Chapter 29: The Story of Xu Xiaoya

Xu Xiaoya, a "sent-down youth," was only twenty-one years old. She was a high school graduate and a top student; if it weren't for the suspension of university entrance examinations, she would never have come here to support regional development.

In all likelihood, seven years from now, when the exams were reinstated, she would be able to return to her hometown.

Having memories of a previous life and the foresight of the future, Su Yu knew clearly that there was no future for him and Xu. Many male youths who fell in love would painfully abandon the women they adored once they learned they could return home.

There was once a song that became famous across the country called "Xiao Fang," which resonated with so many people precisely because of this backdrop. The longing for home was too intense; countless men and women had to set aside their feelings to return to their roots. Though many wept bitterly at the time, they could not hold onto the person in their hearts. Eventually, those women became a beautiful, pure "white moonlight"—a distant, unreachable ideal.

After all, a simple, pure love is refined through hardship, untainted by material interests. The grueling life of a sent-down youth highlighted this best. When the girl you admired secretly slipped you a hard-boiled egg, that purity was beyond imagination. It was for this reason that such emotions often became sealed memories, difficult to let go of even years later.

So, although Su Yu wasn't exceptionally handsome, he wasn't the type who couldn't find a wife. Why seek out a result he knew would lead nowhere? Even though Xu Xiaoya’s elegant, tranquil demeanor was truly attractive—even the backbreaking farm work couldn't diminish her aura—it simply wasn't worth it.

"Let's go, let's go check it out."

No matter what, since he had stumbled upon this, he had to intervene. If she were truly harassed by hooligans and something happened, he would be to blame.

"Hey, buddy, what are you doing?" Su Yu walked up and tapped the man on the shoulder.

Xu Xiaoya and the other youth had already recognized the men and hurriedly hid behind Huzi. Huzi stood silently to the side, gripping a brick in his hand.

The three men turned around to see Su Yu looking at them calmly, a smile on his face, showing no fear at all.

"What's it to you? Let her go! You looking to meddle in other people's business?"

Su Yu shoved the man and muttered, "What do you mean 'meddle'? She’s with us. I can report you for hooliganism for what you just did. Want to test me?"

In this era of conservative thinking, the charge of "hooliganism" was incredibly heavy. It was a catch-all crime—a "basket" that could be filled with anything, and the consequences could be as minor or severe as the authorities chose to make them.

"We were just greeting this beauty, trying to get to know her. 'A fair lady is a good match for a gentleman,' isn't that allowed?"

Damn, he wasn't afraid of them being thugs; he was afraid of them being thugs who had only finished elementary school.

"A good match your grandfather! This is my partner. You come over to harass her, what is that if not hooliganism? Get lost, or you’ll regret it."

There was no choice; he couldn't afford to lose his nerve. While Su Yu’s fighting style was clumsy and lacked technique, he had the advantage of being tall, broad-shouldered, and physically imposing.

"Fine, you little brat, just you wait. This isn't over." With that, the men pointed at Su Yu and Huzi before leaving.

They had wanted to fight—brawls were a daily occurrence for them—but Su Yu was too intimidating. He was big and fierce, and the man he had grabbed by the shoulder couldn't break free. Feeling the strength in Su Yu's grip, the thug knew he was no match for him. Seeing how aggressive Su Yu was, and realizing they were outnumbered two-on-two, they decided to retreat.

"Um, thank you. If you hadn't been here, we definitely would have been harassed." Xu Xiaoya came over to thank them, and the other female youth echoed her gratitude. Although the thugs had been targeting Xu, she knew they wouldn't be picky; if they had done something to Xu, she wouldn't have escaped unscathed either.

"It’s nothing. Why are you two in the county seat?"

"Oh, Xiaoya and I came to buy some things and mail letters home."

As expected, nothing out of the ordinary. Xu Xiaoya rarely interacted with others.

"I see. Are you heading straight back to the village, or are you going to look around the county seat some more?"

Xu Xiaoya lowered her head, looking embarrassed. "We should head back. It's too dangerous out here."

Su Yu thought to himself: *You two women running off to a remote corner like this—of course it's dangerous.* Though the park wasn't exactly secluded, at this time of day, most people were at work. Only hoodlums had the time to lounge in the park.

"Oh, you're going back? That's fine. Could you do me a favor? When you get back to the village, tell our parents that Huzi and I have some business to attend to in the county and will be back late. Don't let them worry." Su Yu had been planning to go back and face an earful, but running into Xu Xiaoya solved that problem perfectly.

"No problem. We're leaving now. Thanks again."

"Don't mention it. Let us walk you part of the way so those hooligans don't follow you."

Xu Xiaoya and the other girl didn't object; as long as they were walked to the main road, they would be fine. They were lucky enough to run into an ox cart from a neighboring village and caught a ride back. With company, Su Yu and Huzi stopped worrying and went back to wandering the streets.

"Xiaoya, how was Su Yu just now? I thought he was so masculine and domineering! *Cough, cough*... 'You damn thugs, harassing my partner, what is that if not hooliganism?'"

The girl mimicked Su Yu’s words, and Xu Xiaoya’s face flushed red.

"Fangfang, don't talk nonsense. He only said that to drive those thugs away."

"Psh, it's already spread through the village. The reason Su Yu got beaten up by Lai San and his gang from the next village last time was because of you. Don't tell me he’s not interested in you."

The two chatted back and forth about private matters. It turned out the sent-down youths had long known about Su Yu getting his head bashed by Lai San, but Xu Xiaoya hadn't visited him because she was afraid of causing a misunderstanding.

But now that Su Yu had stood up for her again, the topic was brought up, and Xu Xiaoya felt a bit shy. It wasn't just one or two boys in the village who admired her; there were several, and Su Yu was just one of them. She had no intention of stringing anyone along, but she couldn't control what others thought.

In truth, her standards for a partner weren't high. She wanted a soulmate—someone she could share common topics with and talk to easily. By "talk to easily," she meant having the same outlook on life, or at least not being in constant opposition. Someone who could understand what she said and grasp what she was trying to express. That was enough. She had no great requirements for wealth.

However, the San Shui Wan village was just a small mountain hamlet. A high school diploma was considered high-level education there, but academic credentials didn't mean everything. Since Xu Xiaoya came from a big city, she felt like she was "talking to a chicken" whenever she spoke to most people—it was incredibly boring.