16 Chapter 16

Master Wang shouted angrily, “How is it that each of you suddenly has something to do at three o’clock? How could you possibly remember so clearly?!”

Gu Yiren stepped forward calmly and said, “You can remember exactly when you lost your stuff, so why can’t they remember when they were busy?”

“Exactly! Why can you remember, but we can’t?”

“What exactly did you lose? If you have the ability, find the thief; if not, just say so!”

“We people from Xiaotang Village have clean hands and feet. If you think this is a den of thieves, then call the police!”

Master Wang was furious, his eyes darting repeatedly at Gu Yiren. After much thought, he admitted, “It was a very tall man. I think he’s right here!”

Sister Ma was a veteran cadre at the brigade office. Last month, her granddaughter had choked on a piece of candy while playing by the riverbank, her face turning purple as she struggled for breath. It was Su Liuhe who had used some kind of “immediate sea-mother” rescue method to help dislodge the candy.

She was immensely grateful and would never allow anyone to casually slander them.

Sister Ma glanced toward Gu Yiren and saw him nodding. Despite her regret, she coughed twice and held up her hand to quiet the murmurs.

“Master Wang, please wait a moment. Our voting here isn’t finished yet.”

Sister Ma approached the brigade secretary and whispered a few words. Sure enough, she saw the secretary’s shocked expression.

He personally walked over to Gu Yiren and asked, “Have you really made up your mind? You don’t want the recommendation spot for the Workers’ and Peasants’ University this time?”

As soon as he spoke, everyone gathered to persuade Gu Yiren, convinced he was being forced to give up.

Su Liuhe had told Gu Yiren that such diplomas were worthless. Once the college entrance exam was reopened, ten Workers’ and Peasants’ University graduates wouldn’t match one ordinary university student passing the exam.

Gu Yiren firmly believed Su Liuhe wouldn’t deceive him and said with certainty, “I’ve decided—I’m going to join the army.”

His words carried great weight. Sister Ma and the brigade secretary also felt that Gu Yiren joining the army might suit him better than the Workers’ and Peasants’ University. However, he would have to wait a year, as recruitment began next summer.

Liu the Elder and Master Wang could barely hide their delight, especially Liu the Elder. His family had long opposed Gu Yiren, and now they’d finally turned the tables! They absolutely could not let Gu Yiren leave Xiaotang Village.

What they did not know was that Gu Yiren was deliberately buying time.

As long as he passed the college entrance exam by the end of the year, he could leave the following spring without waiting the entire year. Moreover, attending a military academy was also a form of military service, so Gu Yiren was not lying.

Five minutes later, when the brigade secretary personally erased Gu Yiren’s name, Master Wang returned carrying a package.

Together, the secretary and Master Wang opened the package to inspect its contents, then announced to the villagers, “It was a misunderstanding! Master Wang mistakenly delivered the package to Old Liu’s house. Now that the package is found, there are no thieves in our village!”

Su Liuhe watched their performance coldly, finally realizing the brigade secretary was colluding with those lurking in the shadows.

This was bad. If Gu Yiren wanted to take the college entrance exam, he would need the brigade office’s official stamp to register at the city enrollment point.

Su Liuhe’s gaze involuntarily landed on Sister Ma, who had spoken up for them. Perhaps Sister Ma was fair and impartial and could assist them.

Suddenly, a voice shouted from afar, “Murder! Someone’s killing!”

A figure came running wildly, scattering the crowd.

“Watch out!”

Gu Yiren tightly grasped Su Liuhe’s wrist, pulling her close and shielding her in his arms. Almost at the same moment, the madman dashed past them, wielding an axe as he broke through the crowd, aiming at Master Wang!

If Liu the Elder hadn’t pushed the attacker away just in time, Master Wang’s head would have been cleaved in two!

The brigade secretary hurried to the office, locking a large group of villagers outside as they confronted the madman. From the window, he shouted, “He’s at it again! The madman’s gone berserk! Tie him up quickly!”

