Chapter 29: In Front of Me, Call Her Sister-in-Law

Sensing the situation turning unfavorable, Li Jianguo quickly interrupted.

“Secretary, have someone send them to Deng Xuejun’s brigade later.

Just two days ago, you already sent two of that kind to me.”

Two of that kind…

For some reason, when Song Yue heard this, the first names that came to her mind were Lu Huaishen and Zhou Ye.

Li Jianguo glanced at Li Xinyue and the other two, his eyes filled with disdain.

Two troublemakers.

One walking disaster.

Bringing them back would only spell trouble.

He was about to refuse outright. “I—”

But Secretary Zhou cut him off in time, throwing an arm around Li Jianguo’s shoulders and steering him toward the office. “Come on now, Jianguo, that’s not how you should put it.”

“Let’s go inside and talk.”

The two entered the office, leaving Song Yue and the other four outside.

Li Xinyue was caught in a dilemma—crying seemed excessive, but not crying felt stifling.

Zhao Zirui, unused to such treatment, wore a dark expression.

Liu Wei felt utterly humiliated, keeping her head down in silence.

Meanwhile, Lin He simply watched the three of them with amusement.

Song Yue, lost in thought, pondered why Lu Huaishen and Zhou Ye had been sent here on a mission—and how they got tangled up in political classifications.

Creak—

A door opened, snapping Song Yue out of her thoughts. She turned her head.

Li Jianguo walked out of the office with a grim face.

He glanced at Song Yue and Lin He. “Xiao Song, Xiao Lin, let’s go.”

Song Yue and Lin He got up.

Li Jianguo stepped forward to help Song Yue carry her things.

Li Xinyue, Zhao Zirui, and Liu Wei stood frozen, unsure what to do.

Seeing them still standing there dumbly, Li Jianguo felt irritated at the thought of having them forced onto him.

But remembering that it wasn’t their fault—it was all that bastard Deng Xuejun’s doing—he gritted his teeth and said in a heavy voice, “What are you still standing there for? Pick up your things and get on the truck! We’re going back to the village!”

After the whole ordeal, the three dared not protest anymore and obediently followed with their luggage.

They left the commune’s educated youth station, walked about ten steps, turned a corner—

A tractor was parked in an open space. A young man leaned against it, holding a cigarette.

Seeing Li Jianguo approach, he quickly stubbed it out, stuffing the half-smoked cigarette into his pocket before hurrying over.

“Secretary.”

Li Jianguo acknowledged him with a nod and started loading Song Yue’s belongings onto the tractor.

Li Ping, the young man, noticed Song Yue and Lin He and froze for a moment, marveling at how different urban educated youths looked.

The girl was beautiful, the boy was handsome.

But… what was up with the cloth wrapped around the girl’s head?

Noticing his gaze, Song Yue gave him a polite smile.

Li Ping, flustered by the pretty educated youth’s smile, blushed.

Li Jianguo turned back just in time to see Li Ping’s expression and frowned. “Li Ping, go help out. There are three more new ones behind us.”

Receiving his orders, Li Ping looked up—

Sure enough, two women and a man were walking toward them.

He quickly ran over to help.

As he got closer and saw Li Xinyue’s clothing and face—

Good heavens!

Was this… a goddess descended from the heavens?!

Already in a foul mood, Li Xinyue noticed a strange man staring straight at her.

She curled her lip in disdain, threw him a scornful glance, and even rolled her eyes.

Liu Wei, exhausted from carrying her bags, had just felt relieved to see someone coming to help—

Only to watch as that someone got completely distracted by Li Xinyue.

She couldn’t help but curse inwardly. Brain-dead vixen!

Li Ping quickly realized his rudeness.

“Comr—” He tried to salvage the situation by offering to carry her things.

But then he noticed—she wasn’t holding anything at all.

He couldn’t just run over for nothing.

His eyes shifted to Liu Wei. “Comrade, let me help you.”

Liu Wei’s heart leaped with joy. “Thank you, Comrade Li.”

Li Ping picked up her bags. “No need to be polite—it’s only right.”

After loading the luggage onto the truck, Li Jianguo glanced at the five of them. “Get on.”

Lin He was the first to climb up. “Comrade Song, let me help you.”

“No need, I can manage.”

With that, Song Yue stepped onto the footrest and leaped up with ease.

Lin He clicked his tongue and helped Zhao Zirui up instead.

Zhao Zirui then pulled Li Xinyue up.

As for Liu Wei… no one helped her. She climbed up herself.

Li Jianguo took a seat next to the driver, looked back at the five, and said, “Hold on, we’re leaving.”

With a rumbling noise, the tractor started and drove off.

—

At the corner of an alleyway—

Zhou Ye watched as Song Yue got on the tractor and left, then turned to the alley. “Boss, Comrade Song is gone.”

“Should we head back? Walking back will take an hour and a half.”

Lu Huaishen didn’t respond. He stepped out of the shadows, passing Zhou Ye.

As he walked by, he casually said—

“In front of me, call her sister-in-law.”

Zhou Ye: “……”

Boss, does Comrade Song know you’re like this?

—

After about forty minutes, they arrived.

The tractor came to a stop.

Li Jianguo jumped down and called up to them, “We’re here.”

“This is the place.”

Song Yue got up, moving her things while scanning her surroundings.

Lush green mountains, houses scattered in the distance.

The tractor had stopped at a three-way intersection.

Ahead, a man in his forties or fifties came running toward them.

He rushed up with a smile. “Secretary.”

“Vice Captain Li.”

The brigade leader glanced at the five new arrivals—

Three women, two men.

The two men seemed decent enough, but the three women… just looking at them, he knew they were trouble.

His chest tightened, but he couldn’t show it in front of the secretary. “These are the new educated youths?”

“Yeah.” Li Jianguo nodded. “I’ve brought them over. The rest is up to you.”

“Got it.” The brigade leader turned to the five. “Comrades, bring your things and follow me.”

He pointed to a row of mud-brick houses nearby. “Your lodgings are over there, just twenty steps away.”

The five of them looked over.

At the foot of the mountain, a row of mud-brick houses with a fenced-in yard.

Li Jianguo introduced, “This is Captain Li Jianping. Just follow his arrangements from now on.”

The five nodded in acknowledgment.

“Xiao Song, Xiao Lin,” Li Jianguo glanced at all of them. “And you three—good luck.”

Song Yue: “Alright.”

Lin He waved. “Take care, Secretary.”

Li Jianguo got back on the tractor.

The tractor rumbled off.

The five of them, along with the brigade leader, stood there watching it leave.

Only then did the brigade leader speak. “Come with me.”

Leading the way, he brought them to the educated youth courtyard.

Standing in the yard, he called out twice, “Chen Xue! Chen Xue!”

After a moment—

A dark-skinned man in his mid-twenties jogged out from inside.

His eyes were dull, his face lined with exhaustion and hardship.

The brigade leader pointed at the five. “These are the new educated youths. Get them settled—I’ve got other matters to attend to.”