“Leng Hui, what are you squatting in this alley so early in the morning for? Counting ants?”
Leng Hui was lazily leaning against the wall basking in the sun. Hearing the boy’s voice, she merely lifted her eyelids to glance at the newcomer, couldn’t be bothered to respond.
Jiang Jingtao walked closer to Leng Hui before realizing she was standing at a three-way intersection. He took a few steps forward, glanced down each of the intersecting paths, but couldn’t discern anything noteworthy.
“Are you waiting for someone here? Who are you waiting for?”
“Who I’m waiting for is none of your damn business. Move aside, don’t block my sunlight.”
Leng Hui shoved Jiang Jingtao away from her front, her face clearly irritated.
Jiang Jingtao wasn’t angry, grinning as he moved closer to Leng Hui again. “Seems like you’re not in a good mood today. Is Aunt Tang still not recovered? Or did your family not feed you?”
Leng Hui looked at the chattering boy in front of her, her brows slightly furrowing.
Seeing her remain silent, Jiang Jingtao continued as if he understood her well, “Looks like it’s neither of those things.”
“Hey, let me tell you something. I heard from the neighborhood committee that they’re organizing a group of educated youth to go down to the countryside for re-education this May. You’re almost eighteen this year, right? I suggest you quickly have your parents find you a job, even a temporary one would do, so the neighborhood committee doesn’t make you sign up for going down to the countryside.”
Down to the countryside?
This was the first time Leng Hui had heard this term since crossing over a few days ago.
It reminded her of the original story where Tang Lin was injured in the car accident but didn’t receive timely treatment. After falling into a coma, she never woke up again.
Without her mother’s protection, and with her biological father being a mama’s boy, the Leng Family eventually pushed Leng Hui forward, making her take the family’s spot for going down to the countryside.
A young girl who grew up in the city had never experienced hard labor, and she undoubtedly suffered greatly in the countryside. When she finally managed to return to the city after enduring years of hardship, she learned that her father had remarried, and her stepmother had given birth to two younger brothers for him.
“With a stepmother comes a stepfather” – this saying proved entirely true.
Returning to the city after seven or eight years, Leng Hui was considered an older single woman. When trying to find a suitable partner, the good ones had already married early, while younger men wouldn’t be interested in an older leftover woman. She was truly stuck in an awkward position – unable to move up or down.
Finally, for the family’s benefit, the Leng Family married her off to an abusive man. As for her ultimate fate, Leng Hui guessed it must have been tragic.
Because she never finished reading the story.
Of course, after her mother’s death, to avoid going down to the countryside and being unable to find work, she had participated in several matchmaking meetings, but unfortunately never matched with anyone.
The most direct feeling Leng Hui got from the original protagonist’s fate in the book was that she started with a good hand of cards but ended up playing them terribly.
“Given your family’s circumstances, your parents would never let you go down to the countryside. Are you telling me all this just to mock me?”
Leng Hui said this because both of Jiang Jingtao’s parents were cadres, and quite high-ranking ones at that.
Jiang Jingtao shook his head, “Tsk tsk, you never hold back with that mouth of yours. When will you ever speak to me properly?”
“Get lost.”
Leng Hui pushed him away, noticing that Leng Mei and that boy from yesterday had appeared again. This time they were pulling a flatbed cart together toward the alley exit.
Jiang Jingtao curiously peeked over from behind, “Hey, Qi Da and Leng Mei. Were you waiting for them here?”
Leng Hui stepped back and hid in a recessed corner of the wall. Jiang Jingtao mimicked her action.
Once sure they couldn’t be spotted from outside, he whispered with exaggerated expression, “Your cousin is one or two years younger than you, right? So young and already knows how to chase boys. Are you here to catch them in the act today?”
Leng Hui glared at him angrily. “Catch your head! Get lost, don’t block my way here.”
Jiang Jingtao quickly retreated a few steps, looking somewhat shaken as he said, “I’ve noticed you’re especially irritable today, like you’ve swallowed gunpowder—blowing up at anyone who rubs you the wrong way. Tell me, how did I offend you today? I came all the way to give you some news, and you’re giving me the cold shoulder. Leng Hui, I’ve realized you’re really hard to please.”
“Hey, hey, don’t walk away—I haven’t finished talking!”
Leng Hui trailed Leng Mei and Qi Da from a distance, following them through streets and alleys. Noticing that Leng Hui was tailing them, Jiang Jingtao immediately fell silent, his eyes sparkling with excitement as he quickened his pace to keep up with her.
They eventually followed the pair to the outskirts of town.
Leng Hui turned to Jiang Jingtao and asked, “Is there a coal yard around these outskirts?”
Jiang Jingtao didn’t understand why she was asking but shook his head anyway. “No coal yard. About five miles ahead is the Da Long Tang Production Team. From these suburban hills all the way to Da Long Tang, this stretch of forestland falls under the jurisdiction of the Forest Farm.”
The Forest Farm’s woodlands were mostly planted with fir trees around ten years old, arranged in neat rows. It was easy to get lost in such woods. Leng Hui couldn’t figure out what Qi Da and Leng Mei were planning to do here.
If they were here for coal, there was no coal yard around.
After crossing a ridge, they saw a winding railway track snaking along the foot of the mountain. Before long, a coal-carrying train came rumbling by.
As it passed a curve at the mountain’s base, the train slowed down.
Leng Hui and Jiang Jingtao exchanged wide-eyed glances. They had a rough idea of what was going on and were now waiting for confirmation.
“Look, there are quite a few people sitting in that grove down there,” Jiang Jingtao pointed out.
Leng Hui followed his gaze and saw shadows moving among the trees below.
Leng Mei and Qi Da, who had arrived later, entered the woods. Judging by their calm and familiar strides, it was clear this wasn’t their first time doing something like this.
Leng Hui felt a stirring of excitement. In the post-apocalyptic era, whenever supplies were spotted, everyone would join in scavenging without a second thought—whatever you could grab was yours.
“Jiang Jingtao, who does the coal on that train belong to?”
“Of course, it belongs to the state. How could any private individual get their hands on that much coal now?” He looked at her as if she were an idiot. “Did you hit your head a few days ago? Only someone with a damaged brain would ask such a dumb question.”
The state!
Leng Hui pressed her lips together, suppressing her restless urge. She reminded herself silently that this wasn’t the post-apocalyptic world. This society had its own rules and order. She couldn’t just seize supplies by force like before, where whoever grabbed something first could claim it.
They didn’t have to wait long before another train approached in the distance. Judging by the open coal cars, it was highly likely another coal transport.
As the train rounded the broad curve, figures emerged from their hiding spots in the woods.
Train hopping was something Leng Hui had only read about in books—this was her first time witnessing it in real life. The people below were putting on a show of “When the Eight Immortals cross the sea, each one shows their special prowess,” each using their own methods to board.
Some people had to run alongside the train for a stretch before grabbing hold of a grip point and climbing aboard.
Others could leap up in one jump and cling to the train.
Once inside the carriage, they would toss out chunks of coal, which fell like raindrops. Those who hadn’t managed to climb onto the train would gather the thrown coal into baskets, making it easier to transport later.
They worked in a clear division of labor, cooperating seamlessly.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. This train is moving way too slowly. I bet even I could climb onto it at that speed,” Jiang Jingtao remarked with a smirk, turning to ask Leng Hui, “They’re undermining socialism by doing this. Should we report them?”