Chapter 68: Back to the Old Place
Chapter 68: Back to the Old Place
The midterm exam ended, coinciding with the weekend, so the school gave a three-day holiday.
But an evening rain on Thursday had trapped many students at school, unable to head home. It wasn’t until the clear weather returned the next morning that students began leaving the campus in streams to return home.
Su Chunfeng and Li Zhichao bought two jianbing guozi outside the school. Eating them as they went, they pedaled hard on their bikes to get back.
Students from farther-out parts of the county mostly took the bus home every weekend, returning to school on Sunday afternoon. Guanmiao Township’s Hetang Village was about thirty li from the county town, which wasn’t exactly close. The main reason Su Chunfeng and Li Zhichao chose to bike home and back each week was that Hetang Village was five li from the highway where buses ran. Taking the bus would require walking that extra distance… so biking the whole way themselves was simply more convenient.
It was the season of clear autumn days. The autumn harvest in the countryside was mostly finished. Vast wheat fields stretched endlessly on both sides of the highway. The seeded wheat had yet to sprout, so the empty, flat fields looked somewhat bleak under the autumn wind.
Su Chunfeng hadn’t returned home for the busy autumn harvest this year because high school didn’t have an autumn harvest break.
His father, Su Cheng, had no time either to manage their family’s few acres of land. He had taken off the Combine Harvester early on, mounted the Rotary Tiller on their 50-horsepower tractor, and gone out to work and earn money. He still hadn’t returned. As for the family’s land, it was simpler just to hire people to take care of it. Spending about two hundred yuan was enough. With the family’s financial situation now comfortable, and only Chen Xiulan and her younger son Su Chunyu left at home, there was truly no need to suffer the hardship and exhaustion.
Su Chunfeng and Li Zhichao chatted carefreely as they rode. As they neared Guanmiao Township, they heard the roar of a motorcycle engine behind them, Vrooom…
Swish!
A black and red Yamaha 400 motorcycle shot past them like a bullet down the center of the road.
“Hey, isn’t that Zhao Shangang?” Li Zhichao called out.
Su Chunfeng smiled faintly but didn’t pay it much mind—he hadn’t sought Zhao Shangang out at the Agricultural Market in south Jinzhou County Town since they had met during the summer vacation. And Zhao Shangang, knowing Su Chunfeng disliked his kind interrupting his peaceful school life, had never visited County No.1 High School.
Up ahead, the Yamaha 400 pulled over.
Zhao Shangang, wearing a black leather jacket, blue jeans, and black military-style boots, got off the bike. He took off his helmet and waved at Su Chunfeng and Li Zhichao. “Chunfeng! What a coincidence! Done with school?”
The two bicycled over and stopped.
Su Chunfeng smiled. “Yeah. Heading home?”
“Uh-huh,” Zhao Shangang said, full of vigor. “Going to check on stock, get some things like lotus root to the shop… So tell me, Chunfeng, anyone at No.1 High causing trouble for us?” He meant their circle.
“What kind of trouble could there be just going to school?” Su Chunfeng chuckled, waving the idea away.
“School’s out so early today?” Zhao Shangang invited them. “So? Come over to my place, sit for a while. I happen to be free right now. Let’s have a drink or two.”
Su Chunfeng was about to refuse, but Li Zhichao eagerly jumped in first. “Hey, sounds good! We haven’t been to Dongwangzhuang since that last fight at the middle school! Perfect we have time today! We can go check out the school, see how Xiao Yu’s doing anyway, and then drop by Shangang’s place… What do you say, Chunfeng? Let’s go?”
“Alright, let’s go see,” Su Chunfeng nodded in agreement. Though he wasn’t keen on visiting Zhao Shangang’s home, he thought since they had time just now, Dongwangzhuang Township Middle School might not be on break yet. So he could go see how his younger brother was doing at school and ask about his behavior and grades there.
