Chapter 5, Good people are often taken advantage of by others

The suffocating oppression hung in the air, silent; neither Qiao Si nor his mother spoke. The porridge had cooled a bit, and as she looked at Qiao Si's wrist, which appeared to have been bitten, tears suddenly streamed down her mother's cheeks. His mother was strong; she quickly turned her face away and wiped her tears dry. She found some medicinal powder and a piece of cloth to bandage his wound.

My sister took a nap with Zhang Tao

Night gradually descended. A slightly overweight middle-aged officer entered the detention room, unlocking and removing the handcuffs from the four individuals. This was not due to any sudden moral awakening on the part of some; rather, it was because night often brings drowsiness, and there was not enough energy to spare. If these youths were to fall asleep and somehow strangle themselves, resulting in a fatality, it would necessitate writing a report and creating a scene of escape, which would be exceedingly troublesome

Xiao Ke did not respond to the female teacher, but with red eyes, he raised a kitchen knife and pointed it at the green-uniformed soldiers who had come in response to the news

After listening to the account of Qiao Si and his companions, Huang Tingli was filled with rage. At this moment, Qiao Si and his companions began to understand what it meant to be a chivalrous thief. Huang Tingli's anger was genuine, devoid of any pretense. When he heard Qiao Si recount his grievances with Zhang Ye, and the tragic death of his father, Hao Quezi and Xiao Ke could not contain themselves either. The group, using their not-so-bright minds, came up with some foolish ideas. Xiao Ke suggested that once they made a name for themselves, they should properly humiliate the Zhang father and son. Hao Quezi proposed that each person should bring two knives and go directly to their door to attack. Huang Tingli, however, believed that they should wait until they had the opportunity to steal from Zhang's family, impoverishing them instead. After hearing the foolish ideas of the three brothers, Qiao Si fell silent, feeling dejected. In his heart, he actually agreed with Hao Quezi's theory of direct attack, but the opposing side was powerful and influential, and he could not afford to provoke them.

"Do not let me see you on the street again." He then struck the school window frame fiercely with the kitchen knife and walked away. No one dared to stop him; everyone was frightened by Xiao Ke. The kitchen knife continued to tremble, and the surroundings were so quiet that one could hear the heartbeat of others.

On such a cold night, the four of them simultaneously huddled closer, wrapping their thin clothes around themselves, sitting on the chilly concrete ground, trying their best to lean against each other to keep warm

A night of silence, half a pack of cigarettes was quickly consumed by four young men

Signed and recruited

Shock, speechlessness, silence. A thunderous revelation struck in the hearts of Qiao Si and Hao Quezi as they finally understood why the authorities had released the individuals and why the school had not expelled the three. A sense of humiliation filled their hearts, and suddenly, Hao Quezi jumped up, howling and screaming, turning to run home to get a knife to attack someone. Qiao Si and Xiao Ke hurried to stop him. Zhang Tao is the Secretary of the Municipal Committee, not an ordinary person, and cannot be casually assaulted. A sense of humiliation filled their hearts, and suddenly, Hao Quezi jumped up, howling and screaming, turning to run home to get a knife to attack someone. Qiao Si and Xiao Ke hurried to stop him. Zhang Tao is the Secretary of the Municipal Committee, not an ordinary person, and cannot be casually assaulted.

Early in the morning, Qiao Si and his two companions were sent to school by their respective parents. Surprisingly, the school did not expel the three of them; instead, they received a serious reprimand and were placed under observation. The violent incident stemming from a fight came to an end here

Hao Quezi wore a broken and indifferent expression, limping along as he disappeared into the blizzard with his family

When Qiao Si met Xiao Ke again with Hao Quezi, Xiao Ke merely said a few words淡淡.

The cold wind howled incessantly, sending chills down the spine of those who listened, while the four individuals endured a painful night, half asleep and half awake, with their eyes closed.

From then on, Xiao Ke followed the renowned elder brother—Ma Ganzi—and officially became part of the gang, living a life sustained by collecting protection fees. Due to Ma Ganzi's deliberate protection, the incident that occurred at school was left unresolved. Interestingly, the green uniforms would immediately take a detour upon seeing Xiao Ke from a distance.

