Chapter Three: An Unexpected Injury

Chapter Three: An Unexpected Injury

In September of that year, He Zhixing began attending school. In the impoverished mountain regions of the eighties, there was no such thing as kindergarten; children simply started directly from the first grade. At first, He Zhixing was fascinated by counting ranks and formations. Every morning, a swarm of children would rush to the dilapidated school, eagerly listening as the township teachers lectured at the blackboard. Everything was fresh and exciting.

The teachers, gazing at pairs of eyes burning with the thirst for knowledge and innocent, smiling faces, felt a profound sense of satisfaction. Given the harsh living conditions in the countryside, children of the eighties considered themselves blessed to sit in a rudimentary classroom and listen to lessons. In some places, education hadn’t even reached the hills—let alone basic classrooms or local teachers. In certain remote areas, it wasn't until the nineties, when the state implemented educational policies, that children even had the chance to attend school. The difficult circumstances reflected the helplessness and confusion of rural life, so He Zhixing’s opportunity to study was a fortunate one.

The economy in rural areas relied solely on fields, land, and the hills. At that time, the transition from the commune era to the household responsibility system was just beginning. People’s mindset was still rooted in farming: as long as the two plots of land allocated to the family could keep everyone fed, that was already a blessing. Families with many siblings faced greater hardship, as the division of land was meager—each person only received a fraction, about one-third of an acre, barely enough to stave off hunger. The rural mindset remained traditional; who would even think of venturing into business, and where could they find the extra money to do so? Most struggled just to meet their basic needs, with little thought for anything else.

He Zhixing’s situation was somewhat better. At least his grandfather was still able-bodied. Aside from farming, he often went out to work as a carpenter, accepting jobs wherever he was called. Over the course of a year, he could earn a bit for their expenses. During the first two or three years of He Zhixing’s schooling, things were manageable. But as his grandfather aged and grew weaker, it became harder to travel far for work. He could only take on jobs in nearby villages and towns, helping locals with carpentry. He Zhixing, a dutiful grandson, saw his grandfather’s hardship and, after reaching the fourth grade, left school to help him.

By the late eighties, the winds of reform and opening-up swept from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Shenzhen all the way to every town and rural village in the mainland. The spread of tape recorders and black-and-white televisions was faster than word of mouth. The rapid, transformative changes in coastal cities like Shenzhen, Zhuhai, and Guangzhou, reported by Central Television and witnessed during Deng Xiaoping’s visits, finally brought home to mountain villagers the stark contrast between the reformed countryside and thriving cities—a difference as vast as heaven and earth. Many old farmers lamented, “Comparing lives is enough to drive a man mad…”

Thus, some of the braver surplus rural laborers went to the cities in search of fortune. He Zhixing was still young and, with only his grandfather as family, couldn’t leave. He could only remain honest and diligent, tending the fields.

Every year-end, young men and women who worked away returned home, flaunting new clothes and fashionable airs, stirring envy among neighbors. Crowds would gather at their doors, gawking at the newly bought tape recorders and televisions—watching snowy screens and glimpsing the world beyond. The music from those devices, featuring pop idols from Taiwan and Hong Kong, thrilled everyone. It was exhilarating, truly exhilarating.

The martial arts films of the eighties and nineties from Hong Kong and Taiwan sparked heroic dreams in every child’s heart. Titles like “Kunlun Slave,” “Tai Chi Zhang Sanfeng,” “The Magic Crane Needle,” “Rivers and Lakes of Gratitude and Revenge,” “Water Margin Side Story,” and “Journey to the West” were favorites. Hong Kong and Taiwanese music and martial arts films swept through the countryside, captivating young and old alike with tremendous influence.

He Zhixing continued as usual, helping his grandfather with carpentry and practicing the techniques taught by that eccentric old man. Though the results were not immediately evident, he grew taller and stronger than his peers. People assumed his strength came from regular carpentry work, but it was not entirely so. He Zhixing knew the extent of his own power—he had secretly tested it and found that, at twelve, he could lift weights of nearly two hundred pounds. His strength was astonishing, though he never displayed it in front of others.

In a small courtyard in Le County, He Zhixing was assisting his grandfather in planing wood. Two large, old benches stood in the yard, one for each. He Zhixing handled smaller pieces, while his grandfather worked on larger ones. They were making a six-piece living room furniture set—tea table, chairs, sofas—all handcrafted, with the employer providing the materials and them responsible for the workmanship. They had been at this household for two or three days already and had completed several pieces: a tea table and two elegantly curved chairs. Only the two large sofas and two armchairs remained. They were planing and polishing every edge and frame; after this stage, it would be assembly, painting, and finishing. He Zhixing spent the entire day planing wood, polishing over a dozen pieces until his hands were sore. At last, night fell, and he could rest. Soon after, the employer called them to dinner. After eating, his grandfather stayed in the employer’s house to watch television.

