“You people are the Educated Youth from Honghe Village, right?”
A middle-aged man’s shout rang out from a distance.
Upon hearing this, the group of Educated Youth immediately stood up. When they saw three people arriving on a bullock cart, their expressions turned slightly unpleasant.
They were all teenagers or young adults. Even if they could not afford anything good in the city, they would never normally ride such a dusty, shabby bullock cart.
The Production Team Leader, Liu Yong, arrived with his people.
When he saw the two young men and three young women in front of him—especially the female comrade who was short, thin, and obviously malnourished—his face immediately darkened.
“Is this female comrade even fifteen? What can someone so small do when sent down to the countryside? Did the Educated Youth Office make a mistake?”
Su Qiu blinked innocently when she was pointed at and replied slowly: “I am eighteen years old.”
Liu Yong was momentarily choked. City girls really were not as sturdy as village girls.
With that body, she clearly was not suited for work. She looked sickly and weak—if she stayed for a few years, she might even die in his Production Brigade.
“You don’t look like someone who can work at all. Where is the comrade who arranged you? Someone like you coming here will not only be useless, you’ll just cause trouble.”
After saying that, Liu Yong pointed at the remaining four people. “You four, follow Guo Shun and put your luggage on the cart.”
Then he pointed at Su Qiu. “As for you, stay here first. We won’t accept someone in your condition.”
The four Educated Youths exchanged glances. They looked at Su Qiu but said nothing.
They were not familiar with her anyway. Besides, the girl looked plain, thin, and dull—worse than rural people. Although no one said it out loud, they all felt some degree of dislike.
Su Qiu saw the situation and simply sat down with her luggage. Standing even for a moment made her tired.
Wei Ye walked over to help move the Educated Youths’ belongings and glanced at the thin, bony girl sitting on the ground.
Her hair was yellowish and dry, her face had no flesh at all, and she sat there hugging her luggage, looking somewhat lonely.
Before joining the Army, he had once gone without even a full meal a day. He had looked just like this scrawny girl.
As if seeing his past self in her, Wei Ye’s eyes flickered. Suddenly, he spoke.
“Production Team Leader, since the allocation has already been made above, if our village doesn’t take her, no other village will want her either. It will just be a waste of effort to send her elsewhere.”
Liu Yong paused upon hearing this. He naturally knew Wei Ye was telling the truth.
Five people had been assigned to them, probably just to make things look decent on paper.
Liu Yong glanced helplessly at Su Qiu’s thin body. She probably would not eat much grain anyway. At worst, giving her a bowl of food would be enough to keep her alive.
The main issue was that this year’s grain production was not good. Their village had many strong young men and did not rely on Educated Youth for labor.
Moreover, the Educated Youth Station currently had no beds. If they sent her back and exchanged her for two others, those Educated Youth would likely make trouble again.
“Forget it, forget it. Just take her along and leave.”
Liu Yong waved his hand casually and left with his hands behind his back.
Su Qiu glanced at the departing Production Team Leader, then looked at the male comrade who had spoken up for her.
She stood up, brushed her hands lightly, and said politely: “Comrade, thank you.”
Wei Ye heard her clear and pleasant voice and looked at her again. He said casually: “No need to be polite. Hurry and go.”
He picked up two of her bundles and walked ahead.
With her hands suddenly freed, Su Qiu felt relaxed and thought he was truly a warm-hearted comrade. She quickly followed him.
The other four people glanced at her return and then looked away. Perhaps they felt a little awkward.
Su Qiu did not care at all. She found a comfortable position, placed a towel over her head to block the sun, leaned against her luggage, and closed her eyes.
She had been exposed to the sun all morning and already felt dizzy. Now, as the bullock cart swayed slowly, she quickly became drowsy.
The bullock cart was the basic means of transportation in rural areas during this era. The wooden platform at the back was wide enough to sit seven or eight people comfortably, and the large bundles of luggage were barely tied down and stacked together.
Because it was heavily loaded, the cart moved very slowly.
By the time they returned from the county town to Honghe Village, it was already dark and the road could no longer be seen clearly.