“It’s fine.” Shen Qing saw Liu Lina frowning on her behalf, smiled lightly, and said, “This isn’t something worth worrying about. Maybe once the factory is built, everything will work itself out.”
She had a straightforward nature and wasn’t the type to obsess over problems. Beside her, Jiang Shanshan let out a derisive snort and muttered, “A factory? That’s not even close to happening. Just look at the things the villagers make—are they even worth selling? And you think that’ll make money? Even if you hire a master craftsman, carpentry isn’t something you learn overnight. Before you earn a cent, you’ll have to pour endless money into it. Counting on a factory to solve housing problems—what do you think this is, Beicheng?”
Shen Qing’s face darkened immediately.
Liu Lina quickly pressed her hand down and turned to give Jiang Shanshan a disapproving look. She whispered, “We’re still on the ox cart—do you really want to start a fight here?”
Jiang Shanshan shut her mouth, turned her head away, and said nothing more.
When the ox cart reached the designated stop at the commune, they spotted Li Sheng waiting from afar. He grinned warmly at Jiang Shanshan as she stepped down.
Li Sheng had a round face and decent features. He wore glasses, and since he worked as a teacher at the commune, he carried a rustic but scholarly air. The only drawback was his short stature—standing next to the tall Jiang Shanshan, she even seemed taller than him.
Jiang Shanshan didn’t have much to buy. After agreeing with Liu Lina and Shen Qing on where to meet for lunch, she left with Li Sheng.
Once she was gone, Liu Lina sighed and said to Shen Qing, “She’s upset. Don’t take it to heart. Honestly, she’s just jealous of you.”
Shen Qing let out a cold laugh. “Jealous? If I really took her words to heart, I’d be furious all the time. It’s one thing for her to dislike this or that, but why mock every effort? Comrade Han is pouring his money and energy into building the factory for everyone’s sake. What’s the point of her constant sarcasm? Nobody owes her anything. You indulge her too much—you should persuade her to rein in that temper. No one’s her mother. Oh, wait, even her mother doesn’t spoil her like that.” She paused after saying this.
Shen Qing wasn’t a patient person, but she wasn’t cruel either. As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized she’d gone too far. Her anger faded, and she said, “Forget it. Let’s go.”
Meanwhile, Ma Tingting and Liao Sheng were riding another ox cart.
Ma Tingting wanted to help Zhou Xiaomei by asking her old high school classmates about Zhang Wenshun. Liao Sheng, too, had been asked by Han Dongyuan to look into the matter.
When they arrived at the commune, they weren’t in a rush to find anyone. They planned to buy what they needed first. Around lunchtime, all the educated youths who came to shop usually gathered at the commune cafeteria. That would be the perfect time to look for people.
But as luck would have it, before noon, they ran into Ma Tingting’s high school classmate Fang Qiaoru at the supply and marketing cooperative.
“Qiaoru!” Ma Tingting spotted her inside and called out.
Fang Qiaoru turned around, saw Ma Tingting, and exclaimed with delight, “Tingting! I was just planning to find you at the cafeteria at noon—what a surprise to run into you first!”
They had been high school classmates. Back then, they weren’t especially close, but after being sent down to the countryside, that shared background naturally gave them a sense of kinship. Occasionally, they would visit each other’s homes or arrange to share a meal.
Ma Tingting smiled. “Looking for me about something?” As she spoke, her gaze fell on the piece of red satin in Fang Qiaoru’s hand.
Zhou Xiaomei’s words flashed through her mind, and her heart skipped a beat. No, surely not?
Fang Qiaoru had already set the satin aside, handing it to another girl nearby. She walked over, linked arms with Ma Tingting, and said cheerfully, “Yes, I do have something to ask you. But are you buying anything first? I’ll keep you company, and later I’ll treat you to some sugar cakes.”
Instinctively, Ma Tingting glanced at Liao Sheng. He said, “Comrade Ma, you go ahead and shop with your classmate. I’ll go with Jianguo to buy some supplies for the factory. We’ll meet back at the ox cart station this afternoon.”
He and Xu Jianguo had a list of items needed for the factory. Though a little disappointed, Ma Tingting nodded.
Liao Sheng and Xu Jianguo left.
