Last chapter in the Wei Village arc.

Translation based on raw version. I am also reading as I translate. Please do not post spoilers in the comments section.

Chapter 11: Sorry, Liang Sheng

The ten yuan that the class mentor lost had made Liang Sheng’s life in Wei Village completely grey. He only repeatedly said the money came from himself. As for how it came about, he did not explain.

The wrinkles on Father’s face were deep, he called out for Liang Sheng hoarsely, “Come over.”

Liang Sheng walked over in front of him as instructed. Father used all his strength to knock onto Liang Sheng and screamed in pain, “I don’t have a son like you!”

Just like that, Liang Sheng and the handicapped Father lied on the ground of the yard together, under the feet of the class mentor. The class mentor was slightly shocked and said, “Children, they can be slowly taught…” before leaving.

I helped Liang Sheng up. Looking at Father who was lying on the floor, I smiled coldly and left. Liang Sheng hugged Father and cried.

In the night, Liang Sheng and I were at the rooftop to look t the stars. I asked him, “Did you steal that money?”

Liang Sheng stretched out his hands, it was full of blisters. At that moment, I found out. To let me go for the excursion, Liang Sheng would secretly go to the abandoned mine coal every night and dig out two full bags of coal alone. After which, he will then carry the two bags of coal and walk through a quiet mountainous road to the morning market to sell the coal. This is why I never hear the sound of his breathing at night anymore. And he was afraid that digging for coal was illegal and hence did not want to tell the teacher.

I carefully traced his hands, “Does it still hurt?”

He shook his head, “No.”

I asked him, “Were you scared when you were alone in the abandoned mine?”

He nodded, “Yes.”

I leaned my brain onto his shoulder. Under the starlight, we sat on the rooftop and our black brains look like two stubbornly growing mushrooms.

Due to heavy rain, the road on the way home from school was very slippery and muddy. I took each step carefully, Liang Sheng kept on reminding me to be careful.

Bei Xiaowu said, “Damn, Jiang Sheng. Why do I remember that you used to cross these puddles with gusto like a huge toad in the past, when did you start becoming a refined lady bastard?

Actually, I don’t want to detest Bei Xiaowu but he is always so annoying, it’s hard to accept. Just as I wanted to chide Bei Xiaowu, I saw He Manhou. He seems to have came from the direction of my house and was looking at Liang Sheng, “It didn’t cross my mind that you would also steal things?”

Bei Xiaowu said, “Did you forget how your buttock hurt?”

Bei Xiaowu’s words made my gastric ache. I dragged Liang Sheng and left. I said, “Brother, let’s ignore him!”

That night, was definitely terrifying to me. Mother had woken up in the middle of the night and suddenly coughed blood. Huge patches of blood appeared on the blanket. I was shocked and wanted to scream for Liang Sheng but was stopped by Mother. She used her hands to cover my mouth. Her fingertips were icy. She kept on coughing and panting.

I suddenly remembered, He Manhou seems to have dropped by our house yesterday. I said, “Mother, what did He Manhou come for? Did he bully you again?”

Mother evened her breathing and said, “It’s late, Jiang Sheng, go to sleep quickly.”

Since that day, I started to snatch the household and farm chores from Mother. I stubbornly believed, as long as I worked a bit more, she would be able to have one less strand of white hair and one more bit of health. However, Mother refused to let me do anything. She stubbornly refused to let me do any of her heavy chores. I don’t know why she is so stubborn. Perhaps, somewhere in her inferior heart, that educated female reporter is a sharp knife. It pierced through the minimum pride that a woman needs. She does not want her daughter to go through the same pain. She would rather crumble on her own and still insist on letting me have a pair of city girl hands! She wants me to live proudly. These words, she might not be able to say it out, but I know.

I am the only girl in Wei Village who have never helped out in the farm. I am the only girl in Wei Village without burnt red cheeks, I am the only girl in Wei Village who have long and pretty arms and legs. Whereas, my Mother is the most unfortunate woman in the Wei Village. Even while sick, she never stopped labouring in an attempt to forget those insults and pain. Looking at her weakening body day by day, my heart was broken.

