Bai Fumei in the ’70s Chapter 16
Translated by Serena Love
Proofread by Soupysuspicions
Edited by Ladyhotcomb
Chapter 16
When Zhao Lanxiang brought out the rice, He Songbai didn’t immediately come over to eat.
Instead, he squatted by the well, washing his face and wiping away the sweat. Clear well water poured over his head, running down from his forehead to the collar of his undershirt, outlining his lean upper body. His rough palms scrubbed at his face, and with a shake of his head, he sent droplets of water flying in all directions before silently making his way back to the room.
The food vendor, previously wearing a blank expression, narrowed his eyes and approached Zhao Lanxiang, asking abruptly, “Why are you staring at my Brother Bai?”
His question sounded like a clap of thunder to Zhao Lanxiang, catching her off guard. She had been intently observing He Songbai.
She turned to find the young man who had previously sold food on the black market standing beside her.
Luckily, he didn’t dwell on her previous actions. Instead, he cheerfully said, “I didn’t expect to run into you here. So, you’re living at Brother Bai’s place? What a coincidence! Hey, I’ve been to Brother Bai’s house before, but I’ve never seen you around.”
Zhao Lanxiang explained, “I’m an educated youth assigned to this brigade. My dormitory collapsed a while ago, so I’m temporarily staying with the He family.”
The food vendor studied her for a moment before saying, “You made the mung bean cakes sold this morning, didn’t you? I recognized you right away... After all, when has He Songbai ever had such skills? I’ve tried persuading him to work with me before, but he refused, looking down on us small-time traders! You’ve got quite the talent, and we could really help Brother Bai out. I’d be willing to help you sell your products.”
Zhao Lanxiang was slightly taken aback. Whenever this young man mentioned He Songbai, he always referred to him respectfully as “Brother Bai,” a stark contrast to the scornful way the villagers spoke of him.
This made Zhao Lanxiang form a favorable impression of this young food vendor.
“The customers who bought duck from you last time have been coming to my stall every day asking about you. They’ve been craning their necks in anticipation, waiting for your return. You were quite vague last time; when will you be selling again? Are you bringing another jar for sale? I was really surprised last time. Was it really that delicious?”
Zhao Lanxiang couldn’t help but laugh. “No, I’ll be selling something different next time,” she said, dismissing the idea of making duck meat a regular item on her menu.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to profit, but during her last sale, she had inadvertently exposed her face. For the sake of her personal safety, she decided not to sell duck meat again in the near future.
Besides, buying duck meat was no simple task. While others were content buying just one or two ducks at a time, she had purchased a dozen pounds in one go, drawing unwanted attention. The long queues at the marketing cooperative were another hurdle, making it a game of luck to secure the meat. In an era of economic scarcity, meat was a luxury few could afford.
Considering these factors, Zhao Lanxiang concluded that a duck meat business was not feasible for the time being.
With a smile, she asked the food seller, “Have you eaten yet?”
She led him to the kitchen, where the aroma of savory braised pork wafted through the air. The young man’s eyes were glued to the pot, and he swallowed hard. “You’re quite the cook. No wonder the duck meat sold out so fast that day. Could I trouble you for a bowl of rice?”
The food seller was conscientious. Even though he and He Songbai referred to each other as brothers, he had never thought of freeloading a meal. He had braced himself for a meal of bran and wild vegetables before coming to the He family, but to his surprise, he found a feast awaiting him. The He family’s fortunes seemed to have improved, and they were now enjoying meat in their meals!
To the food seller, this simple dish of rice with meat and vegetables was a luxurious feast.
Zhao Lanxiang served another bowl for him. Thankfully, the He family had hearty appetites, prompting her to cook in generous portions. Otherwise, latecomers would have had to make do with just a cup of soup.
The food seller said, “Brother Bai and I rushed all the way back, and he hasn’t eaten anything yet. You can give me his portion, and I’ll bring it to him.”
Zhao Lanxiang smiled and replied, “Okay.”
The young man gave a sheepish scratch to his head and said, “Actually... My name is Liang Tiezhu. You can just call me Tiezhu.”
