Several people crowded into the room.
The woman leading the group stepped forward with a cold expression and demanded, "Who is Jiang Li Min?"
Song Xiu Jun smiled and pushed the person in her grasp toward the woman's feet: "Here, this is her. She's yours now!"
The woman was momentarily stunned, then looked at the disheveled figure collapsed at her feet and waved her hand: "Drag her out and beat her right now!"
"Ah—what are you doing!" Li Qiu Ying grew even more terrified, her body beginning to tremble uncontrollably.
"What am I doing?" The woman sneered contemptuously, "This slut seduced my husband. What do you think I'm doing?"
The woman spoke in authentic Shanghai dialect, her cursing rapid-fire like a machine gun. Song Xiu Jun didn't understand much of it, but judging by the expression, the insults must have been vicious.
Jiang Li Min crouched on the ground covering her head. The entire floor was packed with spectators, and some neighbors spoke up trying to mediate.
"Hey now, comrade, could there be a mistake here? If you're beating the wrong person, we'll have to report this to the police."
"This is the food factory residential compound, not a place where you can just run wild!"
The woman's attitude toward others remained normal: "I verified everything before coming. This adulterous couple even plotted to leave me with nothing!"
She stepped forward and violently slapped Jiang Li Min's face repeatedly. Restrained and unable to fight back, Jiang Li Min's face swelled up like a pig's head.
"Alright, alright, comrade. It wouldn't be good if someone dies. Why don't you let the police handle this matter?"
The woman thought it over and agreed, beckoning to her people: "Let's go, take her to the police station."
The group departed in a grand procession, with neighbors following along to watch the spectacle. Li Qiu Ying, who had suffered some blows while trying to protect Jiang Li Min, trailed behind them disheveledly toward the police station. The entire floor quickly emptied, with some eager spectators following all the way to the police station.
It wasn't until evening that people began returning. Jiang Jian Guo's face was dark with anger, while Li Qiu Ying wept incessantly.
"How could you let this happen to our child? Such a major issue and you didn't even notice? Is this how you fulfill your duties as a mother?"
"Wuwuwu, I'm sorry Jian Guo. It's my fault. I failed as a mother to watch our child properly. Please think of something quickly, or else Li Min will be sent for public humiliation and reform through labor."
Jiang Jian Guo felt extremely frustrated: "Haven't I been trying? I've spent the whole day pulling strings. This ungrateful daughter!"
Song Xiu Jun was awakened by the noise, turned over, and went back to sleep.
When she woke the next morning, the Jiang family was already gone, presumably out seeking connections again. Given how much money Jiang Jian Guo had embezzled over the years, he likely had some real connections.
After some thought, she finished breakfast and went out. Finding a secluded spot, she made a simple disguise before heading to the police station.
Sneaking around, she located the older police officer: "Officer, my stepsister was caught yesterday for engaging in illicit relations and taken away by the legal wife. I heard she was brought to the police station. My stepfather has been pulling strings all day trying to get her out."
"I suspect my stepfather is involved in embezzlement and has powerful backing. Perhaps you could use this opportunity to investigate thoroughly and uproot the corruption in the food factory completely."
The veteran officer responded gravely: "Comrade, thank you for the tip. We will investigate with full effort." They had indeed uncovered evidence of an illicit trafficking operation.
This police station was closest to the food factory, but quite distant from the adulterer's home. She guessed the woman had probably taken everyone to the police station near her own home.
Therefore, this police station was still unaware of the matter. If Jiang Jian Guo managed to pull strings to get Jiang Li Min released, wouldn't all her efforts have been in vain?
Only after handling this matter did Song Xiu Jun feel at ease.
The next day, she directly picked up her luggage and headed to the train station. Li Qiu Ying had long forgotten that her biological daughter was supposed to go to the countryside today. With her stepdaughter detained and her stepson still hospitalized, she was running around busily—thoughts of her daughter had been tossed to the back of her mind.
Not that Song Xiu Jun minded anyway.
The train platform was bustling with people.
She found the person in charge of the Educated Youth office, registered, and then boarded the train with her ticket to find her seat. There were quite a few young people in this carriage, likely all heading to the countryside.
She was lucky—her seat was by the window, giving her a place to lean and rest when she got tired.
"Are you an Educated Youth too?" the girl sitting across from her initiated a conversation.
Song Xiu Jun smiled politely and nodded.
"Where are you assigned to go?"
"Zhengyang Commune."
"What a coincidence, me too."
"Me too." Several people nearby overheard their conversation and chimed in with smiles.