In the morning, I helped her to draw water from the well but she fiercely took the bucket away from me. She said, “This is not something you should be doing.” Her voice was cold and emotionless. I suddenly realised I might be losing her. I have never thought about it, if I lost her, how would I survive?

I hid and cried along the walls. Kitty was already an old cat by now. I still call it Kitty. Kitty still lies on my feet to accompany me when I’m sad.

Liang Sheng came back from collecting water outside and saw me crying. He pulled me and said, “Jiang Sheng, why are you crying again? Who bullied you? Tell Brother.”

I refused to look at him and continued crying.

Liang Sheng knew what I was thinking and thus, put down the water bucket and comforted me in a soft voice, “Jiang Sheng, don’t be upset for Mother, alright?”

I pushed away Liang Sheng’s hands, “Liang Sheng, if not for your mother, my mother would not be living like that! Whose son are you? Don’t be a hypocrite!”

Liang Sheng is stunned. His hands were full of freshly picked jujubes; a whole bunch of it, tightly held in his hands. After a long while, he finally came to his senses and reached for my hand. He placed the jujubes into my hands, and went into the house without saying anything.

The jujubes in my palm were gleaming under the sunlight. It hurt my eyes. I hugged Kitty and cried.

At this moment, Bei Xiaowu came in, he saw me in this state and shouted, “Jiang Sheng, did your cat die? Why are you crying like that?”

I was angry and held up my fists to hit him. A jujube fell out of my palm and landed on the floor.

Bei Xiaowu immediately picked it up and placed it in his mouth, “Aiya, damn Jiang Sheng. Because of you this little fox, I haven’t eaten this in a few years! Liang Sheng is really crazy. But, to carve your name on every branch of the jujube tree, I’ll give it to him.”

Bei Xiaowu’s words made my heart ache. The scene from two years ago floated in front of my eyes – at the grassland filled with jujube trees, that handsome young man curled up sleeping, his thin shirt was soaked with dew and there was moisture on his soft hair. He had fallen asleep due to tiredness but there was a satisfied smile on his face. He used all his effort to carve ‘Jiang Sheng’s jujubes tree’ on every branch on the tree.

He said, “From now on, all these jujube trees are yours.”

He even said, “Brother does not have the ability to let Jiang Sheng eat sunny side ups and braised meat now, but I won’t let you not even get to have jujubes.”

I ran into the house, Liang Sheng was standing by the water tank, his shoulders were twitching soundlessly. I pulled on to Liang Sheng’s sleeves, pulled on tightly, and didn’t say anything.

When Liang Sheng and I are only left with grief, we realised that other than working hard to leave this village with too much terrible memories, we have no other choices. It seems like, only when we leave the Wei Village, then will those heavy stones weighing on our hearts disappear.

Liang Sheng and I have no other choices other than studying hard. At the same time, Bei Xiaowu, due to his father suddenly striking it rich in these few years, is able to live a decadent life without worries.

Volume 1 of 2
Chapter 11 of 83

Click on the tag 凉生，我们可不可以不忧伤1 to look through all translations in this volume.

It’s good to know that Liang Sheng didn’t steal afterall. I really can’t imagine him doing it. I do feel pretty bad for Jiang Sheng. I can see why she would be conflicted. But the most pitiful one is still the ever innocent Liang Sheng. Finally, we are moving out of the Wei Village next chapter. Hopefully, we’ll see more bright and cheery happenings instead of being stuck in this sorrow just like Jiang Sheng and Liang Sheng.

PS: I’m sorry for dragging for so long. This was a long chapter and I have been so distracted from reading other novels (I’m reading The King Avatar’s which is 1700 chapters long… and also Memory Lost in addition to rereading Just One Smile is Alluring, and Remembering Li Chuan) and also catching up with the drama Remembering Li Chuan and Rush to the Dead Summer… Plus reality shows Go Fighting! 3 and The Coming One 明日之子… I really do have a lot on my plate, huh….) Honestly, I was close to giving up on translating and just disappear… but then I saw the very understanding and encouraging comments… and I started despising myself. So, here it is. And now that we are out of the Wei Village, I think I’ll be more motivated to translate… Keep on fighting!