The train station platform was just a patch of broken cement, full of potholes. Not far away, an old tractor sat idling, the hood puffing black smoke, wheezing like an exhausted ox. Leaning against the front of the tractor was a man in a military-green cotton jacket, smoking a long-stemmed pipe. The pipe made a soft “clack-clack” as he tapped it against his shoe sole, smoke rings drifting up into the air. His face was weathered and dark from the wind, like old tree bark, but his eyes shone brightly, fixed on the young arrivals like a predator eyeing its prey.
Seeing them all disembark, the man tapped the pipe bowl on his shoe a couple of times, sending sparks onto the ground, then strode over, his voice booming like thunder: “You must be the sent-down youth from Shanghai! Finally, I’ve been waiting for you! I’m Wang Dazhu from the farm’s vehicle team. The farm director sent me to pick you up!”
Li Jianguo quickly stepped forward, rubbing his hands with a smile: “Brother Wang, good to meet you! Thank you for your trouble! This is our first time traveling so far; we really appreciate your help.” Zhao Xiaomei nodded as well, her voice soft: “Thank you, Brother Wang.” The other two male youths quickly greeted him too, their tones shy and cautious.
Wang Dazhu took the letters of introduction they handed him, squinting as he checked each name, his finger tracing down the list: “Li Jianguo, Zhao Xiaomei, Zhang Jianjun, Liu Weidong…” When he reached “Su Wanning,” he paused and looked at her a little longer—this girl was pale, her features sharp and pretty. Wearing a faded blue cloth jacket, she stood out among the dusty, earth-toned youths like a painting that didn’t belong to the black soil around her. It was impossible to ignore.
“All correct!” Wang Dazhu returned the letters, waved his hand: “Get on the tractor! The farm’s still far from here, about an hour’s ride!” Saying this, he bent down to lift Li Jianguo’s large bag, but Li Jianguo hurriedly stopped him: “Brother Wang, I’ll take it! You rest!” The others helped toss the bags into the tractor’s rear cart.
The tractor rumbled to life with a “tut-tut-tut,” shaking like an old ox as it slowly made its way out of the station. The dirt road was bumpy, jolting the passengers as if it might shake their bones loose. Su Wanning found a corner to sit, gripping the side of the cart, her eyes fixed on the distance. The black soil stretched silently, like a giant sleeping, waiting to awaken in spring.
Zhao Xiaomei, jostled by the bumps, leaned closer to Su Wanning and whispered: “Wanning, do you mean we’re going to work here? This land is so huge, just looking at it is intimidating.”
Su Wanning turned to her, seeing the fear in her eyes, and reassured her gently: “Take it slow. You’ll get used to it.”
Li Jianguo chimed in beside them: “Yeah! We’re here to reclaim the land, so we have to give it our all! Once spring comes and we plant crops, it’ll be completely different!” Though he said this, there wasn’t much confidence in his eyes.
After nearly two hours of bouncing along, they finally saw a cluster of red-brick buildings. A wooden sign hung over the main gate, the red paint peeling, but it still looked imposing: “Hongqi Farm.” Entering the gate, the scene was lively. Farmers in padded jackets carried hoes to the fields, some humming tunes; children ran along the dirt paths, their laughter crisp like bells; even an older woman carrying a wooden basin waved at the tractor.
The tractor didn’t stop at the office but pulled up in front of a row of low buildings. A sign above the door read “Sent-Down Youth Office”, the windows papered over, looking neat enough. Wang Dazhu jumped down and shouted toward the cart: “Here! Everyone off! Look for Zhou Wenhai—he’s your senior brother here, been at the farm for three years. He’ll arrange your accommodations!”
A curtain at the door lifted, revealing a man in an old military uniform. Around twenty-five, tall and thin, slightly yellowish complexion, high cheekbones, giving a steady impression. He nodded at the newcomers, his voice calm: “Here? Come in, leave your things first.”
The youths quickly jumped off, trailing behind Zhou Wenhai, their expressions a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. Su Wanning also stepped down, but she didn’t follow them. Holding her empty satchel, she walked over to Wang Dazhu, who was about to climb back onto the tractor.
“Brother Wang, wait a moment.”
Wang Dazhu turned, surprised: “What’s up, Comrade Su? Did you forget something?”
