The train started moving, getting further and further away from the station, and further and further away from home.
A silent atmosphere spread throughout the carriage, and from time to time, one could hear the muffled sobs of the people around.
However, since they were all young people, their emotions recovered quickly.
A few hours later, the carriage became lively again. Some outgoing educated youths even started organizing introductions.
“Everyone is going to build the country. Since we were assigned to the same carriage, it is fate. Otherwise, let’s introduce ourselves. Perhaps some of us will even be assigned to the same commune.”
With someone taking the lead, the atmosphere became even more enthusiastic.
“I am Sun Ming, assigned to Sanshi Commune.”
“I am assigned to…”
One after another, they introduced themselves. Ye Qiu followed the trend and also gave a simple introduction.
Coincidentally, the rather outgoing young man she met when boarding the train was also assigned to Qingshan Production Brigade.
Su Qing said happily, “Yo, this is truly fate!”
In the vast crowd, the fact that the two of them could be assigned to the same brigade was a very low probability.
Because she was in a good mood, Ye Qiu also chatted with Su Qing for a few words with a smile.
The train ride was too long. After sitting for tens of hours in a row, everyone had the energy to chat about everything from heaven to earth at first, but later, they all closed their eyes to rest.
Especially those who carried important luggage—they really dared not fall asleep at night and would check their luggage from time to time.
Although 02314 did not have much use, it was sufficient to act as an alarm, so Ye Qiu still slept a few times.
However, even so, when she got off the train carrying her luggage, she still felt a bit dazed.
The cold air hitting her face made her shudder and finally woke her up completely.
“Is this the place?” Su Qing poked his head out and looked around.
Ye Qiu also looked around.
The train station in Sichuan Province was no different from her hometown; it was all gray and dusty.
However, the humid air, the green mountains, and the green that met her eyes made her realize that this place was separated from her hometown by more than half of China.
“Sister Ye Qiu, shall we go together?”
Su Qing greeted Ye Qiu. The companions who came with him were assigned to other communes and had already left with other educated youths. On this train, only the two of them were assigned to Qingshan Production Brigade.
Ye Qiu responded, hung her luggage on her body, and quickly caught up with Su Qing.
The two inquired along the way and finally found the assembly point. When they arrived, there were already twenty or thirty people standing around.
Ye Qiu and Su Qing naturally blended into the crowd.
Su Qing fully utilized his outgoing personality, shuttling through the crowd like a butterfly. Before long, he came to Ye Qiu’s side and lowered his voice to tell her the information he had gathered.
“I heard that the best condition in Zhaoyang Commune is Hongye Production Brigade. They harvest a lot of grain, and the educated youths live better there than elsewhere. Qingshan Production Brigade is a bit worse; the grain harvest is not good. You say, how nice it would be if we were assigned to Hongye Production Brigade.” His tone was full of envy.
Ye Qiu leaned over and whispered in response, “They are all in Zhaoyang Commune, so I guess it’s about the same. Besides, whether we, the educated youths, live well or not doesn’t just depend on the grain.”
As for the situation of Qingshan Production Brigade, Ye Qiu had expected it long ago.
If the environment were good, who would have nothing to do and go fleeing from famine?
But the Ye family had their own considerations.
For a good-looking young female educated youth, the biggest problem after going to the countryside is not that there is not enough grain to eat or that she cannot do farm work.
Although Ye Weijun had never returned to his hometown since he fled the famine, at least he knew a few relatives. The customs in his hometown were also simple and honest, which was better than other places where one was unfamiliar with the land and people, and it was safer for a girl.
Su Qing also remembered what he had heard from others about what happened to educated youths after they went to the countryside, and he nodded repeatedly. “Who says it isn’t? When people are under the eaves, they have to bow their heads…”
Before he finished speaking, he was tugged by Ye Qiu on his clothes. When he looked up, he saw several educated youths walking over.
Among the last batch of educated youths, there was one who was exceptionally eye-catching.
Not only was her appearance outstanding, but most importantly, she was dressed exceptionally decently.
She wore a brand new, clean white shirt tucked into military green trousers, and on her feet, she wore a pair of exquisite small leather shoes. Walking all the way, she almost attracted the gazes of all the educated youths.
Let alone in the countryside, even in the city, few people would be willing to wear such an outfit.
“This outfit must cost fifty or sixty, right?”
“I don’t think so. Those small leather shoes alone must cost twenty or thirty.”
The eyes of the educated youths present were all lingering, intentionally or unintentionally, on that female educated youth.
Ye Qiu was also one of the onlookers.
Although her family had prepared a lot of supplies for her, they were afraid that if a girl like her wore clothes that were too good, it would lead to bad things. Therefore, they deliberately let her wear ragged clothes, with several patches on her shirts and trousers.
After watching the excitement for a while, Ye Qiu boredly shifted her gaze. She touched the marinated egg in her pocket and was just about to have a good meal when she heard people from various brigades calling out names.
“People from Hongye Production Brigade: Zhang Dingguo, Zhao Jun…”
“Qingshan Production Brigade: Su Qing, Ye Qiu, Qu Tong, Hu Kang… No, why are there so many educated youths coming to Qingshan Production Brigade this year? Clerk Qian, Clerk Qian!”
Zhao Yuanchao, who came to pick up people for Qingshan Production Brigade, found something wrong as he counted.
The conditions in their Qingshan Production Brigade were not good. In previous years, at most two educated youths would come, and sometimes none at all. Why were four assigned in one go this year!
Clerk Qian also had a headache. “This is an arrangement by the commune. There are many educated youths going to the countryside this time; which brigade hasn’t been assigned several? Moreover, your Qingshan Production Brigade already has the fewest educated youths. It’s very normal to have more this time.”
Zhao Yuanchao was blocked and speechless, worried to death.
Although what Clerk Qian said made sense, their Qingshan Production Brigade was poor!
If the brigade captain knew that four educated youths had come this time, he would definitely have a splitting headache.
Anyway, he was only responsible for picking up the people, and he didn’t have the brains to think of a solution. After worrying for a while, Zhao Yuanchao greeted the four educated youths from their brigade to leave.
Seeing two female educated youths walking over, especially the one wearing a white shirt, who looked like she couldn’t do any work at all, Zhao Yuanchao’s eyes went dark, and he waved his hand impatiently.
“Come over and put your luggage on the flatbed cart. Hurry up, don’t drag your feet, or we won’t be able to reach the brigade by dark.”
Qu Tong looked around and asked suspiciously, “Where is the cart?”
Zhao Yuanchao: “What cart?”
Qu Tong said confidently, “If not a tractor, at least a cow cart, right? Qingshan Production Brigade is so far away; we can’t be expected to walk there, right?”
She was someone who had read countless novels set in that era and knew that the conditions at that time were not good. She didn’t ask for a nice vehicle from Qingshan Production Brigade to pick them up, but a standard cow cart was a must, right?
She wasn’t even complaining that the cow cart would dirty her clothes.