Chapter 20: The Lazy Educated Youth (20)

Chapter 20: The Lazy Educated Youth (20)

Luo Chengxing didn't say anything more, reached out, and very gently touched He Yubin's face.

He Yubin pressed down on his hand: "There's nothing on my face."

He took Luo Chengxing's hand and placed it on his own stomach, so Luo Chengxing could keep rubbing it for him.

Even through the layers of clothing, Luo Chengxing knew exactly how soft that spot was.

The oil lamp's light flickered a few times, and as his hand slowly rubbed He Yubin's stomach, he suddenly thought of the first time he saw He Yubin, right in this very spot. Even back then, he knew this man's body was soft all over, nothing like his own rough farmer's body.

In winter, dawn came late, and the work bell rang as soon as the sky started to lighten.

Luo Chengxing had only just lain down in the dead of night and hadn't gotten much sleep. When he heard the bell, he got up, threw on his padded jacket, and got ready to head out.

He moved as quietly as he could, but lifting the blanket still let in a draft of cold air, waking He Yubin. Luo Chengxing tucked the blanket around him, folded the corners in tight, then got off the kang, moved the water jug within reach, and left.

Ever since He Yubin told Luo Chengxing about the brigade's model opera, he'd been busy, coming home even later than the field workers, and his usual lazy streak was nowhere in sight.

For days on end, he left early and came back late.

In Shanbao Village in winter, when there was no farming to do, the brigade had people dig up the field ridges and pile the dirt—there was always work to be found. And once the snow came, there was even more work in the fields.

In winter, when the brigade called for labor, it was usually the men of the household who went. The women didn't have much to do, except for the ones who wanted to earn work points—they'd head out to the fields too.

Wang Fengxia cooked the meal at home and sent Luo Fang to bring it to Luo Chengxing out at the field. Digging was usually done in one go without breaks, so each family sent food over in a small basket, and the men sat at the edge of the field to eat.

When Luo Fang got there, she happened to see Zhang Xiujuan bringing food to her dad, and that reminded her of what her mother had said about her brother finding a wife.

Luo Chengxing was squatting on the ground and picked up his bowl. Luo Fang had hurried over, so the food was still a little warm.

Luo Fang had already eaten at home, so she sat down nearby to wait to take the bowl back.

"Brother, when I came today, I saw Sister Xiujuan—she was bringing food to her dad. Mom said you didn't take a liking to Sister Xiujuan?" Luo Fang sat down, resting her hands on her thighs.

Luo Chengxing didn't look up, swallowing the food in his mouth and saying, "Is that any of your business?"

"How is it not my business? This is about my brother finding a wife!" Luo Fang said. "So who do you like, then?"

"I don't like anyone," Luo Chengxing said.

He thought to himself that he might as well tell his dad tonight to have Luo Fang start working the fields tomorrow. It just so happened that He Yubin was at the brigade every day and had no time for her little lessons. These past few days had left Luo Fang with way too much free time, and she was thinking about all kinds of nonsense.

"Then what kind of person do you like?" Luo Fang was dead set on prying something out of her brother, that tight-lipped gourd.

Luo Chengxing froze for a second, and Luo Fang caught that brief pause. She said excitedly, "Brother, you definitely just thought of someone! What kind? Who is it?"

"No one." Luo Chengxing set down his bowl.

Luo Fang stared at him. "There definitely is! Don't try to hide it from me."

Then she suddenly remembered something else. Luo Fang always said whatever came to mind around her own family.

Luo Chengxing had just relaxed, thinking he was off the hook, when he heard Luo Fang say cheerfully, "Brother, do you know what kind He Yubin likes?"

"He likes educated types, fair-skinned and good-looking, preferably a little thin."

Luo Fang added, afraid her brother wouldn't believe her: "He said so himself."

Actually, it was from when they were arguing during one of her lessons. He Yubin had deliberately said the opposite just to mess with Luo Fang—Luo Fang had thick eyebrows and big eyes, a build that took after her dad—a bit broad—and healthy wheat-colored skin.

Who would've thought Luo Fang couldn't read between the lines? She never caught on, thought He Yubin was actually sharing some secret with her, and now she was repeating it to her brother.

Luo Chengxing paused for a moment as he packed the basket. When he looked up again, he was calm as ever, handing the basket to Luo Fang: "Oh, really? Why are you, a young girl, poking your nose into other people's business like that?"

"Don't hang around the field. Go on home now."

Luo Fang hooked the basket over her arm and pouted: "No way, brother, you still haven't told me."

Luo Chengxing ignored her, grabbed the shovel beside him, and walked off.

"Everyone else is sitting around eating. Why are you in such a hurry to leave?" She muttered behind his back and left.

He'd already figured this out, so there was nothing in his heart to hurt over.

Was this how city folks were? Thinking kissing a man was no big deal? Still able to have women on their minds?

Luo Chengxing thought, at first he'd only wanted to teach He Yubin a lesson, but He Yubin had taken to it so easily—now he even hugged him to sleep when it got cold.

And that left him as the one feeling miserable instead.

Before, this man had never been one to overthink. His life was just eating and working, day after day, with nothing on his mind.

But now there was He Yubin, and there wasn't a moment he didn't think about him.

Luo Chengxing had always been a straightforward thinker. Emotions churned in his chest, and for a moment he wanted to throw everything to the wind...

But no—a thread called reason held him back.

Before, he'd wanted to get back at the He Yubin in his memory. But the He Yubin now was different from the one he remembered—at least for now. He had no reason to take his anger out on him and push him away again.

