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Ye Xin strolled leisurely around her small courtyard, relishing the joy of having the entire space to herself before heading out to work. On this winter morning, a dense fog hung in the air, and the only sounds breaking the silence were the distant noises of her fellow team members heading out to work.
As she walked along the path, Ye Xin spotted a group of educated youth—four men and four women—approaching. She wasn’t particularly eager to engage with them; there were too many people, and while some had pleasant personalities, others could be quite bothersome. She considered just walking past them, pretending she hadn’t seen them.
However, before she could make her move, Zheng Wenwen called out to her and walked over. “Finally, I see you not with Shen Zhuo! It’s always awkward for me to find you to chat.”
Ye Xin thought Zheng Wenwen was quite nice, so she smiled and replied, “What’s there to be awkward about? What do you want to talk about?” As she spoke, she continued to walk forward.
Zheng Wenwen matched her pace. “Oh, nothing much. Just wanted to chat a little.”
As they talked, they put some distance between themselves and the rest of the group behind them.
The others exchanged glances, and Sun Weiqiang exclaimed, “When did they get so friendly?”
Zhao Zhonghua, who had arrived in the same group as Ye Xin, chimed in, “Ye Xin is great. We shouldn’t be distant from her; we’re all fellow educated youth comrades.”
The two girls ahead paid no mind to them. Zheng Wenwen observed Ye Xin’s fair complexion, her cheeks glowing with health, and exclaimed, “How come your skin looks so good? My face gets so rough in winter; it hurts from the wind!”
Hearing this, Ye Xin glanced at her face. Indeed, Zheng Wenwen’s skin looked dry and cracked, resembling a melon with its web-like lines, flushed with tiny visible blood vessels.
In those days of scarcity, skincare products were rare treasures. Regardless of age or gender, everyone’s face would turn red and chapped in the winter, showing a rugged simplicity. Only a few city dwellers managed to maintain a more refined appearance.
“What do you use on your skin?” Zheng Wenwen asked, still curious.
Ye Xin shrugged, saying, “I don’t really use anything special. I drink that spring water, and the food I eat is infused with its essence, which nourishes my body, so my skin stays healthy.”
Since she felt no discomfort, she hadn’t even thought to use any creams, let alone buy any.
“Oh, I just use snowflake cream,” she added casually.
Zheng Wenwen replied, “I use snowflake cream too, but it doesn’t seem to help much.”
Ye Xin advised, “Winter is so dry; you should apply a bit more to keep your skin moisturized.”
Zheng Wenwen nodded thoughtfully, “You’re right. I’ve been trying to conserve it, but I guess I can’t skimp on this. I’ll apply more tomorrow.”
Ye Xin just smiled.
Zheng Wenwen continued, “About that letter you helped me deliver last time, I haven’t had a chance to reply yet. I was thinking of going to town the day after tomorrow. Are you coming?”
Remembering the shocking content of that letter, Ye Xin replied, “You reminded me! I received that letter too and haven’t found time to respond yet.”
Zheng Wenwen eagerly invited her, “The day after tomorrow is market day! Xiao Wei and I are planning to go together. Do you want to join?”
Ye Xin thought it would be nice to have some company, but the idea of waking up early to walk for over two hours on winding mountain paths was daunting. She politely declined, “Oh, I really can’t make that trek. I’ll ask Shen Zhuo if he can give me a ride instead.”
Zheng Wenwen felt a little disappointed. “You finally have a chance to be apart from him, and yet you’re still relying on him!”
Ye Xin chuckled apologetically, “I’m sorry to waste your kindness.”
By this time, they had reached the warehouse.
Today’s task was to repair a section of road. Everyone picked up their tools and headed to the worksite. The female team members lacked the strength for heavy lifting, so they were assigned to dig and load the earth, while the men took on the task of hauling it away.
Despite the winter chill, everyone worked energetically, soon warming up and breaking a sweat in the process.
