The tall girl was very friendly. She placed her bag at her feet and greeted her with a smile.
“Hello! You should be an Educated Youth going to the countryside too, right?”
“Mhm.” Lin Wanwan’s eyes curved into crescents.
“My name is Fang Yun. What’s your name?”
“Lin Wanwan.”
“Lin Wanwan—that’s such a beautiful name.” After putting away her luggage, Fang Yun sat down and turned to look at her. Her eyes seemed to sparkle. “And you’re so pretty too!!”
Lin Wanwan thanked her politely.
“Thank you. You’re pretty too.”
Using a modern description, Fang Yun had the appearance of a mature, commanding beauty.
Her single eyelids slanted slightly upward at the corners. The tip of her nose hooked a little, and her lips were thin. When she was not smiling, she looked somewhat sharp and critical. However, Fang Yun loved to smile. When she did, the corners of her mouth lifted, making her seem much friendlier.
“Your voice sounds really nice too. Hey, where are you going for your rural assignment? I’m heading to Honghe Commune in Yanghe City!”
Fang Yun liked the girl beside her very much. She was beautiful, had a pleasant voice, and looked so obedient and well-behaved.
Lin Wanwan’s eyes widened slightly.
“What a coincidence! I’m going there too!”
“Ah!! Then we’re really destined to meet!”
Fang Yun was delighted. The anxiety she had felt about leaving home and going to a completely unfamiliar place finally lessened a little.
Patting her chest, she declared,
“I’m really good at physical labor. Looking at your skinny arms and legs, you probably haven’t done much work before, right? Don’t worry. I’ll help you when the time comes!”
She looked exactly like a warmhearted older sister.
“Hey, you’re both going to Honghe Commune too? We are as well!”
The two young men sitting across from them suddenly joined the conversation. They had just boarded the train and were seated beside Xu Wen.
Both of them were tall and thin.
One wore glasses and appeared shy and introverted. His lips were pressed together, and he remained silent, his gaze somewhat evasive.
The other was much more lively. He had not even finished putting away his luggage before he started talking nonstop.
“Then we’re pretty lucky! We’re all in the same train carriage. Hey, what are your names? I’m Sun Cheng. The guy with glasses next to me is my best buddy, Gao Yongyuan.”
The smile never left his face. He was extremely enthusiastic and familiar with people almost instantly, much like Fang Yun.
“My name is Fang Yun, and the person beside me is Lin Wanwan.”
After introducing them, Fang Yun turned toward the silent Xu Wen and asked,
“Are you going to Honghe Commune too?”
Xu Wen still had her arms folded across her chest. Raising her chin, she replied with a condescending air as though granting a favor.
“Yeah.”
Fang Yun did not notice how perfunctory Xu Wen’s attitude was. Instead, she happily said,
“That’s great! After we get there, we should help each other out, become new socialist farmers, and be good friends with the poor and lower-middle peasants!”
Sun Cheng immediately followed up.
“Go up to the mountains and down to the countryside, transform the land, and build a new socialist countryside!”
Lin Wanwan: “…”
Looking at how full of enthusiasm the two were, she felt somewhat out of place.
At the very least, Fang Yun and Sun Cheng had definitely volunteered to go to the countryside.
Just look at their ideological commitment.
Since everyone was heading to the same place, they naturally had plenty to talk about.
However, most of the conversation was carried by Fang Yun and Sun Cheng.
Lin Wanwan was feeling tired.
The seat was quite hard. After sitting for a long time, every part of her body felt uncomfortable. Her chest felt increasingly stuffy, and she had no desire to talk.
Sensing someone’s gaze on her, Lin Wanwan assumed it was Xu Wen again. Frowning slightly, she lifted her eyes and looked over, only to meet a pair of unfamiliar eyes.
It was the male Educated Youth named Gao Yongyuan.
Apparently, he had not expected her to look back. He froze for a moment before his cheeks instantly turned bright red, and his eyes began darting away again.
“?”
This person was really strange.
Feeling unwell, Lin Wanwan’s head grew increasingly groggy. She withdrew her gaze, closed her eyes, and drifted toward sleep.
Seeing that she had fallen asleep, Fang Yun stopped talking as well.
