Returning to the county opera troupe in 77

Chapter 109 Educated Youth (Part 1)

Since the beginning of December, there have been significantly more idlers and loafers on the streets than before, and the number is increasing daily.

The once deserted streets suddenly became lively.

At the base of the wall at the alley entrance, groups of young people squatted and smoked, some wearing black cotton-padded jackets with cuffs worn shiny, others wearing military overcoats but only thin cardigans underneath, their collars open and the hems always covered in a layer of dust.

These people mostly have two characteristics. First, they are dark-skinned, like farmers who have been exposed to the wind and sun for many years. There is no white skin on their faces, necks, or the backs of their hands.

Another thing is that they are thin, with high cheekbones and sunken cheeks.

But their eyes were lively, looking around, completely unlike those dull, timid country folk.

There were long lines of people outside the supply and marketing cooperative, buying cigarettes and loose liquor, making a lot of noise that made the sales clerks' ears ring.

Even the barbers who carried their barbers on their shoulders and walked the streets and alleys were doing much better business than before, and their small tin charcoal stoves were rarely turned off from morning to night.

Hu Xiaolian, Chen Xiangdong, and Fang Zhengsheng, the gatekeepers, were sitting idly in the guard room, watching the unfamiliar figures coming and going at the gate. Hu Xiaolian smacked his lips and said, "I heard that the county transportation station's buses have been bringing back quite a few people these past two days."

Chen Xiangdong stood by the window for a long time, then turned around and said, "Since these educated youth came back, our county town has changed completely."

Perhaps spurred by the possibility of his old plays making a comeback, Fang Zhengsheng seems to be trying to quit drinking recently. Although his hands often tremble and he can't help but take a sip, he is much better than before when he was drunk all the time and could barely speak.

He was chewing on rock candy at the moment, and he hummed in agreement: "With more people, there will be more people watching the show, which is a good thing."

Good news?

Chen Xiangdong remained expressionless, his gaze lingering for a moment on the educated youth squatting by the roadside smoking, recalling the trouble they caused after returning to the city in his previous life.

With no job, no room at home, and no way to register their household registration, their pent-up resentment had nowhere to go, eventually turning into shouting, cursing, and fighting all over the streets, turning the once peaceful small county into complete chaos.

And right now, this is just the beginning. In the next two years, 78 and 79, the number of educated youth returning home will only increase.

When that time comes, hordes of educated youth will flock back from all directions, with trains arriving one after another and trucks transporting them in one trip after another. At that point, there will only be more problems to solve.

But these are all processes that must be experienced in the tide of history, and no one can change anything.

However, he had already begun to review some memories closely related to the theater troupe's compound from beginning to end in his mind. Suddenly, he remembered something.

December 18th, Sunday.

If I remember correctly, Qiao Haizhu and Xue Wei are going to run into some trouble today.

Chen Xiangdong's heart skipped a beat, and he told the two old men, "I'm going out for a walk, I'll be back in a bit."

After saying that, he went to the storeroom, grabbed a chair leg that had long since fallen apart, and tucked it into the back of his cotton-padded jacket. Then, he put his hands in his pockets, went out the door, and walked towards the movie theater in Xiguan.

Qiao Haizhu deserved to be beaten to death, and he didn't care at all. But Xue Wei, that kid, usually got along well with him. He was sweet-talking and hardworking, and always called him "Brother Xiang Dong" whenever he saw him. He often helped him with any tasks.

Chen Xiangdong thought to himself, "I can't just stand by and watch Xue Wei suffer that disaster."

Thinking of this, he quickened his pace.

The gray building of Xiguan Cinema was already half-revealed from a distance, and a group of people holding ticket stubs were queuing up next to the cement steps, waiting to enter the theater to watch the movie.

As Chen Xiangdong walked over, the movie theater was just closing time, and the two doors were pushed open, with people walking out in twos and threes.

He looked up and saw Qiao Haizhu and Lin Qiuyue walking out of the movie theater side by side. Qiao Haizhu leaned in and whispered something in Lin Qiuyue's ear, making her cover her mouth and laugh.

Just as the two were walking down the cement steps, three skinny, dark-skinned young men with long hair suddenly appeared beside them to meet them.

The three men had their hair covering their ears and their eyes scanned the crowd. The tall man with triangular eyes, in particular, couldn't take his eyes off Lin Qiuyue.

The man with the triangular eyes stepped forward with a grin and reached out to stop Lin Qiuyue, who was walking down the street: "Hey, lady, let's get acquainted."

As he spoke, he reached out to put his hand on Lin Qiuyue's arm.

Lin Qiuyue was startled and shrank back, her face immediately changing color. Qiao Haizhu's smile vanished instantly. He raised a hand to push away the arm reaching out from behind the man with the triangular eyes, then stepped to the side, blocking Lin Qiuyue's path, his brow furrowing: "What are you doing! Don't touch me!"

"Hey, who are you?" The man with the triangular eyes immediately looked displeased, tilting his head and frowning as he sized up Qiao Haizhu. "You sure know a lot of things to do!"

"I'm her friend!" Qiao Haizhu's face flushed red, his neck stiff. "Didn't you realize she didn't want to talk to you?"

Two other long-haired men, all over six feet tall, surrounded Qiao Haizhu with grim faces. The triangular-eyed man chuckled and shoved Qiao Haizhu in the chest: "Who do you think you are! Get lost!"

Shoved, Qiao Haizhu tripped on the stone steps and nearly fell. Gritting his teeth, he steadied himself and shouted, "What are you doing? This is a public place!"

The voice was quite loud, attracting many people nearby to look over.

Chen Xiangdong stood across the street, coldly watching the scene unfolding on the steps in front of him.

He knew perfectly well that those three long-haired educated youths were bound to cause trouble, and Qiao Haizhu was in no way avoiding a beating today.

If it were just him getting beaten up, that would be one thing, but what's worse is that Xue Wei, that brat, went to help, only to be kicked over and fall, his neck hitting the edge of the steps, resulting in serious injury.

Thinking of this, Chen Xiangdong unconsciously clenched his back teeth.

He stared intently at the movie theater entrance, waiting for Xue Wei to come out.

Qiao Haizhu wasn't too naive. He knew that he was outnumbered and would inevitably suffer losses. Shouting loudly to attract the attention of the others might make the three men hesitate to go too far.

However, the triangular-eyed gang was notorious for their recklessness when they went to the countryside, and this shout not only failed to stop them, but also angered them.

Just as Qiao Haizhu finished speaking, the man with the triangular eyes suddenly darkened his face and curled his lips downwards: "I'll teach you to yell again, you son of a bitch!"

""

He cursed and punched Qiao Haizhu in the face with a loud bang.

Qiao Haizhu tilted his head back, and blood gushed from his nose instantly. He fell onto the steps with a thud.

"Hey! Someone's hitting me!"

Lin Qiuyue screamed, her face turning deathly pale instantly.