Arriving at the Educated Youth Point
“We’re here. This is the educated youth point.”
Dalian stopped the ox cart in front of a row of single-story houses. He raised his hand and knocked on the door, which promptly opened.
A young man wearing black-framed glasses and a white shirt walked out.
He had an honest appearance, dark skin, and a standard square face. He was the person in charge of the educated youth point, named Li Guangrong.
Seeing the arrivals, he greeted them familiarly.
“Dalian, you’re back. Are the new educated youths here?”
“Right there, behind me.” He moved aside, and the people behind gradually came into Li Guangrong’s view.
When he saw Jian Mingyue, he froze for a moment, then a genuine smile spread across his face.
“Hello, I’m Li Guangrong, the person in charge of the educated youth point. You must be tired from the journey.”
As he spoke, his eyes kept drifting toward Jian Mingyue.
After exchanging greetings, Dalian drove the ox cart away.
Li Guangrong led them into the courtyard. It was mealtime, and the old educated youths were gathered around a table eating.
On the other side sat two tall, slender men. Jiang Taohua glanced over—well, these were familiar faces: the male supporting character Yan Jinghong and his childhood friend Bai Jinchuan.
The old educated youths had varied expressions upon seeing the newcomers. Only a few male educated youths stared intently at Jian Mingyue’s face.
As for the female educated youths, their cheeks flushed as they gazed at Yan Jinghong and Shen Zhou. Jiang Taohua thought spring had arrived early.
Li Guangrong suddenly spoke up.
“Today, six new educated youths have arrived. Welcome to the group.”
As he spoke, the eating educated youths put down their chopsticks, showing that Li Guangrong commanded considerable respect at the educated youth point.
“Welcome!”
“Welcome.”
Next came the introductions.
There were eight old educated youths—three women and five men—and six new ones, making a total of fourteen people.
The old educated youths were named Li Guangrong, Ma Chao, Yang Hongbing, Niu Chujian, and Ji Changan.
Jiang Taohua—wow, was this a zoo? Horses, sheep, cows, and chickens were all represented. Only Li Guangrong’s name seemed normal.
The three female educated youths were named Chen Hong, Zhao Cuicui, and Ye Qiu.
The six new educated youths were Jiang Taohua, Jian Mingyue, Shen Zhou, Wen Shunu, Yan Jinghong, and Bai Jinchuan.
By the time the introductions were over, the stomachs of the six new educated youths were growling with hunger.
Li Guangrong brought out a plate of wild vegetables and a few cornbread buns from the kitchen.
“Sorry, conditions are simple. This is all we can offer you.”
Jiang Taohua—was he treating them like fools? Their first meal at the educated youth point was wild vegetables and cornbread buns? She had seen clearly earlier that the old educated youths were eating two cold dishes and steamed buns made of mixed grains.
The new educated youths looked displeased, and no one responded. None of them had ever eaten cornbread buns or wild vegetables in the city. The sudden drop in living standards was hard to accept.
“Open the door.”
Dalian’s voice came from the entrance. Not only had he returned, but he had also brought the new educated youths’ monthly food rations, along with a pot of cabbage stewed with vermicelli and ten plump, white steamed buns. The production team leader had specifically arranged this extra dish for the new educated youths.
The dish was placed in the middle of the table, and its aroma instantly filled everyone’s nostrils. The old educated youths stared fixedly at the white steamed buns, almost ready to pounce and take a bite.
After seeing Dalian off, Jiang Taohua and the others sat at the table and began their dinner.
As for that bowl of wild vegetables and the cornbread buns, they sat there forlornly, completely untouched.
Li Guangrong’s expression darkened. These new educated youths were really showing him no face—they wouldn’t even take a single bite of the wild vegetables or cornbread buns.
He snorted coldly. These newcomers were bound to be a bit arrogant at first, but once they experienced the hardships of rural life, they’d have plenty to cry about later.
The educated youth point had four rooms. The three female educated youths shared one room, with the newcomers Jiang Taohua, Wen Shunu, and Jian Mingyue sleeping together. The remaining two rooms were for the male educated youths.
After the meal, exhausted from the long journey, Chen Hong led Jiang Taohua and the others into one of the rooms.
Looking around, the walls were pitch black, and the room contained only an earthen kang, a cabinet, and a rickety table.
The room was relatively clean, clearly having been tidied up beforehand.
Jiang Taohua took a rag, wiped down the kang, and then laid out her mattress and quilt.
Wen Shunu followed suit, arranging her bedding as well.
Jian Mingyue, her face dark, spread out her own bedding.
These past few days had been incredibly unlucky, as if she’d stirred up the god of misfortune’s nest. From the train to the public bus, she kept running into misfortunes, leaving her in a terrible mood.
In contrast, Wen Shunu was in quite good spirits. She clung to Jiang Taohua, chattering away nonstop.
Everything about the countryside filled her with curiosity and novelty.
Jian Mingyue suddenly spoke up, “Will you ever stop? How is anyone supposed to sleep?”
Wen Shunu turned to look at her and immediately retorted, “If you want to sleep, then sleep! What, do you think you’re a three-year-old baby? Do you expect me to sing a lullaby to put you to sleep?”
Jian Mingyue pounded the bed angrily, “How can anyone sleep with you talking nonstop?”
Wen Shunu refused to back down, “Sleep or don’t sleep—what’s it to me?”
This woman was really something. If she’d spoken nicely, Wen Shunu would have shut up, but she opened her mouth as if she’d swallowed gunpowder. Who was going to indulge her?
Seizing the opportunity, Jiang Taohua added fuel to the fire, “Shunu, ignore her. A bitch is always fussy!”
“You…” Jian Mingyue was so angry her mouth twisted.
System 001 chimed in, “Congratulations, Host, for angering the female protagonist. Reward: three yuan.”
A faint smile touched Jiang Taohua’s lips. Earning some money before bed—another beautiful day.
Perhaps the argument had drained too much energy, as the three of them soon fell asleep.
When Chen Hong returned to her room, she saw Zhao Cuicui had scattered melon seed shells all over the floor.
“You’re back. I told you not to bother cleaning up, but you insisted on rushing to tidy up for them. These female educated youths clearly aren’t easy to get along with, hmph.”
Seeing that Chen Hong remained silent, Zhao Cuicui snorted coldly, crawled under the covers without even washing her feet, and went to sleep.
In the middle of the night, a loud “bang” came from the window, startlingly clear in the silent night.
“Who’s there??”
Jian Mingyue opened her eyes, sat up, and peered outside through the glass window.
Chen Zhushi, who was clinging to the wall, froze completely.
Damn, the new female educated youth was really pretty. Her skin was as white as milk. If he could marry her and take her home, it’d be worth dying for.
The more Chen Zhushi thought about it, the more fervent he became. Squinting his eyes, he began fantasizing about his wedding night with the female educated youth.