouth.

Ye Qingshui realized that he had recognized her. She frowned slightly. She remembered that the circle of brothers and friends around Xie Tingyu had never been very friendly to her. Normally, she wouldn’t mind their prejudice, but running into a familiar face while doing underhanded business was not something Ye Qingshui was willing to deal with.

Before Zhang Yuanchao could speak, Ye Qingshui quickly pulled a bun out from her pocket and handed it to him, saying warmly:

“Oh! Comrade Zhang, it’s been a long time! There’s so much I want to say to you, but there’s a long line behind me, so it’s not a good time to catch up right now.”

Zhang Yuanchao’s mouth moved for a while, but in the end, he didn’t say anything. He just eyed her suspiciously. After a few more glances, he disdainfully turned away.

This village girl had only gotten worse with each attempt to tidy herself up. How could Yu Ge stand having such a wife?

“Two jin of flour, five liang of sugar, three liang of oil, two liang of meat, thank you, comrade!” Ye Qingshui said cheerfully.

She quickly finished buying her supplies and rushed out of the line. As she rode her bike, her stomach, which had been empty all night, started growling. She rubbed her belly and resisted the hunger, hurrying home.

At the store, Zhang Yuanchao, holding the still-warm bun, hummed to himself, thinking: I absolutely cannot be swayed by the enemy’s sugar-coated artillery.

A little favor like this can’t buy his golden, steadfast heart. However, he had to take a look at what kind of bun the village girl had sent him. Wasting food didn’t seem right. So… he decided to painfully eat the sugar-coated artillery sent by the enemy.

He then unwrapped the paper and took a deep breath.

The sweet, bean-flavored aroma of the bun seized him. After taking another bite, the soft, flowing sweetness spread in his mouth like sand flowing gently, as though a gentle rain had soothed a long-dry desert. His tongue, which had never tasted such delicious food before, felt as though it had been comforted. It was an unprecedented sensation.

In the end, the hungry customers waiting in line to buy food all stared enviously at Zhang Yuanchao, watching him enjoy the bun with satisfaction and joy.

They were so angry, but had no way of saying anything!

…

When Ye Qingshui hurried home, the sky was just beginning to brighten, gray and dim.

Since it was the farmers’ rest day, the commune workers were not working. The city-born intellectuals didn’t need to wake up so early either. Ye Qingshui washed her face, and when she quietly crawled into bed, Xie Tingyu was still asleep.

She glanced at Xie Tingyu. The man, deeply asleep, had his hair slightly tousled, with an expression softer than his usual serious demeanor. Under the hazy morning light, his face looked as if heaven had favored him, having spent the whole summer out in the sun, yet still fairer and more delicate than any woman. Ye Qingshui couldn’t help but feel envious when she saw her own sunburned face in the mirror.

Ye Qingshui quickly fell asleep and didn’t wake up until lunchtime. After washing up, she quickly made lunch. It was only after that that she had time to count the money she had earned.

She spent two mao on flour, five mao for the sugar, oil, and meat, and another three mao for eggs. With that, most of the money was gone, and she was left with only nine fen (cents). She remembered the snowflake cream Xie Tingyu casually gave her, which was worth one yuan, while she had worked all night and only earned enough to buy the grains and oil. She couldn’t help but sigh, feeling the woes of being poor.

However, these meat coupons, as well as various other miscellaneous tickets, were quite plentiful. This reassured Ye Qingshui somewhat. In these times, the tickets used by city dwellers were worth more than money! The countryside didn’t issue such meat coupons, and only at the end of the year would they slaughter pigs and distribute ten or so pounds of pork to each household as a seasonal treat.

As a villager, the fact that Ye Qingshui could afford meat was already a significant improvement.

Ye Qingshui was extremely focused, carefully preparing the precious two liang of meat. To make it more flavorful and worth the effort, she shredded the meat, then chopped it finely, mixing it with mushrooms and taro, and stuffed it into the mountain mushrooms after removing the stems. When she bit into it, the rich meat juices splashed out, enhancing the texture and flavor.

