"Let me put the scarf on you, and your hat too. Be careful not to catch a cold."
Back in the shabby warehouse, Li Ying reminded her son to be careful on the road.
Three months had passed, and they had completely blended into life here—their faces and hands bearing the marks of hardship.
"I know. I'll be quick."
The road was hard to travel, and it was snowing. He Jianguo was worried: "Why don't I go with you?"
"No need. Since you have nothing to do today, hurry and patch up the gaps in the walls. It gets cold at night."
The He family couldn't afford a stove, so Old Qin taught them to stack mud bricks and find scrap iron sheets to build one.
Fortunately, there was suitable loess soil near the farm.
He Jianguo made a bit extra and built a partition inside the warehouse.
Now the small warehouse was divided into three sections.
The father and son slept in one, while the mother, daughter, and He Ning'an slept in another.
Old Qin taught them to weave a straw mat, so now the wheat stalks no longer poked out when they slept.
It had to be said, Old Qin was a benefactor to their family.
But he was too polite—every time they offered him food, he never accepted a single time.
"I noticed Old Qin likes drinking. I still have a few yuan in my pocket. When I get the chance, I'll buy him some liquor."
"Alright. I just don't know how we'll ever repay him."
On the other side, after walking for over an hour, He Lin met the five Educated Youth waiting at the foot of the mountain.
Everyone was bundled up tightly in the heavy snow. In contrast, He Lin was thinly dressed.
"Follow me."
In this desolate mountain wilderness, with exactly five people, He Lin confirmed these were the five in the greatcoats.
The sky was darkening, visibility fading.
But from afar, Yu Lian recognized He Lin. Even after three months here, his back should have long been bent by exhaustion, yet this man remained as proud as ever.
The three male Educated Youth took turns asking questions.
He spoke little, answering simply.
Seeing his cold attitude, the three stopped asking.
"Why do we keep running into people who don't talk these days?"
One of them, a male Educated Youth named Chen Xiaotian, turned to look at Li Mengyao beside Yu Lian.
"Comrade Li Mengyao, are you tired? I can help carry your luggage."
Li Mengyao smiled and declined: "No need. I'll do my own things myself. Besides, I'm strong—I don't need your help."
Li Mengyao was warm and enthusiastic. Compared to Yu Lian, who didn't like interacting with them, she was naturally more liked.
The greatcoats they wore had been arranged by the director of the county party committee office when they gathered at the county town. Knowing the young people were heading to Hongxing Farm under harsh conditions, he had applied for several military greatcoats for the five of them to wear.
"Yu Lian…"
From the very beginning, when they'd gathered at the Lanzhou transfer station, Chen Xiaotian had been fawning over her. Later, when he realized she ignored him, he turned his attention to the warm-hearted Li Mengyao.
Anyone with eyes could see what this man was up to.
So when he opened his mouth, Yu Lian directly ran ahead, catching up to He Lin, who was walking at the front.
After all, they were on the same farm—he'd find out sooner or later anyway. Might as well do it now.
"Carry this for me."
Two leather suitcases were shoved into his hands by a stranger.
He Lin wanted nothing more than to toss them straight down the cliff. But he remembered these people were Educated Youth—if they reported him, the next struggle session would be even harder on his family.
So he endured and kept walking.
Yu Lian waited for a long time, but saw no reaction from him.
Could it be that He Lin, after three months of hardship, had already been worn down by life and didn't feel the least bit angry at the sight of her?
"Hey, why aren't you saying anything when you see me?"
Snow and wind surrounded them; if one spoke even slightly softly, the person beside them wouldn't be able to hear.
The four people behind were confused and observed quietly—they had no idea Yu Lian knew someone from Hongxing Farm.
He Lin ignored her. Even though he heard her speak, he paid no attention.
Yu Lian found it strange. Shouldn't this man be itching to kill her?
Why was there not a trace of emotion?
"He Lin! Say something!"
The higher they climbed, the fiercer the wind and snow, but He Lin still keenly caught the noisy Educated Youth beside him calling his name.
He instinctively turned on his flashlight and shone it at the woman's face.
The next moment, the flashlight went out.
His suitcase was thrown to the ground, and He Lin strode forward quickly.
Only then did Yu Lian realize that He Lin hadn't recognized her at all just now. Though that was normal—even though they were husband and wife, he had never once looked at her directly.
Even when they did that kind of thing, the lights were off.
He had probably taken her for a lunatic. Only after seeing her face clearly did his true attitude show.
A scheming woman like her had never earned He Lin's respect.
The two had almost no time alone together. The night two months ago when he came to the side courtyard drunk was their last moment alone.
Yu Lian picked up her leather suitcase and chased after him without a second thought.
She was exhausted, her hands clutching the suitcase. If she didn't run, she wouldn't catch up to He Lin.
The moment He Lin saw Yu Lian, his mind went blank. He thought he was seeing things, hallucinating.
Within a minute, he understood.
Yu Lian had probably caught wind of something and had come chasing after him with fake sincerity, hoping to squeeze more money out of his family.
But the He family weren't fools. Even if she came now with her phony act, no one would pay her any mind.
For money, she really would go to great lengths. Coming here to suffer didn't suit her personality at all.
"Why won't you talk?"
In the past, no matter how much he despised her, He Lin would at least say things she didn't want to hear.
But what was wrong with him today?
This went on for over ten minutes. He Lin kept up the same pace, and Yu Lian, unable to hold on, gave up.
She walked slowly with her luggage and was soon caught up by the four behind her.
"Yu Lian, do you know that man?"
Li Mengyao asked right away.
"No, I don't. I just asked about the food, and he got angry after a couple of words."
Li Mengyao nodded. After all, before coming, they'd been told not to waste anything or complain, or else some people would slap labels on you.
"Looks like we'll have to be careful with what we say from now on."
The group strolled along slowly, while He Lin ahead kept his pace, letting those behind see his silhouette.
What should have been an hour's mountain trek stretched into nearly two hours.
At ten in the evening, darkness had fully fallen.
The five Educated Youths arrived safely at the farm.
Everyone was already asleep, and they'd need to get up early tomorrow to work.
So upon arrival, Director Niu assigned them their dormitories.
The three male Educated Youths went to the school building across the way.
The female Educated Youths stayed on this side. Li Mengyao had put in a word before coming, so she was assigned to a ready-made dorm.
Her old classmate was still awake, waiting for her arrival.
Li Mengyao saw her old classmate and set down her luggage.
She turned to Yu Lian at the door and said, "Sorry about that. Director Niu, please take Yu Lian to her dorm now."
Director Niu pointed to the last small room and said, "This is the last one. There probably won't be any new Educated Youth coming in the future. It's a bit run-down, so you'll have to make do. There's a stove inside, but you'll need to chop your own firewood, or buy some from someone to get by for a few days."
Yu Lian had already prepared herself for the inconvenience of a shared bunk before coming, but she hadn't expected such a pleasant surprise.
With the door locked and only herself inside, it would also be convenient for her to freely enter the Spatial Dimension to retrieve supplies.
"Thank you, Director. This is already very good. I'm quite satisfied!"
Compared to the exhausted four, Yu Lian appeared much more energetic.
Director Niu liked young people like this.
"Good! I had someone tidy it up in advance. The bed is made, so just make do and sleep!"
"Goodbye, Director!"
Closing the door, Yu Lian took out a flashlight, and the small room was immediately illuminated.
The stove was right by the entrance, and further inside were a bed, a long table, and a long bench.
The window was sealed tightly, probably to prevent drafts.
There were no tools around. After confirming that the doors and windows were secure, Yu Lian entered the Spatial Dimension.