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This year, Annan County's Eighth High School unprecedentedly admitted eight first-year classes, breaking the record that had stood for decades.
During the freshman orientation ceremony, Hu Ruoyun was called on stage to perform. This time, instead of showcasing his stick skills, he demonstrated his agility and skill in boxing. A powerful punch landed on the wooden platform, causing it to tremble noticeably.
In the end, the homeroom teacher, Wang Hongjian, tossed a walnut up to him. Hu Ruoyun executed a perfect leap and caught it mid-air, only to crush the hard walnut into pieces upon landing. This impressive display left a lasting impression on the new students.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival, his father and Second Uncle went to Caoguying to visit Uncle. There, his second cousin mentioned that his eldest son had also been accepted into Annan County's Eighth Middle School. "It's quite a distance for someone from our generation," Hu Ruoyun thought, not feeling the need to inquire further.
Winter always felt particularly long, and with no farming activities left in the fields, some idle folks began to stir trouble.
The boys' dormitories of the first-year classes at Annan County's Eighth Middle School faced harassment from local youths. In one class, two boys had five meal tickets stolen; in Class Three, several boys were robbed of three yuan each; and in Class Five, a handsome boy with a way with girls was slapped twice.
Fear spread among all first-year students.
One day during lunch break, someone knocked on Hu Ruoyun's dormitory door. Ye Jianghe, who was sleeping by the door, opened it to find a boy with long hair wearing a loose batwing shirt and flared pants. He had fair skin and somewhat feminine features. "Is Hu Ruoyun in this dorm?" he asked.
Hu Ruoyun sat up and looked at the striking boy who seemed unfamiliar to him. "Who are you? Do we know each other?"
The boy smiled. "I'm Mu Shengli, my dad is Mu Baishun..."
Realizing this was his Second Uncle's child, Hu Ruoyun remembered their family's ways and initially hesitated to engage. However, considering he had come looking for him, he decided to put on some clothes and step outside to talk with his cousin.
This distant cousin had come seeking help.
Mu Shengli was a year younger than Hu Ruoyun. His father, Mu Baishun, was a prominent figure in Caoguying, earning six or seven hundred yuan a month—quite wealthy by local standards. His uncle was a village official and his third uncle was a doctor; thus, Mu Shengli felt quite important himself.
Though he struggled academically after entering high school this year, his father's wealth allowed him to dress in the latest fashions and enjoy good food. With his sharp tongue and decent looks, he had become quite popular among the first-year students and often displayed a high-profile demeanor.
In rural areas, there’s an old saying: "The nail that sticks out gets hammered down." Unbeknownst to him, some other boys began to resent his prominence. In Class Eight, there was a local boy named Hu Dacheng who was no pushover either; feeling superior as a local resident, he often acted tough. Seeing Mu Shengli steal the spotlight made him want to teach him a lesson with help from his older brother Hu Jiakai.
Under Hu Dacheng's guidance, a group of idle boys from Gaoqiao Town approached Mu Shengli for money and meal tickets; they kicked him around and slapped him several times. Yet Hu Dacheng remained unsatisfied and instructed them to issue an ultimatum to this handsome boy, threatening further punishment.
Finally frightened by these events, Mu Shengli realized that the universe didn't end at Caoguying...
After explaining the situation, Mu Shengli pulled out a letter sent by Hu Jiakai. Hu Ruoyun took it and saw only one line of messy handwriting: "Kid, get ready for trouble! I'll be waiting for you on your way home!"
Mu Shengli stammered nervously: "Brother Yun, I don't even dare step outside the school gate!"
Reporting this to teachers would be useless; in this era, there was no concept of calling the police—everything had to be settled privately.
To be honest, Mu Shengli wasn't sure if this so-called cousin could help him at all; he felt utterly helpless at that moment.
Hu Ruoyun tossed the "challenge letter" back at him. "Don't worry; I'll take you out this weekend!"
Mou Shengli left with a mix of doubt and curiosity.
On Saturday, after finishing two self-study sessions, Hu Ruoyun stepped out of the classroom and saw Mou Shengli waiting for him at the door. "Brother Yun, can we go together? Or should I call a few of your classmates?"
Hu Ruoyun ignored him. "Let's go!"
Not long after they left the school gate, Hu Ruoyun noticed a half-grown kid following them. Once they got off the main road behind the school, there weren't many people around. Hu Ruoyun sat in the back seat of Mou Shengli's bike, letting him ride ahead.
