The 1970s: Married First, Fell in Love Later-Chapter 53 - 52: A Broken Leg

With a somber expression, He Lang listened as Mrs. He recounted the whole story.

Mrs. He sighed. "You have no idea how dangerous it was. If your wife hadn’t knocked Lai San out, who knows what might have happened? The village chief wouldn’t let us call the police, and your father said to just let it go. Otherwise, I would have made sure he ended up in prison."

He Lang looked at Xue Yue. He saw no particular emotion on her face; she just watched him calmly.

"I understand, Mom. You two should get some sleep. I’m going to wash up."

Mrs. He waved her hand dismissively. "Now that you’re back, I’ll head home."

"Mom, don’t run off in the middle of the night. Just stay here for the night. We have a spare room, anyway." Xue Yue was worried about Mrs. He going back so late.

"Alright, then. I’ll sleep in the next room. He Lang, you should hurry up and get washed so you can sleep too. From now on, don’t come home in the dead of night."

By the time He Lang returned from washing up, Xue Yue was already asleep.

He stood by the bed, just looking at Xue Yue, his eyes filled with tenderness.

After a while, He Lang blew out the lamp, quietly closed the door, and left.

In the next room, Mrs. He was also asleep.

He Lang climbed over the wall and headed straight for Lai San’s house.

Lai San was at home, sleeping soundly. The gauze on his head had yet to be removed. He slept until he felt an icy gaze on him, which startled him into jolting his eyes open. Not far from him stood a dark figure.

Before Lai San could even speak, a powerful force smashed into his leg. A sharp, intense pain shot through it, and he let out a piercing scream.

It was immediately followed by another blow. Lai San thought he could hear the crisp, distinct sound of his leg bone snapping.

In the darkness, he couldn’t even see who it was. The only thing filling the room was the sound of his own agonizing screams.

...

The next morning, when Xue Yue woke up, He Lang was still asleep, one arm wrapped around her waist.

Xue Yue lay there, quietly watching He Lang. A tranquil, peaceful feeling suddenly washed over her. Ever since that night, she hadn’t been sleeping soundly. Perhaps it was knowing He Lang was back, but for once, she had slept very well last night.

He seemed to have lost some weight, and stubble had appeared around his mouth. As Xue Yue watched him, she couldn’t help but reach out and touch his whiskers. They were a little prickly. She was about to pull her hand back when He Lang grabbed it.

He Lang opened his eyes and looked at her. They were slightly bloodshot, as if he hadn’t rested well.

Xue Yue smiled softly. "You’re awake."

He Lang kissed her hand. "Why didn’t you wait for me last night before falling asleep?"

"I was waiting, but I’m not sure how I ended up falling asleep."

He Lang asked her, "You must have been terrified that night, weren’t you?"

Xue Yue paused for a moment before realizing He Lang was talking about the night the thief broke in.

"Yes. I never thought someone would climb over our wall, especially since it’s so high."

He Lang said seriously, "You shouldn’t have come out. You should have just locked the door. If we lose the grain, we lose the grain. You are what’s most important." ’In truth, besides anger, what He Lang felt most after hearing the story last night was lingering fear. He was just thankful she was okay.’

Xue Yue pressed her lips together and mumbled, "All of our grain is in the kitchen. If it was all stolen, what would we eat? Grain is very precious."

"It’s still not as important as you. Anyway, this can’t happen again. From now on, if I’m not here, have Mom and Dad stay over. We have a room for them, after all. I can’t rest easy with you here alone."

Xue Yue nodded. "Okay. But... aren’t you going to work today?"

"No, I’ll go tomorrow."

Mrs. He had already made them breakfast and gone home.

After they ate, He Lang started showing Xue Yue the things he’d bought in Yangcheng.

"Why did you buy so many watches?"

