Xie Tingyu just glanced over after hearing the comment, not responding.
The man beside him chuckled and said, “Is Comrade Xie really worried about not having any water to drink? There are plenty of people who’d be happy to bring him some!”
Before Comrade Xie got married, there were so many girls openly or secretly trying to court him, you couldn’t count them on one hand. Bringing him water was nothing—some even brought him meals. Everyone’s monthly food ration was limited, and food coupons were precious. To save up grain and give it to someone else meant the feelings had to be deep and genuine.
It really made all the bachelors both envious and jealous. Everyone was single, but reality was just that cruel—some suffered drought while others drowned.
But now—congratulations—Comrade Xie finally had a partner. From the looks of the past few days, he had fallen to the same status as the rest of them. There was barely anyone bringing him water. Still, if he didn’t have water, during lunch someone would be happy to share a bit with him.
Shen Weimin rubbed the stubble that had just sprouted on his chin, the teasing from the others making him feel like Xie Tingyu was slowly becoming a part of this little mountain village, laying down his roots here. It was a subtle feeling.
He said quietly, “Brother Yu, you’d better remember what you said.”
Xie Tingyu wiped his sweat after drinking some water, then went back to work.
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Tl alrzkle vs Fbld Elkxkd, “Yx.”
…
Jlqsal vbl ywvwxd byahlpv, Zl Ckdtpbwk sqvld oldv vs vbl rsde vs nyvnb naycp, obknb pbl wple vs xyjl nayc asl cwdp yde lyad psxl xsdlu. Jwv sdnl vbl qyaxkdt plypsd tsv cwpu, vbl rsde oyvla dlyazu eakle wr, yde vblal olal cyalzu ydu naycp zlqv. Rv bye yzps clld y obkzl pkdnl pbl’e tsdl vs vbl czynj xyajlv, yde vbl xsdlu kd bla rsnjlv oyp awddkdt zso. Fs pbl pvyavle rknjzkdt lttp pbl’e cswtbv qasx y pnyzrla, wpkdt bla pktdyvwal vbkavlld-prknl cakdl.
Fbl rknjzle vblx qsa plhlayz eyup pvayktbv. Ebld pbl srldle vbl zke yde rknjle sdl wr okvb nbsrpvknjp, vbl ltt bye vwadle y ellr casod. G pkdtzl nbsrpvknj nswze rklanl vbaswtb kv—vbl uszj oyp vbl pyxl nszsa yp vbl swvpkel. Mblpl cakdle lttp olald’v zkjl vbl sdlp kd vbl pvyvl-awd alpvywaydvp. Zl Ckdtpbwk nwv sdl srld yde xkmle kv okvb aknl—vbl uszj, byhkdt clld psyjle kd vbl cakdl, oyp psqv yde nawxczu, pkzju zkjl pyde, yasxyvkn yde rlaqlnv okvb aknl. Mbl qzyhsa zkdtlale yqvla lyvkdt.
Fvlyxle okvb aknl, vbl qzyhsa oyp lhld aknbla—kv oyp wdclzklhyczu elzknkswp.
Zl Ckdtpbwk bye y qllzkdt pbl nswze xyjl xsdlu fwpv plzzkdt vblpl cakdle lttp.
Mblpl rknjzle kvlxp esd’v prskz lypkzu, yde lttp yal xwnb lypkla vs cwu vbyd xlyv. Mbl pnyzrla dlmv essa bye y pvlyeu pwrrzu. Ekvb iwknj bydep, pbl pvlyxle psxl xkdnle xlyv okvb vbl cakdle lttp—vbl xlyv oyp cswtbv cu Dkl Mkdtuw.
Kwpv yp pbl oyp ycswv vs pvka-qau psxl talldp, Qayddu pweeldzu yrrlyale qasx obs-jdsop-oblal, pxkzkdt yp pbl pyke, “Fbwk-tkaz, psxlsdl’p blal vs pll usw.”
Her mother added, “It’s rare for female educated youths to come around here, and they’re here to see you. Are they your new girlfriends?”
Ye Qingshui shook her head at the remark. She wiped her hands and poked her head out of the woodshed—it was a group of female educated youths.
One of them raised a sheet of paper and said gently, “Comrade Ye, you said before that we were welcome, so here we are today.”
She added, all serious, “You were right, Comrade Ye—ability comes first, not education level. We’re here to engage in an intellectual exchange. Do your best with this tonight—we’ll come again tomorrow.”
Ye Qingshui nodded, took the paper without looking at it, and stuffed it into her pocket. After seeing off the chattering young women, she returned to the woodshed to continue working on her own little corner of the world.
