Returning to the 82 Mountain Village: An Encounter with the Journey to the West Film Crew at the Beg

The person riding the bicycle was a young man, who looked no more than two years older than Zhou Fangyuan.

He was startled and braced himself with his feet to keep the car steady.

Several bright, large Ruipan peaches fell out of the net bag hanging on the handlebars.

But after the person stopped, his first reaction was not to apologize, but to look at his car wheel and the rotten peach with heartache.

His face darkened, and he yelled at Zhou Fangyuan:

"How do you walk?! Trying to crawl under the wheels? Don't you have eyes?"

This act of turning the tables left Zhou Fangyuan speechless.

He endured the pain in his leg and pointed to the side of the road: "I'll walk to the side, you come from the front..."

"Does walking on the side of the road mean you don't have to look where you're going?"

The young man was full of energy, with the impatient drive typical of someone from a wealthy family.

He quickly sized up Zhou Fangyuan. He was wearing ordinary, cheap clothes and was tanned a bit dark. He didn't look like someone with any important background.

The slight tension in the young man's eyes was immediately replaced by an impatience mixed with disdain and a sense of superiority.

"Oh well, whatever, I guess I'm just unlucky!"

He was too lazy to argue, as if saying even one more word to Zhou Fangyuan would lower his status.

She deftly bent down, picked up the peaches, and put them back in the net bag, then took out a snow-white handkerchief.

Handkerchiefs were not common in those days, and he carefully wiped away non-existent dust from the handlebars.

During the movements, the waist and back are straight, and the neck has a habitual curve, a style that can only be achieved through long-term practice.

Although he was wearing a trendy polyester collared short-sleeved shirt that covered his body, his spirit was still undeniable.

Looking at his figure, Zhou Fangyuan thought: This man is probably a performer or actor who makes a living from opera.

After wiping the car, the young man didn't even glance at Zhou Fangyuan again, as if he had hit not a living person, but a roadblock.

After saying that, he was about to ride away when Zhou Fangyuan stopped him.

"You can't leave, what about my pants?"

The young man had urgent business to attend to and didn't want to get entangled, so he threw out two peaches and tried to leave, but was stopped again.

"You bumped into me and you're only getting two peaches? That's not enough."

Seeing Zhou Fangyuan's tough attitude, the young man cursed his bad luck inwardly and took out a 10-yuan note from his wallet.

Then only one sentence remained, floating in the hot wind.

"Watch where you're walking from now on!"

In the blink of an eye, they disappeared around the corner of the alley.

Zhou Fangyuan stood there holding Taozi, rubbing his sore calves. His pants had a tear in them and were dusty.

He bent down and patted the dirt off, and the warmth that had risen in his heart from being inspired by art cooled down considerably.

It wasn't because I felt wronged after being hit; even though I received compensation, the young man's eyes and attitude from beginning to end...

That wasn't just simple arrogance, but a kind of indifference that came from the very core, a view of him as something unworthy of attention.

"This person..."

Zhou Fangyuan muttered something to himself, shook his head, and continued walking back with a limp.

My legs hurt, and I feel uneasy.

He had a vague feeling that the young man's demeanor and his indifferent attitude might have something behind it, but he was too lazy to think about it too deeply, nor could he think that far ahead.

Right now, he's more worried about his pants.

By the time they returned to the Ma family home, the pain had mostly subsided.

In the shady corner of the small courtyard, the water vat was damp, and Ma's wife was picking vegetables to prepare dinner.

"You're back? Oh my!" As soon as Ma Sao looked up, her sharp eyes spotted Zhou Fangyuan's trouser leg and she exclaimed.

"What happened? Such a big gash! Did you get into a fight? Are you alright?"

Her voice was loud, and when she shouted, Ma's mother, who was listening to opera on the radio inside, hurriedly came out to see what was going on.

Meanwhile, several other households lifted their curtains, their faces filled with heartache and worry, and asked questions one after another.

Zhou Fangyuan quickly waved his hand: "No, no, don't worry."

On the way back, I wasn't paying attention and my bicycle grazed me. It's nothing serious, just my pants are a little damaged.

"A bicycle? What idiot is riding that fast?"

Ma's mother came over and insisted on lifting up his trouser leg to take a look. Seeing that it was just redness and a broken skin and nothing serious, she breathed a sigh of relief.