She hadn’t queued up too late, and perhaps the shop assistant thought she was related to Young Master Zhang, so the meat she received had slightly more fat than lean meat, making it satisfyingly oily.

Ye Qingshui had just finished preparing the meal when her mother, who had just returned after gathering firewood, habitually complimented her: “Water, the buns this morning were really good. I saw you were so tired, and since you were still asleep, I didn’t wake you up. I kept one warm in the pot for you, have you eaten it?”

“When your father and I first got married, I used to be just as lively. You young folks have so much energy, eat more, and give us a big, fat grandson soon.”

She teased with a smile, and Ye Qingshui realized her mother seemed to have misunderstood something.

Seeing her mother’s expectant face, Ye Qingshui couldn’t bear to break her illusions.

In 1977, a large number of educated youth would be sent back to the cities, marking the second divorce boom in the country in decades. Many of the educated youth who had married in the village ended up getting divorced. At that time, explaining such things to her family was easier, so she decided to wait until the following year to tell them about the divorce. In the meantime, she would gradually build up some minor details to make it easier to explain next year.

“Mother, smell this, hmm… it smells so good! Water, what have you cooked? Quickly call Xiao Xie back. I think I just saw him head to the educated youth station.”

To avoid her mother misinterpreting anything, Ye Qingshui said coldly, “He will come back for dinner himself.”

Her mother said, “Still so reserved, Shui’er, I won’t tease you anymore.”

“If you don’t go, I’ll have to go myself,” her mother added.

Ye Qingshui had no choice but to wipe her hands dry and head towards the educated youth station.

The educated youth station of Hongqi Commune was located at the foot of Xiufeng Mountain. It was the only house in the village made of blue tiles, with pink-white walls. Over the years, the educated youth from all over the country had indeed contributed to the commune.

Some of them became teachers at the commune’s elementary school, some worked as accountants for the production team, and those familiar with machinery became tractor drivers. However, as the number of educated youth increased, their reputation gradually diminished. The villagers started to complain about the lazy and inefficient ones.

However, Xie Tingyu was definitely an exception. In the eyes of the village people, he was practically “a jack-of-all-trades” who could take over any task.

As soon as Ye Qingshui arrived at the educated youth station, she heard Xie Tingyu’s deep and mellow voice reading aloud.

He held a yellowed book, standing straight with his back arched, reading meticulously. Around him, a circle of educated youth was seated, with some sitting three layers deep, not allowing anyone to pass.

He read, “A person’s life should be lived like this: when looking back, they will not regret wasting time or feel ashamed for doing nothing; instead, at the time of death, they will be able to say…”

He paused slightly, then raised his head, looking at the sea of heads below. His wandering gaze seemed to have met Ye Qingshui’s eyes.

He wasn’t particularly surprised. His voice resumed, clear and precise, with a beautiful rhythm.

He continued, “‘I have devoted my entire life and all my energy to the most magnificent cause in the world — fighting for the liberation of humanity.’”

Under the bright sky, a gentle breeze blew through. Xie Tingyu, dressed in a khaki shirt, stood tall, bathing in the eager gazes of the commune’s children and the admiring eyes of the educated youth. To others, he seemed to glow.

Such a refined, handsome, and wealthy man was truly a heart-throb for young girls. Ye Qingshui glanced at him, noticing that the young women were looking at Xie Tingyu as if they were dogs staring at a meat bun.

Ye Qingshui looked at them with little interest and walked out.

In those days, knowledge was scarce, education was backward, and many children couldn’t afford school, so they relied on the occasional lecture by the educated youth on weekends. Some of the less-educated youth were eager to learn and humbly sought knowledge from others.

Xie Tingyu had completed high school and was knowledgeable, a standout in the group. Ye Qingshui recalled that later, Xie Tingyu was accepted to a prestigious university with high marks.

Sitting outside the educated youth station, Ye Qingshui boredly counted the birds flying by, still able to hear his voice reading Chairman Mao’s quotations. After the “lecture” ended, applause echoed around.

When class ended, Xie Tingyu came out first and raised an eyebrow, “What are you doing squatting here?”

Ye Qingshui shrugged, “Mother asked me to come and call you home for dinner.”

