OLD CHINESE CURRENCY
1.00 one yuan
0.10 one jiao / mao
0.01 one fen
1.11 one yuan one jiao and one fen
1 jin = 500 grams = 0.5 kilogram
Xia Xiaolan was suddenly seized around the upper body.
The words “Xia Xiaolan from Dahe Village” struck her like a thunderclap, making her heart lurch violently—but even so, she screamed for help as loudly as she could, without hesitation.
These filthy scum had actually investigated her background. The realization sent a chill through her, and panic crept in. There were three men. Two of them were already injured, and they didn’t dare linger.
If she kept screaming, someone would surely come. The uninjured one lunged forward to clamp a hand over her mouth. With no scissors left, Xia Xiaolan lashed out viciously, kicking him square between the legs.
The blow was brutal.
He released her with a howl, folding over like a cooked shrimp.
Xia Xiaolan didn’t stop. She kicked twice more without even checking if she hit. Seizing the opening, she burst free of the encirclement and sprinted toward the mouth of the alley.
When pushed to the brink, people could unleash terrifying strength. She wasn’t afraid of being robbed. What she feared was being violated.
She was still a clean, innocent young woman.
She wanted to fall in love properly in the 1980s, damn it.
The thugs cursed after her, shouting, “Stinking bitch!” as they gave chase.
Her heart pounded wildly. This body was too weak. She wasn’t short, but there was no way she could take on three hooligans. Just as she reached the alley’s exit, a shadow loomed before her.
Someone blocked her path.
For the first time, despair surged through her. Thinking it was another accomplice, Xia Xiaolan lowered her head and slammed straight into him.
Strong hands steadied her.
“I’m not one of them!” the man said quickly.
His accent wasn’t local to Anqing County.
He pulled her behind him and barked, “You sons of bitches have gotten bold, huh? Harassing a woman in broad daylight? The public security here is a joke! Comrade, don’t be afraid—I—”
Xia Xiaolan was drenched in sweat, her small face flushed pale red from running.
And in that instant, the man clearly saw her face.
He suddenly shouted, “Brother Chengzi! Get over here! These little punks are molesting a female comrade!”
Molesting a woman was bad enough—but why did it have to be this woman?
Ever since he’d seen Xia Xiaolan a few days ago at the noodle stall in Anqing County, he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her. The way she’d looked up while eating noodles—eyes misty, glistening, as if she had something to say but didn’t... had lodged itself firmly in his mind.
A surge of hot blood rushed to his head.
He shoved Xia Xiaolan behind him and charged at the three thugs, yelling like a madman.
Xia Xiaolan finally let out a breath.
So… he really was here to save her.
She recognized him now. The outsider who’d kept glancing at her at the noodle stall.
Footsteps echoed again at the alley entrance.
Another young man strode in, his steps firm and powerful. He looked sharp and alert, with a cropped haircut that only accentuated his striking features.
There was something roguish about him... dangerous, even.
This was not someone to mess with.
Zhou Cheng lifted his head—and met Xia Xiaolan’s gaze.
Her face was slick with sweat, her breathing uneven, yet none of it could hide her astonishing beauty.
Zhou Cheng didn’t know any fancy words. He just thought she looked good everywhere... and it made his mouth run dry.
Kang Wei was right. In a backwater place like Anqing County, there really was a hidden beauty.
No wonder Kang Wei had talked about her nonstop on the way here. And now fought like his life depended on it.
Zhou Cheng raised an eyebrow. With a face like that, trouble was inevitable. Wandering into secluded places alone was practically handing hooligans an invitation.
If she hadn’t slammed on the brakes at the intersection earlier, she would’ve been ruined.
An inexplicable anger flared in Zhou Cheng’s chest.
Even after Kang Wei had knocked the three thugs to the ground, Zhou Cheng still wasn’t satisfied. He picked up half a brick from the base of the wall and smashed it down hard on one man’s head.
The thug let out a single cry before collapsing, motionless.
“Brother Cheng!” Kang Wei rushed over.
