Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
He called the Harvester from the Township Farm Machinery Station, and the family worked tirelessly to transport the ten acres of Wheat they had harvested to the Threshing Ground, helping to avert a significant loss for the family. Father and Mother no longer felt regret over the sixty dollars spent; Mother Zhao Meirong counted out ten Great Unity notes from an old pouch hidden under the bed, six of which were for hiring the Harvester to harvest the Wheat, while the remaining forty dollars were for Hu Ruoyun's expenses for attending the Entrance Examination in the county.
Although one hundred dollars was not a small amount for Hu Qihua and Zhao Meirong, they handed it over willingly. Hu Qihua and Zhao Meirong said that the sixty dollars represented years of hard work by their three children—waking up early to gather grass for feeding rabbits, climbing trees to collect cicada shells, and digging Atractylodes in the wild. Now, that sixty dollars had been a great help to the family, and they felt they could not take advantage of their children any longer.
As for Hu Ruoyun's trip to the county for the examination, Zhao Meirong calculated that there would be costs for round-trip bus fare, accommodation in the county, and meals. Although forty dollars seemed a bit much, they believed that a little extra money might help their child perform better on the exam.
Of course, this also served as a reward for his early harvesting of the Wheat.
On the morning before the exam, the school rented two large vehicles to transport students from the Junior Three graduation class to the county. Each student paid one yuan, with seventy cents going towards transportation costs and thirty cents mysteriously disappearing—whether it was a “vacation fee” for the driver or pocketed by someone else was anyone's guess.
Most students stayed in ordinary rooms at the County Guesthouse's south building, three students per room at three yuan per person per night. Meals and other necessary expenses were covered by each student individually. After finishing their exams, everyone would head back home on local buses, marking a true end to their three years in Middle School.
In 1990, Jiangbei Province's Entrance Examination included seven subjects: Language, History, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Politics, and English, with a total score of 590 points. On the morning of the first day, they took the Language exam. Since most students came from rural townships and stayed at school-arranged accommodations, Jiang Qiuying's aunt lived in the county. Her mother arranged for her daughter to stay with her aunt during these three days so she could eat and sleep better.
The bond between aunt and niece was strong; when her aunt agreed to this arrangement, she even gave Jiang Qiuying five yuan. However, she forgot that Jiang Qiuying would have to walk nearly twenty minutes back to her aunt's house after finishing her exam. As a young girl in an unfamiliar county town, this journey posed some safety concerns.
Even in rural areas and among children, certain feelings between boys and girls inevitably develop as they reach a certain age. Xiong Debiao harbored special feelings for Jiang Qiuying; he felt regretful about not being able to spend their final moments together during their last year in Middle School. After finishing his Language exam that day and watching Jiang Qiuying pack her things into her backpack and leave, he quietly followed her from a distance.
Xiong Debiao was a year older than Hu Ruoyun; tall and robust with a straightforward personality, he was Hu Ruoyun's close friend. Classmates of all ages affectionately called him "Brother Biao," while he liked to refer to Hu Ruoyun as "Brother Yun," mimicking characters from Hong Kong films.
To reach her aunt's house, Jiang Qiuying had to walk along a riverside path where foot traffic was sparse. Approaching noon, she was intercepted by Zhang Lingyun—the notorious "young master" of the county—along with several local thugs.
Zhang Lingyun was the son of Zhang Shusen, Deputy Director of the County Public Security Bureau. Not only was he a spoiled brat but also incredibly arrogant; over several years he had openly extorted protection fees from local businesses and frequently caused trouble. Even high school students in town had fallen victim to his bullying.
He was infamous in town; however, due to his father's position and power, many people loathed him but felt powerless against him. Behind closed doors, he was often referred to as "Dog Young Master."
Although Dog Young Master's father held significant power as second-in-command in Annan County and had operated within the bureau for many years—uniting mid-level managers across various departments—he had effectively consolidated control over the entire bureau under his influence. The political commissar was nearing retirement and had become increasingly hands-off; meanwhile, an incoming director from outside had been sidelined by him and reduced to little more than a rubber stamp.
At that moment, Brother Biao quietly followed Jiang Qiuying from behind while silently watching her walk ahead. Unbeknownst to him, Hu Ruoyun trailed behind them with a camera hanging around his neck.
