When people have too much free time, they tend to stir up trouble.
Ning Xuan had only recently noticed that the atmosphere at the Educated Youth Center had become somewhat peculiar over the past couple of days.
After observing for two days, she realized it was the classic drama of "she likes him, but he likes another her."
It all revolved around He Yuting from Xu Jiajia's dormitory. Initially, when Lu Xun first arrived, Ning Xuan had sensed that He Yuting, Zhao Yulian, and Liang Qingqing all seemed quite taken with him.
Unexpectedly, the situation had shifted: He Yuting now had feelings for Li Ming, but Li Ming had been actively courting Xu Jiajia recently, with Zhou Zhipeng repeatedly stepping in to shield Xu Jiajia from his advances.
Ning Xuan found it puzzling. In the original story, wasn't the male lead Lu Xun also one of Xu Jiajia's devoted admirers? Yet lately, he didn't seem nearly as attentive.
Of course, he still looked out for Xu Jiajia—for instance, when their "iron trio" went shopping, Lu Xun would help carry things, ensuring Xu Jiajia never had to lift anything heavy.
But if he truly had feelings for Xu Jiajia, why did he show no reaction—not even a hint of jealousy—when Zhou Zhipeng was so openly fawning over her?
Ning Xuan couldn't quite figure out where things were headed now.
In contrast, He Yuting's behavior was much more obvious. Her initial interest in Lu Xun was largely because he was handsome and came from a well-off family, evident from his generous lifestyle.
But He Yuting had probably tried her luck with him in private and realized Lu Xun was out of her league. So she settled for the next best option among the male educated youths: Li Ming.
Li Ming was also tall and, like Lu Xun, 23 years old. Although his financial situation seemed inferior to Lu Xun's, it was still reasonably acceptable.
"Why has she suddenly started thinking about dating?" Ning Xuan asked Huang Xiaomei during a chat.
"It's not really sudden," Huang Xiaomei replied, her expression growing somber as if recalling something. "Life for female educated youths in the countryside is genuinely harder than for the males. You're probably overlooked because you're so thin and young, but those of us who are older have actually been approached by villagers."
Ning Xuan finally understood. Although the Red Star Brigade maintained a relatively good atmosphere, the brigade leader couldn't prevent people from pursuing normal relationships and marriages.
While most villagers looked down on female educated youths for their perceived lack of physical labor skills, some families found them attractive—pretty, with a unique aura, and having come from the city—making them quite noticeable within the brigade.
He Yuting didn't want to marry a villager, but she was getting older, and recently, the number of villagers inquiring about her had increased. Some male villagers had even expressed interest in her.
However, He Yuting was quite pragmatic. She worried that marrying a villager would mean staying in the countryside forever, so she began considering finding a partner among the male educated youths at the center.
"Then why doesn't she consider Team Leader Liu?" Ning Xuan blurted out, thinking that given how Li Ming was currently fawning over Xu Jiajia, he didn't seem very reliable.
No sooner had she spoken than Huang Xiaomei's face flushed bright red. Ning Xuan suddenly understood, "Oh, you two…?"
She raised both index fingers and touched them together.
Huang Xiaomei rarely showed such bashfulness as she nodded in confirmation.
Ning Xuan sighed at her own obliviousness—she really hadn't noticed this developing right under her nose.
It's no wonder Ning Xuan was slow to notice—during this era, dating couldn't be as casual as holding hands, kissing, or hugging like in the 21st century.
Plus, with the recent rush harvest, Liu Jun and Huang Xiaomei hardly had any time for private dates.
At the Educated Youth Center, the two had deliberately kept their distance to avoid suspicion, never openly showing affection. As a result, most people at the center had no idea they were in a relationship.
So when Liu Jun and Huang Xiaomei announced they were planning to move out, almost everyone was shocked.
Liu Jun explained that they had already registered their marriage and would move out once their house was built.
This was a smart move on their part—keeping things quiet until everything was settled. They worried that if they went public while still dating, someone might try to cause trouble. Getting their marriage certificate first made things more secure.
