Reborn:1983

Chapter 16: A Hero Descends from the Heavens

Xia Xiaolan was grabbed from behind.

The words "Xia Xiaolan from Dahe Village" stunned her for a split second, but she kept screaming for help just as loudly. These bastards actually looked into my background! Panic surged. It was the hottest part of the day, the streets were already sparsely populated, and this place was particularly deserted.

With two of them injured, the three men couldn't afford to delay any longer.

If she kept screaming like this, someone was bound to come. The uninjured thug lunged to cover her mouth. Scissor-less now, Xiaolan lashed out with her foot, landing a vicious kick squarely between his legs. The blow was crippling; the man instantly let go, doubling over like a boiled shrimp, howling in agony.

Xiaolan kicked out twice more, not caring if she connected, and seized the chance to break through their circle, sprinting desperately towards the alley's exit.

Cornered, a human can summon unimaginable strength. Xiaolan feared robbery less than the prospect of being violated by these thugs... She was a clean, decent girl! She still wanted to properly experience romance in this 1980s life!

The thugs cursed, "You b***h!" and took off after her.

Xiaolan's heart pounded with urgency. This body was too weak! Though tall, she couldn't possibly fight off three men!

She was almost at the alley's mouth when a shadow fell across her path. Someone blocked the exit. A wave of despair washed over Xiaolan for the first time. An accomplice? She slammed headlong into the figure.

The man steadied her with his hands. "Easy! I'm not with those scumbags!"

His accent was definitely not local to Anqing County.

He pulled Xiaolan behind him, shielding her with his body. "Damn little shits, got some nerve, bullying a woman in broad daylight! Security in Anqing County is rotten! Comrade, don't be afraid, I—"

Xiaolan was drenched in sweat from running, her small face flushed pink against pale skin.

The sight made the young man freeze mid-sentence.

He suddenly bellowed:

"Bro! Chengzi-ge, get over here! Hooligans assaulting a woman!"

Assaulting a woman was bad enough, but this woman? Ever since he'd seen Xia Xiaolan at that noodle stall in Anqing County days ago, he hadn't been able to forget her. That glance she'd given him while eating, eyes misty and luminous, seemingly holding unspoken words... it had lodged in his mind.

A surge of righteous fury flooded his head. Shielded by Xiaolan, he roared and charged at the three thugs.

Xiaolan breathed a sigh of relief.

Rescuers!

She recognized him now – the young out-of-towner who kept staring at her at the noodle stall.

Footsteps sounded again from the alley entrance.

Another young man approached. His stride was confident, powerful. He looked extremely sharp. A crew cut framed features that were handsome in a dangerous, rebellious way... radiating an aura that screamed "don't mess with me"! This man is trouble!

Zhou Cheng raised his head, and his gaze locked with Xiaolan's.

Sweat beaded on her face, she was panting hard, yet none of it could diminish her startling beauty. Zhou Cheng wasn't one for flowery descriptions; he just thought every part of her was perfect. It made his mouth feel dry.

Kang Wei was right. This little backwater county of Anqing hid a peerless beauty.

No wonder Kang Wei had been gushing about her all the way back from Shanghai, and now fought like a man possessed. Zhou Cheng's eyebrow arched. With a face like that, destined to cause trouble, she should be more careful! Wandering into deserted alleys practically invited trouble.

If they hadn't slammed on the brakes at the intersection... Zhou Cheng felt a sudden, inexplicable surge of anger. Seeing Kang Wei had already taken down the three thugs didn't satisfy him. He picked up a broken half-brick from the base of the wall and smashed it down hard onto one thug's head. The man let out a choked cry and crumpled, motionless.

"Chengzi-ge!" Kang Wei yelled, instantly releasing the other two thugs. "Bro, calm down! Not worth it!"

Zhou Cheng shot him a look.

Xiaolan had smoothed her hair back, still wary.

There was no one else around. What if these two were also dangerous?

Zhou Cheng didn't call out her suspicion. "What about these three?"