This small gesture made the girls scoff with contempt.
After dinner, Ye Qingshui remembered the incident. She pulled out the wrinkled piece of paper and couldn’t help raising her eyebrows.
Those educated girls really thought highly of her!
She asked Xie Tingyu, “Do you know someone named He Fang?”
Xie Tingyu noticed the crumpled paper in her hand. Curious, he had some idea about what had happened—he’d heard the gossip about the educated girls visiting that night. When it involved scholars, even the tiniest matters would be mentioned several times by Ye’s mother.
He couldn’t help glancing a few more times.
The soft yellow lamp light lit up Ye Qingshui’s face. Her long braid was loose, hanging down to her waist. She had taken off her face mask, faintly revealing her high nose bridge. She frowned slightly after reading the paper.
Seeing her uninterested look—like she was reciting a classical text—Xie Tingyu couldn’t help but chuckle.
“I remember her. Her father’s a diplomat. Her grandparents were translators. Do you want me… to take a look?”
Ye Qingshui immediately declined. She picked up a pen and thought for a moment, then began scribbling on the paper. Since she had to leave early for the black market the next day, she wrote for a bit, then blew out the lamp and went to bed early.
At the educated youth station, the girls were discussing excitedly.
“The questions were so obscure even we would struggle to answer them! Of course He Fang could come up with them—no wonder she was recommended for university. Amazing!”
Someone said hesitantly, “Aren’t we making it too hard for her? Comrade Ye probably never studied that stuff. He Fang grew up surrounded by it…”
“We’re helping her recognize her limitations.”
“Exactly. This time, we’re helping her get rid of her arrogance and humbly accept criticism.”
Sun Lingyu added, “We know Ye Qingshui won’t be able to answer it. If she’s willing to apologize, then it’s over.”
…
The next day, Ye Qingshui took a full jar of brined eggs into the city. Brined eggs are served cold and don’t release their aroma easily like hot food. She waited a while before the first customer arrived.
Zhou Ke came running over, smiling as he took the jar. He sniffed it and said, “Sis, what did you make this time? Smells amazing.”
Ye Qingshui told him to keep two eggs for his family to eat with rice. Zhou Ke left with half the jar.
Ye Qingshui touched the remaining eggs and glanced at the scalper beside her, who—as always—was selling raw eggs. A thought arose, and she asked him:
“Want to sell brined eggs with me?”
The scalper was intrigued. “How?”
Ye Qingshui replied, “From now on, you sell your eggs to me, and bring them to my house.”
The scalper remembered how well her buns had sold and blurted out, “Sure, sure!”
“I’ll sell each egg for three cents. You get one cent.”
He choked on his own breath, then exploded: “Three cents for a single egg?! Are you serious?!”
Raw eggs were one cent each and still didn’t sell. Now she wanted to sell brined ones for three cents? You could get a big meat bun for that price—and be full too!
Ye Qingshui just said “Oh” and didn’t press him.
Soon after, her regular customers showed up. Even though three cents per egg was a bit steep, some were still willing to buy. One person even ate on the spot, pairing it with a bun from the state-run restaurant. As soon as the brown egg skin hit his tongue, he wasn’t disappointed.
The rich brine flavor won over his taste buds—he devoured two eggs hungrily!
“Give me ten more—no, I’ll take the rest!”
And so, Ye Qingshui sold out of eggs. The other customers who had hesitated due to the price complained: “How can you just buy everything at once? What are we supposed to do now?”
That happy customer grinned and said, “I’ll give you another fifty cents—give me the jar and the brine too.”
Ye Qingshui looked at the young man who bought the eggs and thought he had good taste. This brine had even impressed Xie Tingyu—it was the soul of the brined eggs.
“Miss, when are you coming back next time? Save ten for me next time—I’m placing an order now!”
“I want five too!”
The scalper selling raw eggs was once again stunned by Ye Qingshui’s skills. He regretted it but never got a chance to speak. He stared down at the untouched eggs by his feet, feeling the cold seep into him through the bench.
When Zhou Ke came back, even the eggs he had taken earlier were gone. He handed Ye Qingshui a bunch of loose change and vouchers.
Ye Qingshui patted his head, opened her thermos, and inside were two plump, glistening eggs.
“I knew you hadn’t eaten breakfast. Eat something first.”
She watched Zhou Ke narrow his eyes in satisfaction as he finished the brined eggs, and they walked hand in hand out of the black market alley.
“Hey—wait up, miss! I’m in! I’m in!”
