Chapter Three: Stay Away From Me From Now On

In the morning, Li Xiangyang went out to the house where the educated youth lived to collect his belongings.

Of everyone who had ever harmed his mother and younger sister in his previous life, Li Xiangyang intended to spare no one.

The first thing to do was cut ties with Su Yan. That woman was far too vicious.

Even a single glance at her was annoying.

"Li Xiangyang!"

Su Yan was pretending to read in the room. When she saw Li Xiangyang arrive, she hurriedly turned around and feigned indifference.

In truth, ever since she had left that day, she had been faintly regretful. But she still believed that with Li Xiangyang's intelligence, he would never see through her little scheme.

Yet when Su Yan heard from Wang Ming that Li Xiangyang had hunted a great many rabbits and pheasants in the mountains, she regretted it all the more.

Because Li Xiangyang had not given her even one rabbit.

When Wang Ming had sworn up and down that the rabbits Li Xiangyang had caught weighed seven or eight pounds each, and that their family of three could never finish them all, Su Yan had assumed Li Xiangyang would surely bring some to her.

But she waited the entire night.

The mere thought that Li Xiangyang had so much meat and still had not sent any to her first made her feel terribly wronged.

So she decided to put on airs and make Li Xiangyang come to her.

But Li Xiangyang walked straight to his own bunk and began packing his things.

He did not spare Su Yan even the slightest attention.

Just then, Wang Ming came back from outside. When he saw Li Xiangyang, a dark glint entered his eyes.

After all, everyone in the room was praising Li Xiangyang now. Several female educated youths who had never before thought much of him were even saying that if they could not return to the city, marrying Li Xiangyang would not be bad at all—at least they would not have to worry about going without meat.

But those same female educated youths had all been warned by Su Yan.

After all, Su Yan was now Li Xiangyang's "official" girlfriend.

Foolish relations between men and women that ruined marital harmony were a serious offense. If someone wrote a report letter about it, one's reputation would be utterly ruined. The whole village would be informed, and one would never again be able to hold one's head high anywhere.

Do not think this era was too severe. On the contrary, the kind of freedom in later generations was the truly distorted thing.

Seeing that Li Xiangyang was different today, Wang Ming immediately shot Su Yan a look.

So Su Yan put down her book, walked over to Li Xiangyang on her own initiative, and asked, "Did I make you angry the day before yesterday?"

Li Xiangyang said nothing. Toward this woman, he now felt nothing at all.

"I'll help you..."

Su Yan took the initiative to move closer and help.

But

Li Xiangyang sidestepped, avoiding her hand.

He carried his cold, aloof attitude all the way through.

This time, it was Su Yan's turn to crack.

"What exactly do you want? I said something a little harsh that day—was it really necessary for you to ignore me like this?"

"Aren't you a man? Is it really worth getting angry with me over such a small thing!"

She did not know that Li Xiangyang had been waiting precisely for this moment.

Outside, the snow had sealed the doors shut, and most of the educated youth living here were inside.

Li Xiangyang set down his luggage, turned, looked down at Su Yan, and sneered. "A small thing?"

"Who here doesn't know I've treated you well!"

No matter the era, people love gossip and excitement.

Very soon, everyone turned to look at Li Xiangyang and Su Yan.

Su Yan's face instantly flushed all the way to her neck.

"T-that's because I'm your girlfriend. Being good to your girlfriend is only right!"

"Shh~"

A chorus of jeers rose around them.

In this era, love was never something one person gave alone. The saying that women could hold up half the sky was no empty slogan.

It was because women of this age truly could shoulder half the responsibility.

Beside her, Wang Ming's fingers clenched until they turned white. He had the growing feeling that Li Xiangyang was about to slip out of his control.

"Only right? Fine. Every time I brought back meat from hunting, didn't you and Wang Ming eat it?"

"And I didn't get a single bite!"

Li Xiangyang exposed the relationship between Wang Ming and Su Yan outright in front of everyone.

At once, the sharpened, blade-like gazes of the educated youth fell upon the pair.

"Comrades! You probably don't know this, but Su Yan once told me herself that she especially admires Wang Ming."

"You! You're slandering me out of thin air!"

