Chapter Five: Deciding to Go to the Countryside

Although Han Li was an optimist by nature, at this moment, even he was left speechless. The golden finger was utterly useless, and the skill he had just acquired was equally disappointing. What sort of luck was this? At the same time, he wondered if only the dead could provide him with skills. Should he frequent execution sites in the future? But in the end, the golden finger had reminded him that it was a jade pendant. So, should he visit execution grounds, or should he search for jade artifacts instead? Han Li found himself torn.

“Brother, I’ve already picked up your diploma. Should we head home, or would you like to stay and hang out at school for a bit?” his younger sister asked.

“Let’s go home. I have a headache today—I don’t feel like going out. Yu Daqiang, are you coming with us?”

“I am,” Yu Daqiang replied, “but could you help me walk? My legs are still a little weak.”

“Yu Daqiang, I can’t believe you’re still scared,” Han’s sister teased. “You and my brother saw the dead body together, but he’s fine now. And you’re still shaky?”

Yu Daqiang opened his mouth but said nothing. He wanted to say something brave, but his legs simply wouldn’t cooperate.

When they got home for lunch, Han’s mother listened to her daughter recount the events of the day, and the house was instantly thrown into chaos. Han’s mother made a special trip to the pharmacy to buy medicinal hookvine to brew into a decoction, leaving Han Li at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

Medicinal hookvine was known to calm the liver and subdue yang; it was particularly effective for childhood convulsions. When Han Li was little, whenever he trembled in his sleep, his mother would make him eat the ashes of hookvine or drink the water boiled from it. When he got older, she somehow heard a folk remedy that required him to eat a seven-star spider raw, plucked from the web behind the door.

To Han’s mother, fright was the most dreadful of all ailments. She believed every problem could be traced back to it. Yet, even now that he was grown, she still insisted on him drinking such concoctions.

Several days passed. In order to test his theories, Han Li wandered all over the place. At the bus company, family members of employees could ride for free—just quietly let the conductor know your relative’s name. But if you announced it loudly, you’d be paying full fare without exception.

Taking advantage of the free rides, Han Li visited execution sites twice, but all he got was a wave of nausea each time.

In those days, it was common for the authorities to allow public observation of executions after trials, mainly to deter wrongdoers.

He didn’t dare venture into the black market or Liulichang; he was obviously just a kid, an easy target for swindlers. Fortunately, there were “Trust Stores” in the capital—a kind of consignment shop that became the people’s go-to during times of low wages, material scarcity, and rationed supplies. When department stores and the Xidan Mall were out of reach, Trust Stores were the next best thing.

The most famous ones were in Xidan, Caishikou, Tianqiao, Xisi, Dongsi, Beixinqiao, Xinjiekou, and other areas. Each specialized according to the expertise of their staff. Some dealt in miscellaneous goods, ranging from cameras and crafts to watches, clothing, shoes, and hats. The largest were in Dongsi, Xisi, Xuanwumen, Caishikou, Qianmen, and Guang’anmen.

They generally fell into three categories: those buying and selling miscellaneous goods—basically anything, from cameras to old clothes; those dealing in large items like furniture; and those handling precious goods, such as bicycles and safes.

Jade ornaments and curios used to be considered valuable, but by the late 1960s, they were treated like trash. At least on the surface, no one wanted to be associated with such objects for fear of unexpected trouble. Still, these items could be found in Trust Stores, though Han Li never managed to obtain the kind he needed.

Another disappointing day passed. That evening, as Han Li was having dinner, his usually reticent father suddenly spoke.

“Son, there’s no news about your job for now, but the neighborhood committee has announced the notice for the rural assignment.”

“So, start preparing to head to the countryside. Anything you need for daily life, your mother and sister will get ready for you. If there’s anything specific you want to bring, let us know. You can buy it yourself, or ask them to help.”

His father’s words cast a pall over the dinner table, and Han’s younger sister began to cry quietly.

“Dad, why not let me go to the countryside instead? My brother is so smart—he’d have an easier time finding a job in the city.”

“What nonsense,” Han Li said. “We’re not a family without men. How can we send a little girl to the countryside?”

“But, Mom, you must pick a good place for me. Don’t send me south. My friends say people there have to work all year round, with hardly any rest.”

“Best to send me northeast,” he continued. “Whether it’s good or not is another matter, but at least there’s less farm work there.”

The truth was, though the northeast was cold, it had the advantage of a shorter farming season. More importantly, food was less scarce there; as long as you worked hard, you basically wouldn’t go hungry. In those days, that alone was enough to surpass most other regions in the country.

Han’s mother was in low spirits as well—after all, she had only one son. To say she didn’t want him to stay in the capital would be a lie. The couple had originally considered sending their third daughter to the countryside, but after Han Li had spoken so firmly, it seemed too much to ask.

“Don’t worry, son,” his mother said. “I’ll find a village with a good reputation, one where the surnames are mixed.”

She knew from her experience at the neighborhood committee that villages with a single surname were the worst—insular and hostile to outsiders, especially educated urban youth like Han Li. In such places, even if you were bullied by everyone, you’d find no one willing to testify on your behalf, and appealing to the authorities would only make things worse. In the end, you could be tormented to death, and it would all be for nothing.

“Second daughter, in the next few days buy a pair of high rubber boots, two pairs of yellow galoshes, and a raincoat,” Han’s mother instructed. “Get some daily necessities: one enamel washbasin, and two enamel mugs—one large, one small. The small one is for drinking water and making tea; the large one can be used for a quick meal of noodles or boiling eggs.”

“Husband, exchange some ration coupons for the national kind. Combined with our miscellaneous coupons, that should be enough for our son, at least for now.”