Chapter 3, Class Enemies

Qiao Si's grandmother, Yin Qiu, was sitting on the scorching kang, smoking a dry tobacco pipe. In her old age, her bodily organs had severely deteriorated. Her eyesight had faded to the point where she could no longer see clearly, and her teeth had mostly fallen out. Throughout her life, she had only given birth to one precious son—Song Shichun. However, this son had been unruly since childhood, causing her endless worry. Since Song Shichun's death, she had not uttered a single word.

In the early morning, a red sun rose, the snow had stopped, and the earth fell silent. Qiao Si scooped two ladles of water from the vat into the basin and washed up briefly. He then carried two buckets to the well (at that time in Northeast China, several households shared a single well). A thick layer of ice had formed on the surface of the well water, and he and his neighbor struggled to break through the ice with a long iron rod, drawing two buckets of water to fill the water vat at home (the winters in Northeast China are quite harsh, with dripping water freezing instantly; sometimes a heavy snowfall can last for three days and nights). A thick layer of ice had formed on the surface of the well water, and he and his neighbor struggled to break through the ice with a long iron rod, drawing two buckets of water to fill the water vat at home (the winters in Northeast China are quite harsh, with dripping water freezing instantly; sometimes a heavy snowfall can last for three days and nights)

Seeing that there was no one around, he quickly reached out and grabbed a piece to put in his mouth. Observing his eating manner, Xiao Ke and Hao Quezi curiously peeked out from behind a nearby locust tree. This action was precisely captured by Qiao Siyuan's peripheral vision.

People from Northeast China are very generous. Upon hearing Qiao Si's invitation, Xiao Ke and Hao Quezi did not feel shy at all. The three boys, in their developmental stage, quickly stuffed this small amount of food into their stomachs.

"You little reactionaries, how dare you steal my food!" Sun Yue and Zhang Ye had just been flirting at the entrance of the school library, and upon returning to the courtyard, they discovered that their meal had been consumed by the three individuals in front of them, which not only infuriated them.

Brother, let's go out and have some meat together

The meal was quite simple: a cornmeal pancake, a few sorghum buns, a small dish of pickled radish strips, and a bowl of cabbage and vermicelli topped with several pieces of fatty meat. Qiao Si's mouth watered. Fatty meat (at that time in China, fatty meat was more valuable than lean meat), it had been a long time since he had tasted meat, but his mother and grandmother needed it more than he did. He hastily ate two buns and took up the sickle to go out and chop firewood. Fatty meat (at that time in China, fatty meat was more valuable than lean meat), it had been a long time since he had tasted meat, but his mother and grandmother needed it more than he did. He hastily ate two buns and took up the sickle to go out and chop firewood. (Northeast China is the largest timber-producing area, while in Shaanxi, people burn coal and live in cave dwellings during winter, whereas in Northeast China, they burn firewood and live in wooden houses). After chopping enough wood, Qiao Si prepared the firewood for his grandmother to use in the stove tomorrow, took off his clothes, and got onto the kang.

After he turned and left, Xiao Ke was walking to the basin with Hao Quezi, picking up his share of the meal. In a school of over a hundred people, only the three of them ate this kind of food. Although the three were not even acquaintances, they were all aware of each other's presence.

There were many people in line for lunch. After Qiao Si waited for others to finish getting their meals, he walked up to the basin. In the basin, there were six sorghum flour buns. He reached in and took two, standing under the eaves. With the snow as a backdrop, he swallowed the two buns down, then patted his still flat belly, shaking his head in resignation.

"You shouldn't speak carelessly. https://m.hetushu.com, it was you who chose not to eat, how can you blame us?" Qiao Si hurriedly explained, while Hao Quezi remained silent, his eyes filled with menace. Xiao Ke was trembling slightly, filled with fear

In this era, sixteen yuan is indeed barely enough for one person to eat their fill, but Gui He has the elderly above her and children below her, and everything requires money. The heavy burden of life ruthlessly ravages her frail body. At just over thirty years old, she looks like an old woman.

Upon arriving at the dining table, Qiao Si was surprised to find that there was still a considerable amount of meat left in the first-class dishes. His eyes lit up instantly; these high-ranking officials' children often exhibited a lack of appetite, leading to the waste of perfectly good food. This was not the first time he had encountered such a situation.

When Qiao Si was being beaten, the two of them had considered stepping forward to help. However, one was a cripple and the other was concerned about his studies. After watching for a long time, they ultimately restrained their desire to intervene and stayed obediently in the classroom. Yet, fate always seems to enjoy playing tricks on people; there appeared to be an invisible thread that tightly bound the destinies of the three, and until death, they never separated again.