The educated youth at the station, not wanting to miss any gossip, gathered around.

Some female educated youth glanced at Ye Qingshui, who had just arrived. They observed her for a moment before retreating, disappointed.

They found it somewhat amusing that Ye Qingshui, sitting there waiting for the man, resembled an ignorant country woman. They couldn’t help but pity Xie Tingyu.

Some of them also sympathized with Sun Lingyu for being reprimanded and muttered, “She must not be well-educated, didn’t pay attention to what Comrade Xie said earlier. Probably didn’t even hear a word, just squatting here counting ants!”

“Ye Qingshui, you’ve been married to Xie for so long, has he ever taught you anything? One’s full of knowledge, the other can’t even read. That’s not good. You should learn more from him.”

“Come on, come on, you talk too much! The food at the cafeteria can’t even stop your mouth!” Sun Lingyu pulled her friend away, casting Ye Qingshui a disdainful look.

Ye Qingshui was already used to these critical stares from all directions, and her eyes turned sharp as she looked at the group of young women.

She touched her ear and shook her head, saying, “What are you walking away for? Wait a minute. Talking behind my back, thinking I don’t have a temper? I didn’t even finish primary school, you know.”

This immediately caused a burst of laughter. A primary school education was nothing to boast about!

Ye Qingshui smiled as if she didn’t care and continued, “You’ve erased five years of my hard work with just a few words, that won’t do.”

She said seriously, “I didn’t finish more school because my family was poor and couldn’t afford it, and secondly — because I’m smart, I didn’t need to waste so much time on studies. Actually, I already have a university-level education.”

This statement caused another round of laughter.

“Think I’m bragging? Don’t believe it?”

She quickly rattled off a series of characters: “The struggle and release of people for work, the beautiful and strong in the highest realm, the world offering sacrifices, having already exhausted all strength, the completeness and life of a person, I speak enough, he waits for the time of death ² Zhēng dòu ér fàng jiě de lèi rén wéi yè shì de lì zhuàng zuì shàng jiè shì gěi xiàn jīng yǐ dōu lì jīng bù quán hé mìng shēng gè zhěng de wǒ shuō gòu néng jiù tā hòu shí de sǐ lín zài .”

She quickly rattled off a series of words: “Struggle and release, human-like professions, beautiful and strong, the highest realm, the world giving offerings, already exhausting all energy, completeness, and life’s essence, I speak enough, he waits for the moment of death to come.”

After finishing, the girls who had just laughed suddenly looked confused. What was that?

Ye Qingshui then hummed lightly:

“See, you’re not as quick-witted as I am, and still don’t believe it. You could listen to Xie Tingyu read every day, and it wouldn’t help. The sentence in reverse is —”

“My whole life and all my energy have been devoted to the most magnificent cause in the world — fighting for the liberation of humanity! A frog in a well, self-important. You were listening carefully just now, and now it’s laughable!”

She then called out, “Xie Tingyu, let’s go, dinner’s ready!”

Xie Tingyu, who had been called out, nearly choked.

But, as it was time to eat, his stomach was hungry. He thought about the meal at home and couldn’t help but look forward to it.

He mildly nodded in acknowledgment, “Coming.”

Ye Qingshui didn’t pay attention to the educated youth behind her, who were still recovering from the shock.

They were in an uproar: “Wait, what was Ye Qingshui just saying? Could she really recite it backwards? She’s not… fooling us, right?”

One of the educated youth, still in confusion, said, “She spoke too fast, I couldn’t keep up.”

“Yu-ge has a good memory, he’ll probably remember. Let’s ask him later?”

Sansukini: Hi Dear Readers, can I appeal to you to make some donations? My family suffered a hemorrhagic stroke last Tuesday and is now in the ICU. our hospital bill is getting bigger and worrying, Any amount would help. I would really appreciate it and promise to give you more quality translations.

Support Sansukini on Ko-fi

Thanks for visiting. If you like this story, then I’m shamelessly asking you to visit NovelUpdates and give a 5⭐ review. (人❛ᴗ❛)♪тнайк　чоц♪(❛ᴗ❛*人)

You can also check out my other translations Here