Xiaolan glanced at the sky. "Comrades, I truly can't thank you enough! Could you possibly take them to the police station?"

Zhou Cheng nodded.

Kang Wei kicked the groaning thugs. "Stop playing dead! Get up, all of you!"

He didn't dare look directly at Xiaolan.

Zhou Cheng, however, noticed the healing wound on her forehead, the skin still pink and tender. "What happened to your forehead?"

Xiaolan thought, This guy acts awfully familiar. But she couldn't be rude to her saviors. She brushed it off vaguely: "Fell by accident."

Zhou Cheng found the wound increasingly offensive. It marred that flawless face. Would it scar?

Kang Wei tied the three men up. One, mouth b****y, still spat obscenities: "She's just a loose woman! If others can sleep with her, why can't we? Come on, brothers, we're all men here, let's all have some fun together!"

Kang Wei kicked him squarely in the face. Teeth flew. The foul talk finally stopped. The atmosphere remained intensely awkward. Xiaolan's face was grim as she righted her bicycle. Dozens of eggs lay shattered beneath it.

She made only one fen per egg.

Rising before dawn to collect eggs from villages, cycling twice daily to Anqing County, working from 5 AM until 9 or 10 PM without rest... all for barely over ten yuan on her best days. This fall meant today's work was entirely wasted.

She'd endured hardship in her past life, worse than this. Yet, a wave of bitter resentment washed over Xiaolan.

Who the hell wanted to be reborn in 1983?!

Twenty years of struggle in her previous life, vanished overnight!

Hot tears pricked Xiaolan's eyes. She stalked over and kicked the bound thugs savagely: "Even if I were loose, I wouldn't sleep with you losers! Cowards! Only good for bullying women!"

Xiaolan was clearly not someone to be trifled with.

Despite her delicate appearance, all three thugs had been injured before her rescuers arrived. At the police station, Zhou Cheng and Kang Wei took full responsibility, claiming they were the ones who did the fighting. The police didn't criticize them for the force used; instead, they formally commended the pair:

"We've received notice from the Ministry of Public Security. Anqing County will actively cooperate with the 'Strike Hard' Campaign. Current criminals must be dealt with swiftly and severely! Your actions were heroic, comrades. We will send commendation banners to your workplaces."

Kang Wei thought, Workplaces? What workplaces? Chengzi-ge and I don't have those...

Xiaolan emerged from another room. A female officer spoke kindly to her, offering reassurance: "We will definitely keep this confidential."

The world was unfair to women. Even as the victim of an attempted assault, she could face gossip alongside the condemnation of her attackers.

Xiaolan knew that, barring unforeseen circumstances, she would never see those three thugs again. How could they have been so reckless, committing such a brazen crime right at the start of the "Strike Hard" campaign? They'd likely assumed she'd keep quiet to protect her already shaky reputation.

They had severely miscalculated.

Xiaolan's reputation might be bad, but she was fierce and capable. Daring to jab scissors at their eyes had bought her the crucial time needed for rescue.

By the time they left the police station, it was already 6 PM. Though anxious to get home, Xiaolan couldn't be rude. She insisted on treating her two saviors to a meal... which meant the noodle stall at the street corner.

Her purse was light. A proper meal at the state-run restaurant would cost at least 20 yuan, far beyond her means. Soup noodles it was, perhaps with an extra poached egg each if the stall owner agreed.

Kang Wei, the more talkative and outgoing of the two, chattered away. Zhou Cheng, despite his dangerously handsome looks, was taciturn. He actually looked more intimidating than the thugs they'd just dealt with, carrying an aura of latent danger. Kang Wei, capable of taking down three men single-handedly, deferred to him completely.

After finishing their bowls, Kang Wei tried to pay. Xiaolan firmly stopped him: "My debt to you both can't be repaid with a bowl of noodles! Please, let me treat you today!"

Kang Wei muttered something about never having been treated to a meal by a girl before.

Zhou Cheng set his chopsticks down. "You can treat us next time. It's getting late now. I'll see you home."

The last sentence was directed solely at Xiaolan.