Rong Xiaoxiao seemed distracted.  

She didn’t need Chen Shuming to tell her about the conditions of Hongshan Brigade—she already knew.  

It was her father’s hometown. Back then, if times hadn’t been so hard, he would never have left his homeland.  

The fact that their entire family had fled as refugees meant more than just crop failures—it signaled that the surrounding conditions were dire.  

In other words, their former village couldn’t rely on the mountains or rivers for sustenance.  

The terrain of Hongshan Brigade was truly wretched.  

There were hills and a river, but both were utterly useless.  

The high mountains were nothing but barren yellow earth, not a single wild plant in sight.  

The river was fine in ordinary times.  

But the moment a drought hit, it dried up, and when heavy rains came, it flooded.  

Truth be told, this wasn’t a good place for an educated youth to settle long-term.  

But her family had their reasons.  

Rong Shuigen had left Hongshan Village when he was only fifteen or sixteen. He had lived there for over a decade and was familiar with the villagers.  

Even though more than twenty years had passed, and Hongshan Village had become Hongshan Brigade, this place was still the root of the Rong family. Distant relatives and old companions of his remained here.  

More importantly, Rong Shuigen knew that most of the folks in his hometown were simple and honest. A young woman like her wouldn’t face any serious trouble here.  

Of course, that didn’t mean there were no ill-intentioned people.  

After all, more than two decades had passed—no one could say for sure whether Hongshan Brigade was still the same as before. But one thing was certain: it was better than other places.  

At the very least, if she went to Hongshan Brigade, she wouldn’t face the same situation as in Luozhuang Brigade. Even if the locals were wary of outsiders, they wouldn’t turn her away.  

With a bit of luck, one or two of her father’s relatives might even be willing to look out for her.  

The only question was whether she’d be assigned to Hongshan Brigade. Even if not, she hoped it wouldn’t be too far away.  

Rong Xiaoxiao mused to herself—after all, she was a transmigrator. She wasn’t expecting to dominate the world or battle against scheming villains, but surely she had at least a tiny bit of protagonist’s luck, right?  

Her fortunes couldn’t possibly be that bad.  

And yet…  

She was wrong.  

After waiting for about two hours, the final group of people finally arrived.  

Compared to the others, this last batch stood out strikingly.  

It wasn’t just their striking looks—their attire was equally eye-catching.  

Their crisp dacron outfits, in rare and coveted colors, turned heads wherever they went. Their polished leather shoes clicked sharply against the ground with every step, drawing involuntary glances from those around them.  

“That whole ensemble must’ve cost fifty or sixty yuan.”  

“More than that! I’ve seen similar leather shoes at the provincial supply and marketing co-op—thirty yuan a pair. And that *dacron* fabric? I’ve never even seen that color for sale before.”  

Rong Xiaoxiao was among those staring.  

Despite carrying a decent sum of money, she was dressed in tattered clothes—a faded, patched-up blouse with at least three mends and worn cloth shoes on the verge of splitting. They looked shabby but were surprisingly comfortable; even after walking for hours, her feet didn’t ache much.  

By all appearances, she looked like a country bumpkin fresh from the sticks.  

It wasn’t that her family couldn’t afford better. Her bulky luggage even held two thick new cotton-padded jackets. But these patched-up clothes had been deliberately picked out by Wu Chuanfang for the journey.  

With so much cash on her, dressing too well on the train would’ve drawn unwanted attention—and she’d seen enough passengers lose their belongings along the way.  

After a while, the novelty wore off, and Rong Xiaoxiao grew bored, rummaging through her pockets for snacks.  

Who knew how long they’d be stuck waiting? Even after reaching the brigade’s educated youth dorm) she doubted a meal would be ready immediately.  

Just as she reached into her pocket, voices rang out as brigade representatives began calling names.  

“Qichadao Brigade: Liang Wen, Wang Zhijie…”  

“Luozhuang Brigade, over here: Zhou Jianshe, Wang Lei…”  

“Respond when called: Gao Liao, Chen Shuming, Rong Xiaoxiao… Bai Man…” 

A frustrated voice cut in: “Comrade Liu! Why so many for Hongshan Brigade? You know our situation—how could you assign us this many?!”

Comrade Liu rubbed his temples. “Look at this batch—every brigade got several. Last time, Hongshan took fewer. What’s the issue with a few more now?” 

Luo Wang looked miserable. If the brigade leader finds out we’re bringing back six… he’ll have a headache for sure. 

Meanwhile, Rong Xiaoxiao stood frozen.  

She finally realized why Gao Liao and Chen Shuming’s names had sounded so familiar.  

Bai Man.

This… was the exact setting of that period novel she’d skimmed in her past life!  

——《Returning to the 1970s: The Reckless Love of a Rough Man》

Back then, she had clicked on that novel out of sheer boredom, only to find herself completely hooked.  

