Chapter 4 – Entering the Village

“I’m with Sheng Yanchuan. You guys go ahead, I’ll watch over the luggage,” Sheng Yanchuan explained quietly while the others weren’t paying attention.

“Oh, okay! Thank you, Comrade Sheng. We’ll be quick,” said Nan Qiao, dragging Shen Nian toward the direction he pointed out.

The post office wasn’t big, and there weren’t many people making calls—phone calls weren’t cheap, and even unconnected calls were charged. So most people just wrote letters when they could.

Nan Qiao called both her mother and father’s offices, but no one picked up—likely because they were busy. So she called her brother instead.

The call connected instantly.

“Hello? Is that Qiao Qiao?”

“Brother, it’s me. I’ve arrived. The climate here is a bit dry, but it’s not too bad.”

“Good, that’s good. Call me anytime if anything happens.”

“Okay. I couldn’t get through to mom and dad, so remember to tell them for me. Also, someone’s waiting here, so I won’t talk too long. Bye, brother.”

After hanging up and paying, Nan Qiao stepped aside to wait for Shen Nian to make her call.

Once they were done, they quickly returned to the tractor. The spot that once had two tractors now had only one.

“Did they leave already?” Nan Qiao asked, a bit confused.

“Yeah, just enough for one load, so they went ahead,” Sheng Yanchuan replied.

“Should we wait for more people?”

“Yes, there are two male educated youths who went to mail letters, might take them longer.”

Nan Qiao nodded and climbed onto the tractor with Shen Nian, sitting down near their luggage and supporting each other.

Just as they sat, two small bright red wild fruits were handed to them.

“These are for you—wild fruits from the mountain. They’re sweet and sour.”

Nan Qiao looked up at the man. Sword-like brows, starry eyes, a bit of a roguish look—not the typical square-jawed national hero aesthetic of this era, but quite appealing to 21st-century Nan Qiao’s taste.

His short sleeves revealed bronzed skin and well-toned but not exaggerated muscles—probably from years of physical labor.

At 170 cm tall, Nan Qiao was already quite tall for a girl. But this man must be at least 188 cm; she had to look up at him.

Her gaze moved from his face to the fruit in his hand. She took one and shared it with Shen Nian, smiling as she thanked him but didn’t talk further—after all, gender separation in this era was strict.

“Ah!” Nan Qiao suddenly yelped.

“What’s wrong, Qiao Qiao? Did you leave something behind?” Shen Nian asked, thinking she’d forgotten something.

“No, no.” Nan Qiao turned to Sheng Yanchuan and said, “Comrade Sheng, my parents just sent out my bedding before we left. It probably won’t arrive in time, right?”

Nan Qiao hadn’t planned on bringing it up, but the parcel was too small to contain bedding. Instead of people wondering how she’d sleep, it was better to be upfront.

“If it’s mailed, it definitely won’t make it today. If it’s by freight train, maybe tomorrow,” Sheng Yanchuan replied, a bit concerned. Even though it was summer, nights in Qing City could still be cool.

And sleeping on a kang (a traditional heated brick bed) with no bedding for a few days would be tough.

“How about this—when you get to the educated youth site, go into the village and ask for Aunt Xiumei. She’s the women’s director at the commune. Borrow a set for a couple of days,” he suggested, eyes glinting with subtle meaning.

“Is that really okay? Maybe I should just buy a set,” Nan Qiao hesitated—after all, cotton fabric was precious in this era.

“No need to buy! I thought you lost something. Don’t worry about the bedding—you can share with me!” Shen Nian chimed in.

Nan Qiao looked at her like she was a lifesaver. “Ah, that’s perfect! You don’t mind, do you?”

“Why would I? A soft, fragrant beauty like you? I’m thrilled,” Shen Nian blurted without thinking.

Nan Qiao blushed and quickly covered her mouth, glancing at Sheng Yanchuan, who had turned away—but his red ears betrayed him.

Nan Qiao became even more embarrassed…

Shen Nian also realized she’d spoken inappropriately and looked apologetically at Nan Qiao, who finally released her, tickled her lightly, and signaled her not to talk nonsense.

Sheng Yanchuan listened to the girls’ playful chatter behind him, and his mood brightened.

Just then, the two male educated youths returned.

Climbing aboard, they apologized, “Sorry for the wait, comrades. We were delayed a bit.”

“Comrade Sheng, we’re ready to go.”

Sheng Yanchuan checked behind him. Seeing everyone was seated, he silently started the tractor.

“Hello, comrades! I’m Li Zhuoran from Beijing.”

“I’m Jiang Haihe from a small county in the northwest.”

The two men eagerly introduced themselves.

They hadn’t expected that mailing a letter would result in being left with the two prettiest girls headed to Hongqi Commune—definitely a win.

To build future “revolutionary friendship,” they eagerly started small talk.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Nan Qiao, from Shanghai.”

“I’m Shen Nian, also from Shanghai.”

“All from big cities! I heard there are lots of foreign investors in Shanghai?”

“Yes, a lot. The country’s trying to earn foreign exchange, so the Investment Bureau is focusing development there,” Shen Nian explained.

“You know so much—does someone in your family work at the Investment Bureau?”

Shen Nian nodded, but after Nan Qiao lightly nudged her, she didn’t elaborate.

Li Zhuoran didn’t react much, but Jiang Haihe’s eyes darted like he was scheming.