“Let’s go!” Zhao Shangang grinned and swung onto his motorcycle, starting the engine.
Su Chunfeng suggested, “Shangang, your bike’s fast. Go on ahead, no need to wait for us.”
“Okay then, I’ll go back and get things ready. You two definitely have to eat at my place at noon!” Zhao Shangang stated firmly without room for refusal, then put on his helmet, shifted gears, twisted the throttle, and shot forward like an arrow off a bowstring.
“Awesome!” Li Zhichao exclaimed, full of envy. “I’ll get my old man to get me one of those later!”
“What do you need that thing for? Costs an arm and a leg, and it’s useless…”
“Not that expensive,” Li Zhichao said cunningly. “I asked around. We don’t need a 400, too big. Getting a used 250 will do. Ten thousand bucks. Actually, it’s barely even ‘used’ – usually parallel imported goods. Without the right contacts, even money won’t get you one.”
Su Chunfeng smiled and didn’t say more.
Nowadays, Li Zhichao’s family’s Feed Factory business was booming. This year they expanded the factory building, making it more than twice as big as before. Their family’s financial situation had already jumped from being the wealthiest in their village to ranking among the wealthiest in the township. His usually low-key father, Li Sheng, had even added a brand new Santana sedan last month.
At the intersection ahead, they turned and headed straight east towards Dongwangzhuang.
Only a few short months had passed. Coming back to Dongwangzhuang Township Middle School again, Su Chunfeng felt a strong pang at how time had flown. His middle school days after being reborn already felt distant.
The campus hadn’t changed much.
Around nine in the morning, it was time for the second class. The faint sound of students reading aloud drifted from the direction of the classrooms.
“Heh, too bad Teacher Xiao Qian’s gone,” Li Zhichao chuckled mischievously.
“Get lost!” Su Chunfeng raised his right leg while still seated on his bike and kicked Li Zhichao lightly. “Class is in session. We shouldn’t disturb them. We’ll head there after class. Funny thing is, my brother’s in Class 21, and Li Jichun is still the Homeroom Teacher. Come on, let’s see if Teacher Li is in his office. I need to ask him how Chunyu’s doing – behavior and grades.”
“Let’s go!” Li Zhichao planted a foot and turned his bike towards the teachers’ office.
As luck would have it, Li Jichun was in his office at that moment. Su Chunfeng and Li Zhichao politely said “reporting” before entering. “Hello, Teacher Li!” they greeted him with smiles.
“Well, if it isn’t Su Chunfeng and Li Zhichao!” Li Jichun laughed warmly. “Decided to come visit your old teacher?”
“The three-day break after the midterms just started. We just got back from No.1 High, so honestly, we forgot to bring you anything…” Su Chunfeng said, sounding a bit apologetic. He gestured to Li Zhichao, and they both sat down on the long bench across from Li Jichun as indicated. “Teacher Li, how are things? All good?”
“Very good,” Li Jichun smiled. “So, what brings you to school? I doubt this little rascal just came to visit me.” He nodded at Su Chunfeng.
“Can’t fool you,” Su Chunfeng grinned. “Teacher Li, how’s my little brother doing here? Behavior?”
“Knew you’d ask about him.” Li Jichun nodded again. Talking about work matters, his expression turned much more serious. “Su Chunyu’s grades are passable, of course nowhere near yours when you were his brother – out of eighty-three students in the class, he ranks around the mid-upper level. Behavior… a mixed bag. He’s no troublemaker, but he can be a bit mischievous. Overall, average. But the kid is clever. If he buckled down, his grades would definitely improve. You only started putting in real effort in the second half of eighth grade yourself, remember? Then you ended up topping the whole school on the High School Entrance Examination.”
Su Chunfeng felt a wave of relief inside. At least his younger brother’s behavior and grades weren’t a source of deep embarrassment.
They chatted a while longer about Su Chunfeng’s studies and life since starting high school.
