“Get up and move around. Look at the scenery outside.”
Lan Xingyu still shook her head—but the urge to use the restroom grew stronger, and her nicotine craving returned. Left with no choice, she stuffed tissue into her nostrils so she wouldn’t smell anything.
The old lady thought to herself: So delicate, yet going to the countryside—how will he manage there?
Lan Xingyu’s body felt weak from not eating. Thinking she would eat something after using the restroom, she took her enamel mug and went out. At the smoking area, she lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. Instantly, the world spun, and she hurriedly grabbed the wall for support.
She had inhaled too hard—but her body craved the nicotine intensely.
She finished the cigarette in small puffs, then went to the restroom. The filth made her want to flee, but the urgent pressure forced her to squat and get it over with.
The moment she finished, she rushed out, staggered to get some water, then returned to the compartment and took out a box of pastries to eat.
Seeing the little boy staring at her, she handed him two pieces.
“Quick, thank big brother.”
The old lady accepted the pastries and placed them in the boy’s hands. The child smiled brightly. “Thank you.”
Lan Xingyu smiled faintly and continued eating. After only three pieces, she prepared to put the box away.
At that moment, Zhao Jiani climbed down, looking embarrassed.
“Comrade… I lost my money. Could you share some of your pastries with me? My rations won’t last until we get off the train.”
“Figure it out yourself.”
Although Lan Xingyu didn’t want to offend this vicious supporting character, she simply didn’t like her and had no intention of sharing. Best to keep her distance.
Zhao Jiani’s face darkened. “You’re just going to watch us suffer? You clearly look rich, yet you won’t help poor people like us.”
“Who has money these days? I don’t either.”
Lan Xingyu stuffed the pastries into her cloth bag, turned her back, and lay down to sleep. She had finally endured one day. Once she got through today, she could get off the train tomorrow.
“Miss, here—have a multigrain bun.”
The old lady was kind-hearted and also wanted Zhao Jiani to stop pestering the young man.
Zhao Jiani took the bun and muttered an annoyed thank-you before climbing back to the upper bunk.
After a while, Zhang Weiping returned, his expression grim.
“Jiani, the money probably won’t be recovered. But don’t worry—we’ll find a way to get some.”
Zhao Jiani gave a soft “Mm,” then glanced again at the old lady’s shoes. Later, when she went to the restroom, she called Zhang Weiping out to talk. When he came back, he too stared at the old lady’s cloth shoes.
The old lady had already fallen asleep and didn’t notice their behavior.
Throughout the day, the compartment stayed relatively quiet. That night before sleeping, Lan Xingyu went to the restroom once more and smoked again.
Back on the bunk, swaying with the motion of the train, she fell asleep.
Before she was fully awake the next morning, she heard the old lady cursing loudly.
“Which rotten bastard cut up my shoes?!”
At that moment, Zhang Weiping woke as well, his face dark. There had been money in the shoes—but only a few cents. How could he have known? It was the old lady’s little trick.
Afraid the two might steal her money, she had deliberately revealed a fake hiding place. Her real money was indeed in a shoe sole—but not the pair she was wearing.
Zhao Jiani shot Zhang Weiping a questioning look. He shook his head. Her face instantly fell.
What are we going to do in the countryside…? She could only figure it out after arriving.
Lan Xingyu opened her eyes. Seeing daylight, she let out a long breath of relief.
She could finally get off the train at noon.
She got up to wash, ate a little pastry, and drank some water—otherwise she might faint before even getting off the train.
After much hardship, she finally disembarked and boarded a bus. The smell inside was just as unbearable, so she stuck her head out the window.
Before long, the old lady and the two educated youths also got on. The bus fare had been lent to them by the old lady—two yuan in total.
It turned out the old lady was also from Dawan Village. This trip had been to Haishi to attend her son’s wedding. Now she was returning with her grandson.
“Young man, we meet again. Which commune are you going to?”
“Dawan Village.”
The old lady chatted about her situation and said they could take an ox cart back together later.
Lan Xingyu agreed, continuing to stare out the window. Once the bus started moving, it quickly left the city behind. Before her stretched fields of poorly growing crops.
Not long after, the bus entered the mountains. It felt like they were heading deep into the wilderness—remote and isolated.
By the time they reached the town, an ox cart was already waiting at the station. It was supposed to pick up two educated youths—so why were there three?
Village Chief Liu frowned at Lan Xingyu, who was still standing beside the cart.
“Can’t climb up? Need someone to pull you?”
