Chapter 44.1

Huang Wanqing knew that by choosing the food and oil registration, she would need to report to the farm. The staff at the office, noticing Du Hongyi’s tall stature, gave her a very kind suggestion: “Comrade Huang Wanqing, if you report early, you’ll not only be able to choose your dormitory but also pick your work.”

Labor had many types, some requiring light physical effort and others heavy physical work.

Upon hearing this, Huang Wanqing’s eyes lit up.

She had been worried about where to rest tonight, but now she had found a solution—she could report right away.

By reporting early, she would also avoid troubling Comrades from the XXX division again.

With a smile on her face, Huang Wanqing politely asked the staff, “Comrade, may I ask what materials I need to bring for the registration, and can I go today?”

“Of course, Comrade Huang Wanqing.” the staff member replied. “Please wait a moment. I’ll give you a letter, and you can take it to report. There’s also an office at Hongqi Farm that handles Youth Volunteers, and they’ll arrange everything for you when you get there.” The staff quickly signed and stamped the letter of introduction before handing it back to Huang Wanqing.

“Thank you, Comrade.” Huang Wanqing said, expressing her gratitude.

“No need to thank me, Comrade Huang. This is my job.” the staff member puffed up his chest with pride. “If you run into any issues at Hongqi Farm, feel free to come back and let us know.”

“Alright, thank you.”

With the letter in hand, Huang Wanqing happily followed Du Hongyi out of the office.

Du Hongyi, looking at the joy on Huang Wanqing’s face, thought for a moment but said nothing.

It wasn’t easy being a Youth Volunteer working as a farmer, but the farmers had been doing it for generations. It was good for the city-born Youth Volunteers to experience the hardships of farming. Only by understanding the difficulties of farmers could they serve the people better.

Huang Wanqing happily walked behind Du Hongyi and Tian Qiuyun.

Du Hongyi drove, planning to head back to the division headquarters anyway. Since Hongqi Farm was not far from Kaoshan Village, it was on the way, and Huang Wanqing could enjoy another ride in the military vehicle.

At the Baicheng Youth Volunteer office, a female staff member glanced at her male colleague and asked in confusion, “Why are you so enthusiastic today? Even if you’re enthusiastic, it won’t do any good, can’t you see the military man standing next to that female comrade? Their relationship must be special.”

The male staff member paused for a moment, then understood what she meant. Looking at his colleague, he was speechless.

After a while, he explained, “What are you thinking? Did you notice? If they’re coming in the army vehicle to report, their family must be doing well. Even if their family isn’t wealthy, we should still be polite, especially considering the military officer standing next to her.”

The female colleague now understood why her usually high-and-mighty coworker was acting this way.

How opportunistic.

The male staff member, even if he didn’t hear what his colleague said, understood her judgment of him. Unbothered, he shrugged and said, “The man with her is clearly an officer in the military. The better we treat Comrade Huang, the more she’ll appreciate us.”

“Maybe they don’t even remember our names.” the female comrade muttered, turning her head away with a sneer.

Her family was well-off, or else she wouldn’t be working at such an enviable position. If it weren’t for Du Hongyi’s decent looks, she wouldn’t have even spared him a second glance.

It was said that many soldiers came from poor families.

The male comrade, seeing her attitude, didn’t feel like engaging in further conversation. He quickly started organizing the paperwork in his hands.

“By the way, why did you tell her to come to us if she encounters problems at the farm? We don’t deal with local matters, and frankly, local matters are not easy to handle.” the male comrade spoke up after a brief pause.

The female comrade, who had initially meant to stay quiet, suddenly recalled something important.

“I was just being polite! When the Youth Volunteers arrive here, it’s not the same as for locals. They need official proof for everything—every time they come in or out. She might not even be able to leave the farm without a leadership pass. I was just being courteous!”

The male comrade, who had initially not wanted to explain further, thought about the female comrade’s situation and reluctantly added a few more words. Afterward, he quickly found an excuse to leave the office and get some water.

Huang Wanqing, however, had no idea about the complexities and unwritten rules of the world. More than an hour later, she finally arrived at Hongqi Farm.

The farm was large, and the gate was even bigger. Tall, imposing columns flanked the entrance, with inscriptions from the chairman on both sides.

Despite the cold weather, she could see workers coming in and out of the farm. Everything looked prosperous and thriving.

As she faced the imminent life of a Youth Volunteer, Huang Wanqing felt like she had been injected with excitement. What thrilled her even more was the belief that she would certainly be able to find a neighborly brother.

“Comrade Du, I’ve arrived. Thank you for bringing me.” she said.

Huang Wanqing hadn’t planned on letting Du Hongyi drive her further into the farm. Her family had warned her early on not to take advantage of privileges or make others think she was receiving special treatment.

