Chapter 7: Captain Kong Xiaohu

"What are you running so fast for, Ge Da? Did Li Bing kill someone?" Kong Xiaohu suddenly stood up.

Kong Xiaohu hummed "Sweet Honey" softly as he slowly crouched down, his gaze sweeping over the geography's wheat seedlings, looking towards the Wang family's courtyard, but his view was obstructed by the gentle hills. He did not hear Liu Guohua's curses, feeling a slight sense of discomfort in his heart.

As a qualified messenger, Li Quanxue possesses the least courage. He never engages in fights, always remaining at the back of the line like a tail. His speed in fleeing is remarkable, which is why he has consistently served as the messenger for Li Bing, Kong Xiaohu, and others. Whenever there are matters to be communicated within the team, it is Li Quanxue who runs errands.

Let us row our double oars, as the little boat pushes through the waves, the lake surface reflecting the beautiful white pagoda, surrounded by green trees and red walls. The song's rhythm is lively and cheerful. While Kong Xiaohu is absentmindedly humming along, a man from the Li family's courtyard rushes over from the roadside. He is a member of the collective that Kong Xiaohu had assigned to deliver the message, named Li Quanxue, nicknamed "Geda." He is thin and frail, with his trousers rolled up above his knees and a large, conspicuous patch on his shirt's shoulder.

They are all accustomed to beating others. In the past, during sports, martial arts were the strong suit of Li Bing and others from hetushu.com. When have they ever been beaten? Li Quanxue was quite frightened and hurried back to report the news

Captain, something is wrong!" Li Quanxue gasped for breath, and after speaking a few words, he broke into a violent cough

Before setting out, Li Bing specifically came to speak with him. At that moment, Kong Xiaohu was slapping the crackling radio with his hand. The radio, located in Kong Xiaohu's home, always had poor signal, and the crackling static was quite disruptive. He said to Li Bing, "Don't cause any fatalities; what you did yesterday was excessive. If Wang Ping really gets knocked over by you, not only will you go to jail, but I will also be in trouble." Li Bing replied, "I understand!" and then set off with the Li family brothers to Wang's courtyard.

"What nonsense are you talking about?" With a swift motion, Kong Xiaohu raised his hand, and Li Quanxue quickly crouched down, covering his head with both hands

After a while, the radio had already switched to another song, a widely acclaimed classic titled "Let Us Row Our Double Oars." This song has been popular since the 1950s, known by all and sung by many. It became a national "fashionable" song in the 1970s and continues to be popular today, frequently covered by bands such as the Flower Band and the Zero Point Band. A classic is indeed a classic. This song is the theme song of the first children's film of the Republic in the 1950s, "The Flowers of Our Motherland."

Kong Xiaohu stepped out of his home with a radio in hand and slowly walked to the newly expanded and repaired dirt road of the commune. On the road, the radio signal was particularly good, and he happened to tune in to the song "Tian Mi Mi" by the most popular Taiwanese singer Teresa Teng.

Li Bing was beaten! Li Quanxue coughed and crouched down, having run too fast just now without noticing Kong Xiaohu squatting by the roadside, nor hearing the sound of Kong Xiaohu's radio. He was the last one left behind, responsible for relaying messages to Kong Xiaohu. From a distance, he saw Wang Ping fiercely kick Li Bing's head, rendering Li Bing and Li Qiang unable to move. The brutal scene frightened him.

Did Li Bing really kill someone?" Kong Xiaohu abruptly turned off the radio

"Captain, Li Bing and Li Qiang have both been knocked down and are lying on the ground motionless. I am afraid they might be kicked to death by Wang Ping," Li Quanxue's voice trembled.