The area around their seats immediately became quiet.
Turning his head and noticing Gao Yongyuan’s flushed face, Sun Cheng lowered his voice and asked in confusion,
“Yuanzi, why’s your face so red? Feeling sick?”
“N-No.”
Gao Yongyuan stammered. He could not help glancing again at the girl across from him, who was leaning against the seat with her eyes closed.
His gaze was filled with amazement and a trace of infatuation.
She was too beautiful.
How could someone be this beautiful?
Sun Cheng caught his friend’s gaze and instantly understood.
Chuckling twice, he said,
“Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for Educated Youth Lin?”
Gao Yongyuan was startled.
“Don’t talk nonsense…”
“Oh, come on. You think I can’t see through that little crush of yours?” Sun Cheng clicked his tongue. “Educated Youth Lin really is gorgeous, but Yuanzi, let me give you some advice. It’s fine to admire her, but don’t fall too deeply. She’s beyond your reach.”
“Why?”
Gao Yongyuan immediately became anxious and widened his eyes.
“Don’t tell me you also…”
Like Educated Youth Lin?
Sun Cheng rolled his eyes.
“What are you thinking? I admit she’s beautiful, but I know my own limits, okay? Look at the shoes on her feet. Don’t they seem familiar? Warrior white sneakers. A pair costs ten yuan!”
“You might think that’s not too bad, but look at the watch on her wrist. Do you know what brand it is?”
“Omega!!”
“One of my relatives saved money for nearly two years before buying one. It cost over three hundred yuan!”
More than three hundred yuan!
Gao Yongyuan was stunned.
His gaze moved from Lin Wanwan’s face to the delicate watch on her wrist.
“So I’m certain that Educated Youth Lin comes from either a wealthy or influential family. She’s not someone people like us should even dream about.”
Sun Cheng patted his friend’s shoulder.
“Understand now?”
Gao Yongyuan pressed his lips together and remained silent.
Although they spoke very quietly, Xu Wen was sitting right beside them and heard every word clearly.
She had been clutching her skirt tightly the whole time. Her grip was so strong it seemed she wanted to tear a hole in the fabric.
Her face was filled with jealousy and resentment as she glared at the exquisitely beautiful sleeping girl across from her.
Thinking about the dress she was wearing, she remembered how long she had begged Father Xu before he finally agreed to buy it.
It was not even as expensive as those white sneakers.
So what if she was rich?
She still had to go to the countryside and do farm work.
So what if the Omega watch was expensive?
It could not do her work for her.
Keep showing off now.
There would be plenty of time for her to cry later!
Xu Wen imagined Lin Wanwan crying while working in the fields after arriving in the countryside.
Only then did the resentment in her heart ease somewhat.
She even smiled happily.
It never occurred to her that she would have to do the same work herself.
“Woo—! Woo—! Woo—!”
The train stopped at another station.
The noise outside the window woke Lin Wanwan once again.
More passengers carrying large and small bags boarded the train.
Still somewhat dazed, Lin Wanwan stared blankly out the window, her eyes unfocused.
The afternoon sun was particularly harsh.
With more people crowded into the carriage, all kinds of smells mixed together, making the air unpleasant.
After resting for a moment, she took a red silk scarf with white polka dots from her bag and wrapped it around her nose as a makeshift mask.
It would also block the sunlight.
Although she had applied sunscreen before departing, physical sun protection was necessary too.
Double protection!
The remaining empty seats around them had now been filled.
Hearing movement, Lin Wanwan turned and glanced over.
The newcomer was stuffing luggage onto the rack above, so she could not see his face. However, he looked quite tall—probably around 178 centimeters.
After storing his own luggage, he turned around and helped the young woman beside him put hers away as well.
Mm.
He was fairly handsome.
Compared to Sun Cheng and Gao Yongyuan, his features were even more attractive. A scholarly aura surrounded him, giving him a refined and elegant appearance—the type most girls would like.
But he was not Lin Wanwan’s type.
After looking at him twice, she withdrew her gaze and resumed staring blankly into space.
However, the girl beside him suddenly stepped forward and called out to her.
“Hey, can we switch seats?”