But her memory was the type to absorb and forget—she could barely recall the main plot, let alone the supporting characters. If not for Bai Man’s name, she might never have made the connection.  

Bai Man, Gao Liao, Chen Shuming…  

As these names flashed through her mind, fragments of the story slowly resurfaced.  

In that instant, Rong Xiaoxiao had an epiphany: she was never the one with protagonist’s luck.  

The real halo belonged to the center of attention ahead—Comrade Bai Man, the true heroine of this tale.  

Rong Xiaoxiao frowned, racking her brain.  

Was there even a character named “Rong Xiaoxiao” in that novel?

There might have been, but only as a background figure with barely any relevance.  

“Comrade Rong, let’s go.” Gao Liao, noticing her stillness, glanced at the two large bags beside her. “Need help?”

His fingers itched with curiosity. This whole trip, he’d been dying to know just how heavy those bags were—yet never got a chance to lift them himself.  

“No need!” Rong Xiaoxiao’s eyes sparkled brighter as she hoisted both bags and marched ahead.  

Whether Bai Man was the heroine or not didn’t matter. Lacking protagonist privileges? Fine by her.  

She never planned to conquer the world anyway—just to carve out a cozy, worry-free existence where food and warmth weren’t concerns.  

And if life could throw in some entertaining drama along the way? Even better. She wouldn’t actively meddle, but spectating from the sidelines sounded fun.  

Survival wouldn’t be an issue; she’d find a way.  

The real challenge was staving off boredom.  

But now, sharing a brigade with the novel’s heroine? How could life not get interesting?  

Almost giddy, Rong Xiaoxiao practically skipped forward with her luggage, radiating delight.  

“…Why’s she so happy?” Chen Shuming blinked at her retreating figure. “Is Hongshan Brigade not as terrible as I’d heard?”  

Gao Liao sighed. “Doesn’t matter now. We’ve been assigned—no turning back.”  

Six educated youths headed for the oxcart.  

Besides Rong Xiaoxiao, Gao Liao, and Chen Shuming, the other three wore their pristine dacron outfits. Luo Wang eyed them with undisguised disdain.  

Great. Six newcomers, and half look like they’ve never done a day’s labor in their lives.

“Load your bags onto the cart—quickly. We’ve got a long walk ahead,” Luo Wang barked.  

Sheng Zuoyuan frowned. “How far is Hongshan Brigade? Are we really walking the whole way?”  

“You’d rather I carry you?” Luo Wang snapped. “Quit staring. Our brigade’s got no tractor to chauffeur you, and the oxcart’s off-limits—those beasts are worth more than people.” 

“…Since when are oxen more important than humans?” Jiao Gang scowled. “Since when do we rank below livestock?”  

“An ox can plow fields. Can you?” Luo Wang shot back, rolling his eyes.  

Every single one of these people looked utterly useless when it came to labor—yet the brigade was expected to feed and house them. Who wouldn’t be pissed?  

“You—!” 

“Enough,” Sheng Zuoyuan cut in, stopping Jiao Gang.  

Despite Luo Wang’s gruff demeanor, he was the one hauling the oxcart alone when they set off.  

No tractor, and no willingness to overwork the brigade’s only ox. Knowing the educated youth would bring heavy luggage, he’d deliberately brought the cart to lighten their load.  

But after waiting half the day only to be saddled with so many deadweights, how could he *not* be resentful?  

So he trudged ahead, dragging the cart in sullen silence, ignoring the group.  

The rural path was rough.  

Recent rains had turned the ground into a mire of sticky mud.  

Each step sank deep, pulling free only with shoes caked in filth.  

Rong Xiaoxiao had no qualms about her worn-out shoes—dirty was dirty; she can wash them later.  

But the three pristine leather shoes? That was a tragedy. Their owners’ frowns deepened with every squelching step.  

Noticing Bai Man’s strained expression, Sheng Zuoyuan spoke up: “Comrade, there’s space on the cart for one more. Why not let Comrade Bai Man ride? She’s a woman, after all—this distance will be hard on her.”

“……” 

“……”

His words drew twin scowls.  

Jiao Gang sulked. So what if he wasn’t a woman? This trek was brutal for him too! Weren’t men and women supposed to be equal? Why couldn’t he get a turn?  

Might as well have been born a woman.

Rong Xiaoxiao’s face also scrunched in displeasure.  

She wasn’t about to fight for the spot.  

But why single out “woman” as the reason? She was a woman too—did that not qualify her for the cart?  

Luo Wang shot Sheng Zuoyuan a sidelong glance but didn’t refuse. “Fine. If there’s room, sit whoever.” 

Sheng Zuoyuan brightened, reaching to steady Bai Man—only for her to sidestep his hand.  

Confused, he murmured, “Manman?”

Bai Man’s icy stare locked onto him.  

She wanted nothing more than to throttle Sheng Zuoyuan.  

But she couldn’t.  

Not yet.  

Of all people in her past life, she’d hated him the most.