Chapter 5

Shen Yunqi kicked the gate open and charged straight into the courtyard. Wang Guilan was sitting in the yard, picking vegetables. The moment she saw him, her expression darkened. "What are you doing here?" "Why are you making my sister go to the countryside?" Shen Yunqi shouted at her. "Where's that fat son of yours? My sister hasn't even spent a single day living in your house, so why should she be the one to go?" Wang Guilan threw the vegetables onto the ground, stood up, and planted her hands on her hips. Her voice was even louder than his. "You little brat! Who do you think you are, barging into our house and causing trouble? Your sister came out of my womb. Of course she's the one who should take the quota!" "Go to hell!" Shen Yunqi trembled with anger. "You're just using my sister as a scapegoat! Your whole family is full of rotten people!" Wang Guilan charged forward, attempting to slap him. "You little beast! How dare you curse at me! I'll teach you some manners on behalf of your parents!" Shen Yunqi dodged backward but tripped over the threshold and fell heavily to the ground. He scrambled back to his feet without saying a word, his eyes scanning the surrounding area. Then he bent down, picked up a fist-sized stone, and hurled it with all his strength at the window of the house. Crash! The glass in the main room shattered, scattering across the floor. Wang Guilan screamed. By now, Shen Yunqi was so furious that he no longer cared what he was destroying. He even ripped up the flowers Wang Guilan had planted beside the wall and threw them around. Hearing the commotion, Shen Jianguo came out of the house. He had barely reached the doorway when a stone flew straight toward him. Thud! It struck him squarely on the forehead. Clutching his head, he let out a piercing scream. His facial features twisted in pain. Wang Guilan screamed even louder. "Oh, heavens! This little brat is trying to kill someone!" When Shen Queying arrived, Shen Jianguo was sitting on the doorstep, clutching his bleeding forehead. Wang Guilan was grabbing Shen Yunqi while shrieking hysterically. "I'm going to the police station! I'll go to your school and report you to your teachers! I'll make you pay for the damages! I'll have you thrown in jail!" "Let go!" Shen Queying rushed forward and shoved Wang Guilan away. Only after confirming that Shen Yunqi was unharmed did she finally breathe a sigh of relief. She crouched down and glanced at Shen Jianguo's injury. The wound wasn't deep, so she had a rough idea of the situation. "Oh, you've just broken the skin," she said quietly. "It's bleeding a little, but the wound isn't deep." Shen Jianguo grimaced in pain and looked up at her. "Are you blind? Look at all this blood! Look at all the broken glass scattered around the courtyard!" Shen Queying glanced around before lowering her voice. "Then let's report it to the police. After that, we can take the matter from the police station to the Educated Youth Office, and then to your factory's Revolutionary Committee. Who do you think will end up in trouble?" "Your precious fat son still wants to join the military, doesn't he? He can forget about that!" Wang Guilan immediately stopped screaming. Tears still hung on her face, making her look like a hen that had just been grabbed by the neck. Shen Queying straightened up and brushed the dust off her trouser legs. Her voice returned to its normal volume. "My younger brother acted recklessly today. I'll pay for the broken window and the medical expenses." She took a one-yuan note from her pocket and placed it beside Shen Jianguo. "That's all you're getting. Let's end this here." "But if I hear that you've been spreading any stories you shouldn't, I can't guarantee that I'll be able to keep all these matters from coming to light." The muscles on Shen Jianguo's face twitched repeatedly. Of course, he was unwilling to let the matter go. But Shen Queying was right. If things escalated, his own family wouldn't escape unscathed. Moreover... He remembered Shen Bainian's cold expression, and the anger rising inside him was forcibly suppressed. Wang Guilan rolled her eyes several times, then snatched up the money and stuffed it into her pocket. "Hurry up and take that little brat away! Stop standing around in front of my house!" Inside the house, Shen Yao had been pressing herself against the window, listening to the shouting outside. At last, the heavy stone in her heart finally dropped. Wonderful! With Shen Yunqi smashing things and causing such a scene, all the neighbors now knew that Shen Queying was going to the countryside. Shen Jianguo had suffered a loss, Wang Guilan had received money, and both sides would now settle down. Shen Queying was definitely leaving! Shen Yao lowered her head and looked at the dacron dress she was wearing. It was light blue, with a perfectly fitted waist. Song Min had specifically asked a tailor to make it according to her measurements. She turned halfway in front of the mirror, unable to suppress the smile