"My name is Zhao Shuwen, from Jiang Province. Since we're all assigned to the same commune, we're like brothers and sisters from now on. Let's look out for each other," said one male Educated Youth standing up. He wore glasses and appeared refined and approachable.
His words immediately garnered agreement from others.
"My name is Chen Yan, from Shanghai. Please take care of me in the future…"
"My name is Sun Gang…"
Song Xiu Jun disliked crowds and didn't join the conversation.
Many people in the carriage leaned out the windows to bid farewell to their families. As the train started moving, they waved brightly colored scarves, tears in their eyes, calling out reluctantly to their relatives on the platform: "Dad! Mom!"
The green train gradually moved away, and the carriage was filled with the melancholy of parting.
The train journey would take three days and three nights. After arriving in the city, they would take a two-day bus ride to the county, then transfer to the commune, and finally travel by ox cart or walk for four to five hours to reach their Production Team.
The journey was extremely long. How could a remote, poorly connected Production Team ever prosper?
Song Xiu Jun had only prepared dry rations for the day. She had boiled a few eggs and steamed a flatbread at the Jiang family's home beforehand. After that, she simply bought boxed meals on the train—slightly more expensive but not requiring food coupons.
Some other Educated Youth also bought boxed meals, while others brought their own provisions.
On the first day, everyone was still in good spirits, but by the second day, they began to wilt, and the carriage fell silent.
By the time the train arrived at the station, the entire group was sore and exhausted. They were received by the city's Educated Youth office, arranged lodging at a guesthouse, rested overnight in the city, and then continued their journey by bus.
Song Xiu Jun took out an elixir to restore her energy. These elixirs were obtained from the cultivation world—each use depleted her limited supply, so she treasured them. Since arriving in this world, she had only used one Invigorating Pill.
Now, she had no choice but to use one. The original body was already weakened. Although she hadn't skimped on nourishment in recent days, her foundation was too poor, and the rigors of travel had quickly undone her progress.
Fortunately, she had used high-quality medicine on her wound, which had already healed. To avoid drawing attention, she still kept a bandage over it. If she had used ordinary medicine, the wound would likely have reopened long ago.
After multiple transfers, the group finally arrived at Zhengyang Commune.
The station was also crowded, with people from the Educated Youth office and various Production Teams gathered there.
"Educated Youth, assemble here."
Song Xiu Jun trailed behind the others, covered in dust. Those with more luggage were weighed down, their backs bent from exhaustion. Among them, Wang Guifang, a female Educated Youth, was vomiting so severely she could barely stand, supported by Zhang Ruolan.
The comrades from the Educated Youth office only left after verifying the headcount with each Production Team.
"Xianghong Brigade, assemble here," a lazy voice called out from the crowd.
Everyone turned to see a young man leaning against an ox cart, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth. His features were delicate, and if one ignored his current posture, he might have been mistaken for a scholarly literatus—though in these times, being a scholar was hardly advantageous.
There were six of them in total: three men and three women. As the Educated Youth gathered around, the young man smiled and said, "I'm Yan Xiang'an, the Brigade leader's son. I'm here to pick you up. Put your luggage on the cart."
His gaze swept over the group and settled on Song Xiu Jun. "Can you walk?"
Though the others weren't in great shape either, Song Xiu Jun, with a bandage on her forehead, stood out more conspicuously.
Song Xiu Jun was not one to shortchange herself. "No, I can't. Will you let me ride on the cart?"
Yan Xiang'an frowned. Before he could respond, the other Educated Youth protested: "Why should she get to ride the ox cart? We're all exhausted."
"I'm injured," Song Xiu Jun retorted without a hint of embarrassment.
"If you're injured, you shouldn't have come to the countryside," Chen Yan grumbled discontentedly, shooting two exaggerated eye-rolls in Song Xiu Jun's direction. "If she can ride, so can we."
Sun Gang agreed with Chen Yan but wisely kept silent, hoping he would spearhead the argument.
Zhao Shuwen tried to mediate: "Alright, ladies first. Let's make way for the female comrades. I'm sure Comrade Song here will be fair."
Yan Xiang'an watched them with amusement. "Why don't you go get injured first?"
Chen Yan choked on his words and fell silent in frustration.
"Enough," Yan Xiang'an said. "Load the luggage onto the cart. There's some space; we'll take turns sitting for a stretch. If we don't get moving, it'll be dark soon."
They piled the luggage onto the ox cart, leaving only a small space at the very end. Yan Xiang'an pointed to Song Xiu Jun and then to Wang Guifang. "You two sit first. We'll switch later."
Chen Yan opened his mouth to speak again, but Yan Xiang'an cut him off: "If you won't let her ride, then you carry her."
He could only shut his mouth resentfully.