Reborn in 1966

Chapter Seventy-One: Taking the Lead

After a while, a teacher came out of a room on the far east side. In front of that room was a locust tree, which was already as thick as a bowl. A black iron block was hanging on a branch. The teacher used an iron rod to knock on it, and the crisp "clanging" sound echoed throughout the school. Soon after, students ran out of the classrooms with their schoolbags on their backs. get out of class was over!

Looking at the children's faces, some were happy, some were distressed, just like she had been back then. Some were happy to go home after school, while others were distressed because they hadn't been paying attention in class and had been caught by the teacher. If their parents found out, they would probably get a beating.

Pei Yin craned her neck to watch the students coming out of the school gate, and finally saw her third brother holding her sister's hand as they walked out of a classroom.

In order to be seen by her older siblings, Pei-yin took two steps toward the door and waved to them when she was suddenly bumped to the ground.

Even though she was wearing a long-sleeved blouse, Pei Yin still felt a burning pain in her arm when she suddenly fell to the ground. The ground was covered in river sand, and it still hurt a lot after she fell and wiped it.

When Pei-Tian and Pei-Zhi saw their younger sister fall to the ground, they panicked and rushed over. Seeing Pei-Yin lying on the ground, wincing in pain, they quickly helped her up and asked, "Pei-Yin, where did you bump yourself? Where does it hurt?"

Pei Yin stretched out her arm, and Pei Tian carefully rolled up her sleeve, revealing that her delicate skin was already peeling and there were traces of blood in some places.

Because of this accident, there were many children who had just graduated from school standing nearby. Peitian straightened his sister's sleeve and said, "It's okay, it's just a scratch. It won't hurt in a bit."

Pei Yin pointed to a child beside her and said, "Brother, he picked up my candy."

Peitian followed Peiyin's hand and saw the village chief's son, Shen Peize, who was a year older than him. He was holding two pieces of fruit candy, but his face looked indifferent.

Peitian had already seen that his sister had fallen because Shen Peize, who was running outside, had knocked her down. Instead of helping her up, Shen Peize had taken her things. Peitian's anger flared up instantly.

Peitian said, "Shen Peize, you bumped into my sister. Apologize to her right now."

Shen Peize said, "You want me to apologize to you? Why should I apologize to you?"

Pei-Tian said, "If you do something wrong, you have to apologize to us."

Shen Peize said, "You want me, a poor peasant, to apologize to a black bastard? You actually dare to think that?"

Peitian, who was about to take action, felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head. His heart sank. His bottom had just been beaten red by his father, and he didn't dare to sit still in class today.

Pei-Yin said, "Then return the candy you gave me."

Shen Peize retorted, "Just because you say the candy is yours doesn't mean it is."

Pei Yin was so angry that her face turned red. This guy was really reckless, but she couldn't do anything to him. Her family was already considered inferior in the village because of their class background. If it weren't for the villagers remembering their good past, her father would be criticized at every meeting, big or small.

Pei Yin said, "Third Brother, let's go, we don't want it anymore."

Peitian was so angry that his eyes turned red, but what could he do?

Tian Xiaomin, who had already walked away, came back and listened to what the others were saying. He said to Shen Peize, "Shen Peize, you're shameless. You knocked over a child and then tried to steal his things."

Shen Peize said, "They are black bastards, and you are showing sympathy for the five black categories."

Tian Xiaomin said, "I don't understand this, but I know you did something wrong. Bullying children is not what a real man does. I'm ashamed for you."

Shen Peize said, "I did the right thing. We can't have any sympathy for these black five categories and black kids. If you sympathize with them, your revolutionary stance is not firm."

Tian Xiaomin said, "I'm not going to talk to you about this. You should hurry up and return the candy to the person who gave it to you. This is no way you do things. Even though we're from the same village, I feel embarrassed for you. Aren't you going to return it? If you don't, I'm going to beat you up."

Shen Peize felt uneasy as he looked at Tian Xiaomin's raised fist. Although he was a year older than them, Tian Xiaomin was taller and stronger than him. More importantly, Tian Xiaomin was the best fighter among the group of kids. If he got beaten up by him, it would probably hurt a lot.

Shen Peize, however, was unwilling to lose face so easily. He threw the two pieces of candy on the ground and said, "Tian Xiaomin, you wait. I'll have my dad criticize you. You sympathize with the 'Five Black Categories,' and your revolutionary stance is not firm." This kid, is he here to compete with his father or to ruin his father? Pei Yin thought of Shen Peize's father, Shen Shengnong, who was the village chief. In Shenjia Village, because of the presence of Party Secretary Tian, ​​the village chief was an easily overlooked position. However, Pei Yin remembered Village Chief Shen entirely because this village chief was fair-skinned and chubby, which was somewhat out of place among most farmers of this era.

Tian Xiaomin picked up the two pieces of candy from the ground and said to Shen Peize, who was still threatening him, "If you don't leave, I'm really going to beat you up. Don't you know your own limitations when you act tough here?"

Seeing that Tian Xiaomin was about to attack him, Shen Peize quickly ran home.

