"Sniff...sniff…"
In a daze, Li Yi seemed to hear a girl crying, followed by a rising commotion outside that grew louder and louder.
Forcing his eyes open, Li Yi stared in confusion at his surroundings.
He was no longer in a hospital room; instead, he was in a dim, cramped clay-brick house. The scent of antiseptic had vanished, replaced by a faint, delicate fragrance.
Through the thin paper window, he saw a crowd outside and could hear their muddled voices:
"Such a shame—how could Tang Xue end up in bed with this loafer from the Li family? What was she thinking?"
"No kidding! Little Tang's about to go back to the city—what's she going to do now?"
"If the brigade hears about this, you think they'll make her walk the streets in shame?"
"Ah, what a waste of a fine young woman. Tang Xue, such a virtuous girl…"
In bed?
Tang Xue?
Li Yi's hazy memories were beginning to clear as he looked over at the figure sobbing in the corner.
Even though the girl had wrapped herself in a thin blanket and buried her head between her knees, seeing her made his heart skip a beat.
It was her—Tang Xue, the woman who had filled him with regret for a lifetime.
With a resounding slap, Li Yi smacked himself across the face, leaving one cheek swollen.
Pain!
This is real?
Could he have actually returned to forty years ago?
Calming himself, Li Yi began to recall the current situation.
Based on the noise outside, he had gone back to the day after he and Tang Xue had accidentally ended up in bed together—and now they were caught in a trap.
Tang Xue wasn't from Nianzi Mountain Village. Three years ago, she had been assigned here from Qin Province as part of the Down to the Countryside Movement.
She was close friends with Li Yi's third sister, Li Na, and often visited the Li family, even winning the fondness of Li Yi's parents.
Just a few days ago, Tang Xue had received a notice from the county informing her that she could return to the city, ending her life in the countryside.
To celebrate her departure along with the other youths going back to the city, the brigade had hosted a farewell gathering where many people, Tang Xue included, had had a bit too much to drink.
Wanting to care for her friend, Li Na had brought Tang Xue back to her home and settled her in Li Yi's room since he hadn't been home for days. She thought one night wouldn't matter.
However, no one expected that Li Yi would stumble in drunk in the middle of the night.
And so, he and Tang Xue had unknowingly spent the night together.
Early the next morning, a few fellow youths came to find Tang Xue to help her pack for her journey, only to discover her and Li Yi under the same blanket.
Before long, this caused quite a stir, drawing in Li Yi's parents and a crowd of villagers who now stood outside his room, eager to see what would happen.
Outside the wooden door, the brigade leader, Feng Kai, glared at Li Shan-kui, who squatted nearby, puffing angrily on his pipe.
"Shan-kui, how could your family let something like this happen? How am I supposed to explain this to the county?"
Li Shan-kui remained silent, drawing hard on his pipe, his thoughts unreadable.
Meanwhile, Li's mother, Zhang Yue-hong, asked in worry, "Sir, please think of something—Little Yi can't go to jail, can he?"
Feng Kai spoke sternly, "If Little Tang reports your son, he'll definitely be sentenced."
"Oh, heavens… Our only son! He can't go to prison…" Zhang wailed.
Maybe to avoid Zhang's crying, Leader Feng raised his voice. "Enough with the wailing! There is one way that might save Little Yi."
"What way?"
"He could marry Tang Xue—if she agrees, that is!"
Li Yi's parents fell silent.
Not only did their son lack any prospects, but he was also poorly educated and a bad match for someone like Tang Xue. Furthermore, policy stated that once a youth married locally, they would lose their right to return to the city.
With that policy, the county's civil office had been flooded with divorce cases from youths wanting to secure their return to the city.
Tang Xue, after all, had already received her notice. If she got married now, she'd likely lose her place. How could she possibly agree?
At this moment, Li Yi's third sister, Li Na, stood up and said, "I'll go talk to Little Xue."
The wooden door creaked open as Li Na walked into the room, casting a harsh glare at Li Yi.
"Get dressed and go outside!" she snapped.
Knowing his sister was fuming, Li Yi didn't argue. He quickly grabbed his clothes, threw them on, and walked out of the room.
The moment he opened the door, all eyes turned on him.
Li Shan-kui, who had just been sitting and smoking, stood up suddenly. Grabbing a livestock whip nearby, he stormed over to Li Yi, striking him without warning.
Li Yi remembered this beating vividly from his previous life—not because of the pain, but because he had run away, and his father, chasing him, had broken an arm.
This time, though, he didn't plan on running.
Hiss!
Li Yi shuddered as the sharp pain jolted through him, but he didn't flee or dodge. Instead, he knelt before his father.
This didn't cool Li Shan-kui's anger. His whip cracked over Li Yi again and again, leaving his clothes torn and his back slashed with bloody welts.
At this point, Zhang Yue-hong rushed forward, crying, "Old man, are you trying to beat our son to death?"
"Get out of my way!" Li Shan-kui roared. "It's because you've spoiled him that he's turned out this way! Drinking, gambling, getting up to no good, and now this—you want him taken to the execution ground?"
As the commotion continued, Li Na stepped out of the room and shouted, "Enough!"
The crowd fell silent, turning their gaze to her.
Ignoring the others, Li Na looked at Li Yi. "Get back inside. Little Xue wants to speak with you."
Li Yi stood up, his body aching, and walked back toward the room.
Inside, he saw that Tang Xue had dressed, but her face was still filled with sorrow and grief, making her look heartbreakingly fragile.
"I'm sorry," he murmured.
Tang Xue didn't respond to his apology but asked in a hoarse voice, "Will you marry me?"
Hearing these words again, Li Yi's heart filled with an overwhelming mix of emotions, leaving him momentarily speechless.