Meanwhile, Shen Zhuo arrived early. The training classroom was located at the local junior high school, where he had previously studied and was quite familiar with the place. Although classes were still in session, the chaotic times had led to a significant drop in student numbers, and the school schedule had become sporadic. Therefore, freeing up a classroom was not a problem.
Shen Zhuo reached the town by 7:00 AM, even though the training class didn’t start until 9:00 AM. He knew the timing in advance, but Ye Xin had advised him to leave early on the first day, just in case there were procedures to complete or to get acquainted with the venue. So, he followed her suggestion.
While it seemed a bit late to start at 9:00 AM, many students lived far away and needed two to three hours to arrive. Those living further out had to leave by five or six in the morning, so this timing was necessary. Shen Zhuo was able to arrive early thanks to his bicycle; otherwise, he would have to walk for two hours.
After locking his bicycle in the bike shed, he followed the signs to check out the classroom. Finding it empty, he decided to step outside the school and take a walk around the town.
Having become accustomed to heading towards the agricultural market, he instinctively moved in that direction, only to find it eerily quiet and deserted. It hit him that today wasn’t market day.
He lowered his head in thought. Since he had plenty of time in the morning, he considered carrying some vegetables to sell on market days; maybe he could finish selling them before class even started.
When it came to selling vegetables and making money, his mind wasn’t as quick as Ye Xin’s; she always worried more about such things. Now that he was attending training and couldn’t work, he felt that her burden was heavier.
He resolved to do more to lighten her load…
After a brief stroll, he returned to the school, and it was just past 8:00 AM. By then, more people had started to arrive.
Team leader Li Xingguo was already there. Spotting Shen Zhuo, he waved him over. “Come here; I want you to meet a couple of the team members.”
There were two young men beside him. The shorter and stockier one was named Huang Zhihao, from Huangjia Village, and he was twenty this year. The taller and leaner one was named Li Guangyao, from a neighboring village called Liangshuitang. They actually all shared the same last name—Li—because Liangshuitang was too crowded and had to split off. Li Guangyao was nineteen and part of Li Xingguo’s extended family.
With introductions made, the three exchanged polite greetings.
Just then, the fourth student from Fengshui Brigade arrived—a young woman named Meng Chunlan, from Mengzhuang, who was eighteen years old, of average height, with striking eyebrows and big eyes.
Li Xingguo introduced her as well.
The other three looked at Shen Zhuo with a mix of surprise and curiosity, sneaking glances at him. Among their weathered faces, his was notably fair and smooth. His clean and warm wool hat and thick scarf stood out as new, enhancing the handsome features of his face. Even his backpack was brand new, stylish, and practical.
He didn’t look like a country boy at all; instead, he seemed like someone from the city, perhaps from a well-off family, exuding an air of sophistication and elegance.
Li Xingguo was slightly taken aback. He often saw Shen Zhuo working hard alongside everyone else, but standing next to his peers, the contrast was striking. Shen Zhuo almost looked like a crane among chickens.
It puzzled him; Shen Zhuo never slacked off, always working in the fields like everyone else. When had he become so exceptional?
Shaking off his confusion, Li Xingguo addressed the young members, “As part of the same brigade, we must stick together during this training, learning from each other. If you encounter any difficulties, help one another to overcome them. Although conditions in Fengshui Brigade are tough, we cannot lag behind in our studies! We need to learn diligently because, in the future, the health issues of our fellow villagers will depend on you!”
The others quickly nodded in agreement, promising to study hard and live up to the brigade’s expectations.
Across the training site, similar scenes played out in other brigades. The barefoot doctor training class was organized by the commune and had been prepared months in advance, highlighting its importance. All brigades valued this initiative, so on the first day of classes, the brigade leaders were present, gathered in small groups, earnestly encouraging the trainees.
Before long, everyone had arrived, and it was nearly time to start. The brigade leaders filed out, and the students streamed into the classroom.