Master Wang stumbled, chased by the madman, falling in front of Gu Yiren and shouting, “Tie him up! Save me! I beg you, save me!”

“Can’t help you.” Gu Yiren held Su Liuhe and strode past him. The madman swung the axe, making Master Wang so scared he wet himself.

“Hahaha, coward, I’ll kill you!” The madman raised the axe only to be grabbed by Uncle Song.

In the end, a few men tied up the madman and locked him in the cattle shed. His axe was taken away, and he turned his back to Master Wang, chuckling sinisterly.

Master Wang scrambled to his feet, abandoning even his bicycle and the recovered package, fleeing down the main road in terror.

Sister Ma told everyone to disperse.

On the way back, Su Liuhe quietly pulled back the little hand still held by Gu Yiren. His palm was too hot, uncomfortable.

Gu Yiren’s face was expressionless as his free hand rubbed along the seam of his trousers.

Su Liuhe said foolishly, “I always feel like he’s helping us. Look, he didn’t attack all those people, just targeted Master Wang.”

Gu Yiren didn’t want her to know the dirty dealings beneath the surface and said, “Later, I’ll give him some osmanthus rice cakes.”

Su Liuhe nodded, “It must be because we feed him more, so he’s kinder to us.”

The rice made from leftover brine rice was turned into osmanthus rice cakes by Su Liuhe. At first, they didn’t know what effect the extra rice might have. But after eating it for a while, they realized this jade-like rice cleared the mind and refreshed the spirit.

Having studied for a long time, Gu Yiren found that eating rice-based cakes swept away fatigue, allowing him to keep studying.

Su Liuhe named it “Clear Spirit Rice.”

Over the past two years, they had tried many things in the brine jar—millet, sweet potato flour, corn, cured meat, even fabric and money, but only a small golden chrysanthemum flourished. They brewed it into tea, which expelled impurities and strengthened the body.

Su Liuhe simply called it “Health Tea.” Drinking it long term, neither of them ever fell ill. Su Liuhe didn’t notice other effects, but Gu Yiren’s strength grew, and his eyesight improved.

With limited village resources, they planned to try more once in the city.

After today’s brief episode, seeing off Jiang Jinlan and Zhou Chenggong going to university, Xiaotang Village returned to calm.

On Su Liuhe’s windowsill lay a newspaper reporting the Ministry of Education’s meeting on higher education held in the capital.

This confirmed to her and Gu Yiren that the college entrance exam was about to resume. They had already begun preparing intensely.

Every October, the same routine followed—harvesting large cabbages to make sauerkraut, then digging sweet potatoes and storing winter vegetables.

This time, Su Liuhe didn’t have to carry the cabbages herself; Gu Yiren brought home a whole sack.

In early October, after work, Su Liuhe and Gu Yiren visited Sister Ma’s home. Surprised, Sister Ma refused their gifts but promised to help if they truly wished it.

Her little granddaughter munched on osmanthus rice cakes given by Su Liuhe, her big eyes wide and curious.

After they left, Sister Ma hugged the child and kissed her gently. “Let’s help your benefactors, okay?”

The little girl, innocent and pure, replied, “Okay!”

On October 21, the nation’s major media announced the resumption of the college entrance exam.

The entire country was elated!

Xiaotang Village’s few educated youth, farmers with educational aspirations, barefoot doctors, and workers in all positions were eligible to register.

Sister Ma kept her word and personally brought Gu Yiren a letter of introduction. “I know you’re a good comrade. No one can deprive you of the right to take the exam. If anything happens, I’ll watch out for you. You can register with peace of mind.”

Sister Ma’s words were not empty. After news of the exam spread, many came to the brigade office to inquire about registration. When they learned they needed the brigade office’s official stamp before registering in the city, everyone swarmed around the brigade secretary, flattering him.

