Xia Xiaolan’s upper body was seized.

The words “Xia Xiaolan from Dahe Village” startled her. She wasn’t sure whether to cry for help or what to do. These bastards had even investigated her background. Xiaolan grew anxious – it was the hottest time of the day, there were few people on the street, and this was quite a secluded area.

Of the three men, two were injured, and they didn’t dare delay any longer. If they let her continue screaming, someone would surely come. The uninjured one tried to cover Xiaolan’s mouth, but having lost her scissors, she delivered a vicious kick to his groin. The kick was so fierce that he released her, doubling over like a cooked shrimp.

Xiaolan kicked twice more, not caring if she hit her mark, and seized the opportunity to break free from their circle, running toward the alley entrance.

People can unleash unimaginable strength when desperate. Xiaolan wasn’t afraid of being robbed – she feared being violated by these thugs. As a pure, unmarried young woman, she still wanted to properly experience romance in the 1980s.

The thugs cursed “dirty whore” as they gave chase.

Xiaolan felt desperate – her body was too weak. Though she wasn’t short, she couldn’t fight off three thugs!

Just as she was about to exit the alley, a shadow appeared before her. Someone blocked her path. Xiaolan felt truly hopeless for the first time, thinking it was another of the thugs’ accomplices. She crashed headlong into the person.

The person steadied her, saying, “I’m not with those bad guys!”

His accent immediately revealed he wasn’t from Anqing County.

He pulled Xiaolan behind him. “You bastards think you’re tough? Attacking women in broad daylight – Anqing County’s security is terrible. Don’t worry, comrade, I…”

Xiaolan was sweating from running, her small face flushed white and red.

The sight stunned him speechless.

He suddenly shouted: “Brother! Brother Cheng, come quick! These punks are harassing a female comrade!”

Harassing any female comrade was bad enough, but why this particular one? Ever since seeing Xiaolan at the noodle stand in Anqing County days ago, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He kept remembering how she had looked up at him while eating, her eyes misty and glistening, seeming to have words left unsaid.

Blood rushed to his head as he shielded Xiaolan behind him, charging toward the three thugs with a roar.

Xiaolan breathed a sigh of relief.

He was here to save her!

She recognized him now – he was that out-of-town young man who kept looking at her at the noodle stand.

More footsteps echoed at the alley entrance.

Another young man approached with powerful strides, looking extremely spirited. His crew cut suited his features – he had a roguish air about him, appearing quite dashing yet dangerous… this man wasn’t someone to be trifled with!

Zhou Cheng’s eyes met Xiaolan’s the moment he looked up.

Though she was sweating and panting, it couldn’t mask her stunning beauty – Zhou Cheng wasn’t one for flowery descriptions, he just thought everything about Xiaolan was perfect, leaving him feeling somewhat parched.

Kang Wei was right – this small town of Anqing County had been hiding such a beauty.

No wonder Kang Wei had been constantly talking about her on their way to Shanghai, and now fought like a man possessed. Zhou Cheng raised an eyebrow – with such an attention-drawing face, she should always be careful. Wandering into secluded places was just asking for trouble from thugs.

If he hadn’t hit the brakes at the entrance, she would surely have been violated.

An inexplicable anger welled up in Zhou Cheng. Watching Kang Wei take down the three thugs wasn’t satisfying enough. He picked up half a brick from the wall’s foundation and smashed it against one thug’s head. The man let out a cry and fell motionless.

“Brother Cheng!”

Kang Wei quickly released the other two. “Brother, don’t be rash – it’s not worth it.”

Zhou Cheng gave him a look.

Xiaolan had fixed her hair but was still somewhat afraid.

There was no one else around – what if these two were also bad guys?

Zhou Cheng didn’t expose Xiaolan’s wariness. “What should we do with these three?”

Xiaolan looked at the sky. “Thank you so much, comrades! Could you take them to the police station?”

Zhou Cheng nodded.

Kang Wei kicked hard. “Stop playing dead, get up.”

Kang Wei didn’t dare look much at Xiaolan.

But Zhou Cheng noticed the healing wound on her forehead. “What happened to your forehead?”

Xiaolan thought this man was quite forward.

However, she couldn’t be rude to her saviors, so she brushed it off vaguely:

“Just fell accidentally.”

The more Zhou Cheng looked at the wound, the more it bothered him. Such a flawless face marred by an injury was quite unsightly. Who knew if it would leave a scar?

Kang Wei tied up the three men. One of them was still speaking filth:

“She’s just a loose woman – if others can sleep with her, why can’t we? We’re all men here, let’s all have some fun!”

Kang Wei kicked him in the face, knocking out several teeth, finally shutting up his filthy mouth. However, the atmosphere remained awkward. Xiaolan’s expression darkened as she picked up her bicycle – quite a few eggs had broken.

She only earned 1 fen per egg.

She would collect eggs from various villages under the scorching sun, making two trips to Anqing County daily. Rising at 5 AM and not resting until 9 or 10 PM, she worked without breaks. Even then, she could earn at most ten-some yuan a day. This fall had wasted an entire day’s work.

Though she had endured far worse hardships in her previous life, Xiaolan still felt wrong.

Who the fuck wanted to be reborn in ’83?!

It took 20 years of struggle to succeed in her previous life, and everything disappeared after one sleep!

Xiaolan’s eyes reddened as she also kicked the thugs several times:

“Even loose women wouldn’t look at you a lot! Cowards who only pick on women!”

Xiaolan truly wasn’t someone to be trifled with.

Though she appeared delicate, the three thugs were already injured before help arrived. At the police station, Zhou Cheng and Kang Wei took full responsibility, saying they had done all the fighting. The police didn’t criticize their violence, but rather formally commanded them:

“We’ve received notice from the Ministry of Public Security that Anqing County will actively support the Strike Hard campaign, dealing swift and severe punishment to criminals caught in the act! You two comrades acted righteously, and we’ll send commendation banners to your work units.”

Kang Wei thought – what work units did he and Brother Cheng have?

Xiaolan came out from another room. A female officer had been very kind, reassuring her:

“We’ll keep this confidential.”

The world was unfair to women – even though she was nearly assaulted if word got out, people might criticize the thugs while also pointing fingers at her.

Xiaolan knew that, barring accidents, she would never see these three thugs again. They were too brazen, daring to commit crimes during the Strike Hard period. These three had surely thought that even if they violated her, she wouldn’t dare report it to protect her reputation.

Unfortunately, they were wrong.

Xiaolan might have a bad reputation and be known for her fierceness, but she dared to stab her eyes with scissors, which brought time for rescue to arrive.

It was already 6 PM when they left the police station. Though anxious, Xiaolan couldn’t appear impolite and insisted on treating her two saviors to a meal… at the noodle stand on the street corner.

Being short on money, Xiaolan definitely couldn’t treat them to a restaurant.

A meal at the state-run restaurant would cost at least 20 yuan. She could only afford to treat them to noodle soup, at most asking the vendor to add two fried eggs.

Kang Wei was quite chatty and outgoing, while Zhou Cheng, despite his dangerous looks, didn’t talk much. He looked more threatening than the three thugs, with a sort of dangerous air about him. Though Kang Wei could take down three men alone, he was completely deferential to Zhou Cheng.

Setting down his bowl, Kang Wei tried to pay, but Xiaolan refused:

“Your kindness can’t be repaid with just a bowl of noodles. Please let me treat you both today!”

Kang Wei muttered that he’d never been treated to a meal by a girl before.

Zhou Cheng put down his chopsticks: “You can treat us back another time. It’s too late now – I’ll escort you home.”

The last sentence was directed at Xiaolan.