In Northeast China, young people grow up fighting; a man who has never been in jail cannot be considered an adult. Fighting is not an unusual occurrence for the men, women, and children in this region. Bold girls often cheer from the sidelines, occasionally handing a stool or a book to the man they like.

"Damn it, just you wait, I will avenge this grudge sooner or later," Qiao Si muttered resentfully as he watched Zhang Tao and the others disappear from sight, and then hurriedly walked towards the classroom

Qiao Si, Xiao Ke, and Hao Quezi stood there in a daze. Although none of them understood the law, they were aware that once the charge of theft was established, the accused would be subjected to severe public denunciation, potentially leading to their death.

The teacher clearly noticed the scars on his face and did not criticize him for being late. However, regarding these green military uniforms, the teacher also dared not say much. During the Cultural Revolution, the suffering endured by teachers made them somewhat fearful of their students; no one knew whether the Cultural Revolution would come again. It must be acknowledged that when Chinese leaders change dynasties, they have historically favored various means to eliminate powerful ministers who overshadow them, subjecting the intellectuals in the country to a form of brainwashing. Since the unification of the six states by Qin Shi Huang, this practice has never ceased. It is not an exaggeration to say that China is absolutely world-leading in this regard.

In silence, Qiao Si thought to himself, when one is destined for misfortune, even drinking a sip of cold water can lead to a toothache. Every time, this guy Zhang Ye has to jump out and play the hero. A dozen or so youths in green military uniforms heard Zhang Tao's shout and quickly rushed out of the classroom, and the melee began.

Qiao Si took the initiative and kicked towards Zhang Ye's lower body, catching him off guard. Zhang Ye roared in pain, jumping up and down on the spot. Three robust soldiers in green uniforms surrounded Qiao Si and attacked him fiercely. The teachers, hearing the commotion, peeked out to take a look but quickly pretended not to see. They dared not provoke these green-clad soldiers, who represented a certain faction and ideology. If they opposed these students, they might find themselves sent down to the countryside again, spending a lifetime in that yellow earth. In this era, the concept of fairness was nonexistent. Qiao Si represented another faction, the reactionaries. Chairman Mao once said, "Fighting against heaven is endlessly enjoyable. Fighting against the earth is endlessly enjoyable. Fighting against people is endlessly enjoyable." He was a god in China, and everyone had to heed his words. No one dared to refute his statements, yet why did Qiao Si fail to perceive any joy in fighting against people? Was it really fun to have a bunch of fools shouting "Long live Chairman Mao" every day while tormenting another group of people? This question puzzled the young Qiao Si for a long time, until many years later, he finally understood. It turned out that the so-called legal justice depended on whom it was applied to; in the face of overwhelming power, the law was nothing but a blank piece of paper.

Qiao Si struggled to rise from the snowdrift; these bastards were truly ruthless. If it weren't for the timely sound of the class, he would likely have been buried in the snow. Rubbing his head, which was still dazed from the beating, he felt that his injuries were not too severe. He had long since become accustomed to such minor physical pain; otherwise, an ordinary person would really be unable to endure it

A new day has begun. Qiao Si, Xiao Ke, and Hao Quezi, suffering from hunger and cold, joined the school's snow-clearing team. The sunlight shone on the white snow, reflecting a dazzling silver light. After a busy morning of shoveling snow, students from various classes gradually returned to the school. It was time for lunch, but the three of them still waited until the courtyard was empty before approaching the food bowls.

In front of the podium in the classroom, a large amount of wood is placed, which has been chopped by the daily duty students. Those sitting in the front row are all in green military uniforms, enjoying the warmth of the fire, while individuals like Qiao Si can only remain in the back row. Enduring the pain of hunger and cold, he managed to hold on until lunchtime.

He grabbed two handfuls of snow, kneaded them into a snow cake, and applied it to his wound for a moment, then slowly walked into the classroom. Just thinking of Zhang Tao's smug expression made him grit his teeth in hatred. ... His own physical suffering had only resulted in someone else's sweet happiness, what a joke

The wind rose, and the blizzard howled, rushing towards Qiao Si's frail body. By the time he returned home, he had already become a snowman. He brushed off the snow from his body and quickly began chopping firewood and starting a fire

This is an era devoid of reason, where families of inferior status are unable to secure good jobs. Qiao Si's mother, Gui He, has to clean half of a factory by herself, toiling day in and day out, and she earns only 16 yuan a month

Song Yongjia, you reactionary, have finally revealed your true colors. Brothers, beat him up

When Qiao Si had chopped the firewood, lit the fire, and brought the water in the large pot to a boil, Gui He returned home. Exhausted, Gui He immediately began to prepare the meal upon arriving home