Chapter 21

Jiang Qishen told the team about the dog’s appearance time and state. The captain said they’d gotten reports from other villagers these days. A child had been bitten.
Guangyou Gong heard someone was bitten. Asked Yang Bufan with concern: “Top university student, you okay?”
Yang Bufan was slightly puzzled. Said: “I’m fine. Guangyou Gong, just call me Yangzi.”
“Heard you met a rabid dog. Just came to see how you herd sheep.”
After that, Yang Guangyou said to the dog team: “Don’t look at her herding sheep. She’s a top university student.”
The dog team was also awkward. Didn’t understand why he was being sarcastic.
Yang Guangyou was still the same. Lean cheeks. Long eyebrows like wings. Faded old‑man shirt, collar stretched as long as a waistband. Indigo cloth around his waist.
The phone in his pants pocket was still playing a video. Very loud. Military history channel.
The video was talking nonstop, emotionally excited.
After pleasantries, the dog team left to find the dog. Yang Guangyou didn’t leave. Hands in sleeves. First looked at the flock. Pursed his lips. Then looked at Yang Bufan. Pursed again.
Finally pursed his lips. Said: “Top university student! Who herds sheep free‑range now? Don’t save this little money. Free‑range, work yourself to death. Sheep eat dirty things, easy to get brucellosis. Growth slow. Look at your sheep. Condition so poor. Can’t market in a year. How much money can you make?”
“That’s not all. Just met a rabid dog. Know the danger?”
He shook his head. Laughed proudly: “Now it’s all scientific enclosed farming. Artificial feed. My enclosed farming, fattening is easy. Last year, three batches to market. 2,500 head. Compared to your free‑range profit, how’s that?”
Jiang Qishen looked darkly at the old man, then at Yang Bufan. She had no reaction.
Yang Guangyou didn’t need to hear Yang Bufan say anything. Just seeing her awkward, uncomfortable expression was victory.
“You’re a top university student. But Guangyou Gong will say something harsh. Don’t take it to heart. You, you won’t make anything of this. Top university student, not working, coming back to do this. Tch. No future.”
At first, Yang Guangyou found Yang Bufan coming home to raise sheep incomprehensible. Thought it was just a girl putting on airs, acting spoiled.
Now seeing she really put aside face to do this rough work, hands peeling from heavy labor, person thinner. He was surprised, impressed. More than that, looked down on her.
He tilted his head back, stretched his neck, coughed long. Bent at the waist. Head almost to the ground. Shot a thick glob of phlegm at the grass.
“These days, useless ones are all college students.”
He laughed, gave this contemptuous verdict. Like only this could show his absolute superiority.
After saying this, felt great all over. Yang Guangyou was about to leave. Suddenly heard that well‑dressed, slightly familiar outsider speak. Said something disrespectful.
He turned back, disbelieving. Dug in his ears. Pulled out his phone. Poked the screen a long time before closing the video. Stretched his neck. Asked: “What did you say?”
Jiang Qishen pushed Yang Bufan behind him.
“If you go into a coffin tomorrow, Yang Bufan definitely can’t beat you. But if you luckily live another year, or two, by then these words of yours will slap you in the face like a hand, carve on your tombstone, write into the clan register.”
Hearing this, Yang Guangyou almost fainted. Chaoshan countryside valued hierarchy. Elders were respected. No matter how rich, what young person dared talk like this?
His eyes bulged like copper bells. Cursed in a string of Chaoshan dialect. Unfortunately, Jiang Qishen didn’t understand a word.
Jiang Qishen added: “If you were successful, raised sheep better than anyone, everyone would know. You wouldn’t need to shove yourself at anyone like a coupon. Otherwise why invite curses? But things are probably the opposite of what you say. You not only don’t raise sheep well, you’re afraid Yang Bufan will surpass you. So you’re insecure, jealous, need to show off everywhere to boost your courage.”
“Also, you keep mocking others for being top university students. Means you sincerely think top universities are good. Because you, or your whole family’s descendants, can’t get into top universities. Even a side door won’t look at you. You not only worship, you fear, you’re envious. Yang Bufan’s excellence stings you. Keeps you awake. So you mention it in every sentence. Then belittle her in every way for things that seem inferior to you.”
“You hate what she has, laugh at what she lacks. Mainly, you see she respects elders, loves the young, doesn’t fight with old things like you.”
“Those who insult others will always be insulted. You’ve used up all your luck. No fortune, no virtue. Will face many trials. Your whole family not only can’t get into top universities now, descendants forever can’t either. Vocational school, screw factory. Following you, raising sheep, half‑fed for life. That’s their fate.”
Yang Guangyou stomped anxiously. Babbled in Chaoshan‑accented Putonghua: “Bullshit! Your mother’s bullshit! Nonsense!”
Chaoshan people in agriculture and fishing had to avoid jinxes.
Innocent, cursed like this, Yang Guangyou was so anxious he almost fainted. No matter what, didn’t dare face off with this person anymore. Afraid of angering the gods, bringing disaster. Hurried away, stomping.
Jiang Qishen was contemptuous. *Bat with chicken feathers—pretentious.*
Yang Bufan was stunned for a while.
Come to think of it, Guangyou Gong’s descendants really hadn’t gotten into top universities. Years ago he’d been upset about this small thing.
But Chaoshan people valued: heroes don’t ask origins. Education wasn’t that important. As long as you had prospects, could make money. His kids were either overseas relatives in America, or worked at big companies. All respectable. What more to want?
Had to be first everywhere. Really pointless.
Jiang Qishen shot her a look. “What are you standing there for? Someone bullies you, you don’t talk back. Waiting for him to give you an award, build you a golden statue?”
