In the square, many people held up signs to greet the arrivals.
They also had numerous banners and slogans, all proclaiming: “Warmly welcome the educated youth to [so-and-so] Farm for training.”
Several farm officials were using loudspeakers to coordinate the assembly.
Wen Qiao looked around and spotted a young man in military uniform, with dark skin, holding a sign.
It read: Baiyunshan Military Reclamation Farm.
Around him, a crowd of men and women had already gathered, carrying large and small bundles. Wen Qiao assumed they were all the youth headed to that farm.
She walked over and asked,
“Hello, may I ask if this is the way to Baiyun District Military Reclamation Farm?”
The man in uniform froze for a moment when he saw her; his dark face immediately flushed red.
After staring blankly for a moment, he stammered,
“Y-Yes… are you Comrade Wen Qiao from Beijing?”
“Yes, I am.”
Upon hearing her answer, the man quickly averted his gaze and lowered the sign.
He called to the group beside him,
“Everyone’s here. Let’s go.”
He then walked ahead to lead them, glancing back at Wen Qiao a few times as he went.
Over the years, whenever educated youth arrived in the Yangcheng Military Region Production and Construction Corps, he was almost always the one assigned to pick them up.
Among all of them, this girl was the most outstanding in appearance.
The surrounding youth all focused their eyes on Wen Qiao at once.
Gasping and exclamations rose up from the crowd.
“Wow! The youth from Beijing is so beautiful, like a movie star!”
Wen Qiao was already used to such attention. She had thought of wearing a mask, but the masks in this era were made of thick layers of gauze—at least ten layers—so heavy and suffocating.
Moreover, it was peak summer; the heat was stifling, and wearing a mask made it nearly impossible to breathe.
Besides, once at the farm, she would have to show her face anyway, so there was no point in torturing herself.
One scholarly-looking male youth approached her, adjusting his glasses and smiling,
“Hello, Comrade Wen! I’m Zhao Ziwen, also from Beijing. Nice to meet you.”
Zhao Ziwen was truly stunned by Wen Qiao’s beauty.
Coming from a high-ranking official family, he had seen countless beautiful female comrades—but never anyone like her.
Her face was flawless, as if molded by Nüwa herself—a priceless treasure with perfect features, not a single imperfection.
Her skin was fair and delicate, without a pore or blemish, glowing like the finest mutton-fat jade.
Truly captivating, impossible to look away from.
Wen Qiao smiled faintly.
“Hello.”
Zhao Ziwen’s enthusiasm increased.
“I see your suitcase is heavy; let me help you with it.”
Wen Qiao immediately refused.
“No need.”
Her suitcase was practically empty—light as a feather. How had he assumed it was heavy? No wonder his eyesight was so bad behind those glasses.
“Ziwen, please help me with my suitcase—it’s quite heavy too,” a round-faced female youth interjected, squeezing between them.
Zhao Ziwen glanced at her, his expression full of disdain.
He spoke bluntly,
“You’re going to the countryside for the re-education of poor and lower-middle peasants. You’re supposed to reshape your thinking through physical labor. Can’t even carry a suitcase without complaining? So delicate—why even go to the countryside? Better to go home now!”
After lecturing her, Zhao Ziwen turned and walked away.
Wu Qingyun stood there with her oversized canvas suitcase, her face flushed red—either from exhaustion or anger.
She glared at Wen Qiao, thinking: This vixen is clearly trouble… just met, and already trying to seduce a man. Ziwen is mine; no one else should touch him.
Wen Qiao noticed the obvious malice and rolled her eyes, unwilling to argue.
Ridiculous. He rejected her, why take it out on me?
The man in uniform led the youth to a large Liberation truck.
Another tall soldier helped load the luggage and instructed everyone to board.
The green truck had no roof, only a rainproof green canvas, with a red flag at the front.
The youth all smiled broadly at the sight of the truck. Wen Qiao also relaxed.
Earlier, she had seen that many farms sent donkey carts or tractors for pickups, which all smelled of manure or were extremely bumpy. If crammed into one with all the luggage on uneven farm roads, she would have been tossed around like beans.
But the Yangcheng Military Region’s Production and Construction Corps maintained a much higher standard.
As everyone boarded, Wen Qiao eyed the narrow iron step at the back and hesitated.
It was high off the ground, and the sudden gust of wind made balancing in her skirt tricky.
The dark-skinned soldier immediately understood her predicament and crouched down to act as a human step.
“Comrade Wen, step on my shoulders to get on.”
In this era, the boundary between men and women was strict; public physical contact between strangers was forbidden.
Wen Qiao bit her lip. She admired soldiers and felt awkward stepping on his shoulders.
“No, thank you!”
Never mind, I have safety shorts anyway.
Seeing her refusal, the soldier suggested,
“Alright, sit in the front passenger seat; I’ll ride in the back.”
Before she could refuse, he vaulted into the back without using the step.
This time, Wen Qiao accepted his help with a smile.
“Thank you, Comrade Soldier.”
She grabbed the handle and climbed into the front passenger seat.
The seat was a hard sponge cushion—simple, but far more comfortable than the truck’s iron floor.
Another square-faced soldier drove, glancing at her briefly before quickly looking away, his eyes fixed on the road, hands tight on the wheel, face slightly red, sweat on his forehead.
Once Wen Qiao settled, he started the engine.
Leaving the city, the road ahead was a mountain path paved with gravel.
The driver’s skills were excellent; the truck moved smoothly. Wen Qiao felt little bumpiness.
Suddenly, a loud rumble came from above.
Wen Qiao looked up. The sky had a sickly yellowish hue, like glass smeared with dirt.
Dark clouds hung low, their edges a strange bluish-gray, moving rapidly.
In the distance, thunder rumbled within the clouds, like someone rolling an empty oil drum across the horizon, booming incessantly.