To ensure that neither Brother Biao nor Jiang Qiuying would face serious repercussions from this incident, Hu Ruoyun had visited his classmate Shaoying’s photo studio days earlier to borrow a camera.
During graduation season when elementary and middle school students were busy taking graduation photos—Shaoying’s photo studio was particularly popular—it felt awkward to ask for such a favor.
Fortunately, Shaoying was also one of Hu Ruoyun’s close friends who had dropped out early in order to help his family business. Despite feeling conflicted about lending out equipment during such busy times when old classmates came knocking at his door, he ultimately handed over an old camera that wasn’t used much anymore after reminding Hu Ruoyun repeatedly: “This thing is worth three or four thousand yuan! Be careful not to drop it! You’ll have to buy your own film…” He patiently taught Hu Ruoyun how to use this high-tech gadget.
It was already quite a favor to borrow a camera, so how could she ask for more and make them pay over thirty yuan for a roll of film? Hu Ruoyun readily assured, “Don’t worry, Brother Shao, I promise to return it in perfect condition!”
Jiang Qiuying walked along the river for two minutes; she would have to walk another four or five hundred meters to cross a small stone bridge and reach the main road. This place was already sparsely populated, and at this time close to noon, it was completely deserted.
The fourteen-year-old Jiang Qiuying wore a red dress with small white flowers, paired with white open-toe sandals. Her ponytail swayed as she walked, radiating youthful energy. Although she helped her family with farm work during holidays, her skin remained fair and delicate. With a heart-shaped face and almond-shaped eyes, she smiled to reveal two cute dimples.
At this moment, although the children were still naive, a group of boys led by Brother Biao privately referred to her as the "class flower."
Feeling pleased with how well she had done on her morning exam, the young girl skipped along happily, humming:
“Let us row our oars,
The little boat pushes through the waves.
The sea reflects the beautiful white tower,
Surrounded by green trees and red walls.
The little boat gently drifts on the water,
A cool breeze blows towards us.
The red scarf faces the sun,
Sunlight spills onto the sea surface.
The fish in the water gaze at us,
Quietly listening to our joyful singing.
The little boat gently drifts on the water,
A cool breeze blows towards us…”
As they approached the bridge, four figures suddenly blocked Jiang Qiuying's path. The leader had a horse-like face, with slanted eyebrows above a pair of triangular eyes and a wide, crooked mouth. His ugly and fierce appearance startled Jiang Qiuying.
This guy was Zhang Lingyun, whose name sounded grand but was known in the county as the "Dog Young Master," a worthless scoundrel.
Behind him were three others: one was thin like a stick, with a scar on his left cheek that made him look menacing; another was the Little Black Chubby One, whose beady green eyes darted around, clearly a schemer; and the last was over six feet tall, muscular, and with a face full of flesh, resembling a half-black tower—a typical thug.
Dog Young Master glanced at Jiang Qiuying with a lewd grin and said in a sleazy tone, "Hey there, little sister, why don't you come with me to the video hall? They have all the latest Hollywood blockbusters—it's going to be fun..." As he spoke, he reached out his hand toward Jiang Qiuying's chin.
Jiang Qiuying turned pale with fear. "I don’t know you! Go away!" Her body trembled uncontrollably as she tried to run, but her legs felt like they were no longer under her control.
Dog Young Master winked at his three lackeys, who moved in to grab Jiang Qiuying.
Brother Biao had seen everything from afar and rushed over with heavy footsteps that thudded against the ground. "What are you doing? Don’t touch her!" he shouted.
Brother Biao was a year behind in school and fifteen years old this year. He had developed early and often helped his family with work, giving him a sturdy build. Standing at nearly five foot seven, he looked older than his actual age as he rushed over to shield Jiang Qiuying behind him.
The four thugs were initially startled but relaxed when they realized it was just a half-grown kid running towards them. Dog Young Master shot an annoyed glance at the panting Brother Biao. "You little brat, get lost!"
Seeing Brother Biao glaring defiantly at him, Dog Young Master impatiently ordered his three henchmen, "Damn it, he’s asking for it! Take him down! Hurry up and don’t let him get in the way!"
Comment 0 Comment Count