“Comrade Nan Qiao, how old are you? I’m 20—probably older than you, right?” Li Zhuoran asked with sparkling eyes, clearly serious.

Nan Qiao looked at him—messy short hair and a bit of unruly youth. He had the vibe of a wild puppy, but those pure deer-like eyes and cute little tiger teeth when he smiled…

Nan Qiao looked away, suppressing the urge to ruffle his hair, and replied, “I’m 19, had my birthday earlier this year.”

She had a good impression of Li Zhuoran, but couldn’t say the same about Jiang Haihe.

“Then you’re the youngest here. How could your family let you come here?” Li Zhuoran said, surprised.

“I signed up on my own—wanted to play,” Nan Qiao replied casually.

Then, turning to Jiang Haihe, who had been asking about Shen Nian’s family nonstop—job, number of family members, and so on—she interrupted him.

“Comrade Jiang, do you have a relative working in the registration office or something?”

Jiang Haihe blinked, confused. “Why do you ask, Comrade Nan Qiao?”

“No reason, just curious.” Nan Qiao didn’t explain, but Li Zhuoran seemed to catch on—she thought Jiang was prying too much and didn’t want to be dragged down by him, so he quickly changed the subject to local customs.

But after a few sentences, he was back to chatting with Nan Qiao again.

This time, before she could respond, the tractor bumped over a large rock, jostling everyone. They all clung to the frame, afraid of falling.

Sheng Yanchuan turned and said coldly, “The wind in Qing City is strong—don’t let the chill get in…”

Thanks to him, the rest of the ride was much quieter. Nan Qiao enjoyed the scenery—lush greenery and the light scent of grass in the breeze. She took a deep breath, feeling refreshed.

But Jiang Haihe wasn’t as relaxed. He kept thinking about what Shen Nian said.

He was sent to the countryside because his family was poor and lacked connections. His parents favored his younger brother. They hadn’t given him much money or food coupons when he left and even wanted him to send grain back from his labor.

Since he couldn’t rely on his family, he had to find a way to return to the city himself.

Whether it was a Worker-Peasant-Soldier University or a resettlement quota, he’d have to earn it.

Shen Nian’s background sparked his interest.

Among the girls, only Nan Qiao and Shen Nian looked well-off. The others were plainly dressed—probably from working-class families.

Nan Qiao was too clever and confident—not easy to manipulate.

But Shen Nian was different—pure and trusting, with family in the Investment Bureau.

If he could win her over, his return to the city would be guaranteed. Even if not right away, life in the village would be easier.

He made up his mind and began to be extra attentive to Shen Nian.

Shen Nian, being a bit naive, didn’t notice at first. Nan Qiao caught on quickly and eventually had to warn her.

After that, Shen Nian started getting goosebumps every time Jiang Haihe looked at her.

Finally, the tractor stopped at an open space with a stage, and the group arrived.

Villagers and other newly arrived educated youths filled the area.

Nan Qiao jumped off the tractor with her vintage thermos from the space in her bag and drank the last sip of her icy cola before pulling her luggage down.

She didn’t bring much, but helping Shen Nian with hers was quite the task. Eventually, Sheng Yanchuan helped carry some of it down too.

Just as they finished, the commune leader’s voice rang out:

“Everyone quiet down! Quiet down! Auntie Gou, gossip at home! And Old Li’s wife—I wasn’t talking about you, don’t start.”

Once everyone was quiet, he continued: “Today is your first day at Hongqi Commune. Let’s give a warm welcome to the new educated youths!”

Scattered applause followed. The leader was used to the villagers being only interested in work points and gossip.

Off to the side, one woman was already eyeing the new arrivals, probably choosing a daughter-in-law for her lazy son.

The leader sighed inwardly and returned to his speech.

“I’m Li Weimin, head of Hongqi Commune. The village chief’s away at a meeting, so I’ll handle your assignments today. Our commune is one of the more prosperous ones in the area. As long as you work hard, you’ll earn enough points for your own rations.”

…

He gave some encouragement mixed with veiled warnings, but Nan Qiao barely listened. Her eyes scanned the crowd—many women were carrying baskets with bowls and cups, likely just finished work and came to watch.

As for Sheng Yanchuan, after helping with the luggage, he drove off somewhere. Just as Nan Qiao was wondering about it, the leader spoke again.

“There’s one more thing the female educated youths need to discuss.”

“Due to one male youth getting into Worker-Peasant-Soldier University and returning to the city, there’s now just enough room at the men’s dorm. But only one spot left in the women’s dorm.”

At this, Qin Fang, always quick-tempered, snapped, “That’s unfair! Why recruit so many if you can’t house us? What are we supposed to do?”

She spoke so fast that Dong Jiayan couldn’t stop her in time.

The leader’s face darkened.

“Did I say we wouldn’t provide housing? If you don’t want to stay, take your bags and leave. We don’t need a Buddha like you here.”

Qin Fang opened her mouth again, but Wang Yuman stopped her.

Dong Jiayan stepped in to calm things down: “You misunderstood, Comrade Leader. Qin Fang didn’t mean it that way. We’ve all had a rough ride—it’s understandable that tempers are short. Please forgive her.”

The leader reluctantly continued, though his tone lost its earlier friendliness.

“There’s only one spot in the female dorm. The other four will temporarily stay with villagers—at their own expense—until the new dorm is built.”