Mo Shuixia got up, but Guan Ailan had already dashed off. The two chased each other and tumbled into a haystack. The mischievous kids higher up saw them and shoved down a mountain of straw, burying the pair completely. Not a sound or movement came from the pile. Xiao Man rushed over and began frantically digging them out, shouting up at the kids to get down there and help.
After a flurry of chaos, Mo Shuixia and Guan Ailan burrowed out of the haystack. Without a word, they grabbed a few of the culprits and gave them a sound beating. Two of the younger boys clutched their behinds and wailed, but no one paid them any mind. In that era, children from the same production team shared a sense of solidarity. When fighting with kids from other teams, the older ones would protect the younger ones. But when it came to infighting, it was considered normal for the little kids to get beaten by the big kids. They just had to take it, and hardly anyone ever ran home to tattle to the adults.