“Comrade Huang Wanqing, how about we help you with your luggage?” Du Hongyi asked, recalling the large suitcase she had. He didn’t want to make the slim girl carry it alone in the cold winter.

“No, thank you, Comrade Du and Comrade Tian.” Huang Wanqing replied graciously. “I really appreciate you both bringing me here. It’s getting late. You should head back before it gets dark.”

She had already imposed on Du Hongyi for most of the day, and she didn’t want to trouble him any further.

“Alright then, Comrade Huang Wanqing, take care. Goodbye.”

Du Hongyi, noticing Huang Wanqing’s underlying determination, nodded and got out of the car to help her with her luggage.

“Comrade Du, Comrade Tian, goodbye.”

Huang Wanqing waved to Du Hongyi and Tian Qiuyun.

“Comrade Huang Wanqing, take care. The Hongqi Farm isn’t far from our division’s headquarters. If you encounter anything you can’t solve, just send us word, and we’ll make sure to come immediately.” Before leaving, Du Hongyi, still not fully at ease about Huang Wanqing, left a kind and thoughtful remark.

“Mm, I understand.”

Huang Wanqing felt a strong sense of affection for Du Hongyi, whom he had only recently met.

The unfavorable impression that Bai Cheng had left in Huang Wanqing’s mind began to fade, thanks to people like Qin Qingman, Wei Ling, Chuchu, Du Hongyi, and Colonel Wang from the division’s headquarters. Huang Wanqing began to believe that there were more good people in the world than bad.

As he watched the jeep drive away, Huang Wanqing turned his gaze toward the farm’s gate.

The wide gate was unguarded—people could enter or exit freely. Not far from it stood numerous houses emitting a faint column of smoke, and further in the distance, fertile fields lay beneath a blanket of white snow, exuding the stillness of the cold winter.

“Comrade, are you the new educated youth here to report?”

As Huang Wanqing was observing the farm where he would spend the coming time, a tentative voice sounded from beside him.

Turning his head, Huang Wanqing saw a few young men, all dressed neatly.

They were not very old, and their clothing was slightly different from that of the local people, more similar to the style from the city from a few years back. Among them, two wore glasses, and Huang Wanqing immediately knew they were educated youth who had come to the countryside a few years earlier.

“Hello, Comrades. I’m Huang Wanqing, the newly arrived educated youth reporting here.” Huang Wanqing introduced himself.

“Comrade Huang Wanqing, you’re the earliest to report this year! Come, come, let us take you to the registration point.” When the others heard that Huang Wanqing was a newcomer, they became even more enthusiastic.

No matter how much luggage Huang Wanqing had, it was no match for their willingness to help.

The group of young men gathered around Huang Wanqing and led him toward the registration point.

—o—o—o—

In the distance, a few female comrades looked at the group of enthusiastic young men surrounding Huang Wanqing and sneered. Their gazes toward Huang Wanqing also carried a hint of pity.

This newcomer was completely unaware of the situation and dared to let Zhao Tiancheng and Wu Weimin get close—he would likely be scammed until there was nothing left of him.

“Shouldn’t we warn him?” one of the girls glanced at Huang Wanqing’s retreating figure, feeling a little sorry for him.

“Warn him about what? Who in the factory doesn’t know the relationship Zhao Tiancheng and Wu Weimin have at home? Outsiders can’t say anything. We can only see if the new educated youth is smart enough. If he is, he’ll figure out their characters after a few interactions with them.”

“Yeah, one’s family is in the revolutionary committee, and the other’s is the factory director’s. How can we, with nothing, afford to offend them?”

“Let’s go, let’s go. If Zhao Tiancheng and the others don’t get what they want, they might think it’s us who caused trouble. We should just leave. If we can’t fight them, we can at least avoid them.”

“Quick, go.”

Within a minute, the group of girls had disappeared without a trace.

At this moment, Huang Wanqing still had no idea that the well-meaning educated youth were not entirely sincere. She was being led to the registration point by the group.

On the way, Zhao Tiancheng, who was at the front, kept trying to probe into Huang Wanqing’s family background with his words.

Zhao Tiancheng was the most handsome among the group. His features were striking, and his almond-shaped eyes gave off a seductive gaze that seemed to convey affection for everyone he looked at. It was a bit frivolous, a bit greasy—a real waste of such a captivating appearance.

Though Huang Wanqing was innocent, she wasn’t foolish.

While she appreciated the enthusiasm of Zhao Tiancheng and the others, she didn’t quite like the way Zhao Tiancheng looked at her.

His gaze reminded her of a frog—uncomfortably intense—and a bit like that of a snake, sticky and lingering.

She didn’t like it, so she wasn’t going to tell Zhao Tiancheng and the others the truth. She would hide what she could, and for the information she couldn’t conceal, she made it vague or general. By the time Zhao Tiancheng and the others escorted her to the registration point, they still hadn’t figured out Huang Wanqing’s exact background.