The Hongze Commune had over twenty brigades, with three to four participants from each. In total, there were about seventy to eighty trainees, which was quite a crowd. However, the numbers had been tallied in advance, and there were enough desks and chairs. It was a little cramped, but everyone could find a seat.
As everyone settled in, heads turned, and whispers filled the air as they noticed Shen Zhuo. Though looks alone couldn’t guarantee success, his handsome features made people glance his way more than once. In a rural setting, his strikingly handsome face and cool demeanor were indeed one of a kind.
Shen Zhuo furrowed his brow, still unaccustomed to the attention. He moved toward a side seat, trying to avoid being in the spotlight.
Most students from the same brigade naturally gathered together, and when Meng Chunlan noticed him heading that way, she whispered, “Shen Zhuo, it’s hard to see the blackboard from over there. Let’s sit in the middle instead.”
Without responding, Shen Zhuo took a seat against the wall, preferring his solitude.
Meng Chunlan felt her face flush slightly, interpreting his silence as impolite, thinking he was deliberately ignoring her.
Huang Zhihao quickly jumped in to ease the tension. “I also prefer the side; I’ll sit here with Shen Zhuo.”
Li Guangyao then stood behind their table and suggested to Meng Chunlan, “Then let’s sit here. You can take the left side, a bit more toward the center.”
The classroom was arranged in six columns and seven rows, though the last row was not completely filled. Each desk could fit two people, and Shen Zhuo had chosen a spot on the right side of the third row, which was actually not too far off-center.
Even though Meng Chunlan was in the fourth seat of the third row—not exactly in the middle—it was still a decent spot, so she didn’t press the matter further and took her seat.
As dozens of students settled in, the noise level increased.
However, when a middle-aged man wearing glasses entered, the room fell silent. This was Director Zhou Guoze of the commune, accompanied by a clerk carrying a bundle of books.
Looking at the young students, Director Zhou spoke kindly, “Don’t be nervous, everyone. I’m here to distribute the textbooks. However, we have a limited number of books, and what we managed to secure is not many. We’ll have to share, so please understand and bear with us.”
The textbook was The Barefoot Doctor’s Handbook, and there were only about twenty-seven or twenty-eight copies available for over seventy students. Distribution would be done by brigade—three students would share one book, while four would share two.
Naturally, Shen Zhuo and Huang Zhihao shared a book, and they sat at the same desk, which turned out to be quite manageable.
For those sharing among three, things became a bit tricky; they would have to pull their desks together during class to accommodate everyone.
After distributing the books, Director Zhou explained the course schedule. There would be four lessons in the morning, each lasting forty minutes, with a ten-minute break in between, running from nine until twelve ten. Lunchtime would be fifty minutes for eating and resting, followed by five classes in the afternoon, from one to five.
After sharing these details, he offered some encouraging words before departing.
At precisely nine o’clock, a serious-looking teacher with textbooks in hand stepped onto the podium. “Hello, everyone. My last name is Wang. I’m a doctor from the health station, and I’ll be your instructor for this training session. I will mainly teach you the fundamentals of medical theory. The first two classes of the day will be mine. Let’s get started!”
Time was of the essence, and Dr. Wang didn’t waste any. After a brief introduction, he jumped straight into the lesson.
All the participants, eager to learn, listened intently.
Shen Zhuo took out his paper and pen from his pocket, jotting down notes as he listened. He had these supplies from before, so there was no need to spend extra money on new ones.
As the class progressed, they realized the content in the textbooks was quite limited; the majority of the learning would come from the teacher’s lectures. This worked out well, as it would have been cumbersome for two or three people to fight over a single book.
Although there was a ten-minute break between classes, the amount of information Dr. Wang shared was substantial. Everyone had to stay alert and focused, using the breaks to compare notes and ensure they hadn’t missed anything important, leaving little room for actual rest.
Under the intense pace of study, many were already feeling hungry before the fourth class had even ended.