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Zhao Sulan couldn’t help but roll her eyes dramatically upon hearing this. She thought to herself, these two country bumpkins are actually assigned to the same place as me for the down-to-the-countryside movement…
Su Niannian finished the coarse cornmeal pancake in her hand and reached into the oiled paper wrapper for another item.
A steamed bun.
A white flour bun.
The sight of it made Zhao Sulan, who had been watching from the side, involuntarily swallow.
In this era, white flour buns were a rarity for ordinary people.
Even with her family’s relatively good circumstances, she could only afford to eat white flour a few times a month.
“Here, take it!” Su Niannian handed the bun to Song Zhaodi.
Song Zhaodi quickly waved her hands in refusal.
“I’m full, no need, no need.”
“This is such a rare treat—I can’t take it. You should keep it for yourself.”
Hearing this, Zhao Sulan, who had been standing nearby, kept her eyes fixed on the bun in Su Niannian’s hand.
“I’m an educated youth too, and I’m also assigned to Kaoshan Village.”
“Since we’ll be spending a lot of time together from now on, we should get to know each other,” Zhao Sulan said with a smile.
“I’m Zhao Sulan, nice to meet you both. Since she doesn’t want the bun, why not give it to me instead?”
She raised an eyebrow and put on a falsely friendly expression as she reached out, ready to take the bun from Su Niannian.
But before she could touch it, Su Niannian swiftly placed it into Song Zhaodi’s hands instead.
“Sorry,” Su Niannian said with a light smile, looking at Zhao Sulan. “I just ate something from her, so this is simply returning the favor.”
Zhao Sulan turned to look at Song Zhaodi, her expression darkening slightly.
Song Zhaodi looked down at the bun in her hand.
Just as Zhao Sulan was about to speak, Song Zhaodi took a big bite.
She might be honest and straightforward, but she wasn’t naive.
That Zhao Sulan—anyone could tell she wasn’t someone easy to get along with.
Earlier, Zhao Sulan had already shown her attitude. Song Zhaodi wasn’t blind to it.
Even if she didn’t eat the bun herself, there was no way she was going to just give it to Zhao Sulan for free.
Anyway, since they would be working in the same village from now on, Song Zhaodi figured she could always help Su Niannian with some of the heavier tasks. Looking at Su Niannian’s thin arms and delicate frame, she knew repaying the kindness of the bun wouldn’t be difficult.
But… the moment she took a bite—
Song Zhaodi froze.
This was a meat bun!
A white flour meat bun!
She had never eaten anything so delicious in her life.
The soft, glutinous white dough wrapped around a juicy filling, and the meat inside was bursting with savory broth. It was simply… simply too good.
For a brief moment, the rich aroma of the meat filling spread around them.
The enticing scent drew the attention of those nearby, making a few people glance over.
Su Niannian watched Song Zhaodi’s reaction and couldn’t help but smile.
“I… I didn’t know it was a meat bun… Now I owe you even more…” Song Zhaodi muttered, feeling a little guilty.
“What’s the big deal? Food is meant to be eaten,” Su Niannian replied casually.
In her past life, Su Niannian had been manipulated and deceived by Lu Xingguang and Huang Yingying. She had been framed, ostracized, and wrongfully accused, with no true friends to rely on.
Having been given a second chance, Su Niannian was determined not to suffer the same losses again.
The rhythmic clatter of the train accompanied them through the journey. In the blink of an eye, a full day and night had passed. Along the way, the train made several stops, with passengers boarding and disembarking at various stations.
Now, it was already past two in the afternoon.
The train slowly pulled into the platform at Ha City.
A steady stream of passengers began to disembark.
Throughout the journey, Su Niannian and Song Zhaodi had chatted quite a bit. As soon as they got off the train, they immediately began asking around about transportation to Long County.
Zhao Sulan followed behind them at a not-too-close yet not-too-distant pace, conveniently saving herself the trouble of finding the way on her own.
In the distance, a few other small groups of people were also inquiring about how to get to Long County.