Yang Bufan said: “I was just thinking, did I accidentally offend him? Or do he and my parents have some grudge? Never saw it so naked before.”
Guangyou Gong lived next to her family. Used to visit often.
She didn’t understand why Guangyou Gong suddenly stirred up trouble in a teacup. Her parents were honest people. Respected him greatly. Thought and thought. No place they’d offended him.
But it was strange. Someone who’d been normal for so long suddenly turned vicious. Especially caught you off guard.
Like Qian Zhongshu wrote: The malice of honest, simple people is like sand in rice or unfiltered bones in fish fillets. Gives unexpected pain.
“He insults you, you don’t fight back, actually reflect. You really are a mud‑bodied golden Buddha. How about this: go kowtow to him.”
“What he says, I don’t care. Because he’s not someone I care about. And I know my future will keep getting better. What result can arguing with him produce? I free‑range because the current scale suits it better. Lower cost. Better meat quality. Market price can be 10% higher than his. I know. He knows.”
“Then why didn’t you say it just now? You don’t care, he’ll just push further. Are you used to being a sucker? Like taking others’ bullying?”
Yang Bufan suddenly looked at Jiang Qishen. That gaze was indescribably sharp, quiet. Completely different from usual.
“Right. I am. If I weren’t this kind of person, wouldn’t have been with you so long. You bullied me the most.”
Yang Bufan thought: *Who can’t talk tough?* Often she just didn’t want to, couldn’t bear to. Not that she couldn’t.
She explained a lot. But Jiang Qishen would only judge her, define her from above. Maybe communication was meaningless. People couldn’t understand each other. Calm separation, end the conversation. That was it.
Jiang Qishen clearly froze. Heart went numb. Almost spat old blood.
“Fine. Very fine. You only know how to be tough with me, fight me. Yang Bufan, you’re very fine!”
He was going back to Shenzhen now. Far from this dirty, smelly, ungrateful shithole. Later, even if she got bullied, trampled, had to beg on the street, served her right.
Absolutely wouldn’t pity this ungrateful idiot again.
Jiang Qishen turned. Saw Lao Zhang standing behind, at a loss. Said carefully: “Boss, I saw you didn’t reply to messages, came to check… Still going to Longdu branch?”
Jiang Qishen said nothing. Left without looking back.
Lao Zhang stood there. Looked at Jiang Qishen’s back. Looked at Yang Bufan. Thought about it. Said: “Xiao Yang, the boss has a sharp tongue, soft heart. Sometimes his words aren’t nice. But his heart’s good. Whatever he says, don’t take it to heart.”
“How can I not take it to heart? One day with him, lose a year of life. He doesn’t care about others’ feelings. He only curses.”
“Hey, I don’t agree. You’re wronging him. Openly, secretly, he…” Lao Zhang caught himself. Immediately shut up.
Yang Bufan’s bright gaze fell on his face. “What openly, secretly? Did what?”
“Just look at what he did.”
“Found the sheep?”
“That’s one part.”
“What else? Tell me!”
“Boss won’t let me say. You figure it out yourself. His personality is…”
Yang Bufan pulled out her phone. “Then I’ll call and ask.”
Lao Zhang stepped forward quickly. Looked troubled: “Xiao Yang, don’t make it hard for me. I still get a salary, support a family.”
“Then tell me. I’ll pretend I don’t know.”
Lao Zhang reluctantly said: “Fine, fine, okay. That kid who harassed you, Zhao Ming, clerk at the rural commercial bank’s general management department. That kid’s no good. Has some background. Wouldn’t let it go. CEO Jiang was so anxious, got revenge for you.”
Yang Bufan was suspicious: “? My two friends beat him.”
“Right, they beat him. So he was going to call the police, make it big. Walked to the station. Also said he’d go cause trouble at your friend’s clinic. Get the village head to fire you as river chief. In the end, we spent some effort, found some work‑related dirt on him, smoothed things over. Got it done.”
“Anyway, don’t worry. Boss got really angry. All arranged. He won’t dare appear in this area again.”
Yang Bufan suddenly understood. Had thought it strange. That person had background. Definitely fearless. If he kept losing, no reason to let it go. But the next day he came to apologize so humiliatingly. There must’ve been twists.
Just hadn’t thought deeply then.
“Why did he help me?” Yang Bufan asked.
“You have to figure that out yourself.”
Lao Zhang saw she really didn’t understand. Reminded: “Did you see his hands?”
“Saw them.”
Yang Bufan remembered. “He disinfected too many times. Looked a bit serious. You should remind him to see a doctor.”
Lao Zhang stopped there. Pulled out his phone, replied to messages. “Boss is pushing. I’m leaving. Xiao Yang, this is our secret. You know, but don’t say. Don’t sell me out.”
Yang Bufan said: “Don’t worry, Lao Zhang! Probably CEO Jiang and I won’t have any more contact.”
Lao Zhang, before leaving, smiled, comforted her: “Hey, no big deal. As long as there’s intent, can always get in touch.”
Walking to the parking area, Lao Zhang saw Jiang Qishen had thrown those expensive leather shoes, wrapped in yellow mud, by the trash.
He sat in the car, shrouded in desolate shadow. Had a kind of capable but wronged, defeated bleakness. Person and shoes both alone. Abandoned like worn‑out shoes.
Right. He’d been living a luxurious, ordered life. But these trips to the countryside, like walking at night, falling into a big mud pit, couldn’t get out.
For someone this germophobic, undoubtedly both body and mind were severely tested.
Very tragic.
Lao Zhang didn’t laugh. Didn’t dare laugh.