County Town Chapter 14: The Three-Fingered Rogue

  After the knowledge contest, Yi Tianxing was very popular in the campus for several days. The only regret was that he still didn't receive a love letter from an unknown girl. He pretended to be angry at Zou Leli and said: "Am I really not worthy of society?" Zou Leli maintained her consistent joy towards his unfulfilled desire, covering her mouth with laughter but refusing to answer.

  Yi Tian Xing raised an eyebrow and said with a big tone: "I also know that to fall in love with a poor little trash, is indeed a very profound thing. After all, not every woman under the sky can have the luck of Virgin Mary."

  Zou Lerer felt a bit awkward hearing this, and was about to grab his ear out of habit, but when she heard his next sentence, her heart softened, and her hand stopped in mid-air.

  "Alas, my family's Lere has surpassed her peers." Yi Tianxing sighed with a sense of pride, reminiscent of Chen Zi'ang's classic style.

  Zou Leran saw him shine in the knowledge contest and was delighted. After a moment of pride, she asked: "Do you know everything?"

  "Omniscient on earth, knowing half in heaven."

  "Don't blow."

  "I thought you were referring to me blowing from down there with a cow-like arrogant attitude?" Yi Tianxing responded, pretending to be serious.

  Zou Lelai smiled and asked: "The questions in the competition are quite biased, have you seen this kind of thing before?"

  Yi Tianxing shook his head, curling up the corners of his mouth and smiling: "You have to ask your dad's old classmate, our fat principal. Today's questions are actually all in two books. Coincidentally, I've read both of these books."

  "Which two?"

  Yitian Xing looked at her calm and curious eyes, explaining: "One is called the Warrior's Practical Handbook, compiled by the Political Department of the Provincial Military Region, printed by the 7218 Factory in June 1985, internal edition, free; The other is the Youth Knowledge Handbook published by Hebei People's Publishing House in August 1984, 2.41 yuan per copy."

  ……………………………………

  Every night, he goes to the Republican Village dump to dig through trash. Although Yi Tianxing tries his best to act like a normal person, he inevitably runs faster, has more strength, and sharper eyesight than others in the same line of work, making him the one who gains the most. Sometimes, even he himself thinks it's unfair when he comes across this thought - as an abnormal human being, he is still competing with those struggling to make a living every day; if they were to find out, they might ask: "You're almost superhuman, why are you still coming to fight for our scraps?"

  Yitian Xing wasn't without other ways to make money, with his physique, he could probably become a small rich man by carrying large packages at the train station. However, he was somewhat lazy, and the way he made a living from a young age couldn't be changed overnight. With his abilities, he didn't have to worry about the college entrance exams, or food on the table, and he had never gotten sick before. So, as usual, he continued to rummage through the trash in the smelly garbage dump, take baths under the moonlight, not speak much with other classmates at school, and occasionally engage in unheard-of flirting and banter with Lere on the playground.

  Yitian Xing is very satisfied with this life.

  So on Saturday afternoon, when Hu Yun, who was socializing with everyone, pulled himself aside with a sly look, Yi Tian Xing furrowed his brow, knowing that something unpleasant was about to happen. He hated it the most when his peaceful life was disrupted.

  "Third Brother wants to see you." Hu Yun, although the son of the police station chief, didn't have a big enough nerve to go around, and was instead acting as a messenger for Xue San'er, who had a notorious reputation. The tension on his face was clear as day.

  Yitian let out a soft "oh" and casually asked for directions, then headed towards the school gate. On the way, he ran into a female student and had her pass on a message to Lelai, telling her to leave first today.

  Hu Yun looked at his nonchalant expression and for some reason, felt a chill in her heart. Summoning up courage from behind, she shouted: "Do you want to go report to the principal?"

  Yi Tian Xing didn't turn around, but a smile appeared on his face. He thought to himself that after all, they were still classmates and hadn't turned completely bad. He raised both hands from his left shoulder, clasped them together, and bowed slightly towards the back: "Thanks."

  …………………………………

  Xue San'er's appointment was at the North Gate Red Oil Noodle House, about a station away from the county high school. This noodle house is a well-known place in the county town, relying on its skill of pouring red oil all over the white noodles to make a name for itself. The restaurant is not big, but there are usually many customers. When Yi Tianxing stood outside the noodle house, he found that business was unusually quiet today.

  He smiled slightly and knew that it was definitely Xue Saner's gang inside, scaring away the guests, and walked in step by step.

  "Please sit down."

  Unexpectedly, Xue San'er looked quite refined, with his hair combed into a three-seven split and no pimples on his face, but the occasional flash of ferocity in his eyes gave away his true nature.

  "Hello, what's up? Please speak." Yitian Xing said.

  Xue San'er originally just wanted to vent his anger for the sake of his brothers, but didn't expect that last Saturday they ended up losing a few people. Now he can't save face anymore, so today he called out Yi Tianxing, wanting to see what kind of skills this high school student who picks up scraps has. At this moment, looking at him with a calm face, not showing any panic because of the several big men behind him, he couldn't help but feel some admiration.

  "Fuck your mother!" Xue San'er's subordinate picked up a stool and threw it at Yi Tianxing's head. This man had a good relationship with the thug whose wrist was broken by Yi Tianxing in the Republican Village garbage dump that day, and now he relied on Xue San'er to take the lead in attacking.

  Yi Tian Xing sneered and smiled, dodged to one side, the wooden bench on the ground was split into three pieces, and with a flick of his hand, he gave that guy a slap in the face.

  With a crack, the guy covered his mouth and retreated, with blood at the corner of his lips and two teeth knocked out.

  "Stop."

  Xue San'er didn't expect Yi Tianxing to be so skilled, and he furrowed his brow. He touched his own hair, which was slicked back and shiny, and Yi Tianxing smiled to himself, thinking that this bald head was so smooth that even a fly wouldn't be able to land on it.

  Regardless of what he thought, Xue San'er gently tapped the wooden table in front of her and slowly said: "You're a high school student, still young, I've been out for many years, can't bully you as a junior. If it gets out, people will only laugh at me, Xue San'er, for making a fuss over nothing. How about this, the matter in Gonghe Village, give me an explanation, and we'll consider it settled?"

  Yi Tianxing looked at his right hand tapping on the wooden table and found that, as rumored, only three fingers were left. He smiled and said: "Originally it was all a misunderstanding, what do you say we settle this? If I can do it, I'm naturally willing to do so."

  "We're not just ordinary people, we don't bother with that nonsense of apologizing and making amends." Xue San'er looked at the young man in front of him, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes. "You and my underling have a match, if you lose, you'll kneel down and kowtow to my brother."

  "What if you lose?" Yi Tianxing looked at him with great interest.

  "From now on, we'll let river water not interfere with well water, and mind our own business." Xue San'er smiled and replied.

  Deal