Why aren't you guys complaining now that I'm here?

"Burglary? Where? What's missing?"

"The kitchen was robbed!"

The two female educated youth who were in charge of cooking pointed angrily at the egg shells on the ground and the bacon that had mysteriously disappeared from the beams.

The eggs and bacon were bought by the educated youth who pooled their money together. They usually didn't want to eat them, so they saved for a long time to get enough. They were all gone in one night.

"What kind of heartless person did this?"

The educated youth were so angry that they were jumping up and down.

"We can't just let this go. Let's go find the captain!"

"Yes, find the captain and ask him to come over!"

The educated youth rushed out in a swarm.

Li Guoqiang was attending a meeting with several representatives. When he heard that some things had been stolen from the educated youth site, he hurried over.

After checking, I found that only the kitchen was missing, and everything else in the yard was still there.

Li Guoqiang glanced at the educated youths, "Where are Zhou Zhiqing and Xia Zhiqing?"

"They got off work late yesterday, so I guess they haven't gotten up yet. I'll go call them."

A female educated youth named Cheng Ran walked over and knocked on the door.

"Who?"

Zhou Mingxiu opened the door in a daze and saw a group of people standing at the door. He quickly pulled a sheet over himself.

"What are you doing?"

"Zhou Zhiqing, what's that smell?"

Cheng Ran was about to speak when he suddenly smelled the smell of meat.

His eyes searched around and finally settled on the worn square table in the room.

Her eyes widened. "Is that...bacon?"

Zhou Mingxiu followed her gaze.

It was very late after dinner last night, and Xia Ran didn't clean up the dishes and uneaten food. A few flies were flying around the leftovers.

"Bacon?"

Upon hearing this, several other educated youth came over and sniffed a few times, "It really is bacon."

"If it's yours, then eat it."

Someone grumbled.

Everyone's expression was a little hard to describe.

Zhou Mingxiu was proud of his status and when he first went to the countryside, he complained that the food was not good enough and never ate with them.

Either give a dollar or two to ask the villagers in Lihua Village to prepare it and send it over, or buy some ingredients separately and ask Xia Ran to cook it.

Except for these two who were unique, the other educated youth all pooled their money and food to eat together.

They themselves were reluctant to eat the eggs and bacon, but these two were willing to do so and finished them all in one meal.

It’s more heartbreaking than having it stolen by a thief!

Zhou Mingxiu frowned, "Xia Ran, what's going on?"

"Huh?" Xia Ran got up wrapped in the quilt. "Meat and eggs? I saw them there, so I took them and ate them. Why? I can't eat them?"

The educated youths' faces changed and they almost couldn't help but scold him.

Why are you asking this question when you already know the answer?

Those things were bought with everyone's pooled money, and you didn't contribute any money, so do you think you can eat them?

"It seems that it is clear who stole the things."

Li Guoqiang came forward with several cadres and looked at Zhou Mingxiu and Xia Ran with contempt.

"What do you mean by stealing? Stop spitting blood at me, okay?"

Xia Ran's face turned pale. "I didn't know that it was inedible. Poor people are poor people. They make such a big deal out of such a trivial matter. Okay, tell me how much it is and we will compensate you."

"You're the one who stole the food, how dare you get angry?"

The educated youths could no longer bear it and stood up, saying, "You look down on us and eat our food, and you even accuse us of making a big deal out of nothing. Do you have any shame?"

"Who are you calling a bitch?" Xia Ran was so angry that she jumped off the bed and was about to beat up the person who spoke.

Seeing the clusters of bright red spots on his chest, the expressions on the faces of the educated youth instantly became more exciting.

"You call others cheap? Look at all the people in this yard. Who is as cheap as you? Look at the red marks on your body. A grown man, rolling in bed with another man in broad daylight. Aren't you ashamed? Bah, you idiot!"

Xia Ran looked down and was filled with grief and anger. He quickly grabbed his clothes and put them on, then rushed over and slapped the educated youth in the face.

"You bitch, I think you're jealous. I'm a grown man and there are men who want me, but you dress like a tomboy all day long. Who would want you?"

"It's better for no one to want me than for you to steal me! At least I'm honest and upright!"

The other party was not a pushover either. When he saw him coming towards him, he grabbed his hair and started beating him without mercy.

The other educated youth had long disliked him, pushing and shoving each other, and soon Xia Ran's face lit up.

Li Guoqiang was hoping that he would be beaten, so he closed his eyes and pretended not to see anything.

"Brother Mingxiu, save me..."

Xia Ran was no match for the four with his two fists, and he desperately asked for help.

Zhou Mingxiu was annoyed to death. "Enough! I didn't know about this. It's our fault for eating your food. How much is it? I'll give it to you now."

"Eggs are five cents each, ten eggs are fifty cents, and pork is eighty cents a pound, a total of one dollar and thirty cents, plus one meat ticket."

Zhou Mingxiu found a Sanhe meat ticket and gave it to them.

The educated youth were too lazy to argue with them. They accepted the money and thanked Li Guoqiang. After dinner, they went back to the fields.

Before leaving, I also remember to lock the door, so that no one can go in and take things.

"After all, we are from the city. Can't we be more open and honest in our actions? Isn't it shameful to be sneaky?"

Li Guoqiang said coldly and left with the cadres.

"What did you say!"

Xia Ran exploded and opened her mouth to curse.

"Xia Ran, that's enough. Aren't you embarrassed enough?"

Zhou Mingxiu pulled him hard.

Xia Ran's eyes suddenly turned red, "Brother Mingxiu..."

"Don't call me!"

Zhou Mingxiu clenched his back teeth, suppressing anger in his voice.

"Xia Ran, how did you grow up like this? Don't you know that you can't take other people's things? You've embarrassed me along with you!"

"What did you say?" Xia Ran was beaten so hard that his whole body ached, but all the pain in his body combined was not as bad as the chilling feeling in his heart.

"Zhou Mingxiu, you asked me to make two meat dishes for you..."

"Yes, I asked you to cook. Then why didn't you put money in when you took other people's things? Why didn't I realize you were so stupid before!"

"I'm stupid?" Xia Ran cried in grievance: "You gave all the money I saved with great difficulty to Li Huihui. Where would I get the money?"

"The money you saved?" Zhou Mingxiu sneered, looking at him with disdain. "You've been in the countryside for over a year. Have your family ever sent you a penny? I'm going to return your money. That's my money. I can give it to whoever I want!"

"Zhou Mingxiu, you bastard!"

Xia Ran didn't expect him to say such a thing. She pushed him and ran away with red eyes.

The two of them were in a cold war.

In the evening, Zhou Mingxiu went to the river with two male educated youth to take a bath.

Xia Ran lay in bed, tired and hungry.

He hadn't worked much before and didn't have many work points, so he had to eat sparingly. He only had a mixed flour steamed bun for dinner, and he felt hungry again as soon as he lay down.

He sat up and looked around, and found the package sent by the Zhou family stuffed in the cabinet. He took it out and picked up two biscuits.

As soon as I put it in my mouth, I saw a corner of letter paper sticking out from under the cookie paper.

He remembered that there seemed to be words at the bottom of the letter last time, so he unfolded it and took a look.

"Zhou Mingxiu! Why did you hide it from me?"

As soon as Zhou Mingxiu pushed the door open, he heard Xia Ran's angry questioning.

He frowned, and when he saw Xia Ran holding a piece of letter paper in her hand, his face froze.