After about seven or eight minutes with no one around, Mou Shengli suddenly slammed on the brakes. "Bro, they're blocking the way up ahead!" His voice was filled with panic.
Hu Ruoyun jumped off the bike and looked ahead. A group of seven or eight half-grown kids stood in their path, each holding a short wooden stick about the thickness of an egg. The leader was at least six feet tall, with just a hint of dark fuzz on his upper lip, but he wasn't Hu Jiakai.
The guy tapped his stick against his palm. "So you're Mou Shengli? I heard you're quite something at Eight Middle School?"
Mou Shengli was so scared he couldn't speak, looking helplessly at Hu Ruoyun beside him.
Hu Ruoyun stepped forward. "Where's Hu Jiakai?"
The big guy seemed surprised. "Does this need our boss? By the way, who are you? Are you stepping in for this kid? Aren't you afraid of getting dealt with too?"
Hu Ruoyun knew reasoning wouldn't work with these guys and kept moving forward. "Why don't you give it a try?"
The big guy was clearly angered and suddenly swung his stick at Hu Ruoyun.
In reality, these so-called punks rarely dared to hit someone seriously; intimidation was their main tactic. The big guy thought that after swinging his stick, Hu Ruoyun would quickly dodge back, allowing him to pull back his attack.
However, Hu Ruoyun had other plans. There were too many opponents this time; if he didn't make these "doorstep tigers" submit now, Mou Shengli would face trouble later on.
As the stick came swinging toward him, what the big guy didn't expect was that Hu Ruoyun not only didn't dodge but instead charged forward quickly, grabbing the stick from his hand while delivering a swift kick to his stomach with his right foot.
In just one exchange, the tables turned. Hu Ruoyun seized the stick effortlessly while the big guy staggered back seven or eight steps before collapsing onto the ground!
Hu Ruoyun didn't advance further; instead, he gripped the stick tightly and with a forceful twist, it snapped in two with a loud crack!
The big guy sat on the ground for a long time without getting up, staring at the broken stick in Hu Ruoyun's hands as he muttered, "Are you the one who can crush walnuts with your hands?"
The seven or eight half-grown boys in front of him, along with Mou Shengli behind him, were all stunned.
In the distance, two bicycles kicked up dust as they sped toward them. The lead cyclist shouted as he pedaled hard, "Don't fight! Don't fight!"
As they got closer, it turned out to be Hu Jiakai and behind him was Hu Dacheng.
Hu Jiakai first looked at Hu Ruoyun. "Bro, are you hurt?"
Hu Ruoyun shook his head and pointed at the big guy who was being helped up by his friends while laughing. "Kai Ge, are these all your brothers?"
Hu Jiakai scratched his head apologetically. "Ah, it's all my fault for leading you guys astray..."
The Big Guy leaned in, looking aggrieved. "Brother Hu, he hit me!"
Hu Jiakai was a bit confused. "Come on, you guys are all armed with sticks, and you're saying he hit you?"
The six or seven who hadn't fought also gathered around. "Brother Hu, what Brother Ding said is true! That kick sent Brother Ding flying... Let's all go together!"
Hu Jiakai grew anxious. "Go together? What the hell, we're all on the same side!"
It turned out that Hu Dacheng had seen Hu Ruoyun leave the school with Mou Shengli and hurried to inform his brother Kai. After hearing the news, Hu Jiakai rushed to intervene but found that a fight had already broken out.
He also learned that Hu Ruoyun faced seven or eight people alone without fear and even kicked down Big Guy Ding Dali. He felt relieved, thinking, "Thank goodness it wasn't me who got involved; otherwise, my reputation would be ruined!"
In front of Hu Dacheng and the others, Hu Ruoyun scolded Mou Shengli. "Get that Chung Mao haircut of yours shaved off and wear proper clothes to school... If you don't listen, I won't need anyone else to teach you a lesson; I'll handle you myself!"
Turning to Hu Jiakai, she said, "Brother Kai, this is my cousin!"
Mou Shengli quickly lowered his head and replied, "Got it, bro!"
Hu Jiakai pulled Mou Shengli along. "Let's go home quickly; everything will be fine from now on..."
Hu Ruoyun approached Big Guy Ding Dali and extended her hand. "Brother Ding, I apologize for that kick earlier; it was a bit too much."
Ding Dali chuckled foolishly and reached out his right hand to shake hers while holding his stomach with his left hand. "Wow, that was an impressive move..."
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