Li Quanxue's complexion was very poor, exhibiting a sickly pallor, with his chest heaving sharply, barefoot, and his expression was one of extreme anxiety

This radio with a peeling black exterior is the most valuable property left by a city-educated youth after returning to the city a year ago, and over the past year, it has also become a symbol of Kong Xiaohu's identity and status

Kong Xiaohu raised his hand and slapped it against Li Quanxue's head, causing Li Quanxue to tilt his body, with one leg kneeling on the ground

Li Bing brought people to trouble Wang Ping's family, all of them empty-handed. This was also Kong Xiaohu's intention; just use their fists to make a point, and do not use any tools like poles or hoes. Li Bing's temperament is violent, and if they resort to tools in a moment of anger, it could lead to a fatal accident, which would be troublesome for everyone involved

What did Wang Ping use to hit the person? A carrying pole, a hoe, a kitchen knife, or a wooden stick? Kong Xiaohu asked instinctively, his mind buzzing, unwilling to believe every word spoken by Li Quanxue.

Kong Xiaohu scolded, "You little bastard, of course I am going to see, get up, let's go!"

I said, our people have not yet reacted and do not know what happened, Li Bing and Li Qiang were knocked down by Wang Ping, who also kicked Li Bing and Li Qiang's heads fiercely with his feet. Li Quanxue's expression became more fluent, and his face, which had turned a grayish-blue due to severe coughing, gradually returned to a somewhat earthy yellow.

Did Wang Ping beat Li Bing and Li Qiang? Did Wang Ping pick up the carrying pole? Did he pick up the hoe? Did everyone in the Wang family's courtyard get involved? The voice of Kong Xiaohu became sharp.

You son of a turtle! Kong Xiaohu lifted his foot and kicked Li Quanxue down.

Sweetly, you smile so sweetly, just like flowers blooming in the spring breeze, blooming in the spring breeze

What are you saying? Kong Xiaohu is really confused. Did Wang Ping defeat both Li Bing and Li Qiang? Did he also kick them to death? Is Wang Ping a bull? How is this possible?

Kong Xiaohu said: "Are you confused? Li Bing was beaten? With so many of them, who would dare to act against someone from the Wang family courtyard? Are your eyes deceiving you?" He slapped Li Quanxue's thin face with a loud smack, "Go, tell Li Bing to vent his anger, but don't actually kill someone in a fit of rage."

By the roadside of a dirt road, a young man with an unappealing yet trendy toilet seat hairstyle, which was the most popular hairstyle at the time, stands out. This hairstyle, characterized by a center parting, gained popularity in mainland China starting in the 1980s, largely due to Aaron Kwok's influence. One of his pant legs is rolled up, revealing his leg hair, and he holds a somewhat bulky black radio in his hand, nodding along to Teresa Teng's song "Sweet Honey." This young man, with a faintly sullen expression on his dark face, is none other than Kong Xiaohu, the leader of the third production team.

Liu Guohua and Li Bing, brothers, went to cause trouble for Wang Ping's family, but they did not hear Liu Guohua's "national curse," which surprised Kong Xiaohu. Due to the hilly terrain and distance, Kong Xiaohu could not see Wang's courtyard; however, Liu Guohua's loud voice should have been audible.

At that time, among the entire brigade of ten small production teams, there was only this one radio capable of receiving broadcasts from the Central People's Broadcasting Station! To put it in contemporary terms, having this radio made Kong Xiaohu incredibly cool, stylish, and trendy in that backward rural area!

Li Quanxue crouched on the ground, covering his head with both hands: "Captain, please don't hit me. I saw it with my own eyes. Li Jun and Li Gui were both harmed by Wang Ping in some way. One of their arms was dislocated, and Liu Guohua's mouth was also rendered unusable by some secret method employed by Wang Ping. He can't even curse anymore." Li Quanxue said in a muffled voice while holding his head.

Empty-handed! Li Quanxue dared not refuse to answer. He ran very fast, but his courage was smaller than that of a mouse! His nickname was "Bumps," which was due to his family's poverty and the abundance of fleas. When he was young, he would often wake up with many bumps all over his body and face from being bitten, which were both itchy and unsightly, thus earning him the elegant title of "Bumps" from a young age.

Li Quanxue curled up on the ground, holding his head, resembling a mangy dog: "Captain, please don't hit me. You should go and see for yourself. If you go late, I'm afraid both Li Bing and Li Qiang will be beaten to death by Wang Ping."