Chapter Ninety-Three: The Incident Occurs

Pickled long beans are made by fermenting long cowpeas until they become sour. The tangy flavor of these beans is especially appetizing and makes them perfect for accompanying a meal. Han Li planned to prepare a bowl of pickled long bean noodles—a dish he had tasted long ago.

The method was simple enough: rinse the pickled beans clean, squeeze out the water, chop them finely, then mix in some chili oil and stir until well combined. A sprinkle of sesame seeds and scallion would make it even better. The only challenge lay in making the noodles.

So Han Li began experimenting with rolling out noodles at home. After kneading the dough, he changed his mind. Using a knife to cut them seemed too troublesome; instead, he simply used decomposition to transform the rolled dough into evenly shaped strands.

He boiled the noodles and poured over the pre-mixed pickled beans, their spicy and sour taste invigorating his appetite. Han Li ate two large bowls and, finding himself surprisingly full, could do nothing but pace around the yard to aid his digestion.

Qi Zhaodi came by to see if Han Li had any dirty clothes to wash or if there was anything else she could help with, but Han Li sent her away. He Mi brought over an eggplant she had exchanged with the villagers and made a dish of garlic eggplant for Han Li. Unfortunately, he had already eaten, so it would have to be saved for the next day.

Before he could respond, the sisters of the Yun family arrived.

“He Mi, you’re here too. Han Li, lend us your chess set for a while.”

Han Li handed over the chess set, and the three girls left together, chatting and laughing.

Han Li helplessly shrugged his shoulders, washed himself clean, made his bed, and lay on the kang, contemplating the statue he was working on.

Not only did this help him pass the time, but Han Li discovered it also exercised his precise control over his spiritual power. The sensation was unmistakable, making him somewhat addicted lately.

Night had already fallen by this time, and most villagers had finished their dinner. Zhang San noticed that many people hadn’t cooked at all, deepening his confusion.

No one realized that the Youth Courtyard and Han Li’s group of homes were now being watched by the villagers. Some other villagers were scattered in the shelters at the edge of the fields, guarding against outsiders.

Yet the villagers’ efforts tonight would be wasted; yesterday, the group of youths had already damaged plenty of bean pods. These pods couldn’t be stored long, and until they finished eating them, they wouldn’t return to wreak havoc on the fields.

The next day was just as monotonous and dull. After finishing his work and cleaning up, Han Li was pondering what to eat for dinner.

Hao Hongmin arrived, carrying a large bowl of stir-fried shepherd's purse with eggs.

Red and green peppers paired with golden eggs made the dish look irresistibly delicious.

“I bartered two eggs from Aunt Zhao and stir-fried them with shepherd's purse knots. I brought some over for you to taste.”

Han Li gladly accepted the food offered to him, and enjoyed a comfortable dinner with several cornbread cakes.

After dinner, he read for a while before settling onto the kang, his mind focused on the statue. These days, Han Li had been experimenting with different types of wood, and today he finally achieved results that satisfied him.

However, he felt a bit dizzy and groggy, and as he lay down to sleep, his thoughts lingered.

Tomorrow he could finally tackle that exceptional piece of pine resin wood, then pay a visit to Aunt Liu. He’d buy the supplies he needed and then devote himself fully to facing the challenge of the autumn harvest.

Han Li went to sleep with a contented smile, but in the middle of the night, he was jolted awake by an urgent clang of bells.

“Dang dang dang…”

Han Li opened his eyes in confusion, gazing at the pitch-dark room and the equally shadowy night outside.

What was going on? Was he just muddled by sleep?

He reached for a match to light the lantern, then grabbed his watch to check the time—half past one in the morning.

“Damn…”

A bell at this hour could only mean trouble in the village. Han Li hurriedly dressed, grabbed his flashlight, and rushed outside.

Only then did he realize the villagers were much faster than he was; the streets were already ablaze with torches and lanterns.

He followed the crowd toward the grain-drying square, everyone moving in silence.

A heavy expression was worn by each face; no one expected anything good from events unfolding in the middle of the night.

At the square, they discovered many youths were pressed to the front, each of them sobbing miserably.

From this, everyone more or less guessed the situation. As relief seeped in, conversations erupted.

“What are these youths up to again?”

“Who knows? It doesn’t look like anything good.”

“Good things? Would good things have them kneeling there?”

“They’re restless every single day. Why can’t they learn from Comrade Han?”

“As if they could. Do you see what kind of people they are?”

“We’re talking about their attitude toward work, you’re talking about their appearance. Seems we’re talking at cross purposes.”

“So what if we are? Attractive people deserve more attention. Let me tell you, if the headman and the village chief hadn’t said otherwise, my niece would already be married in our village.”

“You’re dreaming. Even if you turned a hundred and eighty times, your niece wouldn’t be chosen.”

“What did you say?”

“Am I wrong? Those female youths living alone, which one isn’t better than your niece? Even my own niece is better than yours.”

“What good are those female youths? Earning only four or five work points a day—what can that buy? If you want a good life, you need someone like my niece: hard-working, capable inside and out, broad-hipped and fertile. As for your niece, forget it. She studied two years in high school and still ended up working in the fields. I heard she’s determined to marry into the city, and after several blind dates she’s never satisfied. So stop wasting your time.”

“You… I just haven’t had time to go home and tell my niece about Comrade Han.”

“Even if you did, it would make no difference. Comrade Han would never be interested in your niece.”

“You…”

“Alright, let’s not argue about these things. But there are so many people involved this time—what’s really happened?”

At that moment, several villagers arrived carrying burlap sacks, stood at the front, and dumped their contents onto the ground.

Casseroles, lunch boxes, chopsticks, firewood, and plenty of uncooked bean pods scattered before everyone’s eyes.

By the light of flashlights and torches, people took in the scene, and the crowd immediately erupted.

“They went into the fields to ruin our crops?”

“Ruin? This is theft—they stole our food. That’s what this is.”

“These bean pods aren’t even fully grown yet. How could they bear to take them? It’s such waste—such a sin.”

“I said they were ingrates. No matter how well you treat them, it’s useless; you can’t raise people like this.”

“Hit them—give those who waste our grain a good lesson!”