They only knew that Huang Wanqing was an educated youth from Beijing.

Zhao Tiancheng took a liking to Huang Wanqing. He was so busy helping her choose her job at the farm that he even managed to secure a four-person dormitory for her.

This was the highest standard of dormitory for the educated youth at their farm.

Usually, the educated youth were assigned to large, crowded dormitories—big communal rooms with ten or more people, each with different personalities and habits. It was easy to imagine how lively and chaotic such a dormitory could be.

With Zhao Tiancheng’s connections, Huang Wanqing not only got a job as the farm’s public relations officer, which was light work, but also managed to get a four-person room.

“Thank you so much for your help, Comrades. Thank you, thank you.” Huang Wanqing sincerely expressed her gratitude to Zhao Tiancheng and the others as they stood at the dormitory door.

“Comrade Huang Wanqing, you don’t need to be so polite with us. Don’t call us so formally either. Just call me Zhao Tiancheng, or even by my full name. This here is Wu Weimin, Wang Ji, and Zhou Tao.” Zhao Tiancheng finally found an opportunity to introduce the group.

“Comrades, I really appreciate everything you’ve done today. Next time, I’ll invite everyone to dinner.” Huang Wanqing truly felt grateful, but it was also a subtle way of signaling them to leave.

It was getting dark, and she wanted to finish tidying up her dormitory and rest early.

She had been on the go all day, and even though she had been sitting in a car, she felt exhausted. Moreover, she felt very cold and longed to crawl into bed to get warm.

“Comrade Wanqing, would you like us to help you clean the dorm? We can also light the stove for you. Since this dorm is only for you right now, it’s not easy to clean a whole room by yourself. There are a few of us, and we can get it done in no time.”

Zhao Tiancheng had picked up on Huang Wanqing’s hint to see them off, but he really didn’t want to leave.

At Hongqi Farm, he had seen many female educated youths come from outside, but none had captivated him like Huang Wanqing did.

She truly attracted him.

The moment he laid eyes on her, he was taken with her.

Before even speaking to her, he had already felt a pang of jealousy toward Du Hongyi. As soon as Du Hongyi left, Zhao Tiancheng immediately moved in closer, and his way of addressing her had changed from the formal “Comrade Huang Wanqing” to the more intimate “Comrade Wanqing.”

Huang Wanqing was not used to Zhao Tiancheng’s enthusiasm.

At the same time, she became wary.

She didn’t like being addressed so familiarly by someone she barely knew, and she didn’t want Zhao Tiancheng and the others to enter her dorm. Hesitantly, Huang Wanqing looked at Zhao Tiancheng, her expression and tone both sincere. “Comrade Zhao Tiancheng, this is a female dormitory. It’s not proper for you to stay here for long. It could harm your reputation.”

Zhao Tiancheng wanted to say that no one would dare gossip about him, but seeing the sincerity in Huang Wanqing’s eyes, he restrained his irritation.

“Comrade Zhao Tiancheng, you see, the other female comrades are looking over here. If you stay any longer, it won’t be good for either me or you.” Huang Wanqing gently reminded Zhao Tiancheng and his group that it was time to leave.

While male and female comrades could help each other, there needed to be boundaries.

“Wanqing… Comrade Wanqing, I’ll go to the canteen and bring you some food.” Zhao Tiancheng had no choice but to settle for offering her food.

“Comrade Zhao Tiancheng, there’s no need. I brought my own food.” Huang Wanqing quickly declined.

“Comrade Wanqing, it’s settled then. I’ll have someone bring you some food. If you don’t accept, it’ll be like you’re looking down on me.” Zhao Tiancheng noticed Huang Wanqing’s rejection, but he was determined to send food no matter what. With that, he turned and left with Wu Weimin and the others.

Watching Zhao Tiancheng and his group walk away, Huang Wanqing furrowed her brow.

She didn’t like Zhao Tiancheng. In fact, she disliked him a lot.

He was too overbearing. On the surface, he seemed polite, but everything was done according to his own will. This was a kind of disrespect hidden under the guise of politeness, and it was unreasonable, domineering behavior.

Huang Wanqing hated domineering people.

Suppressing her frustration, Huang Wanqing began cleaning the dorm. The four-person dorm was definitely much smaller than the large dorms with over ten people, but the small size had its advantages—it was much easier to clean.

After cleaning the dormitory, Huang Wanqing squatted down in front of the stove.

She had already received firewood and coal during her registration, so now she could light the stove.

If she hadn’t stayed at Qin Qingman’s house, she would never have known how to light a stove like this. At Qin Qingman’s house, she had learned some survival skills, and Chuchu had taught her how to light a fire.

She used thin wood chips infused with pine resin, lit them with firewood, and then used tongs to place them in the stove.