Starting that night, He Yubin noticed Luo Chengxing was acting off. He'd always been a man of few words, but with He Yubin, Luo Chengxing would talk and laugh. Now, though, even the blankets had been split up again. When He Yubin said he was cold, the man silently laid his own blanket over He Yubin and took the thin one from the cabinet for himself.

At that point, He Yubin didn't dare say anything else, afraid the man would think he was being too needy.

They hadn't done anything, but they'd kissed God knows how many times. When he felt like being nice to him, he was nice; when he didn't, he went cold. He Yubin had only ever kissed one person in his life—Luo Datou. He didn't know how many days he'd wrestled with himself before accepting Luo Datou. Even if Luo Datou did something more with him, he'd accept it.

Who would've thought that Luo Datou, who seemed so honest, would now turn his back and act like nothing happened.

He Yubin was so mad he wanted to pass out. Fine—if Luo Datou wanted to play games, he could play too!

Luo Chengxing figured this way his feelings for He Yubin would gradually fade, but he didn't expect that at some point, He Yubin started talking to Luo Dasheng, to Wang Fengxia, to Luo Fang—just not to him anymore! Not even a smile for him.

He figured that was fine too—saved him from any more complications.

The two shared a room, yet they spoke to each other the least.

Even Luo Fang noticed something was off between them. She didn't dare ask her brother, so she used the chance during her lesson to ask He Yubin if he'd had a fight with her brother.

"My brother doesn't seem like the type to get into fights, does he?" Luo Fang scratched her head. "Why?"

He Yubin lowered his eyes: "We didn't fight. It's nothing, same as always."

"You and my brother used to be like best buddies—even washing your hands, you'd huddle together whispering, and I couldn't get a word in edgewise..." Luo Fang had finally found her chance and let it all spill out like beans from a sack.

He Yubin listened to Luo Fang talk about how they used to be, and it made him feel uneasy inside.

He didn't want her to keep going on about it, so he said, "The brigade's model opera is done rehearsing. In a couple of days, the brigade leader will announce it over the loudspeaker for the whole village to hear."

Luo Fang really did drop the subject and said happily, "I never thought our Shanbao Village would get to hear model opera! I remember hearing from the brigade that there was a model opera somewhere before, and I only caught it once. Oh, there were so many people, I couldn't see or hear anything—just a bunch of heads in the way!"

"You're something else!" Luo Fang gave He Yubin a push. "This is great—our village brigade put on a model opera too!"

He Yubin said, "Our village brigade has always had people who can sing, but no one taught them, and there were no lyrics. I just gave them a hand. It still took the brigade leader to say the word—they wanted to do it, and that's how it happened."

"This time you won't be staring at a bunch of heads. The brigade leader said every family should bring stools and sit down to watch properly."

Luo Fang was about to speak when she caught sight of her brother standing by a tree, silent, not knowing how long he'd been there, like some kind of statue or something. She jumped: "Brother!"

He Yubin went stiff, his smile dropping. He tapped the notebook with his pencil and said, "Work on this problem."

Luo Fang looked up while doing the problem and noticed her brother was gone again.

When the loudspeaker in Shanbao Village crackled to life, the whole village was overjoyed. At a time when the New Year didn't even feel like the New Year, suddenly having a model opera to listen to was enough to get the whole village buzzing and keep them talking for days.

On the day of the performance, every household brought stools—everyone from the old folks to the kids came.

Luo Chengxing and He Yubin sat in the front. He Yubin had a smile on his face. He hadn't listened to one in a long time either, having written it all down from memory. He hadn't expected those folks in the Shanbao Village brigade to have such good voices—they sang great. In truth, it still wasn't quite as good as what he'd seen in the city, but so what?

The show went on in full swing for half a day, and the applause from the crowd nearly shook the sky. They wouldn't even let the performers leave, yelling for more.

"Pretty good singing," Luo Chengxing said after a long pause.

The smile on He Yubin's face faded.

After the model opera ended, the makeshift stage had to be taken down. The brigade leader rounded up strong guys like Luo Chengxing to help carry stuff, and He Yubin stood to the side waiting for Luo Chengxing. The brigade leader spotted him and came over, praising him again and again.

By the time the two left, the crowd had mostly dispersed. Luo Chengxing was walking in silence when he heard He Yubin say, "I have something to tell you."

"Hm." Luo Chengxing looked at him.

He Yubin tucked his hands into his sleeves, not looking up: "I talked to the brigade leader. I had all my work points put under your name. I used yours before—now it's all paid back."

Strictly speaking, work points couldn't be transferred like that. If they could be exchanged back and forth, the village would have been in chaos long ago. Luo Chengxing had no idea what method He Yubin had used to get the brigade leader to agree.

He Yubin... was he really drawing the line this clearly?

"Hm. Then we're even now." Luo Chengxing choked out after a long pause.

He Yubin laughed at that.

Luo Chengxing kept staring ahead. Not sure if he was mad or if he thought He Yubin felt a weight lifted, he said, "That's good... What happened between us before—I was a real jerk. Just pretend it never happened. Go find someone you actually like..."

He trailed off, his voice going flat, unable to keep going.

"You think this was just a game to me?" He Yubin stopped and asked calmly.

Of course not. He had treated He Yubin... like a wife he wanted to take care of.

So he said it out loud.

After saying it, Luo Chengxing paused for a moment, then said in a low voice, "I'm afraid of messing things up for you."