Chapter 436: It’s Hard to Be Good

Chapter 436 It’s Tough Being a Good Person

Hai Yan's full attention was now on the young man. The store’s losses didn’t matter to her.

Seeing the many wounds on the young man’s body and head, Ye Xiaoxiao spoke up, "Come to my place. I have medicine to reduce swelling and stop bleeding at home. His wounds need to be treated."

In these times when medicine is hard to come by, ordinary households didn’t have things like first-aid kits.

The young man: "Don’t worry about it, I’m okay."

Hai Yan was the more anxious one. "That’s not for you to decide whether you’re fine or not. Comrade Ye, sorry to trouble you."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "...It’s no trouble."

Hai Yan asked Ye Xiaoxiao what she had come to buy. Ye Xiaoxiao said, "The vegetables in my yard have grown, so I came to get some stuff for hotpot."

After checking the young man’s injuries, Hai Yan told Ye Xiaoxiao, "Comrade Ye, please go ahead and take A Bang to get treated first. I’ll prepare the hotpot ingredients for you."

Hai Yan’s small store also needed to be tidied up.

Ye Xiaoxiao was quite satisfied with this arrangement. "Alright, here’s my money and ration coupons. Please pick out what you think works."

Ye Xiaoxiao told her what she wanted, and Hai Yan agreed. "Even if my store doesn’t have it, I know where to get it. Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered."

So Ye Xiaoxiao left first with the young man named A Bang.

A Bang didn’t want to go, but when he hesitated, Hai Yan shot him a look, and he had no choice but to comply.

A Bang had some wounds, but they weren’t serious. Ye Xiaoxiao disinfected them and put on some medicine to stop the bleeding and fight infection.

One wound near his eye was deeper, with tiny glass shards embedded in it.

"If this had gone any deeper, it could have hurt your eye."

As a doctor, Ye Xiaoxiao strongly disapproved of such impulsive fighting.

"Why does it seem like you have a grudge? Is that man Hai Yan’s relative? Nowadays, people are supposed to marry who they want now. How can he still be so backward?"

Yu Dahai acted like a feudal patriarch. If this kind of forced marriage happened in Beijing, the women’s rights officer would probably have a word with him.

A Bang was not much of a talker. Faced with Xiao Xiao’s questions, he only shook or nodded his head, not giving anything away.

It wasn’t until Hai Yan arrived that A Bang stood up. "I’ll go back to the store first and straighten things up there."

Hai Yan had already bought everything Ye Xiaoxiao needed. Seeing A Bang about to leave, she handed the items to Ye Xiaoxiao and prepared to leave as well.

"Stay for dinner, both of you." Ye Xiaoxiao wasn’t just being polite—she felt Hai Yan needed help.

"Hai Yan, if you don’t mind, you can fill me in on your situation. Maybe I can help."

Hai Yan sighed. She didn’t feel like returning to the store now, so she sat down in Ye Xiaoxiao’s living room.

"It’s just my family trying to arrange a marriage for me."

Hai Yan said bitterly, "I was married once before. The man didn’t live long—he was lost at sea less than a year after we married. His family didn’t want me, and my own family turned their backs on me. I borrowed money from a kind person to open this store.

Over the years, I’ve earned a lot from the store and paid back all the debts long ago.

Maybe because they see me doing well now, my brother and mother have started trying to control me again."

Hai Yan's brief words summed up her hard and hopeless life.

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Doesn’t the island have a Women’s Federation office? Don’t they handle such matters?"

Hai Yan simply shook her head, "No use. The Women’s Federation is just a front. Even if I report the issue, all I’ll get in return are platitudes like 'even fair judges can’t fix family problems.'"

Hai Yan had tried seeking help before, but the island’s relatively closed environment held onto a lot of backward traditions, nothing like the freedom you’d get in a big city.

Ye Xiaoxiao could understand these struggles. Fighting for women’s rights was never easy.

Not just in the 1980s—hell, even today it’s still a problem.

"Actually, I could leave the island and start over somewhere else, but... I can’t just walk away from everything I’ve worked for."

Hai Yan was really hurting, which was why she opened up so much to Ye Xiaoxiao.

A Bang balled his fists at his side, "Yanzi, I won’t stand for them pushing you around."

"A Bang, don’t get involved. You hurt my elder brother today—they’ll be gunning for you." That was Hai Yan’s biggest worry now.

Ye Xiaoxiao’s gaze shifted between the two.

There was something between Hai Yan and A Bang, yet they weren’t quite a couple.

It was that awkward stage—stuck in that in-between—not just friends, not quite lovers.

As for Hai Yan’s situation, if talking didn’t work, maybe fists would.

Since the two were staying for hot pot, Ye Xiaoxiao decided to ask Lu Hanchuan that evening about how to handle such matters.

She could patch people up, but throwing punches wasn’t her thing.

Better let the experts handle it.

Just as Ye Xiaoxiao was thinking this, the guy Lu Hanchuan sent to help with the chicken coop showed up.

Ye Xiaoxiao recognized him—the young soldier who had also helped repair the toilet last time.

"You again?"

Gao Tianyang nodded with a smile, "Regiment Commander Lu’s orders, sis."

Not just Gao Tianyang, but two other soldiers as well. They were a lot looser this time, not like before.

They all called her 'sis' now, whereas during their first meeting, they had addressed her as "Mrs. Lu."

Ye Xiaoxiao found this much friendlier. No rush on the work, so she waved them in for a drink first.

Gao Tianyang shook his head, "Sis, we’d better get to work first. Gotta check back in with the unit soon."

"Thank you for your hard work."

After Ye Xiaoxiao spoke, the others shook their heads.

Whenever Lu Hanchuan asked for help with such chores, he always made sure folks got paid for odd jobs. The men he chose were usually from struggling families, so they could earn a little extra afterward.

Though if scrutinized, this practice wasn’t exactly by the book—so no one would ever mention it.

They just knew they’d get their cut.

So they didn't dare slack off; each was highly motivated.

Hai Yan and A Bang heard the commotion in the yard and came out to help.

Gao Tianyang was startled when he saw A Bang's bruised face. "Sis, is this your friend?"

Gao Tianyang actually knew Hai Yan—she ran the only shop on the island, so everyone knew her.

"A friend of Hai Yan's, who's run into some trouble."

Gao Tianyang asked what happened, and after learning the whole story, he said directly to Ye Xiaoxiao, "Sis, why drag Regiment Commander Lu into this? I can help solve it."

Ye Xiaoxiao, concerned about his young age, worried he might cause trouble. "Don't do anything stupid."

Using one's military position to misbehave wasn't right.

Gao Tianyang quickly explained, "Sis, I know what I'm doing. It's just a bit of intimidation, that's all."