Besides, for the women in the village, there was practically no such thing as a secret within the entire production team. The speed at which they spread information was practically comparable to a 5G network from the future.
The auntie looked extremely proud and became even more enthusiastic toward Li Lezhi.
“Of course! The people in our team are all hardworking and capable. If you hand a job over to them, they’ll make sure it’s done beautifully and solidly. You’ll be living comfortably in no time.”
Her husband was currently working on Li Lezhi’s house, and earning sixty cents a day was already considered an excellent source of income.
“That’s true, that’s true.”
Li Lezhi politely agreed.
The villagers really were efficient workers. People in this era were still relatively simple and honest, without too much scheming or calculation.
As soon as the old man driving the ox cart arrived, everyone crowded aboard.
Having ridden it several times already, Li Lezhi had gained some experience and found a position that was reasonably comfortable. It was no longer as unbearable as her first ride.
After settling into the most comfortable posture she could manage, she sat quietly and listened to the aunties chatting about village gossip.
One of them curiously asked, “Sent-down Youth Li, I heard things have been quite lively at your Sent-down Youth point lately. Everyone seems distracted when they go to work these days. Has the conflict become that serious?”
It was obvious the auntie was fishing for information.
Li Lezhi smiled shyly.
“I’m not really sure. I’ve been coming back quite late recently, so I honestly haven’t paid much attention to what’s happening at the Sent-down Youth point.”
Her principle in life was simple: listening was fine, but she would never do anything that harmed the interests of the collective.
If she criticized someone here today, the entire village would know by the afternoon.
Although this era lacked mobile phones and modern communication tools, news traveled astonishingly fast.
A good deed might only be discussed for a short while, but if someone did something bad, everyone would know within ten minutes.
“That’s true, you probably wouldn’t know.”
The auntie lowered her voice.
“The conflict between the Sent-down Youth Shen and the Little Sent-down Youth Shen has become quite serious.”
Li Lezhi looked puzzled.
“Who’s Little Sent-down Youth Shen?”
“Oh, the Sent-down Youth Shen who broke her leg while climbing the mountain looking for meat. Since we have two Shen Sent-down Youth here, we call her Little Sent-down Youth Shen to tell them apart.”
The auntie explained casually before continuing to probe.
“I heard they’re sisters. Since you’re from the same place, do you know what happened between them?”
“No, Haishi is such a large place. I only met them on the train.”
Li Lezhi truly did not know what had happened between them in real life.
“That’s true, that’s true.”
Since she failed to obtain any useful information, the auntie quickly returned to chatting with the other village women.
After what felt like forever, the ox cart finally reached town, and Li Lezhi got off with everyone else.
Her destination today was the post office.
She had written another letter to her older brother in the military camp.
She wondered whether he had written back yet and what conditions were like at his current posting.
Hopefully he would not meet the tragic fate described in the original plot.
As soon as she reached the entrance of the post office, she unexpectedly ran into someone she could somewhat consider an acquaintance.
Ji Jingchi! A handsome soldier.
The world was truly large, yet somehow incredibly small.
She had only come to town three times, yet every single visit had resulted in her encountering him somewhere different.
At this rate, anyone unaware of the circumstances might think she was being followed.
Of course, that was impossible.
There was no connection between her and Ji Jingchi at all.
Li Lezhi offered a polite smile and gave a slight nod in greeting.
After meeting so many times, she felt they could at least be considered familiar faces.
Besides, she held great respect for soldiers.
Without all the sacrifices and hard work they put in, there would never have been the peace and prosperity enjoyed by later generations.
This era might appear peaceful and stable, but it was only because people like them were carrying the burden and protecting everyone else.
She had always possessed a natural admiration for soldiers.
Ji Jingchi never expected her to take the initiative and greet him.
In that instant, it felt as though an invisible hand had gripped his heart tightly, causing it to pound violently.
Flustered, he tried to suppress the unruly beating of his heart and forced himself to remain calm as he nodded in return.
The hurried pace with which he had been heading toward the exit unconsciously slowed, and he walked past her at a measured pace.
Within that quiet space, where he could almost hear his own heartbeat, the moment they brushed past one another, Ji Jingchi felt his ears rapidly grow hot.
A faint red flush spread across them.
Suddenly, an intense and almost irrational desire surfaced in his heart.
He wished time would stop at this exact moment.
He wished the distance between them would never change.
He wished this inexplicable feeling could continue forever.
He did not understand what was happening to him.
Yet his uncontrollable heartbeat and burning ears silently revealed the turmoil within.
Just as he remained immersed in those indescribable emotions, he heard the young woman’s voice behind him, clear and pleasant as a nightingale.
“Hello, Comrade. I’d like to mail a letter. Has there been any mail delivered for me recently?”
The postal worker lazily set down the pencil he had been fiddling with and looked up at her.
“What’s your name? You’re one of the Sent-down Youth from a nearby village, right?”
“My name is Li Lezhi. Yes, I’m a Sent-down Youth supporting the countryside.”
Her gentle voice reached Ji Jingchi’s ears once more.
The foot he had just stepped through the doorway with suddenly froze in place.
Merely hearing her name caused his heart to race again.
His mind involuntarily began imagining her appearance at that moment.
What expression would she wear while writing her name?
Slowly, Ji Jingchi turned around and pretended to glance back casually.
Today, she was wearing an embroidered blouse, yet the fresh and elegant temperament that radiated naturally from her remained impossible to conceal.
Her brows were slightly furrowed, and a trace of anticipation lingered in her eyes as she focused intently on the postal worker.
At that moment, Ji Jingchi felt as though he had fallen under some kind of spell.
He simply could not look away.
He silently wondered which village she came from.
What kind of farm work did she do every day?
Did it exhaust her?
Countless images and guesses about her flooded his mind.
More than anything, he wished he had the courage to walk over and speak with her.
Even a few simple words of greeting would have been enough.
Yet his feet seemed rooted firmly to the floor.
He was afraid that approaching her too abruptly might frighten her away.
He was afraid his awkward words would ruin this beautiful moment.
In the end, he could only quietly set down the package in his hands and pretend to be busy himself with work.
Meanwhile, the corner of his eye continued to steal glances in her direction as the emotions within his heart surged like an unstoppable tide.