Although she had not managed to join the villagers from the very beginning and had missed their self introductions, Lin Baiyu still managed to roughly remember their appearances.
This time, their Lin’an Production Brigade had welcomed ten new educated youths. Of those assigned to the Second Production Team where Lin Baiyu lived, there were four in total, two men and two women.
Lin Baiyu looked at the four of them, and her instincts told her that these were exactly the targets of her village entrance “melon eating” mission.
The woman on the far left was the most eye catching. She wore a floral chiffon blouse made of fine fabric, and she had a lively, pretty appearance with a hint of the pride and composure that came from being raised in a well off family.
The female educated youth beside her was noticeably taller, with a more striking and mature beauty. However, her expression constantly carried a faint pitiful air, which made Lin Baiyu feel an inexplicable sense of discord.
Next to her stood a thin male educated youth wearing glasses. He looked scholarly and refined, but the large amount of luggage hanging from his body and hands made him appear rather disheveled, even though he still insisted on maintaining a gentle smile on his face.
Lin Baiyu felt that most of that luggage probably did not belong to him. Although it was encouraged these days to help others, taking on burdens without sufficient ability either meant he was unclear about reality or had deep hidden calculations.
After forming her judgment, she shifted her attention to the last male educated youth.
He wore the most ordinary clothes and carried his own bedding and luggage, neither too much nor too little. Although he was tall and handsome, he appeared quiet and reserved, with far less presence than the other three.
Yet in Lin Baiyu’s eyes, he was likely the most unusual one among them. After all, it was easy to stand out, but it was not easy for someone who already stood out to deliberately conceal himself.
While she was lost in thought, she unconsciously stared at him for a little longer.
Perhaps her gaze was too direct. Suddenly, the male educated youth turned and met her eyes through the crowd.
His sharp gaze made Lin Baiyu immediately snap back to her senses. She curled her lips slightly, then calmly looked away as if nothing had happened.
The young man also quickly withdrew his gaze, as though the brief eye contact had been Lin Baiyu’s illusion.
So this was why the system had told her to come and observe the scene. These newcomers would likely bring quite some liveliness to the village in the future.
After that, the brigade leader led the group toward the educated youth dormitory, and Lin Baiyu stopped paying attention to them.
She asked the system, “Xiao Bai, how is it? Does this count as completing the mission? Did you collect any energy?”
“The village entrance melon eating mission is 50 percent complete. The system is currently at level one, with an energy collection progress of 10 percent. Please continue working hard,” the system replied.
Only 50 percent?
“Is it because I wasn’t there from the very beginning to watch the entire process?” Lin Baiyu asked.
“Yes, Host. You may find a way to complete the remaining progress.”
The system added, “Friendly reminder: these individuals are important plot characters from the original story. In order to stabilize the original world’s storyline and remove the original female lead’s luck suppression over the host, the host needs to actively gather gossip.”
Hearing this, Lin Baiyu suddenly felt as if she had returned to her previous life. Only now, the system was her boss, and she had become an obedient worker.
She thought of how Grandpa Lin had gone to visit an old comrade this time and would return at the same time the brigade leader brought the new educated youths back to the village. They had agreed to return together.
She figured Grandpa Lin should know about the “lively event” she had missed, so she planned to ask him on the way home, which might help her complete the mission.
Finding Grandpa Lin in the crowd, she quickly walked over.
“Grandpa, it’s almost time for lunch. Let’s head home.”
Grandpa Lin had already noticed her earlier and was wondering why she was not resting at home. Instead, she had come out to join the excitement.
However, with so many people around, it was not the right place to ask questions. Seeing his granddaughter looking lively and energetic, he decided not to say anything.
He patted her shoulder and said, “I was away for a few days, but you look much better now.”
After greeting a few familiar villagers, the two of them walked home together.
The grandfather and granddaughter looked harmonious and warm, completely unaware that a few villagers behind them were already whispering among themselves.
“Hey, Aunt Wang, did you see that girl who just passed by? That’s the Lin family’s granddaughter, right?” a thin middle aged woman asked.
“If it’s not her, then who else? The whole village knows she doesn’t do any work. Only the Lin family treats her like a treasure. She’s already eighteen this year and doesn’t know how to do anything. I wonder what kind of family would want her in the future,” Aunt Wang replied with obvious disdain, tinged with jealousy.
Not far away, Aunt Lin was chatting with Granny Jiang when she heard this and immediately frowned. She was a distant relative of the Lin family and had a decent relationship with them.
Although she also felt that the Lin family might be overindulgent, everyone had their own way of living, and times were hard for everyone.
Aunt Lin was straightforward by nature and had a fiery temper. She immediately retorted, “Xiao Bai graduated from high school, she’s pretty, and her family dotes on her. Of course there’s no need to worry about her marrying well. I just don’t know how much bride price Lin Dali will demand for your precious son in the future.”
Aunt Wang’s given name was Lin Dahua, but after marrying into the Wang family, few people called her by her real name anymore and simply addressed her as Aunt Wang.
Recently, her family had been struggling with marriage discussions for her son, so her face immediately darkened upon hearing this. However, knowing she was in the wrong and unable to out argue Aunt Lin, she stiffly turned her head away.
Seeing this, Aunt Lin also lost interest in continuing the argument.
For a moment, the atmosphere became somewhat stiff.
Aunt Wang, never one to enjoy silence, rolled her eyes and turned to the woman she had been speaking to earlier.
“Family of Youliang, if we’re talking about good fortune, your Meifeng really takes the crown. She graduated from a technical secondary school and is going to marry into the city. It looks like her three younger brothers will be set for life.”
Hearing this, the woman, Zhang Youliang’s wife, hereafter referred to as Aunt Zhang, felt a surge of pride.
She also looked down on the Lin family, thinking they were not practical.
So what if they had a grandson serving in the military and Grandpa Lin received monthly allowances? Raising such a frail granddaughter was simply wasting money.
Her own family was different. The Zhang family came from a proper poor peasant background, and her eldest daughter had been capable since childhood.
Her daughter Zhang Meifeng might not be as beautiful as the Lin family’s girl, but she had graduated from technical school and was about to marry into the city. Moreover, that family had promised to help her secure a factory worker position.
In her excitement, Aunt Zhang accidentally revealed this information.
This immediately drew surprised reactions from Aunt Wang, Granny Jiang, Aunt Lin, and others nearby.
Although Aunt Zhang quickly regretted her slip of the tongue, the matter was essentially already settled. Facing the mixture of shock, envy, and jealousy from the crowd, her vanity reached its peak.
After chatting for a while longer, everyone saw that it was almost mealtime and dispersed in a hurry.