This was their chance to change their fate, and the secretary held everyone’s lifeline in his hands. Sister Ma witnessed someone bribing him.

Privately, the brigade secretary held a meeting with the cadres, emphasizing, “Everyone must get my stamp for registration!” Then he locked the official seal in his drawer, causing much inconvenience.

Sister Ma was relieved Gu Yiren’s timing was lucky; a little later, it might have been too late.

The next day, Su Liuhe feigned illness and dramatically collapsed in the field under everyone’s watchful eyes.

Gu Yiren carried her to the village clinic, where Xiangcai, having apprenticed there for a year, immediately said, “This illness needs to be treated in the city. Our clinic has no medicine for it. You’ll have to go to the women’s hospital.”

Liu the Elder and Liu the Second chased after them, but Xiangcai rolled her eyes and snapped, “You want to understand women’s illnesses? Have some shame!”

Though the brigade secretary doubted, the official seal was clearly locked away. With a wave of his hand, he allowed them to ride on the donkey cart with other exam candidates heading to the city.

Miss Song, who was taking the exam, helped Gu Yiren get the application form. After filling it out, she assisted in submitting it to the registration point.

When about ten candidates happily returned to the donkey cart, Su Liuhe held prepared cotton balls in her hands and sincerely wished them well.

By late October, the north wind rose, and temperatures plummeted near freezing.

On the northern roads, diligent migratory birds had already begun their journey.

Su Liuhe picked up white birch leaves that had fallen on her, but before she could admire them, Gu Yiren took them and tucked her arm into his thin cotton jacket, patting it gently.

Su Liuhe leaned against the cart rail, bored, until Gu Yiren lifted her little face and rested it on his shoulder. “Be careful of the wind.”

She shifted her chin to find a comfortable position, unaware that her small movement made Gu Yiren’s Adam’s apple bob.

Few vehicles passed on the road. A red-flagged sedan with a Beijing license plate approached. Su Liuhe glanced but paid it no mind.

The driver urged the donkey to the roadside, not knowing the status of the red-flag car from Beijing, only that it must not be scratched or bumped.

“Hey, it’s rare to see a donkey cart these days.”

From the red-flag sedan, Gu Xiaowen smoked outside the window and said, “Mom, look, these people all seem like they’re going to take the college entrance exam with me. Some are as old as Dad.”

Upon hearing the news of the exam resumption in Beijing, Gu Xiaowen had consulted a master who calculated his luck and the best place to take the exam based on his birth chart. He dared not spread the word, fearing accusations of superstition. After much inquiry, Huqiao City was indeed a feng shui treasure land.

Remote, sparsely populated, with less competition.

Taking advantage of Tong Hongyan’s visit to a neighboring city to see an old Chinese doctor, he begged her to accompany him to register.

If he told his father, his father would never agree. But if Tong Hongyan agreed, Gu Zhongjia would certainly not object.

The donkey cart sped past quickly. Tong Hongyan barely saw it and advised Gu Xiaowen, “You must respect the teacher we hired for you this time. Work hard and don’t hang out with your cousins so much.”

Gu Xiaowen replied, “I know. I’ll make friends with the diligent and earnest here. Afterward, I’ll show you. In this environment, trying to take the exam—whether I pass or not—I have more respect for them.”

What Tong Hongyan didn’t know was that several people had already agreed with Gu Xiaowen to come take the exam together. Several young men from Beijing treated this rare chance to change their fate as a kind of out-of-town trip.

“Yeah, I know,” Gu Xiaowen leaned back and promised Tong Hongyan, “If my dad won’t let me join the army, I’ll take the military academy entrance exam myself to prove it to him.”

This was mostly to fool Tong Hongyan.

The young escort driving ahead couldn’t help laughing. Gu Xiaowen lightly tapped the back of his head. “Drive carefully. My eyelid’s been twitching lately; you gotta watch out.”