But she kept complaining: "These young people nowadays ride their bikes so recklessly. I'm just glad the person is alright, but it's a pity about the pants... Take them off, and I'll sew them up for you. You won't be able to tell."

"No, no, ma'am, it's really not necessary. I can do it myself. I can't trouble you."

An older woman from one of the households came out with an old tin box, which contained needles and thread. Zhou Fangyuan gently pushed it away and politely declined.

But Aunt Li's forceful love was impossible to refuse.

"Just take it if they offer it to you. Why are you so inconsiderate?"

"Let me tell you, no matter who it is, if they tell you to take it, then take it."

Zhou Fangyuan took the sewing kit and quickly thanked him, feeling a little embarrassed.

He sat down on a small stool in the courtyard and started working in the daylight.

In his previous life in Taiwan, he did almost everything. Watching the costume maker mend costumes was a common occurrence, and he would occasionally lend a hand, so needlework was not unfamiliar to him.

Seeing that he was quite efficient, Ma's mother didn't insist, but she still wanted to know the reason.

As Zhou Fangyuan carefully aligned the tear and began stitching, he explained the general situation.

"Tsk!" After hearing this, Sister Ma threw the vegetables into the basin, splashing water everywhere.

"You can't believe you're from our alley! You hit someone and you think you're in the right? And you even said 'How do you walk?' Pah!"

The old woman, who was fanning herself with a palm leaf fan, and several middle-aged women who were enjoying the cool air hadn't said much until now, when they slowly began to speak:

"A new car? A Phoenix? And they're wiping it with a handkerchief?"

"Yes, the car was new, and the handkerchief was white," Zhou Fangyuan recalled that detail.

The older woman next to them exchanged a glance with Ma's mother, lowering their voices as if sharing some secret.

"Doesn't that sound a bit... like the way people behave in a compound?"

Ma's mother didn't give a direct answer, but continued to fan herself slowly with a palm-leaf fan.

Even if someone has some family wealth and buys a new car, they'll treat it like a treasure. If it gets bumped or scratched, it'll hurt them more than if they hurt themselves. They won't be so careless.

After hitting someone, he checked the car first, and even used a handkerchief...

That's not about being concerned about the car; that's about being particular. And when it comes to being that particular, it's not just the kind of attention to detail that ordinary people have.

She paused, glanced at Zhou Fangyuan's profile as he sewed, and then continued.

"Children who perform opera may have the physical skills, but that drive and that arrogant attitude can only be cultivated by being spoiled at home."

Even the most skilled opera students, no matter how proficient they are, should still show some courtesy when meeting people; that's the proper etiquette.

Zhou Fangyuan kept sewing with his hands, but his mind was already pondering something.

Yes, that young man's physique is professional, but his arrogant demeanor doesn't seem to come from years of rigorous training.

That's a kind of confident, reckless arrogance that doesn't care about the consequences.

"Forget it, ladies, stop guessing."

Zhou Fangyuan tied the last knot, bit off the thread with his teeth, shook out the pants to take a look, and smiled. The mending was not bad.

"It was an accident. I'll be more careful when I walk from now on. The extra patch on my pants will make them more durable."

Seeing him like this, Ma's wife sighed, and the frustration she felt for him turned into a smile.

"Okay, you're really optimistic! Well, it's good that you're optimistic, I'll give you extra rice tonight!" She picked up the dish and went into the communal kitchen.

Ma's mother fanned herself a few more times, and after watching Zhou Fangyuan tidy up the needle and thread, she said something indifferently.

"Fang Yuan, the capital is a big city, and the waters run deep... You're doing serious work with the film crew, but you also need to keep your eyes open."

"Since you're new here, there are some people and some things you'll encounter. It's not shameful to avoid them."

These words were spoken with genuine concern for Zhou Fangyuan.

The latter nodded: "Yes, I'll remember that, ma'am."

However, although he answered that way, he knew the truth in his heart.

You can back down now, but you can't be without backbone. If you really have no temper, you're just a soft persimmon that anyone can take advantage of.

There's one good thing about being reborn: you know how to behave appropriately and are pragmatic.

Don't be fooled by how easily these six words are spoken; countless hot-blooded young people have stumbled because of them...

……

A day later, Ma Dehua finished her work, walked into the alley, and brought Zhou Fangyuan good news.