The 1960s: The Story of a Country Girl's Journey to the City

In April, the elm trees along the roadside were laden with elm seeds, and passersby would pick a handful. The elm seeds at the bottom were almost all picked.

Bao Ya, returning from the toilet, stopped in her tracks when she saw the monkey standing on a tree branch gazing into the distance.

"Monkey, pick some elm seeds and throw them down for me."

Bao Ya didn't stand on ceremony with him when she saw him, and he would often come to her house to freeload meals, making her feel like she was losing out.

The monkey looked down at her, then at the elm seeds beside him, wondering what she was up to.

"What do you want this thing for? You're a grown man, why are you eating this like a child? You're so greedy."

That brat, he's so cheeky. Bao Ya found a few small stones on the ground and threw them at him.

"Ouch, why did you hit me?"

Are you going to pick it or not?

Bao Ya picked up another small stone and aimed it at him, daring him to say no, she would continue to hit him.

The monkey glanced at the stone in her hand and reluctantly changed his tune:

"I'll pick it for you, okay? What do you need it for, you're a grown man..."

The monkey muttered to itself, but its hands didn't stop; it broke off several large tree branches and threw them down at her.

"What do you want to use it for?"

The monkey was still not giving up. Based on his experience, he knew Bao Ya was definitely going to make something delicious again, and he would have to go check on her later.

"You don't even know how to make elm seed rice?"

Bao Ya rolled her eyes at him disdainfully, then carried a few tree branches on her back and strode home with an air of indifference.

When I got home, I started to prepare the elm seeds. After picking the fresh elm seeds, I washed them and drained them until they were half dry. I first added a little salt and mixed them evenly with my hands. Then I mixed in dry flour and cornmeal and continued to stir until the elm seed leaves were coated with the flour.

After doing all that, she went to light the fire and boil water.

Even though the weather is getting warmer, she still likes to use the big pot in the yard. She boils most of the pot of water to use for washing things later.

Bao Ya was tending the fire when she heard a commotion outside, as if someone was shouting to catch him.

Before she could get up to look, a man carrying a sack ran into her yard, threw the sack on the ground, quickly closed the gate, and bolted all three door bolts. Then he leaned against the door, panting.

When Bao Ya saw who it was, her eyes widened in surprise. Before she could even utter the words to shoo them away, Lin Chuxue gritted her teeth, rushed over, and grabbed her wrist with such force that Bao Ya winced in pain. She lowered her voice:

"If you call your people over, I'll tell them that we're in cahoots, and since we're relatives, we'll die together."

Damn it, this female lead is just like a persistent ghost, causing trouble all by herself.

The voices behind her were getting closer and closer. Now that Lin Chuxue had turned the tables on her, she couldn't explain herself at all. Those people might not give her a chance to explain, and there would be endless trouble in the future.

Bao Ya made a snap decision, shook off her hand, grabbed the kitchen knife next to the stove, and headed straight for the burlap sack.

Lin Chuxue was startled by her action of taking out the knife, thinking that she was going to fight her to the death, and her face instantly turned pale.

Bao Ya used a knife to cut the rope on the sack, shook out the contents, and scattered them on the ground.

There were two live chickens and several small cloth bags inside, which were probably grain. She quickly threw the small cloth bags into the west wing through the window frame, which had no glass.

He picked up two chickens, swiftly chopped off their heads, threw them into a wooden basin, and then poured boiling water from the pot over them using a small basin.

"Hey, what are you doing? Why are you arresting people in our area?"

When the monkey saw a group of unfamiliar teenagers rushing to Bao Ya's door, intending to bang on it, he ran over and stopped them. He knew the meat processing plant's residential compound was under his jurisdiction, and these people had overstepped their boundaries.

"We're after a bad guy carrying sacks. Don't be ungrateful, or we'll arrest you too."

A boy with a belt puffed out his chest and spoke to the monkey. Before he could continue, the boy tugged at his sleeve.

"What bad elements? This is our meat processing plant's territory, it's none of your business to run wild. Fatty, go get some men."

Seeing that someone was coming to cause trouble, the monkey perked up. How could he save face if someone stepped on his territory?

The fat man behind the monkey heard the monkey tell him to call for help, and he turned and ran.

The squad leader sized up the monkey, judging by his attire, he was probably a Red Guard. His heart began to pound. This wasn't their territory; they might have to fight them. Thinking this, he immediately softened his tone:

"We didn't come here on purpose to invade your territory. We just followed that person here. Why don't you call the people inside out to come out and see? She's carrying a whole sack of stuff."

He can't be tough on someone else's turf; he might even get beaten up.

The fat man shouted in the street, and about a dozen children ran out. The two sides faced off in front of Bao Ya's house, neither side willing to give way.

"You think someone is a bad element just because you say so? What if it's their own stuff? Are you just making up an excuse to steal it?"

Seeing that his brothers were all in place, the monkey's spirits rose.

The factory leaders tacitly approved of these kids loitering around the family compound every day. Otherwise, like in other places, the Red Guards could do whatever they wanted, inexplicably implicating a whole bunch of people, and things would fall into complete chaos.

"Our people have been watching her from the black market and have been following her all this way. They're hiding inside. If you don't believe me, ask her to open the door and see."

Besides, who keeps their door locked in broad daylight? If you won't let people in, it means you have something to hide.

"Yes, not letting people see it is deliberately covering it up."

"that is……"

After the leader finished speaking, the men behind him started making a fuss. Monkey was really uneasy at this moment. He had just seen Lin Chuxue carrying things and running in from the tree. What if he opened the door and they blocked the room?

In the yard

"Come here and pluck the chicken feathers, hurry up."

"What?"

Lin Chuxue was panicked, but she was also scared by the commotion outside. Even if she dragged Bao Ya into the mess, she might not be able to get away.

But she didn't know anyone in this area, so she could only run to Bao Ya's house, hoping that Bao Ya could let her hide for a while. Unexpectedly, those people blocked the door.

"Are you deaf? Pluck the chicken feathers, hurry up! I'm going to open the door for them."

Bao Ya walked towards the gate and gave Lin Chuxue a push.

Lin Chuxue didn't know what she wanted to do, but when she heard that she was going to open the door, she was so scared that her hands and feet wouldn't obey her commands, and her mind was in a mess. She could only do as Bao Ya said and squatted in front of the wooden tray to start plucking chicken feathers.

Seeing that she had done as she was told, Bao Ya walked to the front door, took a deep breath, pulled out the door bolt, and opened the door.

"You're all just making a racket in front of my house. Go play somewhere else."

Bao Ya was in the wrong but also very angry. She opened the door and shouted outside. She was never a good-tempered person to begin with, and she couldn't afford to appear guilty now.

The people outside, who were locked in a stalemate, were startled by her shout. They were all teenagers; they were bolder when they joined in the commotion, but they immediately backed down when faced with a tough opponent.

"What are you yelling about? We've been chasing you all this way. You're harboring bad elements."

The young soldier in front was only fifteen or sixteen years old. After being yelled at by her, his arrogance immediately subsided, and he even stammered.

And the person they were just following was clearly not this person. Could they have made a mistake?