Fang Qiaoru nudged the somewhat reluctant Ma Tingting and teased with a smile, “Is that your boyfriend?”
Ma Tingting blushed. “No.”
Fang Qiaoru laughed. “What’s the big deal? You’re still the same as before—always blushing.” She didn’t press further, just called out to her companions and then went off shopping with Ma Tingting.
Fang Qiaoru wanted to ask about the factory that their brigade was setting up.
“You heard about it already?” Ma Tingting asked.
The sign had only just been put up a few days ago.
Fang Qiaoru smiled. “Our brigades are close, and there are plenty of family ties between the villages. How could news of something this big not spread? Lots of people in our village want to join the factory too. To be honest, our brigade can barely put food on the table now. Hunting and chopping firewood every day doesn’t earn many work points.”
She sighed. “Just the thought of you all spending the winter indoors, working and still earning full points, with enough to eat—that alone has everyone envious. Word spread fast.”
What she really wanted to know was how the factory would operate, whether educated youths from other brigades could get in, and what the pay and conditions would be.
“The factory’s only just starting,” Ma Tingting explained. “The master craftsmen who’ll teach the skills haven’t even arrived yet. We don’t know much ourselves. But don’t worry—if I hear anything, I’ll let you know right away. I’ll also ask around for you.”
Fang Qiaoru thanked her happily and bought sugar cakes to treat Ma Tingting.
Ma Tingting accepted without fuss but, in return, bought a sesame cake for her and said, “I also have something I want to ask you.” She began cautiously: “You haven’t had any happy events lately, have you?”
Although Fang Qiaoru seemed perfectly normal—chatting eagerly about the factory and showing no signs of preparing to marry the brigade accountant’s son—Ma Tingting thought it best to be careful.
“What happy event?” Fang Qiaoru looked puzzled.
“For example, preparing to get married?” Ma Tingting pressed.
“Married? To who?” Fang Qiaoru gave a little snort. Then, as if struck by a thought, she suddenly laughed. “Why don’t you introduce me to one of the male educated youths from your brigade? Hey, does Han Dongyuan have a girlfriend? If not, you could introduce him to me.”
Ma Tingting: “…If he wanted someone to introduce him to a partner, do you think it would ever come down to you?”
Fang Qiaoru burst out laughing. “I’m just teasing you! It’s not like I haven’t seen him before. Sure, he’s handsome, and yes, he’s very capable—but maybe *too* capable. I couldn’t handle that. Better introduce me to someone more normal.”
The two of them joked around for quite a while before Fang Qiaoru suddenly remembered. “Wait, didn’t you say earlier you had something to ask me? Don’t tell me it was just that weird question about whether I had a happy event lately?”
“No,” Ma Tingting finally steered back to the real topic. “I wanted to ask you about something. Your brigade’s accountant’s son—I think his name is Zhang Wenshun—there’s talk he’s gotten involved with one of your female educated youths. Is that true?”
“Oh, that’s what you’re asking about.” Fang Qiaoru looked at her with a knowing smile. “You were never one for gossip. So, tell me—someone put you up to this, didn’t they?”
Ma Tingting didn’t deny it. After all, Liao Sheng was also asking around, and she wasn’t worried Fang Qiaoru would deliberately hide the truth.
She said, “Yes. Zhang Wenshun was engaged to our brigade secretary’s daughter. That girl asked me to help find out what’s going on. He suddenly broke off the engagement, so of course she wants answers.”
She didn’t mention the excuse Zhang Wenshun had given.
“Ah, that matter…” Fang Qiaoru sighed. “Remember the girl I was with earlier? That was her. She came down to the countryside years before us. Zhang Wenshun liked her even back then, but she had a boyfriend in the city and didn’t accept him. Recently, she got a letter from that boyfriend saying he couldn’t wait any longer and was marrying someone else. She’s fragile, and the blow nearly crushed her. Zhang Wenshun has been taking care of her these past days, and she was moved. So she agreed to be with him.”
She finished and looked at Ma Tingting, not noticing how her expression had changed. She went on, “Tingting, what’s your secretary’s daughter like? Zhang Wenshun said their engagement was purely arranged by their parents. In the mountains, there aren’t many unmarried men with good conditions. Even if she’s the secretary’s daughter, marrying an ordinary villager would mean the same backbreaking life in the fields. So the secretary used his friendship with Zhang Wenshun’s father to settle the match. But Zhang Wenshun told Hongman—that’s my roommate, Li Hongman—that your secretary’s daughter isn’t unreasonable. He said he’d explain everything properly and persuade her to withdraw from the engagement herself.”