He Lang smiled and said, "I didn’t have much money with me, so I only bought six. In Yangcheng, you don’t need ration coupons for these watches, and they’re only 50 yuan each. I figured I could bring them back and resell them on the black market. Without needing coupons, I should be able to get around 180 yuan for each one."

As he spoke, he took one out and put it on Xue Yue’s wrist. "This one’s a ladies’ watch. I bought it especially for you. The other five are men’s."

Xue Yue stared at the watch on her wrist, her eyes filled with delight. She had only ever seen them on the wrists of the educated youth before; almost no one in the village had one. They usually had to guess the time by looking at the sun. She couldn’t believe she had one now.

"Do you like it?"

Xue Yue nodded. "It’s beautiful."

He Lang chuckled. "It’s for telling time, you know."

Xue Yue pouted. "I know that."

Next, He Lang pulled out several articles of clothing for her: two dresses—one red-and-white plaid, the other with a small blue floral print—a pair of black leather shoes, and several pairs of white socks.

"Everyone in Yangcheng wears these kinds of dresses. It’s warmer there than here, so they’re already in their summer season. I bought you two so you can rotate them. And these socks, pure white with a rolled cuff. The shop owner said they sell out really fast. They look great with leather shoes. I bought them in your size. Try them on and see if they fit."

"They’re so beautiful. These leather shoes must have been expensive, right?" Xue Yue stroked the shoes. She had never worn leather shoes before.

"They were okay. Since I only bought a few, they were a bit pricier. The wholesale price is much cheaper. I didn’t have much money with me, so I couldn’t buy more. If I go again, I’ll bring more cash. I could make a decent profit just by reselling them."

"You only bought things for me? Didn’t you get anything for yourself?" After listening to him for so long, Xue Yue realized everything he’d bought was for her; there wasn’t a single thing for himself.

He Lang smiled. "A guy like me can wear anything. Besides, I have several white shirts, which is enough. But, if you feel bad about it, I’ll take you out to see the world sometime, and you can buy me a few things then."

Xue Yue looked at He Lang. "Can I really go?"

"Of course you can. Not right now, though. When I have a longer vacation, we’ll go to the commune office to get a letter of introduction, and I’ll take you on a train. By the way, you’ve never been on a train, have you?"

Xue Yue shook her head. The farthest she had ever traveled was to the local town; she had never been on a train. Listening to He Lang talk about it, her eyes began to sparkle, her heart filling with curiosity and anticipation.

Seeing her expression, He Lang’s heart softened. He placed his hands on her shoulders. "The world is a big place. When I have the chance, I’ll take you out to see it. We’ll visit lots of places. When we have money in the future, you can buy whatever you want."

The corners of Xue Yue’s mouth curved into a smile. "Okay. I’ll be waiting."

"He Lang! He Lang!" Mrs. He’s voice suddenly called out from the courtyard.

The two exchanged a glance, and He Lang quickly put all the things he had taken out back into his bag.

Xue Yue went to open the door. "Mom, what’s wrong?"

Mrs. He rushed in, looked at He Lang, and asked, "Someone broke one of Lai San’s legs last night, and he was sent to the hospital again. The whole village is talking about it now. Was it you?"

He Lang shook his head. "How would I have had the time? I haven’t left the house since I got back last night."

Mrs. He thought for a moment and then breathed a sigh of relief. "I knew it wasn’t you. You got back so late last night, how could it have been? Your father just insisted I come and ask. Alright, as long as it wasn’t you. I’m heading back."

Mrs. He came and went in a rush, disappearing from sight in an instant.

After Mrs. He left, Xue Yue turned to face He Lang, staring straight into his eyes, lost in thought.

He Lang smiled. "What is it?"

"Was it you?" ’He Lang came back last night, and then last night Lai San’s leg was broken. Could it really be such a coincidence?’

He Lang replied in a lazy tone, "Haven’t I been home the whole time?"

Looking at He Lang’s languid expression, Xue Yue found that she simply couldn’t believe him.