Before long, the bell signaling the end of class rang. Su Chunfeng stood up. “Teacher Li, I’ll go find Xiao Yu now, give him a piece of my mind… Going forward, please make sure to be strict with him! Don’t hesitate to teach him a lesson or give him a talking-to if needed!”
“Alright, alright,” Li Jichun patted Su Chunfeng’s shoulder approvingly.
Leaving the office, Su Chunfeng and Li Zhichao walked towards the central campus where the classrooms were. They had left their bikes parked by Li Jichun’s office door, and their bookbags were strapped to the bikes too – hardly likely to get stolen there.
Arriving at the door of Class 21, they peered inside but didn’t spot Su Chunyu. Asking a couple of boys walking out, they learned Su Chunyu and two friends had just headed towards the school gate. Su Chunfeng was puzzled. What were they doing going to the school gate during break time?
“Let’s go see.”
Su Chunfeng and Li Zhichao turned towards the school entrance.
Right then, just outside the school gate.
Su Chunyu and two schoolmates from his village stood by the roadside. Their chins were lifted stubbornly, but their faces also showed clear apprehension as they faced two students, also in school uniforms, who were obviously older than them. Also nearby stood three youth, about sixteen or seventeen years old – clearly not students, just local teenagers.
“You’ve got some nerve, punching my little brother!” one of the youths, wearing a denim jacket, yelled. He swung his hand and slapped Su Chunyu roughly on the head.
“And bringing a couple friends? What, looking for trouble?” sneered another youth with a side parting, sporting a streak of dyed yellow hair.
A third youth tried ‘playing peacemaker’: “Listen, kid. Go buy us two packs of Siqi cigarettes, then just stand there and take a thrashing nicely. Then we’re clear. Otherwise, we’re gonna beat you up every single time we see you!”
Su Chunyu gritted his teeth but didn’t dare to respond, his mind focused on biding his time.
The two companions who had followed him out hung their heads even lower, too scared to make a sound. They looked frantic, fearing they might get hit too, secretly regretting sticking their necks out for Su Chunyu.
“Hell, talk! What’s the matter?” one of the uniformed students stepped forward and shoved Su Chunyu roughly. “Too big for your boots now? Damn it…”
“Go buy the smokes now!”
“You want a walloping, huh?”
…
Seeing this scene from a distance, Li Zhichao and Su Chunfeng hurriedly sprinted over.
Slap!
Li Zhichao rushed straight in. Without a word of warning, he delivered a hard, stinging slap to the youth in the denim jacket, rocking him back. Before the youth could react, Li Zhichao kicked his legs out from under him. While furiously kicking him, Li Zhichao cursed, “Damn! Damn… Feng Xiaojun! Haven’t seen you in three days and your wings got stiff, huh?”
“Argh! Youch!” Feng Xiaojun howled in pain. “Wha… Why, Zhichao?”
At the same time, Su Chunfeng grabbed his momentarily stunned younger brother and pulled him protectively behind his back. Calmly, Su Chunfeng faced the other two youths who looked ready to step in but hesitated, intimidated. He spoke with a slight smile, “Ren Qiang, Wang Haibin. It hasn’t been that long since graduation. Don’t pretend you don’t know who I am.”
“Chunfeng? It’s you? He’s… he is?” Wang Haibin, with his streak of yellow hair, stammered awkwardly, gesturing towards Su Chunyu behind Su Chunfeng.
“My brother,” Su Chunfeng stated flatly.
The other youth, Ren Qiang, strode forward angrily. He pulled Li Zhichao off the still-tumbled Feng Xiaojun and squared his shoulders defiantly. “Li Zhichao! Su Chunfeng!” he shouted. “You two think you’re big shots now? Don’t forget – this is Dongwangzhuang Village!”
The big, tall Li Zhichao reached out, grabbed Ren Qiang by the front of his jacket, and snarled right in his face, “Go to hell! Who the hell do you think you’re scaring?”