Hearing the unanimous response from Qiao Si and the others, Huang Tingli let out a helpless sigh. He then carefully explained to the three about the principle of leniency for those who confess and severity for those who resist, using the analogy of moving bricks in Xinjiang and the implications of returning home for the New Year. After listening to Huang Tingli's explanation, the three felt a sense of enlightenment. They couldn't help but regret their own weakness, realizing that they shouldn't have been unable to endure such minor hardships.

The speaker is Xiao Ke's homeroom teacher, a recently graduated female university student with a strong sense of justice. In order to advocate for Xiao Ke, this female student has had numerous arguments with the school leadership.

However, regret is regret; now that things have come to this point, it is useless for the three of them to feel remorse. Xiao Ke vowed that in his lifetime, he would never enter a prison again. Qiao Si and Hao Quezi also vowed that if they were to come in again, they would rather die than confess.

Qiao Si and Hao Weitao followed, but only saw Xiao Ke's back.

"I ask you all, have you confessed and signed?" Huang Tingli inquired

Wang Weifan, are you out of your mind? Stop immediately

The green-clad soldiers looked at Qiao Si and the others with disdain. However, having just been on the receiving end of a shovel, the green-clad soldiers knew that these individuals were mad dogs and not to be trifled with, so they did not dare to openly provoke the three. But Xiao Ke, who should have most wanted this matter to be resolved, had bloodshot eyes and suddenly went mad after the second class, wielding a kitchen knife and slashing at the doors and windows of each classroom. Qiao Si and Hao Quezi had no idea what had happened to Xiao Ke and could not hold him back no matter how hard they tried. But Xiao Ke, who should have most wanted this matter to be resolved, had bloodshot eyes and suddenly went mad after the second class, wielding a kitchen knife and slashing at the doors and windows of each classroom. Qiao Si and Hao Quezi had no idea what had happened to Xiao Ke and could not hold him back no matter how hard they tried

Qiao Si did not know when he had fallen asleep, and this sleep lasted until midnight. The night was silent all around, with only the cold wind howling in its unwillingness. When Qiao Si woke up, his mind was blank; he did not know what he was thinking, merely lying there quietly, not wanting to get up. Until the sky began to brighten, Qiao Si remained in a daze. A new day had begun, and Qiao Si secretly vowed that he could not continue living like this. He must become wealthy and powerful, and he could no longer be bullied by others

Taking advantage of others' weaknesses and relying on their support, Qiao Si and the other two, considering that they had smoked a few cigarettes with Huang Tingli and mainly because they could not withstand his incessant chatter, slowly recounted the events that had transpired among the three of them.

In the early morning, Qiao Si and the other two were taken away by their families. Considering their young age and their good attitude towards admitting guilt, they were treated leniently and allowed to return home. In fact, it was Zhang Tao who suddenly changed his mind and decided not to pursue the matter further, which is why the three were released. Xiao Ke's father was a simple and honest farmer. Looking at Xiao Ke's frail body, his yellowish face, bloodied wrists, and bruised face, he raised his hand but could not bring it down for a long time. Xiao Ke's sister, a lovely girl with two braids, wore tattered clothes. Despite her ragged appearance, she could not hide the youthful grace and delicacy. With tears streaming down her face, she draped a cotton coat over him.

After Qiao Si was brought home by his family, he did not say anything. He simply boiled some hot water at home, encouraging him to take a good bath and change into a fresh set of clothes. Once he had changed, Qiao Si held a bowl of steaming millet porridge in his hands, looking at his mother's head full of white hair, feeling a sense of difficulty in swallowing his food

"For a cigarette, one can kill, for..."

The words of his father constantly filled Qiao Si's mind, and the blood of anger boiled in the cold winter season

In this era, a woman, especially a rural woman, who loses her virginity equates to losing everything, becoming a representative of promiscuity and debauchery. Anger surged within the three of them, as new grievances and old resentments continuously welled up in Qiao Si's heart