He Zhixing, being a restless youth, couldn’t sit still after dinner. He said to his grandfather, “Grandpa, I’m going out for a bit,” and darted off.

The house was near the bustling county center, close to the train station. At night, the streets and alleys were lively with people coming and going. Though it was the nineties, for their county, this was the most prosperous and beautiful city around. Going out after a busy day was a way for everyone to unwind. The streets were lined with all kinds of shops: general stores, department stores, arches, toy and gift stalls, grain shops, cooperatives, restaurants, clothing stores, goods shops, wholesalers, snack stalls, and more.

He Zhixing wandered along the roadside, leisurely, listening to the cries of vendors and the noisy haggling, which relaxed his tired body and lifted his spirits.

As he walked, he felt someone grab his hand and pull him along. With the crowd bustling about, he didn’t immediately break free and shouted, “Who are you? Why are you pulling me?” He thought perhaps some pretty girl had grabbed him, and briefly entertained the thought of a romantic encounter. After a few steps, he saw the figure dragging him—a tall boy’s back. He tugged himself backward, digging in his heels. “Who are you? Why are you pulling me?” The boy turned around, and He Zhixing finally saw his face. He looked familiar, but couldn’t quite place him, until the boy clapped him on the shoulder and spoke, “Little Zhixing, don’t you recognize me? I’m Gou Quan!” He Zhixing remembered at once, “Oh, it’s you, Gou Quan, you rascal! I wondered why I hadn’t seen you these past few years. Since your family moved to the county, we haven’t crossed paths. How’s the post office business?”

“Not bad,” Gou Quan replied, “but the county is too small for big business. We just handle sending letters, parcels, phone calls—enough to get by. I’m attending the Second High School in Le City now. I heard you stopped studying?”

He Zhixing walked and chatted with him. “Yeah, I left school. Now I help my grandfather with carpentry. If not for this trip to the county to help a family with woodwork, I wouldn’t know when I’d see you next.”

Gou Quan shrugged, “Heh, come on, I’ll take you to something fun.”

Gou Quan led him to the outskirts of the old train station, to a small arcade. Even before entering, they heard the lively clamor inside. Many students, boys and girls, were playing games—it was a paradise for the cool kids to hang out. Gou Quan came every weekend. The arcade had recently gotten lots of new “Air Battle” machines. Online games weren’t popular yet, so classic arcade games were the pursuit of the trendy crowd. Spending a little money for a few tokens and a couple of rounds was a treat.

They entered the arcade. Gou Quan bought two yuan worth of tokens, giving He Zhixing one yuan’s worth. At the time, one yuan got you four tokens. If you weren’t a rookie, you could play many rounds; if you were, you might not even finish one game. He Zhixing was just such a rookie. Seeing Gou Quan hand him four tokens, he immediately put them back in Gou Quan’s palm. “Gou Quan, I don’t know how. I won’t play. You take them—I’ll just watch you.” Gou Quan tried to insist, but seeing He Zhixing’s determination, he had no choice but to keep all the tokens himself.

They picked a machine just vacated by a player. Gou Quan quickly inserted a token, and the game started. He Zhixing watched from the side, along with many others who had no money to play but were drawn by the excitement. New and fun things were always favorites among the youth.

Soon, Gou Quan was deep in battle, and He Zhixing watched, enthralled. Half an hour passed before they knew it. Then, a group of students, boys and girls, entered. While Gou Quan was absorbed in his “Air Battle,” almost ready to defeat the giant plane boss, He Zhixing suddenly shouted in his ear, “Gou Quan, watch out, get out of the way!”

One student kicked a troublemaker in the stomach, sending him crashing into Gou Quan. “Damn you, you reckless idiot, you dare bump into me—”

He was about to continue cursing, but when he saw the faces of the ones who’d collided with him, he stopped short, exclaiming, “Chen Sheng, Li Hui, Li Zhizhong, Hua Mei, Chen Guowen—is that you…?”

The troublemakers didn’t let them catch up. Suddenly, they surrounded and attacked. Caught off guard, Gou Quan and He Zhixing took blows to the head and arms, igniting their tempers. They swung iron fists and grabbed tall wooden stools, charging at the group alongside their classmates, fighting back against the dozen troublemakers.

The small arcade was filled with screams and chaos. Most onlookers rushed to the door, fearing to get caught in the melee. After ten minutes, everyone was covered in wounds—except the two girls, whose injuries were lighter. The other four classmates and He Zhixing were all battered and bruised. The battle wasn’t over; it only grew fiercer. Some troublemakers wielded iron rods in addition to wooden stools. Fortunately, He Zhixing unleashed his hidden strength, knocking down seven or eight of them, and used the opening to slip out the back door. They darted into dark alleys and side streets, splitting up to go home...