spreading across her face. This is how things should be. This is the life I was meant to have. ... Meanwhile, Shen Queying led Shen Yunqi back home. "Sis," he called in a muffled voice. "You certainly have some nerve, barging into someone else's house and attacking them. Do you know what the consequences could be?" "I'm not afraid." Shen Yunqi raised his head, his eyes still red with anger. "They were bullying you!" "You silly boy. Don't ever go after them alone again, understand? If you go by yourself, you'll be the one who gets hurt." Shen Yunqi nodded vigorously, and tears rolled down his cheeks. Then he rushed inside, rummaged through his belongings, and came back with a wooden slingshot wrapped with copper wire. He also pulled out a small cloth pouch and stuffed both items into Shen Queying's arms. Inside the pouch were several neatly folded banknotes and coins: one-jiao and two-jiao notes, along with a few one-fen and two-fen coins. "This is the money I've saved from my New Year gifts. Seventeen yuan and sixty-three fen," Shen Yunqi said. "Take it and buy yourself something you like." Then he clenched his fist and waved it determinedly. "Once you get there, if anyone dares to bully you, use the slingshot to teach them a lesson!" Shen Queying's heart melted. She reached out and ruffled his hair affectionately. That evening, the entire family closed the doors and held a meeting. Early the next morning, Song Min began rummaging through cupboards and counting the household ration coupons and other supplies. Shen Queying didn't sit idle either. With only a few days remaining, she needed to make preparations of her own. Song Min drew up a list and began organizing everything as though she were preparing a dowry for her daughter's wedding. From military-style padded coats and dog-fur bedding to fur-lined leather shoes, Snowflake cold cream, clam oil, and all sorts of scarce necessities... She packed everything into three large bundles, making sure her daughter would have almost everything she might need. Then she called Shen Queying aside and handed her a separate collection of particularly important items. When Shen Queying opened the package, she found more than twenty kinds of medicine, including frostbite ointment, red antiseptic solution, gentian violet, and even medicated toothpaste and medicinal soap. "Mom, this..." Song Min took her hand. Before she could finish speaking, her eyes had already reddened. "Old Li at the pharmacy owes me a favor. These supplies are being written off as discarded stock, so it's fine." "From now on, we won't be there beside you. You must learn how to take good care of yourself." Shen Bainian, meanwhile, handed her an envelope containing a full fifty ten-yuan notes, along with a thick stack of national grain coupons. Shen Queying froze. "This is too much. The family still needs money to maintain connections and make arrangements..." "Take it," Shen Bainian interrupted. "You must never be left without enough money. Keep this with you for emergencies. If our family manages to get through this crisis safely, I'll find a way to arrange for you to return to the city." As he spoke, he took out two cartons of Daqianmen cigarettes, carefully wrapped in newspaper, and handed them to her. "When you get there, remember to give the cigarettes to Uncle He. Whenever you arrive somewhere new, you need to remember the importance of building relationships and showing respect." Shen Queying accepted the envelope and cigarettes, then nodded. Shen Yunzhou was crouching on the floor of the main room, with a bulging canvas bag spread open in front of him. The moment he saw her come out, he immediately began taking things out of the bag. He had exchanged all the family's industrial coupons for an enamel washbasin, a thermos, and an aluminum lunchbox. Then came the things he had managed to obtain from his coworkers over the past few days. First was a military-green diagonal-weave canvas belt in excellent condition. Its buckle was made of copper, and it was heavy enough to be used both as a belt and as a weapon if necessary. Next was a small Czech-style folding knife, two packets of dried beef, a flashlight, and several batteries. Finally, he took out three cans of luncheon meat and a small packet of tea leaves. "The knife can protect you and open cans. Eat the beef during the journey. The tea leaves can be used to build relationships." "The canned meat came from a coworker who brought it back from the military. It's the real thing. Once you get there, if you're exhausted, open a can and replenish your strength." After finishing, he took off the watch from his own wrist and handed it to Shen Queying. It was a Shanghai-brand watch. Although its strap was somewhat worn, the watch face had been polished until it gleamed. "Wear this," he said. "You'll have to keep track of your shifts and working hours at the forest farm. Relying on radio announcements alone could cause problems." "But this watch is..." Shen Queying immediately tried to refuse.