“Easy! Don’t lose your head! It’s not worth it!”
Zhou Cheng shot him a look.
Xia Xiaolan had fixed her hair by then, though fear still lingered.
There was no one else around. What if these two were bad men too?
Zhou Cheng didn’t call her out on her caution. “What should we do with these three?”
Xia Xiaolan glanced at the sky. “Comrades, thank you so much. Could you… take them to the police station?”
Zhou Cheng nodded.
Kang Wei kicked one of the men hard.
“Quit playing dead. Get up.”
Kang Wei didn’t dare look at Xia Xiaolan.
But Zhou Cheng noticed the healing wound on her forehead.
“What happened there?”
She thought, this guy really has no sense of distance.
Still, they were her benefactors. She brushed it off vaguely. “I fell.”
The more Zhou Cheng looked at the wound, the more it irritated him. Such a flawless face marred by a scar... it was an eyesore. Would it leave a mark?
After Kang Wei tied them up, one thug still spat obscenities.
“She’s just a slut.”
“Other men can sleep with her! Why can’t we? We’re all men, let’s have some fun together!”
Kang Wei kicked him square in the face. Teeth flew. Finally, the man shut up.
The mood was awkward. Xia Xiaolan’s face darkened as she picked up her bicycle. Many of the eggs were smashed.
She earned one cent per egg.
Under the scorching sun, she traveled from village to village collecting eggs, then made two trips a day into Anqing County. She woke at five in the morning and didn’t rest until nine or ten at night, without a break in between.
Even then, she made barely ten yuan a day.
This fall meant she’d worked for nothing.
She’d suffered far worse in her previous life. And yet, she still felt unbearably wronged.
Who the hell wanted to be reborn into 1983?!
She’d struggled for twenty years to succeed! ... Only to lose everything after one night’s sleep.
Her eyes reddened. She stomped the thugs viciously.
“Even if I wanted to fool around, I wouldn’t pick trash like you! Cowards who only bully women!”
…
Xia Xiaolan was not someone to mess with.
She looked delicate, but the thugs had already been injured before she was rescued. At the police station, Zhou Cheng and Kang Wei took full responsibility, saying they’d done the beating.
The officers didn’t criticize them, instead they formally commended them.
“We’ve received notice from the Ministry of Public Security. During the current crackdown, criminals will be dealt with swiftly and severely. You two acted bravely. Commendation banners will be sent to your units.”
Kang Wei thought bitterly... bwhat units?
Xia Xiaolan emerged from another room. A female officer spoke gently, even comforting her.
“We’ll keep everything confidential.” The world was unfair to women. Even victims could be blamed.
Xia Xiaolan knew she’d never see those three men again. They’d been arrogant enough to commit a crime during a crackdown. They probably thought she wouldn’t dare report it for the sake of her reputation.
They were wrong.
Her reputation might already be bad, but she was fierce. She’d dared to stab eyes with scissors just to buy time.
When they left the station, it was already six in the evening. Though anxious, she insisted on treating her saviors to a meal. Not much of one, just the noodle stall at the street corner.
She couldn’t afford a restaurant. A state-run place would cost at least twenty yuan. All she could manage was soup noodles... maybe with two extra eggs.
Kang Wei was lively and talkative. Zhou Cheng looked dangerous but spoke little. Honestly, he looked more like a villain than the three thugs, yet Kang Wei, who could take down three men alone, deferred to him completely.
When the bowls were empty, Kang Wei tried to pay. Xia Xiaolan stopped him.
“What you did for me can’t be repaid with one bowl of noodles. Today, let me treat you.”
Kang Wei muttered that he’d never been treated to a meal by a girl before.
Zhou Cheng set down his chopsticks.
“You can return the favor another day. It’s late... I’ll walk you home.”
The last words were directed at Xia Xiaolan.
Happy with the mass update?
I might just do the same on Chinese New Year!
Comment: Mass Update for Chinese New Year!
Happy with the mass update?
I might just do the same on Chinese New Year!
Comment: Mass Update for Chinese New Year!
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