Soon, the bus to Long County departed.
The journey took a little over two hours.
The closer they got to Long County, the more excited Su Niannian became.
She knew that Kaoshan Village would be sending a tractor to pick them up.
Gu Nan had once told her that the first time he saw her was at the bus station—he had spotted her in the crowd at a glance.
As the bus rumbled along for over two hours, Su Niannian felt as if every minute was pure agony.
Every minute and every second felt excruciatingly slow.
But no matter how agonizing the wait was, Su Niannian finally saw the moment when the bus pulled into Long County’s station.
She quickly tidied her hair and straightened her clothes before grabbing her woven sack and stepping off the bus.
Rushing out of the station, she was met with a bustling crowd. Yet, even amidst the sea of people, she spotted Gu Nan at a glance.
By now, the sky had taken on a reddish hue under the golden glow of the setting sun.
A man in a gray shirt and army-green trousers stood leaning against a tractor.
The hem of his gray shirt was tucked neatly into his trousers, accentuating his well-proportioned frame. His long legs made him appear even taller and more imposing.
His face was sharp and chiseled, his thin lips pressed together in a firm line. Years of labor under the sun had tanned his skin to a deep bronze. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, revealing strong, muscular arms.
The moment Su Niannian laid eyes on the man in the distance, her eyes instantly reddened.
A surge of emotion welled up within her—an almost irresistible urge to run into his arms.
But she forced herself to hold back.
She didn’t want to startle him right away.
Su Niannian stood frozen in place, staring at him for a long time.
Gu Nan, I’m here. She silently called out in her heart.
Since Su Niannian remained standing still, Song Zhaodi quickly caught up from behind.
“Why are you just standing here? You ran so fast just now!” Song Zhaodi said, carrying two cloth bags as she came to Su Niannian’s side.
Seeing that Su Niannian didn’t respond, she followed her gaze and looked over.
There, she saw the tractor from Kaoshan Village that had come to pick up the educated youths.
Two men were leaning against the tractor.
“Brother Nan, look at that girl over there. She’s really pretty,” one of the men standing beside Gu Nan said, pointing in Su Niannian’s direction.
“Hmm.” Gu Nan had already noticed the girl.
After all, a girl that beautiful naturally stood out in the crowd, as if she carried her own halo.
But… the way she was looking over here seemed a little strange.
She looked at him as if she were gazing at a long-lost friend. Though she said nothing, her eyes seemed to be filled with countless unspoken thoughts of longing.
“Brother Nan, do you think that girl might be one of the educated youths we’re supposed to pick up?”
“If she is, I wonder if I’ll have a chance to get to know her better.”
“She’s just too pretty! I’ve never seen a girl this beautiful before,” Li Ergou, the man standing beside Gu Nan, muttered. As he spoke, he even scratched his head shyly.
Hearing this, Gu Nan turned his head and cast Li Ergou a sidelong glance.
Li Ergou didn’t notice Gu Nan’s glance and continued grinning foolishly.
After all, that beautiful girl was already walking toward them.
A wooden sign was prominently placed on the tractor, with bold characters reading, “Kaoshan Village!”
By the time Su Niannian reached them, she had already steadied her emotions.
“I’m Su Niannian, an educated youth assigned to Kaoshan Village. This is Song Zhaodi; she’s also here for the countryside program.”
Her voice was soft yet firm, carrying no hint of affectation. She spoke with a natural grace, composed and confident.
Gu Nan gave a slight nod.
Beside him, Li Ergou quickly stepped forward, reaching out his hand for a handshake with Su Niannian. His face lit up with a bright, eager smile.
“I’m Li Ergou from Kaoshan Village, and this is Gu Nan. We’re here to pick you up.”
Su Niannian had been holding a snakeskin bag in both hands. Seeing Li Ergou’s enthusiasm, she was just about to extend her hand to shake his.
But before she could, Gu Nan stepped forward, directly blocking Li Ergou’s way.