Chapter 16: The Lazy Educated Youth (16)

Chapter 16: The Lazy Educated Youth (16)

Luo Chengxing held the basket while He Yubin rummaged through it, picking things over. Inside were not only sweet potatoes and peanuts, but also two shriveled, small ears of corn.

He Yubin said happily, "We got a real haul tonight!"

Once the brigade showed up, everyone in the fields hightailed it home.

It was cool that evening, and the two strolled slowly back along the path.

Shanbao Village had no streetlights—pitch black at night, with only the moon for light. Once He Yubin finished sorting, he stuck close to Luo Chengxing, scared of tripping on rocks or pebbles and twisting an ankle.

Luo Chengxing held the basket in one hand and reached out with the other to grab He Yubin's arm, trying to guide him along.

But he hadn't held on long before his hand came up empty—He Yubin had pulled his arm away.

Before he could react, he felt his own hand being grabbed.

Luo Chengxing had big hands; He Yubin's were thin and long, just barely able to wrap around his palm.

Luo Chengxing's hand didn't dare move.

He Yubin said, "In the city, couples hold hands when they're going out."

Luo Chengxing turned to look at He Yubin. In the dark, he could only see the outline of his face.

Going out.

Those three words echoed in Luo Chengxing's mind, bringing a little sweetness but more aching bitterness.

They were both men—there was no way you could call it dating. He Yubin was only humoring him, fooling him, because he didn't want to do the heavy work.

Now he was even choking back his disgust to say the word "dating."

But Luo Chengxing didn't want to let go. He even squeezed back, gently but firmly.

Luo Chengxing tried to keep his voice as normal as ever. "Did you have a good day?"

"I did," He Yubin said. "Got a free meal and picked up a bunch of free stuff."

"Mhm."

After a long pause, Luo Chengxing suddenly asked a question he already knew the answer to: "Do you want to go back to the city?"

He Yubin answered without hesitation: "Of course. Which educated youth in the village doesn't wanna go back?"

Luo Chengxing was quiet for a moment, then asked: "Even the educated youth who got married here—do they wanna go back too?"

In the dark, He Yubin gave Luo Chengxing a weird look.

Even though Luo Chengxing had forced him, he couldn't help but feel dependent on him, like he could trust him.

He wouldn't have said this around others, but right now it was just the two of them.

So He Yubin said to Luo Chengxing, "Going back to the city—for everyone in the educated youth compound, it's become an obsession. No matter how many years they've been here, if they could go back, hardly anyone would say no."

"Obsession?" Luo Chengxing repeated slowly, puzzled.

"It's something you think about day and night, even in your dreams," He Yubin said.

"Oh, right." He Yubin slapped his forehead. "The folks in Shanbao Village don't have many tricks up their sleeves, but those educated youth are another story. You better keep an eye on Luo Fang."

Luo Chengxing felt a mix of emotions—the He Yubin who, in his memory, had fooled Luo Fang, was now telling him not to let her be fooled.

"You hear me?" Seeing he wasn't responding, He Yubin frowned.

He wasn't this nice every time. Luo Chengxing better not take this lightly—if his own sister ran off with an educated youth, he couldn't blame He Yubin for not warning him!

"Got it," Luo Chengxing said.

He Yubin shook his hand: "We're almost home. Let go, don't let anyone see."

"Alright." Luo Chengxing obediently let go. "Then walk behind me."

After letting go, Luo Chengxing curled his fingers, feeling like the warmth of the other person still lingered on his hand.

They walked a bit more and soon reached home.

The two entered the yard, and Luo Fang came over to take the basket from Luo Chengxing: "Brother, why are you two so late? Mom and Dad are already asleep."

"We took a longer walk," Luo Chengxing said.

"You two picked up so much." Luo Fang reached into the basket and dug around. "Me and Xiuer and the others—we only got a few peanuts."

"We're not relying on this for food anyway," Luo Chengxing said. "Tomorrow I'll roast you the sweet potatoes."

Only then did Luo Fang cheer up. "Then tomorrow I'll dry all the peanuts at home."

While the two talked, He Yubin scooped water from the vat with a gourd ladle and slowly washed his hands—he'd gotten some mud on them in the fields that evening.

Luo Chengxing looked at his sister, thinking about his memories and what He Yubin had said that night, and felt all sorts of emotions churning inside.

His sister was capable. He could protect her and keep the bad things at bay.

But...

In his memory, the college entrance exam was going to be restored. Luo Fang wasn't stupid—back when she was at the commune school, she was always one of the teachers' favorites.

If Luo Fang studied hard, she could take the exam. She'd had two years of middle school before their father decided that since she was a girl and schooling was useless anyway, she should stay home and help with the chores.

Shanbao Village was too small. As a man, he could hold his ground, but Luo Fang, as a girl, had only one path—marriage and kids.

The current Luo Chengxing didn't yet know that "knowledge changes fate," but the He Yubin in his memories had taught him that passing the exam meant going to university, becoming a college student, becoming a city person.

A vague idea started forming in Luo Chengxing's mind.

That night, after He Yubin washed up, he sat on the kang rubbing his legs. He'd walked a lot that day, and his calves were a bit swollen.

Luo Chengxing went out to dump the water, then came back in, thinking about how to bring up having He Yubin teach Luo Fang to read.

He was a bit worried, because he didn't know what was on the exam. Even if He Yubin was willing to teach, where would he get the books?

Luo Chengxing stood there, a big man, blocking all of He Yubin's light.

He Yubin looked up and met Luo Chengxing's eyes.

His heart skipped a beat. Was Luo Datou thinking about doing something to him?

Right—tomorrow he'd be doing his work again. Luo Datou wasn't the good guy he pretended to be.

