Chapter 5

“I’m not here to work, just hanging around the educated youth station with nothing to do, so I thought I’d come chat with you, Auntie,” Lu Lanlan said with a smile.

“That’s great! Having someone to chat with makes my work go faster,” Auntie Xu San smiled back.

She really liked this educated youth, Lu. She was beautiful, had a good temper, and, most importantly, was hardworking.

“Auntie, we each get a small vegetable patch at the educated youth station, but I don’t know how to grow vegetables. I also don’t know where to buy seeds. Can you teach me?”

“Of course! You can buy seeds in town. Every ten days, a tractor from the village goes to the town market, so you can buy seeds then. Be sure to buy the ones in season—the seed vendors will tell you which ones are good. As for planting… different vegetables have different methods. What do you plan to grow?”

Hearing that she wanted to grow vegetables, Auntie Xu San’s impression of Lu Lanlan improved even more.

“Eggplants, greens, tomatoes, peppers—just simple ones. The space isn’t big, so I can’t plant too much,” Lu Lanlan replied.

Back home, she often bought vegetables and cooked, so she had some idea of what was in season.

After listening to Auntie Xu San’s explanations, it was already noon, and they left the field together.

Auntie Xu San returned home, while Lu Lanlan headed back to the educated youth station.

Just as she reached the entrance, she saw a tall figure standing in the courtyard.

The silhouette seemed familiar, but she quickly dismissed the idea—how could he possibly be here? She lowered her gaze.

“Lu, you’re back. This is the new educated youth who arrived today,” the station manager greeted her warmly.

Lu Lanlan smiled and nodded, then turned to the newcomer, ready to say hello—after all, they’d be living in the same place for who knows how long.

But when she saw the new educated youth’s face, she froze.

“Lu Lanlan, we meet again,” the man turned around and walked toward her with a smile.

“You two know each other?” The station manager, noticing their reactions, asked.

The man nodded. “Classmates.”

“Oh, classmates? Then I won’t bother introducing you. I’ll get back to work,” the station manager said and left.

Most of the educated youths had already returned earlier and met the newcomer, except for Lu Lanlan, who was the last to arrive.

“What are you doing here?” Lu Lanlan asked curiously.

With his family background, he shouldn’t have been sent to the countryside.

“The street office assigned me here. I didn’t expect to see you too,” Fu Chunian said with a smile.

“No, I mean, why did you end up being sent to the countryside?” Lu Lanlan asked again.

“Answering the government’s call.”

That sounded like an excuse. Lu Lanlan knew he didn’t want to talk about it, so she didn’t press further.

After all, they were just ordinary classmates.

“Alright, you go unpack. I’m heading back to my room,” she said and started walking away.

Before she could take a few steps, Fu Chunian called out, “Lu Lanlan, it’s mealtime, but I haven’t bought any cooking tools yet. Can I join you today?”

Lu Lanlan turned back and nodded. “Sure, especially since I can’t touch water right now.”

She lifted her hands slightly.

A trace of concern flashed in Fu Chunian’s eyes. He smiled and said, “I’ll cook. Just tell me which kitchenware is yours.”

Hearing this, Lu Lanlan led him to the kitchen and pointed at her things. “The flour is in there, but I don’t have any vegetables. I just arrived yesterday and haven’t had time to buy any.”

“Got it. You go rest,” Fu Chunian said as he rolled up his sleeves, ready to cook.

Seeing that the kitchen was crowded, Lu Lanlan didn’t insist on staying.

After she left, the male educated youths in the kitchen turned to Fu Chunian.

“Fu, you and Lu seem pretty close?” one of them asked.

Fu Chunian chuckled. “Yeah, we’ve been classmates since junior high, all the way through high school.”

“Oh…”

Hearing this, some of them felt envious, maybe even a little jealous.

Gu Yu glanced at Fu Chunian, then at Lu Lanlan’s room before lowering his head to focus on his own cooking.

Meanwhile, a female educated youth who had earlier asked Gu Yu to swap rooms was clearly unhappy.

From the moment she saw Fu Chunian, she had taken a liking to him. She had even invited him to share meals, but he had refused.

“By the way, Gu, I heard from someone that you saw Lu and the village head’s son dating at the clinic today. Is that true?”

As soon as she spoke, she was met with Fu Chunian’s sharp gaze.

Gu Yu frowned. “I made a mistake. Don’t spread rumors.”

“Exactly! Lu just arrived yesterday. How could she possibly be dating the village head’s son today? That’s such a brainless rumor,” another male educated youth who had come with them yesterday chimed in.

The female educated youth’s face darkened. “I wasn’t the one who spread it. I was just curious—how could she start dating someone within a day? That’s why I asked Gu.”

Trying to shift the blame onto Gu Yu, she made everyone turn to look at him again.

The station manager spoke up. “Gu, a girl’s reputation is extremely important. If you’re unsure about something, don’t spread it.”

“That’s right.”

Others nodded in agreement.

Gu Yu, face stiff, nodded. “I understand.”

Seeing that, the station manager didn’t say more but addressed everyone. “Since this was just a misunderstanding, let’s help each other out. We’re all educated youths far from home. If you hear any rumors, clear them up.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll stand up for Lu.”

“Yes.”

Fu Chunian glanced at the station manager, a hint of appreciation in his eyes.

Back in her room, Lu Lanlan was reading, unaware of the commotion in the kitchen.

Since Fu Chunian had volunteered to cook, she didn’t feel the need to be polite—after all, the pots, bowls, and food ingredients were hers.

She provided the supplies; he provided the labor. That was fair.

Lu Lanlan glanced at Gu Yu’s belongings in the room, surprised that they were still there. She hadn’t moved out?

After cooking, Fu Chunian brought a bowl of food to her door. Once she finished eating, he even washed the dishes for her.

“Lu, your hand is injured. Are you still going to the fields this afternoon?” Fu Chunian asked while washing the dishes.

Lu Lanlan looked at her swollen hands. She didn’t want to go, but if she didn’t, how would she eat?

Her uncle and aunt had given her money and ration tickets before she left, but she wanted to save them for emergencies.

Her younger sister had also promised to send her salary and ration tickets, but how could she accept that?

Her uncle and aunt had raised her and paid for her education—she already owed them too much.

Seeing her hesitation, Fu Chunian said, “You should rest. If your hand gets worse, you won’t be able to work for a week.

If you’re worried about not earning work points, how about this—I noticed most people here share meals in pairs or groups. Why don’t we partner up? I’ll split the cost of the kitchenware with you.”