“Third Sister, I’ve grown up. I don’t need to go to school anymore. I can earn work points for the family,” Xiao Weidong said in a low voice, glancing at Li Qiuhua.

“Mom, Little Brother is still young. You can’t just let him grow up illiterate, can you?! Factories nowadays only hire workers who’ve gone to school. Do you really want Little Brother to spend his entire life digging in the fields?” Shen Zhihuan reassured Xiao Weidong with a rub on his head, then turned to Li Qiuhua and pleaded.

Seeing that Li Qiuhua’s expression had softened slightly, Shen Zhihuan got up and leaned close to her, hugging her arm and swaying it coquettishly. “Mom, with me here, the family will be fine. Let Little Brother go to school, please!”

“Alright, alright!” Li Qiuhua sighed helplessly and shot her daughter a glare.

Her daughter’s ideas were getting bolder by the day.

“Mom, can I really go to school with Xiao Pang?” Weidong’s eyes lit up with hope, but the light dimmed moments later. “But Xiao Pang said school costs money…”

“You little brat, just wait until after summer break to start school! Don’t worry about tuition fees; Third Sister will handle it.” Shen Zhihuan smiled, pulling the frowning Xiao Weidong into her arms and tickling his sides. He couldn’t help but giggle uncontrollably.

Watching her children playfully bicker, Li Qiuhua smiled and walked into the kitchen.

Ever since the engagement with the Su family was called off, her daughter not only seemed more decisive but also smiled a lot more.

Meanwhile, the mood at the educated youth center was as gloomy as if dark clouds were hanging overhead.

After forcing a smile to see Wang Tiezhu off, the group of educated youths—Chu Ge, Chen Huihui, He Tianming, and the others—stood in silence, looking at the muddy yard and the dilapidated house that seemed ready to collapse.

Though they’d mentally prepared themselves for hardship when signing up, the actual conditions were far worse than they’d imagined.

“Ugh…” Wang Meili ran out from the back of the house, clutching her mouth.

He Tianming rushed to her side. “What’s wrong, Meili? Are you feeling unwell?”

In He Tianming’s family, he had two older sisters and a younger one. As the only son, it was surprising that he’d end up as a volunteer. But he insisted on coming with Wang Meili, and his parents, unable to dissuade him, reluctantly agreed.

“The toilet…” Wang Meili pointed weakly toward the backyard alley, her face pale. She began dry heaving again.

Chu Ge exchanged a complex look with his friend Zhao Zheng before heading to the backyard, followed by Chen Huihui and a few other educated youths.

Upon reaching the so-called toilet—flimsy bamboo mats forming a semicircular screen and two planks laid across a cesspit—their faces collectively turned pale.

When Chen Huihui spotted a few yellow clumps in the cesspit, she bent over and vomited on the spot.

Zhao Zheng hurried out of the women’s yard to check the men’s side but returned shortly after, his expression equally grim.

“It’s the same,” he said, summarizing it in three simple words.

Everyone understood.

Suppressing their disgust, they made their way back to the front yard.

“What if those planks break?” Chen Huihui asked, her face as white as a sheet.

What if someone slipped or stepped into the pit? The thought alone made her stomach churn again.

“Those planks look sturdy enough. They shouldn’t break easily,” said Zeng Guangrong, who seemed the most composed, as she patted Chen Huihui’s shoulder.

Having grown up in the countryside with her aunt after her father remarried, Zeng Guangrong was no stranger to such toilets.

But these pampered city youths… they were pitiful.

“I don’t want to stay here. I want to go back,” whimpered Tian Xiaorou, the youngest of the group, her eyes brimming with tears and her soft, childlike voice full of misery.

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Zhao Zheng snapped irritably.

Did she think leaving was that easy? If it were, most of them would have left already.

“Tian Xiaorou, you’ll just have to get used to it. It won’t feel so bad after a while,” Zeng Guangrong sighed.

She’d seen many educated youths in her aunt’s village struggle at first, but eventually, they adjusted. Some even worked alongside the villagers in manure-fertilized fields without flinching.

“Generations of villagers have lived like this. Why can’t we?” Chu Ge grumbled as he hefted his suitcase and headed for the men’s quarters.

“He’s right,” Zhao Zheng agreed, quickly grabbing his own suitcase and following.

As they walked through the production team, they noticed there weren’t many well-built houses. Aside from a few new tile-roofed homes, most were yellow mud huts with thatched roofs. Compared to those, their own brick-and-tile quarters weren’t so bad.

He Tianming glanced at the still-pale Wang Meili. Feeling his gaze, she turned her head away, her expression full of distaste.

Seeing this, He Tianming hesitated but eventually kept quiet. With a sigh, he picked up his suitcase and headed to the men’s yard.

Zeng Guangrong followed suit, lifting her suitcase and heading into one of the rooms. Soon, the sound of sweeping filled the house.

After a moment of hesitation, Chen Huihui tied her hair into a ponytail, picked up her suitcase, and joined Zeng Guangrong in cleaning.

Not wanting to appear idle, Wang Meili retrieved a somewhat old handkerchief from her luggage and began wiping down the room’s furniture.

Still sniffling in the yard, Tian Xiaorou noticed no one seemed to care about her complaints. Awkward and embarrassed, she eventually stopped crying and lugged her suitcase inside.

When she found the only remaining bed near the door, her brow furrowed, and anger flared in her eyes.

“Tian Xiaorou, Meili already wiped down your bed for you. Hurry up and unpack so you can rest!” Zeng Guangrong said, mistaking Tian Xiaorou’s hesitation for lingering sadness.

“Thank you,” Tian Xiaorou replied softly, her voice delicate and tearful.

Wang Meili glanced at her and smirked, saying nothing as she continued unpacking her snacks and toiletries.

Chen Huihui, already lying on her bed, seemed to be either asleep or pretending to be.

Seeing no one else willing to engage her, Zeng Guangrong forced a smile. “No need to thank me. We’re all comrades here; it’s only right to help each other.”