He Yubin quietly swallowed, his heart a little scared.

Luo Chengxing was still staring right at him, and He Yubin cursed Luo Datou under his breath, calling him a dog—if you wanted him to work, you had to dangle a bone in front of him.

He swallowed his pride, thinking of the heavy farm work.

"Come here." He Yubin swung his legs down and called out to Luo Chengxing.

Luo Chengxing was still mulling over the idea of teaching her to read when he suddenly heard He Yubin call him, and he walked over without thinking.

Seeing Luo Chengxing still standing there, staring blankly, He Yubin frowned and repeated, "Bend down."

Luo Chengxing looked at him, not knowing what else He Yubin wanted.

Just as he leaned down, a pair of arms wrapped around him, and something soft met his lips.

"Okay." He Yubin had taken the initiative to kiss Luo Chengxing for the first time. He was sure he didn't like Luo Chengxing, his conscience clear, but the second their lips touched, his heart started racing.

He shoved Luo Chengxing away without thinking.

"So, will you work for me tomorrow now?" He Yubin's eyes darted around the room, avoiding his gaze.

"When did I ever say I wouldn't?" Luo Chengxing said blankly.

He Yubin frowned, pointing at him and saying, "Luo Datou! Don't act like you got the better end of the deal. So why were you staring at me like that?"

He realized his voice had gotten loud and quickly lowered it.

Luo Chengxing said, "I was thinking about something else entirely."

He Yubin's face flushed bright red.

Snapped out of his thoughts by He Yubin's interruption, Luo Chengxing pushed aside the worry he'd been chewing on and sat down beside him, asking, "You think I work for you just because you kissed me?"

He Yubin pulled the blanket over his head and said nothing.

Luo Chengxing sat there thinking for a while, then looked at He Yubin again, and suddenly understood...

So that's how it worked...

He reached out to touch He Yubin's cheek, but the second his hand touched it, He Yubin opened his eyes and glared at him, shooting his hand out from under the blanket to smack his hand away.

Luo Chengxing's hands were calloused, so He Yubin's hard slap barely registered.

He helped He Yubin pull the blanket down a bit: "Don't suffocate yourself. Can't you feel how hot your face is?"

He Yubin muttered, "Get lost."

Luo Chengxing scratched his head, not sure why He Yubin was mad again—was it because he'd touched his face without asking?

He sat next to He Yubin for a while, planning to ask him, then get Luo Fang's take, and see if his dad could scrounge up some books. They wouldn't go to the commune school; they'd just shut the door and study at home.

Thanks to his memories, Luo Chengxing knew He Yubin was a great student and had gotten into university the very first year the college entrance exam came back.

So Luo Chengxing figured he'd have He Yubin teach Luo Fang. First, because his dad would never let Luo Fang keep going to school, and second, Luo Chengxing couldn't explain it, but he just knew He Yubin would be great at teaching her.

He just didn't know if either of them would go for it...

He Yubin heard the man sitting beside him, still as a statue, peeled his eyes open and said, "Why don't you turn off the light and go to bed? What are you just sitting there for?"

"You're not asleep?" Luo Chengxing was startled.

He Yubin said impatiently, "With you sitting there and the light blazing, how am I supposed to sleep?"

Luo Chengxing turned off the light and climbed onto the kang.

Luo Chengxing moved a bit closer to He Yubin, "Don't go to sleep yet, I want to ask you something."

He Yubin kept his eyes closed: "What?"

"It's just..." Luo Chengxing turned it over in his mind, "I wanted to ask if you could teach Luo Fang to read."

He Yubin's eyes flew open, he sat up halfway, and grabbed him, demanding, "Did you hear something?!"

Luo Chengxing opened his mouth, then closed it.

With memories from a past life, he'd long decided he could never tell anyone—who knew if he'd be punished by the heavens?

And anyway, who would believe him?

He shook his head and said, "No, I just thought Luo Fang's too restless, and I wanted you to teach her to read to settle her down."

The light in He Yubin's eyes died instantly. He let go and got back under the blanket: "Fine, since you asked, but would the little girl even be willing? She'll need textbooks and pens too."

Luo Chengxing saw He Yubin's disappointed look, reached out to pat him, and said, "I'll handle the textbooks and stuff."

He Yubin turned his back and let out a muffled "Mm."

He shouldn't get his hopes up anymore. Those educated youth who'd come to the village... how many years had they waited?

Now... this was already good enough. If he hadn't run into Luo Datou, he had no idea where he'd be right now.

Just as he was thinking, a big hand landed gently on his back.

The man had never been good at comforting anyone. He patted He Yubin for a bit, then stopped, sitting there at a loss.

He Yubin's eyes burned.

He was a man, not one to cry easily, nor one to wear his heart on his sleeve.

But the man behind him just patted him, and he...

Anyway, they'd talked it out, and there was no one else around. He Yubin turned and wrapped his arms around Luo Chengxing.

Unlike the kiss earlier, He Yubin buried himself completely in Luo Chengxing's arms.

Luo Chengxing's arm hung in the air for a moment, then slowly settled on He Yubin's back. He Yubin said nothing, and after a while, Luo Chengxing felt his chest grow damp.

"I'm sorry," Luo Chengxing said quietly.

Had he... been wrong to bring up the studying thing?

He Yubin's voice was muffled: "What are you sorry for? I'm just... being too soft."

He Yubin knew he wasn't a good man. Like he'd said, if he hadn't met Luo Chengxing, he really didn't know how he'd have made it.

He Yubin closed his eyes. From now on... he'd just think of himself as one of Shanbao Village's own.

At least until Luo Chengxing got married, he could stay here in peace.