Su Yan panicked. After all, she had never told everyone about her affair with Wang Ming.

"Whether it's out of thin air or not, I have proof!"

Li Xiangyang strode over to Wang Ming, seized his arm, and yanked him over beside Su Yan.

"We all eat coarse grain and have become much thinner than when we first came here, but look at Wang Ming and Su Yan. Not only have these two not lost weight, they've actually gotten fatter!"

Several female educated youths showed looks of sudden enlightenment.

"So that's how it is. I kept wondering why Wang Ming's waistband hadn't tightened in so long."

"This is wanton misconduct between men and women. We must write a report letter and make these two famous!"

Among the educated youth, there were certainly those with a sense of right and wrong. Very quickly, one of the young men took out paper and began writing a report letter.

"And everyone probably doesn't know this either: when Su Yan can't get meat, she curses me, and even tells me to steal money from home so I can buy her meat."

At this moment, Li Xiangyang was like a seasoned actor, tears and accusations pouring out as he denounced the many injustices Su Yan had inflicted on him.

He won the sympathy of many female educated youths.

"Yesterday, I suddenly understood a great comrade's words: the revolution has not yet succeeded, comrades must still work hard. So, Comrade Su Yan!"

Li Xiangyang's tone shifted, his voice rising with righteous fervor. "I am formally breaking up with you!"

By now, Su Yan had been stunned into silence by Li Xiangyang's flurry of blows.

She had not yet recovered when Wang Ming made his move.

"Li Xiangyang, stop talking nonsense! Shut up!"

Wang Ming lunged forward, trying to grab Li Xiangyang by the throat and make him be quiet, but Li Xiangyang was a full half head taller than he was.

He blocked Wang Ming's attack with just one hand.

The educated youth who had been writing the report letter hurriedly added another line: "An adulterous pair attempted to attack our good comrade."

In his previous life, Li Xiangyang's life had been ruined by Su Yan and Wang Ming. This time, he had only just begun to take revenge, and it was only a tiny measure so far.

He still had one ace up his sleeve: the true identities of Su Yan's parents.

If he threw that out, it would utterly destroy her reputation.

But now was not the time. A slow knife killed more painfully.

"Comrades, let me read this report letter aloud."

The young man who had written it stood up and said with fervor, "Regarding the issue of the improper relations between the educated youth at this station, Su Yan and Wang Ming.

"Comrade Su Yan, although she is Comrade Li Xiangyang's partner, has been maintaining improper contact with Comrade Wang Ming.

"The two often secretly ate the best food for themselves. The food was originally given to Su Yan by Comrade Li Xiangyang, and during their time in the countryside the two of them even grew fat by quite a lot.

"When questioned in public, Comrade Wang Ming even attempted violence, trying to seize Comrade Li Xiangyang by the throat..."

"Stop, stop, stop!"

"This report letter cannot be submitted."

"We are all educated youth. We are all hoping that one day we may return to the city."

"Just now, word has come from above that the policy regarding educated youth is to be adjusted."

"If this letter is turned in, it will not only ruin those two, but the reputation of our entire educated youth station will be finished."

Seeing the matter spiraling further and further out of control, Zhang Li grew anxious and immediately snatched the report letter away!

"Comrade Li Xiangyang," Zhang Li said apologetically, looking at him, "I know you've suffered greatly. You can ask them to compensate you in any way you want, including the meat they ate from you. We can pool our resources and pay you back. But I'm sorry, this letter really cannot be submitted."

Looking at Zhang Li's steadfast gaze, Li Xiangyang silently sighed. No wonder she had done well for herself.

In his previous life, among this group of educated youth, Zhang Li was not only among the first to return to the city, she also went on to hold real power in the education system.

Now it seemed her achievements had not been accidental.

With her sharp sense for news and her grasp of the bigger picture, how many people could compare?

As Li Xiangyang looked at the anxious Zhang Li, and then at the helpless Su Yan and Wang Ming, he suddenly smiled.

Yes, why hurry to finish them off in one stroke?

Would it not be more satisfying to let them suffer under everyone's contempt?

"Then let's leave it at that," Li Xiangyang said. "However..." His gaze turned icy as he looked at the two of them. "Stay away from me from now on."