“No,” Su Wanning said calmly, her eyes bright, “I’m not going to the Sent-Down Youth Office. Could you take me to the staff residential area? I need to find someone.”
“Find someone?” Wang Dazhu’s eyes widened, the pipe almost forgotten. Zhou Wenhai also turned, curious, while the other youths stopped in their tracks, staring at her like she was something unusual.
Li Jianguo couldn’t help but ask: “Wanning, do you have relatives here? Why didn’t you mention it?”
Su Wanning ignored him, looking only at Wang Dazhu: “Yes, a friend of my father’s is here.” She took a letter from her satchel and handed it over: “His surname is Lu, Lu Zhenhua. This is the old address—I’m not sure if it’s changed in the past couple of years.” The letter had been preserved among her father’s belongings, the paper yellowed and worn, edges frayed.
Wang Dazhu took the letter, squinting at the name and address. His expression shifted as if flipping through a book—first stunned, then surprised, and finally tinged with sympathy. He looked her over for a long moment before stammering: “Lu… Lu Zhenhua? You’re… related to the Lu family?”
“Yes. My father, Su Zhenping, was his war comrade,” Su Wanning replied calmly.
“Su Zhenping…” Wang Dazhu muttered, then suddenly slapped his thigh, voice booming: “Ah! I remember now! The Lu family’s third child’s fiancée—wasn’t she a Su from Shanghai? My heavens… it’s you!”
His exclamation made the nearby youths gape in surprise. Zhao Xiaomei let out a small “ah,” Li Jianguo froze, and Zhang Jianjun and Liu Weidong exchanged glances. Even Zhou Wenhai looked stunned, his usual composure gone, staring at Su Wanning as if she were some rare spectacle.
“Brother Wang, could you take me there?” She folded the letter back into her satchel, her tone still calm.
“Of course! How could I not? Absolutely, I’ll take you!” Wang Dazhu’s demeanor had changed completely—from casual a moment ago to extremely enthusiastic. He hurriedly helped Su Wanning onto the tractor. “Quick, get on! The Lu family’s house isn’t far—just a couple of turns!”
The tractor rumbled to life again. All the sent-down youths stared blankly as it headed toward the residential area. Wang Dazhu chattered nonstop along the way, like a box of words had been opened.
“Comrade Su, you wouldn’t believe it—we all thought this engagement with the Lu family had fallen through! A couple of years ago, Lu Zhenhua mentioned his third child was to marry a girl from Shanghai, but then we never heard anything more. We all thought it was off. Never expected you’d show up!”
“Ah, the Lu family’s third child is a pitiful one…” Wang Dazhu sighed, raising his pipe, but then swallowed his words, shaking his head. “Never mind, you’ll see when we get there. I won’t say more, don’t overthink it.”
Su Wanning didn’t ask further, listening quietly.
The tractor stopped in front of a farmhouse. The courtyard walls were built of earth bricks, a string of red chili peppers hung by the gate. Cornstacks formed little hills, and bundles of firewood were neatly arranged. Wang Dazhu jumped down and shouted into the yard: “Aunt Lu! Are you home? There’s a guest!”
His booming voice prompted a few neighbors to peek out. From the east, an older woman poked her head out, from the west, an old man, and some children clung to the doorframes, all staring at the tractor like they were watching a grand performance.
Su Wanning sat quietly in the cart, watching as the front door curtain lifted. A middle-aged woman in a gray cotton jacket emerged, her hair neatly tied with a black band, not a strand out of place. Her face carried a polite smile, and she held a rag in her hand, but when her eyes landed on Su Wanning, Su Wanning noticed a flicker of scrutiny, a trace of distance—as if she were being carefully appraised.
—This must be Lu Zhanxiao’s mother, Chen Xiulian.
Chen Xiulian walked over, wiped her hands, her voice polite but slightly distant: “Brother Dazhu, what’s going on? Why all the shouting, as if no one would know otherwise?”
Wang Dazhu pointed to Su Wanning in the cart, as if presenting a treasure, a hint of pride in his tone: “Aunt Lu! Look who’s here! This is Comrade Su Wanning, from Shanghai! She’s the fiancée your third child never married! I met her when picking up the sent-down youth, and immediately brought her to you!”