As the pine resin burned brightly, Huang Wanqing added larger pieces of wood into the stove. Once the wood was burning well, she added the coal.

A few minutes later, feeling the warmth from the stove, Huang Wanqing relaxed, her tense nerves easing.

She wouldn’t have to freeze tonight.

The kettle and the stove were a matched set, and Huang Wanqing went outside to fetch water to boil. Finally, she could start organizing her bedding.

The bedding provided by the educated youth point wasn’t as good as what she had at home, but it was clean enough.

After the stove got going, the warmth began to spread through the room. Huang Wanqing tested the temperature in the dormitory and didn’t dare to take off her clothes. Just then, there was a knock at the door.

Remembering what Zhao Tiancheng had said before he left, Huang Wanqing didn’t want to open the door at all.

However, the knocking persisted.

Suppressing her irritation, Huang Wanqing opened the door, only to find a short girl standing outside.

“Comrade Huang, this is the meal that Comrade Zhao Tiancheng asked me to bring you.” the girl said in a flat tone, handing over a food container with the meal.

“I told Comrade Zhao Tiancheng that it wasn’t necessary. Take it back. I won’t accept it.”

Huang Wanqing furrowed her brows deeply, clearly displeased.

She wasn’t foolish—she knew well enough that accepting favors meant being indebted to someone. When the girl handed her the food container, not only did she refuse to take it, but she even shut the door on her.

Her family was wealthy, and they had plenty of food. She wasn’t in need of this meal.

Long Juanjuan didn’t expect Huang Wanqing to reject her. She stood frozen for a moment, staring at the closed door. After a while, she knocked again.

The meal had been sent by Zhao Tiancheng, and if Long Juanjuan didn’t deliver it to Huang Wanqing, Zhao Tiancheng would certainly bully her. Just thinking about Zhao Tiancheng’s domineering nature made her terrified, so she knocked even harder.

“Comrade Huang Wanqing, I’ve brought the food. If you don’t take it, you’ll be making me suffer.” Long Juanjuan said in a low voice, her fear clear, as she knocked and whispered the words.

Inside the room, Huang Wanqing had originally planned to ignore Long Juanjuan, but hearing the pleading tone in her voice made her soften. At the same time, she realized that Zhao Tiancheng might not be as easygoing as he appeared.

Feeling a bit of sympathy for Long Juanjuan, Huang Wanqing opened the door.

Outside, Long Juanjuan, still nervous, saw Huang Wanqing open the door. Without saying anything, she placed the food container on the nearby railing and quickly ran away.

As far as Long Juanjuan was concerned, placing the food in front of Huang Wanqing was enough—whether she accepted it or not was not her responsibility. Her task was done.

Huang Wanqing watched the food container on the railing with her brow furrowed. She didn’t take the food, instead turning around and closing the door again.

She wasn’t going to eat that meal.

On the other side, Long Juanjuan anxiously ran downstairs. Just as she rounded the corner, she was blocked by Zhao Tiancheng and his group.

“Comrade Zhao Tiancheng, I’ve delivered the food to Comrade Huang Wanqing.” Long Juanjuan reported, her face pale.

“Did Wanqing accept it?” Zhao Tiancheng, who had been acting carefree, immediately lit up with excitement at Long Juanjuan’s report. Even his way of addressing Huang Wanqing became more intimate, no longer avoiding familiarity.

Long Juanjuan flinched inwardly, recalling the food container she had left on the railing. She nodded, “Yes, Comrade Huang Wanqing accepted it.”

“Good, you can go now.”

Satisfied, Zhao Tiancheng waved his hand dismissively, allowing Long Juanjuan to leave.

Long Juanjuan hurriedly lowered her head and ran off.

“Boss, that Comrade Huang isn’t as high and mighty as she looks. She says no, but when good food is delivered, she’s quicker to accept than anyone. I bet that before long, she’ll be begging you for something.” Wu Weimin muttered, seeing that Zhao Tiancheng was in a good mood.

“Wu, don’t call her by her last name. We need to respect her, call her Comrade.” Zhao Tiancheng warned Wu Weimin.

This was also his way of showing his serious intentions toward Huang Wanqing.

“Right, Boss, we understand. From now on, we’ll respectfully refer to Comrade Huang Wanqing as Comrade Huang.” Wu Weimin quickly agreed, along with Wang Ji and Zhou Tao.

There was no way around it. Zhao Tiancheng’s father was the director of the Revolutionary Committee, and when one person rose, even the chickens and dogs could soar.

“Come on, let me treat you all to a meal and drinks at the State-Owned Restaurant.” Zhao Tiancheng said in a good mood, waving his hand as he led Wu Weimin and the others on their bicycles to the town’s State-Owned Restaurant.

Although the sky was already dark, it was around dinnertime, so they were sure to be able to get good food at the restaurant.

—o—o—o—