They had agreed to announce their relationship only after officially registering. For once, even the usually composed Liu Jun couldn't hide his excitement.
Since there were no vacant houses left at the Educated Youth Center, they applied to the brigade for a homestead to build a small place of their own. However, if they ever returned to the city, both the land and the house would be reclaimed by the brigade.
Just as everyone was celebrating Liu Jun and Huang Xiaomei’s news, He Yuting started making trouble two days later.
That day, it happened to be He Yuting’s turn to cook. From the moment she started, she banged pots and pans loudly, making a huge racket.
Those who didn’t know better might have thought she had feelings for Liu Jun and was upset about his marriage.
But when He Yuting slammed the spatula down with unnecessary force, the others could no longer stay silent.
Zhao Yulian was the first to speak up, "He Yuting, what are you doing? That pot is collective property—if you break it, are you going to pay for it?"
Others chimed in, murmuring, "Exactly. She only acts like this when it's her turn to cook. We all take turns—who is she putting on this show for?"
He Yuting’s face darkened at their comments, and she finally exploded.
"I don’t mind taking my turn cooking, but some people have the nerve to expect a separate meal every time! Why should I have to make an extra dish just for them?"
Then everyone understood—this performance was meant for Xu Jiajia.
Xu Jiajia caught on too, but before she could respond, her number one defender, Zhou Zhipeng, stepped in.
"Cut the crap! Jiajia’s extra meals don’t use your rations, and it’s not like it takes much effort—her food is just steamed along with everyone else’s. What’s the big deal?"
Zhao Yulian added, "Besides, other people occasionally prepare extra meals too. The rule for taking turns cooking has always allowed that. Why are you making a fuss about it now?"
Seeing the situation escalating, Liu Jun and Huang Xiaomei quickly stepped in to calm things down. "Everyone, let’s all cool off a bit."
"Yuting, the rule for taking turns cooking has always allowed individuals to prepare extra meals. Jiajia’s food is usually just steamed together with everyone else’s—it’s really not a hassle."
He Yuting grew even angrier. "Not a hassle? Others only occasionally make extra meals, but she cooks fine grains for herself every single meal! What kind of family eats fine grains with every meal? That’s downright capitalist behavior!"
Slap!
"Ah!"
The first sound was Xu Jiajia slapping He Yuting across the face.
The second was He Yuting’s sharp cry.
"Apologize!" Xu Jiajia said sternly to He Yuting, her voice completely different from the delicate, weak tone she had used before.
Lu Xun stepped forward at this moment. "Comrade He Yuting, Comrade Xu Zhiqing is a military family member, with impeccable revolutionary credentials. How dare you casually accuse her of capitalist tendencies with just a few words? Can you bear the consequences?"
Zhou Zhipeng also chimed in aggressively, "That's right, this is slander! Ah Xun, let's just report her to the authorities. She needs to be properly re-educated instead of making baseless accusations against others."
He Yuting, realizing that Zhou Zhipeng and the others weren't joking at all, instantly turned pale.
"I apologize, please don't report me. Xu Jiajia, I'm sorry, I… I didn't mean it…"
Xu Jiajia responded with a cold expression, "I don't accept your apology, but I'll let your reckless remarks slide this time. If there's a next time, we won't just be talking."
He Yuting, thinking about the possibility of being sent to a labor farm for re-education, turned even paler and nodded through tears, admitting she was wrong.
Xu Jiajia said nothing more and turned to leave the Educated Youth Compound, with Lu Xun and Zhou Zhipeng following closely behind.
Once they were outside.
Zhou Zhipeng said angrily, "If she weren't a woman, I would've punched her already."
Xu Jiajia comforted him, "Alright, Brother Zhipeng, don't be angry. I've already dealt with her."
"Ah Xun, why aren't you saying anything?" Zhou Zhipeng asked, looking at the silent Lu Xun beside him in confusion.
Lu Xun looked up, and what he said next left both Xu Jiajia and Zhou Zhipeng stunned where they stood.