Shen Qingyu couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. This Jiang Muxue truly spared no effort in trying to ruin her reputation.
On the surface, however, she put on a slightly embarrassed expression and patted her satchel.
“No need, Comrade Jiang. I brought some dry rations with me. Before we set off, the aunties at the neighborhood office specially made corn cakes for me. They’re filling and keep hunger at bay.”
As she spoke, she pulled out two corn cakes wrapped in oiled paper from her satchel. They looked plain and unassuming.
“We’re responding to the call to go to the countryside to endure hardships and temper ourselves. How can we think about eating well right from the start? Comrade Jiang, you shouldn’t spend money unnecessarily either.”
With just a few words, she not only showed that she was prepared and willing to endure hardships but also subtly hinted that Jiang Muxue’s suggestion to “buy eggs” didn’t quite align with the spirit of hard work and struggle.
She even “kindly” reminded the other not to waste money in the end.
Jiang Muxue’s smile froze for a moment.
A female educated youth with short braids nearby nodded in agreement. “Comrade Shen is right. We’re here to be re-educated, so we should have the right attitude.”
This girl was named Liu Hongxia. She was straightforward and was heading to the same production team as them.
Ji Yiqing also glanced up at Shen Qingyu, his eyes showing a bit more approval and his impression of her improving slightly.
Jiang Muxue reacted quickly, swiftly adjusting her expression and speaking with a hint of shame.
“Look at me, only thinking about taking care of everyone’s health. Comrade Shen has a higher level of awareness. I won’t buy anything then. I brought some cakes with me too.”
With that, she hurriedly took out her dry rations from her bag and began eating them in small bites, washing them down with water from her canteen.
The first round went to Shen Qingyu. Not only did she avoid being labeled, but she also managed to boost her positive image.
The train’s stopover time ended, and it continued heading north. The scenery gradually shifted from the lush greenery of the south to vast, desolate landscapes.
The educated youths in the carriage also slowly transitioned from their initial excitement and enthusiasm to silence, exhaustion, and a mix of confusion and faint panic about the future.
Shen Qingyu leaned back in her seat, pretending to rest with her eyes closed, but in reality, her consciousness sank into the Spatial Dimension.
Looking at that space filled with supplies, she knew this was her greatest source of confidence in this place.
Especially when she “saw” the neatly stacked grains, medicines, tools, and generators, the cold, solid feel of these supplies also soothed her tense nerves and unease as a newcomer to this unfamiliar world.
She had to be extremely careful. The Spatial Dimension was an absolute secret. Any hint of its existence could bring disaster upon her.
Especially in this era, standing out or possessing “unreasonable” supplies could be fatal.
“Comrade Shen, you’re from Shanghai, right?”
Jiang Muxue’s voice sounded again from across the aisle, carrying just the right amount of curiosity and friendliness.
“Your accent sounds a bit like it. I’m from the south too. We’re practically half-fellow townsfolk.”
Shen Qingyu opened her eyes just in time to meet Jiang Muxue’s smiling gaze. Internally, she felt somewhat annoyed.
Here we go again, another attempt to probe. This reborn female protagonist was like a mad dog, repeatedly trying to label her and show herself off.
Disgusting.
“Yes, I’m from Shanghai.”
Though annoyed inside, her expression remained natural.
“And you, Comrade Jiang?”
“I’m from Hangzhou,” Jiang Muxue said, then added as if casually mentioning,
“Shanghai is a great city, a metropolis. I’ve heard that Nanjing Road is especially bustling, with lots of delicious food like pan-fried buns and steamed dumplings. Comrade Shen must eat them often, right?”
These words carried a hidden sting, emphasizing Shanghai’s prosperity and the “delicious food,” subtly implying once again that Shen Qingyu likely came from a wealthy family.
People from such backgrounds were usually accustomed to a comfortable life and couldn’t endure the hardships of the countryside.
Shen Qingyu understood this perfectly, yet she wore an expression of nostalgia and determination.
“They are indeed delicious, but those are the fruits of the laboring people’s hard work.”
“My parents are engineers. Since I was young, they taught me that a happy life doesn’t come easily and that we shouldn’t indulge in pleasure. That’s why, for this assignment to the countryside, I chose Heilongjiang Province. The living environment here is different from the south.”
“It’s a good opportunity to toughen myself up, learn from the poor and lower-middle peasants, and create value with my own hands. What we eat isn’t important; what matters is what we can do for the country and the people in the future.”
These words not only firmly upheld political correctness but also demonstrated high ideological awareness. They directly countered Jiang Muxue’s probing and her attempt to label Shen Qingyu once again, elevating the conversation to a higher level and leaving Jiang Muxue speechless.
Jiang Muxue: “…”
She was seething inside, but she couldn’t show the slightest hint of it on the surface. Otherwise, not only would she fail in her scheme against Shen Qingyu, but she would also be labeled as having low ideological awareness.
She might even provoke public anger.
In contrast, Ji Yiqing beside her couldn’t help but glance at Shen Qingyu again, this time with even more obvious admiration in her eyes.
Even Gu Huainian, who usually cared about nothing, imperceptibly tilted his head.
Jiang Muxue forced a smile and praised Shen Qingyu insincerely, “Comrade Shen’s ideological awareness is truly high. I must learn from you.”
“You flatter me, Comrade Jiang. We should learn from each other.”
Shen Qingyu humbly replied before closing her eyes again.
She knew very well that Jiang Muxue wouldn’t easily give up her strategy of tarnishing Shen Qingyu’s reputation while elevating her own.
What Shen Qingyu needed to do was to proceed step by step, maintain her persona, and seize opportunities to establish her roots in this unfamiliar era.
The train’s whistle carried the ideals, confusion, and schemes of a carriage full of young people, slowly heading toward the icy, snowy black soil of the north—and toward a future Shen Qingyu couldn’t predict, one she would have to fight for with her own hands.
Time passed bit by bit. It was now late at night, with the sounds of insects and birds chirping outside the window and the gentle swaying of the carriage.
Most of the educated youth had fallen asleep in disarray, with snoring, teeth grinding, and sleep-talking rising and falling in succession.
Shen Qingyu, however, felt no drowsiness at all. She leaned against the window, her face turned toward the cold glass, her eyes slightly open as she observed the scene of her fellow passengers under the dim light of the carriage.
Jiang Muxue across from her seemed to be asleep, her head resting against the back of the seat, breathing evenly.
But Shen Qingyu noticed that the fingers resting on Jiang Muxue’s lap twitched slightly from time to time.
Was she pretending to sleep? Or was she plotting something again?
Beside her, Ji Yiqing also had her eyes closed, her brows slightly furrowed, still clutching that little red book in her hand.
On the other side, Gu Huainian remained in his position, looking out the window, motionless, like a silent statue.
If not for the occasional sharp glances he cast around the carriage, indicating he was still awake, others might have thought he was asleep.
The string in Shen Qingyu’s heart remained taut. She was well aware that Jiang Muxue would not let the matter rest, especially after their initial confrontation during the day.
After falling at a disadvantage, the greatest advantage of a reborn individual was foresight, but it was also their greatest weakness.
Moreover, most reborn individuals tended to rely too heavily on the experiences of their “previous life,” lacking the ability to adapt to “variables.”