…
Ye Qingshui wanted to walk Zhou Ke home, but he looked down at the worn straw sandals on his feet, his big toes poking through. He smiled and said, “I can walk home on my own.”
Ye Qingshui said, “It’s nothing, just a side errand. Let Ke’er try what it feels like to ride in a rickshaw.”
So Ye Qingshui led Zhou Ke through the small alleys. He touched the rickshaw enviously—it was hard and sturdy. “Thank you, Sister, for taking me home. It’s my first time riding in such a nice cart.”
The rickshaw rattled through streets and alleys. Along the way, they encountered people who had bullied him before, and Zhou Ke couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride.
Back at the dilapidated communal building, a kid in the alley who’d just been dazzled by the scene made a face at Zhou Ke and said, “Little Stinky Old Nine rode in a rickshaw, but he’s still a Little Stinky Old Nine.”
“What—did you say?”
Ye Qingshui put her hands on her hips and glared at the kids. With her pitch-black face mask and grim tone, she managed to scare them off.
“Yalubulujibiya,” Ye Qingshui said.
Zhou Ke stuttered and tugged at Ye Qingshui’s sleeve. “Sister, you shouldn’t say things like that so casually.”
Ye Qingshui bent down and asked, “Why not?”
Zhou Ke’s face suddenly flushed. He said uncertainly, “Grandpa said it’s a bad phrase… only to be said to the person you’re closest to. Saying it to others is really bad.”
Ye Qingshui nodded and patted his head. “Go on home now.”
The Zhou Household.
Zhou Ke ran home quickly, stood on tiptoe, and pulled a heavy book off the shelf. He opened it, puzzled, and asked earnestly, “Grandpa, is Yalubulujibiya a curse word?”
Old Zhou was taken aback to hear this phrase from his seven-year-old grandson. He stared at the boy seriously for a long moment.
Zhou Ke said hesitantly, “Someone said it to me today.”
Zhou Cunren’s expression twisted oddly. “Yes, you didn’t hear it wrong.”
…
Ye Qingshui pedaled home on her bicycle and, just as she stepped in, saw several female educated youth waiting for her.
She wiped her sweat and panted a little before going into her room and pulling out a piece of paper.
He Fang, one of the educated youth, said, “Comrade Ye, what you said the other day made sense—those who are capable should lead.”
“I may fall short in many areas, but in this one area, I’m confident. Now I’ll say this: Comrade Ye, if you’re willing to take back what you said before, admit that you’re not yet skilled enough and still need to humbly learn, I won’t make things difficult for you.”
Ye Qingshui, mid-drink, almost choked before she could catch her breath.
The female educated youth shook their heads. Compared to the confident He Fang, Ye Qingshui’s indifferent attitude almost drew sympathy. She cared too much about saving face.
Such blind arrogance was a mistake. They needed to help Comrade Ye recognize herself clearly.
“He Fang, see if her translation is correct?”
It was a sheet full of English. In that era, few people knew English since it had limited practical use unless one studied it specifically.
He Fang read it over. It was all correct. She was stunned silent for a moment before she said, “Her translation is correct.”
How could this be?
How could Ye Qingshui know English?
The expressions on the other girls were complicated—surprised at first, then quickly changing to disdain. That felt more “normal.”
No wonder Ye Qingshui dared to boast so loudly. Having such a well-educated partner really was a huge gain.
Without thinking, they said, “Couldn’t it be you just couldn’t bear the shame, so you had Teacher Xie do it for you?”
Ye Qingshui spat out her water.
It was nearly lunchtime, and she still had to cook. She quickly scribbled with her pencil and said, “Yes, yes, you’re right. Let’s do it again. I’ll do it right now. What’s the big deal about taking back what I said?”
“If I can’t write it, I’ll eat the paper.”
Tingting, who was eavesdropping near the door, couldn’t help but giggle.
…
Maybe it was because Ye Qingshui’s tone was too genuine and confident.
The girls looked at each other. Watching Ye Qingshui’s confident manner, a ridiculous thought suddenly popped into their heads—maybe… just maybe, she really could speak English.
After a long wait, Ye Qingshui twirled her pencil and set it down neatly.
“How come it’s been so long with no response? If no one says anything, does that mean I win?”
She stood up and politely said, “You all need to learn to view people as capable of change. No one stays the same their whole life.”
She was in a rush to cook, so after ushering the educated youth out, she quickly slipped into the firewood shed to prepare lunch. Ye Qingshui didn’t like letting her mother cook, since she always made sweet potato rice.
On the way back to their camp, the educated youth chatted with skeptical looks on their faces.
