Chapter 62: Call Out Again and I'll Beat You to Death

They dragged the wild boar to the foot of the mountain first; the path Sun Jiabao found was indeed hidden and rarely frequented. From here, one could bypass the brigade and go straight into town, which made it even safer.

They kept four of the wild chickens and rabbits: one chicken for Sun Jiabao, one rabbit for Xie Yunzheng to take home, and two for Lin Jingyue and her companions. The weather was too hot to store them for long.

“Brother Jiang, I don’t need it,” Sun Jiabao said, embarrassed. “I didn’t help much earlier.”

Xie Yunzheng held the rabbit in his hand… So what should he do?

“Take it,” Jiang Xun said, handing it over without room for argument.

With Sun Jiabao in the brigade, things often went more smoothly.

Sun Jiabao scratched his head, grinning as he took the chicken, his smile stretching to his ears.

“I’ll walk Jingyue home. Sun Jiabao, you go fetch the cart. Zhou Yan, you two stay here and keep watch,” Jiang Xun instructed.

Lin Jingyue didn’t refuse Jiang Xun’s offer to escort her. No matter how capable she was, she was still a girl—and girls were delicate and soft, easily frightened.

“Here, something to fill your stomachs,” she said, pulling a few steamed buns from her satchel, which she had packed that morning. They had grown cold, but she had to keep her secret about the space carefully hidden.

“Thank you,” Zhou Yan said, only then realizing how hungry he was at the sight of the buns.

Jiang Xun walked ahead, carrying his basket, carefully clearing the thorns for Lin Jingyue. To avoid attracting trouble with the wild game inside the basket, the two picked up a bundle of firewood along the way to cover it.

When they returned to the Educated Youth Center, everyone was out of the yard. Jiang Xun set down the firewood and carried the wild game into Lin Jingyue’s room. “We’ll head out later and probably won’t be back until tomorrow morning.”

They would have to travel overnight to the town, and it would take time; there was no way they’d return the same day.

“Alright. Rest well in town before coming back, no rush. Tomorrow, I’ll go to the brigade leader to request leave for you two.” Jiang Xun and Zhou Yan were always diligent at work, so the brigade leader wouldn’t object.

“Okay.”

“Oh, make some food for the journey,” Lin Jingyue said, heading inside to fetch a bag of rice—about two catties’ worth. “Make extra, turn it into rice balls.”

Jiang Xun didn’t stand on ceremony, though he made a mental note to buy more rice on their return. Jingyue was indifferent to wheat-based foods.

Lin Jingyue helped him with the fire, and soon they had a pot of steamed rice. Jiang Xun stir-fried spicy and sour shredded potatoes to wrap in the rice balls, making a dozen fist-sized rice balls before stopping.

With some rice and potatoes left, he stir-fried tomato and egg. “I won’t eat dinner with you tonight. I’ll bring you something tasty when I get back.”

He spoke as if instructing a child.

Lin Jingyue laughed softly. “Go on, be careful.”

“No worries.”

He took the cloth bag and left the Educated Youth Center.

Only when his figure disappeared did Lin Jingyue sit down to eat. She ladled a bowl of rice, topped with tomato and egg, and spicy shredded potatoes. Eating bite by bite with a wooden spoon, she felt utterly content.

After eating her fill, she washed the dishes, tidied the stove, and soon the Educated Youth Center folks trickled back in. It was a rest day, but no one was idle; some had visited neighbors, others had gone to town for a treat.

Lin Jingyue greeted Xia Nan and turned into her room.

With her first article earning money, her confidence soared. The outline was already structured in her mind—she just needed to write. She bolted the door, entered her space, and wrote for two hours until her hand grew sore.

After a break, she cleaned the wild game she’d brought in, planning to cook it tomorrow. Once everything was done, it was nearly bedtime. She wondered how Jiang Xun and the others were doing, but it was just a passing thought. She trusted Jiang Xun’s skills and felt no worry.

She slept soundly, waking promptly at five-thirty the next morning. In just ten days, she’d formed a biological clock—remarkable, really.

She patted her face, climbed off the kang, and went to exercise. The day’s plan begins in the morning. After forty minutes of training, she descended the mountain and saw the brigade bustling with people preparing for work.

Lin Jingyue went to the brigade office. The brigade leader was just about to leave, holding something in his hands. Seeing Lin Jingyue, he paused. “Comrade Lin, is something wrong?”

Hopefully the Educated Youth Center hadn’t gotten into trouble again.

Seeing the brigade leader looking so wary, Lin Jingyue’s lips twitched slightly. “Jiang Xun and Zhou Yan have something to attend to today. They asked me to request leave for them.”

Sun Jiabao never worked, so he didn’t count.

“Alright, anything else?” Half the tension left the brigade leader’s face.

“….” Lin Jingyue shook her head, both amused and helpless.

The brigade leader treated the Educated Youth Center like a plague.

“Sister.” Turning a corner after leaving the office, Lin Jingyue ran into Lin Xinrou head-on.

“Slap!” Lin Jingyue’s eyes narrowed slightly, and she raised her hand, striking with lightning speed.

Lin Xinrou’s eyes widened in shock. “Lin Jingyue, are you crazy?!”

She was just saying hello.

Not just her—even the two elderly women nearby jumped in surprise.

“I remember warning you: call me sister again and I’ll beat you.” Lin Jingyue blew on her hand. “Your skin is so thick, it hurts my hand.”

With that, she glanced indifferently at Lin Xinrou and strode away.

Lin Xinrou fumed, but recalling Lin Jingyue’s formidable strength, she could only swallow her anger. Her face burned and looked twisted and strange.

“Come on, let’s go…” The two elderly women hurried each other, slipping away quickly.

“What are you afraid of? Comrade Lin wouldn’t hit us, would she?”

“You never know. Lin Xinrou just called her sister and got slapped.”

“If you’re so scared, why did you want your son to cozy up to Jiang Xun the other day?”

“…Let’s forget it. My stupid son can’t take a beating, and neither can I.” The old lady looked constipated.

Comrade Lin was too unpredictable.

“…”

After slapping Lin Xinrou, Lin Jingyue rewarded herself by boiling an extra egg.

A little treat for herself, having slapped her enemy today—she felt delighted.

The other Educated Youth Center folks found her odd, grinning eerily so early in the morning.

Xia Nan looked at Lin Jingyue with envy. “Comrade Lin, do you have any extra eggs? I’ll buy them from you.”

She kept her voice low.

These days, one couldn’t openly talk about trading.

Xia Nan was pitiful. She had no ration tickets. Even if she had money, she couldn’t get good food. At best, she could trade with brigade members for eggs, but even that wasn’t frequent.

“I don’t have many left,” Lin Jingyue shook her head.

She had plenty of eggs in her space, but she didn’t want to risk trouble or profit from it.

Seeing Xia Nan’s disappointed face, her eyes flickered. “But I can point you to a place—Uncle Shuisheng’s house.”

“Really? Would Aunt Shuisheng be willing?”

“She would. Just go quietly,” Lin Jingyue signaled her, and Xia Nan understood instantly.

They smiled knowingly.

Chen Chunlan saw them whispering together and pursed her lips.

Around eight, after everyone from the Educated Youth Center went to work, Jiang Xun and Zhou Yan would return.

Xie Yunzheng had already gone back next door.