Hu Yang

Biodata

Background and History

Hu Yang is from Beijing and traveled to Heilongjiang Province as an educated youth. Aboard the train, he met Bai Yao, Kong Wu, and Dongfang Dazhuang. When Dazhuang suggested they settle in his home village, Unity Village, Hu Yang agreed 14 24.

Bai Yao recognized Hu Yang and Dongfang Dazhuang as the protagonists of another period novel. In that story, Hu Yang was the beautiful young educated youth paired with Dazhuang, the rugged male lead 14.

Train journey

When Bai Yao’s group confronted four enemy agents aboard the train, Hu Yang played along with Bai Yao’s pretext for moving toward the sleeper carriages. He later knocked down one of the agents with a flying kick. The travelers received sleeper berths, meal vouchers, promised commendations, and equal shares of recovered money and grain tickets 16 17.

Near the end of the trip, three human traffickers accosted Hu Yang, falsely accusing him of stealing family money and attempting to elope. Bai Yao intervened, and the traffickers confessed after railway police took them in for questioning 19 20.

Unity Village

Village chief Zhao Jianguo accepted Hu Yang and four other educated youths after Dazhuang described their role in catching the agents and their ability to pay for work-point shortfalls. Hu Yang became exhausted on the walk to the village and was carried partway by Dazhuang 21 23.

Hu Yang rented a small room alongside Gu Yang and Jiang Rou. On their first workday, he and Gu Yang chose to cut pig grass, while Bai Yao, Kong Wu, and Jiang Rou weeded 24 35.

After Tang Yuanyuan’s actions led to Hu Yang spraining his ankle, Dazhuang took him to the village doctor. Zhao Jianguo excused Hu Yang from work for several days and approved docking Tang’s work points as compensation 38 39.

Appearance

Hu Yang is a strikingly handsome young man whom Bai Yao likens to a fox spirit 13 14.

• He describes himself as delicate and fair-skinned 14.
• At the educated youth point, Feng Ling noticed his watch, leather shoes, and white shirt 27.

Personality

Hu Yang is cheerful and talkative. He repeatedly calls his encounters with his fellow travelers “fate” and chats at length with Dongfang Dazhuang during the train journey 14 15. He can also be perceptive: when Bai Yao suggested looking for sleeper berths, Hu Yang sensed something was wrong and played along 16.

He is open about his difficulty with physical work and was willing to pay for any shortfall in work points. After injuring his ankle, he cried from pain and homesickness, but Bai Yao’s visit and food cheered him up 14 38.

Relationships

• Bai Yao — Friend and fellow educated youth. Bai Yao helped protect him from traffickers and supported him after his ankle injury; Hu Yang promised to treat him to meat once he recovered 19 38 39.
• Dongfang Dazhuang — Unity Village resident who invited Hu Yang to settle there. He carried Hu Yang on the road and cared for him after his injury; Bai Yao recognizes them as the leads of another novel 14 23 38 39.
• Gu Yang and Jiang Rou — Fellow newcomers who rented small rooms in the same courtyard area as Hu Yang 24 33.
• Railway police officer — A close comrade-in-arms of Hu Yang’s older male cousin. Hu Yang calls him “brother,” and the officer calls Hu Yang “Little Fox” 19 20.
• Feng Ling — Veteran educated youth who pursued Hu Yang with an eye on his possessions 27.
• Tang Yuanyuan — Veteran educated youth whose actions led to Hu Yang’s ankle injury; her work points were docked in compensation 38 39.

Trivia

• Bai Yao suspected that Hu Yang had an undisclosed secret: Hu Yang’s dumplings still tasted freshly cooked after a day in the summer heat. The nature of the secret was not explained 18.
• Hu Yang was interested in playing five-in-a-row during the train journey, although he did not know how to play Chinese chess 18.