“You think she really wrote that herself?”
“I think what Zhou Tingting said might be right. Whether or not she’s educated, she definitely knows how to act like a scholar.”
“What if she’s just bluffing?”
“He Fang, when they pushed the paper to you, why didn’t you say anything? If we’d just tested her right then, we’d know for sure.”
He Fang perked up and forced a smile. “I was stunned by her confidence. I figured if she really translated it herself, we’d come off as too aggressive and end up embarrassing ourselves.”
So—did Ye Qingshui really have the skill, or was she just pretending? Once again, everyone looked at each other in uncertainty.
…
The Ye Household.
After lunch, her mother said, “Shui’er, let me go fetch water with you. Our well’s gone dry.”
Ye Qingshui quickly waved her off. “No need, Mother. I can go myself. I’ll use the rickshaw—it’s even faster than both of us going together!”
Ye Ma backed down, tapping her daughter on the forehead. “You’re always using Xiao Xie’s cart. He was asking me this morning where it went!”
Ye Qingshui felt ashamed. If only she had saved up enough money to buy her own bike earlier.
At her current earning pace, it would take her half a year to afford a bicycle—and that’s if she got the official purchase certificate. If she had to buy one on the black market, even a year might not be enough.
She had to work harder—to earn a bicycle before Xie Tingyu left.
Ye Qingshui strapped the buckets to the rickshaw seat and pedaled into the mountains.
The scorching sun had cracked the ground, and the heat could be felt through her shoes. She picked a shaded mountain path, which ended up being much longer but cooler.
At the spring, she took two big gulps of water. The source was abundant, but since the Ye family lived on higher ground, the water couldn’t reach them. That’s why the village leader wanted to drill a well to tap into the underground source.
Just as she was about to fill her buckets, she saw Xie Tingyu coming with a carrying pole. The heavy water buckets bent the ends sharply. In that moment, their eyes met—and he saw her too.
His eyes crinkled slightly, and his smile was dazzling.
“You’re just in time.”
He carried the water over to her bike and, upon seeing the two empty buckets, seemed to understand. He filled the empty ones and tied them to the front, then tied the others to the back.
Ye Qingshui felt a bit awkward. She was using his cart to cut corners, while he was relying purely on strength to carry water.
She rubbed her nose, silently vowing once more to earn a bicycle in six months.
She followed silently behind him.
At a fork in the road, she saw him unhesitatingly take the longer route. She quickly said, “Let’s take the shorter path.”
She thought he couldn’t stand the heat, but Xie Tingyu said calmly:
“It’s fine. Your face is sensitive to heat—this way is cooler.”
Ye Qingshui muttered inwardly, Such a sly fox. He’s so pale himself, he clearly doesn’t like the sun but puts it on me.
Xie Tingyu paused, turned back, and smiled faintly at her.
“Shui’er, want to play me a tune on a leaf?”
Back then, Ye Qingshui used to play music by blowing on leaves. Any long and flexible leaf would produce a clear sound. She’d started talking to Xie Tingyu back then because of one of these leaf songs.
It was a skill taught by her mother, who used to sing in community operas.
Feeling bored on the silent path, Ye Qingshui plucked a leaf and started playing. She played several tunes—from Jasmine Flower to Little Swallow, and from Red Blossoms on the Mountain to The East Is Red.
The flickering shadows fell on her, dappling her with light. The gleam reflected off her shiny black hair like a halo. When she played with her head lowered, her soft features and half-closed eyes made it seem as though light flowed from her lashes.
Until… she started playing a tune Xie Tingyu knew too well. He raised an eyebrow in surprise.
The soft, winding melody began brightly like spring, full of birdsong and flowers. Then it mellowed into interweaving themes, lively and lyrical—until suddenly it plunged downward, mournful and weeping.
Xie Tingyu slowed his steps. When the song ended, he found Ye Qingshui had fallen far behind.
The fading final notes drifted like the music itself. He chuckled and said, “Why’d you suddenly play that one?”
“Do you know what it’s called?”
Ye Qingshui tossed the leaf aside and said blankly, “No idea. Just blew whatever came to mind.”
Xie Tingyu paused, then said, “Did your mother teach it to you? It’s called…”
In his low, warm voice tinged with a smile, he said slowly, “It’s The Butterfly Lovers.”
Ye Qingshui walked on in silence for a while. Only when she reached the village entrance did she realize something terrible—
She’d accidentally played the melody Xie Tingyu once taught her.
Author’s note:
Brother Yu: Tsk, what a slick move.
Being confessed to every day is such a headache.
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