With a bowl of rice in hand, Tiezhu made his way toward He Songbai’s room, his mind wandering back to his days as a loafer in the Green Valley brigade. Back then, he was drowning in debt, and his family’s financial situation was even more dire than the He family’s.
Years ago, he found himself cornered by a gang of thugs, their brutal beating leaving him on the brink of death. That was when He Songbai appeared, like a guardian angel, and single-handedly took down the bullies. His fists flew with such ferocity that the thugs were soon reduced to tearful pleas for mercy. Overwhelmed with gratitude, Tiezhu had clung to He Songbai’s thigh, sobbing uncontrollably.
The bonds of male friendship are often forged in the heat of battle, with the one having the strongest fist emerging as the leader.
From that moment on, the young rascal who had been beaten like a weak chicken saw He Songbai as his elder brother.
When Tiezhu brought the rice to He Songbai’s room, he found him in the middle of changing, his only presentable outfit now dirty and torn.
He Songbai had only ever ridden a bike twice before; the first time under the watchful eye of his brothers, just to get a feel for it, and the second time was earlier that morning. With such limited experience, how could he possibly navigate this “foreign vehicle”? Yet, unwilling to show any sign of weakness in front of Zhao Lanxiang, he had boldly set out.
Unexpectedly, he hadn’t even made it to the main road before a slight turn caused him to lose balance and fall. He managed to protect the delicate mung beans in his arms, preventing any damage. However, he wasn’t so lucky himself, sustaining numerous scrapes and ripped patches of skin all over his body, blood spilling everywhere.
He Songbai was just relieved that he hadn’t damaged someone else’s precious bike. To a man like him, these superficial wounds were nothing. He had quickly found some wild herbs by the roadside, chewed them up, and applied them to his wounds before continuing on his way to the market.
Tiezhu, holding the bowls of rice, called out cheerfully, “Brother Bai, dinner’s ready! There’s even some fatty pork—it smells amazing!”
Upon seeing the wounds on He Songbai’s legs, he was both shocked and filled with guilt. “What happened here? You rode all the way back like this? Did it hurt?”
Tiezhu couldn’t help but feel a surge of admiration for He Songbai. Even though he had been with him while he was selling food, he hadn’t noticed anything amiss.
He Songbai had sold his goods, bled, and endured a bike ride all the way back without uttering a single complaint. He was as strong as steel.
But Tiezhu couldn’t help feeling a pang of regret, saying somewhat angrily, “If I had known, I would have taken you back myself. Do you still see me as your brother?”
Tiezhu’s income had doubled thanks to his early ventures into the black market. He not only became the first person in his village to own a bicycle, but he also bought his mother another “luxury” item—a sewing machine. Now, she was doing some seam repair work for the village, and his elder sister was learning to make clothes. He admired He Songbai’s ability to ignore people, especially those who looked down on him due to his family’s past.
He Songbai, paying him no mind, continued to apply the pungent grass to his wound, eventually tearing a piece of ragged cloth to wrap around his leg.
Stinky grass, a kind of folk medicine, was believed to cure all sorts of ailments—from fevers and colds to falls and injuries, nosebleeds, constipation, and even stomach roundworms. It grew everywhere, was cheap, and easy to use. It was He Songbai’s most reliable “doctor.”
He Songbai glanced up, noticing the bowl of rice in Tiezhu’s hands.
He immediately realized that Tiezhu had brought the food from the woman. He Songbai wasn’t fond of constantly freeloading meals from her, but today he had shed a lot of blood on her behalf. Eating her food a few times didn’t seem too bad.
He Songbai took his chopsticks, shifted his legs to the side, and began to eat quietly.
The food was incredibly fragrant. He knew the woman was an excellent cook; dishes rich in oil and salt were always the most delicious!
Tiezhu took a bite of the fragrant delicacy, looking enviously at the slice of braised pork on He Songbai’s rice. It seemed like He Songbai had more meat in his bowl than he did.
Tiezhu picked up the meat, eating slowly, contentedly, and with joy.
He raised his eyebrows at Song Bai, “This is delicious. Brother Bai, tell me... do you think that girl is interested in you?”
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