The train traveled for four days and three nights, finally arriving in Haidong Shi as evening fell on the fourth day.
Song Fanghua stepped off the train with her luggage on her back, taking a deep breath as she stood on the platform.
The air in Haidong carried the salty scent of the sea breeze.
"Fanghua, we need to go to the registration point first." After several days of traveling together, Xu Wanqiu and Song Fanghua had already become good friends.
At least, that’s what she thought.
"We have to report to the Zhiqing Ban in the city first, then they’ll arrange for us to be sent to various villages. Luckily, there are staff right outside the train station—otherwise, being unfamiliar with the place, who knows how much time we’d waste!"
Wang Juan complained beside them, "It’s so far, and we still have to transfer. I heard Haijiao Cun is on an island—does that mean we’ll have to take a boat later?"
Song Fanghua didn’t respond, simply starting to walk out.
Once outside the train station, they saw about twenty or thirty people with luggage on their backs, standing in line.
Upon asking, they learned that these were all educated youth sent to the countryside, waiting in line for arrangements.
Song Fanghua followed Xu Wanqiu and Wang Juan, lining up at the back of the queue.
"Comrade, please hurry up, we’ve been standing for almost an hour," someone shouted from the front.
The staff member at the front didn’t even look up. "What’s the rush? One at a time, everyone needs to be registered."
Wang Juan stood on her tiptoes to look ahead. "There are only two people handling the registration—how long will this take? My legs are already numb."
"Let’s wait a bit longer. We have to finish the formalities before we can leave, otherwise we won’t know how to get there," Xu Wanqiu whispered.
Song Fanghua surveyed her surroundings.
The registration area was set up against the wall nearby, with two Liberation-brand trucks parked not far away, their cargo beds already piled with luggage.
A few drivers in blue work clothes squatted by the wall, smoking.
"Those who have finished the formalities and are heading to Haijiao Cun, gather over here," a middle-aged man with an armband shouted hoarsely.
By the time Song Fanghua and the other two walked over with their registration papers,
seven or eight people were already standing by the truck. Besides the three of them, there were four male educated youth and two female educated youth.
"Everyone, get on the truck, quickly. We still have to make it to the county town by tonight," the man with the armband urged.
Everyone began scrambling onto the truck.
The cargo bed was lined with straw, giving off a musty smell.
After climbing on, Song Fanghua immediately found a spot by the edge and sat down.
Xu Wanqiu sat close beside her, while Wang Juan squeezed in on the other side.
"Hey, are we all going to Haijiao Cun?" a dark-skinned male educated youth leaned over. "I’m Shi Hao, from Rongcheng."
With Shi Hao breaking the ice, the awkward atmosphere in the truck lightened a bit.
"I’m Sun Haizhu. My family sent me to the countryside because I ate too much," a tall, sturdy-looking boy with a somewhat simple and honest demeanor said, scratching the back of his head.
"Liu Yuanyuan," a slightly plump girl said.
"Wu Yao," another quiet girl spoke softly.
"Xu Wanqiu."
"Wang Juan."
"I’m Zhao Pingjun."
"Feng Xiaowei."
…
"And you?"
"Song Fanghua."
Song Fanghua hadn’t intended to join the conversation, but everyone had started introducing themselves as if taking roll call.
Shi Hao nodded, and after everyone had introduced themselves, he began chatting familiarly. "I heard Haijiao Cun is really poor—they don’t even have electricity yet."
"Exactly, I've inquired about it. That place is by the sea, relying on fishing for a living, with very little land. Although it's not that remote, you can't earn many Gongfen throughout the year," Zhao Pingjun chimed in.
Sun Haizhu didn't speak. He patted his stomach, already worrying whether his large frame would be able to eat his fill.
It was precisely because he ate too much that his family couldn't afford to keep him, which was why he had been sent down to the countryside.
"If only I hadn't signed up for such a faraway place," Feng Xiaowei's eyes darted around. "I have connections at home. They originally said they'd sign me up for somewhere nearby, but I was thinking about contributing to the nation's development."
His words sounded lofty and righteous. No one responded.
As they chatted, the truck began to rumble and set off.
The road conditions in Haidong were much worse than in Jiangcheng. It was a dirt road, full of potholes and bumps. The straw spread in the truck did little to cushion the jolts.
Song Fanghua gripped the edge of the truck bed, feeling as if her internal organs were about to be shaken loose.
The other girls didn't look too good either.
"Ugh~" Wang Juan leaned over the side of the truck and vomited.
"Wang Juan, are you alright?" Xu Wanqiu patted her back with concern.
"I feel awful," Wang Juan's face was pale. "This damn truck, why is it so bumpy?"
Xu Wanqiu took a handkerchief from her bag and handed it over. "Hang in there a little longer. We'll probably arrive soon."
That was what she said to comfort her, but Xu Wanqiu had no idea how long it would actually take.
After more than two hours of driving, the sky had completely darkened.
"We've reached the county town," the truck came to an abrupt stop.
"Oh my goodness, we're finally here. My butt's been jolted into eight pieces," the plump girl named Liu Yuanyuan stood up and rubbed her rear.
Song Fanghua stood up first, stretching her numb legs before jumping off the truck.
The county town here was even smaller than Song Fanghua had imagined.
There was one main street, lined with low, single-story houses. It wasn't too late yet, but there were few people on the street.
The truck had stopped in front of a guesthouse.
"Quiet down, everyone. We'll stay here tonight and gather at six tomorrow morning," the man with the armband said. "Female comrades will stay on the second floor, male comrades on the first."
"Comrade, is food provided?" Sun Haizhu asked quietly.
"Food isn't provided, but the guesthouse sells meals. You can buy them with your own money.
Also, try not to wander around at night. Public security here isn't great, and many places don't have streetlights after dark.
Once, someone arrived in the county town and thought the guesthouse food wasn't good, so they went out to buy something. Unfortunately, they didn't manage to get any food, got robbed of their money, and were even beaten up," the man with the armband earnestly advised.
Everyone nodded and then headed into the guesthouse.
The conditions at the guesthouse were poor. In the room where Song Fanghua and the others stayed, there were five wooden plank beds. The bedding was yellowed and gave off a damp smell.
"This is too shabby," Wang Juan frowned. "The blankets are moldy."
Xu Wanqiu wasn't picky. "Let's make do for one night. We'll leave first thing tomorrow morning."
Song Fanghua, however, didn't say anything. She moved all the bedding from the bed to an empty spot on the floor and then laid out the bedding she had brought with her.
Song Fanghua's actions stunned the other girls in the room for a moment, after which Wu Yao and Liu Yuanyuan followed suit, tidying up their own beds in a similar manner.
"It's a bit shabby, but at least we can get a good night's sleep tonight. I was on edge every day on the train, couldn't sleep well, and was always worried about being robbed," Liu Yuanyuan said while making the bed.
The guesthouses of the 1970s were different from the hotels of later eras. They couldn't change bedding for every guest; instead, they cleaned and replaced items periodically.
This applied not only to the sheets and covers on the beds but also to the bathing water.
In the summer, it was easier since many people could bathe at home, but in the winter, going to the public bathhouse was more troublesome. The showers were somewhat better, but the water in the large communal pools often had a layer of grime floating on top.
The only saving grace was that Haidong enjoyed spring-like weather all year round.
After tidying up their beds, the group agreed to go together to the guesthouse cafeteria for dinner.
The meal in the cafeteria was simple: steamed buns with vermicelli and cabbage. It wasn't particularly tasty, but it wasn't too bad either.
Song Fanghua finished her meal quickly, washed up briefly, and then lay down fully clothed amidst the sounds of the others still organizing their belongings.