Lan Xingyu looked at the people already on the cart and saw the disdain in their eyes. Gritting her teeth, she climbed up herself, sat directly on her suitcase, placed a handkerchief over the cart rail, and only then grabbed it.
Village Chief Liu’s mouth twitched.
Good heavens… what kind of person did we just get? Was this really someone who came to do farm work?
…Forget it.
As long as these little ancestors had money to eat and didn’t starve to death in Dawan Village, that was good enough.
Zhang Weiping, Zhao Jiani, the old lady, and the little boy all watched her actions, each with their own thoughts.
Zhang Weiping: Is that really a man? Germaphobe?
Zhao Jiani: So effeminate!
The old lady: Such a precious young master.
Little boy: I have no thoughts.
Lan Xingyu didn’t care what they thought. She simply didn’t want to touch that filthy cart rail.
Village Chief Liu drove the ox cart to the commune to complete the paperwork, then brought them back to the village.
Looking at the lush green mountains, Lan Xingyu wondered if Lu Qingqing was going crazy with worry by now. After all, she had loved the original host so much.
And she really was going crazy.
The moment Lu Qingqing learned Lan Xingyu had sold his job, she knew he had fled the marriage. But she couldn’t understand it—things between them had always been good. Why did Xingyu suddenly want to break up?
Driven nearly mad with the need to find her partner, she went again to the educated youth office, forcing the clerk to tell the truth. But how could the woman dare admit anything—hadn’t she seen the military uniform?
Yes, Lu Qingqing was a logistics soldier. In her green military uniform, she looked valiant and dashing.
But when the clerk refused to talk, Lu Qingqing had no choice but to search slowly for Lan Xingyu.
She would catch him and lock him up—then see how he could run again.
Father Lan and Mother Lan also learned their son had fled the marriage. They even suspected he no longer wanted to live as a man and might want to restore his female identity.
But where would that leave their dignity? They might even lose their jobs and face disciplinary action.
Their hearts were filled with mixed emotions. They still hoped Lan Xingyu would continue being their son and return to marry Lu Qingqing.
“Here we are.”
Lan Xingyu snapped back to reality. She had actually been lost in thought for over an hour.
She looked over Dawan Village.
The village was large—not small at all. On both sides rose towering mountains. At the foot of the right mountain flowed a great river. In the middle stretched endless rice paddies, along with corn, sweet potatoes, and other crops.
“Get down. I’ll arrange your rooms.”
The ox cart stopped outside a large courtyard. The three got down. The old lady said goodbye to everyone and didn’t forget to remind the two to repay the money.
Zhao Jiani and Zhang Weiping both flushed red.
“We know,” Zhao Jiani said quickly. Then she turned to Village Chief Liu. “We lost over two hundred yuan on the train, so we had to borrow Auntie Wang’s money.”
Village Chief Liu showed a sympathetic look.
“You couldn’t find it?”
Zhao Jiani’s expression dimmed. “No, but my family can still send more over.”
In truth, her family was very poor and couldn’t possibly send her money. She was only saying that to save face.
“That’s good.”
Village Chief Liu let out a breath of relief. Though Dawan Village had large stretches of crops, in reality each person didn’t get much grain—far from enough to eat.
“Go on in.”
Village Chief Liu helped her carry her luggage. The three of them entered the educated youth courtyard. It was a very large compound: the female educated youths lived on the left, the males on the right, three people to a room.
Village Chief Liu opened a room on the right and let Zhao Jiani go in.
Lan Xingyu glanced inside. There were three small beds—one per person. Thankfully, it wasn’t a big communal kang.
“Your room is over here.”
Village Chief Liu led the two of them to the innermost room on the right. Inside were exactly two empty beds. Lan Xingyu chose the one near the door, while Zhang Weiping took the one against the wall.
“Don’t bother making your beds yet. Come with me to divide the private plots. Each of you gets two fen of land. Whatever vegetables or grain you grow will belong to you.”
The three followed Village Chief Liu outside again. The private plots had already been divided. He pointed out a piece for each of them. Some crops were still growing there—left behind by educated youths who had already left.
Lan Xingyu’s plot had peanuts and corn planted, along with a small patch of cucumbers. The vines were bare, though—someone had clearly picked them.
Village Chief Liu told everyone to go back and tidy up; he would deliver their grain shortly.
Lan Xingyu returned to clean up, but her mind was elsewhere.
Is Huo Nanting living in this room too? Guess I’ll only know after they get off work.