Tian Xiaomin said to the children watching the commotion, "Everyone, disperse, disperse. Honestly, all you know how to do is watch the excitement and don't know how to uphold justice."

Pei Tian felt embarrassed when he saw that Tian Xiaomin had gotten the two candies back. He had been beating Tian Xiaomin up yesterday, and today Tian Xiaomin had helped him so much. As Tian Xiaomin handed him the two candies, Pei Tian took them and said in a low voice, "Thank you, and I'm really sorry about yesterday."

Tian Xiaomin said nonchalantly, "It's nothing, it's nothing. I just look down on Shen Peize for bullying people by relying on his father's power. You should take your sister home and see her."

After Peitian put the candy back in Peiyin's hand, Peiyin took out a piece of candy, put it in Xiaomin's hand, and said, "Thank you, brother."

Tian Xiaomin was at a loss. He hadn't expected such a young child to be so polite, and he didn't know whether he should accept the candy.

Seeing Tian Xiaomin's helpless look, Peitian took the candy from Peiyin's hand and put it in his hand, saying, "This is from my sister. Take it. We don't usually get to eat this. We only have two pieces. Here, take one home and eat it with your sister."

Tian Xiaomin thought of his quiet younger sister. He wondered if giving her a piece of candy would elicit a smile from her. Looking at Pei Yin's bright smile, he really wanted to try. So he took the candy and said, "Then I'll take it. Pei Tian, ​​from now on we're good friends. If anyone bullies you, don't worry, I'll definitely help you. And your sister, if anyone bullies you at school, just say I'm protecting you, and they won't dare to bully you."

Pei Tian knew that Tian Xiaomin wasn't exaggerating. Although Tian Xiaomin was in the same grade as him, he was a very fierce fighter. Even the older kids didn't dare to go against him. They said that some people wouldn't dare to bully him because he was protecting them.

The little incident at the school gate ended just like that. The three siblings slowly walked home, and Pei-Yin asked, "Why isn't Mom home yet?"

Pei-Tian said, "The teacher has to wait until all the students have left before checking the doors and windows. Let's go home first."

Pei Yin took out the remaining piece of fruit candy and said, "Let's share this candy."

Peitian said, "You can eat by yourself. You're the younger sister, so if there's anything good to eat, you should eat it first."

Pei-Yin said, "But I want to give you some to eat. Grandma said we are sisters, so we should believe in loving each other."

Peitian said, "Alright then, let's divide this sugar among ourselves."

Peitian took the fruit candy, bared his teeth, and bit it in half. He handed one half to Peiyin, then bit the other half in half, looked at the two pieces, picked up the slightly larger one, and handed it to Peizhi, saying, "Brother is the biggest, you two are small, so eat the bigger one."

Pei Yin picked up the tiny piece from her brother's hand and stuffed it into her mouth. She then handed the piece in her hand to Pei Tian and said, "Brother, you eat this piece. You are the older brother, and you have to protect me and my sister from now on. This big piece is for you. You have to grow tall and strong so you can fight off the people who bully us."

Peitian accepted the candy, deeply moved. His sister trusted him so much. He didn't yet understand the meaning of siblings, but he felt that he should protect his sister when they were out in the future, and that he should stand up for his brothers and sisters if anyone bullied them.

The three siblings walked home happily, their mouths full of sweet fruit candies, and Tian Xiaomin also walked home with a piece of fruit candy in his hand.

My younger sister, Tian Aiqin, is already six years old. She doesn't attend preschool and helps with housework at home. The Tian family is struggling financially. Tian Xiaomin's parents don't value girls. They think it's unnecessary for a little girl to attend preschool. They'll let her go to primary school next year when she's old enough to recognize a couple of characters. When she's around ten, she'll come home to help with chores. After a few years of working, she'll have to find a husband and get married. So they don't see the need to spend too much energy or money on their daughter.

When Tian Xiaomin returned home, Tian Aiqin was standing on a small stool in front of the stove washing pots and preparing lunch. Her small body was malnourished, and her hair was yellow. Her complexion was not as rosy as that of her two younger sisters, Peitian. It was dark and yellow. She was wearing her older sister's old clothes. The clothes did not fit her well and were just hanging on her body, making her look even more frail.

Tian Xiaomin said, "Aiqin, look, what's this?"

Tian Aiqin turned her face and looked expressionlessly at the fruit candy in Tian Xiaomin's hand. Her eyes lit up, but then dimmed again, as if she was thinking of something.

Tian Xiaomin took his sister's hand. Her small hand was thin and rough to the touch, with dirt under her nails from working. He couldn't help but think of Pei Yin's fair little hand when she handed him fruit candy, and his heart ached. They were both sisters, both the youngest children in their families, yet his sister was being neglected like this by the family.

Tian Xiaomin put the fruit candy in his sister's hand and said, "Aiqin, I was wrong before. I will definitely protect you from now on."

Tian Aiqin looked at her brother in disbelief. She knew his influence among his friends, but he had never given her a second glance. His words today warmed her heart. Because she was the least valued child at home, Tian Aiqin was sensitive and perceptive, often able to quickly discern whether someone was being genuinely kind or insincere.