Ma Tingting’s mouth twitched. Explain properly? By saying he helped a girl change clothes, saw her naked, and now had to “take responsibility”?
On the ox cart ride back that afternoon, Ma Tingting compared notes with Liao Sheng. They basically confirmed the reliability of the information.
Liao Sheng had also dug up some details about Li Hongman’s former boyfriend, but those weren’t of much consequence.
That day, Cheng Ning stayed in the dormitory, sorting through materials and selecting woodworking products suitable for factory production. After organizing, she made a list and sketched the first drafts. She planned to finish sorting everything today and then go find Han Dongyuan in the evening to discuss it, so they could finalize the draft sooner.
At dusk, Zhou Xiaomei came by, bringing her a few wild vegetable cakes.
The two of them ate the cakes while discussing which products would be suitable for production.
Zhou Xiaomei had been born and raised in the mountains, so her life experience complemented Cheng Ning’s perfectly. Whenever they talked, sparks of new ideas always seemed to fly.
Cheng Ning laughed. “Xiaomei, since you’re not in a hurry to get married now, why don’t you join the factory too? You could handle some of the finishing work. You’re skillful—you’d definitely do well. Marriage is nothing compared to building a career. Once you have money, success, and confidence, you’ll be the one choosing men, not the other way around. Besides, your father is the brigade secretary. If we ever get a quota for further study or joining the army, you could go straight into school or the military. Wouldn’t that be great?”
Having spent years as a wandering spirit watching countless TV dramas with the Han family, Cheng Ning’s outlook had long shifted from what it was when she was alive. Her words often carried that modern perspective without her realizing it.
To her, living was wonderful—there were so many things to do. Wasting precious time and life on trivialities seemed pointless.
“Deal!” Zhou Xiaomei felt the picture Cheng Ning painted was inspiring.
It made her blood surge with excitement. Far more interesting than marrying someone.
“But,” Cheng Ning tapped her sketchbook, “your father may be the secretary, but there are plenty of educated youths here. They all have knowledge, culture, and even talents. Your father and the brigade leader are fair men—they won’t play favorites. If you want a chance at further study or joining the army, you’ll have to prove yourself better than the educated youths.”
“In the past, everyone just farmed. If you claimed you were better, no one would believe it. But once the factory opens, and later when we set up a primary school, things will be different. There will be opportunities to show your skills and exams to prove yourself. For example, choosing who becomes a teacher will require exams. As long as your work is better than others’, and your exam scores higher, even those self-important educated youths will have to acknowledge it. So, I think you should start reading more from today.”
Zhou Xiaomei was left stunned by Cheng Ning’s persuasive words. “Read? I haven’t studied since graduating middle school. You mean go back to high school? That sounds far-fetched.”
“Yes,” Cheng Ning immediately pulled two books from her luggage rack. “These are my high school textbooks. I don’t need them right now, so you can borrow them. Once you finish, let me know and I’ll give you more.”
Cheng Ning had been dead for decades and had long forgotten the details of high school subjects. But she planned to take advantage of the restored college entrance exams to return to the city, so she had packed all her old textbooks when she came.
Since the exams wouldn’t resume for a few years yet, she wasn’t in a hurry to study them herself. Lending them to Zhou Xiaomei seemed perfect.
All the talk about quotas for study or the army had just been a pretext—her real goal was to persuade Zhou Xiaomei to study again. When the exams came, even if she didn’t get into a top university, she might still manage to enter a technical college. That way, she wouldn’t need any special recommendation.
Zhou Xiaomei took the textbooks, flipped through them, and felt her head swell. How had a casual chat ended with her being told to study high school math again?
Honestly, she hadn’t even studied middle school properly and had long forgotten most of it. Sets, mappings, trigonometric functions—what on earth were these?
Luckily, just then, the dormitory door opened, and Xu Dongmei, Wang Xiaojuan, Min Ran, and Ma Tingting returned from shopping at the commune, rescuing her from the situation.